Don’t Ignite It chapter 63

Sparring

On the second evening, Lu Zhao arrived at the Xia family mansion right on time. The last time he had visited was four or five years ago, and his relationship with Xia Yu was in a somewhat ambiguous state. Although Xia Jin hadn’t been particularly welcoming, he hadn’t stopped Xia Yu from associating with Lu Zhao at the time.

In the past few years, not much had changed at the Xia family. The courtyard had a flowing stream, tall and lush camphor trees, and the main building had aged gracefully. Elaborate carvings adorned the doors, windows, and columns, and inside was a stained glass dome.

Time seemed to slow down in this place, and the winter sun crept inch by inch up the gray stone walls. The air carried a faint and elegant fragrance of plum blossoms.

Xia Yu had grown up in this old residence.

As Lu Zhao climbed the steps, memories of the first time he had seen Xia Yu in this mansion flooded his mind.

Xia Yu had been crouching under an osmanthus tree, taking photos. He was wearing a yellow sweater, and a fallen leaf had stuck to his head.

Lu Zhao approached him, intending to greet Xia Yu, but it seemed like he had startled him. Xia Yu turned to see him, and he jolted, almost dropping his camera. But Lu Zhao caught it in time.

Xia Yu looked up at him somewhat in a daze, and in the autumn sunlight filtering through the leaves, his eyes took on a warm, hazel hue. His petite and delicate face, flawless and fair, seemed like the creation of a skilled artisan coming to life.

On the surface, Lu Zhao remained calm, but he couldn’t deny that he had been captivated for a moment in that instant.

They had such a promising start, whether it was their first encounter in the library or their subsequent meetings in the garden. It felt like the beginning of a fairy tale.

…..

Xia Jin’s and Xia Yu’s parents were still abroad, completely unaware of what was happening at home. Only Xia Jin was present.

The steward led Lu Zhao to the entrance of the training ground and then bowed before stepping back.

Inside, Xia Jin was waiting. The entire wall of the training ground was made up of French windows, allowing ample light to fill the room. The wooden floor had aged gracefully, and it didn’t feel cold to walk on.

Xia Jin stood in the middle of the training room, wearing loose white training clothes and protective gear. When Lu Zhao approached, he tossed another set of protective gear to him.

He said to Lu Zhao, “Let’s spar, just like we used to. No need to hold back. I’ve thought about it, and while resorting to violence might not be honorable, I find it hard to swallow my pride without giving you a beating first.”

Lu Zhao wasn’t surprised.

He had expected Xia Jin to do this. He calmly put on the protective gear.

“Okay.”

…….

Meanwhile, Xia Yu sat on the couch, eating potato chips. He and Xu Zhan had nowhere else to go, so they had stayed at this mountain resort for the past few days.

Lu Zhao had been unusually quiet these days, and he hadn’t contacted Xia Yu. Xia Yu resisted the urge to reach out to Lu Zhao, but he felt torn inside, as if he were walking on a precarious cloud, ready to fall at any moment.

That day, for some reason, his right eyelid had been twitching since he woke up.

He couldn’t help but ask Xu Zhan, “Do you think my brother is going to kidnap Lu Zhao and stuff him in a sack?”

Xu Zhan, with one hand propping up his face, was busy preparing lesson plans at the table. His emotions had been well-contained these past few days, and he had returned to his usual calm and gentle demeanor.

He knew that Xia Yu had stayed here at the resort with him because he was afraid he might feel lonely and start overthinking things. So, he glanced at Xia Yu and saw him frowning, slouched on the couch.

“It’s unlikely. In a society governed by law, your brother probably wouldn’t go to such extremes, even though he may really want to. But he wouldn’t do anything that would affect the company’s reputation,” Xu Zhan calmly stated.

Of course, Xia Yu knew that.

He leaned back and asked, “What if Lu Zhao gets into an argument with my brother? He probably wouldn’t dare, but if he does, I’ll rush to rescue him.”

Xu Zhan chuckled silently.

