Pain Pain Fly Away

Cheng Ye was the first to react.

When he stood up, the legs of his stool scraped harshly against the floor, and the lounge instantly fell quiet.

No one expected the calmest person in the room to be Lu Lin.

He tilted his head toward the door, gesturing to the makeup artist whose hands had seemed to press pause.

“Keep going. “

Su Yan sat back down, his mood sinking.

He could only pretend to look at his phone to distract himself, completely lacking the composure of a rightful partner.

Then again, he had never considered himself Lu Lin’s proper boyfriend.

Besides, he recognized the voice.

Shen Yichen.

The other members in the lounge, fearing they would be caught in the crossfire, all simultaneously had their bladders explode and felt the urgent need to pee.

Su Yan didn’t understand their thought process of going to the restroom as a team; he just figured they were “on the same wavelength. “

After opening the door and seeing who it was, Cheng Ye took a call and walked out.

By the time Su Yan realized what was happening, only two people were left in the lounge.

No, three people, including the newly arrived Shen Yichen.

Shen Yichen walked in with a beaming smile.

He wore a high-quality leather jacket over a casual inner shirt.

As someone who had been crowned the “top handsome guy” right after transferring, his look was certainly enough to attract a following of adoring fans.

He held a bouquet of flowers in his hand and even bent down to sniff it dramatically.

“I had a French designer custom-make this for me. “

“It’s priceless. “

“The position of every single flower was meticulously designed. “

It was a shoddy lie, words tumbling out of his mouth without a second thought.

He could find a whole stack of such “French designers” at A University.

For some reason, Su Yan’s mind was entirely focused on the two people behind him.

The little game in his hands instantly lost its appeal.

He pressed his lips together, desperately wanting to turn around and stare at the expression on Lu Lin’s face.

“Now I’m giving it to you, Lu Lin… brother, as our first meeting gift. “

He flashed a roguish smile and nodded at the bodyguard behind him.

The bodyguard immediately understood, quickly taking the flowers and placing them on Lu Lin’s desk.

Lu Lin showed no appreciation, not even deigning to give him an extra glance.

Since Lu Lin wasn’t embarrassed, the awkwardness fell entirely on the makeup artist, who suddenly felt the urge to pee as well.

He acted on the thought, his hands pausing for only a moment, but before he could speak, Lu Lin spoke up.

“Mm. “

‘This guy must be a mind reader. ’

The makeup artist was incredibly grateful that their play was scheduled as one of the last acts; otherwise, he wouldn’t have dared to let his bladder explode.

Seeing this, Shen Yichen wasn’t the least bit awkward.

He casually pulled over a stool and sat down, not too close and not too far from Lu Lin.

“Have you forgotten me?”

“That’s truly heartbreaking…”

The heartbreak was fake; he didn’t even bother to put on a convincing expression.

“Young Master, the Master told you not to cling to a man’s coattails every day,” the bodyguard whispered, leaning close to Shen Yichen’s ear, but his voice was just loud enough for everyone to hear.

This bodyguard dared to speak this way because his salary was paid not by Shen Yichen, but by Father Shen.

Shen Yichen acted as if he hadn’t heard the deeply insulting words, instead slumping back in his chair and staring up at the ceiling.

And just like that, his gaze met Su Yan’s.

Su Yan was just unlucky; he had just snuck a peek and was caught red-handed.

He quickly turned his head back, his fingertips flying across the screen, pretending he was engrossed in his phone.

Su Yan wished Shen Yichen would just pretend he hadn’t seen him and mind his own business, but unexpectedly, Shen Yichen’s eyes lit up as if he had just noticed him.

He let out a soft chuckle, slowly sat up, and walked over to Su Yan.

“Long time no see, Yanyan. “

‘It hasn’t been that long, has it?’

Su Yan’s expression was blank, unable to guess his intentions.

‘Isn’t he here for Lu Lin?’

Shen Yichen pulled a handful of candy from his leather jacket pocket, cupped them in his palm, and offered them to Su Yan.

“Want some?”

Su Yan paused for a moment.

Thinking it would be rude to refuse directly, he reached out, took one piece, and forced a smile.

“Thank you. “

Had Su Yan forgotten who the most terrifying person in this lounge was?

He even dared to accept the candy.

