Seaside trip
In the coastal city in late autumn, the sky is a washed, almost transparent blue, and the sun shines generously into every corner, fading the harshness of summer and leaving only warm and friendly warmth.
The air was filled with the salty scent of the sea breeze, a stark contrast to the growing bleakness of the northern cities.
The hotel room we stayed in had a whole wall of floor-to-ceiling glass windows. The moment the curtains were opened, the blue sea suddenly came into view, like a huge flowing painting.
Gu Yansheng almost immediately rushed to the window, resting his forehead against the slightly cool glass, and uttered a small exclamation. He took off his coat and was only wearing a simple white vest. His bare arms shone with a healthy luster in the sun, and his back looked thin and energetic, indeed like a college student who skipped classes to see the sea.
Jiang Lin didn't bother to disturb his interest in watching the sea. He put his luggage away, opened the suitcase, and began to put his belongings in order.
Gu Yansheng had seen enough of the sea and turned around to see Jiang Lin squatting in front of the suitcase. His eyes inadvertently swept across Jiang Lin's hand. Those familiar boxes of medicine were neatly placed in a transparent waterproof storage bag. They were his commonly used anti-allergic drugs for rainy day hypersensitivity syndrome, as well as some emergency soothing ointments.
They lay there quietly, like the most ordinary travel accessories, but silently telling of someone's meticulous care.
Although these items were commonplace, his heart felt as if it were gently bumped by the warm tide, making him feel sore and soft. He remembered the promise of "I will face it with you". The words were still fresh in his mind, and at this moment, they overlapped with these real medicine boxes and took on the most concrete shape.
Emotions surged suddenly and violently. Gu Yansheng walked over and hugged the squatting Jiang Lin from behind. He pressed his cheek against Jiang Lin's straight back and wrapped his arms around his shoulders, holding him tightly.
Jiang Lin's movements paused only slightly, and then he naturally supported him with his back hand, and his arm passed steadily through his legs. With a little force, he lifted the person hanging on his back like a large pendant, walked to the bed, and then carefully lay down on his side together.
He turned around and let Gu Yansheng lean safely in his arms. The whole process was smooth.
Gu Yansheng was pleased by his series of actions and laughed softly. He leaned over and deliberately rubbed his warm lips against Jiang Lin's earlobe, his breath burning. "Doctor Jiang, you are so skilled. Have you carried many people on your back?"
He is cunning and asks questions even though he knows the answer, and still acts like a good boy after getting the advantage.
Jiang Lin didn't respond to his move, and didn't even look away. He just adjusted his posture to make Gu Yansheng's pillow more comfortable, then covered the back of his head with his big hand and gently pressed it against his shoulder, his voice as calm as usual.
"I didn't sleep well on the plane. Now close your eyes and rest for half an hour."
He knew that Gu Yansheng had difficulty falling asleep in an unfamiliar environment, and he saw him tossing and turning for several hours on the plane.
All of Gu Yansheng's jokes were blocked. He rested his head on Jiang Lin's solid and reliable shoulder, and the clean and refreshing scent of his body lingered on his nose, like the most effective tranquilizer.
Outside the window, the regular and gentle sound of waves lapping against the shore was like an eternal lullaby. The sunlight shone warmly through the glass onto my body, and my eyelids began to feel heavy.
The sense of security flowed through his body like warm water, and his consciousness began to slowly sink like cotton soaked in water. On the edge of half-sleep and half-wakefulness, he seemed to have regressed into a child who needed repeated confirmation before he could feel at ease. He unconsciously rubbed his cheek against Jiang Lin's shoulder, his voice unclear and full of sleepiness.
"Jiang Lin..." he murmured, "Are we together?"
The question was nonsensical, even a little silly, as if it was confirming a fact that had long been beyond doubt.
Jiang Lin's fingers combed his hair without stopping, his eyes still fixed on the waves of the distant sea. He answered without hesitation, a low and clear "Yes."
