That night, Xiao Cheng arranged for the Xiao family’s driver to take Luo Jingshu home. It was so late that it even alarmed Xiao’s father.
Xiao’s father, named Xiao Yu, was known for his humorous and gentle demeanor, especially towards his family.
“Cheng-cheng, I heard you arranged for the family driver to pick up a friend.”
Xiao Cheng felt a bit guilty, experiencing the anxiousness of being caught in an early relationship by a parent.
“Yeah.” He replied, his brows furrowing slightly as he tried to hide his nervousness.
Xiao Yu chuckled a couple of times. “I’m not scolding you, just asking casually.”
Xiao Cheng’s cheeks flushed. Despite Xiao Yu and his mother, He An, being exceptionally kind, Xiao Cheng found himself most anxious around them.
Perhaps it was because, after all, he wasn’t their biological child, and he always felt a twinge of guilt during their interactions.
“A few days ago, your mother mentioned that the fruits at Yule Water Village are ripe and wanted to take you and your sister out there sometime. When would you be free?”
This sounded like a typical family outing. Xiao Cheng’s first instinct was to refuse, but seeing Xiao Yu’s familiarity and how he spoke as if he had been there many times, he hesitated. Refusing outright seemed a bit odd.
“I’ll see,” Xiao Cheng replied, considering that since Nian Nian was also busy with school, it might be less awkward if he brought him along as well.
“Great. Once you decide on a time, I’ll inform your mother.”
Xiao Yu’s call left Xiao Cheng feeling a new sense of anxiety. He hadn’t considered this issue before, but now he had to think about how to handle it.
He wasn’t the original owner of this body, and while casual conversations were manageable, participating in such family activities with Xiao’s parents might risk exposing his true identity.
Xiao Cheng even considered confessing to Xiao Yu and He An, but he couldn’t explain the concept of transmigration. He was at a loss for what to do.
The stress caused him to have trouble sleeping.
His phone, placed on the pillow, suddenly rang. He picked it up to see that it was a call from Nian Nian.
Xiao Cheng pulled aside the curtain and glanced outside. The other three beds were still lit, with no one sleeping at this hour.
He answered the call with a quiet voice, almost like a whisper.
“Are you home?”
“Mm.” Luo Jingshu was already back in his room. “Brother Cheng, that flower has withered.”
Xiao Cheng felt a pang of sadness in Nian Nian’s voice. His heart softened, and he comforted him softly, “It will bloom again. Flowers bloom and wither in their own time.”
Luo Jingshu gave a small laugh, his fingers touching the wilted flower, which then fell from the pot.
He asked Xiao Cheng, “Why do beautiful things always fade away so quickly?”
Xiao Cheng thought seriously about the question. “Because everything eventually comes to an end, whether it’s people or things.”
“But existence has meaning. If it has left its most beautiful form in your heart, then it hasn’t truly withered.”
Luo Jingshu chuckled softly, standing by the window, gazing at the night sky. “Does the human heart change too?”
“Some people do, some don’t.”
Xiao Cheng felt that Nian Nian’s words seemed to carry deeper meaning, but he didn’t dwell on it.
The sentimental Nian Nian was particularly endearing, and Xiao Cheng wanted to be by his side, holding him close immediately.
“Brother Cheng.” Luo Jingshu’s voice was soft, his eyes as dark as the night outside, with a hint of a almost enchanting smile. “Will you change your heart?”
“It depends on the person.”
Xiao Cheng never promised forever lightly because he knew that hearts could change, and he couldn’t guarantee that he would always keep a promise.
“Will Brother Cheng always protect me?”
Xiao Cheng felt a sense of relief in his heart. He sat up straight, his expression becoming particularly earnest.
“I will.”
He had promised Nian Nian by the pool that day.
As long as Nian Nian needed him, he would protect him.
“I’ll remember that,” Luo Jingshu said with a gentle sigh. “It’s getting late. Brother Cheng, you should get some rest.”
After hanging up, Luo Jingshu stood by the window for a while before someone knocked on his room door.
“Little Young Master, Madam asks for your presence.”
Luo Jingshu’s lips curled into a slight smile, his eyes betraying a hint of coldness.
The next morning, Xiao Cheng specially bought breakfast for Luo Jingshu. He waited at the entrance of Luo Jingshu’s school and only walked over when he saw the Xiao family’s car slowly approaching.
“Nian Nian.”
Luo Jingshu’s face lit up with a warm smile, his soft, rosy lips slightly parted. “Brother Cheng, what brings you here?”
Xiao Cheng handed him breakfast, his ears turning completely red beneath his hair. “I brought you breakfast.”
Passersby glanced at them curiously, and Xiao Cheng, concerned about causing trouble for Luo Jingshu, prepared to leave. “You should go in. I’ll…”
He was cut off as his gaze fell on a particular spot, his brow furrowing slightly.
“Brother Cheng, what’s wrong?”
Luo Jingshu followed his gaze and noticed something, his expression briefly tightening before he quickly masked it with a smile, waving his hand in front of Xiao Cheng’s eyes.
“Brother Cheng, what are you looking at?”
“Nian Nian, is that Luo Jingshu?” Xiao Cheng’s tone was hesitant, as if he had spotted ‘Luo Jingshu,’ who also seemed to have noticed him.
Seeing ‘Luo Jingshu’s’ expression, it looked like he was about to approach.
