Don’t Ignite It chapter 48

Divorce Agreement

That night, Xia Yu’s sleep was restless. He and Lu Zhao had shared a bed only a few times, far from getting used to Lu Zhao’s warmth.

But as he lay in the soft blanket with his eyes closed, he couldn’t help but picture Lu Zhao kissing him.

During the years when Lu Zhao was abroad, he had rarely thought about him.

Time was a good healer.

Although it had hurt as if he had died, he hadn’t actually died.

With time, he would smile brilliantly at others at gatherings, feel proud when receiving flowers from others, even though he hadn’t fallen for anyone else yet. But someday, he would.

Even if he never loved anyone again in his life, he could still live well on his own. When he grew old, he could even be neighbors with Xu Zhan.

He had accepted a life without Lu Zhao.

But Lu Zhao had to come back, entangle him, profess his love, and even propose to him.

At this moment, Xia Yu felt a bit teary and couldn’t quite explain why he felt so wronged.

He despised Lu Zhao at this moment.

More than he had three years ago.

He even thought it would have been better if Lu Zhao were truly a scumbag who only wanted his youth and beauty.

But Lu Zhao hadn’t been a scumbag even three years ago.

He remembered a long time ago when he had a fever. He had pitifully told Lu Zhao that he had no one to accompany him because his family members were all busy, and his friends were too. In truth, it was a lie. Xia Yu, who had been spoiled since childhood, couldn’t possibly have no one willing to accompany him to the hospital.

But Lu Zhao had been unexpectedly dense in this regard. He believed Xia Yu’s words and took a long flight to come see him, taking him to the hospital.

Lu Zhao had never been a good person, but he couldn’t be considered a bad person either.

At that time, he had a fever and leaned weakly against Lu Zhao. He pretended to be weak, but Lu Zhao’s calm demeanor had entranced him.

He couldn’t help but steal a kiss on Lu Zhao’s cheek.

Lu Zhao glanced at him, didn’t say a word, and still looked cool. He even helped Xia Yu adjust his hat.

Thinking about this, Xia Yu couldn’t help but feel like laughing.

Lu Zhao had caused him a lot of pain.

But within that pain, there were surprisingly beautiful moments. It would have been better if Lu Zhao had been a scumbag from the beginning, and Xia Yu could have learned his lesson after one heartbreak and never looked back.

Regardless, he still couldn’t sleep, so Xia Yu sat up and took the ring from the bedside table.

This ring reminded him of Lu Zhao’s eyes.

A beautiful shade of blue, like cornflowers, with a wide band set with tiny diamonds and a ring of rose gold surrounding the central sapphire.

This ring was far from understated; it was flashy, almost blinding to the eyes of anyone who saw it.

This wasn’t Lu Zhao’s usual style.

But Xia Yu liked it.

He played with the ring in his hand for a long time before slowly sliding it onto his ring finger.

He had worn many rings before—emeralds, rubies, diamonds. He had even owned more than one wedding ring. When he married Xu Zhan, although they had wanted to keep it low-key, his older brother had gone all out, sending over more than a dozen sets of wedding rings.

But he had never worn a ring from someone he loved.

Lu Zhao’s ring fit perfectly on his finger. The splendid and serene sapphire complemented his fair skin.

Perfectly seamless.

……………………….

The next day, when Xia Yu woke up, he still had the ring on his finger.

A few rays of sunlight had already entered the room.

Xia Yu blinked in confusion for a moment, then slowly came to his senses. He took the ring off his finger and got up to freshen up before heading to the living room.

Lu Zhao was already preparing breakfast, with broad shoulders, long legs, a slender waist, and a model-like figure. Even while standing in the kitchen, he looked impeccable.

Xia Yu walked over slowly.

After what had happened yesterday, he didn’t know how to face Lu Zhao, but Lu Zhao remained composed. He greeted Xia Yu with a “good morning” and handed him a plate.

“Go ahead and have breakfast; I’ll be there in a moment.”

Xia Yu raised an eyebrow, gave Lu Zhao a few glances, then reluctantly took the plate and sat at the table.

The plate contained smoked fish, scrambled eggs, and potato salad—nothing particularly fancy, but Xia Yu tasted it and found it surprisingly good.

After finishing breakfast, Lu Zhao didn’t bring up what had happened the previous night, as if they were really just on a vacation together.

He took Xia Yu to another small cabin for ice fishing. In the trunk, there were tools and a small tent, along with some wine.

“Whatever we catch, we’ll have for lunch.” Lu Zhao seemed to be joking, but he wasn’t smiling, which made it a bit intimidating.

Xia Yu didn’t respond to him and picked up a fishing rod to wait by the side.

……………………

At noon, they naturally had fish soup for lunch, cooked in a pot inside the small cabin. Luo Zhao’s cooking skills didn’t extend much further, and the fish soup wasn’t particularly delicious. Xia Yu found it a bit disappointing, but he couldn’t cook himself, so he had two small bowls and ate an onigiri

In the evening, they sat together inside the cabin, looking at the stars. The two of them sat in rocking chairs by the floor-to-ceiling windows, almost as if they were starting their retirement life in advance.

