Chapter 16
Shang Zhier turned on the light. Yan Huai had already crawled into the sleeping bag with his whole body and head, with only his curly hair exposed.
Shang Zhier took off his jacket and down lining, got into his sleeping bag, unpacked two heating pads, and stuffed one into Yan Huai's hand. "It's cold at night, put it on."
"Yeah." Yan Huai's voice was muffled, and he didn't even look up at him.
After the lights went out, it was pitch black. Shang Zhier knew that he was upset and stopped teasing him.
Two hours later, Yan Huai guessed that Shang Zhier had fallen asleep, so he explored downwards. He finally managed to suppress it, but he was so close to Shang Zhier, and was surrounded by the scent of Shang Zhier, that he couldn't control himself.
Yan Huai bit his collar and suppressed the hum in his throat.
Suddenly, Shang Zhier turned over, stretched out his hands from the sleeping bag, and hugged him tightly.
In an instant, Yan Huai's eyes went blank and he hummed inadvertently.
Shang Zhier slowly opened his eyes in the darkness, a faint smile on his lips.
When he woke up, Shang Zhier deliberately asked him, "Did you sleep well last night?"
Yan Huai nodded awkwardly, "It's fine."
"Really? That's good." Shang Zhier put on his windbreaker as if nothing had happened and opened the tent.
The morning was colder than the night. A group of people gathered and looked for dry firewood and branches nearby, but it rained last night and a lot of the wood was wet.
Shang Zhier and Yan Huai are in a group, searching along the way.
Shang Zhier asked calmly, "Did you hear any noise last night?"
"Ah?" Yan Huai panicked, "No, you must have heard it wrong."
"That may be the case." Shang Zhier nodded, thoughtfully.
Yan Huai quickened his pace, picked up a few pieces of slightly drier firewood, and ran quickly towards the camp. As he ran, he realized something was wrong. Why was he running? It was as if he was guilty of something. With this in mind, he slowed down again and waited for Shang Zhier to catch up.
Tao Ning also packed a few egg yolk pastries in his bag and distributed them to everyone.
After breakfast, Shang Zhier stayed in the camp to guard the things and the tent, while the rest of the people went to pick mushrooms together.
"Yan Huai." Tao Ning called out to the person walking in front.
Yan Huai stopped and turned around, "What's wrong?"
He looked at Tao Ning, who seemed to be in a dilemma, and found it a little funny. He patted Tao Ning on the shoulder and said, "What do you want to say? Go ahead."
"You," Tao Ning said, "have you and Shang Zhier lost contact since the Moss collaboration?"
Yan Huai was a little surprised. He didn't expect Tao Ning to ask him these questions.
He lowered his head and thought for a moment, "I sent a New Year's greeting message. Does that count as communication?"
Tao Ning continued walking with the stick in his hand, "Yan Huai, look back at him."
She was torn and struggling, caught between the two of them, wanting them to develop on their own, but seeing them drifting apart, she couldn't bear to see Shang Zhiteng suffer so much. Ten years was one-fifth of a person's life.
Yan Huai lowered his head, patted the mushroom, and gently pulled it out.
He didn't understand why these people always asked him to look back at Shang Zhier.
He couldn't remember what kind of entanglement he had with Shang Zhier.
Yan Huai wanted to escape, but Tao Ning followed closely behind him.
"Do you know..." Tao Ning stared at his back, "Shang Zhier likes you? He's been in love with you for ten years, a full ten years."
Yan Huai stopped and had to face it. He whispered, "Why are you telling me this?"
If I don't tell him, he can pretend that he never knows. No matter how he guesses and imagines, it's all fake, not true. But now Tao Ning tells him that it's true, someone has loved him for ten years.
Yan Huai gave a wry smile, putting the question of acceptance aside for now. Having someone like him for so many years was painful and a source of guilt. He hadn't been able to respond or reject her in time, so how had Shang Zhineng lived these past few years?
Have these years been tough? Do you have any regrets?
Tao Ning said, "I'm sorry."
In the evening, several people returned to the camp with baskets full of goods. Shang Zhier had already made hot cocoa, and they could drink it from the thermos.
As Yan Huai sipped his hot drink, he suddenly wondered: why should he restrain and suppress his feelings? Why couldn't he give Shang Zhier a try? But he was also troubled. If he couldn't accept being in a relationship with a man and ended up breaking up with Shang Zhier, what would the ten years with Shang Zhier be worth? Would they be wasted?
Tao Ning was restless because of what he had said to Yan Huai in the afternoon, so he and Sheng Yu lay down in the tent and fell asleep early.
Four men sat in a circle around the fire.
Shang Zhier stretched out his hand towards the warm fire, but it was still very cold.
"It's so cold." Du Yang sneezed.
Xige suggested: "Have some wine to warm yourself up."
He took out some wine from his bag and threw a bottle into each person's arms.
Shang Zhier stared down at the bottle and saw that it was still white wine. Before he unscrewed the cap, Yan Huai next to him had already taken a big gulp and was coughing from choking.
"Why are you drinking so fast?" Xi Ge laughed, "This wine has a strong aftereffect. You'll be dizzy soon."
Yan Huai wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and said, "It's okay. I can drink quite well. It's all from all the social events."
