Be Passionately In Love

In this matter, both of them were tacitly understanding. Truth be told, they had been relatively restrained. Apart from the initial period when things got a little out of hand, they had cooled down somewhat after returning to Beijing at the start of their freshman year. Perhaps it was because they had gone too wild during the winter break. When Chen Luzhou played basketball after the semester started, he found his long-range shooting accuracy had significantly declined—so much so that he missed the hoop entirely several times. After being mercilessly teased by Li Ke and the others, he returned from the court and sent Xu Zhi a helpless, tearful emoji.

Xu Zhi immediately replied with a question mark.

Cr: "...I'm really done for."

Xu Zhi instantly caught on and couldn’t stop laughing, replying: "Blame me?"

Of course, it wasn’t really her fault. If anyone was to blame, it was his own lack of self-control. Chen Luzhou might act shamelessly in other aspects, but on this point, he didn’t dare play innocent.

Cr: "How could I? If I acted all smug after taking advantage, would I even be human?"

Xu Zhi chuckled, sent back a "good boy," and went back to class. She thought the matter was over, but to her surprise, Chen Luzhou went nearly half a semester without touching her. No matter how much Xu Zhi teased him, he remained as unmovable as the moon and breeze on a mountain ridge. Their WeChat conversations grew increasingly blunt by the day.

Until one day, she couldn’t take it anymore and sent him a message.

Xu Zhi: "You’re draining me dry. Boyfriend."

Only then did he reply with a lukewarm response.

Cr: "I’m feeling it too, but I can hold out a little longer."

Xu Zhi: "Hold out your ass!"

He probably laughed for a while before explaining:

Cr: "Alright, alright, I’m not doing this on purpose. I’ll make it up to you once I’m less busy."

At the time, Chen Luzhou really was swamped. He was in the middle of transferring to the business school while squeezing in time to work on a startup with Li Ke. Li Ke had just secured funding for his sandbox project, and the pile of proposals they had to draft left them with barely a few hours of sleep each night. He genuinely didn’t have the bandwidth.

By the time he finally freed up, Xu Zhi’s architecture department had begun their annual sketching trip. That year, A University went to Yunnan for fieldwork, and Xu Zhi was gone for two weeks. By the time she returned, the school had already started summer break, and most students had left. Chen Luzhou had taken on an aerial photography gig and didn’t return to Qingyi. He initially planned to move in with Li Ke but later decided against it for convenience’s sake, renting a place nearby instead.

When Xu Zhi dragged her suitcase back, exhausted from the trip, Chen Luzhou had just finished tidying up the apartment. He sent her the address, and without a second thought, she headed straight there after getting off the campus shuttle.

That day, Chen Luzhou had accompanied Li Ke to meet with a few small business representatives, dressed uncharacteristically formal in a fitted shirt and slacks. When Xu Zhi walked in, he was sitting on the sofa revising Li Ke’s proposal and about to head to the bathroom. He hadn’t expected her to arrive so quickly. The moment she entered, she carelessly dropped her suitcase by the door and threw herself into his arms, holding him tightly without a word, her body pressing insistently against his. Chen Luzhou’s entire frame was taut, his tailored shirt accentuating his lean, defined muscles—his body like a drawn bow, poised and ready.Xu Zhi slipped her hand under the hem of his shirt, tugging it halfway out of his pants in a disheveled yet alluring manner. Her fingers traced his defined waistline and the tattoo on his back, thoroughly pleased with his reaction. Indeed, absence made the heart grow fonder—his tension was even more exaggerated than usual.

With a playful grin, she tilted her head up from his chest and said, "I can tell you missed me too."

Chen Luzhou leaned back against the couch, laughing helplessly as he let her take full advantage of him. His expression was one of feigned innocence, as if to say, "I didn’t do anything," completely detached from the situation. "And how exactly did you figure that out?"

Xu Zhi smirked triumphantly. "It’s lifting your dress pants."

Chen Luzhou let out a drawn-out "Ah," the corners of his lips still curled in an enigmatic smile as he studied her, seemingly reluctant to reveal the truth.

Xu Zhi caught on. "What do you mean? You didn’t miss me?"

Then that bastard replied.

"I did, but I don’t want to lie to you. Right now, it’s just... pent-up," he finally burst into laughter. "Mind if I go to the bathroom?"

It was then that Xu Zhi learned a little-known fact: when men were desperate, it could still... stand at attention.

"...Get out."

Later, Xu Zhi finally understood why Chen Luzhou wasn’t particularly fond of wearing dress pants. That night, her eyes kept drifting to a certain area despite herself. As they ate takeout, she finally couldn’t take it anymore. "Chen Luzhou, do you have a bladder problem or something?"

Chen Luzhou: "..."

Instead of answering, the man leaned back in his chair, his gaze locked onto her. His lips were pressed tightly together, as if stitched shut by a needle, his expression cool and dismissive of her earlier remark. Yet his fingers moved deftly, undoing his shirt buttons one by one with deliberate slowness. The hem, already half-tucked out by her earlier antics, hung loosely over his pants as he lounged there like a carefree rogue, exuding effortless charm. Still, his tone remained casual and composed as he asked, "Finished eating?"

Xu Zhi suddenly realized what was happening. She silently sipped her soup, her eyes repeatedly darting to the exposed contours of his chest, her heart pounding so violently it threatened to leap out of her ribcage—even though she hadn’t done anything!

How the hell had this even happened?

......

After dinner, the table remained a mess, untouched.

Inside the room, someone was being thoroughly "dealt with," their pleas for mercy mingling with heated gasps that seemed to fill the air.

