Chapter 42 [VIP]
Chenmian stayed with Shen Ci until the end of the final exams.
During this time, Shen Ci suggested several times that they stay at a hotel off campus, but Shen Mian refused each time—he felt uneasy just thinking that Lin Langli might be staying next door to them.
Helpless, the two had no choice but to squeeze onto the narrow bed in the dormitory. The 1.3-meter-wide bed was already a stretch for a tall boy like Shen Ci, and now it also had to accommodate Chen Mian, who always unintentionally snuggled into his arms.
For Shen Ci, this was a bittersweet torment.
Ever since she realized that she had developed an unspeakable desire for Shen Mian, every intimate encounter with a boy became an ordeal.
He was fast asleep and completely unaware of what was happening. Having been used to sleeping in the same bed since childhood, he had even become accustomed to being held and falling asleep in Lin Langli's arms.
Shen Ci would occasionally wake up in the middle of the night feeling hot and restless, and looking at the peaceful sleeping face in his arms, his breathing would gradually become rapid again.
Only once, perhaps in her sleep, did she sense something was wrong, and she whimpered in her sleep, saying how annoying it was.
Shen Ci let out a muffled groan, and Chen Mian finally opened her eyes. After glancing down, she asked in a guilty voice, "Why... are you like this?"
Helpless and in pain, Shen Ci tried not to look at Shen Mian's moist, sleepy eyes and her opening and closing lips, but Shen Mian urged him to go to the bathroom quickly—unfortunately, the bathroom light was on and someone was inside.
Shen Ci whispered that he felt unwell, and Shen Mian's heart pounded like a drum. After a long while, she finally acquiesced to his relief.
So, in this stuffy, enclosed space, Shen Ci gazed at Shen Mian's turned profile, at that fair and soft nape of her neck, and finally let himself go.
He knew perfectly well that the sleeping man was awake—the young man's tense body, his deliberately drawn-out breathing, every subtle reaction spoke of his tension, clearly indicating that he was paying close attention to any tiny movement in the surrounding space.
A sudden surge of malice welled up in Shen Ci's heart, and in his final moments, he softly called out Shen Mian's name.
The moment the name was called, Shen Ci clearly saw the boy in front of him tremble, then arch his body away like a startled rabbit, obviously wanting to get further away from him and avoid the sudden call.
But how far can sleep be from him on this small bed?
After that incident, Chenmian no longer leaned so close to him. Sometimes, if their eyes met for a while, the boy would pretend to look away unintentionally.
But Shen Ci found that as long as he was a little more assertive, Shen Mian would obediently return to his side, letting him hold her hand and hug her, and would continue to be the closest person to Shen Mian as always.
On the last day after the final exams of the semester, Shen Ci had already packed their luggage in the dormitory.
He was also tasked with retrieving the cat from the apartment, but when he pressed his fingerprint to enter the house, he discovered that Lin Langli was still there.
Their final exam for their major ended yesterday, so Lin Langli's intentions in staying here are quite sinister.
Thinking of the fight they had just had, Shen Ci's lips tightened, and he walked straight to Shen Mian's room.
Lin Langli called out to him, "I've already packed his things. Are you here to take the cat away?"
"Hmm." Shen Ci turned his head, his gaze falling on his blood brother, his tone heavy, "Then give them all to me."
Lin Langli pointed to the cat carrier on the ground and another small suitcase beside him: "Is he still angry with me?"
Shen Ci said coldly, "You two won't get along well. He's been the one suffering all semester while you've been together. The apartment across from yours is already renovated, right? You can move out next semester."
Lin Langli didn't say anything more, and Shen Ci ignored him, picked up the cat carrier and luggage and left.
That very night, upon returning to the Shen family home, Chen Mian cautiously slipped into Chen Ci's room again.
He was both afraid of Shen Jinshan, who had not yet returned, and also fearful of Lin Langli, who lived next door to him.
The feeling of being surrounded by wolves and tigers was truly unbearable; only with Shen Ci could he find a sliver of peace.
Shenmian convinced herself that when Shen Ci called his name that night in a moment of passion, it was just an accidental outburst from a young man's youthful vigor. A boy that age wouldn't have any moral logic when his mind was filled with such lewd thoughts.
Calling him by his name? Perhaps she was just imagining him as a girl; Shen Ci would never have any romantic feelings for him.
Just like his pure feelings for Shen Ci.
Shen Mian had to admit that his thoughts about Shen Jinshan were never tainted by any guilt about incest. From the day he discovered it, he accepted it with remarkable composure and even felt eager to try it out.
But when the object of his affections was changed to Shen Ci, all that remained was overwhelming guilt and a sense of immorality, as well as a trace of unspeakable embarrassment.
