Chapter 124 01

Chapter 124

You must clarify your life's script—you are not a sequel to your parents, nor a prequel to your children, and even less a spin-off to your friends.

—Nietzsche

He Lin drove on, initially planning to stop at a service station for a rest and lunch. However, seeing Li Shang sound asleep in the back seat, he hesitated...

The recent work overload had left Li Shang, despite a week of hospital rest, visibly exhausted. After a moment of internal debate, He Lin couldn't bring himself to wake the sleeping man. Though equally eager to reach home, he bypassed the service station and continued the journey.

Li Shang hadn't slept so soundly in a long time. Even during his hospital stay, nightmares and palpitations often jolted him awake, after which sleep was elusive. He had never mentioned this to He Lin, simply lying still and silent on those sleepless nights.

The destination and the driver both filled him with an extraordinary sense of security, allowing him to fall into a deep sleep in the smoothly moving car. By the time he slowly awoke, the car had already pulled up downstairs at his residence.

He Lin was in the front seat, engrossed in his phone, but the moment Li Shang stirred, He Lin keenly observed it in the rearview mirror.

Li Shang sat up, stretched, and felt an unaccustomed sense of refreshment.

Judging by the sun, it was already afternoon.

Li Shang asked He Lin, "How long have we been here? Why didn't you wake me?"

He Lin lowered the window slightly to let in some fresh air, replying with a smile, "Not long. You haven't been sleeping well in the hospital lately, and it's rare to see you sleep so soundly. I didn't have the heart to wake you. Are you hungry? You skipped lunch—is your stomach bothering you?"

Li Shang shook his head, indicating he wasn't hungry, and lowered his gaze to conceal the flutter in his heart.

He knew.

He had thought he was the only one enduring those sleepless nights, never imagining He Lin had been quietly there with him all along. At this thought, a blush crept up to Li Shang's ears.

"Come up..."

"I have something to discuss with you..."

They spoke simultaneously, then both fell silent.

He Lin turned from the driver's seat to meet Li Shang's eyes. "What were you going to say?"

Li Shang now found himself somewhat reluctant to meet He Lin's gaze. He had a vague premonition of what He Lin might say but dared not presume, so he tentatively asked, "Nothing... What did you want to discuss?"

He Lin pointed to the bandage on his shoulder. "Well... you see, my injury hasn't healed yet. If you make me bandage it myself, that's asking too much. And you, you're not fully recovered either. I'd worry about you living alone."

Sharp as he was, Li Shang naturally grasped He Lin's intention. He Lin, with no intention of hiding it, observed Li Shang's expression. Seeing no sign of resistance, he boldly continued, "Since that's the case, us two patients could look after each other if we're together. After all, we're already in this together—we rise and fall as one. So, how about it, Captain Li—come home with me."

Li Shang frowned as he listened. What kind of words was He Lin using? The sudden address of "Captain Li" struck a chord, and his ears, which had only been slightly warm, now flushed crimson all the way to his cheeks.

After a long pause, Li Shang's calm voice broke the silence: "You could go to the hospital to change your dressing..."

"Hiss..." He Lin almost gasped. He knew persuading someone to come home wouldn't be easy, but he hadn't expected to be shut down so quickly.

As He Lin racked his brain for a solution, Li Shang unexpectedly offered a way out.

"You could also come stay at my place."

He Lin was momentarily stunned but quickly caught on. It seemed there was still hope. He seized the opportunity, responding, "Your place is great in many ways—close to the station, convenient for daily life." Then he shifted his tone: "But, this place of yours..."

"Not only are there few rooms, but that sofa is too short to stretch out on, and it hurts your back to sleep on. After a busy day, you wouldn't want me to come home and still have to sleep on the sofa, would you?"

Hearing this, Li Shang couldn't help but chuckle. It seemed he had never been able to refuse He Lin, probably from the very first time he gave in—he simply couldn't say no to him.

That said, he couldn't let He Lin get too smug.

So Li Shang, feigning composure, calmly analyzed: "Having our Captain He sleep on the sofa really isn't appropriate. How about you take the bed?"

He Lin shook his head. "Your bed is only 1.2 meters wide. If I sleep there, I'll fall off in the middle of the night. Besides, if I take the bed, where would you sleep?"

Li Shang deliberately teased him: "Then we'll just squeeze in."

Squeeze in... He Lin actually felt a flicker of temptation at the suggestion, but he quickly snapped out of it.

He shook his head again. "Then who sleeps on the outside? If you fall, I'd feel terrible. If I fall and my wound splits open again, I'd have to go back to the hospital."

Watching He Lin's earnest expression, Li Shang felt a sense of déjà vu while also filled with satisfaction. He asked, though he knew the answer, "Is this your reason for asking me to come home with you?"

