Don’t Ignite It chapter 23

Different dreams in the same bed

After finishing blow-drying his hair, Xia Yu didn’t plan to leave; he decided to spend the night instead.

He lay on the bed, yawned, and said to Lu Zhao, “I might not be able to meet you for the next few days.”

Lu Zhao raised an eyebrow, “Why?”

Xia Yu counted on his fingers, “Tomorrow night, I have a gathering to attend. The day after, I have a client appointment, and then I need to participate in a ceramics exhibition and deal with gallery matters.”

He was telling the truth.

Technically, he could make time to meet Lu Zhao, but he no longer had the determination to take a red-eye flight just to see Lu Zhao like he used to.

He leaned against Lu Zhao’s shoulder, adopting a slightly playful tone as he whispered, “Besides, I can’t just stay here with you every day.”

His words were somewhat unclear, but Lu Zhao understood his meaning right away.

After all, this was just an extramarital affair.

Xia Yu wasn’t single, and there was no place where he could stay without someone overseeing him. Xu Zhan could invoke his husband’s name and call him back home at any time.

Lu Zhao tightened his grip on Xia Yu’s waist.

He didn’t say yes or no but changed the subject, “I’ll be on a business trip next Wednesday.”

Xia Yu softly acknowledged, “Oh.”

Lu Zhao had always been traveling frequently, even during their school days.

But then he added, “I’ll be attending a conference in Yundu this time, just for two days. Do you want to come with me?”

Xia Yu looked at Lu Zhao strangely.

He didn’t respond immediately.

He used to accompany Lu Zhao on business trips occasionally, but it was rare. The first time he had taken the initiative to visit Lu Zhao’s hotel while Lu Zhao was on a business trip, it had already irritated Lu Zhao.

So, he had been obedient ever since. No matter how close Lu Zhao’s business trips were to him, he wouldn’t make any romantic surprises on his own.

If Lu Zhao wanted him to warm the bed, he would contact him and take him along, but if Lu Zhao didn’t want him, he would straightforwardly tell him not to come.

But regardless of the circumstances, Lu Zhao’s primary purpose had always been work, and he never wasted time with him. Sleeping together was acceptable, but Lu Zhao never went out of his way to spend time traveling with him.

Now, Xia Yu suddenly chuckled.

“Let’s talk about it later,” Xia Yu said, looking tired and lacking enthusiasm. “I don’t really want to go, and I might not have the time.”

Lu Zhao noticed Xia Yu’s unusual demeanor and furrowed his brow, “What’s wrong? Aren’t you happy about it?”

“No, I’m just a bit tired,” Xia Yu replied, indifferent to bringing up old matters. He reached for a silk eye mask from the bedside table and put it on his face. “I want to sleep.” He gestured with his finger to shush Lu Zhao.

Lu Zhao had no choice but to quiet down.

He stared at Xia Yu for a while. Xia Yu lay there quietly, his skin as pale as translucent, his lips slightly reddened. He looked serene, unlike his lively daytime self, exuding a gentle and dignified aura.

He knew Xia Yu hadn’t fallen asleep yet; he simply didn’t want to communicate at the moment. So he didn’t say anything more and settled into bed himself.

The next day, Xia Yu got up early.

He was still wearing clothes from Lu Zhao’s wardrobe, but today, he had chosen a beige trench coat that accentuated his slim waist and long legs, making him look exceptionally stylish.

Lu Zhao was also getting ready, but Xia Yu had prepared himself exceptionally quick. Xia Yu didn’t even have breakfast; he simply kissed Lu Zhao’s face, who still had shaving cream on, and said, “I have some gallery matters to attend to. I’ll leave now.”

Lu Zhao hadn’t had a chance to offer to accompany him.

Xia Yu waved and left.

He didn’t come by car; he took one from Lu Zhao’s underground parking lot.

In the following days, Xia Yu and Lu Zhao didn’t meet.

Xia Yu was busy with work and house-hunting with a real estate agent.

Although his current studio was decent, it was too small and located in a prime but expensive area.

Now that Xia Yu’s gallery had gained some reputation, he wanted to move to a slightly more spacious but still historic old house.

He had always loved old houses because they had a sense of history. He also planned to open a small café on the ground floor to serve visitors coming to view his art and host small gatherings with friends.

So, he had been busy exploring various options to find a suitable place.

Xu Zhan had accompanied him to view houses twice.

Standing on the second floor of an old villa, Xia Yu gazed down at the lush garden and beautiful balcony below. He liked it a lot, but he felt the space was somewhat limited.

Xu Zhan, on the other hand, thought it was quite nice.

He said to Xia Yu, “If you don’t open a gallery, living here would be great.”

He had always enjoyed tranquility, and this old villa had a sense of timelessness. The dark window sills, thin gauzy bed curtains, and the afternoon sunlight streaming through the curtains onto the dark wooden floors all added to its charm.

He touched the slightly warm windowsill.

His legal partner was right beside him, but his mind was thinking about Ruan Sen, who had been with him yesterday.

