Be Passionately In Love

The moon nestled against the horizon, golden and mellow, while the rain-laden air brimmed with laughter and chatter. Even after the well-fed crowd dispersed like startled birds and beasts, their hurried footsteps never ceased—as if there were always another gathering to rush off to.

Chen Luzhou was alone now, with no next stop to hurry toward. So he crouched by the convenience store entrance, watching passersby gather and part, watching their farewells, watching them charge toward tomorrow with fiery enthusiasm.

"Crunch, crunch, crunch—" The crisp, forceful sounds came one after another as he flattened beer cans one by one. A nearby dog barked furiously at him, eyeing him with human-like disdain. "Woof woof woof—"

Chen Luzhou knew even the dog couldn't tolerate his noise anymore. Chastised, he surrendered with a laugh and lazily raised a hand. "Alright, alright—my bad."

He obediently stood up and tossed all the half-empty beer cans into the trash, finally quieting the dog's barks.

The street regained a moment of tranquility as the moon silently cast its glow. With summer approaching, the cicadas' chirps grew increasingly loud and clear.

Not particularly hungry, Chen Luzhou tossed half a burger to the little yellow dog beside him. Truth be told, he hadn't eaten dinner. After playing basketball and getting the address from Zhu Yangqi, he'd gone straight to the night market to find Xu Zhi. He'd planned to treat her to a late-night snack and maybe a movie afterward. He'd even booked a private booth at Bohui—oh, Bohui was one of Old Chen's many businesses. Not that it mattered to him. Old Chen had made it clear all these assets were reserved for Chen Xingqi. Yeah, he'd never thought of fighting for them.

Knowing Cai Yingying was there, he'd figured he might need Zhu Yangqi's help. But to get Zhu Yangqi on board, not only had he played basketball for free, he'd also ended up owing him a meal at Shangfang Hot Pot.

Oh right, Zhu Yangqi. Forgot to tell him his help wasn't needed anymore.

Chen Luzhou instinctively reached for his phone, only to realize belatedly that it was probably still with Cai Yingying getting a screen protector applied. He'd been so distracted listening to his mom earlier that he'd forgotten to retrieve it—he'd even used the convenience store membership card from his phone to buy beer. Only now did it occur to him.

He hesitated over whether to use a payphone to call.

A pat of his pockets confirmed he had no cash.

Normally, he might've gone inside to borrow a clerk's phone. But today, he really didn't feel like talking to strangers.

Truth be told, he occasionally dealt with social anxiety, especially around strangers. He wasn't as sunny and outgoing as he appeared—especially lately. He kept wondering if he'd done something wrong, something that made Old Chen and Lian Hui want to send him abroad.

**

Just as Cai Yingying inserted her key into the door lock, the phone rang. "What? You want to ask me out? Zhu Yangqi, are you out of your mind? Do you know what time it is? Why would you ask me out? I'm not going."

Zhu Yangqi's voice was shamelessly persistent over the line. "Shangfang Hot Pot. You coming or not?"

Shangfang Hot Pot—a thousand per person. Cai Yingying carefully withdrew her key and tiptoed back into the elevator. "Zhu Yangqi, did you strike it rich? Just the two of us? Who else is coming? Is Chen Luzhou there? If he's not, then Xu Zhi probably isn't either. Can I get takeout? I'll bring some for her—I heard their duck blood is amazing."

Only then did Zhu Yangqi sense something off. "Chen Luzhou isn't with you?"

"He was here earlier, but then his mom showed up, and he left with her."Then, Cai Yingying heard Zhu Yangqi clear his throat and say, "Uh... Cai Yingying, how about I treat you to KFC? They just released a new combo that comes with two Iron Man toys. You’ve probably never had it."

"Zhu Yangqi, are you insane? Messing with me in the middle of the night?"

"Alright, alright, come out. I’ll treat you to Shangfang."

……

Cai Binhong was sitting on the sofa talking on the phone with Xu Guangji. Suspicious, he glanced toward the door—he had clearly heard the sound of it opening and Cai Yingying’s voice earlier, but after waiting for ages, no one had come in. So he went to open the door and found not a soul in sight.

"Strange," he said to Xu Guangji over the phone. "I could’ve sworn I just heard Yingying’s voice."

"Yingying?" Xu Guangji had recently been caring for a bird that seemed to be nearing the end of its life. No matter how he tried to cheer it up, the bird remained listless. He had just taken it for a walk downstairs, but even that hadn’t lifted its spirits. Now, he was feeding it a banana. "I just ran into her downstairs. She’s back."

