Chapter 36 Two Water Stains
Lu Shangyan already knew what he was going to do, bent down to avoid his arm, his face full of confusion: "What kind of technology?"
Pei Yumin gestured with his eyes to the two small beds, his tone ambiguous: "It's that kind of technology."
Lu Shangyan was already crouching down, rummaging through his suitcase for his clothes. He hadn't heard what the man was saying, but judging from his expression when he stood up, he knew it wasn't anything nice. Afraid that these words would "taint" his ears, he didn't even bother to ask and went straight to the bathroom.
Before going in, he instructed Pei Yumin: "Pack up first, don't fall asleep, we still have to eat later."
They wouldn't let him sleep, but they still made him eat.
Food...eating in bed...
Pei Yumin's eyes suddenly lit up terrifyingly; he was now wide awake!
He quickly tidied up his things, cleaning up the two places he might need later, such as the table and bedside table, and wiped them clean several times with disinfectant wipes.
Seeing that Lu Shangyan hadn't come out yet, he couldn't help but look at the box containing condoms again. After a closer look, he realized that there wasn't a condom in it that matched his size.
This is a real problem...
Just as she was wondering whether to go out and buy some, Lu Shangyan came out, drying his dripping hair. He was covered in mist, and because he had been soaked in hot water, his exposed skin was pink and his face was red.
But after scanning the room, his eyes sharpened: "Where are the things? They've all been taken away?"
Pei Yumin leaned over as if to take credit: "Didn't you ask me to tidy up? I was afraid I might accidentally break something and ruin our good mood."
Lu Shangyan thought about it and realized that this was indeed the case.
If hotel property is broken, the compensation amount will definitely be substantial.
But he just couldn't understand why Pei Yumin always leaned against him when he said those words, and why he had such a smug look in his eyes that made him want to punch him.
Lu Shangyan could only try his best to move to the side, but he kept sticking to him, which made him click his tongue in annoyance.
Seeing that Pei Yumin still showed no sign of stopping, he looked Pei Yumin up and down a few times and said coldly, "If you're itchy, go take a shower. Don't rub against me here."
"Okay, okay!" Pei Yumin shook her shoulders, just like those little princesses on TV who deliberately exaggerated their coquettishness: "I'm itchy inside and out right now, wait for me, I'll be back soon."
He said he would be back soon, but he washed himself very carefully from head to toe.
After all, he was worried about not having a suitable condom. If he didn't have time to go out and buy one later, he wouldn't be able to use it. If he wasn't going to wear one, he would have to wash it thoroughly.
The more he thought about it, the more excited he became, and the more passionate he became as he washed, almost scrubbing off a layer of skin from his lower back.
He had already put on a bathrobe, thinking he wanted to have a good and atmospheric start, but he took it off again, took the bath towel that Lu Shangyan had just used, and wrapped it around himself.
The bath towel wasn't very big; if you were taking care of the front, you wouldn't be able to take care of the back. It barely wrapped around his waist. He forced himself to walk to the bathroom door, slowly opened it, leaned against the door frame, bent his elbow to support his head, and struck a pose that was exceptionally alluring, yet one that he felt perfectly showcased his masculine charm.
"Cough cough!"
He squinted, deliberately trying to attract Lu Shangyan's attention.
Lu Shangyan was folding clothes when he turned around and saw Pei Yumin's appearance. He was struck dumb, and his eyes stung.
That small bath towel served its most important purpose, preventing Lu Shangyan from seeing "little Pei Yumin" at first glance, but...!
The hotel has limited indoor space, and the bathroom is even more space-saving. Not only is there no separation between wet and dry areas, but the mirror is also directly facing the bathroom door.
Normally, it might not be visible, but given Pei Yumin's height, the mirror was positioned directly behind him, showing his exposed buttocks!
Lu Shangyan couldn't catch his breath, but seeing Pei Yumin's smug expression, as if he didn't think anything was wrong, he couldn't bring himself to say the sarcastic remark that was on the tip of his tongue.
He tried his best to look away from the two plump, round buttocks, and praised them in a mechanical voice with an awkward laugh: "Your butt is quite perky, ha, ha, ha."
