Chapter 80: A chance for friendship ascension

Under the dim streetlights, the black figures are stretched out, blending into one, indistinguishable from each other.

Ye Yao feels that there is only one word to describe how he feels right now.

Clueless.

How could Lu Xun, a big straight guy, confess his love for him when it was obvious that when they were together, Lu Xun had never acted in any way that looked gay, had always been straight, and had even been homophobic before.

Does this make sense?

...... Lu Xun is not awake at all, but is now sleepwalking, and then this sleepwalking, and then treats him as the girl he has a crush on?

This logic ...... seems quite possible.

Ye Yao did not say anything for too long and Lu Xun thought that Ye Yao was struggling with how to reject him without hurting him. He rubbed his nose and pushed down his frustration to comfort Ye Yao instead.

"If you don't want to say yes, just say no, don't worry so much." Lu Xun said in a quiet voice, "But I won't give up, I will continue to pursue you."

Ye Yao slowly plucked away a layer of sweet potato skin and took a bite of the sweet potato flesh to suppress it before speaking tentatively, "Which class is the guy you like, and what's his name?"

Lu Xun: "......?"

Ye Yao: "?"

Lu Xun and Ye Yao stared at each other for a few moments before Lu Xun finally caught Ye Yao's brain, and was immediately amused.

He handed Ye Yao the water he had bought so that he could eat the sweet potato with it, while sneering, "You think I'm sleepwalking, don't you? If it wasn't you Ye Yao who wanted to eat, would I be crazy to come out in the middle of the night with someone?"

"I have a crush on the senior class president, whose name is Ye, Yao, am I clear enough this time?"

Ye Yao was frozen in place after a long speech.

He was good-looking and had been confessed to many times since he was a child, but none of them had left him at a loss for words like this one.

When did Lu Xun's friendship turn sour?

What did Lu Xun like about him and how did the two of them get along, and was it not ambiguous?

Countless questions rolled through Ye Yao's mind and the last thing that stood out in his mind was the image of the bracelet that he saw nearing completion when he went to get Lu Xun's clothes at night.

He said to the bracelet at that time, sharing his luck with Lu Xun, hoping that Lu Xun would succeed in his confession.

Because he didn't want to see Lu Xun sad and upset after being rejected.

...... He doesn't want Lu Xun to be sad now either, and if he can, he wants Lu Xun to always be happy and prosperous.

Does he like Lu Xun?

Of course he does, otherwise he wouldn't be such good friends with Lu Xun. They could spend all day together and never get bored.

But until today, he had never thought of this fondness in a direction other than friendship.

Ye Yao's face slowly turned serious.

"No kidding?" Ye Yao asked.

Lu Xun immediately swore to God, "If I'm not serious, I'll be paid 2,000 a month for the rest of my life!"

This curse is too harsh. Ye Yao stopped it quickly: "Go back first, we'll talk about it as we go."

* Ye Yao

Ye Yao didn't say much on the way.

When he had finished his baked sweet potato, Lu Xun offered him half of his. Ye Yao didn't refuse and quietly ate it all.

Hungry stomachs are filled, leaving only a mouth full of flavour.

Lu Xun wanted to give Ye Yao the last half of the remaining sweet potato, but this time Ye Yao refused.

"This whole thing is ...... a bit sudden for me." Ye Yao opened up, "I haven't tried to bend before, and I haven't liked any of the boys."

"Well, I know." Lu Xun lowered his eyes, and the loss in his eyes flashed again. But in the next second, he returned to his usual hangdog self, "It's normal that you can't accept it, don't feel burdened by rejecting me, after all, you may have to reject me many times in the rest of your life, get used to it first."

"...... That's not what I meant." Ye Yao somewhat helpless, broke up what he was thinking to Lu Xun to say clearly, "I mean, if I didn't succeed in bending, now just so directly and casually agree with you, it may end up becoming straight men playing with gay feelings, which is not appropriate, I have to think about it for a few more days."

Lu Xun's eyes light up a little and his whole body flutters.

They opened the door and went back into the house. Ye Yao watched Lu Xun go back into the bedroom and then quickly rush out again, holding the freshly made bracelet.

Ye Yao stood at his bedroom door, watching Lu Xun walk into his bedroom and hang the hand-woven red rope bracelet around the neck of the bent Buddha.

"You can look at it when you're thinking about problems." Lu Xun says.

Ye Yao: "......"

Double superstition props directly above his bed, is this stacking buffs?

"There's no rush, take your time and think hard first, it's okay to drag me out." Lu Xun curled his lips into a smile, "I'll keep chasing you until you say yes, so that one day you can confirm it. When that time comes, just tell me."

*Ye Yao

After a confession, Ye Yao feels as if nothing has changed and everything has changed.

For example, Lu Xun would leave his favourite dish for him, and when he fell asleep on his desk at lunchtime, Lu Xun would take off his school jacket and cover him with it.

It's all small details, but they add up throughout his day.

Lu Xun would have done the same for him before, always giving him the best treatment from the start.

