“Love…”
The word landed softly on the very tip of Lu Qiao’s heart, making his heart tremble faintly.
He remembered how Song Yue had once casually discussed something with him: What would someone like Yan Qiu look like after falling for someone? Would he still be as cold and distant as ever? Or would he change?
And if he changed, what would he become?
At this moment, that very Yan Qiu was right behind him.
This Yan Qiu… existed because of him.
“Lu Qiao,” Yan Qiu said softly, “turn around and look at me.”
Lu Qiao’s Adam’s apple bobbed.
He was so hot that he was actually sweating, as though it weren’t winter at all, but summer—the hottest part of summer.
He had been confessed to by girls several times before, but not once had he felt anything like this.
Lu Qiao lowered his head and twisted his fingers several times. Finally, he took two deep breaths before slowly turning around, bit by bit, and raising his eyes to look at Yan Qiu.
The man’s gaze was burning, and his dark eyes reflected only Lu Qiao’s figure.
Lu Qiao pressed his lips together and instinctively hugged his knees tighter, curling himself into a ball.
He knew that now that things had been said this far, there was no way for him to avoid it. No matter how embarrassed he was, he still had to face the situation in front of him.
So he moved his lips and asked in a tiny voice, “Wh-when did this start…?”
Seeing that he finally spoke, Yan Qiu smiled. He lowered himself onto one knee and said slowly, “I don’t know exactly when it started either. It was only after I went to the military that I realized it, when I thought about how I wouldn’t be able to see you for a very long time.”
Lu Qiao paused, then continued in an even smaller voice, “B-but when you went to the military, I thought the same thing too. It—it doesn’t necessarily mean… that I like you…”
When Yan Qiu had gone to the military, Lu Qiao had also felt disappointed. For more than half a year afterward, he would occasionally think about it and feel especially lonely.
“You thought that too?” Yan Qiu’s eyes darkened. “Lu Qiao, I originally didn’t want to frighten you. I wanted to let you slowly understand my feelings for you. But after I lost control yesterday, the reason I didn’t choose to hide it was not only because I could no longer keep restraining myself, but also because—I felt that you weren’t completely without feelings for me either.”
Lu Qiao trembled.
His lashes lowered as his eyes darted about in panic.
“I won’t force you to give me an answer right now. You can take your time to think about it. It’s just that…” Yan Qiu reached out and gently lifted Lu Qiao’s face, looking straight at him. “Don’t avoid me, okay?”
Lu Qiao’s eyes widened.
Yan Qiu’s fingertip gently stroked Lu Qiao’s cheek as he said softly, “When you don’t talk to me, I feel very disappointed.”
Lu Qiao was somewhat stunned. He hadn’t expected Yan Qiu to say something like that.
Yet there was not the slightest hint of joking on the man’s face. He was extremely serious and solemn.
Lu Qiao truly hadn’t expected it—Yan Qiu would actually feel unhappy and disappointed just because someone ignored him?
Had he… made Yan Qiu sad yesterday?
Lu Qiao immediately explained, “I-I was really confused yesterday too. I didn’t know how I was supposed to interact with you anymore. I wasn’t deliberately trying to give you the silent treatment—”
“I know,” Yan Qiu said slowly. “I’m not blaming you. But try to get used to this version of me, okay?”
Try to get used to the me who has fallen in love with you.
Try to get used to the me who can’t help wanting to get closer to you.
Through Yan Qiu’s eyes, Lu Qiao seemed to hear the thoughts hidden in his heart, and his own heart trembled.
Yan Qiu looked at him and asked, “Would you hate it?”
Lu Qiao stared blankly at Yan Qiu. Although he was embarrassed, he paused for a moment before honestly giving a tiny shake of his head.
Deep down, he also knew that everything Yan Qiu had said was true.
No matter what kind of person Yan Qiu became, Lu Qiao didn’t hate him. When it came to Yan Qiu, he… he did have feelings for him.
