Night had fallen deep, and the city’s glittering lights blurred past the car windows.
Lu Chengxuan didn’t bother hiding his wealth, nor did he ever chase that low-key luxury vibe. He cared only about practicality. When it came to choosing a car, the only rule was simple: drive well.
His custom black-and-gold Bentley cruised along Changjiang Road. Even with a fair number of cars on the road, it was as if an invisible barrier radiated from Lu Chengxuan’s car, making other drivers instinctively give it space, keeping a respectful distance in every direction.
Lin Shen only snapped out of his daze when the car stopped at a red light. He instinctively turned to gauge how far they were from home, catching only a glimpse of a Volkswagen parked at least five meters behind them.
“What’s going on?” Lin Shen asked, turning toward Lu Chengxuan, confusion written all over his face. “Where are you taking me?”
“Anywhere you want to go,” Lu Chengxuan replied, one hand on the wheel, the other resting lightly on the manual gearstick. As the light turned green, he shifted gears and smoothly climbed onto the elevated highway, his voice steady.
“If you don’t want to go home, then don’t go.”
“You…” Lin Shen started to argue, but when he caught Lu Chengxuan’s deep, unreadable gaze, the words died on his tongue. He exhaled the heavy, stifled tension in his chest and turned to look out the window. “Fine, then let’s go play some arcade machines or something.”
Right away, Lu Chengxuan quickly calculated the nearest Shenlin Esports Hotel from their location and turned left at the upcoming fork, heading in another direction.
Currently, Shenlin Esports had six branches in Ningchang City, varying in size, all strategically located so that no matter where you started, there was always one within easy reach. Soon enough, they would arrive.
Since leaving home, Lin Shen had been low-spirited, dragging himself along in a haze of fatigue. He had no energy to talk to Lu Chengxuan and instead pulled out his phone to chat with Lin Wangye.
Chat log:
[187 Sexy College Guy: dd]
[Xiao Lin Offers Himself: O.o]
[187 Sexy College Guy: Lu Chengxuan must be crazy—he dropped me off at home and then dragged me out again.]
[187 Sexy College Guy: Is he mentally ill or what?]
[Xiao Lin Offers Himself: Yes.]
[Xiao Lin Offers Himself: Lovesick ovo]
[187 Sexy College Guy: You’re mentally ill too?]
[Xiao Lin Offers Himself: Obviously, he’s just worried about you and wants to be with you.]
[Xiao Lin Offers Himself: No more, I’m going to cry to my boyfriend for a bit.]
[187 Sexy College Guy: What’s there to cry about?]
[Xiao Lin Offers Himself: Hehe, just saying I miss him so he’ll comfort me.]
[187 Sexy College Guy: Ugh, can’t stand how you act all pitiful in love.]
[Xiao Lin Offers Himself: Love is about showing weakness. The more he loves me, the more he’ll worry about me; the more he worries about me, the more I’ll love him.]
[Xiao Lin Offers Himself: You wouldn’t understand, single dog.]
[187 Sexy College Guy: …]
Lin Shen tossed his phone aside, closed his eyes, and went quiet.
Traffic wasn’t bad at this hour, and in about ten minutes, they arrived.
This branch was tucked into a loft apartment in the commercial district. Unlike the main store, which experimented with different styles, this one had a clear theme: cyberpunk. Every room leaned heavily into sci-fi and mechanical aesthetics, creating a world that felt more machine than human.
Since it was close to home, Lin Shen had visited quite a few times.
He knew the area like the back of his hand. As Lu Chengxuan drove into the parking lot, Lin Shen got out ahead of him and slipped into the 24-hour convenience store beneath the building.
It had been a long day—funerals, meetings—one thing after another, and in the chaos, he had barely managed a quick bite of bread to stave off hunger. He hadn’t realized it before, but the moment his mind finally relaxed, his stomach reminded him it was starving.
Taking advantage of Lu Chengxuan parking the car, Lin Shen made a beeline for the store’s ready-to-eat section, grabbed a few rice balls, and waited at the counter for them to be heated. His eyes wandered, and he caught a glimpse of cigarette packs displayed under the transparent counter. Something flickered in his gaze.
“Hello,” Lin Shen said to the cashier, tapping the glass with a bent finger. “A pack of Baisha, please.”
The cashier immediately turned and retrieved a box from the shelf behind, scanning the barcode, then casually pulled a lighter from the counter and set it aside. “Do you need a lighter? One yuan.”
