Lin Jingming swiped his phone screen. “Would booking a hotel suite be okay?”
Shen Hui still harbored some lingering feelings about what happened earlier and replied casually, “What opinion could I possibly have?”
“Isn’t it because you’re worried that some rebellious kid wouldn’t want to stay with me?” He called him a kid every day. Was he trying to take advantage?
Shen Hui sat down beside Lin Jingming, pointing at the option for a couple’s room above and boasted, “Someone like me, who has seen the world, has worn more women’s clothes than some people have worn underwear. Any room is fine, including this one.”
Lin Jingming reached out and pinched Shen Hui’s neck affectionately, then followed Shen Hui’s guidance and booked a couple’s room without hesitation.
“Hey, you…” Shen Hui grabbed Lin Jingming’s right hand. “What are you doing?”
Lin Jingming calmly switched to using his left hand for fingerprint payment. “Taking you out to see the world.”
Shen Hui’s bluff was called, leaving his neck flushed red.
The two of them made other arrangements closely together, as if planning a honeymoon.
“Get to bed early tonight, we’re heading to the airport tomorrow morning.” Lin Jingming patted Shen Hui’s shoulder and got up to leave.
Shen Hui followed him out of the study and saw him heading to the guest room. He grabbed Lin Jingming’s hand. “You sleep in the master bedroom, I’ll sleep in the guest room.”
After being taken care of by Lin Jingming while he was sick, Shen Hui felt a bit embarrassed about sleeping in the master bedroom for half a month. He thought Lin Jingming might need to tidy up tonight, so it would be more convenient for him to sleep in his own room.
Lin Jingming suddenly approached, blocking Shen Hui in front of the bedroom door, with both hands on either side of Shen Hui’s neck. “Sleeping in my bedroom isn’t enough for you? Do you want to sleep in every bed? Is your possessiveness that strong?”
“You’re talking nonsense.” Shen Hui felt a surge of hormones from Lin Jingming and felt a bit weak in the legs. He whispered in protest, “Isn’t it just sleeping in a bed? It’s not like I’m sleeping with you. Um…”
Shen Hui gasped in surprise as he was suddenly lifted by Lin Jingming and carried a couple of steps to the bedroom, where he was thrown onto the bed.
“Mind your words,” Lin Jingming said.
Shen Hui, feeling a bit bolder, didn’t know how it happened, but he crawled under the covers, muttering to himself, “I’m just saying, if you dare, hit me.”
Even as adults, he wasn’t allowed to flirt a little?
“Are you sure I won’t hit you?” Lin Jingming chuckled. Wasn’t this the same little rabbit who used to run away at the slightest glance?
Shen Hui had long known that Lin Jingming was all bark and no bite, so he wasn’t as scared as he used to be. Just as he was feeling proud of himself, a gust of wind suddenly blew under the covers, followed by a loud smack on his butt.
Very loud.
Shen Hui wondered if his pants had been pulled down, how else could it have made such a loud sound? He pouted and checked his belt, which was still in place.
What was going on?
Lin Jingming found Shen Hui’s puzzled expression particularly adorable. He looked down at his slightly red hand and decided not to tell Shen Hui the truth. He had just smacked him through his own hand.
Shen Hui had thin skin, and blushed easily, like he’d had too much fake wine. He buried himself under the covers and listened intently as Lin Jingming tidied up the room.
Since he was sleeping in the master bedroom, Lin Jingming rarely came in, only occasionally coming in to change clothes, and Shen Hui was usually not there.
It was rare for both of them to be in Lin Jingming’s room. It felt like… a married couple?
The cabinet door opened and closed, drawers slid in and out, and Shen Hui guessed in his heart which clothes Lin Jingming had taken. In one of the drawers were underwear… Shen Hui suddenly woke up.
Next, how do I seem like a pervert?
Lin Jingming packed his luggage in five minutes. He didn’t have much to bring, so he asked Shen Hui if he wanted to share a suitcase with him. That way, Shen Hui could travel light and not carry anything.
