Chapter 28: The Unavoidable Truth

When Shen Yu woke up, the world felt strangely light, like he was floating in a haze of warmth and exhaustion.

It took a moment for his brain to catch up. The sterile scent of the infirmary. The crisp white sheets beneath him. The lingering drowsiness in his limbs.

And then—

A presence.

His gaze shifted to the side, and there, sitting beside the bed, was Lu Zhixuan. Arms crossed, expression unreadable, watching him with an intensity that made Shen Yu's stomach flip.

Shen Yu groaned, rolling onto his side. "You again?"

Lu Zhixuan smirked, but it lacked his usual sharpness. "You're welcome."

Shen Yu huffed, turning his face away. He should be annoyed—he was annoyed—but the warmth pooling in his chest betrayed him.

A long silence stretched between them.

Then, Shen Yu muttered, "Why do you keep doing this?"

There was a beat of stillness.

Then, Lu Zhixuan spoke, his voice softer than Shen Yu had ever heard it. "Why do you think?"

Shen Yu's breath caught.

He turned back to look at Lu Zhixuan, expecting a teasing smirk or some infuriating remark. But there was none.

Lu Zhixuan wasn't laughing. He wasn't mocking him.

His gaze was steady—intense, even. Something unreadable flickered in his eyes, something Shen Yu wasn't sure he was ready to name.

And that was when it hit him.

The realization crashed over him like a tidal wave, too strong to ignore, too obvious to deny.

He couldn't run away from this anymore.

From him.

From the way his heart had long since stopped listening to reason.