Lu Xiangyang's face flushed instantly.
His first instinct was to refute Xu Wen. "You're talking nonsense! My brother would never like men, and even less likely me!"
But halfway through typing, it turned into:
"…Why do you say that?"
Xu Wen: "Can't hide it anymore, huh? Still acting tough in front of me. I've got ten years of experience as a relationship strategist."
Lu Xiangyang: "..."
Xu Wen: "Want me to analyze it for you?"
Lu Xiangyang: "…Yes."
Xu Wen: "Beg me."
Lu Xiangyang: "Blocked."
Xu Wen: ":)"
Lu Xiangyang: "…Please help me analyze it."
Then he was met with a long string of Xu Wen's laughter.
---
Shen Kuangye watched Lu Xiangyang's fingers tapping rapidly on the screen. He had no idea who he was chatting with so happily.
Someone he didn't know?
A faint trace of gloom flickered through Shen Kuangye's eyes. Without realizing it, his hands pressed a little harder, leaving a striking red mark on Lu Xiangyang's pale waist.
While secretly chatting with Xu Wen, Lu Xiangyang kept glancing back, worried Shen Kuangye might notice he was conspiring with someone about something so rebellious.
"I'm not sure… will this really work?" he asked.
Xu Wen: "Of course it will. Trust me. He'll be completely charmed by you."
Lu Xiangyang put down his phone. The tips of his ears were red. After hesitating for a long time, he finally said:
"Kuangye-ge… I kind of want to take a shower."
Shen Kuangye withdrew his hands and gently asked, "The doctor said you should rest for a few days. Maybe wait a bit?"
The courage Lu Xiangyang had just gathered instantly deflated.
He obediently nodded. "Okay."
Shen Kuangye looked at him for a moment, thought about something, and said, "Wait here."
Lu Xiangyang really loved being clean. If he didn't shower for two days, he'd feel uncomfortable.
But he couldn't move much right now, so he could only…
---
"How is it?" Xu Wen asked.
"I'm too embarrassed."
Xu Wen: "?"
"This is such a good opportunity," Xu Wen said. "Late at night, just the two of you alone, and you're injured. Have him carry you to the bathroom, hook a finger around him, and under the steamy mist give him a little kiss on the cheek. Wouldn't everything fall naturally into place?"
Lu Xiangyang blushed.
"I'm not even sure if he likes me…"
Xu Wen replied immediately:
"Seriously? You're still hesitating about that? Haven't you noticed he treats you differently from everyone else? I can tell just by watching your streams and matches. You two are together every day—don't you feel it at all?"
Lu Xiangyang hesitated before replying:
"He treats everyone very well."
Xu Wen: ":)"
---
"Here."
Shen Kuangye brought over a bucket of hot water and a small towel printed with a puppy pattern.
Lu Xiangyang stared at him blankly, not understanding what he was about to do.
Shen Kuangye explained, "Taking a shower might worsen your injury. I'll wipe you down instead."
He soaked the towel, wrung it out, and gently placed it against Lu Xiangyang's lower back to wipe.
Inside, Lu Xiangyang was screaming in misery.
This way of bathing is even more torturous than actually showering!
After finishing his back, Shen Kuangye lifted Lu Xiangyang's calf and carefully wiped it.
His palms were warm, but his movements were gentle, making it ticklish.
Shen Kuangye noticed the obvious bruises on Lu Xiangyang's once flawless pale legs. His brows knitted slightly, and he carefully avoided those spots while wiping.
Once the legs and back were done, Shen Kuangye's voice had grown slightly hoarse.
"Turn over."
Lu Xiangyang obediently turned around. Out of embarrassment, he pressed a plush toy over his face. His ears and neck were completely red.
Like pale paper brushed with faint pink paint.
He felt Shen Kuangye's fingers brush lightly across his skin, slowly moving upward from his abdomen.
As Shen Kuangye wiped, his gaze unintentionally fell on the faint pale marks above. His eyelashes trembled.
Then he turned his head away, ears reddening.
"All done."
Before Lu Xiangyang could lower the pillow from his face, Shen Kuangye quickly covered him with a blanket, tossed the towel back into the bucket, and carried it into the bathroom.
The whole sequence was smooth and fast. Lu Xiangyang barely reacted.
By the time he removed the pillow, Shen Kuangye had already locked himself in the bathroom.
Lu Xiangyang: "?"
---
Shen Kuangye had wiped him very thoroughly. Lu Xiangyang felt extremely refreshed.
He rolled over on the bed and opened his phone.
Xu Wen had sent 99+ messages.
She seemed extremely bored, first sending a long rant scolding him for being hopeless, then sharing many practical relationship tips.
For example: sneak into Shen Kuangye's arms at night.
Lu Xiangyang replied:
"But we already sleep hugging every night."
Xu Wen: "..."
Xu Wen: "?"
"You initiate or he does?"
Lu Xiangyang: "He pulls me into his arms."
Xu Wen: "?"
Perhaps Lu Xiangyang's statement was too shocking, because Xu Wen took a long time before replying:
"You're telling me he still counts as straight??"
Lu Xiangyang: "Yeah."
Xu Wen: "Let me clarify something for you. Straight men don't proactively pull someone into their arms to sleep."
Lu Xiangyang asked curiously, "How do you know that?"
Xu Wen: "Stop worrying about irrelevant things, okay? At this point I feel like even if he kissed you, you'd think it was an accident."
Lu Xiangyang: "..."