“Sure.” Shen Hui jumped up from the bed and opened the suitcase he had brought from school, pulling out a few clothes and stuffing them next to Lin Jingming’s.
…
The next evening, Shen Hui and Lin Jingming checked into the hotel. The couple’s room was indeed designed for couples, with a large round bed in joyful red, various enticing drapes, and even the bathtub wasn’t overlooked.
Shen Hui had a bit of a headache; he believed Lin Jingming did too. Used to the simple and elegant style of their living spaces, facing this heap of pink decorations made them feel a bit uncomfortable.
Sleeping in the same bed with Lin Jingming for the first time, Shen Hui thought he would be too nervous to fall asleep. However, just as he lay down, he soon fell asleep under his own blanket, with each person having their own.
The large round bed fully exposed Shen Hui’s poor sleeping posture. Accustomed to feeling the edges and headboard of a square bed, he usually knew which side was the head and which was the side. But with a round bed, everything felt the same, no matter how he turned.
They ended up sleeping in a cross shape, with one leg lying across Lin Jingming’s abdomen and the other leg clamped between Lin Jingming’s.
Shen Hui rubbed against Lin Jingming’s abdomen, feeling a hard object with his foot, and had to change his position.
Early mornings were prone to accidents. Lin Jingming, still half asleep, reached out and grabbed Shen Hui’s ankle.
Lacking control over his strength, Shen Hui was immediately awakened by the pain.
“Ouch!” He cried out miserably, kicking his legs and feeling as if his foot were nailed to an iron pillar, unable to break free. In the midst of the pain, he stepped on a pressure point, quickly trying to free himself, but was held down even harder.
Tears welled up in Shen Hui’s eyes. Was he going to break a bone?
Lin Jingming was awakened by Shen Hui’s cry. Realizing that he had restrained Shen Hui, he quickly let go, his voice hoarse. “Are you okay?”
Shen Hui’s eyes were teary, looking pitiful as if he had been tormented all night. He sat up, holding his foot. “You hit me.”
Ignoring his own arousal caused by Shen Hui’s movements, Lin Jingming quickly bent down to look at Shen Hui’s ankle, which was red, unsure if there were any other problems.
He felt around the ankle, asking, “Does it hurt here? And here?”
Shen Hui calmed down. “It doesn’t hurt anymore.”
Lin Jingming gently blew on Shen Hui’s injured ankle. “It doesn’t hurt anymore. I’ll apply some ointment later.”
“I’m sorry for not controlling my strength. I apologize to you. You can make a request.” Lin Jingming’s eyes softened, seeing Shen Hui’s clear, tear-filled eyes, like those of a deer.
For a moment, Shen Hui couldn’t think of any request to make.
It didn’t seem entirely Lin Jingming’s fault.
If he hadn’t stretched his foot to the wrong place first.
He glanced provocatively at Lin Jingming’s prominent area, chin raised. “Can I squeeze it back?”
Lin Jingming paused, then kissed Shen Hui’s ankle. “You can kiss it back even if it’s squeezed?”
Shen Hui quickly pulled his foot back. Why did he have to say that to Lin Jingming so early in the morning?
It’s not suitable for children.
He looked at his slightly swollen ankle with a hint of jealousy, feeling frustrated as he touched his lips. How come he couldn’t even match up to an ankle?
…
Shen Hui was kissed, and his mind began to think about Lin Jingming’s slip of the tongue from yesterday.
Did he like the provincial capital?
Or did he like Shen Hui?
In the bustling Confucius Temple, Shen Hui was pulled by Lin Jingming to avoid the crowd.
“You seem distracted. What are you thinking about? Is your foot hurting?” Shen Hui looked at Lin Jingming melancholically. “No.”
They were standing under a wall, which recorded the life of Confucius. Shen Hui glanced casually and suddenly exaggerated, “Wow. Confucius is truly a legendary figure, a sage of all ages. Look over there, there’s a woman selling ropes. Can you find a marriage partner even at Confucius Temple?”
