Don’t Ignite It chapter 3

Exchange

Xu Zhan’s relationship with his lover was a series of coincidences.

He had been on a business trip to Fragrant City recently, not in the best mood, so he went to a bar to have a drink.

In fact, he was usually quite dull and didn’t frequent bars. He only went in occasionally, and it was usually when Xia Yu and his friends dragged him along. He knew he was boring, like a thin pamphlet that you couldn’t flip through many pages of before losing interest, which made people feel disappointed.

Thinking about the only person he had had a short-lived crush on,……

Back in his youth, he had gathered the courage to confess to the person he liked, but the response had been dismissive. The person had said, “Being with you would be more boring than drinking plain water, just looking at you makes me feel like I can predict the next fifty years, it’s too dull.”

And now, he had unexpectedly heard news about this long-forgotten person. It turned out that they had returned to the country, and it seemed like they were even in the same city as him.

Memories that he had buried deep inside resurfaced – the contemptuous and scornful face, as if he were some kind of ridiculous joke.

Thinking about all of this, he unconsciously had a few more drinks to drown his sorrows.

But he didn’t know that he was actually quite handsome.

Sitting in the dimly lit bar, he had a pearl-like radiance, clear and translucent as if he had been washed by water. He didn’t fit in with this chaotic bar scene at all.

So, he was quickly harassed by someone.

The one harassing him was a drunken man, probably in his thirties, with a decent appearance, but his lustful intentions were evident.

He sat down next to Xu Zhan and insisted on making friends with him. Seeing Xu Zhan’s polite refusal, he became even more determined, refusing to let go.

Even when Xu Zhan explicitly asked him to leave, the man’s hand still tried to touch Xu Zhan’s waist.

Xu Zhan furrowed his brows and was about to get up when someone suddenly held him back.

But before Xu Zhan could voice his objection, the man who had been harassing him let out a painful cry.

Xu Zhan blinked and saw his future lover. Extremely handsome, yet rebellious, every corner of his eyes and brows exuded a worldly cynicism.

In the dimly lit bar, he wore a casual black T-shirt that accentuated his well-defined and smooth arm muscles, slightly curled hair, pale complexion, and a pair of soft, rosy lips that looked very inviting.

He casually stood at the bar, dressed in all black as if he wanted to blend into the background, but no one could ignore his presence. He seemed like a lazy and young predator, and wherever he stood, it became his territory.

And now, he was casually lighting a cigarette, completely ignoring the man’s complaints on the ground. He took a deep drag and then removed it from his lips, offering it to Xu Zhan.

“Do you smoke?”

He smiled at Xu Zhan, his lips soft and inviting, looking difficult to resist.

Xu Zhan didn’t smoke.

But for some reason, he took it.

Xu Zhan didn’t know how to smoke, and he choked on the first drag, coughing violently.

The young man chuckled.

The man on the ground, still grumbling, attempted to confront the young man but was quickly subdued with a twist of his arm and a kick to the side.

“Stay away,” he coldly warned the man, “If someone isn’t interested in your advances, don’t insist. Try it again, and I’ll break your hand.”

His voice wasn’t loud, but in the noisy bar, his words were clear, sharp, and sent shivers down people’s spines.

The man hesitated for a moment but ultimately slinked away.

In an instant, there were only the two of them left in that corner.

The young man approached, took the cigarette from Xu Zhan’s lips, and mockingly said, “You’re an adult, yet you don’t even have a sense of self-preservation. Clearly, you’re an adult man, but you act like a damsel in distress waiting to be rescued.”

He said it casually, putting the cigarette back to Xu Zhan’s lips before lazily glancing at him.

Just that one look, and Xu Zhan realized that his eyes were beautiful, like misty weather, enchanting.

Even now, thinking back, Xu Zhan still felt that this scene had made his heart flutter. He was almost thirty years old, but just looking at the other person had left him feeling dizzy.

Xia Yu listened eagerly from the side, his eyes shining. “So, what happened next? Did you two sleep together?”

They definitely did!

Xu Zhan had no choice but to nod.

But he found it difficult to continue.

It had all been a series of coincidences, or rather, he had willingly gone along with it. He had ended up booking a room with this young man.

But the person he had fallen for was jobless, without a stable home, living off sugar daddies.

In Xu Zhan’s world, this was unimaginable.

But that young man, bathed in the morning light, bare-chested with scratches still visible, had honestly admitted it to him.