It was just that he had discovered this so suddenly. His little brain hadn’t had time to completely digest the fact yet, so he couldn’t be as open as Yan Qiu and calmly express his own feelings.
Besides, he had always regarded Yan Qiu as his rival. There was no way he could switch their relationship so quickly.
Unlike Yan Qiu, who had been secretly in love with him for five years. Of course Yan Qiu could switch roles so quickly!
The more Lu Qiao thought about it, the more justified he felt.
He glanced at Yan Qiu and said softly, “I’ll try to get used to it. I won’t stop talking to you anymore. But—but you can’t do something like last night again!” he warned timidly.
Yan Qiu’s expression became somewhat complicated. He shifted his gaze away and said, “I’m sorry about last night. I couldn’t control myself.”
“You were able to control yourself perfectly well before!” Lu Qiao finally returned to his usual tone when speaking to Yan Qiu, and his voice grew louder. “We’ve showered together several times already!”
Yan Qiu said, “Last night was different.”
Lu Qiao glared at him. “How was it different?”
Yan Qiu turned his gaze back to him and said hoarsely, “From the moment I woke up yesterday morning, I was already in a state of losing control.”
Lu Qiao was bewildered. “Why was that?”
Because he’d had a very good dream.
Of course Yan Qiu didn’t say that out loud. He had only just managed to calm Lu Qiao down, and if he told him that, Lu Qiao would probably blow up again.
Instead, he simply said, “I may still lose control around you in the future, but you can tell me clearly if you don’t like it.”
Lu Qiao’s face flushed. He muttered softly, “Y-you’re still going to lose control!”
Too much!
Yan Qiu chuckled. “When it comes to you, I can’t help myself.”
“!!!”
Lu Qiao exploded again!
Yan Qiu laughed as he pulled Lu Qiao up from the ground. Lu Qiao’s legs had gone numb from squatting for so long.
He glared at Yan Qiu as the man stood up, but at the same time, he felt rather strange inside.
…Actually, he was a little happy too. He just couldn’t help being embarrassed. Now that he truly had to face the matter, Lu Qiao realized that he wasn’t opposed to it at all.
The two of them silently looked at each other for a moment.
Lu Qiao pressed his lips together and said with a flushed face, “Th-then, have you eaten breakfast yet…?”
Yan Qiu’s eyes were filled with amusement. “Not yet. I came straight here as soon as I got home.”
Lu Qiao fidgeted for a moment before saying, “Stop looking at me… I-I’ll take you to get something to eat!”
Yan Qiu gazed at the person in front of him, his voice extremely gentle.
“Okay.”
Lu Qiao didn’t take Yan Qiu outside, after all. It was daytime, unlike the night before, and Yan Qiu would attract far too much attention if he went out like this.
Even inside the training hall, quite a few students were watching them from a distance, looking as though they wanted to come over but didn’t dare.
Those pairs of excited and curious eyes practically looked ready to see straight through Lu Qiao and Yan Qiu.
Lu Qiao stuffed Yan Qiu into his room and ordered takeout.
Seeing that his room still looked exactly the same as it had the night before, Yan Qiu asked, “You haven’t started packing yet?”
Tonight, he and Lu Qiao were going to attend a banquet together. Starting tomorrow, Lu Qiao would have to spend every day with Ye Lan and the others and would be moving into the Yan household. Therefore, after Yan Qiu picked Lu Qiao up today, Lu Qiao wouldn’t be coming back here again.
“I wasn’t in the mood,” Lu Qiao complained as he pulled his suitcase out again. “I didn’t sleep well last night either… It’s your fault!”
Yan Qiu sat down beside the bed. Hearing this, he glanced at Lu Qiao and chuckled softly.
“Mm. Blame me.”
Lu Qiao: “…”
He wisely shut up and crouched down to start organizing his luggage.
Yan Qiu propped his chin up with one hand, simply watching the person crouched on the floor packing his things.
Suddenly, he thought of something. His eyes narrowed slightly as he asked, “Lu Qiao, what did you dream about last night?”
