Chapter 204 Reaching a Tacit Understanding
Unexpectedly, as soon as Qiao Xi entered the bedroom, she turned around, reached out and pressed against Lu Yuyang's chest, who was about to follow her in, and gently pushed him out.
Lu Yuyang was taken aback, and subconsciously grasped her slender wrist, asking in confusion, "Xixi, what's wrong?"
Josie looked up at him, a hint of determination showing on her tired face: "I'm too tired from traveling these past few days, I want to get some rest by myself for one night. You... find somewhere else to sleep tonight."
She couldn't let Lu Yuyang stay in front of Shen Han, as that would only escalate the conflict between them.
Lu Yuyang held her hand tightly and refused to let go.
Throughout the journey, he missed her so much, and he wanted to get close to her so many times, but he was always interrupted by various things and the appearance of Shen Han.
"Xixi, it's too late. I'll lie down next to you and promise to sleep well all night, okay?" He softened his voice, with a rare hint of playfulness, his deep eyes full of expectation.
Normally, Josie would probably have softened at his appearance.
But today, with Shen Han outside, she had no choice but to harden her heart.
"Then you come in and sleep, and I'll go out and sleep on the sofa?" She made a move to walk out.
Seeing her resolute attitude, Lu Yuyang knew there was no chance for today, so he had no choice but to let go of her hand. "Alright, then you can get a good night's sleep."
As he spoke, he leaned forward and quickly pecked her lips with a deep kiss, looking at her intently as he whispered meaningfully, "We'll talk about it after you've rested enough."
Josie naturally understood his unspoken meaning and gave a vague "Mmm," adding, "You should get some rest too."
Then he gently closed the door, and even heard a slight clicking sound from the inside.
Lu Yuyang looked at the closed door and let out a frustrated sigh.
He could have gone back to his parents' house and slept comfortably in their big bed, but how could he possibly leave at this time and give Shen Han any opportunity to take advantage of him?
Even though he knew perfectly well that Shen Han had already been with Qiao Xi more than once while he was away, he preferred to deceive himself.
If you didn't see it with your own eyes, you can pretend it didn't happen.
At the very least, it can't happen under his nose!
He skillfully took out a spare sleeping bag from the closet, laid it directly on the living room floor, and then got up to wash up.
When he came out after taking a shower, he found that Shen Han was not asleep, but was still standing by the window, looking at the silent safe zone outside.
"Aren't you going to sleep yet?" Lu Yuyang asked, drying his hair.
Shen Han slowly turned around. In the dim light, his eyes appeared exceptionally deep: "Want to talk?"
Thinking of Qiao Xi and the men surrounding her, Lu Yuyang felt wide awake, so he walked over to him and sat down on the sofa: "Hmm, what do you want to talk about?"
He wanted to hear what Shen Han had to say.
Shen Han glanced at him, his voice calm yet cutting to the heart: "You and I both know that this is the apocalypse, a world completely different from the civilized times of the past. Many of the old rules and moral concepts have collapsed. And Xixi... she won't stay for me, nor for you... or even for anyone else."
These words pierced Lu Yuyang's heart like a knife, causing him to instantly purse his lips.
Of course he knew, but some things he only needed to know in his own heart.
"So?" Lu Yuyang's voice was unreadable. "What are you trying to say?"
Shen Han took a few steps closer, and the two faced each other, one standing and one sitting.
"What I'm trying to say is that we don't need to be so confrontational. Continuing like this will only make things difficult for Xixi and make us miserable. Why don't we... reach a consensus?"
"What consensus?"
"From now on, when you and Xixi are being affectionate, I will take the initiative to avoid it and not disturb you."
Shen Han said slowly, then changed the subject, "Similarly, when I'm with Xixi, I also hope... without your interference."
Lu Yuyang frowned: "What if I don't agree?"
Shen Han seemed to have anticipated his reaction, chuckling lightly with a hint of mockery: "If you don't agree, the likely outcome is that neither of us will get it, we'll sabotage each other, and in the end... it will just benefit someone else. For example... Fengye from your safe zone? Or some other person who might appear in the future?"
Lu Yuyang took a deep breath and remained silent for a long time.
Shen Han knew that it was very difficult for a possessive man to take that step.
Fortunately, he had a clear understanding from the beginning and did not let himself get stuck in a dead end.
Time ticked by, and Shen Han, not wanting to waste any more time, took the initiative to step forward.
He patted him on the shoulder, his tone a mix of admonition and warning: "Think it over carefully. Confrontation will benefit none of us; we'll only end up with nothing."
After saying that, Shen Han stopped looking at him and turned to go to the bathroom to wash up.
Lu Yuyang stood frozen in place, Shen Han's words swirling in his mind like a curse.
He lay back down on his makeshift bed in frustration, but couldn't fall asleep.
Although he had subconsciously accepted the current chaotic situation, to truly accept and abide by this consensus, to watch Xixi fall into someone else's arms while he had to actively avoid her... it was torture for him!
Even after Shen Han finished washing up and lay down on the not-so-spacious sofa, the two men in the living room were actually wide awake, each preoccupied with their own thoughts, and neither of them felt sleepy.
Only Josie, in her bedroom, was exhausted from the recent travels and mental strain, and she fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.
...
Josie slept very soundly until the sun was high in the sky the next day, when sunlight streamed in through the gaps in the curtains, and she finally woke up.
She stretched comfortably, feeling refreshed and all the fatigue of the past few days vanished.
She got dressed and walked out of the bedroom, only to be surprised to find that both men were in the house.
Moreover, the house was filled with a long-lost, mouthwatering aroma of food.
"You're up?" Lu Yuyang, wearing an apron, poked his head out of the kitchen with a gentle smile on his face, as if the entanglement at the door last night had never happened. "The food will be ready soon. Go wash up first."
When Josie finished washing up and came out, she found that a simple meal of three dishes and a soup had already been laid out on the dining table.
The two men each sat on one side of the table, tacitly leaving her the middle seat.
The rice was already served, but most of the only meat dish—a small plate of stir-fried shredded pork—was piled up in her bowl.
Josie saw all of this, her heart stirred slightly, but she didn't say anything and quietly sat down.
The atmosphere during the meal was subtly harmonious.
The two men ate in silence, occasionally putting food on Josie's plate, but they barely spoke to each other.
Josie, on the contrary, felt that the atmosphere was a bit strange and couldn't help but glance at them a few more times.
But both men simply smiled at her after receiving her gaze.
Josie was speechless for a moment, and finally buried her head in her food.
After finishing the meal, Shen Han got up to clear the dishes. Qiao Xi was about to help when Lu Yuyang stopped her, saying, "There are some matters that have piled up in the safe zone that I need to handle. I have to go out for a while. You... get some rest."
His gaze swept between Qiao Xi and Shen Han, something flickering in his eyes, but he still got up and left.
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