Shen Kuangye let go of him and looked him over. He looked the same as when he left in the morning, and there were no roses in his hands either—so he was still his baby.
Only then did he notice that not far behind Lu Xiangyang, someone else was standing.
Shen Luoyu had already dropped the gentle, friendly mask he wore in front of Lu Xiangyang. Now, he stared at Shen Kuangye expressionlessly.
Following Shen Kuangye's gaze, Lu Xiangyang finally realized Shen Luoyu hadn't left yet. He turned around and waved at him. "I'm here! You can go now, drive safely."
Shen Kuangye immediately saw Shen Luoyu switch back to that hypocritical, gentle expression. He smiled mildly and said, "Then I'll head off first."
He paused. "I had a great time today."
Shen Kuangye saw the naked provocation in his eyes.
After watching him leave, Lu Xiangyang—who had been lively just moments ago, suddenly tilted his head and collapsed into Shen Kuangye's arms. Startled, Shen Kuangye quickly caught him.
Lu Xiangyang buried his head in his chest, breathing in the familiar, comforting scent from Shen Kuangye's body, and said in a muffled voice, "Brother, I'm so tired today."
He had stayed indoors for too long; going out for a day made his whole body feel like it was falling apart.
He couldn't show that in front of Shen Luoyu—but with Shen Kuangye, he could.
Shen Kuangye lowered his gaze to look at him. "If you're tired from playing, then rest. Don't force yourself."
He couldn't help but blame Shen Luoyu in his heart for making Lu Xiangyang this exhausted.
He lifted Lu Xiangyang out of his arms, made him stand straight, then crouched down to help him change his shoes.
When he looked up, he found Lu Xiangyang staring at him blankly.
"What are you looking at?"
He straightened up and asked.
Lu Xiangyang shook his head. "Nothing… I just think you're really nice, brother."
Shen Kuangye didn't quite understand his logic. Just helping him change shoes counted as "nice"?
That was way too easy to be fooled.
He asked again, "Did you have fun today?"
At that, Lu Xiangyang nodded vigorously, his eyes lighting up. "It was super fun! I even went to the arcade and got this doll for you!"
As he spoke, he took a bag out of his hand.
Shen Kuangye lowered his gaze. It was an Explorer doll.
"It's my first time seeing an Explorer in a claw machine! I just felt like you'd definitely like it, brother."
Lu Xiangyang said.
Shen Kuangye looked at the palm-sized doll and accepted it.
"How long did it take?" he asked.
Lu Xiangyang felt a bit guilty. "Three minutes?"
Shen Kuangye looked at him.
"…Okay, actually ten minutes."
Shen Kuangye stayed silent.
Finally, Lu Xiangyang gave up and told the truth. "Alright… actually an hour."
He had nearly emptied the entire claw machine. But he only wanted that one doll, so every other doll he caught, he gave to Shen Luoyu. When Shen Luoyu couldn't carry any more, he started giving them randomly to passing children.
In the end, he even pulled out the machine's "grand prize," but the Explorer still wouldn't drop.
He felt frustrated, and Shen Luoyu gently asked, "Do you want that doll that much?"
Lu Xiangyang nodded, focusing on the drop angle. "I want to bring a gift for my brother."
After all, they had known each other for so long, but he had never really given Shen Kuangye anything.
And Shen Kuangye didn't seem to go out much either. Just thinking about him staying alone in the club, playing games all day, made Lu Xiangyang feel a little distressed.
The smile at Shen Luoyu's lips froze.
"You two are very close," he said.
"Of course…"
Lu Xiangyang missed again and inserted another coin. "He helped me when I was at my lowest."
That piqued Shen Luoyu's interest. "So that's why you're so close?"
If he had met Lu Xiangyang back then and helped him, would that person have been him instead?
"There's that reason, but not entirely." Lu Xiangyang pressed the drop button. "That was just how we met."
Even if Shen Kuangye hadn't helped him back then, he still would've had many chances to meet him.
Shen Kuangye might've joined another team as a starting survivor player, and they would've met on the regular-season stage anyway. Lu Xiangyang would still fall for him.
It might just take a bit longer—after all, his brother was such a cold, quiet person.
Thinking of that description, Lu Xiangyang couldn't help but smile.
It was a smile he never showed in front of Shen Luoyu.
Who he was thinking about was obvious.
Shen Luoyu looked at the "grand prize" doll in his hand, then at the worn-out Explorer still inside the machine. A strange feeling grew in his chest.
He knew... it was jealousy.
In the end, Lu Xiangyang spent a full hour and 99 coins before finally getting the small doll.
At the time, he had already planned how to lie about it—after all, it wasn't a time to spend money recklessly.
But he still felt that no matter how difficult things were, it shouldn't stop him from giving Shen Kuangye a gift.
Even if things got worse in the future, if Xu Wen and his mother couldn't afford expenses, he would still be willing, even if it meant picking up trash, to spend everything to buy Shen Kuangye the most beautiful roses.
Then he immediately rejected that thought.
Picking up trash was too hard. Shen Kuangye had already suffered enough—he couldn't bear to imagine that.
