Chapter 40 "Hiss—Lu Yu! Are you a dog or a gangster?!"
When Lin Che woke up, there was no one sitting next to her. It seemed that Lu Yu must have gone to the company.
"Hiss——" Lin Che accidentally pulled the corner of his mouth, and suddenly remembered the earlobe that was ravaged by Lu Yu in the morning. He touched it and felt a little pain.
This Lu Yu is really born in the year of the dog.
Lin Che casually took a coat from the closet and put it over her pajamas. After quickly washing up in the bathroom, she looked around for her slippers but couldn't find them. So she simply went downstairs barefoot to get some water.
"Put on your shoes." Just as I reached the kitchen door, Lu Yu's low and familiar voice sounded from behind me.
Lin Che was so frightened that he shuddered. He turned around and saw Lu Yu's eyes fixed on his feet, with a unhappy expression on his face.
Lin Che curled her toes awkwardly and said dryly, "I didn't find it."
Lu Yu took a long step and knelt on one knee in front of Lin Che. He tucked his slippers onto Lin Che's feet and stepped on the ground barefoot. "You're such a grown-up, and you don't know how cool the ground is when it's so cold."
Lu Yu's slippers were much bigger than Lin Che's, and they were loose on his feet, making it inconvenient for him to walk. Lin Che tripped as soon as he took a step, but luckily he reacted quickly and managed to steady himself.
…..TM D Why am I always so embarrassed in front of Lu Yu…
“Hahahaha…hahahaha…” Lin Che laughed so hard that he felt miserable. He stepped back awkwardly and put on his slippers again. Just as he was about to move forward, Lu Yu was holding a glass of water and handing it to him.
Lin Che raised his eyes and looked at Lu Yu, then took the water and drank it all. Lu Yu naturally took the empty cup from his hand and turned to walk towards the kitchen.
"Are you going to eat lunch at home or out?"
Lin Che was still struggling with his slippers, the sound of "ta-da-da" echoing clearly throughout the house. Lu Yu, who was standing behind him, watched Lin Che walk as hard as a penguin, and curled his lips, feeling a little touched by her cuteness.
Lin Che finally found his slippers at the entrance. Probably because he was kissed unconscious last night and then Lu Yu carried him back to the room.
"Can I get you your shoes?"
Lin Che handed Lu Yu's slippers over. After Lu Yu put them on, he didn't leave. Instead, he bent down and looked at Lin Che's earlobe.
“What are you looking at…!” Lin Che covered her ears in shame and yelled in a low voice.
Lu Yu looked at Lin Che covering his ears and looking furious, like a cat whose tail was stepped on, and the smile in his eyes deepened.
Instead of retreating, he took a step closer, his voice lazily and unquestionably, "See if you need some medicine, little ancestor. Your ears are red from the cold and can easily fall off."
He deliberately dragged out the last three words "fall off your ears" very long and slowly, as if teasing a child.
"No need! I'm fine!" Lin Che stiffened his neck, but the tips of his ears honestly turned even redder, and he didn't know whether it was out of embarrassment or anger.
"Oh? Then let me feel it and see if it's cold." Lu Yu said, and his fingers had already pushed away Lin Che's hand that was blocking his ear, and his slightly cool fingertips accurately pinched that pitiful soft flesh.
"Hiss—Lu Yu! Are you a dog or a gangster?!" Lin Che gasped in pain and wanted to hide, but Lu Yu's other hand firmly held his waist and he could not move.
"It's yours." Lu Yu replied calmly, and his other hand had already taken out a small tube of ointment.
He used his fingertips to pick up a little transparent ointment. The movement seemed casual, but it landed on Lin Che's sensitive earlobe with an irresistible force. "Don't move, you'll freeze and fall off. I don't want to eat with an earless penguin."
The cool ointment made contact with the red and swollen skin, causing Lin Che to flinch again, but then a soothing coolness spread, indeed easing the burning sting.
Lu Yu's fingertips rubbed in circles lightly, and his movements were surprisingly delicate.
Lin Che's body froze, feeling the warmth and strength of those fingertips. His earlobe went numb all the way to the back of his neck. His heartbeat was a little rapid, but he still refused to admit defeat: "...You're the penguin! Who asked you to hold me!"
Lu Yu chuckled softly, his breath brushing against the side of Lin Che's neck, successfully making the person in his arms tremble again.
He watched with satisfaction as the ointment was rubbed in and absorbed, then slowly withdrew his hand and waved his fingertips in front of Lin Che's eyes. "Look, are you serving me well? Master Lin, would you please go out for lunch at noon?"
Lin Che glared at him, rubbed her ears, which finally felt better, and asked unhappily, "...Where are you going?"
"We just opened a new private restaurant. They say the stew is delicious. I'll give you some nourishing soup." Lu Yu said, ruffling Lin Che's hair, which was a little messy from sleep, and turned to walk towards the cloakroom. "Wait, change clothes."
When Lin Che finally finished washing up, Lu Yu was already dressed neatly. His dark coat made his shoulders look broad and his legs long, making him look like an elite who could attend business negotiations at any time.
On the sofa, there was a long white down jacket that looked extremely fluffy and thick.
"Put it on." Lu Yu nodded his chin towards the down jacket.
