Proactively Attracted chapter 26

 Get Married on the Spot

Though midterm exams mark the halfway point of a semester, once students have settled into school life, the second half always seems to fly by faster.

Daylight faded and returned, the blackboard was written on and erased again, people came and went in the classroom, and their clothes grew heavier layer by layer.

In the blink of an eye, it was time for final exams.

With Qin Mudong’s help, Lu Xingjia’s grades took another leap, just enough to cross the threshold that Zhang Chuchu had set.

Looking at his final exam scores, Lu Xingjia smiled with satisfaction, though he knew there were still many tough battles ahead.

March and April would be the time to register for the preliminary competition. For students in the competition class, winter break was a rare luxury—at most, only ten full days.

After finals, on the last day before winter break, seeing that no one was in the mood to study, Zhang Chuchu simply drew the curtains and played a movie for them.

At the end of 2010, interactive whiteboards had just started to become popular. As a provincial key school, the school enjoyed this advanced equipment ahead of time.

When the blackboard was rolled up, the white electronic screen appeared. After the blue blackout curtains were drawn, the classroom instantly went dark.

As the movie’s long intro rolled, Qiu Ruifeng was still quietly complaining to Ji Angran about how short the break was and how they couldn’t go out and play.

Lu Xingjia propped up his head with one hand, secretly wishing winter break would be shorter.

A ten-day break meant he wouldn’t be able to see Qin Mudong for ten whole days.

He snuck a glance at Qin Mudong sitting beside him, and unable to resist, poked his elbow.

“What?” Qin Mudong lowered his dark eyes.

Lu Xingjia hesitated, then asked, “How do you usually spend the New Year? Do you… spend it with them?”

He ultimately couldn’t bring himself to say “parents.” People like that didn’t deserve the title.

New Year?

A shadow flickered across Qin Mudong’s eyes.

If Lu Xingjia hadn’t brought it up, he might have completely forgotten about that annoying holiday.

That woman would call every year and ask if he wanted to spend New Year with them, but what would be the point? Just to watch their happy little family of three play house?

“No.” Every time he said that, she would audibly sigh with relief.

Eventually, he gave up on the idea altogether.

Qin Mudong pressed his lips together and said nothing for a long time.

“You spend it alone too?” Lu Xingjia frowned, his long lashes casting a faint shadow. “Isn’t it really lonely?”

Of course it’s lonely.

Red lanterns hanging in the streets, the crowd downstairs buzzing with festive cheer—the atmosphere was warm and bright, yet he felt completely out of place. Alone, curled up in a lifeless room.

His pale fingertips pressed into his palm, but when he opened his mouth, what came out was: “It’s fine. I’m used to it.”

Lu Xingjia wasn’t comforted at all by that answer. In fact, his frown deepened.

After a moment, an idea suddenly struck him, and his eyes lit up: “Then why don’t you come to my house for New Year!”

“Every year, it’s just me and my mom, and it’s pretty lonely too. If you came, we could make dumplings together, watch the Spring Festival Gala, and have New Year’s dinner! My mom’s cooking is amazing—you think so too, right?”

The more Lu Xingjia imagined it, the more doable it seemed, and he couldn’t help sketching out a beautiful picture in his mind.

As he spoke, images began to form in Qin Mudong’s mind as well.

While making dumplings, Lu Xingjia would probably be clumsy and end up with flour all over his face, like a cute little kitten.

While watching the Gala, Lu Xingjia would chirp away like a sparrow, telling jokes that were funnier than anything on TV.

And when they studied, Lu Xingjia would always stay up too late, then doze off during the day, curled up on the desk under the warm glow of the lamp—as if time itself had paused for that moment.

Countless images flashed through his mind, each one bathed in soft lighting, the background warm and cozy.

Lu Xingjia’s eyes sparkled. “Isn’t my plan amazing? My bed is pretty big—it’ll definitely fit the two of us. The desk is big enough for two, too. During the day we can study in my room, and at night we’ll sleep together! It’s winter after all, perfect for cuddling and staying warm!”

