Chapter 7
As soon as the words fell, no one around responded.
Lin Zhiyan kept his lips tightly pressed, but upon closer inspection, one could see that not only were his ears red, but a faint blush had also appeared on his fair face.
Lu Ze’s heart stirred. The hand hanging by his side felt a little itchy, but he knew he shouldn’t tease him anymore, or he might really make him angry.
He spoke considerately, “Is Senior feeling hot?”
The autumn air was crisp and the temperature was pleasant. How could it be hot? But Lin Zhiyan couldn’t be bothered with that. He just nodded frantically, taking the offered way out. “A-a little.”
“There are indeed a lot of people here,” Lu Ze smiled. “It’s getting late. Shall we go now?”
Lin Zhiyan nodded. Just as he was about to take a step, he suddenly remembered something. He looked back at the basketball team that hadn’t left yet, then looked up at him and asked in a low voice, “You won the game. Don’t you need to celebrate with your teammates?”
Lu Ze said, “I told the captain I have plans today. They can celebrate their way, and we’ll have our meal.”
Lin Zhiyan was a bit hesitant. “…Wouldn’t that be a bad idea?”
He himself didn’t care about these social matters, but Lu Ze seemed very popular. If he didn’t attend such an occasion, it was possible someone might feel resentful.
Lu Ze tilted his head, his smile helpless. “But I’ve already made plans with Senior. What should I do?”
Lin Zhiyan pursed his lips, his cat-like eyes clear and clean, and said earnestly, “It’s okay. We can make plans for another time. Your friends are more important.”
Lu Ze was taken aback by his words, and his heart softened. He said, “Isn’t Senior my friend too?”
“I…” Lin Zhiyan blinked, and after a moment, he slowly said, “I am, but…”
Lu Ze finished his sentence, “But to me, Senior is the most important.”
Lin Zhiyan’s heart trembled. His long, thick eyelashes fluttered uncontrollably, and his delicate face went blank for a moment. Lu Ze looked down at him, his smile light, his expression and attitude perfectly natural.
So natural that Lin Zhiyan felt for a moment that he was overthinking things.
There was a moment of silence. Before Lin Zhiyan could react, Lu Ze spoke again slowly, “But the captain did say just now that I could bring Senior to the celebration. Does Senior want to go?”
Lin Zhiyan shook his head subconsciously.
Lu Ze’s smile grew even brighter. “Perfect. I don’t want to go either.”
He said, “Senior is treating me to a meal. What’s the point of joining them?”
Lin Zhiyan blinked and said obediently, “I can… treat you alone next time.”
Lu Ze paused, a helpless look on his face. He bent down slightly and said, “Then Senior, just humor me. I only want to eat with Senior.” After he spoke, his eyes flickered, as if he was a little uncomfortable, and he added, “They’re too noisy. It’s too loud.”
After saying that, he stared at Lin Zhiyan with his beautiful eyes, unblinking. “Okay?”
Lin Zhiyan was speechless for a long time before he managed to squeeze out an “okay” from his throat.
Lu Ze finally couldn’t control himself and reached out to rub the back of his head.
The young man looked like a cold hedgehog, keeping everyone at a distance, but in reality, his hair was soft and smooth, not prickly at all, and felt extremely good to the touch.
Just like him.
Lin Zhiyan hadn’t had his head patted like this in years. His eyes slowly widened, and when he came to his senses, he said with a mix of shyness and annoyance, “You… how could you… Who said you could touch my hair?”
“My bad, my hand slipped.” Lu Ze was brave enough to admit his actions and apologized sincerely, “It won’t happen again.” Yeah, right.
“If Senior minds, you can touch mine back.” He earnestly recommended, “My hair is harder. The texture should be different from Senior’s.”
As Lu Ze spoke, he lowered his head slightly. Hearing this, Lin Zhiyan, as if possessed, actually looked over.
The young man was handsome and outstanding, with a head of short, neat hair. The ends of his hair didn’t lie flat against his scalp like his own, but were slightly upturned. Just by looking, one could imagine the faint prickly sensation.
Lin Zhiyan’s fingers twitched. When he realized what he was thinking, his lips pressed together tightly. He averted his gaze and said stiffly, “No need.”
As he said this, he was afraid he would seem too unfriendly, so he softened his tone and said in a low voice, “It’s all sweaty.”
Lu Ze smiled. “True. Then I’ll let Senior touch it next time after I’ve washed it.”