Xia Yu’s conflicted appearance was pitiable and endearing. Xu Zhan thought, at least he couldn’t say that Xia Yu was miserable at this moment. These two men, who were currently at odds with each other, were the people who loved him the most in the world.

The atmosphere between Xia Jin and Lu Zhao wasn’t as tense as one might expect.

After their spar, Xia Jin became much calmer. He was drenched in sweat, and his hair was stuck to his face. The dopamine released after exercising had reduced some of his frustration.

Leaning against the wall, he began talking to Lu Zhao about Xia Yu’s childhood.

“When I begun training in martial arts, Xia Yu wanted to learn with me, but after just three days, he was crying and howling, refusing to continue. I saw him acting all fragile and thought, ‘What am I going to do with this boy? A boy who’s so afraid of pain, can’t endure hardship, and can’t bear any suffering won’t be attractive to any girl. But no matter what I said, I couldn’t bring myself to toughen him up. I took him to amusement parks, practiced calligraphy with him, and went on trips with him. What else could I do? He’s my only little brother. When he was born, my mom wasn’t in good health, and she couldn’t take care of him properly. It was the servants who looked after him, and I was very young at the time. I often went to keep him company, watching him as a tiny bundle, sleeping in a cradle, unable to speak a word, barely able to open his eyes, like a little fool. But this little fool is my only brother.”

He was one of the most important family members in his world.

Before his eyes, the infant who couldn’t even walk steadily had grown into a young man.

Lu Zhao listened in silence.

After a pause, Xia Jin continued, his voice tinged with disdain, “So, do you know how much I wanted to kill you a few years ago? Xia Yu flew overseas to find you. He was already physically weak at that time, and he waited for you for most of the night before he ended up in the hospital. I rushed to the hospital and when I saw you there. I wanted to shoot you right then and there.”

There was no way around it; Xia Jin was naturally protective of Xia Yu.

Even though he knew that Lu Zhao wasn’t entirely to blame back then, he was still seething with anger.

His voice carried a hint of loathing as he continued, “You are really shameless. Back then, at the hospital, how you assured me—you said you would stay far away from Xia Yu and only wished him happiness. But what are you doing now? In the past, Xia Yu pestering you was his fault, and he received his punishment. But now, you’ve come back to say you love him. What do you take Xia Yu for? What about the suffering he endured because of you? Who gave you the right to say you want to be with him?”

Lu Zhao had no argument.

Because he had asked himself that question a thousand times as well.

With great difficulty, he sat up from the floor, back straight, and he knelt before Xia Jin. He knew he had no right to seek their forgiveness, and if he were in Xia Jin’s shoes, he would probably be even more ruthless. He wouldn’t allow his younger brother to be with someone like him. He also knew he had caused Xia Yu a lot of pain, pushing him to a point where he couldn’t face it. For the Xia family, anyone in the world would be a better choice than him, as long as it wasn’t him.

“At the very least, Xia Yu does love me. I have no intention of using this as a bargaining chip, but I want you to understand that, that prenuptial agreement I gave to Xia Yu comes from the heart. I want to grow old with him. If one day Xia Yu wants to leave me, he won’t be harmed in any way.”

“Most importantly,” Lu Zhao said, and when he reached this sentence, his voice suddenly became gentle.

I know that given your love for Xia Yu, you hope he can spend his life with someone he loves and loves him as well.”

Xia Jin listened in silence for a long time.

He found Lu Zhao quite eloquent. Normally, Lu Zhao was reserved and cold, but when it came to crucial moments, he seemed to employ all his negotiation skills.

He raised an eyebrow as he looked at Lu Zhao, who was still sitting upright before him.

Then, he slowly stood up, gazed down at Lu Zhao, and scrutinized him for a moment. His expression was neither cold nor warm, filled with a sense of scrutiny. Finally, he lifted his foot and kicked Lu Zhao in the shoulder.

Xia Jin, towering above Lu Zhao, looked at him with long, slightly lowered eyelashes. His deep black eyes seemed especially cold and detached in the warm evening sun.

