Be Passionately In Love

Xu Guangji raised an eyebrow knowingly, letting out a drawn-out "Oh" of understanding. "What does your family do?"

Chen Luzhou was momentarily stunned—what did that have to do with his condition? But he answered honestly nonetheless, "Business."

Xu Guangji gave another "Oh," typing something into the computer. "Any siblings?"

"A younger brother," Chen Luzhou replied.

"Ever had your sperm motility tested?" Xu Guangji asked.

"No."

Xu Guangji glanced at him. "Can you perform now?"

Chen Luzhou coughed awkwardly. "I... can try."

Xu Guangji wrote him a slip and told him to go pay first. As soon as Chen Luzhou stepped out with his card and medical record, Zhu Yangqi sprang up from his chair. "What did the doctor say? Don't tell me you're really screwed?"

Chen Luzhou slapped the medical record against Zhu Yangqi's chest and wordlessly headed to the payment counter, card in hand.

Zhu Yangqi chased after him anxiously. "Seriously, what did the doctor say?"

"No idea," Chen Luzhou said, handing his card through the window and pulling out his phone to pay. "He wants me to get a sperm motility test."

Zhu Yangqi was incredulous. "No way. The doctor didn’t say anything else?"

"He asked about my family’s business and if I had siblings." Chen Luzhou was baffled. He rarely visited hospitals—even for colds or fevers—let alone a urology department. "Why would he ask that?"

Zhu Yangqi, ever the quick thinker, had a sudden epiphany. "He’s hinting for a red envelope! My dad said some doctors with shady ethics pull this—they drop hints for bribes!"

"Really?" Chen Luzhou clicked his tongue, shaking his head. "He seemed pretty upright."

"Want me to run out and grab a couple of red envelopes? Doesn’t matter what it takes—getting treated is what’s important. This affects your future happiness, man." Zhu Yangqi was now in full martyr mode. If not for his antics yesterday, Chen Luzhou wouldn’t be in this mess.

Chen Luzhou thought it was overkill. It didn’t seem that serious—just a slight difference when he woke up that morning. He’d even tried watching something to test the waters, but felt nothing. Probably just sore from Tan Xu’s elbow during yesterday’s game. He figured it’d heal on its own, but Zhu Yangqi had insisted it could be a big deal—maybe even permanent—so here he was.

"Uh... no need."

Thick-skinned as he was, bribing a doctor over this was next-level awkward.

Not being able to perform would be even worse. In the end, he returned to the consultation room empty-handed.

Xu Guangji gave him a knowing glance. "No luck?"

Chen Luzhou was still sore from yesterday’s injury—any movement hurt, so he wasn’t exactly in the mood. He cleared his throat. "Is this test really necessary?"

"Or I could just take a look if you drop your pants." Xu Guangji reached for his glasses on the table.

Chen Luzhou realized coming here was a moronic decision. He must’ve been out of his mind to listen to Zhu Yangqi. "Actually... maybe I should rest at home first. I’ll come back next week—""Alright then," Xu Guangji naturally didn't press the matter. "Let me give you some advice. If this condition is caused by external injury, it usually recovers within two days. If it persists for a week, it might very well be a precursor to erectile dysfunction."

Chen Luzhou: ?

Xu Guangji spoke with grave concern, "That's the situation. You need to take it seriously. Do you have a girlfriend?"

Chen Luzhou: "...No."

Xu Guangji wore an expression that said if you don't take it seriously yourself, there's nothing I can do. "Then I suggest you hold off on finding a girlfriend for now. Focus on treating the condition first. Observe it for a while and remember to come back for regular check-ups."

Chen Luzhou: "..."

The andrology department was the emptiest in the entire hospital. Once Chen Luzhou left, the hallway was completely deserted. Dean Cai, having heard the news, rushed in like a headless fly, pushing the door open energetically. "Where's that kid?"

Xu Guangji sat solemnly in front of the computer, organizing the day's medical records. With two loud "thuds," he meticulously placed all the documents on the table, aligning them perfectly. "He's gone!"

Dean Cai lowered his voice, "Was it really that Chen Luzhou?"

