Chapter 26 Chapter 26 The most innocent time of this century...
The man in front of him froze.
"It was postponed seven years ago."
Cen Xue mentioned a date. His current birthday is in winter.
The box was decorated in mahogany style, with hard tables and hard benches. He felt a little uncomfortable leaning on them, so he simply leaned over and rested his head on his arms.
"Also, don't you think putting 'necklace' and 'birthday' together seems a bit awkward?"
Cen Xue didn't want to mention it at first.
Maybe it would be better to stop the topic at puffs... Sorry, he still can't accept the name Lu Chenggang, it's too masculine.
But what on earth did Lu Yanxi think about the combination of necklace and birthday?
Cen Xue wanted to discuss this very seriously, but unfortunately Lu Yanxi just stood there in a daze, unwilling to respond.
At this moment, he actually missed Yan Pei's explosive temper. At least if it were him here, he would never keep his word.
Although Yan Pei's subsequent remarks would most likely make people so angry that they had high blood pressure.
Lu Yanxi seemed to be going through a fierce inner struggle, and his hand holding the jewelry box was a little unsteady. At the moment when he was about to take it back, Cen Xue held him down, gently pulled out the plain chain, held both ends, and put it around his neck to gesture.
"Thank you anyway," he said knowingly. "Consider it an advance gift. I figured we'd still be in touch by then. Do you think this chain is the right length?"
“…”
After a long while, Lu Yanxi said dryly, "It's appropriate."
Lu Yanxi must not be good at dancing tango, Cen Xue thought, and she retreated again and again, quickly retreating from the dance floor to the audience seats.
Because he took good care of Puff.
Although the princess was raised to be a male, and Puff was turned into Cheng Gang.
Cen Xue: "Can you help me put it on?"
Before she could respond, Lu Yanxi stood up subconsciously.
"good."
The plain chain is made of pure silver. Cen Xue is very suitable for colors such as silver and white, which complement his skin tone very well. The cool chain sticks to his collarbone, making a strong presence.
"Why are you going around the back this time?"
Cen Xue raised her head and looked at Lu Yanxi behind her, revealing her beautiful jawline and neck.
When she saw his expression clearly, Cen Xue blinked and a thought flashed through her mind.
Seeing that he didn't answer, Cen Xue asked again: "Lu Yanxi."
The man fastened the buckle for him, being very careful not to pull even a hair.
"What's wrong?" He avoided Cen Xue's eyes, unable to escape, and shifted his focus elsewhere.
"You're an award-winning actor, so you must be a great actor. The trainees on your team said you're famous for playing heartbreaking roles, especially tearful ones. It's a shame I haven't seen any of your works in the past few years."
“…It’s okay if you don’t watch it.”
"So I was just thinking—"
Cen Xue murmured, stretching out her hand to reach his face, but she almost missed, a bit like Puff trying to play with a cat toy, always just a little bit away from catching it.
There was no wind in the room and Lu Yanxi did not move.
But just as Cen Xue moved, the moisture in his eyes seemed to waver a little.
It was just a little bit away, and the thing that was holding on so hard was about to collapse.
"Are you acting for me with this look of hidden guilt?" Cen Xue said jokingly, "Now that you've put on the necklace, do you want to kiss me?"
Last time, Lu Yanxi put the necklace on him and kissed him.
First kiss.
*
After the campus drama was finished, Cen Xue and Puff moved into Lu Yanxi's house together.
They gave Puff a bath. This little guy was too sensitive to the new environment and was a typical bully in the house. After learning how to deworm him, they planned to wait for a while before taking him for a complete check-up.
But soon, Lu Yanxi had to continue filming.
When he was away, Cen Xue stayed at home fiddling with his new mobile phone, learning the new functions of surfing the Internet and making video calls. His college entrance examination results were very good and he was admitted in the first batch. He accidentally searched for the university's forum and immersed himself in posting in it.
He only posted one thread: [What should freshmen bring to school?]
Everyone inside was very friendly, and some senior students came over to play the game of picking up junior students. Cen Xue was flattered for a moment, but then refused. He was still a little wary of strangers.
Occasionally, when Xu Zhongqiang is not around, I would video chat with my mother to let her know I’m safe.
His mother asked him to help out at his friend's house and not cause any trouble.
