“Isn’t the Nian Nian you are talking about is Luo Jingshu?”
Xiao Cheng was even more confused, “How is that possible? Nian Nian and Luo Jingshu are two different people, Nian Nian is another child adopted by the Luo family.”
Xie Zhao took a deep breath, clarifying the relationship in his mind, and suddenly had a guess, “Is it Nian Nian who told you that his name is Luo Yuan?”
“Yeah.” Xiao Cheng still had a furrowed brow, looking at Xie Zhao intently, “Then why do you think Nian Nian is Luo Jingshu?”
This was too absurd.
He had mentioned Luo Jingshu’s name countless times in front of Nian Nian, and Nian Nian had never denied it.
Now, Xie Zhao was telling him that Nian Nian was actually Luo Jingshu, how could that be?
Xie Zhao suppressed the shock in his heart, taking a deep breath, “Maybe I misunderstood, and my relationship with him isn’t that close either.”
Xiao Cheng was half-believing, half-doubting, and ultimately chose to believe his own understanding and Nian Nian.
He didn’t want to believe that the boy might be lying.
Earlier, Xiao Cheng suddenly thought that Nian Nian had never actively told him his full name, and he had never asked “Luo Jingshu” what his name was.
The last time he saw “Luo Jingshu” in the library, he didn’t even call out his name…
Xiao Cheng shook his head, pushing down those complicated thoughts.
Even Xie Zhao admitted that he might have misunderstood.
He shouldn’t doubt Nian Nian.
After dinner, Xie Zhao showed Xiao Cheng his previous work, and then critiqued his past designs with his current perspective. Xiao Cheng gradually became immersed in the wonder and beauty of design, forgetting his earlier guesses and annoyances.
He looked at the computer screen intently, while Xie Zhao quietly looked at him, until Xiao Cheng turned around with a smile, and Xie Zhao quickly looked away.
“Senior, this work is already excellent, in my opinion. Why didn’t you use it when you participated in the competition?”
Xiao Cheng pointed to one of the posters.
“Because my teacher suggested I use this work for another competition.” Xie Zhao glanced at him, replying.
“Teacher?” He and Xie Zhao were students in the same major, and their professional teachers overlapped, but he didn’t know which teacher Xie Zhao was referring to.
Xie Zhao’s heart moved slightly, “Not a teacher from our school, but a master in the industry, you might have heard of his name, Wu Liangguo.”
Xiao Cheng was more than familiar with the name, he was extremely familiar with it.
Professor Wu Liangguo could be said to be a leader in the design industry.
In last year’s IF Design Award, Professor Wu Liangguo was also one of the judges.
Xiao Cheng had been studying the historical background of design, and was familiar with many famous design masters. Hearing Xie Zhao mention this name, he felt a thrill of excitement, like a character from a textbook had walked into reality.
He was like a fanboy, constantly pulling Xie Zhao and asking him questions.
Xie Zhao patiently answered his questions and finally asked tentatively, “On Christmas Day, there’s a product packaging design exhibition in A City. Would you like to go?”
Christmas Day?
Xiao Cheng hesitated, he had planned to spend the day with Nian Nian.
This was the first time they would spend a festive holiday together, and he had even prepared a surprise for Nian Nian.
Xie Zhao saw that he seemed hesitant, and added, “That day, Professor Wu will also be in A City, and he has some connections with the exhibition organizers, so he might give a speech at the opening ceremony. If we go together, I can introduce you to him.”
His tone was slightly tempting, as if he had noticed Xiao Cheng’s admiration for Professor Wu, and was using him as bait.
He probably guessed why Xiao Cheng was hesitant, thinking that he wanted to spend Christmas Day with his boyfriend.
Xie Zhao thought to himself, I’ll have to play the villain.
If Xiao Cheng’s boyfriend was really Luo Jingshu, and Luo Jingshu hadn’t even told Xiao Cheng his real name, how much could he possibly like him?
He had to make Xiao Cheng see Luo Jingshu’s true face.
Xiao Cheng was torn, and finally replied softly, “Can I think about it first?”
Nian Nian didn’t like him having too much contact with other men, and he would have to leave Nian Nian on Christmas Eve to go to the exhibition with someone else. Xiao Cheng almost didn’t need to think that Nian Nian would be angry.
