Chapter 56
Xia Lanzheng could no longer tell the alcohol content of the wine she had drunk.
Chu Linchuan was wearing a thin dark gray sweater with only the bottom button buttoned, revealing the white T-shirt and silver necklace underneath.
The very casual outfit, paired with frameless glasses, has a flavor that Xia Lanzheng can't describe.
The overlapping shadows turned into real people. He blinked and saw who it was, and his heart jumped for joy.
Xia Lanzheng was unwilling to admit his emotion at that moment. As a little mouse, he shouldn't be happy after being caught by the black cat in the game of cat and mouse.
"I thought you would guess it. After all, our Zheng Zheng is so smart."
Chu Linchuan understood the surprise on his face. Of course, there might be other emotions as well, but he didn't try to guess.
Hearing the familiar voice again, Xia Lanzheng was sure that he was not drunk, but she really didn't know how to react. So she just stood there on the cobblestone road, asking polite yet distant questions.
"How did you get here? Is Brother Ping An here too?"
He looked behind Chu Linchuan and saw no one, only a street lamp surrounded by moths. The alley was crooked, and Chu Linchuan's expression became "twisted".
"I came here alone," Chu Linchuan took a step closer, "Is that all you're telling me?"
He saw what Xia Lanzheng was holding and couldn't help laughing: "Are you buying snacks to go with the wine?"
Xia Lanzheng followed his gaze, looking for an opportunity to slip away: "Wait a moment, I have something important to do."
Chu Linchuan didn't rush her, but followed slowly with his hands hanging down. Xia Lanzheng ran into a guesthouse with lanterns hanging on it and called out someone's name.
He was holding the sausage tied in a plastic bag, as if to make sure Chu Linchuan was still behind him. He looked back and then turned back in an attempt to cover up his mistake.
Zhong Hai was reading a book on the second-floor balcony. He ran down when he heard the noise and quickly winked at Xia Lanzheng.
"Be gentle," he blinked his eyes. "The little ancestor is doing homework. He hasn't finished it for a long time. Sister Jiang is very angry."
Xia Lanzheng blocked the hospital door: "Where's Jiang Nianren? I brought her some sausages, as I promised this morning."
Zhong Hai lowered his head and laughed: "You are really amazing."
He stretched out his hand to grab one, but Xia Lanzheng had already noticed it and took a step back with a "Hey". Zhong Hai raised his hand to take it and accidentally saw someone standing outside the door.
He was so frightened that he yelled, but Xia Lanzheng didn't react at all. She must have known about this.
Zhong Hai came to his senses and met Chu Linchuan's gaze. Somehow he took a step back, not daring to get too close to Xia Lanzheng.
Xia Lanzheng turned around and told Chu Linchuan that everything was fine. Seeing Zhong Hai retreat, she said in confusion, "You just told me to keep my voice down..."
Zhong Hai suddenly interrupted: "Who is this? Sour or bitter?"
Xia Lanzheng was so annoyed by what he said that she frowned and signaled him to shut up.
The door on the right side of the first floor was pushed open, and Jiang Nian ran out and ran straight towards Xia Lanzheng.
Xia Lanzheng was hugged by her thighs. She looked up and didn't see Jiang Yuan. She handed the sausage over and said, "Here, the sausage I promised you... Where's your mother?"
Jiang Nian wiped all her tears on Xia Lanzheng, holding the fragrant thing in her hand, not caring about her sadness, her eyes lit up: "Mom is helping me with my homework in the room...Xiao Xia brother! You bought me four! You are the best person in the world!"
Chu Linchuan laughed outside the door. Xia Lanzheng blushed and quickly sent Jiang Nian away.
Zhong Hai was still standing there curiously, but Xia Lanzheng blocked his view and pulled him aside: "Don't look, Xiao Zhong, do me a favor."
Two minutes later, Xia Lanzheng found Chu Linchuan outside the door. Chu Linchuan was squatting beside the stone lion, silent, and it was impossible to tell without careful observation.
