Be Passionately In Love

Xu Zhi didn’t reply to him. Chen Luzhou didn’t text again either. At the time, he was at the pharmacy buying bruise ointment because his entire arm was covered in bruises and scrapes. While waiting for the clerk to fetch the medicine, he had casually draped his jacket over his shoulders, but when he noticed a child nearby getting their temperature taken, he put it back on, not wanting to scare them.

The pharmacy clerk, seeing the injuries on his face and how handsome he was—figuring he probably cared about his appearance—handed him a box of amoxicillin and advised matter-of-factly, “Take this along with the ointment. Try not to wash your face for the next few days, or the wounds might get infected. Wouldn’t want to ruin that face of yours.”

Chen Luzhou sighed. This was exactly why he hated dealing with such troublesome things. Truth be told, this wasn’t his first fight. Back in the orphanage, he used to get into scuffles every now and then. Some kids just couldn’t keep their hands off his stuff—maybe they thought other people’s belongings were somehow better, or maybe they were just lazy, always using his lunchbox. But he had always been possessive, a bit of a neat freak, and absolutely refused to let others touch his things. Back then, he wasn’t as quick with words as he was now, so when arguments failed, fists did the talking. Eventually, he started carving his name into all his belongings.

As he walked out of the pharmacy with a bag of medicine, Zhu Yangqi and Jiang Cheng were standing by the door, smoking and chatting. Though fights weren’t exactly routine for them, playing basketball often led to run-ins with troublemakers, so they were used to minor injuries. A couple of cigarettes usually took the edge off. Seeing Chen Luzhou finally emerge, they stood under the dim streetlight and teased him half-jokingly, “So, did the pharmacy staff tell you that if you’d arrived two minutes later, your wounds would’ve healed on their own?”

“Piss off,” Chen Luzhou shot back with a laugh. He wasn’t one to hold grudges, so he just tossed them a bottle of bruise ointment from the bag. “Here, rub some on. Your faces are starting to look as scarred as Long-ge’s.”

At the mention of Long-ge, Zhu Yangqi suddenly remembered—why hadn’t that plan worked out? Jiang Cheng coughed guiltily, stubbed out his cigarette discreetly, and made a quick escape. “Uh, I’m gonna go find Hang Sui.”

The pharmacy was on a small street just outside Yifeng Alley. The area was a bit like an urban village—clusters of shabby, low-rise buildings squeezed between towering skyscrapers and shopping centers. Just a street away was a bustling commercial district packed with people, but this old residential area was quiet, with only a few passersby and rows of small shops lining the road. Most residents here were longtime locals, so occasionally, a high-end sports car would roar down the empty streets, flaunting its speed.

The two of them walked deeper into the alley under the flickering streetlights. Chen Luzhou strolled leisurely, his jacket open, the bag of medicine swinging in his hand. He occasionally checked his phone, but there were no messages. Oblivious to his distraction, Zhu Yangqi chattered excitedly about Jiang Cheng and Hang Sui.

“...”

“Jiang Cheng’s really met his match with Hang Sui. She’s ruthless. You know, for some reason, I feel like Hang Sui and Xu Zhi are a bit alike—or maybe that’s just how all stunning beauties are?”The evening breeze was gentle, and the earlier rain had left a chill in the air mixed with the scent of moisture. Chen Luzhou couldn’t help but soften his breathing, now only craving something hot to fill the hollowness in his chest. Wearily, he kept one hand in his pocket as he walked, listening to the chatter without responding, remaining silent the entire way. It wasn’t until the last remark that he naturally picked up the thread of conversation, his tone lazy: "Oh? How so? I didn’t notice."

Zhu Yangqi said he didn’t know either—just a feeling.

As they walked, Chen Luzhou spotted a small yellow dog lying contentedly in front of the 8090 convenience store, wagging its tail with ease. He stared at it for a moment before asking without turning his head, "Do you know what it means when a dog wags its tail?"

Zhu Yangqi replied, "No idea. Maybe it needs to take a dump."

Chen Luzhou shot him a sidelong glance: "..."

That night, Chen Luzhou’s phone still showed no reply. He figured Xu Zhi might not reach out to him again. At one point, he had sent Cai Yingying a WeChat message, but she hadn’t responded either. Probably Xu Zhi had told her about what happened that night—girls always stuck together. Chen Luzhou actually thought it was for the best; Cai Yingying should unconditionally stand by her friend’s side.

……

When Zhu Yangqi woke up from a nap and saw Chen Luzhou sitting silently in the living room on his phone, he assumed he was chatting with someone. But when he stealthily crept closer for a look, he discovered, to his shock, that Chen Luzhou was scrolling through Cai Yingying’s Moments. Instantly furious, he smacked him hard. "What the hell! Changing targets now, huh?"

