Chapter 62 "Come, come on!"

The elders are all asleep. The only night owls are my uncle and cousin, both in their own bedrooms. As long as I move quietly, I won't be discovered.

Ji Tong opened the map on her phone, selected Peninsula as her destination, 31 kilometers away, which was closer than Haiyuan. The estimated arrival time was 2:32.

Fortunately, it wasn't too late. At this time yesterday, Gu Lin's plane had just taken off from Berlin.

Once the thought arose, it couldn't be suppressed. Ji Tong rolled over and got out of bed without taking anything with her. She didn't even change out of her pajamas, only changed her pants, and put on the down jacket and scarf she wore that morning. She grabbed her phone and went outside.

Just as Ji Tong reached the eight-compartment cabinet by the door, he suddenly turned back.

He stopped in front of the bedside table, opened the drawer, bent down, grabbed a stack of red envelopes, and stuffed them into his pocket.

No matter how fast or hurried he moved inside the bedroom, Ji Tong almost held his breath once he stepped out of that door.

The villa area has a 24/7 service team. Ji Tong contacted the housekeeper to send a car, and instructed him to park it at the corner of the road outside the villa and not to drive in. He also gave the driver an extra 2,000 yuan as a New Year's red envelope.

[C7-Concierge: Received, vehicle dispatched.]

Ji Tong was still in the second-floor corridor when a Lexus LM minivan was already parked at the corner.

Ji Tong tiptoed towards the stairs.

Only three people lived on the second floor. When passing by her cousin's room, Ji Tong deliberately walked softly and even stopped to listen.

I didn't hear any other sounds.

Are you asleep?

Ji Tong was about to feel relieved—

"Tongtong, what are you doing?"

Ji Tongxin nearly jumped out of her throat and turned around.

The eldest uncle's daughter, who is also the cousin, stood behind Ji Tong with a pen in her hair and a face mask on.

"Sis, sis, why aren't you asleep yet?"

"I just went downstairs to move some flowers, and I went to bed right after putting on a face mask. What are you doing standing here? Did you come to play with your older sister?"

"...No, the gift from Grandpa is in the tea room downstairs. I'll go down and get it."

"Just leave it there. Nobody else is going to take it. It's cold outside. Go back inside and sleep."

"..."

Ji Tong was on the verge of tears: "Take it and go to sleep."

"Alright, alright, then I'll go down with you to look for it."

My cousin, still holding her face mask, was about to go downstairs when Ji Tong pushed her back through the door. "No need, sis, I'll go get it myself. You go to sleep, goodnight."

He spoke so fast that he didn't pause at all.

My cousin was pushed into the room, looking completely bewildered.

Ji Tong didn't linger. In the few minutes after slipping out of the villa, only one thought occupied her mind.

Fortunately, it wasn't my uncle I ran into.

Ten minutes later, Ji Tong finally got into the car: "Sorry, it's getting late."

The villa complex where Song Xutang lives has top-tier amenities in Anjingdu. The driver, a young man, said, "No, no, we work in three shifts. This time is about eight or nine in the morning."

"My supervisor also transferred the red envelope to me."

Happy New Year!

Ji Tong: "Let's enjoy ourselves together."

The driver put on white gloves, raised the barrier, and started the vehicle.

He preheated the seat and adjusted the seat height to sleep mode, but Ji Tong was not sleepy at all.

Ji Tong couldn't tell whether it was the effect of sleeping in late that morning or the thrill of sneaking out in the middle of the night.

It's most likely the latter.

Like a belated "rebellious period".

Ji Tong opened her phone, contacted a private kitchen restaurant that specializes in delivery via WeChat, scanned the code, selected a dish of braised pork ribs with Sichuan peppercorns and pumpkin, a dish of shrimp dumplings stuffed with lotus root, picked out a few other items, and finally made a bowl of porridge.

[JT: Pack it up. I'll pick it up myself in half an hour.]

【Chef-VIP: Okay.】

Ji Tong lowered the partition: "I'll stop by Chuhe later to pick up some takeout."

Driver: "Okay."

Half an hour later, Ji Tong picked up the food, and the car drove for another thirteen minutes to reach the Peninsula, ten minutes ahead of schedule.

The driver turned back, and Ji Tong ran towards the apartment carrying the lunch bag.

The pants weren't very thick, but they were dried in the car the whole way, and I also wore a pair of chestnut-colored fleece-lined snow boots, so I wasn't cold.

With his chin buried in his scarf, Ji Tong ran towards the apartment and encountered a security guard patrolling in a small car. He even stopped to greet him.

