Chapter 53

Chapter 53

Gu Lin looked at the mint candy in his palm and leaned his elbow into Pei Sheng.

“What are you so happy about?” Pei Sheng lowered his head to ask him.

His voice was hushed, and it made Gu Lin’s ears burn.

Gu Lin unwrapped the mint candy and popped it into his mouth, saying in a hushed, conspiratorial tone, “Don’t you know? You’re supposed to kiss during romance movies.”

Pei Sheng: “?” Why does every place have to be a makeout spot?

Seeing Gu Lin’s eager expression, Pei Sheng hated to ruin his fantasy but still pointed at the screen. “But we’re watching a cartoon.”

Gu Lin turned his head and saw adorable cartoon characters.

Gu Lin: “???” You’ve gotta be kidding me!

He quickly pulled his arm back, embarrassed, and clutched the popcorn tub, lowering his head to munch angrily.

Goddamn Pei Sheng, who watches cartoons on a date?!

What kind of date movie is this?!

The more he thought about it, the angrier he got.

Has Pei Sheng never dated before?!

Seething, he heard Pei Sheng give a low chuckle. “Want to watch a romance film?”

“No,” Gu Lin snapped. He didn’t want to kiss him anymore anyway.

Pei Sheng was right—they shouldn’t be so kiss-happy. He was probably laughing at him in his head right now.

“Go ahead and laugh. I’ll bite your head off tonight,” Gu Lin gritted his teeth, threatening.

Pei Sheng squeezed the back of his neck, like calming a spooked cat, and said with hidden anticipation, “Can’t wait.”

Gu Lin wanted to murder Pei Sheng right then.

Luckily, the movie wasn’t bad. At first, Gu Lin wanted to strangle Pei Sheng, but by the end, he was a blubbering mess, shining with unshed tears in the screen’s light.

“Why didn’t they save the little fox?” Gu Lin turned to him, his eyes too bright under the glow of the screen.

Pei Sheng rolled the mint candy against his teeth, glancing at the tragic fate of the little fox on screen. Everyone pitied the little fox, abandoned by its family yet striving to live.

But the movie ended with the protagonist’s joyful laughter.

Pei Sheng didn’t answer. Instead, he reached out and wiped the dampness from Gu Lin’s eyes with his thumb.

As the credits rolled, the lights dimmed completely, leaving the theater pitch black.

Gu Lin felt minty breath suddenly warm against his skin, and the next moment, warm lips pressed lightly against his.

“Don’t be sad. It went to a place it loved,” Pei Sheng whispered.

The lights flickered back on. Pei Sheng had already lifted his head, and amidst the crowd leaving, he licked his lips thoughtfully. “Popcorn flavor.”

Gu Lin’s heart hammered so loud he thought everyone could hear it. His face went beet red. “I—I need to go to the bathroom!”

With that, he bolted in a panic.

Pei Sheng pursed his lips slightly, the buttery sweetness of popcorn still on his lips. It seemed the cinema was indeed a suitable place for kissing.

He rose unhurriedly and walked out, running into Zhou Ruo at the exit.

Zhou Ruo greeted him awkwardly, "Hi."

"Hello," Pei Sheng replied. He had a reputation for being icy toward strangers, his frosty glare and demeanor screaming ‘keep away’.

Perhaps sensing his intimidating aura, Zhou Ruo didn’t dare to continue the conversation and quickly tried to leave, only to hear him say, "Appreciate you dropping off that strawberry cake for Gu Lin."

Zhou Ruo blinked in surprise and hurriedly responded, "No big deal—just classmates!"

With that, she hastily pulled her friend away.

Pei Sheng eyed her retreating back and reaffirmed his belief that Gu Lin was a magnet for admirers who left a trail of chaos in his wake.

Gu Lin—a Grade-A dirtbag.

He glanced toward the men’s restroom. Why hadn’t Gu Lin come out yet?

He ambled over and propped himself against the wall, in no rush.

Inside the restroom, Gu Lin dunked his face under the faucet, letting the cold water shock him back to reality.

But as he looked at his reflection in the mirror, he couldn’t help but recall that brief, gentle touch. His cheeks and ears flamed all over again.

He bent down and washed his face once more, then lifted his head only to accidentally catch someone staring at him.

The guy had a black cap pulled low—creepy vibes all around.

Gu Lin’s brow furrowed as he tracked the guy’s movements, until the man started walking toward him.

