Chapter 34, Chapter 34: The Situation

Inside the bar's private room, colorful spotlights slowly rotated on the walls and ceiling.

As the initiator of tonight's gathering, Zhao Qing successfully brought together Lin Yi, Zhang Zexuan, Chen Zhinan, Zhou Ziyang, Li Rui, and two beautiful girls from her school, thanks to her strong appeal.

Zhou Ziyang and Zhao Qing attend university in a neighboring city, so it's quite convenient for them to come by high-speed rail.

The others have coordinated their studies and work, planning to relax this weekend.

Once everyone was present, Zhao Qing picked up the microphone, cleared her throat, and warmed up the crowd by saying, "Come on, let's get to know each other! These two are my very good friends, and I want to emphasize that they are both single, high-quality young women!"

She turned to the men in the room and asked, "Right now, as far as I know, apart from our handsome Lin Yi who's already taken, all of you gentlemen here... are single, right?"

The two girls she brought were poised and confident. One had shoulder-length short hair and a sweet smile. "Hello~~ Hello everyone."

The other one, with a more reserved demeanor, smiled and waved her hand upon hearing this.

Zhou Ziyang: "I'm so tired of studying for final exams lately. I finally got a break and I never thought I'd have a chance to find a girlfriend."

Zhao Qing: "What are you thinking! What I mean is, since we're all single, let's party all night tonight!"

"Absolutely no problem!"

Zhou Ziyang was the first to respond enthusiastically. He immediately moved closer to the short-haired girl, took out his phone, and said, "Studying and having fun at the same time! Can we add each other on WeChat? I can ask you for help with any study questions in the future!"

Zhao Qing: "Studying? Are you in the same major as us?"

The girl smiled, took out her phone, and showed the QR code.

Zhou Ziyang: "Miss, what's your major? Maybe I know it quite well. My roommates are all in different majors."

......

Lin Yi sat alone at the far end of the sofa, holding a can of cola, quietly watching the noisy scene before him.

The dim, shifting light occasionally swept across his expressionless face. His mind was indeed a bit complicated. According to the "probationary period agreement," theoretically, he was also "single," while Shen Beidao was just an "employee awaiting formal employment."

The agreement clearly states that if Shen Beidao makes any "minor mistake" during the six-month observation period, he can unilaterally terminate the relationship.

The thought of "terminating the relationship" made Lin Yi's heart feel like it was being twisted by something, causing a slight, dull pain.

He picked at the edge of the Coke can in frustration.

Zhang Zexuan was forcibly pulled up by Zhou Ziyang and pushed forward: "Xuanzi, stop pretending to be deep! Come here, you're the one who's keeping the mood alive!"

However, Zhang Zexuan seemed listless and absent-minded: "...I, I'm not single now, so it's inconvenient."

He forced a smile and said, "If we play any games that are too exciting later, I won't participate. You guys play."

Zhao Qing looked him up and down suspiciously, finding him unusually strange today: "Huh? Brother Xuan, I haven't even announced the rules of the game yet, and you don't want to play anymore? Something's not right with you!"

Zhou Ziyang put his arm around Zhang Zexuan's shoulder and teased, "I bet he was exploited too much by that heartless capitalist boss!"

See? I told you I shouldn't have started work so early. That meager salary has worn away all my passion for life.

"Wait a minute!"

Zhao Qing suddenly remembered something, quickly took out her phone, scrolled to yesterday's group chat history, and tapped the screen with her fingertip.

“Zhang Zexuan! Yesterday afternoon at three o’clock, weren’t you still shouting in the group that you were ‘all alone and asking for a girlfriend’?”

"Let me bring two pretty sisters with me. What are you doing here pretending to be an innocent young man!"

"Last night..."

Zhang Zexuan's eyes flickered, and his voice lowered, even sounding somewhat unsure, "Last night... I... confessed... on the spur of the moment, and then we got together."

"Wow, that fast?"

