Chapter 33 PART 1
Lin Ya called. Lin Zheng answered, and Lin Ya’s voice came from the other end, “Lin Zheng, where are you? Haven’t you left yet?”
Lin Zheng had arranged to meet Lin Ya around 10 am. The banquet was all day, starting in the morning, with guests arriving gradually because it fell on a weekend.
Lin Zheng sat on the bed, glancing at the person standing before him.
It was all Gu Lin’s fault. He said there was still time, and persuaded him to sleep in. Now it was almost noon.
To be fair, after a good sleep despite his fatigue, he felt truly awake, the tiredness completely gone.
Lin Zheng said to Lin Ya on the phone, “Sorry, Lin Ya, I’ll probably be another hour.”
Lin Ya chuckled, “No worries, I just wanted to check on you. There are still many guests on their way, you can take your time.”
“Mm-hmm.”
“By the way, where are you now?”
Without thinking, Lin Zheng gave her his address.
Lin Ya said, “That’s a coincidence! A friend of mine is nearby. I remember you don’t drive. If you’re ready, I’ll have him pick you up.”
Lin Zheng felt embarrassed, “That’s too much trouble, it’s okay, no need.”
Besides, there was someone else preparing to leave with him, and they had a car.
Lin Ya generously offered, “Not at all, my friend is very nice, single, and super handsome! You two can get to know each other, hehe.”
Yesterday, Lin Zheng accidentally revealed his sexual orientation. He thought Lin Ya would just let it go, but she not only didn’t but started matchmaking for him.
Hearing “super handsome,” Lin Zheng on the bed immediately perked up. But seeing the person beside him, he slumped again. He coughed, and refused again, “No need, Lin Ya.”
“Oh, don’t be polite. There are very few cars where you are. That’s settled then. I’ll send you my friend’s number. I’ll have him contact you later.”
“Hey, Lin Ya…”
Lin Ya didn’t give Lin Zheng a chance to object. She said, “I’ll contact my friend now,” and hung up.
Lin Zheng looked at Gu Lin and sighed, feigning helplessness, “This isn’t my choice.”
However, his heart was overjoyed.
Unexpectedly, I’m getting out of here, and I don’t even have to go with you.
Gu Lin was wearing casual suit today. The well-fitting clothes showed off his excellent shoulder-to-hip ratio even more. Without a tie, his collar was casually open, revealing a smoothly contoured collarbone. His chest was slightly taut, hinting at the muscles beneath. His long legs were encased in finely tailored trousers. He exuded hormones constantly.
Gu Lin was rolling up his shirt sleeves. Hearing Lin Zheng, he looked up.
Lin Zheng shifted his gaze from Gu Lin’s body upwards, meeting Gu Lin’s eyes, then shrugged helplessly.
A second later, Gu Lin’s phone rang.
Gu Lin picked up the phone and answered, smiling at Lin Zheng, “Oh, let me pick up your friend from earlier? Of course. Okay, I’ll take him with me later.”
Lin Zheng was stunned.
Gu Lin hung up, found a number and called, a smile on his face the whole time.
Lin Zheng’s phone rang. He picked it up, bewildered. Gu Lin’s voice came from both in front of him and the phone, “Hello, I’m Lin Ya’s friend. I’ll be picking you up to go to the banquet later. Let me know when you’re ready.”
Lin Zheng: …
It wasn’t far-fetched. He should have known.
He was Lin Ya’s friend, and Gu Lin was too.
He was here, and Gu Lin was here.
He was delusional.
A second later, Lin Zheng buried his face in the pillow, whining, “I’m not going, I’m not going. You go ahead, I want to sleep a bit more.”
“Who said we had to leave early? Why don’t you want to go now?”
“I don’t know, it wasn’t me.”
“Are you being stubborn?”
“I’m not being stubborn, I’m just sleepy.”
Gu Lin humorously took the pillow from Lin Zheng’s grip, lifting him from the bed and carrying him to the bathroom, “Alright, weren’t you just feeling energetic? Enough with the tantrums, wash up properly. You reek of alcohol, it’s disgusting.”