Gu Lin instinctively wanted to leave, but the other man clamped a vise-like grip on his wrist.

Before he could speak, the man pressed a phone to his ear.

A voice crackled through—one he knew too well.

"Gu Lin, the backer you found is impressive, but can he protect you all the time? Now that you’re back at school, will he follow you there? Hahaha, you’d better not fall into my hands." Li Chunhua’s voice dripped venom, a hex in human form, ice flooding his veins in an instant.

"What do you want?" Gu Lin asked tightly.

But the man only sneered, yanked the phone back, and melted into the crowd.

Gu Lin tore after him, trying to catch him.

But by the time he ran out, the man had already vanished. Gu Lin spun in place, disoriented.

The cold inside him had nothing to do with the weather.

Li Chunhua was back, a specter clinging to his shadow.

Gu Lin stood there, his gaze hollow with dread.

What would she do to him?

His legs buckled; only the wall kept him upright. Each breath a battle.

A hand rested on his head first, a familiar scent enveloping him as Pei Sheng ruffled his hair. "What's wrong?"

Gu Lin parted his lips.

Li Chunhua was unhinged, and Pei Sheng wasn’t much better—he was afraid things would go wrong.

"Low blood sugar," he heard himself say, the lame excuse slipping out.

Pei Sheng fished a mint candy from his pocket and stuffed it into Gu Lin’s mouth, wrapping an arm around him. "Breathe."

Gu Lin crushed the candy between his teeth, his nose stung, making him want to cry. Belatedly, he realized the candy was gross.

Pei Sheng noticed Gu Lin’s pale complexion and eased off, taking him home instead.

Once home, Gu Lin flopped onto the couch and turned on the TV, pretending everything was normal as he watched Pei Sheng clip Lado’s leash on before heading out with the dog.

Hearing the door close, Gu Lin grew uneasy and bolted up, tearing after them. He was afraid the person following him might hurt Pei Sheng.

But Pei Sheng was too fast—by the time Gu Lin reached downstairs, he was already out of sight.

Stuck, Gu Lin crouched downstairs, waiting for his return, his mind stuck on the restroom incident.

That person might have been tailing him all along, from the hotpot dinner to the movie.

They’d seen it all—him and Pei Sheng holding hands, their secret kisses in the dark.

So was Pei Sheng the "backer" Li Chunhua mentioned? Would they go after Pei Sheng? Blackmail him with those photos?

The more Gu Lin thought, the worse he felt. Sitting on the edge of a flower bed, he was surrounded by deafening silence and biting cold.

He hunched his shoulders, burying his face in his knees. For now, his thoughts were a tangled mess.

Gu Lin didn’t know how long he sat there, only that his entire body had gone numb with cold, offering no solution. But he realized Pei Sheng would worry if he saw him like this.

He stood up to go back, but when he reached the door, he realized he hadn’t brought his keys.

No—he’d never bothered to get a copy.

Every time he came home, Pei Sheng was there with him.

Pei Sheng always brought him home.

Gu Lin’s tears spilled over, and he roughly wiped them away with his sleeve.

His eyes turned red from the rubbing, and he seethed, feeling utterly useless.

One call from Li Chunhua had him this rattled.

Frustrated, he kicked the wall and muttered, *“Fuck this.”*

Then he dug out his old trash-collecting gear from the corner and barreled back downstairs.

Before Li Chunhua could kill him, he needed to buy Pei Sheng’s birthday gift. He had to earn money.

Gu Lin reappeared beside the neighborhood trash bins, scrounging for recyclables while muttering curses. "If they love following me so much, I’ll just pick trash every day—let ’em gag on it!"

He thought of Cheng You and that man, angrily tossing a soda can into a plastic bag, seething, "If you’ve got the guts, just kill me already! What kinda men creep around like this?"

Just then, he startled, nearly tripping backward, turning to see Pei Sheng standing behind him, Lado’s leash in hand.

Pei Sheng looked at the things in his hands and the bulging plastic bag, unsure how long he had been scavenging. Somewhat puzzled, he asked, "Back to your old habits?"

"Yeah, is that a problem?" Gu Lin instinctively turned his face away upon seeing Pei Sheng. "Finished your walk?"

As soon as he spoke, a coat still warm from Pei Sheng's body was tossed over his head.

