Chapter 50: Confession (Not His)

One day, Shen Yu found himself in a situation he didn't see coming. He was walking down the hallway, minding his own business, when suddenly a girl from another class appeared in front of him.

"Zhao Rui," she said shyly, clutching a letter to her chest like it was some sort of precious treasure. "I... I like you! Please go out with me!"

Shen Yu blinked, his mind struggling to catch up with the unexpected confession. "Huh?"

The hallway seemed to hold its breath. Students who had been walking or chatting in small groups froze, eyes darting to the scene unfolding before them. Shen Yu could feel the stares, the curious whispers, and the weight of attention bearing down on him.

Before he could even process the situation, a strong arm suddenly wrapped around his shoulders, pulling him in close. The action was so sudden and forceful that Shen Yu felt his heart leap in his chest.

"Sorry, he's taken," came a smooth, almost amused voice.

Shen Yu whipped his head around in shock, nearly jumping out of his skin. "LU ZHIXUAN?!"

The girl's face drained of color, her eyes wide in sudden realization. "O-Oh, I didn't know—"

Lu Zhixuan didn't miss a beat. His smile was sharp, the kind that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Now you do."

With that, the girl turned on her heels and fled, her footsteps echoing down the hall. Shen Yu was left standing there, still processing what had just happened. He quickly turned to Lu Zhixuan, his irritation flaring up.

"What the hell was that?!" Shen Yu hissed, his hands balled into fists at his sides. "You can't just... do that!"

Lu Zhixuan was unfazed. He leaned in just a little too close, his voice dropping to a teasing whisper. "You weren't going to accept, were you?"

Shen Yu opened his mouth, ready to argue, but the words caught in his throat. He hadn't been given a chance to respond to the confession, and honestly, he wasn't sure what he would have said.

"That's not the point!" Shen Yu finally managed, though his voice lacked the confidence he intended.

Lu Zhixuan's smirk widened, and there was something undeniably smug about the way he looked at Shen Yu. "Then what is the point, Zhao Rui?"

Shen Yu hesitated, the words on the tip of his tongue, but they wouldn't come. The truth was, he didn't know what the point was. He wasn't ready for the attention, especially not from someone else. He hadn't even thought about what he'd do if someone confessed to him. And worst of all, Lu Zhixuan's sudden intervention had made him feel something—something that made his heart race, something that made his chest tighten.

He opened his mouth again, but this time, no words came. All he could focus on was the way Lu Zhixuan was standing so close to him, that amused glint in his eyes, and the heat that seemed to radiate from his body.

Lu Zhixuan seemed to relish the silence. He leaned in even closer, his lips almost brushing Shen Yu's ear as he whispered, "You're not mad, are you? Or maybe... you just don't know how to feel?"

Shen Yu's pulse quickened. He tried to step back, but his feet felt frozen in place. "I—I'm not mad," he stammered, though even he wasn't sure if that was the truth.

Lu Zhixuan chuckled softly, his breath warm against Shen Yu's skin. "Good. Because, whether you like it or not, you're stuck with me now."

Shen Yu's heart skipped a beat. The words hung in the air between them, charged with something unspoken, something far too complicated for him to process. All he knew was that, somehow, he was starting to feel the weight of Lu Zhixuan's presence in a way he never had before.

But Shen Yu wasn't ready to admit that. Not yet.

"Just—just stop doing stuff like that," Shen Yu muttered, trying to regain his composure. He was definitely not ready for whatever this was turning into.

Lu Zhixuan just smirked, his hand still casually draped over Shen Yu's shoulders. "I'll stop when you stop pretending that you don't care."

Shen Yu opened his mouth, ready to protest, but no words came. Instead, all he could do was feel the rush of warmth in his cheeks and the pounding of his heart as Lu Zhixuan walked away, leaving him standing there in a swirl of confusion.

His thoughts were in chaos, but one thing was clear: Lu Zhixuan had just made it very clear that things were never going to be simple.