Chapter 23: CH 23

Chapter 23: It wasn’t because he was certain, but because he was scared.

PART I

• • •

Lu Li’s eyes swiftly darkened: “Do it?”

Xie Jianwei was very obedient, he didn’t dare move even an inch after speaking. Because he was too shy, even the tips of his ears were thoroughly red.

Lu Li was entirely unsure of how he managed to protect the last remaining shreds of his intellect: “You…want to do it with me?”

Xie Jianwei nodded.

Lu Li said: “Do you know what that means?”

Even Xie Jianwei’s voice was trembling slightly: “Of, of course, I know, only people who like each other can…can…” In the end, he was too embarrassed to spit the words out.

Lu Li stared at his pretty neck, and said in a low voice: “It’s not only ‘like’.”

Xie Jianwei looked up at him uncertainly: “En?”

Lu Li met his eyes, and his gaze deepened, deep enough that one couldn’t see what was oscillating within its depths: “This is something that only people who ** can do.” [censored in original text]

Xie Jianwei’s heart was beating rapidly. He was clearly flustered, yet he still stubbornly met Lu Li’s gaze. He said: “Doctor Lu, I love you.”

Lu Li didn’t reply.

Xie Jianwei thought that he didn’t hear him, and repeated it in a louder voice: “Doctor Lu, I love you!”

After a pause, Lu Li smiled, and tugged him into his embrace, lightly sighing: “You’re still too young.”

Xie Jianwei’s voice was frustrated: “I’m already seventeen!”

“That’s right, you’re only seventeen.”

Xie Jianwei: “…”

Lu Li said: “Be good, we’ll talk about this topic again when you’re of age.”

Xie Jianwei wanted to defend himself still, but Lu Li pressed a kiss onto his forehead, getting up and saying: “I still have some stuff to do, go to sleep by yourself first.”

Realising that he was about to leave, Xie Jianwei no longer cared about the topic before either. He hurriedly pulled on the corner of his clothes: “Doctor Lu!”

Lu Li smiled very gently. His manner seemed to be the same as usual, and yet it was somehow also very different. He said to Xie Jianwei: “Goodnight.”

Xie Jianwei couldn’t bear to see him go, but he didn’t want to trouble Lu Li with his disobedience.

While he was hesitating, Lu Li had already left.

Xie Jianwei stared blankly, diving back under the covers with disappointment all over his face.

He knew that the room had surveillance on it, so Xie Jianwei put on a one-man act for a little while.

Stuff like disappointment, conflict, sadness etc. – he put himself through all sorts of ‘can’t think straight’, once each.

As he acted, the King-of-Acting Xie fell asleep.

Everything was within expectations.

Lu Li bottom line was pretty solid – if he wasn’t of age then he wouldn’t touch him. He was pretty amazing in his own way.

Everything went about as usual on the second day.

Lu Li made an intricate breakfast. When Xie Jianwei sat at the dining table, he couldn’t resist stealing secretive glances at him constantly.

His thoughts were written on his face. It was hard for Lu LI not to see them even if he didn’t want to.

Xie Jianwei didn’t raise his head either, merely holding the spoon and using it to stir the millet congee unceasingly.

Lu Li asked him: “Is it not tasty?”

Xie Jianwei said: “it’s very tasty.”

Lu Li asked again: “Then are you not hungry?”

Xie Jianwei paused for a moment. In the end, he still put down the spoon, raising his head and looking at Lu LI: “Where did you go last night?”

Lu LI said: “I slept in the guest bedroom.”

Xie Jianwei was somewhat sad as he said: “Why didn’t you come back into the room to sleep?”

Lu Li replied: “It was too late when I finished working, I didn’t want to wake you up.”

Xie Jianwei immediately said: “I sleep very late, I’m don’t mind you waking me up!”

Lu Li laughed, shaking his head, saying: “Okay, let’s eat, it’ll get cold in a minute.”

Since he didn’t want to continue the conversation, Xie Jianwei could only swallow back down the words that were at his lips, eating the dry and tasteless breakfast as if he were chewing wax.

From the time when the two had first met to now, this was the tensest the atmosphere between them had ever been.

No one said anything the entire time, and the only sound was that of the spoons touching the porcelain bowls, and the chopsticks tapping the porcelain plates.

After eating, Lu Li prepared to leave.

Xie Jianwei was still mad and didn’t spare him a glance.