Zhao Qing's eyes widened, and she leaned closer, her face full of gossip. "A whirlwind romance? Then we definitely have to invite her over to join us. It'll be a good opportunity for the girls to help you vet her and see what kind of girl has won over our Xuanzi!"

"No way!" Zhang Zexuan's reaction suddenly became more intense, his voice rising a bit. "She...she's introverted and shy. Don't scare her. Besides, we just started dating, it's not appropriate for us to meet friends so soon."

Zhao Qing: "What? Am I a tigress? Can I scare people to death with just a few words?"

"You're quite self-aware," Zhang Zexuan said.

"Tsk." Zhao Qing started rolling up her sleeves...

Li Rui, who had been sitting quietly to the side, also looked up with a hint of curiosity: "Is she a classmate from your school? Or someone you met at work? I've never heard you mention her before."

Zhou Ziyang stroked his chin thoughtfully: "Yeah, Xuanzi, this isn't like you at all."

According to your procedure, if you fancy a girl, shouldn't you go ahead and share your thoughts in the group chat six months in advance, and then make a grand plan to pursue her?

Why are you keeping this a secret this time?

Zhao Qing's gaze swept over Zhang Zexuan like a searchlight, finally settling on the dark gray cashmere scarf around his neck that seemed out of place with the room temperature.

The private room was very warm, and most people were only wearing light clothing, but Zhang Zexuan had wrapped his scarf tightly around his neck.

"Isn't your scarf... hot? Did you get a hickey?"

As Zhao Qing spoke, she suddenly reached out and loosened Zhang Zexuan's scarf.

A small patch of skin was exposed, with several ambiguous, not-yet-completely-faded dark red marks clearly visible on it, especially near the collarbone, where it was mottled.

"Holy crap! Zhang Zexuan! There really are strawberries!"

Zhou Ziyang was the first to shout, pointing at his neck, "One, two... Ha! This whole area on your collarbone! Your girlfriend's got some nerve!"

"Hahahaha..." Everyone burst into laughter.

"The teeth marks are quite clear, were you born in the Year of the Dog?" one of Zhao Qing's friends joked with a laugh.

Zhang Zexuan hurriedly wrapped the scarf around himself again: "You...you all better shut up! I...I had no choice!"

"Helpless?" Zhao Qing mimicked his tone. "Tsk tsk tsk, you men, you really are hypocritical! You take advantage and then deny it, don't you?"

......

The group of people immediately burst into laughter and playful wrestling, making the atmosphere in the private room even more lively.

Chen Zhinan quietly walked around the crowd and sat down in the empty seat next to Lin Yi, gently pushing a glass of orange juice in front of him.

"Long time no see, Lin Yi."

He deliberately softened his voice, "You haven't been staying at the apartment near the school lately... have you? I've tried to go look for you a few times, but no one's home."

Lin Yi didn't even glance at the glass of orange juice. He simply shook the cold can of cola in his hand and said in a flat voice, "No thanks. Orange juice... I used to really like it when I was a kid."

He paused, looked up at the noisy crowd in front of him, and said in a deliberately distant tone, "But as people grow up, their tastes change."

Not only tastes, but also thoughts, ideas, feelings... even the people you like will change.

What you liked in the past, you may not like now.

His words were pointed, and Chen Zhinan's smile froze.

Just then, Zhou Ziyang burst into even louder laughter, seemingly making fun of the marks on Zhang Zexuan's neck again.

Chen Zhinan's gaze remained firmly fixed on Lin Yi, unwilling to look away even for a moment.

"It doesn't matter."

He seemed not to understand Lin Yi's subtext, his voice still gentle, even carrying a touch of nostalgic sadness, "Actually, I don't really like drinking this. In high school, I only started drinking it because you liked it. After drinking it for a while, I guess I got used to it."

As he spoke, he leaned slightly toward Lin Yi, as if wanting to get closer.

Lin Yi immediately became alert and instinctively wanted to stand up and create some distance.

Just as he stood up, Chen Zhinan's hand moved faster. He didn't try to hug or pull him; he simply reached out and gently took the can of cola with the straw from Lin Yi's loosely clenched hand.