The room was warm, and Xia Yu only wore a white turtleneck sweater. Swinging back and forth in the rocking chair, he watched Lu Zhao beside him.

Lu Zhao was busy fixing a broken alarm clock.

Lu Zhao was always sexy when he focused on something. The unfortunate alarm clock had been disassembled, and the fallen parts were neatly arranged. Lu Zhao was testing the wire connections.

Dressed in a loose sweater with naturally broad shoulders, a narrow waist, sharp eyebrows and eyes, soft hair, and a pale face that lacked color, along with gray-blue irises that looked like those of a doll a little girl would want to collect.

But his lips were soft and beautifully shaped, far too passionate for a face as cold as his.

Xia Yu couldn’t help but lose himself for a moment.

In this moment, he thought about what it would be like if Lu Zhao weren’t Lu Zhao, if he weren’t so proud, aloof, and the center of the world, surrounded by countless admirers.

If Lu Zhao were just a young apprentice in a clock shop, handsome but reclusive, calmly repairing parts behind the counter, and he was a student studying nearby who occasionally pushed open the door on a rainy day.

What kind of story would they have then?

But such thoughts were foolish, and Xia Yu quickly shook his head.

………………………..

On New Year’s Day, Luo Zhao drove Xia Yu back home.

They had set off in the morning, and by the time they reached Xia Yu’s house, it was already afternoon, and the sunlight was bright.

Luo Zhao felt somewhat out of place because, every time he had dropped Xia Yu off before, it had always been at night. Their relationship was not meant to see the light of day.

But now, Xia Yu sat in the passenger seat, lost in thought, as if he hadn’t realized they had arrived home.

In the end, Luo Zhao had to remind him, “We’re here.”

Only then did Xia Yu snap out of his daydream.

Xia Yu clumsily unbuckled his seatbelt and tried to open the car door, but Luo Zhao held onto his hand.

Turning his head, Xia Yu saw Luo Zhao looking at him under the winter sunlight.

Luo Zhao said, “I won’t disturb you for a while, not because I’m too busy with work, but because I think you might need some time to think. I hope you’ll seriously consider whether or not you want to accept my ring.”

Xia Yu stared at the hand that Luo Zhao held.

Slowly, he asked, “Is there a deadline for this decision? Until when do I have to give you an answer?”

Luo Zhao actually wanted to set a deadline, but he shook his head. “There’s no deadline. You can decide whenever you’re ready,” he said, but then hesitated for a moment before adding softly, “But I hope it’ll be sooner rather than later.”

They had lost too much time already.

Every moment with Xia Yu was precious to him.

After saying this, Luo Zhao held Xia Yu’s wrist and pulled him a little closer, tilting his own body as well.

Xia Yu thought Luo Zhao was going to kiss him again.

Instinctively, he closed his eyes.

But Luo Zhao stopped just before their lips met, and instead, his lips lightly brushed against Xia Yu’s trembling eyelashes.

“I love you.”

It was a simple statement, without elaboration.

Then, Luo Zhao let go of Xia Yu and leaned over to open the car door for him.

Fresh air from outside rushed in, and the temperature was cold. Xia Yu’s exposed skin immediately broke out in goosebumps.

Xia Yu glanced at Luo Zhao but didn’t say anything. He turned and walked out of the car.

Luo Zhao watched Xia Yu recede into the distance.

They had said their goodbyes many times before. During the three years they were together, Luo Zhao had seen Xia Yu off at the airport numerous times. Every time, Xia Yu would look back at him like a dependent fawn, unable to stop glancing in his direction.

Only once, during a farewell, Xia Yu had walked away without looking back, leaving only his retreating back.

It was when Xia Yu left the United States with his brother. Luo Zhao had actually been there, at the airport, watching Xia Yu go through security.

But Xia Yu didn’t know.

Xia Yu had followed his brother in silence, looking pale and frail, walking slowly without once lifting his head.

If he had looked up, he might have locked eyes with Luo Zhao, who was standing upstairs by the railing, looking into the distance.

In the years that followed, Luo Zhao often dreamt of that enormous white airport, with its transparent ceiling, the buzzing of planes taking off in the sky, the loud and chaotic voices of the crowd, and the scent of coffee beans and donuts in the air.

He stood alone upstairs amidst the bustling crowd. For the first time in his life, he felt hesitation and confusion, ultimately losing his beloved.

When Xia Yu arrived back home, the house was quiet, with no signs of anyone.

Xu Zhan was not there.

Xia Yu changed into his pajamas, threw himself onto the bed in the bedroom, but despite feeling drowsy in the car a while ago, he was now completely awake.

Luo Zhao had mentioned that he hoped Xia Yu would seriously consider, but Xia Yu didn’t want to. In his plans for the future, there was no room for marrying Luo Zhao.

How could he ever marry Luo Zhao?

Having fallen into the same pit once, it would be even more pathetic if he fell in again. Even Xia Yu himself would look down on such behavior.

So, when he received the ring, his initial reaction was to return it.

That ring was very expensive.

And so was Luo Zhao.

