Be Passionately In Love

On the way, the two chatted casually, with Xu Zhi still playing with his hair.

"I must have lost my mind yesterday. Seeing your mom meet with my dad, I didn’t even think it through."

"At that moment, the focus was on your dad. It actually had nothing to do with who my mom was." For once, he let himself go, his eyes unusually bright and restless, his movements naturally unrestrained—none of his usual restraint or shyness remained.

Xu Zhi thought about it and realized that under such a huge shock, it was easy to lose sight of the main point. She asked softly, "Did you find out about your mom during the summer? So, was the reason you came a month late because of her?"

"Yeah, things were pretty chaotic at home then. Chen Jishen refused to divorce, and my mom..." He paused. "She threatened him with suicide. Chen Jishen was terrified—he’s superstitious and can’t stand the sight of blood. When he called me, my mom had already made several cuts on her wrist and collapsed in a pool of blood. I was so scared. If she had really died, my life would’ve been ruined. In a way, she did it for me."

Xu Zhi was shocked and let out a soft "Ah," but given their current state, the sound naturally came out differently.

Mimicking her teasingly, he smirked, "Ah?"

Arrogant and infuriating—all her sympathy vanished instantly, replaced by the urge to kick him. He was getting more and more reckless.

Xu Zhi asked, "So you spent that whole month taking care of her in the hospital?"

Chen Luzhou hummed in agreement. "She was hospitalized for over half a month. I didn’t dare contact you then. Besides, you’d just moved to Beijing and needed time to adjust. My side was a complete mess, and I didn’t want you to worry. I planned to find you after everything was settled. Honestly, not seeing you or hearing your voice was bearable. But that day I called you, hearing your voice just made me miss you even more. Every night was torture." He braced himself with both hands, glancing down between them, and let out a self-deprecating laugh. "I really thought I was losing it back then. Once, I dreamed you’d found a boyfriend in Beijing, and I woke up furious—I couldn’t even hit you. I really wanted to call and yell at you."

"Chen Luzhou, you’re insane," Xu Zhi couldn’t help laughing. "Why didn’t you tell me about your mom later?"

His eyes still held a trace of defiance. "At the start of the semester, we weren’t officially together yet. If I’d told you all this, it would’ve seemed like I was trying to win your sympathy to get you to be with me. I didn’t want that—none of this was your fault. After we got together, you gave me that gift, and I felt even less inclined to say anything. How could I bring it up when my girlfriend’s already so good at taking care of me?"

Xu Zhi poked his temple, pressing her finger against his head firmly, enunciating each word, "What do you mean, 'that gift'?"

He laughed, his head bobbing under her touch, letting her poke him as he grinned meaningfully. "Well, it’s the first time a girl’s ever built a house for me."

"Oh? What other gifts have girls given you before?"

"Can’t remember."

"Right."

Chen Luzhou pinched her cheek. "Just kidding. Never got gifts from anyone else."

Xu Zhi remained unmoved, ignoring him.

"Hey—" He laughed helplessly, propping himself up with one hand while poking her cheek with the other. "Hey—you little vinegar bottle, aren’t you?"Xu Zhi lay on her back, thought for a moment, and said, "There was a guy who used to chase after me—he gave me a motorcycle. Ah, thinking about it now, it’s kind of a shame."

He chuckled dismissively, glanced down, and said lazily, without a care, "How thrilling."

Xu Zhi lowered her head to meet his eyes. "It was really cool."

"Are you provoking me?" Chen Luzhou lost patience, pinning one of her hands above her head while the other dug into her waist, teasing without restraint, before leaning down to nip at her.

"I meant the motorcycle—the motorcycle was really cool!" Xu Zhi, ticklish, laughed and squirmed, but her hand remained firmly pinned, like a fish skewered on a chopping board, slippery and utterly defenseless, at his mercy.

Her stomach was flat, without an ounce of excess fat. When she laughed, her toned abs formed a beautiful curve, her waist dipping into delicate arcs on either side.

Chen Luzhou trailed kisses downward, pausing to glance up at her. Xu Zhi realized what he was about to do.

Her heart fluttered wildly, the excitement nearly overwhelming.

That day, he was wild—reckless yet perfectly controlled, his unrestrained passion driving her to the brink of madness. This time, there was no playful splashing, no passionate slaps against the water, yet the waves still mercilessly pulled her under.

"Chen Luzhou, how do you even know how to do this?"

"Told you before—there’s nothing Chen Luzhou can’t do."

They both laughed. The night stretched long, their affection even longer. Some seek soulmates in lofty ideals, others find fate in the mud and mire.

