Chapter 19
Following the direction pointed out by the servant, Lin Langli found the place of slumber by the cool lake.
Across half a stretch of shimmering lake, one could see the figure huddled on the shore. The figure lay sprawled on the grass, curled up into a small ball.
You idiot, are you trying to get sick by catching a cold in the night breeze?
Lin Langli walked over quickly and softly called out Chenmian's name.
Startled awake, Shenmian looked up and saw Lin Langli. She turned her face away in annoyance.
He had already tried to calm his anger and resentment outside, but Lin Langli was still coming!
It's all his fault!
He had to submit to Lin Langli, fawn over those he used to look down on, and his family ignored him—all because of Lin Langli!
All the resentment, grievances, anger, and regret in his heart were directed at Lin Langli. In his mind, Lin Langli had stolen everything that belonged to him, leaving him in such a wretched state.
Even at this moment, Shenmian did not dare to yell at Lin Langli. He could only let Lin Langli approach him, grab his arm, and pull him into his arms.
The warm breath, carrying the scent of alcohol, brushed against her earlobe, making Shenmian stiffen, yet she could only let the other person hold her in their arms.
Lin Langli asked coldly, "Why are you crying? Are you so aggrieved and heartbroken?"
Sleeping stubbornly refused to admit it: "I cried because I was happy for you..."
But her eyes still turned red, and her physiological reaction was normal; tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.
Tears fell easily in front of Lin Lang, which made Chen Mian feel extremely humiliated.
There's no one else around, so there's no need for him to shed tears and try to gain sympathy.
With only Lin Langli present, and not even the swans on the shore having gone far, it was still too embarrassing for him to shed tears in front of the winner. Chen Mian was extremely annoyed. He thought that Lin Langli must be very proud at this moment, so he specially sought him out to show off in front of him.
But Lin Langli did not say anything sarcastic to him.
A handkerchief was handed to him, and Lin Langli's expression tightened, his tone icy: "Wipe your tears."
"No, I don't want to sleep," he turned his head away, buried his face in the man's chest, and deliberately wiped all his tears on Lin Langli's expensive suit jacket.
"I've already suffered so much, been so obedient, what more do you want?" The words were fierce, but when they came out, they cleverly turned into a weak tone. In the end, Chenmian didn't dare to talk back to Lin Langli now.
Lin Langli hugged him tighter, one arm around his waist and the other supporting his sleeping feet as he placed him on the shore, without saying a word.
The grass tickled the soles of Shenmian's feet. After emerging from the water, her ankles were still wet, and as soon as the night wind blew, Shenmian couldn't help but feel cold.
He looked up at Lin Langli, whose expression was indifferent, and a wicked thought came to him. He slowly put his foot in the man's hand.
As expected, Lin Langli's expression changed, his brows furrowed, and he looked like he really wanted to hit him.
Shenmian felt that Lin Langli shouldn't have hit him. He was so pitiful now, and it would be too rude of him to try to kill him.
But Lin Langli's expression was a bit frightening. Chenmian, nestled in the man's arms, peeked at him, shrank back, and weakly added, "My feet are too cold." As she spoke, she tried to take her feet out again.
But Lin Langli stopped Chen Mian from leaving, pressing his ankle and coldly saying, "Do you think I'm Chen Ci, born to be at your beck and call?"
Then Shen Ci would be mentioned again. Shen Mian thought to herself, "Lin Langli is such a stingy person. He always has to compare everything with Shen Ci."
He even slapped Shen Ci. Shall we have a contest?
But after Lin Langli finished speaking, he did not do what Chenmian expected. Instead, he used a handkerchief to dry the water droplets on Chenmian's feet and then helped her put on her shoes and socks.
Shenmian found it strange. Lin Langli's palms were burning hot, and the sensation of holding his ankle and pressing it against the instep of his foot was particularly noticeable and uncomfortable.
"Why are you helping me put on my shoes..." How strange, the lingering drunkenness subsided slightly, and she said awkwardly.
Lin Langli ignored him.
Chenmian remained slumped on the ground, refusing to get up.
Lin Langli suddenly sat down next to Shen Mian. Shen Mian glanced at him, then turned her face away.
Lin Langli nudged him, but Chenmian remained motionless, pretending to be dead.
Two seconds later, there was a rustling sound of clothes being straightened behind her. Shenmian thought Lin Langli was about to leave, but unexpectedly, the next second, Lin Langli grabbed her waist and pulled her up, and Shenmian ended up in his arms.
Chenmian's mind was blank, and she stared blankly at the other person.
