KC | Chapter 63

Lin Yiran had only ever crashed and burned twice in his life, and both times had caused huge damage to his body and mind. One time “crashed and burned” was literal, and the other was now, both because of Chen Xi.

What he had just said, that “holding it in for two months would ruin me,” was wrong. This was the real thing that would ruin him.

I was keeping myself pure for you, and you almost ran off with some other man. You stirred me up and seduced me hard, I took the bait, and then you couldn’t handle it.

Lin Yiran wanted to curse, but he couldn’t curse at Chen Xi. The little thermos was burning all over red-hot, and Little Chen was still standing. From some angle, they were both victims.

Since he had just been trying to build the mood, he had never turned on the light. Lin Yiran switched on the incandescent lamp, and the moment he saw the person clearly, the lust instantly faded.

Chen Xi’s face was unusually flushed, his eyes tightly shut, his brows locked, silently enduring the pain of blood boiling through him, not saying a word.

Lin Yiran sighed, afraid Chen Xi would catch cold, and covered him with the blanket.

Chen Xi said weakly, “Why are you cursing me.”

Lin Yiran: …

“Burning, as in having a fever, not being shameless.” Although you really are pretty…

“Isn’t that just cursing me.”

“The tongue is retroflex, not apical.” Lin Yiran did not bother with a sick person on the same level as him, and patiently explained.

Chen Xi was a little dizzy from the fever and could not see Lin Yiran clearly, so he only instinctively reached for more touch. “It’s fine, I just feel hot.”

“Little ancestor, put your hands away, stop touching around. Little Chen is so feverish he’s practically smoking, and he’s still standing, a red-hot iron rod, truly a divine tool, brave and good at fighting, I admire him.” Lin Yiran gathered his claws back under the blanket, tucked in the blanket corner, and coaxed him, “I’m going to get medicine, don’t move around.”

He had stocked up on a pile of fever medicine when he had caught the flu before, luckily none of it had expired. Lin Yiran poured a cup of warm water and went back into the room to feed Chen Xi the medicine.

The bright red lips swallowed the water with effort, and every breath came with violent rises and falls of the chest. Beads of sweat lined up on Chen Xi’s forehead and kept sliding down.

Lin Yiran covered him with the blanket again, and Chen Xi said, “Brother Lin, I’m hot.”

“Baby, you’re not hot. Drink two more cups of hot water and sweat it out, and you’ll be fine.”

“Only scumbags make people drink more hot water.”

Lin Yiran: …

“Then let’s not drink hot water, let’s drink hot milk, okay?”

“I don’t like milk.”

“If you don’t drink milk, you’ll lack calcium. If you lack calcium, your bones will get soft. If your bones get soft, then you won’t be able to sign that key client.”

Chen Xi: …

Lin Yiran put the thermometer under Chen Xi’s armpit and told him to “hold it.” Chen Xi drooped his head and said in a muddled state, “Where did we get to just now, keep going, move a little and sweat it out, and I’ll be fine.”

“Don’t force it, you delicate thing.” Although he really wanted to try the high temperature, it was truly easy to mess the person up. Forget it, I’m not a beast. There’s still a long time ahead, there’ll always be a chance.

“I’m not delicate.”

“Fine, fine, I’m delicate, I’m afraid my buddy won’t be used to high temperatures and will get roasted soft.” Lin Yiran was talking nonsense without missing a beat. He had been out of the bedroom for only a moment before he came back with a cup of hot water and a cup of hot milk.

“Drink a sip of milk first, if you’re not used to it, then drink water.” Lin Yiran helped Chen Xi sit up, half leaning against the headboard, and coaxed him softly.

Chen Xi swallowed the milk like it was swallowing razor blades. After two mouthfuls, he did not want to drink anymore, so Lin Yiran switched to water for him.

The thermometer showed 39.1°. Lin Yiran cursed under his breath, “Damn it, Shen Yuesheng, I should not have helped him with work!”

“I got caught in the rain and caught a chill, what does the rain have to do with him.” Chen Xi was so feverish that even breathing was hard work. Seeing Lin Yiran’s completely illogical anger on his behalf, he felt secretly pleased in his heart.

He liked the way he acted without thinking, on impulse, speaking without filter, caring about him.

“Brother Lin, I’m hot.” Chen Xi was acting spoiled by relying on the fact that he had a fever and was being indulged.

“Be good, sleep and it’ll be fine. If you’re still burning later, we’ll go get an IV.”

