Travel commitments put on hold
He returned to his home and just as he inserted the key into the lock, the door was opened from the inside.
Warm yellow light poured out, accompanied by Xiaofei's excited "woof woof". The furry little guy immediately rubbed against his legs, wagging his tail like a propeller.
He was a little surprised. Jiang Lin was here... so soon?
Looking up into the house, Jiang Lin was wearing comfortable grey home clothes and holding a vacuum cleaner, obviously cleaning. When he saw him, a hint of surprise flashed across Jiang Lin's stern brows, and then softened. He put down the vacuum cleaner and asked naturally, "You're back so early?"
Gu Yansheng did not answer. The grievance that was hurt by Gu Ting's words in the car, the helplessness in the face of family pressure, and the heartache for Jiang Lin, when he saw this person, surged out like a flood.
He almost staggered into the room, casually placed the heavy food box in his hand on the entrance cabinet, and then, like a young animal seeking shelter, he threw himself into Jiang Lin's arms and hugged his neck tightly.
He buried his face in Jiang Lin's neck and took a deep breath of the reassuring scent that smelled faintly of disinfectant and sunshine.
Then, he raised his head, and with a barely perceptible tremor, he gently stroked the redness and swelling on Jiang Lin's cheek that had not yet completely subsided.
"Does it hurt?" He asked in a muffled voice with a strong nasal tone. Without waiting for Jiang Lin's answer, he leaned forward and, as if to confirm something, placed a gentle and quick kiss near the scar, like a feather brushing past.
Jiang Lin's heart softened at his series of actions, and he immediately understood where his abnormal emotions came from. He raised his hand, covered Gu Yansheng's hand that was caressing his cheek, held it in his palm, and shook his head. "It doesn't hurt."
Gu Yansheng looked at him, his eyes reddened, and he whispered softly, "I'm sorry... my brother... was too reckless..."
Jiang Lin looked at him as if he was taking all the blame on himself, feeling both amused and distressed. He didn't say anything more, but slid his arms down to support Gu Yansheng's thighs and back, and with a little effort, he easily picked him up.
"Ah!" Gu Yansheng cried out softly and subconsciously hugged his neck tightly.
Jiang Lin held him and walked a few steps to the sofa in the living room. Then he sat down first and let Gu Yansheng sit on his thighs, forming an ambiguous and cuddling posture. Xiaofei circled around their feet, humming.
Jiang Lin stared at the red eyes and slightly furrowed brows of the person in his arms, lowered his head, and put his forehead against his, his voice low and firm.
"Gu Yansheng..." He paused, then spoke clearly, "I'm also your brother." He raised his hand and gently wiped away the moisture from the corners of Gu Yansheng's eyes with his knuckles. His eyes were gentle and focused. "So, I don't need you to apologize to me on behalf of anyone else. Do you understand?"
He didn't need Gu Yansheng to make things difficult for him and his family, nor did he need to bear unnecessary guilt. His choice to stand by Gu Yansheng meant that he was ready to face all the storms together.
Gu Yansheng felt his heart swell up because of his words and the tolerance and determination in his eyes. The tips of his ears turned red uncontrollably, and the grievances and uneasiness in his heart were strangely smoothed out.
He was a little embarrassed, but also a little sweet. He gently bumped his forehead against Jiang Lin's, and with a bit of a coquettish nasal tone, he once again clearly and solemnly confessed his love.
"I love you, Jiang Lin."
This second direct confession, which came without any warning in the warm light and familiar embrace, was more impactful than any other time. Jiang Lin clearly felt as if his heart was suddenly tightened by something, and then it began to beat wildly, hitting his chest and making a thunderous sound.
He tightened his arms around Gu Yansheng's waist and hugged him deeper into his arms, as if he wanted to rub him into his bones and blood. He did not respond with words, but lowered his head, found those two soft lips, and with a gentle and lingering kiss, told of all the deep love and throbbing that could not be expressed in words.
The night gradually fell outside the window, and the lights in the house were warm. The two of them hugged each other quietly on the sofa, and Xiaofei lay quietly at their feet. All the troubles seemed to be temporarily isolated, leaving only the blending of each other's breathing and heartbeats.
