Chapter 24 "Let me help you sweat it out."...
"Shenbei Island, open the door."
Shen Beidao had just finished showering, and water was still dripping from the ends of his hair.
He picked up his phone and heard Lin Yi's voice outside the door.
Shen Beidao then strode towards the entrance. As he passed the mirror, he glanced at his reflection: his bathrobe was loosely tied, the collar open, revealing his muscular chest and the water stains that hadn't been wiped away.
He thought for a moment, then reached out and loosened the already loose ties a little more, making the opening of the bathrobe more obvious. He retied the knot at his waist, making it look like it was tied casually and might come undone at any moment.
Then, open the door.
Lin Yi stood outside the door, wearing a white baseball cap pulled low over his shoulders. He looked like he had rushed over, and his breathing was a little rapid.
He looked up and his gaze met Shen Beidao's open bathrobe collar, revealing his strong chest muscles hidden beneath the swaying clothes. All the questions he had rehearsed along the way stuck in his throat at that moment.
Shen Beidao's lips curled into a faint smile as he stepped aside, saying, "Come in and talk if you have something to say."
His bathrobe swayed slightly with his movements, revealing more of his taut muscle definition.
Lin Yi looked away, pretending not to see anything, and strode inside.
Only one floor lamp was on in the living room, and the warm yellow light made the space feel somewhat private. The faint scent of shower gel lingered in the air, making the man in front of me seem even more alluring.
Lin Yi sat awkwardly in a corner of the sofa, deliberately keeping his distance.
Shen Beidao bypassed the coffee table and sat directly next to him, so close that their thighs almost touched.
It was 7:35 p.m. He had originally planned to come to Shenbei Island to find out more after returning from the hospital in the afternoon.
As luck would have it, they ran into Xie Chun in the elevator. The father and son had a frank talk, but after three hours they came to no conclusion and parted on bad terms.
"About Du Xiaoman..." Lin Yi turned to Shen Beidao and cut to the chase, "Why did you do that..."
Before he could finish speaking, a warm hand was placed on his forehead.
Shen Beidao leaned closer, and the collar of his bathrobe opened even wider because of this movement.
He focused intently on the temperature under his palm, then looked up at Lin Yi: "You're a little hot."
"..." Lin Yi shrank back slightly to avoid his touch. "I'm fine. I just got warm from walking here."
"Hmm." Shen Beidao withdrew his hand, his tone calm. "You know."
"I just found out," Lin Yi replied, unable to hold back a sneeze.
Shen Beidao immediately handed over a tissue: "It's my fault. I didn't take you home that day, otherwise you wouldn't have gotten sick."
“I’m a grown man, I don’t need you to be so attentive and caring, treating me like a little girl!…” Lin Yi stood up, wanting to be sarcastic, but his voice was still hoarse. “My name is Lin Yi, not Lin Daiyu.”
She looks even more like Lin Daiyu now.
"Hmm." Shen Beidao listened, nodded earnestly, and admired him.
Lin Yi had been suppressing his anger since he entered the room, but when faced with Shen Beidao's nonchalant attitude, his sharp words were like punches hitting cotton, having no force. "I came here today just to understand this matter clearly."
Shen Beidao's gaze fell on him.
It's almost December, and he's only wearing a sweatshirt, which isn't lined with fleece, and his pants have holes in them, letting in all the cool air.
How did this little rabbit grow so big? It doesn't take care of its body at all, and it's sick now.
"Sit down, take your time to learn." Shen Beidao stood up, picked up the remote control, turned on the air conditioner, and set it to 29 degrees. "Wait until I get the documents for you."
He went into the study and came out a few minutes later with a stack of documents in his hand.
"This is the complaint I commissioned my lawyer to prepare, along with some physical evidence."
Shen Beidao handed the documents to Lin Yi and sat down again next to him. "They include screenshots of the threatening and intimidating emails and bank transfer records. They're all here."
Lin Yi quickly flipped through the dense text; the chain of evidence was complete, and the timeline was clear.
Moreover, Du Xiaoman sent more than one or two extortion emails, totaling more than a dozen pages, with vicious words that were unbearable to read.
Lin Yi looked up. "Then why didn't you just call the police? Why did you transfer so much money to him?"
Shen Beidao remained silent for a few seconds.
He stood up and walked up to Lin Yi.
This position allowed Shen Beidao to look down at Lin Yi, who was sitting on the sofa, against the light. He seemed to block out all the lights in the living room, as if he were in the shadows.
"It's just a photo; it poses no real threat to me."
Shen Beidao's voice was calm, as if the matter was truly unimportant.
“He can complain to my superiors, slander me and retaliate against me as he pleases. If that happens, I will take legal action to protect my rights.”
He paused, his gaze falling on Lin Yi's slightly pale face, where there was still a lingering illness and the weariness left by days of trouble.
Shen Beidao's Adam's apple bobbed, and his voice softened:
"There is a fundamental difference between completed and attempted crimes under the law. Extortion is a public prosecution case. Once the amount is confirmed and the chain of evidence is complete, it cannot be settled simply through a private settlement."
