FI CH57: Staying the Night

The car hadn’t gone far.

A dozen or so minutes after the message was sent, a knock sounded on the door.

Lin Su got up and went to open it.

The light from the corridor fell through the crack in the door. He Zhenling’s tall figure stood at the entrance. “What…”

He started to speak, then paused abruptly. He looked up at the dimly lit room.

“…What is this?”

Lin Su pursed his lips shyly, pulled him in. “Come.”

He pulled him all the way to the living room. The other’s fingertips seemed to curl but didn’t pull away. Lin Su led him just outside the living room before stopping, letting go of his hand, and turning his head.

“Look.”

A bright red light shone on them.

He Zhenling’s cold, handsome profile seemed to show a rare shock! He stood outside the living room, staring for a long time. His gaze fell on the wedding quilt, the dragon and phoenix candles, the large wedding lanterns…

After a long while, he finally spoke. “…What is this?”

Lin Su introduced, “Our wedding chamber.”

“…”

He Zhenling closed his eyes lightly, as if taking a breath before opening them again. His thin lips were slightly pursed as he stared. “This is what you meant by, ‘the atmosphere is just right’?”

Lin Su sighed lightly and looked around. “This is the scene I came home to… I feel like it would be a waste not to call you over.”

A light scoff came from beside him. “…A waste in what way?”

After he spoke, there were a few more seconds of silence.

Then He Zhenling tugged at his collar, turned his head, and said in a low voice, “Don’t mess around. I’ll go turn on the lights.”

Just as he turned, his arm was grabbed.

Lin Su pulled him inside enthusiastically. “Don’t waste it. Let’s bow to each other…”

“…”

He Zhenling’s brow twitched sharply, and he took a breath.

Lin Su had only taken two steps when a strong force suddenly came from behind—

Plop! He crashed into a warm chest, his waist held from behind. He widened his eyes slightly and looked up to meet He Zhenling’s gaze in the dim light.

His eyes and brows reflected the light, as if suppressing an ambiguous warmth.

“Bow to each other?”

He Zhenling examined him closely, his fingers tightening slightly on his waist. He curved his lips very lightly. “What, is ‘Little Boss’ planning to make the relationship official?”

“…”

Lin Su’s throat tightened, his eyelashes trembling.

…Wait. Why is the atmosphere even more—than he had imagined?

As he was dazed, the arm around him tightened a little more. He Zhenling looked at him. “Not speaking? Didn’t you specifically call me back, tell me not to turn on the lights, and say you wanted to bow to each other?”

Lin Su snapped back to his senses.

Heat radiated continuously from the body in front of him, and strong fingertips pressed against his lower back. His waist actually felt a little weak.

He quickly composed himself, pressed against the arm at his side, and turned his head away. “We are going to bow. You… you let go and we’ll go~”

There were two seconds of silence, then he was released.

The air rushed back around him, and Lin Su also let out a breath. He had just taken a step back when he tripped on the leg of the coffee table and fell onto the sofa with a plop!

Lin Su: “…”

A scoffing laugh came from in front of him. “Nervous?”

Lin Su: .

He said with a natural expression, “How could I be? I’m just sitting here, waiting for you to prepare yourself mentally. In case you get stage fright later…”

There were two seconds of silence in the dimness.

Then a long leg strode forward. “Stage fright?”

A figure loomed over, his arms propped on either side of him.

The wedding quilt under him dipped slightly. Lin Su’s breath caught, and he blinked. At close range, their breaths mingled.

He Zhenling said softly, “Who’s the one with stage fright?”

“…”

Lin Su narrowed his eyes and stared. His fingertips on the smooth wedding quilt curled slightly, then pressed against He Zhenling’s heart. A warm, firm feeling, along with a throbbing beat, crashed into his palm.

He kept his voice steady. “Your heart is beating too fast, Xiao He.”

The breath falling from above him faltered for a moment.

Then his wrist was grabbed. He Zhenling looked up at him and was silent for two seconds. “…Who told you to be so flirty in my heart?”

Lin Su met his gaze, his face slightly hot. He turned his head and pulled his hand away, changing the subject. “I know your heart isn’t calm. Alright, while the candles haven’t burned out, let’s go bow to each other…”

A scoffing laugh came from in front of him. In the candlelight, it carried a hint of ambiguity. “What, you really want to bow to each other?” He Zhenling looked at him. “And after we bow, what other plans do you have?”

Lin Su couldn’t help but feel another wave of flirtation. “Of course, we’ll be sent to the bridal chamber~”

The hand he had half-withdrawn was caught.

“…Is that so.”

As the soft words fell, the figure in front of him suddenly leaned down. The tall body blocked the light from behind. Lin Su’s heart suddenly raced, and he held his breath, his eyes wide.

Is-is he going to—

The next second, the leaning figure paused. Then he pulled his hand over, and a soft, warm touch fell into his palm.

“…!” Lin Su’s fingertips curled, and he instinctively leaned back.

Thud. His back hit the wooden sofa back. A crimson tassel swayed on his shoulder. He let out a soft “mm.” Then a hand slipped behind his back, pulling him forward.

