The bar

"Really?" Shen Zeyu asked, sounding a little uncertain, mainly because Lu Cizhou hadn't answered his question right away.

Hearing the distrust in Shen Zeyu's voice, Lu Cizhou gave him another firm yes.

Shen Zeyu instantly brightened and said happily, "Then we're the same. You don't have to be embarrassed."

"Nonsense. When was I embarrassed? I told you I had something urgent to deal with." Lu Cizhou flatly refused to admit he had been embarrassed that evening.

"All right, all right, I got it wrong." Shen Zeyu answered with a beaming smile.

"Okay, okay, let's go to sleep." With that, he pulled up the covers.

Seeing Shen Zeyu's mood turn from gloomy to sunny, Lu Cizhou said nothing more.

They slept soundly all night.

When Lu Cizhou opened his eyes the next morning, Shen Zeyu was still asleep. Looking at Shen Zeyu's sleeping face as he lay in his arms, Lu Cizhou began studying him closely.

Shen Zeyu had long eyelashes and faintly pink lips. Lu Cizhou's gaze had just reached those lips.

Perhaps dreaming of something delicious, Shen Zeyu parted his lips slightly in his sleep, and his red tongue flickered into view. At the sudden sight, Lu Cizhou inexplicably felt his mouth go dry.

He hurried out of bed and into the bathroom to wash up. Only after some time did Lu Cizhou emerge. Seeing Shen Zeyu still asleep, he steeled himself and woke him anyway.

Woken up yet again, Shen Zeyu could now calmly get out of bed and wash up.

Inwardly, however, he still carried out his obligatory morning ritual of cursing Lu Cizhou.

After enduring several straight days of punishing exercise, he finally had his chance tonight: Lu Cizhou was out on business, and Lu Yu had gone to a classmate's house to play and wasn't expected back until tomorrow. Tonight, he would do something he had been thinking about for ages.

Ding-dong. A WeChat notification sounded, and Shen Zeyu, who had been celebrating, took out his phone to look.

Heartless Great Demon King: Have you started exercising?

That was the contact name he had given Lu Cizhou. Originally, it had simply been "Lu," but after the whole exercise ordeal, he had changed it to soothe his wounded soul.

Zeyu becomes a continent: I've started.

After replying, he immediately went to the gym and took several photos. To guard against any surprise checks from Lu Cizhou later, he took a few extra and recorded several different videos as well.

With everything ready, he dashed off to his destination for the evening: Clear Color, the biggest bar in A City.

In his previous life, he had spent every day working as an extra, leaving little time for outings, much less money to spend on them. With so much free time in this life, he had long wanted to visit the biggest bar in the city, but had never found the right opportunity.

Tonight, everything had unexpectedly fallen into place, so he immediately decided to go.

After hailing a taxi, Shen Zeyu headed toward the bar.

As the biggest bar in A City, it naturally stood in the busiest part of the city center. The moment he got out, he saw the bar's name. Unlike the riot of colors at other bars, its lettering was a pale blue that gave it a warm, comfortable feel.

As soon as he entered, soft music drifted over from farther inside. To Shen Zeyu's surprise, the bar was divided into two sections: one for customers who preferred peace and relaxation, and another for those who liked a livelier atmosphere. Though a few loud sounds carried over, it was generally quiet.

Shen Zeyu had entered on the quiet side. He marveled inwardly that they had catered to every kind of customer. No wonder the place had grown so big.

As it happened, Shen Zeyu wasn't particularly fond of noisy crowds either, so the layout suited him perfectly.

When he reached the counter, a bartender asked, "What would you like to drink, sir?"

It was Shen Zeyu's first visit, and he wasn't familiar with the selection. "Do you have any recommendations?"

"This one is very popular here. It isn't too strong, and it suits most people's tastes," the bartender said, pointing to one of the drinks.

"But we can also make a special cocktail to match a customer's personality."

That piqued Shen Zeyu's interest. "Then I'll have one of the ones you just recommended, and another to match my personality," he said with a smile.

"Certainly, sir," the bartender replied with a smile.

He had noticed Shen Zeyu the moment he walked in.

Dressed in a white sweatshirt and blue jeans, he had initially looked like a student who had wandered in by mistake. The bartender had been about to remind him that minors weren't allowed, but once he approached and the bartender saw his face, he realized he had been mistaken. The young man simply looked a little younger than his age.

After explaining what he wanted, Shen Zeyu found a quiet spot and sat down.

Before long, a server brought over one of his drinks. "Sir, here is the Blue you ordered. Your custom cocktail is still being prepared, so please wait a little longer."

