Chapter 53

Chapter 53

The next morning, Lu Ge arrived at the Xu family's house to pick someone up around seven o'clock.

He waited on the first floor, occasionally glancing lazily at the closed bedroom door upstairs, in no hurry.

Even if the guy upstairs slept till noon, he wouldn’t bat an eye. After all, Ji Mian hadn’t agreed to go yesterday.

But about half an hour later, there was a click from upstairs as the door opened.

The young man who walked out had slightly messy hair, with a few strands sticking up, clearly just having woken up.

As soon as Ji Mian stepped out, he saw Lu Ge sitting downstairs, their eyes meeting.

Seeing Lu Ge, who had been waiting for who knows how long, Ji Mian felt a bit awkward but kept it off his face.

Ji Mian had fallen asleep at exactly eight o'clock last night and woke up at eight in the morning.

He had slept a full twelve hours.

The system, eyes closed, reassured him: "It's not that you woke up late, it's that this person has no sense of timing and came too early."

Moreover, Lu Ge hadn’t mentioned a departure time yesterday.

He came early simply because he was bored after waking up and decided to drive over.

In recent months, Lu Ge's imagination had grown wild. Just sitting downstairs and looking at the closed door on the second floor, his gaze seemed to penetrate the thick wooden door, seeing the young man sleeping peacefully inside. It was definitely more interesting than being at the Lu family’s.

After the two made eye contact, neither greeted the other. Ji Mian averted his gaze and went to freshen up, while Lu Ge turned his attention to the unopened TV in the living room.

Ji Mian took his time washing up. He tried to speed up but still moved slowly, as Xu Chiqiu always did things at a leisurely pace.

After half an hour, he barely finished washing up and changed into his outdoor clothes.

When he went downstairs, he was wearing four layers on top. Ji Mian didn’t want to wear winter coats in October—it felt off—so he layered up instead.

Each layer was suitable for autumn: a cotton undershirt, a light blue autumn shirt, a thin sweater vest, and finally a thick beige coat.

Most people would only need two layers in autumn, but Ji Mian had to wear all of them to stay warm.

Luckily, he was thin, and the low collar of the undershirt made it barely noticeable.

Lu Ge was dressed casually today, in a color-blocked hoodie and black pants. The simple outfit softened his usual intimidating presence. At first glance, he was just a ridiculously good-looking guy.

Seeing Lu Ge in just a thin hoodie, Ji Mian felt as if the cold had shifted to him, and he shivered slightly.

Lu Ge, glancing at Ji Mian’s layers, thought his neck must be warm, making him want to reach in and touch it.

"Let's go?"

Ji Mian nodded, and the two set off.

It would take two and a half hours to drive to the woods in the suburbs. Ji Mian and Lu Ge left at almost nine o'clock, so they wouldn't arrive until at least eleven-thirty.

Ji Mian didn't mind, as he would just sleep in the car. However, before ten o'clock, Lu Ge's car slowed down and stopped by the roadside.

"Are we there?" Ji Mian was still in a daze, half-asleep.

Lu Ge found it somewhat amusing.

We should’ve brought a truck to haul this guy’s bed and bedroom into the back.

Ji Mian finally noticed the time on the car—just a few minutes past ten.

Why’d we stop?

The next second, Lu Ge went to the back seat and returned with a bag in his hand.

When Ji Mian saw the bag, his internal alarm bells went off.

He knew it all too well...

When he was still in the hospital, Lu Ge would bring such a bag every noon and evening...

Sure enough, when Lu Ge opened it, there was food inside. It was all set up, with a bright red apple and a fruit knife right next to it.

"..."

Ji Mian said cautiously, "I already ate breakfast before we left. It's only ten o'clock, not yet lunchtime..."

Lu Ge tossed out, "Brunch."

A meal between breakfast and lunch is called brunch.

Ji Mian: "..."

Redefining brunch, huh?

He quietly turned away, resting his forehead against the car window, avoiding Lu Ge’s gaze.

Ji Mian felt trapped, like he’d boarded a pirate ship with no way out. He wasn’t really mad, but there was this uncomfortable, awkward feeling in his chest.

In his past life, Ji Mian had crossed over when he was sixteen. In this life, as Xu Chiqiu, his whole life started in his twenties.

He never experienced growing up from childhood to adulthood. From the moment he was bound by the system and had memories, all he had was an adult’s common sense, intelligence, and moral compass.