Even after consoling herself, Chenmian still deliberately kept her distance from Shen Ci, for example, asking him to sleep on the sofa in his room.
Shen Ci laughed in exasperation, grabbed his cheek and tugged at it, calling him a little rascal.
Lin Langli had said the same thing, which made Shen Mian feel particularly wronged. He was clearly not a bad person; his mother said he was the most obedient, the cutest, and the most beloved baby in the world.
Su Yueqiu also praised his pet cat, saying it was very cute, and regretted not having kept a cat or dog a few years ago, otherwise she would have been very bored at home with her children away at school and work.
With a blush on her face, Chenmian went to the backyard to play with Xiaomian. The nanny at home was much more responsible than the hourly worker she found at the school. The night Xiaomian arrived home, she was given a fragrant bath, her fur was treated with nourishing nutrients, and even the variety of her food suddenly increased. The nanny made cat food for Xiaomian every day.
Ke Chenmian did not expect that Lin Langli was playing with the little bread at this moment. The young man sat on the grass, cross-legged, holding the cat and gently teasing it.
Sleepyhead's gaze was drawn to the young man's long, strong hand with distinct knuckles, and his face involuntarily flushed. But as he turned to run away, someone behind him gently called his name.
Lin Langli got up, picked up the cat, and walked closer, staring into the sleeping eyes.
Chenmian asked softly, "What do you want to do?"
Lin Langli replied, "I'm sorry, Chenmian. Did you not go back after that?"
"...It's all your fault!"
"Sleepless, I'm really sorry. If you really hate me, that's okay. I'll move out after school starts, and I won't bother you anymore."
He paused, his tone clearly downcast, and then said, "I've never been good to you before, it's all my fault. You're a good person, I won't bother you anymore."
Chenmian let out a blank "Huh?", but Lin Langli's tone sounded genuinely sad and apologetic. Even when he apologized, he stood two meters away, as if he truly wanted to break up with him.
"Let's pretend that what happened before never happened." Lin Langli put the cat down and said, "During the two weeks you were away, Little Bread missed you a lot and kept scratching at your door. I thought about it for a long time and felt that something was wrong."
"I hope you won't keep getting angry because of me. You're not in good health, so please take good care of yourself."
Lin Langli finally said this.
But the boy felt no relief from his slumber. He stood there, stunned, staring blankly at the much taller young man in front of him, trying to discern a hint of pretense on Lin Langli's face.
But no, Lin Langli's expression was exceptionally sincere, his eyes were looking down, and his words and actions were not offensive at all. He didn't even call him "Mianmian" but called him "Chenmian" by his full name.
I can't quite describe how I feel about being asleep.
Did Lin Langli, his first man, just give up on him so easily?
Is it because she genuinely regrets what she did and wants to make amends, or because she has seen through his true nature and wants to abandon him?
A hint of resentment welled up in Shen Mian's heart. How could Lin Langli be the one to initiate the farewell between the two of them?
Even if he neglected Lin Langli, he shouldn't be the one to end things first. The end of their relationship should be in his own hands.
Instead of taking advantage of him completely, after kissing and having sex with him, Lin Langli said, "Let's end this."
Shenmian felt angry, and a burning hatred born from being despised. It was all because of Lin Langli in the beginning, whether it was his liking for Shen Jinshan as if he were looking for a backer, or his taking advantage of the night Lin Langli picked him up to have a relationship with him.
Isn't it all because Lin Langli kept telling him he liked him?
Chenmian was so angry that he was trembling all over, and his eyes quickly welled up with tears. He gave Lin Langli a heavy look, then turned and left.
That evening, he moved out of Shen Ci's room and returned to his own room.
In the middle of the night, Chenmian knocked on Lin Langli's door and, amidst the young man's surprised gaze as he opened the door, nestled into his arms.
Lin Langli didn't know where to put his hands. The moment Chen Mian closed the door, he raised his hand to slap Lin Langli's face.
"Lin Langli, what do you mean?"
After being slapped by Chenmian, Lin Langli lowered his head even further. He neither stopped Chenmian's next move nor went along with it.
He simply said, "Sleepless, I always feel uneasy when I'm with you, and I always make you cry and angry. Maybe we're not right for each other, and you don't like me, right?"
The fire that had been dormant in his heart flared up again. Lin Langli actually dared to covet his affections?
The boy said in a stiff tone, "You've played with me to the extreme, and now you're saying it's inappropriate?"
"I..." Lin Langli stammered, unable to speak.
Chenmian smiled smugly, tiptoed and pressed her lips to the corner of the man's lips: "I'm angry, and you don't even know how to coax me? Instead, you back down. Is this what you call liking someone?"
He felt the man's body freeze instantly.