Ruan Sen had prepared a drink for him yesterday, a mint-flavored cocktail, with a faint green color, reminiscent of a description from an Eileen Chang novel. The green liquid swayed in the green glass, illuminated by the light.

He wasn’t a drinker, and the alcohol content wasn’t high, but he still got tipsy, feeling his head spinning as he was held in the arms of the young man. They kissed passionately on the windowsill.

After their intimacy, he transferred some money to Ruan Sen. He wasn’t the type to shortchange anyone, and Ruan Sen casually accepted it, showing no clear signs of whether he was happy or unhappy. However, a little while later, Ruan Sen suddenly reminded him that their relationship would end in a month, and he should be ready to part ways.

At that time, he had nonchalantly agreed.

…

But now, as he gazed at the small garden below, he couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if Ruan Sen changed his mind and decided to stay with him. Perhaps he could buy a place like this as a residence for him and Ruan Sen.

Xia Yu noticed Xu Zhan’s absent-mindedness and tapped his arm, saying, “What’s wrong with you?”

Xu Zhan was momentarily taken aback but then smiled apologetically. “I was lost in thought. What did you say?”

“I said, let’s go see the next one. This place is a bit small,” Xia Yu replied, staring at Xu Zhan’s face with a hint of concern. “Are you feeling too hot? Your face looks a bit flushed. If you’re uncomfortable, you can go back. You don’t have to accompany me.”

Xu Zhan shook his head. “I’m fine. I’m not uncomfortable.”

They continued down the stairs together.

The staircase was narrow, and Xu Zhan walked behind Xia Yu. He had been distracted earlier, but when he glanced at Xia Yu’s collar, he noticed a faint pink hickey on his snowy white neck.

It had already faded quite a bit and was barely noticeable without close examination.

Xu Zhan was briefly surprised but then smiled.

Unlike Xia Yu, he wasn’t one to tease people like this. He simply shook his head and smiled apologetically, not saying anything.

As they got into the car and headed to their next destination together, the smile in Xu Zhan’s eyes gradually faded.

He glanced at Xia Yu, who was driving, and in the sunlight, the ring on Xia Yu’s ring finger sparkled brightly.

In fact, living together with someone like Xia Yu wasn’t a bad thing at all. He wasn’t someone who craved excitement or needed love very much. He used to think that this kind of relationship was stable and suitable for him.

But recently, he kept thinking about Ruan Sen.

Ruan Sen was younger than Xia Yu, probably aware that he could easily win anyone’s favor. He was outspoken and had a bit of a temper, but when he acted cute, it was irresistible, like a wild leopard that couldn’t be tamed.

Their relationship had initially been a fleeting encounter, and they had agreed not to take it seriously.

However, one’s emotions weren’t something easily controlled.

Xu Zhan opened the window to let in some air and looked outside. He glanced at Xia Yu, and a question about Xia Yu’s feelings emerged from his usually reserved demeanor. “How’s that person you’ve been seeing lately?”

Xia Yu was momentarily stunned before realizing what Xu Zhan was asking. He didn’t know how to answer this question.

The bright sunlight outside was slightly dazzling, and he felt a sense of irritation for some reason.

“What’s good or bad about it? It’s just like that,” Xia Yu intentionally said nonchalantly, “We meet, have meals, go to bed, and then we pretend it never happened.”

But Xu Zhan looked at Xia Yu with curiosity. If he remembered correctly, Xia Yu had been entangled with this person for almost a month now.

Xia Yu hadn’t introduced him to this person, so Xu Zhan hadn’t asked, but perhaps out of a slight favoritism towards Xia Yu, he couldn’t help but feel that the person Xia Yu chose should have something special about him.

He asked, “Then why did you choose him initially? Do you like him?”

At a red traffic light, Xia Yu stopped the car, and his body swayed slightly. Images of Lu Zhao looking at him under the traffic light flashed through his mind. The twenty-nine-year-old Lu Zhao, slender and handsome, seemed even more distant than before, but he could still hold Xia Yu in his arms and kiss him gently when he lowered his head.

“Yeah, I like him,” Xia Yu admitted casually.

But he raised his lips, adding quickly, “After all, he’s well-endowed, and he has a good body.”

Xu Zhan was left speechless.

He chuckled and shook his head helplessly.

Xia Yu visited several houses but wasn’t quite satisfied with any of them. He returned home and organized his thoughts, creating a document for comparison.

The next day, Jiang Ti invited Xia Yu to attend a ceramic art exhibition, but it wasn’t as impressive as expected. The only thing of interest was a whole wall of butterflies hanging in the corner. Shades of green, navy, and gray intertwined, completely silent. The butterflies seemed frozen in the final moments of life, dried and motionless. The title of this artwork was “Scream.”

Xia Yu stood in front of this piece for a long time before moving on. After a full tour, Jiang Ti whispered to him, “Is this so-called Master Lin running out of inspiration? These mediocre works are being displayed. Money can make the devil turn the millstone, but these pieces are still being praised.”

