Time Has Grown Dim, And Evening Has Already Fallen - Chapter 37

Chapter 37

When someone is angry, they tend to imagine countless scenarios.

As Cheng Xun sipped his milk, he contemplated what he would do if Lu Xingshu showed up, and what he would do if he didn’t. If Lu Xingshu didn’t come, it would actually be easier to handle. Cheng Xun wasn’t so desperate that he would humble himself to beg for peace after being treated like this; besides, he didn’t feel he had done anything wrong.

If they broke up, they broke up. At worst, he’d just move out of the bedroom. He wasn’t some stray cat or dog; why should this guy be allowed to tease and kiss him when he felt like “liking” him, only to treat him like thin air for days when he didn’t?

I’ll just sleep on the sofa, Cheng Xun thought crossly. Or he could go crash with Xie Qiubai, though explaining that to Grandma would be a nightmare.

As for what he would do if Lu Xingshu did show up… He hadn’t quite figured that out yet. He was still thinking when he heard the creak of the fragile iron door.

Cheng Xun was currently leaning against the railing, spacing out. The wind was noisy, blowing his hair into a messy tangle.

Lu Xingshu looked as if he had run all the way there. His collar was unbuttoned, revealing a hint of his collarbone, and his handsome face was rareley showing such visible emotion. When Cheng Xun saw him, he froze, seemingly surprised that the other had arrived so quickly.

As their eyes met, Cheng Xun pursed his lips and pressed the corners of his mouth down, showing his lingering irritation.

Just as Cheng Xun was trying to craft a cool opening line, Lu Xingshu strode over like a whirlwind. He grabbed Cheng Xun’s wrist firmly and yanked him away from the edge of the roof toward the safer, open ground.

Cheng Xun was dazed by the pull, and only once he regained his senses did he shake off the hand.

“Don’t touch me.” Cheng Xun glared at him, his round eyes full of dissatisfaction. Connecting the dots with the guy’s frantic arrival, he finally realized why Lu Xingshu got here so fast. “You actually thought I was going to jump?”

“Besides, whether I jump or not is none of your business. Haven’t you already started ignoring me?” Cheng Xun’s tone was full of resentment. After all, he had been holding his breath for days; now that he had found an outlet, he wasn’t going to be gentle.

Lu Xingshu didn’t respond. He just stared at him silently, the slight droop at the corners of his eyes making him look inexplicably innocent despite having done nothing.

Bastard, playing the victim again!

“What right do you have to ignore me?” Cheng Xun bit his lip, making no effort to lower his volume. “What do you take me for? A pet? Someone you can summon and dismiss at will? You tease me when you like me, and then just walk away when you’re annoyed.”

Lu Xingshu blinked innocently, his eyelashes fluttering. “You were the one who avoided me first.”

Cheng Xun frowned, ready to argue, but then he remembered his own reaction at the end of last semester. Realizing Lu Xingshu wasn’t entirely wrong, he fell silent for a moment.

“I never treated you like a pet,” Lu Xingshu added.

Cheng Xun tilted his neck slightly to look at him. He thought of this guy’s recent coldness and indifference, and then remembered the serious way Lu Xingshu had confessed in the infirmary. All the frustrations and messy thoughts of the past few weeks replayed in his mind like a revolving lantern.

He suddenly felt a wave of grievance. Maybe this guy did like cats and dogs more than him! It was all just sweet talk.

“You say you like me like this… is this how you like me?” Cheng Xun’s voice suddenly softened. “It’s all a lie.”

“I’m not lying to you.” Lu Xingshu frowned, seemingly unable to understand why Cheng Xun would think that.

“Fine.” Cheng Xun lowered his head, no longer looking at him, his voice muffled. “Whatever… anyway, it’s not like I like you that much either. If you want to be strangers, then go ahead. I don’t care.”

He turned to leave, the empty milk carton in his hand nearly crushed flat.

