Chapter 31
The other end hung up.
Lin Zheng listened to the busy signal, frowned in confusion, wondered who it was, couldn’t figure it out, and tossed his phone aside.
He sat up, picked up the bottle again, and called out, “Come on, let’s keep drinking.”
The remaining few resumed their drinking game.
The foreign guy who had suggested the striptease game earlier squatted at Lin Zheng’s feet with a bottle, put an arm on Lin Zheng’s leg, and continued to persuade him, “Zheng, come on, I dated an Asian girl before, she had amazing skin. I want to see if yours is the same.”
Even drunk, Lin Zheng wasn’t about to forget to retort inwardly, I’m not your girlfriend.
He pushed the hand off his leg, refusing, “No.”
The man persisted, “We do this all the time, it’s just guys.”
Lin Zheng slumped back, placing the bottle on the table, “But you said you liked me.”
The foreign guy propped himself up on the sofa beside Lin Zheng’s legs, reaching to take off his clothes, laughing, “Come on, don’t be shy.”
Lin Zheng’s mind felt bubbly. Leaning back on the sofa, his vision was blocked by the foreign guy’s upper body. He blinked, peering around the guy’s arm draped over the sofa’s back rest and his side.
Hm? A pair of walking shoes?
Looking higher.
Hm? A pair of long legs.
Heh, so long.
Then, his vision suddenly brightened.
Lin Zheng rubbed his eyes.
Lin Zheng thought he must be drunk, otherwise, why would he see Gu Lin here? A furious-looking Gu Lin.
He saw Gu Lin kick the foreign guy who’d suggested he take off his clothes to the floor, then looked at him coldly, asking, “Having fun?”
Having fun?
Gu Lin asked him if he was having fun?
Lin Zheng, with his hazy brain, thought carefully. Though the alcohol here was mediocre, drinking was fun. He happily nodded.
The foreign guy, holding his injured arm, got up from the floor, looked at the Asian man in disbelief, then walked over angrily, grabbing his collar, “Hey, do you want to die?”
Several others who weren’t completely drunk also gathered around.
Gu Lin looked at the person on the sofa clutching a bottle, then glanced at the foreign guy grabbing his collar, and asked, “Was it you who suggested the striptease game on the phone?”
The foreign guy shrugged and laughed, readily admitting, “Yes, it was me.”
Gu Lin stared coldly at him for a few seconds, then raised his hand, expression unchanged, and grabbed the wrist of the hand that had grabbed his collar. The guy’s face turned ugly, his hand trembling in pain. He was forced to release his grip.
“Crazy, let go! Let go!”
Gu Lin twisted the guy’s arm behind his back. A crack, followed by a heart-wrenching scream. Gu Lin slowly released his grip, his voice like ice, “The game is over.”
Then, he walked to the sofa, picked up the dazed person.
The man with the injured arm shouted at his companions, “Damn it, my arm is almost broken! You can’t let him off tonight!”
Gu Lin ignored him, his face cold as he walked towards the door carrying the person.
The others were about to follow when a group of bodyguards in suits and earphones walked into the private room, passing Gu Lin.
Seeing Gu Lin leave the bar, the waiting driver quickly opened the car door.
Gu Lin carried the person to the back seat, his face still cold.
The car quickly started.
Lin Zheng opened his eyes, looking at the person holding him. He looked at the tense face, then raised his index finger and poked it.
Gu Lin froze, then looked down at him.
Lin Zheng was leaning against Gu Lin’s chest, feeling warm. He pressed his face closer to Gu Lin’s chest and poked his face, “You’re too fierce, so scary.”
Gu Lin was speechless for a moment.
Then, Gu Lin narrowed his eyes.
He looked at Lin Zheng’s slightly wrinkled clothes, “You’re lucky. If you had really taken off your clothes, your fate, and theirs, wouldn’t have been so easy.”
Lin Zheng didn’t seem to understand, “Them? Who are they? And who are you?”
Seeing that the person didn’t recognize him, Gu Lin gritted his teeth, his voice heavy as he asked word by word, “You don’t know who I am?”
Lin Zheng suddenly smiled, moving his finger from his face to his nose, “I’m just kidding. I know, you’re Gu Lin.”
Hearing the answer, Gu Lin’s face softened slightly.
The car stopped in front of a hotel.
Gu Lin took him to a pre-booked room. The hotel sent a room service attendant to help take care of Lin Zheng, but Gu Lin refused. The bath was already prepared. He took Lin Zheng to the bathroom, wanting him to shower himself. But Lin Zheng refused, clinging to his clothes, unmovable. Finally, he squatted at Gu Lin’s feet, hugging his leg, saying he didn’t want to swim today.
Gu Lin rubbed his temples in frustration. He’d come to settle the score, but now he felt like he was taking care of a drunk child.
No, children don’t drink.
…Forget it, no shower, then no shower.
Gu Lin lifted him from the bathroom to the bed.
Gu Lin hadn’t rested properly for days, busy with work and searching for this person. Now that he had found him, he finally relaxed. But simultaneously, the accumulated fatigue hit him.
He didn’t expect to have a meaningful conversation with a drunkard; he just wanted to sleep.
But…
Gu Lin, lying in bed, looked at the person excitedly running around the bed like they were at the Olympics: “…”
Lin Zheng ran and waved at him, “Gu Lin, let’s exercise together! Exercise helps sleep! One, two, one! One, two, one!”
Gu Lin pressed his hand to his face and sighed deeply.
