Fell Deeply In Love With My Ex-Husband's Fiancé - Chapter 36

Chapter 36: Lingering Feelings: What is love? He dares not believe it ever again…

After a period of rest in the hospital, all of Lu Feiran’s vital signs returned to normal. Lance also reverted to his usual state, with no trace of the ghostly shadow he had been just a few days prior.

Lance brought Lu Feiran home, treating him like the Princess and the Pea.

It had been nearly a week since he woke up, and Lu Feiran hadn’t washed his hair. His head had been injured, and he couldn’t wash it until the wound healed.

His head was itchy, and he wanted to wash it. But Lance wouldn’t allow it.

Lu Feiran pouted: “If I don’t wash it, I’m going to stink.”

“You don’t stink.”

Lance said, reaching out to touch his head. Lu Feiran dodged, covering his head: “I want to wash it now.”

Lance sighed: “Ranran, if you’re going to be this willful, I’ll worry about you secretly washing it yourself. How about, starting tonight, I’ll be in charge of your bathing entirely.”

He could only use one hand now, and many activities required Lance’s help. If even bathing had to be…

It was too embarrassing to have someone attend to him even for a bath.

“No!”

Lu Feiran dropped the subject of washing his hair, but the thought hadn’t disappeared. Instead, it lay in wait, ready to feign compliance while secretly acting against it.

To prevent Lu Feiran from wetting his wound by washing his hair himself, Lance put away the shampoo. Lu Feiran secretly planned to use the body wash.

This was the first time he put the idea of secretly washing his hair into action.

Squeezing a little body wash into his palm, Lu Feiran didn’t dare to wet his hair too much. It was almost in a dry state as he carefully massaged the body wash into his scalp.

As he washed, he peeked at Lance’s back through the glass door, confirming Lance wouldn’t notice. Gaining confidence, he rubbed his hair with a bit more force.

A lump of foam, unseen by him, flowed downwards, over the wound, causing bursts of sharp pain.

“Hiss—”

Lu Feiran hadn’t expected it to hurt so much. He frantically tried to wipe the foam away, but had no clean hand to use. Turning to grab a towel, his feet accidentally slipped.

Bang! His head hit the tiled wall.

Lance, who was constantly monitoring Lu Feiran’s movements in the bathroom, immediately pulled open the door and rushed in the moment he heard the abnormal sound.

Seeing Lu Feiran covered in foam, a surge of worried indignation rose, and his voice deepened: “Since you can’t be trusted to bathe yourself honestly, only I can help you.”

Lu Feiran didn’t have time to object. Suddenly, some unfamiliar images flashed in his mind.

Egret Garden after sunset. Lu Xingli emerged from behind the bushes, his expression distorted as he accused him of something.

“You’re amazing. You just ran off to become Zhai Qiance’s aunt?”

Aunt?

The pain was intense—not the pain of the wound being soaked by foam and water, but a deep headache. The memory violently suppressed and forgotten during the car accident surfaced, bringing with it a deeper layer of suffering.

Lu Feiran’s entire face was scrunched up. He gasped, gritting his teeth, and struggled to look up at Lance’s face.

That face, supremely handsome and utterly gentle, now carried a slightly doting reproach.

Water droplets had soaked Lance’s shirt, revealing his skin beneath, but Lance didn’t care. He held him, helped wipe the foam from his head, and ensured the wound was dry again.

A damp index finger pressed against Lu Feiran’s brow.

“It won’t hurt anymore. Don’t frown.”

Lu Feiran grabbed Lance’s soaking wet cuff in a daze, and with a faint glimmer of hope, tentatively called a name: “Noen?”

Lance continued to apply body wash to Lu Feiran’s neck. After half a minute, he calmly replied: “I’m here. What is it?”

Lu Feiran suddenly lowered his head, his face changing drastically.

His skin was very fair, steamed pink by the hot water and steam. His face was also flushed with embarrassment, making him look very adorable.

