Don’t Ignite It chapter 1

Reunion

Xia Yu didn’t expect that he would have a chance in this lifetime to sit down and have coffee with Lu Zhao.

He sat by the window, absentmindedly gazing at the trees outside but avoiding looking at Lu Zhao across from him.

To be fair, after not seeing each other for a few years, Lu Zhao was still exceptionally handsome and charming, perhaps even more composed. However, when they separated, it was an ugly breakup, and just the sight of Lu Zhao made him feel a deep sense of resistance.

No, he couldn’t even call it a breakup.

Xia Yu took a sip of coffee and corrected his choice of words in his mind.

From start to finish, he and Lu Zhao couldn’t even be considered lovers, at most, they were friends with benefits.

So, he couldn’t use the weighty word “breakup”; at best, it was just a separation.

Thinking of this, he regretted accepting Lu Zhao’s invitation to sit down for coffee. It had been a spur-of-the-moment decision, not wanting to lose face in front of Lu Zhao, the more he cared, the more he needed to appear nonchalant.

So, he thought for two seconds and agreed, putting on an appearance of having forgotten their past.

But he had overestimated himself; he had only been sitting for a while when he began to feel a deep sense of pain from the depths of his heart and stomach.

This put him in a particularly foul mood, and he had no interest in pretending to let bygones be bygones with a smile. He gave Lu Zhao a less-than-friendly look and asked, “Why did you want to see me today?”

They had met at the shopping center a little while ago, and Lu Zhao had mentioned having something to tell him.

Lu Zhao’s gaze remained fixed on Xia Yu.

He had said that they hadn’t been in contact for three years, but that was only from Xia Yu’s perspective. He had been keeping an eye on Xia Yu’s life all along.

And now having Xia Yu sitting in front of him was more than he had hoped for.

He took a sip of coffee, didn’t immediately answer Xia Yu’s question, and instead said, “In the past few years when I returned to Chuan City, I always wanted to see you, but I never found the opportunity.”

He looked up at Xia Yu and asked, “Are you doing well lately?”

This question was quite cliché.

In trashy romance novels, when old flames meet, nine out of ten times, they would ask this question.

But apart from this question, Lu Zhao couldn’t think of a suitable opening.

It seemed that nothing else would be appropriate.

Xia Yu raised an eyebrow, “I’m doing fine. My career is going well, and my love life is fulfilling. I’m very happy with my husband, and we’re about to celebrate our third wedding anniversary.”

Yes, he was married.

Just three months after his separation from Lu Zhao, he hastily married his current husband. Their families had arranged a marriage between them.

But at that time, he had just pulled himself out of the emotionally taxing relationship with Lu Zhao and had told Xu Zhan, his husband, plainly that he couldn’t fall in love with anyone for the time being.

Xu Zhan didn’t mind.

His husband was a good man, gentle, kind, and very considerate towards him. They had tried to work on their relationship, but when it came to being intimate in bed, they could only sit and chat together.

In essence, this marriage could only be considered a business partnership; he and Xu Zhan were friends, they were family, but they weren’t lovers.

However, in the eyes of outsiders, he and Xu Zhan were a perfect couple, deeply in love, the power couple in their circle.

This allowed him to muster some confidence when facing Lu Zhao amidst their past awkwardness.

He was already married, and no one would be so tactless as to doubt that he still held feelings for Lu Zhao.

From a social standpoint, he and Lu Zhao had already severed ties.

But when Lu Zhao heard this statement, he casually remarked, “I’m not so sure about that.”

Xia Yu’s expression suddenly turned ugly.

He set down his coffee cup, and in a rather impolite manner, he said, “Mr. Lu, although we’ve had some history together, it’s been a long time since we last met. My marriage to my husband might have been a bit hasty, but we are both content with each other. There’s no need for you to meddle.”

As if afraid that Lu Zhao wouldn’t believe him, he added with emphasis, “I love him very much.”

He indeed loved Xu Zhan deeply.

Just not as a lover but as family and a friend.

Lu Zhao’s fingers twitched.

Hearing the word “husband” coming from Xia Yu’s mouth sounded particularly harsh.

But who could he blame? Xia Yu had once been eager to bestow that title upon him, and it was he who had refused.

“That’s not what I meant,” he said.