His mind worked slowly, completely failing to notice a certain cold gaze fixed intently upon him.

He leisurely unwrapped the candy and popped it into his mouth.

Seeing that he had only taken one, Shen Yichen put the candy back in his pocket.

“Is it good?”

Su Yan’s tongue pressed against the rather sour candy, and he mumbled an indistinct, “Mm. “

“Yanyan, I actually like you more. “

The bodyguard behind Shen Yichen gave him a look that was hard to put into words.

Just as his hand was about to touch Su Yan, he was kicked to the ground by an immense force.

His back slammed into the corner of a desk, and he cried out in pain.

And the culprit, Lu Lin, was now standing there with his hands in his pockets, trying to look cool.

He had used a great deal of force in that kick, just short of kicking him to death.

He narrowed his peach-blossom eyes, sweeping a cold glance over the person on the floor, then curved his lips into a gentle smile.

He turned to the bodyguard who was still frozen in shock and took the initiative to remind him.

“Your young master looks like he’s about to die, you know. “

“Aren’t you going to take him to a doctor?”

Shen Yichen had a weak constitution and clearly didn’t exercise often.

Because he was frequently sick, he rarely went to school; Father Shen had hired tutors to teach him at home.

This one kick was enough to land him in the hospital for a while.

Shen Yichen grimaced, struggling to his feet.

His back was probably bruised.

His eyes instantly turned sinister, but only for a second.

The bodyguard was pacing anxiously, even thinking about how he was going to get punished again!

He didn’t make a move, turning instead to look at Lu Lin’s smiling-but-not-smiling face.

Lu Lin said, “You forgot something. “

Shen Yichen: “?”

Lu Lin grabbed the bouquet and hurled it at Shen Yichen, who was leaning against the doorframe, clutching his aching back.

Shen Yichen clenched the hand hidden behind his back and smiled.

“See you next time. “

“We’ll meet again. “

Bodyguard: ‘Master, the Young Master is about to be beaten to death. ’

Only after Shen Yichen left did Lu Lin feel a delayed sense of fear.

His body went limp, and he collapsed into the chair, his fingertips trembling slightly.

He didn’t dare to speak.

He had forgotten that Su Yan was a champion of justice.

He didn’t want to hear a single disparaging word about himself from Su Yan’s mouth.

Anyone could curse him except Su Yan.

He had long grown accustomed to the malicious words of others and didn’t care; getting revenge was only a matter of time.

But with Su Yan, every word, every action, mattered to him more than anything.

Any harsh word was like a needle piercing his heart, making it hard to breathe.

He was overcome with panic, not daring to turn around and look into Su Yan’s eyes.

Soon, the few who had gone to repair their bladders returned, and the lounge became lively again.

As their time to go on stage drew nearer, the makeup artist’s hands moved so fast they nearly smoked.

Lu Lin was distracted the entire time, feeling that the relationship he had so carefully tried to mend had been shattered to pieces by that one kick.

He couldn’t help but feel annoyed, not even noticing when Su Yan walked up behind him.

Someone lightly tapped Lu Lin’s shoulder.

In front of outsiders, he would usually put on a facade.

His impatient expression vanished, replaced by a prepared smile as he turned his head.

The sight left him stunned.

Su Yan was wearing the princess dress.

Blond hair cascaded in front of him.

Thanks to his pretty features, his face wasn’t heavily made up, retaining a hint of boyishness.

When he smiled, the sparkle in his eyes was captivating.

He held the hem of his dress, tilted his head, and his voice was like a kitten’s purr, tugging at one’s heartstrings.

“Am I pretty?”

Lu Lin froze, a look of astonishment flashing in his eyes, followed by regret that he hadn’t forced Cheng Ye to change the script.

Otherwise, only he would have been able to see Su Yan like this.

If more people started coveting him now, he would have his work cut out for him.

Su Yan blinked.

Seeing that the person before him hadn’t replied for a long time, he assumed he didn’t like it and decided not to press the issue.

“Very beautiful. “

“I love it,” Lu Lin said, looking earnestly into his eyes, adding, “But I would love you no matter what you look like. “

Su Yan was so flustered by the praise that his straight-man heart wavered.

He hadn’t expected Lu Lin to be so serious.

Su Yan hadn’t spoken earlier because he was trying to figure out how to start a conversation.