It would be great if Nian Nian could come along.
Xiao Cheng suddenly had this strange thought.
Xie Zhao didn’t want to pressure him too much, or it would be too obvious.
“You have more than a week before Christmas, you can think about it slowly.”
Xiao Cheng thanked him, but his mind was still preoccupied with the matter, and he was distracted during class.
It was when he went to pick up Nian Nian from school that Xiao Cheng decided to ask him.
“Brother Cheng?” Luo Jingshu looked surprised, “Why are you picking me up today?”
Xiao Cheng took a deep breath and smiled at him, “You don’t have to go back to the Luo house anymore. Nian Nian, move out and live with me.”
Luo Jingshu looked at him as he helped him with his seatbelt, his pale profile right in front of him.
He leaned forward, and naturally kissed Xiao Cheng’s cheek.
“Will my mom agree?”
Xiao Cheng ruffled his hair, “She agreed.”
But it wasn’t Xiao Cheng who convinced her, it was Jiang Ying who called Xiao Cheng in the afternoon to tell him that he had already discussed Nian Nian’s matter with Mother Luo.
“I don’t need you to compensate me for the benefits I promised, Xiao Cheng, I just hope you and your boyfriend will be together for a long time.” Jiang Ying said.
These words coming from the mouth of a scumbag, Xiao Cheng didn’t know why, but he felt like Jiang Ying was hinting at something.
Combined with what happened earlier that day, Xiao Cheng’s mood wasn’t great.
He felt a sense of tension and unease, like a storm was brewing.
It was like he had thought before: things were going too smoothly, and he felt like he was on cloud nine, like it wasn’t real.
He was afraid that everything in front of him would shatter like a bubble at any moment.
On the other hand, Luo Jingshu was in a great mood.
He already knew because he was the one who had asked Jiang Ying to make the call.
If he didn’t settle this matter early, Xiao Cheng might go to find Mother Luo himself, and Luo Jingshu didn’t want his identity to be exposed so soon.
“Then I’ll have to trouble you from now on, Brother Cheng.” Luo Jingshu smiled at him and tilted his head to gaze at his profile. “Brother Cheng, you don’t seem very happy.”
Xiao Cheng’s heart was filled with anxiety, “Nian Nian, does your school have any plans for Christmas Eve?”
Holidays like this were usually not a big deal, but some schools might celebrate.
No. 1 High School followed the curriculum schedule, and sometimes they would celebrate, sometimes not.
Luo Jingshu momentarily thought, “There’s a performance that night, I might be able to leave early.”
Xiao Cheng had mixed feelings, and he even wanted to ask Nian Nian if he wanted to go to the exhibition.
He really wanted to meet Professor Wu.
But in the end, Xiao Cheng didn’t say anything.
The closer it got to Christmas Eve, the more anxious Xiao Cheng became, and he finally decided to decline Xie Zhao’s invitation.
He comforted himself, there would be other exhibitions in the future.
Xiao Cheng’s intuition was unexpectedly accurate, and he had a feeling that if he really left Nian Nian to go to the exhibition with Xie Zhao, Nian Nian would definitely break up with him.
He didn’t know where this strange intuition came from.
Luo Jingshu saw Xiao Cheng’s anxiety and felt a bit displeased.
His little canary had secrets too.
Luo Jingshu asked him, but he wouldn’t say.
What had happened…
Xie Zhao had been probing Xiao Cheng. He knew that Xiao Cheng and Luo Jingshu lived together and even knew when Luo Jingshu would be back.
He deliberately called Xiao Cheng when Luo Jingshu was taking a shower.
“Xiao Cheng, are you really not going? You’ll miss this opportunity, and it’s hard to see Professor Wu again soon.” Xie Zhao paused, “Because Professor Wu is very busy, even I don’t see him often.”
Xiao Cheng had already decided, and he wasn’t as anxious as before.
“Yeah, I’m not going, thanks, senior.”
He hadn’t thought about meeting Professor Wu before, so he might as well forget about it.
Xie Zhao clicked his tongue, “Are you afraid your boyfriend will misunderstand?”
“You can explain it to him, or I can explain it to him.”
