He wanted to break free, but his wrist was gripped even tighter by Lu Bohuan.
“Let go. I’m not running. I can’t run.”
Qin Yuanxi’s eyes flickered, stubbornly standing still, unwilling to move. Lu Bohuan didn’t release his hand; instead, he just held onto Qin Yuanxi’s wrist and pulled him closer.
“Why won’t you let me touch you?”
“Haven’t you avoided me enough?”
Qin Yuanxi had no answer. Even breathing became difficult, feeling a sourness in his nose, a hint of frustration. He forcefully pushed Lu Bohuan away, pretending everything was normal.
“You’re really strange. I came out because you wanted to run, but why do you have to drag me along when you can run by yourself?”
Lu Bohuan wanted to say something more, but there were people who had come for morning exercises now, clearly not the right time to talk. So, he remained silent, walking alongside Qin Yuanxi, going to have breakfast together, then each going home to freshen up before heading back to school.
After the exams, the atmosphere at school became noticeably livelier. The tension that had gripped everyone relaxed, replaced by cheerful chatter everywhere. Qin Yuanxi came to tidy his drawer a bit later than the others in the class, finding a box.
A beautifully delicate gift box. He was puzzled when he took it out, wondering what it was and how it ended up in his drawer.
Then he saw his desk mate winking at him. “Quick, open it. Do you like it?”
“Did you give this to me?” Qin Yuanxi asked, puzzled. “Why would you give me a gift for no reason?”
“Am I crazy? You never gave me a gift, so why should I give you one?” His desk mate spoke bluntly. “This was given by the cute girl from the next class. She came early and quietly left it in your drawer. I waited until she left before coming back to the classroom, just to save her face.”
“Look, there’s a letter too, a love letter!”
His desk mate’s voice was a bit loud, drawing the attention of many classmates. “What love letter? Wow, Qin Yuanxi, you’re graduating and getting a love letter, so romantic! From whom, from whom?”
“Who else could it be? It’s the beauty from the next class.”
Someone immediately chimed in, “Who doesn’t know that she’s been crushing on our little Qin since we entered high school? She’s been head over heels for our little Qin since forever, now confessing, it’s really the perfect time.”
“Exactly,” his desk mate hurriedly explained, “It’s no secret that the cute girl from the next class likes you. It’s common knowledge.”
Qin Yuanxi said, “How come I didn’t know?”
His expression was uncomfortable.
Just when everyone was teasing him, Qin Yuanxi noticed Lu Bohuan looking at him, his gaze somewhat chilly. He couldn’t quite grasp the meaning, feeling even more uneasy.
“Stop talking nonsense, this gift is too precious, I can’t accept it. I’ll return it to her.”
As soon as Qin Yuanxi said this, there was another round of laughter and teasing. In the end, it was his desk mate who earnestly explained a few words, slowly calming everyone down. Seeing Qin Yuanxi going out to return the gift, his desk mate quickly added, “Don’t stir up unnecessary trouble. Little Qin doesn’t like her anyway. Making such a fuss is not good for both the girl and Little Qin. We can’t be so immature.”
“Hey, if Little Qin doesn’t even like the class beauty, what kind of girl does he like?”
Some girls started to tease, “Us ordinary girls wouldn’t dare to like him. It always feels like we’re not quite a match.”
“Then who do you think Little Qin is more compatible with?”
“Isn’t it obvious? Of course, it’s…” The girl started to say, then suddenly paused, chuckled, “Well, who knows? Who are we to decide? Little Qin isn’t in a rush yet!”
After saying this, she glanced discreetly in Lu Bohuan’s direction. Those who were here just now had disappeared by now, who knows where they went.
She had a hint of cunning in her eyes, with her own little schemes. When it came to who was most compatible with Qin Yuanxi, besides Lu Bohuan, there really wasn’t anyone else.