"As citizens, when we encounter habitual extortionists, we have a responsibility to provide sufficient evidence so that the law can make a fair judgment. This is a contribution to society and also helps to eliminate social risks for the people."
In fact, my family is far away in Germany, in a tolerant and diverse environment, and they are open to my sexual orientation and choice of partner.
But Lin Yi was different. His mother's attitude toward this matter was extreme, and his father was biased towards an outsider with ulterior motives.
As for me, I don't have the extra energy to care about outsiders.
I just want him to be happy every day, that's enough.
As for the others...
He brought it upon himself; he has only himself to blame. What does it have to do with me?
Shen Beidao wouldn't say these things aloud; his love was never loud, but manifested in his actions, using his experience to resolve the matter.
Lin Yi looked at Shen Beidao and remained silent.
Just three hours earlier, at the company, he and Xie Chun had their most intense argument yet.
He couldn't understand why his father insisted on protecting a fraudster. Why did all of Xie Chun's statements revolve around "negotiating with the parties involved" and "striving for a reduced sentence and leniency"?
Is it because Du Xiaoman is a vulnerable person receiving financial assistance? Is it because Xie Chun has spent time and money on him that he is so determined to protect him at all costs?
What a ridiculous logic this is?
The silence was broken by the vibration of the phone.
The words "Xie Chun" lit up on the screen.
Lin Yi hung up immediately.
A second later, Zhang Zexuan called again.
Shen Beidao noticed his agitation and offered, "Let's go to the bedroom to get it; I'll leave."
"I'm going to the balcony..."
“It’s cold on the balcony, and you’re still sick.” Shen Beidao patted his shoulder and said reassuringly, “Go to the bedroom. If you’re really worried, you can lock the door.”
Lin Yi responded and walked towards the bedroom.
Lin Yi didn't lock the door; he didn't plan to stay any longer. He sat down on the edge of the bed and answered the phone.
"What's up?"
But Xie Chun's voice came through the receiver, with a questioning tone: "Why didn't you answer your father's call?"
"I don't want to answer."
"I know you went to Teacher Shen's house." Xie Chun's voice sounded more like an order than a discussion. "Since you two are still dating, try to persuade him to sign a letter of forgiveness. I'll talk to your mother about it..."
"Xie Chun!" Lin Yi sneered. "How dare you go to my mother? You like Du Xiaoman that much? What? You want to get him out of the picture and make him my stepfather?"
"Lin Yi! Are you really my son? Do you even know Xiaoman...?"
"Oh dear! Uncle Xie, please don't be angry!" Zhang Zexuan's voice broke in, accompanied by the crisp sound of teacups clinking in the background. "Uncle Xie, please have some tea... If you really want a son, I'll call you Dad, okay?"
Thank you, Dad. From now on, you're my real father. I'll immediately cut ties with my drinking father! Give me the phone first, I'll talk to you. Lin Yi is still sick..."
Xie Chun's voice seemed even angrier: "Shut up! Don't think I don't know you've colluded with Lin Yi! I haven't settled accounts with you for the listening device yet..."
Lin Yi hung up the phone immediately.
He threw his phone on the bed, the sudden surge of resentment almost overwhelming his reason.
He didn't understand why, even though liking men wasn't wrong in itself, everyone involved in it lived as if it were a mistake.
Xie Chun, who was attracted to men, tricked her into marriage and gave birth to him.
Now, because of another man, they're demanding that he and his mother compromise and even make Shen Beidao feel wronged, and issue some ridiculous letter of understanding!
Why should he? What did he do wrong?
He stormed out of the bedroom.
There was no one in the living room. He looked around and finally found the figure on the balcony.
Shen Beidao stood in the night with his back to the living room.
A touch of scarlet light flickered on the fingertip, and the white smoke quickly dissipated in the cold wind.
His bathrobe fluttered slightly in the wind, revealing the toned lines of his calves.
Lin Yi remembered that Shen Beidao didn't smoke.
He strode over, opened the sliding door to the balcony, and a blast of cold air rushed in, making him shiver.
Shen Beidao turned his head when he heard the sound.
Seeing Lin Yi run to the balcony wearing only a thin sweatshirt, he frowned and subconsciously tried to put out the cigarette in his hand.
But Lin Yi was faster.
Before he could react, she crashed into Shen Beidao's arms, wrapped her arms tightly around his waist, and buried her face in his open bathrobe.
It still carried the dampness and warmth of a shower, the faint scent of shower gel, and the alluring aroma of tobacco.
Shen Beidao's hand froze in mid-air.
He hesitated for a second, then finally raised the hand holding the cigarette to avoid burning Lin Yi, while his other hand gently touched the back of Lin Yi's head, stroking his soft hair.
"...Have you been wronged?" His voice was very soft, as if it had been blown away by the night breeze.
He looked up, his eyes red-rimmed, his voice choked with emotion: "Could I try it?"