Xie Zhao said, “You have plenty of time to make it up to your boyfriend, you can compensate him later.”
Xiao Cheng thought, in Xie Zhao’s eyes, he was probably just a lovesick person.
But he couldn’t explain his strange intuition to Xie Zhao.
“Thanks, senior.” Xiao Cheng said, “Sorry, I’m disappointing your good intentions.”
Xie Zhao silently laughed, his tone still warm and comforting: “It’s okay; maybe it’s just fate.”
He hung up the phone.
A warm, damp body pressed against him from behind, and his boyfriend’s hoarse voice whispered in his ear, “Brother Cheng, who were you talking to?”
Xiao Cheng casually turned his phone screen over, and his hand touched the wet hair on his shoulder, “A friend.”
“Why is your hair so wet?”
Luo Jingshu’s eyes were deep, “Which friend?”
He rarely asked so many questions, and Xiao Cheng replied calmly, “Jiang Zihe.”
Luo Jingshu’s face darkened, he had vaguely heard a few words, and it seemed like Xiao Cheng had called someone ‘senior’.
Could he call Jiang Zihe ‘senior’ ?
“Brother Cheng, go wash up.”
Xiao Cheng let out a sigh of relief, Nian Nian seemed to believe him.
He felt guilty; after all, he had really wavered and even thought about going to the exhibition with Xie Zhao on Christmas Eve.
It was better if Nian Nian didn’t know.
The young man entered the room, and soon the sound of a hair dryer came on.
Xiao Cheng also returned to his room to get his pajamas, and casually threw his phone on the bed. He had never thought about hiding from Nian Nian, and he even left the door open when he went out.
Luo Jingshu waited until Xiao Cheng went into the bathroom, and then he turned off the hair dryer and went into Xiao Cheng’s bedroom with a dark face.
He knew Xiao Cheng’s phone password, and easily unlocked the screen, directly opening the call log.
His fingers holding the phone tightened, and two words were clearly displayed on the screen.
Xie Zhao.
Xiao Cheng wasn’t talking to Jiang Zihe on the phone!
Luo Jingshu’s heart was filled with anger, what did Xiao Cheng and Xie Zhao talk about, and why did they hide it from him?
Christmas Eve…
Luo Jingshu suddenly remembered something, and his expression became even more terrifying.
He remembered that on this day in his past life, Xie Zhao also told him he was going to confess to Xiao Cheng.
On Christmas Eve.
In his past life, after Luo Jingshu returned to the Luo family, he still kept in touch with Xie Zhao, and Xie Zhao told him about his plan.
What did he say?
“I’ll invite Xiao Cheng to the design exhibition, and then take him to meet my teacher. We’ll definitely stay overnight in A City.”
“He’s a big fan of Professor Wu, and he’ll definitely be very excited. His feelings for me will reach an all-time high.”
“Luo Jingshu, do you think he’ll accept my confession on that night?”
Don’t even think about it!
Luo Jingshu recalled this incident. Thinking about Xie Zhao’s phone call, he felt like the development of this life overlapped with his past life.
But there were some differences.
In his past life, Xie Zhao knew Xiao Cheng didn’t have a boyfriend, so he decided to confess.
In this life, Xie Zhao knew Xiao Cheng was already in a relationship, but he still wanted to steal him away secretly. Confessing would have to wait until Xiao Cheng became single again.
Luo Jingshu coldly flipped through the chat log between Xiao Cheng and Xie Zhao. Xiao Cheng had previously been afraid that he would see their conversation, so he had deleted all the messages.
Luo Jingshu couldn’t see the previous chat history, and he could only see Xie Zhao’s latest message from two minutes ago.
[Xie Zhao: Xiao Cheng, if you come, I have a surprise for you.]
Surprise?
Luo Jingshu sneered, a confession surprise?
Xie Zhao was dreaming!
He replied on Xiao Cheng’s behalf: [No need, we have nothing to talk about.]
[Xiao Cheng: Give up your thoughts.]
[Xiao Cheng: Scram.]
Xie Zhao immediately realized that the person on the screen wasn’t Xiao Cheng, but Luo Jingshu.
Xiao Cheng would never talk to him in that tone.
Xie Zhao pretended to be confused, [Xiao Cheng, what do you mean?]
