Chapter 27 Professor Shen is drunk
The esteemed Professor Shen personally came to visit, bringing gifts. It was neither reasonable nor polite for Lin Yi to simply shut him out.
He still has that basic courtesy.
He swiped the fingerprint lock and stepped aside to let Shen Beidao in: "Come in."
This small apartment, less than 80 square meters, was bought for Lin Yi by Xie Chun when he was in college. It was located near the National Academy of Fine Arts.
Lin Yi goes to class during the day and goes home to rest at night. For the past two years, he has been living alone.
Shen Beidao stood at the doorway, his gaze first sweeping across the entryway.
The shoes were neatly arranged, with only a few pairs of sneakers that Lin Yi often wore and no extra men's slippers, which at least proved that no other men had visited the house recently.
Lin Yi pulled a brand new pair of gray slippers from deep inside the shoe cabinet and threw them on the floor: "Wear them yourself, they're clean."
Then he reached out and snatched the brown paper bag from Shen Beidao's hand: "Thank you in advance, Professor Shen."
The bag was still a little warm, carrying the warmth of freshly baked goods.
As Lin Yi walked inside, he unpacked the cookies and casually asked, "Did you make these yourself? Do you even know how to bake cookies?"
Shen Beidao changed his shoes behind him, his gaze continuing to sweep across the living room, a completely open space, which was exceptionally tidy.
The few cushions on the sofa stood like soldiers on guard, and there was nothing on the coffee table except for a remote control and a potted plant.
Several brightly colored oil paintings hung on the wall, all in a uniform warm color scheme.
For a man living alone to have a home this clean, he probably has some degree of obsessive-compulsive disorder.
“I learned it from a food blogger’s video,” Shen Beidao said as he came in. “Try it.”
The paper bag was fully opened, and a familiar yet strange smell wafted out.
It's not the milky aroma of desserts, nor the common buttery scent, but a strange and unusual flavor.
Lin Yi paused for a moment, then looked suspiciously into the bag.
Inside were neatly arranged square cookies, each dotted with small red dots, which at first glance looked like strawberry jam or dried cranberries.
Lin Yi took out a piece and tentatively took a bite. "Is this strawberry jam on top?"
The taste was also strange; it was salty and a little spicy.
"It's spicy hot pot flavored, how is it, is it delicious?"
Lin Yi's chewing motion noticeably faltered: "...Spicy hot pot flavored, a biscuit?"
He looked down at the half-eaten cookie in his hand, his expression complex.
“I noticed you really enjoyed the mala tang last time, and you ate quite a lot of it. I guess you like it.”
Shen Beidao looked at him, "I tried for four hours before I succeeded... Hmm? Was it not tasty?"
Lin Yi's taste buds are experiencing an unprecedented shock!
Sweet, salty, spicy, numbing, and the crispy texture of the biscuit itself combine to create an indescribable complex flavor.
"No, not really..." Lin Yi chewed but didn't swallow. "My cold isn't better yet, my throat still hurts, and I can't eat spicy food lately."
Upon hearing this, Shen Beidao pulled out another smooth-surfaced biscuit from the bag: "This one is made with original bone broth ingredients, it's not spicy, why don't you try this one?"
"No, no need." Lin Yi quickly shook his head and put down the biscuits in his hand. "My throat is dry, I want to drink some water now."
He went to the kitchen, vomited it all up, poured himself a glass of warm water, and leaned to the side, sipping it slowly to soothe the impact of the biscuit on his esophagus.
Shen Beidao spent four hours just to make these weird-tasting scrap cookies?
He wanted to laugh, but he also felt a little reluctant to dampen the other person's enthusiasm.
He looked up at Shen Beidao, who was standing in the center of the living room.
The man took off his trench coat, revealing a simple white shirt underneath, with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, exposing his well-defined forearms.
He just stood there, upright and serious, not at all like someone who had just made a disastrous dish.
Lin Yi sighed inwardly.
The deception may be deceptive, but this clumsy attempt at sincerity should not be ignored.
However, Lin Yi did not intend to stay on Sunken North Island for too long.
If deceitful people are so easily forgiven, then the cost of deception is far too low.
Lin Yi, a man of principle, wouldn't tolerate such bad habits.
