episode 36
When He Xun sat back down next to Mo Shilin, he was still a little confused and disoriented.
Why...why did you give him such an expensive necklace?
He had always thought he was quite smart, and others always praised him for it, but he was hesitant to make a conclusion about this matter. He wasn't that narcissistic, and he didn't believe that Mo Shilin had specially bought the necklace for him.
But how do you explain that the necklace sold out as soon as it was put on the market yesterday, right after he asked Mo Shilin to come to the auction?
Is Mo Shilin really just like that...?
He Xun glanced at Mo Shilin with mixed feelings. The other man was taking a break from his work to reply to work emails, his brows furrowed in seriousness and coldness, giving off an unapproachable air.
The clouds and fog obscured everything, making it impossible to see anything clearly.
Never mind, let's wait until the auction is over.
He Xun regained his composure.
Before long, the auction officially began.
Mo Shilin also put away his phone and turned his attention to the stage.
This auction is charitable in nature and not for profit. All proceeds, after deducting costs, will be donated to public welfare education projects.
Although it's for charity, the items auctioned off are nothing new; they're mostly antique porcelain, jewelry, fine wines, and maybe a few paintings and sculptures.
He Xun had no interest in any of the above. The auctioneer's introduction of the items was like listening to a boring math lesson. Before long, his eyelids became heavy, his head gradually tilted to the side, and his slender neck swayed like a branch laden with fruit. Finally, with a soft creak, he fell onto Mo Shilin's shoulder.
Mo Shilin's gaze fell upon him, his dark eyes fixed on him.
Because of the uncomfortable position, He Xun did not sleep soundly. His brows were slightly furrowed, and his expression showed a hint of resentment. However, his dark eyelashes fluttered and his hair fell softly, making him look well-behaved and quiet.
Mo Shilin's breathing became heavier, and after a long while, he finally turned his gaze to the stage.
The auctioneer on stage was diligently introducing the next item: "Manuscript by a deceased...famous author!"
As the auctioneer finished speaking, He Xun, who had been fast asleep, suddenly opened his eyes as if a switch had been flipped, and straightened up with a swift motion, like a carp leaping out of its skin.
That speed is so fast it can rival a rocket.
Mo Shilin: ?
He Xun was visibly excited, his eyes shining. He craned his neck to look at the stage, his right hand still tightly gripping Mo Shilin's arm and shaking it. He couldn't help but mutter, "Look, look! It's actually a manuscript! This is so rare! I never expected there to be such a precious item at an auction..."
It's obvious that he likes what's on stage.
Do you like it that much? It's like it's come back to life.
Mo Shilin chuckled softly and followed He Xun's gaze.
The auctioneer on stage was carefully turning the pages of the manuscript to show everyone a portion of its contents.
After the presentation, the auctioneer, hands on the table, smiled and surveyed the room: "Manuscript by a famous deceased author, in excellent condition, market valued at 150,000. A bid has been placed—"
Halfway through his sentence, the auctioneer suddenly gasped for breath and looked in surprise in the direction where Mo Shilin was.
The people in the hall followed his gaze and looked over curiously.
The handsome young man crossed his legs, raised his right hand in a gun gesture, and lazily gestured around. His veined hand looked both sexy and restrained under the bright lights.
The meaning behind this action is even more exciting and thrilling.
The entire venue was silent for a moment, then erupted into a clamor like water boiling in a kettle.
"Are they lighting sky lanterns?"
"Judging from his gesture, that should be it."
"Who is it? Mr. Mo from Yuntu?"
"Isn't Mo Shilin in the internet industry? Why would he be interested in this kind of thing?"
Are you going to match the price?
"No way. Yuntu has been so powerful these past few years, who would dare to compete with them? They've already lit the sky lantern."
"Was it taken by the guy next to him? That guy is really good-looking."
"It's almost certainly true, look at the necklace around his neck..."
"......"
A cacophony of voices rose and fell. He Xun turned to look at Mo Shilin in astonishment, his expression one of disbelief.
In auction venues, "lighting the sky lantern" is an extremely risky bidding method, the core meaning of which is "unlimited bidding, determined to win".
