Chapter 10 A Peppermint-Flavored Kiss
The shrill cries and questioning on the other end of the phone lasted for nearly two minutes before subsiding slightly due to exhaustion, leaving only suppressed sobs.
Shen Beidao listened in silence until the voice on the other end of the phone had subsided, then he calmly spoke:
"Hello, ma'am. I am Shen Beidao, a teacher at the School of Foreign Languages, Jiangzhou University. If you need to verify my identity, you can check my employee number 118..."
His voice wasn't loud, but it had a calming power. Before there was a response, he continued, "Regarding Lin Yi, I think there might be some misunderstandings."
"Today during the day, there was an offline event at the Provincial Museum. My student Li Rui was a volunteer for the event, and Lin Yi came to help Li Rui."
Because I had some spare bottled water in my car that I needed to move to the venue, I asked them to get it from my car.
He spoke at a steady pace, with clear logic, as if stating an objective fact: "The photos you received were taken from the driver and passenger seats. I speculate... that the young people were curious about the car and wanted to take photos as souvenirs, which is normal."
He cleverly avoided describing the specific actions and instead focused on the vehicle itself.
The photo his mother sent was very blurry, showing only two black figures close together. Lin Yi was recognizable because half of his face was visible, but the other man had his back to the camera, so it was impossible to tell who he was.
"You can contact Li Rui to verify; he should know the situation better."
The woman on the other end of the phone was clearly taken aback by this calm yet informative explanation. After a few seconds of silence, she asked hesitantly, her voice still slightly nasal, "Then... how did Lin Yi's phone end up with you?"
"He left his backpack in my car."
Shen Beidao's tone revealed the helplessness of a teacher, "I called him, and Lin Yi said it was his spare phone, he doesn't use it often, and he'll come to pick it up tomorrow."
He didn't even give the other person time to carefully consider the "backup phone" excuse, and naturally posed the next question:
"Also, ma'am, could you please tell me the phone number that sent this photo?"
As a teacher, I have a responsibility to pay attention to students' physical and mental health. If it's a prank between classmates or there are other malicious motives, I need to understand the situation and provide appropriate guidance and education.
"Students should prioritize their studies and act like students."
He deliberately emphasized this point, reinforcing orthodox values: "As for the issue of homosexuality you mentioned, please rest assured that as educators, we naturally do not encourage it. If inappropriate behavior does occur among students, teachers will guide them privately in an appropriate manner."
His words were perfectly worded, both stating the teacher's position and implying that the matter would be handled discreetly, thus calming the other party's sensitive and agitated nerves to the greatest extent possible.
A longer silence fell on the other end of the phone. After a few minutes, most of the breakdown in the woman's voice faded, leaving only helpless exhaustion and a little embarrassment: "...Thank you, teacher. I'm sorry...I'm sorry to have bothered you today. I was a little too excited."
"It's okay, I understand."
The call was abruptly ended, leaving only a busy tone.
Shen Beidao slowly put down his phone, his eyes behind his glasses revealing no emotion whatsoever.
His slender fingers moved quickly across the screen, deleting the call log as if to erase the turmoil of the night.
Just then, a WeChat notification sounded; it was a message from Li Rui:
What's wrong with Lin Yi? My aunt just called and asked me where I was and what I did yesterday. Her tone was really strange.
Shen Beidao thought for a moment, then typed back, "What do you say?"
Li Rui: [I'll just tell you the truth. I was volunteering at the provincial museum, and we even had dinner together that night. She subtly asked me if I had a girlfriend recently, and I told her I was busy preparing for my postgraduate entrance exam and didn't have time for dating.]
Shen Beidao [And then?]
Li Rui [Then the aunt said, "Oh, okay, that's all," and hung up the phone.]
Shen Beidao: [Okay, I understand]
He closed the chat window with Li Rui and deleted those chat messages just as cleanly and efficiently.
After doing all this, he picked up his chopsticks again, faced the bowl of noodles that had long since gone cold, and slowly continued eating, as if nothing had just happened...
...
The next day.
Lin Yi was awakened by his biological clock and a mild hangover headache.
He sat up abruptly in bed, the unfamiliar surroundings instantly waking him up.
Looking around, one sees a simple yet sophisticated men's bedroom, with a faint scent of Shenbei Island permeating the air.
Before he could even think about what had happened yesterday, the bedroom door was gently pushed open, and Shen Beidao walked in carrying a glass of water.
He was still wearing his pajamas, but he looked neat and tidy, except that... his dark circles seemed a bit heavy?
Lin Yi scratched his head: Could it be because of me...?
"Uh, what time is it now?" Lin Yi asked somewhat awkwardly, his mind replaying the events of last night.
Drinking, confessing your feelings, and then... blacking out?
Seriously? He gets knocked out after just one drink?
So, how far did last night's confession go?!
Shen Beidao walked to the bedside and glanced at his watch: "It's not even ten o'clock yet."
His gaze fell on Lin Yi's face, then he reached out and gently touched his forehead with the back of his hand. "Hmm, no fever. You kicked off the blanket twice in the middle of the night. It's getting colder now, so it's easy to catch a cold. Be careful."
A dry, warm touch came from his forehead. Lin Yi pushed his hand away and turned his face away, trying to remain calm: "I'm perfectly fine!"
"Hmm, I can tell." Shen Beidao's lips curled up slightly as he handed him a water glass. "Want to get up and eat something?"
Lin Yi took the water glass and drank it all in one gulp.
He looked down and realized that he was wearing an unfamiliar set of dark gray cotton pajamas, which were obviously too big and loosely draped over his body.
"This..." Lin Yi's ears burned slightly, "Did you change it for me?"
