Chapter 72: “It Hurts, Let Go!”: “Begging Won’t Help.” part 1
Tang Xingye wasn’t a fool. He naturally sensed Lin Mo’s distinct attitude toward him.
He hated the scent of mint on Lin Mo, hated the condescending attitude of the wealthy, and hated their vastly different lives. He had once maliciously speculated about Lin Mo’s actions, interpreting them as Lin Mo looking down on him. Because of the car accident, he didn’t hate Lin Mo as much anymore; he even felt a sense of guilt.
But… why had Lin Mo’s attitude suddenly shifted? Why was he being so good to him? What return did he want?
Tang Xingye stared into Lin Mo’s eyes, blinking rapidly. He paused slightly, connecting the strange question to the situation, and the answer cleared like lifting fog.
Was he expecting someone to invite him to dance?
Tang Xingye felt confused.
But seeing Lin Mo’s pupils constrict slightly, Tang Xingye knew he had guessed correctly. He was certain this was the “return” Lin Mo wanted.
Those beautiful pupils looked over, and in that moment, Lin Mo’s breathing almost stagnated. He gazed at Tang Xingye, whose glazed eyes reflected the figure in the white mask. Instantly, the beast in his chest was soothed.
He had touched the moon.
The real moon.
He could feel the cool body temperature and the delicate texture coming from his fingertips.
His desire satisfied, pleasure surfaced in Lin Mo’s eyes, and a smile spilled from the corners of his lips. He looked to be in a very good mood.
Tang Xingye: “…”
What was he laughing at? Was having someone dance with him that exciting?
Appearing on the usually unsmiling Lin Mo, this expression was too eerie. Tang Xingye shivered imperceptibly, trying to shake off the goosebumps. Before he could finish, Lin Mo grasped his arm.
The faint, fresh scent of mint wrapped around his breath, falling like a thin veil. Tang Xingye struggled, confused, but was held firm. “Don’t bump into the cart.”
Tang Xingye blinked. An obstacle had appeared in his field of vision; he had been distracted and hadn’t noticed it. He whispered a thank you.
Lin Mo’s gaze wandered over Tang Xingye’s face, capturing every second of his blinking expressions and emotional changes, wanting to carve this warm, beautiful dream deeply into his heart.
Even the harassment hadn’t made Tang Xingye submit. Only the guilt from the car accident showed a faint trend of softening him. Whenever the threat of a rival appeared, his gaze would glance toward him.
If he wasn’t careful, other covetous people would swarm up, and he would be ignored.
Lin Mo concluded that he should make Tang Xingye feel both guilt and threat.
His expression suddenly turned gloomy. The scorching gazes from all around were glued to Tang Xingye, wishing they could press their eyeballs against him to examine him closely.
Whispered exclamations reached his ears. A trace of cold gloom flashed through his dark eyes; even wearing a mask couldn’t stop others from coveting him.
Just as they reached the edge of the dance floor, Tang Xingye suddenly stopped, his body swaying imperceptibly.
Lin Mo noticed immediately, his grip on the hand tightening slightly. “What’s wrong?”
“…”
Tang Xingye: “Sprained my ankle.”
A dense, dull pain spread from his ankle. unstable, he leaned against Lin Mo, whose muscles suddenly stiffened.
He let go of Lin Mo’s arm and apologized quickly, “I’ll go rest a bit, you go find someone else…”
Before he could finish, Tang Xingye tried to walk on his own. As soon as his left foot touched the ground, it hurt. He couldn’t help drawing a very sharp breath, unaware that even more gazes had stopped on him.
The tails of his eyes were wet and red, and his long eyelashes trembled uncontrollably. He looked like a butterfly drenched in rain, revealing a fragility bordering on brokenness.
Lin Mo didn’t wait for Tang Xingye to finish. He directly half-carried, half-supported him toward the infirmary.
“Aren’t you going to continue dancing?” Tang Xingye asked in a low voice.
“Don’t talk.” Lin Mo’s voice came from right next to his ear, the hand against his waist tightening. “Come with me to the infirmary.”
Tang Xingye was puzzled. His gaze fell on the black gloves. Wasn’t Lin Mo very resistant to physical touch? Had he been desensitized?
Despite the doubts in his heart, Tang Xingye quietly shut his mouth.
Leaving the hall, a heatwave from outside hit them. Tang Xingye felt stifled and realized the mask was still on his face, so he raised his hand to take it off.
