Chapter 241: Extra 8 Moon Also Expresses Love
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Duan Zege chuckled, “Having the chance to bid farewell to all of you, I am already very happy.”
His gaze swept over everyone as if he wanted to firmly remember them all.
“Duan Zege.”
Lou Yan looked at Duan Zege’s worn-out shoes and dirty clothes, finding it hard to imagine what kind of days Duan Zege had been living there.
Certainly not good days. Lou Yan remained silent for a long time before finally asking, “How will you live when you go back?”
Duan Zege pretended to be relaxed. “Eat, sleep, rebuild my home. I’ll live however others live, don’t worry. Humans are adaptable creatures. As long as I’m alive, everything will be fine.”
Lou Yan asked in a hoarse voice, “Even if that world is no longer beautiful?”
Duan Zege sighed softly and said, “Even if that world is no longer beautiful.”
“Even if you have to be alone in that world?”
“….Even if I have to be alone in that world.”
Lou Yan opened his mouth, wanting to laugh, but couldn’t. “Even if that world doesn’t have me?”
“…”
Duan Zege couldn’t hold back anymore. He knelt down weakly, clutching the bracelet in his hand, covering his face and crying out in pain. His voice choked, more heart-wrenching than the wail of a mother beast.
“Duan Zege, if it’s the Li Sanxin I know,” Lou Yan took a deep breath and said firmly, “I would rather he go to another world and live happily, rather than him staying alone in a world full of scars after my death.”
Tears welled up in Li Sanxin’s eyes, deeply moved. “Yanzi…”
“Stay, Duan Zege,” Lou Yan walked to Duan Zege’s side and knelt down on one knee, lifting his hand to grasp Duan Zege’s hand holding the bracelet, “Didn’t you say that you will always support me, follow me?”
Duan Zege’s body trembled, and large tears slid through his fingers. In the end, he let go of his hand, allowing Lou Yan to take the bracelet from him.
***
After successfully convincing Duan Zege to stay, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Lou Yan carefully locked the bracelet in a safe and then moved the safe to a safer place. After all the busyness, it was already time for dinner.
Unconsciously, a day had passed. Lou Yan felt like he had forgotten something, standing in the living room and thinking for a while before realizing that he had forgotten about his date with Fu Xuezhou.
D*mn it.
He had been so preoccupied with Duan Zege that he forgot he had a boyfriend.
Lou Yan’s eyelid twitched, and he turned to look for Fu Xuezhou, only to find that he was nowhere to be seen. He quickly grabbed Lu Haoxiu, who was passing by, and asked, “Have you seen Fu Xuezhou?”
“Brother Fu,” Lu Haoxiu tried hard to recall, “seems to have gone to the gym.”
Lou Yan walked quickly into the gym and saw Fu Xuezhou running on the treadmill.
It was unclear how long he had been running, but his clothes were all soaked with sweat. His handsome face was expressionless, his brows and eyes cold, and there was no change in expression even when he heard Lou Yan come in.
Lou Yan walked slowly to the side of the treadmill and coughed lightly twice.
The sweat on Fu Xuezhou’s forehead trickled down, his face covered in a layer of moist vapor. He once again ignored Lou Yan.
Lou Yan coughed heavily twice more.
Fu Xuezhou finally turned to look at Lou Yan, a cool smirk playing at the corner of his mouth, no warmth in his eyes. “Comforting your childhood friend, finally remembered me?”
Lou Yan pretended to sniff the air and exaggeratedly said, “What is that smell, it’s so sour.”
Fu Xuezhou sneered and got off the treadmill, wiping the sweat off his face with a towel. Step by step, he approached Lou Yan. “What smell do you think it is?”
Lou Yan stood his ground, calmly waiting for him to come closer. The heat and faint smell of sweat emanating from the black-haired university student easily can make a person’s heart beat faster and ears turn red.
