Be Passionately In Love

Chen Luzhou was sprawled out on the sofa, legs wide open, as he sent a reply to Xu Zhi.

Xu Zhi couldn’t help but laugh, suddenly thinking of Director Wei. "Does the old lady know about you and Aunt Wei?" "Yes, I told her before the New Year."

Everyone in the village knew that after her daughter passed away, Xu Guangji, her son-in-law, had been dutifully taking care of her without complaint. Though the old lady often grumbled and scolded Xu Guangji, deep down, she often wished he would stop worrying about her. Xu Guangji also knew she was just tough on the outside but soft inside, so he always reassured her, "I’ll take care of you in your old age. Think of it as setting an example for the kids."

Xu Zhi snorted, "And yet you kept it from me."

"You kept things from me too, didn’t you?"

Both of them laughed. Xu Guangji turned the faucet back on, picked up the hose, and rinsed the car again. "Director Wei suggested we have a meal together on the third day of the New Year. Why don’t you invite Chen Luzhou?"

Xu Zhi blinked. "Invite Chen Luzhou?"

Xu Guangji said, "Once you’re in your second and third years of college, you might not even come home once a year because of how busy you’ll be. Since everyone’s here now, it’s a good chance to meet. Plus, I’d like Aunt Wei to help vet him."

"Alright, I’ll ask him."

Chen Luzhou was in the middle of repairing the coffee table. The nails weren’t fully hammered in yet, and the frame was just propped up precariously. He was about to secure the nails when his phone and the doorbell rang almost simultaneously. Carefully steadying the wobbly table, he grabbed his phone, replied with an "Okay" to Xu Zhi, and went to answer the door, stepping cautiously as if avoiding landmines.

However, when the door opened, he was met with a face that was both unfamiliar and familiar. It took Chen Luzhou a long moment to recognize the man. "Boss Fu?"

Fu Yuqing stood elegantly at the doorstep, dressed in a tailored suit with a matching wool overcoat, a gentleman’s hat perched on his head, and a set of car keys twirling in his hand. His expression was a mix of disdain and pity as he handed over a bag, his opening line freezing Chen Luzhou on the spot—

"I heard you ran out of underwear?"

Chen Luzhou: "..."

After a few seconds of stunned silence, Chen Luzhou tried to remain calm. After all, this was a case of "delivering pants in a snowstorm." But he and Fu Yuqing had never really gotten along, even though he’d later helped shoot footage for Fu’s tea plantation and been referred to some automotive photography gigs. Fu Yuqing seemed born with a habit of looking down his nose at people, his words always sharp, as if everyone owed him something. Even when offering work, he did so with an air of condescension.

"Did Xu Zhi send you?" Chen Luzhou took the bag but didn’t invite him in.

Fu Yuqing smiled and nodded. "I happened to be visiting their family for New Year’s today. Xiaozhi said they’d gone back to their hometown, so she asked me to do her a favor. Didn’t expect that after all this time, you’re still this down on your luck—" He paused, as if pondering something, then added, "Chen Zhou?"

"It’s Chen Luzhou."

"It’s been too long; I forgot. Did your family go bankrupt? What about that spoiled rich kid brother of yours?" Fu Yuqing’s eyes swept disdainfully over the shabby interior. "Aren’t you going to invite me in for tea?"

Since he was, after all, Xu Zhi’s elder, Chen Luzhou held back his irritation and opened the door wider, stepping aside. "No tea here. There’s mineral water in the fridge."

Fu Yuqing waved a hand dismissively. "Mineral water’s fine."When Chen Luzhou went to the fridge to grab a bottle of water, Fu Yuqing had already settled onto the sofa, clearly intending to have a word with him. However, spotting the half-opened walnuts on the couch, his obsessive-compulsive tendencies kicked in. Noticing a hammer nearby, he casually picked it up and started cracking the walnuts open on the coffee table.

Chen Luzhou didn’t even have time to stop him.

Thud— With one strike, the carefully arranged structure collapsed again.

Fu Yuqing: “…”

Chen Luzhou: “…………”

That was the one I just fucking built.

