a bonus chapter since I celebrated my birthday yesterday~
He didn’t say when he arrived but sat brazenly on the sofa, staring at Xiao Cheng’s back without blinking, as if appreciating a beautiful scenery.
Xiao Cheng showed no intention of asking Luo Jingshu to leave. Since they had done far more intimate things, Xiao Cheng subconsciously felt that changing clothes in front of Luo Jingshu wasn’t a big deal.
He examined himself in the mirror, adjusting the zipper of his jacket higher, yet still feeling something was off.
Luo Jingshu stood up and, under Xiao Cheng’s gaze, reached out his hand unhurriedly, carefully straightening the collar that had turned up.
Realizing he’d overlooked the collar earlier, Xiao Cheng stepped aside, avoiding Luo Jingshu’s touch. “Don’t touch me,” he said curtly.
A perfect demonstration of discarding the bridge after crossing the river.
Luo Jingshu withdrew his hand. “Those twins confessed to you.”
His tone wasn’t questioning; it was an assertion.
Xiao Cheng frowned slightly. “What else do you know?”
Could it be that Xiao Yixi and Xiao Yinan would pull some earth-shattering stunt in the future?
Thinking back, he had been Luo Jingshu’s hopeless admirer in his previous life, losing everything in the end. It indicated that Luo Jingshu had never reciprocated nor taken an interest in his matters, let alone proactively learned about them.
If, under such circumstances, Luo Jingshu still knew so much about the twins, just how outrageous were those two?
Surely, they didn’t make their taboo feelings public knowledge?
Xiao Cheng felt a twinge of nervousness. Glancing at the fitting room door to ensure no one was around, he lowered his voice, “What did they do?”
He didn’t specify a timeline, but Luo Jingshu clearly understood his query.
Lowering his peach-blossom eyes as if recalling something, Luo Jingshu paused briefly before saying softly, “Both wanted to be your boyfriend. Maybe it’s because they’re young and impulsive—they didn’t hide it well, and people around you found out.”
Xiao Cheng’s heart skipped a beat. It was precisely what he had feared.
In hindsight, this wasn’t baseless. When they first met this morning, Xiao Yixi had called him a heartbreaker, speaking loudly without caring who overheard.
Later, they clung to him incessantly and paid excessive attention to his ex-boyfriend. Then, in the hallway, they said things that seemed designed to announce their intentions.
Even Xiao Ziyue, typically oblivious, had sensed something wrong. How could more perceptive elders miss it?
“And then?” Xiao Cheng’s tone grew anxious, unknowingly leaning closer to Luo Jingshu.
Luo Jingshu held his breath slightly, his gaze locked on Xiao Cheng. His eyes reflected Xiao Cheng’s figure, the corners of his lips carrying a faint, innocent smile as his tongue lightly grazed his lips.
“I don’t know the details, but I heard your mother fell ill shortly afterward. I’m not sure if it was related,” Luo Jingshu said in a slow, hesitant tone, as if still deliberating.
Xiao Cheng studied Luo Jingshu’s expression. Seeing no signs of deceit, he couldn’t help but suck in a sharp breath.
If Luo Jingshu’s words were true, then He An had most likely been angered into illness. Just thinking about it—your own nephews harboring romantic feelings for your son—was something no normal person could accept.
Xiao Cheng fixed his gaze on Luo Jingshu. “Do you remember roughly when it happened?”
He desperately wanted more details, hoping to nip the issue in the bud.
Luo Jingshu thought for a moment before replying uncertainly, “It seemed to be around the New Year, but I’m not sure which year.”
This hesitant attitude ironically made Xiao Cheng trust him more. In Xiao Cheng’s understanding, as someone Luo Jingshu had rejected, Luo Jingshu wasn’t supposed to know too much about him.
This unclear demeanor made his words seem more credible.
“You…” Xiao Cheng began but didn’t know what he wanted to say. Today, he and Luo Jingshu had finally laid everything bare. Though they hadn’t directly addressed their feelings, they had confirmed each other’s rebirth.
