Chapter 51 part 1
Lin Zheng didn’t realize his shirt had slipped off his shoulder until Gu Lin pulled it back into place for him. After Gu Lin took his hand back, he raised his own hand to re-adjust his clothes.
His entire face was flushed.
I was so embarrassed I could die.
That was the only thought in Lin Zheng’s mind at that moment.
Even though it was covered by his shirt, the feeling of Gu Lin’s fingers accidentally brushing against his skin was still clearly left on the area above his chest.
Lin Zheng continued to look out the window.
If he had been acting awkward on purpose before, now he was genuinely just too embarrassed to look at him.
His relationship with Gu Lin was in a sensitive phase, with an indistinct line separating them. This line was their shared personal space, and once either of them accidentally stepped over it, they would both fall into that dangerous territory.
Lin Zheng closed his eyes and took a breath.
Then, feigning a nonchalant expression, he said, “Gu Lin, I think I’m a little hungry. Weren’t you going to cook? You go ahead. I’ll rest for a bit and then come downstairs.”
His gaze still did not meet Gu Lin’s.
“You don’t need me to stay with you?” Gu Lin asked.
Lin Zheng turned his head back, his facial expression now perfectly adjusted to a casual look. He waved his hand. “No need! It’s not a big deal. Just like I told Assistant Shen, I’m fine on my own. It would be no problem at all even if you didn’t come back tonight!”
Lin Zheng didn’t just say it; to prove he was really fine, he threw off the covers and prepared to get out of bed to show Gu Lin.
Instead, he missed his step and landed on the smooth floor beside his shoes. The chill from the cold floor made Lin Zheng’s foot timidly retreat, and without any dignity, he scrambled back into the covers in a second.
He had underestimated his condition. He was only wearing a very thin top, and being sick had made him extremely sensitive to temperature. Rushing out of the warm covers like that made his entire body feel as if it had plunged into an ice cave.
Gu Lin raised a hand to his forehead, finding the situation amusing.
Lin Zheng re-wrapped himself tightly in the quilt.
I give up, I give up. My problems are still very big, and I don’t want to try anything rash again.
Gu Lin walked over and tucked the edges of the quilt more securely around Lin Zheng, then asked again, “Are you really sure you don’t need me to stay with you?”
Lin Zheng, wrapped in the quilt, nodded, his cheeks rosy from the fever. At this moment, Lin Zheng looked incredibly obedient.
Gu Lin was completely charmed.
“Alright, then I’ll go make you dinner,” Gu Lin said. As he stood up, he asked, “What do you want to eat? Century Egg and Lean Pork Congee? Or Eight-Treasure Congee?”
“I don’t want congee. I want some roasted chicken wings. And if it’s possible, some french fries too,” Lin Zheng said in a serious tone.
“…”
When other people got sick, they lost their appetite and couldn’t eat. When Lin Zheng got sick, his stomach had become a lot pickier.
But Gu Lin didn’t indulge him this time. He said, “No, you can’t have a single piece of fried food until you’re completely over your cold.”
Lin Zheng’s eyes, already looking as though they were veiled with a misty layer from his illness, now seemed to carry an added layer of injustice at Gu Lin’s words.
But no matter how wronged he looked, Gu Lin didn’t budge. Ignoring Lin Zheng’s suggestions, he made him a bowl of nourishing congee instead—a sweet one.
Lin Zheng liked sweet things.
After he had eaten his fill, Lin Zheng lay in bed and stretched. He turned his head to look out the window. Through the large glass pane, he saw the brightly lit houses and realized it had gotten dark without him noticing.
He shifted his gaze slightly to look at Gu Lin, who was standing by the window.
“I have something important to deal with here. I won’t be able to go to the company until tomorrow afternoon. Mmm, I’ll take care of the issues with the partner company tonight. Call me anytime if there are any updates.”
Seeing Gu Lin hang up the phone, Lin Zheng seemed to snap back to reality and quickly looked away.
After ending the call, Gu Lin went to the sofa and sat down. He picked up the book he had been reading and was about to continue when he noticed Lin Zheng sitting on the bed, hesitating to speak.
As the time they spent together increased, Gu Lin had slowly come to understand Lin Zheng’s temperament.
Just like now, if Lin Zheng sat motionless but wasn’t staring into space, even if his gaze was fixed on something else, it usually meant he had something he wanted to say.
Gu Lin simply closed the book. If he waited for Lin Zheng to speak up on his own, it might take all night, so he took the initiative and asked, “What do you want to say?”
Startled by the question, Lin Zheng shifted a bit. He then ran a hand over the back of his ear before looking at Gu Lin and asking, “Are you still really busy?”
“Not really. Compared to the last two days, it’s not that busy anymore.”
“Oh, okay.” Lin Zheng nodded. He remembered what Yan Yang had told him before. He thought for a moment, then said, “I heard from Yan Yang that you didn’t approve my resignation request?”
Gu Lin was silent for a few seconds before answering, “Yeah.”
Regarding Lin Zheng’s resignation request, when Gu Lin had first seen it, he had rejected it without a second thought. He had just learned that Lin Zheng’s plan to leave had been long in the making, and then he saw Lin Zheng’s cold, impersonal, and rigid resignation letter. A fire instantly flared in his chest. He felt betrayed. To be honest, if Lin Zheng’s resignation had been a physical letter, Gu Lin had no doubt he would have torn it to pieces on the spot.
Thinking about it now, he had definitely been impulsive. Gu Lin had always been calm in the face of trouble. In his entire life, that was the only time he had unintentionally crossed his line, making him do things he would never normally do.
Whether it was falling in love with someone, or doing something impulsive for their sake.
Remembering these things, Gu Lin took a deep breath.
But luckily, he had found Lin Zheng before he could completely lose control.
Although the process had been difficult, he had still managed to bring him back.
Gu Lin looked at the man sitting obediently on the bed he used to sleep on. The quilt Lin Zheng was wrapped in and the pillow he was leaning on were all things he had used. Lin Zheng was completely surrounded by his belongings. It was as if Lin Zheng was waiting in his arms. It might sound a little strange, but Gu Lin genuinely felt a deep sense of peace.
He wanted Lin Zheng to be steeped in more of his scent. He wanted Lin Zheng to touch more of his things.
He had opened up his entire world, but only to Lin Zheng.
Just Lin Zheng was enough.
Just him alone was enough.
Lin Zheng became uncomfortable under Gu Lin’s gaze. He didn’t want to ask the obvious question of why Gu Lin hadn’t approved his resignation. Maybe he couldn’t have understood before, but now he was completely clear on the reason: because Gu Lin liked him. Regardless of the emotions Gu Lin had been feeling at the time, when it came down to it, it was all because he liked him.
Lin Zheng could figure it out.
What he wanted to ask was: “Gu Lin, what if I come back to work? I’ve rested enough, and staying at home all the time is boring. Even if I can’t be much help to you, if there’s any way I can be useful, I hope I can at least do a little to help you.”
Lin Zheng finished sincerely, waiting for Gu Lin’s answer.
But Gu Lin replied, “No.”
Lin Zheng: “…?”
Lin Zheng had assumed that the reason Gu Lin had kept his application was so that he could come back to the company. He had never expected Gu Lin to reject him without a moment’s hesitation.
Lin Zheng was puzzled. “Why?”
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