Then, under Lin Yi's astonished gaze, Chen Zhinan lowered his head and took a sip from the straw.

"You..." Lin Yi felt a surge of anger. He took two steps back, away from the sofa, his tone filled with undisguised annoyance.

"Chen Zhinan, do you have some kind of unusual fetish these days? Why do you like drinking other people's leftovers so much?"

In his memory, Chen Zhinan, though sensitive, at least maintained a basic sense of boundaries and self-respect.

After three years, how come this person has become so shameless? Their various behaviors are extremely uncomfortable to him.

Although Zhang Zexuan was being teased by everyone, he kept an eye on Lin Yi's movements out of the corner of his eye.

Seeing Lin Yi get up and walk towards the door, he immediately felt like he had found a savior, pushed aside Zhou Ziyang and the others, and quickly chased after him: "Brother Yi! Where are you going? We just got together for a while and haven't even played any games yet, don't go!"

Lin Yi frowned, his face flushed slightly from the stuffiness of the private room: "I'm not leaving, I'm just going to the restroom."

"I'll go with you! I know this place well."

"No need, I'm not so badly unable to find a restroom, you guys continue."

"Oh, don't be shy! I wanted to go too!" Zhang Ze half-pushed and half-led Lin Yi as they walked out.

Zhao Qing shouted from behind, "Never mind those two! Let's officially begin! I brought playing cards, dice, and Truth or Dare props. Tonight, we're drinking until we drop!"

......

The party had been going on for almost two hours when Lin Yi gradually began to feel that something was amiss.

At first, he just felt that the private room was getting stuffier and his heart was beating faster, thinking it was because of poor air circulation and loud music.

But soon, a strange heat rose from inside the body, while the surface of the skin felt cold.

The skin on the back of his neck, which had just recovered from an allergic reaction, began to itch unbearably. He couldn't help but reach out to scratch, but the more he scratched, the itchier it became.

He was actually quite restrained tonight, only drinking two or three low-alcohol fruit-flavored beers, which were diluted.

Given his alcohol tolerance, he shouldn't have had any reaction at all.

He felt dizzy and had a dry mouth. The inexplicable anxiety deep within his body grew stronger and stronger, even bringing with it a frantic, indescribable emptiness that made him anxious.

Although he still retained his rationality, his body's abnormal reactions were rapidly eroding his clarity.

The party was in full swing in the private room, and the atmosphere was lively.

Zhao Qing was playing dice with Zhou Ziyang and Li Rui, while Chen Zhinan sat quietly to the side, his gaze always following Lin Yi, a hidden emotion hidden deep in his eyes.

Lin Yi knew he couldn't stay any longer.

He took out his phone, intending to send a message to Shen Beidao, but his fingertips trembled slightly and were not quite under his control.

He took a deep breath and dialed Shen Beidao's number directly.

The call was answered almost instantly.

"Hello?" Shen Beidao's deep and steady voice came through the receiver, like a cool tranquilizer, slightly calming the restlessness in Lin Yi's heart.

"I..." Lin Yi's voice was a little hoarse as he tried to remain calm. "I'm almost done here. I'm a little tired and want to go home."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, then Shen Beidao's voice came again: "Send me the address, I'll come pick you up."

“No need, I’ll take a taxi myself,” he said in a low voice. “The bar is close to my apartment, so I won’t be coming to your place tonight. Don’t wait for me.”

Lin Yi didn't want him to worry, nor did he want to appear too disheveled. "I'm just feeling a bit down, maybe I drank too much. I'll talk to you later, bye."

He hung up the phone before Shen Beidao could say anything more.

Then he turned to the noisy crowd and raised his voice, "Everyone, sorry, my partner at home is really urging me to leave, I have to go now, you guys keep playing."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Qing stopped shaking the dice and exclaimed in surprise, "Huh? You're leaving already? Are you that strict? Lin Yi, are you sure you're not dating a father figure?"