He wasn’t going to blame Lu Lin for kicking that guy; after all, he had a feeling that person wasn’t a good sort.

He did, however, want to ask Lu Lin: ‘How do you know Shen Yichen?’

Cheng Ye stood behind them, hesitating.

His inner self had to give him a long pep talk before he finally spoke up to remind them, “Although I really don’t want to interrupt you lovebirds, our play is about to start. “

“Okay. “

Su Yan’s face reddened at Cheng Ye’s words, and he pretended to adjust his dress.

****

Amidst everyone’s anticipation, the play finally began.

Cheng Ye had been hyping it up for half a month, frantically promoting it on the school forum every day.

[Explosive!!! Rumor has it that Su Yan and Lu Lin will kiss publicly at the welcoming gala! Is this a moral decay or a distortion of human nature?]

‘You can’t blame me for this; topics written this way get more traction. ’

‘Maybe they should even thank me. ’

There were several thousand people in the audience, but Su Yan wasn’t someone who hadn’t seen big crowds before, so he wasn’t nervous at all.

The moment the curtain rose, the performance began.

They were performing an English version; according to Cheng Ye, it had more flavor that way.

He had also emphasized countless times: The kiss scene!

Although there were many people, most were supporting roles, like decorative trees.

Everyone gave their all for this performance.

When Lu Lin appeared on stage, the audience grew louder.

He recited his lines with clarity and force, his voice carrying a pleasant, youthful tone.

Finally, it was time for the moment everyone had been waiting for.

The kiss!

To awaken the sleeping beauty and reach the pinnacle of life.

People in the audience had already taken out their phones, aiming them at the stage.

Lu Lin knelt before the prop bed, looking at the exquisitely featured Su Yan lying peacefully on it, and slowly leaned in.

Su Yan’s heart was pounding, his breathing grew rapid, and his head spun at the thought of what was to come.

He and Lu Lin had been together in name for so long, but this was their first time having such close physical contact.

But in the end, Lu Lin’s lips only brushed lightly against his cheek.

The microphone had been set aside earlier.

He whispered something in Su Yan’s ear.

‘Forgive me. ’

Su Yan guessed it was about what he had said before: “Don’t let me see you for a week. “

It seemed to have had quite an impact.

The curtain fell, and the performance ended.

The gossiping crowd in the audience had thoroughly enjoyed themselves, and the applause was endless.

Cheng Ye, patting his chest: ‘Thankfully, I used the good-looks strategy. ’

Otherwise, the entertainment value of their performance would have been more than halved.

It was all thanks to the audience being mostly drawn to aesthetics.

In a place the two of them hadn’t noticed, a forum post was rapidly gaining traction.

[So sweet! They even French kissed on stage! Is this a public declaration of love and a warning to others??]

[DungBeetle: How does the poster know it was a French kiss?]

[SweetMelon: Ignore the poster, you guys. She’s the type who’d say they were kissing and bit their tongues in anger even if they were fighting. ]

[BigMacHandsomeBird: I support the comment above. Besides, aren’t those two into the new transfer student? The one surnamed Shen. Do you guys think Shen Yichen is a better match for Su Yan or Lu Lin? I think he’s so handsome he’d be a good match for anyone. ]

[HahaBigGossip: Bro, you forgot to switch accounts. ]

[LittleFairy: ……]

[289: ……]

[Lu Lin: ……You want to die. ]

And just like that, Shen Yichen’s main account was exposed to the public.

Unable to bear the humiliation, he immediately deleted it, but even so, the joke would be preserved forever.

****

“Yanyan, I’m sorry. “

“But I swear I never did anything to let you down, except for reporting your location and daily activities…”

Qi Zhiyao’s voice grew softer and softer as he spoke, his head bowed as he stirred his coffee.

Su Yan sat across from him, his hands cupping his face.

Seeing his guilty expression, he scooped up a sugar cube and dropped it into the cup Qi Zhiyao was holding.

“That’s your punishment. “

Qi Zhiyao and Su Yan had opposite preferences; one loved sweets, while the other wanted nothing to do with them.

Su Yan had just changed out of his costume and Lu Lin was already gone.

‘Perhaps Lu Lin didn’t want to hear his answer. ’

‘After all, what I said was indeed quite hurtful. ’

Qi Zhiyao pouted, staring at the lethal amount of sugar in his cup, but no matter how unpleasant, he had to drink it.

