Xiao Cheng’s suspicion wasn’t without reason. The person in front of him was young, and his clothes seemed somewhat similar to the other set worn by the “Luo Jingshu” who had gone inside earlier.
If he really was the Luo family’s fake young master, it would all make sense.
“Just now…”
Xiao Cheng didn’t know how to phrase it since this was, after all, a family matter. His voice instinctively lowered, his clear tone becoming softer and deeper.
“Did Luo Jingshu bully you?”
Only then did Luo Jingshu lift his eyes to look at him, appearing somewhat surprised.
Xiao Cheng assumed he had hit upon the truth. His brows furrowed slightly as he whispered, “Don’t be upset.”
For more than a decade, the young man had likely never known he wasn’t the Luo family’s biological child. To be suddenly told that everything he had wasn’t really his, and to fall from such a high position must have been a bitter experience.
You could see it just by looking at his current situation.
He must have been bullied but didn’t dare tell anyone, only able to hide in a corner and lick his wounds.
Luo Jingshu stared at him steadily, not missing the look of pity in Xiao Cheng’s eyes. He found it absurd and couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh.
“Who do you think the person who went in earlier was?” he asked.
Xiao Cheng touched his nose, his voice becoming even gentler, as if afraid of bringing up something that might make the young man sad.
“Well… it was Luo Jingshu.”
So he had mistaken him for someone else?
This really amused Luo Jingshu.
He did have some vague memories of Xiao Cheng. He recalled that Xiao Cheng was a friend of Jiang Zihe. At that time, Luo Jingshu had been playing a twisted game of seduction and submission with Jiang Ying, and Xiao Cheng had even advised him to leave Jiang Ying.
Xiao Cheng had clearly liked him then, and Luo Jingshu had teased him a little, thinking Xiao Cheng might muster the courage to take him away. But who would have thought Xiao Cheng was so weak and useless? He only dared to covet Luo Jingshu from the shadows, and whenever Jiang Ying showed up, Xiao Cheng couldn’t even muster a word.
Utterly boring.
As Luo Jingshu thought about the past, the interest Xiao Cheng had just piqued with his words faded quickly.
He lowered his eyes, looking disinterested, and didn’t deny Xiao Cheng’s assumption.
Seeing that Luo Jingshu hadn’t contradicted him, Xiao Cheng became even more convinced of his identity.
However, he still couldn’t recall what the fake young master’s name was.
“I’m Xiao Cheng. What’s your name?”
Luo Jingshu didn’t even lift his head. “Don’t you already know?”
This response seemed like further proof of the boy’s sadness and loss to Xiao Cheng.
Thinking momentarily, Xiao Cheng explained, “My memory isn’t that great, and I’ve just forgotten for a bit.”
“Why don’t you tell me again? This time, I’ll make sure to remember it carefully.”
Luo Jingshu heard this promise and coldly sneered at himself, his eyes glinting with a frosty light.
“My name is Luo…” He suddenly stopped, a brilliant idea flashing in his mind.
Since Xiao Cheng had mistaken him for Luo Yuan, why not play along and have some fun with it?
When Xiao Cheng eventually discovered his true identity, his reaction would surely be priceless.
Besides, Luo Jingshu had grown tired of the whole “scumbag gong and cheap shou” game. For now, he couldn’t think of anything more interesting to do.
Since Xiao Cheng had presented himself so willingly, why not take advantage of him?
“This name doesn’t belong to me anymore. It’s better not to say it,” Luo Jingshu said, with a hint of sadness in his voice. Then, raising his head, he fixed Xiao Cheng with his peach-blossom eyes.
“You can call me Nian Nian.”
What a cute name.
Xiao Cheng cleared his throat lightly, trying to suppress a smile, but a hint of amusement still escaped his eyes.
“Sounds good—’sui sui nian nian, chang xiang jian.’1 The phrase “Sui sui nian nian, chang xiang jian” (岁岁年年，常相见) is a poetic expression that carries a sense of longing and hope for lasting connection and frequent reunions. Together, the phrase essentially means “year after year, may we always meet””
Luo Jingshu curled his lips, replying softly in the midst of Xiao Cheng’s playful grin, “Then are you ‘Sui Sui’?”
Xiao Cheng’s expression froze for a moment. His face remained neutral, though his ears, hidden beneath his hair, turned slightly red.
He gazed at the boy’s stunning face for a long moment before suddenly laughing softly.
Was Nian Nian flirting with him?
Nian Nian… what a name. It just sounded so… submissive.
He leaned lazily against the wall, his pale eyes glinting with amusement. “If you want me to be, I can be.”
Xiao Cheng, you really are a pervert.
He silently cursed himself.
Flirting with a boy he had just met—he was nothing more than an old lecher led by desire.
Luo Jingshu’s face held a smile, but his eyes were devoid of any warmth. Without responding to Xiao Cheng’s teasing, he quietly said, “I don’t want to go in through the front door.”
“Could you take me somewhere to change clothes?”
Xiao Cheng straightened up, removing his jacket and draping it over the boy’s shoulders.
“Come with me.”
They avoided the main entrance and walked along a side corridor, but as they reached the staircase, they ran into the Luo family’s butler.
Luo Jingshu hid behind Xiao Cheng, his face expressionless as he stared at the butler.
Xiao Cheng, unaware of Luo Jingshu’s cold demeanor, assumed he was scared and didn’t want the butler to see him in his current state, so he used his own body to shield him completely.
Luo Jingshu was about the same height as Xiao Cheng, but at that moment, Xiao Cheng was slightly bowing his head. The butler only caught a glimpse of his frosty eyes before they disappeared behind Xiao Cheng.
“Young Master Xiao, this is…?”
Why was Xiao Cheng with Luo Jingshu?