Seeing his hesitation, Luo Jingshu took the initiative to ask, “Do you like them?”
Xiao Cheng looked at him with a strange expression. “They’re my biological cousins, aren’t they?”
Luo Jingshu’s heart skipped a beat, almost suspecting that Xiao Cheng knew something. But he quickly steadied himself. Xiao Cheng had no memories of the previous life and wouldn’t know anything at this point.
“So, what you mean is…” Luo Jingshu looked at Xiao Cheng, leaving his question unfinished.
Xiao Cheng’s face remained expressionless. “What I mean is, I’m not that much of a beast.”
Did his infatuation with Luo Jingshu make Luo Jingshu think he was just some pervert?
That as long as someone was attractive, he’d like them?
Luo Jingshu inwardly sighed with relief. He knew Xiao Cheng wouldn’t accept the twins’ feelings. After all, in the previous life, even when Xiao Cheng learned they weren’t biologically related, he still didn’t reciprocate their confession.
But too many variables exist in this life. In the previous life, Xiao Cheng had loved him till the end. Now, Xiao Cheng was heartbroken and unwilling to love him again.
Luo Jingshu didn’t know if other unexpected events might occur, nor could he predict if Xiao Cheng would fall for someone else. Anxiety churned within him, making everyone feel like a potential rival.
Xiao Cheng’s voice pulled Luo Jingshu back from his drifting thoughts.
“Did you know Xie Zhao liked me all along?”
Since Xiao Cheng learned that Luo Jingshu had been reborn, he had been wanting to ask him this question. Xie Zhao was an indirect cause of their breakup. If it hadn’t been for Luo Jingshu’s suspicion about Xiao Cheng’s relationship with Xie Zhao, perhaps a series of events wouldn’t have unfolded so quickly.
At least, not that fast.
“Mm.”
Mentioning Xie Zhao, Luo Jingshu’s expression grew colder, his eyes darker.
“He…” Xiao Cheng paused, organizing his words in his mind, “Has he never given up?”
Luo Jingshu fixed his gaze on Xiao Cheng, and a surge of jealousy rose in his chest, his fingers tightening into a fist at his side.
“I’m not sure.”
In fact, even until his death, Xie Zhao had never stopped pursuing Xiao Cheng.
Of course, Luo Jingshu would never tell Xiao Cheng this.
Xiao Cheng didn’t know how to feel. He actually hoped to hear a denial from Luo Jingshu.
The senior really didn’t need to waste time on him.
“I think it’s strange,” Xiao Cheng’s voice lowered. “Xie Zhao told me that when he first saw me, it felt like he had liked me for a long time.”
Hearing the person he liked confess that Xie Zhao had pursued him, Luo Jingshu felt a pang of sourness in his heart. Jealousy tinted his vision until his breath became heavier than before.
His jawline tightened, and his expression became clearly unappealing.
Xiao Cheng pretended not to notice, continuing, “I think he’s probably been affected by his past relationship.”
Since they were outside, Xiao Cheng substituted “the past” with “previous life,” which Luo Jingshu should understand.
Luo Jingshu didn’t speak, but his eyes remained fixed on Xiao Cheng’s face.
Xiao Cheng frowned and added, “Do you know what I mean? It’s like when I first saw you by the pool…”
He spoke too quickly, and halfway through his sentence, he realized it was wrong, but it was too late to take it back.
Luo Jingshu’s expression subtly changed. He leaned in a little closer, his eyes locking onto Xiao Cheng’s, lips parting slightly, “Brother Cheng, did you find something else in the apartment?”
Xiao Cheng started playing dumb. “Didn’t I already give you what I found?”
Like that necklace.
Luo Jingshu slowly shook his head, “No, that necklace is fine. There’s nothing wrong with it.”
His tone carried a hint of a smile. “Did you see something else? For example, your diary?”