Bidders will use special gestures or public statements to indicate their attitude towards the auction item: no matter how high the price offered by the opponent, I will automatically raise the bid.
The essence of "lighting the sky lantern" is to relinquish the right to bid round by round and directly enter a state of "unlimited bidding" until the auctioneer brings down the gavel.
This is a very domineering and arrogant bidding method that exudes a superior attitude.
No one would dare to be this crazy without some skill.
He Xun had to admit that while lighting a sky lantern was pretentious, it was also undeniably cool.
The auctioneer's voice betrayed his excitement: "Sir, are you sure you want to bid without any upper limit?"
Mo Shilin lazily scanned the room, his expression one of certainty: "Confirmed."
Upon hearing this, no one present dared to echo it.
"150,000 per time!"
"150,000 twice!!"
"150,003 times!!!"
"Sold!" The auctioneer finally brought down the gavel. "Congratulations!"
*
After the auction ended, He Xun and Mo Shilin returned to the hotel together by car.
Even after entering the room, He Xun still felt as if he were walking on cotton, feeling dizzy.
What he longed for so much, in the blink of an eye, belonged to the person beside him.
He walked into the room absentmindedly and watched as Mo Shilin casually tossed the wrapped manuscript onto the sofa. Finally, he couldn't help but grab Mo Shilin's arm and ask, "That manuscript... you like it too? Aren't you an engineering student? I didn't know you were interested in this kind of thing. What are you going to do with it?"
The night was deep, and the room was dark with no lights on, yet Mo Shilin could sense the longing on He Xun's face.
I'm inexplicably feeling a bit annoyed.
Mo Shilin coldly withdrew his hand and walked towards the sofa: "Let it gather dust in the room."
"No way, what a waste." He Xun immediately followed, squatted down in front of Mo Shilin, and placed his hands on Mo Shilin's knees. "Can I borrow it to take a look? I promise I won't break it and will return it to you in perfect condition."
Mo Shilin sat on the sofa, fiddling with his phone, without looking up: "Reason."
He Xun coughed lightly twice, his eyes darting around: "Because I really like that author, and I want to see what he has written."
Upon hearing this, Mo Shilin finally looked up, stared at him for a moment in that position, and slowly said, "What if I say no?"
"......"
The refusal was quite obvious.
Even if He Xun really wanted it, he wasn't so clueless as to take what others wanted; it wasn't his intention. So he forced a smile to hide his disappointment: "Then forget it..."
"You like it that much?" Mo Shilin suddenly interrupted him.
He Xun paused for a moment, then nodded: "Mm."
The two stared at each other for a long time until He Xun couldn't stand it anymore and turned away. Mo Shilin then curled his lips into a smile, stuffed the manuscript into He Xun's arms, and said, "Pay me back if you break it." After saying that, he took off his silver jewelry and watch and went to the window to smoke.
It took He Xun a while to realize that the other party had agreed.
"Thanks!"
With trembling hands, he picked up the manuscript and spread it out on the coffee table. Not wanting to waste time walking to the door to turn on the light, he simply used the standing lamp next to the sofa to carefully read through it.
...After what seemed like an eternity, perhaps a good half hour, He Xun reluctantly closed the manuscript.
He stretched and stood up, the necklace around his neck swinging out as he bent over, then bouncing back at lightning speed. The shimmering turquoise against his warm skin sent a shiver down He Xun's spine.
It also made him realize the truth of his dream.
He stared at the manuscript on the table for a long time, and suddenly realized something.
He Xun suddenly turned around, looked at the man in front of the window, and called his name: "Mo Shilin".
Mo Shilin leaned against the window, and upon hearing this, he glanced sideways at me with a cigarette between his fingers, his phoenix eyes both ruthless and affectionate: "What?"
"You...this manuscript." Perhaps because he hadn't spoken for a long time, He Xun's voice sounded a little hoarse. "You originally took a picture of it for me, right?"
"......"
Mo Shilin tapped the cigarette ash with his finger and remained silent.
He didn't say no.
He Xun felt as if a feather had suddenly drifted into his heart, making him feel itchy and a little sour.
He stared at Mo Shilin's tall and upright figure, and many thoughts came to mind.