After receiving the affirmation, Gu Yansheng seemed satisfied and snuggled into his arms again. But less than a minute later, his mind, which was not very clear due to sleepiness, seemed to have forgotten the answer just now, or maybe he wanted to hear it again.
He mumbled again, his voice even softer, more like a dream talk, "...We are really together, right?"
This time, Jiang Lin lowered his head and looked at his completely closed eyes and slightly trembling long eyelashes. His narrow eyebrows were incredibly soft in the sunlight.
He said "hmm" very softly, with infinite patience, as if he could answer him like this thousands of times until he was completely at ease.
"Yeah, we're together."
After hearing this, the corners of Gu Yansheng's tightly pursed lips curled up into a tiny arc of satisfaction in his sleep, as if he had finally grasped all the sense of security.
His breathing became completely even and long, and he succumbed to the exhaustion that was sweeping over him and sank into a carefree dream.
Jiang Lin lowered his head, looking at the defenseless sleeping face of the person in his arms. The sunlight danced on his face. He maintained the pressed posture, motionless, only his fingers, very lightly and slowly, combed the soft and slightly damp hair of Gu Yansheng.
The sea breeze blows across the balcony, bringing the laughter of children from far away, while in the room, time is quiet, with only the intertwined breathing and heartbeats telling of a love deeper than the sea.
Gu Yansheng slowly woke up with a feeling of extreme peace.
When I regained consciousness, the first thing I felt was the steady and powerful heartbeat beside my ear, and the solid chest that he was resting his head on, rising and falling slightly with his breathing.
He opened his eyes and saw Jiang Lin's sleeping face right next to him. Jiang Lin was still asleep, which was very rare. Usually, Jiang Lin would always wake up earlier than him.
When Jiang Lin fell asleep, he lost all his usual coldness and sharpness. His brows were relaxed, his long eyelashes cast a small, quiet shadow under his eyes, and his thin lips were naturally pursed.
The sunlight turned into a warm orange and shone in obliquely, giving his well-defined profile a soft golden edge.
Gu Yansheng didn't dare to move, even his breathing was light. He just kept his eyes open, secretly and greedily looking at the person who had protected him for half of his life and was now finally lying beside him as his lover.
After reading for an unknown amount of time, an idea suddenly occurred to him. He remembered the gay comics he had secretly read, in which the protagonists would always leave a gentle, loving kiss while the other was asleep.
The tip of his heart felt itchy as if being touched by a feather. He held his breath, raised his head very slowly and carefully, leaned over, and pressed a kiss on that smooth forehead that was as light as a butterfly's wing, but filled with all his excitement and cherishment.
Instantly separate.
After doing all this, he felt like he had completed a solemn ceremony. His heart was pounding and his cheeks were a little hot. He gently moved Jiang Lin's arm around his waist, tiptoed out of bed, put on his shoes barefoot on the carpet, and walked to the balcony facing the sea.
The evening sea breeze was moister and cooler than the afternoon one, blowing away the heat on his face. On the horizon, the setting sun was painting the clouds with majestic momentum. The magnificent orange, gold and dusk blue were intertwined and reflected on the sparkling sea, which was breathtakingly beautiful.
He took out his cell phone, found a good angle, and took a picture of the gorgeous sunset. Then he opened his Moments, edited it, and sent it.
γA belated trip to the seaside.γ
After sending the message, he held his phone, leaned on the railing, and quietly looked at the magnificent scenery of the world. However, his thoughts drifted away involuntarily, drifting back to a long, long time ago...
It was their first summer vacation after they met, and he pestered her so hard that she finally condescended to join their family trip to an ancient town in the south of the Yangtze River.
Jiangnan is a rainy place, and his parents had chosen that place specifically to help him slowly adapt to the rainy season. However, his rain hypersensitivity syndrome seemed really difficult to overcome. The mist was hazy but the rain was not heavy, which almost trapped him in the hotel room.
Looking at the unique rain scene outside the window, but unable to go out to play, little Gu Yansheng felt anxious and guilty, especially when she saw Jiang Lin and could only stay in the room with him.
