Liang Zhixia swallowed the greens in his mouth, blinked his eyes, and nodded lightly. “I know.”
Only then did Jiang Ling and Fan Li relax, seeing no sign of disappointment on his face. They were genuinely worried he might fall for Lu Quan and end up hurt.
The group continued eating, but Liang Zhixia suddenly recalled what Fan Li had just said.
A mosquito bite.
He abruptly remembered those few times he had woken up feeling a numb, itchy sensation on his lips. He had even suspected a mosquito bite back then. Now, it dawned on him—it was probably Lu Quan sneaking kisses.
He had even sworn up and down that it couldn’t have been Lu Quan.
“…”
After finishing lunch and returning to the dorm, he began packing his luggage. The National Day holiday lasted seven days, so he needed to bring some clothes back for washing.
There had been a class scheduled for the afternoon, but the teacher had something come up, so it was canceled.
Liang Zhixia changed his high-speed rail ticket to one at three o’clock.
Once he had packed everything, he tidied his bed, placed the plush panda against the wall at the headboard, pulled up a corner of the blanket to cover its belly, and patted its head. “Stay here and be good. I’ll be back in a few days.”
Since he would be moving to a different dorm after the holiday, he had already sorted and packed some things to make the move easier.
With bags of all sizes piled by the bed, Liang Zhixia finally watered the few potted plants on the balcony.
“You all have to grow strong and healthy too.”
Then he wheeled his suitcase out of the dorm, glanced back at the room he had lived in for over a month, and shut the door with a click.
Meanwhile, at the Old Mansion, Lu Quan was chatting with Grandpa Lu when he suddenly felt uneasy in his chest. He frowned and pressed a hand to it.
Grandpa Lu noticed and snorted coldly. “Heart bothering you? What was the point of pushing so hard on that last business trip? You crammed seven days of work into three—your body’s paying the price now.”
Though Grandpa Lu’s words sounded harsh, Lu Quan knew it was just his grandfather’s way of showing concern.
“Go see my private doctor later for a checkup. Don’t think you’re invincible just because you’re young.”
Lu Quan could only reply, “Got it, Grandpa.”
Grandpa Lu continued, “I heard from Xingzhu that you want him to intern at the company over winter break?”
A glint flashed in Lu Quan’s eyes. “That’s right.”
Grandpa Lu took a sip of tea and said gravely, “Fine. Xingzhu does need some tempering. Don’t go easy on him when the time comes—treat him like anyone else.”
The corner of Lu Quan’s mouth curved up slightly. “Understood, Grandpa.”
If the assistant had been there, he would have known the boss was already itching to settle scores with someone.
Poor, oblivious Lu Xingzhu had no idea what awaited him.
At the high-speed rail station, Liang Zhixia sat in a chair with his suitcase at his feet. He checked the departure time on the big screen, then pulled out his phone.
Seeing the little red dot on WeChat, he thought it might be a message from Lu Quan—but it wasn’t.
When he saw the sender’s contact name, his light tea-colored eyes narrowed slightly, as if he had encountered something terrifying.
【Come to me for National Day. Your brother has a birthday and wants to see you.】
He pursed his lips and replied.
【I have things to do over National Day.】
No sooner had he sent it than a response came back.
【I’ve already bought your ticket. Here’s the seat info.】
【A high-speed rail ticket.jpg】
So it was an order, not a discussion.
His fingertips turned white from gripping the phone so tightly. He pressed his lips together and typed back.
【I have things to do over National Day. Can’t make it.】
The reply was instantaneous.
【I was cleaning up last time and found your grandma’s things. Come get them, or I’ll throw them out.】
【A photo.jpg】
Liang Zhixia opened the image. It was a photo of his grandparents and him as a baby.
He was still swaddled in the picture, probably taken shortly after his birth. His grandparents looked young and spry, beaming with kindly smiles.
【I’ll come.】
After sending the message, his fingers went limp, and the phone slipped from his grasp, trembling slightly. Fortunately, it landed on his clothes.
His eyes dulled, long and thick lashes quivering and casting shadows beneath them.
His cold fingers clenched together, seeking warmth.
The three o’clock train hadn’t started boarding yet. He opened the app, hesitated, and refunded the ticket.
To force him to attend her son’s birthday, she was resorting to this tactic.
He felt drained, his heart sinking like a stone.
Memories of his childhood flashed through his mind. Back then, his mother hadn’t been like this—she was beautiful and gentle, singing him to sleep with a smile and hugging him close for kisses.
But now, her tender face had faded into a blur. Time marched on.
He lowered his gaze, staring blankly at the patterned tiles of the station floor.
Once he got the photo, he would buy a ticket and leave.
The thought of seeing his mother’s other son gave Liang Zhixia a headache. Though he had only met the boy once, the impression was deep—and not a good one.
He wondered if the “little brother,” now grown, would be even more troublesome and annoying.
The train arrived, and the boarding announcement echoed through the station.
He queued with his ID in hand, pulling his suitcase behind him.
He found his seat on board—luckily, the one next to him was empty.
He let out a breath of relief, removed his cap, and turned to gaze out the window.
