A drunk person shouldn't take a bath. Moreover, Shen Qingfeng didn't know how to take care of others. Lu Yan sat in the bathtub until he felt cold before Shen Qingfeng noticed. He quickly closed his eyes and half-dragged Lu Yan out.
Poor Marquis Dingbei was dragged all the way back to the bed. After Shen Qingfeng covered Lu Yan with the quilt, he finally ran out of strength completely. He collapsed beside the bed, too tired to even lift a finger.
"Lu Yan, you're really heavy," Shen Qingfeng cursed silently. He looked at the sleeping Lu Yan on the bed. After a moment of silence, he propped himself up, sat on the edge of the bed, then gently patted Lu Yan's face and whispered, "Hey, can you wake up?"
Lu Yan's eyes were tightly closed. There was no response.
It seemed that he was fast asleep.
It was pointless to talk to a drunkard. So Shen Qingfeng didn't continue. He had been tormented by Lu Yan all night and was extremely tired now. But the culprit was lying on the bed sound asleep with his eyes closed. Shen Qingfeng was filled with anger, but he didn't want to lose his temper here alone, nor did he want to wake Lu Yan up. So he glared at him and then gently patted Lu Yan's stomach.
Shen Qingfeng didn't notice anything, but if there had been an outsider present, that pat from Shen Qingfeng just now was more like a coquettish gesture between lovers than an angry one.
He stood up and looked around. In the large side hall, there was only a bed and not even a spare quilt.
Why did it seem even more desolate than when he lived here? Was this really a bedroom for guests?
Without a spare quilt, how was he going to sleep?
Shen Qingfeng was stunned for a moment, then turned to look at the big bed where Lu Yan was lying.
-
Morning.
The chirping of birds always pierces the dawn first. Lu Yan was awakened by a severe headache. The discomfort of a hangover made him groan softly. He shook his head violently and propped himself up on the bed with one hand.
Frowning, he opened his eyes. What he saw first was his naked body.
He froze. Then he turned his head and saw Shen Qingfeng lying on the edge of the bed, sleeping restlessly.
Lu Yan was completely stunned.
The next moment, Lu Yan felt as if a thunderbolt had struck his mind. Then he trembled violently like a suddenly enraged leopard.
Shen Qingfeng, who was lying on the edge of the bed, was awakened by Lu Yan's tremor. He frowned and slowly raised his head.
Lu Yan was just about to say something when he suddenly felt an indescribable strange feeling under his body...
Lu Yan's face turned pale instantly. He quickly lifted a corner of the quilt and reached in to feel.
He... he wasn't wearing anything below!
What... what was going on!
"Um..." Shen Qingfeng rubbed his eyes, yawned, and looked at Lu Yan. "Are you awake?"
Lu Yan was completely petrified.
He stared rigidly at Shen Qingfeng with a muddled mind.
He trembled and raised his finger, pointing between the two of them, stammering, "I... how did I... You... you..."
Why was Shen Qingfeng sleeping here? Why wasn't he wearing anything! No! What exactly had happened last night! Why was Shen Qingfeng with him?!
Lu Yan covered his head and tried hard to recall, but he couldn't remember anything.
Shen Qingfeng propped his face up with one hand. Seeing Lu Yan looking as if he wanted to pull out his own hair, he sighed and said, "You were brought here drunk last night. The King specifically ordered me to come and accompany you."
Lu Yan was stunned, and then a bitter feeling welled up in his heart. "... So it was the King who told you to come."
That's right. How could Shen Qingfeng come on his own? What he liked wasn't him.
Shen Qingfeng was silent. He looked at Lu Yan for a long time, then suddenly said seriously, "Lu Yan, do you still remember what happened after you got drunk yesterday?"
Lu Yan shook his head. But the next moment, he suddenly looked down at his naked body, then suddenly raised his head and looked at Shen Qingfeng pale-faced. "I... I didn't do anything to you, did I?"
"No, you're overthinking," Shen Qingfeng replied firmly. Although Lu Yan had gone a bit too far last night, he was too lazy to care about the fact that Lu Yan had pressed on him and kissed his earlobe. "I took off your clothes."
Lu Yan was stunned.
"You were dead drunk last night. I even took a bath for you," Shen Qingfeng said. Although he had waited until the water had cooled before dragging Lu Yan out of the bathtub, at least he had stuffed Lu Yan into the bathtub. Rounding it up, he had helped Lu Yan take a bath.
Now, Lu Yan not only stiffened his body but also his eyes went blank.
"Lu Yan," Shen Qingfeng slowly looked at him. Although Lu Yan had repeated it many times after getting drunk yesterday, Shen Qingfeng thought for a while and still softly asked, "You like me, don't you?"