As a fujoshi, she wasn’t too keen on real people, but the vibe between these two made her feel like if there wasn’t something going on, it wouldn’t do justice to all her time spent in the BL fandom!
“I’m sorry, this gift is too precious, I can’t accept it. But thank you for your kind gesture.”
The pink envelope was returned as well.
Everyone understood what this meant. The rejected girl’s eyes turned slightly red, looking pitiful. She wanted to try again, “Can’t you accept it as a graduation gift? I spent a long time picking it out, you’ll definitely like it.”
Her watery eyes could melt anyone with just a glance, but Qin Yuanxi’s attitude remained unchanged.
“Thank you for your kind gesture.”
Polite, distant, insistent on returning the gift to the girl’s hands, Qin Yuanxi turned and left.
Behind him, the girl’s sobbing voice could be heard, naturally heartbroken after being rejected. Qin Yuanxi sighed inwardly, suddenly thinking of himself.
He hadn’t quite detached from his emotions yet, and accidentally bumped into someone.
The familiar scent of shower gel lingered in the air. Without lifting his head, Qin Yuanxi knew he had bumped into Lu Bohuan. He intended to walk around him, but Lu Bohuan grabbed his wrist again and pulled him away from the teaching building.
The school was large. In their freshman year, they used to stroll around the school when they had nothing to do. As the workload increased, they stuck to the path between the classroom and the cafeteria. But now, Lu Bohuan led him through twists and turns, almost getting Qin Yuanxi lost.
Finally, Lu Bohuan brought him to a small grove. It was tucked behind the school gym, a small blind spot, usually deserted. Today, there were even fewer people around.
The cobblestone path was scattered with fallen leaves, filled with the scent of nature.
“Why did you bring me here?”
“Why won’t you accept her gift?”
“What?” Qin Yuanxi didn’t expect Lu Bohuan to ask such a question directly. He felt a bit embarrassed, lowered his head, touched his nose, and said earnestly, “I don’t like her, so why should I accept her gift?”
Then he seemed to hear Lu Bohuan chuckle, and suddenly felt something cold in his hand. “Then, what about mine?”
Lu Bohuan slipped a watch onto his wrist, a very stylish one, looking very precious. It was definitely more valuable than the gift box from the class beauty. The watch fit perfectly on Qin Yuanxi’s wrist, leaving him momentarily speechless.
He chuckled awkwardly, “A graduation gift? What should I do? I haven’t had a chance to prepare one for you.”
His mind had been clouded during those days. Where was the time to think about graduation gifts?
“No,” Lu Bohuan denied, “I didn’t prepare a graduation gift. I’m sorry.”
“Then, what is this for?”
“Xiao Xi, don’t you have anything to say to me?” Lu Bohuan interrupted him, his eyes seeming a bit impatient, very unlike his usual self, leaving Qin Yuanxi unsure of his intentions.
“W-what do you mean?”
“Why are you avoiding me?” Lu Bohuan asked again, but Qin Yuanxi still didn’t answer.
Then he was hugged by Lu Bohuan.
“Stop avoiding me, okay?” Lu Bohuan’s warm voice was right beside him, and Qin Yuanxi’s heart pounded faster and faster, almost jumping out of his chest. “Xiao Xi, you don’t know how much it hurts me when you avoid me, you don’t know how sad I feel when I see girls confessing to you. Can we stop being like this, okay?”
“Now that the exams are over, can we have an honest talk?”
“What do you want to talk about?” Qin Yuanxi felt like everything was spiraling out of his control, nothing going as he had anticipated.
Especially the way Lu Bohuan was acting now, completely different from what he had expected.
“First, tell me why you’ve been avoiding me.”
Lu Bohuan was very persistent about this question, insisting on getting an honest answer from Qin Yuanxi. “I want to hear the truth.”
Qin Yuanxi remained silent.
He couldn’t explain why he was avoiding Lu Bohuan; it was a subconscious reaction. He didn’t want to appear so out of control in front of Lu Bohuan. Should he tell him, ‘It’s because I like you so much that I need to distance myself from you’?
