Chapter 50

They hugged each other for a long time without speaking.

The drizzle was silent, with only the sound of water droplets condensing on the eaves dripping down. Students came down to pick up their takeout, and they all looked at them with surprise and uncertainty.

Gu Fang realized it belatedly and felt a surge of embarrassment. He loosened his arm and carefully took Lu Si's hand, saying, "Let's go upstairs. Are you busy right now?"

"It's past dinner time, there's nothing to do." Lu Si said, then suddenly remembered something and raised his phone. "This belongs to a friend of mine. I'm going to return it to him. Wait a minute."

Gu Fang nodded and stood there watching him quickly walk out of the building.

Lu Si waited at the door for a moment before a man wearing a helmet stopped his motorcycle, took his phone, and looked at the call log with the platform's hidden number. He asked, "Is it resolved?"

Lu Si hummed. Looking from behind, his slanted jawline was indifferent and sparse. "I have something else to do."

"Then I'll be leaving first. See you next week!" The boy waved at him straightforwardly and left, leaving a trail of smoke behind his motorcycle.

When he came back, Lu Si lifted his eyelids and glanced at the vending machine downstairs. He bought a box of self-heating clay pot rice and walked over to Gu Fang and asked, "Do you want this? Your takeaway should have gotten cold by now."

"Ah, I'm ordering takeout!"

Gu Fang just remembered this matter, pressed the elevator button and found the takeaway that was still intact in the corner.

Lu Si also entered the elevator. Seeing that he did not move after pressing the sixth floor button, she could not help but curl her fingertips quietly.

Gu Fang looked at the slowly rising floor and did not hold his hand again.

Friday night marked the beginning of the weekend. The corridor was deserted, quiet and empty. Gu Fang punched in the code to open one of the studios. With his brows half lowered, he glanced behind him, his face expressionless as he introduced, "This is it."

Lu Si glanced at the very conspicuous ponytail on the back of his head. It was just a small tuft and swayed slightly with his movements.

It was already dark. Gu Fang found the light switch and said, "Please close the door."

Lu Si closed the door.

Gu Fang casually threw the cold takeaway onto the table by the door. Instead of walking in, he tilted his head and asked with a smile on his face, "Why... didn't you come and hold my hand just now?"

The smile on his face flickered, and its meaning was not clear.

Lu Si was stunned for a moment, and it took him a moment to understand what he meant: "I thought..."

Gu Fang leaned against the table with his arms folded, still looking at him with a faint smile: "What do you think?"

"You were carrying takeout, and there were cameras in the elevator." Lu Si avoided his gaze and tilted his head unnaturally, "I thought it was inconvenient for you."

Gu Fang nodded his chin, as if convinced, but still leaned against the table and did not go in.

"It's not very convenient..." He murmured, then lowered his eyes and asked, "If I'm always inconvenient to you, you won't hold my hand?"

Lu Si paused, his lips moving: "Not always—"

"Why not?" Gu Fang smiled and curved his eyes, but the light in his eyes was indifferent. "Ever since school started in early September, I have been waiting for you to contact me, but what? I was just wondering, if I don't contact you, then you will never contact me. Now it seems that this is indeed the case."

Lu Si fell silent, his slender eyebrows knitted together, not knowing what to say, "I... am waiting for you too."

Gu Fang drooped his eyelashes, sadness in his eyes. "But you weren't like this before, Brother Lu Si. You've always been very proactive. How have you been doing in the past six months?"

Lu Si paused. The sight of Gu Fang with his head down and still feeling sad made his heart ache. He couldn't help but take a step forward, put his arms around his shoulders, and pressed his head into the crook of his neck.

"I'm sorry." Lu Si could only apologize. "I... haven't been doing very well. School, the hospital, and my part-time job have all squeezed me in. I've been rejected so many times, so sometimes I transfer my attitude towards other people and other things to my relationship. I'm sorry."

Gu Fang felt sorry for him, but at the same time he wanted to bite him. He grabbed Lu Si's shoulders and squeezed them tightly, muttering sullenly with his head buried in his chest, "It was you who said we'd meet in the capital first, and now I'm here but you haven't contacted me..."

Lu Si turned his face to the side and rubbed his hair with his cheek: "I'm sorry... I was just hesitant and guessing why you didn't contact me."

Gu Fang raised his head and stared at him: "Guess why I didn't contact you."

Lu Si smiled and stroked his hair. "I think Fang Fang probably thinks it's better for me to take the initiative between us."

This is a question of self-esteem.

Mr. Gu forcefully put the choice before Lu Si, but Lu Si himself had no choice. The one who actually had two options was Gu Fang. So Lu Si became the one who was chosen.

Now that Gu Fanglai has taken the initiative to choose, he has actually fulfilled the choice set by President Gu.

And Lu Si would naturally be chosen by Gu Fang.

But Gu Fang didn't want this. He wanted Lu Si to take the initiative and wanted himself to be Lu Si's choice.

