Fell Deeply In Love With My Ex-Husband's Fiancé - Chapter 65

Chapter 65: Emotional Depth – A crisp sound broke the silence, the ring fell…

Lance was present for the entirety of the Lu family funeral proceedings.

He stood there conspicuously, an outsider. All guests covertly scrutinized him. Some recognized Lance’s identity and approached him with prepared opening remarks, but Lance only offered a smiling nod, declining any conversation and merely directing them to pay their condolences.

He was discreet, proper, and seemed wholly devoted to supporting Lu Feiran.

As Lu Feiran was Lu Liye’s son and had inherited the majority of the estate, he had to take charge of the proceedings.

When it was over, everyone gradually dispersed. Lu Feiran saw Jian Xu off and remained until the very end.

The temperature had recently risen slightly. The afternoon sun shone directly, providing only the slightest warmth.

Lu Feiran stood still, slightly dazed. Lance walked past him. Before his brain could register it, Lu Feiran’s hand lifted, taking a step forward, and grasping the back of Lance’s hand.

It was a large hand, clearly articulated, dry and warm. It turned over, gripping Lu Feiran’s slightly trembling, slender fingers. The heat was more noticeable than the sunlight.

“I’m not leaving. I’m going to get the car.” Lance rubbed Lu Feiran’s cheek with his other hand.

Lu Feiran shook his head, his tone awkward: “Don’t drive. Walk with me.”

Lance was somewhat startled, his eyes crinkling into a smile. He left the Lu family mansion on foot with Lu Feiran.

The last time Lu Feiran left the Lu family, Lance had picked him up. He remembered Lu Feiran crouching by the roadside, curled up, with the bruises left by his ex-husband still visible on his neck, desperately concealing his humiliation—pathetic and helpless, like a stray cat.

Lance thought he would miss that time, but recalling Lu Feiran’s expression then, he knew he could never miss that Lu Feiran.

When Lu Feiran was angry, he would bite. He would go all out, prepared for mutual destruction. Even his anger was infinitely captivating to Lance.

But Lance couldn’t stand the silent treatment.

A turning point was near. Lu Feiran was fragile and needed companionship.

Lance lowered his gaze, looking at the silent Lu Feiran, his urge to speak growing: “You…”

Lu Feiran stopped and spoke first: “Carry me.”

Lance immediately crouched down, feeling a light press on his shoulder, followed by a weight on his back as Lu Feiran climbed on.

Their two hearts were pressed together, separated by two layers of flesh. Lance firmly supported Lu Feiran’s thighs with both hands and slowly stood up. He felt arms loop around his neck. Before he could smile with satisfaction, a muffled sob reached him from behind his neck.

Lu Feiran was crying, but in their current position, Lance couldn’t turn to see Lu Feiran’s expression, nor could he hug him or wipe his tears!

He deliberately asked him to carry him!

For the first time, Lance felt completely helpless. He instinctively bounced Lu Feiran slightly on his back, a classic gesture for comforting a child, though he didn’t realize it.

Lu Feiran couldn’t articulate why he wanted to cry. He wasn’t overtly sad, but after everyone left, a part of his heart simply collapsed.

Lu Feiran had once craved his father’s approval and had also hated him viciously. Not long after severing their relationship and becoming strangers, his father suddenly passed away.

The previous twenty years seemed like a dream, lightly blown away.

But the subsequent loneliness and helplessness of being the only person left in the world weighed heavily upon him.

He was slumped on Lance’s back, his tears wetting the back of Lance’s collar. His sobs went from suppressed to utterly released. The only sounds on the quiet road were his weeping and the slow, steady footsteps of Lance walking back and forth.

Like a small boat floating in a vast ocean, steadily carrying Lu Feiran toward the distance.

Suddenly, Lu Feiran realized he had hardly ever cried in front of anyone other than Lance.

He stopped crying, silently wiped away his tears with the back of his hand, and belatedly felt embarrassed.

What the hell. Why did I cry like that? So shameful.

“Had enough crying?” Lance only spoke after waiting a while.

He didn’t ask why Lu Feiran was crying, nor did he offer comfort. For him, understanding Lu Feiran’s tears over the death of such a poor father was difficult.

He was simply allowing Lu Feiran to release everything in his presence—the duty of a qualified lover.

Lu Feiran was aware of his state, even the tips of his ears were red and hot. Slumped on Lance’s back, he couldn’t see his expression either, mentally guessing if Lance was laughing at him again.

He said discontentedly: “Don’t think you can take advantage of my vulnerability.”

Lance adjusted Lu Feiran on his back and continued walking steadily into the distance, chuckling softly: “You’re right. You are impregnable.”

Lu Feiran just grunted, not responding.

Lance, in a rare moment of empathy, comforted him: “Ranran, don’t blame me, and don’t feel embarrassed. There’s nothing shameful about showing genuine emotion. You are fundamentally a person of deep feelings.”

Lu Feiran scoffed, finding his statement quite amusing.