Hearing this, He Lin knew Li Shang was softening. He pressed on earnestly: "Come to my place. I have everything there, and it's convenient for cooking. The spare room was renovated while you were at the base last time—the exercise bike, treadmill, and dumbbells are all set up, and there's a big mirror so you can work out at home."

Li Shang hadn't expected He Lin to have made such preparations and gave him a look that spoke volumes. He began to wonder just how long He Lin had been planning to get him to move in.

Seeing Li Shang's expression soften further, He Lin quickly added, "I have a dedicated desk in my living room, much bigger than your small table. It'll be convenient if you want to read, study, or work from home."

It sounded like a tempting offer.

When Li Shang remained silent, He Lin had to play his trump card: "Lao Wu has been sending me messages asking for help lately. We could handle work together."

At this, Li Shang finally spoke. He turned to He Lin and asked, "How many days of medical leave do we have left?"

How could this person never rest?

Moreover, it seemed he loved work more than he loved him.

He Lin felt a pang of jealousy, but he obediently answered, "One week."

With this break stretching past the New Year holiday, Li Shang finally spoke with feigned reluctance: "Then I'll pack my things."

With that, Li Shang moved to open the car door and get out. But just as his hand touched the door, He Lin acted faster—he quickly locked the doors, started the engine, and in one fluid motion drove out of Li Shang’s neighborhood under Li Shang’s exasperated gaze.

"I have everything at my place. Let's move you first; we can deal with your things later."

Li Shang: "...What's the rush?"

He Lin didn't answer, just pressed hard on the accelerator: Of course, he was afraid Li Shang would change his mind, afraid that once he went upstairs, he wouldn't come back down.

He Lin drove at breakneck speed the whole way. It felt like he hadn't looked forward to something this much in years. It wasn't until Li Shang was sitting on his sofa, wearing the slippers He Lin had specially prepared for him, that He Lin finally felt a sense of reality.

That person had been hidden in his heart for so long, and now he had finally made it to his side.

Although he hadn't been back here for half a month, He Lin had cleaned the entire place before his business trip. Li Shang ran his hand over the coffee table—there was almost no dust.

When He Lin brought Li Shang a cup of water from the kitchen water dispenser that didn't need cooling, Li Shang became even more convinced: Life with He Lin was indeed different.

But as he watched He Lin bustling around, rummaging through cabinets to pile a messy assortment of snacks on the coffee table in front of him, Li Shang also felt that it might be a bit much.

He picked out a pack of sugar-free soda crackers from the pile and waved it in front of He Lin. "If I eat these, I probably won't have room for a proper meal later. If this is today's main course, then I'm not picky."

With that, Li Shang made to open the package, but He Lin snatched it away and gathered up all the snacks in front of Li Shang.

Then He Lin hurried into the kitchen to prepare dinner.

Li Shang watched He Lin bustling about and joked with him, "Do you still need me to help you mix the dough? Or maybe assist with something else?"

He Lin stuck his head out from the kitchen, seriously considering Li Shang's suggestion, then shook his head. "You should rest. I can handle it quickly by myself. Next time, when we have dumplings, I'll teach you step by step myself."

He Lin rummaged through the fridge. Since it had been cleared out earlier, there weren't many fresh vegetables left. He quickly called the supermarket downstairs to have some ingredients delivered, then busied himself in the kitchen.

While He Lin cooked, Li Shang sat on the sofa, in the same spot he’d occupied during his first visit to He Lin’s home. Back then, he had sat there watching He Lin change clothes and listening to his heartbreaking words in his sleep, like an outsider peeking into a life that wasn’t his.

But now, the room’s lights were on for him, the kitchen was lively because of him. What he had been searching for had not disappointed him in the end.

He Lin worked quickly, soon preparing four dishes and a soup for Li Shang, even adding a specially made steamed egg custard.

The meal was a balanced one, with both vegetables and meat, nutritious and satisfying.

As he set the table, He Lin expressed a bit of regret: "There wasn’t enough time today, so I just made a codonopsis and pigeon soup."

Li Shang had no doubt that, given more time, He Lin could whip up a full Manchu-Han Imperial Feast for him.

Back in the apartment days, he could even gauge how long He Lin intended to keep him up at night based on the variety of dishes prepared.

By those standards, after this meal, he wouldn’t be getting any sleep all night.

After eating, He Lin once again turned down Li Shang’s offer to help clean up, without complaint getting up to tidy the kitchen himself. With nothing to do, Li Shang sat alone on the sofa, read for a while, and soon began to feel drowsy again.

When He Lin emerged from the kitchen, he found Li Shang lying against the sofa cushions, wrapped in a warm, cozy blanket. The soft, warm yellow light fell on his profile, making his fair skin appear even more strikingly handsome and captivating under its glow.

A sudden impulse stirred within He Lin. He stepped forward and enveloped Li Shang, blanket and all, in his arms. Half-asleep, Li Shang didn’t even open his eyes, mumbling tentatively, "He Lin?"