"I had Old Fu secretly take a photo for me. No mistake, it was him," Xu Guangji said as he rummaged for a stapler. He casually pulled out a red envelope from the drawer—one that Chen Luzhou's friend had stealthily slipped him before leaving—and slapped it onto the table righteously for Dean Cai to see. "Look at this! Kids these days, so savvy. Not even out in society yet, and they already know how to bribe. And after handing it over, they just run off—I couldn't even catch up. Just think, what kind of decent parents must he have? What kind of decent kid could they raise?"

Dean Cai: "Confiscate it! Confiscate it!"

"Confiscate my ass! With this little money, he thinks he can buy me off? Dream on!"

**

Once Chen Luzhou got into the car, he found out that Zhu Yangqi had gone back to secretly slip a red envelope behind his back. He immediately kicked him in the car. "Are you insane? Why would you give a bribe?"

Zhu Yangqi was confident. "Trust me, next time you go, he’ll definitely greet you with a smile."

Chen Luzhou silently repeated Xu Guangji's name in his mind. Next time, he absolutely wouldn’t book an appointment with him. What was he thinking? There wouldn’t be a next time!

"Are you still going to play basketball tonight?" Zhu Yangqi dared to ask. "Jiang Cheng and the others just called again."

"What do you think?" Chen Luzhou leaned back in the taxi seat, giving him a cold sidelong glance.

"Never mind. I guess you’re not in the mood for basketball lately," Zhu Yangqi thought to himself. Maybe he’s lost interest in girls too. So he cautiously leaned in and asked, "What about Xu Zhi? Still interested in her?"

At this question, Chen Luzhou instinctively looked down.

Zhu Yangqi suggested in a gentle tone, "Why don’t you ask her out to watch a movie? Relax a little."

"Not happening." He glanced at the passing scenery outside the window and refused without hesitation.

Zhu Yangqi, sharp and perceptive, studied his cold, handsome profile with a hint of schadenfreude. "You’re not jealous, are you?"

"Give me a break. What right do I have to be jealous?" Chen Luzhou still gazed absently out the window at the various low-quality ads plastered on the walls. He sighed and said, "Ever since she came down from the mountain, I’ve been wondering why I feel this way about her."Zhu Yangqi said, "Love at first sight? It's not really that strange nowadays. Like when we first started high school, the moment I saw Gu Yan in our class, I liked her. But I knew I definitely couldn't chase after her."

Chen Luzhou was still looking out the car window. He didn't come to this road often—it was one of the few remaining unrenovated areas in Qingyi after the city's recent reforms. The street was narrow and cramped, with mottled mold stains on the low-rise buildings on either side. Piles of garbage littered the area, and cars were parked haphazardly wherever there was space. The residents resisted renovation because most were tenants in crowded shared housing, with a mixed and transient population. There was an alley rumored to be a street full of scams and shady businesses—everything from fortune-telling and divination to illicit affairs and prostitution. In short, it was Qingyi's earliest red-light district.

He glanced back at Zhu Yangqi, a rare self-deprecating smirk tugging at his lips. "Maybe. But the more I think about it, it's more about the desire to conquer."

"Because she's not interested in you? Another one of those strong-willed beauties? Or you don't believe she's only interested in your mom?"

Chen Luzhou turned his face away again. "A bit of everything. I think she might be playing hard to get, or maybe she's genuinely clueless. Either way, I don’t want to play along. The former is too passive, and the latter is just boring. Besides, I’m not staying. She’s so attached to her dad, and her college entrance exam scores are probably decent—she’s not going to follow me abroad."

Zhu Yangqi sighed. "Alright, guess it’s just bad timing. Speaking of which, Feng Jin’s coming back in a few days. Since you’re leaving soon, I want to properly introduce you two. Old Feng’s into photography too—you’ll have plenty to talk about. I’ll invite Jiang Cheng and the others as well, make it a proper gathering."

Jiang Cheng was another childhood friend of Chen Luzhou’s, though not as close as Zhu Yangqi. They often played basketball together, so they were naturally familiar. Jiang Cheng had also studied in another province during middle school, attending the same school as Chen Luzhou, and transferred back after Chen Luzhou returned.

If anything, Jiang Cheng and Chen Luzhou were actually closer.

"Mm."