The water in the constant-temperature bathtub was still warm. Lance poured warm water over Lu Feiran’s body, gently wiping his neck inch by inch, and then squeezed his arm.

The weight Lu Feiran had managed to gain recently was instantly lost after the accident.

Lance was displeased. He was figuring out how to help Lu Feiran gain it back when he heard him call him. Except, he used the wrong name.

Lance didn’t want to respond to his nephew’s name. Usually, he would simply ignore it or interrupt Lu Feiran with other words.

If they were in bed, he would make sure Lu Feiran had no opportunity to speak, with all his energy dedicated only to gasping.

But now, Lu Feiran’s gaze was too intense, as if clutching the last straw, unwilling to give up until he got what he wanted, staring at him, looking like he would die if he didn’t get a response.

After the response, Lu Feiran immediately lowered his head. The muscles Lance touched stiffened at a noticeable speed.

“Did I touch your left arm?” Lance thought the pain was making Lu Feiran tense up.

Lu Feiran didn’t move or answer. Lance became even more careful. He guessed Lu Feiran was still upset about him forbidding the hair washing.

Lu Feiran felt ringing in his ears. He couldn’t hear the sound of the water or Lance’s voice clearly. His mind was buzzing, preoccupied with what Lu Xingli had told him.

That night, he learned a concealed truth.

The lover by his side had given him a false name, deliberately masquerading as the nephew who was engaged to his ex-husband.

He decided to cut ties with the imposter Lance and had even blocked him. But the ensuing car accident made him temporarily forget this. Seeing Lance jump down and rush toward him, Lu Feiran thought he had met his savior once more.

Fake. It was all fake.

The truth was like a bucket of cold water poured over the love-struck Lu Feiran, forcing him to calmly observe and examine the situation as an outsider.

He thought back to how Lance had continuously lowered his guard and actively pursued him, closing the distance on a rainy night, the face cupped in his hands filled with fascination and seduction, the warm hugs and impulsive kisses, the confession at sunrise…

The water temperature in the bathtub was comfortable, and Lance’s movements were gentle and soothing, yet Lu Feiran trembled uncontrollably.

He didn’t even dare to look up, afraid of seeing a different look in Lance’s eyes. His wet fingers dug forcefully into the edge of the bathtub, his wrist bones protruding, looking forlorn and desolate.

A warm hand covered the back of Lu Feiran’s hand. Lance gently kneaded his hand, his fingertips tracing his wrist, which felt ticklish and made him want to pull his hand away.

Lance gripped him tightly, asking softly, like coaxing a willful child: “Where does it hurt? Where are you uncomfortable? Tell me, I’ll be gentler. Shall I invite the doctor to check on you tomorrow? Hmm?”

Lu Feiran shivered.

If it were before, he would have found it touching, would have felt lucky to have met Lance.

But now, he couldn’t feel happy at all.

Lu Feiran forced himself to view Lance with the harshest skepticism and criticism. At this very moment, the liar was kneeling on the bathroom tiles, soaking wet, helping him bathe.

Lance was not accustomed to such tasks, yet he remained utterly devoted when caring for Lu Feiran. He slowed down his movements, constantly observing Lu Feiran’s reactions, adjusting his strength and method to keep Lu Feiran comfortable.

He was doing a great job.

He’s too good at acting. A sneer almost burst from Lu Feiran’s chest.

Love receded like a tide, replaced by a lingering hatred. He hated being deceived. He hated having his feelings played with.

The day he discovered Zhai Qiance’s infidelity, he managed to remain calm. But now, he couldn’t settle down at all!

His life was too absurd. Was he inherently attracted to scumbags and deceivers? Zhai Qiance stopped pretending the moment he got his hands on his money. How long would Lance keep up the act?

Lu Feiran couldn’t figure out Lance’s motive, but he was curious about the true face of Lance beneath the mask. How hideous and terrifying could the real side of such an elegant and composed person be? Would he be worse than Zhai Qiance?

He lowered his head and bit his lip to prevent himself from showing any sign of abnormality.