Lu Li finished dressing, and after going downstairs he finally called out to him in a light tone: “Come here.”

Xie Jianwei hesitated for a moment, and in the end still went over.

Lu Li bent his waist, meeting his gaze: “You’re angry?”

Xie Jianwei lowered his head.

Lu Li reached out and cupped his cheek, lightly kissing his forehead: “In a few months you’ll have reached eighteen years old. When that time comes, you can decide everything.”

Xie Jianwei’s eyes brightened: “Doctor Lu…”

Lu Li kissed his lips, his movements gentle but restrained, and yet the meaning behind it was sweet enough to make one’s head spin.

He said to Xie Jianwei: “I love you, so please grow up quickly.”

Xie Jianwei’s lips rose up uncontrollably, as happy as if he was hugging the entire world.

Lu Li went to work, and Xie Jianwei was in a very good mood, even though he knew that Lu Li’s internal conflict was still there. But such amazing sweet talking – he wouldn’t get sick of it no matter how many times he heard it.

He loved him, and it was reciprocated.

Was there anything more beautiful than this?

Xie Jianwei couldn’t think of anything.

After a few hours, Lu Li number two arrived right on time.

Xie Jianwei’s mood was very bright, so even Lu Yan became pleasing to the eye, even though he knew the guy had come to stir things up.

Lu Yan’s smile bloomed when he saw him, and he asked with an evil smile: “Did it?”

Xie Jianwei coldly humphed: “Doctor Lu wouldn’t be as dirty-minded as you are!”

Lu Yan wasn’t surprised: “Then you didn’t do it?”

Xie Jianwei’s heart was currently filled with sugar, so even when he spoke his lips were raised in a smile: “Doctor Lu said that I’m still small, he wants to wait for me to come of age.”

Lu Yan went “Oh”, and didn’t say any more, merely smiling at Xie Jianwei in such a manner..

Xie Jianwei felt uncomfortable under his stare, and shot a glare at him: “What evil ideas are you plotting now?”

Lu Yan innocently said: “What sort of evil ideas could I possibly plot? I’m clearly worrying for you so much that my heart’s in pieces, you foolish child!”

Xie Jianwei replied, unimpressed: “I’m not foolish, nor am I a child.”

Lu Yan said: “Let’s not talk about whether you’re foolish or not; as to whether you’re a child…I’m not wrong am I? Even your Doctor Lu thinks you’re a kid.”

Xie Jianwei furrowed his brows: “I’ll grow up sooner or later!”

Lu Yan shook his head, tousling his soft hair helplessly.

Xie Jianwei ducked away from his hand: “Don’t touch me!”

Lu Yan didn’t say anything else, taking out today’s little gift and changing the topic.

Xie Jianwei thought that something was off about him today.

This move of Lu Yan’s was called ‘letting the enemy off to catch him later’. If it weren’t the Military Strategist Xie that he had been facing, he probably would’ve driven Little Xie Wei in circles.

He clearly had something to say and yet he didn’t say it outright; when he smiled, there was an extra meaning hidden within its depths; and from time to time he would even let out an ‘ah you’re so naive’ expression…

To a half-grown adolescent, this stuff was only too lethal. It was practically a bait, tailor-made for him, with a fragrance that spread throughout the water in the pond. It was hard for the little fish to resist biting, even if he didn’t want to.

Pity that Xie Jianwei wasn’t a fish – he was the hunter.

Of course, he needed to bite first, so that he could leap out from the surface of the lake, and then put this guy in his place.

Lu Yan looked flippant, but in reality, he was quite a patient person.

He continued to watch a few days in a row worth of ‘Doctor Lu’s Daily Life’ with Xie Jianwei, and didn’t mention the previous topic even a little.

But he would, from time to time, send a ‘sympathetic’ gaze towards Xie JIanwei.

When Xie Jianwei asked him about it, he would avoid the topic.

Such a manner of wanting to say something and yet not saying it, completely dragged out Xie Jianwei’s curiosity.

After a week, Lu Yan began to reel in the net.

Xie Jianwei could endure no longer: “Just what is it that you want to say?”

Lu Yan said: “You’re still young, there are some things that you’re better off not knowing.”

Xie Jianwei would only grow more curious, the more he said it that way. He didn’t even watch Doctor Lu’s Daily Life anymore, staring at Lu Yan and asking: “Can’t you say it properly!”

