Chapter 69: Can I Kiss You?
White Dumpling lay prone in Lin Xia’s arms, his tail drooping listlessly, his voice thick with frustration.
” Aowu?…” Baba, why can’t An An squeeze in there?
The corner of Lin Xia’s mouth twitched slightly. As he searched his mind for the right words, a sudden spark of inspiration hit him.
“Probably… because… your skeletal structure isn’t ‘extraordinary’ enough?”
In Wuxia novels, there is often a saying: Little brother, this old man sees that your skeletal structure is extraordinary… Lin Xiaâs brain short-circuited, and he just blurted it out.
” Aowu?” White Dumpling didn’t understand and looked at Lin Xia in confusion.
“Cough, it’s nothing…” Lin Xia cleared his throat and continued, “We’d better hurry up and hide, or else Babi will come over.”
” Aowu!” Quick, quick! Hide quickly! Remembering that they were still playing hide-and-seek, White Dumpling immediately grew tense, looking around frantically for a hiding spot.
Aowu! He couldn’t fit into the sofa crevice, so he had to find somewhere else…
“I know a good place. Does Baby want to go?” Lin Xia held down the restless White Dumpling, the corners of his lips hooking up into a sly smile.
” Aowu!” Yes! White Dumpling trusted Lin Xia completely and agreed without a second thought. He wagged his tail happily, urging Lin Xia to take him there.
The little hamster didn’t know where they were going, so Lin Xia gestured for him to follow. Lin Xia led them to the second floor. First, he had the little hamster hide behind the door of his own room. When the door is opened, a triangular gap is created between the door and the wallâperfect for hiding a person, and generally, people don’t think to look behind the door immediately upon entering.
Next, Lin Xia took White Dumpling to the utility room. There was a bed in there, covered with many plush dollsâtoys either bought for or gifted to White Dumpling. White Dumpling burrowed in among them, blending in perfectly.
” Aowu!” Thank you, Baba! White Dumpling was very satisfied with the hiding spot Lin Xia chose for him, especially since he had plushies to keep him company.
“I’m going now.” Lin Xia patted White Dumpling and left the utility room. He needed to find a place for himself. However, being a full-grown adult, there weren’t many places he could squeeze into. So, just like the little hamster, he hid behind the bedroom door.
Ten minutes later, Tang Yinlang walked in and began his carpet-search strategy. He skipped the places obviously too small to hide a person (or a tiger) and focused on spaces with volume.
Under the sofa, the kitchen, the bathroom, the bathtub, the cabinets… After doing a sweep of the first floor, Tang Yinlang knew no one was there.
The second floor had more rooms than the first, but some were locked. Tang Yinlang checked whichever doors would open. The first room he entered was the utility room where White Dumpling was.
Thump, thump, thump… Hearing the approaching footsteps, White Dumpling immediately held his breath and froze his body. His heart beat faster and faster in sync with Tang Yinlangâs steps, nearly leaping out of his chest.
Aowu… so scary!
Tang Yinlang swept a glance over the bed. Aside from the plush toys, there was nothing else, so he quickly shifted his gaze. The utility room had many boxes; Tang Yinlang guessed White Dumpling might be hiding inside one, so he opened them one by one.
“Not here.” Tang Yinlang closed the lid of the last box and left the room.
” Phew…” Hearing Tang Yinlang’s footsteps fading away, White Dumpling let out a long sigh of relief, sliding down into a boneless puddle, feeling as if he had just survived a disaster.
Aowu, that was thrilling…
Leaving the utility room, Tang Yinlang arrived at the bedroom. He pushed open the slightly ajar door, scanned the interior once, and then walked straight in.
“He’s here, he’s here!” Lin Xia screamed internally, his heart unable to suppress its rapid beating. This scenario was too stimulating; they were separated only by the thickness of a door. If he made even the slightest sound, he would be discovered.
Tang Yinlang opened the wardrobe first; it was the most likely place to hide a person. But Lin Xia had avoided this clichĂ©. Not only was there no person inside, but not even a tiger cub. The possibility of someone being under the bed wasn’t high; Tang Yinlang just gave it a cursory glance and moved on.
After a fruitless search of the bedroom, Tang Yinlang sighed lightly and left. Once he was gone, Lin Xia immediately took a deep breath, patting his overly stressed heart. While Tang Yinlang was in the room, he had been breathing with extreme caution.
Just as he relaxed, Tang Yinlang, who should have already left, suddenly returned without making a sound.
“Found you.” Tang Yinlang casually closed the door, leaving Lin Xia clearly exposed before his eyes.
“…You realized it from the start, didn’t you?” Lin Xiaâs eyes held a trace of resentment as he spoke the “cruel” truth.
“I knew you were behind the door,” Tang Yinlang chuckled low, explaining. When he had stood at the doorway looking in, he heard a heartbeat. His hearing was more sensitive than the average person’s, so he knew someone was hiding there.
Out of a bit of teasing mischief, and to let Lin Xia play a little longer, Tang Yinlang pretended to be oblivious and searched the bedroom, letting Lin Xia believe he hadn’t been found.
“You’ve learned bad habits!” Lin Xia shook his head, looking like a helpless teacher who had failed to educate a naughty student.
“Mn… I can be even badder…” Tang Yinlang whispered, his voice deep and magnetic, like the resonance of a cello. As soon as he finished speaking, he pressed forward, pinning Lin Xia against the wall.
“…What are you doing?” Lin Xia’s pupils contracted sharply at Tang Yinlang’s move, his clear, bright eyes looking at Tang Yinlang in startlement.
“Lin Xia?” Tang Yinlang’s gaze darkened as he spoke in a low voice.
“Mn?” Lin Xia didn’t know what was happening and responded unconsciously, his heart inexplicably tense yet expectant.
