DSMIS CH52

Chapter 52: Do You Want to Stay Over Tonight?

Shen Xing sat on the sofa, hugging the Samoyed that had come over to nuzzle him. Lately, the dog rarely sought hugs when Heibao was around. He figured the small cans today had left it feeling very satisfied, and the silly dog finally remembered who its breadwinner was.

Shen Xing rubbed its chubby face, then noticed Heibao looking over quietly from a short distance away. For some reason, he had the illusion of an orphan watching another family’s parents hug their child. An inexplicable wave of sorrow and heartache washed over him. He hurriedly waved at Heibao. Heibao tilted his head, twitched an ear, and then trotted over. Shen Xing wrapped his arms around him and buried his face in Heibao’s neck, nuzzling him.

The problem was that the sofa was too high for him to comfortably hug both dogs at once. He simply sat down on the floor in front of the sofa. It was just that the floor was a bit cold and hard under his butt, not nearly as comfortable as the carpet at his place. Looks like I’ll have to go back to that shop and pick out a carpet to lay down here someday.

The sound of rushing water came from the bathroom. Shen Xing suddenly felt a sense of unreality. Before long, the door opened. Jiang Lin emerged wearing a dark grey pajama set, his hair still wet. His first glance was directed toward the living room, and he saw Shen Xing sitting on the floor with a dog on either side. Shen Xing looked up at him and smiled: “I keep my word, I won’t run away. Go blow-dry your hair.”

Jiang Lin smiled and turned back to dry his hair.

By the time he came out, Shen Xing had already stood up. He had rummaged through the drawer where Jiang Lin kept his medicine, found the medicated oil prescribed by the hospital, and pointed toward the bedroom: “Go lie down in the room.”

Inside the bedroom, Jiang Lin lay propped up against the headboard while Shen Xing stood by the window with his arms crossed, observing him. Shen Xing still felt a bit surreal. So… I have a boyfriend now? And it’s this incredibly eye-catching man right here in bed? His burning gaze made Jiang Lin feel a bit fidgety, forcing him to brace himself and speak up: “Director Shen, looking at me like that makes me feel like I’m about to go under the knife.”

Shen Xing rubbed his nose: “Am I that scary?”

Jiang Lin smiled and pulled his arm. Shen Xing followed the motion and sat on the edge of the bed. Suddenly, he leaned over, bracing his arm beside Jiang Lin. Seeing the abruptly magnified face before him, its eyes and brows crinkling with unconcealed amusement, Jiang Lin naturally wrapped one arm around his waist and gently brushed the back of his other hand against Director Shen’s cheek: “What are you looking at?”

Shen Xing instinctively nuzzled the back of Jiang Lin’s hand, his eyes sparkling. A novel sensation washed over him: “Does this mean we’re dating now?”

Jiang Lin nodded: “Yes.”

Shen Xing tilted his head: “Meaning, you’re mine now, right?”

Looking at him, Jiang Lin felt as if a little kitten was repeatedly scratching at his heart with its paws. He touched Shen Xing’s head and ruffled his hair: “Right.” “Does that mean I can do whatever I want to you?”

Jiang Lin was amused by his slightly thuggish phrasing but nodded anyway.

Shen Xing’s eyes right now looked exactly like a cat’s spotting a fish it had coveted for a long time—completely unable to hold back. So, I can hug Jiang Lin’s waist however I want, touch his legs however I want, and hold his hands however I want? Wow, having a boyfriend feels this awesome?

Action beats contemplation. Shen Xing immediately slipped his hand under Captain Jiang’s shirt. He had hugged him before, but that was through clothes. How could clothes compare to the real thing? The texture beneath his hand left him enamored; it was exactly as he imagined—a firm, tight waist without an ounce of excess fat. Being touched like this made Jiang Lin’s breathing hitch slightly. He realized that Director Shen really seemed to enjoy holding his waist.

Right now, Shen Xing was acting like a poor man who had suddenly struck it rich—he needed to satisfy both his hands and his eyes. He yanked Jiang Lin’s pajama top all the way up, looked down, and felt very satisfied: “Not bad. Captain Jiang has a six-pack even when lying down. Exactly my type.”

With that, he even grabbed a handful of Jiang Lin’s lower abdomen like a lecherous cat. But to his surprise, his wrist was caught. Shen Xing immediately voiced his dissatisfaction: “What are you doing? Didn’t you just say I could touch wherever I wanted?”

Jiang Lin took a deep breath: “Director Shen, it’s the middle of the night, and I’m a man too. Are you sure you want to keep touching?”

Shen Xing’s eyes suddenly darted toward a certain unmentionable area. Feeling a bit embarrassed, he stopped his hands, pulled the pajama top back down, and then gave Jiang Lin’s stomach a soothing pat: “I’ll spare you for tonight.”

Jiang Lin raised an eyebrow slightly. He couldn’t help but feel that Director Shen might have misunderstood something. Shen Xing was incredibly tempting to him. Initially, he thought that since they had just established their relationship, they shouldn’t rush things. But after being taken advantage of this much, he suddenly felt that perhaps Shen Xing wasn’t entirely averse to physical contact. So… could I ask him to stay tonight?