Lu Xun's jacket smelled of the same laundry detergent as his, blending in with him and wrapping him in its entirety.

Ye Yao takes a deep breath and then exhales slowly.

*The day after school

This day after school, before Ye Yao and the others had left, the gossipy deputy class monitor came up to Lu Xun's desk.

The deputy squeezed his eyebrows, "I forgot to ask you about your progress some time ago, but I guess it worked out, because looking at our Brother Lu's red face, it's time to hand out the wedding candy, right?"

"You're so gossipy." Lu Xun glanced at the vice squad leader, "Still in pursuit."

"What, it's been so long and you haven't succeeded?" The deputy squad leader was stunned, he looked at Lu Xun for a moment and then for some reason, suddenly shifted his eyes to Ye Yao.

Ye Yao's heart jumped, then he heard the deputy head say, "Do you chase people with the same care as you do with Mr. Ye?"

Ye Yao: "......"

Lu Xun raised one eyebrow, "Nonsense."

"This ...... actually doesn't work?" The deputy squad leader wiped his forehead in shock, he looked at Lu Xun as if he was torn between saying something and finally gritting his teeth and slapping the table

" Brother Lu, take my advice, don't be a licking dog!" The deputy squad leader said with hatred, "You won't appreciate it even if she gets it! There is an old saying that a licking dog should not die well, although it is a bit vulgar, it is not without reason! We're tall, handsome and rich, so why hang ourselves on a tree?"

As he listened to these words, Ye Yao slowly frowned.

...... lick the dog.

Ye Yao is not a web surfer, but he does know that the word has a very bad connotation.

Who would be happy to be called a dog licker, it is neither nice nor humiliating and hurts their pride too much.

If this is dog-licking, is it a bad idea for him to accept Lu Xun's advances in this way?

Ye Yao's heart began to sink before he heard Lu Xun give a soft laugh and kicked the deputy with joking intensity.

"You don't know shit about me wanting to be in love with him, you single dog. Stop sticking your neck out and get lost."

Lu Xun continued to pack his bag as the deputy was kicked out: "It feels like it might rain, so let's walk faster or we might get caught in the rain halfway."

The day was indeed not looking good, Ye Yao responded, waiting for both to finish packing their bags and striding over to the house where they lived.

Unfortunately, the heavens were not in our favour and a torrential downpour fell during the short ten-minute journey.

They had the misfortune to walk to a place where there was little shelter and the only one nearby where they could take shelter from the rain was a newsagent that had closed down.

The newsstand is small, and the spot where you can be sure to stay out of the rain is even smaller, with maybe a space for one and a half people.

Ye Yao was pulled over by Lu Xun, who tucked Ye Yao into a safe corner just in time before she got very wet.

This way, Ye Yao doesn't get a drop of rain and Lu Xun is still almost halfway through the rainstorm.

Ye Yao frowned, he didn't want to see Lu Xun getting rained on like this and ......

Ye Yao went out a little and then, when Lu Xun wasn't looking, tugged on Lu Xun's wrist and yanked him in.

"This area is half for each of us, so that none of us get too wet." Ye Yao said.

But this kindness was not appreciated by Lu Xun.

"Half and half?" Lu Xun tried to drag Ye Yao back, but Ye Yao was wary of his strength and couldn't really succeed for a while.

Lu Xun immediately changed tactics, a wounded look: "What one and a half, why should it be one and a half, I am chasing you, not even give me a chance to show? You're breaking my heart by doing this, Ye students."

"...... Don't wave at this time." Ye Yao helpless.

Lu Xun saw the stitch: "This is my style, you don't like it? Then I'll try to be shy in the future."

Ye Yao :"......"

Ye Yao sighed.

He mulled over the words and spoke with difficulty to explain, "It's not just the fact that you'll get wet, it's close to the school, so maybe someone you know will pass by and see you, and if ...... they find out about our relationship later, there's no guarantee they'll talk about you behind your back... ...too licky."

Ye Yao drops his eyes to the raindrops dripping to the ground, his voice almost blending into the rustling rain: "I don't want to hear you being said that."

The speaker has no intention of speaking, but the listener does.

As he listened to Ye Yao's words, Lu Xun's throat twitched, forcing himself to endure.

If he could, he would have kissed Ye Yao until he was speechless by now.

But joy and love cannot be contained and Lu Xun squints and laughs silently for a moment, regaining his composure and trying to allay Ye Yao's fears.

"Do you really believe what he says? You can't believe that kind of bad thinking, you know. He's just trying to sow discord and keep me from being nice to you." Lu Xun nuzzled against Ye Yao's shoulder, feeling Ye Yao's warmth and squinting comfortably, "We are ...... inseparable, so touching that it could be as touching as a language book."

Ye Yao subconsciously took the next sentence: "It is better to be together than to forget each other in the jungle? "

"...... you don't even think about it." Lu Xun's forehead twitched, "Fuck, don't be a fish alright, a dog is a dog, what's wrong with a puppy, no shame. If you want, you can brush my hair."

