Chapter 21.2
There were two figures embracing tightly—black and red, a strong visual impact of contrasting colors, like a pair of love-struck young lovers kissing passionately.
Yu Le was momentarily frozen, unsure whether to advance or retreat.
It wasn’t that he had never seen a kiss; after all, he had spent years abroad.
But seeing such a kiss in a place where anyone might show up at any moment was really—
His vision went black?
???
No, someone suddenly covered his eyes from behind.
The large hand was dry, and he could feel a solid chest pressed against his back—only Lu Yao could have done that.
“Don’t look.”
Lu Yao’s calm voice was right next to his ear, and Yu Le immediately relaxed his shoulders.
Wang Wenyuan heard the noise, opened her eyes, and met Lu Yao’s indifferent gaze from above. There was no trace of embarrassment at being caught; instead, she leaned against Chen Fa’s shoulder and laughed lightly, “Oh, why cover up? Hasn’t the pretty boy kissed before? Or has he never seen others kiss? Is it really necessary to cover his eyes?”
Pretty boy?
Yu Le frowned. Was she talking about him?
Lu Yao kept Yu Le securely within his protective range, looking down at the two people below who were still locked in their kiss, his tone slightly stern, “This isn’t your home. Watch your words and actions.”
Wang Wenyuan laughed, “Boss Lu, what are you talking about? I’m just giving a little guidance in this area; it’s not like…”
Bang!
A sudden thud from outside the stairs interrupted Wang Wenyuan, followed by a series of clattering noises.
The four people in the hallway fell silent for two seconds, their conversation ceasing as they turned to go downstairs.
Upon reaching the eaves, it was clear that Guan Zheng and Zhou Fei had somehow started fighting. The two big guys were pulling at each other’s clothes and throwing punches, knocking over several wooden basins and dustpans piled under the eaves.
Not only had they made a mess, but they also fought into the corner of the courtyard, threatening the life of the cluster of hydrangeas.
Yu Le was alarmed, “Oh no, my Little pink!”
“Stay put.” Lu Yao kept Yu Le out of the potentially affected area and stepped toward the center of the chaos.
Yu Le was a bit worried that Lu Yao might get hurt.
However, his concern lasted less than ten seconds. When he saw Lu Yao easily grab the two fighters by the neck and separate them, his worries shattered.
It turned out that under the absolute pressure of superior strength, any struggle became futile rage.
Isn’t this easier than catching chickens???
Lu Yao: “What’s going on?”
Guan Zheng and Zhou Fei were also stunned.
The person holding them had immense strength. Guan Zheng didn’t dare to struggle, as any attempt to do so tightened the grip on his neck, leaving no doubt that even if there was any remaining strength, it would be enough to snap his neck.
“This fucking dog is so mouthy!” Guan Zheng dared not resist Lu Yao but cursed Zhou Fei, “He won’t wake up until he gets a good beating!”
“Who’s a dog? Look who’s the son of a bitch here!” Zhou Fei, still unclear about the situation, tried to make a move.
Lu Yao’s eyes flashed with impatience. With a twist of his wrist, he pinned Zhou Fei’s face against the wall, pressing him into the dense ivy, distorting his face against the cement wall, causing him to scream like a flipped turtle.
“Tsk tsk, so handsome.” Wang Wenyuan, ignoring the situation of her classmates, only applauded Lu Yao.
Putting aside everything else, at least at this moment, Yu Le felt Wang Wenyuan was a perfect mouthpiece, speaking his thoughts.
It seemed Zhao Xiaosong’s praise of Lu Yao was not exaggerated.
“You can fight all you want, but just one thing: don’t do it in the inn. If you want to fight, take it outside.”
Lu Yao released Guan Zheng, warning, “If you damage anything in the inn, you’ll have to pay ten times the amount. Do you understand?”
Guan Zheng, panting, gave Zhou Fei a fierce glare, turned, and headed upstairs, picking up and stacking the basins in silence as he passed the eaves.
Lu Yao still had one left, “And you.”
“Got it, got it!”
Zhou Fei, both cowardly and resentful, “Let go first, my face is going to rub off! Fine, you’re impressive, alright? I’m not fighting anymore!”
When Lu Yao released him, Zhou Fei immediately squatted down, rubbing his neck and muttering, “Damn, it hurts so much. What kind of strength is that?”
Lu Yao heard him but was too lazy to respond. He suddenly thought of something and turned to look at Yu Le.
When their eyes met, Yu Le quickly looked away, squatting down to check if his beloved Little pink was hurt.
Lu Yao’s gaze lingered on Yu Le’s head, flicking his wrist thoughtfully.