Lu Qiao: “!!”
His back instantly stiffened.
He stammered, “W-w-wha… What? I didn’t dream about anything!”
That was an absolutely textbook case of trying too hard to deny it.
Yan Qiu said meaningfully, “You called my name.”
Lu Qiao: “…”
His face flushed as he struggled desperately to come up with an answer. There was no way he could tell Yan Qiu that he’d had an erotic dream!
So he vaguely said, “It was just… an ordinary dream about you.”
Yan Qiu thought for a moment.
“You seemed to be crying too.”
“…” Lu Qiao gritted his teeth. “I just cried normally for a little while!”
Yan Qiu continued, “You were trembling too.”
Lu Qiao sucked in a breath and stubbornly insisted, “I just trembled normally for a little while!”
Yan Qiu fell silent.
Five seconds later, Lu Qiao secretly turned his head to look at him, only to meet the man’s probing gaze.
He immediately whipped his head back around.
After sitting there red-faced and sulking for a while, he finally couldn’t help muttering softly, “You’re really perverted…”
His tone was accusatory, but his voice was extremely soft.
Yan Qiu froze at that, then fell into a rather awkward silence.
“…”
After saying it, Lu Qiao didn’t dare turn around again to see Yan Qiu’s expression.
He was only stating a fact!
That guy had bullied him in his dream, and he bullied him in reality too. He really was a pervert.
He looked so cold and distant on the outside, but it was all an act!
After the two of them finished lunch, it was soon time to leave.
Word spread that Lu Qiao was leaving the training hall, and the students all found it rather sudden.
Lu Qiao chatted with them for quite a while, telling them that he would still come back whenever he had time. Only then did everyone settle down.
And once they had calmed down, they immediately surrounded him and started asking about Yan Qiu.
Knowing that Lu Qiao knew him was one thing. Seeing him in person was another.
Some people at the training hall had already seen Yan Qiu during the martial arts tournament, so they were relatively calm. As for those who hadn’t seen him before, they practically wanted Lu Qiao to drag Yan Qiu over so they could take pictures with him, shake his hand, and so on.
Lu Qiao laughed and joked his way through their questions while Yan Qiu was in the back courtyard speaking with the hall master.
“So, how did it go? Did you two talk things out?” the hall master asked, recalling what Lu Qiao had looked like when he saw him earlier.
Unlike his dazed expression that morning, his eyes had become lively again. But no matter how the hall master looked at him… Lu Qiao was still wearing a bashful expression.
It made the hall master’s teeth ache from sweetness.
Yan Qiu raised the corners of his lips and nodded.
“Mm.”
“So, are you two officially together now?” the hall master asked nosily.
“Not yet.” Yan Qiu looked toward the tree in the courtyard where Lu Qiao had been sitting earlier. “But—”
He could feel it.
He could feel that Lu Qiao had already begun cautiously trying to move closer to him.
After calming down the restless students, Lu Qiao went to the back courtyard to look for Yan Qiu.
When Yan Qiu saw him, he beckoned him over.
Lu Qiao’s face was red, but he obediently ran over and asked, “What?”
Yan Qiu took his hand.
Lu Qiao trembled slightly but didn’t pull away.
A smile slowly spread through Yan Qiu’s eyes as he said, “I brought you a set of clothes. Go change.”
Lu Qiao froze for a moment before remembering.
Oh, right.
He was going to the palace to attend the prince’s birthday banquet. Of course he couldn’t wear his usual everyday clothes there.
The driver brought over the suit and formal attire Yan Qiu had prepared for Lu Qiao. Yan Qiu then took Lu Qiao back to his room to change.
The suit had been obtained from a designer who regularly made clothes for the Yan family. The measurements had been based on the size Yan Qiu had provided, and once Lu Qiao put it on, it fit him exceptionally well.
He didn’t understand how Yan Qiu could know his measurements so accurately.
He… didn’t want to understand, either.
