DSMIS CH54

Chapter 54: “Then When Did Director Shen Start Harboring Feelings for Me?”

Shen Xing felt his body turn slightly weak from the kiss. Feeling a bit embarrassed, he rested his hands on Jiang Lin’s waist and gave him a push:

“Hurry up and try on the clothes.”

Jiang Lin smiled at his flustered reaction and changed without another word. The windbreaker and outdoor pants Shen Xing bought were the exact same model as his own, just in a different color. The dark grey windbreaker paired with black outdoor pants matched Captain Jiang’s usual style down to a tee. Shen Xing dragged him in front of the mirror, letting his gaze sweep over the man from head to toe:

“Mm, not bad. Captain Jiang has great taste.”

Knowing Shen Xing was teasing him, Jiang Lin reached up and pinched his cheek:

“Does the shop still have a New Year’s discount?”

The question momentarily threw Shen Xing:

“I think it was 10% off.”

Jiang Lin reached into the shopping bag and pulled out the receipt. It was indeed 10% off. Shen Xing leaned in to look:

“Did they overcharge? Is that what you paid last time?”

“It was 12% off last time.”

Shen Xing fumed:

“Hey! The first lunar month isn’t even over and they already raised the prices?!”

Though indignant, he was still very satisfied seeing Jiang Lin wearing the outfit. He patted Captain Jiang’s shoulder:

“Whatever, a bit more expensive is fine. Captain Jiang is worth it.”

Jiang Lin pulled him into his arms:

“You spent quite a bit today, didn’t you?”

The Tibetan carpet currently laid out in the living room clearly wasn’t cheap, and he wondered if Director Shen had even managed to negotiate the price down.

Shen Xing waved his hand dismissively:

“Not that much.”

Jiang Lin released him, walked over to pick up his cardholder, drew out a bank card, and sent Shen Xing a message on his phone:

“Take this card. If you see anything you like, use it. I sent the PIN to your phone.”

Seeing the card Jiang Lin was handing him, Shen Xing froze:

“What are you doing? I have money.”

“I know you do. I might not have that much time to go shopping with you, but I want to buy things for you. Take it.”

With that, Jiang Lin shoved the card right into Shen Xing’s hand. Shen Xing rubbed his nose:

“Captain Jiang, are you a bit ‘love-brained’? We’ve only been together for a few days, and you’re already handing over your bank card? I really don’t need it. My salary is pretty decent, and I have family savings. You don’t have to worry about me running out of money.”

He thought back to the things they bought when they went out before. Did this guy think I spend money like water and worry I’d go broke?

“I know Director Shen’s salary is good. I just like spending money on you. Just consider me love-brained. Besides, I have some savings too. You don’t have to worry about spending me into poverty.”

Shen Xing truly wasn’t worried about that. After all, the man drove a modified Land Cruiser, and that car alone cost a fortune. Buying a carpet was hardly going to bankrupt Captain Jiang.

Jiang Lin pinched his cheek again:

“Be good. Take it and buy yourself good food.”

Hearing those words made Shen Xing feel as if his heart had landed in a massive pile of cotton candy. He leaned forward and crashed straight into Jiang Lin’s embrace. Jiang Lin caught him firmly and ruffled his hair. Shen Xing once again had the illusion of being petted like a dog. But truth be told, the feeling was surprisingly comfortable—a sensation of being deeply cherished. He leaned into Jiang Lin’s neck and took a playful bite.

Once in bed, Shen Xing refused to leave Captain Jiang alone. Like Qianjin pestering Heibao, his hands wandered all over Jiang Lin’s body:

“You still haven’t told me: when exactly did you start harboring wicked intentions toward me?”

Jiang Lin caught his roving hands, amused by his phrasing:

“I don’t really know, honestly. Maybe the very first time we bumped into each other on the national highway, or maybe every time you smiled and talked to me. I can’t quite pinpoint it.”

Shen Xing was visibly dissatisfied with this answer:

“And you call yourself an anti-narcotics captain? How can you be so oblivious? Shouldn’t you have a clear timeline for this sort of thing?”