‘Yanyan is so good. ’

‘I spied on him for so long, yet he’s willing to forgive me. ’

‘He’s truly a one-of-a-kind friend. ’

Su Yan never opened the message that had popped up on his phone.

He just kept pressing the screen on and off, staring at the message and blaming himself.

[NianNian: It really was that enemy of my dad’s. He never showed his hand before, but this time the person backing him gave him up. I really want to kill him for tormenting us for so long. ]

The answer was already laid out before him.

Lu Lin’s confession and apology were likely because he had genuinely considered punishing Qi Nian, but Su Yan had stormed out before he could hear his explanation.

Lu Lin had admitted it partly for that reason; at the time, his expression seemed calm, but he had already been thinking about punishing Qi Nian.

“Yanyan, as someone who’s been Lu Lin’s subordinate for so many years, I do know a few things,” Qi Zhiyao said, preparing to spill everything.

Su Yan glanced at Qi Zhiyao, who immediately lowered his head and corrected himself.

“Alright, not a subordinate. “

“A business partner?”

Su Yan: “…Never mind, just keep talking. “

“To put it simply, I’m very poor, and Brother Lu chose to sponsor me, but I had to report everything about you to him at all times. “

Qi Zhiyao couldn’t help but feel guilty as he spoke, glancing at Su Yan from time to time.

He only relaxed when he saw that Su Yan didn’t have much of an expression.

“When my mom got sick back then, he was the one who gave me the money to go back to Taishi. “

“He gave me a lot. “

“He can be a really good person sometimes, at least to his employees…”

Su Yan noticed that Qi Zhiyao was very hung up on the word “employee. “

“I swear I never took any nude photos of you or anything like that for him. “

He even raised two fingers to the sky.

Su Yan leaned forward and pulled out another finger.

“Three fingers is for swearing. “

Qi Zhiyao wore a solemn expression as if he had learned a great lesson.

Actually, how could Su Yan not know?

Apart from that one time Lu Lin had crossed the line at the very beginning, he had been perfectly well-behaved ever since.

‘Maybe it was also because of my resistance, but that was in the past. ’

Su Yan was greatly disappointed.

He thought he would hear something he had never heard before, something explosive!

Exciting!

But it turned out to be all things he already knew.

“He was almost beaten to death by his dad once. “

This was something Qi Zhiyao had heard from one of Lu Lin’s classmates.

Lu Lin used to contact him every day to ask about Su Yan’s situation, but for half a month, he hadn’t sent a single message.

He almost thought his big boss was gone and he wouldn’t be able to latch onto him anymore.

‘How could I possibly find another job this easy!’

Just as he was losing hope, Lu Lin transferred him another sum of money and told him to continue.

As for the reason, it wasn’t something a small fry like him was worthy of knowing.

If he wanted to know, Su Yan would have to ask himself.

“I don’t know the reason either, but I guess it might be because of you. “

“His dad not only opposes homosexuality but also has extremely high expectations for him, demanding that he excels in everything. “

“I heard all of this from others, so it’s probably half-true, half-false,” Qi Zhiyao said, taking a sip of the sickeningly sweet coffee, his expression twisting for a moment.

“There’s a video you haven’t seen, right?”

“This one. “

Qi Zhiyao immediately took out his phone and scrolled through his photo album for a long time.

The video he mentioned was the one Chen Xubai had seen.

Lu Lin was sitting on a sink in the school bathroom, casually playing with a butterfly knife.

The video ended with the shrill, raspy screams of the person filming.

Seeing that he had finished watching, Qi Zhiyao found a photo and zoomed in for him to see.

It was a class graduation photo.

The students were all wearing uniform school uniforms, smiling brightly under the sun, except for a certain fatty in the corner, who was staring darkly at the class taking their graduation photo next to them.

When he forced a smile, his face was covered in fat, and there were several scars of varying depths.

Su Yan blinked, taking the phone from Qi Zhiyao.

He didn’t frown until he recognized the person.

“I know him. “

“He stole my school uniform. “

“He also wrote me many love letters, and the content was absolutely disgusting. “

Speaking of that disgusting person, Su Yan had a lot to say, but he had a more pressing question he wanted to ask.