He Zhenling looked up from his palm, a speck of golden-red candlelight in his eyes. It was like a suppressed night sky had a vent burned open by a spark.

The dragon and phoenix candles on the windowsill happened to let out a “crackle.”

Lin Su’s face instantly grew hot, and he swallowed.

Wait, wait, he…

He Zhenling held his wrist and looked at him for a few seconds, then pulled back a little. “You get this nervous just from me touching your palm.” He smiled, and Lin Su’s palm tingled. “You’re only fierce with your words.”

Lin Su: “…”

His whole body was tingling, but he still couldn’t resist retorting, “But your ‘mouth’ is just average.”

He Zhenling: “…”

His fingertips brushed over his wrist as he said slowly, “Is that so.”

Lin Su looked away and gently changed his tune. “Actually, thinking back, it wasn’t bad. There’s still room for improvement.” He paused, then eagerly held out his other hand. “I’ll reward you with more practice.”

“…”

He Zhenling looked down with understanding. “Are you rewarding ‘me’?”

Lin Su looked at him reproachfully. “Who else could it be, me?”

The two looked at each other, one above the other, for a few seconds.

Lin Su’s eyes were moist, his cheeks flushed, a mix of nervousness and anticipation in them. A few strands of tassel hooked on the side of his cheek. He Zhenling’s gaze lingered for a moment.

Suddenly, the light beside them dimmed.

Lin Su turned his head. “Ah, the candles burned out.”

He said regretfully, “See, you dilly-dallied, and now…” A hand brushed the tassel at the side of his cheek. Immediately after, his earlobe was pinched, not too hard, not too lightly. He let out a muffled groan. “…Mm.”

Turning his head, he saw He Zhenling had already withdrawn his hand and stood up. “Don’t be naughty.”

“…” Lin Su.

With the candles extinguished, the light was even dimmer.

The figure in front of him turned to the side and “smack,” turned on the light.

The bright light instantly illuminated the living room.

Lin Su leaned back on the sofa, looked up, and saw He Zhenling standing beside him. That excessively handsome face came into view, the collar fastened around his neck, his Adam’s apple slightly red.

He Zhenling seemed calm, his head turned away, not looking at him. “Who did this to your room?”

Lin Su took a second to recover, then also stood up. “Black and White Impermanence.”

He Zhenling’s lips twitched, and he let out a light scoff.

Lin Su stared at him. “Why aren’t you looking at me?” He said considerately, “Are you shy?”

He Zhenling paused, then turned to look at him, his voice also gentle. “I’m afraid of making you shy.” After looking for a few seconds, he turned his head away again. “…Alright, I’ll be going back first.”

Lin Su said, “Before you leave, don’t you have anything to say to me?”

He added, “Old Zhang isn’t here. Hurry up and say it.”

“…” He Zhenling.

He looked over with a half-smile. “What do you want me to say? — ‘Little Boss,’ on our ‘wedding’ night, let me stay for one night?”

“Alright.” Lin Su turned and hugged the large wedding quilt, pleased. “Since you insist on staying.”

“…” He Zhenling.

“Let’s go, my bed is very big.”

He Zhenling closed his eyes for several seconds, then opened them. “Heh.”

Lin Su was still hugging the large red quilt. “You’ve already done ‘that kind’ of thing to me. What are you still being reserved for?” He was about to walk towards the bedroom.

A long arm blocked him, grabbing the quilt.

“…Forget it.”

He Zhenling seemed to think for a moment, pursing his lips. “Old Zhang has already gone back. It’ll be troublesome to call him back. I’ll sleep on the sofa.”

Lin Su said dotingly, “That’s not good.”

“It’s fine.” He Zhenling looked at him and scoffed. “Trapped in your bed, I’m afraid you’ll…” He paused. “…I’m afraid I’ll be too nervous to sleep.”

Lin Su: “…”

He gave up with regret and turned around with the large quilt. “There’s a guest room. You’ll have to make do.”

The quilt was snatched from his arms.

He Zhenling was already walking towards the guest room with the quilt, saying slowly, “It’s no trouble. I’m overjoyed.”

Lin Su: .

He shook his head. “Making witty remarks again, Xiao He.”

After all the fuss, it was already late.

He Zhenling was taking a shower in the bathroom. Lin Su was lying in his bedroom and let Xuenima out.

As soon as Xuenima came out, it was met with his look of lingering satisfaction. The sound of splashing water could still be heard from the bathroom. It was so shocked its fur started to fall out.

[Are you… still pure as jade?]

Lin Su grabbed it and sighed lightly. “You’ve become impure. Xiao He is staying the night, just taking a shower.”

Xuenima became alert again. [Sleeping together?]

Lin Su said gently, “He’s sleeping in the guest room.”

Xuenima finally breathed a sigh of relief, then floated out to take a look. A few seconds later, when it came back, it had a touch of lamentation. [That wedding quilt is spread out in the guest room. It looks like he’s spending his wedding night alone in an empty room…]

“Shh.”

