Chapter 43
Gu Lin froze, and then his voice dropped. “…What?”
Lin Zheng told him everything that had happened at the gym—how the trainer had deliberately touched his arm, how he had stood too close behind him, pressing in. He explained how disgusted he had felt, how he’d finally thrown down the dumbbells, ready to fight the guy.
Gu Lin just listened. He waited until Lin Zheng had finished, until all the pent-up emotions were out, before he raised a hand to cup Lin Zheng’s face. “He didn’t hurt you, did he?”
His voice was gentle, but anyone who saw the look in his eyes—which Lin Zheng, with his head down, did not—would have seen the flash of displeasure.
Gu Lin’s palm was large and warm, chasing the chill from Lin Zheng’s cheeks.
Lin Zheng shook his head. “He didn’t hurt me.”
It was a good thing the trainer hadn’t hurt him. Given his temper, Lin Zheng knew that if the man had actually laid a hand on him, he wouldn’t have let it go so easily. He would have fought tooth and nail to put that trainer in the hospital.
After venting, Lin Zheng felt a weight lift from his chest, as if the dark clouds in his mind had parted to let the sun through.
Gu Lin comforted him, his hand moving to gently stroke his hair. “You should have told me right away. Why did you wait so long?”
“I didn’t think it was a big deal at first,” Lin Zheng explained. “I was just annoyed.”
But the incident had festered in his mind, and the moment he saw Gu Lin appear before him, it was as if it had fermented to the perfect point. He couldn’t hold it in any longer; it just burst out.
Lin Zheng suddenly felt like a little kid who had been bullied at school and had run home to tattle to his parents. And now, after being comforted, the anger and sense of grievance were slowly fading away.
Ignoring the stares of passersby, Gu Lin pulled him into his arms again, his long fingers gently stroking the soft hair at the nape of Lin Zheng’s neck. “Let’s go home.”
Lin Zheng nodded quietly against Gu Lin’s chest. A little kid, then. Today, he just wanted to be a little kid.
Gu Lin had driven himself. On the back seat was a thick stack of documents. He had probably intended to bring his work home, only to find Lin Zheng wasn’t there. Then, before he could even rest, Lin Zheng’s call had sent him driving right back out again.
Lin Zheng glanced at the time. If Gu Lin wasn’t out on business, his afternoon work hours started at two. It was already one o’clock. After the forty-minute drive home, Gu Lin would have to turn right around and head back to the company.
The thought that Gu Lin probably hadn’t even had a bite of lunch made Lin Zheng feel incredibly selfish.
He remembered the cake he had brought from the restaurant. He took it out of his bag. The slice of cream cake was nestled in a delicate box. “Gu Lin, do you want some of this?” he asked.
It was small, something that could be eaten quickly but would still offer a bit of sustenance.
Gu Lin glanced over and recognized the box from the restaurant. Knowing Lin Zheng’s love for sweets and seeing the shape of the box, he already knew what it was.
He wasn’t so hungry that he would snatch away something Lin Zheng liked. Besides, he didn’t care for sweets. But seeing the sincere hope in Lin Zheng’s eyes, the wish for him to have a proper bite, Gu Lin’s heart stirred, and he nodded.
A smile lit up Lin Zheng’s face.
Gu Lin pulled the car over to the side of the road. Lin Zheng opened the box, took out the small fork, and offered both to Gu Lin. But Gu Lin didn’t take them. He simply leaned his head closer, as if waiting for Lin Zheng to feed him.
Their eyes met, and they just looked at each other for a moment.
Then, Gu Lin smiled first. “Aren’t you going to feed me?”
Lin Zheng’s fingers tightened on the box. “You… want me to feed you?” he asked, confused.
Gu Lin gestured with his left hand, which was still on the steering wheel, as if to say his hands were occupied.
The car was already parked. Lin Zheng couldn’t understand why he still needed to grip the steering wheel, but thinking about how Gu Lin had just comforted him, he thought, It’s just feeding him a piece of cake. It’s a simple thing. I can do it.
Lin Zheng picked up the fork, scooping up a bit of cream and cake base, and generously included the single large strawberry from the top. He leaned over and brought the fork to Gu Lin’s lips.
But Gu Lin didn’t eat it. Instead, he took hold of Lin Zheng’s hand, guided it back, and popped the single strawberry into Lin Zheng’s mouth.
The strawberry was bitten into, and Lin Zheng, still processing, could only blink his wide, innocent eyes.
A smile bloomed in Gu Lin’s eyes.
