Recently, Lu Ning had been feeling that something was off.
Her son, who usually loved staying up late to play games, had been going to bed very early every day, returning to his room promptly at nine.
When she got up in the morning and passed by his room, it was always empty.
She had asked him once, and Lu Xiangyang raised his voice and said, "I went for a run!"
Lu Ning didn't believe him at all.
She still had a few days of work left before the New Year and would leave early every day, so she had no way to verify whether Lu Xiangyang was really going for a run.
It wasn't until the twenty-ninth of the lunar year that she finally had time off. She didn't have to work anymore, and that night, she sat on the edge of her bed flipping through some childhood photos of Lu Xiangyang on her phone. Suddenly, she felt a bit thirsty and went out to get some water.
Her steps were light, and with the lights off, she was hard to notice.
That's when Lu Ning saw Lu Xiangyang's room door suddenly open. Her son, who had said he was going to sleep early, was carefully sneaking into Shen Kuangye's room and didn't come back out.
Lu Ning almost burned her lips with the hot water before she realized what she had just witnessed. She shook her head.
What am I thinking?
Yangyang couldn't possibly…
She must have been overly influenced by that thing with Xu Wen, letting her imagination run wild about Lu Xiangyang.
It was perfectly normal for boys to enjoy playing games together, and maybe he just didn't want to get scolded, so he snuck over.
Thinking this way, everything made sense.
Lu Ning went back to her room holding her cup, but she couldn't sleep all night.
Perhaps it was her mind playing tricks on her, but she started unconsciously observing Lu Xiangyang and Shen Kuangye's actions, and early in the morning, she sat on the sofa waiting for them to come out.
Shen Kuangye woke up early, but Lu Xiangyang liked to linger in bed, wrapping his arms and legs around him to stop him from getting up.
"Ten more minutes…" he mumbled.
Shen Kuangye could only helplessly wait for him to wake up. Perhaps it was the warm sunlight, but he dozed off again for a bit.
By the time they actually got up, it was already ten o'clock.
Shen Kuangye, fully awake now, knew it would be impolite to sleep in so late as a guest.
He got up and gently patted Lu Xiangyang's face. "Time to get up."
Lu Xiangyang frowned and tried to snuggle closer to him. "Sleepy…"
Shen Kuangye had no choice but to cruelly release his limbs and get dressed first.
After changing, he noticed Lu Xiangyang had been secretly peeking at him. When caught, Lu Xiangyang immediately blushed and closed his eyes.
Shen Kuangye smiled helplessly.
He finished washing up and, just as he stepped out, unexpectedly saw Lu Ning sitting in the living room.
He paused for a moment, then stepped forward. "Hello, Auntie."
Lu Ning looked at him and, almost instinctively, silently studied Shen Kuangye's face and neck. Once she was sure everything was normal, she said, "Hmm, Xiao Ye, how have you been sleeping these past few days?"
"Pretty well," Shen Kuangye answered, lowering his voice.
Recently, Lu Xiangyang seemed very interested in cooking, especially making all sorts of soups for him.
The soups were tasty, but Shen Kuangye always felt restless afterward.
Even a little brushing from Lu Xiangyang at night would overwhelm him, but since they were so close, it was unavoidable.
On top of that, Lu Xiangyang would snuggle in and look at him with those innocent eyes, saying, "Brother, you don't have to compete now. Let me help you."
Shen Kuangye's Adam's apple moved, but he didn't reply.
Lu Xiangyang grew bolder, his hand slowly hooking onto Shen Kuangye's waistband. Shen Kuangye stopped him. "No."
"But you're so uncomfortable… I may not be very skilled, but I want to try," Lu Xiangyang whispered.
Shen Kuangye felt his blood surge and his mind go dizzy. He restrained himself and said, "No need."
"My hands will get tired."
Lu Xiangyang's face reddened further.
"Then you… this," he said, pointing vaguely. Shen Kuangye grabbed his hand. Breathing a little faster, Lu Xiangyang asked, "Can we do something else?"
In that instant, all the fanfictions he had ever read flashed through his mind. He stammered, "O-okay."
Shen Kuangye looked at him deeply, lowered his head, and finally kissed the side of Lu Xiangyang's neck.
Lu Xiangyang, unguarded, let out a sound that surprised even himself, then quickly covered his mouth, cheeks blazing red.
Pinned to the bed, his upper chest and neck kissed mercilessly, both of them panting, Lu Xiangyang's pajamas collar left open, eyes still glistening with leftover moisture.
After their nightly antics, it was already one or two in the morning.
When Lu Ning asked that question suddenly, Shen Kuangye thought she must have heard something.
But she didn't ask further, and Shen Kuangye quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
Lu Xiangyang didn't wake until nearly eleven. Brushing his teeth, he noticed the red marks all over his neck.
Thinking back on Shen Kuangye's restrained yet ultimately surrendered expression, along with his teeth pressing against his neck, his face flushed again.
This must be a sign his body was getting stronger.
The soups he had been making to help Shen Kuangye improve his constitution had worked.
All those health posts hadn't been in vain.
But soon he realized a new problem: he had no turtleneck to cover the marks.
Thinking quickly, he decided to secretly borrow Shen Kuangye's black turtleneck. It fit him a little loosely, but at least the marks on his neck were hidden.