Qin Mudong’s Adam’s apple bobbed, but this time, what appeared before his eyes was no longer warm light.

A deep, consuming darkness quickly enveloped everything, like a black hole swallowing all the light.

If he and Lu Xingjia were left alone in a room together, it wouldn’t be as wonderful as Lu Xingjia described.

Because just hearing him describe it had already sparked a wild idea in Qin Mudong’s mind.

He would imprison him—trap this boy with a bright smile and keep him by his side.

Every drop of blood in his body was screaming.

Lock him up. Lock him up. Lock him up. Make him your possession.

That way, you would never lose him.

He wasn’t normal. He should’ve known that already.

Qin Mudong slowly lowered his eyelids, concealing the overwhelming emotions in his eyes.

After a moment, he spoke in a low voice, “No.”

His voice was hoarse. Lu Xingjia suddenly felt a little thirsty and lightly licked his lips. “Why not? Don’t you want to be with me?”

His soft pink tongue brushed across his lips. Qin Mudong’s voice grew even rougher, and his eyes were dark as ink: “Do you usually invite people to sleep over at your place?”

“Of course not!” Lu Xingjia replied without thinking, puffing up in annoyance. “You’re the only one who’s ever been to my house since I was little!”

In that instant, the shadow in Qin Mudong’s eyes faded away.

He curled his lips into a faint, indifferent smile.

But Lu Xingjia still wasn’t satisfied and continued to ask, “Then why won’t you spend the New Year with my family?”

Qin Mudong turned his eyes away and said calmly, “I have something to do.”

“Something to do?” Lu Xingjia asked. “What is it?”

Qin Mudong paused. “Take a guess.”

Lu Xingjia: ???

What kind of answer is that?

No matter how much Lu Xingjia pestered him, Qin Mudong never gave in. In the end, Lu Xingjia let out a helpless sigh. “Fine, fine. I won’t ask anymore. If you don’t want to, then forget it.”

Qin Mudong’s tightly wound nerves finally relaxed, but at the same time, an unexpected emptiness opened up in his heart.

Like stepping into a bottomless abyss.

Lu Xingjia tried to compromise. “Then can I at least call you during New Year?”

Afraid of being rejected again, Lu Xingjia quickly added, “You’re not allowed to say no!”

“…Okay.”

This time, Qin Mudong was silent for a long while but didn’t refuse again.

At some point, the movie had ended, and it was time for school to let out.

Zhang Chuchu had someone turn off the projector and gave a few safety reminders about winter break, told everyone to study hard, then waved his hand to signal they could go home.

Many students had already packed up during the movie and were just waiting for his signal. Once Zhang Chuchu gave it, they grabbed their bags and rushed out, disappearing quickly down the hallway.

Lu Xingjia slowly packed up at his seat near the back door. As people passed by, many spoke to him.

“Jia Jia, happy new year in advance! See you next year!”

“Happy new year!”

“See you next year!”

…

Lu Xingjia smiled and said goodbye to them all one by one.

Qin Mudong had also packed his things.

He sat by the window, and to leave, he had to walk past Lu Xingjia’s seat.

Lu Xingjia stood up, smiling as he said to him. “Bye! See you next year!”

“…Bye.”

Qin Mudong slung his bag over one shoulder and brushed past him. After walking a step or two, he suddenly stopped.

“Aren’t you going to wish me a happy new year?” he asked.

Lu Xingjia grinned mischievously. “I’ll say it at midnight on New Year’s Eve! That way you have to answer my call!”

Qin Mudong froze. A subtle emotion flickered in his deep, black eyes.

After a moment, he said, “Alright. I’ll wait for you.”

By the edge of a hopeless abyss, a tender green seed was planted.

Qiu Ruifeng was still waiting for Lu Xingjia so they could go home together. When he saw the two of them whispering about something, and Lu Xingjia’s eyes crinkled into crescent moons with his smile, he couldn’t help but ask, “What were you two whispering about? Study secrets? Share the wisdom!”

