Chapter 38: Denial is Futile

Shen Yu spent the entire next day in a state of restless agitation. He avoided Lu Zhixuan like his life depended on it—ducking behind lockers, pretending to be deeply engrossed in his notebook, and even taking the long way around just to avoid bumping into him.

But no matter how much he tried to push the previous night's events out of his mind, they clung to him. The feeling of Lu Zhixuan's lips against his, the warmth of his breath, the way his heart had betrayed him by pounding so loudly he was sure Lu Zhixuan had heard it.

"It wasn't even a real kiss," Shen Yu muttered under his breath, slamming his textbook shut during study period. "It was just... a moment. A mistake. He was probably just messing with me—"

"You do realize you're talking to yourself, right?"

Shen Yu jerked his head up so fast he nearly gave himself whiplash. Bai Xue was standing over him, arms crossed, smirking like she had just caught him red-handed.

"I—no, I wasn't!" Shen Yu denied, sitting up straighter. "I was just... thinking."

"Sure," Bai Xue drawled, pulling out a chair and sitting beside him. "And let me guess—your 'thinking' has nothing to do with a certain tall, broody, and infuriatingly handsome classmate?"

Shen Yu's ears burned. "No!"

Bai Xue's smirk widened. "Oh? So you won't mind if I ask him to help me study later?"

Shen Yu stiffened. "Why would I care?"

Bai Xue tapped a finger against her chin, pretending to ponder. "I don't know... maybe because you've been glaring at him all day like he personally offended you?"

"I have not!"

"Or because you turn bright red every time someone even mentions his name?"

"That's—! I just—! You're imagining things!" Shen Yu sputtered, flipping through his textbook aggressively as if that would somehow prove his point.

Bai Xue giggled. "Uh-huh. Keep telling yourself that."

Before Shen Yu could throw another weak excuse at her, a shadow loomed over them.

"Keep telling himself what?"

Shen Yu froze. His blood ran cold. Slowly—very slowly—he turned his head, only to find Lu Zhixuan standing behind him, arms crossed, looking entirely too amused.

Bai Xue grinned like a cat who had just cornered a mouse. "Oh, nothing~ We were just talking about—"

Shen Yu shot up from his seat, grabbing his books in a panic. "Nothing! We were talking about nothing! I have to go—bye!"

And then, without thinking, he bolted out of the classroom like his life depended on it.

Bai Xue burst into laughter, while Lu Zhixuan simply watched Shen Yu's retreating figure, a smirk playing at his lips.

"Adorable," he murmured.