“Was he the one who filmed the video? “

“Did Lu Lin do it because of me?”

Only then did Su Yan remember that the background in the video was the high school he had attended.

Seeing that he had guessed correctly, Qi Zhiyao’s face lit up with joy.

“Yes!”

“The people who harassed you, the people who liked you, all of them received their due retribution. “

“It’s just that that person was the most disgusting, so his punishment was the most severe. “

Qi Zhiyao’s expression turned serious.

Su Yan’s fingertips tapped lightly on the table, his heart filled with complex emotions.

But whenever he tried to remember something specific, his head would throb with unbearable pain.

Something had changed, but he didn’t know what.

There was a tightness in his chest.

No wonder all the people who had confessed to him in high school had, without exception, transferred schools and disappeared from his sight.

“Yanyan, I’m telling you these things just so you won’t have any regrets about the choice you make. “

“Whatever you choose, I will support you unconditionally. “

“Over the years, I’ve come to see you as my only friend. “

“I hope you can be happy, and at least not so restrained. “

****

“Why the long face? “

“Not happy?”

Xie Qingyuan had a face mask on, making it very difficult for her to speak.

Just now, Su Yan had called her and said he was coming over.

Su Yan had a habit of coming to Xie Qingyuan whenever he felt wronged or troubled; they had been friends since childhood.

Su Yan had long regarded Xie Qingyuan as his own sister, and their relationship was practically that of siblings.

Su Yan’s lips turned down in a pout.

He walked over and hugged Xie Qingyuan, pouring out his grievances.

“Sister Qingyuan, I’m feeling a bit emotional. “

Xie Qingyuan: “……If you want to cry, just say it. What’s this about being emotional?”

But she didn’t tease him too much.

After all, it was rare to see Su Yan looking so sad.

She patted Su Yan’s back.

“Want to tell your big sis about it?”

Xie Qingyuan led Su Yan to the home theater in the corner of the villa’s second floor.

The home theater was rarely decorated by Xie Qingyuan.

There was a fluffy pink carpet on the floor, and the sofa was a beanbag chair she had bought according to her own preferences.

Neither of Xie’s parents were home, only Xie Qingyuan.

She had been about to go out, but now seeing Su Yan, she decided to cancel her plans.

She sent a message to her potential boyfriend.

[Xie Qingyuan: My little brother is back. I’m going to spend some time with him. ]

Su Yan wore a bunny-eared headband and took the facial cleanser Xie Qingyuan handed him.

He had almost forgotten that he was still wearing makeup.

Xie Qingyuan leaned against the doorframe, teasing, “You have someone you like now?”

“The one from before?”

Su Yan thought for a full minute.

‘The one from before, what does that mean?’

The memory resurfaced; she was talking about the time Lu Lin had lost control.

His ears grew hot, but he pretended to be calm and replied, “What’s wrong? “

“Can’t I have relationship problems?”

“As everyone knows, people who are feeling guilty like to ask questions back. “

“That’s you, isn’t it?”

Xie Qingyuan threw her face mask into the trash, looking at her neatly trimmed nails.

“Big sis will help you figure it out. “

“They call me the little expert on love. “

Xie Qingyuan plopped down on the carpet; the sofa was practically just for show.

She randomly put on a tearjerker movie to serve as background noise.

“Let’s hear it. “

Su Yan had no energy to retort about the credibility of Xie Qingyuan’s self-proclaimed title, “little expert on love. “

Xie Qingyuan turned her head, unable to resist flicking him on the forehead.

“Has anyone ever told you not to wear your heart on your sleeve? “

“You’ll get beaten up easily. “

Su Yan sat across from him, his usual cheerful and optimistic energy gone because of the weight on his mind.

“I think I might be gay. “

Xie Qingyuan: “…!”

“Uncle and Auntie will support your decision,” Xie Qingyuan said, patting him comfortingly.

Su Yan continued, “But liking him will get me killed. “

Xie Qingyuan: “…What?”

Su Yan was completely lost in his own world, oblivious to the utter shock in Xie Qingyuan’s eyes beside him.

“But I can’t stop caring about him…”

Su Yan propped his face in his hands and sighed, looking extremely sad.

The movie reached its first small climax, and a burst of shrill crying filled the air, abruptly interrupting their conversation.