Fu Xuezhou’s expression turned sour, and there was even a hint of jealousy. Lou Yan smiled and took the initiative to give him a kiss. “Don’t be angry, I’ll take you out for dinner tonight.”
Fu Xuezhou was easily appeased like this, and the coldness around him dissipated a bit. He looked down at Lou Yan, clearly implying: give me another kiss.
Lou Yan smiled and kissed him again. Fu Xuezhou’s lips curled slightly, and he reached out to wrap his arms around Lou Yan’s waist, his tone a little displeased. “You missed the convention.”
“I’m angry just thinking about it,” Lou Yan twitched his mouth, “who told you I like maid outfits anyway?”
Fu Xuezhou asked puzzled, “Don’t you like them? Li Sanxin said you do.”
“…” Lou Yan immediately changed his tone, “It’s not that I don’t like them, I mainly… like seeing others wear them.”
Fu Xuezhou: “…”
With both Li Sanxin and Lou Yan saying the same thing, Fu Xuezhou couldn’t deceive himself any longer.
His expression changed, and he seemed to be thinking about something. Lou Yan, curious, asked, “Did Li Sanxin tell you anything else?”
“It’s nothing,” Fu Xuezhou restrained his expression and abruptly changed the subject, “Where are we eating?”
“Do you remember Song Yuran? Her dad owns a private kitchen, the same Mr. Song who transferred seven million to you before,” Lou Yan reached out and patted his back, “Their private kitchen has really good food, especially their sweet and sour dishes. Why don’t you take a shower and change clothes? We’ll go to their place for dinner in a while.”
Fu Xuezhou was taken aback, his brows softening slightly involuntarily. “You know?”
“Know what? You like that taste?” Lou Yan chuckled, “Just think about it, it’s easy to guess. You like sweets, so why wouldn’t you like sweet and sour flavors?”
Fu Xuezhou’s smile deepened, then he suddenly fell silent. After a while, he whispered, “I’m sorry.”
Lou Yan narrowed his eyes, “Sorry for what?”
Fu Xuezhou shook his head, then lightly kissed Lou Yan on the forehead, “I’ll go take a shower, I’ll be right back.”
Fu Xuezhou showered quickly and came out wearing the British-style outfit that Lou Yan had previously arranged for him at the clothing store. With a loose white turtleneck sweater, black casual pants, and a brown windbreaker, he looked tall, handsome, and mature. Apart from a slight aloofness, Fu Xuezhou didn’t seem much different in age than Lou Yan at the moment.
Satisfied with narrowing the age gap between him and Lou Yan, Fu Xuezhou walked out of the room with a faint smile. But when he arrived in the living room, he saw everyone was ready, all looking like they were about to leave.
The smile on Fu Xuezhou’s lips froze, and his gaze instantly turned icy. “What are you all doing here?”
Li Sanxin said in confusion, “What else can we do? We’re waiting for you to finish your shower so we can go eat together.”
Duan Zege patted Li Sanxin’s shoulder with a meaningful smile and said, “Sanxin, you misunderstood Fu Xuezhou’s meaning. He’s questioning why we’re ruining his and Lou Yan’s romantic dinner.”
“Oh, I see,” Li Sanxin suppressed a laugh, “Who told you it’s just you and Yanzi going out for dinner tonight?”
Lu Haoxiu ran up to Fu Xuezhou enthusiastically, explaining, “Brother Fu! We’re all going! Tonight, Brother Duan is back, so of course, we have to have a reunion dinner to celebrate! Brother Lou suggested going to the private kitchen, and their hot pot meatballs and lion’s head dishes are really delicious. Brother Fu, do you know that restaurant? It’s on Anping Street. Their beer is specially brewed, and it tastes amazing. Brother Duan just said we won’t return until we’re drunk tonight… sigh, I miss Little Yu so much. She loves their sweet porridge…”
As he spoke, Fu Xuezhou’s face grew colder, and Lu Haoxiu’s voice grew quieter, gradually retreating several steps.