Lu Yan troubledly said: “What would it matter even if I said it? You wouldn’t believe me either way.”

Xie Jianwei said: “If what you said was correct, then why wouldn’t I believe it?”

Lu Yan replied insinuatingly: “What I said might not be correct, but it is definitely the truth.”

Xie Jianwei feigned ignorance at the meaning hidden within his words, and merely exclaimed impatiently: “Just what are you trying to say!”

Lu Yan saw that the fire was just about right. If he kept teasing him, the fish might walk away in anger, so he said: “Do you really think that it’s because you’re small, that Lu Li doesn’t want to do it with you?”

His sudden jumping to this topic made Xie Jianwei visibly pause. After all, that incident had passed quite a while ago.

“What other reason could there be? Doctor Lu’s already said that he loves me!”

Lu Yan laughed: “That’s why I said you’re such a small kid.”

Xie Jianwei wasn’t happy: “I’m not small!”

Lu Yan replied: “Someone randomly tells you a lie to make you happy, and you believe it just like that. And you still insist you’re not a small kid?”

Xie Jianwei caught the hint in his words: “Doctor Lu wouldn’t lie to me.”

“Little Jianwei.” Lu Yan flicked his forehead, “Grow some insight.”

Xie Jianwei was angry now: “If you say any more bad stuff about Doctor Lu, then get out of here, I don’t welcome you!”

Lu Yan immediately raised his hands in surrender: “Clearly you’re the one who made me say it, and now you’re the one getting angry.”

Xie Jianwei said: “I didn’t tell you to say rubbish!”

Lu Yan glanced at him, and suddenly became serious, saying: “Whether you believe it or not, is up to you; but today, I’ll put these words down here.”

Xie Jianwei had known him for quite a while by now, and although Lu Yan looked exactly the same as Lu Li, out of the two, one of was withdrawn and serious, and the other liked pranking people, so Xie Jianwei could very easily tell them apart. But now that Lu Yan suddenly became serious, the astonishing similarity slammed him in the face, and his heart couldn’t resist leaping.

Lu Yan said to him: “Seventeen really isn’t young anymore. If Lu Li truly loved you, he wouldn’t ignore your plea for love. He’s been taking care of you this whole time, and he’s probably thought of you as his own younger brother. He doesn’t want to make you sad and thus said all those nice words to please you. He wants to slowly distance himself from you, and when a long time has passed, you won’t ever see him again.”

Xie Jianwei brows knit tightly.

Lu Yan said again: “Think back for yourself. During this week, has Lu Li been distancing himself from you?”

The question made Xie Jianwei speechless.

Lu Yan was also quite scheming. He was fully confident when he asked the question.

Xie Jianwei took the initiative to seek sex. Lu Li could hold back once, but he couldn’t hold back a second time. There were only a few months left until he turned eighteen, and, in order to keep his to his morals, Lu Li would definitely quietly maintain a distance from Xie Jianwei, or else he’d really fail to tide these few months over.

Xie Jianwei had successfully ‘entered the trap’. He said stubbornly: “He hasn’t distanced himself from me.”

Lu Yan smiled as he looked at him: “Whether he has or not, you’re the one who knows best about it.”

Xie Jianwei bit his lips unconsciously. It was obvious that his thoughts were already running astray.

Lu Yan continued to poke at his sore spot: “You don’t need to feel impatient. When a few months have passed, you will discover…”

“Impossible!” Xie Jianwei hurriedly interrupted his words.

Lu Yan comforted him: “Don’t be angry now.”

Xie Jianwei’s chest rose and fell, and his expression was ugly: “I…I’m tired. You should go back.”

Lu Yan said: “You’re not gonna watch Doctor Lu anymore?”

Xie Jianwei swept his gaze across the screen, a shade of sorrow in his eyes: “I’m going back in.”

Lu Yan left.

Xie Jianwei fittingly spent a little while in despondency, and then went to investigate the cherry trees in the backyard.

What was the use of cherry trees that couldn’t produce fruit! He was going to figure out how to alter the species, and let the cherry tree in the backyard mature earlier, and bear a lot of cherries while it was at it. Best if every one of them could be as big as a pigeon’s egg, and sweeter than a maraschino cherry, and it also needed to be juicy and full.

Even the thought of them was tasty. After finishing the yandere teenager act in these hard times, Military Strategist Xie will turn to join the agricultural industry on the side.