Looking at him acting like a ruffled kitten, Jiang Lin clasped his wrists and bounced them slightly:

“Then when did Director Shen start harboring feelings for me?”

Shen Xing raised an eyebrow, refusing to be outdone:

“Oh, way too many times. With Captain Jiang’s waist, these legs, and that psychic-like considerate demeanor of yours… I had far too many opportunities to fall for you.”

Watching his radiant, spirited expression, Jiang Lin found him utterly irresistible no matter how he looked at him.

_

The next day, Jiang Lin went to work wearing the clothes Shen Xing had given him the night before. Today was the Lantern Festival. Fulan County was hosting a lantern festival, and the local temples were holding temple fairs. Jiang Lin clocked off around 3 PM. Shen Xing accompanied him to buy supplies and visit Auntie Shulan at the nursing home. By the time they stepped outside, the sky was already dimming into dusk.

Jiang Lin lightly bumped shoulders with the man beside him:

“Director Shen, what are your plans for tonight?”

Shen Xing placed a finger against his lips and made a “shh” gesture. He walked to the car, pulled out an apple, stepped out, and solemnly held the apple with both hands facing east, bowing respectfully.

Jiang Lin had no idea what he was doing, but he didn’t dare interrupt. He swallowed the question on the tip of his tongue. He watched Director Shen murmur something under his breath, hold the apple above his head for a few seconds, and then casually take a bite.

Jiang Lin: “…”

Crunching on the crisp apple, Shen Xing held it up to Jiang Lin’s lips:

“Praying for a peaceful night. New Year’s Eve was miserable enough; I just hope heaven takes pity on me so I can actually enjoy the Lantern Festival properly.”

Jiang Lin looked down at the apple and asked carefully:

“Is it okay to just eat it like that?”

“Of course. When I held it up earlier, the deities already enjoyed their share. You can’t waste offering fruit. Take a bite too.”

It sounded bizarrely logical. Jiang Lin leaned in and took a bite. Just like that, the two of them shared the offering fruit bite by bite until it was gone.

For dinner, Shen Xing picked a fusion restaurant with an excellent ambiance. The location was prime, offering a sweeping view of nearly the entire commercial street from their window seat.

The restaurant blended Chinese and Western cuisine. An unrecognizable yet atmospheric piano piece played softly in the background, making it quite the chic, upscale venue for this small county town.

Given that it was the Lantern Festival, the patrons inside were dressed rather exquisitely. In contrast, Shen Xing and Jiang Lin, clad in matching windbreakers that looked like they were heading for a mountain hike, looked a bit out of place. From the day they met until now, they had either eaten hot pot, BBQ, or local ethnic specialties; this was their first time visiting this sort of establishment.

Jiang Lin suddenly spoke up:

“Do you like Western food?”

Logically, since they had just gotten together, it felt appropriate to visit somewhere romantic. Captain Jiang’s definition of romance was still stuck in his college roommates’ playbook for pursuing girlfriends: giving flowers, gifting presents, having a candlelit dinner at a nice Western restaurant, and ordering a bottle of red wine or champagne if the budget allowed.

“Me? It’s just okay. We surgeons aren’t particularly keen on half-raw food.”

Jiang Lin suddenly recalled the video Shen Xing had watched while eating dinner that time—specifically, his own surgery video:

“I thought you surgeons were omnivorous and ate anything without prejudice.”

“We do eat anything, I’m not that picky. But back at the hospital, I was usually so busy my heels kicked the back of my head. On the rare day I got a break, I either played dead at home eating takeout or went out for street skewers with friends. Fancy, classy Western restaurants really aren’t the top choice for single dogs like us.”

Jiang Lin smiled:

“You won’t be a single dog when we go back this time. We can try more places together.”

Shen Xing blinked:

“Then let’s start with this meal of ‘aesthetic food.'”

“‘Aesthetic food’? What kind of food is that?”

Wonderful. Another blind spot in Captain Jiang’s knowledge. Shen Xing chuckled, flipped open the menu, and ordered a whole spread.