Lin Mo’s eyes glanced back. His slender fingers slid into the jet-black hair, fingertips gently brushing past the slightly messy sideburns. The movement was so natural, as if he were merely helping him tidy up stray hairs.
Tang Xingye didn’t detect the deep meaning hidden in that glance; he just tilted his head slightly.
Not far away, Ji Chen narrowed his eyes. The dim light and the interlacing crowd obstructed his vision. He couldn’t immediately recognize who the person half-supported in Lin Mo’s arms was, but a trace of suspicion involuntarily floated in his heart. Since when was there a Beta around Lin Mo that he would protect like that?
Just then, Tang Xingye turned his face slightly. The light swept over the red-rimmed tails of his eyes and his familiar profile.
Ji Chen’s gaze instantly sank.
He instantly understood the meaning of Lin Mo’s seemingly casual glance and that possessive gesture.
Did Tang Xingye know? Or was he also…
Ji Chen remembered looking through Tang Xingye’s unknown alternate account logs; reading between the lines, there wasn’t a single trace of special attention toward Lin Mo.
So what was this now?
“It’s not very serious, just apply some medicine.” The nurse on duty checked the injury. Seeing the flushed face, she handed the ointment toward Tang Xingye, but suddenly changed direction and gave it to Lin Mo standing beside him. “Sober him up first, so he doesn’t roll off the bed later.”
Tang Xingye frowned, refuting that he wasn’t drunk. The nurse fetched a mirror and held it in front of him. The person in the mirror had wet, red-rimmed eyes, a scattered gaze, and even his breathing carried an unnatural warmth. Tang Xingye was momentarily speechless.
After the nurse left, Tang Xingye looked at Lin Mo’s hands, still clad in black gloves. Knowing his germaphobia, he said considerately, “Give it to me.”
Lin Mo didn’t respond. He squatted silently. The slender ankle was fair, with dark blue veins winding through it. A glaring bruise was settling around the ankle bone, highlighting a sense of fragility.
Lin Mo’s fingertips paused imperceptibly before he continued moving. He lifted the ankle, and then, surprisingly, took off his gloves and threw them aside.
Cool fingertips dipped in ointment grasped the slender ankle at once. His technique was steady, but the force wasn’t light, rubbing the sprained area circle by circle, as if trying to push the bruised blood away.
Tang Xingye drew a light breath, his toes curling up involuntarily.
He felt the body temperature from the gripping hand becoming increasingly hot. The numbing, ticklish sensation seemed to last for a long time.
“That’s enough medicine.” Tang Xingye’s eyelashes trembled as he lifted his eyelids to look at Lin Mo, his meaning for the other to let go very obvious.
“Rub it a bit more, it’ll be more comfortable when you sleep later.” Lin Mo’s tone and expression didn’t change much.
That indescribable weirdness surfaced in Tang Xingye’s heart again. He turned his head away, avoiding looking at Lin Mo.
Only when he was released did Tang Xingye slowly retract his foot and say thank you.
From the bedside, Lin Mo smiled faintly under Tang Xingye’s astonished gaze.
Tang Xingye lowered his eyes. “You should go back quickly, I’m sleepy.”
“Mn.” Lin Mo poured him a glass of water and placed it on the table. “I’ll come over to see you later.”
“No need to come.” Tang Xingye was baffled. With Lin Mo’s cautious attitude, one would think his leg was broken.
The infirmary door closed. A faint mint scent lingered in the air. Tang Xingye closed his eyes to rest.
The red and blue ambulance lights didn’t appear before his eyes again. The noisy human voices, the sharp screech of brakes, the sound of shattering glass—all vanished.
All the echoes of the past were strangely silent at this moment.
…
Professor Ye: [Put aside the work on hand recently and prepare to attend the academic annual meeting.]
Professor Ye explained the items in detail and repeatedly instructed: remember to get the invoice, get the invoice, get the invoice.
After Tang Xingye replied briefly, a message from Ji Chen popped up.
Ji Chen: [How’s your injury?]
Tang Xingye: [You’re predicting the future again?]
Ji Chen: [Why not say our hearts are in sync?]
Tang Xingye: [You’re a roundworm in my gut, you should know what I’m thinking.]
Ji Chen: […Can’t you use a romantic expression? Fine, I saw it.]
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