After finishing, Lu Xiangyang glanced up at Shen Kuangye nervously. Shen Kuangye looked at the doll for a long time before putting it into his coat pocket.
"Did you only play the claw machine?" Shen Kuangye asked.
"Of course not! After that, we tried all the games, then had dinner, and caught the 8 PM movie."
Lu Xiangyang had paid for all the activities in the afternoon, so Shen Luoyu insisted on covering dinner. He took him to a very upscale restaurant—so expensive it was shocking.
Maybe it was just his taste, but Lu Xiangyang didn't like those refined dishes. He even felt they weren't as good as the simple egg noodles he and Shen Kuangye had eaten together the night before.
Finally, Shen Kuangye asked the question he had been holding in all day:
"Then why did you come back so late?"
It was almost midnight.
Even with a movie, they should've been back by 10:30 at the latest.
At that, Lu Xiangyang suddenly remembered something. He quickly took out an exquisitely packaged box. "I was lining up to buy this char siu bun for you! The place was super popular, so I waited a long time. I don't know if it's still hot."
He suddenly recalled that when they were leaving, Shen Luoyu seemed like he wanted to say something—but he got distracted by the sight of the shop, crowded with people, and forgot all about it.
"You can head back first. I'll just line up here."
Lu Xiangyang had said.
Shen Luoyu suppressed what he was about to say. "No need. I'll stay with you, it's not safe for you to go back alone."
Lu Xiangyang smiled. "Then thank you."
The shop required scanning a code before lining up. Right after paying, Lu Xiangyang's phone died.
He pocketed it and chatted casually with Shen Luoyu.
At one point, he noticed some people holding flowers and asked curiously, "Is today some special day?"
Shen Luoyu looked at him in surprise. "You don't know?"
In his social circle, people posted about it every 14th of the month, and even his parents went on dates on those days—he assumed everyone knew.
Lu Xiangyang shook his head blankly.
"Today is Valentine's Day," Shen Luoyu said.
Lu Xiangyang was surprised. "But isn't Valentine's Day February 14th?"
He had only learned that from a fanfiction in the Xiangye CP forum.
Shen Luoyu smiled. "The 14th of every month is Valentine's Day."
He was clearly hinting at the reason he invited him out—but Lu Xiangyang didn't pick up on it at all.
"I see…" Lu Xiangyang murmured.
Shen Luoyu smiled. "Did you forget to spend time with your partner today?"
Lu Xiangyang sighed. "I don't have a partner."
Shen Luoyu's heart filled with joy. Looking at the lively surroundings, he felt it wasn't the best place to confess—but he had a feeling that if he didn't say it today, he might never get the chance.
He had always been confident, used to being surrounded by attractive people. He had first noticed Lu Xiangyang through a youth training documentary and had been quietly paying attention to him ever since. The first time they connected in-game, he had been so nervous he almost forgot how to kite.
But Shen Kuangye's sudden appearance gave him, for the first time, a sense of crisis.
He had just gathered his courage to speak—
When Lu Xiangyang suddenly said, "But I probably will soon."
Shen Luoyu froze. "Really? You never mentioned it."
Lu Xiangyang smiled faintly, his mind full of Shen Kuangye. "He hasn't agreed yet."
"…I see."
Shen Luoyu lowered his eyes. "Then congratulations."
He had thought Shen Kuangye was pursuing Lu Xiangyang, so he believed he still had a chance.
But now, it seemed things weren't what he thought.
Lu Xiangyang, meanwhile, was still immersed in his own thoughts.
If every 14th was Valentine's Day, then he could celebrate 12 Valentine's Days a year with Shen Kuangye.
But he had missed today.
His heart ached.
—
Lu Xiangyang touched the bottom of the box—it was still warm. He placed it on Shen Kuangye's desk. "Brother, try it."
As he spoke, he casually grabbed Shen Kuangye's charger to charge his phone.
He checked his messages and asked calmly, "Did you really eat dinner, brother?"
Shen Kuangye sat down carefully, even moving the doll to avoid crushing it. He pulled Lu Xiangyang's gaming chair over and hummed in acknowledgment.
Lu Xiangyang glanced at his messages again.
Book Siyi: [When are you coming back? Someone seems to really miss you—didn't even eat, acting all cold.]
Book Siyi: [[Image]]
In the photo, Shen Kuangye was playing, and above him was the club clock—7 PM, dinner time.
Lu Xiangyang hadn't seen it earlier because his phone had died.
Shen Kuangye paused while opening his chopsticks. "I ate."
"What did you eat?" Lu Xiangyang asked.
Shen Kuangye thought for a moment and started making things up. "Braised chicken with potatoes, cola chicken wings, stir—"
"Brother, lying gets points deducted."
Lu Xiangyang looked at him with bright, dark eyes.
"…"
Shen Kuangye finally admitted, "I didn't eat."
Lu Xiangyang huffed. "I said you'd miss me so much you couldn't eat, and you still denied it."
Shen Kuangye: "."
"Then why didn't you message me if you missed me?" Lu Xiangyang continued, sounding a bit aggrieved. "You never messaged me first."
Shen Kuangye's lips moved. "I will in the future."
