Chapter 28: “Sleep in the Guest Room Tonight!”

Chapter 28: "You're Sleeping in the Guest Room Tonight!"

The sunset outside the window was sinking low, the sky orange-yellow, like liquid honey.

The room was very quiet.

Lu Hechi's expression was serious and focused, without his usual recklessness. This kiss held no lust, no desire—only pure, tender affection.

The sunset light traced a golden outline along his profile.

Shen Lanxue's emotions were gradually soothed by the kiss.

Lu Hechi's large, strong hand caressed his earlobe. After a long moment, he caught his breath, lifted his face, and looked at Shen Lanxue intently.

"You feeling a little better?"

Shen Lanxue said nothing. He leaned against Lu Hechi's chest, eyes closed, lost in thought.

It wasn't going to get better.

The kinder Lu Hechi was to him, the more that fear piled up.

He wished Lu Hechi would never remember, but at the same time, he wished he'd remember right away.

Shen Lanxue had never realized he could be so indecisive.

"Bro?"

Lu Hechi held him, threading his long fingers through the black hair at the nape of his neck, stroking it while nuzzling his forehead.

Shen Lanxue hummed, "Mm." "Much better."

At that, Lu Hechi finally relaxed. He smiled, revealing straight, white teeth.

"See, I read online that if your girlfriend's upset, one kiss makes it all better."

Shen Lanxue lifted his head. "Girlfriend?"

Lu Hechi said, "Oh, bro, that's just for cheering someone up! We're married, so of course we're husbands!"

"..." Shen Lanxue said flatly, "Oh."

Held in Lu Hechi's arms, he felt a lazy, avoidant urge—wanting time to freeze right then.

Clearly, time wasn't on his side.

A knock suddenly sounded at the door, and a servant called from outside, "Young Master, the master's back."

Lu Hechi let go, thinking about how fast he'd gotten back. Still, no big deal—after dinner, they could head home.

As he moved to open the door, Shen Lanxue's hand had just touched the doorknob when Lu Hechi stopped him, cupping his face with a large hand and kissing him again—a brief, light kiss that lasted only a few seconds before he pulled back.

Then he opened the door, acting like nothing had happened.

Downstairs in the dining room, Lu Tingjun had just gotten home. A servant stepped forward, head down, to take his dark gray suit jacket.

He rolled up his sleeves, revealing a Patek Philippe on his wrist.

Lu Hechi, facing that stern, rigid face, instantly thought of his high school disciplinary director.

If he hadn't pulled out Lu Xiuran's hair,

he'd probably still be trying to figure out another way to do a paternity test.

"So you still remember how to come home?"

Lu Tingjun's voice was deep, used to addressing subordinates—his tone had a scolding edge.

Shen Lanxue said "Dad" in a calm, flat voice.

Lu Hechi's voice went through three hundred and sixty twists but he still couldn't get the word out, so he just pressed his lips together tightly.

"Don't scold the kids during dinner." Wen Lan smiled gently, her slender fingers patting Lu Tingjun's back. "Alright, let's sit down."

Lu Xiuran was just as quiet around Lu Tingjun.

The meal felt like a death march. A table full of meticulously prepared dishes, and Lu Hechi could barely choke down a few bites.

When the clock on the wall hit 6:40, the meal finally ended.

Lu Hechi couldn't sit still anymore, itching to leave. He gave Shen Lanxue a pleading look, hoping he'd come up with a way out.

Shen Lanxue exchanged a few brief words with Lu Tingjun, said he still had work to handle, and finally managed to escape.

Lu Hechi sat in the passenger seat and rolled down the window, letting the wind rush in.

The tension that had been wound tight all day finally eased, and he savored the rare summer evening.

As the car drove out of the suburbs, Lu Hechi had a sudden idea. "Bro, let's hit the night market! I want grilled cold noodles, bobo chicken, stinky tofu, and crispy pork belly!"

Shen Lanxue raised an eyebrow slightly. "Have the kitchen make it when we get back. Street food isn't clean."

Lu Hechi countered, "Bro, you don't get it! It's about the vibe, the hustle and bustle. No matter how good home cooking is, it just doesn't hit the same!"

"Come on, come on, I'll take you to try it!"

Shen Lanxue couldn't talk him out of it, so he put the nearby snack street into the GPS.

A little past seven, the sunset hung on the horizon, spreading into a vast sea of fiery clouds. The alley on Tonghe Road was lined with food stalls, their colorful signs glowing.

Shen Lanxue parked on the side of the road. As he got out, quite a few people around shot them curious looks.

At this hour, the night market was filled with exhausted office workers and nearby residents, everyone in casual, laid-back clothes.

Baggy tees with baggy shorts, shuffling around in flip-flops.

Suddenly, two people who looked like celebrities appeared—driving a luxury car, tall and long-legged, dressed in suits, clearly rich.

They stood out like sore thumbs in the crowd.

Lu Hechi was handsome and used to being stared at, so he didn't feel uncomfortable.

Shen Lanxue, on the other hand, had rarely had people stare at him so directly his whole life, and it made him uneasy.

Lu Hechi took Shen Lanxue's hand and led him toward the snack street, his face bright with excitement.

This kind of down-to-earth, lively atmosphere brought back memories from his high school days.

Back then, they were boarding students, with only one day off a week.

When he and Chen Jiadong were hungry at night, they'd sneak over the low wall behind the cafeteria, cut through the back alleys, and grab a plate of fried noodles from Uncle Yang's.

They'd eat till their bellies were stuffed, then mosey on back.

Man, those were the days.

"Hey boss, two orders of grilled cold noodles, extra sausage and egg. Oh, and one with light chili, the other extra spicy."

Lu Hechi stopped at a food cart run by a guy in his 30s.

Hearing that, the owner quickly ripped open the noodle sheets, slapped them on the sizzling grill, then cracked eggs and brushed on sauce—all in one fluid motion.

The smell of grilled cold noodles hit him.

Shen Lanxue barely frowned.

The greasy smell clinging to his clothes made him want to shower and scrub it all off.

The owner handed over the noodles, and Lu Hechi paid by scanning the WeChat code.

He took the bag, then handed the lighter-chili one to Shen Lanxue.

"Bro, wanna try it?"

Shen Lanxue refused: "You eat it yourself."

"Bro, I promise, it's super delicious!"

Lu Hechi's eyes were big and bright, and when Shen Lanxue met his gaze, he suddenly thought of how Little Star acted when he was being needy.

He hesitated for a second, then took it.

Copying Lu Hechi, he grabbed a skewer, poked a piece of grilled cold noodles, and popped it in his mouth. He chewed cautiously—it wasn't as bad as he thought.

Lu Hechi watched him expectantly: "So? Good, right?"

Shen Lanxue nodded for once.

Lu Hechi immediately turned into a wild boar let loose, dragging Shen Lanxue from one end of the street to the other until his hands were completely full.

When Lu Hechi grabbed a piece of stinky tofu and tried to shove it at Shen Lanxue to try, Shen Lanxue finally lost it and cut him off with a cold look.

"Enough."

Lu Hechi wasn't giving up: "This thing only smells bad, it's really tasty—you'll know once you try it!"

Shen Lanxue: "Take it away."

Lu Hechi: "Seriously, just try it!"

Shen Lanxue looked at him: "You're sleeping in the guest room tonight."

Lu Hechi: "!"