The presentation of the dishes lived up to their prices. Only after every single dish was served did Shen Xing lift his chin proudly:

“This is what you call aesthetic food. Come on, photos first.”

Just like their previous outing, Shen Xing took a photo of the feast, naturally framing half of Captain Jiang’s hand into the corner of the shot before posting it to WeChat Moments. As expected, Jiang Lin was the first to leave a like. Their subtle, shared intentions were displayed on Moments in an understated yet distinctly flirtatious manner.

Leaving the restaurant, the temple fair outside was officially underway. Folk performances were taking place in the center of the street, and elaborate palace lanterns were displayed every hundred meters along the pedestrian road. The only downside was the sheer size of the crowd; just like on New Year’s Day, people were practically stepping on one another’s heels. Strolling along, they found themselves back in front of the Mixue Bingcheng shop they had visited before. Jiang Lin pointed toward it:

“Want a cup?”

“Let’s get one.”

Once again, Jiang Lin waited in line, and once again, he returned with two drinks and an ice cream cone. For a moment, it felt like slipping back in time to New Year’s Day.

Holding his ice cream, Shen Xing merged back into the sea of people with Jiang Lin. Instantly, he remembered that it was on this very street that someone had stepped on his shoelace and Jiang Lin had knelt down to tie it for him. Recalling how that scene had replayed in his head like a movie countless times that night, a wave of private embarrassment washed over him. He suddenly bumped hard into Jiang Lin’s side.

Assuming someone had shoved him, Jiang Lin quickly wrapped an arm around him, only to be met with Director Shen’s menacing glare:

“What’s wrong?”

“Last time you tied my shoelaces… did you have ulterior motives?”

Only then did Jiang Lin recall the incident. This time, he was genuinely bewildered:

“What motives?”

Seeing his genuinely puzzled expression made Shen Xing feel even more annoyed. So I was the only one overthinking it?! He let out a sharp huff through his nose:

“Hmph.”

Though Jiang Lin hadn’t thought much of it at the time, reflecting on it now, his sharp intuition immediately pieced things together. He pulled Shen Xing closer with a soft laugh:

“Did you like me tying your shoelaces?”

Shen Xing took a huge bite of his ice cream:

“Yeah! Who wouldn’t enjoy having someone tie their shoelaces for them?”

“Then I’ll tie them for you every day from now on.”

The tips of Shen Xing’s ears flushed red.

Just as he was about to say something, the phone in his pocket began to vibrate. His heart skipped a beat. The moment he pulled out the phone, he prayed inwardly: Please don’t be a call from the hospital. But the moment the screen lit up, his hopes were thoroughly dashed. It was a call from the hospital’s emergency department.

“Mm, understood. I’ll be right there.”

Jiang Lin turned to him:

“Trouble at the hospital?”

Shen Xing pulled a long face:

“My prayers were completely wasted! Tell me, should I not have eaten that apple earlier? I should have at least waited until the Lantern Festival was over before eating it.”

Jiang Lin lovingly stroked the back of his head:

“What’s eaten is eaten. Let’s go, I’ll go with you.”

The doctor on ER duty tonight wasn’t from orthopedics. The moment Shen Xing entered the emergency department, he spotted two familiar figures. Standing up from the waiting area were none other than the tall, thin owner of the rice noodle shop downstairs and that young man. The owner lacked his usual gentle smile; instead, he looked anxious and visibly furious, his face tight with anger. Only upon seeing Shen Xing did he rein in his expression and give a slight nod.

The on-duty ER doctor immediately hurried over to brief him:

“The patient is a 10-year-old child. Looks like he was beaten severely. A fracture in his left arm, and likely a broken rib as well. These two brought him in, but they aren’t family members. I’m wondering if we should call the police.”

Shen Xing frowned:

“Where is he?”

“In the trauma room.”

Shen Xing glanced at the equally furious young man standing beside the owner, suddenly recalling the private conversation he had overheard in the rice noodle shop that morning, and grew inwardly alert.