What a very fast and exceedingly natural switch.

After busying about for a little while, Lu Li came back.

He once again started the act. Lu Yan gave him such a good foreshadowing; if he didn’t show some slip-ups now, it wouldn’t do his painstaking operations any justice.

That night, after Lu Li finished tutoring him on his studies, he got up to leave.

Xie Jianwei pulled on his clothing: “Stay.”

Lu Li said: “I still need to work for a little while, you should go to sleep first.”

Xie Jianwei stared at him unblinkingly: “I’ll stay up with you.”

Lu Li said: “It’s all very boring stuff, you’ll be bored when you see it anyways.”

But Xie Jianwei persistently said: “I want to be with you.”

Lu Li was very familiar with Xie Jianwei when he was in this state. When he was uneasy, nervous, when he was afraid of losing something, he would be like this.

If it was before, Lu Li would baby him, but today he paused. In the end he still said: “Rest up earlier, okay?”

Xie Jianwei didn’t say any more, but when Lu Li started leaving, he followed behind him like a little tail.

That night, Lu Li worked until it was almost am. Xie Jianwei didn’t do anything either, merely sitting by his side and watching him, barely blinking, as if, if his gaze strayed away slightly, his Doctor Lu would disappear into thin air.

Lu Li couldn’t say what the feeling inside his heart was – it seemed to be very sweet, and yet also very bitter.

Xie Jianwei was so sleepy that his eyelids drooped, and yet he still didn’t want to leave. His little head bobbed up and down, and the stray hairs against his forehead were like the thin branches of willow in early spring, swaying this way and that with a youthful air.

Lu Li, in the end, felt worried for him, and didn’t continue the stalemate anymore: “Okay, go to sleep.”

Xie Jianwei stood up immediately, pulling on his hand and saying: “We’ll sleep together.”

Lu Li knew that the reason that he had waited for so long, was this.

“Okay.”

Xie Jianwei immediately bloomed in a smile, the fatigue in his delicate features swept away instantly, leaving only the satisfaction from having his wishes granted.

The words at Lu Li’s lips were pushed forcibly back down again.

Because he had slept too late, the next day Xie Jianwei slept until the sun was high up in the sky, and Lu Li didn’t wake him up either.

Xie Jianwei woke up groggily, and a bantering voice came by his ears: “Without a maid helping her, she could not have lifted herself, for it was her first time receiving the love of her monarch.” [1]

Xie Jianwei: What the fuck!

Lu Yan came to the bedside, dipping his waist and observing him: “Except the monarch in the poem never attended morning court since then, but your Doctor Lu seems to have left a little early?”

The timbre of Lu Yan’s voice was very pleasant, a warmth within its beauty, sensuality weaved into its lingering sounds. Put simply, it was very seductive, particularly in the morning. When it sounded by his ears, it was especially erotic.

Xie Jianwei’s waist went soft, and he didn’t want to get out of bed even more.

Lu Yan didn’t tease him anymore, merely smilingly asking: “Did you get what you wished for?”

Xie Jianwei humphed. His mood was very good, and he said: “We slept together last night!”

Lu Yan ‘Oh’ed very meaningfully: “So you weren’t sleeping together before?”

Xie Jianwei’s sore spot was poked at, his expression getting darker.

Lu Yan put on a show of comforting him: “Okay okay, all of what I said before was wrong, your Doctor Lu indeed loves you. Hasn’t he done intimate things with you now?”

Xie Jianwei’s forehead wrinkled, and he made no sound.

Lu Yan exaggeratedly asked: “You guys didn’t do it?”

Xie Jianwei: “…”

Lu Yan clearly knew it already, and yet he asked anyway: “Then how come you’re so tired?”

Xie Jianwei didn’t want to talk to him.

Lu Yan murmured to himself: “You and your beloved Doctor Lu slept together, and didn’t do anything tiring, so how come you’re so worn out? Could it be that you’ve separated for too long, so you’re not used to sleeping together?”

Xie Jianwei immediately denied: “No it’s not! We’re very used to it?”

Lu Yan lead him on, asking: “Then what happened?”

Xie Jianwei told him in the end: “It’s only that we slept a little late.”

Lu Yan went deep in thought for a moment, then solemnly asked: “Little Jianwei, it couldn’t have been that you bugged Lu Li, begging him to sleep with you, right.”