Xiao Cheng’s heartbeat quickened, anxiety and embarrassment taking over.
“I don’t keep a diary,” he said, meeting Luo Jingshu’s gaze, pretending to be calm. “You’re overthinking.”
Luo Jingshu’s gaze traced his features with an unmistakable intensity.
“Then how do you know… you also like me?”
He didn’t speak the last few words aloud, but from his lips, it was clear—”Last life.”
Before this, Luo Jingshu had never spoken to him about the past. How could Xiao Cheng know?
Xiao Cheng’s mind panicked for a moment. It wasn’t because he was worried about something else; it was the fact that, given his current relationship with Luo Jingshu, mentioning the past made him feel embarrassed.
But soon, he calmed down. “I guessed.”
Before Luo Jingshu could reply, Xiao Cheng continued, “I got the idea from Senior Xie.”
“He likes me because of the impact of his previous relationship, so maybe I liked you so quickly because of that influence.”
The more Xiao Cheng spoke, the more comfortable he felt, and he even managed to laugh lightly, “Otherwise, I can’t understand why I would like you so quickly.”
He looked at Luo Jingshu’s features, “Is it just because you’re good-looking? I have plenty of handsome guys around me.”
The faint smile on Luo Jingshu’s face disappeared, his eyes still red, and his slightly moist eyes locked onto Xiao Cheng’s, his fingers digging into his palm.
Xiao Cheng curled his lips and casually asked, “From what you just said, it seems I guessed right?”
“Since I liked you in the last life too, did you agree?”
Luo Jingshu silently stared at him, not answering for a long time.
Xiao Cheng chuckled, “No, right?”
“Well, I should thank you then. You didn’t ruin me twice.”
Luo Jingshu’s eyes turned even redder, his cheek muscles tightly tensed, clearly struggling to hold back his emotions.
Xiao Cheng kept smiling, but his eyes were not humored: “Heaven was kind to me, letting me be a dog for a lifetime, then gave me a chance to restart and completely see your true face.”
He paused, his tone sarcastic:
“Congrats to me, and congrats to you too. You’ve lost one less person to cling to you.”
Hearing this, Luo Jingshu could no longer hold back and grabbed Xiao Cheng’s arm, “Brother Cheng!”
His voice was hoarse, trembling, clearly on the verge of tears, “This is God’s punishment for me.”
“Punishing me for not cherishing the person who truly loved me both times.”
Xiao Cheng didn’t respond. He didn’t pull away from Luo Jingshu’s grip, just coldly stared at him, taking in his miserable and humble appearance.
Luo Jingshu wasn’t crying unattractively. When crying, his beautiful, delicate face only added a layer of fragility and pity.
His eyes were red, and even the tip of his nose was tinged with a slight flush. Against his pale skin, the vibrant, sensual aura he exuded was striking.
Unfortunately, the only audience was unmoved.
“Brother Cheng, I beg you, please don’t say those things about yourself.” Luo Jingshu could tolerate Xiao Cheng saying he didn’t love him, but he couldn’t stand Xiao Cheng belittling himself.
Since realizing his feelings, Luo Jingshu’s greatest regret was his previous disdain for Xiao Cheng.
He didn’t properly understand emotions and couldn’t learn to treat people as equals. Once he understood his own feelings, he saw Xiao Cheng only as his master, his god, someone he couldn’t surpass.
Luo Jingshu wouldn’t allow anyone to belittle Xiao Cheng, not even Xiao Cheng himself.
“You’re amazing. You’re not a dog.”
“Even in the last life, you weren’t pathetic when I didn’t respond to you.” Luo Jingshu’s eyes glistened, his voice growing even hoarser, “You comforted me, encouraged me, and gave me all your passionate love without reservation.”
He omitted the hesitation and rejection Xiao Cheng had shown in his previous life.
When he didn’t like Xiao Cheng, Luo Jingshu saw that as a weakness on Xiao Cheng’s part. But once he loved Xiao Cheng, he immediately found reasons to justify it and recalled the details he had once ignored.