“Lin Xia, may I kiss you?” Tang Yinlang’s eyes were filled entirely with Lin Xia, deep with affection and attachment.
“What do you think?” The corner of Lin Xia’s lips hooked into a lovely arc, his smile slightly playful.
“Thank you…” Tang Yinlang murmured softly, raising a brilliant smile.
A breeze blew in from the window, causing the curtains to sway gently. The wavy ends of the fabric rippled like the surface of a disturbed lake. Outside, the starlight was sparseâone couldn’t see many stars in the cityâbut those few points of light were enough to be cherished.
The light in the room was a bright, warm tone, and the air conditioning was on. The warm breeze was intoxicating, making the heart drunk along with it.
In the corner, a man with delicate and refined features was pressed against the wall by a tall man. The man clearly in the dominant position lowered his head; their fingers interlaced against the wall as they shared an inseparable kiss.
After a long kiss ended, Tang Yinlang released Lin Xia. Although he wanted to continue, Lin Xia was running out of breath.
At this moment, Lin Xia’s originally clear eyes looked as if he were drunk, covered in a layer of mist and allure. He clung to Tang Yinlang, his body soft and limp, making Tang Yinlang think of the “boneless beauties” in fantasy novels.
Tang Yinlang’s eyes darkened again. He scooped the person up in a horizontal carry, placed him on the bed, pressed over him, and kissed down again.
“… Mmm…” Lin Xia was still immersed in the previous kiss, and before he could recover, he was greeted by another deep one…
The little hamster hid behind the door, maintaining a vigilant posture. However, he waited until his body went stiff, yet no one came in.
Unable to hold back, the little hamster plopped down on his butt, scratching the door in utter boredom, thinking that hide-and-seek wasn’t fun at all…
After Tang Yinlang left the utility room, White Dumpling waited for a long time. Once he was sure Tang Yinlang wasn’t coming back, he relaxed and hugged a dog plushie to play.
” Aowu?” Doggy, do you like An An? White Dumpling lay on the bed, holding the dog plushie up with all four limbs, smiling brilliantly.
” Aowu?” Doggy, will Babi find An An? It’s been so long, Babi still hasn’t found An An!
” Hah…” Lin Xia pushed away Tang Yinlang, who was pressing on him, panting heavily. Tang Yinlang, having been pushed away, rubbed the corner of his mouth with his thumb, a look of aftertaste on his face.
“We are… still playing hide-and-seek…” Lin Xia glared at the man who knew no restraint, reminding him.
“I still remember.” Tang Yinlang chuckled low, reaching out to pull Lin Xia up.
“Go quickly then, don’t keep them waiting too long.” Lin Xia waved his hand. Out of sight, out of mind; he needed to sort out his chaotic heart.
“Mn.” Tang Yinlang nodded and obediently went out to find the others. In a pleasant mood, he hummed a light tune internally, speeding up his search for the little hamster and White Dumpling.
The little hamster was easy to find. With the precedent of Lin Xia hiding behind a door, Tang Yinlang checked behind the door as soon as he entered the room. After being found, the little hamster ran to Lin Xia’s side and saw that Lin Xia’s lips were red and swollen.
“Mouth… looks like a chili pepper…” The little hamster looked at Lin Xia’s mouth curiously, reminded of red chilies.
“A mosquito bit it,” Lin Xia said, a bit flustered and annoyed.
“Mosquito?…” The little hamster looked up and around but didn’t find any buzzing creatures.
“I chased it away.” Lin Xia took the little hamster’s hand and led him out to “watch” Tang Yinlang find White Dumpling together.
Tang Yinlang hadn’t found White Dumpling yet. He didn’t return to the utility room but continued entering other openable rooms.
Nothing.
Tang Yinlang, having searched all the rooms, closed a door in disappointment. Turning around, he saw Lin Xia and the little hamster watching the spectacle.
Lin Xia looked at him with a smile, clearly enjoying the show. Tang Yinlang frowned slightly; with Lin Xia involved, it would likely be harder to find him.
Seeing Lin Xia’s confident expression, it seemed White Dumpling must be hiding in an unexpected place, perhaps not even a conventional one.
Tang Yinlang used his powerful memory to search through the places he had checked in his mind. Where was unexpected? As they say, the most dangerous place is the safest place; conversely, hidden places attract attention. So, White Dumpling should be hiding in a plain sight, but in a way people wouldn’t think of.
Tang Yinlang recalled slowly, and his mind froze on the pile of plush toys on the bed.
Tang Yinlang raised a confident smile and, under Lin Xia’s surprised gaze, went to the utility room.
Hearing the commotion, White Dumpling immediately put down the dog plushie and burrowed back into the pile of toys.
Aowu, you can’t see me, you can’t see me…
“An An?” Tang Yinlang saw White Dumpling’s round, chubby butt still sticking out and laughed.
” Aowu!” I am not An An, I am a tiger plushie! White Dumpling, head in and butt out, wagged his tail as if shaking his head to express his denial.
White Dumpling had hidden in a hurry and didn’t notice his butt was exposed; he thought he was hidden perfectly.
“Is that so?” Tang Yinlang gently poked the white butt. White Dumpling reluctantly came out.
” Aowu!” Babi, you found An An! White Dumpling turned around, facing Tang Yinlang.
“Haha…” Witnessing White Dumpling’s antics, Lin Xia and the little hamster couldn’t help but laugh. White Dumplingâs “nothing to see here” declaration was just too amusing.
” Aowu!” Baba, Brother Hamster! White Dumpling looked and realized the whole team had been wiped out. Babi was indeed amazing!
Author’s Note: I’m back. Thank you all for the encouragement, it feels so warm~ Thank you Matsuriko for the landmine, mwah ^3^ Goodnight, little angels (â§âœâŠ)/
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