After imagining it, he realized he probably would think that.
Xu Wen: "I give up. You two are locked together forever. But let me ask... have you considered that maybe he likes you, but since you've never shown that you like him back, he's too afraid to go further?"
Lu Xiangyang stared at the message and thought Xu Wen might be crazy.
But deep inside, he also felt a strong reaction to that possibility.
Maybe he was crazy too.
"My Xia Zhan sent me a video. I'm logging off," Xu Wen said.
"Bye," Lu Xiangyang replied.
---
Just after replying, he received a message from Xiao Yang.
"I finally finished my exams. I even managed to get tickets to this week's regular match."
"After the game, want to grab dinner together? My treat."
EAR's match was on Saturday, so the schedule was free.
Lu Xiangyang didn't have many friends, and he valued this friend who practiced with him often.
So he agreed.
"Okay."
Xiao Yang: "Then see you Saturday ^-^"
---
Shen Kuangye stayed in the bathroom for a long time.
When he came out, Lu Xiangyang smelled a pleasant fragrance.
Shen Kuangye shook his slightly sore hand and saw Lu Xiangyang lying on the bed, wrapped tightly in a blanket with only a small head sticking out.
He climbed into bed and noticed Lu Xiangyang smiling while replying to messages.
Shen Kuangye looked directly at the phone screen without feeling like he was invading privacy.
"Who's this?" he asked.
Lu Xiangyang replied, "A friend who often practices with me. He wants to treat me to dinner on Saturday."
Shen Kuangye hummed.
He glanced at the chat history. Almost all the messages were from someone named Xiao Yang, while Lu Xiangyang's replies were brief.
But somehow it still bothered him.
Even the ^-^ emoji annoyed him.
Lowering his eyes, he casually asked:
"Is it a girl?"
Just four simple words, but alarms went off in Lu Xiangyang's head.
He suddenly remembered Xu Wen's earlier words: Maybe he likes you, but he's unsure about your attitude.
Lu Xiangyang felt enlightened.
This must be his brother testing him!
"Not a girl!"
He quickly added,
"I won't interact with girls!"
His voice was loud, almost like he was making a solemn declaration.
That made Shen Kuangye pause.
He blinked and said, "Okay… Did he say where you're eating? If it's far away, I'll pick you up."
"He didn't say yet. But it's just a meal, so I don't mind."
While speaking, Lu Xiangyang secretly observed Shen Kuangye's expression.
But his brother seemed too good at hiding it. His face remained unchanged.
Shen Kuangye didn't understand why Lu Xiangyang kept staring at him tonight. He even felt a little guilty.
Did he hear something from the bathroom earlier?
Encouraged by Xu Wen's words, Lu Xiangyang decided to be braver.
Pretending to sound casual, he said:
"Ge, what I actually wanted to ask last night was… have you ever been in a relationship?"
He realized some things had to be said more directly, otherwise his brother really wouldn't understand.
Shen Kuangye lowered his gaze and looked at him with those dark, bright eyes.
"No."
After all, he had never been interested in romance.
"Really?"
Lu Xiangyang could barely suppress his smile, but he still delivered the line he had prepared.
"You're so handsome. How could you have never dated? Just tell me."
His tone unconsciously carried a hint of coquettishness.
Shen Kuangye laughed softly.
"Really. Never."
"Not even someone you like?" Lu Xiangyang asked.
"No."
Lu Xiangyang smiled.
Looking at Shen Kuangye with sparkling eyes, he said,
"I've never dated either."
Shen Kuangye was about to say I know when Lu Xiangyang suddenly added:
"But I do have someone I like."
"I like him very much."
Lu Xiangyang's cheeks were slightly red. His fingers nervously twisted the pillow, long eyelashes trembling quickly, trying to hide the shyness and nervousness in his eyes.
That hint was obvious enough… right?
When Shen Kuangye heard that Lu Xiangyang liked someone, his expression froze.
He urgently wanted to know who that person was.
But then he thought, Lu Xiangyang was at that age. Having a crush was normal.
Still… who was it?
Xu Wen? Xiao Yang? Or someone else he didn't know?
After waiting a long time without a response, Lu Xiangyang secretly looked up and was startled to see Shen Kuangye's face looking terrible.
"Ge, what's wrong?" he asked.
Shen Kuangye snapped out of his thoughts.
"Nothing."
Lu Xiangyang snorted.
"Aren't you going to ask who I like?"
Shen Kuangye forced his voice to sound normal.
"Who is it?"
Lu Xiangyang smiled.
"I can't tell you directly. You guess, and I'll answer yes or no."
"Do I know them?"
"Yes."
"Are they in the club?"
"Yes."
"Cheng Rang?"
"No."
"Pei Xunan?"
"No."
"Jiang Chixin?"
"No."
"Li Shu?"
"…No."
Lu Xiangyang felt like his brother was about to guess every single person in the club.
At that moment, he realized his brother wasn't actually all-powerful.
He could be a little dumb too.
Shen Kuangye was about to guess Xing Xing, but instinctively felt that was impossible.
So who was it?
Was there someone in the club he'd forgotten?
While Shen Kuangye was deep in thought—
His face was suddenly cupped.
Before he could react, someone kissed his cheek.
Warm breath brushed against him.
Shen Kuangye's eyelashes trembled, his mind blank for a moment.
Under the warm light, Lu Xiangyang was looking at him.
The young, handsome boy blushed, his eyes shy but hopeful.
Slowly, he said:
"I like you, gege."