To mask his embarrassment, Fu Yuqing grabbed a nearby cushion, leaned heavily against the back of the sofa, and was about to say something to ease the awkwardness when— thump —a sharp pain struck the top of his head. The last remaining painting on the wall finally gave way and came crashing down.

Fu Yuqing’s hat was knocked askew as he slumped dizzily against the sofa, his once-imposing demeanor completely shattered by the blow. He looked utterly defeated, tilting his head with a resigned expression.

Fu Yuqing: “…”

Chen Luzhou couldn’t help but laugh as he walked over and removed the painting from Fu Yuqing’s person. Talk about karma—pretentiousness getting its due.

“Should I call an ambulance?” Chen Luzhou asked, purely out of humanitarian concern.

Fu Yuqing waved him off without a word. This place was clearly cursed.

Straightening his hat and mustering what remained of his dignity, he coughed pretentiously. “Xu Zhi told me everything. You two are dating.”

Chen Luzhou had already sensed where this was going. He snatched the cushion back from Fu Yuqing’s arms, sat on the armrest of the sofa, and lazily draped one leg over the other, hugging the cushion. Glancing down at him coolly, he asked, “Got a problem with that?”

Fu Yuqing said, “No major issues, just a few small ones.”

“Go ahead.”

“How many girlfriends have you had?”

Chen Luzhou had braced himself for an interrogation about his family background, but this caught him off guard. “Just Xu Zhi.”

“Are you a virgin?”

Are you out of your mind?

Chen Luzhou was starting to think Fu Yuqing might not be all there upstairs.

He leaned his head back against the wall in exasperation, his Adam’s apple bobbing coldly. “I just said it’s only been Xu Zhi. Aren’t you going to ask about my family situation?”

Fu Yuqing smirked. “What’s there to ask? Oh, by the way, I heard you majored in humanities in college—must’ve studied philosophy, right? You know Freud, of course. Ever heard of Adler?”

“Yeah.”

“Then you should know Adler’s philosophy revolves around teleology. Freud was all about causality, believing people’s personalities are shaped by their upbringing. But I prefer Adler’s teleology—your past, including your family, is just a part of who you were. I’m more interested in who you are now. You mentioned family background, but that’s just a roundabout way of asking if you’re rich. Even if you’re broke now, I’m sure you’ll make it someday—after all, you and Xu Zhi are both top students at A University. Your future won’t be bleak. But what I care about are the inherent traits of a man. Take, for example, a playboy’s redemption. Maybe he’ll change, but I’m not willing to let the girl I’ve watched grow up gamble on whether he will or not. Understood?”

Funny enough, compared to Freud, Chen Luzhou also preferred Adler’s philosophy. He gave Fu Yuqing a look. “Do I seem like a playboy to you?”

“A little. With looks like yours, if you lack self-control…” Fu Yuqing trailed off meaningfully.

Chen Luzhou couldn’t help but laugh.Fu Yuqing stood up: "That's about it, just the gist."

Chen Luzhou handed him a glass of water, "Not drinking any water?"

Without turning his head, Fu Yuqing waved his hand dismissively, "Forget it, I'm afraid you might poison it."

On the afternoon of the third day of the Lunar New Year, Xu Guangji prepared a lavish spread—unprecedentedly sumptuous—making Xu Zhi realize how much she had slacked off over the winter break.

Coincidentally, Director Wei and Chen Luzhou arrived at the same time. Xu Zhi obediently greeted, "Aunt Wei," then bent down to pull two pairs of slippers from the shoe cabinet and placed them on the floor.

Chen Luzhou stepped back to let Director Wei enter first. Smiling, Director Wei handed her a New Year's gift, "Happy New Year, Xu Zhi."

"Thank you, Happy New Year."

Director Wei smiled and went into the kitchen to help.

Chen Luzhou entered afterward. While changing into slippers, he looked down at her, pinched her cheek playfully, and teased, "Why aren't you calling out to me?"

"Call what? Hurry up and change your shoes. Where's my New Year's gift?" Xu Zhi held out her hands expectantly.

Chen Luzhou handed her a few bottles of wine and a small bag, still teasing her slowly, "Demanding tribute, are we?"

"Why two gifts?"