So he turned on the TV, tuned it to CCTV-1, and put the remote on the coffee table: "Watch TV for a while, I have something to do."
After he's been watching for an hour, around six o'clock, you can find an excuse to "send him off."
After saying that, he went into the bedroom to change into comfortable loungewear.
The sound of the television came from the living room: "Spring is here, flowers are blooming, all things are reviving, it's the breeding season for animals, and the air is filled with the scent of hormones..."
"...In the nearby grass, the lionesses are responding to this call of life in their own unique way. They appear somewhat restless, rubbing against tree trunks or rolling repeatedly on the ground, leaving their distinctive scent, all for the continuation of their species..."
Lin Yi changed into his pajamas and came out of the bedroom, where he saw Shen Beidao sitting on the sofa, intently watching the TV screen.
On the television screen, two male lions are engaging in the most primitive reproductive behavior on the grassland.
Lin Yi: …………
No? CCTV has regressed to ancient times? They're still broadcasting classic versions of "Animal World" these days?
His gaze involuntarily fell on the two entangled lions, then quickly shifted away.
For some reason, my cheeks started to feel hot, and my throat felt a little dry.
He then thought of the extremely auspicious fortune slip he had drawn at Taoguang Temple that day…
Could it be that... Shen Beidao is not only his destined love, but also someone he is physically attracted to?
"Sinking..."
At this moment, Shen Beidao suddenly stood up, answered a phone call, and instead of avoiding Lin Yi, he turned to look at him, glancing up and down out of the corner of his eye, and replied to the person on the phone: "Seven o'clock tonight?... Yes. I have time."
He glanced at his watch: "It'll take me about half an hour to drive there. Is it the same restaurant as before?...Okay...See you later."
"What's wrong?" Lin Yi's burning throat made a sound, but it was also a little sore.
"Well, there's a project I need to go over with the person in charge of. I also have a dinner appointment later, and since the dean will be there too, I have to go." Shen Beidao said, picking up the trench coat draped over the sofa.
Lin Yi nodded, his voice still a little hoarse from a cold: "Go ahead, I'm used to being home alone."
The moment these words came out, they sounded like the words of a virtuous wife and mother who was alone at home, harboring resentment but pretending to be understanding.
Lin Yi also found these words a bit strange, and said, "You should leave now, I want some peace and quiet by myself."
Shen Beidao didn't turn away. He approached Lin Yi step by step, and just as Lin Yi was about to hide, he put his arm around his waist, his voice filled with laughter: "You wore a mask when you went out today. That's good, and great. You deserve praise. Keep it up next time you go out, okay?"
The warm breath brushed against his earlobe, and Lin Yi's ear tips instantly turned red.
"...Who asked for your praise?"
He tried to push Shen Beidao away, but the hand didn't budge. "This is just basic public decency, okay? Wearing a mask when you have a cold so you don't infect others, even elementary school students know that!"
"So, you're a kid with a perfect sense of public morality?" Shen Beidao chuckled. "Then you deserve even more praise."
"I told you I'm not a child!" Lin Yi shook off his arm, took a step back, and looked genuinely angry. "If you keep yelling like that, I won't be wearing a mask tomorrow!"
Shen Beidao was amused by his little reaction.
He moved closer again, this time simply reaching out to gently touch Lin Yi's burning earlobe with his fingertips: "Okay, then can you call me Yi Yi from now on? Or... Haschen?"
What does this mean?
"You'll find out when we meet again."
......
10:55 p.m.
Lin Yi was about to turn off the lights and go to sleep when his phone vibrated several times, displaying a message from Li Rui:
[photo.jpg]
The photo was clearly taken secretly; the angle is slightly tilted, and the image quality isn't very clear, but the main figures in the picture are still recognizable.
Shen Beidao sat at a round table in the restaurant's private room, with Fang Yu sitting next to him.
"Damn, what's going on?" Lin Yi looked at the few people eating, and only Fang Yu was closest to Shen Beidao.
Lin Yi stared at the photo for a full ten seconds.
Then he lifted the covers and got out of bed barefoot.
Lin Yi grabbed his coat and threw it on haphazardly, hailing a taxi while putting on his shoes, looking as if he were going to "catch someone in the act".
