Chapter 24 Part 3

He ran his tongue over his canine tooth, then leaned down. “Zhizhi, can you help me with the top button? I can’t quite get it.”

Liang Zhixia glanced at him cautiously. His slender, pale fingers pinched the top button. The light in the stall was dim, so he leaned in closer to see.

His warm breath puffed unchecked against Lu Quan’s neck. Lu Quan tilted his head back, exposing the smooth line of his jaw, his Adam’s apple bobbing. His broad hand settled perfectly over the young man’s slim waist.

The top button was tricky. Liang Zhixia fumbled with it several times before finally fastening it.

He let out a breath and stepped back.

“All done, Senior Lu.”

The young man’s warmth lingered on his neck. Lu Quan tamped down the bottomless desire in his eyes and curved his lips slightly. “Thanks, Zhizhi.”

At some point, the colleagues outside had left.

Liang Zhixia flung the door open and fled in embarrassment. He stared down at his toes, his face burning hot.

“Senior Lu, maybe just call me by my name.”

Lu Quan’s gaze deepened. He wasn’t thrilled.

L could call him that, but he couldn’t?

More special treatment?

“Then how about Xia Xia? We’re roommates—using your full name feels too formal.”

Liang Zhixia was skeptical of Lu Quan’s words but settled for the compromise with a nod.

Lu Quan continued, “And you can’t call me Senior Lu anymore. I’m older than you, so you can call me—”

“Brother Lu!”

Fine, Brother Lu worked too.

It wasn’t until they left the employee room that Liang Zhixia realized work hours had started long ago. He’d been alone in the changing stall with Lu Quan that whole time.

He glanced around and saw the boss wasn’t there. Only then did he secretly exhale in relief, hoping he wouldn’t get docked pay.

A colleague wandered over, curious. “You and Little Lu were in the employee room the whole time? I didn’t see you when I went in earlier.”

Liang Zhixia recognized the voice as one of the two from before. His long lashes fluttered, his face flushing as he stammered, “We were just changing.”

“Oh, got it.”

Afraid the other colleague might catch him, he grabbed a menu and hurried to greet some new customers, completely forgetting the boss’s instructions.

Lu Quan watched his flustered retreating back, amusement flickering in his eyes. He lowered his head and idly wiped the glass in his hand.

Word that a handsome guy had started at the coffee shop spread like wildfire. By mid-morning, the place was packed.

Sales were multiples of the usual.

Liang Zhixia remained one of the most popular servers.

But this time, Lu Quan was stealing some of his thunder.

The wind chimes at the door jingled. He started to stand and greet the customer, but Lu Quan pressed down on his shoulder.

“I’ll get it.”

So he perched on the little stool behind the counter and sneakily peeked toward the entrance.

Lu Quan was tall with long legs, gentlemanly and polite. Most customers came for that face.

Cupping his cheeks, Liang Zhixia watched him deftly turn down their flirty advances.

Every time Lu Quan rejected someone, he’d glance his way. Had he noticed Liang Zhixia spying?

Lunch break.

Liang Zhixia gulped down water without a care for manners, his throat parched like he hadn’t drunk in days, on the verge of smoking.

A colleague nudged him and gasped, “Xia Xia, quick, look!”

He followed her gaze and saw a car parked outside the coffee shop, with people unloading stuff.

“Boss’s new shipment?”

He couldn’t think of anything else.

The colleague let out an “aww.” “Didn’t you check the group chat? It’s our lunch!”

“Isn’t our lunch usually boxed meals? When did the boss get so generous?”

He asked curiously.

The colleague whispered conspiratorially, “I bet it’s because Little Lu joined us. Look at how much coffee we’ve sold today—the boss must be raking it in.”

He mulled it over and figured she had a point.

Just then, Lu Quan finished with a customer and walked over.

“Whispering about something?”

The colleague slipped away quietly. The new guy Little Lu looked handsome and refined, but he had this aloof vibe.

Except when he talked to Xia Xia.

They really did make a good pair.