After running enough, Lin Zheng started rummaging through the wardrobe. Seeing it was empty, he collapsed onto Gu Lin’s bedside, pitifully asking, “Where’s my pajamas? Where’s my pajamas? I can’t sleep without pajamas!”
Lin Zheng searched everywhere for his pajamas, turning the place upside down, but still couldn’t find them. So, he decided not to sleep.
He jumped onto the bed, then sat on Gu Lin, grabbing his neck to make him drink, “Drink, drink! Let’s drink together! Where’s the alcohol? Give me alcohol!” He was singing.
Gu Lin wanted to throw him out.
But he was afraid of losing him.
Seeing that Gu Lin hadn’t opened his eyes, Lin Zheng realized he’d been choking Gu Lin’s neck. Tears welled up in his eyes, he cried, begging Gu Lin not to die. He pressed his hands on Gu Lin’s chest, performing CPR. After a while, he put his head on Gu Lin’s chest to listen to his heartbeat, then continued to cry and perform CPR.
It was just a lonely listening.
Gu Lin rubbed his temples in frustration, then reached out, pulled the person off, turned him over, held Lin Zheng’s head against his chest, his voice tired, “Here, listen carefully, there’s a heartbeat.”
Lin Zheng heard the strong, rhythmic heartbeat close to his ear, feeling it was amazing that Gu Lin was still alive. He exclaimed, “Oh! I can really hear it! And it’s beating really fast!”
As if to double-check, he listened again, “It’s really beating fast!” He raised his arm, gave Gu Lin a thumbs up, “Really healthy!”
Gu Lin grasped his wrist and placed his arm by his side.
Holding someone you like, anyone’s heartbeat will speed up.
Especially if the person is someone you both love and hate.
A few seconds later, Gu Lin suddenly opened his eyes.
Lin Zheng had reached into his bathrobe, his cool hand on his abdomen.
Lin Zheng touched the clearly defined muscles, like an old man appraising, “Yo, young man, your abs feel great.”
Gu Lin’s Adam’s apple bobbed.
After touching his abs, Lin Zheng’s hand started to move restlessly upward, “Yo yo, your pecs are well-trained too.”
He even poked them experimentally, muttering, “Mm mm, not bad, not bad.”
Gu Lin quickly grabbed Lin Zheng’s still rising hand, his voice hoarse, “Stop that, or you’ll be sleeping on the sofa.”
He was trying his best to restrain himself.
Lin Zheng had to comply, “Okay.”
But just before Gu Lin took his hand out of the bathrobe, he couldn’t help but run his hand over Gu Lin’s pectorals one last time.
Gu Lin: “…”
To prevent Lin Zheng from getting restless in his sleep, Gu Lin wrapped his arms tightly around him.
Lin Zheng struggled, “Too tight.”
Gu Lin’s breath was on Lin Zheng’s head, “Bear with it.”
Gu Lin frowned, as if afraid the person would run away again, tightened his arms, his tone unpleasant, “We’ll settle this tomorrow morning.”
Because of their height difference, Lin Zheng felt completely enveloped in Gu Lin’s arms. It was hot, and with the alcohol, his head felt hot as well.
He closed his eyes drowsily. It must have been a dream, the heat was all from the alcohol. But why did he dream of Gu Lin?
A cool breeze blew in from the window, slightly lifting the sheer curtains. Gu Lin on the bed slowly woke up, glancing back. It was still dark, but there was a hint of light in the distance.
It was still early.
Gu Lin breathed lightly, withdrew his gaze, and wanted to see how the person in his arms was sleeping. But as soon as he turned his head, his eyes froze.
His mind instantly cleared.
Where was the person in his arms?
The person in his arms had become a pillow.
Gu Lin gritted his teeth, as if about to crush the pillow, “Lin… Zheng!”
Outside.
In the twilight, on a deserted street with only a few people.
Lin Zheng ran towards his original accommodation as if running for his life, afraid of Gu Lin catching up, frequently looking back.
Crazy, he’s gone crazy!
Saying that seeing Gu Lin was a dream!
It wasn’t a dream at all!
He remembered everything he did to Gu Lin last night!
Lin Zheng wouldn’t forget what happened after getting drunk, no matter how much he drank.
Gu Lin said he would settle the score with him this morning!
He also remembered how fierce Gu Lin was last night!
Lin Zheng swallowed hard.
He would die if he got caught.
Running around the corner ahead, maybe he would be lucky enough to find a car.
Lin Zheng saw hope.
But just as he was about to turn the corner, his arm was grabbed.
He turned his head and saw Gu Lin’s furious face.
Lin Zheng’s eyes widened.
At almost the same moment, his arm was pulled back hard, and he was pulled into a cold embrace.
Gu Lin held his lower back with one hand and raised his chin with the other, leaning over to cover his lips.
Lin Zheng managed to make a muffled sound.
Gu Lin’s kiss was far from gentle, even a bit fierce.
He pushed Gu Lin’s chest, but it only resulted in an even more unbearable kiss.
His chin was held by Gu Lin, he couldn’t move his mouth away.
After what seemed like a long time, he tasted blood in his mouth, his mouth numb. Gu Lin finally released him.
Lin Zheng’s eyes were watery, his cheeks and nose flushed.
The blood wasn’t his, he hadn’t bitten Gu Lin.
Gu Lin breathed heavily, a trace of blood on his lower lip. He moved his hand from Lin Zheng’s chin to the back of his neck, his eyes fixed on him, his expression serious, “If I could, I’d really like to find a place to lock you up.”
Author’s Note: Little Lin Zheng: “No way!”