After putting on his slippers, Chen Luzhou walked in and ruffled her hair. "The wine is for your dad. The other one is your New Year's gift—open it later."

When Xu Zhi returned after putting the things away, Chen Luzhou was still standing there, clearly unsure whether to join the busy kitchen or sit idly on the sofa. After greeting Xu Guangji, he ended up awkwardly lingering by the kitchen door, despite Xu Guangji repeatedly urging him to take a seat.

Xu Zhi pulled him to sit at the other end of the dining table. The dishes were already laid out, but Old Xu and Director Wei were still in the kitchen juicing fruits. Old Xu's plump figure looked oddly earnest and uneasy.

Xu Zhi turned to Chen Luzhou and asked mischievously, "Nervous?"

Chen Luzhou was taking off his jacket to hang it on the chair. He glanced back at her and boasted shamelessly, "Nervous about what? I've seen it all."

Despite his words, the moment Xu Zhi leaned into him, he stiffened and subtly shifted away, whispering, "Don't mess around. If your dad sees, he'll think I'm too frivolous."

Chen Luzhou maintained an air of ascetic restraint throughout, refusing to get close to her. For every inch Xu Zhi moved toward him, he quietly retreated a foot. Eventually, he stopped eating altogether, having only taken a couple of bites. Sitting rigidly upright, he leaned back in his chair, occasionally sipping his wine.

Old Xu, seemingly unsure how to host, enthusiastically repeated only two phrases the entire time—

"Chen Luzhou, eat up."

"Ah, alright." Chen Luzhou obediently picked up his chopsticks again.

"Chen Luzhou, have a drink."

"Ah, alright." Chen Luzhou dutifully took another sip of wine.

The scene was both awkward and hilarious. Xu Zhi, while eating, observed their forced yet unavoidable interactions and couldn't help but laugh.

Anyone watching would have thought they were two socially awkward introverts.

Finally, Director Wei saved the day by smoothly steering the conversation. "Which high school did you attend before?"

Chen Luzhou naturally set down his chopsticks and replied, "I went to No. 1 High."

Director Wei looked surprised and smiled. "No. 1 High is full of top students, no wonder you got into A University."

Xu Guangji, perhaps having drunk a bit too much, began to open up. Sipping his aged wine, he interjected, "He was the top student at No. 1 High."Chen Luzhou instinctively glanced at Xu Zhi, raising an eyebrow—Bragging about me again?

Xu Zhi smiled effortlessly—No exaggeration, just stating facts.

By the time the meal ended, Xu Guangji was genuinely drunk, his cheekbones flushed red, even his eyes glowing crimson. He became talkative, occasionally breaking into inexplicable chuckles with an inscrutable expression, as if he'd outsmarted everyone—though in reality, everyone was watching him make a fool of himself.

"I actually knew all along."

Xu Zhi and Chen Luzhou exchanged glances.

"Your phone never rang at home during that period, and you didn’t dare use it in front of me. Sometimes you’d hide in your room for hours on a call. I even told Director Wei you were probably dating."

"Honestly, you didn’t need to worry about me, Dad. I knew this day would come eventually—I’d already prepared myself mentally. I was waiting for you to tell me so I could share Director Wei’s situation with you. Who knew you’d figure it out first. Heh!"

Director Wei: "..."

Chen Luzhou: "..."

Xu Zhi: "..."

Director Wei couldn’t help but intervene, "Old Xu, aren’t you a bit drunk?"

This was Xu Guangji’s first time getting wasted. Unable to control his intake, his nerves were already numbed by alcohol. He stubbornly kept drinking, rambling about Xu Zhi’s childhood. After finally coaxing him away from the table, they tried to carry him to bed. The moment they set him down, he suddenly jerked upright like a carp leaping out of water, propping himself up with drunken determination—

Everyone froze, staring at him, not daring to move, holding their breaths for his next move.

"Chen Luzhou!"

"Here."

The other two looked at him.

Xu Guangji: "Can you tie a ponytail?"

"No."

"Then come here. I’ll teach you the secret to tying Xu Zhi’s ponytail. Xu Zhi, come here."