Lin Zhiyan felt that there was something not quite right about that statement, but he couldn’t pinpoint what it was. In the end, he could only tug on his sleeve. “Let’s go. If we’re any later, the restaurant will probably be full.”
***
There was a food street outside their college. Inside the food street were all kinds of restaurants—hot pot, barbecue, and various cuisines. The food was also very good, and it was basically packed as soon as classes were over.
The basketball court was not far from the food street, about a five-minute walk. Lin Zhiyan looked at the row of restaurants and asked Lu Ze, “What do you want to eat?”
Lu Ze looked around and his gaze fell on one restaurant. “My roommate said this new Sichuan restaurant is pretty good. Can Senior eat Sichuan food?”
Lin Zhiyan paused, then said, “I can.”
Classes had just ended not long ago, so the restaurant wasn’t particularly crowded yet. The owner’s wife bustled back and forth, enthusiastically greeting the customers.
Lu Ze ordered a few signature dishes and handed the menu to Lin Zhiyan. “Is there anything else Senior would like to eat?”
Lin Zhiyan looked at the bright red chili peppers on the menu, and his Adam’s apple bobbed unconsciously. He said, “I’m fine with anything. You can order.”
The food arrived quickly, and the restaurant gradually became more lively.
Neither of them were talkative during meals, and with the noisy atmosphere of the restaurant, they both ate in silence.
But after a short while, Lu Ze noticed that something was wrong.
The frequency was too high.
Lin Zhiyan basically had to pour a glass of water for every two bites of food. His glass was never empty. It was less like he was eating and more like he was drinking tea.
There was a hot pot in the center of the table, steaming and bubbling, obscuring Lin Zhiyan’s face on the other side.
Lu Ze watched him for a moment, then suddenly said, “Senior.”
Lin Zhiyan looked up at the sound of his voice, and Lu Ze could finally see his appearance clearly.
The young man’s skin was as white as cold jade. Veiled by the hazy steam, it had a rare softness. The area around his clear, cat-like eyes was now red, and his eyes held a hint of moisture. His swollen, bright red lips were slightly parted, and he was taking small, shallow breaths, revealing a tiny glimpse of the tip of his tongue.
It was obvious that he couldn’t handle the spiciness.
Lu Ze looked at him, his eyes darkening, and said, “Senior can’t eat spicy food?”
Lin Zhiyan was silent for a moment. “It’s okay.” Perhaps because of the spiciness, his voice was a little hoarse.
This is what he calls okay.
Lu Ze’s hand holding the chopsticks tightened. “If Senior can’t eat spicy food, why didn’t you tell me?”
Lin Zhiyan poked at the rice soaked in red oil with his chopsticks and said after a long silence, “You wanted to eat here.”
Lu Ze said, “But Senior doesn’t like it.”
Lin Zhiyan lowered his eyelids. “I’m treating you to a meal, so of course I should try to satisfy you.”
Hearing this, Lu Ze took a deep breath. He looked at Lin Zhiyan and suddenly said, “Then, will Senior satisfy whatever I want?”
“What?” Lin Zhiyan looked up at him, not understanding for a moment.
Lu Ze was silent for a moment, then finally shook his head. “Nothing.”
He sighed. “Senior doesn’t have to accommodate me like this.”
Lin Zhiyan said numbly, “It’s not accommodation.”
Lu Ze softened his tone. “I wanted to eat here, but I would have been happy to eat somewhere else too, because I’m with Senior.”
Lin Zhiyan’s eyelashes trembled slightly.
Lu Ze: “But Senior clearly can’t eat spicy food, yet you forced yourself to eat with me. That makes this meal meaningless.”
Lin Zhiyan looked at him.
Lu Ze said, “Shouldn’t friends consider each other? If it were me, and I couldn’t eat spicy food but forced myself for Senior’s sake, and then got an upset stomach afterwards, would Senior be happy?”
Lin Zhiyan shook his head.
Lu Ze sighed softly. “I hope Senior won’t be so polite with me. Otherwise, I really don’t know how to get along with Senior in the future.”
Hearing this, Lin Zhiyan felt a strange panic in his heart. He gripped his chopsticks tightly and said, “I’m not…”
“I understand what Senior means.” Lu Ze looked at him with a gentle and indulgent expression, and asked again, “So, does Senior like spicy food?”