Mo Shilin who delivered Sudanese gold to him in the middle of the night, Mo Shilin who gave him a gemstone necklace worth 100 million but never mentioned the price, Mo Shilin who gave him an ice cream cone when he had low blood sugar, Mo Shilin who would still call a doctor for him and buy him porridge in the middle of the night even after an argument, Mo Shilin who never showed off his sharpness and liked to be accommodating but publicly reprimanded those who spoke rudely to him at the auction.
Mo Shilin never said anything that showed his true feelings, but he gave him everything he could.
This was definitely an impulsive night.
He Xun suppressed the strange feeling in his heart and slowly walked over: "I've finished reading the manuscript. Do you want me to pay you?"
Mo Shilin put one hand in his pocket, stared at him, and exhaled a thin puff of smoke without saying a word.
He Xun sighed, took the cigarette from Mo Shilin's hand, stubbed it out on the window, and then kissed him.
The cigarette butt landed with a soft, cool touch, and Mo Shilin visibly paused.
He Xun slowly raised his eyes and met the man's eyes; his heart sank instantly.
Mo Shilin's eyes were cold and deep, and his body did not respond at all. He simply accepted the kiss calmly.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three seconds...
After receiving no response for a long time, He Xun finally took two steps back.
Did he misunderstand?
Meeting the man's still cold gaze, an indescribable shame welled up inside him, and He Xun's expression became unusually flustered: "I'm sorry, I..."
Like a panicked rabbit, he turned to run away, but Mo Shilin pulled him back, staring intently at him, his voice hoarse: "Where are you going?"
He Xun had never felt so desperate to disappear into the ground as he did now.
Where are you going? What kind of nonsense question is that! If he doesn't want to go, wouldn't he be committing sexual harassment? No wonder he'd run away!
Shame gradually turned into anger. He Xun forcefully shook off Mo Shilin's hand, but Mo Shilin suddenly grabbed the back of his head and sneered, "So even someone as smart as you can make a fool of himself."
He Xun was immediately both embarrassed and annoyed: "You..."
Before he could react, Mo Shilin forcefully pulled him into his arms, regaining control.
His jaw was forcefully pried open, and the breath came in like a storm, causing He Xun's heart to almost stop for a moment before racing violently. His eyes were red, and he was forced to slump in the man's arms, his whole body retreating step by step, almost unable to breathe.
"Hmm..."
Mo Shilin's hand slowly moved down along his collarbone.
The night was deep, and the branches outside the window swayed in the wind. The two people by the window sometimes disappeared into the darkness and sometimes were bathed in the moonlight.
... (Deleted, Jinjiang wouldn't allow it to pass review)
After a long while, Mo Shilin finally released He Xun's lips, supported his waist, and pressed his back against the cold, hard window. He said in a low voice, annoyed and hoarse, "Don't you dislike me? Why do you still insist on coming closer?"
He Xun, who had just been the one to initiate the kiss, suddenly denied it, pushing the man's shoulders away, her chest heaving violently: "I... I don't like you, this is just payment."
"Is this how you repay others?" Mo Shilin sneered, biting his lip even harder and pinching his hand tightly, punishing him for his hypocrisy. "Hmm?"
He Xun groaned in pain, his words broken and fragmented: "I...I just knew how to cater to their preferences..."
Then the two stopped talking and continued to kiss passionately, making it impossible to tell who had been longing for whom for a long time.
Later, Mo Shilin carried He Xun back to the bedroom and reached under his clothes to touch him.
The thin calluses on the man's hands. (Deleted; Jinjiang wouldn't allow it to pass review)
He Xun suddenly bent over and blocked Mo Shilin's hand: "Wait a minute, take off your coat, or it will get wrinkled later."
Mo Shilin stopped what he was doing and stared at him: "I'll help you."
(Deleted; Jinjiang wouldn't allow it to pass review)
So this is what kissing Mo Shilin feels like.
Pain mixed with pleasure—this is what paradise must be like.
He Xun thought to himself, feeling dizzy, that he should have done this sooner...
The flames of love from the fish spread throughout his body... (Deleted, Jinjiang wouldn't allow it to pass review)
Unfortunately, their movements were so intense that He Xun's phone fell out of his pocket and landed on the carpet with a thud.