These words were like a thunderbolt from a clear sky, instantly striking down from the top of Lu Yan's head. He felt as if all the strength in his body had suddenly disappeared, just like a towering giant tree about to be uprooted by a storm. He reached out and tightly grabbed the bedsheet, covering his chest with one hand, trying his best to hold onto the entangled tree that had taken root in his heart for who knows how long.
Why? He had hidden his feelings for so long, but in the end, Shen Qingfeng still found out.
Was it because he hadn't concealed his feelings well? Was he too greedy?
Now that Shen Qingfeng knew, would he uproot this tree that had already merged with his heart and then discard it like a worn-out shoe?
Lu Yan didn't dare to think about it. He only felt a pain in his chest. He could only press on his chest as hard as possible to get a little bit of breathing space.
"I..." Lu Yan opened his mouth, but the words got stuck in his throat and he couldn't utter a single syllable.
Shen Qingfeng looked at Lu Yan, who was trembling painfully in front of him. For a moment, his gaze seemed to penetrate time. Through Lu Yan's body, he saw a long, long time ago, in the academy, that little boy who had secretly peeked at him behind the wall.
So that's how it was. He remembered.
Lu Yan. So we had met so early. So you had set your eyes on me so early.
Shen Qingfeng only felt his throat tighten. His eyes were sore. When he came to his senses, his hand had unconsciously grabbed Lu Yan's hand. For some reason, he was holding it very tightly, very tightly.
Was it fate?
After he had gone all the way down a wrong path, only to find that there was someone who had silently accompanied him for who knows how many years behind him?
Why hadn't he noticed Lu Yan's feelings for him for so many years in his previous life?
Lu Yan, you're really a fool.
"Lu Yan, answer me. Is it true?" Shen Qingfeng's voice was trembling. He couldn't tell what he was expecting. Clearly, his heart had been dry and cracked, but somehow, a tiny stream of water had slowly flowed into it.
Lu Yan lowered his head. His mind was in a mess and his head was splitting with pain, but he still stubbornly looked at Shen Qingfeng's hand that was holding his.
"You..." Lu Yan looked at Shen Qingfeng in disbelief. He suddenly found that Shen Qingfeng's look at him seemed to have changed. The coldness and resistance that were often in his eyes had disappeared without a trace. Lu Yan's mind was muddled. He wanted to take a closer look, but the next moment, Shen Qingfeng lowered his eyes on his own.
Shen Qingfeng looked at the hand he was tightly holding. For a moment, he felt a flood of emotions.
He knew Lu Yan's feelings for him, but could his scarred self really accept Lu Yan's feelings properly?
Shen Qingfeng wasn't a saint. Although he wanted to take revenge and protect the Shen family, this path was full of hardships and the future was uncertain. Could he really go on alone? Just like in his previous life, he had been scolded by the world and abandoned by his relatives, but at least he had Xia Chuli by his side. In this life, he had thought he would walk alone, but Lu Yan had appeared.
No one could resist warmth, especially Shen Qingfeng, who had been so desperate in his previous life. In Shen Qingfeng's eyes, Lu Yan's forbearance and suppression were so clear and painful.
Would he develop feelings for Lu Yan? Shen Qingfeng didn't know. But in the repeated contacts, Shen Qingfeng found that his attitude towards Lu Yan was completely different from before.
He needed time.
Lu Yan, I can't face you with such a scarred heart. It would be too cruel to you.
Shen Qingfeng gave a bitter smile. Something glistened in his eyes and then disappeared. Then he gently opened his fingers and let go of the hand that was tightly holding Lu Yan's.
As if sensing something, the moment Shen Qingfeng withdrew his hand, Lu Yan's hot palm suddenly reached out. Because Shen Qingfeng's fingers were just opened, Lu Yan's random grab happened to interlock their fingers tightly.
Shen Qingfeng was startled. He looked at their intertwined hands, his eyes wide open. He neither refused nor struggled.
Lu Yan's hand was unusually hot. The heat seemed to spread from his palm to Shen Qingfeng's whole body.
"Shen... Qingfeng," Lu Yan opened his mouth slightly. His voice had become extremely hoarse. Shen Qingfeng was startled and quickly looked up at him.
He saw that Lu Yan's cheeks were flushed in a sickly way and his eyes had become blurred and hazy. But even so, he still stubbornly stared at Shen Qingfeng with an extremely fiery look. As if as long as he let go, Shen Qingfeng would disappear.
Seeing that Lu Yan's condition was very strange, Shen Qingfeng quickly called out, "Lu Yan?"
"Don't... go..." Seemingly using up his last bit of strength, as soon as Lu Yan finished speaking, his eyes rolled up and he fainted directly.
Shen Qingfeng's pupils shrank violently!
"Lu Yan!"