Xia Lanzheng inexplicably thought of Draco, but seeing Chu Linchuan like this, she shook her head to drive the thought away.
Compared to the Border Collie, Chu Linchuan is more like a wolf that cannot be tamed.
Chu Linchuan's usually indifferent eyes turned and he reached out his hand to Xia Lanzheng: "Pull me."
"It's not like you can't get up."
Despite saying so, Xia Lanzheng still reached out, pinched Chu Linchuan's fingers and applied a little force——
Unexpectedly, the man opposite was stronger. Xia Lanzheng lifted her foot, lost her balance, and fell into Chu Linchuan's arms.
His face rubbed against Chu Linchuan's sweater, which prickled and tickled him.
Chu Linchuan didn't let him go: "How much did you drink? Why can't you stand steadily?"
Xia Lanzheng hummed twice, and the sound penetrated Chu Linchuan's chest.
"Brother, I know you're here to see me," he pushed the man away and asked seriously, "Are you here to see me?"
Chu Linchuan was very close to him and couldn't help thinking that Xia Lanzheng had indeed gained a little weight and had taken good care of herself.
In fact, he had already found out where Xia Lanzheng was, and had wanted to put down his work and come over more than once, even if it was just to take a look from afar.
He lost control because he heard the noise in Xia Lanzheng's live broadcast room last night. He could hear it clearly, but the feeling of not being able to see it was too uncomfortable.
He desperately wanted to confirm Xia Lanzheng's condition with his own eyes and didn't want anyone else to get close.
With the arrival of autumn, the cicadas' chirping faded, and the alleys, devoid of tourists at night, were exceptionally quiet. The streetlights were sparsely spaced, only a few meters apart. The dim light sparingly illuminated the stone bricks, leaving a little behind that fell on my shoulders.
After Xia Lanzheng saw the lens, Chu Linchuan blinked gently, as if he could hear the sound that followed.
We haven't seen each other for a long time. It would be a lie to say that I don't miss each other, but there is a sense of awkwardness in the atmosphere. Unspeakable words and awkwardness hang in the air.
Like a dense spider web, it was blown everywhere by the wind, entangled in the breaths of Xia Lanzheng and Chu Linchuan.
The breathing grew heavier, controlled and intermittent. With each exhale, the traces of the spider web became clearer.
The distance between the two of them was shortened again, and their shadows overlapped on the cobblestone road, making it almost impossible to tell you apart.
Xia Lanzheng's back of the head was touched gently, and the hair rubbing against her neck felt itchy, but soon, Chu Linchuan's palm covered it, with a different temperature than before.
It's hot.
"Is it okay?" Chu Linchuan asked.
Xia Lanzheng couldn't deceive himself, he knew what Chu Linchuan was asking.
He looked up and saw Chu Linchuan's chin, lips, and finally his eyes. The bottom of Chu Linchuan's eyes flickered constantly under the light, reflecting his own broken shadow.
Is it okay? Xia Lanzheng also asked herself.
He found it difficult to give an answer, and even hoped that Chu Linchuan would not ask anything and not always give him the opportunity to refuse.
Their eyes met, and no one moved first.
Polite and restrained, as if they were just planning a social dance.
Xia Lanzheng clenched the hands hanging by his legs, and his palms were full of sweat, so he let go and grabbed Chu Linchuan's collar.
He bumped into Chu Linchuan's chest and heard the heartbeat hidden inside.
Ta-da, ta-da, ta-da.
He counted to the third beat and leaned forward.
Suddenly, there was no sound in my ears.
Their teeth collided and Xia Lanzheng let out a muffled groan. He suddenly opened his eyes and saw Chu Linchuan's eyelashes brushing past him.
...It's over, it's over, it's over.
Realizing what she was doing, Xia Lanzheng's hands frantically struggled to free herself. Chu Linchuan didn't give him a chance, and pressed his lips against hers again, not as shy as he was.
