Rampage
The medicine began to take effect slowly, and the horrific large red rashes on the skin gradually faded, but the hypersensitivity that had penetrated deep into the bone marrow stubbornly remained.
The ordinary cotton T-shirt on Gu Yansheng's body seemed to have turned into rough sandpaper at this moment. Every slight friction brought unbearable stinging and itching. He curled up on the moisture-proof mat, his body trembling slightly unconsciously, and every breath involved his sensitive nerves.
Jiang Lin should know how uncomfortable he was, but he didn't move at this moment.
He is angry!!!
This thought was like an ice-cold needle, piercing Gu Yansheng's brain, which was confused by the allergic reaction. Grievances and belated panic intertwined together. He carefully tugged at the sleeve of Jiang Lin's jacket with his cold fingers, which were numb from the allergic reaction.
"Jiang Lin..."
Gu Yansheng's voice was weak after being ill and contained a hint of subtle flattery. "Are you... angry?"
Jiang Lin's body stiffened almost imperceptibly. He turned his head and his gaze fell heavily on Gu Yansheng's pale face with an abnormal blush.
The light in the tent was dim. The afterglow of the campfire shone through the canvas, outlining his taut jawline and tightly pursed thin lips. "No." He paused, his eyes casting towards the drizzling rain outside the tent. "Wait until the rain is lighter before leaving. If you go out now, the rain will hit you and it will hurt more."
The explanation was like a faint but warm light, which instantly dispelled the uneasiness and grievance in Gu Yansheng's heart. A huge, pure joy surged up without warning, almost overwhelming the discomfort in his body.
He couldn't help but curl up the corners of his pale lips, and his eyes, which were always clear and bright, were now even brighter and brighter, filled with joy that could not be hidden and was almost overflowing.
"Yeah!" He nodded vigorously, his voice filled with excitement that he himself didn't even notice, like a child who finally waited for his parents to come pick him up.
He was so happy that he temporarily forgot the stinging on his skin - Jiang Lin was here! He had come like a god when he was in the most desperate situation and needed him the most. He really missed him. It had been two weeks since they last met.
The rain gradually became finer and softer. Jiang Lin stood up, opened his backpack neatly, took out a sturdy big umbrella and opened it.
He stuffed the umbrella handle into Gu Yansheng's cold hand and said, "Hold it tight and cover yourself." Then he squatted down with his back to Gu Yansheng, his broad shoulders like a stable mountain.
"Come up."
Gu Yansheng climbed onto that sturdy back without hesitation, wrapped his arms tightly around Jiang Lin's neck, and buried his face in his neck which was moist and had a familiar scent. Jiang Lin carried him steadily on his back, supporting him with one hand and using the other hand to keep the umbrella from deviating from its direction, ensuring that not a drop of rain would fall on Gu Yansheng.
As soon as he walked out of the tent, Lin Yang also came out of the tent next to him with obvious worry and embarrassment on his face.
"Brother Gu!" He stepped forward quickly, his voice full of apology, "I'm sorry, I'm really sorry! I... I didn't know you had this disease. I should have gone to get the medicine right away, I shouldn't have..."
Gu Yansheng lay on Jiang Lin's back, shook his head weakly, and wanted to comfort him, "Lin Yang, it's okay, I don't blame you, you don't know..."
"It's good to know the severity of the situation."
Jiang Lin's cold voice suddenly sounded, interrupting Gu Yansheng's words. He didn't even look back at Lin Yang, but just carried Gu Yansheng on his back and walked straight forward without stopping.
The deep voice was particularly clear and piercing in the rainy night. "Next time before you invite someone out on an adventure, at least make sure you thoroughly understand their situation first."
The reproach and undisguised coldness in the words made the air stagnant in an instant, and the scene became extremely awkward.
Lin Yang froze in place, his face turning red and white, his lips moved, but in the end he couldn't say anything. He could only watch Jiang Lin carrying Gu Yansheng on his back, holding the big umbrella, walking steadily and unquestionably into the depths of the rain, blending into the night of the mountains and forests.
The umbrella tightly covered Gu Yansheng, but half of Jiang Lin's shoulder was exposed to the drizzle, and soon it was soaked with dark water.
Gu Yansheng lay on his back, feeling his steady heartbeat and the slight bumps brought by his steps, and the discomfort in his body seemed to be alleviated.
"This has nothing to do with Lin Yang... He doesn't know about my illness..."
"Oh……"
Doctor Jiang's cold snort showed that he disagreed with Mr. Good's explanation. Gu Yansheng didn't have the energy to argue. He thought about apologizing to Lin Yang tomorrow. Jiang Lin didn't mean to get angry.
Returning to Jiang Lin's familiar home, which was faintly scented with disinfectant, Gu Yansheng was put on the bed by Jiang Lin and changed into soft, skin-friendly cotton pajamas.
The drugs and residual alcohol intertwined in his blood, bringing a dull, floating feeling. Although the tingling and itching of his skin had eased a lot, the irritating hypersensitivity to touch still lingered, and every nerve ending seemed to be longing for something.
He curled up in the soft bed, looking at Jiang Lin sitting on the stool beside the bed with moist eyes. The dim bedside lamp outlined Jiang Lin's silent and tense profile. He was like a dormant volcano, which was obviously close at hand, but exuded a low pressure that kept people away.
Gu Yansheng knew that he needed that familiar comfort, which was his only solace during the countless nights when he was sick.