It must be fate.

It had to be.

When Xu Guangji was knocked over, he thought the same thing—this is fate! Damn it! My newly bought liquor—didn’t even get a sip!

Xu Zhi was at home reading with Chen Luzhou when the call came. School was about to start, and they were trying to focus.

The moment she hung up, she dragged Chen Luzhou to the hospital in a rush. When they arrived, Xu Guangji and Director Wei’s son were both lying there with stiff plaster casts on their legs, while Director Wei sat between them peeling oranges.

Old Xu turned and spotted Xu Zhi and Chen Luzhou, greeting them cheerfully, "You’re here! Perfect, come have some oranges. Dean Cai bought them—apparently from Vietnam." He looked as relaxed as if he were on vacation.

Xu Zhi and Chen Luzhou exchanged glances. After greeting Director Wei, they stepped inside. Xu Zhi lifted Old Xu’s arm to check—aside from his ankle, there were no other injuries. "Dad, how did you fall again? Shouldn’t you get your brain checked? Frequent falls might mean something’s wrong up there."

Xu Guangji stuffed an orange slice into his mouth, about to reply, when Director Wei cut in, "It’s not his brain—it’s his ears. Someone honked, and he didn’t even hear it. Got hit by an e-bike."

Xu Zhi glanced around. "Where’s the rider?"

Director Wei tilted her chin. "Let him go. Just a delivery guy. Your dad didn’t want to make trouble—just took some compensation and sent him on his way."

Xu Guangji reassured them, "Dean Cai can reimburse it anyway. This counts as a work injury—happened on my commute."

That afternoon, Old Cai happened to be doing rounds in neurosurgery downstairs. Director Wei went on duty, leaving Xu Zhi and Chen Luzhou to keep Old Xu company.Wei Lin had been holding a comic book all morning but only managed to read twenty pages. He kept flipping back and forth, forgetting the previous page as soon as he turned to the next, muttering in confusion from time to time, "Huh? Who's this guy? Did he appear earlier?"

Chen Luzhou and Xu Zhi were sitting in the aisle between the two hospital beds. Xu Zhi was perched on Old Xu's bed, chatting idly with him. Chen Luzhou, tall and broad, lounged casually in his chair. Occasionally, noticing Wei Lin engrossed in his book with an empty cup, he would casually refill it for him.

Wei Lin hadn’t caught on at first. It wasn’t until he’d absentmindedly flipped through forty or fifty pages that he belatedly realized his cup never seemed to run dry. Suspicious, he lifted the cup to check underneath, wondering if someone had hooked it up to a water pipe. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Chen Luzhou leaning back in his chair, chatting with Xu Guangji and the others. The realization hit him, and he coughed lightly before muttering a lukewarm "Thanks."

Chen Luzhou glanced back at him and smirked, his tone equally nonchalant but deeper and more magnetic. "No problem."

Teenagers in their rebellious phase always liked comparing themselves to guys just a couple of years older, especially when the older guy was handsome.

At first, Wei Lin thought this guy was too good-looking—the kind of face that screamed "player." But surprisingly, he turned out to be decent. And now that Wei Lin looked closer, his chest muscles weren’t too thick or too thin—probably pretty solid under that shirt. With broad shoulders and a straight back, he was tall, handsome, and built. Total security-vibe material. No wonder tall guys attracted pretty girls! Wei Lin instinctively glanced down at his own chest, puffing it out a little. Not bad, but he’d need to hit the gym and grow taller—at least to 182 cm.

"Hey, how tall are you?" Wei Lin couldn’t resist asking.

"185 cm without shoes," Chen Luzhou replied, having been through this phase himself. "You’re pretty tall already, aren’t you?"

"I’m barely 181. 185 is my goal. Got any tips?" Wei Lin had already switched to calling him "bro," acting even chummier than Chen Xingqi.

Chen Luzhou thought for a moment, legs sprawled as he leaned back in his chair, then offered earnestly, "Play more basketball. I played almost every day in grades 10 and 11. Got busy with exams in grade 12, so only about three times a week. I was 182 in grade 10 and hit 185 by graduation."

Wei Lin immediately pulled out his phone. "Let’s add each other on WeChat. When you and Xu Zhi come back during breaks, hit me up for games."

Chen Luzhou glanced at Xu Zhi, then chuckled as he fished his phone from his pocket. "Sure."

Right then, Old Cai burst in after finishing his rounds downstairs, slamming the work injury assessment form onto Old Xu’s bedside table like a thunderclap. "Denied."

