Chapter 37 Part 2

【Isn’t it obvious? He doesn’t even like the School Grass!】

Some busybody even @-ed Xu Cheng right there in the chat. Xu Cheng, who had been lurking silently, didn’t dare say a word.

Before, he could’ve tossed out a flirty comment or two without a second thought. But now he knew his bro was seriously into the underclassman.

He zoomed in on the photo, staring at the intimate way the underclassman leaned toward that other guy. No way was he forwarding this to Lu Quan.

The other guy’s face wasn’t in the shot, but Liang Zhixia’s was crystal clear. Anyone who saw it could tell he was beaming with happiness.

Xu Cheng had no choice but to pull up a few articles from WeChat public accounts and send them to Lu Quan instead.

《How Vital Is a Healthy Relationship to Your Life?》

《Liking Someone Doesn’t Mean They’re Right for You》

《Let Go of Obsession, Embrace a Bright Future》

《How Young People Can Build the Right Values》

He hoped his bro would get the hint and move on.

By then, Liang Zhixia had been led by Lu Xingzhu to the third floor of the mall, where a photo studio hid in a quiet corner.

It looked tucked away and modest from the outside.

But once inside, the place opened up into something far more impressive. The boss of the studio was a young woman.

Liang Zhixia glanced around curiously before Lu Xingzhu nudged him forward.

“This is the friend I mentioned to you last night.”

From Lu Xingzhu’s tone, Liang Zhixia realized they already knew each other.

He shot Lu Xingzhu a quick look. Lu Xingzhu leaned in close to his ear. “Relax, she’s a pro.”

“?”

Who said he was worried about that?

As he followed her deeper inside, Lu Xingzhu plopped down on the sofa in the outer room and stayed put.

The photo studio boss didn’t seem like much of a talker either, leaving the air a bit awkward. Liang Zhixia licked his lips, about to say something polite, when she let out a chuckle.

Then she turned to him, reached out, and pinched his cheek.

“Wow! Your face is so soft! Lu Xingzhu has a friend as sweet as you? That’s rare!”

The awkwardness vanished in an instant.

Her name was Lin Ruoshui, and she was far chattier than he’d expected. He chimed in now and then, but she carried most of the conversation.

“Here we are.” Lin Ruoshui pushed open a small inner door, her eyes sparkling. “Welcome to my secret hideout.”

Liang Zhixia stepped inside and froze at the sight before him. He stood dumbstruck in the doorway for a moment before turning his head—right into Lin Ruoshui’s gaze. He stammered, “What… what are all these?”

Lin Ruoshui let out a puzzled hum from her nose. “Didn’t Lu Xingzhu tell you? My photography skills are top-notch. I guarantee I’ll make you look stunningly gorgeous and irresistible—one glance and he’ll be hooked.”

Liang Zhixia thought: That’s really not necessary.

Lu Xingzhu hadn’t mentioned any of this. He stood there hesitantly, not moving an inch.

He had no idea what Lu Xingzhu had told her, but she didn’t bat an eye at the idea of a guy like him coming in for girly photos.

Lin Ruoshui must have taken his pause for nerves, because she added, “I’ll delete all the raw files after we’re done. Nothing leaks out.”

It wasn’t until she sat him in front of a mirror to do his makeup that he heard her say, “Lu Xingzhu told me you’ve fallen for a straight guy and want to turn him. Leave it to me—I’ll hook him so bad he’ll be head over heels, unable to resist you.”

Liang Zhixia: “…”

He could only nod, going along with the excuse Lu Xingzhu had cooked up for him.

Once he changed into the outfit she’d given him, he tugged self-consciously at the super-short hem of the skirt, his face flushing. “Isn’t this a bit too short?”

Lin Ruoshui: “Not at all.”

Under her direction, he lay back in a pastoral-themed set, a slender white finger holding a single white rose. A breeze from somewhere ruffled the skirt just enough to reveal his long, straight legs, down to the softly pink knees and ankles.

They followed up with several more pure-yet-tempting outfits.

Lin Ruoshui’s skills were impressive. When Liang Zhixia saw the finished shots, he had to admit she was a pro.

Right in front of him, she deleted the raw files.

Lin Ruoshui leaned over to check the photos she was sending him, nodding approvingly. “You’re perfect as a model, and my photography’s on point. Don’t worry—he’ll be yours for sure.”

Liang Zhixia: “Thanks.”

When he emerged from the mysterious back room with Lin Ruoshui, Lu Xingzhu had just wrapped up a round of gaming. He stood, rolled his shoulders, and walked over. “All done?”

Liang Zhixia murmured in agreement. “Yeah.”

As they left, Lu Xingzhu called back over his shoulder, “Dinner sometime.”

Lin Ruoshui didn’t look up. “Book ahead.”

In the car, Liang Zhixia felt his phone growing hot in his hand, so he shoved it into his pocket.

“Should I post them now?” he asked.

Lu Xingzhu: “Wait till midnight.”

Liang Zhixia had a sudden inkling and eyed him. “Zhuzi, you know your stuff.”

Lu Xingzhu didn’t deny it. “Of course.”

After dinner, Lu Xingzhu dropped Liang Zhixia off at his door but didn’t get out, saying something about keeping the mystery alive.

Liang Zhixia played along with a smile and a wave goodbye.

The moment Lu Xingzhu’s car pulled away, Liang Zhixia spotted Xu Cheng lingering not far off, clearly waiting for him.