"You left without a coat?" Pei Sheng stepped in front of him, eyeing the plastic bottles filling the bag. "What, filming a video?"

"N-no," Gu Lin mumbled, not daring to lift his head. "Couldn’t sleep, so I took a walk."

"Head back. I’ll check over there and come home soon." Gu Lin tried to leave, but Pei Sheng grabbed his shoulders and turned him around to face him.

"Eyes up." Pei Sheng's voice was cold, but his hands were firm as he dressed Gu Lin, not even bothered by his grubby scavenger hands. He slid the sleeves on, zipped up the coat, and watched as Gu Lin pulled the hood over his face.

"Why so rough?" Gu Lin flinched at his tone, burying his forehead against Pei Sheng’s chest.

"Eyes on me." Pei Sheng’s voice grew even more commanding.

Gu Lin pursed his lips and reluctantly raised his head, meeting his gaze. His eyes were red from crying, yet he still tried to fake a smile to placate him.

Seeing his miserable face, Pei Sheng’s anger flared. "Still smiling? Did someone mess with you while you were out?"

Gu Lin nodded, then shook his head, staring at him.

He thought of Li Chunhua’s words and the photos she had sent.

He knew Li Chunhua had latched onto him—he’d be killed. The Gu Lin in the book had been tortured to death by her.

Tears streamed down his cheeks. He crumpled, burying his face in Pei Sheng’s shoulder and finally broke. "If I leave, I’m locked out."

Just like how, once he left this world, he’d lose Pei Sheng forever.

Pei Sheng could feel the sheer depth of his grief, as if it might overflow and drown them both.

He understood the words Gu Lin spoke.

But not the meaning behind them.

Gu Lin was terrified, uneasy, even afraid of losing him. He was cold all over.

His once warm, soft cheeks were now cool, pressed against Pei Sheng’s neck, with tears burning trails down.

How long had he been outside?

Pei Sheng didn’t ask further. Gently pushing him back, he wiped Gu Lin’s tears with his sleeve, softening his tone. "Drown the whole world, crybaby."

"Let it drown." He almost wished the planet would explode.

"Save it for home." Pei Sheng wrapped an arm around him and led him back, Lado leading the way with Gu Lin’s scavenged trash in his mouth.

The streetlights stretched their shadows, merging before they disappeared into the building’s hallway.

Lado barked, and the motion-sensor light buzzed with electricity, flickering on briefly before plunging them back into darkness.

"Woof..." Lado looked at his owner.

Pei Sheng set Gu Lin down, turned on his flashlight, and patted Lado’s head. "Serves you right for always goofing off."

Lado whined twice before darting upstairs in a flash.

Gu Lin looked at Pei Sheng holding the flashlight, just like the first time they came back together.

"Pei Sheng, can Lado find his way home by himself?" he asked curiously.

"Yeah." Pei Sheng tugged him along. "Mind the steps."

Gu Lin followed close behind and whispered, "Pei Sheng, will you remember the little fox?"

"No." They walked up the stairs single-file.

Gu Lin suddenly stopped. "Why? That was our first movie together."

Pei Sheng turned to look at him, at his nose pink from crying and his damp eyes.

Darkness always lays hearts bare.

At this moment, Pei Sheng couldn’t hide the raw fondness in his eyes.

"Because that sappy Little Yellow cries over everything."

Hearing this, Gu Lin felt even sadder.

He decided he would actually hate Pei Sheng tonight!!

*

The two returned home, and Pei Sheng was changing his shoes.

"You're dead meat," Gu Lin poked Pei Sheng's shoulder. "I really plan to bite you tonight."

"Go wash your hands." Pei Sheng shoved him brusquely into the bathroom. "Three times."

"Pei Sheng, you're grossed out by me again." Gu Lin tried to pull away, but Pei Sheng led him to the sink, held his hands, and washed them three times with ordinary soap.

Gu Lin secretly smiled. Heh, guess he’s not grossed out after all.

"Pei Sheng, do you have that kind of soap?" Gu Lin looked up at him. "The one that squirts out as a little flower? It's so pretty."

"No." Pei Sheng pressed another squirt of soap. "Push up your sleeves."

Pei Sheng’s jacket hung long on Gu Lin. As he pushed up the sleeves, Pei Sheng’s eyes zeroed in on the red marks on his right wrist from something digging into his skin.

So something had happened in the bathroom.

