Chapter 20: An Unexpected Confession

Shen Yu thought he had everything under control. He had adjusted to his reluctant role in the student council (barely), and he had managed to keep a somewhat safe distance from Lu Zhixuan.

Or so he thought.

The student council had just wrapped up an event, and Shen Yu was stuck cleaning up while most of the other members had already left. He was gathering leftover decorations, stuffing banners into a box, when a voice interrupted him.

"You like me, don't you?"

Shen Yu's hands slipped, and the decorations crashed to the floor. His head snapped up so fast he nearly gave himself whiplash. "Excuse me?!"

Lu Zhixuan stood in the doorway, arms crossed, watching him with an infuriatingly smug expression. The overhead light cast a soft glow over his sharp features, making his presence even more overwhelming.

"You heard me," Lu Zhixuan said smoothly, stepping inside. "You've been acting strange lately. Avoiding me, but also constantly staring at me."

Shen Yu scrambled to pick up the fallen decorations, his heart pounding. "I do not! You're just imagining things!"

Lu Zhixuan crouched beside him, far too close. The scent of his cologne—clean, fresh, with a hint of something warm—invaded Shen Yu's senses. Shen Yu tried to lean away, but there was nowhere to go.

"Oh?" Lu Zhixuan mused, his voice quieter now, almost teasing. "Then why are your ears red?"

Shen Yu's eyes widened, and he immediately clapped a hand over his ears. "Maybe it's hot!" he blurted out.

Lu Zhixuan chuckled, a deep, amused sound that sent a shiver down Shen Yu's spine. "Right. Hot. Sure."

Shen Yu scowled, snatching up the last of the decorations and practically throwing them into the box. "Don't you have somewhere else to be?"

"Nope." Lu Zhixuan remained crouched, resting his chin on one hand as he watched Shen Yu with an intensity that made Shen Yu want to dig a hole and bury himself.

"Stop looking at me like that!" Shen Yu snapped, turning his back to him.

"Like what?"

"Like—like you're enjoying this way too much!"

Lu Zhixuan let out a slow hum. "Maybe because I am."

Shen Yu gritted his teeth. He was not going to die of embarrassment. He was not going to die of embarrassment.

"You're ridiculous," Shen Yu muttered.

Lu Zhixuan didn't reply right away. Instead, he reached out, his fingers brushing against Shen Yu's wrist as he took the last decoration from his hand. The touch was brief—barely anything—but it sent a jolt up Shen Yu's spine.

He froze.

When he finally dared to look up, Lu Zhixuan was watching him with something unreadable in his gaze. The usual playfulness was still there, but beneath it... something else. Something quieter.

Something serious.

"You're fun to tease," Lu Zhixuan said, standing up and stretching lazily. "But..." He glanced down at Shen Yu, smirking. "I wonder how long you'll keep denying it."

And with that, he turned and strolled out of the room like nothing had happened.

Meanwhile, Shen Yu remained kneeling on the floor, gripping the edge of the box like it was his lifeline.

What the hell just happened?!