He said, “It seems you’re still not that likable.”

…………..

As Xia Yu devoured his third bag of potato chips, the clock on his wrist pointed to ten o’clock.

The living room was quiet, with only him present. He held his phone, and the television played a rerun of a New Year’s gala from an unknown channel. The applause on the screen sounded as if it were coming from a distant place.

He contemplated calling Lu Zhao but felt an indescribable anxiety, as if he were about to open Pandora’s box.

But before he could make up his mind…

A message suddenly popped up on his phone from Lu Zhao, asking, “Are you awake?”

Xia Yu was momentarily stunned, and the last potato chip fell onto his lap.

“yes”

The other end remained silent for half a minute, seemingly contemplating something.

“Can you come out now? I’m outside in the courtyard,” Lu Zhao’s message read.

Xia Yu blinked in surprise, then quickly put on his slippers and rushed outside. He didn’t even bother with a coat and was dressed in just a thin cashmere sweater.

He ran towards the door, and outside, the plum blossoms in the yard seemed to awaken in the middle of the night, dropping onto the water’s surface covered in a thin layer of ice.

Xia Yu pushed open the door.

Just like a few days ago, Lu Zhao stood beneath the dim streetlight, gazing at him.

He smiled at Xia Yu, still tall and handsome as ever, but there was a touch of desolation about him. He naturally had fair skin, but the bruises on his face were especially pronounced, particularly around his cheekbone, where a deep red gash marked his face. It was clear that he had taken a beating.

But he still smiled and extended his arms toward Xia Yu.

He rarely smiled like this. The light from the streetlamp turned his eyelashes into gold, and even his eyes seemed warm, taking on a soft misty blue color, as if a frozen lake had finally welcomed spring.

Xia Yu threw himself into Lu Zhao’s arms.

Lu Zhao let out a soft grunt.

Xia Yu looked at him and reached out to touch his face, but he was afraid of hurting him and hesitated.

“Why did you come?” Xia Yu was a bit incoherent. “What happened to you? Did you see my brother? What did he say? Did he do this to you?”

He cautiously touched the bruise on Lu Zhao’s cheek, which had turned blue.

Lu Zhao remained gentle, holding Xia Yu’s hand and pressing it against his face.

“Yes, I met your brother today, and he gave me a good beating.”

He told Xia Yu that they had sparred in the martial arts training room. He didn’t fight back much. After all, he had hurt someone else’s precious little brother, and Xia Yu’s brother, Xia Jin, didn’t hold back at all.

Xia Yu touched the wound on Lu Zhao’s cheek and asked anxiously, “Do you have any other injuries?”

He knew his brother’s strength well. Even though Lu Zhao had a strong body, it didn’t mean he could withstand Xia Jin’s blows.

Lu Zhao hesitated for a moment between saving face and gaining Xia Yu’s sympathy. Eventually, he chose the latter.

“I have a cracked rib, but it’s not too serious.” He casually mentioned it but then pressed Xia Yu’s hand against the bandaged area on his side. “Here.”

Xia Yu gasped.

He bit his lip, feeling both worried for Lu Zhao and angry at his brother for beating him up.

Xia Yu gently touched Lu Zhao’s chest and asked, “Does it hurt?”

“It’s not too painful,” Lu Zhao replied.

Lu Zhao opened his coat and wrapped it around Xia Yu. He held Xia Yu tightly, his chin resting on Xia Yu’s shoulder, relieved and content.

“I’m very happy,” Lu Zhao said.

Xia Yu didn’t dare to move, fearing he might accidentally press on Lu Zhao’s injured area, but he sensed something from Lu Zhao’s tone.

Holding Lu Zhao, with his heart pounding loudly, Xia Yu asked, “Why are you happy? Did my brother… forgive you?”

“No, your brother said he would never forgive me in this lifetime.”

Xia Yu’s heart sank for a moment.

But then he heard Lu Zhao’s next words.

“But your brother also said he never really wanted to force you to make a choice.”