Gu Lin noticed too. "This was from last time when I was washing my face. Fang Fang saw my hair was too long and gave me a hair tie for it. After washing, I put it around my wrist, and it was a bit tight, so it left marks."

He fibbed guiltily, perhaps afraid Pei Sheng wouldn’t believe him, and quickly added, "The hair tie is still in my room."

Pei Sheng didn’t believe him, but seeing how he didn’t want him to know, he chose to pretend to believe him.

He reached out and touched Gu Lin’s hair—it really was a bit long. "Why haven't you cut it?"

Gu Lin: "I like it longer. It suits me."

Gu Lin really loved the feeling of Pei Sheng touching his hair, especially when he lay beside him, playing with his hair as he gazed down.

Pei Sheng seemed to understand. He tugged at a stray lock on Gu Lin’s head—the current length suited him well, not girly, making him look soft and sweet. "Mm, if it gets any longer, you should cut it. Otherwise, you’ll look girly."

"You don't like that?" Gu Lin asked curiously.

"Like what? Look girly?" Pei Sheng frowned, puzzled.

Gu Lin nodded, and Pei Sheng pinched his face, squishing his lips into a goldfish pout.

"You think I like girly looks so I can help you jerk off? Do little girls have that thing of yours that’s always hard for me?" He shook his head, still bleary-eyed from crying. "Huh, pal?"

Gu Lin instinctively glanced at Pei Sheng’s hand. "I was just asking."

"Don’t ask. My head hurts." Pei Sheng let go of him and turned to leave.

"Hey! You’re not gonna help me wash up?" Gu Lin craned his neck to call after him.

Pei Sheng had already gone to the kitchen. He opened the fridge, took out a bottle of water, and drank a few gulps. "Wash them yourself."

Gu Lin wasn’t as thorough as Pei Sheng when washing his hands. He gave them a quick rinse before darting over to him. "Aw, don’t be mad. It’s my fault. I was being dumb. I won’t talk nonsense anymore."

Pei Sheng side-eyed him and headed toward Lado. Gu Lin followed closely. "Pei Sheng, Sheng Sheng, Fei Fei, big bro~"

Hearing the cutesy tone on "gege," Pei Sheng sighed. "Keep talking like that, and I’ll have Lado bite you."

He bent down to refill the automatic pet feeder with dog food, then turned to see Gu Lin squatting in line with Lado, both pairs of eyes equally clear and dumb.

Two dumbasses.

As the feeder dispensed the food, Pei Sheng yanked Gu Lin away.

"Go shower." Pei Sheng touched his face—still cold. "Use hot water, then take some cold medicine."

"Mm-hmm!" Gu Lin felt ridiculously obedient just then. He bolted into the bathroom, stripped, and hopped into a quick hot shower.

Pei Sheng tsked at the sound of running water. "Didn’t even grab his PJs or boxers."

He made for Gu Lin’s room, passing through the living room where he spotted Gu Lin’s phone. He picked it up.

Gu Lin had set a lock screen password now. Pei Sheng tried entering his own birthday.

It unlocked. He opened the contacts and messages.

No unknown calls or texts.

So what was up?

He put the phone back, then tapped open the history.

Gu Lin had been googling stuff the whole ride back.

Pei Sheng scanned a dozen or so searches:

*What to do if you’re being threatened?*

*If someone blackmails you with nude photos but you can’t find them, will reporting to the police help?*

...

All about being stalked, blackmailed, threatened—even questions like *what to do if someone’s trying to kill you?*

He put the phone back.

Now he got it. Li Chunhua had come after Gu Lin again.

Looks like the last warnings didn’t stick, or maybe Li Chunhua still had other leverage over Gu Lin.

Moreover, this time the other party had learned to be smarter, leaving no traceable leads behind.

If Gu Lin hadn't lost his cool, Pei Sheng wouldn't even have known anything had happened.

It was clear that Li Chunhua was indeed a pro at dodging debts.

"Pei Sheng! Help!" Gu Lin shouted from the bathroom. "I forgot to bring my pajamas again!"

He replied calmly, "Then just come out naked."

Gu Lin poked his head out, looking at him pitifully. "Then you'll call me a pervert again."

He raised an eyebrow. "You've got plenty of perverted habits—one more won't make a difference."

"If you don't bring them for me, I'll just wrap myself in your jacket and come out?" Gu Lin threatened.

He: "Sure."