Lin Zhiyan looked at him for a long time, then slowly shook his head. “I don’t.”
Lu Ze smiled. “You see, just like this. I hope Senior can show your true preferences in front of me. It makes me feel that Senior also considers me a friend.”
Lin Zhiyan lowered his eyes, a slight curve appearing on his lips. He said, “We are friends.”
Lu Ze’s eyes crinkled with a smile, and he drew out his voice, “Hmm?”
Lin Zhiyan looked at him and said earnestly, “We are friends.”
Lu Ze’s voice was cheerful. “Thank you for the confirmation, Senior.”
.
777 watched this scene in his mind and said with some worry: 【Host, if you keep this up, I’m afraid the mission target will really just see you as a friend.】
Lu Ze said: 【Is being friends not good?】
777 was a little anxious: 【But if you’re friends, it will be inconvenient to change the relationship later.】 Heaven knows how many couples get stuck at the friend-to-lover stage.
Lu Ze smiled. 【Don’t worry, it won’t be for long.】
.
Although it was a Sichuan restaurant, it had to cater to the tastes of the locals, so it sold more than just Sichuan food. Lu Ze ordered two more vegetable dishes. The meal had some problems at the beginning, but it ended up being enjoyable.
By the time they finished eating, it was almost seven, and the night was already dark. The two of them walked out of the restaurant and felt the wind blowing in their faces, which cleared their heads a lot.
The weather had been warm during the day, so Lin Zhiyan had only worn a thin shirt. Who knew that the weather would change so quickly at night? He couldn’t help but shiver.
Lu Ze casually draped the jacket he was holding over Lin Zhiyan’s shoulders. Meeting his questioning gaze, he smiled and explained, “It’s freshly washed, it’s clean.”
“No,” Lin Zhiyan explained, “You should wear it yourself.”
Lu Ze was still wearing the short-sleeved shirt from the basketball game. Lin Zhiyan felt cold just looking at him.
Lu Ze stopped him from taking off the jacket and said, “I’m fine. I just ate spicy food and sweated a little. This is a good way to cool down.”
With that, before Lin Zhiyan could say anything, he reached out and took Lin Zhiyan’s hand, raising an eyebrow. “See, I’m warm.”
Lin Zhiyan hadn’t expected his action. His slightly cool hand was enveloped in a large palm, the warmth clear and distinct, like a warm current slowly flowing into his heart.
Lin Zhiyan had never had such intimate contact with anyone before. He looked a little uncomfortable, and he even forgot to refuse the jacket. He just turned his head and said in a low voice, “I know.”
A smile flashed in Lu Ze’s eyes. He knew when to stop and naturally withdrew his hand, as if it were just a normal physical contact between friends.
Lin Zhiyan pursed his lips, forcing himself to ignore the fleeting sense of loss in his heart.
The food street was not far from the dormitory, about a ten-minute walk.
The two of them chatted as they walked and soon arrived at their destination.
Lu Ze looked at the person beside him and smiled. “If Senior doesn’t like spicy food, I know a good private kitchen. Their dishes are all on the lighter side, focusing on preserving the original flavor of the ingredients. The soup there is fragrant and delicious, a real specialty.” He walked him to the dormitory building, looked down at him, and said, “Next time we have a chance, I’ll take Senior to try it.”
Next time…
Lin Zhiyan had never been interested in social activities like eating out before, but now, for some reason, he felt a faint sense of anticipation. He raised his eyes and said, “Okay.”
The wind outside was quite strong. On the way back, the young man’s short hair had been completely messed up. Lu Ze reached out to tidy the hair on his forehead. His warm fingers brushed against his cool skin, making Lin Zhiyan’s eyelashes tremble unconsciously.
Before he could react, Lu Ze took two steps back and waved at him with a smile. “It’s getting late. I’ll head back now.”
Lin Zhiyan’s words were stuck in his throat. After a moment, he could only mumble an “okay.”
He turned to leave, and just as he was about to step into the dormitory building, a voice suddenly came from behind him. “Zhiyan.”
Lin Zhiyan’s steps paused. He looked back at the source of the voice and saw a familiar figure slowly walking out from under the dark tree trunk outside the dormitory, looking at him with a complicated expression. “Zhiyan.”
When Lin Zhiyan saw him, he remembered the scene on the basketball court. His brows furrowed subconsciously. He turned around and said politely but distantly, “Senior Qin.”