Xu Guangji blinked. "Huh? But you said this morning it’d go through."

Old Cai rubbed his forehead, exasperated. "How was I supposed to know you detoured through Songbai Road today? That’s not on your usual commute, man. Why’d you go out of your way? Work injuries only cover the direct route to and from work."

Wei Lin waved his comic book innocently. "Uncle Xu went there to buy this for me, I think."Xu Zhi instinctively glanced at Chen Luzhou. In truth, such things would inevitably come to light eventually, but during the initial stages of blending families, there was always an adjustment period. Her father would also go out of his way, taking long detours during his commute just to buy books for another child—not solely for her sake.

This emotion wasn’t exactly complicated. Xu Zhi felt she just needed time to adjust to this realization.

Xu Guangji: "How is Songbai Road not a necessary route?"

Old Cai: "It loops all the way to Tianhe District, my old friend."

The two were still arguing when suddenly, someone knocked steadily on the hospital room door before leisurely strolling in.

"What’s all this commotion? What are you arguing about?"

Dean Cai turned at the voice, his face lighting up. The older men exchanged polite handshakes, engaging in some meaningless small talk before he finally asked, "Old Fu, what brings you here too?"

Old Xu, surprisingly, didn’t chime in, instead glancing at Chen Luzhou beside him.

As it turned out, the latter remained cold and cutting, the usual faint curve of his lips now tightly pressed into a line—though his expression was otherwise unreadable.

Fu Yuqing placed a bag of fruits and nutritional supplements on the coffee table by the door and said, "I was already coming down to handle some business. Old Xu mentioned he took a fall, so I dropped by to check on him."

Fu Yuqing was tall, standing gracefully among a group of potbellied, family-bound middle-aged men. He truly stood out like a crane among chickens, even more radiant than Dean Cai.

Xu Zhi squeezed Chen Luzhou’s hand gently and whispered, "It’s okay. We’ll just ignore him from now on."

However, apart from the oblivious Dean Cai and Wei Lin, the expressions of everyone else in the room were unusually tense and awkward. The atmosphere was inexplicably strange, even Xu Guangji’s face betraying discomfort.

Fu Yuqing looked between the two, then at Old Xu, sensing something amiss. "What’s going on here? Xu Zhi, why aren’t you greeting Uncle Fu? Not even a ‘Happy New Year’? Don’t you want your red envelope?"

You’re the one wishing a Happy New Year here, while the rest of us have had ours ruined because of you.

Xu Guangji knew his daughter was fiercely protective—she always sided with family over reason, and in this case, reason was entirely on Chen Luzhou’s side. Xu Zhi clearly wanted to stand up for him, but Fu Yuqing had doted on her since childhood, leaving her torn between conflicting loyalties. Yet, at this moment, her boyfriend clearly took precedence—her lips sealed tight, refusing to say a single word to Fu Yuqing.

Xu Guangji sighed, about to say something to ease the awkwardness, when he noticed Chen Luzhou leaning back in his chair with an indifferent smile, teasing her as if completely detached. He chuckled lightly. "What’s this? Don’t want the red envelope anymore?"

Fu Yuqing, now sensing something was off but still unaware of his precarious position, pulled a red envelope from his suit pocket and crossed his arms, still smiling. "What’s the meaning of this? Is Xu Zhi’s boyfriend controlling her so strictly now that she needs his permission just to greet someone? Come on, tell me—do you have a problem with me, or what?"

Fu Yuqing had never liked Chen Luzhou much. From their first meeting at the mountain villa, he had felt that this kid was even harder to deal with than his own troublesome younger brother. His brother was foolish, but Chen Luzhou was all fake propriety—a real piece of work.Chen Luzhou ignored him, straightening up from his previously relaxed posture and standing up coolly from the chair. He said to Xu Guangji, "Uncle Xu, I'll head back first."

Xu Guangji nodded, giving him a complicated look before simply saying, "Alright. Xu Zhi, go with him."

Once they had left.

Fu Yuqing inexplicably felt irritated as he watched Chen Luzhou's retreating figure. "Does this kid have no manners at all? Where are his manners?"

Xu Guangji, with one leg propped up, gave him a look that spoke volumes. After hesitating for a long moment, he finally said slowly, "Old Fu, his name is Chen Luzhou."

Fu Yuqing turned his head, the last trace of a smile lingering at the corner of his mouth. "And?"

