Don’t Ignite It chapter 75

Difficult to Escape Blame – Xu Zhan × Ruan Sen (4)

Xu Zhan spent the weekend with Ruan Sen and then left, driving straight back to his university. He had some spare clothes at the villa, so there was no way anyone could tell he had spent the night elsewhere. However, every time he returned from the villa with Ruan Sen, he had to wear turtlenecks to cover his neck tightly, but the red marks on his wrists would still occasionally peek out.

Xu Zhan felt particularly uneasy about this situation, fearing that someone might notice. However, this was all in his head, and throughout the day, no one paid any extra attention to him.

Two days later, Xu Zhan went to Yinhe City with some of his fellow professors to attend an academic forum hosted by Yinhe University. One of his senior colleagues from the same university was at Yinhe, and after the meeting, he invited them to have dinner. Xu Zhan didn’t decline.

The last time they met was over a year ago at his senior colleague’s wedding. After a few drinks, his senior colleague got a bit excited and insisted on showing Xu Zhan pictures of his one-month-old daughter.

Xu Zhan smiled and genuinely praised, “She’s adorable, and her eyes are quite big.” But he couldn’t resist teasing his senior colleague, saying, “She doesn’t really look like you, though.”

“It’s a good thing she doesn’t look like me,” his senior colleague chuckled, running his hand over his own head. “Otherwise, I’d be worried about her inheriting my hair loss.”

The people around them laughed together. Then, his senior colleague brought up the projects he had applied for this year and invited Xu Zhan to co-author a book with him if he had the time.

After three rounds of drinks, Xu Zhan began to feel a bit overheated inside the room. He excused himself to wash his hands, saying he needed some fresh air. He splashed some cold water on his face, and the icy sensation helped him regain his senses. While he didn’t have a weak tolerance for alcohol, he had unknowingly consumed a few extra glasses during his conversation with his senior colleague, and now he felt a bit lightheaded.

He closed his eyes and quieted his mind for a moment. He sensed someone approaching, but he didn’t open his eyes immediately. After a while, the person next to him still hadn’t left.

He couldn’t help but open his eyes, but due to the dizziness, he stumbled backward. Someone reached out and steadied him.

“Thank you,” Xu Zhan instinctively said. However, when he looked up and saw who was standing in front of him, his blood seemed to freeze.

His fingers curled unconsciously.

The person who held him was tall and had a handsome appearance, wearing black semi-rimmed glasses and a well-fitted suit. But upon seeing this person, Xu Zhan involuntarily remembered how he looked when he was younger. He hadn’t been as mature back then, and his school uniform always seemed loose on him. His hair was a bit longer, and he was slightly thinner than now. He had a carefree and mischievous smile, with a hint of innocence and playfulness, the kind of boy girls would look at for an extra glimpse in the hallway.

At that time, Xu Zhan used to blend in with the crowd, pretending to chat with his desk mate, stealing a few glances that seemed casual.

Fang Xieyi.

The name rushed back into his mind like molten lava.

His first love.

Three years of silent admiration during high school.

Xu Zhan felt a sudden clarity in his mind, but he quickly stepped back and pulled his hand away from Fang Xieyi’s grasp. He was an adult now, no longer the timid and shy teenager who had confessed his feelings right after the college entrance exam. After a brief moment of panic, Xu Zhan regained his composure.

He didn’t pretend not to recognize Fang Xieyi; that was something only those who still harbored lingering feelings would do. Xu Zhan politely smiled and said, “You’re Fang Xieyi, right? I didn’t expect to run into you here.”

He paused for a moment and added, “You might not remember me. We used to go to Chuan High School together.”

In fact, they knew each other more than just casually. They had known each other since the first year of high school. They even shared the same class in the second year, with Xu Zhan sitting in front of Fang Xieyi. They had been on good terms during that time.

After saying this, Xu Zhan was ready to leave. He left with a friendly farewell, “I’ll go back to the private room now. I have colleagues waiting for me.”

As for whether Fang Xieyi would respond, Xu Zhan didn’t care.

However, as he had taken just a few steps away, his arm was suddenly grabbed again. This time, the grip was tight, almost painful.

Surprised, Xu Zhan turned around.

Under the dim white light, Fang Xieyi’s face no longer had the lively and outgoing look of his youth. Instead, he seemed somewhat relaxed and melancholic.

“I remember you,” he said Xu Zhan’s name clearly. “Xu Zhan.”

His deep black eyes were fixed on Xu Zhan. “In the second year of high school, you sat in front of me.”

Xu Zhan’s heart skipped a beat. It was quite pathetic, he thought he had put behind him the failed infatuation of his youth, something he could dismiss as a ridiculous past. But as his name was called out, he felt a rush of embarrassment.

He felt like he was eighteen again, on the quiet rooftop, stammering out his confession to the person in front of him. His hands were sweaty from nervousness. In the end, all he received was a mocking smile and questions about why he was reaching beyond his capabilities.

Now, the person had grown up, matured into a handsome and confident adult, yet he was still holding Xu Zhan’s hand.

Xu Zhan’s hand tingled.

He forcefully pulled his hand out of Fang Xieyi’s grip and, without looking back, he ran away, feeling lost.

Back in the private room, Xu Zhan still felt uneasy. He didn’t have the mood for engaging in the cheerful conversation with his senior colleague as before, but he patiently listened. After the event ended, he stood by the roadside, preparing to call a taxi back to the hotel when his phone suddenly displayed an incoming call notification.

It was Ruan Sen.

A gentle breeze blew, carrying a hint of moisture from the recent rain in the winter air. He answered the call, saying, “Hello?”

“Where are you?” Ruan Sen’s voice came through the phone, carrying a hint of wind. “I’ve already arrived in Yinhe City.”

Xu Zhan was taken aback. “Weren’t you coming tomorrow?”

There was a brief silence on the other end. Ruan Sen clicked his tongue as if teasing but also with a hint of sincerity, “Can’t I miss you? I remembered you said the conference ends on the 18th, so I timed my arrival accordingly. Are you misbehaving? Were you lying when you said you’d stay at the hotel obediently for these days? Afraid I’d check on you?”

Xu Zhan chuckled, “No, it’s not that.” He leaned against the backrest of a bench by the roadside, feeling a bit tipsy. His voice was soft and gentle, blending into the winter breeze.

Ruan Sen’s spine tingled. What he had said was a mix of truth and falsehood. He had actually gone out these past two days. He had partnered with friends to start a company, and he did have some matters to attend to. After dealing with those, he could have followed the original plan and arrived tomorrow. However, at this moment, he suddenly wanted to see Xu Zhan a bit earlier.

Xu Zhan’s voice, like a little hook, pulled him in. It added a touch of sincerity to his words.

“I’m at the easyMoutain Tea House right now. Do you know it?” Xu Zhan had drunk a bit, and his voice was light and tender, almost seductive.

“Okay, wait for me.”