Chapter 52: Palm

Chapter 52 Palm

In the crowded flow of people, the phone that had fallen to the ground was completely trampled by the crowd.

Lin Shenshi was pulled up by Qi Lian, who grabbed his arm, which saved him from being stepped on by those behind him.

Realizing his earlier recklessness, Lin Shenshi felt a surge of fear.

The palm gripping his arm gripped him like a vise, keeping him steady in the surging crowd so he wouldn’t be knocked off balance.

They moved forward with the flow of people, Lin Shenshi shielded in front of him. Turning his head, he noticed Qi Lian was wearing a mask, covering most of his facial features.

Surrounded by a sea of people, no one recognized that the person right beside them was the currently red-hot Triple Golden Best Actor.

"You... why are you here?"

Lin Shenshi asked, dazed.

Qi Lian shot him a cold glance: "What? Only you and your boyfriend can come here, but I can’t?"

Lin Shenshi was baffled.

Why was he being so sarcastic?

But since Qi Lian had saved him, even if his tone was sharp, Lin Shenshi bit his tongue.

The surge of the crowd gradually subsided as the headliner took the stage. People screamed and shouted the idol’s name, the noise roaring and the atmosphere exceptionally lively. When the prelude began, everyone stopped shouting in unison, waving glow sticks silently and swaying with the beat.

Qi Lian finally released his grip on Lin Shenshi’s arm and pulled out his phone and made a call.

"Yes... my friend’s phone fell in the venue... Yeah, notify me if there’s any news."

After hanging up, Qi Lian noticed Lin Shenshi’s gaze and raised an eyebrow: "What are you looking at?"

Lin Shenshi: "......"

At a rare species.

In the original book, Qi Lian was an extreme egoist, never went out of his way to help others.

What was with him today?

Not only did he save him from being trampled in the crowd, but he also volunteered to contact the organizers to help find his lost phone?

Though puzzled, Lin Shenshi could only smile awkwardly: "Nothing."

After a pause, he added: "Thank you."

Qi Lian looked at him with a half-smile: "This is already the second time you’ve thanked me today."

Once in the bamboo forest.

Once now.

Thinking back carefully, Lin Shenshi realized Qi Lian always seemed to appear right on time when he was in danger.

"If you really want to thank me, then how about..." Qi Lian suddenly leaned in closer, his well-defined, thin lips parting slightly, but his voice was drowned out by the crowd’s roar.

The performance had reached its climax. The singer on stage held the microphone forward, signaling the fans below to sing along with him.

Wave after wave of singing echoed in their ears, and Lin Shenshi couldn’t help but lean closer to Qi Lian.

"What?"

The thin lips moved, and those slightly upturned phoenix eyes reflected the multicolored glow of the glow sticks, shimmering with an unfathomable depth beneath the brilliance.

Lin Shenshi still couldn’t hear clearly, blinking, confused, but Qi Lian had already drawn back, looking down at him with a meaningful smile.

Lin Shenshi wanted to ask again, but someone suddenly pushed through the crowd.

"Xiao Shi."

Accompanied by a familiar call, the youth’s stunning face appeared before him.

"Ah Zhao?!"

Lin Shenshi was both surprised and delighted, completely unaware that Yu Lanzhao had seemingly unintentionally squeezed into the space between him and Qi Lian, blocking their view of each other.

Yu Lanzhao gripped his hand tightly, concern filling his eyes: "Xiao Shi, it was so crowded earlier, did you get hurt?"

"I’m fine." Mentioning the crowd, Lin Shenshi grew curious, "Ah Zhao, with so many people in the square, how did you find me?"

"Wherever Xiao Shi is, I can find you."

Yu Lanzhao’s answer was cryptic, and Lin Shenshi ruffled his hair, puzzled.

The way Ah Zhao said it didn’t sound like an answer at all, more like sweet talk to charm a little girl.

But after a moment, Lin Shenshi figured out the reason.

There were many people in the square, but very few as tall as Qi Lian. With such a "lamppost" standing nearby, it wasn’t too hard to find him.

This time, Yu Lanzhao held his hand tightly, and no matter how the crowd jostled, they couldn’t be separated again.

Sensing a burning gaze on their joined hands, Lin Shenshi turned to look, but Qi Lian had already looked away and slipped off through the gaps in the crowd without a word.

Lin Shenshi: "......"

Instinctively, Lin Shenshi wanted to call out to Qi Lian, but then he remembered Ah Zhao was still by his side. For safety’s sake, he suppressed the thought.

After the headlining singer’s performance ended, a few lesser-known singers took the stage to fill time, and then the music festival completely concluded.

Even as they exited and left, Lin Shenshi didn’t see Qi Lian again.

Only when lining up to leave the venue was he stopped by staff at the entrance.

"Are you... Lin Shenshi?"

Lin Shenshi looked at the staff member wearing a red cap and nodded: "Yes, that’s me."

"Someone asked me to return this to you."

The staff handed him his phone. Apart from slight cracks on the corner of the tempered glass screen protector, the rest of the phone was miraculously undamaged.

"Someone"...

Who would have thought Qi Lian, who left midway, still remembered to help him find his phone.

Lin Shenshi silently took it, his emotions complex.

After the incident with Lu Yuan, he began to question this world. Lu Yuan could deviate from the original setting and not fall in love with the protagonist, and Qi Lian no longer seemed to be the selfish and ruthless person described in the book...

So, could it be that this world isn’t that R-rated BL novel at all?

But if not, then where exactly is this place he transmigrated to? And why are the characters here exactly the same as those mentioned in that book?

Lost in thought, Lin Shenshi walked back to the hotel along the same path. The whole way, Yu Lanzhao kept his head down, also seeming downcast.

