Chapter 20 Strawberry Milk Perhaps he can't hold back for much longer.
There was something that Xing Lan had never told his psychologist, nor had he ever told anyone else.
He didn't know when it started, but he found that the closer he was to Li Baidong, the better he slept that night.
This feeling was almost addictive. Like a cat drawn to the red dot of a laser pointer, he couldn't help but move closer to the other person, and he gradually became greedy, wanting to get even closer every moment.
Afraid of frightening Li Baidong, Xing Lan only dared to approach him tentatively after he fell asleep, her fingertips lightly tracing the boy's muscular chest muscles in the darkness.
Beneath his warm, firm skin, his heart was beating regularly and powerfully, like a flame flickering in a cold forest. The light was so warm that he felt inexplicably at ease just by being near him.
Although they had slept together for so long, they always tacitly maintained a proper distance, and neither of them crossed the line or tried to do anything to the other.
When Xing Lan first drafted the roommate agreement, he never expected that he, who had always been self-disciplined and abided by the rules, would be the first to break them.
Perhaps he hid it very well, because Li Baidong seemed never to have discovered it.
Xing Lan closed her eyes and slowly approached Li Baidong, who was sleeping beside her, and carefully took his arm.
Then, he lowered his head and gently, with a sense of dependence, rubbed his forehead against his strong, veiny arm, like a kitten shivering from the cold wind outside, quickly hiding in its owner's arms.
The young man's hair was black and soft, hanging halfway down beside his delicate face. His usual aloof expression was made more vulnerable and endearing by the moonlight.
His face was pale, with only his lips slightly red, his long eyelashes drooping, and his brows slightly furrowed.
Like an alcoholic driven by alcohol, one condemns one's own greed and indulgence while uncontrollably enjoying the debauchery.
Li Baidong's breath hitched, he slightly opened his eyes and glanced at him, unable to help but swallow, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down, his mouth becoming increasingly dry.
Xing Lan, who was beside him, seemed to notice the movement he made and looked up at him.
Her narrow, almond-shaped eyes were moist and bright, as beautiful as a magical spring, the whirlpool at the center of which could make anyone willingly drown.
Li Baidong instinctively didn't dare to look at him, so he immediately closed his eyes, calmed his breathing, and continued to pretend to be asleep.
He pretended very well, not even moving his eyelashes. Only a bead of sweat quietly fell from his forehead, but it was too dark for Xing Lan to notice.
After confirming that he hadn't woken up, Xing Lan seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, lowered her head again, and quietly fell asleep with her head resting on Li Baidong's arm.
Feeling Xing Lan's breathing gradually become steady, Li Baidong opened his eyes and stared down at his beloved senior's obedient and defenseless sleeping face. His eyes were dark and deep, and his black pupils shone brightly in the night. In that fleeting glint of cold light, it seemed as if a thousand emotions were hidden.
After an unknown period of silence, he turned around, stretched out his long arm, and tightly embraced the sleeping person beside him.
Feeling the pleasant scent and soft warmth of the person in his arms, he suddenly remembered what he had said to Xing Lan.
"Be patient and make thorough preparations, and the fish will take the bait."
But judging from the current situation, he may not be able to endure it for much longer.
-
On Sunday morning, Xing Lan drove Li Baidong to the pet hospital to have the fox spayed/neutered.
This pet hospital has been open for a long time and is highly praised by owners.
The Little Prince went there for all his minor ailments from childhood to adulthood. The doctor's medical skills were superb, and he was especially adept at performing surgery on eggs, making them as smooth as if they were flat ground.
Li Baidong sat in the passenger seat, holding the fox in his arms, his long, slender fingers idly stroking its light brown short fur.
Perhaps because it was its first time riding in a car, the fox seemed a little uncomfortable and meowed the whole way. Li Baidong kept his head down and gently coaxed it.
"Baby, you are so beautiful."
"Be good, don't move."
"...Why are you secretly licking me, baby? It tickles."
Xing Lan wondered if it was just her imagination, but Li Baidong was talking to the cat, yet his gaze kept drifting towards her as she drove, a knowing smile playing on his lips.
But when he turned his head, he saw the person and the cat sitting peacefully in the passenger seat, interacting affectionately, with nothing unusual about them.
The fox was raised by Li Baidong from a cub and had always been very obedient to him. Today, for some reason, it was a little agitated, and in its movements, it accidentally scratched Li Baidong's wrist with its claws, leaving a faint red mark.
Li Baidong frowned, hissed softly, and looked down at his wrist.
"Bitened?" Xing Lan glanced at the passenger seat and asked.
"I scratched it a little, it's fine, no bleeding." Li Baidong took out a wet wipe from his black satchel and hastily wiped his hand.
"Don't talk, the more you talk, the more scared it will be." Xing Lan said, slowly slowing down the car and driving as smoothly as possible to reduce the fox's anxiety in its new environment.
Upon arriving at the pet hospital, the two got out of the car one after the other.
Xing Lan walked over, her eyelashes slightly lowered, and said to Li Baidong, who was holding the fox, in a cool and indifferent tone, "Let me see how it is."
Li Baidong thought he was asking about the fox's current situation, and subconsciously tried to hand him the kitten in his arms, but Xing Lan grabbed his wrist directly.