He had once partially possessed Luo Zhao for three years, and it had come at a great cost. Now, to possess Luo Zhao for a lifetime, what would he have to give up? Xia Yu didn’t even dare to think about it.”

Subconsciously, he felt it would be terrifying. Once he agreed, it would be like stepping off a cliff.

Xia Yu glanced to the side at a small black cat toy on his bed.

It was a toy he and Luo Zhao had won together from a claw machine. Since he had personally won it, he hadn’t thrown it away and had placed it by his bedside.

Normally, such a small thing wouldn’t matter to anyone.

But Luo Zhao remembered it. On the way back just now, when he hadn’t fallen asleep yet, he had been browsing on his phone and was about to buy a plush toy when he happened to see one in the shape of a small black cat.

Luo Zhao glanced at it and said, ‘This looks like the one we won from the claw machine.’

He gave Luo Zhao an odd look, not expecting Luo Zhao to remember.

But Luo Zhao didn’t notice and asked again, ‘Is that little cat still with you?’

For a moment, he considered saying that he had thrown it away.

However, Luo Zhao was waiting for his response with great seriousness, his beautiful gray-blue eyes like a glistening lake in the sunlight, captivating anyone who looked into them.

“I still have it,” Xia Yu said softly, his expression unchanged.

But Luo Zhao seemed satisfied and looked ahead, starting the car.

“That’s good.”

What exactly he meant by “good,” Xia Yu didn’t know.

He thought that he had kept it because he felt a bit sorry for the little black cat toy. It had no real connection to Luo Zhao.

Now, this small cat toy was in Xia Yu’s hand. It was only the size of a palm, made of cheap plush, with rough stitching. It had been produced in a small factory along with countless others, then transported to various claw machine operators.

This little toy wasn’t special at all.

If it were placed on a night market stall, no one would probably pay it any attention.

But now it was on Xia Yu’s bed, washed clean, with a pleasant scent of yuzu leaves, and a green little bowtie around its neck.

…………………………………

This time, Luo Zhao kept his word and didn’t appear in front of Xia Yu for several days.

Xia Yu was busy moving the gallery and didn’t have time to deal with Luo Zhao.

But instead of dealing with his relationship with Luo Zhao, he realized he needed to deal with his marriage to Xu Zhan first.

Because he found a divorce agreement in the study, and it belonged to Xu Zhan.

In fact, Xia Yu had long anticipated this day.

When he married Xu Zhan, he had a feeling that maybe he and Xu Zhan would eventually part ways.

It’s not that he hadn’t considered growing old with Xu Zhan, but the scars from his previous relationship were too deep. He had no interest in starting another marriage with someone else, and it seemed easier to just live with Xu Zhan.

But how could he selfishly hold Xu Zhan back for a lifetime?

Xu Zhan, who had held an umbrella for him on rainy days, who had taken his hand and walked him home, who had taken care of him when he was sick… Xu Zhan was too good.

So, he couldn’t selfishly keep him for a lifetime.

And now, when he didn’t know it, when he was tossing and turning at night thinking about Luo Zhao’s proposal, Xu Zhan had also moved on to a new life.

This divorce agreement might have been prepared a long time ago, but due to various concerns, including worries about him, Xu Zhan hadn’t presented it until now.

Xia Yu didn’t know why, but his eyes started to feel a bit sore.

In reality, he had long been prepared for this day.

He had spent three peaceful years relying on Xu Zhan’s protection. Although it was a business alliance, both families had benefited, but he had needed this marriage more than Xu Zhan had.

Xu Zhan was such a wonderful person.

Gentle, humble, responsible, and a caring homemaker.

Someone like that could not be held back for a lifetime.

Xia Yu stared at the document for a long time before flipping to the next page.

Next to the divorce agreement was a promotional brochure, a catalog that a planning company gave to clients as reference. It featured previously successful cases, mostly proposals and birthday plans.

This planning company specialized in the high-end market. If clients wished, they could arrange things like an aerial trip to the African savannah or even build a small chapel in Antarctica, all in the name of creating an unforgettable experience for the significant other.

Xia Yu had only flipped through a few pages but had already guessed what Xu Zhan intended to do. Most likely, Xu Zhan wanted to surprise his little lover but didn’t know how to go about it. Afraid of his own inexperience, he had considered hiring a professional team.

However, the small wolf at Xu Zhan’s side was probably only in his early twenties and might not appreciate these ‘surprises’ from a planning company. They seemed too formal and traditional, and Xia Yu could imagine the look of speechlessness on the young man’s face.

Thinking of this, he burst into laughter for a while. However, the laughter faded, and he gradually stopped smiling, unable to explain why he felt a bit melancholic.

“So old-fashioned, Xu Zhan,” Xia Yu murmured softly.

Xu Zhan, gentle and introverted, like a quiet, sturdy tree, didn’t understand too much about romance and sweet talk.

But whoever was loved by Xu Zhan would undoubtedly be the happiest person in the world.

In the end, divorce was inevitable.

With or without Luo Zhao, Xia Yu didn’t want to hold Xu Zhan back for a lifetime.”