He should have left.

He should have turned and walked away without hesitation. But that young man smiled at him and asked, “Do you want to be my sugar daddy? I can be with you for three months, and then I’ll leave.”

He agreed.

Thinking about this, Xu Zhan’s expression became complex again. He said to Xia Yu, “I’m not in love with him. I paid for a few months with money, and after three months, he will leave, so it won’t affect anything.”

So, he didn’t bother to tell the other person that he was already married.

A relationship destined to end, kisses and caresses exchanged for money, how serious could it be?

Moreover, his marriage was a sham from the beginning. Although they were both trapped in this closed-off city, he and Xia Yu were both free, as they had agreed long ago.

Xia Yu listened in surprise.

He had just been thinking if he needed to step aside to give Xu Zhan’s new romance some space, but Xu Zhan told him it was just a fleeting encounter.

And Xu Zhan’s partner turned out to be a sugar baby.

Stammering, Xia Yu said, “How did you end up… because of me? Actually, I can…”

But Xu shook his head and said firmly, “No, it was his request, and I agreed. Anyway, I’ve explained everything. I’ll handle it myself. Don’t tell anyone, just keep it a secret. I’ve only told you about this.”

He changed the subject, looked at Xia Yu, and asked, “About your situation with Lu Zhao, I didn’t finish asking earlier. Is Lu Zhao here to reconcile with you?”

“Far from it,” Xia Yu chuckled, “He came to see me suffer, more or less.”

He didn’t think Lu Zhao was interested in him.

It was just a matter of an old flame looking down on him and showing a bit of pity.

But as he said this, Xia Yu rubbed his forehead and said to Xu Zhan, “I’ll go find Lu Zhao. I was out of my mind just now. I should get the pictures back from him to prevent him from interfering in our affairs.”

Xu Zhan didn’t quite agree with him going to meet Lu Zhao.

He said, “Forget it, I’ll go talk to him myself. I’ll negotiate with him.”

But Xia Yu stared at him, “What are you going to tell him? That we’re fake? Forget it, I’ve already lost face in front of him. Do you want me to lose the last shred of my dignity as well?”

Xu Zhan understood what he meant.

When they got married, Xia Yu told him on their wedding night that it would be great because after marriage, there would be a sense of detachment, as if he had finally drawn a line between himself and Lu Zhao.

He was eagerly looking for a sanctuary, a safe haven where everyone would think he had forgotten about Lu Zhao.

If there was anyone Xia Yu least wanted to know about his fake marriage, it was definitely Lu Zhao.

“Leave it to me, I’ll figure it out,” Xia Yu nudged Xu Zhan, “Don’t get involved.”

Although Xu Zhan had many concerns, he didn’t insist any further.

He wasn’t a stubborn person. After looking at Xia Yu for a while, he stood up and asked, “Do you want to have dinner? I’ll cook.”

“Yes, please,” Xia Yu said, following him eagerly to help Xu Zhan in the kitchen. Xu Zhan was good at cooking, even though they had a cooking aunt who frequently visited their home, he still preferred Xu Zhan’s cooking.

Thinking about this, he became even more reluctant to part with Xu Zhan.

Curiously, he asked, “Have you cooked for your vixen before?”

Xu Zhan was amused by this nickname. Why call him a vixen?

“A few times,” he replied.

That meant many times.

Xia Yu knew what he meant.

He saw the smile on Xu Zhan’s face and felt a subtle unease in his heart.

Xu Zhan had said casually, that it was a financial arrangement for a few months, nothing worth mentioning. But now, seeing Xu Zhan’s expression, it was clear that he was infatuated.

Xu Zhan was not someone who played games with emotions. He was sincere, kind, responsible, and considerate, possessing all the best qualities.

Xia Yu pursed his lips and didn’t say anything. Even though he was close to Xu Zhan, there were some things they could only hint at.

He popped a cherry tomato into his mouth and asked, “Are you sure the person you found is really a… um, jobless wanderer?”

Xu Zhan’s knife slowed down a bit.

Actually, he was a bit puzzled too, because the young man’s demeanor was just too refined. If he didn’t admit it, he looked like an extravagant and ostentatious rich kid.

But then, who would voluntarily label themselves with such a status?

Furthermore, he had transferred money to the guy.

The guy had accepted it, but his expression was far from that of someone who had just received payment from a sugar daddy. It carried a hint of mockery instead.