He deftly pulled up Li Baidong's hoodie sleeves a little, then looked down at the wounds that had just been scratched.
Although there was no bleeding, there were minor abrasions, and long red marks were clearly visible on the skin.
Xing Lan stared intently at the wound, her brows furrowing even deeper.
Seeing his serious expression, Li Baidong smiled and joked, "Brother, don't worry, even if I really turn into a dog, I won't bite you."
They wouldn't dare to bite, at most they'd secretly lick a few times.
"...Don't talk nonsense."
Xing Lan raised her eyes, glared at him slightly, grabbed his wrist, and turned to lead him into the nearby pet hospital.
Upon entering the hospital, Xing Lan didn't immediately inquire about spaying/neutering. Instead, she asked the doctor, "Hello, he was scratched by a cat earlier. There's no blood, but there is an injury. Does he need a vaccination in this situation?"
The doctor adjusted his glasses and asked, "Was it scratched by your own cat?"
"Yes."
Has the cat been vaccinated before?
Xing Lan turned around and glanced at Li Baidong.
Li Baidong nodded and obediently replied, "Yes, I've had all three shots."
"Then no need," the doctor said. "Domestic cats that have been vaccinated are unlikely to transmit diseases, and there are no broken skin. Basically, disinfecting with iodine will be enough."
Pet hospitals are, after all, for treating small animals that haven't yet developed intelligence; highly intelligent humans like Li Baidong are not within their scope of patients.
However, the doctors at this hospital were quite kind. They got up and took a bottle of iodine from the cabinet for Xing Lan, and also gave her two clean small gauze towels.
Xing Lan used these few things to treat Li Baidong's wound simply. He was quite gentle, but Li Baidong still gasped.
"Didn't you say it didn't hurt?" Xing Lan glanced at him.
"It doesn't hurt," Li Baidong said defiantly. "It just feels a little cool."
The two men stood in the lobby of the pet hospital, one holding a cat and the other bending over. Both were tall and handsome, which attracted the attention of many people.
"Mr. Xing? It's been a while." A young nurse approached, and upon seeing Xing Lan, she glanced around him instinctively, asking curiously, "Huh? Where's your little prince? Didn't he come along?"
“It’s sleeping at home.” Xing Lan turned her head and pointed to the fox that Li Baidong was holding in his arms. “We’re here today to give this kitten a check-up and get it spayed/neutered. Sister Lin, could you please arrange that?”
"Is this your new cat?" Nurse Lin stroked the fox's fur affectionately, then looked up at Li Baidong. "Is this also your new friend? He's so handsome!"
Before Xing Lan could speak, Li Baidong, who was standing next to her, quickly chimed in with a smile: "Thank you, it's my cat, we raised it together."
He emphasized the word "we," which made his words sound a little strange.
One cat, but two owners, making them seem like a loving gay couple living together and raising animals.
Xing Lan glanced at Li Baidong indifferently, seemingly slightly displeased with his unauthorized answer.
Li Baidong seemed completely oblivious, his eyes crinkling with amusement, his smile undiminished.
"What's the kitten's name?" the nurse asked.
“A fox,” Xing Lan said.
The nurse sat down, confirmed the fox's condition with them, and then carried it inside for examination and surgery.
-
The cat spaying/neutering surgery doesn't take too long, about half an hour.
Li Baidong and Xing Lan were both waiting in the corridor outside.
Li Baidong hung his head, glancing at the operating room door every now and then, looking like an anxious new father. Xing Lan could almost see him waiting for his child to be born.
"take it easy."
In the clean and quiet corridor, Xing Lan's cold voice suddenly rang out.
Li Baidong looked up and heard Xing Lan calmly say, "We'll give you anesthesia before the surgery, so it won't hurt."
Although there wasn't much emotion in her tone, she was clearly trying to comfort him.
It would have been better if Xing Lan hadn't said anything, but once she started to comfort him, Li Baidong's half-true, half-false grievances escalated like wildfire.
When he looked up again, his eyes were red, and he looked pitiful. Anyone who didn't know better would think that the doctor inside was about to remove his testicles.
"elder brother……"
Li Baidong sniffed, as if he was so heartbroken that he had lost all his strength. He couldn't help but lean against Xing Lan, his long arms encircling him and his thin chin resting gently on his shoulder.
He was much taller and had broader shoulders than Xing Lan, but he whimpered and clung to him with red eyes, looking like a big dog clinging to him.
The surroundings were quiet, and although there weren't many people, there was a hospital mascot—a brown curly-haired teddy bear.
It cast a strange look at them, hopping around Xing Lan's feet, trying to take advantage of his slender legs, but was quietly shooed away by the tip of Li Baidong's sneaker.
After the curly-haired teddy bear whimpered twice and hurriedly ran away with its tail between its legs, Li Baidong was also ruthlessly pushed away by Xing Lan.
"Don't get too close to me." Xing Lan shrugged slightly, looking a little uncomfortable. "It's hot."
Li Baidong lowered his head and sat down weakly on a chair in the corridor. Just as he was about to act heartbroken and sad, Xing Lan suddenly threw something into his arms.
His carefully crafted emotions were interrupted. He blinked, and upon closer inspection, he saw a carton of sweetened milk resting on his lap.
It's strawberry flavored and has Korean characters printed on it.
A note from the author:
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[Food][Food]
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