Ji Mian didn’t realize his current mindset was just like a sick kid being tricked into taking shots and medicine. Once he figured it out, he felt a little annoyed, wanting to push back, but knowing the other person meant well, he could only feel frustrated.

He stayed pressed against the car window like that for a few minutes, not hearing a peep from Lu Ge in the driver’s seat.

After a bit, he couldn’t help but turn around, only to find Lu Ge smiling at him, waiting for him to look back.

The car was silent.

Lu Ge passed the 'brunch' box to Ji Mian, who paused for a moment before taking it and slowly starting to eat.

The brunch was a spinach roll—a thin pancake made from flour and spinach juice, filled with veggies and a bit of meat, topped with a sweet and sour sauce. It was light and refreshing.

Ji Mian didn’t mind it.

Seeing Ji Mian eat, Lu Ge grabbed an apple from the bag and started peeling it. He was pretty good with the fruit knife, peeling half the apple without breaking the skin.

Lu Ge had plenty of life experience. His parents had started from nothing, and even though they were now incredibly wealthy, they held onto their old values and never spoiled Lu Ge growing up.

Unfortunately, their kid was born with a sharp tongue. No matter how well they raised him, they couldn’t tame Lu Ge’s biting words.

There were two spinach rolls in the box, quite small, but Ji Mian could only finish one.

Lu Ge probably anticipated his appetite, just glanced at it briefly, and didn’t force him.

Some sauce smeared his lips and fingers. Ji Mian, who hated getting messy, reached for the tissue box on the dashboard.

The tissue box was a bit far from him, and Ji Mian barely touched the edge.

Lu Ge stopped peeling the fruit, put down the knife, and lifted the tissue box, passing it to Ji Mian.

At that moment, the unbroken peel in his hand snapped.

Ji Mian grabbed a tissue without a word, not even saying thank you, and sat back down steadily. He was like an untamed wolf pup.

But in reality, he had tried so hard to suppress the impulse to say thank you, holding back because of Xu Chiqiu's persona.

After carefully wiping his fingers and the corners of his mouth, Ji Mian's slender fingers crushed the tissue into a loose little ball in his palm. He looked around but found no place to toss it.

Lu Ge noticed and casually held out his hand, palm open, ready to take it.

Ji Mian hesitated for a second, and after a brief pause, he still placed the tissue ball in Lu Ge's hand.

Lu Ge was tall, and his hands were large. He pinched the tissue ball between his pinky and ring finger, not even a corner showing. The rest of his fingers held the fruit knife steadily, keeping the ball away from the fruit.

He was calm and composed, but Ji Mian grew restless, squirming in his seat—choked by the "thank you" he couldn't say.

Lu Ge didn't notice any of this. He wasn’t here for a "thank you." If he wanted one, he could scatter a handful of bills on the street and get hundreds in return.

Ji Mian could order him around all he liked; patients got that privilege. Whether he wanted to say thank you or not, Lu Ge didn't care.

He peeled off the last bit of skin with the knife and was about to ask Ji Mian how much he wanted to eat when he turned and caught Ji Mian’s quiet profile, lips pursed, like he was deep in thought.

Looking at him, there was a surprising softness that didn't match his usual cold demeanor.

Lu Ge had never expected to get anything from Ji Mian, but now he suddenly realized he was wrong.

He’d already gotten his reward.

Noticing he was being watched, Ji Mian turned his head and saw Lu Ge staring straight at him, a bit puzzled, "Mr. Lu?"

Lu Ge's hand paused while cutting the apple, and he suddenly realized something.

He liked watching Ji Mian eat the food he brought, ride in his car, use his things, and sleep in his chair.

He liked having this person in his life.

Seeing that Lu Ge hadn't responded for a while, Ji Mian called him again.

Lu Ge snapped out of it and seized the moment, slipping a freshly cut slice of apple into Ji Mian's mouth while he was speaking.

Sneaking food into Ji Mian’s mouth when he wasn’t looking was one of Lu Ge's usual tactics.

Ji Mian had fallen for it many times, and every time Lu Ge unexpectedly stuffed something into his mouth, he swore he wouldn’t fall for it next time.

Unfortunately, he kept losing the battle.

"..."

Ji Mian swallowed the small bite of apple in his mouth and held the rest in his hand, not really wanting to eat it.

Looking back at Lu Ge, who seemed to zone out, his arms resting on the steering wheel, his face buried in them, suddenly sighing softly.

Ji Mian looked at him, a bit strange, "Mr. Lu?"

Lu Ge didn’t bother with him, not even turning his head to look.