Their clothes were still on. Xu Zhi was pressed against the headboard, while Chen Luzhou’s shirt hung open, revealing the well-defined planes of his chest and taut abs, the veins beneath his skin disappearing into the waistband of his still-on dress pants.

He turned her face toward him from behind, capturing her lips in a kiss. When that failed to quiet her, he buried his laughter in the crook of her shoulder. "I know you missed me, but you don’t have to go this wild. Li Ke’s next door."

Xu Zhi froze, half her arousal instantly replaced by panic. She wanted to kick him, but the position made it impossible. Then it dawned on her—he was probably messing with her.

"Chen Luzhou, you’re such a liar. This place only has two bedrooms and a living room. Are you keeping Li Ke in the bathroom or something?"

"Across the hall. He rented a studio opposite mine."Xu Zhi’s heart leaped into her throat. She scrambled to the head of the bed, turning to press her back against it, grabbing a pillow nearby to hurl at him. Her face burned with anger. "Chen Luzhou! Why didn’t you say so earlier?!"

Chen Luzhou didn’t dodge. Still kneeling upright with unshaken composure, he didn’t even raise a hand to block, letting her hit him as she pleased while laughing uncontrollably. "Scared? How pathetic. I locked the door—no one can hear. Besides, he went out to eat with Zhang Yu and isn’t back yet. Just giving you a heads-up."

Xu Zhi stopped, leaning against the headboard, muttering discontentedly, "Why is he so clingy with you too? Aren’t you sick of having two shadows?"

Chen Luzhou snatched the pillow from her and tossed it aside. Gripping her ankle, he yanked her toward him, pinning her beneath him. Propped on his arms beside her, sweat beaded on his forehead, damp strands sticking to his temples. His gaze was clear yet indulgent, inexplicably intense. His heavy, ragged breaths were unbearably sensual. After steadying himself for a moment, he lowered his head with a smirk. "Didn’t you want to start a business with Li Ke? I’m leaving you an out. If he bullies you, just knock on my door and tattle. Your boyfriend can promptly vent your anger for you."

"He doesn’t have to live next door, though."

As she spoke, Xu Zhi looped her arms around his neck and bit his Adam’s apple.

He tilted his head back, silent. Chen Luzhou rarely made a sound.

Xu Zhi refused to accept it, determined to hear him. Lightly teasing him, she still got nothing—just his stubborn defiance. Unable to resist, Chen Luzhou lowered his head to kiss her, his tongue slowly sliding in to claim her. "No can do. If he’s any farther, you’ll cool off before you reach me. You don’t stay angry for long. Knowing Li Ke’s my friend, you’d probably talk yourself out of it before even making it to my door. What a waste, Xu Zhi. Ever heard the saying, 'The duck knows first when the river warms in spring'?"

What nonsense.

"Kids need to tattle while it’s fresh," he said.

Xu Zhi burst out laughing. "You’re insane."

"What’s so funny? That’s my brother’s golden rule."

……

Chen Luzhou bent lower, kissing down her abdomen. Xu Zhi instantly realized his intention, her mind spinning. Her fingers tangled in his hair as she murmured, "Your brother must’ve been happy growing up."

He hummed in agreement. "So when he ran away from home in the middle of the night, no one believed him. When he reached the gate, the security guard even handed him a bag of trash to toss on his way out."

"Stop it. The guard would never do that. That was you, wasn’t it?"

Xu Zhi felt a sudden, fierce suction, her heart lurching in response. A wave of numbness spread through her, her entire body already a wreck. The man buried against her chuckled helplessly. "You know me that well?"

"No wonder your brother’s always pissed at you."

……

The room fell into silence, their heavy, fevered breaths the only sound left. In the end, their clothes weren’t fully removed—Chen Luzhou’s shirt remained open as he leaned against the headboard. He’d tried to take it off midway, but Xu Zhi stopped him.

His belt had been pulled free and tossed aside, the button undone.

Xu Zhi lowered her head. Chen Luzhou couldn’t bear it, seemingly hesitant to assume her intention. With a soft, teasing laugh, he asked gently, "Hmm? What’re you doing?"

This had always been his role.

"Let me try?"

"Really want to?"

"Yeah."

"Hold on, let me shower first." He pulled her up.Finally, Chen Luzhou leaned against the headboard while Xu Zhi bent over him. He cradled her head with one hand, lowering his gaze to watch her inexperienced expressions. Occasionally, she would look up, her eyes fixed on him with an intensity that mirrored the rising passion between them.

Chen Luzhou sucked in a sharp breath, caught between pain and pleasure. Unable to resist, he closed his eyes, his brows furrowing as a stifled groan escaped his lips.

……

Yet, less than a minute later, Chen Luzhou pulled her back, stopping her from continuing. He remained propped against the headboard, his shirt still disheveled and open, one leg bent as he laughed—his chest heaving with each breath. His laughter grew so uncontrollable that his head tilted lazily against the headboard, the back of his skull pressing into the white wall behind him. His chin lifted slightly as he gazed down at her through half-lidded eyes, his Adam’s apple bobbing silently.

Xu Zhi was baffled. She reached out to touch his forehead. “Chen Luzhou, what are you laughing at? Have you lost it?”

Still chuckling, he took her hand and lowered it. “No, it’s enough. I know what you’re trying to do—can’t even let me have this, huh?”

Admittedly, she just wanted to hear him make a sound.

Xu Zhi smirked, unable to resist teasing him. “Chen Luzhou, what was it you said back then? If you made even a single noise, you wouldn’t be qualified to be my boyfriend.”

Damn it , he cursed inwardly. Unbelievable—she still found a way to turn this around.

“Yeah, well, if I hadn’t made a sound, I wouldn’t be qualified either.”

“……”