Tao Zhi dared not lift his head.
He could not say whether it was self-deception, thinking that as long as he did not see the face, he would not be discovered, or if he simply could not raise his head under the pressure of Fu Si Heng’s gaze.
He ground the dirt beneath his feet, his lips pressed tightly together.
Fu Zheng watched him, and Fu Si Heng watched him too.
Only Xu Yujia was clueless about the situation as she responded to Fu Si Heng. “Oh, then remember to tell him next time. I reminded you yesterday, and you said you remembered, but then you went outside stargazing and didn’t tell your brother.”
Xu Yujia had checked in early the night before, and Fu Si Heng had come with her.
“Mom, can you be reliable for once?” Fu Zheng snapped out of his shock, nearly dying of frustration.
Before they came, he had repeatedly assured Tao Zhi and even sworn that his brother would absolutely not show up. Yet not even ten minutes after they arrived, his brother appeared.
He was done.
This was a slap to his face. How would Tao Zhi see him now? He would definitely think he was untrustworthy and unreliable, and might never listen to him again.
It was all his mom’s fault for holding him back.
Seeing Tao Zhi looking like he wanted to vanish on the spot, Fu Zheng grew irritated. He spoke harshly even to his own mother, his tone poor.
“You’re blaming me now? I’m done dealing with you.” Ms. Xu Yujia rolled her eyes and walked toward Tao Zhi again. “Mian Mian.”
“Auntie.” Tao Zhi braced himself and lifted his head.
His pretty little face was fully exposed in front of Fu Si Heng. There was no more self-deception possible. Tao Zhi’s heart pounded wildly.
Xu Yujia said, “Let me introduce you. This is Fu Zheng’s older brother. You can just call him brother—”
“We know each other. Mian Mian, Fu Zheng’s classmate.” Fu Si Heng interrupted Xu Yujia’s introduction, his gaze fixed on Tao Zhi.
Tao Zhi could not withstand that gaze, and his eyes drifted involuntarily.
I’m dead, dead, dead.
“We’ve met twice.” Fu Si Heng’s voice was cold, but when he said “twice,” his tone suddenly grew heavier.
Tao Zhi: “…”
“Hm?” The atmosphere between the two was oddly strange. Xu Yujia sensed something off but could not pinpoint it. She looked back and forth for a while before asking, “You’ve met before? Which two times? Xiao Zheng actually brought you to meet him? I only saw you today.”
Fu Si Heng: “Once at the clubhouse, when Fu Zheng brought her there, and another time—”
“Mom!” Fu Zheng could not listen anymore. He finally understood what Tao Zhi had meant earlier about how awkward it would be to meet again given their ambiguous relationship.
Though he did not think Tao Zhi and Fu Si Heng had anything ambiguous going on.
But it was indeed pretty awkward.
Remembering how he had pushed Tao Zhi toward Fu Si Heng at the clubhouse—before those two had even done much, he could not take it anymore. He strode over quickly and interrupted, “Alright, didn’t we say we were going to look at the houses? Let’s go, go, go.”
“Hey, don’t push me.” Xu Yujia dodged promptly.
She did not let Fu Zheng touch her. Fu Zheng seized the chance to grab Tao Zhi’s hand and yanked him to his side, using his body to widen the distance between Tao Zhi and Fu Si Heng.
Fu Si Heng showed no visible change, but once Tao Zhi felt safe, he actually sneaked a glance toward Fu Si Heng.
Fu Zheng: “?”
What are you looking at?
Fu Zheng acted like a childish elementary schooler, shifting his position again to block Tao Zhi’s line of sight with his body.
Not only that, he even leaned down and bared his teeth at Tao Zhi.
Tao Zhi: “…”
Sometimes, Fu Zheng was truly unbearable. So boring—everything was his doing.
He should never have believed Fu Zheng’s nonsense.
Tao Zhi pursed his lips and tried to pull away from Fu Zheng.
“What are you doing?” As soon as he moved to leave, Fu Zheng immediately grabbed his arm. Lowering his voice, he leaned in close to Tao Zhi’s ear. “Are you really mad? This really isn’t my fault. I asked Mom, I asked his assistant, I checked everywhere. I have the call records—I’ll show you.”
“Don’t be mad, okay?” The young master rarely apologized.
Tao Zhi said nothing and tugged his arm back.
He could not budge it at all.
How could Fu Zheng’s grip be so strong…
“Besides, you and Fu Si Heng aren’t in an ambiguous relationship anyway.” He knew he had messed up here, so Fu Zheng had no good defense. But fearing Tao Zhi’s anger, he desperately tried to soothe him. “Strictly speaking, you’ve only met twice. Sure, you chatted online… but you can’t take netizens seriously.”
“Yeah, we didn’t do anything.” Tao Zhi nodded, somehow having picked up Fu Zheng’s sarcastic tone.
His listless sarcasm carried a faint air of resignation. “Just held his hand a few times, sent him countless photos, had him teach me skiing hand-in-hand.”
Plus sitting on his lap a few times, kissing who knows how many times, confirming we were boyfriend and girlfriend, voice and video calls throughout the New Year holidays.
And…
On the counter at his house, he…
The more Tao Zhi thought, the redder his face grew.
Fu Zheng thought it was from anger and wondered why Tao Zhi was so difficult now.
But it was kinda cute.
Cough.
Fu Zheng: “But that’s all deleted now. Forget about him.”
Tao Zhi did not want to speak.
At that moment, Fu Si Heng suddenly turned his head, his gaze lingering on Tao Zhi’s arm for a moment.
Fu Zheng was holding it.
“Holding hands and photos don’t prove anything.” Fu Zheng glanced down at Tao Zhi’s fingers, itching to hold them.
Tao Zhi noticed and leaped five meters away in fright, staring at him in horror—
Xu Yujia and Fu Si Heng both looked over.
Fu Zheng: “?”
???
“Tao—” Fu Zheng gnashed his teeth at the dodge, nearly calling out his real name.
“Xiao Zheng, what are you doing?” Their movements drew Xu Yujia’s attention. “Don’t bully your classmate!”