Then, he ate the remaining cream and cake from the fork.
The realization that Gu Lin had not only used the fork he had just used but had also eaten the food he hadn’t finished sent a rush of heat to Lin Zheng’s face, as if it had been scorched by fire.
“It’s very good,” Gu Lin complimented. “But one bite is enough. You can save the rest and eat it slowly when we get home.”
Gu Lin looked at the fork in Lin Zheng’s hand, and as if remembering something, he smiled. “But, I’ve used this fork now. If you mind, like you did before, you can use one from home when we get back.”
Although he was smiling, his words were sincere, taking Lin Zheng’s feelings into consideration. Because it was Lin Zheng, he didn’t mind such things. But just because he didn’t mind didn’t mean he would force Lin Zheng not to mind either. Love wasn’t about coercion; it was about acceptance and mutual understanding.
It took a long moment after Gu Lin spoke for Lin Zheng to realize that “before” was a long time ago. He had just arrived in this world back then. The first time Gu Lin had taken him on a date, he had pretended to feed him with his own chopsticks, but it was just a tease—he had actually used a clean, spare pair.
Lin Zheng had to admit, Gu Lin did have a mischievous streak from the very beginning.
But now, the roles were reversed.
Lin Zheng took a couple of subtle deep breaths, trying to cool his burning face, but it wasn’t very effective. He decided it must be because the car window was closed. He rolled it down halfway, then offered the box again. “You don’t have to save it for me. You can have it.”
Gu Lin did take the box from him, but not to eat the cake inside. He closed the lid, placed it back in Lin Zheng’s hands, and ruffled his hair. “Sweets are too rich for me,” he said honestly. “One bite is more than enough.”
Lin Zheng suddenly remembered that Gu Lin really didn’t like sweets. Since he’d said so, Lin Zheng didn’t press the issue. He was worried that if Gu Lin forced himself to finish it, he’d feel sick.
So Lin Zheng put the box back in his bag and hugged it, murmuring an “oh.”
With his face still flushed, when Gu Lin wasn’t looking, he quietly slipped the fork they had both just used back into the box.
Even though it was a weekend, when Gu Lin was busy, his schedule was no different from a workday.
Lin Zheng had assumed Gu Lin would have to go to work right after dropping him off, but he had barely changed his shoes when Gu Lin followed him inside.
When he asked, Lin Zheng learned that Gu Lin had brought all his work home and would be working from home for the entire afternoon.
Which meant that for the rest of the afternoon and evening, the two of them would be alone in the house.
Before, Lin Zheng had been fairly relaxed when they were together, but for some reason, today he suddenly felt a little unnatural. It felt like no matter where he was, it wasn’t quite right.
In the end, he went back to his bedroom, closed the door, and flopped onto the bed, wondering what was wrong with him.
Downstairs in the living room, Gu Lin watched Lin Zheng’s door close. He took out his phone and made a call.
That evening, as Wu Yu was leaving his studio, he thought of the bracelet he had found on the mountain. He went to his drawer and took out the red string bracelet, a faint smile on his face as he looked at the character ‘Zheng’ carved on the silver ball.
The events at the gym that day were still fresh in his mind. Although he had already spoken to the owner, the owner had only verbally promised to consider firing the trainer. Without a definite answer, the matter wasn’t truly resolved.
Wrongdoing deserved punishment.
If that man was allowed to continue teaching at the gym, who knew how many more people would suffer?
Wu Yu decided to call the gym owner. The moment the call connected, the owner, who had been less than pleasant earlier, was now stammering on the other end. “He’s fired, he’s fired! I’ve already fired that trainer. Don’t you worry. Not just here, he won’t be able to find a place anywhere else in the future.”
Wu Yu was taken aback. He thought the owner might have mistaken him for someone else. His attitude had been completely different when they spoke before.
But before he could ask, the owner used being busy as an excuse and hung up.
Wu Yu held the phone for a moment. Then he remembered the elegant, distinguished man he had seen standing next to Lin Zheng at the art exhibition.
He began to piece things together.
If they were just good friends, with no other feelings involved, would that man really go to such lengths for Lin Zheng?
Wu Yu clutched the bracelet, his heart in turmoil.
Lin Zheng stayed cooped up in his room until the sun was about to set before he finally emerged.
He wasn’t even halfway down the stairs when a delicious aroma wafted through the air.
He followed his nose to the kitchen.
There, Gu Lin was at the stove, wearing an apron, cooking.
Hearing the noise behind him, he glanced back and saw Lin Zheng. “You’re up?”