At the same time, inside a black Mercedes SUV.
Shen Beidao leaned back in the passenger seat, his eyes closed, his brows slightly furrowed, and a faint smell of alcohol filled the car.
"Thank goodness I brought you." His voice was weary. "I never expected that foreigner could drink so much... Drive me home."
In the driver's seat, Li Rui gripped the steering wheel. He glanced at Shen Beidao, then hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't.
After driving for a while, while waiting at a red light, Li Rui finally spoke up: "Teacher Shen... I don't want to be the assistant for this project anymore. Could you find someone else for me next time?"
Shen Beidao didn't open his eyes, but just sighed softly and said, "No."
"Why?" Li Rui's voice was urgent. "I really don't want to do this anymore..."
"Because you have the best grades and are smarter than others."
Shen Beidao slightly opened her eyes and turned her head to look at him. "Don't worry, the payment will be made in full."
"But!!" Li Rui tried to argue.
Shen Beidao interrupted him, his voice calm, "Your thoughts are written all over your head."
"Forehead?"
"I've had a crush on you for many years, but I was afraid we couldn't be friends, so I chose not to say anything. Am I right?"
Li Rui's lips trembled, and his face became even paler in the dim light of the dashboard. He opened his mouth, but no words came out.
Shen Beidao closed his eyes. "Since you think friendship is more important, then you should honestly swallow your restless thoughts."
He paused, then said, "You're still young. The world outside is rich and colorful. You should go and see more of it, instead of letting a precious friendship affect your future."
"Think about it more... Until you figure it out, I'll pretend you never said anything today."
At this moment, the streetlights came on, and the car slowly started moving.
Li Rui glanced at Shen Beidao, who was resting with his eyes closed beside him, and a complex mix of emotions welled up inside him.
There was shame and annoyance at being seen through, but also complete understanding of how she used to admire this mentor.
When did Ke Chenbei find out?
When Li Rui parked his car downstairs at the Shenbei Island apartment building, it was almost 11:30.
He unbuckled his seatbelt and tried to help Shen Beidao, who was in the passenger seat.
He did look quite drunk; he even staggered as he got out of the car.
"No need." Shen Beidao nudged him, his voice still relatively clear. "Go back, and I'll reimburse you for the taxi fare tomorrow."
"Teacher Shen, shall I help you upstairs? You look drunk..."
Shen Beidao waved to him, took the car keys from his hand, and thought to himself: I have a pet rabbit with obsessive-compulsive disorder at home. If a stranger goes there, it will probably be discovered.
His steps were a little unsteady, but he walked steadily enough not to actually fall.
Shen Beidao smiled bitterly to himself; he had indeed drunk too much today.
That German partner, I don't know where they learned it from, insisted on following Chinese drinking culture, serving baijiu, beer, and foreign liquor in turn...
This project was spearheaded by the dean and was highly beneficial to the school. Shen Beidao couldn't refuse the dean, so he had no choice but to stand by and do it.
He was only able to leave when the foreigner got drunk and was helped away by his assistant.
Fang Yu originally wanted to see him off, but luckily he had called Li Rui in advance, so he had a reason to refuse.
Shen Beidao forced himself to get home, but he entered the wrong password three times before finally opening the door.
"Slap."
The indoor lights turned on automatically before he even pressed the switch.
He looked up and saw Lin Yi standing with his arms crossed, wearing a panda-themed cartoon pajama set, staring at him expressionlessly.
Shen Beidao blinked.
Looks like he's really drunk.
Otherwise, why would Lin Yi appear at his house?
This should be a beautiful dream.
He walked towards Lin Yi, stumbling with each step. When he got close to Lin Yi, he finally couldn't hold on any longer and collapsed.
Lin Yi had never experienced such force before. He was knocked back three steps before he managed to steady himself using his waist strength.
He smelled a strong odor of alcohol, and a faint scent of perfume.
"Shen Beidao, you've been out fooling around—"
He hadn't finished speaking.
The kiss came before the explanation.
Shen Beidao lowered his head and sealed his lips with a kiss that was hot, alcohol-scented, and irresistible.
-----------------------
Author's note: Haschen: Little rabbit.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com