Xiao Cheng’s expression became serious. When he wasn’t smiling, his face looked rather cold. “Nian Nian’s clothes got wet. I’m taking him to change.”
Nian Nian?
The butler quickly understood. Xiao Cheng must be referring to Luo Jingshu.
He didn’t ask how Luo Jingshu’s clothes had gotten wet, nor why Xiao Cheng was calling him Nian Nian. He bowed slightly.
“Please take the young master upstairs. I’ll have clean clothes sent up right away.”
The butler’s words confirmed Luo Jingshu’s identity beyond a doubt, and Xiao Cheng had no more reason to doubt him.
After the butler left, Xiao Cheng turned to look at Luo Jingshu by his side. “It’s okay now, Nian Nian. Let’s go upstairs.”
Luo Jingshu’s eyes held a hint of mockery, but when Xiao Cheng looked his way, it shifted into a soft, melancholic expression.
“Alright.”
A smile returned to Xiao Cheng’s face. His fingers twitched, wanting to pinch the boy’s cheek.
But considering this was their first meeting, he didn’t want to scare the boy, so he reluctantly gave up on the idea.
Luo Jingshu led him to his room on the second floor. He dared to bring Xiao Cheng inside because the room contained very few things, and even fewer personal items—nothing that could reveal his true identity.
As Xiao Cheng looked around the simple room, his brows gradually furrowed.
He couldn’t understand.
“You’ve been staying here all this time?”
Luo Jingshu smiled faintly. “Not really. I only moved in recently.”
Xiao Cheng misunderstood his words. He looked around at the room’s furnishings, his expression serious.
The Luo family certainly wasn’t short on money, and Nian Nian had been kept in the dark all these years. Why, after bringing Luo Jingshu back, did they have to treat Nian Nian so harshly?
“Make yourself comfortable,” Luo Jingshu said. He had no emotional attachment to this room; he didn’t usually live here and didn’t consider it a private space, so Xiao Cheng could sit wherever he liked.
Xiao Cheng came back to himself, just in time to hear his words. He raised an eyebrow—this boy’s guard was too low.
“Nian Nian, don’t let strangers into your room so casually next time.”
As Luo Jingshu began to undo the buttons of his shirt, having just undone two, he heard Xiao Cheng’s remark and couldn’t help but smile coldly.
How laughable that these words were coming from Xiao Cheng.
“You’re not a stranger.”
“What if you meet someone bad?” Xiao Cheng said with a light laugh. He thought to himself that he wasn’t a good person either and had no right to lecture Nian Nian.
If Nian Nian hadn’t let his guard down, Xiao Cheng wouldn’t have had the chance to enter his room.
Thinking about it, it was really he who had taken advantage.
“It won’t happen.”
Luo Jingshu didn’t want to argue further on this point, his tone turning a bit chilly.
Xiao Cheng thought the boy was too naïve. Since Nian Nian didn’t like being lectured, he decided not to press the issue.
He could tell him slowly in the future.
Xiao Cheng glanced over at Luo Jingshu, only to see his smooth, bare back, his pale skin gleaming under the light like fine jade.
Xiao Cheng suddenly felt frustrated with his own exceptional eyesight, because he could clearly see a tiny black mole on Luo Jingshu’s shoulder blade.
Don’t look.
He’s not even an adult yet.
Xiao Cheng silently reminded himself.
He averted his gaze, though his eyes darkened slightly. His Adam’s apple bobbed, and his fingers unconsciously tightened.
Luo Jingshu turned his gaze away. Xiao Cheng only took a brief look before averting his eyes, his expression natural, as if he didn’t care about what he had just seen.
Was he no longer attracted to him?
Luo Jingshu was sure he hadn’t seen any hint of desire in Xiao Cheng’s face just now. Most importantly, the man’s legs were spread wide, and there was no reaction from that part of his body.
He wasn’t tempted.
This didn’t make sense.
Luo Jingshu recalled how, in his previous life, Xiao Cheng had shown an obvious physical reaction upon their first meeting. Even by the pool earlier, Xiao Cheng had clearly been stunned by his appearance.
Where had things gone wrong?
Luo Jingshu lowered his eyes, and the movement of his hands slowed down.
Xiao Cheng was silently trying to steady his heartbeat when there was a sudden knock at the door. Without looking in Luo Jingshu’s direction, he quickly walked over to the door and took a fresh set of clothes.
“Nian Nian, put these on.”
This time, he didn’t glance at Luo Jingshu even once. Even when handing over the clothes, his gaze shifted slightly, landing behind Luo Jingshu instead.
Xiao Cheng didn’t notice that Luo Jingshu was watching him. He wasn’t particularly surprised that Luo Jingshu was changing clothes in front of him.
After all, the room was so small, without a bathroom. In this empty room, Xiao Cheng would have had to leave if Luo Jingshu didn’t change clothes in front of him.
But it hadn’t occurred to Xiao Cheng earlier that he could step out. If he left now, it would seem a bit too intentional.
He didn’t want Nian Nian to notice his inappropriate thoughts so quickly.
He could wait a little longer; otherwise, he really would come off as a pervert.
Nian Nian probably still saw him as a stranger anyway.
Xiao Cheng didn’t think too highly of himself. He might be the one feeling attraction, but Nian Nian likely didn’t share the same thoughts.
If Luo Jingshu had initially found Xiao Cheng amusing and wanted to tease him a little, now Xiao Cheng had sparked a strange sense of competitiveness in him.
He couldn’t believe that Xiao Cheng was genuinely unaffected by his body.
After all, if he wished, every person he had encountered would inevitably fall at his feet.
Even Jiang Ying, who had been so disdainful of him in his previous life, ultimately fell in love with him.
Xiao Cheng must be pretending.
There’s no way he wasn’t tempted by him.