They stayed together for a while, until Gu Yansheng's stomach growled.
"Are you hungry?" Jiang Lin laughed and touched his stomach. Gu Yansheng blushed all the way to his ears. "My mom brought some food. Let's heat it up and eat. You must be hungry too!"
The topic change was a bit abrupt, and Jiang Lin didn't continue to tease him. Instead, he said, "Then go heat up the food Mom brought."
"Yeah." Gu Yansheng got off his lap, with a blush still on her face, and walked briskly towards the kitchen.
The food in the microwave soon gave off an enticing aroma. The two sat at the dining table and shared the dinner prepared by Gu's mother.
During the meal, Jiang Lin suddenly remembered something, put down his chopsticks, and looked at Gu Yansheng who was sipping soup. "By the way, how many days of leave did Wang Bo approve for you at the research institute?"
Gu Yansheng swallowed the soup in his mouth and curved his eyes. "A week. Wang Bo told me to have a good rest and not to rush back."
Jiang Lin's eyes flickered with a smile when he heard this, and he calmly dropped a surprise, "I also applied for a few more days off from the department today, and combined with the annual leave I saved up before... it makes up for nearly half a month."
Gu Yansheng's hand holding the spoon paused, and he blinked, somewhat unresponsive.
Jiang Lin looked at his dazed expression, raised his lips slightly, and continued, "Didn't we plan to go to the beach before? We were delayed because of going to the countryside. This time is a good time to make up for it." He paused, his voice gentle and firm,
"Besides, you were frightened this time. Changing your environment and relaxing will be good for your recovery."
Gu Yansheng was completely stunned. He didn't expect that after experiencing so much chaos and shock, Jiang Lin still remembered the travel plan that was accidentally disrupted and arranged everything quietly!
A huge, cherished joy exploded in his heart like fireworks. He was visibly brightened up, the corners of his mouth curled up uncontrollably, and he looked at Jiang Lin with sparkling eyes, nodding heavily, "Okay! Let's go to the beach!"
He put down his chopsticks almost immediately, picked up his phone excitedly, and typed quickly in the family group.
[Mom, Dad, Brother, Sister-in-law! Jiang Lin and I are going to the beach for a few days in a couple of days!]
Not long after the message was sent, the phone rang.
Gu Ting responded the fastest, his tone was firm.
[Nonsense! You're not fully recovered yet. The seaside is windy and humid. Is it suitable for recuperation? You're not allowed to go!]
Gu Yansheng curled his lips and immediately typed a rebuttal
[I'm not sick! The doctor said I'm fine, just a little rash hasn't completely gone away yet! It's not a big deal!]
At this time, the news from Gu's mother popped up, her tone was calm but full of weight.
[Go ahead, relax and unwind. Listen to Jiang Lin's advice, don't play around too much, and be careful.]
As soon as the mother spoke, it was as if she had obtained the imperial sword. Gu Yansheng immediately became more confident and quickly replied
[Okay, Mom! We will!]
【(Kiss)】
Then, he threw his phone onto the sofa contentedly, deciding not to look at any more "dissuading" from his brother that might appear in the group.
He pushed open the bedroom door, wanting to share this "officially permitted" happiness with Jiang Lin as soon as possible. Inside the door, the misty water vapor had not yet completely dissipated. Jiang Lin just came out of the bathroom, casually wearing a bath towel around his waist, revealing his muscular upper body, and the undried water droplets slowly slid down along the tight muscle lines.
Gu Yansheng's footsteps stopped instantly at the door. His sight seemed to be burned and he wandered uncomfortably for a moment. His ears turned red at a speed visible to the naked eye.
He walked over with an effortless composure, not daring to look directly at the other person, and his voice was filled with a subtle hint of shyness and excitement.
"Jiang Lin... I've talked to my family, and they all agree that we can go out and play!" He automatically filtered out Gu Ting's objections and only reported the "good news."
Jiang Lin looked at his red ears and flickering eyes. He chuckled softly, but did not expose his true feelings. Instead, he reached out and gently pinched Gu Yansheng's burning earlobe with his fingers, which were still wet with moisture. His voice was low and tolerant:
"Okay, I heard you. So... let's make a plan?"
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