"Grass, you're sick." Ye Yao couldn't help but laugh and curse.

Ye Yao looked up in Lu Xun's direction and met Lu Xun's eyes.

Lu Xun's eyes are dark, and the unapproachability of his eyes to outsiders disappears, with a heat that the most uncomprehending person could see in them.

"Can't I be nice to you even if I like you?" Lu Xun said, "There's no such thing."

The breeze blows ripples with a glistening moisture that is slowly sent into the heart.

Ye Yao blinked as the rain increased in her ears and the curtain of rain became a natural curtain, separating the world beyond them.

Ye Yao was pulled into another area where he could not get caught in the rain.

Lu Xun is squeezed out and he still looks happy.

"Awesome, isn't it? This move is called taking advantage of the situation and striking the east with the west." Lu Xun said.

"You're a ...... person." Ye Yao wanted to laugh, and her eyes couldn't help but look at Lu Xun's drenched shoulders.

You never have to look at a person by what they say, it's what they do that counts.

When the right person comes along, gender should never be a barrier.

Ye Yao exhaled slowly, "Don't get wet, come with me and don't get wet."

"This 1.5 body position can still come together without being-" Lu Xun snapped to a halt as he took a cautious look at Ye Yao, "...... is what I think it means?"

Ye Yao: "You-"

What do you think of that? No sooner had the phrase started than Ye Yao was hugged in the arms of someone close by.

The sporty school uniform is made of loose material and smells of laundry detergent and sunshine, with a temperature that is unique to Lu Xun.

"The time left for you to regret not saying no in the first place is over, you know Ye students." Lu Xun speaks with an entire upward tone, revealing a hint of nervousness after all.

The small area of shelter was more than adequate when they were hugging each other closely. The cool rain doesn't fall on them, and all they can feel is each other's body heat.

Ye Yao can easily detect Lu Xun's tightness as he holds him so tightly.

Ye Yao put his arms around Lu Xun and patted Lu Xun's rain-soaked clothes.

Lu Xun stiffened in his embrace.

"It means exactly what you think it means." Ye Yao smiled up slightly.

The next second, he was embraced even more passionately.

A friendship that rises to the occasion and ushers in a warmer future.

* The first time I saw you, I was a student.

Ye Yao and Lu Xun were admitted to the same university as they had hoped.

Although their majors are different, they are still in the same dormitory.

The dormitory is full of single beds, but that doesn't stop Lu Xun from practising his climbing skills or sleeping on a single bed every day.

"University life is good, university life is wonderful, university just has more time than senior year." Lu Xun hugged Ye Yao contentedly, "When we're allowed to sleep out later, we'll go out and live together?"

Ye Yao adjusted his posture, "Okay."

Lu Xun was happy to start kissing Ye Yao, as the other two housemates were out playing games today and they were the only two in the dormitory, so they could be a little more liberal.

He pushed Lu Xun out of bed to wash his face and returned to bed to see Lu Xun staring up at the ceiling at a forty-five degree angle.

Ye Yao was baffled: "What's the matter, I've only been gone for two minutes and you're already depressed?"

"I've made up some things." Lu Xun, who had taken Ye Yao into his arms, was happy again and told Ye Yao what he had made up, "I'm a bit scared, if Lu Ming hadn't woken me up, we would probably still be friends."

Ye Yao thought about it and replied in the affirmative: "Yes, and you're also extremely homophobic and straight."

Lu Xun felt a pang of fear: "I thought I was a straight man at the time, I wouldn't have been able to turn the corner on my own. If no one ever woke me up, we'd be friends for life."

"Being friends for life isn't really that bad," Ye Yao said as she smoothed the quilt over herself, "It's friendship and romance to grow up together from high school and end up graying into the ground."

"......" Lu Xun's face suddenly stinks, but thanks to him being a handsome man, no matter what expression he makes, his face is still online.

"Just kidding with you." Ye Yao laughed up, "Actually I think ...... even if no one woke you up, we would still end up together."

"Is that so?" Lu Xun questioned for a second and quickly fell back unconditionally, "Yes, that's right, that's it."

"I seriously think so." Under the covers, Ye Yao was held by Lu Xun's hand as he continued to give Lu Xun his analysis, "After all, you've liked me since high school, and with the kind of attitude you have, even if neither of us ever found out ...... I would have bent sooner or later."

Lu Xun's eyes light up and then quickly darken.

"It's not good for you to bend ...... first." Lu Xun whispered.

"Those things don't matter, it's just a process." Ye Yao laughed and shook her head, "Off topic, what I was trying to say was-"

"No matter how the process evolves, it will end up together." Ye Yao says, "In my judgement, this formula is 100 per cent valid."

Lu Xun, who was lying next to him, had eyes full of love as he moved forward and kissed Ye Yao again on the lips.

--------------------

What the author has to say.

I feel like I've come full circle here, so it's easy to get tired of writing more, so I'll end here.