Liang Zhixia shot an aggrieved look at her retreating back, then met Lu Quan’s dark, intense eyes. His heart skipped, and he blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “Saying how handsome you are.”

Lu Quan arched a brow, his voice low and magnetic. “Does Xia Xia think so too?”

Lu Quan’s voice made Liang Zhixia’s cheeks flush and his heart flutter. He nodded haphazardly.

Lu Quan eyed the blush on the young man’s face, rubbing his fingertip. Zhizhi’s cheeks looked so soft—he wanted to take a bite.

Just the two of them at the counter, the air felt strangely charged. Liang Zhixia spoke up. “Let’s go check it out over there.”

Lu Quan had no reason to refuse.

Up close, it really was their lunch.

Nothing like the usual boxed meals.

He picked one that looked delicious. Then he saw Lu Quan choose something totally different.

Seated in the employee room, Liang Zhixia had just taken a bite of rice when Lu Quan across from him picked the veggies from his own lunch and piled them onto Liang Zhixia’s.

“Brother Lu, you don’t like them?”

Lu Quan’s movements were smooth and effortless as he replied casually, “Wanted you to try them.”

Liang Zhixia’s opinion of Lu Quan had skyrocketed. Turns out he was this nice to friends—he’d misjudged him before.

He felt a twinge of guilt for the bad things he’d said about Lu Quan on the forum.

He decided to delete that comment the moment he got back to the dorm tonight.

Lu Quan’s lunch dishes were dwindling. In order to preserve their hard-won roommate harmony, Liang Zhixia picked up a dish that Lu Quan didn’t have. He was just about to transfer it to the other’s bowl when he froze midway.

Today’s Lu Quan was far too agreeable, causing Liang Zhixia to completely forget about his roommate’s mysophobia.

“Sorry.” He pursed his lips, feeling a touch embarrassed. “Brother Lu, I forgot that you—”

His explanation cut off abruptly.

He watched in stunned silence as Lu Quan leaned forward and ate the dish he’d picked up.

With his own chopsticks, no less.

Liang Zhixia’s raised hand hovered in the air. For a moment, he wasn’t sure if he should take his chopsticks back.

Lu Quan, seated across from him, seemed far more composed.

“Very tasty.”

“Oh.” Liang Zhixia retracted his chopsticks a beat late and mechanically shoveled a mouthful of rice into his mouth.

Only after swallowing did his brain sluggishly catch up: he and Lu Quan had just shared the same pair of chopsticks.

He stared at the chopsticks in his hand, unsure whether to toss them or keep using them.

Tossing them would imply he found Lu Quan disgusting.

Keeping them felt awkwardly off-putting.

He sneaked a glance at Lu Quan. His roommate’s eating posture was elegant and refined, the mark of someone raised in a cultured household.

Perhaps it was precisely because Lu Quan was so well-mannered that he hadn’t wanted to embarrass him and had simply eaten the dish.

Distracted by Lu Quan, Liang Zhixia had already forgotten all about his roommate’s past antics.

After agonizing over it for a moment, he decided against switching chopsticks. The aroma of the food had his stomach growling with hunger anyway.

He lowered his head and dug into his rice, missing the smug smile of success that flickered across Lu Quan’s face as he looked up.

The afternoon rush brought even more customers than the morning had.

Liang Zhixia was exhausted, his back sore and his waist aching. He glanced at the clock on the wall—still two hours until closing.

Just then, the boss walked in from outside.

Liang Zhixia mustered his energy, forcing his smile to look even more polished.

The boss gave him a glance and clapped his hands. “Everyone’s getting off early today, with an extra five hundred yuan in hardship pay for each of you. Oh, and tomorrow morning’s a holiday—come back at two-thirty in the afternoon.”

Liang Zhixia’s eyes lit up. The moment the boss left, he whipped around to face Lu Quan, who was stowing cups in the cabinet behind him. Grinning, he said, “Brother Lu, are you carrying some kind of lucky buff?”

Lu Quan raised an eyebrow in confusion.

