Capítulo 17: Chapter 17 Do You Want to Lean on Me?
To hell with eating takeout. Lu Heyang didn't care about that at all. What he cared about was Lu Xun's opinion of him.
He wasn't attracted to female students; he might not even be attracted to women at all. He was clear about his own orientation, but he wasn't sure if Lu Xun had the same certainty.
The topic was deliberately avoided for the rest of the day. That afternoon, the school gave Lu Heyang time off, and Lu Xun suggested going to the movies. Once they arrived at the cinema, Lu Xun stopped Lu Heyang and took it upon himself to buy the tickets.
"What's the next showing?" he asked, glancing at the colorful posters on display at the counter.
"The 2:30 showing of Green Sakura, a film about a campus romance. It's been doing really well at the box office," the cashier replied.
Lu Xun clicked his tongue in disapproval. "Anything else?"
"There's Spicy Teachers, about the daily lives of a group of teachers."
Lu Xun frowned, growing impatient. "Any films that aren't related to school?"
The cashier glanced down at the computer screen with a hint of suspicion.
"Well, the only non-school-related film showing soon is part of the Boonie Bears series—a children's animated movie."
"..." Lu Xun glanced back at Lu Heyang, who was idly standing by the blindingly pink popcorn machine. Gritting his teeth, he said, "Two tickets."
By the time Lu Heyang put his phone away and sat down with a huge bucket of popcorn, he still had no idea what movie they were about to watch. Lu Xun's secretive and evasive behavior only piqued his curiosity. It had been many years since Lu Heyang had last been to the cinema, and he was expecting a spectacular blockbuster with great special effects.
The movie hadn't started yet, and ads were still playing. The flickering lights reflected off Lu Xun's black mask.
Suddenly, Lu Heyang leaned over and asked, "Why do you always wear a mask when you go out?"
"Just a habit," Lu Xun replied, pulling the mask down.
He shifted his posture, raising his chin. "It's starting."
The lights dimmed, and the audience fell silent. The State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television's logo flashed across the screen. In the brief moment of darkness, Lu Heyang's anticipation soared. The screen lit up again, and the words "Boonie Bears" appeared.
...
"Lu Xun, are you seriously eight years old?" Lu Heyang muttered in a low voice.
As the characters of Bear Big and Bear Two appeared on screen, he continued, still frustrated, "I owe an apology to eight-year-olds everywhere. I bet even kids these days don't watch Boonie Bears anymore."
"When you're feeling down, this kind of movie is perfect," Lu Xun said as he reached for some popcorn from Lu Heyang's lap. "In the end, justice always prevails over evil."
In the darkness, their fingers brushed together. Lu Xun grabbed hold of Lu Heyang's hand, catching the popcorn kernel that was about to slip away, and popped it into his own mouth.
Fearing he might aggravate Lu Xun's injury, Lu Heyang didn't dare pull away. He sat still, letting Lu Xun nibble on the popcorn, his lips grazing Lu Heyang's fingertips in the process.
Guessing that Lu Xun might be thinking of something more, Lu Heyang glanced around the theater. It was mostly empty. Pressing his lips together, he hesitated before softly asking, "Do you want to...?"
Lu Xun looked slightly surprised, lowering his gaze to meet Lu Heyang's. The light from the movie screen reflected in his beautiful eyes, and his long lashes cast delicate shadows, deepening the allure in his expression.
He didn't exactly not want to, but considering that Lu Heyang was still in a bad mood, this sudden offer was probably made out of some sense of obligation. It made Lu Xun's heart ache.
"No need," he said. "Let's just eat popcorn and watch the movie."
"Alright."
Lu Heyang hadn't expected Lu Xun to refuse. He glanced at him a few more times, but seeing that Lu Xun truly didn't have anything else in mind, he relaxed and focused on the movie.
After a while, Lu Xun asked, "Do you want to lean on me for a bit?"
Sitting straight for too long did make him feel a bit tired, but Lu Heyang still declined, "I'm fine."
Another twenty or thirty minutes passed. Lu Xun shifted closer and asked again, "Do you want to lean on me?"
This time, Lu Heyang hesitated. Without taking his eyes off the screen, he discreetly rested his head on Lu Xun's shoulder.
It was the perfect height difference—a strong shoulder and a neck that provided just the right spot to nestle his face.
Lu Heyang's soft hair brushed against Lu Xun's neck. Lu Xun rubbed his cheek against the top of his head, gently pushing the stray hairs to a less ticklish spot.
"Is it bothering you?"
"No," Lu Xun froze for a moment, afraid that if he said anything else, Lu Heyang might pull away. Quickly, he changed the subject. "Look at Bald Strong..."
"..."
Just before the theater lights came back on, Lu Heyang quietly pulled away from Lu Xun's shoulder and sat up straight.
The sudden brightness stung his eyes, making him squint. He blinked a few times before standing up, heading toward the exit as if nothing had happened.
Lu Xun trailed behind him, watching his fast-paced strides. It was probably a bit stuffy in the theater, as Lu Heyang had unbuttoned one more button on his shirt, exposing the delicate curve of his collarbone. He still held the bucket of uneaten popcorn, and the tailored fit of his slacks accentuated his curvaceous figure. To others, it probably seemed like they were just two strangers leaving the theater at the same time.
As if all the intimacy they had shared in the darkness was just a dream.
For some reason, Lu Xun was reminded of butterflies. They flutter down to rest on your shoulder, but the moment the lights come on, they vanish into the noise and bustle.
Since Lu Xun couldn't cook, they both agreed to have dinner at a restaurant.
They chose a nice Western restaurant nearby and ordered medium-rare steaks and cream of mushroom soup. Lu Heyang quickly cut Lu Xun's steak into bite-sized pieces so that his injured hand could easily use the fork. His time abroad had made him quite adept at using a knife and fork.
Lu Xun, on the other hand, checked his phone, going over the messages he had missed during the movie.
But when Lu Heyang slid the neatly cut steak in front of him, Lu Xun's expression had turned dark.
"What's wrong?"
Lu Xun turned off the screen and put the phone down. "Nothing."
He absentmindedly stabbed at a piece of steak and put it in his mouth. Something was off—Lu Heyang noticed he hadn't even dipped it in his favorite black pepper sauce.
"Let me see."
"It's personal."
The tone was absolute.
After all, Lu Heyang had no right to interfere. He silently sipped his soup for a moment, then took out his own phone.
"Give me your phone," Lu Xun ordered.
"What?" Lu Heyang looked up, surprised.
"Give it to me."
Something was wrong. Lu Heyang quickly unlocked his phone, and Lu Xun stood up to snatch it from him. But Lu Heyang jumped back, ducking behind his chair.
"Don't look," Lu Xun said, his voice pleading more than commanding.
With his phone still vibrating in his hand, Lu Heyang stared at the screen. His face gradually turned pale.
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