Chapter 18: The Almost Kiss

Shen Yu wasn't sure when things had shifted between them. All he knew was that every time Lu Zhixuan looked at him, his heart started doing weird things—tightening, skipping beats, making it difficult to think straight. It was infuriating.

Like right now.

They had been arguing about something trivial—Shen Yu had already forgotten what exactly—when suddenly, Lu Zhixuan had backed him up against a bookshelf in the student council room. His arms were braced on either side of Shen Yu, effectively caging him in.

The air between them was charged, humming with something unspoken. Shen Yu's back pressed against the cool wooden shelves as he tried to keep his breathing even, but Lu Zhixuan was so close, too close. His sharp scent—something fresh yet subtly warm—surrounded Shen Yu, making it impossible to focus on anything else.

"Why do you always run away?" Lu Zhixuan murmured, his voice lower than usual, smooth like velvet yet carrying an edge that sent a shiver down Shen Yu's spine.

Shen Yu swallowed. "I—I don't—"

"Liar." Lu Zhixuan leaned in slightly, his breath warm against Shen Yu's cheek, his gaze dark and unreadable. The intensity in his eyes was almost unbearable, like he could see right through every flimsy excuse Shen Yu had ever made.

Shen Yu's pulse was erratic, pounding in his ears. He should push him away. He should say something—anything—but his voice had abandoned him.

Lu Zhixuan's gaze flickered downward, settling on Shen Yu's lips. And for a terrifying, exhilarating moment, Shen Yu thought he was going to—

KNOCK KNOCK!

The door swung open, and Bai Xue peeked in, eyes wide. "Oh! Am I interrupting something?"

Shen Yu practically threw himself out from under Lu Zhixuan, his face red enough to rival a tomato. "N-NO! Nothing at all! Hahaha!" His laugh came out strained and unnatural, and he immediately wanted to bury himself six feet underground.

Bai Xue's gaze shifted between the two of them, her expression suspicious but amused. "Uh-huh..."

Meanwhile, Lu Zhixuan remained completely unfazed. In fact, he looked downright amused, his usual smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. He stepped away from Shen Yu with an infuriatingly casual air, as if nothing had just happened—as if Shen Yu's heart wasn't still racing like he had run a marathon.

But just as he walked past, he leaned in slightly, just enough that only Shen Yu could hear him.

"Next time," Lu Zhixuan whispered, his voice barely above a breath, "I won't stop."

Shen Yu's entire body locked up, his brain short-circuiting.

By the time he turned around to protest, Lu Zhixuan was already walking away, hands in his pockets, as if he hadn't just turned Shen Yu's entire world upside down.

Shen Yu slumped against the bookshelf, covering his burning face with his hands.

What the hell just happened?!