Caught in the Act

The two of them had an especially comfortable day. After finishing the movie, they had no other plans and simply strolled hand in hand through the streets, walking to a park—the very same park where, back in high school, Pei Huan had taken him on a spring outing. Seven years had passed since then, and the park was utterly transformed: more refined, more beautiful, and far more frequented than before.

“Shall we go in?” Pei Huan raised her hand, pointing toward the park.

Lu Yinghuai gazed at the familiar park ahead. Memories from long ago flooded his mind, and a gentle smile softened his eyes. He nodded in agreement.

It was nearly winter, but Ling City, situated in the south, still boasted lush, vibrant leaves on its trees. Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the branches, dappling the ground with circles of light. The breeze was brisk, carrying a chill, but Pei Huan hadn’t felt this relaxed in a long while. She closed her eyes, letting the wind wash over her.

Lu Yinghuai watched her, his gaze brimming with unspeakable tenderness.

Even such ordinary days seemed far from dull, as long as she was by his side.

They found a bench drenched in sunlight and sat down. The warmth made Pei Huan feel lazy; she leaned her head on Lu Yinghuai’s shoulder and began to chatter about how she had spent these years—her university days, her work, how she’d learned to play the erhu out of boredom and would play it for him sometime.

Children played and laughed nearby. The voice of the woman he loved filled his ears, softening Lu Yinghuai’s expression bit by bit.

Compared to Pei Huan, he felt he had little to say. Those past years had felt endless to him; if he spoke of them, he feared she would worry.

Lost in her rambling, Lu Yinghuai suddenly remembered something and spoke, “Pei Huan?”

“Hm?”

“That New Year’s Eve party back then, the three lines you sang to me.”

He didn’t elaborate further, but Pei Huan understood immediately. She smiled softly.

“It was a confession,” she said.

Lu Yinghuai had prepared so many words, but after hearing her candid reply, he found himself speechless.

He had never imagined that Pei Huan would fall for him. He never thought much of himself—introverted, taciturn, with little to offer except perhaps his looks. He had always assumed she felt nothing for him.

Suddenly, his mouth went dry. His voice was hoarse as he asked, “You liked me that early?”

“Yes,” Pei Huan replied. “I was afraid you’d notice, so I kept hiding it.” She looked up at him. “Who would have thought you liked me even before I liked you?”

Lu Yinghuai, caught out, showed no embarrassment; instead, he smiled warmly. “Yes, from the moment I first met you, I found you intriguing.”

“Really? I remember our first meeting was when we were checking the class assignments,” Pei Huan recalled. “I think I was rather unfriendly toward you.”

“Yes, you were. No one had ever spoken to me that way before,” Lu Yinghuai joked, a rare occurrence.

Pei Huan shot him a sidelong glance, laughing. “So you like being picked up in such an unconventional way?”

“No,” Lu Yinghuai shook his head. “It’s just—because it was you.”

Pei Huan was momentarily stunned, then broke into a gentle smile. She leaned in and wrapped her arms around his. “I really like you, Lu Yinghuai.”

“I like you too.”

On that late autumn afternoon, birds soared overhead, their calls lingering in the air.

Before them stretched a green lawn, children romping on the grass. Couples sat together not far away, entwined sweetly, their backs radiating intimacy. Pei Huan and Lu Yinghuai seemed to blend into the peaceful scenery.

Their simple confessions sent both hearts fluttering. They exchanged a glance, and Pei Huan leaned in to place a butterfly-light kiss upon his lips.

They smiled at each other, seeing endless affection mirrored in each other’s eyes.

They had dinner out. When time came to part, standing downstairs from Pei Huan’s building, Lu Yinghuai’s every gesture spoke of his reluctance to leave. But there was no help for it. Pei Huan said, “It’s getting late. You’d better head home.”

“Alright, rest early,” Lu Yinghuai finally relented.

He stood below her window, only driving away once he saw the light in her apartment turn on.

Pei Huan seemed busy with work, barely having time to send Lu Yinghuai a handful of messages each day. By contrast, as a company president, Lu Yinghuai had plenty of time to message her—so many that whenever Pei Huan opened WeChat during a break, her screen was always filled with his texts. After a brief moment of surprise, she patiently replied to each one.

Tan Yan caught sight of Pei Huan smiling sweetly at her phone and eyed her suspiciously. “Are you in love?”

“Yes,” Pei Huan replied, without hesitation.

“What?” Tan Yan was stunned, unable to process the answer.

Pei Huan had always insisted she didn’t have a boyfriend—how had she suddenly started dating?

That day, after replying to Lu Yinghuai’s messages, Pei Huan caught Tan Yan’s skeptical look and couldn’t help but laugh. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“You’re not lying, are you?” Tan Yan still didn’t believe it.

“I’m not lying. When have I ever lied to you?” Pei Huan raised her brows.

“Then tell me, what’s your boyfriend like?” Tan Yan pressed, eager for gossip.

Pei Huan considered for a moment. She could talk about Lu Yinghuai’s virtues for days on end. Listening to her sweet tone, Tan Yan felt as though her own teeth might rot from all the sugar.

Not long after, they both dove back into work. Lately, Pei Huan had been so busy she couldn’t even bring work home; most nights, she had to stay late at the office.