After saying that, he couldn't help but lower his head and laugh, his shoulders shaking uncontrollably.
Pei Yumin then realized something was wrong.
Lu Shangyan's behavior was completely different from what I expected! Shouldn't he be shy and blushing?
He was so uncomfortable from being laughed at that he finally couldn't help but turn his head to look.
Wow! It almost scared him to death!
He could only grab his bath towel and run back, obediently changing into a bathrobe.
His carefully devised seduction techniques turned into a joke, and only someone with a thick skin would have the courage to step out of the bathroom again.
When they came out, Lu Shangyan's expression had become calm: "Let's change our clothes, and then we'll see if there's anything to eat nearby."
Pei Yumin blinked: "Going out to eat?"
Lu Shangyan nodded: "Otherwise, do you want to order takeout? The ventilation here isn't good, and eating indoors will leave a smell."
Pei Yumin couldn't tell whether he was happy or unhappy; he always felt that he and Lu Shangyan were not on the same wavelength.
But as he followed Lu Shangyan out of the hotel and turned right into the building, he instantly straightened up.
Because he walked less than 100 meters and found three 24-hour adult product stores!
He noticed at the hotel that things weren't complete, there was no lubricant, and the condom didn't fit properly. Lu Shangyan must have noticed that too, since Lu Shangyan, who had gotten the child with him, must know his size!
He stood up straight, and no longer walked with a dragging gait; his legs seemed to be lifted to the sky.
Lu Shangyan was afraid that passersby would think he was taking a lunatic out, so he quickly reminded him to be careful.
Pei Yumin dismissed it: "Don't worry, I'm in good health. This little bit of exercise won't take up much of my energy."
The implication is that I can satisfy you for as long as you need.
The more he thought about it, the happier he felt. How could someone as good as Lu Shangyan be willing to be with him? In the end, it all came down to: "I think I'm just too lucky."
He had a smooth life from childhood to adulthood. Just when he thought that his first love, whom he had been hiding in his heart, would never be able to be with him again, he was sent to Z City the next day. Not long after, he had an unexpected night with his first love and they even had a baby!
Now they're together again, which is perfectly natural, and his wife is so proactive. He's jealous of himself just thinking about it!
How could someone as lucky as Pei Yumin exist in this world!
If so, it's the child in Lu Shangyan's belly.
When he came to his senses again, Lu Shangyan was already three or four meters away from him. He quickly caught up and asked, "Why are you walking so fast? Are you shy?"
"Let's eat noodles!" Lu Shangyan was really afraid of him. He felt that if Pei Yumin had to go to the hospital for a follow-up examination when he returned this time, he had to make sure that Pei Yumin had his brain checked and that he also had to see a psychiatrist.
He was too lazy to choose anymore, so he quickly went into a noodle shop and ordered two bowls of beef noodles.
Fortunately, Pei Yumin did not go crazy while eating, so it did not affect his appetite.
When he went out after eating, he noticed that his belly seemed to have gotten a little bigger. He began to plan how to avoid any physical conflict during his visit to his aunt's house.
But given the character of those aunts, he felt it was a bit risky and needed to think carefully about what to do.
Just as he was thinking, Pei Yumin spoke again in his ear: "You treated me to a hotel and a meal, so how about I pay for the apartment?"
Lu Shangyan asked, puzzled, "What kind of trap?"
"Condoms!" Pei Yumin leaned closer, almost biting his ear as she spoke, "Didn't you want to have sex with me?"
Lu Shangyan panicked and quickly looked around. He didn't know how Pei Yumin could say such things on the street without changing his expression!
"Keep your voice down, what if someone hears you?"
Seeing his expression, Pei Yumin assumed that he had pretended not to understand because he was shy, so he didn't say anything more and walked straight towards the adult store, where the blue-purple door shone with light.
Pei Yumin sighed in his heart: Children, I'm sorry, Dad can't let you have close contact with Mom today. The trash can is your final resting place. But Dad will always remember this glorious day. You sacrificed yourselves so that I could get closer to your mother!