The buds of Xie Jianwei’s lips trembled, and he wanted to open his mouth and deny it, yet he paused.

Uncontested anger filled Lu Yan’s eyes: “You, why would you go so far? Melons that have been pulled off forcibly will not be sweet – if it happens once or twice, Lu Li will still forgive you, but if it happens frequently, would he not become even more annoyed at you?”

The last five words made Xie Jianwei snap: “Doctor Lu wouldn’t be annoyed at me!”

Lu Yan shook his head, saying: “If you don’t believe me, then carry on bugging him tonight.”

Xie Jianwei stubbornly said: “You only know how to speak rubbish, I won’t believe you!”

Lu Yan had on a look of helplessness and said: “I spoke too much.”

Xie Jianwei didn’t want to talk to him anymore and dove back under the covers to go back to sleep.

Lu Yan asked him: “You’re not going to watch Doctor Lu today?”

Xie Jianwei said, still holding a grudge: “Not gonna watch.”

Lu Yan smiled and didn’t leave either, instead, he started strolling around the place.

The room had clear signs of someone else living in it. There was a lot of new stuff, but there was also an extremely numerous amount of old possessions.

Lu Yan looked at that flower vase that had been forcibly pieced back together, asking curiously: “It’s already like this, and you still haven’t thrown it away?”

Xie Jianwei sat up immediately: “You’re not allowed to touch my stuff.”

Lu Yan’s outstretched hands were once again retrieved: “Is this flower vase very important?”

Xie Jianwei didn’t like him: “Regardless of whether it’s important or not, you’re not allowed to touch any of my stuff.”

Lu Yan paused, and suddenly laughter emerged in his eyes. He had guessed more of what Lu Li was thinking, and he felt that it was getting more interesting.

Lu Yan asked without a change in his expression: “Can Lu Li touch it?”

Xie Jianwei said: “Doctor Lu never randomly touches my stuff!”

Lu Yan got it now: “Is that so.”

Xie Jianwei’s mood was unpleasant, and he started chasing him away: “You should go back. I need to sleep in the morning, and I still need to study in the afternoon, I don’t have time to play with you.”

Lu Yan wasn’t demanding either: “Then I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Xie Jianwei said: “No one wants to see you.”

Lu Yan lowered his voice, and softly murmured: “It’s me who wants to see you.”

Xie Jianwei: “…”

Lu Yan ruffled his hair, and said: “Rest up, I’m leaving.”

Out of the blue, Xie Jianwei’s face reddened, and he dipped his head, saying: “Hurry and leave.”

Lu Yan turned around and left. Just as he was about to walk through the door, he looked as if he had just thought of something, and turned back around to utter a reminder: “The little box I gave you; you must never let Doctor Lu touch it.”

Xie Jianwei asked: “Why?”

Lu Yan said: “He and I are blood-related brothers, and that thing is DNA sensitive. If Lu Li touches it, it can be opened too, and when that time comes…”

Xie Jianwei thought inwardly: Go right on bullshitting. DNA sensitive – what era do you think it is?

But Xie Jianwei went along with his acting, and said: “Doctor Lu won’t touch it.”

Lu Yan said: “Then that would be for the best.”

After Lu Yan left, Xie Jianwei displayed the little box he had hidden away carefully on the table.

When Lu Li came back, he saw the little box at first glance.

He asked: “What is this?” As he spoke, he reached out his hand to touch it.

Xie Jianwei hurriedly said: “Don’t touch it!”

Lu Li’s hand abruptly froze.

Chapter 23: It wasn’t because he was certain, but because he was scared

PART II

• • •

Xie Jianwei hurriedly went and brought it into his arms, saying: “Don’t touch it.”

Lu Li’s expression didn’t change, although his voice grew colder: “Don’t panic, I won’t touch it.”

Xie Jianwei visibly released a breath.

Lu Li said again: “Don’t worry, I won’t touch your belongings without your permission.”

Xie Jianwei said apprehensively: “You mustn’t touch it no matter what.”

Lu Li’s forehead furrowed a little, and when he moved his gaze away, he caught sight of that flower vase that had been shattered a year ago.

He stared at it for a little while, and then tore his eyes from it, saying: “I’ll go cook.”

Xie Jianwei replied: “En.”

That night, Xie Jianwei didn’t bother Lu Li, and Lu Li slept in the guest bedroom.