Lu Yinghuai hadn’t seen her for days, and even over the phone, Pei Huan could sense his growing frustration. She found it amusing but did her best to soothe him.

Finally, the busy period ended. Pei Huan slumped into her chair, letting out a sigh of relief, just as Tang Yue called, inviting her out for drinks. Pei Huan agreed without hesitation.

They went to the same bar as last time. It was easy for Pei Huan to find their booth—Tang Yue and the others had only just arrived. Tang Yue teased, “After all these busy days, you’re finally willing to hang out with us?”

“As soon as you called, I came,” Pei Huan replied.

“You haven’t seen Lu Yinghuai in days either. If he finds out you came to see us the moment you finished work, won’t he be jealous?” Tang Yue teased.

“He won’t.” Pei Huan was confident.

The bar was lively, the atmosphere high-spirited. Pei Huan drank with abandon, bantering with Wang Xun and the others.

It was late by the time the group finally disbanded. Pei Huan had drunk quite a bit, but her tolerance was strong—unlike last time, when mixing red and white wine at a business dinner had left her ill. Tonight, she was still full of energy.

As she stepped out of the bar, saying goodbye to Tang Yue and preparing to leave, Tang Yue suddenly looked past her, her expression changing. She shot Pei Huan a look of sympathy, then grabbed Li Xuan and Wang Xun and made a hasty escape.

Puzzled, Pei Huan turned around and met Lu Yinghuai’s dark eyes. Her initial delight quickly gave way to a guilty conscience.

She’d gone to the bar without telling him, and now she’d been caught—how thrilling.

She tried to appear calm as she approached him, asking naturally, “What are you doing here?”

“I should be the one asking you that, Pei Huan,” Lu Yinghuai replied, glancing at her with little expression.

At his words, Pei Huan’s heart skipped a beat. She tried to play it off. “Just passing by, just passing by.”

“Passing by?” Lu Yinghuai repeated. “With all that alcohol on your breath, you don’t look like someone just passing by.”

Feeling guilty, Pei Huan scratched the tip of her nose, realizing she couldn’t fool him. She began to cling to his arm, playing coy.

Lu Yinghuai looked down at her antics, finding them amusing and wanting to tease her a bit more.

“Didn’t you say you’d come see me as soon as work was over?”

He perfectly captured the tone of disappointment. Already feeling guilty, Pei Huan’s defenses were crumbling. She mumbled softly, “I was just so tired, I wanted to relax a bit.”

Seeing her resigned expression, Lu Yinghuai finally couldn’t hold back and laughed quietly.

Pei Huan eyed him suspiciously. “What are you laughing at?”

“Nothing,” Lu Yinghuai shook his head, his voice gentle. “I just think you’re very cute like this.”

Something seemed off. Pei Huan wondered if she’d driven him mad with anger. “If you’re upset, just say so—I can handle any outburst.”

Her look of noble self-sacrifice made Lu Yinghuai want to laugh even more. Though he did have some thoughts on the matter, he shook his head. “I’m not upset.”

“What?” Pei Huan was still confused.

“I’m just teasing you,” Lu Yinghuai admitted.

From confusion to sudden realization, Pei Huan glared at him. “Really, Lu Yinghuai? You’re learning to be naughty now?”

Lu Yinghuai only smiled, saying nothing.

A few seconds later he spoke, “I never said you couldn’t go to bars. I know your work is exhausting.”

“Really?” Pei Huan was skeptical.

“Really. I’m not that unreasonable,” Lu Yinghuai replied, his tone low and sincere.

After scrutinizing him for a few moments, Pei Huan broke into a smile again. “Alright, let’s go home.”

In the car, Pei Huan sat in the passenger seat, chin resting in her hand as she gazed out the window, chatting with Lu Yinghuai from time to time and humming little tunes when bored. Lu Yinghuai recognized the melody—it was “Shut Up and Dance,” the same song she’d sung at that New Year’s Eve party years ago.

A faint smile appeared on his otherwise impassive face as he listened quietly to her humming. She didn’t just hum that song, but many he’d never heard before, yet he found them all beautiful.

While singing, Pei Huan glanced back and caught a glimpse of Lu Yinghuai’s phone lighting up. In that instant, she knew exactly who was on his lock screen.

It was a photo taken by a classmate at the freshman welcome party all those years ago—a photo that had briefly gone viral on the campus forum. She hadn’t expected Lu Yinghuai to have kept it all this time.

She looked at him, focused on driving, and her eyes sparkled with amusement.

When they reached her apartment building, Pei Huan was about to unbuckle her seatbelt when Lu Yinghuai suddenly grabbed her wrist. She looked at him and immediately understood the meaning in his eyes.

The distance between them shrank until Pei Huan could see the bright darkness of his eyes up close.

The kiss lasted a long time. When they finally parted, Pei Huan was slightly out of breath, her soft gasps only making her more alluring in Lu Yinghuai’s ears. His gaze grew darker, a certain desire threatening to break free.

In the end, Pei Huan hurriedly got out of the car, barely escaping disaster that night.

Watching her retreating figure, Lu Yinghuai couldn’t help the smile that blossomed in his eyes.