That day, after He Xiaoyuan and Lu Chen performed this extreme emotional tug-of-war right under Fang Dinghao’s nose, they packed up and left not long after.
As soon as they left, Fang Dinghao twisted his neck, eyes following their backs like he couldn’t get enough.
“They’re watching us,” He Xiaoyuan said as he walked beside Lu Chen.
Lu Chen lifted a hand to drape over his shoulder, reminding him, “It’s not over yet.”
As soon as he finished speaking, He Xiaoyuan reached out and shoved Lu Chen’s arm away, walking off to the side. Lu Chen immediately reached out and pulled him back. He Xiaoyuan broke free again and moved a few steps farther away; Lu Chen instantly closed in again. The two of them pushed and pulled all the way toward the car.
By the river, Fang Dinghao twisted his body toward them, shading his eyes with one hand as he watched. He clicked his tongue in amazement. What a pair of love-struck, bitter men…
Then he saw them reach the back of the car, toss their things into the trunk—and start pulling at each other again. Hey, hey—kissing! They’re kissing again!
Only after the car drove off, leaving nothing but a trail of exhaust, did Fang Dinghao finally look away and return to fishing.
Now it was just him. No more gossip to watch. Pretty boring.
He clicked his tongue to himself. Tomorrow, are those two going to follow me again?
In the car, both Lu Chen at the wheel and He Xiaoyuan in the passenger seat were laughing uncontrollably.
“Only you could come up with this,” Lu Chen said.
“It’s about attracting the necessary attention,” He Xiaoyuan explained.
“No wonder you insisted I come today,” Lu Chen said.
So that was it—they were partners acting out this whole scene.
“At least you could’ve told me in advance,” Lu Chen added.
“That would’ve been way too embarrassing,” He Xiaoyuan replied.
Just thinking about the script made his toes curl.
He had had no idea how to act it out before it actually started.
“You improvised pretty well,” He Xiaoyuan praised.
“And Romeo and Juliet—no wonder it’s a global classic.”
Lu Chen asked, “So which one of us is Romeo, and which one is Juliet?”
“Obviously, we’re both Romeo,” He Xiaoyuan said.
The two of them burst into laughter again.
Thinking of Fang Dinghao secretly watching the drama, He Xiaoyuan said, “This definitely got his attention.”
“I bet right now he’s wondering whether we’ll show up again tomorrow.”
Lu Chen analyzed, “The fishing spots he used yesterday and today were random, but he still ran into us both times. He’s probably already figured out we’re specifically targeting him.”
He Xiaoyuan thought for a moment. “I’m not going to approach him. I want him to come talk to me.”
Lu Chen glanced over. “Still acting?”
He Xiaoyuan smiled. “Of course. You were great—especially that last-minute comeback. You really pushed the story to its climax.”
Lu Chen glanced back again. No one knew what he was thinking as he cast a long, intent look at the passenger seat.
“We’re going straight back,” Lu Chen suddenly said.
Huh?
He Xiaoyuan had actually planned to stop by the office.
He had been treating Fang Dinghao like a project lately, used to pushing progress forward at the company, and felt he could think more clearly in the office environment.
After putting on that whole performance just now, he had wanted to go back to the office to think through what to do next—how to get Fang Dinghao to主动 strike up a conversation with him.
Not going back to the office?
That was fine too.
By the time they drove back, it would be close to dinnertime anyway.
They could just eat after getting back.
He Xiaoyuan thought: whether they went back to his apartment or to Lu Chen’s place, either way he could still think things through.
But He Xiaoyuan miscalculated. Going back didn’t mean eating—it meant—
The moment they entered the elevator, Lu Chen crowded He Xiaoyuan into the corner, cupped his face, and kissed him.
“What are you doing?”
He Xiaoyuan asked with a laugh.
After being kissed a few times, he snuck a glance past Lu Chen’s shoulder and lowered his voice in reminder. “There’s a camera.”
“Don’t care,” Lu Chen said, lowering his head to kiss him again.
Only then did He Xiaoyuan realize Lu Chen’s arousal.
When they reached the top floor and stepped out of the elevator, they stood right by the doors. Lu Chen and He Xiaoyuan faced each other, foreheads touching. With barely any patience, Lu Chen stripped off his coat and tossed it to the floor. The moment his hand cupped the young man’s face, he lowered his head and kissed him.
As He Xiaoyuan was being kissed, affected by Lu Chen’s emotions, he also began to feel restless and stirred.
