Knock on the door

Zhao Qinfeng looked at him with some doubt, his eyes holding something that Lin Ting could hardly decipher.

Lin Ting realized that what she had just said seemed to have a strange, common connotation, so she quickly added, "It's not about feeling guilty in a relationship!"

He was afraid that Zhao Qinfeng would think he was a scumbag, that he was greedy and would cheat on him.

Zhao Qinfeng suddenly smiled, all the doubt and other things in his eyes vanished, as if he had heard a very unexpected answer.

Lin Ting pursed her lips, savoring a hint of embarrassment.

Zhao Qinfeng gently touched Lin Ting's face, making Lin Ting a little ticklish. Lin Ting pulled back slightly, but didn't pull away from Zhao Qinfeng's hand. Zhao Qinfeng asked in a low voice, "I didn't think of it that way... What kind of thing is making you so troubled?"

Lin Ting frowned. "I can't say for sure. It's not something shameful, but I just find it hard to bring it up. The longer I keep putting it off, the less I know how to say it. Actually, I should have told you sooner, or I should have just not kept it from you in the first place and mentioned it casually when something related happened."

Zhao Qinfeng thought for a moment and said, "So, this matter is actually a private matter for you, but you feel that given our relationship, it's okay to tell you, but you need to consider it carefully?"

Lin Ting's face showed a hint of regret. "That's how it is... Actually, once you start hesitating about whether to tell you or not, you've already missed the most convenient moment to say it."

Zhao Qinfeng said, "Perhaps you could set a time limit, tell yourself to sort out your mindset and organize your thoughts before that time, and then find a time to tell me in person?"

Hearing Zhao Qinfeng's method, Lin Ting agreed with it, but couldn't help recalling the painful moments of rushing to finish the task. Despairingly, she said, "Why does a confession session have a deadline...?"

Zhao Qinfeng leaned forward and kissed Lin Ting. "This suggestion isn't about forcing you to complete a timed task, but rather hoping you can shift your anxiety, cheer up a little, and not feel so bad."

Lin Ting blinked, slowly raised her hand, pressed it against the back of Zhao Qinfeng's hand, grasped his hand, and then moved it slightly to the sides.

The two were close enough that kissing became an easy and natural thing. Lin Ting seemed to want to vent some emotions through this action, and kissed him fiercely. Because Zhao Qinfeng needed to do his job, she didn't dare to bite his lips, so she explored deeper, entwining with Zhao Qinfeng's tongue and sweeping it along his teeth.

Zhao Qinfeng naturally responded in the same way, flipping his right hand to interlock his fingers with Lin Ting's left hand, while his left hand held the back of Lin Ting's head.

Lin Ting's chest heaved more and more dramatically, and he gradually found it hard to breathe. The rising temperature seemed to have burned up all the oxygen around him, leaving him with a slight feeling of suffocation no matter how hard he tried to breathe. Zhao Qinfeng observed Lin Ting's condition and slightly slowed down his movements, waiting for Lin Ting to calm down a bit before starting a new round of intertwining.

When their lips parted, Lin Ting gasped for air, her legs already feeling weak. She and Zhao Qinfeng were entangled in an ambiguous embrace, with Zhao Qinfeng supporting most of her weight.

Zhao Qinfeng whispered in his ear, "It's okay, take your time to think about it. I'm always ready to listen. Let's leave it at that. I won't blame you for anything. Just adjust at your own pace."

Lin Ting nodded and was helped to sit on the sofa by Zhao Qinfeng.

Zhao Qinfeng knelt on one knee between Lin Ting's thighs and wrapped his arms around him on the sofa.

Lin Ting couldn't help but lean back a little, pressing her body even closer to the sofa.

Zhao Qinfeng leaned forward a little, following the direction Lin Ting leaned back, until their foreheads touched.

Their eyes met, their gazes almost palpable, a tender, almost tangible connection. Their lips were slightly swollen and glistening with moisture; the vibrant color seemed to burn across their faces like fire, creating large patches of crimson.

It's unclear who made the first move this time, but in the heat of passion, the two kissed again. Lin Ting's reason was briefly disrupted, and she stopped biting Zhao Qinfeng's lips just before she broke them, pushing him away with her hand.

Zhao Qinfeng wasn't much more sober than Lin Ting. He stepped back slightly, reached out and stroked Lin Ting's lips, then began to kiss his way down, from her neck to her collarbone, sucking until half of Lin Ting's body went numb...

When Zhao Qinfeng got up, there was still something on the corner of his mouth, and Lin Ting told him to rinse his mouth.

Lin Ting took a while to stand up, washed her hands, and looked at her neck and collarbone in the mirror. Small red marks were clearly visible on her fair skin.

Before going to bed, Lin Ting took a shower, changed into her pajamas, and lay in bed checking her phone messages. She discovered that Chang Zhiyuan had already sent the compiled score rankings and the list of those who passed the preliminary selection to the work group.

He glanced at the list and saw Chen Taining's name on it.