Lin Che looked at the down jacket that could almost fit his entire body, and the corners of his mouth twitched: "...Mr. Lu, it's eight degrees Celsius outside." He suspected that Lu Yu had taken out all the winter equipment he had hidden in the bottom of the box.
"It's windy. You just got up, so you might catch a cold." Lu Yu's excuse was reasonable. He walked over and grabbed his down jacket and wrapped it around Lin Che without saying anything. "Be obedient."
Lin Che felt like she was instantly wrapped up like a giant, inconveniently moving white marshmallow. The brim of her down jacket's hood was covered in a thick raccoon fur collar, which rubbed against her face, making her feel itchy.
He struggled to pull his hands out of the overly wide sleeves and tried to struggle: "This is too much! I'm wearing a sweater underneath! I'm not going to Antarctica..."
"Put it on." Lu Yu's tone was unquestionable. He even bent down to help him pull the zipper from the bottom to the top. The raccoon fur collar almost covered half of his face, revealing only a pair of eyes full of accusation.
Seeing him like this, Lu Yu's smile grew wider. He brushed away the unruly strands of hair on his forehead and gently scratched his chin, which was made particularly small by the fur collar, with his fingertips. "It's warm this way. Let's go, cotton ball penguin."
“…” Lin Che was wrapped tightly, like a child who was forced to wear thick clothes by his parents. He could only glare at Lu Yu angrily through his fur collar.
Resistance was futile, so he resigned himself to following Lu Yu towards the entrance. His steps were still a little clumsy because his down jacket was too big. From a distance, he really looked like a clumsy penguin moving, with a slight "rustling" sound with each step.
Lu Yu opened the door for him, and the cool winter morning breeze instantly rushed in. Lin Che subconsciously shrank his neck, but was surprised to find that his body, wrapped in a down jacket, was warm and not a bit cold at all.
He secretly glanced at Lu Yu, who was only wearing a coat next to him. The other party looked calm and seemed not afraid of the cold at all.
"What are you looking at?" Lu Yu noticed his gaze, turned his head to look at him, and pulled up the hood of his down jacket and buttoned it. The furry collar completely framed Lin Che's small face, revealing only a little bit of the tip of his straight nose and a pair of sparkling eyes.
"...Nothing." Lin Che's muffled voice came out from his fur collar, and he resignedly followed him into the elevator.
Forget it, just wrap yourself up in a ball. At least... it's really warm.
He quietly buried half of his face in the soft and warm fur collar, covering the slightly upturned corners of his mouth.
The restaurant was well heated. Lin Che took off his heavy down jacket and wore only a soft sweater, sipping the soup that Lu Yu had served him.
The dishes Lu Yu ordered were all to his liking, and the atmosphere was unusually warm and peaceful. Lin Che even felt the awkwardness of being wrapped up like a ball dissipate somewhat, a warmth spreading from his stomach to every part of his body.
At this moment, Lin Che's phone on the table suddenly vibrated.
The number jumping on the screen made Lin Che's originally relaxed expression freeze instantly, and a trace of imperceptible panic flashed across his eyes.
He subconsciously glanced at Lu Yu before hesitantly picking up the phone.
"Hello?... Yes, it's me." Lin Che's voice was very low, and his body unconsciously turned slightly to the side, as if trying to block Lu Yu's sight.
"...Is the fee paid?...Okay, I understand...I'll go over and take care of it as soon as possible...Um, in the afternoon...it should be ready in the afternoon."
After the call ended, Lin Che stared at the darkened screen, his fingers unconsciously tightening.
Lu Yu kept looking at him, not missing the momentary stiffness when he answered the phone and the silence at this moment.
He put down his chopsticks and asked calmly, "What's wrong?"
Lin Che raised his head and looked at Lu Yu with complicated eyes. He opened his mouth, and the words "Are you free this afternoon?" rolled in his throat for a few times. Finally, he asked cautiously, "Lu Yu...are you free this afternoon?"
Lu Yu looked at him with deep eyes. He did not ask about the content of the call, but answered clearly: "If you invite me, then I am free." His tone was calm, but with a reassuring certainty.
Lin Che's heart seemed to be lifted slightly by these words.
He took a deep breath, as if he had made a great decision, his voice a little dry: "Then... can you... accompany me somewhere?"
"Where?" Lu Yu asked.
"...Corning Special Nursing Home." Lin Che's voice became even lower, and she didn't even dare to look directly into Lu Yu's eyes. Her fingers were tightly clenched on the corner of the tablecloth, and her knuckles turned white.
He knew what the name "special nursing home" meant. It was a place dedicated to treating elderly people with mental disorders who needed long-term care. It was where his mother lived for several years.
Lu Yu's pupils shrank slightly. Of course he knew where Corning was.
He looked at Lin Che with his head lowered, like a small animal awaiting judgment, and felt as if something had gently bumped his heart.
He didn't show any surprise or hesitation, but simply stretched out his hand, crossed the table, and covered Lin Che's tightly clenched, cold hand.
"Okay." He responded, his voice low and steady, "I'll go with you after dinner."
Lin Che raised her head abruptly and met Lu Yu's calm gaze.
There was no inquiry, pity or disgust as he had expected. His tense shoulders finally relaxed slightly, and an indescribable sourness and relief surged to the tip of his nose. He blinked hard to suppress the wetness.
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