Chen Xi stretched out both arms and said miserably, “Brother Lin, I feel awful, I can’t sleep. Hug me, maybe if you hug me I’ll fall asleep.”

“Okay.” Lin Yiran got on the bed and coaxed the child, coaxed him into a body full of fire, took a cold shower for more than 10 minutes, and after calming the restlessness, went to the study to start working.

In the middle of the night, Chen Xi was called awake, had his temperature taken again, ate another fever-reducing pill, and then went back to sleep hard.

Lin Yiran held the little brazier and also fell asleep with him.

–

The next day, when Chen Xi woke up, his whole body ached. He subconsciously touched his butt, and it did not hurt.

After the high fever, he was dehydrated and weak. There was a cup of milk on the nightstand. Chen Xi took a sip, sweet.

He had eaten half a plate of sweet and sour pork ribs yesterday, and Lin Yiran had remembered that he liked sweets, so today he had added a lot of sugar to the milk.

His phone was also placed on the nightstand, along with the charging cable and fever medicine.

「林狗: There’s something to eat in the kitchen microwave. Heat it up and eat when you wake up. Bro went to help you settle Pinsheng, will be back later.」

「晨曦: Brother Lin, go for it (*^▽^*)」

「林狗: Is there anything you want to eat tonight? I’ll bring some back later. If you don’t say anything, I’ll just assume pickles and congee.」

「晨曦: Dumplings then, three-delicacy filling! Need to nourish myself, cover mouth and snicker.jpg」 Although he did not have much appetite, he really did not want to drink watery congee.

「林狗: 1」

There were four small bowls in the microwave, filled with egg custard, millet porridge, stir-fried eggs with onion, and yesterday’s leftovers, stir-fried cabbage.

While Chen Xi was heating up the food, he also wanted to rinse his mouth. He went into the bathroom to look for a toothbrush cup and found two, one black and one white, both looking new.

Hanging on the wall above the sink where the toothbrush cups were, there were also two towels, one with a little white rabbit and one with a little spotted dog.

The little white rabbit was crying with snot bubbles, and the little spotted dog was making a funny face and sticking out its tongue. Chen Xi laughed and cursed, “Old cucumber painted green, what is a man in his forties pretending to be cute for.”

The afternoon sunlight was warm and quiet. Chen Xi sat by the floor-to-ceiling window eating brunch, his heart full of sweetness.

After the meal, Chen Xi wanted to take his temperature again, but he could not find the thermometer. Brother Lin seemed to have put it on the nightstand.

Chen Xi went back to the bedroom and pulled open the nightstand drawer, and saw a drawer full of lube.

When had Brother Lin bought these? Could he have guessed it would rain yesterday?

No, rain was only an objective factor. His original plan was to go to Hui Ling Mountain yesterday, settle Pinsheng, and at the same time trick me home.

So, all coincidences were inevitabilities.

After the fever had gone down, Chen Xi’s thoughts became clear, and he quickly deduced Lin Yiran’s logic of action.

Before noon yesterday, Brother Lin had gone to the supermarket to buy groceries, buy slippers, towels, toothbrush cups, and lube.

He had been certain from the very beginning that I would go home with him, because he knew, I liked him, and would not refuse him.

Cooking was meant to increase his favorability, and then naturally use the lube to do me. But if he only wanted to do me, why did he buy daily necessities and let me register my fingerprints?

Chen Xi did not want to think about the second possibility anymore, and judged subjectively: because Brother Lin likes me.

To do me, he prepared so much. Should I praise you, or should I curse you?

His built-in moral-model mindset made it impossible for him to compromise easily on desire the way Lin Yiran did, let alone when the other party also had some deliberate intent.

Chen Xi felt that yesterday he really had been feverish and muddle-headed, his brain not working right. Today, once Lin Yiran came back, he would lay this matter out and say it clearly.

What he wanted was nothing more than a definite answer.

–

At dinnertime, Lin Yiran came home carrying food. Chen Xi had been playing games on the sofa in the living room right up until mealtime, just to wait for him.

“Fever can come back again and again, the living room is chilly, why didn’t you go back to the bedroom?” Lin Yiran frowned.

“I was stuffy all day and just wanted to come out for some fresh air. In the afternoon I originally wanted to sleep, but I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night and delay work tomorrow, so I just played games here for a while.” He had originally wanted to sleep, but after seeing the drawer full of lube, he had not slept.