Lin Zheng, squatting on the bathroom floor, looked up at the person beside him and glared: …
Lin Zheng shooed Gu Lin out, then sniffed his clothes; there was indeed a smell.
He needed to shower.
Lin Zheng stripped and climbed into the bathtub.
The warmth spread through his limbs as he soaked in the hot water. Looking at his free hands, he felt blissfully happy.
The bath ball created ripples on the surface, filling the bathroom with a fresh citrus scent.
Seeing the rubber ducky by the tub, he thought it must be a family room. He played with the ducky for a while, then got out, putting on a bathrobe and slippers.
Lin Zheng’s hair was soft and noticeably flatter when wet. He roughly dried it with a towel, about to change, when he remembered his luggage was at the hotel Zhao Yi booked for him.
Gu Lin placed a set of clothes in front of him, “Wear mine for now, you can change back after you get your luggage.”
Lin Zheng sat on the bed, draped the towel over his head, and picked up the clothes, holding them high.
Looking at the T-shirt, which was several sizes too large, he tilted his head and looked at Gu Lin from the side, “It’s so big.”
The pants were too, he’d have to roll them up several times.
Gu Lin narrowed his eyes slightly, then said, “I don’t mind if you go out in your bathrobe, just stay away from me.”
Lin Zheng: …
Did he need to be so obvious about his disapproval?
Lin Zheng imagined himself walking out of the hotel in a bathrobe. It was too much, he couldn’t bear to think about it. Those who knew would know he had no clothes; those who didn’t would think he was heartbroken and crazy.
He finally dashed into the bathroom with Gu Lin’s clothes.
Before leaving, Lin Zheng seemed to see Gu Lin holding something. But before he could get a better look, Gu Lin put it away.
They went to the hotel where Lin Zheng’s luggage was. Lin Zheng squatted by his suitcase, searching for clothes. Gu Lin leaned against the doorframe, watching him, then scanned the room, asking, “Is this the room Zhao Yi booked for you?”
Lin Zheng nodded, then realized and asked, “How did you know?”
Gu Lin walked in, looking at the neatly made bed, casually replying, “I guessed.”
Gu Lin knew Zhao Yi was helping Lin Zheng hide from him. He took Lin Zheng’s luggage the day he moved in, but he didn’t expect Zhao Yi to put Lin Zheng so far away.
Was it to prevent him from finding Lin Zheng?
…How boring.
Lin Zheng knew Gu Lin came to reprimand him, but involving Zhao Yi wasn’t good. He said, “Zhao Yi just booked it for me because he didn’t want me to be troubled. After all, I’m unfamiliar with this place.”
Gu Lin said, “You mean, he takes good care of you?”
Lin Zheng didn’t see any problem, “Taking care of a friend is normal.”
“Friend?” Gu Lin slowly asked, “When did you become friends?”
Lin Zheng was taken aback. Gu Lin seemed like a girlfriend suspecting her boyfriend of cheating. He immediately stopped him, “Anyway, nothing’s going on between us.”
That was true. Zhao Yi was like a younger brother to him. His fondness for Zhao Yi was partly because he treated him as a younger brother.
Lin Zheng found a suitable outfit, not too formal, not too casual.
He stood up, about to change, when Gu Lin stopped him.
He turned around, “What?”
Gu Lin approached and took the shirt from his hand.
Lin Zheng was puzzled: “?”
Gu Lin said, “Keep the shirt you’re wearing.”
Lin Zheng: ??
Lin Zheng tugged at the T-shirt, “No, it doesn’t fit.”
It was Gu Lin’s shirt, several sizes too large.
Gu Lin glanced at it, rolled up the sleeves, tucked the front into his pants, took a hat from his suitcase, put it on Lin Zheng’s head, and gestured for him to look in the mirror.
Lin Zheng turned to the mirror. The oversized T-shirt look worked surprisingly well. He looked at himself, thinking he looked pretty handsome.
On their last business trip, Lin Zheng had noticed that Gu Lin had excellent taste in clothes and a keen eye for style.