[Xiao Cheng: It means he has a boyfriend, so don’t bother him.]
[Xiao Cheng: Xie Zhao.]
Xie Zhao wanted to say something, but a red exclamation mark appeared on the screen when he sent the message.
Luo Jingshu had blocked him.
Xie Zhao wasn’t anxious, and he even laughed.
Luo Jingshu was too impulsive.
Luo Jingshu came back to his senses, threw the phone aside, and took several deep breaths.
He was indeed not calm, and he didn’t know why, but thinking about Xie Zhao possibly confessing to Xiao Cheng like last time made him unable to control his anger.
He wanted to confront Xiao Cheng, ask him why he was hiding it from him, and if he was planning to fall in love with someone else.
He also wanted Xie Zhao to disappear forever.
“Nian Nian?” Xiao Cheng didn’t know what was wrong, “What’s wrong?”
Luo Jingshu instantly changed his expression, frowning at Xiao Cheng, “Brother Cheng, I’m feeling unwell.”
Xiao Cheng didn’t ask him why he was in his room, and he didn’t care about his phone. He quickly approached him, hugging him, “Is your body uncomfortable?”
“Do you want to go to the hospital?”
Luo Jingshu shook his head, hugging Xiao Cheng’s waist tightly, “I don’t want to go, Brother Cheng being with me is enough.”
His voice was low and hoarse, and his arms were tight around Xiao Cheng, almost making it hard for him to breathe.
Xiao Cheng glanced at his phone, carefully asking, “Nian Nian, did you see it?”
He had forgotten to delete the call log, and Nian Nian must have seen it.
Xiao Cheng was a bit regretful, and he explained, “I wasn’t intentionally hiding it from you, it’s just…”
Just what?
Luo Jingshu left his arms, frowning at him, “You admit you were lying to me?”
Xiao Cheng was silent for a moment, “Yeah.”
Luo Jingshu looked at him coldly, his eyes getting colder, “Xiao Cheng, I only have one question for you.”
Xiao Cheng looked down at his cold expression, feeling a tearing pain in his heart. He subconsciously covered Nian Nian’s eyes, “Don’t look at me like that…”
Why was he looking at him like that again?
Xiao Cheng’s mind was a bit confused. He felt like he had never seen this cold expression on Nian Nian’s face before, yet he had seen it countless times.
Luo Jingshu pulled his hand away, “I’m asking you.”
He didn’t know why, but he suddenly couldn’t say it out loud. He paused for a few seconds before asking in a low voice, “Did you ever think about going to A City with him?”
“And leaving me behind.”
Xiao Cheng subconsciously shook his head, but he froze when he met Nian Nian’s icy gaze.
Luo Jingshu gritted his teeth, his anger turning to laughter, “Yes, right?”
This was the person who kept saying he would love him forever?
In the end, he would still abandon him for someone else.
Even just thinking about it was a betrayal in Luo Jingshu’s eyes.
Xiao Cheng reacted quickly, kneeling down and grasping Nian Nian’s hand. His voice was filled with a hint of pleading: “Nian Nian, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have hidden it from you.”
Don’t be so cold to me.
Xiao Cheng’s heart was filled with panic and fear.
Luo Jingshu suddenly pushed his hand away, and Xiao Cheng’s words got stuck in his throat. He could only stare at him in a daze
Luo Jingshu flared up in front of Xiao Cheng, gripping Xiao Cheng’s chin with an unrestrained force. Xiao Cheng furrowed his brows, barely able to speak.
“You want to tell me that nothing is going on between you and Xie Zhao?”
“Then tell me, why did you lie just now and say it was Jiang Zihe calling?”
Why would Xiao Cheng lie to him if it wasn’t out of guilt?
Xiao Cheng had lied to him.
This thought was the only thing in Luo Jingshu’s mind.
He held Xiao Cheng’s face, letting out a low, cold laugh.
He had been pretending to be obedient for long enough. What good had it done? Xiao Cheng was still going to abandon him.
There was no reason for him to suffer under Xiao Cheng any longer.
“Xiao Cheng, do you know what Xie Zhao really thinks of you?”
Luo Jingshu tore apart his mask of obedience, revealing the horrifying face underneath.