He wanted to carefully leave room for Lu Si's self-respect in his own way.

Just like at this moment, Gu Fang said to Lu Si: "Brother, wave your hand."

Lu Si raised his hand as he was told, and Gu Fang placed the mint candy from his pocket into his palm. Lu Si held the mint candy and shook his hand.

Gu Fang rubbed his forehead and whispered absentmindedly, "I'm coming."

Just as he said at the beginning, Lu Si had candy in his hand, and he came when he waved his hand.

Although Lu Si didn't care about the so-called room for self-respect, he could vaguely understand the other party's consideration for him. Only by accepting this consideration could he fulfill his consideration for Gu Fang.

The final destination of cold takeout is the trash can.

More than ten minutes later, the self-heating rice was cooked. Lu Si was still sitting on the empty table, with his hands around Gu Fang's neck, kissing him passionately.

The kiss was salty, wet, and passionate. Raindrops hit the window. In the cold early autumn, the kiss was hot, and the saltiness made it even sweeter.

They eagerly embraced and kissed, as if using the physical closeness to confirm whether two souls separated for so long could still be close without obstacles. Because they wanted to be completely free of obstacles, the physical closeness became more and more passionate and sticky.

Skin pressed against skin, lips and tongues entwined, hot breath condensed into light droplets on the crook of the neck, and kisses were used to engrave the changes in each other's eyebrows. The faint pheromone lingered in the air, and the hands clenched on the shoulders seemed to want to rub the other person into their body.

For a long time, their foreheads touched each other, each breathing evenly, their shoulders and backs rising and falling slightly with their breathing.

Lu Si seemed to have confirmed something through intimacy. The awkwardness and hesitation he had when they first met had vanished. He raised his eyebrows and pinched Gu Fang's face. "Eat quickly, or it will get cold again."

Gu Fang grunted for a long time, and reluctantly let go of him and kissed him on the forehead.

Lu Si held his shoulders and laughed softly, his smile was broad and relaxed.

He felt like the tree outside the window, having experienced this early autumn rain, the summer heat completely dissipated. He felt his branches and leaves stretching out along with his soul, his whole body soaked in the rain, and also felt refreshed.

To thrive and love freely again.

At this time, Gu put her hand on his shoulder and said softly, "Actually, if brother doesn't contact me this month, I will call him as soon as next month comes."

He wanted to say that he was not such a selfless person and his consideration for his sweetheart was limited, and the deadline was only one month.

Lu Si's heartbeat suddenly skipped a beat, and he whispered, "I can do that, too."

Throughout September, even though he thought he was "considerate" and didn't dare to contact her, he still looked forward to the day when he would meet the person he wanted to see while delivering food at the Capital Academy of Fine Arts.

Looking forward to an unexpected encounter, an encounter where neither side can remain silent or give in.

Now he has had this encounter, and also got an answer that is much more important than this encounter.

The longest summer in his life so far finally came to an end this September.

"But if you do this again next time, brother," Gu Fang bit his Adam's apple and played with it, "I will be angry."

Lu Si leaned back, exposing her fragile neck and letting him bite it. Her hair fell sideways, half covering her narrow, upturned eyes.

"There won't be a next time." His tone was serious, completely different from his expression.

The summer of his seventeenth year has come to an end. As he turns eighteen, he will mature into a more restrained, rational, and powerful Alpha. Lu Si has always possessed an unspoken arrogance and confidence, and this time, he will be able to protect and hold on to the people and things he cherishes.

"I trust you."

Gu Fang's eyes sparkled, and without a doubt, he kissed the corner of his lips again, "You have to trust me even more."

Lu Si hummed with a smile in his eyes and urged him: "Hurry up and eat."

The self-heating pot was constantly heating up, luckily it didn’t cool down like the takeout.

Lu Si walked around his studio. Many of the paintings were still covered with plain cloth. Through the uncovered paintings, even someone as blind as Lu Si could see the progress Gu Fang had made in the past six months.

Gu Fangzou's style was roughly Impressionist, something Lu Si didn't know much about. Unlike realistic paintings, these works focused less on detail and imitation than on the momentary and overall beauty of light, shadow, and color. They lacked refinement, and in some places, the brushwork seemed sloppy.

But the overall look is extremely beautiful, with a beauty that penetrates the soul.

Gu Fang's paintings still primarily depict natural scenes, rarely depicting figures, but his mastery of light and color has clearly reached a new level. He paints scenes of country roads and lakeside picnics, with clouds swirling across the sky and afternoon light filtering through the woods and meadows, creating a hazy and warm atmosphere.

Lu Si walked past these paintings one by one and saw the messy arrangement of paint tubes and paint trays.

Gu Fang had just finished his meal, tore open the mint candy and put it in his mouth. After clearing the table, he walked over and hugged him from behind. Seeing that he was fascinated by the painting, he smiled and said, "Guess what color you are in my eyes?"

Lu Si carefully recalled the colors Gu Fang had used when he painted the stars, and asked uncertainly, "Yellow?"