[0x0]

Lin Su savored the memory for a bit, then couldn’t resist poking it, his little face slightly hot. “By the way, do you want to hear what happened tonight? He Zhenling did to me…”

Xuenima covered his mouth with a paw, coolly. [Please maintain boundaries with your own spiritual consciousness. Abba doesn’t want to hear it.]

Lin Su said with regret, “Alright then.” =u=

…

He Zhenling rested at the residence for one night.

When he got up the next day, Lin Su was still sleeping.

Work had piled up at both the Supervisory Association and his company for several days. He left a message for the person and called Kong Fu to pick him up.

When he got downstairs, the car was already parked outside.

He Zhenling got in the car, still wearing yesterday’s clothes. “Go home first, then to the Association.”

“Yes, sir.”

The private car drove out smoothly.

He Zhenling had just opened the tablet on the back seat when a voice came from the front. “Do you need me to make you a bowl of brown sugar eggs for lunch, sir?”

He Zhenling: “…”

He looked up and met Kong Fu’s eyes in the rearview mirror. “Do you want to change jobs?”

Kong Fu’s gaze drifted away lightly, and he smiled. “…It was my subordinate’s slip of the tongue.”

He Zhenling retracted his gaze.

After a moment, his Adam’s apple moved. He pinched the bridge of his nose again, took a deep breath, and refocused his attention on the tablet.

Lin Su slept until high noon.

When he woke up, he saw a WeiXin message from He Zhenling: Have work, going back first.

He showed the phone to Xuenima. “He’s going back, but he still has to explain himself.”

Xuenima glanced at it, numb. [Newlyweds, he probably can’t bear to leave you.]

“…” Lin Su put his phone away and got up. “I think so too.”

Four days of the holiday had already passed.

Today, even the other grades had to return to school.

Lin Su simply tidied up and went back to school in the afternoon.

When he arrived at the classroom, the lunch break had just ended.

Chen You was sitting in the front row. Seeing him enter, he shot up and glided over. “Lin Su! You’re finally back at school! Are you better? Did you receive the flowers I sent you?”

The bouquet suddenly appeared in Lin Su’s mind. “…I received them, thank you.”

They had even been tied with a red silk ribbon and placed in the C-position of the living room.

Chen You was gratified. “That’s good. I couldn’t contact you for several days. Look at you, you’re so sick your face is…” He looked at Lin Su’s face and paused. “…actually quite rosy.”

“…”

“I’ve recovered well.” Lin Su changed the subject. “While I was on leave, did anything special happen?”

Chen You pouted. “Sigh, what else can happen in the third year of high school.” He then remembered. “Oh, things like what happened with God Pei are rare after all. By the way…! Speaking of God Pei—”

He took out his phone and flipped through a few pages of news to show Lin Su. “Didn’t he get into H University? I saw this two days ago. The ‘Haimeng Luxury Cruise Ship’ will have its maiden voyage from Pingcheng Island. Besides various celebrities, they also gave invitation quotas to H University, G University…!”

Chen You lamented with envy, “Top universities are so good, they even have this kind of benefit…”

Lin Su was attracted again. “Oh…”

He pulled the class monitor’s screen over. “Nima, are cruise ships this luxurious now?”

Xuenima also crawled over. [There’s an open-air swimming pool and a buffet. Abba wants to go see it too.]

“We’re not celebrities, and we didn’t get into H University.”

[QnQ]

Just then, the preparatory bell rang. Chen You put his phone away.

Lin Su returned to his seat, thought for a moment, and took out his phone to send a message to Pei Jin.

[Su]: Senior Pei, do you know about the ‘Haimeng’ cruise ship?

Pei Jin’s message came back quickly: I do. What’s up, junior?

[Su]: Mildly interested. [Cat is attracted]

[Pei Jin]: That’s great.

[Lin Su]: “?” What’s up?

The top of the chat box showed “Typing…”. After about ten seconds, Pei Jin’s message popped up again.

[Pei Jin]: I actually got a spot, but it clashes with one of my research projects. My parents get seasick, so I was thinking it would be wasted.

[Pei Jin]: I’ll give you my spot. You can bring one family member.

[Pei Jin]: I saw your wedding announcement online before. You can go with your fiancé. [Smile]

Lin Su: “…”

He reached into his desk and patted Xuenima. “If Xiao He and I were to go on a ‘honeymoon,’ would you go?”

Xuenima lay still. [Heh, Abba is not interested.]

“What if it’s on the ‘Haimeng’?”

[?]

A “thud” sounded from inside the desk.

Xuenima instantly popped out and curled up obediently on his lap. […Take Abba with you.]

It added, [Abba doesn’t take up much space. I can sleep under the bed.]

Lin Su ruffled its fur. “Permission granted.”

Xuenima sidled up. [But will Xiao He go?]

Lin Su shook his head. “I don’t know. I’ll ask first.”

He thought for two seconds, then exited the chat, clicked on WeiXin, and sent a message.

[Su Du Su Bu Xing]: I’m going to ride the waves.

[Su Du Su Bu Xing]: The giant wave kind. Want to come? [Wags tail]

==

Author’s Note:

Su (pointing at the sea): Look, giant waves!

He Zhenling (expressionless): …This is fraud.

The next commission is on a big cruise ship~

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