“Sis, you always watch such bad movies. “

“Your taste is terrible,” he said, blinking his astonishingly bright eyes, awkwardly changing the subject.

Xie Qingyuan pressed pause, glanced at the back of his head, and said, “You’re crying. “

Su Yan sniffled.

His usually beautiful eyes were misty, and his voice held a heart-wrenching sob.

“I’m not. “

“Sister Qingyuan… do you have any advice?”

Xie Qingyuan wished she could take a crash course in relationship psychology right now.

Who told her to boast earlier?

She handed him a tissue.

“I’ve only liked a few people in total. “

“I don’t have much relationship experience either, so as long as you don’t mind…”

Xie Qingyuan rarely talked about her own love life, mainly because her romantic history was a bit too turbulent.

She took a bag of melon seeds from the snack cabinet on the side and gave some to Su Yan.

Xie Qingyuan and Song Shuyun met at A University in Beijing.

She was two full years younger than Song Shuyun.

Before she even went to that school, Song Shuyun was already famous.

After all, he was handsome, had a good character, and a good family background.

Who wouldn’t be moved by that?

But Song Shuyun was also notoriously sharp-tongued and had a bad temper, the type that no one could get close to, so he had remained single.

At that time, she was standing at the registration office holding a lot of books.

Song Shuyun, as the student council president, was also there as a volunteer.

And then came the dramatic part: Wen Ruoning, holding a pile of books, tripped and fell on flat ground right in front of Song Shuyun…

“Was it love at first sight?”

Su Yan hugged his knees, looking up at her with teary eyes.

Not at all.

At that time, Song Shuyun glanced at her indifferently, his thin lips pressed together.

He didn’t even help her pick up her books.

“So stupid. “

Su Yan: “……”

She was very unconvinced by that.

How stupid could someone who got into A University be?

So, Xie Qingyuan did a lot of background checks on Song Shuyun on the forum and even bought his class schedule.

Thus began her fierce pursuit.

Did she like him very much at that time?

Not at all.

It was just out of a very childish desire for revenge; she would make him fall for her and then ruthlessly dump him.

“You fell in love?”

Su Yan pressed his lips together and asked seriously.

Speaking of which, this was really the first time he had heard Xie Qingyuan talk about her love life.

Actually, no.

After pursuing him for a year, Xie Qingyuan suddenly disappeared without a trace because her dad’s company suddenly had problems.

She had to go study abroad to avoid the trouble.

You wouldn’t believe it, but when she suddenly stopped pursuing him, she felt very unaccustomed to it.

During her first week in M Country, it snowed in London.

She bought a cup of cappuccino and casually found a seat.

The first snow was gently spreading on the ground.

She buried most of her face in her scarf.

A handsome foreigner struck up a conversation with her.

She replied a few times out of politeness.

Just as she was feeling bored, she seemed to see a familiar figure outside the window.

Her pupils widened, and she put down her drink and walked outside.

Song Shuyun was tall and slender, leaning against a wall, wearing a coat and the scarf she had knitted for him.

He waved at her.

But the two of them still haven’t broken through that final barrier even now.

“Why are you crying even harder?”

Xie Qingyuan pulled another tissue for him.

Su Yan sobbed, “Sis, how could you be a simp? “

“I feel so bad for you. “

Su Yan had a solid basis for saying this.

Xie Qingyuan was a typical “other people’s child,” never needing her parents to worry about her since she was young, winning all sorts of scholarships.

She was also Su Yan’s role model.

Xie Qingyuan smiled.

“It’s fine. “

“There are so many years ahead. “

“I’ll slowly torture him back. “

He looked up at the ceiling, feeling exhausted.

“How did you know you liked him?”

“s*x before love. “

Those few simple and crude words nearly made Su Yan’s nose bleed.

He looked at Xie Qingyuan in shock.

He saw her shrug indifferently.

“You wouldn’t understand adult love. “

“Besides, what did you mean when you said it would get you killed?”

“Did you meet a yandere? “

“Forcing you to be in a relationship? “

“Threatening to kill you if you don’t agree or something?”

Xie Qingyuan had to figure out what this “death” meant; otherwise, how could she be at ease?

The more he listened, the darker Su Yan’s face became.

