Chapter 16: Lu Hechi’s Gentleness

Chapter 16: Lu Hechi's Gentleness

Shen Lanxue's heart was shaken.

He knew that Lu Hechi was only drawing close to him because of his amnesia, laying his whole heart bare.

But that only made him more afraid.

He knew this beautiful dream was bound to end badly, yet the dream was so captivating that even if it was shameless of him, he wanted to stay a little longer.

Shen Lanxue opened his mouth, then suddenly said, "Lu Hechi, give me a hug."

There was a strong wind on the terrace, making him miss that warm embrace that only existed at night.

Without a moment's hesitation, Lu Hechi pulled him into an embrace.

One arm looped over his shoulder, while the other, injured hand loosely circled Shen Lanxue's waist.

He rested his chin on Shen Lanxue's shoulder, and with every breath, he caught the faint scent of Shen Lanxue—bitter, mixed with the smell of winter pine needles.

It was a tight, powerful embrace.

Even the wind seemed to soften inside that embrace.

Lu Hechi wondered if his amnesia was why he couldn't give Shen Lanxue enough security, making him feel insecure and anxious.

But love was sudden and impossible to control.

Lu Hechi might feel a vague fondness for Shen Lanxue, but more than that, he saw him as an older brother.

That night, it started raining outside the villa.

Lu Hechi lay in bed, listening to the water running in the bathroom—Shen Lanxue was taking a shower.

His thoughts were all over the place—one moment wondering how he and Shen Lanxue used to be together before the amnesia, the next replaying that afternoon's embrace on the terrace.

Soon, Shen Lanxue came out of the bathroom, steam trailing behind him.

He was wearing a dark blue silk robe, the sash loosely tied, showing a hint of collarbone.

Lu Hechi watched him from the bed, propped against the headboard.

Shen Lanxue hadn't dried his hair. Water dripped from it, slid down his chin, and disappeared into his robe.

Steam swirled around him, giving him a soft glow under the light.

Lu Hechi's fingers twitched. He felt inexplicably thirsty.

He got out of bed barefoot, walked over to Shen Lanxue, and touched the damp ends of his hair, head bowed. "Brother, why didn't you dry your hair?"

Shen Lanxue stopped. "I dried it with a towel. It'll dry soon."

"Obviously not."

Lu Hechi ran his fingertip along the wet strands. "See? Soaking wet."

His gaze drifted down, following the collar of Shen Lanxue's robe.

"Your clothes are all wet too."

Shen Lanxue's hand, hanging at his side, curled a little, but he stayed silent.

Lu Hechi's breathing got heavier, his Adam's apple bobbing.

His throat was dry. He wanted to say something but didn't know what.

"Brother, do you wanna..."

Shen Lanxue's eyelashes fluttered, and his tea-brown eyes met Lu Hechi's.

Outside, the rain got louder, the wind howled, and rain pelted the windows with a crackling sound.

Boom!

A sudden clap of thunder—a blue-purple bolt split the sky, bringing a flash of light.

Shen Lanxue's face went pale. Instinctively, he shrank into Lu Hechi's arms, grabbing his loungewear, his body trembling.

"Brother?"

Lu Hechi called softly, wrapping an arm around his waist.

After the thunder rolled away, two more claps followed, each louder than the last, shaking the earth.

Outside, rain poured down, and branches wailed in the wind like a sign of doom.

Shen Lanxue kept trembling slightly, gripping Lu Hechi's loungewear so hard his knuckles went white.

Images kept flashing through his mind.

A pitch-black cellar, sealed shut, thunder and rain mixed together.

He huddled in the corner, his little body shaking.

He called for his mother, over and over, until his voice went hoarse and broke, blood in his throat.

Rainwater seeped through the dirt, turning into mud, dripping onto his head and clothes drop by drop.

But the worst was the thunder—the cellar lit up by lightning, his ears ringing, then plunging back into darkness.

Lu Hechi looked down. Shen Lanxue's face was buried in his chest, hiding his expression, but Lu Hechi could feel the fabric getting damp from his warm breath, trembling with each exhale.