“If you won’t tell me, can I tell you?”
“Xiao Xi, you are the most special person in my life. We’ve grown up together, and you’re like my little sun, the light of my life. Without you, I don’t even know what my existence would mean. I spend my days aimlessly, just following your footsteps. If you’re not by my side, my life will plunge back into darkness, with no hope or light at all. Xiao Xi, I’ve liked you since a very, very long time ago.”
Lu Bohuan rested his forehead on Qin Yuanxi’s shoulder. “I was originally planning to confess to you in a romantic way after the exams, finding the perfect moment during our trip when we could have some alone time together. But it seems like you don’t want to go out with me anymore. When I saw that girl giving you a gift, I felt jealous—extremely jealous, to the point of madness. I couldn’t hold it in any longer.”
“Xiao Xi, let’s stop torturing each other, okay?”
“Tell me how you really feel.”
Lu Bohuan’s almost pleading tone pierced Qin Yuanxi’s heart. He hugged Lu Bohuan, trying to make him look up, but instead felt the wetness on Lu Bohuan’s face, and his own heart clenched in pain.
“Ah, Ah Tuo, you… you’re crying.” Qin Yuanxi felt a bit at a loss. “No, I rejected that girl already. I have someone I like, it’s you. You asked me why I’ve been avoiding you, it’s because… it’s because I was afraid you’d find me disgusting. We’re good friends, good brothers, but I had such dirty thoughts about you. I can’t even pass that barrier myself.”
Lu Bohuan lifted his head, his eyes shining. “What did you say? Say it again, please.”
“I said I like you.” Qin Yuanxi lowered his head, tiptoeing slightly. “I don’t know if you remember or not, but the first time I had that kind of dream, it was about you. And it wasn’t just once. Every time I dream, it’s about you. The more I dream about you, the more uncomfortable I feel, the harder it is for me to accept your kindness, it’s like I’m a really bad and disgusting person. I couldn’t control the burden in my mind, so… that’s why I was afraid.”
“Silly kid.” Lu Bohuan hugged him tighter. “Why didn’t you tell me? If I had known…”
“Well, you know now.”
Qin Yuanxi felt even more embarrassed, but Lu Bohuan didn’t tease him anymore. He changed the subject, “So, are we still going for some alone time?”
“We are!” Qin Yuanxi’s eyes sparkled. “Actually, I’ve been wanting to go. I can’t bear to be without you, Ah Tuo. I… I feel like it’s a bit unreal.”
This is the end of Qin Yuanxi’s and Lu Bohuan’s love story! This historical novel was packed with so many surprises—cute and fluffy moments, court drama, angst, heartbreaks, dates, a proposal, a royal wedding, and even modern extras. I laughed and cried many times while reading, and it’s still one of my favorites. I hope you all enjoyed it too!
This novel had many unexpected twists and turns that you might not have anticipated when you started reading, especially the angst. It began with a light-hearted and fun tone but later took a different route. Through the comments on my translation projects, I’ve realized something: I actually love novels that include a bit of angst. (If you’re reading my other translation projects, I hope this won’t be a spoiler!) Anyway, I hope the sweet ending made up for any sad moments!
A huge thank you to 婵之鸣, the author of this series. Your work is a gem. 1If you can, please leave some positive reviews on NovelUpdates. And to my readers, although I might not always reply to comments, I read every single one and truly appreciate your support. I am grateful for every comment, Ko-fi donation, and all of you who have been with me on this journey.
If you’re looking for your next favorite novel, check out my completed and ongoing translation projects! Over the years, I’ve found many hidden gems, and I believe your next favorite might be among them. You can find them all right –HERE-!
Looking forward to seeing you all in my future projects. Take care and best wishes to each of you! Goodbye for now! ε(´｡•᎑•`)っ〜♡
Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters. (๑>ᴗ<๑)