Xu Guangji let out an unprecedented sigh—long, tangled, and resigned. From the tone Lian Hui had used when contacting him yesterday, he knew this matter couldn’t be kept hidden much longer. It was only a question of who would break the news. If Lian Hui were to bring Chen Luzhou to see him and reveal the truth herself, given their personalities, they might end up having a vicious, no-holds-barred argument right in front of Chen Luzhou. That would be a brutal, soul-rending blow to the boy. It would be better if he told Fu Yuqing himself—perhaps he’d take it slightly better.

Xu Guangji gazed out the window, putting himself in the other man’s shoes. If he and Qiudie had known about this back then, perhaps they would have taken the child in to raise. Everything might have turned out completely different.

Xu Guangji took off his glasses, rubbing the corners of his eyes with exhaustion. "Old Fu, he’s Lian Hui’s biological son."

The last trace of a smile vanished from Fu Yuqing’s lips. His eyes seemed to freeze over, as if doused in ice water. In an instant, his usually gentle, perpetually smiling face turned ashen and ghastly, like a corpse left exposed in the wilderness for days—twisted and lifeless. He stood utterly motionless.

Outside the hospital, Xu Zhi reached for Chen Luzhou’s hand. "Chen Luzhou, don’t overthink it. Once he finds out the truth, he’ll regret it deeply."

Chen Luzhou had already processed all his emotions that night with Xu Zhi’s comfort. Now, he felt nothing but calm. After all, that man was just a stranger to him—someone he’d never cross paths with again. He refused to waste any more emotions on him, a lesson he’d learned from Xu Zhi. The corner of his mouth lifted faintly. "You’re the one overthinking. I’m really fine. To me, he’s been dead all along. It’s just that he’s suddenly 'resurrected,' and I’m not used to it yet."

Xu Zhi exhaled in relief and took his hand. "Good. I was worried you wouldn’t know how to face him."

"Just a stranger," he said with a light smile.

Hand in hand, they walked back. With the new semester approaching, many students and part-time workers had already left. Most shops along the street had reopened, and an elderly artisan had set up a stall by the roadside, crafting sugar paintings—something Xu Zhi hadn’t seen in years. Without hesitation, she dragged Chen Luzhou over and ordered two.

Xu Zhi watched, mesmerized, as the septuagenarian artisan dipped a small round spoon into a copper bucket, scooping up a ladle of fragrant, thick syrup with perfect consistency. With practiced ease, he traced intricate patterns onto the stone slab, each pause infused with artistic flair. Xu Zhi was utterly enchanted, her mouth watering involuntarily.When Xu Zhi was little, she especially loved sugar paintings. Old Xu knew she loved them, so sometimes after work he would deliberately go out of his way across several streets to buy her sugar paintings with various designs, then mysteriously bounce through the front door—

"Nannan! Today it's a dragon and phoenix bringing prosperity!"

To keep Lin Qiudie from finding out she was eating sweets again, Xu Guangji would come home ten minutes early so she could finish eating and brush her teeth.

"Nannan! Today it's a little peacock!" Xu Guangji would whisper proudly in her ear, "I specially asked the master to make one with its tail spread out! No one else's has it open!"

"Nannan! No peacock today! Today it's an eagle spreading its mighty wings!" Sometimes he'd even do a silly imitation of a bird taking flight.

"Nannan! The master wasn't at his stall today! Daddy went to Songbai Road to buy this for you!"

"Daddy, the ones from Songbai Road are delicious. I want to eat those from now on!"

"Okay!"

"Daddy, the crispy cakes from Songbai Road are so good too!"

Those were a local specialty of Qingyi—flaky, crispy cakes stuffed with dried meat, perfect as a snack. The ones from Songbai Road had the most unique and authentic flavor. Besides sugar paintings, crispy cakes were Xu Zhi's favorite childhood treat, so Songbai Road was the most delicious street in her childhood memories.

But back then, Xu Zhi didn't know that Songbai Road was nearly half a city away from the hospital where Xu Guangji worked.

......

Holding the sugar painting, Xu Zhi took a lick and found it too cloying. She casually handed it to Chen Luzhou and said wistfully, "Ah, turns out the things I loved as a child don't taste the same when I'm grown up."

Chen Luzhou held her hand with one hand and her sugar painting with the other, not eating it but keeping it steady. He glanced down at her, already knowing what she wanted to say, and smiled. The curve at the corner of his lips never faded as long as he looked at her. He chatted with her casually, "Feeling unwell?"

Xu Zhi shook her head, walking slowly beside him under the flickering streetlights—some dim, some bright.

