How Can I Get Rid of Him

ɹnoɟ ɐɹʇxǝ

Since parting ways during the Spring Festival, Shane has been appearing even more diligently at the library. Every time he comes, it's to borrow or return books. So, even if he has other intentions, Mo Xi can't say for sure.

Shane intentionally or unintentionally brings small things for Mo Xi, like a cup of coffee on a weekend morning or a couple of interesting trinkets. These gestures are small enough that if he declines, he seems overly distant, but if he doesn't, it feels like he's leading him on.

He has invited Mo Xi many times, but Mo Xi has always politely refused, citing being too busy. However, Shane hasn't given up at all. He continues to be himself, borrowing books when he needs to borrow them and giving gifts when he wants to.

Even Mo Xi's colleagues have noticed something, and they occasionally joke that maybe he should consider Shane to enrich his student life, saying that meeting up wouldn't be a loss.

Mo Xi always changes the topic with a smile and doesn't entertain the thought. He probably became immune to this kind of attention that appears out of nowhere and includes some gift-giving, especially after the shadow of Pei Hao's pursuit in the past.

His main concern now is how to save up and pay the tuition for the upcoming year. He chose this path, and he's determined to get through it no matter what, even if he has to crawl on his knees.

On a Friday, Shane sent a message inviting him to dinner over the weekend. Mo Xi casually scrolled through their chat history and realized that he had already rejected him five times.

Mo Xi always felt uneasy about someone's unexplained affection, especially when he didn't feel the same way. He didn't have the habit of keeping backup plans, and he didn't see the point in wasting someone else's time and effort. If he didn't firmly refuse, he didn't know how long Shane would persist without a clear message.

After much thought, he deleted the text message he had just composed and changed it to "Sure."

He wanted to take this opportunity to clarify things face to face.

The weather was quite nice that day. Mo Xi got off work at four in the afternoon, arranged his handover work, and left the office wearing his coat.

Shane had been waiting for a while. When he saw Mo Xi, he approached him excitedly.

It was clear that Shane had dressed up carefully today. His beard was neatly trimmed, his hair was well-styled with wax, and a faint scent of cologne lingered around him.

"Happy birthday!" The first thing Shane said to Mo Xi in Chinese was a slightly unclear greeting. Since he had met Mo Xi, he had been studying Chinese at home.

Mo Xi was surprised at first, but after thinking for a moment, he realized that it was indeed his birthday today. He had completely forgotten about it, and someone else had to remind him.

Blushing slightly, he smiled and said, "I'm not unaffected by this, but I also find it a bit funny." Spending his first birthday in a foreign land with Shane was something he hadn't anticipated.