Today, he had truly felt the panic of almost losing Lu Xiangyang and the constant urge to know what he was doing.
"Fine, I'll reluctantly believe you."
"But next time you miss me, you have to tell me. You can't skip meals."
Lu Xiangyang picked up a bun and held it to his lips. "Come on, try it! I waited a long time."
Shen Kuangye hadn't eaten much lunch and had skipped dinner entirely. Only now, with Lu Xiangyang beside him, did he feel hungry.
Under Lu Xiangyang's expectant gaze, he slowly took a bite.
"Is it good?" Lu Xiangyang asked.
Shen Kuangye nodded. "Yeah."
"I knew you'd like it."
Lu Xiangyang grabbed a new pair of chopsticks and started eating too.
Shen Kuangye glanced at him. "Didn't you eat enough?"
Lu Xiangyang opened two bottles of milk and handed one to him. "Not used to it. Food tastes best when I eat with you."
A faint smile appeared on Shen Kuangye's lips. "Smooth talker."
"I'm not."
The two of them finished the buns together while drinking milk.
Lu Xiangyang leaned back in his chair, patting his stomach, watching Shen Kuangye clean up.
He suddenly felt that nothing from the entire day compared to quietly eating a meal here with Shen Kuangye.
Before bed, considering that Lu Xiangyang had been walking all day, Shen Kuangye even brought a basin of hot water for him to soak his feet.
Lu Xiangyang took off his socks and placed his feet in the water. The temperature was perfect. "Brother, you should soak yours too."
"No need."
Lu Xiangyang stared at him.
"…"
Shen Kuangye pulled over a chair and sat down.
As soon as he put his feet in, Lu Xiangyang stepped on top of his feet—softly.
"Brother, your feet are bigger than mine."
Like he had discovered a new continent, Lu Xiangyang lifted his fair foot to compare seriously.
"Isn't that normal?" Shen Kuangye said.
Lu Xiangyang was already 178 cm tall, but Shen Kuangye was still half a head taller—of course his shoe size would be bigger.
"…That's true."
Lu Xiangyang was too tired today. After soaking his feet and brushing his teeth, he collapsed onto the bed.
Shen Kuangye stayed in the bathroom for a long time. Wanting to wait for him, Lu Xiangyang absentmindedly logged into his alt account and opened the CP forum.
The first thing he saw was that WILD had liked the pinned post by a moderator—the post was full of "sugar moments" she had compiled.
Lu Xiangyang felt a sweetness in his heart—but then realized something.
Didn't his brother never use Weibo? Why would he suddenly like that post?
Soon, he found out.
He saw the candid photo of him and Shen Luoyu, and the comments shipping them together.
He didn't dare imagine how bad Shen Kuangye must have felt seeing that.
Was that why he hugged him so anxiously tonight?
Lu Xiangyang felt a little sour...and guilty.
At that moment, Shen Kuangye came out of the bathroom. He was holding the Explorer doll Lu Xiangyang had caught. He had washed it, and in his hand were the doll's tiny clothes.
It was just an ordinary doll—but Shen Kuangye treated it so carefully.
"Why aren't you asleep yet?"
As he spoke, he hung the doll and its clothes up to dry.
Lu Xiangyang suddenly hugged him from behind. Shen Kuangye turned back. "What's wrong?"
Lu Xiangyang looked up at him. "Brother, I only like you."
It felt like someone lightly scratched Shen Kuangye's heart. All the bad emotions he had built up throughout the day disappeared instantly.
"…Mm. I know."
"Did you see that Weibo post?" Lu Xiangyang asked.
"Yeah."
"So you were upset because of that—and didn't eat?"
Shen Kuangye originally wanted to deny it, but this time he didn't want to hide his feelings.
"…Yeah."
Then, worried he might seem petty, he added, "You didn't reply. I thought you weren't coming back tonight."
Lu Xiangyang quickly explained, "Of course I would! My phone died, so I couldn't reply. And Shen Luoyu and I are just friends, I only went out with him because I owed him a meal and wanted to repay it."
He didn't like owing people.
Otherwise, he would've refused and stayed at the club with Shen Kuangye, even just sitting together would've been enough.
Shen Kuangye's eyes lit up. "That's it?"
Lu Xiangyang nodded, hugging his waist and swaying slightly. "So don't be upset anymore."
"And brother, I just learned that the 14th of every month is Valentine's Day."
His tone carried a hint of temptation. "If we were together now, we could celebrate five more Valentine's Days this year."
Shen Kuangye pinched his cheek instead of answering directly. "Go to sleep."
Lu Xiangyang's little plan failed again. He sighed in disappointment. "Alright…"
Even so, he could clearly feel Shen Kuangye's mood had improved.
They turned off the lights and lay down.
Maybe Shen Kuangye's arms had some kind of hypnotic effect, Lu Xiangyang felt instantly at ease and sleepy.
His eyes were already closing when he murmured, "Brother…"
"Mm?" Shen Kuangye looked down at him.
"Happy Valentine's Day…"
Shen Kuangye paused, then lowered his head and kissed his cheek.
"Happy Valentine's Day."