"Yes." Shen Beidao's reply was simple, without any further explanation.
Shen Beidao seemed unwilling to explain.
Lin Yi held the water glass, hesitated for a moment, then looked up and stared directly at Shen Beidao, his voice hoarse from a hangover: "Then what I said to you yesterday... what did you think about it?"
After asking the question, he lowered his eyelashes somewhat guiltily, not daring to look at Shen Beidao's reaction.
He was afraid of being rejected.
What I fear even more is hearing a response that it's taken as a joke because I was drunk.
Shen Beidao did not answer immediately.
He stared at him silently for a few seconds, then leaned forward slightly and moved a little closer.
Shen Beidao spoke up: "How do you think I should react?"
Lin Yi was taken aback by his question, a surge of passion rushing to his head: "What do you mean, 'I think'... I like it or I don't like it! There's no such thing as inappropriate or unsuitable!"
Lin Yi: "Shen Beidao, I'm just asking you, are you willing to stay with me..."
The rest of my words were cut off by a sudden, warm touch.
Shen Beidao leaned down and kissed his lips.
Lin Yi's mind went blank for a moment, and all his thoughts came to a standstill.
He could only feel the soft pressure on his lips, carrying a hint of cool mint, and Shen Beidao's steady breathing so close to his face.
Huh? It tastes like chewing gum?
This thought flashed through Lin Yi's confused mind.
I ate chewing gum first thing in the morning...
Could it be that he... he... he had been wanting to do this all along...?
This realization was like a spark, instantly igniting all the passion within Lin Yi.
All the anxiety and uncertainty vanished in that moment.
Lin Yi reached out and tightly embraced Shen Beidao's neck, responding passionately to the kiss.
He was no longer the passive recipient, but rather, clumsily yet passionately, sucking and licking, trying to pry open the other's teeth and delve into that more attractive territory.
The offensive instinct belonging to "1" awakens at this moment.
Lin Yi used his arm strength and, with his explosive power and advantageous position, flipped over and pinned Shen Beidao down on the soft bed.
He straddled Shen Beidao's waist and abdomen, looking down at the person beneath him, his eyes exceptionally moist and bright with passion, carrying a hint of provocation.
He leaned down again, wanting to continue the kiss.
Shen Beidao's hand firmly supported his waist, her voice tinged with amusement: "So eager?"
"...You kissed me first." Lin Yi retorted, "I kissed you back, that's a give-and-take."
Shen Beidao chuckled softly: "Last night, a certain kid swore he liked me..."
Lin Yi's ears burned, and she covered his mouth with her palm, saying fiercely, "I was drunk."
Shen Beidao found his flustered appearance quite adorable, and slowly moved one hand from his wrist to his chest.
"You speak the truth when you're drunk, but now that you're sober, you're trying to back out?"
Lin Yi grabbed Shen Beidao's wrist anxiously: "I didn't."
Shen Beidao let him grab her wrist, but leaned back slightly as he leaned closer: "Then... prove it to me."
Lin Yi: "How do you prove it?"
Shen Beidao's gaze fell on his lips. "Tell me, how sober are you right now?"
Lin Yi took the initiative to bite, displaying a spirit of not giving up.
Just as their lips were about to touch, Shen Beidao suddenly turned his face, and a slightly fierce kiss softly landed on his cheek.
"You were still a bit too hasty." Shen Beidao's breath gently brushed against his burning earlobe. "A truly sober person wouldn't be so reckless."
Lin Yi's ears burned, but he refused to back down: "Do you think I'm... reckless?"
He released his grip on the other's wrist, then cupped Shen Beidao's face in his hands, his fingertips trembling slightly, and said in a deliberately calm tone, "Then teach me."
"Close your eyes," Shen Beidao's voice was seductive.
Lin Yi's thick eyelashes trembled slightly before he obediently closed them.
With his vision deprived, his other senses were amplified. He could clearly feel the warm breath approaching inch by inch, carrying a refreshing minty scent, which disturbed his heartbeat.
Just when he thought he would be able to touch that soft warmth in the next second, the breath stopped.
"Count to three."
Shen Beidao's breath brushed against his lips, "One..."
Lin Yi waited anxiously...
Lin Yi: Hmph, he must be testing me! I need to keep my expression in check, my mouth can't be crooked... my expression has to be as dignified, elegant, and classy as when taking a graduation photo!
But... what's he going to do when he counts to three? Is he going to flick my forehead...?
Shen Beidao thought: Having dated so many boyfriends, is he really this obedient?
As Shen Beidao gazed at the completely trusting, boyish face before him, a "hard corner" in his heart seemed to be gently bumped by something.
He had seen Lin Yi's usual flamboyant and unrestrained self, but he had never seen him so obedient and submissive. This extreme contrast brought a cruel sense of novelty, making him feel happy yet forcibly suppressing his emotions.
"Two," he said, his voice even hoarser than before.
The moment the number "three" fell, Lin Yi couldn't wait to tilt his head back and lean in, like a wild horse finally allowed to approach the water source, eagerly sucking on the cool, warm water he had long coveted.
This time, Shen Beidao neither dodged nor responded; he endured all the awkward and chaotic exploration from the person in his arms...
He clearly felt the haphazard kiss and Lin Yi's tense, slightly trembling body...
In the game of emotions, the one who falls in love first often reveals their hand first.
However, one-sided initiative is depleting, while mutual response is nourishing. The sustainability of true love stems from the initiative's unwillingness to stop and also depends on the passive's willingness to accept it.
Pleasure at first sight is easy to find, but lasting affection is hard to come by.
Shen Beidao took a step forward and a step back, gauging this budding emotion, wondering if it would lead to a fleeting bloom or an eternal cycle of seasons...
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