Chapter 23: The Almost Kiss

Shen Yu decided he needed a break from Lu Zhixuan before he completely lost his sanity. But fate, it seemed, had other plans.

The school trip had been going fine—better than fine, actually. For once, Shen Yu had managed to avoid any unnecessary encounters with Lu Zhixuan. He spent most of the afternoon with Bai Xue and the other students, exploring the scenic trails of the nature park. Everything was peaceful. Normal.

And then, the rain came.

It started as a light drizzle before quickly escalating into a downpour. Students shrieked and scattered, running for shelter. Shen Yu had barely taken two steps before a firm grip caught his wrist.

"Come this way," Lu Zhixuan said, dragging him toward a nearby gazebo.

The rain poured harder as they ducked under the small wooden structure. It wasn't much, but it was enough to keep them from getting completely drenched—though Shen Yu was already soaked from the brief sprint.

He shivered, hugging himself. "Great. Just great."

Lu Zhixuan sighed, rolling his eyes. "Come here."

Shen Yu blinked. "What?"

Before he could react, Lu Zhixuan was already pulling him closer, his movements fluid and decisive. Shen Yu barely had time to protest before Lu Zhixuan slipped off his blazer and draped it over Shen Yu's shoulders.

The scent of Lu Zhixuan's cologne—fresh pine and something subtly warm—filled Shen Yu's senses.

His heart stuttered.

"You—" Shen Yu started, his voice faltering.

Lu Zhixuan didn't answer right away. Instead, he lifted a hand, brushing a wet strand of hair from Shen Yu's forehead. His touch was gentle, deliberate. Almost too intimate.

Shen Yu froze.

The world around them faded—the pounding rain, the distant voices of their classmates—it all became background noise. All he could hear was the rapid beating of his own heart.

"You really are bad at pretending, Zhao Rui," Lu Zhixuan murmured, his gaze unreadable.

Shen Yu swallowed, suddenly finding it hard to breathe. Lu Zhixuan's fingers lingered against his temple before trailing down the side of his face, his thumb grazing lightly over his cheekbone.

Shen Yu's breath hitched. Was he imagining it, or was Lu Zhixuan leaning in?

He wasn't sure who moved first, but their faces were suddenly too close.

Too close.

Shen Yu's mind screamed at him to do something—anything—but his body refused to cooperate. His gaze flickered to Lu Zhixuan's lips.

Was this really happening?

Just as the space between them nearly disappeared—

"Hey! We found umbrellas!"

The loud call shattered the moment.

Shen Yu jolted back so fast he nearly stumbled. His face burned as he clutched the blazer tighter around his shoulders. Lu Zhixuan, meanwhile, looked completely unbothered. In fact, he had the audacity to smirk.

As they stepped out from under the gazebo and joined the others, Shen Yu avoided looking at Lu Zhixuan. His heart still pounded in his chest, and he had no idea how to make it stop.

But one thing was clear.

He was definitely in trouble.