The next day, Lu Yan came to see Xie Jianwei again, but today Lu Yan had something weighing on him the whole time. He kept wanting to speak, only to pause.

Xie Jianwei knew that there was gonna be drama, so he cooperatively asked: “What’s wrong with you now?”

Lu Yan didn’t reply much, merely asking: “Do you want to eat cherries?”

Xie Jianwei said: “Doctor Lu said that the cherries right now are all ripened artificially, it’s not healthy, so I’m not gonna eat them.”

Lu Yan asked a few more questions. Xie Jianwei wasn’t too interested in any of them.

It was obvious that he was changing the topic. Xie Jianwei stubbornly headed straight for the main course: “I want to see Doctor Lu.”

Lu Yan didn’t open the box like he always did, but continued to talk about other things.

Xie Jianwei said unhappily: “I don’t want to eat anything, I want to see Doctor Lu only.”

Lu Yan sounded troubled: “Can you not see him today?”

Xie Jianwei asked: “Why?”

Lu Yan said: “I’m worried that you’ll be angry when you see.”

Xie Jianwei said: “As long as I can see Doctor Lu, I’ll never be angry.”

Lu Yan sighed, his gaze filled with helplessness.

Xie Jianwei said: “Hurry and open it, I want to see Doctor Lu!”

Lu Yan replied: “Okay, you absolutely mustn’t cry.”

Xie Jianwei declared: “I won’t cry.”

Lu Yan prodded open the little box, and an image immediately appeared on the screen.

Xie Jianwei only took a glance, and it was as if he had been frozen in place, his features paling rapidly.

Lu Yan hurriedly pressed down, closing the image.

Xie Jianwei stared unmovingly at the blackened screen, as if it still held those two people, smiling as they embraced each other.

One of them was Lu Li, the other one was…Lu Li’s student?

Xie Jianwei’s voice was as light as a feather: “How did this happen?”

Lu Yan said: “Yesterday Ji Sen confessed to Lu Li.”

Ji Sen was that student.

Xie Jianwei’s face grew paler. He looked at Lu Yan: “What does that mean?”

Lu Yan’s heartache filled his eyes, but he still said to him: “Lu Li didn’t accept him, but didn’t reject him either.”

Xie Jianwei appeared as if he didn’t quite understand what he was hearing.

Lu Yan could only explain it a little more clearly: “Lu Li gave Ji Sen a chance to pursue him.”

‘Pa-ta’ – a big teardrop fell from Xie Jianwei’s eyes.

As Lu Yan looked at this sceme, his heart felt as if it had been struck violently with a heavy hammer, so painful that he almost told him the truth.

“Don’t cry ah.” In the end, Lu Yan managed to hold back, but even his tone when comforting him became a little flustered.

Xie Jianwei remained silent, only dropped tears the entire time. The tears came down large and fiercely at that, they couldn’t even be wiped away.

Lu Yan panicked: “Okay okay, little Jianwei, don’t cry, Lu Li doesn’t like JI Sen, he likes you.”

Xie Jianwei’s voice trembled: “If he doesn’t like him then why didn’t he reject him?”

Lu Yan was already barely scraping by, reciting his script line for line: “They’ve known each other for so long, so they should be a little friendly, but it’s definitely you who is more important. Just think – as long as you go out and attend school, and get into medical university, and become Lu Li’s student, Ji Sen wouldn’t stand a chance, and your Doctor Lu will definitely love you very much.”

He was flustered from Xie Jianwei’s crying – he didn’t even understand how to move forward step by step. He should have originally said something like “little Jianwei, you need to walk out, learn how to be independent, you need to become mature, so you can stand side by side with Doctor Lu, then he will only look at you, and won’t be attracted by anyone else…” But now look. He straight-up just displayed the hook – it couldn’t be more blatant.

Xie Jianwei thought inwardly: Just look at you. If you want to orchestrate such an act, you should harden your heart. It’s just a few crocodile tears and you’re already feeling bad?

But Military Strategist Xie still had to cooperate with him: “Is that right?”

Lu Yan right now only wanted Xie JIanwei to stop crying. He was pouring out nice words by the bucket, and the only thing left to confess was ‘this picture is fake, it’s something I got up to fool you, Lu Li and Ji Sen are quite innocent’.

Xie Jianwei was actually quite worried that he would accidentally let it slip. How was he supposed to act anymore if that happened?

And so he said: “I want to be alone.”