The boy’s lovely eyebrows curved gently, his full lips parting slightly.

“Ever since you showed up, the boss upgraded our lunch sets, threw in hardship pay, and even gave us time off.”

“Brother Lu, can you lend me a bit of your luck?”

Lu Quan gazed at the radiant smile on the boy’s face. Recalling the villagers’ words, his own expression softened. He ruffled Liang Zhixia’s hair and murmured, “Sure. I’ll lend you my lucky buff—no expiration date.”

“Brother Lu, you’re such a good person.”

Another nice guy card?

Lu Quan laughed in anger. As punishment, he mussed up Liang Zhixia’s hair even more and pinched his cheek.

“Let’s go. Back to the dorm.”

“Brother Lu’s staying in the dorm tonight?”

Lu Quan glanced back at him, his tone oddly firm. “I’ll be living in the dorm from now on. No matter how late, I’ll always come back.”

Liang Zhixia blinked. “Got it.”

The two of them returned to the dorm.

Liang Zhixia suggested Lu Quan shower first, but Lu Quan insisted he go ahead.

He didn’t argue, grabbing his pajamas and heading into the bathroom.

Lu Quan listened to the sound of the door closing. Casually, he unlocked his phone and replied to Xu Cheng’s message from that morning.

Only then did he tap open the pinned chat at the top.

The last message was still from two days ago.

He propped his forehead on one hand and leaned back in his chair. A glint flashed in his eyes as he typed and sent a new message.

Liang Zhixia’s phone on the other desk chimed once.

Lu Quan glanced over lazily before shifting his gaze to the firmly shut bathroom door, as if he could see right through it.

Zhizhi’s skin was so fair. Under a spray of hot water, it would surely turn pink and tender, hypersensitive to the lightest touch—leaving red marks with ease.

Zhizhi even liked to cry. That glimpse in the infirmary, with those red-rimmed eyes… so beautiful. So adorable.

Pushing away those stray thoughts, he opened his eyes and met the stare of the panda plushie.

“Don’t look at me like that. It’s your dad who’s too tempting.”

When Liang Zhixia emerged from the bathroom, a veil of steam still clung to his skin.

Lu Quan’s gaze fixed on his lips. They were even redder now—glistening, soft, utterly kissable.

His voice came out slightly hoarse. “I’m going to shower.”

Liang Zhixia nodded from his perch on the bed and pulled out his phone.

Lu Quan noticed and smoothly pocketed the device as he headed into the bathroom.

Liang Zhixia had just unlocked his phone when he saw the message from L.

His heart jolted, a tangle of unnamed emotions surging up. He pursed his lips—L hadn’t deleted him after all.

【L】: Zhizhi, why have you been ignoring me these past couple days?

【Zhizhi】: I figured you’d be furious.

The reply came almost instantly.

【L】: I thought Zhizhi knew I like you.

Staring at that word—”like”—Liang Zhixia zoned out for a moment. In truth, L didn’t like him. L liked the persona he’d crafted.

His own affection for L was fake, but L’s feelings for “her” were genuine.

And L had no idea he was a guy.

A thick wave of guilt crashed over him.

L had always been good to him. He couldn’t keep deceiving him like this.

Liang Zhixia drew in a deep breath. If L unleashed a torrent of curses next, it would be no less than he deserved.

【Zhizhi】: L, there’s one more thing I lied about. I’m not a girl—I’m a guy.

【Zhizhi】: Go ahead and curse me out if you want. I promise I won’t talk back.

【Zhizhi】: Sorry.

A moment later, L’s reply appeared.

【L】: How do you prove you’re a guy? What if this is just another lie?

How was he supposed to prove it?

Suddenly, inspiration struck. L had once sent him a shirtless photo. He could do the same.

He’d snapped a similar one before, to show off his lean abs to Zhuzi.

He found it in his photo album and hit send.

【Zhizhi】: Believe me now?

【L】: It’s just one photo. How do I know it’s not some stock image from the internet?

【Zhizhi】: …So what will it take for you to believe me?

【L】: Start a video call.