Shen Hui asked, “Can you repeat what I just said?”
Lin Jingming had several question marks floating over his head, not understanding what Shen Hui was up to.
“Hurry up.” Shen Hui pleaded with Lin Jingming, “As a great lawyer, aren’t you supposed to have a good memory and be able to remember key points when someone speaks? I’m testing you.”
Lin Jingming repeated what Shen Hui said, puzzled.
“Wait a minute,” Shen Hui said, listening intently.
He opened the recorder. “I have a bad memory. I’ll record it and see if you forgot any words.”
So Lin Jingming repeated it again.
Shen Hui, like a judge, listened with a serious expression three times, letting out a hum from his nose.
In that sentence just now, there were words like “legendary,” “sage,” “rope,” and “woman.” All the ‘shen’ sounds. Why could Lin Jingming articulate them so clearly, like a news anchor?
But when it came to the words “provincial capital,” it sounded just like “Shen Hui.”
Did Lin Jingming like him?
This old scoundrel was really cunning, intentionally making him confused and even kissing his ankle.
Shen Hui sulkily bought two red ropes, hanging one on his left wrist and tying the other around his ankle.
Professor Lin casually withdrew his hand, his tone sour. “You like it so much, should I buy this entire shelf?”
Was he going to buy two for himself? If not for him, then who else?
“I just like it.”
They finished touring the Confucius Temple in the morning and went to the Qinhuai River in the afternoon.
There were many ancient buildings on both banks, and the streets were lined with shops. There was a small inn selling alcohol, with several barrels of Daughter’s Red wine outside.
Shen Hui and Lin Jingming sat at a wooden table and sampled a few sips of the amber-colored wine. Suddenly, Shen Hui asked him, “Have you ever been drunk?”
Lin Jingming fiddled with the delicate wine glass and replied lightly, “No.”
“I have.” Shen Hui boasted proudly.
“When?” Lin Jingming asked casually.
“After the… high…” Shen Hui suddenly stopped, afraid of saying he got drunk in high school and being laughed at.
A young man heard their conversation and enthusiastically invited them to try their inn’s “drunk room.”
The drunk room was a simulated drunkenness experience hall with a slight slope. As soon as people stepped in, they would immediately feel dizzy, staggering, unable to control themselves, and sliding backward. It was like experiencing a real drunken night.
As if they were ancient people a thousand years ago, drinking heartily, eating meat, loosening their clothes, and enjoying the breeze by the Qinhuai River.
With a large number of tourists in the scenic area, the inn didn’t dare to serve strong alcohol, so the experience was somewhat diluted.
Shen Hui dragged Lin Jingming into the experience. Surprisingly, it was Shen Hui, the experienced one, who couldn’t stay calm. He kept clinging to Lin Jingming, swaying and losing his balance.
Lin Jingming also felt a bit dizzy. Not noticing, he was pushed by Shen Hui against the wall behind, and suddenly, a moist and soft kiss landed on his lips.
Shen Hui looked innocent. It was gravity that made the move!
He pressed his hands against Lin Jingming’s body, trying to struggle, but in the simulated environment, his efforts were in vain. He fell onto Lin Jingming again, planting a kiss on his cheek. After kissing twice, Shen Hui gave up and tiptoed to pry open Lin Jingming’s lips, taking the initiative to explore with his tongue.
After Lin Jingming’s initial surprise, he firmly pressed Shen Hui’s occiput, seizing the opportunity to conquer and expand his territory.
After the kiss, Shen Hui was panting and couldn’t get up from Lin Jingming. Lin Jingming had to half-drag, half-carry him out.
With flushed cheeks and a dazed look, Shen Hui met the meaningful gaze of the young man and the plaque behind him that read “the drunkard’s intention is not in the wine,” feeling utterly embarrassed.
Both of them had no desire to continue strolling around and quickly returned to the hotel.