"Probably ran out again," Cai Binhong didn’t think much of it. Cai Yingying was always out and about like a wild child. He continued discussing work matters with Xu Guangji. "I haven’t made up my mind yet. It’s technically a lateral transfer, and it wasn’t supposed to happen this soon. But with the academic fraud scandal at Tongshan Hospital making waves, they want me to step in temporarily."

"Tongshan? That’s in N Province, isn’t it? That’s practically a relocation," Xu Guangji said. "I can’t advise you on this—you’ll have to think it over yourself. Tongshan Hospital is one of the top specialty hospitals in the country. Going there would definitely help your career."

Cai Binhong was waiting for the college entrance exam results. If Yingying decided to retake the exam, he couldn’t possibly leave.

"Our hearts are forever tied to our daughters. Once they’re gone, maybe we should consider finding partners. I think they’re old enough to accept it now."

Xu Guangji kept glancing at the motionless door, distracted as he replied, "Yeah, we have to consider whether they’d accept us finding partners. But when they start dating, do they ever stop to think whether their dads can accept it?"

"Don’t lump Yingying into that. She’s not dating anyone."

"Hmph, if she’s not dating anyone, why isn’t she home in the middle of the night? Pot calling the kettle black. Don’t be too naive."

At the time, Cai Binhong didn’t give it a second thought. Cai Yingying was like a drafty little jacket—only those who wore it knew the truth. But he never could have imagined—

That when someone else wore this little jacket, it wasn’t drafty at all.

**

Chen Luzhou sat at the outdoor tables outside the convenience store for nearly an hour and a half. Then, without warning, a heavy downpour started. Without an umbrella, he wasn’t in a hurry to leave. He just watched as the rain fell in thick, erratic sheets, pounding against the windows, the pavement, and the roofs of cars. The conversation he’d just had with his mother in the car still echoed in his ears—

"Results come out tomorrow. We know you’ll be disappointed, but Lida University is also great. Your dad and I talked it over. You like photography, right? Their medical imaging program is pretty good."

Chen Luzhou, leaning back in the car seat, had probably found it genuinely amusing. A smirk tugged at his lips. "Mom, you’re a well-known TV producer. Even if you don’t usually pay attention, could you at least do a little research when helping me pick a major? Photography and X-rays are not the same damn thing."

"Medical imaging is about medical scans, right?"

"Yeah."“Lida University doesn’t seem to have a dedicated photography program. If you really want to study photography, maybe ask your dad to look into other options for you. We could switch countries?”

At the time, there was a rear-end collision on the road. The accident scene was gruesome—rain mixed with mud and blood, the ground splattered with shocking red. The victim’s family wailed in anguish, lying in the middle of the road in hysterics. The police were handling the scene, and their car had been stuck in traffic for quite a while without moving.

The driver kept honking impatiently at the cars ahead, while the traffic officers directed the flow calmly. No one seemed particularly fazed by the life-and-death scene unfolding before them. Chen Luzhou stared blankly out the window, knowing the odds were slim but still asking stubbornly, “Do I really have to leave?”

Lian Hui was replying to a message, her tone gentle but firm. “There’s no need to ask that question again, especially in front of your dad.”

“What if… I don’t go to A University? What if I just attend some third-rate college here?” Chen Luzhou said. “I could major in the most obscure fields—male nursing, for example. If that’s not obscure enough, how about veterinary medicine, mortuary science, or religious studies?”

“Luzhou, your father and I want you to study abroad not just because of the inheritance issue,” Lian Hui said, giving him a meaningful look. “I don’t see how studying overseas could be bad for you. Every executive at our station sends their kids abroad—some even turn down guaranteed admission to A University to apply for overseas programs in their senior year. This discussion is over. Even if your father agreed to let you stay, I wouldn’t.”

“Is it because of what happened that afternoon?” he asked bluntly, wanting at least to die with clarity.

“So you’ve always thought that’s why I want you to go abroad? If you suspect something between me and Director Yang, you can take it up with your dad. I have explanations and evidence—it won’t affect whether you leave or not. And let me be clear: sending you abroad is for polishing your credentials, not exiling you. You’ll still come back and serve this family, just like you said before—that you’re nothing but a guard dog in our eyes. Fine, then come back and keep being our unpaid guard dog.”

Gentle women were the deadliest when they spoke harshly. Later, Chen Luzhou would look back on those words and feel outmatched. His temperament, after all, was much like Lian Hui’s—ruthless and sharp.

His footsteps were heavy. He hadn’t drunk much and was sure he wasn’t drunk, but as he pushed open the stairwell door, the alcohol must have gone to his head, stirring up some latent teenage melodrama in him. He hadn’t expected anyone to be in the stairwell, so he stepped slowly and deliberately along the center line—mostly out of boredom, and partly because he didn’t want to return to that cold, empty rental apartment just yet.

