Chapter 19: Lips

Chapter 19 Lips

Lin Shenshi’s lips were soft and alluring, like the heart of a poppy, leaving one insatiably craving more after just a taste.

The fleeting, electric tingle coursed through Yu Lanzhao’s entire body, leaving him frozen in place, his dark pupils trembling as a profound, murky intensity swirled within his eyes.

Moments later, Yu Lanzhao slowly straightened his upper body. He gently drew the quilt from the young man’s embrace and carefully draped it over him.

Don’t rush things.

Yu Lanzhao cautioned himself.

His Xiao Shi would, without a doubt, be his.

So… slowly. Their first kiss, their first night—everything had to happen when Xiao Shi was fully awake and aware.

*

As midterm exams drew near, students’ lives became increasingly hectic.

The once-empty study rooms were now overflowing, and rehearsal spaces were so scarce they were nearly impossible to book. Fortunately, Lin Shenshi had secured an off-campus rehearsal room in advance, saving them a major headache.

Every evening, Lin Shenshi would practice for an hour or two. Sometimes Yu Lanzhao would join him, but most of the time, he had to work extra shifts at the convenience store.

"I wonder what’s keeping the convenience store so busy?"

Lin Shenshi finished rehearsal, packed his things, and headed back to school. As he walked along the roadside, he suddenly heard a familiar voice.

A massive screen on an office building displayed a video—an interview recorded after a commercial event.

A devilishly handsome face was magnified countless times, yet even under such scrutiny, not a single flaw could be found.

Qi Lian’s features seemed like the most perfect creation of the heavens. Whether from the front, the side, or even an unflattering low-angle shot, he effortlessly commanded the camera, projecting his most exquisite self onto the screen.

He captivated all ages, regardless of gender.

Winning countless hearts.

The reporter fortunate enough to interview him was a devoted fangirl. After a burst of excited chatter, the fangirl’s voice trembled as she asked, "Actor Qi, it’s rumored that the S+ blockbuster 'Long Moon Star River' is in talks with you. Online, there’s widespread buzz that you’ll play the male lead, with many netizens praising you as the destined choice for the role. Do you have anything you’d like to share with everyone about this?"

Qi Lian wore a polished smile. "I’m truly honored by everyone’s affection and affirmation, but I can’t reveal more details at the moment. If I’m fortunate enough to take part, I’ll be sure to share the news with everyone on Weibo as soon as possible."

Lin Shenshi pursed his lips.

According to the original story, by this point, Qi Lian had already signed the contract with the production team and was merely waiting to join the set next month. Yet here he was, still playing coy.

Qi Lian was the type to only reveal three parts of ten to the public, keeping the rest hidden.

In the original book, he kept the protagonist submissive, taking him in every corner of the room at night, while by day, he’d smile for the cameras, maintaining the persona of a single young man.

If the protagonist hadn’t been male, the next emergency PR statement would have read, "Yes, we have a child."

Qi Lian’s hypocritical and official response faded into the background as Lin Shenshi turned a corner and returned to school.

He made his way familiarly to the office on the 8th floor. Lu Yuan had already prepared paper and pen, though today, Lu Yuan was nowhere to be seen.

"Why is everyone busy all of a sudden?"

Yu Lanzhao wasn’t in the dorm, and Lu Yuan wasn’t in the office either. Lin Shenshi found himself with some unexpected peace.

He efficiently began writing replies. Starting yesterday, among the writing tools Lu Yuan provided, there were glitter gel pens that produced colorful handwriting with sparkling crystal fragments, shimmering like a galaxy when light hit them.

Lin Shenshi worked until 10 p.m., but Lu Yuan still hadn’t returned. He stretched, packed up, and headed back to the dorm, only to find someone lying on the bed.

A slender young man lay curled up on the bed, still in his clothes.

Yu Lanzhao seemed utterly exhausted, breathing heavily and deeply, having even forgotten to take off his shoes.

Lin Shenshi couldn’t help but tut-tut: Was the convenience store run by some modern-day slave driver? How could they work the kid to this state?

Yet he had underestimated the exploitation of workers by capitalists. Yu Lanzhao left early and returned late, either working or on his way to work, nearly nodding off multiple times in class.

"Ah Zhao, are you okay?"

During a dialogue class, Lin Shenshi couldn’t help but advise him, "Let’s quit the part-time job at the convenience store and find something else."

But Yu Lanzhao shook his head, digging his nails into his thigh to stay alert.

"I’m fine, Xiao Shi. Besides... it’ll be over soon."

And so, Yu Lanzhao struggled through midterm preparations and his dawn-to-dusk part-time job, while Lin Shenshi occasionally had to face the two-faced creepy boyfriend in Lu Yuan’s office, always on guard against any sudden moves toward Yu Lanzhao.

Yu Lanzhao wore out his body, while Lin Shenshi stressed out his mind.

Time passed day by day, and soon the midterm exams arrived quietly amid a forecasted cold wave. They struggled through the chaos and finally wrapped up the hectic week on Friday afternoon.

The dormitory buzzed with excitement. Students, relieved after exams, eagerly made plans for the weekend.

Some planned to stay in and play games, others arranged to go out for hot pot, and those who lived nearby packed their bags to visit their parents over the weekend.

Yu Lanzhao walked into the dorm, looking worn out.