After a long while, he heard Lin Langli's surprised voice as if waking from a dream, almost incoherent, filled with disbelief: "Mianmian, Mianmian, will you still allow me to get close to you? I... I can still like you?"
Chenmian chuckled and let the other person tighten their embrace: "You have to serve me well first and make me feel comfortable before anything happens."
Everything that followed fell into place naturally.
Although Shenmian couldn't understand why Lin Langli had things prepared by his bedside, as pleasure approached, her mind went blank, as if fireworks were exploding, and Shenmian had no time to think about anything else.
Lin Langli tried his best to please Chenmian. The man was determined to make Chenmian even happier, so he used all his skills.
Chenmian's body went limp, and she cried out from time to time, but Lin Langli would immediately silence her with a kiss.
Chenmian could only pitifully utter a few broken breaths from the corners of her lips.
It wasn't until dawn that Lin Langli finally calmed down, exhausted to the point where he couldn't even lift a finger. Then someone carried him into the bathroom and gently washed him.
After doing all this, Lin Langli whispered in his ear, "Mianmian, do you want to sleep here, or go back to your own room?"
Chenmian thought she couldn't let Lin Langli push his luck any further, so she poked him with her finger and was carried back to her room.
The moment the blanket was pulled over his body, Shenmian felt Lin Langli kiss him again, but the kiss was light, just a quick touch on his eyelids.
A murmur of discontent bubbled in his heart. Why did Lin Langli always like to kiss him?
It feels so good to be loved and pampered. Chenmian's lips curled up, and then he heard Lin Langli whisper to him, "Naughty morning, Mianmian."
Shenmian didn't get up until almost noon. The first thing she did after getting up was to check her exposed skin for any hickeys, teeth marks, or the like.
Fortunately, Lin Langli restrained himself considerably last night.
The most dangerous mark was only on the area extending from the collarbone to the shoulder and neck, a bright red patch that posed no real threat. Chenmian scratched at it and went downstairs for lunch.
Lin Langli was already seated, but Shen Ci had disappeared. Shen Mian glanced over casually, but her body trembled suddenly when her gaze swept to the left of Shen Mianjun's seat.
Shen Jinshan is back.
Despite having avoided the other party for so long, Chenmian still instinctively wanted to escape.
But his mother had already seen him. Su Yueqiu beckoned him down and scolded him for sleeping so late, like a little pig.
Chenmian sat stiffly next to Lin Langli, not daring to look up at the person opposite her.
Su Yueqiu exclaimed "Oh dear!" and teased with a laugh, "Mianmian, why didn't you greet your brother? He was just asking you about it."
Chenmian had no choice but to grit her teeth and look up, calling out "Good afternoon, brother" under Shen Jinshan's complicated gaze.
Shen Jinshan's tone was as gentle as ever. Hearing the greeting, he smiled slightly and asked, "Mianmian, how did you do on your final exams? Is there anything you want this time?"
This is Chenmian's usual tactic. Every time he returns home after an exam, he always asks his family for this and that. If he does well, he gets a reward; if he does poorly, he gets coaxed. Over the past ten years, Chenmian has amassed countless favors.
Su Yueqiu and Shen Mianjun also looked over with smiles.
Chenmian glanced at Lin Langli beside her subconsciously, and stammered that she didn't want it this year, as he had grown up.
Shen Jinshan's eyes sharpened.
Just as he was about to start another conversation, Lin Langli suddenly stood up and very naturally ladled a bowl of soup for Chen Mian, calmly pushing the bowl towards him: "This is the tomato meatball soup you've been craving at school. Try it and see if it's to your liking."
Chenmian lowered his head and took two sips with a spoon. His eyes lit up. The housekeeper's cooking was still the best for him.
Su Yueqiu watched him drink the soup like a kitten, her gaze shifting between Lin Langli and Shen Mian, feeling gratified at the improvement in their relationship.
Before Shen Jinshan could speak again, Lin Langli said, "Dad, Mom, the anniversary of my adoptive parents' death is approaching. According to custom, I should take Chenmian back to pay respects to our ancestors and recognize our new family. It will probably take four or five days, and we'll be back before the New Year. Is that alright?"
Shenmian stopped drinking his soup and looked curiously at the person beside him. But then he felt Lin Langli's hand tightly holding his, and a steady stream of warmth was transmitted to him. Shenmian felt relieved and looked at Shenmianjun in the same direction.
Across the table, Shen Jinshan, who had been unable to find an opportunity to communicate with Shen Mian, watched the two getting along harmoniously before him, his fingers tightening imperceptibly.
A note from the author:
Xiao Lin, being cunning, played hard to get, but little idiot Mianmian didn't see through it.
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