Jian Ci showed a shy smile, the kind that tugged at the corners of his lips but never quite reached his eyes. He felt foolish, realizing now that he had been receiving special treatment all these years and had been too stupid to see it. He had thought that was simply how best friends got along.
He tapped his leg lightly against Yu Xi's, their hands still entwined. "Then why didn't you tell me?"
Yu Xi's gaze softened, but his voice was steady. "I had my reasons."
"Tell me," Jian Ci pressed, his tone gentle but insistent.
Yu Xi exhaled slowly. "Well, first reason... I didn't want to lose you as a friend. If I told you, you might stop being close to me, and I couldn't live with that."
Jian Ci's grip tightened around his hand. "You know I would never do that to you."
Yu Xi shook his head faintly. "I wouldn't risk it. Knowing your preferences… I am not a guide or a woman, so I thought I already lost from the start."