So, Xu Zhan simply said, “I think so.”

He didn’t want to dwell on this relationship that had no future, so he grabbed another small tomato and put it in Xia Yu’s mouth.

After dinner, it was getting dark.

Dinner was cold noodles with grilled chicken wings. Xu Zhan and Xia Yu each held a bowl and sat on the sofa, eating while watching TV and chatting.

Xu Zhan mentioned that he was working on a new research project lately, and Xia Yu said he was about to host a solo art exhibition for a painter. Both of them sat barefoot on the sofa, but Xu Zhan’s posture was relaxed and elegant, while Xia Yu was more casual, slouching.

After dinner, Xia Yu played video games in the living room for a while and was about to go back to his room.

Naturally, Xia Yu and Xu Zhan didn’t sleep together. They were both adults, and their relationship hadn’t developed to that point. Having personal space was more comfortable.

After Xu Zhan had taken a shower, his hair was still slightly damp and fell into his eyes.

He said goodnight to Xia Yu. But before Xia Yu entered his room, Xu Zhan called out to him.

Xia Yu turned around with a puzzled look. “What’s wrong?”

Xu Zhan pursed his lips, hesitated for a moment, and asked, “How did you feel when you saw Lu Zhao today?”

He had actually wanted to ask for a long time, but seeing Xia Yu acting as if nothing had happened, he had held back.

Xia Yu was momentarily taken aback by the question.

But then he smiled again, not caring much, and said, “What could I feel? I wasn’t too happy.”

“Then… Do you still love him?”

This time, Xia Yu’s smile faded a bit.

But in front of Xu Zhan, he never had anything to hide. Xu Zhan had seen too many embarrassing moments of his.

He wouldn’t lie to Xu Zhan.

Xia Yu brushed the strands of hair away from his face, casually and with a smile. “It seems like I still do.”

A bit.

He couldn’t really quantify it.

But there was no sadness on his face. He waved his hand at Xu Zhan. “I’m going into my room. If you’re leaving in the morning, remember to wake me up. I have something to do in the morning, and I’m afraid I won’t wake up on time.”

With that, he went into his room.

That night, Xia Yu had a dream.

It wasn’t a rare dream, and it was about Lu Zhao again.

He dreamed of the first time he met Lu Zhao.

He had gone to his brother’s university and was waiting in the library while his brother attended class. It was summer, and the sunlight outside was hot and scorching, but the library was pleasantly cool, with a patch of greenery visible through the window. Lu Zhao happened to be sitting by that window.

At that time, Lu Zhao was already a senior, and he rarely returned to school. He was exceptionally good-looking, standing out like a mountain of snow among a crowd of indistinct college students, keeping people at a distance without saying a word.

Perhaps Xia Yu’s gaze was too persistent, Lu Zhao gently raised his head, furrowing his brows with slight displeasure. But when he realized that the one staring at him was just a young student, his brows relaxed.

“Do you need something?” he asked.

Xia Yu didn’t know why he said it, but he rested his head on one hand, gazing at Lu Zhao like a well-behaved puppy and replied honestly, “I don’t need anything. I just think you’re really handsome.”

He was only eighteen years old at the time.

Having just finished the college entrance exam, in his smooth-sailing life, he hadn’t experienced any setbacks yet, so he naturally attracted everyone’s favor.

So, faced with Lu Zhao, whom he was meeting for the first time, he wasn’t nervous at all. He smiled sweetly, revealing his small fangs.

Lu Zhao was momentarily taken aback but soon let out a soft laugh. He finished his work, packed up, and prepared to leave. When he passed by Xia Yu, he gently patted his head.

“Thanks for the compliment.”

Then, on the table, he left a strawberry candy for Xia Yu.

It had been given to him by a junior from his club, and it just happened to be handy for soothing a stranger.

For Lu Zhao, this gesture was casual and forgotten.

But Xia Yu stood there for a long time after Lu Zhao had left. He peeled the strawberry candy and put it in his mouth.

While Lu Zhao was still there, he hadn’t thought much, but when he remembered Lu Zhao’s hand touching his head, his heart uncontrollably raced.

He touched his flushed face and felt like he was in love.

Love at first sight.

Because of this budding feeling, he had pursued Lu Zhao relentlessly for a year, finally achieving a position beside him.

But it wasn’t as boyfriends; it was as friends with benefits.