The suit fabric was excellent and obviously very expensive. Lu Qiao instinctively wanted to say something to Yan Qiu about it, but one look from Yan Qiu immediately made him swallow the words back, leaving him a little sheepish.
While Lu Qiao was buttoning his shirt, Yan Qiu tied his tie for him.
Lu Qiao had a slender build, and after putting on the high-end custom-tailored suit, he looked especially handsome and refined.
Yan Qiu’s gaze swept over him, and with an extremely calm expression, he commented,
“Very cute.”
Lu Qiao looked at him in displeasure.
Yan Qiu immediately changed his words.
“Very handsome.”
Lu Qiao was satisfied.
Suddenly, he said, “Didn’t you notice that my appearance really has changed a little?”
Yan Qiu raised an eyebrow.
“Hmm?”
Lu Qiao’s eyes gleamed as he said excitedly, “I checked this morning when I woke up, and I think my muscles have gotten bigger!”
Yan Qiu glanced at Lu Qiao’s slender little frame.
Lu Qiao said with absolute certainty, “The Instantaneous Tribe genes and the Consciousness Tribe genes must have already started changing my appearance. If I really end up becoming like Marshal Lun En… would you really still like me?”
He stared intently at Yan Qiu, thinking that this question would surely be difficult to answer.
“Of course I would.”
Yan Qiu didn’t hesitate for even a moment, and his tone remained perfectly calm.
“No matter what you become, I will love you.”
Lu Qiao: “…!!”
It felt as though he had somehow gone and deliberately asked for a sweet confession.
Lu Qiao felt very warm and happy inside, though he was also a little embarrassed.
He said awkwardly, “Hmph. I hope that when I really become like that, you’ll still be able to say the same thing.”
Yan Qiu teased him, “Then you’ll have to actually become like that first.”
He gave Lu Qiao’s waist a squeeze and leaned close to his ear, saying softly,
“Here. It’s gotten thinner.”
Lu Qiao was startled.
“Impossible!”
Yan Qiu merely touched his face and said, “You still need to eat more meat.”
Impossible!!
He clearly felt that his muscles had gotten bigger. How could his waist possibly have gotten thinner too?!
For the rest of the journey, Lu Qiao kept measuring his waist over and over, questioning everything he knew about himself.
The two of them first returned to the Yan household. After seven o’clock, once the time lock had been activated, they set out for the palace.
The aircraft landed directly on the terrace of the banquet hall.
When Lu Qiao saw the dazzling lights and the bustling scene of people raising their glasses and mingling, he immediately became nervous.
He had never attended a gathering like this before.
Yan Qiu took off his long coat, revealing a pure black suit of the same style underneath.
He looked completely different from the way he usually appeared in his military uniform.
When Yan Qiu took Lu Qiao’s hand and stepped off the aircraft beneath the night sky, Lu Qiao unconsciously raised his head and glanced at the man’s side profile.
He froze.
The man’s expression was indifferent, yet his entire body radiated an innate air of nobility.
Handsome.
Restrained.
Almost ascetic.
Lu Qiao tilted his head.
He had to admit it—the man was perfect, flawless in every way.
Yan Qiu turned back and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Lu Qiao thought about it, then tried to offer him a compliment.
“You look handsome today too.”
Yan Qiu gave him a teasing, knowing look.
“Do you like it?”
“!”
Lu Qiao’s face flushed as he replied seriously, “Don’t tease me. I don’t like it.”
Yan Qiu nodded and answered just as seriously,
“Okay. Sorry. I couldn’t help myself.”
There sure were a lot of things he couldn’t help himself over.
Lu Qiao complained silently in his heart.
Yan Qiu tightened his grip on Lu Qiao’s hand.
“Come on. Let’s go inside.”
The two of them walked from the terrace into the banquet hall.
The moment they appeared, they attracted countless gazes.
Those gazes swept over Yan Qiu before all focusing on Lu Qiao—the person whose hand Yan Qiu was holding tightly.