Lin Shen looked down at the lighter for a moment, then shook his head.
“No, thanks.”
“Okay.”
The cashier returned the lighter to its place. Once the microwave beeped, the rice balls were packaged, and Lin Shen pulled out his wallet to pay. Grabbing his food and the cigarettes, he headed out—just in time to run into Lu Chengxuan walking toward him.
He quickly stuffed the cigarettes into his pocket and went straight into the apartment building.
Noticing the small gesture, Lu Chengxuan said nothing, his face calm as he followed Lin Shen into the elevator.
The managers at the Deep Forest Esports Hotel branches all knew Lin Shen. The owner had specifically instructed that whenever he came, any available room could be accessed by simply registering his ID at the front desk.
The staff, however, had no idea who the real benefactor behind him was. They rarely saw Lu Chengxuan, so his presence naturally felt unfamiliar. But the people Lin Shen brought along? No one really questioned it.
As they made their way to the room, Lu Chengxuan’s eyes roamed over the corridor, sleek and full of tech vibes. The decorative lights on both sides even lit up as people passed by—a small touch that made the place pop, earning a hint of appreciation from him.
“This is my favorite branch design. It’s perfect for esports,” Lin Shen said casually while finishing one of the rice balls and shoving another into his mouth as they rode the elevator up.
“You’ve never been here. Not bad, right? Xiao Lin did a great job.”
“Seeing his planning proposals made it obvious he has real talent in this field,” Lu Chengxuan said honestly, not holding back praise. “But he’s exceeded even my expectations with this.”
Lin Shen couldn’t help smiling, a quiet sense of pride shining in his eyes.
He couldn’t help but look back on the past, a wave of emotion surfacing.
“Xiao Lin has changed me a lot. I can’t help but think that if I hadn’t met him, my life would probably be a lot worse than it is now.”
He remembered the boy who once appeared in the cafeteria asking where Lin Shen was, and even swiped one of his sandwiches while leaving. He lifted his eyes to Lin Shen and asked a question he’d always wanted to ask but never had.
“How did you meet him?”
“At the internet cafe,” Lin Shen said without a second thought. “I was gaming, and he was standing beside me, watching. He thought I was terrible, so he just yanked me out of my chair and went on a crazy killing spree with my account. I was shocked.”
The memory of meeting Lin Wangye back then was still vivid in Lin Shen’s mind.
By some quirk of fate, this conversation formed a neat logical loop. Even though he remembered it clearly, he didn’t realize that he had actually met Lin Wangye later than Lu Chengxuan.
It was all too long ago; nobody could remember the exact day.
If they had talked a few more words or compared details back then, Lin Shen would have noticed something odd about Lin Wangye’s sudden appearance.
But at the time, their relationship had been tense.
Let alone chatting, on ordinary days they barely spoke unless absolutely necessary.
They passed through the corridor and soon arrived at the room’s door.
Lin Shen entered the code, unlocked the door, stepped inside, and went straight to the computer. He pressed the power button, grabbed a soda from the fridge, and sank into the gaming chair, chewing the remaining rice ball slowly.
The loft wasn’t large but had excellent ceiling height.
The guest room was split over two levels. Downstairs was a gaming area centered around two computers and console setups, along with a bathroom. Upstairs was the sleeping area, neatly arranged with two single beds.
Seeing Lu Chengxuan take off his coat and head toward the bathroom, Lin Shen spoke up: “Aren’t you busy lately? No need to watch over me—I’m really steady right now.”
Lu Chengxuan glanced at him, expression calm.
“What’s there to be busy with at this hour?”
Lin Shen was momentarily at a loss for words. Before he could think of a reply, Lu Chengxuan continued.
“Wherever I rest, I start working at sunrise. If you feel me staying here will bother you, and you’d rather be alone, I can go home.”
Lin Shen glanced at the time in the bottom-right corner of the screen.
“Forget it, no point running back and forth in the middle of the night.”
After he spoke, Lu Chengxuan nodded and turned into the bathroom. Soon, the sound of water hitting the floor drifted out.
Finishing his rice ball, Lin Shen took a sip of his soda and leaned back, lost in thought.
It had been over two years since he had decided to quit smoking.
The withdrawal symptoms had faded; a little grit and patience had kept the cravings in check. But every now and then, especially under stress, he couldn’t help but remember the taste of nicotine.