“Little Yu and her parents have already eaten,” Li Sanxin chuckled to defuse the situation, “Yanzi called earlier to ask. Little Yu is working on her homework now and can’t come.”
“Homework…” Lu Haoxiu’s eyes went blank, he shivered, his whole body slumped, and he let out a painful wail, “Right, I also have homework…”
Lu Haoxiu suddenly looked up, full of hope as he looked at Fu Xuezhou, his puppy eyes shining brightly, “Brother Fu, do you have homework? How about we come back tonight and do homework together? That way, we’ll have company, and you can teach me the questions I don’t understand!”
Fu Xuezhou responded coldly, “No, get lost.”
Lu Haoxiu: “Wuwuwu!”
Li Sanxin watched with amusement, “Let’s go, let’s go! Yanzi has already brought the car out, waiting downstairs for us. Don’t make him wait too long.”
Before he could finish his sentence, Fu Xuezhou strode past everyone with a cold face and walked out the door, the hem of his windbreaker swirling and almost knocking Li Sanxin over.
Fortunately, Duan Zege acted quickly, grabbing his arm and steadying him.
“Thanks,” Li Sanxin regained his balance and muttered as he watched Fu Xuezhou’s back, “This guy, how come he’s still so imposing without his supernatural abilities?”
Duan Zege chuckled, “Did you forget? He used to be a boxer.”
“For several years!” Lu Haoxiu grinned and approached, “People call him Old A!”
The group left the building, heading slowly towards the car that Lou Yan had prepared.
***
That night, everyone got drunk. They didn’t drink much alcohol, but the atmosphere of having friends around and being happy made them feel intoxicated.
Duan Zege lazily leaned back in his chair, his face flushed from the heat and beer in the room. He smiled as he looked at his noisy friends, reaching out to grab the cigarette box and lighter on the table.
But when he held the cigarette in his hand, he suddenly didn’t feel like smoking. In such a relaxed and comfortable moment, there was nothing to bother him enough to warrant smoking. Why bother smoking?
Duan Zege smiled again and put the cigarette and lighter back on the table, then suddenly proposed with interest, “How about we play a game?”
Lu Haoxiu eagerly joined in, chewing on his elbow as he raised his hand and asked happily, “What game?”
“Let’s play a game that tests our tacit understanding,” Duan Zege looked deliberately at Lou Yan and Fu Xuezhou, smiling, “You two are a couple, so you’ll be a team. I’ll be the judge, and Li Sanxin and Little Lu will be a team. I’ll ask the questions, and you’ll answer. If your answers match, you get a point. Let’s see which team has more points. Interested?”
Lou Yan and Fu Xuezhou glanced at each other. Fu Xuezhou nodded indifferently, but there was a hint of hesitation on Lou Yan’s face.
He hesitated! Even though Fu Xuezhou agreed, Lou Yan hesitated!
Fu Xuezhou couldn’t help but chuckle angrily, grabbing Lou Yan’s wrist, his eyes playful yet serious, “What? Do you think our tacit understanding isn’t good enough?”
Lou Yan raised an eyebrow, “Do you think it is?”
“…,” Fu Xuezhou didn’t say anything, his gaze turning dark.
“Lou Yan, Fu Xuezhou, are you too afraid to compete?” Duan Zege calmly took out his phone to search for questions, “Hmm, as a couple, you should be even more intimate than friends. I didn’t expect you, this little couple, to seem not so affectionate… So, have you decided to give up if you don’t want to compete?”
Lou Yan’s eyes sharpened instantly. He had always strived to be the best since he was young. His competitive spirit was fully aroused, and he coldly snorted, “Let’s compete!”
Duan Zege named the game “The Great Test of Tacit Understanding”. After asking each question, he would count down for three seconds. After the countdown, both participants had to answer together. Thirty questions were prepared, randomly selected by Duan Zege to ensure fairness.