“Raise your hand, Ranran.”

Lance ignored Lu Feiran’s silence and continued bathing him.

As Lance’s fingers kept rubbing against his naked body, Lu Feiran grabbed Lance’s wrist, preventing him from continuing to wash him. Lu Feiran didn’t want him to touch him right now.

Wouldn’t it feel disgusting to bathe someone you don’t love, or sleep with someone you don’t love?

Or… did Lance have some feelings for him?

Lu Feiran slowly tilted his head. His slightly pale face, dotted with water, made him look like a mermaid reborn from water. A hint of fluctuation appeared in his dead eyes.

He released Lance’s wrist and let his right hand snake upward along Lance’s wet shirt. He hesitated for a moment, his fingertip trembling, but he eventually touched Lance’s cheek.

The moment his fingertip touched Lance’s skin, Lance instinctively leaned his head towards Lu Feiran’s palm, nestling against the wet skin. He gently rubbed against it and then smiled, showing a look of utter willingness, as if he would never refuse anything Lu Feiran did to him.

Lu Feiran’s hand trembled. He lowered his eyes, watching the rippling water. Lance always did this, using this expression to make him soften. This was how he had been deceived step by step.

He was a person who responded to kindness but not coercion, and Lance had him completely wrapped around his finger with this tactic.

He wanted to know Lance’s goal, and he also wanted to know, what was the bottom line of someone so good at acting?

Perhaps… he could test it. How many times could Lance tolerate being called the wrong name?

Lu Feiran suddenly smiled, like the fleeting bloom of a night-flowering cereus. He forcefully pinched Lance’s chin, pulling him closer. He sat up straight. The water in the tub rippled and overflowed, splashing onto Lance’s lower body and soaking his trousers.

“I love you so much, Noen.”

Lu Feiran deliberately and clearly spoke the name “Noen.” These two words were like the key that unlocked Pandora’s Box. Lance’s expression instantly changed.

Was that anger or… jealousy? Could someone whose whole existence was a lie still feel jealous?

Lu Feiran kissed him forcefully, like lovers lost in passion, intense and inseparable, as if they only recognized each other for life.

Lance was momentarily stunned by the sudden kiss. Although Lu Feiran was usually proactive, he was always gentle and gradual. He had never expressed his feelings with such ferocity before.

He held Lu Feiran, responding like a reckless adolescent, almost sucking all the air from Lu Feiran’s mouth, turning it into the nourishment he needed to survive.

“I love you too… very much.”

Lance finally admitted that he shared the same feelings as Lu Feiran. He loved Lu Feiran, just as Lu Feiran loved him.

In the pauses between kisses, Lance’s whispers kept reaching Lu Feiran’s ears. He kept his eyes open, staring at the water-beaded ceiling, studying when a single droplet would fall, unable to allow himself to get swept up in the passion.

What is love? He dared not believe such nonsense ever again.

Lance started nibbling on Lu Feiran’s earlobe, whispering close to his ear: “Hurry up and divorce, okay?”

Lu Feiran was stunned. How could Lance still not know he was already divorced? Zhai Qiance couldn’t possibly have failed to tell his family.

However… since he didn’t know, he wouldn’t need to know for now.

Lu Feiran’s fingers raked through Lance’s hair, rubbing his head soothingly. He spoke with some difficulty: “This matter… wait a little longer.”

Lance’s movements stopped. He looked at Lu Feiran with unspent desire, his lake-green eyes incredibly compelling: “Why? What are you waiting for?”

But Lu Feiran was no longer seduced. The memory of Noen DeWei’s hundred-day banquet became extraordinarily clear.

The infant lying in the cradle had clear, azure eyes brighter than the sky, while the boy hidden in the distance had deep, gloomy green eyes.

“Wait until… I completely forget him,” Lu Feiran pretended to look disheartened.

The air froze. Lance stared motionless at Lu Feiran. The overwhelming anger and jealousy prevented him from thinking rationally, and he failed to detect any hint of pretense on Lu Feiran’s face.