Gu Lin pursed his lips pleadingly. "My ass is freezing. Hurry up."

"Quit being cute." He still went to his room to fetch the pajamas. At the door, hearing the water still running inside, he knocked.

Gu Lin opened the door and stuck out a freshly washed, pink hand. "Thanks."

But he held onto the pajamas without handing them over, staring instead at the half-exposed chest visible through the door crack.

Still red and swollen, but still attractive.

His throat moved slightly.

Noticing his gaze, Gu Lin chuckled. "Wanna join my shower?"

Before he could answer, Gu Lin shut the door and locked it from the inside, his voice muffled through the door. "I don't do shared showers!"

He: "?" He was catching on quick.

He had come to realize that Gu Lin was the type to take a mile when given an inch.

He went to the kitchen to mix up some cold medicine and then returned to his own room.

Sitting at his computer, he eyed the backup folder he had extracted from Li Chunhua's computer.

He had never opened it before, nor would he.

Leaning back in his chair, he pondered how to deal with Li Chunhua once and for all. She was like a sewer rat, determined to make Gu Lin's life miserable.

But Gu Lin's tendency to clam up whenever faced with such issues left Pei Sheng frustrated.

He turned on his computer and began tracing Li Chunhua's movements.

He already knew she owed tons in loan shark debts. In fact, the five million in Gu Lin's account was just a drop in the bucket compared to those debts.

What Li Chunhua wanted was for Gu Lin to become her cash cow.

He had checked with the cops before, but they said there were no open cases on Li Chunhua at the moment.

This woman was sly and sharp—a real desperado. And that Lao Wu was her attack dog.

It seemed the only way was to smoke Li Chunhua out.

Only money could lure her out.

Pei Sheng already had a plan.

Gu Lin stepped out of the shower, towel-drying his hair, and noticed no one was in the living room, figuring Pei Sheng had retreated to his room.

He sat on the couch and drank the cold medicine left on the table—still bitter. He shut his eyes and chugged it in one go.

Pei Sheng walked in as the cup was drained and said, satisfied, "Go to sleep."

As he headed toward the kitchen, Gu Lin got up and followed him. "Are you going to eat instant noodles again?"

Pei Sheng took a bottle of milk from the fridge, twisted it open, and took a few sips. "Do I look like a garbage disposal?"

Gu Lin stared at the milk in his hand, practically drooling. "You eat instant noodles every day."

"Not yesterday—wait, the day before that." He'd ordered takeout the day before.

Pei Sheng caught Gu Lin’s hungry stare and drained the bottle defiantly. "There's more in the fridge."

Then, holding the empty bottle, he walked to the entryway, opened the door, and tossed it into the bag Gu Lin used for collecting plastic bottles.

When he turned around, Gu Lin had already backed him into the shoe rack. "What’s your problem? Can't I drink from the same milk as you?"

"No milk for manwhores." Pei Sheng pressed a hand against his head, merciless.

"How am I a manwhore?" Gu Lin pouted, slotting himself between Pei Sheng’s thighs and tilting his head up to stare at him.

"You’re out there stirring up drama and leaving it unresolved." Pei Sheng half-sat on the shoe rack, allowing Gu Lin to wedge closer. The foyer light haloed them, his gaze fixed on Gu Lin's porcelain-white face.

"I haven’t been stirring up drama!" Gu Lin didn’t understand. "I *live* to come home to you, and I keep thinking about biting you back at night. I'm innocent!"

With that, he scraped his teeth over Pei Sheng’s jaw. "Believe me."

Pei Sheng didn’t pull away. Gu Lin’s apple-scented hair made the air syrupy.

Gu Lin studied his expression, put two and two together, and thrilled—*Pei Sheng was jealous*.

*Oh hell yes*. Jealousy looked good on him.

"You seem happy?" Pei Sheng snagged the hand creeping toward his hip and pinned Gu Lin against the door.

"Hey! Wasn’t I supposed to bite you?" Gu Lin felt the position was all wrong.

"Not anymore." Pei Sheng gripped his waist, eyes sharp. "Consider your privileges *gone*."

"Ah, you're cheating!" Gu Lin struggled, but Pei Sheng held him firmly, hot breath searing his reddened ear as he spoke in a low voice, "Now answer my question."

"What question?" Gu Lin’s heart raced.

"Why were you crying tonight?" Pei Sheng demanded. "Fail this, and you’re *dead*."