But tonight, Jiang Lin was as steady as a rock, not moving at all.
The chaotic brain cannot understand this alienation. Alcohol and drugs weaken the dam of rationality, leaving only instinctive desire and grievance.
Gu Yansheng stretched out his hand almost instinctively. His cold and slightly trembling fingers cautiously and with a bit of timidity, he gently held Jiang Lin's fingers that were resting on his knees.
The cold touch caused Jiang Lin's body to tremble almost imperceptibly, as if struck by an electric current. He turned his head abruptly, his deep eyes filled with shock and deeper, indescribable emotions.
"Jiang Lin..."
Gu Yansheng's voice was heavily nasal, like a small animal drenched in rain, unconsciously revealing a hint of coquettishness, his eyes hazy and dependent, "Can you... hold me while I sleep? Like before..."
This sentence was like a lit fuse, instantly igniting the emotional storm that Jiang Lin had suppressed for a whole night, or even longer.
"no!"
Jiang Lin's reaction was more intense than Gu Yansheng had anticipated. He pulled his hand back almost immediately, even roughly, with the speed of a gust of wind.
He stood up suddenly, his tall body casting an oppressive shadow in the small bedroom space, his voice low and hoarse, with a tense and tense feeling that he was trying hard to control.
"Gu Yansheng, I can't guarantee... I won't do the same annoying thing as last time."
Gu Yansheng was confused by his reaction. The alcohol and drugs had made his mind feel like it was stuck in a quagmire. He frowned, trying to search his chaotic mind. "...Last time? Disgusting behavior?...What did you say? I don't understand..."
The words "I don't understand" were like the last straw that broke the camel's back, completely crushing Jiang Lin's effortlessly maintained composure. The emotions he had suppressed for so long burst out like a flood.
"not understand?"
Jiang Lin's voice suddenly rose, with a sharp and unbelievable anger of being deeply hurt. He looked down at Gu Yansheng lying on the bed in a daze, his eyes as sharp as a knife.
"Two weeks ago! You were sick in Shilong Town, and I took care of you! I put my hands under your clothes to help relieve your skin discomfort! What happened? You refused to come to Shilong Town for two consecutive weekends! And you went to take photos and camp with that reckless person!"
He took a step forward, his chest heaving with excitement, and every word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth, with a scorching temperature.
"Gu Yansheng, you're very bothered by that behavior, right? So bothered that you wouldn't even set foot in Shilong Town! So bothered that you'd rather stay in the wilderness in the rain with someone who harbors ill intentions towards you! But why didn't you just say it? Shengsheng..."
"Why don't you be honest with me? If you don't like it, just say it directly... Since when did you start hiding so many things from me?"
This barrage of questions hammered at Gu Yansheng's chaotic mind like hail. A wave of grievances washed over him like a tsunami. What did it mean to "hate"? What did it mean to "mind"?
How could he possibly hate Jiang Lin's touch? !
That night, when Jiang Lin's palm touched his burning, stinging skin, it didn't bring him disgust at all, but rather overwhelming peace of mind and... a secret, heart-pounding throbbing! That touch even became the fuse for that absurd "erotic dream" later!
But what then? Could he speak frankly? Could he tell Jiang Lin that, far from hating him, he even desired something more, so much so that he had desecrated their twenty-year brotherhood in his dream? Could he admit that the object of that "erotic dream" was him, Jiang Lin?
Jiang Lin was straight! How could he possibly accept that his childhood sweetheart had such dirty thoughts about him? Speaking out would only ruin everything!
The huge grievance, the unspeakable secret and the feeling of loss of control brought by alcohol mixed together and destroyed the last bit of Gu Yansheng's sanity.
"cover?"
Gu Yansheng raised his head, his eyes instantly reddened. His voice rose with excitement and alcohol, and he retaliated sharply, "Are you completely honest with me? Don't you have any secrets? Don't you have... anything you can't tell me?"
He almost roared, like a little beast cornered.
The moment the words fell, the air in the entire room seemed to freeze.
The anger and pain on Jiang Lin's face seemed to have been paused. His tall body froze in place, and for the first time, those eyes, always deep and sharp, as if they could see through everything, clearly flashed a hint of... panic? And the embarrassment of having their heart pierced?
Time seemed to stand still for a few seconds, and then Jiang Lin suddenly smiled.
It was not a laugh of joy, nor a laugh of sarcasm, but a low, short laugh filled with endless self-mockery and a certain sense of absurdity.
He raised his hand and wiped his face vigorously, almost roughly, as if trying to erase all the loss of composure and control he had just experienced.
His outburst...actually provoked such a fierce counterattack from this usually gentle and tolerant "good guy".
Moreover, this counterattack precisely pierced a soft spot that he himself could not deny - yes, he had not been completely honest with Gu Yansheng. The secret that he had buried deep in his heart, the secret that he dared not even face, was even more heavy than Gu Yansheng's "cover-up", and even more... unspeakable.
The sudden laughter and the embarrassment that flashed across Jiang Lin's eyes made Gu Yansheng's grievance and anger stuck. He stared at Jiang Lin in a daze, looking at the complex and difficult-to-interpret expression on his face, looking at the bitterness and powerlessness revealed in that smile, and his heart seemed to be tightly grasped by an invisible hand.
The only sounds left in the room were the two people's heavy breathing and the sound of rain still falling outside the window. The fierce conflict that had just broken out was like the receding tide, leaving behind a mess on the ground and a deeper, suffocating silence.
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