Xu Guangji randomly grabbed a "Xu Zhi."

Chen Luzhou, bewildered, was firmly pressed onto the edge of the bed as Xu Guangji reached for his hair. "A bit short, but no matter—your dad’s skills are top-notch."

Xu Zhi and Director Wei tried to stop him. "Dad!" "Old Xu!"

Chen Luzhou didn’t resist. "Forget it. He won’t sleep until he’s done."

Xu Zhi then noticed a stack of hair ties by Xu Guangji’s bedside. He deftly pulled out one after another, muttering, "It has to be exactly this height. Any higher, and she’ll say it hurts. Any lower, and she’ll say it looks bad."

With that, he collapsed—"Thud!"—and fell asleep.

Xu Zhi and Director Wei were nearly doubled over with laughter. Chen Luzhou’s head was now adorned with over a dozen tiny ponytails, resembling a prickly cactus.

Chen Luzhou gave Xu Zhi a deadpan look. "Is your dad always like this when drunk?"

The next second, the man abruptly sprang up from the bed again.

"I just thought of a new technique!"

Chen Luzhou: "………………"

After Chen Luzhou and Xu Zhi finished washing the dishes, Director Wei emerged from Xu Guangji’s room. Spotting Chen Luzhou’s disheveled hair, he couldn’t suppress a chuckle. "You might want to go wash your hair. Old Xu was cooking earlier—his hands were greasy, and your hair’s practically gleaming now."

Mainly because Old Xu had complained his hair was too dry to grip, occasionally spitting into his palms with practiced ease—"Ptui! Ptui!"—then rubbing it evenly before grabbing again.

"I’ll be leaving soon," Chen Luzhou said to Director Wei, then glanced at Xu Zhi. "You should get some rest early tonight?"Xu Zhi yawned, "I could fall asleep the moment my head hits the pillow."

Yet, the moment Director Wei left, Xu Zhi immediately headed to the opposite building.

The door wasn’t even closed—it was left wide open. Xu Zhi took out her slippers from the cabinet and changed into them, noticing the jacket he had just worn tossed on the sofa. The sound of running water came from the bathroom; he was probably washing his hair.

The coffee table had been fixed. Xu Zhi gave it a shake—it didn’t budge. Solid work. The painting on the wall was also hanging perfectly straight.

The sound of water in the bathroom stopped, and Xu Zhi quickly sat properly on the sofa, waiting for him to come out so she could receive a few words of praise. But then the sound of a hairdryer started up again. A book was tossed on the coffee table— How to Build a Sturdy Fortress —halfway read. Xu Zhi glanced at the section he had been reading, expecting it to be some psychology book, but it turned out to be genuinely about home renovation.

"For young couples, the sofa is essentially a place for romance. So, to test its firmness, it’s best to stand on it and bounce a couple of times—though most stores won’t let you do that—"

Xu Zhi decisively stood up and bounced a few times. It was pretty soft, and the sofa wasn’t even expensive.

You’re amazing, Xu Zhi. You really know how to pick things. Change careers—you’re a genius at renovation—

"What are you doing? Tearing the house apart?"

She turned to see him leaning against the wall by the bathroom door, wearing the leisurely expression of someone admiring a world-famous painting. Xu Zhi immediately sat back down obediently. "I was testing the sofa."

Then there was silence again. When she turned around, he was gone once more.

Unable to contain herself, Xu Zhi chased after him. "Chen Luzhou! You’re so busy—"

The moment she reached the bedroom door, an unexpected force yanked her inside, pressing her against the door.

Chen Luzhou was changing clothes, not fully dressed yet. He had on a white undershirt and was pulling a hoodie over his head, his waist and below still exposed, faintly revealing the well-defined lines of his lower abdomen. He looked down at her with a faint, teasing smile. "Impatient? I just had drinks with your dad—I reek of alcohol. I’m changing."

He had drunk quite a bit of liquor tonight, his ears flushed red. His voice, soaked in alcohol, seemed even more intoxicating.

Xu Zhi felt drunk herself. Now that they were alone like this, even though he was right in front of her, she inexplicably missed him terribly. Her heart pounded fiercely in her chest, emotions spilling over. "When will your competition results come out?"