"Yes, it’s me," He Lin replied, his voice slightly hoarse.

Li Shang’s lazy, unguarded tone was like a kitten’s paw scratching at He Lin’s heart, making it itch so much that he couldn’t help but kiss Li Shang’s forehead, then press his own head against it to feel Li Shang’s temperature.

Under He Lin’s "harassment," Li Shang opened his eyes and met He Lin’s affectionate gaze. Smiling, he said, "No fever." Then he tried to sit up.

But He Lin didn’t let him go, instead reaching out with his other hand to hold the back of Li Shang’s neck.

The two of them locked eyes, each able to see their own reflection in the other’s gaze.

After a moment, Li Shang was the first to lower his eyelashes.

He Lin, however, didn’t feel like he had won this staring contest. Gazing at Li Shang’s long, delicate eyelashes, it was hard not to let his mind wander. As his thoughts raced, he couldn’t help but remark, "Your eyelashes are so long."

Only when Li Shang looked ready to hit him did He Lin reluctantly withdraw his gaze and release him.

As soon as He Lin let go, the bangs on Li Shang’s forehead fell down. He hadn’t had time to get a haircut this month, so his bangs were a bit long, almost covering his eyes. The hair on the sides had grown out too, the ends curling slightly against his cheeks. Further down were his smooth, clear jawline, slender neck, jade-like collarbones, and the red mole resting on one of them.

Under the living room light, He Lin’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he stared at Li Shang’s face, murmuring dreamily, "You’re so beautiful..."

Whenever he looked at that face, it gave him a feeling of eternity in a single glance, as if... it was a fated meeting.

Sensing He Lin’s affection, Li Shang smiled slightly, his eyes shifting gently as he chuckled softly. "Beautiful? I don’t think so..."

He didn’t like his current appearance—his skin was too pale, he was too thin, his lips were pale and thin, making it obvious that he wasn’t in the best health.

He wished he could go back to the way he was when he was Rong Qing, with sharp eyes and brows, cheeks that were slightly pale but lips that were always rosy. It seemed only that spirited young man could wholeheartedly enjoy He Lin’s love and always have the courage to express his own.

Rong Qing had the ability to protect He Lin and their love, but Li Shang... he didn’t even know when he might collapse, let alone protect others or hold onto love.

But He Lin gently shook his head.

True beauty lies in the bone, not the skin.

He felt that Li Shang was like a thin sheet of rice paper—slim figure, ice-pale complexion, exuding a fragile yet unyielding dignity.

He carried the calm of someone who had weathered countless storms, along with a seasoned air of authority. Always composed, unflappable, and effortlessly graceful, it fascinated He Lin endlessly.

"Li Shang..." He Lin didn’t say much, merely softly calling his name, yet it felt as though a thousand words had been spoken.

As if touched by inspiration, Li Shang seemed to hear the words He Lin hadn’t voiced aloud. He leaned in, kissed the corner of He Lin’s mouth, and whispered, "If you want to kiss me, just do it. No need to hold back..."

Before he could finish, He Lin pounced on him, pressing him into the sofa, covering his eyes and lips with gentle, lingering kisses.

He Lin was like an insatiable puppy, savoring the taste of something exquisite, until a certain part of him pressed against Li Shang’s leg, prompting He Lin to spring up abruptly.

"I still have clothes to wash in the kitchen—no, wait, there are dishes in the bathroom I haven’t cleaned up yet. I’m going to take a shower first. You rest a bit more."

As He Lin fled in a fluster, Li Shang’s unrestrained laughter followed behind him.

It wasn’t until the sound of water running in the bathroom started that Li Shang stopped laughing. Giving the little puppy a small "punishment" had eased his mind and body considerably.

At that moment, Li Shang’s expression was unusually relaxed and cheerful, but the old injuries inside him were like a reality check, pulling him back to reality just as he was immersed in the tenderness and affection with He Lin.

A dull pain in his chest froze the smile that hadn’t yet faded from Li Shang’s face. He pressed a hand to his heart, gasping for breath.

Fortunately, the medicine was in his pocket, and the water glass was on the coffee table nearby, still warm.

After taking the medicine, Li Shang leaned back on the sofa, enduring the dull pain in his chest while listening to the sound of water from the bathroom. He didn’t want He Lin to discover his weakness, at least not today.

He Lin emerged from the bathroom after three rounds of cold showers, his body still carrying a chill that barely suppressed the restlessness within him.

Not yet... He Lin thought to himself. Li Shang’s body was still too weak. Besides, what he wanted was a lasting future walking hand in hand with Li Shang, not a night of passion followed by parting ways.

He Lin understood that Li Shang had his reservations, but he was willing to wait—wait for Li Shang to gradually open his heart to him, wait until they could truly be honest with each other. When that time came, he would offer both his heart and body to Li Shang.