Extra 10: IF Childhood Friends (Finale)

An act that infinitely approached a kiss was like an invisible pair of hands, giving Zhu Zhixi a push forward, pushing him past the ambiguous boundary. From friendship to love, his heart fell into place like a chess piece, with no turning back.

He spent a long time resisting the impulse, restraining himself, trying hard not to cup Fu Rangyi’s face, not to kiss his lips directly. This took almost all of his self-control. Zhu Zhixi thought he was practically a saint.

On the way back to the dorm on Fu Rangyi’s back, Zhu Zhixi’s mind swayed, producing many chaotic thoughts. He thought, this was all Fu Rangyi’s fault. Such an outstanding, handsome Alpha whom anyone would like, happened to be by his side since childhood, growing up with him. Although he was a bit sharp-tongued, his actions were endlessly indulgent towards him, and he even did some things that sparked the imagination. How could I possibly escape? Even a stone would be moved.

It wasn’t his fault he fell for him.

And the possessiveness that came after falling for him, the desire to pursue him, to make him his own, could only be blamed on Fu Rangyi. Zhu Zhixi thought, he was the main culprit who caused their friendship to change.

After making this disclaimer in his mind, Zhu Zhixi no longer felt burdened. He had thought about the worst-case scenario, which was nothing more than Fu Rangyi telling him, “I don’t like you, I just see you as my little brother.”

Although just thinking about that sentence made Zhu Zhixi’s heart ache, his stomach feeling as if it had been crumpled into a wrinkled paper ball.

But even if he was a brother now, it didn’t mean he would still be one in the future.

He considered himself to be at the forefront of all of Fu Rangyi’s pursuers. What’s more, he had so many years of emotional foundation. By acting cute, or even throwing a tantrum, using all the tricks he could, Fu Rangyi had given in for so many years, why couldn’t he give in one more time?

Thinking this way, Zhu Zhixi gained immense confidence in the feasibility of his first love’s success and an unprecedented drive for action.

That night, he touched his own lips countless times, used all sorts of metaphysics like compasses and constellations, and finally chose an auspicious day for his confession. Zhu Zhixi wrote all of this down in a memo and named it [Xiao Fu’s First Love Reservation Plan].

However, two days before the plan was to be implemented, a sudden archaeology project came up, and as a favored student, Fu Rangyi was temporarily assigned to the work. The dispatch was sudden, and Zhu Zhixi was in class this time, so he didn’t get to see him off again.

The place he was going this time was clearly not a well-known city, yet Zhu Zhixi found it inexplicably familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere not long ago.

[This A is only two days away from losing his first love spot: I said we’d go out for a meal for Christmas, but it looks like that won’t be possible now. I’ll make it up to you when I get back. The weather is very cold lately. Wear more for your morning classes and don’t skip breakfast. I bought you strawberry jam and toast, remember to pick it up from the courier station.]

[Not Taking the Bait: Oh, got it. You just focus on your digging, Xiao Fu.]

On the bus, Fu Rangyi received this reply.

Perhaps coupled with the emotional low brought on by his susceptible period, this short line of text made him regret his impulsive action that night even more.

Hearing Zhu Zhixi say he would do the same for someone he likes in the future, he could no longer control his emotions. His mind was clouded by jealousy, and he almost kissed him. It turned out that this had indeed scared Zhu Zhixi. He didn’t say a single word on the way back, and for a long time after, he didn’t take the initiative to meet, busy with who knows what.

They say it’s hard for sparks of love to fly between childhood friends, and Fu Rangyi was now starting to believe it. The night he arrived at the archaeological site, he had a dream. He dreamt that he and Zhu Zhixi were strangers who had never met before, but in the end, they got together as he wished and became partners.

It wasn’t an unpleasant dream; it was so real it felt like a trip to another parallel universe.

After waking up, however, Fu Rangyi fell into a long period of confusion.

It was wonderful to obtain happiness, but if it required erasing more than a decade of memories of companionship with Zhu Zhixi, was he really willing to part with it?

Thinking of this, he felt a void in his heart, his will inexplicably sinking, but he still got up as usual, took his suppressants, and put on his bite guard to go to the work site.

The signal here was poor. After a frantic morning of work, Fu Rangyi only took out his phone at lunchtime. He found that he had missed three calls from Zhu Zhixi. So without even opening his lunchbox, he walked out to find a spot with a slightly better signal and called back.

But perhaps there was still a communication issue, as Zhu Zhixi never picked up. He redialed repeatedly until a figure in a white down jacket appeared before him, standing outside the dusty work site, waving his arms at him from several dozen meters away, even jumping twice and shouting his name.

Was this a dream? Fu Rangyi dazedly lowered the hand holding the phone, standing frozen on the spot, watching Zhu Zhixi run over. Just as he was about to reach him, he nearly tripped. Fu Rangyi quickly steadied him. Only when he grasped his arm did he believe it was real.

“Why are you here?” he asked.

“I’ve come to collect a debt!” Zhu Zhixi was beaming, his tone even a little excited, as if he were about to do something big. “What do you think? Scared?”

“Did you come all this way just to see me?” Fu Rangyi asked with some hesitation.

“Can’t I just come to have some fun?” Zhu Zhixi said, then pursed his lips and smiled. He had his hands behind his back, his body swaying back and forth, shifting the weight of the bag on his back. He glanced at the others who were still busy and said, “Do you still have work to do? In that case, I’ll go get something to eat by myself and wait for you to get off work, okay?”

It felt like he wanted to say something.

Coming all this way in person instead of calling or texting… is it to ‘break up’?