Xiao Cheng couldn’t help but glance at Nian Nian again, noticing that the youth’s expression was rather indifferent and seemed slightly displeased.
“Brother Cheng, I don’t want you to look at him.”
Xiao Cheng immediately covered his eyes with his hand, then lowered it after a couple of seconds. “Okay, I’ll pretend I didn’t see anything.”
Luo Jingshu chuckled softly. He suddenly raised his hand and adjusted a few stray hairs at Xiao Cheng’s cheek, his soft fingers intentionally brushing against Xiao Cheng’s earlobe before pulling away.
Xiao Cheng stepped back suddenly, his eyes wide with confusion as he looked at Luo Jingshu.
Luo Jingshu smiled with a hint of mischief. “Brother Cheng, why are you avoiding me?”
“I’m not…”
Xiao Cheng felt his ears burning, with only the side touched by Nian Nian growing hot, while the other side remained cool.
It felt unbalanced.
Xiao Cheng almost wanted to ask Nian Nian to touch the other ear to balance things out, but he couldn’t bring himself to make such a shameless request or tease Nian Nian in that way.
In fact, Xiao Cheng wasn’t sure if Nian Nian’s touch had been accidental or intentional.
He took a deep breath, pushing thoughts of ‘Luo Jingshu’ out of his mind, and decided to leave quickly to avoid making a fool of himself in front of Nian Nian.
“I’ll go now.”
“You should go in.”
Luo Jingshu watched as he fled in a hurry. He couldn’t help but lightly rub his fingers that had touched Xiao Cheng’s ear, as if he had discovered something quite interesting.
So, Xiao Cheng is this sensitive?
Meanwhile, Luo Yuan approached Luo Jingshu, looking disappointed.
“Xiao Cheng left?”
Luo Jingshu gave him a cold glance and turned to walk towards the school gate.
“Wait… Luo Jingshu!”
Luo Yuan blocked his path. “Didn’t you say last time that you had nothing to do with him?”
Luo Jingshu was taller than him, so Luo Yuan had to look up slightly to speak to him, feeling somewhat diminished in stature.
“That was then.”
Noticing Luo Yuan’s gaze constantly lingering on the breakfast bag, Luo Jingshu teasingly waved it in front of him. “Want it?”
“Luo Jingshu! Don’t get too proud!”
Luo Yuan clenched his fists. “If Xiao Cheng abandons you one day, you won’t even have the chance to cry.”
Luo Jingshu’s expression grew colder. “I’ll be waiting for that day.”
He wasn’t interested in arguing with Luo Yuan and walked away without looking back.
When he arrived at the classroom, Jiang Yi noticed the breakfast in his hand and curiously leaned in. “Jingshu, you actually got up early to buy this breakfast? I heard it’s a long wait to get it.”
Luo Jingshu’s gaze was icy. “It wasn’t bought by me.”
He handed the bag to Jiang Yi. “If you like it, it’s yours.”
Jiang Yi was surprised and delighted. “Really? For me?”
“Throw it away if you don’t want it.”
Jiang Yi quickly opened the bag. “Yes, yes, I want it.”
As he ate and praised the breakfast, which indeed lived up to its reputation as a difficult-to-get delicacy, he noticed that Luo Jingshu was watching him with a cold and intense expression.
Jiang Yi nearly choked. “Cough! Jingshu, what’s wrong?”
Why was he looking at him like that? It was making Jiang Yi uneasy.
Luo Jingshu looked away and lowered his gaze, hiding the coldness in his eyes. “Nothing.”
Forget it, it’s just an insignificant thing anyway.
—
When Xiao Cheng bought breakfast, he was so focused on getting the highest-rated items that he forgot to ask Nian Nian’s preferences. He waited until noon, assuming Nian Nian would be out of class, and then sent him a message.
[Xiao Cheng: Did you like the breakfast?]
Still perplexed by Luo Jingshu’s cold stares, Jiang Yi rubbed the back of his head. “Jingshu, I mean, Brother Luo, what did I do to offend you today?”
Why did he keep staring at him?
It made him feel cold.
Luo Jingshu’s gaze finally shifted away as he replied to the message. [Liked it, thanks Brother Cheng.]
Xiao Cheng breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m glad you liked it. I’ll get it for you again tomorrow.”
Luo Jingshu suddenly felt slightly irritated, though he couldn’t pinpoint why.
Jiang Yi, now feeling increasingly uncomfortable under the intense gaze, finally broke down. He thought about it and realized the only thing he had done wrong was eating the breakfast this morning.
But wasn’t that given to him by Luo Jingshu?
“Brother Luo, would it be okay if I bought breakfast for you tomorrow morning to make up for it?”
Luo Jingshu replied softly, “No need.”
[Nian Nian: Thanks Brother Cheng.]
He said, “Someone else is buying.”
Jiang Yi: …
This was ridiculous!
He finally understood his mistake. It seemed like a couple’s quarrel, and he had unwittingly walked into the crossfire.
He shouldn’t have indulged in the breakfast this morning.
“Jingshu, are you in a relationship?”
Luo Jingshu looked up from his phone screen, giving him a cold glance. “No.”
But you look just like you are!
Luo Jingshu continued, “I don’t do relationships.”
He was merely interested in someone at the moment.
Relationships?
Ha.
