Chapter 12

For He Wei, today had brought yet another astonishing event after Gu Yunchi’s willingness to join the activity. On the way to the elevator, he leaned close to Lu Heyang’s shoulder and murmured, 'I was just about to say—let me give up my room, I’ll share with you, and let Xu Ze have the double room.'

'But you didn’t say it.' Lu Heyang glanced at him. 'Isn’t your mouth usually pretty quick?'

He Wei was left speechless. He stammered twice before answering, 'I didn’t expect you to be even quicker than me.'

'Not necessarily.' Lu Heyang replied.

The remark was baffling. He Wei pondered for two seconds, then immediately caught on. He grabbed Gu Yunchi and pointed accusingly at Lu Heyang, who had already stepped into the elevator: 'He’s actually that kind of person!'

'Struck a nerve, so you’re lashing out?' Gu Yunchi fanned the flames, asking calmly in return.

'Get lost!'

Both elevators stopped on the fifth floor at the same time; the Alpha occupants of the twin rooms got off here. As he walked toward the room, Lu Heyang glanced back. Xu Ze was walking at the very rear.

Lu Heyang swiped the card to open the door. After pushing it open, he didn’t go further inside, but stood holding the handle by the doorway, casually slotting the key card into its holder.

About three or four seconds later, Xu Ze reached the door. Probably not expecting Lu Heyang to be waiting just inside, his steps hesitated a moment, then he strode quickly into the room, saying at the same time, 'Sorry.'

Lu Heyang smiled slightly and closed the door. 'What’s there to be sorry for?'

Xu Ze stood in front of the television, his backpack still on, his whole person seeming a little stiff and at a loss. He said, 'I walked too slowly.'

'You didn’t.' Lu Heyang set his bag on the sofa and asked him, 'Which bed do you want?'

Xu Ze took off his backpack and held it in his hand. Staring at the aisle between the two beds, he said as calmly as he could, 'Either is fine.'

'Take the one by the window.' Lu Heyang unzipped his travel bag. 'Lunch is at twelve. I’m going to sleep for half an hour first.'

'Okay.' Xu Ze was still staring at the aisle.

Lu Heyang took his sleepwear into the bathroom. After changing, he opened the door and came out. From the next room came a series of knocking sounds—the room next door was 503, the one with the broken water pipe; someone must be repairing it now.

Xu Ze was sitting at the foot of the bed. Lu Heyang took out his eye mask and earplugs, looked at his profile, and said, 'If I don’t hear the alarm, could you wake me?'

'Okay.' Xu Ze’s tightly interlaced fingers loosened. He stood up and drew the curtains closed.

The curtains blocked the light well; the room fell into dimness. Lu Heyang asked, 'Are you going to sleep too?'

Xu Ze sat down again at the foot of the bed. 'I won’t sleep.'

'Then leaving the curtains open would be fine; I have an eye mask.'

'It’s all right.' In the dark, Xu Ze’s tone sounded a little more relaxed. He said softly, 'You rest.'

'Mm.'

Lu Heyang lay down on the bed, fitted his earplugs, but didn’t put on the eye mask right away. From his angle, Xu Ze was sitting at the foot of the other bed—not on his mobile phone, not watching TV, just sitting there motionless, very quiet.

The light was dim; wearing the eye mask wasn’t really necessary. But after a while, Lu Heyang put it on anyway.

Xu Ze sat at the foot of the bed for over half an hour. Next door, the knocking and hammering continued, yet he still took out his mobile phone very quietly to check the time. The teacher had sent a message in the group chat, telling everyone to get ready to go downstairs for lunch at twelve.

He stared at the screen until it went dark. Xu Ze put the mobile phone back in his pocket, sat a while longer, then turned his head and looked at Lu Heyang, who was still asleep.

He couldn’t really see much—only the eye mask on Lu Heyang’s face. Xu Ze stood up and walked over, his feet on the carpet making no sound. He reached Lu Heyang’s bedside, lightened his breathing, but his heartbeat seemed to grow heavier instead, and even his outstretched hand trembled faintly.

Xu Ze patted Lu Heyang’s shoulder lightly.

He waited two seconds—no response. Xu Ze withdrew his hand and spoke: 'Lu…'

He stopped after just the surname, because his voice came out a little hoarse, and Xu Ze felt his ears and face heat up all at once, uncontrollably. He extended his right hand again and patted Lu Heyang’s shoulder.

The very next instant, Lu Heyang lifted his hand without warning and pressed down on the back of Xu Ze’s hand, then with his other hand pulled off his own eye mask and stared at him in the dark.

Dead silence—even the renovation noise from next door seemed to vanish. Xu Ze held his breath instantly, instinctively sensing a clear, wakeful danger from Lu Heyang in this moment.

The two looked at each other for a moment. Then Lu Heyang moved his hand away, took out his earplugs, and said calmly, 'Sorry—I thought something had crawled onto my shoulder.'

Xu Ze straightened up. His left hand unconsciously brushed over the back of his right hand before he answered, 'It’s fine. The teacher told us to go down for lunch.'

Right then, the mobile phone alarm went off. Lu Heyang turned it off and said, 'Alright.'

Xu Ze went to draw the curtains open. Lu Heyang got up and stood by the bed to change. Xu Ze looked out the window without turning around, then suddenly heard Lu Heyang say, ‘There’s a pastry shop around here whose Sand Cake is really good.’

‘Sand Cake?’ Xu Ze thought Lu Heyang had already changed, but when he turned around, Lu Heyang was bare-chested. Xu Ze immediately averted his gaze to look at his own backpack.

'Yeah, but it’s a bit far—in the City District. Yun Chi and I went to eat there last year; I don’t know if it’s still around now.'

In truth, they might not have been that delicious—it was just that back then, he and Gu Yunchi, wanting to shake off their bodyguards, had ducked into twisting little alleys and eventually discovered that obscure little shop. In circumstances like that, whatever you ate probably tasted a little extra special.

Now that he was back in this city, the memory had suddenly surfaced, so Lu Heyang mentioned it—just an offhand remark. More importantly, he felt Xu Ze was too tense; though he didn’t know the reason, perhaps chatting a little might help him relax slightly.

It was time to go downstairs. Lu Heyang picked up his mobile phone, ready to head out, when he heard Xu Ze ask him, 'That shop…which street is it on?'

He hadn’t expected Xu Ze to actively follow up on the topic. Lu Heyang thought for a moment and said, 'I think it was called Jinqiu Street, but exactly which alley, I don’t remember clearly.'

'Then…what was the shop’s name?'

Lu Heyang looked at him. This time Xu Ze didn’t avoid his gaze; his expression, in fact, held a touch of earnestness. Lu Heyang smiled and answered, 'I only remember there was a “Le” character in it; the rest I’ve forgotten.'

Xu Ze nodded and said nothing more.