As they walked, she swung his hand vigorously, forcing a bitter smile before sighing and looking up, trying to ease her emotions. "Not really. It’s just... I still need some time to adjust. Suddenly, two strangers are in my life, and everything—habits, routines—has changed. My dad used to go to Songbai Road just to buy me crispy cakes and sugar paintings. Now, he goes there to buy comic books for Wei Lin. But then I think about how, when he was alone here, he might not even have had someone to pour him water when he had a fever, or had to hire a nurse when hospitalized. My feelings seem so selfish in comparison."

The street remained as bustling as ever, cars squeezing into every available space, the alleyways still carrying that damp, briny scent. Pedestrians hurried past—some walking dogs, others pushing strollers, while a few elderly men played chess enthusiastically at the park entrance. The trees stood tall, vibrant, as if the world had renewed itself. New faces shone like snow, while old ones lingered like dreams, year after year.

...

The bedroom was dark, but the two were still talking.

"Once we go back, we can’t keep doing this..."

"Hmm?" His gaze was dazed and unfocused.

Xu Zhi grabbed a pillow from the bedside and smacked him lightly, her breath uneven. "I mean, when we’re back in Beijing, we have to focus on studying!"

He reached into the bedside drawer, kneeling beside her as he unwrapped something with a smirk, his expression deceptively serious—completely at odds with what he was doing. The epitome of a charming exterior hiding a rogue beneath.

"Let’s not go back to Beijing. Starting tomorrow, don’t come see me every day. We should cool off a bit."

"Chen Luzhou!"

"What did I say before coming in? I told you we’d study tonight—no kissing."

"What’s wrong with one kiss?"

Chen Luzhou laughed, bracing his hands on either side of her head, his eyes glinting with mischief as he teased knowingly, "You tell me. Hmm? Maybe we should try something different today?"

Different? Xu Zhi rolled her eyes at him.

The next second, she gasped as he lifted her effortlessly. She clung to him while he leaned back, hands resting on her waist, the waves lapping gently against them.

The room fell silent, the rhythm of the waves ebbing and flowing against the shore. The scorching sun seemed to evaporate every drop of moisture from their bodies. She arched her neck, breathing shallowly like a fish gasping for water.

Neither spoke, their gazes locked in an endless, heated exchange.

She realized that once Chen Luzhou let loose, there was no reining him back in.

Xu Zhi nearly cried out, "Chen Luzhou!"

He looked up, panic flashing across his face as he immediately stopped and pulled her into his arms, soothing her with a gentle stroke of her hair. "Sorry, sorry. Did it hurt?"

Xu Zhi didn’t know how to describe the feeling—frustrated beyond tears. "Not exactly... I just can’t put it into words."

"Did you...?"

The boy lounged lazily against the headboard, grinning with shameless, unabashed amusement.Xu Zhi inexplicably felt her ears grow hot, her heartbeat flustered, and couldn't help pinching him: "What about you?"

"Nothing," Chen Luzhou reached up to press his phone by the bedside, glancing sideways at the time before showing it to her with an arrogant yet amused expression, "It's still early."

Xu Zhi sighed and reached to stroke his hair, smoothing it with utmost gentleness, her movements identical to petting a puppy.

Someone clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction, leaning against the headboard as he dodged with a laugh, "You're treating me like a dog."

"Chen Luzhou, how can you be this good-looking?" Xu Zhi pinched his chin—clean and sharply defined.

"Not as good-looking as you," he said with a roguish tilt of his chin, "Why don't you look further down?"

"You jerk!"

"I meant my legs."

"Why look at your legs?"

Leaning back, he pulled her up again, resting his hands on her waist with slow tenderness. "Your boyfriend has a pair of legs that look reasonably healthy. Barring accidents, they should last another sixty years."

"And then?"

Xu Zhi looked down at him—his hair freshly cut days ago, accentuating his handsome, sharp features. As waves crashed around them, she gasped. Amid the roaring surf came the man's muffled, breathless panting. "Whether it's Songbai Road or Baisong Road, he'll go for you."

"Xu Zhi, I'm yours."

During those days, Xu Zhi and Chen Luzhou spent their mornings at the hospital and evenings strolling back home from its vicinity. They would linger at the doorstep, hesitating for ages, exchanging glances before sighing deeply in unison.

After repeated declarations, stern warnings, and painful resolutions:

"Alright, today we're really just reading."

"Whoever breaks first is a puppy!"

"Whoever makes the first move is a puppy!"

"Deal! No takebacks!"

Yet they remained incorrigible.

Xu Zhi: "Ah!"

Chen Luzhou: "Keep it down!"

...