The sound startled He Xun. He paused for a moment, then, remembering his bank card with its small balance, he quickly pushed Mo Shilin away and went to pick it up: "My phone."
"I'll go pick it up."
Mo Shilin pressed him back onto the bed without saying a word, and impatiently picked up the phone that had interrupted his good time from the ground. Unexpectedly, when he looked down, he saw that He Xun's phone screen had been accidentally brushed and had automatically lit up and unlocked. By a twist of fate, it jumped to the photo library, where there were photos of him being maliciously taken by paparazzi when he was socializing at the K Club.
Seeing him sitting motionless on the edge of the bed, He Xun asked, slightly out of breath, "What's wrong?"
Mo Shilin raised his phone, his eyes mocking.
He Xun stared intently, puzzled, and when he saw the person in the photo clearly, his expression suddenly froze.
He remembered that his original purpose in asking Song Liuguang for this photo was to have a chance to prank Mo Shilin, but things didn't go as planned. He failed to prank Mo Shilin and now found himself in an awkward situation.
He tried to argue, "It downloaded itself after I clicked on the webpage; it has nothing to do with me."
Mo Shilin found it amusing, but didn't call him out on it. He casually pressed the delete button to delete the photo, tossed his phone onto the bedside table, and then pulled He Xun into his arms and kissed him again.
With He Xun in her arms, who cares about that damned photo?
The two had some personality clashes, but were surprisingly compatible physically. However, after kissing for a long time, they couldn't release their pent-up desire; it was like scratching an itch through a boot.
"Give it to me this time?" Mo Shilin placed his hands on He Xun's waist, looking down at him with undisguised lust in his eyes.
It is difficult for people to remain rational when they are manipulated by desires, but He Xun was obviously not an ordinary person. He gripped Mo Shilin's collar tightly, closed his eyes, and shook his head with difficulty.
"Then help me elsewhere?" Mo Shilin asked in a low, husky voice, trying to entice him.
"...Um."
"Is it okay, baby?"
—————— (Turn off the light)
After the beautiful scenery.
Mo Shilin cleaned He Xun up, then bit his lip with satisfaction: "I won't let you off the hook next time."
It was already 2 a.m. when the two of them finished showering and came out of the bathroom.
He Xun hesitated for a moment, intending to take his pillow and go to sleep on the sofa in the living room, but Mo Shilin pulled him back and pressed him into his arms without saying a word: "Where do you want to go so late? Go to sleep."
He Xun struggled in vain and had no choice but to give up.
Fortunately, thanks to the cold shower, both of them calmed down, and holding each other was no longer as unbearable as before.
He Xun's head was forced to be buried in Mo Shilin's chest, and he was not sleepy at all. After a while, he couldn't help but look up at Mo Shilin: "I didn't know that necklace was so expensive."
Mo Shilin opened his eyes and said casually, "I don't think it's anything important that you need to bring it up."
He Xun: "......"
Isn't this a big deal? He made it sound like such an expensive necklace was just a plastic thing. It's such a waste of money.
The spendthrift Mo Shilin was completely unaware, gently stroking his back. A faint fragrance of shower gel wafted into his nostrils from time to time. Mo Shilin stared at He Xun's moist eyes and couldn't help but kiss his eyelashes.
He Xun dodged for a moment.
He thought of the original plot, and a feeling of guilt and unease, as if he had stolen something from someone else, quickly welled up in his heart.
Mo Shilin reached out and grabbed his chin: "Why are you hiding?"
He Xun's body trembled slightly, and he didn't want to meet Mo Shilin's gaze: "You shouldn't have given me that necklace in the first place."
"There's no such thing as 'should' or 'shouldn't'." Mo Shilin's eyelids drooped slightly. "Giving you a gift is my duty. I said I'd give you a gift, so I'll give you a gift. I won't go back on my word."
He Xun's breath hitched, and he even considered reciting the entire plot of the original book: "Actually, you should... um..."
His hesitation was crushed between Mo Shilin's teeth.
......
He Xun placed his hand on Mo Shilin's back, his slender fingers slowly tightening.
...Let me be selfish just this once.
Even if it's just a mirage, it's good to be allowed to indulge in it for a moment.
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