Don’t Ignite It chapter 61

Talk

Xia Yu sat in the living room waiting for Lu Zhao. Xu Zhan had gone to sleep, possibly using a headache as an excuse, and they didn’t plan on sharing a room that night. Xu Zhan had moved to the second floor.

In fact, Xia Yu shouldn’t have let Lu Zhao come over.

When he couldn’t see Lu Zhao, he could be a bit more heartless.

But when he heard the faint pleading tone in Lu Zhao’s voice over the phone, he couldn’t bring himself to refuse.

Because he also wanted to see Lu Zhao.

Wrapped in a small blanket, Xia Yu sat on the couch, motionless, until an hour later when he heard his phone ring again.

Lu Zhao said he had arrived and was waiting outside the door.

Xia Yu hesitated for a while before opening the door, slowly walking through the courtyard. He was wearing a black plush coat, but he was still shivering from the cold.

He had given Lu Zhao the address but told him not to come in, just wait outside. They were only going to meet each other, nothing else.

Lu Zhao agreed.

And now, as he pushed open the courtyard door, he saw Lu Zhao standing by the car, tall and slender, with a sharp profile, and a cigarette between his fingers.

Hearing the movement, Lu Zhao turned his head.

Xia Yu hadn’t changed his clothes. He wore light-colored home clothes under the black coat and a pair of fluffy slippers on his feet. His hair was messy, and his eyes were swollen, not looking good at all.

He stood in the snow, looking pitiful.

Lu Zhao felt a stab in his heart.

He put out the cigarette and quickly walked over to Xia Yu, pulling him into his arms.

He was wearing a long trench coat that could almost envelop Xia Yu. Xia Yu buried himself in Lu Zhao’s shoulder, smelling the heavy scent of tobacco on him.

He should talk to Lu Zhao about breaking up and their family’s attitude.

But as he held Lu Zhao, the first thing he said was, “You smell strongly of smoke.”

Lu Zhao must have smoked all the way there.

“Yeah,” Lu Zhao loosened his hold a bit. “Is it bothering you?”

Xia Yu shook his head and held Lu Zhao even tighter.

He remembered more than a month ago, on his birthday, on New Year’s Eve, when Lu Zhao had appeared at his door like this, and they had embraced each other just like now.

Only in the middle of the night, not daring to disturb anyone.

His nose felt a bit sour. He leaned against Lu Zhao’s shoulder like a koala.

Actually, before Xia Jin found out about his relationship with Lu Zhao, he hadn’t thought about how far he would go with this. He had allowed Lu Zhao to be his boyfriend, but he didn’t have confidence in their future.

But now that he was asked to break up with him, he felt like he had been suddenly submerged in water, struggling even to breathe.

“You’re really annoying,” Xia Yu sniffed. “Why did you come?”

But I still can’t bear to let you go.

Lu Zhao opened the rear door and placed Xia Yu inside. He had driven an SUV that day, and the back seat was spacious. Xia Yu didn’t feel cramped in Lu Zhao’s embrace.

Wrapped in the plush coat, Xia Yu looked pale and pitiful.

Lu Zhao reached out to wipe away the tears on Xia Yu’s face. “I’m sorry.”

Xia Yu didn’t quite understand why he was apologizing and gave Lu Zhao a puzzled look.

Lu Zhao said, “Since you met me, nothing good has happened. If I weren’t your partner, you wouldn’t be in trouble with your family.”

Xia Yu snorted softly. It was true.

Lu Zhao asked again, “How did Xia Jin find out about us?”

Xia Yu recalled their conversation from last night and still felt a lingering fear.

He said dejectedly, “He knew about my divorce from Xu Zhan and even dug up information about both our affairs. Yesterday, Xu Zhan and I were planning to tell them about our divorce… but they already knew everything.”

As Xia Yu spoke, his heart gradually cooled.

When he had first seen Lu Zhao, his blood had been hot, and even the icy snow couldn’t extinguish the love in his bones.

But now, sitting in the car with the wind and snow blocked outside, he was slowly regaining his composure.

He looked up at Lu Zhao, thinking that Lu Zhao shouldn’t have come.

As soon as he saw Lu Zhao, he was easily led, and that was not good.

He said softly, “My brother wants me to break up with you.”

Lu Zhao had already heard the details on the phone.

He wasn’t surprised that Xia Jin wanted them to break up. In fact, if it weren’t for Xia Yu’s reluctance to let their “secret relationship” be discovered, he would have met Xia Jin a long time ago.

If he wanted to be with Xia Yu, he couldn’t avoid Xia Yu’s family.

Three years ago, among the mistakes he had made, Xia Yu wasn’t the only one hurt.

He had been too cold and too self-centered at the time, which had led to Xia Yu’s current situation.

Xia Jin said he had to choose between his family and Lu Zhao, and he didn’t ask Xia Yu who he would choose. That question was too presumptuous.

Xia Yu had already given his answer.