Lu Xingshu’s expression suddenly turned grim. He grabbed Cheng Xun’s arm forcefully and pulled him back to face him—closer than they had been a moment ago. Cheng Xun reached out to push against Lu Xingshu’s shoulders, clearly uncomfortable with the proximity.

Ignoring Cheng Xun’s struggle, Lu Xingshu pulled him into his arms, using his height advantage to pin him there with practiced ease.

“Don’t move.” The boy’s voice was cold yet low and magnetic, whispering right into Cheng Xun’s ear and sending a tingle through his spine.

Cheng Xun wanted to struggle, but his waist was held in a iron grip. He couldn’t move an inch.

“Was that an answer just now?” Lu Xingshu asked suddenly.

Cheng Xun’s face was pressed against Lu Xingshu’s shoulder. Smelling the faint scent of soap on the boy, his face slowly turned crimson.

“What answer?” Cheng Xun’s voice was muffled, pretending he didn’t understand.

“Liking me,” Lu Xingshu said succinctly.

Cheng Xun: “…”

This guy really knew how to extract the main point, skipping over all the logic and context just to hear the words he wanted.

“No,” Cheng Xun denied in a low voice. He had given up struggling and simply let Lu Xingshu hold him, his voice too soft to be convincing. “…I don’t like you at all.”

Lu Xingshu slowly loosened his embrace. Cheng Xun pushed against his waist to back away, but the other boy reached out and cupped his face with both hands.

Cheng Xun: “…” This pose is so embarrassing.

His face was forced upward. Lu Xingshu’s palms were warm, resting squarely against his cheeks. Lu Xingshu’s thin lips curved slightly into a certain, confident smile.

“You like me.”

It was still that same “ice block” face Cheng Xun knew, but through those dark eyes, he could see emotions he usually couldn’t—a leaping, vibrant joy like fireworks.

Cheng Xun bit his lip and looked away in a panic, his feverish skin surely betraying him through those palms. His heart raced so fast he could hear the thumping in his ears.

Finally, in a fit of self-abandonment, he squeezed the empty milk carton hard, broke free from Lu Xingshu’s hands, closed his eyes, and poured out everything on his mind.

“Yes, I do like you!” Cheng Xun felt a brief ringing in his ears after saying it. The sour bubbles in his heart finally dissipated. He took a slow breath and continued.

“I rejected you like that, I said we should just be friends, only to realize I liked you back… I know it’s stupid.”

“I didn’t want Grandma to find out or be sad, but I just can’t stop caring about you.”

“And the things you said that day—it was all just your own wild imagination, okay? And then you didn’t even talk to me. Lu Xingshu, you’re a total bastard…”

His remaining curses were never finished; they were completely cut off.

Lu Xingshu grabbed the back of his neck, fingers sliding through his soft hair, and kissed him without hesitation.

It wasn’t their first kiss. But it was the first time their lips ground against each other with such force, a deep, lingering kiss where tongues tangled and breaths were shared. Cheng Xun was kissed into a total daze, eventually letting himself go and allowing Lu Xingshu to lead him into a deeper, more meticulous kiss.

When they finally broke apart, his face wasn’t just burning—his legs felt weak. He looked toward the iron door in fear; if someone came up to smoke and saw them… it would be bad.

Then he noticed that the iron door had been bolted from the inside. He widened his eyes at Lu Xingshu, now certain the guy had come prepared.

Cheng Xun accused him, “…You did that on purpose.”

This time, it was Lu Xingshu’s turn to play dumb. “What?”

Cheng Xun touched his flushed cheek, looking up at Lu Xingshu with a trace of dissatisfaction. Since they had kissed and confessed, they might as well clarify the status.

“So from now on, I’m your boyfriend, right?”

Lu Xingshu looked down at those clear, round eyes, nearly scorched by the sparkling light within them. He slowly curled his lips into a half-smile and answered, “Right.”