Lu Yan was burning up with anxiety. He didn’t understand Xie Jianwei’s painstaking efforts at all.

“I’ll stay with you.”

Xie Jianwei: If you stay any longer, your acting will crack you stupid kid!

Xie Jianwei said: “I don’t want to see you!”

Lu Yan: “…”

Xie Jianwei could only hold back his tears, repeating: “I don’t want to see that face of yours.”

Since the Military Strategist Xie finally stopped dropping his golden tears, Lu Yan also finally recovered his intelligence, and after he calmed down, he was a little dumbfounded.

What was up with him?

Although he admitted that he liked Xie Jianwei, but did he have to abandon all his principles just because he cried, and want only to make him happy?

How could he be so stupid?

But the emotion had yet to fade. Lu Yan knew deep inside that if Xie Jianwei had cried a little more, he’d definitely have been unable to keep his ground, and he’d confess everything. Even the insane thought that “as long as he likes Lu Li, he was willing to tie Lu Li up and present it to him” had arisen in his mind.

No, no, he couldn’t stay any longer. He had planned for so long, he couldn’t fail now that he was so close!

After Lu Yan left, not to mention cry, Xie Jianwei couldn’t even hold down the corner of his lips.

How could his Lu Li be so cute?

Every single one was so so cute.

Sweetness suffused Xie Jianwei’s heart. It was stuffed to the brim with a sweet lolly called ‘Lu Li’.

What a pity that when Doctor Lu came back, he still had to put on an angsty play.

How was he supposed to switch between these emotions ah!

Xie Jianwei pondered for a moment, and then opened that little box again. The image within was still frozen on the picture of Lu Li and Ji Sen embracing.

This was clearly faked, and the synthesised nature of the image couldn’t be more obvious. Even if he only took a single glance, Xie Jianwei could tell.

But even though it was faked, it should still have some effect in influencing his emotions.

Even after staring at it for a little while, Xie Jianwei was still a little out of character.

Without even touching on how Lu Li just wouldn’t cheat at all, even if he did actually cheat, Xie Jianwei wouldn’t be filled with remorse and self-blame.

Speaking of…Xie Jianwei suddenly paused. What would he do?

If Lu Li really did fall for someone else, what would he do?

The sudden rise of coldness in his chest surprised Xie Jianwei.

He had known, since a very long time ago, that he could abandon everything, as long as he had Lu Li.

If Lu Li left him…

Xie Jianwei realised that he had never thought about this before.

It wasn’t because he was certain, but because he was scared.

When Lu Li came back, he caught sight of Xie Jianwei sitting in the bedroom, staring off into space.

He approached him, asking: “What’s wrong?”

He’d only just touched him, yet Xie JIanwei acted like he had been stung, violently standing up.

Lu Li paused in surprise.

Xie Jianwei didn’t look at him, merely asking in a low voice: “Doctor Lu.”

Lu Li smiled. “Did something make you unhappy?”

Xie Jianwei was silent.

Lu Li kept feeling that Xie Jianwei had been distancing himself from him these days. Even though there would inevitably be a stage like this accompanying him as he grew up into an adult, but when it arrived it’d still give rise to uneasiness.

Lu Li said: “Is there anything you can’t talk to me about?”

Xie Jianwei hesitated, before asking: ‘Doctor Lu, there’s nothing wrong with my body anymore right?”

Lu Li said: “Of course there’s nothing wrong, you’re already very healthy now.”

Xie Jianwei’s head tilted upwards as he looked at him: “Can I go to school?”

Lu Li’s spine suddenly straightened.

Xie Jianwei said: “There’s only a few more months until college entrance exams. If I miss this round, I’ll need to wait another year.”

Lu Li asked him: “Do you want to go to school that much?”

Xie Jianwei replied: “Yes.”

Lu Li paused. A moment later, he slowly said: “Okay, I’ll organise it tomorrow.”

He agreed, thinking that Xie Jianwei would be so happy his eyes would sparkle. But Xie Jianwei only nodded upon hearing his words, unbelievably solemn.

Dinner was very sombre when the two ate, and they didn’t speak much either when studying. When it was time to sleep at night, Xie Jianwei obediently went back to his room, and even closed the door as he went in.

Lu Li stood outside the door. He stood almost the entire night.

What was up with Xie Jianwei?

In the days that followed, everything appeared to be as usual on the surface, but in reality, it was very different from normal.