"Brother?" Lu Hechi called again, this time even softer.

Shen Lanxue didn't speak, only tightening his grip on Lu Hechi's clothes.

Lu Hechi didn't ask again.

He lowered his head, his chin gently resting on top of Shen Lanxue's head.

His uninjured hand stroked down Shen Lanxue's back, one slow stroke at a time.

The motion was unhurried, like soothing a frightened cat.

For the first time, Lu Hechi realized that this man, who seemed as solid as a mountain to him, could be this fragile.

"It's okay," he said. "The thunder has passed."

Shen Lanxue's breathing was a little ragged, and it was a long moment before he slowly released Lu Hechi's clothes.

He slowly lifted his face from Lu Hechi's shoulder, his expression still composed, but his hands were still shaking as he pulled away from Lu Hechi's arms.

As if nothing had happened.

The thunder outside had stopped, leaving only the sound of rain dripping.

"Brother, you—"

Shen Lanxue cut him off calmly: "It's late. Let's go to sleep."

"Let me finish drying your hair."

Lu Hechi picked up a clean towel and slowly dried his hair.

The bedroom fell quiet.

A warm yellow lamp glowed in the room, soft and bright, and the two of them lay in bed, each under their own blanket.

Lu Hechi spoke up suddenly: "Brother, let me tell you a story."

Shen Lanxue turned his head to look at him.

Lu Hechi cleared his throat.

"Once upon a time, in a kingdom far, far away, there lived a wicked queen. She asked her magic mirror who the fairest in the land was, and the mirror said, 'Why, it's Snow White, of course...'"

"She had skin as white as snow, hair like a dark waterfall, and the kindest heart of all."

"The queen flew into a rage. She disguised herself as a poor old hag, tricked Snow White, and handed her a big, red, poisoned apple."

"Snow White turned into a hideous monster because of it. She couldn't bear to show her face, so she fled into the forest to hide."

"Then one day, a handsome prince rode into the forest. He'd heard from the villagers that a monster lurked in the woods, so he grabbed his sword and came to kill it."

Shen Lanxue listened to his slow, soothing voice, and little by little, his nerves settled.

He listened carefully to this completely ridiculous story.

Lu Hechi went on, completely deadpan: "The prince went looking for the monster, but guess what—before he even found it, he almost drowned, and right as he was about to die, Snow White scooped him up."

"The prince was so moved he couldn't speak, and he willingly agreed to marry Snow White."

"On their wedding night, they stared into each other's eyes, and just as they were about to kiss, the prince went 'bleh' and puked."

"The prince kept puking as he leaned closer, and finally managed to plant one on her. He caught it and turned into a monster, while Snow White turned back to normal."

"Snow White looked at the prince, feeling guilty as hell. She thought she'd ruined him, so she bravely kissed him again—and puked too."

"And so, the two lived happily ever after."

The room went dead quiet.

Shen Lanxue blinked and asked, a little unsure, "...That's it?"

Lu Hechi: "Yep, that's it. So? I wrote it myself—you're the first to hear it. Pretty talented, huh?"

Shen Lanxue: "...Mm."

Lu Hechi lifted Shen Lanxue's blanket and slid in, saying, "Bro, I'm cold. Can you hold me? Please?"

Shen Lanxue paused for a second, then did what he asked.

He knew it wasn't that Lu Hechi wanted a hug—it was that this sweet, earnest kid was racking his brain to distract him.

Whether it was the story or the "I'm cold" bit, it was all because of the fear he'd just shown.

His heart melted completely.

His nose was stinging a little too.

Lu Hechi held him tighter, brushing his lips against Shen Lanxue's forehead.

"Bro, next time you're scared, just hold onto me tight."

Shen Lanxue didn't say anything.

The room was quiet for a beat, then he gave a soft "Mm."

Lu Hechi smiled, his voice low: "Go to sleep, go to sleep. We've gotta get up tomorrow."

Shen Lanxue stared at his face in the dark for a long time.

Then he looked down at the black string bracelet on his wrist, flicked it lightly with his finger, and let his hand drop.

The rain had stopped by then.

Shen Lanxue closed his eyes.