Li Rui had been drinking silently, but suddenly looked up and whispered, "He's not that much older, just... caring."

His words were ambiguous; it was unclear whether he was explaining or expressing a sentiment.

"I was just kidding!" Zhao Qing waved her hand. "But Lin Yi, why is your face so red? If you're really feeling too uncomfortable, go back home. After all, we can't keep someone with a husband at home."

Zhang Zexuan rushed over and grabbed Lin Yi's arm. The moment he touched Lin Yi's arm, he felt its burning heat.

He looked down and saw that Lin Yi's cheeks and neck were flushed with an abnormal redness, and his eyes were somewhat unfocused and dazed.

Zhang Zexuan's heart skipped a beat, and he lowered his voice to ask Lin Yi urgently, "You've been drinking? Your allergy hasn't gotten better yet, what kind of alcohol did you drink?"

Lin Yi felt a buzzing in his ears, and Zhang Zexuan's voice seemed to come through a layer of mist. He barely managed to concentrate and mumbled a reply:

"Hmm... I drank a little... that pink... fruit wine you left on the corner of the table, I noticed the negative value was particularly low..."

Zhang Zexuan: Damn it! Something's happened.

That bottle of fruit wine! It was ordered by Chen Zhinan. He deliberately moved the wine, which he had "added something to," to a spot near where Chen Zhinan usually sat!

Why would Lin Yi drink that?!

He turned his head sharply and looked at Chen Zhinan, who was sitting not far away.

Chen Zhinan seemed to have no reaction at all!

Zhang Zexuan helped Lin Yi to the underground parking garage, glancing at the person following closely behind him. "Lin Yi, isn't that the drink Chen Zhinan ordered? Why are you drinking his?"

"Huh? What?" Lin Yi felt like his ears were malfunctioning. "Aren't all the drinks on the table safe to drink?"

He forced himself to calm down and said to Chen Zhinan, who was approaching, "Come and help him up. I'll go get the car and take him home!"

Chen Zhinan immediately stepped forward and steadily supported Lin Yi, his arm seemingly considerately encircling Lin Yi's waist, making him lean against him.

Lin Yi tried to struggle, but his body was limp and he couldn't muster any strength. His consciousness was also gradually fading in the ever-increasing heat.

Zhang Zexuan drove very fast, his palms sweating profusely.

Through the rearview mirror, he could see that in the back seat, Chen Zhinan was practically holding Lin Yi in his arms, while Lin Yi's brows were furrowed and his head was turned toward the car window, as if he was resisting, but he didn't have the strength to push him away.

"Chen Zhinan, stop hugging him! He already has a fever, if you hug him so tightly, Lin Yi might spontaneously combust." Zhang Zexuan couldn't stand it anymore.

Chen Zhinan also felt that Lin Yi seemed to be in more pain, so he had no choice but to leave a little further away.

The car was parked downstairs at Lin Yi's apartment building.

Zhang Zexuan didn't get out of the car. He sat in the driver's seat, watching Chen Zhinan help the unsteady Lin Yi into the building. His heart was pounding wildly in his chest, almost shattering his ribs.

With trembling hands, he took out his phone, found a number, and dialed it.

The phone rang for a long time before being answered. Shen Beidao's deep voice came through, devoid of emotion: "Speak."

"Professor Shen..."

Zhang Zexuan's voice was hoarse, "I...I tried my best, but...something went wrong. Lin Yi accidentally drank that stuff. Now...Chen Zhinan is helping him upstairs."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.

A few seconds later, Shen Beidao's voice rang out again, calm and without any trace of emotion: "Understood. Come and pick up the letter of understanding tomorrow."

"You..." Zhang Zexuan's throat tightened, a chill creeping up his spine. "You're... at Lin Yi's house right now?"

Shen Beidao interrupted him, his tone imposing, "Some things have nothing to do with you, so you don't have to ask. Respecting other people's privacy is a basic moral principle."

Zhang Zexuan, holding his phone, immediately nodded: "...Understood, understood."

"Is there anything else?"