They would routinely do the things they’d always did, the only difference being that Xie Jianwei no longer bothered Lu Li.

On Monday, Lu Li sent Xie Jianwei to school.

Because the where he studied was a private school with a large number of students from overseas who joined during the year, and also because they’d given notice already earlier, Xie Jianwei easily integrated within.

His deskmate was an English youth who carried in his hands a book on grade 1 Chinese after all. Xie Jianwei was so skilled in comparison he couldn’t get any more skilled…

Life as a student was even calmer than he had imagined.

Lu Li had probably only decided on this school after a lot of effort. The entire class was exotic, and that nationalities were very distinct, their aesthetics were extremely different, so Xie Jianwei’s incredibly outstanding features didn’t actually draw too much attention.

Of course, Xie Jianwei figured that it was most likely ‘The Will of God’ making mischief.

Anyways, if Lu Li wanted people to like him, then there’d be a whole heap of people pouring in from all sides, loving him to death, just like assistants A, B, and C from before. On this, Xie Jianwei too felt speechless.

If he didn’t want people to like him, then the classroom would be filled with straight men and bent women with exotic tastes.

As for the abuse that he had suffered in the Xie family when he had entered the dream, that part was probably an actual result of logic. ‘God’ Lu didn’t have time to interfere that much.

Xie Jianwei took a day of classes with exceptional boredom. Honestly speaking, to him, the course was as bland as if there was someone repeating over and over again “one plus one equals two”.

Repeating it a few hundred times even. It would’ve been better to let him go back to plant trees – and maybe an orchard of a new species of cherry trees not of the planet earth would be cultivated.

He’d finally made it to after school. Xie Jianwei picked up his backpack and walked out of the schoolyard. He was just thinking of Lu Li, when Lu Li appeared in front of him.

Oh…it wasn’t Lu Li number one. It was Lu Li number two.

Xie Jianwei walked right up, and the first thing that came out of his mouth was “Doctor L…”

The last letter hadn’t even jumped out when Lu Yan smiled. Xie Jianwei immediately stopped talking.

Lu Yan said: “What? I’m not your Doctor Lu, so you’re not happy anymore?”

Xie Jianwei said: “In a moment Doctor Lu will come pick me up. I’m waiting for him here.”

Lu Yan said: “He probably has some stuff, he won’t be able to make it for a while. How about I send you home first.”

Xie Jianwei said: “We agreed already!”

Lu Yan said: “Then I’ll wait for him with you.”

Xie Jianwei said: “I don’t want you to, hurry up and go.”

Lu Yan said: “Don’t be like that. I even took a long path today to buy coconut milk pudding for you.”

He shook the little box in his hand. XIe Jianwei had eaten it once before, and he knew that the pudding from that shop had an excellent taste, deserving to be called the best.

He visibly hesitated.

Lu Yan said: “Do you want to go into the car to eat? Lu Li will definitely have arrived after you finish eating.”

Xie Jianwei stayed steadfast: “I’m not eating, and I won’t go into your car either.”

Lu yan asked him: “What, did you think that I’d take you and run off?”

Xie Jianwei looked at him with suspicion, obviously thinking just that.

Lu Yan couldn’t help but laugh, saying: “Okay, we’ll not eat in the car. I’ll stay with you right here.”

Xie Jianwei ignored him, looking left and right for Lu Li.

Right at this moment, Lu Li arrived.

He had left home long ago, but on the way had received a phone call from his father, so he went back to his house. When he came out he got stuck in a traffic jam too, and so had lost a bit of time.

He was worried that Xie Jianwei would be worried from all the waiting, and was also worried that he wouldn’t be safe standing there all alone. So Lu Li was anxious the entire journey, wishing that he could fly himself over.

But when he arrived, he saw that Xie Jianwei wasn’t alone.

Suddenly seeing that face, the exact same as his own, made Lu Li’s heart leap.

Lu Yan and he had never gotten along, he’d always fought with him, be it out in the open or under the table.

Lu Li thought instinctively that Lu Yan was disguised as himself with the intention of deceiving Xie Jianwei.

But when he walked slightly closer, he heard Xie Jianwei say: “Take it away Lu yan, I already said that I didn’t want to eat.”

Lu Yan asked him with a smile: “What’s wrong? Last time you said that it was yummy, and you even ate two.”

The author has something to say: President of Drama: on the road of blackening oneself [1], I am invincible.