Lin Zheng hadn’t actually been asleep, but he went along with it and mumbled a “yeah.” He couldn’t very well tell Gu Lin he had been hiding in his room, agonizing over the two of them.
Lin Zheng was about to offer his help, but then he thought better of it and retracted the hand he had extended for a plate.
Better not. He didn’t want to cause more trouble for Gu Lin.
With nothing else to do, he decided to finish the dessert he had brought back.
He had just stepped out of the kitchen when Gu Lin asked from behind him, “Aren’t you going to get a spoon?”
He held out a silver spoon.
Gu Lin didn’t know that Lin Zheng had brought the other spoon back with him.
A suspicious blush crept up Lin Zheng’s face. He snatched the spoon from Gu Lin’s hand. “I wasn’t not getting one, I just forgot,” he declared, before disappearing from the kitchen at lightning speed.
Gu Lin watched his retreating figure, a slightly puzzled look on his face.
While they were eating dinner, Yan Yang burst in. Lin Zheng was about to invite him to join them when Yan Yang rushed up to Gu Lin. “Gu Lin, what the hell? Why did you get my regular gym shut down? If it’s closed, where am I supposed to go on weekends?! My annual membership hasn’t even expired yet!”
Lin Zheng’s head snapped toward Gu Lin.
Shut down? He knew Yan Yang was talking about the gym he’d taken him to that day, but why was it shut down? Could it be…
Gu Lin put down his chopsticks. Seeing Yan Yang, his expression was anything but friendly. “I was about to ask you. Why did you take him to that gym?”
Gu Lin gestured with his chin toward Lin Zheng.
A look of horror crossed Lin Zheng’s face.
It was just as he thought!
Yan Yang was confused. “What do you mean? Little chickadee said he wanted to build muscle, so I took him to my regular gym. What’s wrong with that?”
Gu Lin’s eyes turned cold. “And you left him there alone. You say that so matter-of-factly.”
Ten minutes later.
After learning what had happened, Yan Yang was in a state of shock.
He grabbed Lin Zheng in a headlock, apologizing profusely. Lin Zheng, still holding his rice bowl, was being choked half to death and shot a desperate look at Gu Lin.
Gu Lin had already had enough.
“Yan Yang, I’ll give you one second to let him go.”
Sure enough, not even a second later, Yan Yang released him.
“I’m sorry, little chickadee, I really didn’t know that trainer was that kind of person,” he explained to Lin Zheng. “My brain must have short-circuited. I just thought all the trainers there were probably decent, so I recommended him to you. Who knew he was such a scumbag? It’s my fault. Don’t worry, I’ll go teach that guy a lesson for you, make him regret it.”
Lin Zheng thought about how the trainer had already lost his job and the gym had been shut down for poor management. He figured that was punishment enough. “It’s probably fine now,” he said.
“How is that fine?” Yan Yang retorted. “For a degenerate like that, you have to make him suffer. If you don’t, he’ll just do it again.”
Lin Zheng’s anger had mostly dissipated after being comforted by Gu Lin. Besides, Yan Yang wasn’t a mind reader. In reality, he hadn’t done anything wrong, so Lin Zheng couldn’t be truly angry with him. Any complaints he made were just playful banter.
After apologizing, Yan Yang stayed and mooched dinner off them before finally returning next door.
As Gu Lin was washing the dishes, Lin Zheng leaned against the kitchen doorway, waiting. Thinking about the day’s events, he said, “Thank you.”
For comforting him, and for everything else he had done.
Lin Zheng was truly grateful from the bottom of his heart. Gu Lin had done so much for him.
“If you really want to thank me, how about you come and help me out?”
Hearing Gu Lin’s words, Lin Zheng quickly went over.
“Put this in the cabinet below.” Gu Lin handed him a freshly washed plate.
Lin Zheng hesitated for a moment before carefully taking the plate. He squatted down next to Gu Lin, opened the cabinet, and gently placed the plate on the rack, one after another, in a neat stack.
When he was almost done, Gu Lin handed him another stack. He remained squatting, reaching up to take them, and then placed the bowls and plates in the cabinet.
He was happily helping out. When he was done, he raised his hands, waiting for Gu Lin to hand him more, but this time, he saw Gu Lin holding the last two bowls. Gu Lin squatted down diagonally behind him, his arm reaching past his side to put the bowls away.
Lin Zheng turned to the side, and his eyes met Gu Lin’s.
Gu Lin smiled.
With a still-damp finger, he gently wiped away a drop of water that had somehow found its way onto Lin Zheng’s cheek.