Xiao Cheng loved him, and Luo Jingshu could feel his repressed emotions.
But for some reason, Xiao Cheng couldn’t act on those feelings and take him away. Even so, Xiao Cheng had repeatedly warned him about Jiang Ying.
Just as he had guessed that day, perhaps in the previous life, something had held Xiao Cheng back, and that thing had disappeared in this life.
Xiao Cheng remained silent but caught an important clue from Luo Jingshu’s words.
Comfort, encouragement.
Luo Jingshu must have encountered some difficulty, which was why he comforted Xiao Cheng as an admirer.
Perhaps it was the original storyline.
Given Luo Jingshu’s familiarity with the future and his understanding of people like Jiang Ying, Xiao Cheng made a bold guess.
Was it possible that in the previous life, his existence hadn’t influenced the original plot?
Just like in this life, when he didn’t even know Luo Jingshu was the protagonist shou, maybe it had been the same in the previous life.
Perhaps everything followed the original plot in the previous life, with Luo Jingshu controlled step by step by Jiang Ying, unable to struggle or escape.
But Xiao Cheng quickly had a new doubt. As the heir of the Xiao family, though he didn’t have Jiang Ying’s abilities, his status wasn’t inferior.
If he really liked Luo Jingshu, why hadn’t he stepped in to change the original plot and help Luo Jingshu escape Jiang Ying’s clutches?
Did he really not know Luo Jingshu’s identity in his previous life?
Had this person really used the same trick to deceive him twice?!
Fuck.
Xiao Cheng was furious at his own guess. It would be one thing to be deceived once, but how could he let it happen twice?
Was he stupid?
“I comforted you?” Xiao Cheng deliberately put on a suspicious expression, testing the waters, “Did I know your name was Luo Jingshu in the previous life?”
“You didn’t deceive me under someone else’s identity, did you?”
Luo Jingshu shook his head. His voice was choked, with noticeable nasal sounds. “I didn’t, Brother Cheng. I didn’t deceive you last time.”
“You knew who I was.”
He had only deceived Xiao Cheng this time.
Xiao Cheng thought that if he had known Luo Jingshu was the protagonist shou, he must have also known the general plot.
What had forced him to not help the person he loved?
Xiao Cheng didn’t believe he could have just watched the person he loved be bullied, humiliated, and even given to partners.
What was the reason?
He couldn’t figure it out.
Luo Jingshu thought he didn’t believe him and was about to explain when the fitting room door was suddenly knocked from outside.
“Brother Cheng!”
It was Xiao Yinan.
Xiao Cheng finally snapped out of it, realizing he had been in the fitting room for almost fifteen minutes.
No wonder Xiao Yinan was coming to hurry him.
Xiao Cheng looked at Luo Jingshu, “How about you…”
Hide for a bit.
They had been in the fitting room for so long that others might think something was up.
“What about me?” Luo Jingshu asked.
Xiao Cheng coughed lightly, “Others might misunderstand, so maybe you should hide?”
Luo Jingshu’s face turned pale, and he lowered his voice to argue, “Misunderstand what?”
“Is fifteen minutes really so long?!”
Xiao Cheng: ????
What are you talking about?!
He stared at Luo Jingshu, confirming that the other wasn’t joking, before swallowing and saying, “Well, that’s not necessarily…”
Xiao Cheng added, “Anyway, it’s definitely not me who’s been in there for fifteen minutes!”
Luo Jingshu could tolerate many things, but he couldn’t. He had to defend himself.
Unfortunately, before he could say anything, the knocking on the door sounded again.
“Brother Cheng, are you inside?”
TN: sorry for the late updates, anw Xiao Cheng and Luo Jingshu now have confirmed each other rebirth and things will be super interesting from now on, and right, the twins will be SUUUPER annoying……….. but they’ll be a useful plot device to promotes Xiao Cheng and Luo Jingshu’s relationship lololol