Lin Langli also lowered his head, the distance suddenly closing, his nose barely brushing against the young man's cheek, his warm breath, carrying a faint hint of alcohol, gently brushing against Shen Mian's skin.
Shenmian's heart skipped a beat. He raised his hand and placed it against Lin Langli's chest. His palm touched a firm and hard chest. He wanted to push him away, his voice carrying a hint of barely perceptible panic: "What are you doing?"
Lin Langli was pushed by him, but he didn't move. He just stared at his face intently in the bright moonlight for a long time before asking, "Chenmian, have you been drinking?"
"It's just a little bit of fruit wine," Chen Mian said, feeling uncomfortable being so close to Lin Langli, unable to push him away. "Your alcohol smells much worse than mine, it stinks."
"Smelly?"
"Don't you think it's disgusting? You people who drink don't seem to realize how awful you smell of alcohol..."
"Your cat smells worse."
"The little bread doesn't smell! Cats are the cutest!"
"You never scoop the litter box or change the litter, you just play with it and feed it canned food, of course you don't think it smells bad."
"...You shoveled it? I thought the auntie changed it."
Lin Langli snorted coldly and asked, "You started crying as soon as you saw me. Are you that unwilling to accept this?"
It would have been better if I hadn't mentioned it, because the mention of Chenmian made me unable to hold back my tears. I tried to hold them in for a few seconds, but I couldn't, and they fell down in a patter.
Lin Langli frowned and stared at Chenmian.
He cried with a pure and innocent expression, and clear, crystalline tears rolled down from the corners of his eyes. Each tear was round and plump like a pearl of the finest quality. His eyelids had a thin layer of red, as if they were covered with pearl powder. The skin there was very thin and looked exceptionally delicate.
Lin Langli tried to determine whether Chenmian was acting or genuinely crying. His coat still bore tear stains from Chenmian's tears, and his handkerchief had just been used; what else could possibly wipe away Chenmian's tears?
He only thought for two seconds before taking action, coldly rubbing the young man's eye with his fingertip.
Lin Langli's hand touched the sleeping face, and hot tears wet his fingertips, then turned into cool, refreshing tears that flowed down.
The sleeping face involuntarily lifted because of the man's movement.
Her jet-black hair swayed back, and amidst the thick, dark hair, a tearful face suddenly appeared, standing out like a white peony in the night, along with those eyes that shone brightly because they were wet with tears.
It startled the onlookers, almost making them uneasy.
At such close range, the cleverness that Chenmian had displayed when she was arguing with him was gone. She looked so fragile and helpless, and even a little lost. Her crying wasn't loud, it was low and soft, but it didn't bother anyone.
Lin Langli's heartbeat gradually quickened. A strange palpitation made him unable to control himself. Why were there so many tears in his sleep? Didn't his eyes hurt after crying for so long?
An absurd thought surged up, and Lin Langli even had the urge to bend down and lick away the scalding tears. His Adam's apple bobbed as he stared at Chenmian's pitifully crying face, his throat dry.
While wiping away the tears of the person in his arms, Lin Langli asked in a deep voice, "When you were with Shen Ci and Shen Jinshan, didn't you feel that you were too intimate?"
The slumbering sobs ceased for a moment because of those words.
"What's the meaning?"
"You used to think they were your brothers, but after I came back, you clearly have no blood relation, yet you still hug and cuddle with them. Don't you think that's wrong?"
His dormant mind was jolted by these words. The young man stopped crying, blinked twice slowly, and finally understood what Lin Langli meant.
Does Lin Langli feel that their relationship has crossed the line?
Chenmian's thoughts slowed down, and he stood there blankly until Lin Langli's fingertips touched his face again. Only then did Chenmian react and stammer in protest, "But, but you're hugging and cuddling me right now."
He still didn't quite understand.
Lin Langli was amused by his words.
He pulled the boy in his arms tighter, his palm covering the back of Shen Mian's neck, unable to stop caressing that delicate skin. Shen Mian trembled, feeling embarrassed: "Lin Langli, don't, don't touch me."
"Why not?" Lin Langli stared at Shen Mian's troubled expression and said slowly, "Yesterday, Shen Jinshan hugged you and comforted you like this. Last time, Shen Ci wrapped his arms around you and touched you like this in the car. Why didn't you say those things to them?"
It's as if they're committing incest.
Chenmian was so angry that she stopped crying, but her eyes welled up with tears again because of Lin Langli's harsh words.
"Lin Langli, you...you've gone too far! How could you say such things about me, Shen Ci, and my older brother?"
Lin Langli looked over indifferently.
A note from the author:
Deduct 1 and Lin Langli will receive a big slap from Mianmian.
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