Lin Ting immediately opened the score ranking table and found Chen Taining's entry near the top, along with its serial number. Excitedly, Lin Ting sat up, got out of bed, sat in front of the computer, opened the folder, and found Chen Taining's entry by its serial number.

Upon seeing Chen Taining's work again, Lin Ting's face lit up with a knowing expression. During the intense scoring frenzy, he had sensed a familiarity with this very piece.

Chen Taining didn't use the lyrics she had already sung on the show before; instead, she submitted a new version. Lin Ting read it carefully and was delighted to realize that Chen Taining was still making progress.

Moreover, in his recollection, Chen Taining usually wrote lyrics and composed music simultaneously; basically, once the lyrics were finished, the melody was also largely finalized. This means that the lyrics likely already had a corresponding melody.

However, he couldn't rush to Chen Taining to share the good news, since the results of the preliminary selection hadn't been officially announced yet.

Moreover, he couldn't just impulsively go to Zhao Qinfeng to share this good news. Thinking of this, Lin Ting's good mood was instantly dampened, and the one who dampened it was himself.

One lie requires countless lies to cover it up. Although Lin Ting did not lie, he had deliberately or unintentionally made up a lot of excuses to Zhao Qinfeng in order to cover up his identity as the lyricist Jing Hu.

He felt that the frustration he had previously managed to dispel was beginning to return.

Zhao Qinfeng had just finished showering and was about to blow-dry his hair when he heard a knock on the door.

There were only two people at home, so only Lin Ting could knock on the door. Therefore, he immediately put down the hairdryer, went to the door, and opened the door for Lin Ting.

Outside the door, Lin Ting had a pillow wrapped around her left arm and a phone and charger in her right hand. She had already changed into her pajamas.

The neckline of the pajamas was low, revealing a large area of ​​the collarbone, and Zhao Qinfeng immediately noticed the red marks on Lin Ting's collarbone.

In this situation, Zhao Qinfeng was a little flustered.

The most problematic thing was that Lin Ting directly asked, "Can I sleep with you tonight?"

Zhao Qinfeng was naturally unwilling to say "no," but accepting the proposal directly meant accepting a task that would severely test his willpower.

He closed his eyes painfully, then gritted his teeth and asked with difficulty, "What's wrong with you? Why are you suddenly asking this?"

Looking at Zhao Qinfeng's ferocious expression, Lin Ting would have been unable to resist laughing, even if it were a normal time. But at this moment, he really didn't have the heart to tease Zhao Qinfeng.

Lin Ting sighed and said, "I'm in a bad mood, and I can't sleep well when I'm alone, so I thought I'd come and bother you."

Zhao Qinfeng made some effort to regain his composure and said, "Don't disturb me... come in."

With great determination, Zhao Qinfeng let Lin Ting in, saying, "Make yourself at home, I'll dry my hair first."

After saying that, he resolutely went into the bathroom and even closed the bathroom door.

Lin Ting looked at the closed door, but couldn't help but smile slightly, and then slowly walked to the bedside.

Lin Ting hadn't been to Zhao Qinfeng's room much. He looked around and briefly examined the master bedroom of the house, finding that the furnishings were similar to the guest bedroom, only slightly larger, so that a larger table could fit in it.

There was a bedside table on one side of the bed, but not on the other. Lin Ting guessed that Zhao Qinfeng would probably lie on the side with the bedside table, so she placed her pillow on the side without the bedside table.

Lin Ting looked for a charging plug again, but there wasn't one on his side, so he had to put his phone on the bedside table on Zhao Qinfeng's side to charge it.

There was a pack of tissues and Zhao Qinfeng's cell phone on the bedside table, nothing else.

Lin Ting put his phone away and suddenly remembered that his alarm was still on. Considering that the two of them probably wouldn't have anything to do tomorrow morning, he unlocked his phone and turned off the alarm, planning to sleep in until he naturally woke up tomorrow.

Lin Ting lay flat on the bed, pulled Zhao Qinfeng's blanket over himself, placed his hands on his stomach, looked up at the ceiling, and felt himself gradually enveloped by the faint fragrance of Zhao Qinfeng's bed. He guessed it was the smell of fabric softener.

The sound of the hairdryer stopped quickly. Zhao Qinfeng's hair wasn't long, so it dried quickly with a little drying, but he didn't leave the bathroom immediately.

Generally speaking, Zhao Qinfeng is very willing to believe in himself. Whether he is negotiating with others or singing on stage, he will give himself full trust even with a moderate level of nervousness.

But now, overwhelmed by tension, he couldn't find a shred of confidence. However, no matter how much he tried to avoid it, he still had to face it. So, he washed his face twice with cold water, finally mustered the courage to open the bathroom door, and stepped out.

He saw Lin Ting occupying half the bed, lying straight with her ankles sticking out of the blanket. It was a perfectly normal sleeping position, yet Zhao Qinfeng wished he could go back to when Lin Ting had knocked on the door to ask what was wrong, and firmly refused!

Lin Ting heard the door open, but Zhao Qinfeng didn't lie down on the bed for a long time. He sat up in confusion and looked at Zhao Qinfeng standing just a few feet away.

Aren't you coming to sleep?