He fell silent for a moment, picked up the envelope next to him, but hesitated before pushing it over.

He wasn’t exactly a saint, but in the moment he handed over that envelope, he had a hidden expectation while fearing that Xia Yu’s heart might truly shatter.

“The reason I wanted to meet you is because I’ve discovered some things about Xu Zhan,” Lu Zhao said straightforwardly. “You might not believe me, think that I have ulterior motives, but Xu Zhan has indeed been unfaithful.”

Xia Yu nearly spat out his coffee.

He coughed a few times, used a napkin to wipe the corner of his mouth, and stared at Lu Zhao in disbelief.

Who was he trying to fool?

Xu Zhan, cheating?

It’s not that he expected Xu Zhan to remain faithful in this fake marriage, but Xu Zhan was a person of simple desires. Even in a business alliance like this, he acted like a model husband. Not to mention cheating, he rarely even attended social gatherings, spending most of his time at home. Occasionally, he accompanied Xia Yu when going out or attending gatherings with Xia Yu’s friends.

Three years into their marriage, aside from the lack of romantic love, they were practically seen as the perfect couple in everyone’s eyes.

His initial reaction was that Lu Zhao was lying and he vehemently denied it, “Impossible, he wouldn’t do that. Not everyone is like you.”

Lu Zhao’s gaze darkened.

The way he said it made it sound like he had also cheated.

But during his time with Xia Yu, there was never anyone else around.

With a hint of displeasure in his voice, he said, “If you don’t believe me, take a look at the photos yourself.”

He seemed very certain, and Xia Yu, half believing and half doubting, opened the envelope and glanced at the photos.

Soon, his eyes widened in shock.

In the photos, there was indeed Xu Zhan. His calm, gentle husband, who had always been well-behaved, was being pinned against the wall and passionately kissed by a young and audacious man. His cheeks were flushed, his eyes were moist, like a cat in spring that would melt with a touch.

Xia Yu: ‘…’

He stared at these photos dumbfoundedly.

For a moment, he didn’t care about the past grievances between him and Lu Zhao, nor did he bother to wonder why Lu Zhao had come to tell him this. He couldn’t wait a second longer; he just wanted to leave.

This was Xu Zhan!

The same Xu Zhan who had lived like a monk.

He had almost lost control of his expression.

But his struggle didn’t escape Lu Zhao’s eyes; it conveyed a different meaning to him.

He felt that Xia Yu looked very sad.

That made him very uncomfortable.

Because only someone with feelings would be sad.

And secretly, he hoped that Xia Yu had never loved Xu Zhan.

He asked Xia Yu, “Do you believe me now?”

Xia Yu didn’t know what to say.

His former lover had handed him evidence of his husband’s infidelity.

This was such a dramatic turn of events; only he could experience something like this.

He didn’t doubt that the photos were fake. Lu Zhao was not that kind of person. But he gave Lu Zhao a suspicious look. Lu Zhao was usually indifferent to others’ affairs, so how did he conveniently know about Xu Zhan’s ‘affair’ and why did he come to tell him?

He put the photos back in the envelope, took a deep breath, and controlled his emotions.

“Your word alone isn’t convincing enough. I’ll talk to him myself,” he said hoarsely. “Thank you for informing me, but between us as partners, we’ll handle it ourselves.”

He said it coldly and this made Lu Zhao’s expression even worse.

When Xia Yu left him, he thought Xia Yu would find a better lover. Someone refined, unlike him. Perhaps even more extreme.

But when he saw Xia Yu’s pale face, he couldn’t bear it.

He said lightly, “If you want, I can provide more evidence.”

More evidence?

Xia Yu jolted, realizing why he had recently caught a faint whiff of cologne on Xu Zhan. Xu Zhan never used perfume; he only had a subtle scent of body wash.

He had thought it was just from Xu Zhan’s socializing.

But now he wondered if it was the other man flaunting it on purpose.

It was too morally corrupt, Xia Yu thought. He had to go home immediately and confront Xu Zhan.

Xia Yu wiped his face, restraining the urge to ask Lu Zhao for more photos. He didn’t want to get entangled with Lu Zhao any longer, and the more he talked, the more likely Lu Zhao was to find some inconsistencies.

