He took her hand and placed it on his abs...
This scene and this dialogue look like the grand finale of an April Fool's Day prank.
Lin Shiren froze, not even noticing his phone slip from his palm. His gaze was fixed on Zhou Lin's face, trying to find evidence of his prank.
But no.
Is Zhou Lin serious? When did he start liking her? And why did he like her?
The questions in her head were a tangled mess; she opened her mouth, but couldn't utter a word.
After waiting for a long time without a response, Zhou Lin had a bad feeling. He placed both hands on her shoulders, not missing any subtle expression on her face: "Don't you have anything to say?"
Lin Shiren struggled, but he couldn't stop, so he was forced to look up at him, his voice confused: "Is it because of that kiss during exercise?"
Zhou Lin paused for a moment, but quickly concealed his emotions and answered swiftly, "Maybe."
Lin Shiren couldn't understand the relationship between "maybe" and "right?" She just felt a headache coming on: "That kiss was an accident, don't let it affect you."
Zhou Lin's face was somber: "Did that kiss mean nothing to you?"
The little girl's long hair was a bit messy, and her almond-shaped eyes were slightly watery. Standing on the carpet, she only reached his chest, but Zhou Lin knew that at this moment, he was the one who was at a disadvantage.
Because Lin Shiren refused without the slightest hesitation: "Mm."
With pure eyes, she said, "Chest kisses and hugs are common international greetings. In Turkey and Russia, people even greet each other with kisses."
That night, when things got heated, Lin Shiren searched for a lot of information online, and now he was using it all to comfort Zhou Lin.
She imagined the scene as she spoke, and although she resisted it, she went against her conscience and said, "Let's just pretend we met in Russia, exchanged greetings, and that's all."
Is that all?
She casually described their first kiss as two Russians greeting each other.
Zhou Lin met her gaze with a cold expression, feeling as if he had blood stuck in his throat. Finally, he laughed with a sarcastic tone: "I didn't realize you were so international."
The phone rang again on the carpet.
Xin Xiaomei's name popped up on the screen. Lin Shiren breathed a sigh of relief. She shrugged, pulled her hand away from his, and squatted down to pick up the phone: "I'm going home now."
This time, Zhou Lin didn't stop her. He watched her answer the phone, put on her shoes in the entryway, and watch her disappear behind the door.
He went to the bathroom and washed his face with cold water. As the water flowed slowly across his cheeks, the image of a girl's soft, clean face suddenly flashed through his mind, and a surge of restlessness rose within him.
The little turtle needs some time to think things through; if you push it too hard, it will retreat into its shell.
The person in the mirror rested their hands on the table, a few drops of water dripping from their hair, and squinted: "Zhou Lin, it must have been hard to accept being rejected on your first confession."
The air was quiet, with only the sound of flowing water. He tried to recall Lin Shiren's expression and what she had said.
After a while, Zhou Lin, with a youthful irritation in his eyes, rubbed his face and said, "You've really lost your mind from anger."
As a hunter, his mission orientation was very clear. If it weren't for Shen Xuqing's phone call, why would he suddenly confess his feelings?
Lin Shih-ren was just as distraught as him.
Lin Shiren wasn't as confident as she was in front of Zhou Lin. Sitting in the back seat of the taxi, she looked out the window through the glass.
The sky was foggy, as if it were about to rain.
But then, in an instant, he remembered that cool night when Zhou Lin took her home after she was being followed by Pang Ziyi, and the injuries he caused to Cai Shichen. A sense of guilt suddenly welled up inside him.
Zhou Lin has always been very good to her, so why has he never thought about what this kindness really means? Perhaps she did think about it, but at that time she was so focused on Shen Xuqing that she overlooked his good intentions.
Lin Shih-ren, when did you learn to string people along?
Yujingyuan is not far from Mercury Garden. In less than ten minutes, the taxi stopped at the entrance of the alley. Lin Shiren paid the fare and got out of the back seat.
A cold wind blew by, carrying her name, "Lin Shiren." At first, she thought she was hallucinating, but then it was repeated. She looked in the direction of the sound and saw Chen Xu waving at her with his arms outstretched at the entrance of the convenience store. Her gaze shifted downwards, and there was a large styrofoam box at his feet.