Still bothered by yesterday’s basketball game, Zhu Yangqi hesitated before adding, "Jiang Cheng’s been getting a bit too close to Tan Xu lately. Not that I’m badmouthing him—I barely know him. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t even keep in touch with him. But should we maybe warn him about Tan Xu?"

"Jiang Cheng’s planning to retake the college entrance exam. If Tan Xu really transfers back, they’ll probably end up in the same cram class. It’s natural they’d get closer," Chen Luzhou said dismissively. "By the way, do me a favor."

**

Xu Zhi was helping Chen Luzhou look at camera lenses when she got Zhu Yangqi’s call. She was trying to find a replacement for the lens cap she’d broken a while back, but since Chen Luzhou hadn’t contacted her, she’d been blindly browsing online guides based on his camera model.

"Chen Luzhou went to the neighboring city today. He asked me to take your cousin to check out cameras—he has a friend who specializes in this," Zhu Yangqi said over the phone.

Xu Zhi let out an "Oh," then asked, "Why didn’t Chen Luzhou contact me himself?"

"He’s been busy lately. Took on a job in the neighboring city—probably shooting for three or four days," Zhu Yangqi explained. "Anyway, I’ll hang up if there’s nothing else. Have your cousin call me tomorrow, and I’ll take him to meet Luzhou’s friend.""Okay, thanks."

Xu Zhi hung up the phone and continued searching for camera lenses similar to his model on her phone. Cai Yingying, noticing she'd been obsessively picking out lenses for some handsome guy day and night these past two days, asked suspiciously, "Why are you still looking? It's been two days. Haven't you found anything suitable yet?"

They were at Cai Yingying's place. She probably thought the green streaks in her hair were unlucky and was now messing with hair dye, trying to change it back. Xu Zhi sat curled up on the carpet, scrolling through her phone with unprecedented focus, having gone through every online guide. "No, the lenses recommended in the guides—Chen Luzhou seems to have them all. I wanted to buy a 50mm autofocus lens to return to him, but he said he prefers shooting portraits. The guides say 85mm is better for portraits, but then I found out the kind he uses is crazy expensive. A single lens costs tens of thousands, and the cheapest is still around eight or nine thousand."

"No wonder he didn't tell us when he went to Lin City. I wouldn't want to bring us along either. Having him use that kind of equipment as our photographer would be such a waste," Cai Yingying said, her heart aching for Xu Zhi's wallet as she vigorously mixed the dye. "Why not skip the lens and just treat him to a meal or a movie instead? Otherwise, I feel like even if you sold yourself, you still couldn't afford his stuff."

Xu Zhi was genuinely frustrated.

She didn’t know what was wrong with her lately—she kept thinking about Chen Luzhou, couldn’t resist checking her WeChat, and would unconsciously click into his Moments. She felt like she was going crazy trying to make money.

She had thought she and Chen Luzhou were at least somewhat friends. But after casually browsing his Moments, she suddenly realized he definitely wasn’t lacking in friends. Just a random scroll revealed familiar WeChat IDs liking his posts—girls from the class next to theirs at Rui Jun High, it seemed.

"Isn’t that... what’s-her-name?" Cai Yingying recognized the person immediately. "The little nightingale from Class Five? The one who sings really well, competed in the city’s top ten singers? What about her? Is she involved with Chen Luzhou?"

Xu Zhi shook her head. "No, I mean—do you think Chen Luzhou ever considered us friends? Or are we just like those top ten friends in his Moments, the kind who leave likes? Like that little nightingale?"

"What does it matter?" Cai Yingying saw things clearly. After putting on her dyeing cap, she cracked open a soda and said, "A guy like him is just a fleeting presence in our lives. No matter what, we won’t cross paths again. We should focus on other handsome guys—like this one."

Rubbing her hands excitedly, Cai Yingying pulled up a photo on her phone. "Remember how our video went viral? Someone online asked if we wanted to collaborate on shoots. I extended an olive branch, and he said he’s willing to go exploring with us as our photographer. His name’s Feng Jin, also from Qingyi. I’ve decided to sincerely invite him to join our Yingying-Yanyan Exploration Squad! What do you think?"

Xu Zhi glanced at the photo and thought, Sigh, not as handsome as Chen Luzhou.

"Fine, making money comes first," Xu Zhi sighed.