Chapter 73

It felt like something was dangling in my head, and it was hard to even keep my eyelids open.

But apart from this discomfort, she slept surprisingly well. It seemed that she didn't have to think about anything, and she fell into the deep darkness, no longer tossing and turning.

But comfort is always short-lived, just like the hard work of a silkworm in metamorphosis. After struggling for a few times, Lin Mian opened his eyes.

Even with the curtains covering the room, a few rays of light still slipped in, adding a bit of liveliness to the quiet room.

A hand suddenly rested on Lin Mian.

"Don't come over here"

Jin Zixuan muttered, but her eyes were tightly closed, and her brows were wrinkled nervously, as if she was troubled by a nightmare.

Lin Mian fell into a deep sleep yesterday after getting drunk. He Xintong hadn't seen her sleep so soundly in a long time.

There must be someone to take care of a drunk person, otherwise the drunk person may choke on vomit.

He Xintong originally wanted to take care of Lin Mian by himself, but Jiang Dan gently pushed He Xintong's hand away.

"Let Zixuan come. She's sober now, right, Zixuan?"

Seeing the sparks flying between the two, Jin Zixuan silently took back what she said, "They are a couple, what does it have to do with me taking care of Xiaomian?"

Men are such incomprehensible creatures.

What's the point of arguing about this? Young couples who are more intimate may have done it.

He Xintong half-closed his eyes and looked at Lin Mian who was sleeping soundly, unaware of the quarrel. It was indeed inappropriate now. With so many people around, it would be inappropriate even if he just wanted to take care of her.

He could only ask Jin Zixuan for help. After all, she was indeed the most sober girl tonight.

Jin Zixuan went to bed very late. She kept an eye on Lin Mian, afraid she might suddenly start vomiting, but she slept very well and showed no signs of waking up. After she was sure that Lin Mian would not wake up, Jin Zixuan fell into a deep sleep.

Fortunately, it was Saturday when she got up, so she didn't have to go to work.

Lin Mian gently moved the hand on his body away and got out of bed quietly.

After the cold water was splashed on my face, the discomfort seemed to be washed away with the water.

Looking at the extremely clear figure in the mirror, drops of water flowed down the jawline, some slid into the collarbone, and some dripped onto the tiles.

Lin Mian breathed a sigh of relief.

All memories became clear.

She didn't expect that she was so good at drinking. After taking a sip of a glass of wine, the sour and bitter taste was replaced by a mellow and rich aroma.

Although she squinted her eyes because of the taste, she soon liked the taste again.

Lin Mian glanced around and seeing that no one was paying attention to her, she drank it all in one gulp.

Just drinking it all is not a pleasant experience.

Thinking about what happened yesterday, if she hadn't been holding on to the sink with her hands, she would have collapsed.

Forget it, don’t recall it.

Lin Mian opened the disposable toothbrush provided by the hotel and turned on his mobile phone while brushing his teeth.

It's 10 o'clock now. She has classes in the afternoon, so she should go back and change her clothes later.

Thinking of this, Lin Mian turned to He Xintong's text message.

[The clothes I asked the waiter to buy are in the closet. Please call me when you wake up and I will pick you up.]

[Next time we drink, can you drink with me only?]

When I saw the last line of words, I felt a surge of heat, and the redness spread from my cheeks to my ears.

Even without looking in the mirror, Lin Mian knew what he looked like now.

Drinking will cause trouble.

But next time, she would drink only with him.

He took out clothes from the closet and put them on the shelf in the bathroom. Thinking that Jin Zixuan was not sleeping very soundly, Lin Mian just tidied himself up without taking a shower.

After changing clothes, Lin Mian tore off the note provided by the hotel, wrote something and stuck it on the mirror.

She closed the door gently, then sent a text message to He Xintong to tell him that she had already gone home and there was no need to pick her up.

Just as He Xintong could see her hard work, Lin Mian could also see that he was very busy.

She didn't go back to the apartment, but went to the school cafeteria to eat. After eating, Lin Mian was not idle either, and went back to the office to continue working.

Time passed minute by minute, and Lin Mian, who was busy, did not hear the sound of the door opening.

"So thoughtful? Teacher Chen even mentioned you to me. I didn't even realize you and Teacher Chen knew each other."

Qi Yuyang stood beside the desk, supporting himself with his hands and rolling up his sleeves. His skin was already fair enough, and now that he was exerting force on his arms, the veins could be clearly seen, and the lines of his wrist bones stood out sharply, leaving him with endless imagination.

The distance between them was so close that Lin Mian could smell the woody scent on the other person, a cold and refreshing scent with a hint of spiciness.

"I met Teacher Chen before when I was discussing a problem with him. Is there something wrong?"

But there was no need to tell this person that Professor Chen Lan invited her to join her research group.

Qi Yuyang frowned. Even though the smell was very faint, he could smell the scent of red wine and a hangover on Lin Mian.

"You drank alcohol, were you with that boyfriend of yours?"

He did not answer Lin Mian directly, but squeezed out these words from his mouth almost out of control.

"I drank some yesterday. Can you still smell it?"

The last sentence was spoken very quietly, and almost only Lin Mian could hear it.

She thought that changing clothes would be enough, but this red wine was really annoying.

While the taste is intoxicating, it also brings a lot of trouble.

Qi Yuyang widened his eyes slightly, looking at Lin Mian as if he saw a cat stealing fish, and pressed forward step by step, causing the middle seat pulley to slide backwards until it hit the corner of the wall, with no room for retreat.