Lin Shih-ren didn't expect him to be waiting here.
Since their encounter at the stationery store, Shen Xuqing hadn't interacted much with her, afraid of being teased by Ruan Ya and also afraid of being misunderstood by his goddess. He had recently been getting very close to Xu Yiqiao, and rumors about them were already circulating at school.
In the past, Lin Shih-jen would have felt guilty for making him wait this long, but now...
She calmly walked over and asked, "Have you been waiting outside the whole time?"
With a smile on her face, Shen Xuqing got straight to the point: "No, I was sitting in the convenience store. I only came out after I saw you get off the car. The suitcase was a bit big, so I didn't bother to bring it home. Luckily, you came back pretty quickly."
Lin Shiren pursed his lips: "Really, there's no need. That's too kind of you."
In just a few minutes, her skin became icy cold from the wind, and the veins under her skin were clearly visible.
Shen Xuqing picked up the box and said in a way that left no room for refusal, "It's quite heavy, I'll help you take it home."
The two remained silent the entire way. Shen Xuqing glanced at her from time to time. Lin Shiren was usually quiet, but today he seemed absent-minded. For a fraction of a second, he felt like he wasn't very popular, so he forced himself to start a conversation: "You did quite well on your monthly exam this time."
Lin Shih-ren, with his hands in his shirt pockets and his eyes fixed on his feet, said, "It's alright, but it's not very stable, with ups and downs."
Have you decided which university you want to go to?
Lin Shiren honestly replied, "S University, but with the current scores, it's still difficult."
Shen Xuqing was a little surprised. He switched his suitcase and said, "I also want to go to S University. Maybe we can become alumni in the future."
...
There was no elevator in the Mercury residential complex. Shen Xuqing was already breathing heavily when he reached the third floor. He put the styrofoam box on the ground and leaned on the railing, panting heavily. Matsutake mushrooms are difficult to preserve, so the box was stuffed full of ice packs and was very heavy.
Lin Shih-jen walked ahead of him, turned around and said, "Let me help you carry it."
Shen Xuqing waved her hand and said, "No need."
What was originally a friendly exchange between classmates was repaid by him in a very considerate way by treating her to meals and giving her gifts. Since he didn't want to owe her anything, Lin Shiren didn't stop him and waited for him to rest.
Finally reaching the fourth floor, she took out her key and inserted it into the lock. The door clicked open from the inside, and Xin Xiaomei, dressed in pajamas, stood in the doorway: "Why are you only coming back now?"
Then she saw the boy behind Lin Shiren, and her brows furrowed to a new level. Fortunately, Shen Xuqing reacted quickly and introduced himself before Xin Xiaomei could speak: "Auntie, I'm here today to thank you for checking my mother's medicine before. My father recently had someone bring a box of matsutake mushrooms from Yunnan for you to make soup."
"Oh, no need to be so polite."
After Xin Xiaomei finished speaking, she pointed at Lin Shiren with her finger: "It's such a small matter, how can you accept a gift from a classmate?"
Shen Xuqing quickly explained for her, "Auntie, Lin Shiren refused several times, but I insisted on sending it over. It's not anything valuable, so please accept it."
After several rounds of tug-of-war at the door, a box of matsutake mushrooms was finally moved inside.
The door had barely closed when Xin Xiaomei clicked her tongue twice: "Where did you go this afternoon? Did you go out with this boy?"
That's a very ambiguous question.
Lin Shiren was on edge, unsure of what to do with his hands and feet, and hurriedly explained, "No, I met him at the alley entrance."
Xin Xiaomei clearly didn't believe her, giving her a soft glare: "You've really made something of yourself, haven't you? You've started playing with people's feelings, haven't you? Last time someone fought for you, and this time someone's bringing gifts to your door. What exactly are you trying to do?"
She wasn't a particularly enlightened parent; she had simply heard too many stories of parents trying to control their children's relationships, only to have the opposite effect, and was forced to accept it.
My colleagues in the office are all saying, "Oh, what's so special about dating? As long as it's heterosexual, it's fine."
"Let alone heterosexuality, I can accept homosexuality too. These days, young people don't get married or have children. What will happen to them when our generation dies?"