Jiang Lin’s hand was still wrapped around Shen Xing’s waist: “Do… do you want to stay over tonight?”

His voice was very soft, as if afraid the suggestion might startle the person before him. Shen Xing blinked, looked at Captain Jiang’s large bed, and then at the empty half on the other side. There didn’t seem to be any reason to be coy. After all, it wasn’t their first time sleeping in the same bed, even if the significance was a bit different this time. He smiled and lifted his chin playfully: “Do you want me to stay?” “Yes. I very much want Director Shen to stay.”

Only then did Shen Xing nod, feigning haughtiness: “Alright then. I’ll grant your wish.”

Too lazy to go back and get clothes, Shen Xing simply grabbed a set of Jiang Lin’s pajamas and got up to take a shower, leaving Jiang Lin on the bed with a racing heart. If I’m not mistaken, Shen Xing just took a pair of my underwear too.

Freshly showered, Director Shen crossed the room in two strides, slid smoothly under Jiang Lin’s blanket, and naturally snaked his hands back around Captain Jiang’s waist, his fingers dancing. He even pressed his calves against Jiang Lin’s legs. Having just finished a hot shower, his entire body was radiating heat. Pressing against Jiang Lin’s calf felt exactly like pressing against a block of ice. He couldn’t help but frown. Afraid of chilling him, Jiang Lin quickly moved his leg away.

Shen Xing immediately sat up and threw off the blanket: “Why are you hiding? Let me massage it.”

Jiang Lin pulled him back: “It’s fine. Elevating it while I sleep tonight will be enough.” He didn’t want Shen Xing staying over today just to massage his leg.

Shen Xing grabbed the medicated oil from the nightstand: “Are you the doctor, or am I? Besides, I’m counting on these legs to be eye candy in the future. Don’t go ruining these perfectly good long legs and turning them into fat radishes. Come here.”

Shen Xing warmed the oil in his hands and rested them on Jiang Lin’s left leg. Although his technique wasn’t as good as a professional rehabilitation doctor’s, it was more than adequate. Jiang Lin hadn’t slept for nearly two days. The soothing scent of the medicated oil, coupled with the warm, comfortable massage on his leg, made him slowly succumb to the call of sleep. His eyelids grew heavier and heavier until his breathing finally evened out, and he fell asleep with his head tilted to the side.

Knowing how severely exhausted he was, Shen Xing lightened his touch, his gaze lingering on Jiang Lin’s face and body. He himself hadn’t expected to fall in love with a man. No, I don’t just like men. I only like the person right in front of me.

Once the skin beneath his hands was no longer ice-cold, he stopped. Finding a long cylindrical leg pillow under the blanket, he wedged it under Jiang Lin’s ankle before turning and quietly getting out of bed to wash his hands. When he returned, he saw Jiang Lin was awake. Jiang Lin looked apologetic, his voice a bit hoarse: “Sorry about that. I fell asleep.”

Shen Xing simply lifted the blanket and got back in: “What are you apologizing for? If you didn’t sleep soon, you’d die of sudden cardiac arrest.”

Jiang Lin pulled him into his arms, and Shen Xing didn’t miss the opportunity to hug his waist. But both knew today wasn’t the right time for anything else, so there was no further teasing to avoid any accidental sparks. Shen Xing remembered that Jiang Lin was normally on duty on the fourth and sixth days of the Lunar New Year, and off on the fifth (today): “Hey, you’ve been up for two days. Are you going to be on your regular duty shift tomorrow?”

Jiang Lin was truly exhausted, his voice much softer than usual: “Mm. Even though I’m not fully in charge of this case, I still need to keep an eye on things.”

Just as Shen Xing was about to speak, Jiang Lin suddenly remembered something and forced himself to focus: “You’re on duty tomorrow, the sixth, right?” “Yeah.” “I’ll drop you off in the morning and pick you up at night. Don’t walk alone.” “Oh.”

Afraid of scaring him, Jiang Lin stroked Shen Xing’s back, coaxing him like petting a cat: “Don’t be afraid. It’s just a precaution. Just think of it as my selfish desire to create more time for us to be together.”

After all, this was Shen Xing’s first time encountering something like this. Jiang Lin still remembered how pale Doctor Shen’s face was that day.

Shen Xing smiled: “My boyfriend has a gun, what do I have to be afraid of?”

The word “boyfriend” tickled Jiang Lin’s heart immensely. I’ve really fallen hard for Shen Xing.

Shen Xing also traced his fingers along Jiang Lin’s side: “If you want opportunities to spend time alone, I have one. Can you find time to come to the hospital for physiotherapy tomorrow? If I don’t have patients, I’ll stay with you the whole time.”

Truthfully, Jiang Lin’s leg needed to be nurtured and rested right now. Plus, Shen Xing suspected Jiang Lin’s other health metrics probably weren’t too good either. Anyway, he’s in my hands now. We’ll take it slow.

“I can do noon. I’ll order takeout and eat with you there.”