At such a close distance, his breath and hers were entangled together, and the air became sticky and ambiguous.

He grabbed her wrist to prevent her from moving away.

No, why should I hide away?

Lin Mian frowned slightly and pushed Qi Yuyang away.

"Is it necessary to be so close?"

She didn't know what was wrong with him. It was none of his business whether she drank or not, or who she drank with.

He's just a colleague, but you're so nosy.

"Wake up, Teacher Qi."

Lin Mian stood up, put the laptop into his briefcase, and made an impatient "tsk".

As the door closed, Qi Yuyang leaned against the wall and chuckled softly.

If people like them can really break the rules repeatedly for others and be pulled out of the cage of rationality, they must be deeply attracted to that person.

For example, his attitude towards Lin Mian, and Lin Mian's attitude towards her elusive boyfriend.

No, he still didn't give up. He had to do something. It was too early to give up now.

The predatory factor is engraved in human genes.

Moreover, he is not a morally corrupt mistress, but the right choice to make her happier.

When he returned to the office after class, he could no longer see that person. Although he didn't say it, Lin Mian breathed a sigh of relief in his heart.

After sitting down, Lin Mian saw a pile of nougat and a note on the table.

I'm so sorry today. Someone in my family had an accident while drinking, so I'm worried you might develop a taste for alcohol. Here's some nougat I made as an apology. Please accept it.

With that said, Lin Mian remembered the panic that flashed across those blue eyes, and it made sense.

So that's how it is. But Qi Yuyang is such a person that he would be sad when seeing the scene.

However, there were too many nougats, and even if Lin Mian put them in her trouser pocket, she couldn't put them in. She stuffed the rest into her briefcase.

Take it back and give it to them. The nougat is too sweet and a bit sticky.

Lin Mian glanced at her watch. There was still some time before she got off work, so she opened the drawer and took out a book to study.

The postgraduate entrance examination will be held in a few months. Lin Mian plans to apply to the university across the street this time. After all, as a working person, it is not reasonable for her to apply to her own school.

By the time Lin Mian noticed that He Xintong had sent him a message, he saw it while standing up to get some water after sitting for a long time.

He Xintong hoped that she would return to the apartment today. He made kelp and pork ribs soup, and also made her favorite dish, stir-fried pork with green peppers and corn. He also put the squeezed orange juice in the refrigerator.

This made Lin Mian's heart jump with joy, and he felt like he was floating lightly, wishing he could get home the next moment.

Under the warm light, she saw the figure busy in the kitchen.

Sitting on the steps, Lin Mian supported his head with his hands and looked at him. In the smoke, he seemed to have been sweating a lot because he had not stopped for a long time. The apron was tightly attached to him, outlining the outline of his broad shoulders clearly. His waist and abdomen were neatly tightened, narrow and powerful, making him look very safe.

Lin Mian knew that He Xintong had been exercising since he was young, and this pleasing picture was the result of his hard work.

But compared to his body, her gaze was more focused on the direction of the sweat drops, the curvature of his fingers when he was cutting vegetables, and his highly concentrated eyes when he was paying attention to the heat.

This is the charm of labor, it is vivid and fresh.

Just like when she was training abroad in her teenage years, her spirit was on the edge of a cliff and was about to collapse, and it was He Xintong who held her tightly.

Being with him gave her a sense of security that no one else had ever given her.

It seemed as if this person could tie up her crazy nerves and calm her down.

What Lin Mian needs is not madness, but an anchor to calm the madness.

Opening the door silently, she put her arms around his waist and rested her forehead on the hardest bone of his neck, as if their souls were connected at this moment.

"Hurry to the living room, it's very fumy."

The range hood was humming, and his voice became blurred.

Her fingers gently stroked his face, revealing rapid breathing beneath the firm skin.

"Thank you for coming to me."

He Xintong turned off the switch without hesitation, turned around and hugged Lin Mian, and kissed her ear gently.

"Do you want to hear me say I love you all night long? This is barely enough to respond to your words."

Lin Mian would never know how important this sentence is to him.

She seemed to like him a little more than he thought.

That's enough, he is now the happiest man in the world.

Gentle kisses fell on the forehead, eyelids, and nose tip, so cherishing and solemn.

"Can I kiss you?"

His low panting sounded in her ears, making her laugh.

The laughter dissipated the ambiguous atmosphere. When Lin Mian received He Xintong's accusing look, he felt wet like a wronged puppy.

Lin Mian held his face in her hands, tiptoed gently, and touched his lower lip lightly amidst the fireworks.

The hand around her waist suddenly tightened, and the breath that could no longer be restrained blew on her face. When Lin Mian couldn't bear it anymore and leaned back, he grabbed the back of her head and domineeringly asked her to move forward and not to retreat.

"You provoked me first."

He is a domineering and competitive person by nature, otherwise he would not be able to not only escape from crises unscathed but also bite back at the other party.

It's just that he is willing to be a harmless herbivore in front of Lin Mian, and he is also willing to bow down to her.

So after the kiss, even though he was still not satisfied, he did not pursue the matter any further when he noticed that Lin Mian seemed a little uncomfortable.

He gently hugged Lin Mian and comforted her on her back, allowing her to slowly recover.

Where she couldn't see, thick dark light was surging in those inky black eyes, as if wanting to swallow her.