His mother’s new home was in C City, a three-hour high-speed rail ride from A City. He pulled out his tablet, intending to draw, when his phone in his pocket began vibrating wildly.
Puzzled, he took it out. The screen showed Lu Quan’s name.
Most people in the carriage were resting, so he didn’t want the phone ringing too long. He manually hung up.
He wasn’t in the mood to talk right now—those messages had sapped all his energy.
But the person on the other end wasn’t giving up and called again.
He hung up once more. To stop further calls, he opened the chat and typed.
【Zhizhi】: Can’t pick up right now.
【L】: Where are you?
There was no point hiding it. If Lu Quan went back to the dorm, he would see he was gone.
【Zhizhi】: Heading home.
Lu Quan frowned at the time, recalled Zhizhi’s class schedule, and typed back, puzzled.
【L】: Didn’t you just get out of class? What time’s your train? I can come send you off.
Liang Zhixia snapped a photo with his camera and sent it.
【Zhizhi】: Already on the train. Teacher canceled this afternoon’s class.
Back at the Old Mansion in A City, Lu Quan tsked softly. If only he hadn’t come back for lunch.
Lu Manman, who had been playing with toys nearby, heard his brother’s voice and toddled over with his toy tractor, asking in a babyish voice, “Brother, are you chatting with Xia Xia?”
Lu Quan’s brow arched. “No.”
But Lu Manman didn’t believe him. He squeezed against Lu Quan’s side, trying to peek at the phone.
Lu Quan wasn’t about to let him. He raised his arm high, and Lu Manman couldn’t reach.
Puffing out his cheeks in anger, Lu Manman declared, “I’m gonna tell Mom on you!”
Lu Quan tugged at his lips. “Go ahead.”
Lu Manman huffed again. He was smarter now—Mom wouldn’t spank Brother just because he tattled.
He turned his back to Lu Quan, squatted down, and plopped onto the carpet between Lu Quan’s legs.
Lu Quan had no time to deal with him right now. He held his phone and continued chatting with Zhizhi.
But Lu Manman couldn’t stay still. He kept sneaking glances back at his brother.
Suddenly, he shouted, “Brother, your mouth’s hurt!”
In his little mind, an injury meant medicine. Huffing and puffing, he started to climb up to fetch some—only for Lu Quan to give him a gentle push from behind, sending him plopping back down.
He whipped around, whining in his babyish voice, “Brother, Manman was gonna get you medicine.”
He wasn’t going to tattle to Mom.
As Lu Quan typed, he hooked a finger into the strap of Lu Manman’s overalls and drawled lazily, “No medicine needed.”
Lu Manman wasn’t convinced. “It’s hurt. You need medicine.”
Lu Quan set the phone down, spun the little guy around to face him, and said, “This isn’t an injury.”
Lu Manman blinked in confusion. “Then what is it?”
Lu Quan raised a brow and chuckled lowly. “Xia Xia kissed it.”
Lu Manman suddenly understood. No wonder his brother had told him not to take the medicine. He said excitedly, “Next time, have Xia Xia kiss Manman too~”
Lu Quan’s mouth corners drooped, his face cold. “Impossible. Don’t even think about it. Xia Xia can only kiss me.”
Lu Manman opened his mouth to speak, but his brother forcibly clamped a hand over it.
Hmph. His brother was too annoying.
Meanwhile.
Liang Zhixia looked down at the message on his phone and hesitated before typing, “Mm.”
Then he pulled his earphones out of his bag.
He had barely slipped them on when Lu Quan’s call came through.
“Why didn’t you tell me earlier that you were heading home this afternoon?” Lu Quan asked.
The man’s voice was as low and magnetic as the first time Liang Zhixia had heard it. He rubbed the tip of his ear and glanced at the passengers around him before murmuring softly, “Why should I tell you?”
“I wanted to see you off,” Lu Quan said.
Liang Zhixia didn’t voice his real reason. He simply replied, “You have something to do at noon.”
Lu Quan let out a soft tsk. He really shouldn’t have come to the Old Mansion.
Since he couldn’t see Liang Zhixia off, he’d pick him up instead.
“When are you coming back?” Lu Quan asked. “I’ll come get you.”
Liang Zhixia hadn’t decided when he’d return yet. He hadn’t even bought a ticket.
“I don’t know,” he answered honestly. “I haven’t bought a ticket.”
“Then tell me, Zhizhi, as soon as you buy your return ticket,” Lu Quan said in a low voice. “I’ll come get you.”
Liang Zhixia murmured a soft agreement, but deep down, he knew he wouldn’t tell Lu Quan. He planned to move out of the dorm before Lu Quan returned to school.
And so, over the three-hour journey, Liang Zhixia sketched while chatting with Lu Quan through his earphones. By the time he finished his drawing, the high-speed train had pulled into the station.
He touched his phone and found it scorching hot, with the battery running critically low. After a hasty goodbye to Lu Quan, he hung up.
Meanwhile, Lu Quan lowered his gaze and opened his laptop. He put a big red X on Liang Zhixia’s dormitory transfer application.
Rejection reason: Long-distance relationships are not conducive to maintaining a romantic partnership.
LQ is so petty lmao