Lu Ge had never been good at being “careful”—it just wasn’t in his nature. He’d always been reckless, and in his twenty-something years, he’d never once been cautious.

Yet, he’d fallen for someone fragile, someone who had someone else on their mind.

It left him sighing in frustration.

After a few minutes, Lu Ge sat up, his forehead faintly red from leaning on the steering wheel.

He turned and spotted the unfinished apple slice in Ji Mian’s hand, frowning. “Wasting food, Young Master?”

Ji Mian stayed silent.

If it’s wasted, it’s wasted. He couldn’t eat another bite.

He tossed the rest back into the bag, planning to throw it out with the trash later.

So, the leftover spinach roll and the half-eaten apple wound up in Lu Ge’s stomach.

He reached for the apple bite Ji Mian had tossed into the bag but stopped halfway, putting it back and glancing at Ji Mian.

It was like he was about to pop it into his mouth out of habit but caught himself.

*

They reached their destination a little after eleven.

Outside, the sunlight lit up a sea of bright gold.

Ji Mian barely made it through the ginkgo forest before he was too tired to go on. He didn’t even catch a whiff of the osmanthus flowers.

From arrival to Ji Mian wanting to leave, it was barely an hour.

Lu Ge saw him dragging his feet.

Seriously? Two hours driving here, and after one hour of walking, he’s ready to leave?

What could he do? He couldn’t let him overdo it.

Alright, let’s head back.

But the moment he said they’d go back, Ji Mian, who’d been so tired, kept glancing back, reluctant to leave the glittering golden landscape.

“Let’s sit for a bit,” Lu Ge said. “Just ten minutes.”

The northern wind was strong. Walking kept them warm, but sitting too long, Lu Ge worried this fragile guy might catch a chill.

Ji Mian nodded.

He’d barely sat down when Lu Ge, spotting something, wandered off to the right.

When he came back, he held out his loosely closed fist. “Give me your hand.”

Ji Mian blinked and held out both hands.

Lu Ge’s loosely closed fist dropped into his palm, and suddenly, there was a strange tickle.

Ji Mian seemed to catch on and cupped his hands as Lu Ge let go.

Peeking through his fingers, he saw a white butterfly.

The autumn butterfly wasn’t as lively anymore. The white butterfly in Ji Mian's palm slowly flapped its wings, brushing his skin with a faint tickle.

Ji Mian smiled, "What’d you catch it for?"

Lu Ge thought for a moment and replied, "I don’t know."

"I just wanted to catch it when I saw it."

After saying that, he looked at the smile on Ji Mian's lips and stared at it unabashedly.

"What’s wrong?"

"Nothing. You don’t smile much."

Ji Mian paused, taken aback. "Really?"

"Yes," Lu Ge poked Ji Mian’s shoulder. "Young Master, why do you keep so much to yourself?"

"..."

Ji Mian's eyelids trembled.

He’s way too sharp.

Lu Ge slowly shifted his gaze, unable to meet Ji Mian’s eyes directly.

"Young Master, I just want you to be happy."

"..."

For a moment, Ji Mian’s heart went numb.

Ever since he arrived here, this was the first time someone had said such words to him.

Like Sis Yuman, like his older brother.

"Me too, Ji Mian," the system murmured.

Ji Mian's breathing suddenly became rapid, and he bit his lip to keep his expression from faltering.

Ever since he arrived here, he’d never felt tied to this place.

He was just a stranger trapped in Xu Chiqiu’s body.

He didn’t care about Qin Yan or Xu Zhixia, he didn’t care about missions or points...

He just missed his brother, constantly, achingly.

He was a kite flying in the sky, and the string holding him had snapped the moment he left Duan Zhuo.

Being untethered felt freeing, but lonely.

But now, someone had caught hold of Ji Mian’s string, taking away both his freedom and his loneliness.

Ji Mian couldn’t make sense of his emotions. He felt like the butterfly in his palm, cradled by this world, by Lu Ge.

What he lost and what he gained traded places. He couldn’t tell which outweighed the other.

After a while, Ji Mian opened his hand, letting the white butterfly in his palm fly away.

He stood up without looking at the person beside him.

"Let's go."

They still had a long way to go.

When they reached an uphill path, Lu Ge gently pushed Ji Mian's back from behind to keep his legs from getting tired.

His fingers brushed against the curve of Ji Mian's shoulder blade, like the arc of a butterfly's wing, as if catching the delicate wings of a butterfly.