How could a Puppy-like Boy Ever Have Any Bad Intentions? - Chapter 13

Because of his back injury, he was unable to cook, and since he didn’t want to order takeout, He Shi ended up making him a very mediocre bowl of noodles. After wreaking havoc on Su Lixu’s stomach, He Shi prepared to leave, not forgetting to nag a few more times before heading out.

“Take a few days off and rest. Don’t let your back go to waste at thirty. Keep an eye on it tonight; if you wake up tomorrow and your back still hurts or your foot is too hard to walk on, call me. I’ll take you to the hospital.”

“I know.” Restricted by his foot, Su Lixu sat on the sofa, watching He Shi continue his lecture from the foyer.

“I’m heading out then,” He Shi said, putting on his coat.

“Drive safely.”

“Mm.”

The front door slowly closed with a “beep” from the digital lock.

Less than two minutes after He Shi left, the doorbell suddenly rang. Su Lixu glanced toward the door in confusion. Did He Shi leave something behind? Bracing himself against the sofa, he stood up. The spot where he twisted his back was still very uncomfortable, and his foot felt a dull, swollen ache as it hit the floor. He shuffled painfully toward the door.

“Did you drop something? I didn’t see anything—”

As the door opened, he saw Fu Xingran crouching on the floor. Such a tall, broad-shouldered boy was huddled there holding something, looking up at him with a pitiful expression. He looked like a giant, loyal dog gazingly miserably at a master who had abandoned it.

“Xingran? Why are you crouching here?”

Fu Xingran stood up. His legs were numb from crouching outside the door for so long; as he rose, he felt the sharp, prickling sting of blood returning to his limbs, but it was nothing compared to the agony of the scene he had witnessed earlier.

He had crouched there for as long as Su Lixu and that man were inside. When the man finally came out, he had hidden in the adjacent stairwell, waiting until the man was gone before returning to ring the bell.

The moment he saw Su Lixu, he didn’t say a word. His eyes instantly brimmed with red.

Seeing Fu Xingran suddenly start to tear up, Su Lixu froze, momentarily forgetting the ache in his back and ankle. “What’s wrong? Did you have a fight with your father?”

Perhaps because Su Lixu’s tone was so incredibly gentle, or because he met those worried eyes, Fu Xingran found it even harder to accept what he had seen and the countless possibilities that had flooded his mind.

He stepped forward, stopping right in front of Su Lixu. “Brother, are you in a relationship?”

Su Lixu hadn’t even processed the question yet. As Fu Xingran moved closer, the sheer height difference created a wave of oppressive intensity. Then, the scent of August Night Osmanthus perfume drifted off the boy. He looked directly into Fu Xingran’s red, watery eyes; the deep grievance and resentment in the boy’s gaze made the question sound like a formal accusation.

“Me?” he asked back.

How was it that he didn’t even know he was in a relationship?

“Who was that man?” Fu Xingran didn’t beat around the bush. He stared at Su Lixu, his hand gripping the strings of his gift bag so tightly they strained. “Why was he carrying you on his back? Why was he in your house? Why did he stay so long before leaving? Were you… were you two…”

He choked on the words halfway through.

He wanted to ask, What were you doing in there? but he was afraid of a painful answer, afraid of seeing an embarrassed expression on Su Lixu’s face, and afraid that his question would make Su Lixu uncomfortable.

Su Lixu’s expression shifted as he heard the barrage of questions. Did this guy crouch out here all afternoon? His eyes fell on the bag in Fu Xingran’s hand, and his brow knit slightly. Did he see me and He Shi when he came to visit?

“Fu Xingran, you—”

“I know the answer,” Fu Xingran muttered. As if confirming a dark suspicion in his mind, he could no longer control his emotions.

The quiet hallway of the apartment building, with its two units per elevator, fell into a heavy silence. The large boy in front of him looked as heartbroken as if the whole world had abandoned him. He stood with his shoulders slumped, tears falling silently, looking utterly, completely wronged.