As he approached, Xu Cheng spoke up. “What a coincidence. Was that your friend just now?”

Liang Zhixia chuckled lightly. “Yeah, a friend.”

Xu Cheng probed cautiously. “A close friend?”

Liang Zhixia met his eyes and nodded. “Yeah, very close.”

Xu Cheng’s face twisted into something between a smile and a grimace. Tough crowd.

He ended up scraping together a few more public account articles to send to Lu Quan.

At midnight, following Lu Xingzhu’s advice, Liang Zhixia posted the photos to his Moments.

Visible only to L.

Sure enough, L’s call came through instantly.

The man’s voice was faintly hoarse. “Zhizhi, you took these today?”

Liang Zhixia hummed. “Like them?”

He could clearly hear Lu Quan’s breathing grow heavier, his voice dropping into a deep, magnetic rumble.

“Who took them for you?”

After a pause, Liang Zhixia said, “A friend.”

Lu Quan’s tone turned dangerously sharp. “The friend who went skirt shopping with you today?”

The man’s voice was low and heavy. Liang Zhixia’s heart skipped, but he stuck to Lu Xingzhu’s script. “Yeah.”

On the other end, Lu Quan’s grip whitened his knuckles around the phone, his brows knitting tight. He wanted nothing more than to fly back home right then.

Lu Quan: “Zhizhi, I told you not to go out alone with strange guys to buy—”

The boy’s clear voice cut in. “He’s not a stranger. He’s a good friend.”

Lu Quan ground his teeth, realization dawning late. This “good friend” was probably that old flame, the “lover” from before. Given Zhizhi’s personality, he wouldn’t let just anyone know about his crossdressing.

Had they rekindled things the moment he’d left on his business trip?

He never should have agreed to Grandpa’s request.

All he could do was remind him: “Zhizhi, we’re still dating.”

Liang Zhixia caught the implication. Just as Lu Xingzhu had predicted.

Lu Quan was jealous.

So he pulled out Lu Xingzhu’s next move.

“I picked up a sailor uniform today too. Wanna see?”

He switched to video call, and the other side picked up in a second.

Lu Quan was still in that same chair, his face out of frame as always.

“Show me.”

No sooner had he spoken than Lu Quan caught a flash of creamy pale skin—Zhizhi was changing right there on camera.

The skin glowed so white it almost hurt to look at. Lu Quan’s arm on the desk tensed, veins standing out as he held himself back.

Liang Zhixia took his time slipping into the sailor uniform. The top was a tad short, baring a slim, narrow waist.

When Lu Quan spoke again, his voice was rough with strain.

“Zhizhi, tilt the camera down a bit.”

Liang Zhixia sat on the bed, letting the lens drift over his waist, his legs, the soft pink of his knees, and his toes curling cutely against the sheets.

Lu Quan let out a low, ragged breath. “Zhizhi, you look so pretty.”

Liang Zhixia’s ears burned, a flush creeping over his face. He was starting to think Lu Xingzhu’s ideas were terrible.

Deep down, though, there was another reason he’d gone along with it.

He suspected Lu Quan had always assumed he was a girl, which meant Lu Quan’s tastes leaned that way.

Show him enough girly looks, and maybe Lu Quan would swing back to liking girls—go straight again.

It sounded far-fetched, but what if?

Zhuzi had said just a few peeks would do it.

So he leaned into the camera, his full pink lips brushing past the frame, his voice crisp and innocent. “Time for bed. Goodnight.”

He ended the video abruptly.

A deep exhale filled the dorm room.

Liang Zhixia grabbed a tissue to dab the fine sweat beading on his forehead. In hindsight, Lu Quan had so many tells.

He hadn’t expected Lu Quan to endure his own germaphobia just to get revenge on him. Lu Quan would probably have to soak in disinfectant for hours after touching him.

The confusion and heartbreak from learning the truth were slowly fading. He could understand Lu Quan’s actions, but he couldn’t quite accept them.

Lu Quan could have just told him directly instead of getting revenge this way.

Meanwhile, abroad, Lu Quan had taken a cold shower, and the jealousy and desire clouding his mind suddenly cleared.

He saved each of Zhizhi’s photos one by one.

Zhizhi’s behavior today had been so contradictory. He’d clearly reminded him earlier that they still had ten days of their fake relationship left, but just now he’d voluntarily dressed up in women’s clothing for him to see.

Ever since that video call yesterday afternoon, he’d sensed that Zhizhi’s mood had soured, though he couldn’t figure out why.

Leaning back against the bed, he picked up his tablet and opened the recordings of their recent video calls.

He had recorded every single call and video session.

Until he spotted the matching watch on his wrist.

Busted.

There was no way Zhizhi had pegged him as the same person as L just because of one identical watch. There had to be something else he didn’t know about.

Zhizhi’s words from yesterday afternoon suddenly flashed through his mind.

He’d said he was on a business trip.

And before that, under his L identity, he’d told Zhizhi the same thing—he was on a business trip.

No wonder Zhizhi had been acting so strangely.

The 【Lu Quan】 account’s messages still hadn’t gotten a reply.

Gazing at the beautiful boy in the video, he chuckled softly. “Zhizhi, you’re so clever.”

But also kind of dumb.

How could he bare such a tempting body to him like that?

Didn’t he know that a beast starved to the point of madness could never get enough?