"Ah Zhao, what’s wrong? Didn’t you enjoy yourself?"

Yu Lanzhao forced a smile and shook his head. "No, I had a great time."

Sensing the young man was hiding something, Lin Shenshi stopped walking, took his hand to face him, and said seriously, "Ah Zhao, didn’t we agree that from now on, you’d tell me whatever’s on your mind or if you run into any trouble, instead of handling it all alone?"

Yu Lanzhao pressed his lips tightly together, seeming to struggle internally. After a moment, he lowered his head and squeezed Lin Shenshi’s hand tightly.

"Xiao Shi, I’m sorry."

"It’s all my fault—I failed to protect you earlier."

Lin Shenshi: "What do you mean by that?"

"If I had held your hand tighter just now, you wouldn’t have been jostled by the crowd and almost hurt."

The young man’s eyes were filled with guilt and regret. He bit his lower lip so hard that his teeth left pale marks on it. Any harder, and he might’ve broken the skin.

Lin Shenshi quickly reassured him, "It’s not your fault. In fact, if you’d held on tighter, both of us could have been hurt."

"Besides, Ah Zhao..." Lin Shenshi said with a sigh, "You’re younger than me. If anyone should be protecting anyone, it should be me protecting you. Since when does the younger brother protect the older one?"

At this, Lin Shenshi suddenly realized that Yu Lanzhao had never called him "brother." From the very beginning of their freshman year until now, he had always called him "Xiao Shi."

Now, Lin Shenshi couldn’t help but feel playful. He pinched the young man’s soft, youthful cheek and said, "Come on, call me 'Gege.'"

Yu Lanzhao was torn between laughter and annoyance. "Xiao Shi..."

"No, no! Call me 'Gege,' or 'Shi-ge,' 'Xiao Shi-ge,' 'Shenshi-ge'... Hey? Ah Zhao, don’t run off!"

Yu Lanzhao dodged and walked ahead, while Lin Shenshi chased after him. "Why won’t you call me 'Gege'? Just say it once, please?"

Under the streetlights, the two chased each other, their breath forming white puffs in the cold winter night. After a while, Lin Shenshi grew tired and gave up, hands on his knees. "Alright, alright, I can’t catch up. I give up."

Yu Lanzhao stood there catching his breath, then walked over and extended his hand.

Lin Shenshi took it but, as he stood up, suddenly interlocked their fingers tightly, making it impossible to pull away. "Aha! I caught you!"

Under the orange streetlight, the young man laughed heartily. After a brief moment of surprise, Yu Lanzhao silently accepted the firm grip.

Xiao Shi’s fingers were slender and smooth, yet somehow different from what he remembered.

Once, in the dead of night, Yu Lanzhao had sat by Lin Shenshi’s bed, comparing their palms, only to see his own hand was smaller and shorter.

But now, his palm was almost the same size as Xiao Shi’s, and he could even take the initiative when their fingers interlocked.

He turned his hand over, pulling him off-balance closer. Yu Lanzhao lowered his gaze with a faint smile, meeting Lin Shenshi’s eyes.

"Guess you got me."

It was late at night when they returned to the hotel.

*

Thinking about the accommodation for the night, Lin Shenshi was worried.

At noon, Brother Wang had replied to him on WeChat.

["Yeah, any room’s fine."]

But when Lin Shenshi suggested to Yu Lanzhao that he switch rooms with Brother Wang, Yu Lanzhao refused without hesitation.

"Xiao Shi, if we switch, we do it together. Otherwise, I’m not going anywhere."

Left with no choice, Lin Shenshi approached Brother Wang’s temporary roommates—Senior Li and Senior Du—to negotiate.

Senior Li refused outright his request. Senior Du thought it was a hassle but, upon hearing that Lin Shenshi and the others would take care of moving all the luggage, eventually agreed.

However, just as they were about to start, Senior Du noticed Qi Lian’s personal belongings in the room, his face changed dramatically, and he immediately changed his mind, grabbing his things and returning to his original room without looking back.

No matter how much they tried to persuade him, he couldn’t be swayed.

Lin Shenshi also tried asking others, but since they weren’t very familiar with each other, even if someone was willing at first, they all shook their heads upon hearing they’d have to share a room with Actor Qi.

The room-switching plan was completely stalled before it could even be implemented.

Lin Shenshi sighed.

So... all that talk about being helpful and kind-hearted was just an illusion, right? Qi Lian’s intimidating film emperor image was no different from the original book after all!

It seemed tonight was destined to be another sleepless night! This time, he absolutely couldn’t afford to fall asleep!

As long as they made it through tonight, tomorrow, after the music festival ended and the visitors left, they could move out and get away from Qi Lian.

When the two returned to their room, it was dark, with a faint scent of incense lingering in the air. The bed by the window had a lump under the covers—apparently, Qi Lian had returned at some point and gone to bed early.

Lin Shenshi and Yu Lanzhao exchanged a glance, both feeling somewhat relieved.

Hopefully, tonight would be as uneventful as last night.

After a quick wash-up, they returned to their respective beds. Yu Lanzhao held his hand and wished him good night.

This time, Lin Shenshi didn’t dare close his eyes. Whenever he felt drowsy, he pinched his thigh hard.

But somehow, the scent of incense in the air seeped into his nostrils, and his head grew foggy and heavy. He faintly sensed something was wrong, but before his brain could react, it started to fade.

The last thing he saw was someone sitting up by the window, their deep gaze like that of a beast in the dark night, glowing with an eerie green light.

Lin Shenshi: Oh no...

Ah Zhao...

The world went completely dark.