He had rushed to his part-time job right after the exam and didn’t return until 9 p.m.

The young man looked surprised at the similarly just-returned youth. "Xiao Shi, why are you back so late too?"

Lin Shenshi took off his sweater and changed into his light-yellow bear-patterned pajamas, mumbling vaguely, "Yeah, I just went out for a bit."

The glimpse of the youth’s trim waist caught Yu Lanzhao off guard, his mind going blank. He didn’t even process the response, nodding absently instead.

Remembering what he had meant to say, Yu Lanzhao spoke up, "Xiao Shi, everyone’s making plans for the weekend. Do you... have anything in mind?"

Lin Shenshi lay on the bed, his legs dangling over the edge and swaying. "Not really." Nothing besides being an unpaid laborer in Lu Yuan’s office, anyway.

"How about going shopping?" Yu Lanzhao suggested. "I heard the commercial street has lots of new stores, and it’s really lively, especially the night market. There’s even a fireworks show."

"Sure! It’s been ages since I went shopping!" Lin Shenshi sat up abruptly. "But don’t you have your part-time job at the convenience store on Saturday afternoon?"

"Not going," Yu Lanzhao said lightly.

Makes sense, after being busy for almost two weeks, he deserved a few days off.

"Then I’ll look up some ideas!" Lin Shenshi enthusiastically opened his phone, fingers swiftly scrolling across the screen.

Under the room’s light, faintly unwashed glitter particles shimmered on the side of his right hand.

Yu Lanzhao’s fledgling smile froze on his face.

He recognized those specks.

They were from the decorative glitter pens Lu Yuan specially prepared for fan letters—each speck shimmered with an iridescent silver, very distinctive.

He had never seen them anywhere else.

Yu Lanzhao felt his lips and tongue grew dry. He wanted to ask, but his throat felt choked.

Every remaining speck of glitter felt like a needle, each one piercing his heart; the sharp pain made it almost impossible to stand.

A dark storm churned in his gaze as he looked at the cheerful person in front of him. Yu Lanzhao could hardly resist the urge to forcefully pin him down on the bed—no matter how much he struggled—to hold up the damning evidence and scream the questions shredding his heart.

"What is this?!"

"How far exactly have you and Lu Yuan gone?!"

He would kiss those longed-for lips, murmuring against his ear: "Has he ever kissed you like this?"

Then he would slip his hand under the hem of his clothes, caressing the skin he’d dreamed of: "Has he ever touched you like this?"

No matter how the person beneath him trembled, begged, or cried, he would plunge relentlessly into his body.

"Has he ever... treated you like this?"

—The fantasy came to an abrupt end.

Yu Lanzhao clenched his eyes shut, threw out a "You look first," and bolted in panic to the bathroom.

As if one more second of delay would unleash the roaring beast inside him.

"Ah Zhao?"

Lin Shenshi's call was blocked by the door. He murmured to himself, "Bathroom emergency?"

On the other side of the door,

Yu Lanzhao pressed his back against the frosted glass door, the cool touch finally clawing back his last shred of rationality.

The young man slowly opened his eyes; his dark pupils were filled with shattered despair, mixed with lingering anger and jealousy, churning turbulently.

Yu Lanzhao took a deep breath, scanning the bathroom with a grim expression. There was no water on the floor, no dirty clothes in the laundry hamper... Maybe things hadn’t reached the point he imagined.

He tried to calm himself, took a few deep breaths, and stepped back into the room.

Lin Shenshi had already browsed several restaurants and held out his phone for input.

Yu Lanzhao sank down beside the young man.

Lin Shenshi was sitting on the edge of the bed; the top of his head was level with Yu Lanzhao’s nose, and he smelled the familiar fresh scent—no trace of any unpleasant odor.

—They hadn’t been intimate.

Relieved, Yu Lanzhao finally truly heard Lin Shenshi's words.

"...I’ve been looking through options, and I think these two places are good. See which you prefer, Chinese or Western food."

Yu Lanzhao asked in return, "Which one does Xiao Shi want?"

"Me..." Lin Shenshi propped his chin in his hand, pondering. "How about Western food? The school cafeteria always has Chinese. Mixing it up could be good."

Yu Lanzhao: "Sure." Anything was fine, as long as it was with Xiao Shi.

After finalizing plans for tomorrow, Lin Shenshi suddenly realized a problem: he was originally supposed to go to Lu Yuan’s office to continue writing replies. Now he had to request time off.

Lin Shenshi picked up his phone, opened Lu Yuan’s WeChat, lifted his finger, but suddenly hesitated.

The chat history was totally empty.

—They had never actually talked on WeChat!

Would asking for leave right away be too abrupt?

After mentally preparing himself, Lin Shenshi finally moved his fingers and sent the first message in the chatbox.

[Sticker: Hello there!]

A cute simplified Q-version bunny bounced on the screen, waving enthusiastically.

Lu Yuan’s reply came quickly: "What is it?"

As they say, the hardest part is starting. The rest came easier. Lin Shenshi seized the moment and quickly typed in the dialog box:

[Teacher Lu, I have something going on this weekend.]

[Can I—]

His slender fingers flew across the screen, but before he could finish his next sentence, Lu Yuan’s reply had already come through:

[No]

Terse, cold, and left no room for discussion.