"Okay, thank you."

Once the server left, Shen Zeyu picked up his drink and began sipping. After a few mouthfuls, a WeChat notification sounded. He took out his phone and saw another message from Lu Cizhou.

Heartless Great Demon King: How far along are you?

Zeyu becomes a continent: Still working out. I'll do a little more, then rest.

Heartless Great Demon King: Send me a video.

Fortunately, he had had the foresight to record one.

Zeyu becomes a continent: Don't you trust me?

Then he sent the video over.

In a private room on the third floor, Lu Cizhou was reading Shen Zeyu's messages.

In the video, the young man wore workout clothes. Perhaps because he had been exercising for so long, a drop or two of sweat clung to his forehead.

Lu Cizhou wondered why he was sweating today when he normally didn't, but sweating during exercise was perfectly normal, so he only questioned it briefly.

Thinking it over a little more, Lu Cizhou realized he really shouldn't doubt him just because he disliked exercising.

Heartless Great Demon King: My fault.

Zeyu becomes a continent: As long as you know. I'll exercise a little longer, then go rest. Bye.

After receiving that message, Lu Cizhou stopped sending more.

"Cizhou, we're here to celebrate your recovery. Sure, we're a little late, but it's the thought that counts. Why are you only paying attention to your phone?"

A man in a jacket with slightly curly hair spoke to Lu Cizhou.

Hearing this, Lu Cizhou put down his phone and surveyed the private room. One person was singing karaoke with wild enthusiasm, while another was gazing tenderly at the singer. In short, not one of them was paying attention to him.

Noticing Lu Cizhou's glance, Mo Chen looked embarrassed for a moment, then immediately recovered. "Well, the thought still counts."

"But I heard you're planning an arranged marriage with the Shen Family's adopted son. What's going on there?" Mo Chen asked, brimming with curiosity.

And the prospective spouse was the Shen Family's adopted son, at that. Not that there was anything wrong with him, but in their eyes, a marriage between the Shen Family and Lu Family could hardly be called an equal match.

When he looked up after asking, he jumped. "Holy shit, when did you two come over?"

One of them, a baby-faced man, said, "You were too absorbed in your questions to notice."

Turning to Lu Cizhou with an interested expression, he continued, "But I'm curious about your marriage partner too, Cizhou."

After all, someone who had never dated was suddenly entering an arranged marriage. Everyone in their circle had been stunned by the news.

"We aren't planning to get married. We're already married," Lu Cizhou clarified first. He didn't want outsiders looking down on Shen Zeyu.

"Ooh!" The others began teasing him.

"So you were just chatting with him, then? You never used to spend the whole time messaging someone when we went out. Cizhou, you've fallen for him," Mo Chen said with a mischievous grin.

Lu Cizhou shook his head. "No. We're just planning to give it a try."

"Cizhou, when you suggested that, hadn't you already accepted it subconsciously?" the baby-faced man asked him earnestly.

As far as he was concerned, wanting to give it a try meant already having feelings for the other person.

The baby-faced man was named Si Anran. He and Lin Zi'ang, who stood beside him, were a couple. They had grown up together and had been married for many years.

Lu Cizhou fell silent for a moment at those words. Only after picking up his drink and taking a sip did he answer, "Maybe I'm attracted to him, but I wouldn't say I have feelings for him yet."

The other two accepted Lu Cizhou's explanation, but Lin Zi'ang watched him with a knowing expression. He still remembered thinking exactly the same thing about Anran back then, and hadn't he fallen hard in the end? Now he was waiting for the day Lu Cizhou fell too.

Thinking of what lay ahead for Lu Cizhou, Lin Zi'ang couldn't help laughing.

"Zi'ang, what are you laughing at?" Si Anran asked.

"Nothing, nothing, Anran. I just thought of something funny." The two were about to continue talking when an angry howl erupted beside them.

"Aaargh! Doesn't that mean I'm the only one who's still single?"

"I'm actually the last one of us! Cizhou, you've betrayed my trust!" With that, he flung himself onto Lu Cizhou.

Lu Cizhou pushed Mo Chen away in disgust. Ignoring his howls, he said, "It's getting late. Let's head home."

Since Lu Cizhou was the guest of honor, everyone left the private room after he said that, ready to go their separate ways.

On the way downstairs, they heard a commotion on the first floor. Mo Chen glanced down and exclaimed, "That guy's got some moves!"

Hearing Mo Chen, the others looked down too, their attention caught by the fighting skills of the man below. Only Lu Cizhou stared fixedly at him.

Why was the man who had promised to rest after exercising in a bar—and fighting someone, at that!!!