As night fell, Yu Le finished tidying up and climbed into bed with his pad. There was a scratching sound at the door, not knowing what was scratching.
He put down the pad, got out of bed, and opened the door. Shui Cai, holding a pink hydrangea, happily wagged its tail at him.
Yu Le was shocked and heartbroken, “Shui Cai, did you kill Little Pink?!”
Shui Cai didn’t understand, thinking Yu Le was playing, and put its front paw on him, wagging its tail even more cheerfully.
Concerned about Little Pink, Yu Le grabbed the flower and hurried downstairs with Shui Cai. In the courtyard, the first thing he saw was not the flower but the man sitting under the tree, waving a fan.
Once he confirmed that Little Pink was only missing this one flower and everything else was fine, Yu Le felt relieved and walked over to Lu Yao: “Why are you still here so late?”
As he got closer, he saw Lu Yao fiddling with a checkers set, and Yu Le’s head was filled with question marks, “You’re playing checkers alone at night?”
Lu Yao patted Shui Cai’s head as if praising it, “You’re the only ones here.”
Yu Le sat down on the other side of the board and examined the neatly arranged checkers, “I’m not very good at this. I lost every game against Xiaosong.”
“It’s okay.” Lu Yao casually moved a piece. The pink checker was directly opposite Yu Le; he was blue, “You’ll get better after losing a few more times.”
Yu Le looked at him speechlessly, “I thought you would let me win.”
“Giving it your all is the greatest respect for your opponent.” Lu Yao’s eyes had a slight smile as he handed him the fan, “Do you want to add a bet?”
Yu Le took the fan, gave him a sideways glance, and shook it, “Are you deliberately bullying me? Fine, what’s the bet?”
Lu Yao: “According to Xiaosong’s rules, the loser gets a knock on the head.”
A slight difference in wording, Yu Le didn’t understand, assuming it was just a regional dialect difference. He agreed eagerly, “Okay, do you want to go first or should I?”
Lu Yao made a gesture inviting him to start, “You first.”
Yu Le didn’t hesitate, using the universal opening formula Xiaosong taught him for the first move.
With six positions in checkers, the game is faster with two players. Of course, Yu Le lost even quicker.
He couldn’t win against Xiaosong, and Lu Yao was even more impossible to beat. Yu Le struggled just to play, and Lu Yao’s moves quickly overwhelmed him. Within a few moves, his pieces were stuck in the center, unable to move.
“…” Yu Le’s mood was complicated, “Actually, you don’t have to respect me this much.”
Lu Yao helped him arrange his pieces, “Willing to bet, willing to accept.”
“Willing to bet, willing to accept.” Yu Le sighed, closed his eyes resignedly, “You go ahead!”
After waiting a while, the expected knock on the head didn’t come. He was puzzled and opened his eyes to find Lu Yao’s face close to his, gently touching his forehead like a dragonfly landing on water.
Lu Yao’s face was magnified before him, close enough to see every eyelash clearly.
His eyes were deep, as if one glance could see the deepest part.
Yu Le felt as if he were enchanted. His Adam’s apple moved, and his breathing suddenly became uneven.
“What’s wrong?” Lu Yao looked at him, reaching up to touch his forehead with a smile, “Did it hurt?”
Lu Yao’s voice was pleasant, and Yu Le had always known that. At such a close distance, the scent of locust flowers mixed with the night breeze, making his eardrums tingle.
Yu Le shook his head, a bit dazed.
Shui Cai, tired, lay by their feet, its tail wagging weakly.
Lu Yao’s expression softened, becoming relaxed. He gently rubbed Yu Le’s forehead, “Did I scare you during the day?”
“No.” Yu Le held the fan, “You weren’t angry with me.”
Lu Yao’s lips curled into a smile as he withdrew his hand, “Mm, not angry.”
Yu Le bit his lip and remained silent, his eyes still fixed on him.
Lu Yao, smiling, asked, “What are you looking at?”
Yu Le’s clear eyes were filled with him, “Lu Yao, has anyone ever told you that your eyes are really beautiful?”
So beautiful that it seemed if he took one more step forward, he could fall into them.
Yu Le looked serious to the point of seeming a bit silly. Lu Yao’s gaze flickered, his smile deepened, “You’re beautiful too.”
“Actually, Wang Wenyuan wasn’t wrong.”
Perhaps it was the cool night wind, or perhaps it was the intimate atmosphere between just the two of them that made him a bit feverish, Yu Le swallowed and spoke without thinking, “I really don’t know what kissing feels like.”
“Lu Yao, that night, did you kiss me?”