He was running so fast that he kept his eyes glued to the floor display while waiting for the elevator, even counting down in his head.

"Ding!" The elevator doors opened, and Ji Tong strode in and pressed "21".

The elevator ascended floor by floor and stopped on the 21st floor.

Only then did Ji Tong slow down, as if she had returned to the second floor of the villa.

Even though they were still some distance from room 2104, Ji Tong unconsciously slowed her breathing.

He walked through the quiet corridor, stood at the door of room 2104, and turned on the surveillance camera to take another look.

No one was in the living room.

Ji Tong raised his hand and placed his fingertip on the door handle. With a "click," the latch retracted into the lock, and the door unlocked.

Ji Tong pushed the door open very gently, bringing with it a small gust of cold wind.

The copper bell on the door was shaken by the colliding wind and made a soft ringing sound. Just as it hummed, a fair hand grabbed the bell and chain.

"Don't make a sound," Ji Tong said to the lucky cat on the copper bell.

The apartment had been ventilated by Gu Lin, so there was no heavy feeling of stagnant air, only the faint fragrance of orange groves.

Ji Tong changed into slippers, quietly walked in, and placed the lunch bag on the table.

He looked toward the master bedroom but didn't go in. Instead, he took off his coat and scarf on the sofa and walked toward the living room bathroom.

Ji Tong had already taken a shower, but after running around outside for so many minutes, he was still feeling chilly, and he was worried that Gu Lin might catch a cold.

Ji Tong rolled up the sleeves and cuffs of her pajamas, turned around, and walked into the bathroom.

-

A faint, pattering sound of water could be heard.

Feeling as heavy as lead from staying up all night, Gu Lin rubbed his heavy temples and frowned as he looked out the window.

Is it raining?

With a dry throat and a burning, irritating sensation from prolonged eye strain, Gu Lin threw off the covers and got out of bed. He turned on a nightlight, casually put on his glasses, and rubbed his throbbing neck as he walked outside.

The sound of water stopped at some point.

Gu Lin pushed open the door to the master bedroom. He was momentarily blinded by the light from the living room, his pupils contracted sharply, and the discomfort from the rapid focus made him turn his head slightly. He then froze in the next second.

A pale cream-colored down jacket lay quietly on the black sofa.

The light-colored, soft velvet jacket lay there, like a fluffy tit perched on a deep silt.

There was a light-colored scarf next to it.

There was also a lunch bag on the table, from one of his favorite private kitchen restaurants.

Gu Lin's thoughts stopped running for the first time, and everything in front of him seemed to be bathed in a halo, making it hard to tell if it was a real dream.

Until I heard a "click" sound, the sound of the doorknob being pressed down.

Gu Lin turned around at the sound—

"Why are you awake?" Ji Tong asked, completely bewildered.

Ji Tong never expected that she would see her boyfriend standing at the door when she opened it after only five minutes of washing her hands and feet.

Ji Tong's pajamas were still rolled up at the cuffs and hems, even higher than before she went in, revealing her fair and shapely legs, which were still dripping with water.

The cool air from the bathroom seeped out little by little through the open door, passing over Ji Tong and then connecting to Gu Lin, awakening every nerve in his body.

"Did I wake you up?" Ji Tong took a step forward.

The warm fragrance emanating from him broke through the cool breeze, like the heat wave generated by a match striking phosphorus, rushing towards Gu Lin.

Gu Lin finally realized that this was real and not a dream. Without further hesitation, he stepped forward and pulled the person into his arms tightly.

"Why are you back?" Gu Lin's voice was hoarse, as if it were being forced out from deep in his throat.

Ji Tong's hands were also wet, so she didn't hug him back, but she rubbed her face against his and joked, "The food delivery platforms were too busy on New Year's Eve. No riders accepted the orders for half a day, so I had no choice but to deliver them myself."

"Please give us a five-star review."

Gu Lin turned his face and kissed him.

The cheeks and lips felt noticeably cool.

Gu Linwei lowered his eyes and looked at Ji Tong's exposed calves. He then picked him up by the waist.

Ji Tong was startled when he was suddenly suspended in mid-air.

"Hang it up properly." Gu Lin supported Ji Tong's legs and patted them gently.

Ji Tong: "It's still wet."

Gu Lin: "I know."

Gu Lin didn't say anything, and Ji Tong stopped resisting. She hooked her leg up, relaxed her shoulders, and hung her whole body on Gu Lin.

Gu Lin carried him into the bathroom, grabbed a towel, and then carried him into the master bedroom.