He was a person of deep feelings? Yes, precisely because he was a person of deep feelings, he was hurt by those closest to him. He didn’t want to be a person of deep feelings at all.

The conversation ended in Lu Feiran’s silence. Lance continued walking. After an unknown distance, the surroundings grew lively, and passersby mostly cast glances at them.

But Lance didn’t stop, and Lu Feiran didn’t voluntarily ask to be let down.

He seems to like being carried. I’ll just carry him. It saves him the effort of walking.

…

Before the sun set, Lance finally stopped outside a 24-hour convenience store. He bent down, placed Lu Feiran on the bench by the entrance, and took off his suit jacket to cover Lu Feiran’s head and face.

“Wait for me a moment. You look like a little crybaby cat.”

Slender fingers were already gripping the suit jacket, ready to pull it away the next second. Hearing Lance’s words, Lu Feiran paused, released his hand, and sat obediently on the bench with the jacket over his head.

Hearing the footsteps retreat, Lu Feiran moved his stiff neck slightly and quietly sniffed.

The jacket still held warmth, with no scent of perfume or nicotine, only Lance’s own smell.

A few minutes later, Lu Feiran saw a pair of leather shoes stop at the gap under the jacket. He raised his head slightly. Lance’s hand, holding a tissue, reached in and began wiping away the messy tears—and snot—starting from his chin, little by little.

Lu Feiran was mortified and flustered. He tried to grab the tissue from Lance to clean himself, but the neatly articulated hand was nimble, successfully evading Lu Feiran’s grasp several times before returning to his face.

The hand was wiping away tears from Lu Feiran’s lips. Lu Feiran seized the opportunity to open his mouth to bite, but the next second, his teeth jammed against a thumb. Just as he was about to press down, his cheeks were pinched.

The force was precise, causing discomfort but no pain. His mouth was rounded open, but he couldn’t bite down.

Lu Feiran sulked, stepping on Lance’s shoe, leaving a conspicuous gray footprint on the black leather.

“Be good. Let me clean you up.”

Lance patiently took a new tissue and gently wiped the area with a wet wipe. He crouched down by Lu Feiran’s feet, looking up from under the edge of the jacket.

Their eyes met. Lu Feiran frowned, glaring at Lance, and saw him smile, his cold eyes softening like water.

Lance removed the suit jacket and carried it himself, watching Lu Feiran irritably smoothing down his messy hair.

Unable to resist, he kissed Lu Feiran’s lip corner.

The kiss was like a “cut” from a director, instantly pulling Lu Feiran out of his emotions. His movements abruptly stopped.

Should such completely natural intimacy still occur between him and Lance?

Lu Feiran thought the answer should be no, but he genuinely couldn’t fully reject the Lance of today. The embrace and the feeling of being cared for were things he had always desired.

A few minutes later, Lu Feiran’s frown smoothed out. His eyes flickered, and he leaned lazily against the back of the chair.

The corners of his eyes, still faintly red from being wiped, were the perfect accent on his fair, delicate face. Lifting his still-damp eyes, Lu Feiran curved his lips into a smile under Lance’s gaze.

Below, the toe of Lu Feiran’s leather shoe curled around Lance’s trouser cuff.

“Let’s go to your place tonight.”

The touch at the ankle was light and ticklish—a probe. Lance played along with Lu Feiran, looking at his captivating face, yet reading uncertainty in his expression.

He crumpled the tissue in his hand into a ball and threw it into the nearby trash can. Lance didn’t agree. Instead, he countered, “Did you bring payment tonight?”

Lu Feiran froze. He immediately withdrew his foot. The abundant smile vanished, replaced by coldness, and he stood up, ready to leave.

What kind of joke was this? Was he playing hard to get?

“Didn’t bring it? Then forget it?”

The uncertainty disappeared. Lu Feiran’s gaze became resolute, staring angrily at Lance, as if judging his stupidity.

Lance didn’t want Lu Feiran to impulsively seek someone to accompany him due to momentary grief and then regret it afterward. But precisely because of this, Lance couldn’t let him leave just like that, afraid he would find someone else.

A familiar car pulled up by the roadside. The driver handed the key to Lance.

He pulled Lu Feiran back, his attitude sincere and compliant: “I’m free tonight. Please, Mr. Lu, grant me the honor.”

…

They were like a spark to dry tinder. Their bodies, which had become familiar a few days ago, knew exactly how to react. When the inevitable upheaval was over, it wasn’t even midnight yet.

Lying on his side on the familiar large bed, covered by the blanket, he was warm all over. The post-coital exhaustion made Lu Feiran’s nerves jump with excitement.

The intense pleasure made him recall the recent moments, trying to replay them using all his senses.

But it was impossible. The memory couldn’t be replicated even by a fraction.

He sighed regretfully, deciding to linger in bed a little longer, planning to get up and leave after five minutes of rest.