He picked up his things, stood up, and looked directly at Lu Zhao, saying in a low voice, “I’ll handle this myself. Whether it’s true or not, don’t interfere with my family life, and my husband.”

He knew Lu Zhao too well. The way he gazed directly at him meant trouble.

“And don’t do anything unnecessary, Lu Zhao. If I find out my husband has been hurt because of you, I won’t let you off. Our affairs don’t concern you.”

He was speaking the truth.

He cared deeply about Xu Zhan, and if Lu Zhao caused any rumors or harm to Xu Zhan, he would not forgive him.

After saying this, Xia Yu left without giving Lu Zhao a chance to speak.

As soon as he walked out of the coffee shop, he quickened his pace and rushed back to his own car.

Lu Zhao watched Xia Yu walk away with a heavy gaze.

After several years apart, Xia Yu was no longer the fierce, unruly fox-like person he used to be. Perhaps it was due to spending so much time with his mild-mannered husband that he had become more restrained. Despite his naturally striking appearance, dressed in a soft white sweater and wearing a modest leather watch, he exuded a naive and innocent aura.

But Xia Yu was twenty-five now, much more mature than when they first got together.

Lu Zhao sat quietly at the table for a long time, and the sunlight from outside the window played across his face.

In truth, he had an flawless appearance, and at only twenty-nine years old, he had matured and become more charming over the past few years. There was a kind of settled composure in his eyes, with deep eye sockets, a high nose bridge, and a pair of gray-blue eyes inherited from his mother, cold but soul-stirring.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have entranced Xia Yu so thoroughly a few years ago.

In fact, everything Xia Yu said today, during their reunion, did not come as a surprise to Lu Zhao.

Compared to him, who was Xia Yu’s former lover whom he hadn’t seen in three years, it was only natural that Xia Yu would trust his husband over him, with whom he spent every day.

Xia Yu had always been soft-hearted, and when in love, he tended to throw himself headlong into it.

Even with irrefutable evidence, Xia Yu would likely want to give his husband a chance to explain.

If Xu Zhan was willing to deceive him… No, Lu Zhao dismissed his own speculation.

He understood Xia Yu.

The Xia Yu who used to be like a fox, leaning into his embrace and being passionate and proud, would never allow his partner to cheat.

Once it was confirmed that Xu Zhan had cheated, Xia Yu would definitely not tolerate it.

Xia Yu had also been cherished and pampered by his family since childhood. It was only when he met Lu Zhao that he held back and endured so much suffering.

Thinking of this, Lu Zhao felt a slight sense of suffocation in his heart.

He picked up the envelope again, casually flipping through the photos inside.

Inside were not only pictures of Xu Zhan and his extramarital affair partner but also images of Xia Yu and his husband, standing together hand in hand. Although Xu Zhan was slim and refined, he was tall and had long legs. Standing next to Xia Yu, they surprisingly looked like a well-matched couple. Both of them were always smiling at each other, and anyone who saw them would comment on their loving relationship.

Lu Zhao was familiar with Xia Yu’s husband as well.

Xu Zhan was the youngest son in his family, and he had an older sister who was capable and independent. Thus, the family didn’t have high expectations for him. It just so happened that Xia Yu was also the youngest son in his family. The two families saw a marriage alliance between their youngest sons as the best option.

When they got married, many people knew about Xia Yu’s relentless pursuit of Lu Zhao in the past and were waiting to see a joke. However, after they got married, the two of them surprisingly lived very well together, becoming a loving couple in their social circle. They were inseparable, and Lu Zhao, who had been busy outside during these years, occasionally heard news about them.

Everyone said that Xia Yu was leading a happy life.

He had found someone completely different from himself, someone who cherished him.

But now, this was the kind of person who cherished him.

Lu Zhao pushed aside the separate photos of Xu Zhan and turned cold.

The reason he hadn’t come to snatch Xia Yu back was that he thought he shouldn’t disturb Xia Yu’s current happiness.

But since Xu Zhan was also a scumbag, it might be better to return Xia Yu to him.

Author’s note:

PS: This is a melodramatic story, a reunion after a breakup, with the roles reversed, and the former top now regretful. Whether it’s considered angsty or passionate, I’m not sure; I’ve always had trouble understanding the criteria for this type of story. So, feel free to read as you like, and if you’re not happy with it, feel free to leave.