CHAPTER 538: HOW TO LOSE YOUR MIND OVER SOMEONE ELSE’S RELATIONSHIP

At the Royal Dragon Pavilion, the soft fragrance of freshly steeped tea mingled with the faint scent of broth and spices.

Darcy lifted his cup, blowing gently across the tea’s surface before taking a slow sip. The steam curled around his face, his expression unreadable. An intense gaze lingered on him. He set the cup down, eyes flickering up toward Lin Heye, who had been watching him for the past few minutes with barely disguised curiosity.

"Is there something the matter?" Darcy asked finally, his tone calm and mild.

Lin Heye flinched slightly, caught in the act. He let out an awkward chuckle and shook his head. "Ah.. No, not really. It’s nothing important..." he trailed off, then leaned forward, unable to resist. "Just, how do you know Clyde?"

Lin Heye was really curious about it. Clyde wasn’t the type to let people close. He kept everyone at arm’s length, never sharing more than he had to.

And yet this dark-haired boy had realised Micah was talking about Clyde when he warned him not to let the man in, and even knew he was Clyde’s friend and had tattled that they were here. It was strange, too strange. Considering how Clyde had behaved last time, sending Lin Heye instead of going to Ramsy’s family himself, it was obvious Clyde wasn’t keen to appear near Ramsy’s family members. So how did this boy know about Clyde?

Darcy tilted his head, lips curving slightly. "That’s surprising to you?" he asked lightly. "I live with Micah now. Of course, I have seen him around."

"Oh..." Lin Heye blinked, totally at a loss for words. With every new detail, his curiosity only grew more about who this young man was. "So, you are his roommates on campus?"

Darcy took another sip, unbothered. "No. We live in Micah’s apartment," he said flatly.

Lin Heye’s eyes widened. His mind spun faster. Oh My God! Living together? That boy? In the same house as Micah, the young master of the Ramsy family?

He swallowed hard, worrying about his friend’s relationship status. His imagination ran wild. Living under the same roof, sharing the same space every day...

He stole another glance at Darcy. The boy was absurdly good-looking, with dark hair falling above his eyes, a quiet confidence in his posture, and that calm, polite way of speaking.

All of it was a dangerous combination.

Clyde! Where were you thinking?

How could he let someone like this boy live with Micah? It was like throwing a spark into a pile of dry leaves, an accident waiting to happen.

What if this boy charmed his way into Micah’s heart?

Lin Heye chewed nervously on his thumbnails, worried for Clyde. That cold, stoic man had finally found love in his life, and now this boy had appeared out of nowhere!

He had to do something! He couldn’t let it be; Clyde was too clueless, easily letting another man live with Micah.

He glanced up at Darcy. "Are you going to college too?"

Darcy nodded. "Yes. Electrical Engineering at CQ University."

Lin Heye’s brow rose. "Really? That’s impressive. You must be one of the top students or something. Such a clever young man."

Darcy gave a small smile, shaking his head. "Not really. There are plenty of people way smarter than me there."

The graceful, modest, and polite tone made Lin Heye want to scream. He gritted his teeth. The boy was smart, handsome, and humble. There wasn’t a single flaw to pick on.

He really wanted to just go for it and ask why he lived with Micah, what was his connection to Ramsy’s family, but it would be too blunt and rude.

"How’s college life then? You must be pretty popular there. Good looks, good major..." Lin Heye asked instead.

"Not at all. On the other hand, Micah is." Darcy said.

That earned a brief pause. Lin Heye blinked, then laughed awkwardly. "Micah, huh? Yeah, I guess he would be."

That was such a surprise. That arrogant, short-tempered brat was popular on campus...

Darcy leaned back slightly, his eyes glinting faintly with amusement. The way Lin Heye was probing into him seemed funny. He wondered if the man knew something about Clyde and Micah, or if this was just his natural nosiness showing.

Maybe there was something else going on?

Before he could ask, Lin Heye’s phone buzzed sharply against the table. He quickly glanced at the screen, and his expression brightened.

"If you’ll excuse me," he said, rising to his feet and stepping aside to take the call.

"Hello? Clyde!"

On the other end, Clyde’s voice was short and clipped. "Open the door."