But despite his sarcasm, Jiang Ti had a smile on his face. Under the light, he exuded an air of calm elegance that was more artistic than the ceramic works on display.

Xia Yu couldn’t help but laugh.

“If someone hears you, they’ll think you’re jealous,” he also lowered his voice, his lips curving, “Sour grapes.”

Jiang Ti snorted.

After leaving the exhibition, they went for drinks with a few familiar faces. They decided to have a drink together at a familiar place: Green Serenity, the same bar where Xia Yu had met with the gallery staff last time.

The owner, Yu Wan, was also present that evening. When he saw Xia Yu and Jiang Ti in the crowd, he enthusiastically came over to greet them.

When Xia Yu saw Yu Wan, he had an ominous feeling, worrying whether the same incident from last time would repeat itself at this bar.

It couldn’t be that he was unlucky enough to run into Lu Zhao here again.

Fortunately, Yu Wan had come alone. He warmly exchanged greetings with Xia Yu and Jiang Ti. He patted Jiang Ti on the shoulder and then glanced at Xia Yu, asking, “Isn’t your husband here today?”

Xia Yu smiled playfully, “He’s busy with something,” he replied offhandedly, “work is a bit hectic.”

Yu Wan seemed a bit disappointed. He didn’t have any special feelings for Xu Zhan, but he thought the couple was quite eye-catching, and he wouldn’t have minded seeing them together again.

However, he quickly regained his composure and patted Jiang Ti, “Long time no see. What have you been up to?”

Jiang Ti still had that indifferent expression on his face. “Not much, just didn’t feel like going out.”

Xia Yu watched the two of them with some interest. Yu Wan and Jiang Ti had completely different personalities, and he couldn’t figure out how they had become friends. He pondered this and eventually asked.

Yu Wan laughed when he heard the question. “There’s no special reason. We met because of mutual friends,” he said. “I used to pursue a girl who liked him. I didn’t like losing, so I tried to provoke him. But he ignored me.”

“And then?” Xia Yu was getting into the story.

“Then he insisted on calling that girl and asking her what she saw in me,” Jiang Ti continued, with a faint smirk. “The girl said it was because I was better looking than him and told him not to bother her anymore. This guy, in a pitiful state, cried and refused to leave my doorstep.”

Looking back on it now, he found it quite ridiculous.

However, Yu Wan, who had been rejected so thoroughly, ended up having no expectations and started treating Jiang Ti as a friend.

As for how the two became so close, Jiang Ti couldn’t recall. He just remembered that he had been forcibly dragged out for drinks a few times.

Yu Wan and Xia Yu bantered about Jiang Ti. Xia Yu’s gaze did shift toward Jiang Ti a few times.

He hadn’t forgotten about Jiang Ti’s apparent crush on Xu Zhan, but such matters were hard to confirm, so Xia Yu kept them to himself.

With Yu Wan acting as a chatterbox, Xia Yu enjoyed listening to the gossip while sipping his drink, finding it rather amusing.

However, Yu Wan’s storytelling was interrupted when received a phone call. Yu Wan made an apologetic gesture to them, saying, “I need to take this.”

Xia Yu didn’t mind at all.

But he overheard Yu Wan say, “Yes, I’m inside. You can come over directly.”

Suddenly, Xia Yu felt a jolt in his heart.

When Yu Wan hung up the phone, Xia Yu pretended to be nonchalant and asked, “Who was that?”

Yu Wan replied, “It’s Lu Yuan. You know him too; we’re all familiar faces.”

Xia Yu’s expression changed, “…”

He didn’t find this answer reassuring.

Lu Zhao wasn’t here, but why was his brother here?

As they spoke, however, Lu Yuan had already entered the bar. Tall and leggy, he quickly spotted Yu Wan in the crowd. But upon reaching the table, he noticed Xia Yu and Jiang Ti as well, causing his expression to stiffen.

While Jiang Ti hadn’t had any conflicts with Lu Yuan, Jiang Ti was Xia Yu’s friend, and he naturally had a somewhat cold demeanor. Xia Yu, on the other hand, wasn’t too concerned.

After all, he and Lu Zhao had become quite intimate, so why worry about old grudges with Lu Zhao’s brother?

So, Xia Yu generously smiled at Lu Yuan and said, “We meet again, old classmate.”

Yu Wan was delighted, “Exactly, come on, let’s sit together.”

Lu Yuan stiffly nodded and took a seat.

While Xia Yu and Lu Yuan were high school classmates and had even entered different university departments, they couldn’t be considered close. Their relationship wasn’t warm, but it wasn’t hostile either.

However, ever since Xia Yu relentlessly pursued Lu Yuan’s brother, his opinion of Xia Yu had changed.

He not only mocked Xia Yu for shamelessly clinging to his brother but had also done some more extreme things.

This made him feel somewhat guilty when he saw Xia Yu.

During their adolescence, he had thought of himself as someone who punished the wicked and praised the good, teaching a lesson to those who pursued his brother without discretion. But now that he was grown up, he realized the absurdity of his past actions.