Zhang Zexuan licked his dry lips: "Professor Shen, what exactly is that thing you gave me? Is it some kind of aphrodisiac? Like... Viagra or something?"

A very soft chuckle came from the other end of the phone.

"It's just an imported nutritional supplement. The ingredients are very safe; it's nothing more than some vitamins and mild plant extracts."

Shen Beidao's voice carried a hint of indifference, "The biggest side effect might be that people are more prone to anxiety and need to vent when they are extremely tired or emotionally agitated, that's all."

The call was unilaterally disconnected.

"Anxious... just anxious?" Zhang Zexuan murmured repeatedly, not believing it at all.

He wanted to check, but the thing didn't even have a packaging instruction manual.

If it was just something to make people anxious, why would he...?

He slammed his hand on the steering wheel, and the car horn blared piercingly, jarringly loud in the quiet neighborhood late at night.

"Damn it!" Zhang Zexuan pressed his forehead against the cold steering wheel and closed his eyes in pain.

Last night, those chaotic, out-of-control, shameful, yet strangely pleasurable images flooded my mind uncontrollably.

He recalled the dimly lit room, his own unspeakable reaction, and the other person's effortless control...

Zhang Zexuan slapped himself hard across the face:

"Damn it! You think you can just believe whatever he says? You're not Lin Yi, and he's not your real father. You think you can just leave just because he tells you to?!"

What's wrong with taking a nap, damn it...

"Who can I complain to about this being my first time going gay?!"

The more he cursed, the more frustrated he became, and a surge of anger rose to his head.

He sat up straight, stepped on the gas, turned around, and drove towards the company.

Chen Zhinan helped Lin Yi up. Because one of the elevators was malfunctioning, they waited on the first floor for almost ten minutes before they could get on.

The unusually high temperature emanating from Lin Yi and the body odor mixed with the smell of alcohol kept wafting into his nostrils, making his heart race.

He could feel the softness and weakness of the body in his arms, which stirred a long-dormant, dark desire deep within him.

Lin Yi still retained a sliver of consciousness. He knew that the person supporting him was Chen Zhinan. He remained silent, simply not wanting to talk to him. He planned to send him away as soon as they got home.

"Buzz—the door lock is open."

The smart door lock emits a notification sound.

Chen Zhinan closed the door behind him. He didn't turn on the main light, but relied on the thin city night light coming in through the window to help Lin Yi to the sofa in the living room.

As soon as Lin Yi touched the soft sofa, he struggled to sit up straight: "Just put me here... Thank you for today, you can go now."

Chen Zhinan did not leave. Instead, he squatted down by the sofa and reached out to touch Lin Yi's forehead.

The skin beneath his palm was incredibly hot. Lin Yi instinctively tried to dodge, but his movements were slowed by dizziness and weakness.

"You have a fever." Chen Zhinan's tone was full of concern, his eyes appearing deep in the dim light. "It's so late, you can't be alone. Shall I stay and take care of you?"

"Need not……"

Lin Yi's breathing became rapid. He fumbled for his phone, "I...I'm going to call my boyfriend..."

The moment his hand touched the edge of his pocket, Chen Zhinan grabbed his wrist and easily snatched the phone away.

"Stop hitting him, it's so late, he's probably already asleep."

Chen Zhinan's voice was low, carrying a seductive ambiguity in the quiet room, "Let me take care of you tonight, just like... before, okay?"

-----------------------

Author's note: Don't scold me, don't scold me, it's all part of his plan. This stubborn ex-boyfriend is not easy to deal with. Teacher Shen knows this. It's like the Legend of Zhen Huan!

My first post in the author's column: Offering a straight man to the Miao chieftain. Please add that post to your favorites. I originally wanted to write a wallpaper love story, but after learning about the intangible cultural heritage of the Miao villages recently, I feel that I should stick to upright values. The customs and culture there are so interesting, I'm really interested! The seme is similar to Teacher Shen, but a bit more yin and yang. Ah-I'm sleepy, I'll continue tomorrow.