The café was tucked between an art gallery and a flower shop, with ivy crawling up its walls and fairy lights twinkling overhead. Inside, it smelled of cinnamon, espresso, and rain-soaked wood.
Lu Sheng sat at a window table, legs crossed, sipping from a matcha latte. He wore a cream-colored sweater that hugged his frame, and his silver-rimmed glasses made him look effortlessly poetic.
Across from him, Lin Zhihao was laughing at something Lu Sheng had just said. He leaned in a little too close every time, flashing those dimples like a weapon.
"You're even better company than I expected," Zhihao said, eyes flicking down to Lu Sheng's lips. "Dangerous combo—brains, beauty, and sarcasm."
Lu Sheng raised an eyebrow. "Careful. I bite."
"Good," Zhihao replied smoothly. "I bruise easy."
They both laughed.
And then—the bell above the café door jingled.
Lu Sheng didn't even have to look.
He felt the tension walk in.
Chen Xiao.
Wearing a dark shirt, sleeves rolled up, jaw tight, and eyes locked on Lu Sheng like a hunter who had just spotted a threat.
Zhihao noticed too. "Friend of yours?"
Lu Sheng stirred his drink calmly. "Ex… something."
Chen walked straight to their table, hands in his pockets. "Lu Sheng."
Lu Sheng looked up, smiling sweetly. "Chen. How unexpected."
Chen's eyes flicked to Zhihao. "And who's this?"
"Lin Zhihao," Zhihao said politely, offering a hand.
Chen didn't take it.
Zhihao chuckled. "Friendly."
Lu Sheng leaned back, clearly entertained. "Chen, did you want something?"
Chen's jaw clenched. "Just passing by."
"Mm. And the GPS brought you to this street, this café, at this exact hour?" Lu Sheng smiled with mock innocence. "Fascinating coincidence."
Zhihao sipped his coffee, watching the tension like it was his favorite movie.
"Funny timing," he said to Chen. "We were just talking about past heartbreaks."
Chen's eyes narrowed. "Were you."
Lu Sheng reached for a macaron and popped it in his mouth slowly, speaking around it. "Zhihao thinks I look like someone who's been hurt."
Chen stared at him. "And have you?"
Lu Sheng met his gaze, playful but cold. "Why don't you ask the person who did it?"
Oof.
Zhihao cleared his throat. "I should head out. Lu Sheng, can I see you again?"
Lu Sheng smiled. "You may."
Chen watched Zhihao leave, and then looked back at Lu Sheng.
"You're doing this to mess with me."
Lu Sheng stood and picked up his coat. "Maybe. Or maybe I just like guys who don't need thirty days to realize what they want."
He leaned in slightly, close enough to make Chen's breath hitch.
"But don't worry, Chen… jealousy looks very good on you."
He walked out, leaving Chen staring at the empty seat across the table—heart pounding, hands clenched.
And this time…
He wasn't going to stay still.