Between kisses, he asked softly, “What’s wrong with you?”
Lu Chen’s voice was hoarse. “I want to kiss you.”
Suddenly, intensely—from the moment they were in the car.
Maybe it was a sudden thought that flashed through his mind for no particular reason. Maybe it was because of the “acting” earlier, which had stirred his emotions.
Either way, right now he desperately wanted to kiss his boyfriend.
And not just his lips.
He wanted to be more intimate.
So as the kissing deepened, something softer and wetter swept across He Xiaoyuan’s lips.
He Xiaoyuan shivered, instantly realizing what it was.
He opened his eyes and looked at the man in front of him with a bit of caution.
Lu Chen asked in a breathy whisper, “Is it okay?”
He kissed his lips again and asked, “Will you dislike it?”
I don’t know.
When it came to this, He Xiaoyuan was inexperienced and a bit slow to react.
“I’ve never tried it,” he replied.
Then added, “I don’t know how.”
Their breaths tangled together. Lu Chen said, “Open your mouth a little, let me in, okay?”
With his eyes closed, Lu Chen lowered his head and kissed him again. He Xiaoyuan didn’t close his eyes. He blinked, feeling Lu Chen’s kiss, and tried—very slowly—to part his teeth. The moment he did, warm softness swept in—
How long they kissed was impossible to calculate. All He Xiaoyuan knew was that the long kiss became almost unbearable; his lips and tongue felt as though they no longer belonged to him.
He was pressed against the wall, chest and waist leaving no extra space, making it hard for him to breathe.
He could also feel the changes in Lu Chen’s body.
He felt embarrassed and wasn’t quite used to this deeper level of intimacy. Physiological tears were even coaxed out by the kissing.
Lu Chen finally stopped, breathing heavily as he adjusted his breathing. With his forehead pressed against He Xiaoyuan’s, he asked, “Are you okay?”
Lifting his head, seeing the moisture in the young man’s eyes, Lu Chen raised his hand and gently brushed the wet lashes with the back of his fingers, lowering his voice. “Why are you crying?”
He asked, “You don’t like this?”
He Xiaoyuan shook his head, indicating he wasn’t crying, and replied, “You were just kissing too fiercely.”
Lu Chen asked again, “Does this bother you?”
No matter how aroused or unable to restrain himself he was, He Xiaoyuan’s feelings always came first.
He Xiaoyuan blinked and forced the tears back. “It’s okay.”
“Can we kiss a little longer?”
Lu Chen’s tone was asking for permission, his voice unbelievably gentle.
Raising his hand to cup the young man’s face, Lu Chen kissed him lightly, little by little, no longer impatient, no longer forceful.
He Xiaoyuan tilted his chin up slightly. He wasn’t just passively accepting it—he was learning, learning to use his tongue when kissing.
As Lu Chen kissed him, their tongues brushed lightly when their lips met. He praised him approvingly, “That’s it.”
“Our Xiaoyuan is really quick to learn.”
He Xiaoyuan was kissed until he was oxygen-deprived, his legs nearly unable to hold him up.
Later, the two of them moved to the sofa, sitting side by side, bodies turned toward each other, leaning together as they continued kissing.
They kissed for a long time—so long that He Xiaoyuan felt his lips had gone numb.
When they finally parted, He Xiaoyuan’s lips were filled with Lu Chen’s breath and taste.
Even then, Lu Chen used a coaxing voice to say, “From now on, we’ll kiss like this, okay?”
“You like it too, don’t you?”
He Xiaoyuan was too embarrassed to admit it, his face burning red.
That night, when it was time to leave, seeing Lu Chen about to lean in again—judging by it, probably the same kind of kiss as earlier—He Xiaoyuan hurriedly ducked under Lu Chen’s raised arm, dodged him, and ran for the elevator.
Lu Chen didn’t chase after him. Watching that fleeing figure, he laughed and called out, “Not staying?”
He Xiaoyuan turned back and lightly glared at him: in your dreams!
Back at his apartment, as he went into the bathroom to get ready for bed, He Xiaoyuan finally started thinking about his case again—Fang Dinghao…
What move should he make tomorrow to make that technical expert even more curious about him?
He raised his eyes and saw his reflection in the mirror—his lips were vividly red. He jumped in fright. Why are they so red?
The next day, although He Xiaoyuan’s lips weren’t as red as they had been the night before, they were still fuller in color than usual.