Although Jiang Lin didn't say anything and was still as cold and silent as usual, Gu Yansheng felt that he was a burden to him. After all, he was the one who forced Jiang Lin to come here, but in the end he couldn't go out and had to stay by his side like a servant.
Guilt washed over him like rain. He couldn't help but sob softly, wiping away tears as he cried. He apologized to Jiang Lin, who was sitting next to him reading a book, with a tearful voice, "I'm sorry, Jiang Lin... It's all my fault... I can't let you go out and play..."
The more he spoke, the sadder he became, and the more tears he shed. His hypersensitive skin was scratched unconsciously, causing an even more uncomfortable itching, which was simply adding insult to injury.
Just then, a shadow fell.
He looked up with tearful eyes and saw Jiang Lin standing in front of him at some point. There was no expression on the young Jiang Lin's face. He just looked at him silently for a few seconds, then stretched out his hand somewhat stiffly and hugged him...
Gu Yansheng instantly forgot to cry and widened her eyes in his arms.
Jiang Lin's body was very stiff, and his movements were clumsy. He was obviously not used to such physical contact. He held him for a while before asking in his still-unchanged, childish voice, which was a bit clear but tried to sound calm, "Is this... any better?"
Although he was clearly concerned, his tone was stiff and lacked warmth.
But Gu Yansheng's heart was touched at once. He blinked away his tears, stretched out his arms to hug Jiang Lin back, and took advantage of the situation to rub his tears and snot on the other's clean white shirt. Then, he asked in a low voice with a coquettish nasal voice, "Brother Jiang Lin...can you lie down? I'm so tired of standing..."
He felt Jiang Lin's body instantly stiffen, as if he was completely at a loss, but in the end, Jiang Lin did not push him away, but let him go as he said, and the two fell on the bed together.
Then, Jiang Lin held him like that, and imitated the adults, using his warm palms to stroke his allergic back clumsily but very seriously, trying to relieve his discomfort.
It was from that time that Gu Yansheng discovered that Jiang Lin was the only person who, when touching his skin with his hand on a rainy day, would not make him feel more uncomfortable, but instead would bring him a strange comfort.
The tide of memories slowly recedes.
Gu Yansheng had a gentle smile on his lips and a hint of nostalgia in his eyes. At this moment, a warm body came up from behind, and familiar arms wrapped around his waist, pulling him into a solid embrace.
"What are you looking at so intently?" Jiang Lin's voice was slightly hoarse, having just woken up. His chin rested lightly on the top of his head. "Are you hungry?"
Gu Yansheng leaned into his arms, holding his hand around her waist, and unconsciously stroking the back of his hand with her fingertips. She whispered, "I didn't see anything, I just felt... I seemed to be quite smart since I was a child."
"Hmm?" Jiang Lin uttered a single, puzzled sound.
Gu Yansheng turned around, looking at him with sparkling eyes, and said with a little pride, "You already know how to rely on you at such a young age."
Hearing this, Jiang Lin chuckled softly, his chest vibrating with joy. He lowered his head and kissed the tip of Gu Yansheng's ear, then said in a slow, teasing tone, "She's quite smart. So smart that she lost to me in the first final exam and hid in her room crying. She even needed me to comfort her with a lollipop."
"Jiang Lin!" Gu Yansheng's face flushed instantly, and he nudged him lightly with his elbow. "You're bringing up old grudges! Doctor Jiang, could you be a little more humorous?"
Jiang Lin tightened his arms, hugged him deeper, looked at the last magnificent glow of the sky, and there was a clear smile and satisfaction in his voice.
βIt would be nice if there was someone in the family who understood.β
These words were spoken plainly, but were more sweet than any love words. The slight "dissatisfaction" in Gu Yansheng's heart immediately disappeared, and was replaced by overflowing sweetness.
He relaxed his body and leaned completely into the warm and solid embrace behind him.
The two stopped talking, staring silently into the distance. The sea and sky merged into one, the setting sun melting into gold. Their shadows were stretched long on the balcony, nestled closely together, like their intertwined destinies that had been intertwined for years and would continue for a lifetime.
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