Chapter 5 05.

"You've got cream on your face, silly," Qi You said, his voice full of affection. He raised his thumb and gently wiped the smudge from the corner of Jiang Shan's mouth.

The warmth of his fingertip touched his soft skin. Jiang Shan flinched, a jolt running through his entire body. He shot his head up, meeting Qi You's deep eyes. The distance between them was so close, so close he could clearly see his own reflection in Qi You's dark pupils. Time seemed to stop. The noise of the park faded away.

Jiang Shan's heart hammered. He quickly turned his face away, his cheeks as red as a tomato. "I... I can wipe it myself."

Qi You pulled his hand back, a trace of regret in his heart. He let out a feigned cough to hide his own embarrassment. "Hurry and eat it before it all melts."

They sat like that, silently finishing their ice cream. The silence wasn't suffocating; on the contrary, it held an indescribable sweetness.

"Qi You..." After a long while, Jiang Shan called out softly.

"Hmm?"

"Did we... used to come here often?" he asked, his voice full of curiosity. He wanted to know more about the past he had lost.

Qi You didn't need to think; the lies were already pre-programmed in his head. "Mhm. The first time I held your hand was right here, under this very tree."

He pointed to the ancient flame tree above them.

In reality, he had once seen Jiang Shan sitting alone on this bench, a book in his hand, reading quietly under the tree's shade. He had stood watching from a distance for a long time, wishing he was the one sitting beside him.

Jiang Shan looked up at the lush green canopy, imagining the scene Qi You had just described. A vague, sweet feeling spread through his heart. "Oh, really..."

"Your hands were freezing back then. I held them to warm you up," Qi You continued to spin his tale, his deep, enchanting voice working its magic. "You were blushing. It was very cute."

Jiang Shan's face turned red just listening. He could easily imagine another Jiang Shan, a Jiang Shan from the past, shy but happy next to Qi You. He unconsciously clenched the hand resting on his thigh.

Just then, a familiar voice called out from behind them.

"Huh, Qi You? Jiang Shan? What are you two doing here?"

It was Li Ze and Wang Hao, two of their classmates and members of Qi You's basketball team.

Qi You mentally cursed, but on the surface, he remained calm. He stood up and slung his arms around his friends' shoulders. "Just hanging out. It's the weekend."

Li Ze looked at Qi You, then at Jiang Shan sitting on the bench with his casted leg, his eyes full of playful teasing. "Hanging out like this, carrying him all the way? So affectionate, class president."

Wang Hao chimed in, "No wonder you've been disappearing right after school. Turns out you were busy taking care of 'family'. We thought you'd been kidnapped or something."

Their teasing might have been normal for them, but it made Jiang Shan extremely flustered. He lowered his head, his hands nervously fidgeting with the hem of his shirt. He wasn't used to being the center of attention, much less having his relationship be the subject of jokes.

Qi You noticed Jiang Shan's discomfort. His smile vanished, and his voice became a little more serious. "Cut it out. He's injured, it's normal for me to take care of him." He paused, then as if it were a slip of the tongue-but in fact, it was entirely intentional-he said, "A boyfriend taking care of his boyfriend. Is there a problem?"

The statement was like a bomb going off in broad daylight.

Li Ze and Wang Hao, who had been laughing, fell silent. Their mouths dropped open, their eyes wide as they stared at Qi You, then at Jiang Shan, then back at Qi You.

"You... what did you just say?" Li Ze stammered.

"Boy... boyfriend?" Wang Hao repeated, as if he couldn't believe his ears.

Qi You didn't answer, just shrugged, his expression saying, It's as plain as day, why are you even asking? Then, he turned and sat back down next to Jiang Shan, brazenly taking his hand and lacing their fingers together. He did this partly to 'come out' to his friends and put an end to the vague rumors, but mostly to reassure Jiang Shan.

Jiang Shan's hand was slightly cold and trembling in his. He squeezed it gently, transferring warmth and strength to him.

Jiang Shan looked up, stunned at Qi You. He never expected him to admit it so openly. His heart beat erratically, a mix of fear at being outed and an inexplicable sense of security. He wasn't hiding it; he was proudly acknowledging him in front of his friends.

Li Ze and Wang Hao were frozen for a few seconds before they finally processed the earth-shattering information. They looked at each other, their eyes still full of shock, but then it slowly shifted to acceptance. Qi You had always been his own person; once he made up his mind, no one could stop him.

"Damn, Qi You! You kept this hidden well!" Li Ze was the first to recover, slapping Qi You hard on the shoulder. "No wonder... Alright then, congratulations to you both."

"Yeah, congratulations," Wang Hao nodded, the curiosity in his eyes when he looked at Jiang Shan replaced by acceptance. "Jiang Shan, get well soon."

With that, the two of them didn't linger, quickly finding an excuse to leave and give the newly 'public' couple their space.

After they left, Qi You finally let out a sigh of relief. He turned to look at Jiang Shan and saw he was still dazed. "What's wrong? Scared?"

Jiang Shan shook his head, then nodded. "I... I don't know." He looked at their intertwined hands. "Aren't you afraid... of what other people will say?"

"What's there to be afraid of?" Qi You chuckled softly. "I like you, I'm with you, that's my business. What other people say doesn't matter." He said this from the heart. Whether in the past or the present, his feelings for Jiang Shan had never changed, and he had never felt they were wrong.

Qi You's words were like a warm current, slowly flowing into Jiang Shan's anxious heart. He looked at him, the confusion in his clear eyes gone, replaced by a budding affection, a mixture of admiration and absolute trust.

He smiled faintly.

It wasn't the shy or hazy smile from before. It was a genuine smile, as bright and clear as the morning sun. The smile lit up his entire delicate face.

Qi You was stunned.

He had been watching Jiang Shan for nearly two years, but this was the first time he had ever seen him smile like that. It was breathtaking. His heart felt like it was being squeezed by an invisible hand, aching with guilt yet overflowing with happiness.

"Your smile... is beautiful," he blurted out, his voice hoarse.

Jiang Shan's smile grew even brighter. He didn't say anything, just squeezed Qi You's hand and leaned his head on his shoulder again. This time, it was no longer an instinctive act of reliance, but a deliberate gesture, full of trust and affection.

Qi You tensed, then relaxed, wrapping his arm around him. He took a deep breath, taking in Jiang Shan's scent, feeling the sweet weight on his shoulder.

The lie had given him the chance to get close to him, to care for him. But this smile, this trust-he had earned it with his own sincerity. The line between truth and fiction was blurring. He was living in his own dream, a beautiful but incredibly fragile one.

He knew that one day, when Jiang Shan remembered everything, this dream would shatter. That radiant smile might turn into tears and resentment. But right now, in this moment, under this flame tree, he was willing to drown in it.

Even if it was just for a moment, he wanted to hold on to it tightly.

            
            

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