If it weren’t for the fact that this was Xie Qingyuan joking, he would have thought she was talking about him.

“Want a drink?”

She had Wang Ma bring a dozen beers and a few side dishes.

If she didn’t get him drunk, he really wouldn’t be willing to talk.

****

Lu Lin was very resistant to returning to his villa.

It was surrounded by cameras, monitoring his every move.

When he got angry, he would smash those cameras to pieces, but the next day, a pile of new, better equipment would always be sent to the villa.

Because he was feeling a bit unwell, he temporarily returned to the apartment he had bought.

This apartment was like his secret base.

Curling up in this space allowed him a brief respite.

The first thing he did when he got back to his little home was to drag his weary body to take a shower and relax a bit.

During this time, in order to control himself from contacting Su Yan, he had reluctantly blocked him.

At the thought that his relationship with Su Yan might be severed, his heart felt like it was being squeezed tightly, his breathing became rapid, and a piercing pain shot through him.

He was not a person who liked crowds, but his apartment was bought in the city center.

Looking out from the balcony, all he could see was a steel forest, with various lights making the night exceptionally bustling.

This way, people wouldn’t be able to see his loneliness, right?

Lu Lin was a good cook, but only when Su Yan was around.

When he was alone, he was used to eating instant noodles.

Before long, he had tidied everything up and changed into a comfortable set of pajamas, but he couldn’t fall asleep no matter how hard he tried.

The moment he closed his eyes, all he could see was Su Yan.

A voice from the door kept repeating: “Incorrect password. “

A flash of impatience crossed Lu Lin’s face, his brows furrowed slightly, and he casually grabbed the baseball bat behind the door.

After preparing himself, he opened the door, and what greeted him was Su Yan’s beautiful, aggrieved face.

He was imitating a scene from a TV show, holding a piece of wire in his fingertips, trying to pick his lock.

But wasn’t his door a smart lock?

How was he supposed to pick it?

Lu Lin’s brows relaxed.

He almost thought he was hallucinating.

He cupped Su Yan’s face in his hands, looking left and right.

Until Su Yan spoke, “Lu Lin… it’s me, Su Yan. “

Because his face was being held, his speech was slurred.

The corners of his eyes were abnormally flushed, and his face was also abnormally red.

“Of course I know it’s you. “

Lu Lin casually tossed the baseball bat into the living room and led Su Yan inside.

“How did you know I live here?”

Lu Lin made Su Yan sit down properly while he got up to turn on the lights.

The living room was suddenly bathed in bright light.

Lu Lin raised an eyebrow, looking at Su Yan and asking, “Baby, what’s with this look?”

He even chuckled, taking out his phone and snapping a photo of the giggling Su Yan.

At this moment, they were like a real couple, as if all their previous conflicts had ceased to exist.

“The homeless look?”

Lu Lin picked up a wet wipe and wiped his face.

It was all because Su Yan was drunk and couldn’t find his way, ending up falling into a flowerbed.

Now he looked like a little kitten, his cheeks smudged with dirt.

Lu Lin noticed that while he was wiping Su Yan’s face, he kept staring at him intently.

“Are you hungry?”

He had to admit, his mood had indeed improved a lot.

He was even grateful, although he didn’t know how Su Yan had found out he lived here.

He had been suffering from insomnia for several days, all because Su Yan had said he didn’t want to see him.

How did Lu Lin figure out that Su Yan was drunk?

It was because no matter what he asked, he would only giggle foolishly.

“Lu Lin, kiss me~”

Lu Lin was standing in front of the fridge.

He was already certain that Su Yan was hungry.

When he heard those words, his breath hitched.

But he still didn’t take a drunk person’s words to heart.

He just assumed that Su Yan had gotten used to being forced by him and was saying it to save his own life.

But Lu Lin had truly forgotten that the sober Su Yan wasn’t very afraid of him, so why would he be afraid when he was drunk?

Lu Lin forced himself to remain calm, went to the kitchen to boil water, and threw in a handful of noodles.

For a balanced meal, he also cracked a few eggs and added a handful of vegetables.

“Hey, Lu Lin, I’m talking to you. “

“You’re so rude. “

“How dare you pretend you didn’t hear me. “

Su Yan sat backward on the stool, his words laced with arrogance.