Children should not smoke.
"I'm 22, what kind of kid am I?" Lin Yi ignored him, took the half-smoked cigarette from his hand, and took a deep drag.
It seems that he learned to smoke that time.
Unlike that night three years ago, he didn't cough this time.
The spiciness of the tobacco rolled from my throat into my lungs, and when I slowly exhaled it, I felt a strange sense of clarity. My blocked nose seemed to clear, and my muddled mind cleared up.
He looked up at Shenbei Island.
In the darkness of night, Shen Beidao's eyes were deep, reflecting the lights of distant buildings and Lin Yi's flushed face.
His bathrobe had been completely loosened by Lin Yi's bump, and now it was only loosely covering him, leaving a large portion of his chest exposed to the cold air.
Lin Yi stood on tiptoe and kissed her.
A kiss tinged with the smell of tobacco, bitter, burning, greedy, and reckless.
He bit Shen Beidao's lips, as if to vent all his grievances, anger, and resentment through this kiss.
He greedily demanded, only to find that all he was asking for was a favoritism.
Regardless of right or wrong, those who simply stand by his side are favored.
Shen Beidao responded to him, wrapping his arms around Lin Yi's waist and deepening the kiss.
The smell of tobacco lingered between their lips and teeth. Lin Yi felt Shen Beidao's hand slide down from his lower back, supporting his buttocks and lifting him up.
"It's too cold on the balcony, let's go inside."
Shen Beidao carried him back to the living room, turned to the side and closed the sliding door. Instantly, warm air enveloped the two of them.
Lin Yi was placed on a single sofa next to the floor-to-ceiling window.
The sofa was small, just big enough for one person. Lin Yi lay half-reclined on it, and Shen Beidao leaned down on him, his hands supporting him on either side of his body.
Shen Beidao's breath brushed against Lin Yi's neck. "Baby, you've caught a cold. Sweating it out will make you feel better."
"But the doctor said... it's best not to exercise while you're sick, as being too tired can cause a relapse."
Even as he said that, his hand had already gripped the collar of Shen Beidao's bathrobe, his fingertips sliding inside the open fabric and touching his firm, hot chest muscles.
Shen Beidao chuckled softly, his breath brushing against Lin Yi's ear: "You just lie there, I'll take care of the rest."
He knelt on one knee on the carpet in front of the sofa, a position that made him shorter than Lin Yi, requiring him to tilt his head back to kiss his lips.
Those large hands slid in from Lin Yi's waist, lifted the hem of his hoodie, and slowly moved upwards along his warm skin...
"It's hot." Lin Yi wanted to take off his hoodie.
"Wear it." Shen Beidao pressed his hand down. "How will you sweat if you don't wear it?"
Lin Yi's back was already damp with a thin layer of sweat, sticking stickily to the fabric of his hoodie.
Shen Beidao seemed to understand his discomfort. His hand slipped under his lower back, his fingertips tracing the hollow of his spine, and then climbing upwards...
Shen Beidao's palms felt like they were on fire, almost igniting the skin wherever they touched.
Lin Yi felt like he was on fire, and every inch of him was in pain, inside and out.
"Let's try physical cooling methods," Shen Beidao said softly, with a hint of ambiguity. "If you hold it in, I'll be worried if you really get a fever."
Before Lin Yi could react to what he was about to do, he felt his waistband being loosened.
His pants were pulled down to his knees, loosely wedged against the edge of the sofa.
“Pod”.
Lin Yi subconsciously brought his knees together, and the sudden chill made him take a deep breath.
There seemed to be a quiet emptiness in the air.
Then, Shen Beidao's palm gently touched it.
"Is the heat dissipating a bit better?" Shen Beidao asked softly, his other hand already cupping his face.
Lin Yi closed his eyes as the kiss landed.
The hoodie gradually became damp with sweat, clinging softly to his body. The boy's silhouette undulated slightly beneath the damp fabric, like looking at distant mountains through a windowpane after the rain…
The moonlight streamed in slantingly through the window, illuminating the dust motes in the air like tiny golden fragments. Shen Beidao's kiss moved from his lips to his sweat-dampened temples…
Lin Yi opened his eyes and saw that even the other person's eyelashes, which were so close to his own, were covered in fine moisture...
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Author's Note: Regarding the previous chapter about Xie Chun x Zhang Zexuan, hahaha, sorry, I gave away a spoiler. I couldn't help it; just thinking about what happens to them later makes me laugh, pfft…
In the outline, Zhang Zexuan plays a crucial role in building relationships within his own family and with other families—a particularly crucial one. Look forward to it! (The author is holding back a bit.)
Zhang Zexuan's family background is set as follows: his parents are both government employees with very strong moral values. However, Zhang Zexuan loves to have fun, so his family doesn't give him much money to spend. Xie Chun is a capitalist, and Zhang Zexuan is quick-witted, but his ideas aren't always applied correctly. There are many funny scenes later on. This story might not be very long, around 20 chapters. Which book would you like to read next?
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