Then, a familiar voice sounded beside him.

“Did you set up a trap or something?”

Honestly, Chen Luzhou was startled. When he suddenly saw Xu Zhi’s pale, indifferent face, he instinctively glanced back at the stairwell entrance, momentarily confused. “You…?”

Xu Zhi stepped out of the shadows, standing a few steps above him. It was unclear how long she’d been waiting, but she was clearly impatient. She wanted to ask where he’d been, but the smell of alcohol on him made it obvious.

“You went drinking?”

“Yeah.” Chen Luzhou lowered his head and sidestepped her, calmly unlocking the door.He didn’t close the door. After changing into slippers, he casually tossed a clean pair by the entrance and, without waiting for her to step inside, silently retreated into the bedroom to change.

Xu Zhi put on the slippers but didn’t venture further, standing motionless in the entryway, waiting to see how he’d deal with her once he emerged. The phone in her pocket kept vibrating—Chen Luzhou’s phone. The constant buzzing had nearly numbed her leg. He truly was swamped with work; the relentless vibrations were enough to trigger her social anxiety.

By now, the battery was probably down to one percent. Earlier, she’d seen it was only at ten.

When Chen Luzhou finally came out after changing, he’d inexplicably swapped into a hoodie and sweatpants, as if afraid she’d take advantage of him—not an inch of skin exposed except for his Adam’s apple, which now seemed even more prominent and defined.

He had already settled onto the sofa when he glanced back through the living room partition and saw her still rooted in the entryway. With a teasing lilt, he said, “What, standing guard for me? Did I hire you as a door god?”

Only then did Xu Zhi step forward, handing him the phone. “Yingying didn’t get a chance to stop you when you left.”

Seated on the sofa, he took the phone with a noncommittal hum, likely guessing why she’d come. A glance at the screen confirmed it was dead.

“Sit for a bit.”

He got up to search for a charger in his room.

Xu Zhi heard the sound of drawers opening and closing. Soon, he emerged draped in a black blanket, exhaustion clinging to him as he plugged the phone into a power bank, shuffling lazily in his slippers. It was only when she saw the power bank that she remembered—she still owed him one.

“Do you have a cold?” she asked. “Do you have a thermometer at home?”

Chen Luzhou slumped back onto the sofa, replying to a few urgent messages while the phone charged. At the top was a text from Gu Yan five minutes ago, asking him out to eat. He scrolled past it, found Zhu Yangqi’s chat, and typed out a quick message one-handed while tugging at his hair. Then he tossed the phone onto the table, leaned his head back against the sofa, and stared blankly at the ceiling, ignoring her question. His tone was cool. “Anything else? If you’re here to see my mom, I haven’t figured out how to explain it to her yet. You saw her today—she’s not easy to fool.”

The TV in the living room was on, broadcasting the weather forecast: scattered rain again tomorrow. Watching the screen and listening to the familiar anchor’s voice and background music, she sighed. “Oh, no, I’m not here for your mom. Actually, I came to tell you a joke.”

Chen Luzhou’s psychological trauma from her jokes could fill a five-bedroom apartment. “Can I opt out?”

“It just happened earlier. You really don’t want to hear it?”

“Fine. Go ahead.” He relented with a sigh.

“Your phone kept ringing nonstop earlier. I shared a cab with this auntie, and we were sitting in the back seat. It was super awkward because your phone kept vibrating, and she kept thinking it was hers. Every time it buzzed, she’d pull out her phone, realize no one was calling her, and then ended up scolding me.”Xu Zhi sat with her back ramrod straight, while Chen Luzhou lounged back, his angle just right to catch a glimpse of the area behind her ear—her ears were flushed a deep red, soft and delicate. His gaze lingered there, loose and tender, before he teased, "What did they say to scold you? Even our President Xu’s ears are red from it."

Xu Zhi had no idea how red her ears were and assumed Chen Luzhou was just joking. She repeated the words verbatim, "They told me not to bring a massager when I go out. Wow, I was so embarrassed. I had to take it out and say, 'It’s not a massager, it’s my friend’s phone.' And then it—just—stopped!"

Chen Luzhou choked mid-breath. "...Xu Zhi, are you making dirty jokes with me?"

"No, I’m asking you for emotional damages," Xu Zhi replied frankly.

Chen Luzhou knew it. Leaning back, he grabbed his phone and said magnanimously, "Alright, how much do you want?"

"How much do you have?"

