Chapter 51: The Real Confession

The school festival was the perfect setting for chaos. The air was thick with the hum of excitement, the scent of fried food, and the sounds of laughter and chatter filling the hallways. Shen Yu, dressed in a butler uniform for his class's café, was already flustered enough. Between managing customers, keeping the coffee pots filled, and trying to maintain some semblance of dignity in his ridiculous outfit, he barely had time to breathe. The uniform wasn't the worst part—no, that was saved for the fact that everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves far too much.

And then, as if to make the day even more unbearable, Lu Zhixuan walked in.

Shen Yu froze mid-step when he spotted him. Lu Zhixuan was casually strolling through the door, looking effortlessly cool as always. His eyes scanned the room, and when they landed on Shen Yu, his lips curled into that infuriating smirk.

"You're serving today?" Lu Zhixuan mused, taking a seat at the counter as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

Shen Yu shot him a glare, trying to ignore the fluttering feeling in his chest. He crossed his arms defensively. "You better not cause trouble," he warned, not entirely sure if he was more worried about Lu Zhixuan making a scene or about what his presence was doing to his own composure.

Lu Zhixuan leaned back in his seat, a playful glint in his eyes. "Why? Afraid I'll flirt with you in front of everyone?" He arched an eyebrow, his voice low enough for only Shen Yu to hear.

Shen Yu's face burned at the suggestion. "I—" He sighed, rubbing a hand over his face in exasperation. "What do you want, Lu Zhixuan?"

For the first time, Lu Zhixuan's smirk softened into something more sincere, more personal. It made Shen Yu's heart do something funny. "I think you know."

Shen Yu swallowed hard, his heart pounding in his chest as if it wanted to leap out and join the chaos of the festival. This wasn't the usual back-and-forth banter they had, wasn't the usual teasing. There was something more to it this time. Something real.

"Say it," Shen Yu managed to say, his voice barely above a whisper. He didn't want to hear it, but he knew he needed to. It was the only way to silence the confusion swirling in his head.

Lu Zhixuan didn't hesitate. He stood from his seat, his eyes never leaving Shen Yu's, and took a step closer. The distance between them was reduced to nothing, and the air between them seemed to crackle with tension.

"Fine," Lu Zhixuan said, his voice a little lower now, a little more serious. "I like you, Zhao Rui. I've liked you for a while. And I'm done playing games."

Shen Yu's breath hitched, his heart slamming against his ribs as the words settled in his mind. The world around him seemed to blur for a moment, leaving only Lu Zhixuan in focus. He couldn't process it—he didn't want to process it. This wasn't supposed to be happening, not like this. But there was no denying it. The warmth spreading through his chest, the wild rhythm of his pulse, it all pointed to the same undeniable truth.

"You... what?" Shen Yu whispered, as if hearing the words would somehow make more sense the second time. But it didn't. It only made his heart race faster.

Lu Zhixuan tilted his head, the familiar playful smirk returning to his lips, though there was something deeper behind it now. Something genuine. "Do I need to repeat it?" he asked, his voice teasing but soft, like he was savoring the moment.

Shen Yu stared at him, his mind screaming that this was a disaster, that he couldn't—he shouldn't—feel this way. But his heart... his heart had already made its choice. It had made its choice the moment Lu Zhixuan first stepped into his life, even if Shen Yu hadn't realized it until now.

Without thinking, without overanalyzing it, Shen Yu reached forward. He grabbed Lu Zhixuan's tie, yanking him in closer until there was barely any space between them. His breath caught in his throat, but he didn't care. Not anymore.

"Then shut up and kiss me already," Shen Yu muttered, his voice strained but filled with an urgency he couldn't ignore.

Lu Zhixuan's grin widened, and there was a flicker of something deep in his eyes, something that made Shen Yu's chest tighten in anticipation. "With pleasure," Lu Zhixuan murmured, before closing the distance between them.

The kiss was everything Shen Yu didn't expect and everything he'd secretly hoped for. It was slow at first, hesitant, as if they were both testing the waters. But then, as if some unspoken understanding passed between them, it deepened. The world around them faded. The chatter of the festival, the laughter of classmates, the noise—it all disappeared as if nothing mattered but the two of them.

Shen Yu's heart was racing, but this time, it was a good kind of rush. The kind that made him feel alive, that made him realize that maybe, just maybe, he wasn't as lost as he thought. Because for the first time in a long while, he felt like he was exactly where he was supposed to be.

When they finally pulled apart, both of them were breathless, their faces flushed, and a heavy silence hung between them. Shen Yu couldn't look away, and neither could Lu Zhixuan.

"Well," Shen Yu said, his voice still a little shaky, "I guess I'm not mad."

Lu Zhixuan's smile softened, and he reached out to tuck a stray lock of hair behind Shen Yu's ear. "Good," he said quietly. "Because I'm not going anywhere."

And just like that, the chaos of the school festival didn't matter anymore. Everything else paled in comparison to the promise of what was beginning between them.