Lin Shen felt restless, already regretting that he’d bought cigarettes instead of gum.
He opened the computer but didn’t feel like gaming. He sat quietly, mind drifting uncontrollably to the mess waiting at home, frustration building. With a snap, he tossed the cigarette pack from his pocket onto the desk, leaned the gaming chair back, and lay down to rest.
After a while, Lu Chengxuan emerged from the bathroom.
Seeing Lin Shen lying with his eyes closed, seemingly asleep, he intended to wake him and suggest sleeping upstairs. But as he stepped in, he caught Lin Shen’s clear eyes opening, silently rising to wash up.
Lu Chengxuan glanced at the computer screen, still on the desktop with nothing open, then shifted his gaze to the unopened pack of cigarettes on the desk.
When Lin Shen returned from the shower, Lu Chengxuan was sitting at the computer, voting for Lin Qianqian on the official ‘Singing Heavenly Voices’ website.
Seeing Lin Shen, he closed the webpage and stood, returning the seat to him.
Lin Shen, originally planning to game a little to unwind, was now feeling tired. He bent to shut down the computer and turned to head upstairs, just in time to hear Lu Chengxuan’s voice beside him.
“You quit already, didn’t you?”
Lin Shen froze mid-step, glancing instinctively at the cigarette pack, his Adam’s apple rolling slightly.
“Just restless,” he muttered.
“Why haven’t you smoked?”
“Been too long,” Lin Shen said without looking at Lu Chengxuan. “Forgot to buy a lighter.”
With that, he ignored any response and went upstairs.
The loft’s two levels weren’t separate rooms, just a split floor.
Upstairs, the lights downstairs still glowed. Lu Chengxuan stayed in the control area, switching off the extra lights, leaving only the night lamp in the upstairs resting area. Using the faint remaining glow, he walked up the stairs.
On the final step, he saw Lin Shen waiting at the top of the stairs.
The lingering dampness from the bathroom filled the darkness, and the night lamp caught in Lin Shen’s eyes, scattering tiny reflections. In the dim light, he gazed silently at Lu Chengxuan.
Lin Shen seemed straightforward, but his real thoughts were buried deep.
Stubborn by nature, always putting on a brave front.
He hated revealing his inner weakness or helplessness to anyone, never willing to show vulnerability.
Lu Chengxuan rarely found anything truly difficult.
For years, his biggest challenge had been deciphering Lin Shen’s mind.
Given enough time, he believed he could solve any problem.
But the human mind is complex and ever-changing.
For someone like Lu Chengxuan—who had never been good at dealing with others and had no need to study these things—it was almost impossible to read Lin Shen’s mind without asking outright, while still sparing his pride.
And right now, he had no idea what Lin Shen meant.
But with so many years between them, Lin Shen easily caught the flicker of confusion in his eyes and expression.
No surprise there.
That accidental kiss all those years ago had left too deep an impression, the sweetness of it lingering so vividly that sometimes Lin Shen wondered if the reason he’d managed to quit smoking was simply because he’d found the right substitute.
But an excuse is still an excuse. Overused, it changes in meaning.
At the graduation banquet, he used that excuse one last time, carrying the thought that once he went abroad, they’d part ways and never meet again. It was his clumsy way of ending things.
The turning point came when Lu Chengxuan chose to stay.
After that, Lin Shen never again felt the same kind of restless frustration. He carried gum with him every day; whenever the cravings hit, he’d pop a piece into his mouth instead of lighting up.
So of course this blockhead wouldn’t know what he meant.
But now, after days of nonstop pressure—stress he’d never really had to deal with before—it was almost suffocating.
The confusion and exhaustion he’d once felt when his mother passed away, dulled by time, now came crashing back twice as heavy.
And when he remembered the chat with Lin Wangye in the car earlier, they slipped into his head like a perfectly timed suggestion.
Lin Shen suddenly didn’t want to fight with the man in front of him anymore.
Lowering his eyes, he spoke in a soft, almost fragile voice:
“I’m a little tired. Can you… cheer me up?”
*
If you’re upset, what would you do?
Lu Chengxuan: Adjust myself.
Shi Yuan: Adjust myself.
Lin Wangye: I cry like crazy! Then I’d make my boyfriend kiss me hehehe!
Lin Shen: Bottle it all up, storm home, yell at Lu Chengxuan, and make him guess.
Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters. (๑>ᴗ<๑)