Looking in the mirror himself, he thought they were a bit red but probably fine—he chalked it up to being “overheated” lately.
But once he arrived at the office, everyone who came close couldn’t help glancing at his lips.
Someone said, “Eat something spicy last night? That spicy, huh?”
Someone else said, “Boss Xiaoyuan, getting overheated lately? I’ve got some herbal tea for clearing heat and detoxifying—want some?”
Chang Bei took one look and exclaimed, “Whoa—what brand of lipstick is that? You put on makeup today?”
Then he teased, “We don’t do that kind of thing, okay? Big grown men wearing makeup?”
It wasn’t until Qin Chengfei saw him that a look of understanding crossed his face. He muttered, “That intense, huh.”
He Xiaoyuan: “……”
Qin Chengfei seemed to think of something. The way he glanced at He Xiaoyuan’s red lips instantly turned meaningful.
If possible, He Xiaoyuan really did not want to understand—and especially did not want to understand instantly. Unfortunately, he did understand, and hurriedly lowered his voice. “No!”
Qin Chengfei pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. He didn’t say anything, but his expression completely betrayed his thoughts: That big? Hard to take it all, huh. Look at how red his mouth is.
!!!
He Xiaoyuan: No!
Qin Chengfei wore an expression that said “Alright, alright, if you say no, then no,” one that clearly did not believe him at all.
He Xiaoyuan: ……
So that afternoon, Lu Chen drove over with all the fishing gear and picked He Xiaoyuan up. Before getting into the car, He Xiaoyuan rubbed his lips several times with the back of his hand.
The moment he got in, Lu Chen still lowered his gaze and swept a glance over those vividly red lips. “What happened to your mouth?”
This time, He Xiaoyuan finally had a comeback. “What do you think?”
Lu Chen instantly understood and smiled. “My fault.”
And you’re still smiling!
Lu Chen added, “I promise I’ll be gentler next time.”
He Xiaoyuan leaned back in the seat and let out a slow breath, nearly out of patience.
Lu Chen asked, “So how are we acting today?”
That afternoon, Lu Chen and He Xiaoyuan put on a whole routine for Fang Dinghao—“you come, I leave; you chase, I dodge.”
Basically, He Xiaoyuan would sit by the fishing rod and fish. When Lu Chen walked over, he would immediately get up and move aside. When Lu Chen followed him, He Xiaoyuan would return to the fishing rod.
In short, they acted out a cold-war scenario.
Fang Dinghao kept twisting his head one way, then the other, completely unable to focus on fishing. Holy crap! This gossip even has episodes!
What he didn’t know was that Lu Chen was also messaging He Xiaoyuan on WeChat:
【Why do I feel like you’re not acting, but actually a little upset?】
He Xiaoyuan, seeing the message: Hmph.
Lu Chen: 【Want some fruit?】
No reply.
So when He Xiaoyuan stood up again and shifted farther away from Fang Dinghao, Lu Chen skewered a strawberry with a small fork, stepped over to him, brushed arms with him, and held the strawberry up to his lips. In a low, gentle voice, he coaxed, “Mad at me?”
He Xiaoyuan turned his head away, dodging the strawberry, just like he was really in a cold war with Lu Chen.
Lu Chen offered it again, speaking softly, “Alright, eat it. It’s really sweet.”
He coaxed him, “My fault. Next time I won’t kiss you like that. Next time you kiss me—kiss me however you want, okay?”
Only then did He Xiaoyuan turn back, giving Lu Chen a skeptical sideways look.
Lu Chen held out the strawberry. “Hmm?”
He Xiaoyuan looked at Lu Chen, pressed his lips together in a smile, then opened his mouth and took the strawberry in.
A few meters behind them, Fang Dinghao leaned his body at an angle, ears perked up like radar antennas. What did they say? What did they say? What exactly did they say?
Leaning… leaning… the small fishing chair tipped, and Fang Dinghao yelped as he landed flat on his butt. He hurriedly scrambled up, sat upright again, and pretended nothing had happened, resuming his fishing.
Lu Chen and He Xiaoyuan turned at the sound, exchanged a glance, and both understood perfectly—Fang Dinghao hadn’t been fishing at all. He had been eating their gossip the entire time.
Lu Chen raised an eyebrow at He Xiaoyuan. He Xiaoyuan nodded. Then He Xiaoyuan took a step back and shouted loudly, “If we’re breaking up, then we’re breaking up!”
!
Fang Dinghao’s body tilted toward the sound as if responding to a command.