He adjusted his hat, looking at Gu Lin in the mirror, asking if wearing a hat to the banquet would be strange.
Gu Lin said, “Don’t worry, it’s not as formal as you think.”
Gu Lin’s casual tone suggested a long-standing acquaintance with Lin Ya’s family. Lin Zheng had long been curious about their relationship.
“You ask about our relationship?” Gu Lin thought for a moment. “Junior high and high school classmates. And Rick, I met him after work.”
So they were junior high and high school classmates! Lin Zheng thought, no wonder Lin Ya thought he looked familiar. During Gu Lin’s junior high and high school years, the original owner had often appeared before Gu Lin due to his brother, though not frequently, probably occasionally.
Since Lin Ya was Gu Lin’s junior high and high school classmate, it wasn’t surprising she found him familiar.
A friend he met abroad was also Gu Lin’s friend.
While marveling at the strange coincidence, Lin Zheng thought that Gu Lin probably got his number from Lin Ya, explaining why he knew and called.
And judging by Lin Ya’s current attitude towards them, she probably didn’t know their relationship yet.
It was better that way; otherwise, it would be a long story to explain.
Lin Zheng went into the bathroom and changed into his own pants. He tried to tuck in his shirt like Gu Lin did, but couldn’t achieve the same effect. He repeatedly tucked and untucked it, repeatedly revealing a small patch of his waist.
Gu Lin, beside him, shifted his gaze, hiding the emotions in his eyes.
The time to leave with Lin Ya was approaching. Unable to manage the shirt, Lin Zheng simply tucked the entire front into his pants and pulled it slightly outwards.
He looked at himself in the mirror. Although different from Gu Lin’s styling, it still looked quite stylish.
Perfect.
He tidied up and prepared to leave.
Lin Zheng sat on the bed, neatly folding the scattered clothes. Just as he was about to close his suitcase, his phone rang.
The caller ID was strikingly clear—Zhao Yi.
Lin Zheng knew Gu Lin had feelings for Zhao Yi, but he didn’t want to involve Zhao Yi, so he tried to hang up before Gu Lin noticed and call Zhao Yi back later.
But before his fingers touched the phone, Gu Lin snatched it.
Lin Zheng: “!?”
Gu Lin sat down beside him and asked, “Answer it?”
Knowing Gu Lin’s intention, Lin Zheng quickly shook his head.
Gu Lin smirked, “Answer it, what if it’s urgent?”
Gu Lin pressed the speakerphone.
Before Gu Lin could speak, Zhao Yi said, “Lin Zheng-ge, where were you last night? I went to your hotel, but you weren’t there. Are you mad at me?”
Hearing this, Lin Zheng reached for the phone, whispering, “Give me the phone,” but Gu Lin leaned back, raising the phone out of reach. Lin Zheng pressed against him and tried to reach it.
Lin Zheng tried to stand on the bed, but Gu Lin saw through him, pulling him by the waist. Lin Zheng fell into Gu Lin’s arms.
Gu Lin held the phone in one hand and held Lin Zheng in the other, smiling at him.
Their position was more ambiguous than a simple embrace, with Gu Lin’s hand firmly on his waist, making Lin Zheng’s ears redden.
Zhao Yi continued, “Lin Zheng-ge, I’m sorry. I said you could stay at my place, but something happened at home, so you had to stay at the hotel. Don’t worry, once I solve things, I’ll take you back.”
Gu Lin put the phone to his ear, avoiding Lin Zheng’s hand, and said, “Sorry, the situation you want to resolve is currently with your Lin Zheng-ge.”
Zhao Yi seemed stunned.
Gu Lin added, “Also, your Lin Zheng-ge is currently blushing and clinging to me. Be sensible and don’t disturb us.”
Lin Zheng couldn’t take it anymore, shouting, “Gu Lin!”
But Gu Lin covered his mouth, muffling his voice.
“Did you hear your Lin Zheng-ge’s voice? Since you’re a good little brother,” Gu Lin emphasized “good little brother,” then said sternly, “Don’t disturb your brother’s love life.”
Then he hung up.
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