Chen Luzhou reacted lightning-fast, instinctively raising his arm to block—right where Zhu Yangqi’s hand landed on his forearm. His arm was already covered in bruises, and the sudden hit sent a sharp pain shooting through him. He collapsed onto the sofa, staring blankly at the ceiling, utterly exasperated but too breathless with pain to do anything but hiss through clenched teeth—

"Don’t you dare mess with Cai Yingying. She has zero resistance to good-looking guys. She’s told me multiple times that with your looks, you could become an A-list celebrity in no time if you entered the entertainment industry. Just dating you casually would feel like a flex. And besides, you’ve always been careful to avoid any hint of impropriety, especially with girls I like—"

The quiet living room was filled with Chen Luzhou’s rapid but even breathing, oddly stirring to hear. If anyone else had been present, the scene would’ve been indescribable. Leaning back on the sofa, he wanted to kick Zhu Yangqi but couldn’t muster the energy to lift his foot—his pigheadedness wasn’t worth the effort. As the pain gradually ebbed from his nerves and his breathing steadied, his clear, bright eyes could only fix Zhu Yangqi with a cold, speechless stare, so detached it bordered on lifeless—

"Since we were kids, have I ever not actively avoided girls you liked? Don’t bring up Gu Yan—I didn’t exchange a single word with her all through high school. And if I really wanted to get entangled with someone, it wouldn’t be Cai Yingying. Get this straight—it’s not because you like her. It’s because she’s Xu Zhi’s friend."

"Then why—" Zhu Yangqi realized he’d been overly sensitive lately. Lifting his T-shirt, he patted his stomach. "Here, hit me back if you want."

"Get lost," Chen Luzhou snapped irritably, reaching for his phone on the coffee table. His voice was icy as he added, "I’m trying to find out Xu Zhi’s birthday. Boss Fu said it’s early July, but I don’t know the exact date."It was early July, probably around those few days, but Xu Zhi's social media had been set to show only the last three days of posts. He could only check Cai Yingying's feed instead. Fortunately, she was open and carefree, with her entire timeline publicly visible—though it was packed with content, nearly seven or eight posts a day. Chen Luzhou spent two hours scrolling through her entire year's worth of updates, afraid he might miss something important.

So Zhu Yangqi couldn’t help but ask curiously, "Why Xu Zhi? Over the years, plenty of girls have liked you—some prettier than her, and you’ve probably met plenty who did better academically. Why her?"

Chen Luzhou fell silent for a long moment. His bangs cast shadows over his eyes in the dim light, his profile sharp and handsome. He recounted the night they first met over barbecue, his tone measured: "Remember that late-night snack run? It was our first meeting. I was saving a seat for a disabled person and ended up arguing with a kid. The kid went to get an adult to confront me, and she stepped in, saying she’d record everything so no one could twist the story. It felt good—having someone stand by me unconditionally. That was probably the start. After that, I don’t even know myself."

"How deep did it go? Will studying abroad make you forget her?" Zhu Yangqi fired off questions one after another. "Will you still like her when you come back?"

"What do you think?" Chen Luzhou shot him a sidelong glance, thinking to himself, helpless against the morning chill and evening wind.

Leaning forward, he picked up a cotton swab from the coffee table, dipped it in safflower oil, and applied it while speaking frankly. "Let’s be real—we’ve only known each other for a few days. How deep could it be? I’m not joking. Even if she starts dating someone in Beijing, I just hope the guy’s reliable. Xu Zhi’s personality—she really doesn’t know how to protect herself. I’m afraid she’ll rush into something before the guy’s even emotionally invested."

Zhu Yangqi narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. So, Young Master Chen was still a traditionalist at heart. He drawled, "Oh—so dating’s fine, but you’re scared she’ll sleep with someone. Got it. You’ve got a purity complex."

Chen Luzhou remembered Xu Guangji asking if he had a thing for virgins, but that wasn’t it at all. After finishing with the ointment, his sleeves were still rolled up to his elbows. Even injured, the lines of his arms were lean and defined, carrying an unspoken strength under the dim light.

Then, with a dismissive flick, he tossed the cotton swab into the trash and said dryly, self-mocking, "You’re overthinking it. I don’t have that kind of hang-up. I’m not afraid of her sleeping with someone—I’m afraid she’ll sleep with someone unreliable . Get it? We’re both guys—do I really need to spell it out? That’s why I asked you to keep an eye out. In all the years I’ve known you, your judgment’s never been wrong. Any boyfriend of hers should at least meet my standards." Suddenly remembering the leftover roasted sweet potatoes from Xu Zhi’s last visit, he added casually, "Want some?"

With your standards, there probably aren’t many at A University who’d qualify , Zhu Yangqi thought. And ‘your standards’? Out loud, he quickly replied, "Sure. But what about you two—?"

Chen Luzhou stood up to boil water. "If she wants to cut things off, then fine. I’ve taken on an aerial photography job—heading to the northwest in a few days. When I get back, I’ll probably start prepping to leave anyway."Zhu Yangqi suddenly felt as if a heavy stone had been thrown into his heart, weighing him down. Although he had always known Chen Luzhou would leave, his emotional reactions had been slow since childhood. As long as the time hadn’t come, he felt it was still far away. But now, he genuinely felt the reluctance of parting.