“I’m Su Yan, you know. “

“How dare you not listen to me. “

He thought to himself: ‘Hmph, I’ve played my trump card. Let’s see how you pretend not to react now. ’

To his surprise, Lu Lin actually provoked him, only showing him his back and saying with a laugh in his voice, “Alright, alright, you’re Su Yan. “

“You like spicy food, so I’ll add more chili for you, but you shouldn’t eat too much at night, so I didn’t cook too much. “

Usually, when he was home alone, this apartment had no signs of life.

Only after Su Yan arrived did the tension in his mind relax for a moment.

The water in the pot was still bubbling, and the person behind him was still bossily saying, “You’re done for. “

After that sentence, there was a long silence.

Just when Lu Lin thought Su Yan had quieted down.

Su Yan suddenly darted in front of him, hugged his waist tightly, and buried his head in his collarbone.

The warm breath reached his heart, and Lu Lin’s ears burned.

The chopsticks in his hand fell to the floor.

He hadn’t expected Su Yan to make another move.

His moist, doe-like eyes stared at him for ten seconds.

Then, a warm sensation touched his lips.

It was Su Yan’s first kiss, and he didn’t know the technique.

He just clumsily rubbed his lips against the other’s, and then, as if remembering a trick someone had taught him.

His eyes were filled with a dazed look as he tried to pry open the other’s mouth, lightly licking Lu Lin’s lower lip a few times, but Lu Lin was clearly stunned and didn’t give him the chance.

Su Yan imitated what he had seen in adult films and dazedly patted Lu Lin, signaling to him: ‘You have to open your mouth when you kiss. ’

Lu Lin didn’t understand what he meant.

He just put his arms around Su Yan, afraid that he would faint at any moment.

In the quiet atmosphere, only the sound of each other’s breathing could be heard.

Seeing that Lu Lin didn’t understand his meaning, Su Yan bit him in anger.

Lu Lin’s delicate lips immediately beaded with a round drop of blood.

Only then did Su Yan stop gnawing and tilted his head as he looked at the wound.

The drunk Su Yan’s brain was overloaded.

Lu Lin’s heart was beating extremely fast, and his steps almost became unsteady.

He was about to get a tissue to wipe it.

“Don’t move,” Su Yan said, puffing out his cheeks.

“I’ll take care of it. “

“It” referred to this pesky wound.

Su Yan climbed onto his shoulders and kissed Lu Lin again, smiling with his eyes narrowed.

“Pain pain fly away. “

Lu Lin’s mind almost exploded.

What happened today was too surreal.

He had never hoped for Su Yan’s affection.

Even a sliver of pity for him that slipped through his fingers could make him happy for days.

“Lu Lin, cook me some noodles. “

“I’m hungry. “

Su Yan had at some point sat back at the table.

He had done what he wanted to do, and his tail was wagging happily.

He gently shook his head.

‘Turns out kissing doesn’t feel too bad. ’

“Lu Lin, I want to kiss you again. “

“No, you can’t,” Lu Lin said, afraid that Su Yan would be disgusted the next day.

“Then I’ll eat noodles, that’s fine, right?”

Su Yan felt that Lu Lin really didn’t know what was good for him and turned his head away, not looking at him.

Lu Lin just took it as him being coy.

“Okay, but you can’t eat too much at night, or you won’t be able to sleep. “

Su Yan’s mouth fell slightly open, and he looked at Lu Lin in confusion.

He didn’t know Lu Lin was so talkative before.

He drew out the end of his sentence as if he were being coy.

“Lu Lin, you’re so naggy. “

****

Lu Lin only cooked one bowl of noodles.

He chose to sit at the table and watch Su Yan eat.

Su Yan ate very quickly, thanks to Lu Lin keeping his word and not cooking much.

He was a little dissatisfied but didn’t know what to say.

After eating, he lay directly on the sofa.

Lu Lin was a neat freak, but Su Yan was an exception.

He had quite a few mud spots on him, and even if Lu Lin didn’t mind, he still had to take a shower.

“Baby, the water is ready for you. “

“Come take a shower. “

“I’ve put your clothes there too,” Lu Lin said with a natural expression.

Although the scene from just now kept replaying in his mind, he still forced himself to remain calm.

Su Yan was sprawled on the sofa, unwilling to move an inch.

He said lazily, “I want you to wash me. “