“He’ll confess to you, kiss you, touch you.”
Xiao Cheng’s face grew paler, as though he wanted to say something.
But Luo Jingshu wouldn’t let him speak, becoming more and more vicious with his words.
“He’ll rip off your clothes, push you down on the bed, and enter you until you cry and beg for mercy.”
“Xiao Cheng, are you afraid?”
Luo Jingshu became lost in his own imaginings, his eyes growing colder, his tone sticky and soft, like a venomous snake coiled against Xiao Cheng’s back, making Xiao Cheng’s legs weak.
“If you’re so scared, how dare you go with him?”
How dare you leave me for Xie Zhao?
A disobedient canary deserves punishment.
Xiao Cheng looked at him with unfamiliar eyes. Was this really his Nian Nian?
How could Nian Nian say something like this?
Luo Jingshu released his chin. Xiao Cheng coughed as he looked at him in disbelief, his voice trembling. “Nian Nian?”
This wasn’t his Nian Nian.
Luo Jingshu looked down at him coldly, his voice thick with chilling anger. “Brother Cheng, you’ve really pissed me off this time.”
“Listen to me. From now on, you’re not allowed to contact Xie Zhao again, understand?”
Xiao Cheng rubbed his chin as he stood up, taking two steps back. His eyes were red as he looked at the boy in front of him. “How did you become like this?”
The panic in his expression and his instinctive retreat only made Luo Jingshu breathe more heavily.
“Are you afraid of me?”
“Do you think Xie Zhao is better than me?”
Luo Jingshu felt like a disgrace, while Xie Zhao was some kind and gentle saint.
Xiao Cheng wasn’t distancing himself from Xie Zhao, but he was afraid of Luo Jingshu?
Images from his previous life flashed through Luo Jingshu’s mind—everyone had abandoned him and blamed him.
Even Xiao Cheng didn’t want him anymore.
Luo Jingshu gripped his head with a groan, and when Xiao Cheng didn’t rush to his side to check on him, Luo Jingshu grew even more upset.
He got out of bed with a sneer and shoved Xiao Cheng’s shoulder. “Xiao Cheng, you’re really something.”
Nothing you said was true!
You said you loved me the most and treasured me—all lies!
Luo Jingshu stormed out, too quickly for Xiao Cheng to pull him back.
Xiao Cheng staggered as he chased him to the door, but the boy was already gone.
He gripped the doorframe, his head throbbing as if it would burst.
It all felt like a bad dream. Nian Nian had suddenly become a stranger, and now they had fought.
They’d argued.
Xiao Cheng’s muddled mind came to this conclusion.
Because of Xie Zhao.
But there really was nothing between him and Xie Zhao.
Whenever Xiao Cheng thought about the things Nian Nian had said earlier, his head ached.
How could Nian Nian say those things?
Where did Nian Nian get those ideas from?
Xiao Cheng didn’t know how long he stood at the door, but eventually, he dragged his heavy legs back to the bedroom.
He flipped through his phone’s chat logs, but no matter how much he looked, he couldn’t find Xie Zhao. It only dawned on him later that Nian Nian had deleted Xie Zhao.
The boy’s anger had come out of nowhere.
Xiao Cheng took a deep breath and sat down on the edge of the bed, leaning against the footboard in a daze.
His mind replayed the scene over and over again, and tears began to well up in his sore eyes. Xiao Cheng covered his face, hiding the moisture in the corners of his eyes.
Nian Nian had been so fierce just now.
Once his emotions settled, Xiao Cheng didn’t add Xie Zhao back to his contacts. Instead, he sent him a text asking about what had happened earlier.
Xie Zhao sent back a screenshot. Xiao Cheng looked at it repeatedly but couldn’t find anything wrong.
He wiped his face and forced himself to stand up.
Xiao Cheng didn’t usually smoke, but his nerves were so frayed that he went downstairs to the convenience store, bought a pack, and sat outside the door with a lit cigarette, though he didn’t take a puff for a long time.
His obedient boyfriend had suddenly become like a different person. Xiao Cheng’s fingers trembled as he held the cigarette, unable to make sense of it.
The more he thought, the more he couldn’t help but look up at the pitch-black night sky.