To set an example for the “unfamiliar with this game” little couple, Li Sanxin and Lu Haoxiu went first. They performed very well, understanding each other like family. Answering the questions with perfect tacit understanding, they scored 26 out of 30 points.
Seeing this score, both Lou Yan and Fu Xuezhou’s expressions turned sour.
When it was their turn, Lou Yan grabbed Fu Xuezhou’s hand tightly and said seriously, “Fu Xuezhou, we must win this game. If we lose, we’ll become a laughingstock for them.”
Fu Xuezhou replied nonchalantly, “We will win.”
Lou Yan forced a smile, “Of course, are we, a real couple, afraid of such a test?”
After saying that, he added anxiously, “If his questions involve our past memories, remember to answer based on our experiences in the previous world. We’ve set our goal on one timeline, otherwise it will be too chaotic.”
But when the questions came like a storm toward the couple, the two of them were still stunned.
“May I ask where you two met for the first time?”
“At the supermarket entrance.” “At the internet cafe entrance of the Happiness Community.”
Lou Yan and Fu Xuezhou frowned at each other when they gave different answers. Lou Yan asked, “How could it be at the supermarket entrance?”
Fu Xuezhou calmly replied, “That day, after I bought some candy and was heading home, I saw you passing by my car.”
Lou Yan vaguely remembered that indeed such a thing had happened. He twitched his lips, unable to scold because Fu Xuezhou wasn’t wrong. He could only helplessly say, “Alright, it’s understandable for this question to be wrong. Let’s continue with the next one.”
“Where did you two first make love?”
Li Sanxin and Lu Haoxiu on the side immediately started cheering.
Lou Yan: “…In my bedroom.”
Fu Xuezhou smirked, “In his bedroom.”
The cheering grew louder, and Li Sanxin exclaimed, “How didn’t I even know—”
But Lu Haoxiu quickly covered his mouth.
Lou Yan gritted his teeth, his face faintly reddening. He closed his eyes to calm his mixed feelings of anger and humiliation. It didn’t matter, everything was for the sake of winning.
The questions flew by, and surprisingly, Lou Yan and Fu Xuezhou’s score was not bad either. They got 25 points, just one point less than Li Sanxin and Lu Haoxiu. If they could answer the last question correctly, they would at least tie, saving face for the little couple.
Seeing the questions on his phone, Duan Zege’s smile deepened. He lightly whistled and asked if the two of them had ever said “I love you” to each other.
Lou Yan was dumbfounded.
Duan Zege said, “3, 2, 1——”
Fu Xuezhou lowered his gaze slightly and calmly replied, “Yes.”
“…” Lou Yan’s mouth opened and closed, as if glued shut, unable to utter a word.
Duan Zege announced with a smile, “Since Lou Yan didn’t answer, the time limit for answering has expired. Let’s congratulate Li Sanxin and Lu Haoxiu for winning.”
Li Sanxin and Lu Haoxiu burst into laughter, cheering for each other, and silently giving Lou Yan and Fu Xuezhou some space.
Lou Yan slowly turned his head to look at Fu Xuezhou’s profile.
Fu Xuezhou’s head was slightly lowered, the upper half of his face covered in shadows, with only his nose and jaw illuminated by the light. The interplay of light and shadow made him look particularly desolate.
Lou Yan thought he couldn’t say that cheesy, even somewhat tacky, word. Why did they have to say it out loud, and in that manner?
But at that moment, he suddenly understood.
When you truly love someone, “I love you” isn’t cheesy or tacky; it’s the most romantic and redeeming phrase that can lift a person out of the mud.
He had said that he wanted to be the moon in Fu Xuezhou’s abyss.
The moon also expresses love.
Lou Yan stood up, cupped Fu Xuezhou’s face in his hands, and planted a kiss on Fu Xuezhou’s lips, as Fu Xuezhou’s pupils widened in surprise.
“Mmm, I love you too.”
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