Muttering “I’m drunk,” Shen Hui trembled as he undid Lin Jingming’s belt with his fingertips.
Being reckless after drinking was too normal.
It was justifiable!
…
Shen Hui was tormented by Lin Jingming all night long. A thirty-year-old virgin going wild was terrifying; even crying and begging for mercy didn’t work.
He regretted seducing Lin Jingming.
At least in the early morning, or rather, yesterday morning after the painful lesson of having his ankle pinched by Lin Jingming, why didn’t he learn his lesson at all?
Shen Hui propped himself up on the bed, pretending to be dead, holding his bruised waist.
Lin Jingming frowned and checked Shen Hui’s condition. “You sleep for a while. I’ll go buy some medicine.”
Despite not having slept all night, Professor Lin still looked presentable, full of energy.
Shen Hui fell asleep while lying down. When he woke up in a daze, he seemed to hear Lin Jingming answering a phone call.
“Hello, what’s the matter… my previous arrangement for studying abroad? Of course, I remember…”
With the increase in international business, the law firm has also taken on more cases involving foreign legal systems, so it’s necessary to be familiar with foreign legal systems. Lin Jingming had previously planned to study abroad for a short period.
Lin Jingming hadn’t slept at all before and was giving Shen Hui a massage. Seeing Shen Hui move, afraid of waking him up, he went into the bathroom to take the call.
Although Shen Hui couldn’t hear what Lin Jingming was saying, it didn’t stop him from imagining.
How much did he fear Lin Jingming going abroad?
Three years ago, he was afraid. Now, he would be even more afraid. At that time, as soon as Lin Jingming’s father recovered, Lin Jingming immediately went abroad to study, without delaying for even a day. Shen Hui watched Lin Jingming come into his life and then disappear, as if fast-forwarded ten times, catching him off guard every time.
Here it comes again.
Shen Hui thought, but he had to get used to it.
God really knows what’s going on. He gave Lin Jingming to Shen Hui, this poor boy, with a one-month deadline each time, just like Cinderella’s pumpkin carriage would lose its effect after midnight.
Shen Hui rubbed his head against the pillow and pursed his lips.
Lin Jingming’s phone call lasted a bit long. When he came out, he saw Shen Hui still sleeping, a soft smile in his eyes. He kissed Shen Hui’s shoulder blade gently, lay down beside him, reached out, pulled him into his arms, and hugged him.
Shen Hui didn’t fall asleep. After Lin Jingming fell asleep, he got up and sat on the floor, trying to clear his mind.
Lin Jingming had ordered lunch earlier, and the text message reminder said it had been delivered to the door now. Shen Hui gently put on his clothes, wincing with every movement.
He opened the door to get the lunch, but before entering, he was attracted by the quarrel of the couple next door.
The voices of both sides were a bit loud, the battle was fierce, and there was physical contact from time to time. Shen Hui was afraid of waking up Lin Jingming but also worried about the female side being at a disadvantage in the lover’s quarrel. What if domestic violence occurred?
So he closed the door and pretended to check his phone there.
The woman happened to be the rich young lady who hired him to go on a blind date with Lin Jingming in the first place. She and her broke boyfriend coincidentally came here for a trip.
She was probably very angry, speaking without restraint. When she saw Shen Hui there, her eyes lit up as if she had found a new foothold. “Shen Hui, you’re here. Come and tell him, didn’t I ask you to help me with the blind date?”
“Gu Mengping! If that blind date was so outstanding, you could have asked him yourself! I didn’t even meet him for you! How come, I don’t want the boss of the law firm, and you think I would like someone who works for others? Just because I’m with you doesn’t mean I’ll like other employees! Can you stop being so jealous! You’re so annoying!”
The words “working for others” from Dong Qianjin seemed to stab her boyfriend’s self-esteem. Gu Mengping didn’t believe Dong Qianjin’s words. If there were to be a substitute, it should at least be a woman. How could he lie with a man without blinking?