Su Lixu, leaning against the doorframe, didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He knows? What does he know?

Finally, seeing Fu Xingran crying so tragically, Su Lixu couldn’t hold it in and let out a soft laugh. It was that specific feeling of seeing a child in the family cry over nothing and finding it inadvertently funny.

Fu Xingran stopped crying abruptly, looking at Su Lixu in shock. Seeing the man laughing at him made him feel even more aggrieved. “…Why are you laughing? You’re laughing at me again. I’m sad. I’m very sad.”

“I know you’re sad.” Su Lixu couldn’t quite stop smiling. He stepped toward Fu Xingran and reached up, using the back of his hand to wipe away the boy’s tears. He laughed helplessly. “But at least let me finish speaking before you cry, otherwise you’re being miserable for no reason.”

Fu Xingran caught the scent of medicated ointment on Su Lixu’s hand and froze.

“That was my old classmate, He Shi. I accidentally twisted my back and ankle playing ball with him just now, so he carried me back,” Su Lixu explained. “You should be familiar with He Shi; he’s your psychology supervisor.”

Fu Xingran: “…”

“Now, can you tell me what it is you think you ‘know’?” Su Lixu asked with a playful smile.

Meeting Su Lixu’s teasing, smiling eyes, Fu Xingran suddenly realized how he must have looked. His ears turned bright red instantly, and he looked down, unable to meet the man’s gaze. He wished he could find a hole to crawl into.

But as the joy of having his suspicions disproven began to outweigh his embarrassment, he reached out and pressed down on Su Lixu’s hand—the one still wiping his tears—and looked up.

“So, you aren’t in a relationship with him?”

Su Lixu was amused by the nonsensical question. “What made you think I was in a relationship?”

Fu Xingran bit his lip, trying to suppress his happiness, but the corners of his mouth twitched upward anyway. The delight in his eyes was unmistakable. “That’s good then.”

“So you crouched out here all afternoon just because of that guess?” Su Lixu asked.

“Mm.”

“Are you silly?”

“Silly,” Fu Xingran nodded seriously.

Su Lixu couldn’t help but laugh again. He flicked Fu Xingran’s forehead lightly. “Come in then, you little dummy.”

He turned and began to shuffle inside with a limp. Only then did Fu Xingran notice the way Su Lixu was walking. His brow furrowed instantly, and he surged forward.

Before Su Lixu could react, he was swept off his feet. He instinctively wrapped his arms around Fu Xingran as the boy lifted him in a bridal carry. With a soft gasp, Su Lixu looked up at him, his expression stunned.

His gaze fell on Fu Xingran’s tensed jawline. From this angle, the boy’s profile looked even more chiseled, his features having completely shed their adolescent softness. His thin lips were pressed together, outlining a cold, unapproachable arrogance.

If this guy gets any older, he’s going to be a real handful, Su Lixu thought.

Fu Xingran set Su Lixu down on the sofa, placed his gift to one side, and knelt in front of him. He looked at Su Lixu’s bare ankles and precisely took hold of the right one, which was noticeably swollen.

Perhaps his hands were cold; the moment he touched the skin, Su Lixu’s foot twitched. That small movement felt like someone plucking at Fu Xingran’s heartstrings, making his heart tremble in sync.

“Does it hurt?”

Su Lixu met Fu Xingran’s worried gaze. Perhaps because the tone was so tender, he felt a momentary daze. He felt a surge of surprise—this guy actually knew how to care for someone.

“It’s okay.”

“It clearly hurts. Look how swollen it is.” Fu Xingran looked down at the bruised ankle. Compared to the other one, the difference was stark, and it made him feel incredibly unsettled. “Can you even go to school like this?”

“It’s just a normal sprain. We did some emergency treatment at the court. It’s not that serious; it’ll be fine after a few days of rest.”

