Chapter 11 Meet Me at the Usual Place

The sticky red flower oil, after being rubbed between palms, created a burning sensation.

Lu Heyang warmed it up, pressing his palm gently against Lu Xun's shoulder blade, rubbing lightly before pulling away.

"Did our parents not feed you?" Lu Xun suddenly pressed his hand onto the back of Lu Heyang's hand, forcing it down onto his shoulder with a rough motion. "You need to press like this."

He exerted so much force that Lu Heyang felt his struggles were futile, like an ant scratching at the palm of Lu Xun's hand.

The shoulder was warm, the red flower oil was fiery, and Lu Xun's palm was scorching. Lu Heyang was caught between layers of flames, every fingerprint melting into his skin.

"Is that enough?" A hint of pleading crossed his face. "My hand is tired."

The perfectly timed plea for mercy caught Lu Xun's attention. He looked up at Lu Heyang, the evening sunlight slipping through the window, casting a warm orange glow into Lu Heyang's eyes. His eyes shone like jewels, brilliant and seemingly ready to be plucked.

Without thinking, Lu Xun unconsciously applied more pressure.

"Hiss…" Lu Heyang let out a short, pained breath.

Lu Xun snapped out of it, pulling his hand away and averting his gaze.

"There's more on my back."

Lu Heyang moved around to his back, finding a large bruise on his waist that looked like it would take a long time to heal. He pressed the softest part of his palm against it, then gradually applied more pressure. Lu Xun's waist twitched slightly, but he didn't complain or show any sign of pain.

Lu Heyang felt a pang of sadness in his heart. He couldn't understand what Lu Xun had been through outside. Was it for defending something, fighting for something, or just an impulsive act of bravado?

This time, Lu Heyang massaged diligently, feeling that he had done his part. He could sense the friction on the skin becoming smoother, and the once rough sensation turned slippery. Lu Xun's skin felt like a magnet, holding onto his hand and refusing to let go.

But it was Lu Xun who couldn't take it any longer. The combination of pain, itching, and numbness ignited a fierce fire inside him.

"Stop, stop, that's enough." Lu Xun pushed his hand away with his wrist, pulling his clothes over his waist and lower body. His brother was like a terrifying god of desire—just a touch, just the slight parting of his lips to exhale, and it was too much for him to handle.

Lu Heyang, unaware of what had angered Lu Xun this time, nervously stopped. Seeing that despite his displeased expression, Lu Xun had no intention of making things difficult for him, Lu Heyang let out a barely noticeable sigh of relief. He then bent down to disinfect the wound on Lu Xun's cheek with a cotton swab, carefully applying a band-aid.

It was a small, narrow children's band-aid with a blue Doraemon printed on it. Not very effective, but better than nothing. Lu Heyang almost wanted to laugh as he bowed his head and carefully placed it on Lu Xun.

Lu Xun's breath stirred the tiny hairs on Lu Heyang's cheek. He instinctively lowered his eyelids, searching for the wound and the tips of Lu Heyang's fingers. Usually sharp and fierce, Lu Xun's almond-shaped eyes softened into a lazy gaze, casting a warm look that felt like a divine blessing.

Lu Heyang's heart tightened. He quickly pressed down the edges of the band-aid with his fingertips and stepped back several paces, putting some distance between them.

"It's done."

The sound of keys turning in the front door lock echoed—it was their mother, Su Mei, coming home. Taking the opportunity, Lu Heyang quickly cleaned up the bottles and jars, opened the door, and swiftly left Lu Xun's territory.

It's said that a tiger remembers the scent of the small animal it once let go, keeping it as a pet to play with.

Lu Heyang had a vague feeling that Lu Xun was like a tiger, while he was the rabbit that had accidentally wandered into the tiger's territory, narrowly escaped its jaws, and had been marked.

This sudden intuition unexpectedly became a prophecy.

One-third of his life had already passed, and Lu Heyang was shocked to realize that he was still entangled with Lu Xun.

Especially after learning the truth from the past, the entanglement only grew tighter, more complicated. If this were just a tangled mess of headphones, he could easily discard them and get a new pair. However, he couldn't sever the connection between him and Lu Xun.

Not after he owed him so much.

The collar of Lu Heyang's shirt was tight around his neck, and his temples throbbed with tension. His lips moved silently, as if he were deliberating.

Gratitude would be too pretentious, but to not show any appreciation would seem cold-hearted. Honestly, he had always prided himself on being a good older brother, but now it seemed that his younger brother was more competent, making him feel out of place and embarrassed.

Finally, in the dead silence, he said, "I have nothing to do with Meng Fanyi."

"…?" Lu Xun nearly had a heart attack. He suspected that Lu Heyang had never been able to answer questions about the main idea correctly in Chinese exams. "Does that matter now?"

Of course it matters.

If it's you, then it matters.

But Lu Heyang couldn't say it out loud. As the leftovers began to congeal with grease, he rolled up his sleeves and started stacking the dishes.

"I'll do the dishes tonight."

Here we go again. Here he goes again.

Using labor to repay these acts of kindness.

Lu Xun's face darkened, becoming increasingly terrifying. His injuries, his leap into the abyss, his unwavering determination, his love and hate—did Lu Heyang think he could repay it all by washing a few broken dishes and mopping the dirty floor?

Lu Heyang, don't you dare.

The door slammed shut with such force that the entire house shook. For a moment, Lu Heyang's ears rang, and it felt as though his soul had left his body, his movements becoming slow and sluggish.

Outside the window, dark clouds gathered, dragonflies flew low, and the rain was imminent. He forced himself to stay put, resisting the urge to chase after him.

After all, he was no longer the 17-year-old boy who could fall and get back up on the ice, who could hold someone's hand after being deceived, who could offer an orange umbrella in the pouring rain and say, "Get home early."

They no longer had a home.

If everything Lu Xun had done before was because they shared the same surname, because they were family, rising and falling together, then now, what were they?

Five minutes after Lu Xun left, the rain poured down in torrents, accompanied by thunder and lightning.

Summer. It was summer again.

This damned summer. They met in summer, parted in summer, and all their life-and-death separations happened in summer.

Lu Xun stood under the eaves of a convenience store on the corner, watching the rain fall like a beaded curtain. The water dripping from the edges of passersby's umbrellas soaked his shoulders, and a drop slid down his collar into his neck.

He shivered slightly, straining to look further through the rain.

Lu Heyang hadn't come out to find him.

Fine, very well.

In the sticky air, Lu Xun finished smoking a damp cigarette, the bitterness spreading from his tongue to his chest. He crushed the cigarette butt underfoot, pulled out his phone, and dialed a number.

"Meet me at the usual place."