Cen Xue thought it made sense and started to help Lu Yanxi with some of the housework.
The Lu family didn't hire a aunt to look after the old house, but someone would come every two days to deliver fresh fruits, vegetables, eggs, meat, etc., and to clean the house.
From the first time they came, Cen Xue subconsciously hid in Lu Yanxi's room and locked the door.
Wait until everyone leaves, then appear quietly.
So Cen Xue tried to process the ingredients. He could cook some simple dishes, but some of the things were too advanced that he had never seen before, so he was a little hesitant to start. Then he started washing clothes.
Lu Yanxi's finishing time was not very accurate, but Cen Xue could always hear the door lock click while he was busy, and then he would pick up Puff and go to greet her.
"Welcome home, thank you for your hard work!"
Puff did a cat punch in the air: "Meow meow!"
Every time this happened, Lu Yanxi's tired eyes would light up.
But he would also say, “I can wash the clothes myself…!”
Cen Xue laughed at him: "Why are you shy? Anyway, it's about throwing it into the washing machine."
"I can do it myself anyway," Lu Yanxi grabbed the laundry basket, "You don't have to do this."
"Oh," Cen Xue followed behind and looked at him, "Are you feeling sorry for me?"
"Puff, cough, cough!"
Lu Yanxi choked on herself and said embarrassedly, "Anyway, no means no."
"Cherish it," Cen Xue poked him. "I'm planning to find a short-term job in a few days. It's so boring staying at home all the time."
"That...that's great."
Lu Yanxi hid her reluctance.
Remembering the information he had found from the staff, two days later, he went to the gathering of star children after a long time.
Then, one morning before the morning show, before going out, Lu Yanxi nervously held a jewelry box.
"Axue."
After he realized his throat was a little hoarse, he coughed quickly a few times, which caught Cen Xue's attention.
Cen Xue held Puff closer and asked, "What's wrong?"
"Is your birthday tomorrow? — I asked the crew earlier," Lu Yanxi used the script she had rehearsed countless times. These few words took as much effort as memorizing the lines. "But I have to shoot from today to tomorrow afternoon, so I'm thinking... No, this, this is a gift for you in advance."
"A gift...!" Cen Xue exclaimed in surprise.
He put the puff aside. The domineering cat made dissatisfied meows, but he was no longer in the mood to care. His eyes were full of Lu Yanxi - and the box in his hand.
He stretched out his hand eagerly, tried several angles, and then retracted it.
"Actually, I don't quite know how to respond. Do you believe me?" Cen Xue's eyes flickered, and a hint of embarrassment stained her cheeks. "My previous gift was only a bowl of longevity noodles."
But obviously, the technique of holding a bowl of noodles cannot be applied here.
Lu Yanxi: "I believe it. Now I have one more gift."
He took the initiative to open the jewelry box, and there was a necklace inside.
Under the light, the necklace sparkles with a pleasant luster, and the pendant is designed as a small rotating snowflake.
Lu Yanxi: "I think you often wear small silver bottle necklaces. Maybe you have this habit or you like this kind of jewelry very much."
He asked nervously, "Do you...do you like it? How does it feel?"
Cen Xue stared at the snowflake, hesitating, and finally flicked it gently with her fingertips.
Under the radiant light it cast, he looked up and said solemnly, "I like it, I really like it."
This is so special to Cen Xue.
Of course, he was not referring to how valuable the necklace was. He knew that the necklace might not be cheap, but with his experience at that time, he could not tell the price clearly.
——Received the first birthday present in life.
——Being noticed by others, having others guess his preferences, and being placed in a position of importance.
——Oh my God, some people care whether he likes it or not!
It was as if as long as he said he didn't like it, he would immediately go and buy another one that suits his taste better.
If there was too much salt in the longevity noodles, Xu Zhongqiang would just pour the remaining tea into his bowl and ask him to mix it with chopsticks. It was not that delicate.
Cen Xue sniffed.
Lu Yanxi usually seems to be taking things as they come, but at this moment she is very alert and immediately notices Cen Xue's situation.
This made Cen Xue even more embarrassed. He wiped his face a few times and got a few white cat hairs on it.
I took off the small silver bottle necklace, and the red rope had been worn out so much that no traces of it remained.
He said, "Please put it on for me, Lu Yanxi."
…
What's the best way to put a necklace on him?