Lu Xingjia blinked. “It’s a little secret just between us.”

Qiu Ruifeng choked a bit. For some reason, he felt like he’d just been force-fed a big bowl of dog food.

…………

And just like that, the dull winter break began. Usually buried in endless piles of study materials every day, the sudden relaxation was hard to get used to.

Lu Xingjia often woke up naturally around six or seven in the morning. After getting up and having breakfast, he’d sit at his desk.

Even though it was finally a break, and there was still a tough battle to fight after school started again, he didn’t force himself to study all the time. He allowed himself to relax with a few light novels, space out a bit, or play some Tetris on his old-fashioned phone.

Several times, he wanted to call Qin Mudong, just to hear his voice, to ask what he was doing.

But he couldn’t find a reason.

Qin Mudong had said he had something to do and told him not to bother him unless it was important.

But what exactly counted as “having something to do”?

Time ticked by quickly, and in the blink of an eye, it was New Year’s Eve.

Before dawn, the house was already filled with the sounds of quiet rustling.

Still half-asleep, Lu Xingjia rubbed his eyes and opened the door, only to see He Xi wiping the table while the washing machine hummed with the sofa covers being washed.

“Mm, why are you tidying up again?” Lu Xingjia’s voice was thick with sleep, and he couldn’t help letting out a yawn. “Didn’t we just clean everything a few days ago?”

“It still didn’t feel clean enough,” He Xi smiled sheepishly. “Did I wake you up? I can wait a bit before I keep going.”

Lu Xingjia squinted at the clock — it was already past six.

“It’s okay, I should be up anyway.” He stumbled into the bathroom, and by the time he came out, he was a bit more awake.

He Xi was now wiping the already-gleaming coffee table. Lu Xingjia walked over and sat on the couch nearby, asking, “Want me to help?”

“No need, this is the last bit.” As she spoke, He Xi knelt on the floor, carefully wiping the corners of the table clean.

A strange feeling suddenly welled up in Lu Xingjia’s heart, like a premonition that something was about to happen.

Sure enough, after finishing the table and tossing the cloth into a basin, He Xi walked over and sat down beside him.

“Jia Jia, Mom wants to discuss something with you.”

Lu Xingjia paused and asked, “What is it?”

He Xi placed her hands neatly on her lap and smiled a little shyly. “There’s an uncle who wants to come over and have New Year’s Eve dinner with us.”

That bashful, embarrassed look had never appeared on He Xi’s face before.

Lu Xingjia suddenly understood and blinked. “Is it my future dad?”

He Xi turned her face away, instantly blushing. “What nonsense, nothing’s confirmed yet!”

A flicker of realization passed through Lu Xingjia’s eyes, and he grinned, asking, “So what kind of person is this uncle?”

In his past life, He Xi had juggled her job and part-time gigs every day.

The dishwashing job was exhausting and miserable, and it was rare to meet anyone suitable.

She had given her best years to raising him, spending countless lonely nights on her own.

That had always been a quiet regret buried in Lu Xingjia’s heart. Now that He Xi seemed to have found someone she liked, of course he wanted to take a proper look.

He Xi thought for a moment and replied, “He’s a good person.”

Lu Xingjia: “…”

What was this, the “nice guy” card?

“Can you be a bit more specific?” Lu Xingjia put on a super curious expression, clearly not planning to give up until he got details. “What does this uncle do? What’s his personality like? You should at least give me a brief introduction.”

He pouted exaggeratedly. “We’re going to have dinner together — what if I say or do something wrong and make him mad?”

“He won’t,” He Xi laughed. “The uncle has a good temper. He wouldn’t get angry with you.”

“Remember that supplier I mentioned before, the one who said we should eat together sometime? It’s him. His prices are always the most reasonable, and he even picks out all the dead leaves and branches from the stock. He’s really kind, and gentle, too.”

Lu Xingjia nodded and kept asking, “What does this uncle like?”