His face was filled with sorrow. As he crossed the road and got very close to the door that let in light, Lu Shangyan grabbed his clothes: "What nonsense are you thinking about now!"
"Alright, I understand." Pei Yumin said understandingly, "You've been so proactive, it would be unmanly of me not to do something."
Lu Shangyan looked even more bewildered: "What did I take the initiative for?!"
Pei Yumin recounted the details like a familiar story: "Two beds. We messed around on one bed, and cuddled on the other. After we went in, you made me pack my things. I didn't realize you were so bold, doing it on the table. After we came out, you brought me to this adult store to eat. You must have seen that they didn't have any lubricant or suitable condoms...!"
Lu Shangyan was stunned: "I did all of this?"
Pei Yumin nodded firmly, while Lu Shangyan shook his head: "No, no, no, these are just your wild ideas. When I said 'use,' I meant that you'll be sleeping up there later, that's how it's used."
"Also, we need to pack our things since we're staying for three days. As for the shops, there are bound to be some near the hotel!"
After saying that, he covered half his face with his back and fled as if he were running away. Pei Yumin was still not giving up and chased after him, asking, "You really didn't mean that?"
Lu Shangyan almost gritted his teeth: "No!"
Pei Yumin looked at him again: "Is it because you're pregnant and worried about inconvenience? I remember the doctor said it's okay, as long as it's done gently, it'll be fine. I'll call him now and ask."
Lu Shangyan snatched his phone, stood ramrod straight, his head almost touching Lu Shangyan's forehead: "No! Don't ask! You're wrong, I don't want to do it right now!"
Pei Yumin precisely grasped the key words: "If you don't want to now, does that mean you'll want to in a few days? Then I'd better go back and buy a few boxes, so that I won't be too late to buy them when I need them in a few days."
Lu Shangyan glared at him, unable to speak clearly, and could only forcefully pull him back to the hotel.
Looking at Pei Yumin like this, he felt inexplicably worried, a tightness in his chest that made him feel extremely uncomfortable: "You've changed, changed so quickly."
The polite and well-mannered Pei Yumin of the past has disappeared.
Pei Yumin replied, "I haven't changed. I've always loved you and my heart has never wavered."
Lu Shangyan was still embarrassed by being stared at by an old man riding a bicycle on the street earlier, and didn't listen to him at all. He said to himself, "You've changed. You've changed so much that I don't even recognize you anymore."
After saying that, he went to the bathroom to wash up with a blank face, then pretended not to see Pei Yumin's presence, lay on his side on the bed, and closed his eyes with his back to Pei Yumin.
For a moment, Pei Yumin was genuinely worried that he had acted too hastily today and frightened him.
Even as Lu Shangyan covered his mouth, he couldn't help but let out a short, soft laugh.
Pei Yumin then realized that Lu Shangyan had been putting on an act for him: "Are you making fun of me? Are you?"
Seeing that he could no longer hide it, Lu Shangyan turned around and said, "I really didn't know that your thought process was so bizarre."
He smiled broadly, looking at Pei Yumin: "How could you make such a connection? That's so strange."
Lu Shangyan suddenly realized something: "Doesn't this prove that you also thought of a lot of random things when I didn't know?"
Pei Yumin then admitted quite frankly: "I like you, of course I can't help but have all sorts of wild thoughts."
Lu Shangyan's smile froze. He didn't dare to continue the topic and closed his eyes directly: "I'm tired, I'm going to sleep first. I have to get up at seven o'clock tomorrow, you should go to sleep early too."
Fortunately, Pei Yumin didn't continue to bother him. Instead, he took a black packaging bag out of the box and went to the bathroom.
For over an hour, no one came out. Lu Shangyan strained his ears but couldn't hear anything. He could only see a faint light coming from the doorway and hear the occasional sound of papers turning over.
Lu Shangyan listened for a while, and he almost fell asleep.
After Pei Yumin came out, she threw her things onto her bed, including a wet towel, and then ran to Lu Shangyan's bedside in her slippers. She asked in a very low voice, "My bed is covered in stuff and wet. Cleaning it now will definitely bother you. Why don't we squeeze into one bed tonight?"