This was also the first time for Lu Yanxi. In a hurry, he chose to approach Cen Xue from the front with his arms around her neck.
This means they need to be very close.
Lu Yanxi realized this when she noticed that Cen Xue's soft and moist eyes were becoming clearer and clearer.
But it’s too late to let go.
In this position, even Lu Yanxi herself couldn't see the clasp of the necklace and could only feel it with her hand.
Just like the charging head that can never be plugged in all at once, the same goes for the lock. The two people gradually got closer, but inexplicably began to avoid each other's gaze, but the skin where their arms and shoulders were pressed against each other became very hot.
A thin layer of sweat broke out on Lu Yanxi's forehead: "Yes, I'm sorry, I'll try again."
Cen Xue's eyelashes had completely drooped, only fluttering slightly. "It's okay."
When it was finally buckled, both of them breathed a sigh of relief.
The atmosphere changed at some point, but they seemed unaware. Lu Yanxi lowered his arm, but still kept the distance. He stared at Cen Xue in a daze. The latter pursed her lips and kept turning the snowflake with her fingers.
"I suddenly realized, Xue, your mouth is so small."
Lu Yanxi said softly.
"Small mouth?"
"Well, there was a scene in the cafeteria, and everyone was going over their lines while eating, but you were the only one who seemed to be completely untouched, just little bites."
Cen Xue felt her cheeks getting hotter.
He was a little at a loss, not knowing what to say in response.
Lu Yanxi: "Can I take a look?"
Cen Xue: "How, how do you see it?"
Lu Yanxi has already responded with actions.
He touched Cen Xue's lips with his clean fingertips, pressing lightly with restraint, as if treating something precious.
But lips are also a soft spot.
Perhaps such a gentle action could be classified as a caress, but Lu Yanxi was absolutely unaware of it.
Cen Xue's perception was focused on this for a moment, and she ignored the decreasing distance between them.
Somehow, they looked at each other at the same time.
He closed his eyes again clumsily.
Then their lips touched.
It turns out that compared to kissing with fingertips, kisses are more tender and gentle. Both of them subconsciously held their breath, fearing that the cloud they had finally grasped would be blown away.
…
Seven years later, on a similar day, Cen Xue asked again.
"Would you like to kiss me?"
Lu Yanxi's hand stroked the side of his face, as cautiously as she did back then.
But it was trembling slightly.
He leaned down slightly, and the distance between them returned to yesterday as if indicated by fate, but with more hesitation.
Unbridled behavior is a privilege unique to teenagers.
Their breaths entangled with each other, and the warm current brushed across their skin, like a teasing itch.
When the tear fell from Lu Yanxi's eyes, Cen Xue said:
"Maybe give you a chance to apologize."
He grabbed the corner of Lu Yanxi's clothes and said, "You are not allowed to not answer."
*
On that day of their first kiss, Lu Yanxi hurried out of the house at the urging of the alarm clock.
Cen Xue sat there in a daze for a long time, and then went out to the Internet cafe for the first time.
He stayed in there for a whole day, researching a lot of things, and gaining a lot of new perspectives and knowledge. He even forgot to eat.
At night, he came out of the Internet cafe, rubbing his lips which seemed to be still numb, and then he realized -
It turns out that I like boys.
What about Lu Yanxi as well... ?
He kissed me, and that meant—
A hint of joy rekindled in his heart, and Cen Xue went home to hug Puff and cheer. He couldn't sleep, so he played with the cat until the next day because Lu Yanxi said she would be back the next night.
Puff was so annoyed that she jumped onto the cupboard to hide from him.
Cen Xue hummed a song and tried to make some snacks for midnight snacks. He placed them on the dining table like treasures and waited for Lu Yanxi to come home.
But that night, Lu Yanxi did not come back.
There was nothing the next day either.
There was nothing on the third day either.
On the fourth day, a middle-aged woman opened the door. Cen Xue remembered her; she was Lu Yanxi's agent, Zhang Yan. He had been grateful to Aunt Zhang for helping him resolve the injury issue.
Zhang Yan's sharp gaze lingered on Cen Xue's spinning snowflake for a moment.
Then he said coldly: "Yan Xi and his father went to work in other places, and the house here needs to be cleaned."
"...What do you mean by cleaning?"
"It means he won't be coming back, at least for a long time."
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