“What do you mean ‘not serious’? This is very serious!” Fu Xingran replied with a hint of anger. “Look, your two feet look completely different now! Why didn’t you go straight to the hospital? Simple treatment isn’t always enough to fix it.”

“The swelling has already gone down a bit.” Su Lixu looked down and moved his foot slightly to compare.

“Stop moving!” Fu Xingran glared at him fiercely, gripping his calf to keep him still.

Seeing this “ferocious” look, and thinking back to the Fu Xingran who had just been crying over his own imagination, Su Lixu bit his lip and finally burst into laughter.

Fu Xingran was baffled. He swallowed hard. “What… what are you laughing at?”

“The boy who used to just hide in a corner has grown up,” Su Lixu laughed. “He knows how to care for people now.”

Patients with Borderline Personality Disorder have intense emotions, whether extreme or otherwise. Using force with this type of person never yields results; only patience works. No matter the reason for his departure four years ago, it had left an unshakeable mark on Fu Xingran’s heart. It was a regret for Su Lixu as well—a child who was slowly getting better under his care had his treatment interrupted.

But the Fu Xingran of today was vivid, bright, and dazzling. Like the Fu Xingran he saw on the basketball court; four years ago, he would never have participated in a group activity. It was undoubtedly a huge step forward.

Regardless of how Fu Xingran acted in front of others or his father, at least in front of Su Lixu, he was making a conscious effort to change. For that alone, Su Lixu was willing to guide him, helping him extend that conscious change from one person to everyone. He would treat it as a chance to fulfill the duty he had left unfinished years ago.

“So, do you think I’m different from before?” Fu Xingran asked, suddenly desperate to know.

“The same.”

Fu Xingran’s eyes dimmed slightly, a shadow of dejection falling over him. “…The same?”

He almost forgot Su Lixu’s profession. Did he see through my act? He thought he looked much better than before; he had been working so hard to learn how to be a sunny, cheerful person.

“But also different,” Su Lixu smiled. “The same in that Fu Xingran is still Fu Xingran—the boy who follows his heart and loves and hates fiercely. The difference is the Fu Xingran in front of me now has become a thoughtful young man who knows how to care for and look after others.”

The light returned to Fu Xingran’s eyes. He looked up at Su Lixu, his face full of anticipation. “Then… do you like me like this?”

“I like it all. You’re doing very well right now.” Su Lixu leaned forward and pressed his thumb gently against Fu Xingran’s forehead. “I hope you keep getting better and better.”

The touch of the thumb was warm, but it made Fu Xingran feel like his heart was scalding.

“I used to be so terrible.”

Su Lixu said warmly, “You weren’t terrible. So, you have to stay well. The past is the past; don’t do anything foolish again. You can tell me whenever you’re confused.”

Fu Xingran thought to himself: So, Su Lixu doesn’t think I’m terrible. If I’m not terrible, that means he likes me. And if he likes me, then it’s possible… no, I can’t wait.

“Brother, the person I like is a man.”

Su Lixu paused, startled.

“That’s my current confusion. The person I love is a man. Even though there’s an age gap and we’re both men, I can’t stop myself from loving him. I love him, I adore him, and he’s the one I want to sleep with.”

Fu Xingran braced his hands on the sofa on either side of Su Lixu’s legs. He stood up slightly not fully, but enough that his long arms effectively caged the man. The distance between them vanished instantly; the breath of his deep inhale fell right against Su Lixu’s lips.

It was a dangerous proximity.

Su Lixu instinctively leaned back to create space. He met Fu Xingran’s eyes, but he could find no trace of the “pitiful puppy” who had just been crying with drooping brows.

Fu Xingran gazed at the man trapped in his arms. In his pitch-black eyes, intense emotions swirled like a deep abyss. He looked like a wolf hidden in the shadows, finally having found the prey it desired, ready to swallow it whole.

“If I like men would you hate me?” Fu Xingran asked with a light laugh, his voice low and resonant. “I don’t think you would.”

Su Lixu: “…”

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