"Drink slowly." Shang Zhier stuffed a piece of pork jerky into his mouth.
Yan Huai chewed the pork jerky slowly while listening to Du Yang and Xi Ge chatting.
"How did you two know each other?" Shang Zhier asked.
Xi Ge raised his chin and motioned Du Yang to speak.
Du Yang had been drinking, and was a bit excited, his tone exaggerated. "It was so ridiculous! He had just gotten off the train and his wallet was stolen. He was chasing someone and knocked me over, and my phone flew out, the screen shattered to pieces. And I just bought this new one, the latest model!"
"Can I let him go? Who's going to compensate me for my phone if he does?" Du Yang unpacked a bag of spicy snacks. "I wouldn't let him go no matter what. The thief took his wallet and ran away."
Xige laughed and said, "My ID card and bank card are all gone."
Du Yang slapped his thigh and said, "He's already relying on me. Damn, he spent all his money on the hotel and the replacement of his ID card."
"Tsk," Xige glanced at him, "I returned it to you later."
After drinking, Yan Huai became bolder in his words: "Who of you... is on top?"
Du Yang smiled and hugged Yan Huai, "Want to know? Come, let me kiss you first. Muma~"
"Stop it." Brother Xi grabbed Du Yang's collar and pulled him back.
Du Yang was completely drunk. He was hanging on Xige and started talking nonsense.
Xi Ge held him with one hand and put out the fire with the other, saying, "You should go to bed early too, we'll be going down the mountain tomorrow."
Shang Zhier nodded and pulled Yan Huai into the tent.
The tent itself was very small, and Yan Huai was drunk and moving around inside, taking up most of the space. Shang Zhier took off his clothes and couldn't even lift his sleeping bag.
He patted Yan Huai's face gently: "Get up, press down on my sleeping bag."
Before he could react, Yan Huai's lips pressed against his, warm, moist, and alcoholic.
Yan Huai reached out and took off Shang Zhier's glasses, then hugged him tightly around the neck. He sat astride him, his consciousness hazy. Yan Huai thought, was this a dream? If it was a dream, then everything he did would be reasonable, and he could do whatever he wanted.
He thought so and did so. He kissed Shang Zhier's cheeks, ears, and Adam's apple.
Shang Zhier was so distracted by his teasing that she stopped him.
"I feel uncomfortable, please help me." Yan Huai wanted to vent.
Shang Zhier held him tightly, preventing him from moving up or down, and pulling at his feelings. Yan Huai's body was shaking unbearably, and he cried, "Let go, let go."
"Beg me." Shang Zhier stared at him.
Yan Huai bit his lip, his psychological defenses finally broken. He collapsed and said, "Please... please."
Shang Zhier loosened his grip and patted his back to comfort him.
He could sleep peacefully and comfortably, but Shang Zhier was still feeling uncomfortable. Shang Zhier pinched his fingers and played with them, "I helped you, can you help me too? Hmm?"
Yan Huaijiu Mengzi sat up and thought about it. It seemed to make sense. He nodded and said, "Okay."
Based on the experience of learning to pick mushrooms with the team for so many days, Yan Huai has become very proficient. First, he pats the head of the mushroom to let the spores fall into the ground, then he digs deep into the soil to find the roots, rotates it back and forth, and finally touches the roots and digs it out, and a complete mushroom is in his hands.
Shang Zhierzi took out a wet tissue to wipe Yan Huai's hands. Yan Huai had already fallen asleep in his arms. After Shang Zhierzi wiped them carefully, he kissed Yan Huai on the forehead and carried him into the sleeping bag.
When Yan Huai woke up again, the sun was already out. He fumbled for his phone and saw that it was already one o'clock in the afternoon.
He stood up, put on his clothes, unzipped the tent, and bent down to get out.
"Awake?" Du Yang winked at him. "Did you sleep well last night?"
Yan Huai rubbed his hair and said, "I have a headache. I drank too much."
Du Yang gave him a meaningful look, then turned around and went to pack up the tent with Xige.
Yan Huai opened the mouthwash bag, washed his face, and followed Shang Zhier to pack up the tent. It had been easy to carry it on his back, but now it was a bit difficult to put back. After fiddling with it for a long time, they finally managed to pack it up.
Six people put on their backpacks and took turns carrying the large baskets filled with mushrooms down the mountain.
It was already three o'clock when we reached the bottom of the mountain. We returned the rented equipment to the shop owner and carried the mushrooms to a nearby farmhouse.
"There are chickens here! And geese!" Sheng Yu exclaimed.
Du Yang teased her: "Go catch one."
Sheng Yu shook his head: "I dare not."
The six people who had climbed down the mountain were already starving. They gathered around the table, staring at the mushrooms in the pot. The waiter stood by with a timer in his hand, not daring to leave, for fear that these people would end up in the hospital after eating the mushrooms.
When the timer rang, several people pounced on their food like hungry wolves and ate it with big mouthfuls.
"The mushrooms I picked myself are really delicious." Tao Ning took a sip of the soup and it was very delicious.
Yan Huai scooped a spoonful of fried rice and chewed it slowly. He looked at the mushrooms in the bowl, and suddenly some images flashed through his mind. He seemed to have picked something similar to the mushrooms last night...
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