"Oh, you’re here? Alright, I’m coming." Lin Heye ended the call and hurried out of the room, his steps quick and anxious.

He pushed open the back door and spotted Clyde standing there, tall, sharp-eyed, and unmistakably tense. His coat was unbuttoned, his expression unreadable, and his shoulders were stiff.

"Hey man," Lin Heye exclaimed, rushing toward him. "What happened this time? Why is Micah here with a stranger? And why did he warn me about you again? What did you do now?"

Clyde’s eyebrow twitched. "What did he say exactly?"

"He told me you should wait outside," Lin Heye replied quickly.

Clyde’s jaw flexed. He shut his eyes briefly, a long sigh escaping him. "Fine. Tell him I’ll be in the car," he said, already turning around.

"Hey, hey...hold on!" Lin Heye stopped him. "Don’t just walk away! What’s going on between you two? Tell me what happened?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing my foot!" Lin Heye scoffed. "You have fallen out of favour and now he is hanging out with another guy! Seriously! Who is that handsome man with Micah? Why did you let him live with him? Are you stupid? He is calling himself his brother... living under the same roof with your partner, and that doesn’t bother you at all?

Clyde blinked once, the corner of his mouth twitching. "You don’t have to concern yourself with that."

"What do you mean, I don’t have to?" Lin Heye crossed his arms. "I was the one helping you two get closer. And now you’re telling me to butt off?"

"Thank you for your hard work," Clyde said dryly, his tone laced with sarcasm. "But it is complicated. And this is not something I can explain. If you are curious, ask them yourself."

"Complicated this, complicated that! Why are both of you saying the same thing?!" Lin Heye grumbled.

Clyde tilted his head. "So you did ask him already."

Lin Heye scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, looking away.

"Your nosiness is truly incurable...." Clyde muttered.

"I know. But I was worried about you," Lin Heye interrupted. "Suddenly, Micah showed up with this incredibly handsome guy. And you’re just standing around like an idiot...You are such an ungrateful man!"

"Fine. Thank you for worrying about me." Clyde said with a sarcastic voice.

"Tsk, be that way. Right now, Micah is with my father, probably complaining about you again." He smirked. "Hehe! Serves you right."

Clyde rubbed his forehead, already feeling a headache coming on. The last time the boy had done that, Uncle Lin had scolded him for nearly an hour. And he didn’t do anything that time. But this time, he had tried to cover up Darcy’s words... Micah would talk smack about him for sure.

"Thank you for the heads up. I’ll be in the car." Clyde said, sounding defeated.

"Hey! Are you just going to leave me alone with that dark-haired boy?" Lin Heye said.

"What else am I supposed to do? I am forbidden from entering."

Lin Heye snorted. "Oh, you are such a henpecked husband..." he mumbled under his breath.

Clyde stopped mid-step, glancing back over his shoulder with a faint smirk. "So what? At least I am not single."

"Hey!" Lin Heye’s face turned red. "That was uncalled for!"

Clyde’s smirk deepened. "Go on. You’ve already left your guest alone long enough."

"Seriously, why aren’t you panicking? If Soha were living with someone that attractive, I’d lose my mind."

"I trust Micah," Clyde said simply. He paused, then added almost casually. "And don’t worry. I bought the apartment in their building."

"Oh... so you have been keeping tabs. Not bad," Lin Heye said, nodding.

"You should focus on your own relationship instead of mine," Clyde said with a smirk.

"Fine. Fine. I get it. I am just a fool to get nervous for you..." Lin Heye mumbled and turned, walking toward the restaurant.

Clyde watched him go, shaking his head. When the door swung shut behind Lin Heye, silence settled over the courtyard again. He walked back toward the car parked by the curb. Sliding into the driver’s seat, he let out a slow exhale, shoulders sinking against the leather.

On the seat beside him sat a neat bouquet of flowers, cream roses wrapped in dark paper, and a small box of sweets from Micah’s favourite patisserie. Next to them lay a sleek watch box, still unopened.

Clyde picked up the watch. "It probably won’t even make up for it," he murmured under his breath. Coaxing Micah wasn’t going to be easy... especially when he wasn’t even allowed inside.

He sighed again.