"I’ve got five million. Want it?" he offered generously, in good humor.

Xu Zhi was pragmatic. "If it’s legal, then yes."

Chen Luzhou chuckled, locked his phone, and absentmindedly twirled it in his hand, joking as he looked at her, "With that much money, keeping it legal would be tough. Unless we get married."

"No way," Xu Zhi shot back instantly.

"Now you’re being picky? I’m the one with five million, not you! Besides, who said anything about marrying you? Dream on."

"Ah, I meant I’m not of legal age yet. Neither are you, right?"

"Even if I were, I wouldn’t marry. The state advocates late marriage and childbirth, and quality births. Better focus on making money first—how else are you gonna raise kids?"

So that was Chen Luzhou’s stance. Late marriage, quality births, Xu Zhi mused.

The conversation halted abruptly, just as the torrential rain outside ceased, leaving glistening puddles under the streetlights.

About five minutes later, the TV screen had switched to the late-night news, where the anchor was reporting on the upcoming release of the national college entrance exam results. Xu Zhi stole another glance at him. "Chen Luzhou, I want to ask you something."

"Go ahead," he said drowsily, his eyes shut indifferently, not even glancing at the TV.

"It’s about Yingying," Xu Zhi began, silently apologizing to Cai Yingying for using her as a test subject. "She might’ve developed feelings for a guy recently..."

Chen Luzhou finally opened his eyes, sighed, and turned to look at her, his expression unreadable. "I wondered why you were clinging to me today. Here to pick my brain? Who’s Cai Yingying into? Zhu Yangqi?"

"I can’t say."

Chen Luzhou gave her a sidelong glance, his head resting against the back of the sofa, neck supported, before turning away again. Eyes closed, he drawled lazily, "Fine. Does she want to pursue him or what?"

Xu Zhi recounted every detail meticulously, "Not exactly pursue. She just wants to stay friends and is afraid confessing would ruin that. This guy seems pretty sketchy—super attentive one moment, then disappears for days. Hot and cold. And he seems to have female friends around."

Chen Luzhou: "That’s a textbook player."

Xu Zhi: "Right? I think he’s trash."

Chen Luzhou hummed in agreement, grabbing the remote nearby and suggesting obliviously, "Tell Cai Yingying to just have fun with it. Don’t take it too seriously."

Xu Zhi nodded. "Are you feeling better now?"

Chen Luzhou: "Why? What’ll you do if I’m not?"Xu Zhi thought for a moment, glanced at the sky, and extended a sincere invitation: "Let me take you for a motorcycle ride. It's really thrilling."

"No thanks. How come you're always driving without a license?" Chen Luzhou declined politely, tightening the black blanket around himself as he could barely hold on. "If you're not ready to leave yet, watch a movie by yourself. This one's not bad—lots of plot twists. I'm running a fever and can't keep you company. I'm going to lie down inside. If you want to leave, just come get me, and I'll take you back."

"There's alcohol in the fridge if you want any," he added.

As he finished speaking, he broke off a cold pill from the coffee table and was about to swallow it when he suddenly remembered he had been drinking earlier. Without hesitation, he spat it out and immediately reached for the glass of water nearby to rinse his mouth. Only after drinking did he realize—the water on the table was Xu Zhi's. He hadn't poured himself a glass; there was only one cup, and the rim still bore the faint imprint of her lipstick.

Xu Zhi didn’t forget to remind him, "...That's mine."

Chen Luzhou, mouth still full of water, remained composed and responded indistinctly, "...Gurgle, gurgle-gurgle."

"Yeah, I know," he said after spitting the water out, enunciating clearly this time.

Xu Zhi: ?

The blanket slipped to the floor, but Chen Luzhou couldn’t be bothered to pick it up. His brain was barely functioning, and his Adam's apple bobbed helplessly twice before he managed to explain, "I meant, I only realized after drinking it. Now I'm the one at a disadvantage—no need to look at me like that."

"Should I be happy about it?"

"Not necessary," Chen Luzhou finally bent to pick up the blanket, quickly regaining his footing—and his knack for provoking her. "Does our five-thousand deal still stand? Technically, I did kiss you, even if indirectly. How about a discount? Two thousand five hundred? Just send it to me on WeChat."

Xu Zhi swiftly picked up the cup and took a sip as well—who didn’t know how to stand their ground?

“Satisfied now? Or should I have another cup, and you pay me back twenty-five hundred?”

“……”

Author’s Note: Scores come out tomorrow. Probably another long chapter.

Let me tell you, sweet romance is definitely coming—I can promise it’ll be very sweet—but don’t rush me, ahhh—!