He brought Ji Tong's favorite thin blanket back to Haiyuan, so Gu Lin took a new one from the bottom of the wardrobe drawer. Carrying the bath towel and blanket, he carried Ji Tong to the living room and sat down on the sofa in a sloth-like embrace.

The two were very close together.

Gu Lin took a bath towel and dried the water droplets on Ji Tong's forearms and palms, then wiped the water droplets off his calves.

Ji Tong lay on top of Gu Lin, playing with his hair while accepting his service without a care in the world, until Gu Lin stopped wiping her with water.

"Where did you bump your head?" Gu Lin frowned.

“What… this?” Ji Tong looked down at her slightly purplish metatarsal skin. “I tripped and fell at home.”

"What shoes were you wearing when you came over?" Gu Lin gently pressed his fingertip against the bruise.

Ji Tong: "Snow boots."

Gu Lin quickly wiped away the water stains, lowered Ji Tong's rolled-up trouser legs, wrapped him in a blanket, and finally placed him on the sofa.

"Where are we going?" Ji Tong grabbed him.

“Nowhere,” Gu Lin bent down and took out the ointment from the drawer under the coffee table, then turned around and knelt on the carpet. “Give it here.”

Ji Tong rested his feet on Gu Lin's knees.

Gu Lin squeezed out some ointment and applied it to the bruised area: "Does it hurt?"

"It doesn't hurt, I don't feel anything," Ji Tong said honestly. "Are you hungry? I ordered some food, and I was planning to heat it up in the microwave for you tomorrow morning. Would you like some now?"

"According to German time, it's not midnight yet, so let's have New Year's Eve dinner."

His stomach was empty, but Gu Lin felt full looking at him.

"Mm." Gu Lin nodded.

Ji Tong wasn't hungry, and he knew Gu Lin's problem—he would lose his appetite when he was tired. So Ji Tong didn't make him eat much, but just scooped him a small bowl of porridge, added a few pieces of pork ribs and shrimp, and they had a simple, belated New Year's Eve dinner.

After finishing their meal, Ji Tong changed into a pair of pajama bottoms and went into the bathroom with Gu Lin.

Ji Tong reached out and took off Gu Lin's glasses, placing them on the sink.

After they finished washing up, Ji Tong turned around, cupped Gu Lin's face with her hands, which still had a few traces of water, and kissed him.

The scent of mint toothpaste lingered on Gu Lin's lips.

“I like seeing you in glasses,” Ji Tong said with a smile. “They look good on you.”

It's actually a bit strange. When other people wear glasses for a long time, they usually have two marks on the bridge of their nose when they take them off, but Gu Lin doesn't have any.

I don't know if it's because his glasses are too light or because his nose bridge is too high, but it makes the skin and flesh on both sides of his nose look thin.

Gu Linwei raised an eyebrow: "I know."

Ji Tong: "?"

Gu Lin found out during the final exams; every time he put on his glasses, someone would huddle up to him.

So I didn't pick them while I was eating.

After Gu Lin finished speaking, he went to get his glasses.

Ji Tong didn't let him, and folded his glasses neatly.

Wearing it all the time isn't very comfortable.

"I've seen enough today, I'll watch more tomorrow," he said.

Needless to say, we'll be sleeping in the master bedroom together today.

The two stayed in the living room for nearly 40 minutes. The bed in the master bedroom had long since cooled down, but Ji Tong still felt that Gu Lin's body temperature was still on the bed.

It was fine and dense, covering the blanket. As he buried a little more inside, a little of it would fall off, replaced by his own scent.

"Should we turn off the lights?" Gu Lin asked.

Ji Tong hummed in agreement.

Gu Lin turned off the light and lay down inside.

In the early hours of a deep winter morning, the sky above the high-rise buildings is pitch black, even on New Year's Eve.

The two lay face to face, Ji Tong gently inhaling Gu Lin's scent and exhaling a long, drawn-out breath.

Even though he was lying down, he felt as if he were being supported by Gu Lin's large hand.

"You sneaked out?" Gu Lin pinched the soft flesh on his earlobe.

Ji Tong: "Yeah, I bumped into my cousin when I came out."

"Thank goodness it wasn't my uncle."

"Otherwise, it will definitely be discovered."

"I have to sneak back tomorrow morning," Ji Tong said.

Gu Lin asked, "What time?"

Ji Tong thought for a moment and said, "Around 6 o'clock. You can go to sleep. I won't disturb you. I'll get up quietly."

Gu Lin changed his tone from "twisting" to "pinching": "I'll deliver it."

Ji Tong: "What are you giving me? Don't you think you're getting enough sleep? I didn't get up until 10 a.m. yesterday. You're comparing yourself to me?"