The moisture transferred from Lin Zheng’s face to Gu Lin’s hand, but it left behind a searing heat.
Lin Zheng instinctively flinched back.
Gu Lin’s expression changed.
The hand that had been wiping Lin Zheng’s cheek moved to press against the cabinet door beside him.
In his peripheral vision, Lin Zheng could see the muscles rippling on Gu Lin’s rolled-up sleeve.
Gu Lin’s breath drew closer.
His forehead gently pressed against Lin Zheng’s.
“My little rabbit…”
Gu Lin’s voice was deep.
“I don’t want anything bad to happen to you. Promise me, if you ever run into trouble again, don’t wait until it’s over to tell me. The moment you’re in danger, I want you to think of me first. Tell me, and let me help you solve it. Only then can I be at ease when you’re somewhere I can’t see you.”
They weren’t particularly moving words of love, but they were enough to make Lin Zheng’s heart melt.
“Gu Lin, what do you like about me?” he asked.
Honestly, he had never felt there was anything particularly special about himself, nothing that would warrant Gu Lin treating him so well. He couldn’t even figure out why Gu Lin had fallen for him in the first place.
Gu Lin lifted his other hand and intertwined their fingers. “Who knows? When you like someone, you just do. You don’t always need a reason.”
Lin Zheng looked down at their joined hands. He thought that maybe, he really was slowly falling for Gu Lin.
He curled his fingers slightly, his fingertip tracing circles on Gu Lin’s palm.
At the very least, when he was with Gu Lin, he felt at ease.
Gu Lin gave him a profound sense of security.
The kind of security that meant as long as he was by Gu Lin’s side, he didn’t have to worry about anything else in the world, because he knew Gu Lin would protect him.
Gu Lin watched the finger drawing circles on his hand. Then, he moved his hand up, enveloping that finger and the entire hand with his own. His Adam’s apple bobbed. “Stop that,” he said, his voice turning husky.
Then, he pulled Lin Zheng into his arms, suppressing the turbulent emotions in his chest. He nuzzled his chin against the top of Lin Zheng’s head. “Just let me hold you for a while.”
For a long time after that, neither of them spoke.
Lin Zheng leaned against Gu Lin’s chest. At first, he felt nothing, but as he took in Gu Lin’s scent, his heart began to pound. Then, a wave of drowsiness slowly washed over him. Time trickled by.
The ringing of the phone in Lin Zheng’s pocket broke the spell. He pulled it out, and just as he saw the caller’s name, he heard Gu Lin ask, “Wu Yu? Isn’t that the artist? When did you two get to know each other?”
Hearing Wu Yu’s name from Gu Lin’s lips, Lin Zheng’s heart gave a small leap.
Seeing that he wasn’t moving, Gu Lin prompted, “Aren’t you going to answer? If he’s calling this late, it might be urgent.”
Since Gu Lin had said so, Lin Zheng had no choice but to answer the phone, still held in Gu Lin’s embrace.
He pressed the answer key, and a gentle voice came from the other end. “It’s Wu Yu. Sorry to bother you so late. I just saw the bracelet and thought of you. I was worried you might have been scared by what happened today, so I called to check on you.”
Lin Zheng had told Gu Lin about being harassed at the gym, but he hadn’t mentioned meeting Wu Yu.
He glanced at Gu Lin before replying to Wu Yu, “Thanks for your concern. I’m fine. It wasn’t a big deal.”
“That’s good. By the way, I asked the gym owner, and he said he’s already fired that trainer. You won’t run into him again if you go back.”
“Oh, really? That’s great.”
“…” The other end was silent for a few seconds.
Lin Zheng thought the signal was bad. “Hello?” he said.
The voice on the other end replied, “I was thinking… we had originally planned to meet next Wednesday for me to return the bracelet, but… if you’re free tomorrow, would you like to meet then?”
After Wu Yu asked, Lin Zheng seriously considered it.
Tomorrow… he really didn’t have anything planned. And it would be good to get the bracelet back sooner rather than later.
With that in mind, he replied, “Yeah, okay. Let’s meet tomorrow then.”
A hint of a smile entered Wu Yu’s voice. “Great. I’ll see you tomorrow then. Good night.”
Putting other things aside, Lin Zheng’s impression of Wu Yu was actually quite good.
He wished him a good night as well.
After hanging up, Lin Zheng let out a breath. When he looked up, he saw that Gu Lin’s face had turned dark.
Lin Zheng: “Huh??”
Did I say something wrong??
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