When he opened the door, he realized Lu Ning had returned. Stammering, he said, "M-Mom, you're home?"
Lu Ning glanced at him and gave a small nod, then walked up and looked him over from head to toe.
Lu Xiangyang's heart leapt to his throat.
Shen Kuangye, outside putting up spring couplets, slowed his movements, his gaze frequently darting toward them.
Just as Lu Xiangyang was about to admit everything, Lu Ning said, "This outfit looks nice. It suits you."
Lu Xiangyang relaxed and smiled. "Of course. Your son is handsome."
"So handsome, why don't you have a girlfriend yet?"
Lu Ning raised an eyebrow. She wasn't really expecting an answer, just gauging his reaction.
As anticipated, Lu Xiangyang instinctively glanced at the door and said, "Mom, I've told you I'm focusing on my career. Don't you want to see me win at a world-class tournament?"
Lu Ning didn't quite understand. "Aren't you already a champion?"
"That's different, Mom."
Seeing her still confused, he hurried to explain, "The one I won was only the highest domestic championship. The ultimate one is the Abyss—competing against the strongest teams from other countries for first place."
Lu Ning seemed genuinely intrigued by this topic and kept asking questions intermittently.
Shen Kuangye finally relaxed and continued putting up the couplets carefully.
Lunch was made by Shen Kuangye and Lu Xiangyang together, leaving Lu Ning idle at home.
She could only watch the two kids bustling in the kitchen.
Lu Xiangyang was washing fruit and handed a strawberry to Shen Kuangye, who naturally tilted his head and took it in his mouth.
They worked together, laughing and talking to each other while coordinating tasks.
Lu Ning watched from outside, frowning deeper and deeper.
At lunch, she noticed Shen Kuangye picking up a chicken wing for Lu Xiangyang. She knew her son's quirks well—he usually wouldn't eat anything another person touched, not even her.
But this time, Lu Xiangyang bit into it naturally, as if they had done this a thousand times before.
"Mom?"
Lu Xiangyang looked at her. "Are you not feeling well?"
From his perspective, Lu Ning's face looked slightly pale.
She shook her head and forced a calm expression. "I'm fine."
Flustered, she lowered her gaze, trying to stay composed.
She told herself all of this was normal, she was just overthinking.
In the afternoon, Lu Ning took them out to buy New Year goods. The streets were crowded and lively.
Lu Xiangyang spotted a dress in a shop and insisted on dragging Lu Ning in to try it on.
Lu Ning was tempted but hesitated at the price. "Mom doesn't like these—it's too flashy and not suitable for someone my age."
Lu Xiangyang didn't believe her and wrapped his arms around her, pouting. "Mom, just try it. Don't worry about the money; I have it now."
Lu Ning tried to come up with an excuse, but Lu Xiangyang whispered a number in her ear. She went silent, then very softly asked, "Really?"
Lu Xiangyang nodded. "Of course. When have I ever lied to you?"
"So, Mom," he said, handing her the dress, "don't hold back."
With the matter brought to this point, Lu Ning couldn't refuse. She picked her favorite dress and went into the fitting room.
Watching her back, Lu Xiangyang suddenly said to Shen Kuangye, "Brother, the last time I saw Mom this happy was when Dad was still around."
Since Lu Linchuan left, Lu Ning smiled less and less. Most of the time, her smile was gentle and warm, rarely as carefree and pure as today.
Noticing Lu Xiangyang's slight melancholy, Shen Kuangye rubbed his head.
Looking down, he caught a glimpse of Lu Xiangyang's slightly sad expression, as well as the loose collar revealing the kiss marks on his neck.
The scene from last night was still vivid in his mind.
Clearing his throat, Shen Kuangye averted his gaze, only to see a snowy white, fluffy scarf. For some reason, he felt it suited Lu Xiangyang perfectly.
He said to him, "Do you want to try this on?"
Lu Xiangyang glanced at the price and immediately said, "Too expensive! I don't want it."
The scarf alone cost five thousand yuan.
How could anyone justify spending that?
That meant it was perfect.
Shen Kuangye gently wrapped the scarf around Lu Xiangyang's neck. His fingers were long and nimble, movements soft and skilled. His usual cold gaze now looked gentle and tender.
The two of them were very close. Lu Xiangyang only had one thought: his brother is so handsome.
The white scarf contrasted with Lu Xiangyang's flushed cheeks, making him look even fairer and more beautiful.
Shen Kuangye couldn't look away.
Feeling Shen Kuangye's tender gaze, Lu Xiangyang felt a little shy and asked tentatively, "Does it look good?"
Shen Kuangye finally came to his senses, smiled, adjusted the scarf gently, and said softly, "It looks very nice."
After Lu Ning finished trying on her dress, she first studied herself in the mirror.
She was actually very beautiful, but the hardships over the years had left her little time to care. Wearing her favorite dress today, she suddenly felt as if time hadn't passed at all.
As she stepped out of the fitting room, she saw Lu Xiangyang and Shen Kuangye laughing and talking.
The taller boy's eyes were lowered, gently adjusting the scarf for the other.
That gaze… Lu Ning knew it all too well.
Because Lu Linchuan had looked at her the same way.