Chapter 13: The Almost Kiss

It happened so fast.

One second, Shen Yu was walking home in the rain, his uniform soaked, shoes squelching with every miserable step. The next, a strong hand grabbed his wrist and yanked him under the cover of an umbrella.

"Are you an idiot?" Lu Zhixuan's voice was sharp but not unkind. "You'll catch a cold."

Shen Yu blinked up at him, water dripping from his bangs. "Why do you care?"

Lu Zhixuan didn't answer right away. Instead, he sighed, adjusting the umbrella to shield them both from the downpour. His fingers twitched at his side before he reached out, brushing damp strands of hair from Shen Yu's forehead. The touch was gentle, fleeting—but it sent a jolt through Shen Yu's entire body.

Shen Yu stiffened. His heart pounded against his ribs as he registered the warmth of Lu Zhixuan's fingers against his chilled skin. The world around them faded—the rain, the distant hum of traffic, the occasional car speeding by. All he could focus on was the intensity of Lu Zhixuan's gaze as it flickered downward, lingering just a second too long on his lips.

A slow breath escaped Shen Yu, his chest tightening. Was he—?

The space between them seemed to shrink. A drop of rain slid down Shen Yu's cheek, but before it could fall, Lu Zhixuan's thumb brushed it away. His touch lingered, tracing the curve of Shen Yu's jaw, tilting his chin ever so slightly upward.

Shen Yu stopped breathing.

Then—a blaring honk from a passing car shattered the moment.

Both of them jolted back. Shen Yu whipped his head away, his face burning hotter than it had any right to in this freezing rain. "I—I should go!"

Before Lu Zhixuan could react, Shen Yu bolted, his pulse hammering wildly. His wet shoes slipped slightly on the pavement, but he didn't stop running until he reached his front door, chest heaving. His fingers trembled as he fumbled with his keys, barely managing to push the door open before collapsing inside.

Heart still racing, he staggered to his room, threw himself onto the bed, and buried his face into his pillow.

That almost happened, didn't it?

He groaned, flipping onto his back and staring at the ceiling, replaying the moment in his mind. The way Lu Zhixuan had looked at him. The way he had touched him.

This wasn't in the script!

Shen Yu groaned louder, rolling over and kicking his blanket in frustration.

This was bad. Very bad.

Because for the first time, he wasn't sure if he was running away because he wanted to escape—or because he didn't trust himself to stay.