Gu Fang hummed mysteriously, "Yes and no."

Lu Si tilted his head, pinched his jaw and kissed the corner of his lips, then asked patiently, "What is that? I can't guess."

"You," Gu Fang said, his eyebrows curved, looking very happy and proud, "are the combination of all the beautiful colors in this world."

Lu Si was stunned for a long time, speechless, and finally a helpless smile appeared in his eyes. "I'm not that good, it's you who are too partial, Fang Fang. If I were to choose, then you would be the combination of all the good things in this world."

"I'm not partial," Gu Fang refused to admit, "You are so good. I am the one holding the paintbrush, and no one else can interfere."

Lu Si smiled lightly and had no choice but to obey him.

Looking at Gu Fang, who was leaning so close to him, Lu Si's Adam's apple suddenly tightened and he felt a dryness. Gu Fang was too important to him, and even the most confident person would feel hesitant. He felt a strong urge to do something to establish a closer bond between him and Gu Fang.

But isn't that too hasty?

Who cares? So many people are concerned about his home, so he has to be anxious.

...It's a bit immoral, after all, Fangfang is so innocent.

But what's immoral about boyfriends doing this?

"Fang Fang." Lu Si's lips moved slightly a few times. Gu Fang tilted his ear and asked, "What's wrong?"

Lu Si whispered something in his ear, and Gu Fang's ears visibly turned red from the base to the entire auricle. The hand around his waist felt a little awkward, not knowing where to put it. "No, this is not good, right? Am I being too anxious?"

Lu Si's eyes darkened, and he lowered his eyes in a disappointed manner, "Okay, let's talk about it later."

Gu Fang pursed his lips, as innocent as a blank sheet of paper, "Well, I don't know much, but our pheromones..."

Lu Si didn't think this was a problem and said calmly, "It can be controlled. If it really doesn't work, you don't have to do it to the end."

"But, won't the hotel be clean..." Gu Fang still hesitated.

Lu Si sighed: "There's nothing wrong with sleeping, so why is it not clean?"

Gu Fang said again: "Nothing..."

Lu Si was very patient: "Then go buy it now."

Gu Fang paused, seemingly having nothing more to refute. He only had one last question left, and he stammered, "Who of us is... that? Who's, uh, down there?"

Lu Si also thought about it for a moment, and replied casually, "Let's talk about it later."

He didn't think the question was important; it was who he was with. However, if the person on the bottom in the AA room was uncomfortable, he'd prefer to be on the bottom. And based on his limited previous experience, his Fangfang might, should... prefer to be on top.

However, if he were to say directly that he was downstairs, Lu Si didn't have the nerve to do so.

Gu Fang said slowly, his ears red as he lowered his head and said, "Where are we going now?"

Lu Si held his hand and said, "Let's go find a convenience store outside first."

What to buy? No need to ask.

It was only 7 o'clock, and they were strolling around the Shoumei campus, slowly making their way to the school gate. Lu Si seemed to be more familiar with the structure of Gu Fang's school than Gu Fang himself.

It was still early. Gu Fang looked at the brightly lit island in the center of the lake and said, "Shall we walk from there to the east gate?"

Lu Si also took a look and said, "I remember there is a shortcut to the lake."

Gu Fang himself hadn't even known there was such a path through the woods. Crossing it brought him to the lake, where streetlights lined the landscape. To reach the small bridge connecting to the island in the middle of the lake, he had to go a long way around.

The people walking by the lake were all affectionate couples. Lu Si held his hand and naturally blended into the group of couples.

The street lights cast their shadows on the wall, sometimes big, sometimes small. The two people holding hands completely merged into one in the blurred shadows.

There were also students from clubs handing out flyers on the roadside, wearing fluorescent strips on their wrists to attract the attention of passersby. One of the boys handed a flyer to Lu Si, who was standing closest to him, and enthusiastically recommended, "Hey, classmate, there's a campus music competition happening at the activity center across from East Lake. Do you want to go and support it? There are fluorescent strips here, free of charge."

Gu Fang heard the familiar voice, leaned over, and poked his head out from beside Lu Si, and asked in surprise, "Chu Chi?"

Chu Chi saw him, then looked at Lu Si, blankly: "Oh my god...your boyfriend?"

"Yeah, my boyfriend." Gu Fang's hair covered her red ears. She held Lu Si's hand tightly and asked, seemingly trying to change the subject, "Why are you handing out flyers here?"

Chu Chi sighed. "I was dragged into the activity center as a volunteer. I have no choice but to help them with the work—Hey, are you guys coming? There's a prize for participating in this competition." He suddenly glanced at their clasped hands with an ambiguous expression. "The top three prizes are also vouchers for a nearby hotel, hehe."

His "hehe" laughter made them both feel a little embarrassed, but Lu Si was still thick-skinned. Seeing that it was still early, he took the fluorescent bracelet handed to him by Chu Chi and said politely, "Thank you, we will go check it out."

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