It was so cold—where had Nian Nian gone?
He should go find the boy and bring him back.
They had their disagreements, but they could resolve them. He would explain everything to Nian Nian properly, and then Nian Nian should calm down, right?
“Hey, handsome, not feeling well?”
A man suddenly sat down next to him. Xiao Cheng glanced at him. “Mm.”
The man eyed the cigarette nearly burnt out in Xiao Cheng’s fingers and chuckled. “Fought with your girlfriend?”
“Boyfriend.”
Xiao Cheng responded listlessly, clearly dispirited.
“What did you fight about?”
Perhaps because the man’s voice was calm and harmless, Xiao Cheng had the urge to vent.
He briefly described what had happened earlier. “He’s changed—he’s not like himself anymore…”
“And what kind of person do you think he is?”
The man asked, “You mentioned twice that he’s obedient and innocent.”
“Is that really what he’s like, or is that just how he is with you?”
Xiao Cheng froze, the cigarette burning down to his fingers, causing him to flinch and stub it out.
“He’s like that with me. I don’t know about with others.”
The man laughed. “See? This means you don’t really know him that well after all.”
“So, you shouldn’t rush to label him.”
“You’re upset, not because he misunderstood your relationship with someone else, but because you feel like he’s not the person you thought he was, right?”
The man hit the nail on the head, leaving Xiao Cheng stunned.
“Yeah.”
The man lit a cigarette and, after a couple of puffs, continued, “You think he’s changed, but do you want to break up with him?”
Xiao Cheng blurted out, “I don’t want to break up with him!”
He had never considered breaking up.
Even earlier, when Nian Nian’s expression had terrified him, and he vaguely realized that Nian Nian wasn’t as harmless as he’d thought, the idea of breaking up had never crossed his mind.
“Then there you go,” the man concluded. “You’re just struggling to accept this other side of him, but life goes on. If you don’t want to break up, you’ll have to accept reality.”
“People are complicated and ever-changing. As long as the side of him you love is real, that’s all that matters.”
Xiao Cheng suddenly felt enlightened. He stretched out his legs. “I should apologize and explain everything to him.”
He was trapped in a fixed mindset, and invisible chains also shackled Nian Nian.
The man held his shoulder and smiled, “It’s not the best time to apologize now, he’s still fuming, and whatever you say, he won’t listen.”
“Let him calm down first, and then you can bring a gift to make amends.”
He seemed very experienced, confidently saying, “As long as you’re sincere, he’ll forgive you.”
Xiao Cheng sent a message to the young man, but the young man didn’t reply, and Xiao Cheng didn’t know where Nian Nian went. He didn’t sleep all night, and every time he closed his eyes, he saw the young man’s expressionless face.
Xiao Cheng comforted himself, thinking that Nian Nian was just too angry. Once he calmed down, he wouldn’t give him that kind of look again.
He should have listened to the man’s advice last night, bought a gift, and apologized to make amends.
This was their first fight, and although they didn’t argue much, the young man’s cold attitude really scared Xiao Cheng.
He wanted to talk to Nian Nian and ask if they could avoid storming out of the room in the future.
The scene of Nian Nian turning around and leaving without a word was like a horror movie, making Xiao Cheng’s heart race with fear.
On Christmas Eve, the school held a special event to give the third-year students a break. They arranged a performance in the auditorium.
Each class had to participate, but Luo Jingshu left early through the side door because of his bad mood.
Jiang Yi followed him.
He didn’t know what was wrong, but Luo Jingshu had been cold-faced all day, scaring Jiang Yi, who didn’t dare to talk to him and just silently followed behind Luo Jingshu.
They walked for a while, and Luo Jingshu suddenly stopped. Jiang Yi peeked out to see that they were standing by the third artificial lake.
He swallowed hard, regretting his decision to come.
It was a dark and windy night, and Luo Jingshu’s face was as pale as a ghost.
Jiang Yi felt a little scared.
“Brother Luo, what are you doing here so late?” Jiang Yi asked, trying to muster up the courage.
Luo Jingshu cursed in his heart, wondering what he was doing here too.
The last time Xiao Cheng came to find him, he was still here, and his face was red with anger.
How could he change his mind so quickly?