So the battle became more intense. In the end, Dong Qianjin got so angry that she said to her boyfriend, “I’ve realized that people from different social classes really shouldn’t date. You have no parents, no money, and can’t give me anything. My mom was right. I’m awake now.”
“Shen Hui.” Dong Qianjin called him loudly. “Give me Boss Ling’s phone number. Starting tomorrow, I’ll go on the blind date myself! Gu Mengping, you wait to drink my wedding wine.”
“Ah, okay.” Shen Hui gave her the phone number.
Gu Mengping gained the upper hand and left in her high heels, leaving Shen Hui and a heartbroken man behind.
No, two heartbroken men.
They felt somewhat sympathetic to each other.
Dong Qianjin’s words not only struck her boyfriend like a thunderbolt but also implicated Shen Hui.
Yes, no parents, no money, different social classes—how could they date? Ling’s father treated him so well, how could he delude himself into thinking he could date Lin Jingming?
While Lin Jingming was considering studying abroad, he was still selling his smile online.
…
Even if he and Lin Jingming attended the same high school, chose the same major, there was still a gap between them.
He was just a fake for blind dates, and now that the real deal had arrived and he had to step aside, he couldn’t come up with a single word of salvage.
Lin Jingming had said he was here to develop feelings with the blind date.
Not to develop feelings with Shen Hui.
He liked Nanjing, not Shen Hui.
…
Shen Hui approached the bewildered Gu Mengping, pulled his arm, and felt another wave of soreness spreading.
The two of them, with the same feelings, left the hotel like old buddies.
…
In previous summers, Shen Hui would apply to stay on campus. This year, because of Lin Jingming, he didn’t apply. Now, alone, he didn’t know where to go.
If it were an ordinary person, they should go home to find their mother, right? Shen Hui sat on the steps of the square, watching the pigeons for a while, suddenly remembered that he also had a home, but no one was there.
Shen Hui bought a ticket to go back to his hometown.
He would definitely pass by the gate of his former high school on the way home. He hurriedly wore a hat and passed by, afraid of meeting Ling’s father.
What you fear comes upon you.
“Shen Hui!”
He heard someone calling him, his heart tightened. After hearing clearly, he found out it was Lao Zhang from the message room at the school gate, not Ling’s father, which relieved him.
“Shen Hui, come over here.” Lao Zhang beckoned him with a cigarette in his mouth.
Shen Hui was quite well-known around the school. The legends left behind were all about the transformation of unruly students into academic achievers. Lao Zhang called him, and he didn’t feel good about not going.
“What’s the matter?”
Lao Zhang took out a stack of postcards and envelopes from under the table. “Take a look.”
The postcards sent to the school were full of emotions, but because the postal service was slow and there were many lost items, the time was too long. The recipients of the letters might have lost patience, the feelings might have faded, or they might not have known at all. Often, these postcards and letters were left unclaimed.
There were hundreds of letters on the table, all dusty, showing the hardships along the way.
The names of the recipients would be written on a small blackboard on the outer wall, waiting for someone to pick them up. Shen Hui had looked forward to it for half a year, but there was never one for him.
Shen Hui didn’t believe it. He came to the message room every day to sneak a peek, pretending to casually flip through the letters as if he didn’t care, but was caught by Lao Zhang several times. He stubbornly refused to admit it, saying he was preparing to skip class.
Later, it gradually changed to once a week, once a month, once every six months… Shen Hui hadn’t been here for a year.
Lao Zhang still remembered this little rascal who used to come full of hope but leave disappointed.
“I asked you what pen name you used, but you didn’t tell me. If you had told me earlier, I would have paid special attention to it.” Lao Zhang always thought Shen Hui’s recipient name might be some strange internet nickname.
Shen Hui’s eyes moistened, his fingers moved in his pocket, but in the end, he didn’t take action.
“I don’t have anyone to look for.”
He had known for a long time that Lin Jingming wouldn’t write to him.
…
Professor Lin woke up and found his Shen Hui had run away.
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