Fu Rangyi’s thoughts fluctuated. He raised his hand and awkwardly touched his bite guard, then looked down at his watch and said, “But I’ll be off work very late. It’s not safe for you to go back so late. I’ll see if I can ask for leave…”

“No need!” Zhu Zhixi refused flatly. “Don’t worry, I plan to stay here for one night. I’ll find a nearby hotel and get a room in a bit. I even brought my ID.” As he spoke, he took out his ID from the side pocket of his backpack and waved it proudly.

This made Fu Rangyi even more worried.

“There are no very good hotels nearby. We’re also staying in a guesthouse. It’s my lunch break right now. I’ll take you to the city center, which is a bit further. There’s a star-rated hotel there. The facilities are newer, and it’s very safe.”

Zhu Zhixi nodded, uncharacteristically obedient to his decision, and left the work site with him, getting into a taxi.

Sitting together in the back seat, he noticed that Zhu Zhixi was very excited, his knees bouncing, but he was clearly avoiding his gaze.

This made Fu Rangyi even more convinced that he was here to formally bid farewell to this fake relationship and was happy about his impending freedom. Has he found his real first love? A classmate? Or someone else.

“Sir, sir? Excuse me, are you booking one king-sized bed room?”

Only then did Fu Rangyi suddenly snap back to reality, realizing he was already standing at the hotel lobby’s front desk, right next to the first-floor elevators.

Facing the puzzled receptionist, he felt a little apologetic. But Zhu Zhixi beside him spoke up first, “A king-sized bed room, preferably on a high floor with good soundproofing. Thank you!”

After speaking, he handed over his ID. While waiting for the check-in, Fu Rangyi wanted to speak several times but hesitated. His gaze drifted, finally landing on an advertisement for the hotel’s high-end rooftop restaurant next to the elevator. He thought of inviting him to lunch first. Just as he was about to speak, the elevator doors opened. He subconsciously looked at the few people walking out of the elevator and froze on the spot.

These people were all dressed very professionally. The youngest among them was, on the contrary, surrounded in the center, wearing a custom-made suit. An assistant held an expensive cashmere coat for him, ready to drape it over his shoulders at any moment. Amidst cheerful conversation, he spoke polite words, but with an inadvertent glance, he looked right at them.

This might be fate. That’s what Fu Rangyi thought at the time.

“Zhu Zhixi!”

Zhu Zhixi beside him was startled by the voice. Without thinking, Fu Rangyi subconsciously switched places with him, instinctively blocking the menacing approach.

“Da Zhu?” Zhu Zhixi peeked out from behind him. “Why are you…”

He seemed to suddenly remember something and patted Fu Rangyi’s back. “My brother did say a few days ago that he was coming here to discuss a factory collaboration… no wonder it seemed so familiar.”

None of that mattered anymore. Fu Rangyi was a little helpless. Zhu Zeran had already arrived right in front of his face. He quickly spoke up, “Listen to my explanation first. It’s not what you think…”

Zhu Zeran would lose his rationality whenever it came to his little brother. But perhaps because his business partners were present this time, he didn’t punch Fu Rangyi directly in the face. This was already a blessing in disguise.

The assistant stepped back first, smiled, and led the others away. Zhu Zeran, however, stayed behind, raising an eyebrow and staring at the two of them, with the complete air of someone catching cheaters in the act.

“What I think?” he sneered. “Fu Rangyi, look in the mirror before you speak. You’re still wearing a bite guard on your face! I caught an Alpha in his susceptible period bringing him to a hotel to get a room, and you’re turning the tables on me? We grew up together, what are you afraid of seeing me for? Shouldn’t you be smiling and coming up to say ‘what a coincidence’ to your big brother? What are you feeling guilty about?”

Fu Rangyi was at a loss for words. To say he was completely guilt-free, he was indeed not.

But Zhu Zhixi stepped out from behind him first, squeezing between the two and raising his voice. “Zhu Zeran, what are you doing! Who are you trying to scare with all this? I came here on my own. He was just accompanying me to book a room for myself to stay in. Don’t be so impulsive.”

“I’m impulsive?” Zhu Zeran laughed. “My little brother skips class to run off and get a room with someone, and this person is a friend he grew up with. Even rabbits don’t eat the grass near their own den. If I were really impulsive, he’d be lying on the ground beaten up by me right now!”

Fu Rangyi tried to explain, “I know, this matter…”

Zhu Zhixi became anxious. “I already said I’m not getting a room with him!” He directly pushed Zhu Zeran. “Are you crazy? You can’t listen to reason!”

“Are you the one who’s crazy, Zhu Zhixi? Can’t you tell who your brother is? I’m doing this for your own good, and you push me! Come on, push me again!” Zhu Zeran grabbed his hand. “Let’s see how much strength this ungrateful little brat has!”

Fu Rangyi had a headache and moved forward to pull them apart. “Don’t, both of you calm down…”

“I’m already calm enough, I’m telling you. I didn’t say it before, but you know damn well whose pheromones are on him, right? What have you two been doing behind my back? How old was he back then? Don’t you feel guilty? You just have to force me to get physical, don’t you…”

Zhu Zhixi was on the verge of breaking down. He rushed in front of Fu Rangyi and spread his arms to block him. “I like him, I like him! If you hit him, I’ll hit you!”

Now everyone was stunned. Including the front desk lady who was enjoying the drama.

At this moment, the assistant who had seen off the guests returned. Unaware of the situation, he was also a bit stunned, but he inadvertently broke the awkward stalemate. “Um… well, I saw a coffee shop in the west wing of the lobby. Would you all like to move over there to talk?”

And so, the front desk lost its chance to witness more drama. The three of them moved to a booth in the coffee shop. Zhu Zhixi subconsciously wanted to sit next to Fu Rangyi but was forcefully pulled to his side by Zhu Zeran.