This case completely ruined Captain Jiang’s holiday. Not only did he have to work, but he also had to work overtime. On the sixth day of the New Year, when Shen Xing got off work, Jiang Lin messaged him saying he was coming over to take him home. Shen Xing simply messaged back saying he’d go find him at the county bureau instead. As a result, the moment he stepped out of the hospital gates, he saw the person coming to pick him up walking toward him. Over his police uniform, Captain Jiang was wearing the long down jacket he had lent to Shen Xing previously. It looked incredibly stylish.

Shen Xing waved at him. Unbothered by how childish it might seem, Jiang Lin waved back: “I have to say, Captain Jiang, this feels exactly like picking a kid up from school. When I was in elementary school, I was afraid of the dark at night, so every time I walked out the school gates, my grandpa would come out to meet me just like this.”

Jiang Lin smiled: “If you want to call me Grandpa, it’s not like I can’t agree to it.”

Wearing that orange windbreaker, Shen Xing bumped into him: “Get lost.”

Captain Jiang also had his glib moments: “If not Grandpa, Hubby works too.”

Facts have proven that dating a police officer leads to misery, and dating a doctor also leads to misery. Dating a police officer while being a doctor is practically a hell-tier level of misery.

That night, Shen Xing stayed with Jiang Lin while he worked overtime until past 10 PM before they went home. Shen Xing had originally planned to spend his day off on the seventh—the last day of the holiday—making Korean BBQ at home so Jiang Lin could eat as soon as he got back. And after eating the BBQ, he could properly get handsy with Captain Jiang. As it turned out, before the sun even rose that morning, he was urgently called back in because of several patients admitted from a multi-car pileup.

Jiang Lin worked overtime solving the case, and Shen Xing worked overtime performing surgeries. The next time they both arrived home at the same time was the evening of the eighth. After several back-to-back surgeries and being awake for over 40 hours, Shen Xing felt like he was floating when he entered the apartment, vigorously shaking his arms: “I feel like Li Yuanba, swinging a sledgehammer for two days straight.” (TN: A fictional character known for wielding incredibly heavy twin hammers).

All three surgeries were physically demanding, and doing them back-to-back left his arms aching as if someone had pumped them full of vinegar.

Jiang Lin pressed him into a chair by the dining table. Shen Xing collapsed onto him like a boneless heap, burying his head in Captain Jiang’s waist. Jiang Lin’s heart ached for him as he massaged his neck and arms.

“I’m hungry, Captain Jiang, I’m hungry.” “It’s a bit late, so I ordered takeout from that roasted lamb chop place you like. Let me feed you, okay?”

Shen Xing felt like he could close his eyes and pass out the very next second, but his stomach wouldn’t allow it. Right now, he genuinely didn’t even have the energy to move a single finger: “Ah.”

Jiang Lin felt both heartache and tenderness, wishing he could just pet the person in his arms from head to toe and tuck him into his pocket. He put on gloves, peeled back the still-scalding tin foil, picked out the best piece of lamb chop, and brought it to Shen Xing’s lips. Shen Xing bit into it. After the meal, Jiang Lin kissed the corner of his lips, cleaned up the mess, laid out pajamas for Director Shen, and pushed him toward the bathroom: “Can you manage on your own?”

Leaning against the doorframe, Shen Xing blinked: “If I say no, will Captain Jiang help me bathe?”

Jiang Lin smiled: “I actually can. I even know how to do body scrubs, salt baths, and full-package health massages.”

Shen Xing let out a soft hmph: “Oh, you can’t judge a book by its cover. Captain Jiang really knows his stuff. Looks like you’ve visited those places quite a bit.”

Jiang Lin squeezed toothpaste onto a toothbrush and smiled: “Where is your mind going? I didn’t go get massages, I gave them.”

Shen Xing was bewildered: “Huh?” “When I first started working, I did an undercover sting operation at a bathhouse to catch someone. I worked as a bathhouse attendant giving body scrubs for nearly two months. I don’t have bath salts right now, but I do have red wine. Want me to give you a red wine scrub?”

This sentence contained too much information. Shen Xing wondered if he had been in surgery for too long and his overloaded brain was hallucinating. Jiang Lin, giving body scrubs at a bathhouse for two months? No matter how you think about it, it’s just so surreal.

He grabbed Jiang Lin and pulled him close, looking him up and down: “Was that bathhouse legitimate? A guy looking like you giving body scrubs… are you sure you didn’t get subjected to any ‘unspoken rules’?”

Jiang Lin looked at him and smiled: “There actually was an offer. Someone offered me thirty thousand a month to be his sugar baby.”

Shen Xing’s mouth twitched, unable to picture that scene at all. He raised his hands and cupped the face before him: “You can’t sell yourself that short. Our legs alone are worth at least fifty thousand.”

Jiang Lin grasped his hands, kissed the corner of his mouth, his eyes full of amusement: “What if Director Shen can’t afford fifty thousand? For 500, I’ll be yours. How about it?”

Shen Xing, who was already dizzy from exhaustion, found his legs turning to jelly from the kiss. He was suddenly shocked by the “cheapness” of the person in front of him. Is… is this really the captain of the Anti-Narcotics Detachment?