Lin Yiran found him a jacket, touched his head, and felt that it was not too hot before his expression softened a little.

“Hungry? Want to eat?”

“Mm-hmm.” To show that he really was “full of energy and lively, tonight fragrant vanilla,” Chen Xi trotted to the dining table.

Two portions of dumplings, vegetarian three-delicacy and meat three-delicacy, and two cold dishes, sauced beef and smashed cucumber. Lin Yiran asked: do you want the meat one or the vegetarian one, Chen Xi answered: the meat one, Lin Yiran said: the vegetarian one has shrimp, Chen Xi said: then I want the vegetarian one!

Chen Xi had previously only ordered one portion of meat three-delicacy takeout, and had never bought the brand store’s kind with shrimp, let alone side dishes. Their identities and experience were different, the scenery outside the windows of the large flat and the old broken little apartment was different, and even the way they ate takeout was different. Only now did Chen Xi belatedly realize: Brother Lin and I are people from two different worlds.

“Brother Lin, did the talk with Pinsheng today go smoothly, what did that fox spirit say again?” Their only topic was work, and Chen Xi picked a start that would not let the conversation go cold.

Lin Yiran took a bite of dumpling and smiled wickedly. “Smoothly beyond smooth, just wait to receive the money next month.”

(o言o) Huh?

“Brother Lin, Shen Yuesheng has 180 thoughts, he never states his needs directly. If he suddenly became so easy to talk to, was he up to something with you?” Chen Xi was 180 percent uneasy.

Lin Yiran raised an eyebrow. “He dares?”

(⊙o⊙)… Brother Lin, you’re so A爆了!

Looks like my aura was too weak and I did not suppress the client. Next time I negotiate with shameless people, I still need to be tougher!

“Brother Lin, I just wanted to look for the thermometer and, without permission, opened the nightstand drawer.” Chen Xi deliberately paused when he said this.

“The thermometer is by the pillow, take your temperature again in a bit. There’s nothing secret in this room, look through whatever you want. It’s just a bit dusty, if you can help me tidy up, that would be even better.” Lin Yiran took another dumpling and said as he ate, “There’s a lot in the drawer, pick whatever flavor you like, we can try it tonight.”

“Brother Lin, I…” Love was not something that could be forced. Chen Xi feared that rushing the relationship would scare the person in his heart away, but at this moment he urgently wanted an answer, to confirm that they were together because of emotion, not physical impulse.

“I do not dislike your touch, and I’m even less afraid of you, it’s just that I, I sometimes think a little too much.”

I don’t know what you take me for, and as soon as I’m a little free, the little person in my head jumps out. Every time my emotions rise and fall too much, when I can’t sleep and toss and turn, I can’t control it, and I’m almost driven crazy by them.

Lin Yiran did not know the twists and turns in Chen Xi’s heart, and just took it as him acting spoiled.

How had he not realized before that this little thing could be this delicate?

Vanilla.

They wanted sex, and they wanted love.

–

“Getting on the bed” could be a moment of impulse, but “being together” was a long-term matter.

Chen Xi did not know how to express his psychological problem. The moral model wanted to avoid all minus points, but he still could not get past the hurdle in his heart. He wanted a definite answer, but also did not want to push too hard.

Seeing that Lin Yiran did not speak, Chen Xi’s eyelashes trembled slightly, and he changed to a more direct way, asking again: “Brother Lin, what are we now?”

Lin Yiran had indulged in desire for decades. At the moment he got married, he really had decided to settle down, to grow old together with his wife and spend the rest of his life side by side.

He had given the other person a promise, but damn work had split career and family apart. Under the pressure, he had not had the ability to split himself in two. He could not count how many times he had said “sorry,” and when they divorced, his ex-wife said, “I can’t feel that you love me.”

A marriage treated seriously but unable to be maintained because they spent too little time together, a failed marriage was a wound to both sides. Lin Yiran did not want to evaluate his ex, but he also would not easily give a promise again.

One fall had already been miserable enough, he did not want to fall a second time.

Chen Xi was 10 years younger than him, had different experience, unequal status, different ways of thinking, and was also the same sex… There were too many uncertain factors between them, so Lin Yiran was even less able to give a promise.

There were too many obstacles between them, they could talk about sex, but they could not talk about love.

This refined scum could not give a promise. Rarely taking out two taels of honesty, he opened up that chaotic night for the first time and said, “I wasn’t that drunk that night.”