As he thought this, Lu Feiran squirmed closer to the edge of the bed. As soon as he moved, a synchronized movement came from behind him. A heavy, sweaty arm draped over his waist. Lu Feiran wanted to swat it away, but the hand firmly covered his lower abdomen, refusing to budge.

The sweat on his back was licked away by a series of kisses. Lu Feiran shivered and reached for his phone on the nightstand.

“Going to shower?”

“…No need. I’ll shower when I get back.”

The phone screen light shone on Lu Feiran’s face. His lightly sweating skin glittered. Even the beads of sweat on his temples looked like pearls.

Lance half-supported himself, gently wiping them away for him. He wanted to hold him for a little longer, but suddenly Lu Feiran’s whole body stiffened, scrambling to sit up.

Lu Feiran unlocked WeChat, intending to check for any important unread messages, and was surprised to see several small red dots on Jin Zhan’s profile picture.

Jin Zhan messaged him! Jin Zhan is out!

He desperately wanted to click on the chat box, but his phone was unexpectedly snatched away.

He reached out to grab it back, but saw Lance’s face darken over the phone. Lu Feiran immediately regretted indulging in this brief moment of post-coital warmth.

When it was over, there was no need to linger, especially at Lance’s place. Yet, he didn’t want to check into a hotel, nor did he want to keep doing this in a cramped car. And bringing Lance home was out of the question.

Was this a miscalculation? He needed to be more careful next time.

Lu Feiran cleared his throat, calmly took his phone back from Lance, picked up his trousers from the floor, and started putting them on.

Lance sat on the bed, watching Lu Feiran’s pale legs disappear into the wrinkled trousers, his waistline hidden. He asked softly, “Where are you going?”

He got out of bed, his tall physique blocking the only route to the door.

Lu Feiran pretended not to notice, calmly buckling his belt and putting on his clothes piece by piece. Fully dressed, he looked at the shirtless Lance.

He approached slowly, his nonchalant expression perfectly placed, like a mask that prevented anyone from discerning the true emotion behind it.

He raised his hand in a soothing gesture, stroking Lance’s cheek. Feeling a slight softening in Lance’s expression, he spoke: “Be good. I have to go back. I have things to do.”

Lance’s eyes flickered. He seized Lu Feiran’s wrist as he tried to pull away: “To see Jin Zhan?”

His gaze seemed to pierce through Lu Feiran, directly predicting his next destination.

Lu Feiran merely pursed his lips and remained silent. The warmth and lingering affection gone, Lu Feiran’s brow furrowed again.

He knew Lance strongly disliked Jin Zhan. Admitting it now would undoubtedly provoke a conflict, and Lance wouldn’t allow him to go.

While he didn’t need Lance’s permission to go anywhere, it was certainly better to avoid unnecessary complications.

He should have left earlier! Why was he so reluctant to lose those few minutes!

Lance, however, interpreted Lu Feiran’s silence as a defense of Jin Zhan. He couldn’t accept why Lu Feiran could leave his bed without hesitation just by seeing a message from Jin Zhan.

Was there really something between them?

Impossible. He knew everything. Even if Lu Feiran and Jin Zhan’s relationship drove him mad, he had to admit they hadn’t crossed any lines.

In the ten seconds of silent standoff, Lu Feiran fully expected Lance to be enraged, resorting to any means to prevent him from leaving, his heart rate accelerating abnormally. Yet…

Lance wrinkled his nose, his eyes visibly tearing up, the corners of his mouth turning down pitifully, looking completely like someone who had been cruelly abandoned after sex.

Lu Feiran: “…”

I’m so unaccustomed to this.

Lu Feiran massaged his temple, unable to look him in the eye, wishing he could vanish from the room immediately: “I’m going back for now. I’ll find you when I’m free.”

Lance stepped aside, allowing Lu Feiran to open the door and leave, then immediately followed: “I’ll go with you.”

Lu Feiran turned on his heel, pressed his fingers hard against Lance’s chest, pushing him back, and suddenly caught sight of the ring on his left ring finger, causing him to momentarily lose focus.

He had exchanged wearing the ring for Jin Zhan’s safe return. If Jin Zhan was back, then the ring could also be removed.

“Did you… know about Jin Zhan’s investigation ending?” Lu Feiran’s expression turned serious.

Lance noticed Lu Feiran’s gaze and felt a strong, ominous premonition rise in his heart.

“I did.”

Lu Feiran nodded: “Good. Since he can send me a message, he should be fine, right? Then I…”

He twisted the band, easily slipping the ring off his finger.

The small circle of metal couldn’t hold anything. The short time he wore it hadn’t even left a mark on his finger base.

Lu Feiran’s throat tightened. He almost dropped the delicate ring. He steadied it on his palm and offered it to Lance.

“This… I’ll return it to you.”

The night was silent. Lu Feiran held out the ring, waiting for Lance to take it back.

Half a minute later, he sensed Lance move, feeling a small relief, and prepared to place the ring into the hand that reached out.

A crisp sound broke the silence. The ring dropped onto the floor, rolling away into the distance.

Lance hadn’t taken it at all.