Chu Linchuan licked the corner of Xia Lanzheng's lips slowly and gently. His palm moved from Xia Lanzheng's neck to the back of her head, and he restrainedly pulled her forward.
He also heard Xia Lanzheng's heartbeat.
More intense than the chirping of cicadas in summer.
They exchanged a kiss that wasn't really a kiss under the dim street lights.
Because Chu Linchuan quickly moved away from Xia Lanzheng's lips and pecked his chin lightly. He raised his eyelids and saw that Xia Lanzheng's eyes were wet. He stroked his back like soothing a frightened lamb.
Xia Lanzheng's face flushed red, but Chu Linchuan said nothing, pretending not to notice. He kissed away the tears from Xia Lanzheng's eyes and pressed his head into the crook of his neck, giving him enough time to recover.
Xia Lanzheng's mind was no longer able to think straight.
He had just wanted to give it a try, perhaps after trying it, he would find that it was not the case at all. But the heat all over his body told him that he was wrong.
He indulged in the late night embrace, took a breath quietly, and punished himself by holding it.
Finished. These three words floated through his mind again, reminding him over and over again what had just happened.
The excuse of being drunk wasn't enough to convince him, nor Chu Linchuan. What was Chu Linchuan thinking? Did he also feel like he was doomed?
Someone pulled up the back of his collar, and Chu Linchuan's glasses were taken off by him at some point.
"Is it okay?" He brushed away the hair on the side of Xia Lanzheng's face. "Or maybe do it again?"
Xia Lanzheng was tongue-tied: "No, no, no... No need, go back and rest, I want to take a shower."
"Oh——" Chu Linchuan glanced at him, "Shower."
Xia Lanzheng heard a buzzing sound in her ears: "I played outside during the day and sweated a lot."
Chu Linchuan nodded and walked towards the B&B first: "I know, I didn't say anything."
Xia Lanzheng followed behind, always half a step behind. He wiped the corner of his lips where Chu Linchuan couldn't see, and hid the hand that had just grabbed Chu Linchuan behind his back.
After entering the B&B, Chu Linchuan stopped and asked, "Which room are you staying in?"
Xia Lanzheng was like a robot, answering whatever instructions she received. He pointed to a room on the second floor: "There."
Chu Linchuan nodded and took another step forward. Xia Lanzheng followed him. The stairs that they had walked up countless times seemed particularly long.
Entering the corridor and turning to the door of Xia Lanzheng's room, Chu Linchuan turned around and held out his hand: "My glasses."
"What?" Xia Lanzheng didn't understand.
Chu Linchuan stopped talking, laughed, and took something out of the pocket of his coat: "I just put it in your bag, but you didn't seem to notice it at that time."
Xia Lanzheng muttered to herself and took out the key to open the door. Just as she opened it, Jiang Yuan came up from the stairs.
"Xiao Xia?"
Xia Lanzheng stood up straight with a start, wiped her mouth and turned back.
Jiang Yuan was standing aside and frowned when she saw Chu Linchuan. Chu Linchuan also pretended not to see it, nodded and greeted him.
Xia Lanzheng then remembered that she hadn't said anything. "Sister Jiang, did Zhong Hai tell you?"
"I told you," Jiang Yuan intentionally or unintentionally fixed her eyes on Chu Linchuan, "I just ran over to tell you, I was out of breath, I thought it was something else."
Chu Linchuan stood aside without saying a word, and stepped half a foot into Xia Lanzheng's room.
Xia Lanzheng smiled embarrassedly, exchanged a few words with Jiang Yuan, and asked if Jiang Nian had slept well.
This was quite rare. It was the first time Chu Linchuan saw this side of him.
However, he soon could no longer sigh. Jiang Yuan approached, shook hands with him, and opened Xia Lanzheng's door.
"You're Xiao Xia's brother, right? Hello, hello. The room is ready. It's on the first floor. Can I take you there?"
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