The sound seemed as if he was afraid Lu Shangyan would hear it. He assumed Lu Shangyan was asleep because he wasn't moving, so he slowly sat on the edge of the bed, intending to remain unnoticed... He turned his head and saw that Lu Shangyan had noticed him and was staring straight at him.
Pei Yumin's heart skipped a beat. He quickly jumped out of bed, threw off his blanket, and crawled inside.
I've been lying down for a long time, but my heart is still pounding.
-
When the alarm rang, Lu Shangyan felt sore all over. He lay there for a while longer, then turned to wake Pei Yumin. He turned his head and saw Pei Yumin with dark circles under her eyes, holding a pillow and staring at him. At his feet was a thick book called "Encyclopedia of Pregnancy".
Meeting Lu Shangyan's gaze, he silently stuffed the book back into the black bag: "You're awake? I'll go wash up first, you can lie down for a while longer."
Like a robot, all the joy of yesterday is gone.
Hearing the sound of water coming from inside, Lu Shangyan took out his phone and quickly sent a message:
[We stayed in the same house yesterday, and nothing happened.]
The incident of Pei Yumin insisting on buying condoms was not mentioned.
The other side quickly replied: [+30 points!]
The sound of water stopped, and Lu Shangyan immediately hid his phone and went to find the clothes he needed to wear today.
He was going back to clean, so he wore a gray tracksuit, with short sleeves and shorts on, which looked rather loose.
Lu Shangyan didn't care, but when they were eating, Pei Yumin peeled the tea eggs from his breakfast plate and gave them to him: "You have to eat for two now."
Fearing that Lu Shangyan wouldn't eat, she deliberately said, "If I keep eating, I'll really have an endless supply of energy."
A tingling sensation ran through Lu Shangyan's tailbone, and he shuddered, not uttering another word.
After dinner, Lu Shangyan went to a nearby shop and bought a lot of cleaning tools, then took a taxi back to his hometown.
The gate was dark red and quite old, covered in rust. He dug a key from under a brick next to a long-dead flower on the left side of the gate. He wasn't sure if the rusty key could still open the door.
He hoped it could be opened, otherwise he would have to climb over the wall to get in, which was quite troublesome.
Fortunately, although the unlocking process was difficult, the door was finally pushed open. A blast of dusty smell hit him, making Lu Shangyan cough several times.
This courtyard was renovated when his parents got married. Back then, conditions didn't allow for cement paving; it was made of bricks instead. There was a pomegranate tree planted at the far end, and a grape trellis was built on the left. The wood had long since rotted and collapsed. The courtyard was full of weeds and smelled of decay.
Further inside, to the west is a kitchen and a storeroom, to the north are two bedrooms, and in the middle is a living room that can hardly be called a living room.
Lu Shangyan took the key hanging behind the door from the crack in the door. The key was tied with a rope, so it was easy to find.
After opening the door, the inside was fairly clean, but some dark, slithering things scurried by, which he guessed were rats.
He has been paying his water and electricity bills, and the house has electricity, but the light bulbs are not very bright. He forgot to buy new ones today, but it's okay, he has plenty of time to clean up his house later.
He put down the tools in his hand and turned around to see Pei Yumin still wandering around in the yard, stepping on the weeds, his face full of curiosity.
It's as if he didn't come here to clean, but to play some kind of wilderness survival adventure.
Suddenly, a shovel and a pair of gloves were handed to me: "Pulling the weeds this morning."
The yard wasn't big, but that collapsed grape trellis must have taken a lot of effort and time: "Shall we get some cleaners?"
Lu Shangyan shook his head: "No, renovating the house will cost a lot of money, so let's save money where we can."
Pei Yumin saw that he had already squatted down to pull weeds, so he followed his example and did the same thing, just like when he used to help his mother clear weeds in the back garden, except that the weeds here were a bit harder to pull.
"Don't you have a house in this small town? Why don't you go there to clean first? It should be easier to clean there, and we won't have to stay in a hotel, which would save us money, wouldn't it?"
Lu Shangyan glanced at him: "How do you know about the house?"