"Mid-April, probably."

"Then when are we going back?"

"When do you want to go back?"

"Haven’t decided yet. I was worried about my dad, so I thought about leaving later, but now I think leaving earlier would be fine too."

They leaned against the door, chatting idly. Xu Zhi rested against the door, one hand on his arm while the other played with his earlobe. Her other hand wasn’t idle either, shamelessly tracing along his abdomen. Her fingers trembled slightly—partly from inexperience, partly from how much she had missed him. After so long apart, even the slightest touch set her on fire. Her emotions were tangled: she wanted to extinguish the flames, yet couldn’t resist wanting them to burn even hotter, to consume her entirely, just to quench this thirst.

Chen Luzhou glanced down at where her hand had wandered but said nothing, letting her explore freely. His other hand even pulled his phone from his pocket and tossed it onto the bed behind him, giving her more room to roam.

"Are you applying to switch majors next semester? I saw linear algebra books in your suitcase. Do economics majors take linear algebra?"

"Yeah. You went through my stuff?"

"I was just trying to hang your jacket in my closet. It was getting crushed in there."

"How’d you know the password?"

"Tried a random one, and it opened."

"Impressive. A little lock-picking expert?"

"Specialized in unlocking Chen Luzhou."Xu Zhi tugged at the drawstring of his sweatpants. Chen Luzhou never tied his sweatpants in a bow—it was always a slipknot, looped through the middle from both sides. So no matter how hard she pulled, the knot only tightened—

“Your pants are so hard to undo. Why’d you tie them so tight—”

Distracted by the stubborn drawstring, Xu Zhi was about to lower her head to see how he’d tied it when her lips were suddenly captured in a deep, lingering kiss.

For a long moment, there was no other movement—no deepening, just a steady, almost motionless press of lips for nearly half a minute. He didn’t push further, simply holding her there, savoring her.

Xu Zhi’s heart pounded wildly, teetering on the edge of control. Her eyes fluttered shut instinctively as her back pressed against the door, her front pinned by the hard, scorching heat of his body. Her pulse raced like never before, the pause in his actions feeling like the eerie calm before a storm.

Chen Luzhou braced one hand against the door, tilting his head to kiss her, his jawline taut like a drawn bowstring—tense, poised. After a long pause, his lips finally parted, his throat working slowly as he swallowed her breath in deliberate, measured gulps. Only then did his free hand move to undo his own drawstring.

Xu Zhi’s heartbeat was reckless, her mind too scattered to wonder how he could flirt with such effortless ease. Her spine tingled in waves, her legs weak, barely able to hold her up.

The room was silent except for the wet slide of their lips, exchanging the most intimate, direct heat and moisture. The air grew thick, as if someone had stoked a hidden ember into a roaring blaze in an instant.

Chen Luzhou finally lifted her, carrying her to the bed and pressing her down into the mattress. He kissed her deeply, his voice rough against her ear as he pinned her wrists above her head. His gaze raked over her with a mix of hunger and restraint, barely holding back before he asked, voice strained—

“Can I?”

Only after her soft consent did he grin and sit up, pulling off his shirt before reaching for something on the nightstand.

…

Once he found what he needed, Chen Luzhou flicked off the lights, leaving only the dim glow of the bedside lamp. The golden light cast an intimate, suggestive haze in the otherwise dark room.

Not a single sound remained, the shadows on the wall swaying like a silkworm on the verge of breaking free from its cocoon—tearing through the shell with unstoppable force, peering into the hedonistic world of adults for the first time.

Late into the night, the sheets were damp, clinging like a wrung-out towel, humid and sticky.

Xu Zhi was enveloped in heat, her cheeks burning.

“Hot?” he murmured. “Or uncomfortable?”

“Mhm.”

He chuckled soundlessly against her shoulder, his scorching breath ghosting over her ear. She barely caught the words—if they were words at all—just the shape of his lips moving, too dazed to decipher anything.

“What’d you say?” she mumbled.

“I. Said.” He repeated slowly, even the curse, his voice a mix of youthful roughness and mischief. “Fuck. I. Didn’t. Even. Try.”