“Your brother gave you a week to consider, right?” Lu Zhao asked.

Xia Yu nodded, struggling.

Lu Zhao’s finger stroked Xia Yu’s ring finger, which no longer had Xu Zhan’s wedding ring and hadn’t yet worn the sapphire one Lu Zhao had given him.

He said, “I’ll talk to Xia Jin.”

Xia Yu was startled.

He instinctively wanted to reject this proposal. What could Lu Zhao talk to his brother about? His brother would be lucky not to smash Lu Zhao’s head with a vase.

“What are you thinking? My brother won’t even meet you,” Xia Yu shook his head, feeling that Lu Zhao was being unrealistic. He forced a bitter smile, “Don’t you understand your situation? Do you think my brother can sit down calmly and negotiate with you?”

“Then I’ll keep trying until he agrees. I can beg him, apologize, and do everything I can,” Lu Zhao said, “I’m not looking to negotiate. You are not a bargaining chip. I just want to ask for your brother’s forgiveness and assure him to trust me with you.”

This was something he should have done a long time ago.

Lu Zhao kissed Xia Yu’s forehead gently, his voice firm, “I know Xia Jin is very angry, but it’s not your fault, it’s mine. You shouldn’t have to bear this. Leave everything to me to handle. If Xia Jin has any grievances, he should come to me.”

.

He couldn’t let Xia Yu face pressure from his family alone. Besides falling in love with him, Xia Yu hadn’t done anything wrong. It was he who had dragged Xia Yu into this whirlpool and shattered Xia Yu’s peaceful life. If he needed redemption, he should be the one to do it.

But Xia Yu still thought Lu Zhao was being unrealistic.

Forgiveness? What could possibly lead to forgiveness?

He himself could forgive Lu Zhao because he loved him, but his brother, Xia Jin might actually kill Lu Zhao.

However, Lu Zhao looked at him with determination. “Can you leave it to me? I know it’s difficult, and I don’t think I’ll gain your family’s forgiveness quickly, but I have to try. I owe Xia Jin an apology, and if I can’t resolve your family’s issues, it’s my incompetence.”

Sending his lover to the front lines while he hid behind was something only a coward would do.

Lu Zhao knew how tough the road ahead was, but he couldn’t bear the cost of losing Xia Yu.

Xia Yu remained silent.

At this moment, he really wanted a cigarette, but in the end, he didn’t reach for one. He simply curled up in Lu Zhao’s arms.

This spacious SUV, in the quiet winter night, lit up like a little isolated island. No matter how chaotic the outside world was, at least for this moment, they belonged to each other.

Actually, from yesterday until now, he had thought about giving up many times.

He understood his brother’s intentions very well. Why did he have to persist in being with Lu Zhao? There were so many suitable people in the world, and he was still so young, only twenty-six years old. Who could guarantee that he wouldn’t find true love in the future?

But all these fleeting thoughts turned into fluffy dandelion seeds in his mind, dispersing as soon as the wind blew.

He looked at Lu Zhao. It had only been two days, but Lu Zhao seemed a bit disheveled as well. There was facial hair on his chin, too short to be seen clearly, but it felt a bit rough when touched.

He stroked Lu Zhao’s chin and sighed, but his mood calmed down.

“I hope you can persuade my brother too,” he said to Lu Zhao, “I don’t like multiple-choice questions.”

Even though he had actually made his choice.

But he also wanted to wait and see if a miracle would happen.

The small snowflakes continued to patter against the window.

Xia Yu and Lu Zhao sat together on the backseat for a long time.

When Lu Zhao came, he had considered bringing Xia Yu back home, but he soon realized that he couldn’t. Such an act would only add fuel to the fire for Xia Jin.

But he couldn’t bear to let Xia Yu go. Being able to stay together like this, even for a few more seconds, was precious to him.

Xia Yu asked him, “What did you do today?”

“Nothing much, I had lunch at my dad’s place and then came back,” Lu Zhao said, “I saw my younger sister, she’s very young.”

His younger sister’s age was young enough for her to be his daughter, a tiny bundle sleeping in a pink swaddle. Even though his father was in his fifties, he looked at the child with a warmth and tenderness he had never shown before.

He didn’t think his father had treated him badly. On the contrary, his parents were open-minded and accommodating, but their love for him was more as the heir, not as a child.

He was clear about that distinction.

But now, he just said to Xia Yu, “That child is quite cute but cries a lot.”

Xia Yu chuckled lightly and shook his head. “You probably won’t be a good big brother.”

Lu Zhao didn’t deny it, as he probably wouldn’t have much interaction with that little girl.

But Xia Yu said, “But you’d better be a good father. I also want to adopt a girl in the future, like Mil.”

Even though his mind was currently filled with uncertainty, and he didn’t know if Lu Zhao would still have the chance to be the father of their child.

Lu Zhao was momentarily stunned.

But soon, he tightly held Xia Yu’s hand and gave a serious “Hmm.”

“I will.”