Pei Yumin thought this was a secret he didn't want outsiders to know, and immediately felt a little guilty: "The photocopy of the property certificate was in your bag. I saw it by accident."
Lu Shangyan continued clearing the weeds, but now it looked more like he was venting: "The house has been sold, it's not mine anymore, so I don't need to clean it."
"Sold it?" Pei Yumin frowned. "Is it because of your parents?"
Lu Shangyan nodded first, then shook his head: "They were sold not long after they died."
He paused for a moment, but couldn't help saying, "I was too young at the time, and my parents' house didn't go to me. I don't know what method my aunt used, but the house went to her. She thought the house was unlucky because my parents passed away not long after we bought it, so she just sold the house."
“But then she didn’t want to support me anymore. My third aunt also made a fuss at home. The two of them reached a consensus to split the money and support me together. My second aunt wasn’t home at the time, so the money wasn’t split. When she came back, she caused a ruckus for several days.” He looked up at the dilapidated house: “In the end, I gave this old house to her.”
His eyes were incredibly bright, but this time it was because of tears.
After he finished speaking, he tried to pretend to be relaxed and continue cleaning, but as soon as he grabbed the roots of the weeds, he couldn't help but turn his head away. When he looked up again, there were two wet stains on the cuffs of his gray shirt.
He took a deep breath and said, "This old house is different from the one in the county. I never lived there, but this is where my parents gave birth to me and raised me."
"When my child is born, I want him to have a stable home. No matter what the home is like, at least he won't be moved around with me."
"I can't afford to buy a house right now, although I can afford to rent one, but it's not the same thing, you understand?"
Pei Yumin felt a pang of sadness upon hearing this. She sat down next to him, looked up at the sky, and finally couldn't hold back. She buried her face in his other sleeve, leaving two wet patches there as well.
"I'll do whatever you want."
Lu Shangyan said, "I'm not sure if my second aunt is willing to give the house back to me, but I want to try. At least I'm all grown up now. This house has been abandoned and she won't come back to live here. If I live here, she can't just kick me out."
Pei Yumin added, "We can't let them off so easily. You've given them enough money over the years. I'll help you get it back! And I'll get back the house your parents owned before too."
Lu Shangyan leaned closer to him, his mood improving slightly: "That house was occupied the year after it was sold, so we can't get it back even if we want to. Besides, I really don't want that house anymore."
Pei Yumin asked him, "You don't actually believe that unlucky nonsense they were spouting, do you? That stuff was yours to begin with, so it belongs to you! It's sold, it's sold, but you still have to get the money!"
"You expect them to support you, but they don't give you a single penny and keep asking you for money!"
“It’s not because of bad luck. I don’t believe in that stuff, and besides, I would never think that place is unlucky.” Lu Shangyan paused for a moment and added, “However, my parents’ death was indeed related to that house. On their way to that house, they were hit by a drunk man on a motorcycle. He crashed through the roadside railing, and the two of them fell over. There was a river right next to the road.”
“Normally it might be fine, but it had just rained for half a month, and the water level had risen sharply. After they fell in, the drunkard passed out and fell asleep on the roadside. When he woke up, he was at the police station. My parents were dead. They were said to still be breathing when they were pulled out, but they died shortly after being taken to the hospital.”
Pei Yumin frowned: "It's just drowning, how can you not save someone who's still breathing?" But then he thought, this is, after all, a small, underdeveloped city, and perhaps the medical conditions aren't that great...
He paused, still unable to convince himself: "But if they're rescued, they're still breathing. Even an ordinary person performing artificial respiration and CPR has a high chance of saving them, right? No matter how unprofessional a doctor is, they're still a doctor, how could they possibly die?"
“That’s what my aunts said. I was too young then, and no one was willing to listen to me.” Lu Shangyan sighed. “I don’t understand the situation either. I only know that I no longer have a father and mother.”
There are some things he has thought about, but after so many years, he doesn't know what he can still do.
With tears streaming down his face, he looked at Pei Yumin and said, word by word, "Moreover, I am also one of the sinners in what happened back then. Their deaths were largely due to me."
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A note from the author:
Pei Yumin: My darling Shangshang, stand behind me! [Shrugs]
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