Xin Xiaomei can accept her having a puppy love, but she cannot accept her having a love triangle.
Lin Shiren clenched his fingers, his temples throbbing: "Mom, you're overthinking it. Someone like me, with my looks and personality, no one can be fooled by me."
Her life was so unremarkable; she was of average appearance and average grades. She was tolerant of everything and had no right to manipulate others.
The self-deprecating words slipped out, feeling like a boulder pressing on their chests, leaving both mother and daughter feeling extremely uncomfortable.
After a subtle silence, Xin Xiaomei gave her a cold look: "Lin Shiren, let me tell you, you're not bad at all. You got into Huiwen and even the honors class. If you're still considered ordinary, then everyone else might as well die. As for your looks, I'm not bragging as your mother, but with your face, you could easily be a star. But I've heard the entertainment industry is pretty messy, so we don't want to go there."
Is this a compliment?
For the first time, Xin Xiaomei affirmed her so directly.
Lin Shiren looked at her silently and motionless, as if he were sealed away.
Xin Xiaomei, oblivious to her unease, pushed the styrofoam box in front of the refrigerator with her foot, put her hands on her hips, and continued her tirade: "The worst one is your dad, a complete scoundrel. So many people were pursuing me back then, how could I be so blind as to choose him? If it weren't for him dragging this family down, would we still be living in this run-down neighborhood?"
...
Unsurprisingly, the fire ended up burning Lin Zhiyuan.
Matsutake mushrooms were served at dinner time. Xin Xiaomei didn't have the patience to make soup, so she washed five or six mushrooms, sliced them, and fried them in butter. They tasted pretty good, but Lin Shiren had something on her mind and didn't enjoy eating anything. Xin Xiaomei thought she was still in a bad mood because of the harsh words she had given her in the afternoon, so she urged her to finish her homework and go to bed early.
The ceiling was dim, but a beam of bright moonlight pierced through the curtains.
The room fell completely silent, but Lin Shih-jen still couldn't fall asleep.
In the darkness, she unlocked her phone and logged into the school forum. Zhou Lin's confession post was still there. Her fingertips slowly scrolled down; there were still discussions about her. The original poster sarcastically said that this was her post, and if she wanted to cause trouble, she should start a new thread. The comments section acted as if they hadn't seen it, still saying whatever they wanted.
The screen light shone on her face as she read the comments for a while, then drifted off to sleep, lost in thought.
Perhaps the events of the day were too stimulating, because Lin Shih-jen had a dream that was hard to describe.
She was applying medicine to Zhou Lin, who was half-naked, his back covered in wounds. His voice was muffled, as if through a soundproof barrier: "Aren't you going to take responsibility?"
In her dream, she was so startled that she dropped the disinfectant swab.
Zhou Lin turned around, letting her see the marks on his chest: "The injuries on my body are all from your scratches."
Through the blurry vision, what came into view were broad shoulders with several cat-scratch marks, and below that, the abdominal muscles were clearly defined, with loose-fitting clothes hanging around the waist.
Given Lin Shih-jen's personality, she would definitely cover her eyes, but since this was a dream, the logically astute Lin immediately retorted, "Wasn't this caused by you and Tsai Shih-chen fighting?"
Zhou Lin sneered and whispered in her ear, "You like me."
Lin Shiren frowned and pushed him away: "You're talking nonsense, I don't like you."
He grabbed her hand and placed it on his abs: "It's normal for you to like me, so why are you so resistant?"
The physical difference between men and women was too great, and Lin Shiren couldn't break free at all. She felt dizzy, screamed, and then woke up from her dream.
When she woke up, she was covered in sweat. She looked around and remembered that she was in her bedroom. Recalling what Zhou Lin had done in his dream, her ears burned.
That's terrifying.
She even had a wet dream about Zhou Lin.
-----------------------
Author's note: 50 red envelopes~
Babies, I'm so sorry. My heart hasn't been feeling well for the past few days; I've been waking up at night with pain, the kind that hurts even when I breathe. So I haven't been able to stay up late these past few days. I had half a chapter written, but looking at the time, I need to go to sleep now and try to post it tomorrow.
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