"Go to sleep quietly."

Ji Tong raised her hand to cover Gu Lin's eyes, wanting him to go to sleep quickly, but then she heard a voice say, "Happy birthday."

Gu Lin's eyelashes are long, unlike Ji Tong's curled eyelashes.

Gu Lin's eyelashes were straight with little curve, pointing slightly downwards like clean, crisp lines. At this moment, they swept across Ji Tong's palm with each breath, like hooks.

Ji Tong suspected that he did it on purpose.

"Don't try these little tricks. Even if you say 'Happy Birthday,' I can't send you a gift."

Gu Lin chuckled.

Ji Tong withdrew his hand, rubbed his palm on the blanket as if to relieve an itch, and then, as if suddenly remembering something, opened it to him: "Where's the gift?"

"A boyfriend who only says 'Happy Birthday' but never gives a gift is not a good choice."

Gu Lin scratched his palm: "Take the first drawer next to you."

Ji Tong paused for two seconds, his original intention was just to start a conversation casually.

Gu Lin's voice didn't sound like a joke. Ji Tong couldn't resist her curiosity, so she reached out and turned on the nightlight on the bedside table, sat up in bed, and yanked open the bedside table drawer—

Two boxes... well, one box of something.

After I paid at the supermarket last time, he stuffed them all into the drawer.

Ji Tong: "…………"

I'm %￥#@&*.

If you say this is your birthday present, then I'll—

"Look where you're looking," Gu Lin said, putting one arm around Ji Tong's waist and pulling her back. He then reached out and brushed the boxes aside, pulling out a sealed bag from the side. "This one."

Ji Tong: "..."

Ji Tongmu, her face flushed, reached for it: "What's this?"

He took the sealed bag from Gu Lin and opened it.

It is a contract.

The contract had the words "House Sale" written at the top. Ji Tong paused for a moment, then looked down at the details of the house, which stated "Peninsula Apartments".

"You bought the apartment?" Ji Tong turned to look at Gu Lin.

"Yes, it's still going through the process."

Ji Tong stared blankly for a long time: "Why did you buy it?"

Gu Lin said, "With so much stuff, how are we going to move it when we terminate the lease?"

Ji Tong curled her fingers back slightly.

With so much stuff, how am I going to move it all when I move out...?

These words weren't spoken by Gu Lin, but by him.

Ji Tong couldn't remember exactly which day it was, only that he was assembling a newly bought sunset chandelier when he casually remarked, "With so much stuff, how am I going to move it when I move out?"

At the time, Gu Lin casually replied, "Then we won't move."

Ji Tong couldn't actually remember what he replied, because it was just an ordinary day and an ordinary event.

I never imagined that there would actually be a day when I wouldn't need to move.

This was certainly not the most expensive gift Ji Tong had ever received; it was just an apartment, but one that didn't need to be stored in his own collection room. It simply stood there, a gift he could return to anytime.

There were gifts inside.

Ji Tong stuffed the house contract back into the sealed bag, unable to hide the smile on her lips.

“From now on, I’ll be the landlord,” Ji Tong said.

Gu Lin: "Yes, Mr. Landlord."

Ji Tong put the contract back where it belonged, and when he turned his head, Gu Lin was propped up on the bed with one hand, looking at him for who knows how long.

The nightlight was still on, casting a large shadow on Gu Lin's eyes and high nose bridge.

The two stared at each other in silence, their breaths mingling without them even realizing it.

Ji Tong's eyes went from slightly moist to gradually turning red. The moment her clothes were lifted, both of them stopped moving at the same time.

A wave of humidity, stronger than ever before, swept through the area.

Gu Lin's breathing was heavy, hitting Ji Tong's chin, and Ji Tong trembled slightly.

Gu Lin closed his eyes, squeezed the dampness out of his chest, as if nothing had happened, and raised his hand to cover Ji Tong's clothes, which had been lifted up.

Gu Lin propped himself up from the bed.

Before she could even get out of bed, Ji Tong grabbed her sleeve: "...Where are you going?"

Gu Lin succinctly replied: "Bathroom."

Ji Tong didn't let go; she just held on like that.

He remained silent for a long time before finally getting up from the bed with weak legs. He turned to the side, opened the bedside table drawer, took a deep breath, grabbed the miscellaneous items he had bought from the supermarket, and slammed them onto the bedside table.

The movement was so big that even the aromatherapy diffuser on the bedside table shook.

Ji Tong closed his eyes tightly, fell backward onto the pillow as if going to his execution, spread his hands to his sides, and uttered three words with a death-defying resolve—

"Come on, come on."

Gu Lin: "..."