Even though Chen Luzhou often joked that Zhu Yangqi had "little threes, fours, and fives" outside, Zhu Yangqi had always been clingy to him. At their high school, just telling people he was Chen Luzhou’s brother would make them look at him twice—Chen Luzhou was a walking conversation starter. Zhu Yangqi had once explained to Feng Jin why his phone was filled with so many girls’ WeChat contacts: most of them were because of Chen Luzhou. Now that this person was going abroad, Zhu Yangqi’s inner feeling was that his sun was leaving—his sun was going to shine on others. It was enough to make him weep until dawn.

But Chen Luzhou thought he was being fake. After boiling water and returning to sit down, he turned on the TV and mercilessly called him out, "Cut the act. You’re just upset that adding people on WeChat won’t be as easy anymore, right?"

Zhu Yangqi didn’t deny it. "That’s part of it, yeah."

Chen Luzhou chuckled, casually flipping through channels. His tone was relaxed and carefree, as if it really wasn’t a big deal. If anyone else had said this, Zhu Yangqi would’ve doubted it a thousand times over.

"Two years. I checked the curriculum there—the undergrad program is only three years. I plan to finish the credits in two, and see if I can make some money on the side. Once I’m financially independent, I’ll come back. Consider it repaying over a decade of upbringing. After that, I won’t rely on them anymore." Chen Luzhou gestured earnestly, the epitome of pragmatism. "Mainly because even the underwear I’m wearing right now was bought by Ms. Lian Hui."

Zhu Yangqi knew he only wore a certain brand—they both did—but that brand was expensive, not something you could afford with just a few part-time jobs. Zhu Yangqi understood he was joking. He had once asked him, Why don’t you resist? Why not leave this family? For others, it might be easy, but for Chen Luzhou, who had never felt a sense of belonging—how could he explain it? That kind of belonging was something no one could give him, not even Xu Zhi now. And yet, the family he had lived with for over a decade—Lian Hui and Chen Jishen had always doted on him. Call it sugarcoated bullets or insincerity, but those years of companionship and the identity of "family" were already indelible. If he didn’t even agree to this one request, plenty of people would surely point fingers and call him an ungrateful wretch.

Since he had played the role of filial piety for so long, he wouldn’t ruin his reputation at this critical moment. So Zhu Yangqi believed him when he said two years—it would be two years.

But still, two years felt too long. By the time he came back, others might have already settled into their lives.

**

Xu Zhi realized emotions were quite contagious. For example, Cai Yingying was in a bad mood because Old Cai had a work transfer—he might be temporarily relocated to another province for a year or so. This made her think about how she would be leaving for college in September. Even though the admission results weren’t out yet, no matter which school she got into, it would be far from Qingyi. She started worrying about Old Xu."Ever since I was little, I've always been the last priority. When Mom was around, he only cared about her. When she wasn't, it was all about work. Finally, these past few years he started paying attention to me, and now—he's leaving for another city."

Xu Zhi couldn't quite explain it—on one hand, she admired Dean Cai's capabilities, but on the other, she thought Old Xu's way wasn't so bad either. Mediocre, not too outstanding, but with plenty of time for family.

The two of them were idly painting their nails at home. Xu Zhi drew a ring pattern on her ring finger and sighed, "At least someone like Old Cai won't have his pension scammed away when he's old."

Cai Yingying rested her chin on her hand, watching Xu Zhi place her fingers under the lamp, and said helplessly, "Did Old Xu really transfer all the money?"

Xu Zhi replied, "Not all of it. He forgot the password to another card, and the bank staff stopped him in time. But the first 80,000 yuan is already gone."

When Old Xu found out the truth, he was completely devastated, so she'd been giving statements at the police station these past two days.

Cai Yingying hadn't expected scammers to keep innovating their techniques—it was practically impossible to guard against. She suddenly remembered something, grabbed her phone, and pulled up a text message to show Xu Zhi. "A few days ago, I got scammed too. They said they were giving me two movie tickets—for Bohui Cinema, some private screening room. Like, since when does Bohui Cinema give out free tickets? Look, it's from some random number, telling me to redeem a QR code—"

Cai Yingying had meant to show Xu Zhi, but she accidentally clicked the link. The page immediately displayed seat numbers for Bohui Cinema. "Damn, it actually went through?!"

Xu Zhi asked, "Where?"

"Bohui Cinema, third-floor private room—"

Author's Note:

Zhu Yangqi: "Hey, Cai Yingying, want to eat Shangfang Hotpot?"

Cai Yingying: "I'm going to the movies—private screening room."

Zhu Yangqi: "Oh—then let's switch to Yangfang Hotpot. 2,000 per person, fresh imported tripe."

Cai Yingying: "Hey, Xu Zhi, you can go watch the movie by yourself..."

This chapter doesn't have any direct interactions between them—I know you'll probably complain, but it's just a transitional chapter, nothing I can do. They're at a stalemate right now; someone's gotta break it. Tomorrow's plot will make big progress, though the next chapter might run long.

This story is more of a slow-burn, slice-of-life thing? Or something like that, so don't worry about the ambiguous phase dragging on too long—everything will be covered.

Update will probably be late again tomorrow—been busy lately, need to adjust the schedule a bit. Should be back to 7 PM updates soon.

Giving out 200 red packets.

(I feel like the ending of this chapter is pretty suggestive. You should know what's coming tomorrow, right?)