Chapter 57 Out of Control

Chapter 57: Out of Control

The car pulled up smooth at the villa entrance, headlights cutting through the deep night.

Lu Lin carried the sleeping Shen Qingci out of the car, his movements super careful, like he was holding some fragile, priceless treasure.

Shen Qingci's head rested on his shoulder, his breathing even and light, with a faint boozy smell. His usually cold and distant face looked unusually soft, almost childlike, in his sleep.

Uncle Fu, alerted by the noise, had already come out to greet them. Seeing Shen Qingci with his eyes closed in Lu Lin's arms, concern immediately appeared on his face: "Is he..."

"He had a bit too much to drink," Lu Lin explained in a low voice, holding Shen Qingci steady in his arms as he walked straight into the house.

Uncle Fu's gaze fell on Lu Lin's face. He keenly noticed that Lu Lin's eyes were slightly red and swollen, clearly from crying.

He silently stepped aside, watching as Lu Lin carried the man up the stairs. His tall, straight silhouette, under the staircase light, revealed a careful tenderness that was nothing like his usual bossy self.

But that tenderness only showed up when Shen Qingci was around.

Upstairs in the master bedroom, Lu Lin gently placed Shen Qingci on the soft bed, removed his shoes and socks, and draped the blanket loosely over him.

Shen Qingci seemed somewhat uncomfortable in his sleep, his brow slightly furrowed as he let out a vague nasal sound.

Lu Lin sat by the bed, his gaze so soft it could melt.

He reached out, carefully smoothed a few strands of hair on Shen Qingci's forehead that had become slightly messy from earlier movements, his fingertips lingering over his smooth forehead.

After watching him for a bit, he got up to grab a clean pair of cotton pajamas from the dressing room to change Shen Qingci into.

However, when he turned around with the pajamas, the bed was empty.

Lu Lin's heart tightened. He looked around frantically, only to see Shen Qingci had somehow sat up on his own, standing barefoot on the carpet not far away, head down, focused on unbuttoning his shirt.

His movements were slow and clumsy from the booze, yet strangely persistent.

One button, two... his pale chest and sharp collarbones gradually revealed themselves under the warm yellow light.

Lu Lin stood there frozen, holding the pajamas, his mind going blank.

Shen Qingci seemed dissatisfied with the restraint of his clothes. After unbuttoning his shirt, he whipped it off and tossed it on the floor like it was nothing.

Then, his fingers went to the buckle of his pants.

A soft click as the belt came loose.

Lu Lin's breath hitched, his eyes widening. Only when Shen Qingci began to unzip his pants did he snap out of it like he'd been burned, darting over and grabbing Shen Qingci's hand, which was already halfway down his zipper.

"Bro!" his voice was urgent and low, filled with indescribable tension and a barely restrained roughness, "Don't—don't take 'em off!"

Shen Qingci, hindered by his grip, looked up, annoyed, his brow furrowing even more.

He didn't even look at Lu Lin's face, just stared at the hand blocking him, then raised his other hand and gave a light but firm slap on Lu Lin's hand.

"Move," he said with a drunk, stubborn, matter-of-fact tone, his voice slurred, "I wanna take a shower."

A shower?!

Lu Lin felt a rush of heat go straight to his head, the hand holding Shen Qingci's started to burn.

He fought with everything he had to suppress the sudden, wildfire-like restlessness and desire ignited within him.

"Alright, alright, a shower..." he barely got the words out through gritted teeth, his voice hoarse, "Bro, let me help you."

He didn't dare let Shen Qingci undress himself anymore. He could only half coaxing, half forcing take Shen Qingci's arm, guiding him step by step, real slow, toward the bathroom.

Shen Qingci seemed to find his pace too slow, trying to shake him off impatiently, but his legs were like jelly, forcing him to lean on Lu Lin.

Those few steps felt like walking on a knife's edge for Lu Lin, sweat beading on his forehead.

Finally reaching the bathroom door, Lu Lin basically shoved Shen Qingci inside, then quickly closed the door, leaning against it, letting out a long, shaky breath.

The sound of rushing water came from inside, along with the faint sound of Shen Qingci knocking something over.

Lu Lin's heart tightened again, but he didn't dare go back in.

He was afraid he'd lose control.

After a long while, the water stopped.

A little later, the bathroom door slid open from inside.

Shen Qingci walked out.

He was only loosely draped in a white bathrobe, the belt tied carelessly, the collar open, revealing a patch of skin pink from the steam.

His damp black hair clung to his fair cheeks and neck, water droplets sliding down his sharp jawline, disappearing into the robe.

Below the hem of the robe were two long, slender, perfectly shaped calves.

A beauty stepping out of the bath, surrounded by misty steam and laziness, was even more stunning than when he was undressing earlier.

Lu Lin's heart, which had just barely calmed down, immediately started pounding even harder.

He reacted almost instantly, awkwardly and embarrassingly frozen in place, his face burning red as he instinctively turned his head away, not daring to look.

Shen Qingci, however, seemed completely unaware. He walked unsteadily to the sofa on one side of the room, lounged lazily, then raised his eyes to look at Lu Lin, still frozen by the bathroom door with his back turned, and commanded matter-of-factly in a voice slightly hoarse from the steam:

"Come here, blow-dry my hair."

Lu Lin's back stiffened, and he responded dryly with an "Oh."

He took several deep breaths before barely suppressing the physical discomfort, moving stiffly to fetch the hairdryer, then shuffled over to the sofa at an extremely slow, almost crawling pace.

He didn't dare look at Shen Qingci, only lowered his head, carefully lifting his damp, slightly long strands of hair, turning on the hairdryer to the gentlest warm setting, and began to blow-dry.

His fingers passed through the soft, cool hair, the tip of his nose filled with the faint fragrance of Shen Qingci's bath, mixed with the lingering, very faint scent of alcohol.

Lu Lin's fingertips trembled uncontrollably, every accidental touch like plucking at his taut nerves.

Shen Qingci seemed to enjoy the warm air and gentle service. He relaxed against the sofa back, his eyes half-closed, long eyelashes casting quiet shadows beneath his eyes.

Soon, the sound of even, shallow breathing came.

Lu Lin stopped his movements, looking at Shen Qingci's defenseless sleeping face, his heart filled with tenderness, along with a fiercely suppressed, surging love and desire.

He gently put down the hairdryer, carefully lifted Shen Qingci in his arms, walked back to the bed, placed him down softly, and covered him with the blanket.

Lu Lin sat by the bed, his gaze like iron drawn to a magnet, unable to move from Shen Qingci's face.

Finally, his eyes fixed on those slightly parted, moist, glossy lips.

Reason told him he should leave immediately.

But the longing deep in his body and soul was like a beast breaking free from its cage.

He slowly leaned down, holding his breath, and with extreme gentleness, pressed his lips against that soft warmth.