“He likes flowers,” He Xi replied. “He’s like me — he enjoys tending to plants. Last time…”

Under Lu Xingjia’s relentless questioning, He Xi slowly fell into a nostalgic mood.

There was a gentle smile in her eyes, and Lu Xingjia chimed in occasionally, quickly getting a general idea of what this “uncle” was like.

His surname was Xiang, full name Xiang Yizhi. He had divorced his wife seven years ago, had no children, and had been living alone since then in a nearby neighborhood.

He had no bad habits — didn’t smoke, only drank a little on occasion. Most importantly, he and He Xi shared common interests. They both loved plants, enjoyed cooking, and could talk easily with each other.

Lu Xingjia was quite satisfied with Uncle Xiang’s basic profile and only waited to assess him in person once he arrived.

After a simple lunch, He Xi began prepping ingredients for the New Year’s Eve dinner, with Lu Xingjia helping her out.

They defrosted and chopped the meat into small pieces, cut and marinated the fish, washed and sliced all the vegetables. In the middle of their busy prep, a knock came at the door.

“Coming!” Lu Xingjia responded and ran to open it.

With a click, the door swung open to reveal a middle-aged man, around thirty-four years old.

He wore a coffee-colored suit, with a touch of gray at his temples. He was clearly well-groomed, even using some hair gel for styling.

“Xiao Xi…” The man smiled, but when he noticed Lu Xingjia, he froze for a second. Then he quickly composed himself, his expression turning more serious. “Ahem, hello, is this He Xi’s home?”

“Yes.” Lu Xingjia nodded, eyes wide as he looked the man up and down.

The man instinctively straightened his back and adjusted his tie with one hand, clearly nervous, but still managed a polite smile. “Are you Jia Jia? I’m your mom’s friend. My surname is Xiang.”

Not bad.

Lu Xingjia silently gave him a mental point.

Polite, and with a refined look.

“Hello, Uncle Xiang, come on in,” Lu Xingjia said with a warm smile.

Xiang Yizhi stepped into the house, and only then did Lu Xingjia notice that he was carrying quite a few things.

Two boxes of yogurt—sea buckthorn flavor, a box of strawberries, and a bouquet of baby’s breath flowers, He Xi’s favorite.

Xiang Yizhi set the things down and smiled. “Just picked up a few things, I hope you don’t mind.”

Sea buckthorn yogurt was rare, but Lu Xingjia liked it a lot. Strawberries were He Xi’s favorite fruit. Though Uncle Xiang said he casually picked them up, he clearly put some real thought into it.

That kind of subtle care, expressed without being overbearing, made Lu Xingjia feel even more favorable toward him.

“Is that Uncle Xiang?” He Xi’s voice called out from the kitchen.

“Xiao Xi,” Xiang Yizhi, after changing his shoes, placed the bouquet into the vase by the entrance, rolled up his sleeves naturally, and walked into the kitchen. “Are you preparing dinner?”

“Mhm.” He Xi was still chopping vegetables, not even looking up.

“I’ll take over,” Xiang Yizhi washed his hands and naturally took the knife from her, beginning to chop the vegetables steadily and skillfully.

His movements were practiced and smooth—clearly not his first time.

He Xi didn’t look surprised in the slightest. Her body seemed to respond instinctively as she grabbed another apron from the door and helped him put it on.

With one more person in the kitchen, the place felt instantly livelier.

While chopping vegetables, Xiang Yizhi shared funny stories from his walk over. He Xi chimed in from time to time, and the atmosphere was exceptionally warm and harmonious.

Lu Xingjia hesitated for a moment, then quietly returned to his bedroom.

He seemed to suddenly realize where all the flowers in their vases came from, and for whom that extra apron was prepared.

He now strongly suspected that while he was diligently studying at school every day, these two had been doing… who knows what.

Judging by how naturally they worked together, if this still counted as “nothing’s confirmed,” then he might as well marry Qin Mudong on the spot!