Chapter 84 You Can Chase Me Now

Chapter 84: You Can Start Chasing Me Now

The doctor finished dressing the wound, packed up his medical kit, and quietly slipped out.

Lin Wei followed him out, shooting a quick look at the two on the sofa before she left, and—with a strong survival instinct—gently pulled the door shut.

The office went quiet again.

Lu Lin looked down at his freshly bandaged hand.

The clean white gauze was wrapped neatly, making his hand look even paler and more fragile.

He stared at the bandage for a few seconds, then slowly lifted his head and looked over at the person on the single sofa.

His eyes met Shen Qingci’s, who had already looked up.

Those eyes were cold and clear as the moon, reflecting Lu Lin’s flustered look.

Lu Lin’s eyelashes fluttered, as if burned by that gaze, and he quickly dropped his eyes and looked away.

Shen Qingci picked up the coffee beside him and took a small sip.

The warm liquid slid down his throat, carrying that familiar rich flavor.

He set the cup down with a graceful, composed motion.

The cup touched the saucer with a soft clink.

“Lu Lin.”

He said, his voice light and unreadable:

“The milk thing—first and last time.”

Lu Lin snapped his head up.

A brilliant light burst into his eyes, like a spark catching fire.

He blurted out, his voice shaking with excitement:

“Brother! You forgive me?”

Shen Qingci looked at him, his cold, otherworldly face still completely expressionless.

He didn’t answer directly, just said flatly:

“It’s not about forgiveness.”

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Lu Lin’s bandaged hand, lingering a moment before moving away:

“You made a mistake, and you paid for it.”

He paused again, his voice calm and steady, then added:

“That’s enough.”

Lu Lin’s eyes instantly welled up.

He looked at Shen Qingci—that cold, almost distant face, those eyes that seemed forever unmoved—yet a huge, indescribable warmth surged inside him.

“Brother…” he called out, his voice soft and gentle, like a puppy finally getting petted by its owner, full of dependence and joy.

Shen Qingci didn’t respond.

Lu Lin didn’t care. He rubbed his injured hand, gently stroking it through the gauze with his fingertips.

After a few seconds, he spoke cautiously, his voice low, as if afraid Shen Qingci would hear, yet also afraid he wouldn’t:

“Brother… when you asked about my feelings for you earlier… what were you planning to do?”

Shen Qingci tapped his finger lightly on the top of his cane.

He didn’t answer right away, his gaze falling on the fading dusk outside the window, as if thinking.

The last ray of light from outside fell on him, gilding his cold face with a soft golden glow, making him look even more unearthly.

After a moment, he looked away, turned to Lu Lin, and said with a calmness that bordered on cold:

“To redefine our relationship.”

Lu Lin was stunned.

He blinked, like he hadn’t understood, or like he had but didn’t dare to believe it.

Redefine the relationship?

Define what relationship?

Based on his answer… redefine the relationship between them?

He felt his heart start to race.

“Thump, thump.”

Each beat heavier than the last, almost about to burst out of his chest.

His injured hand unconsciously clenched, then quickly let go from the pain.

He swallowed, his voice trembling with uncertainty:

“Brother… do you mean… we need to redefine our relationship?”

Shen Qingci nodded.

He looked at Lu Lin’s eyes, wide with nervousness, and parted his thin lips, his clear voice ringing out in the quiet office:

“What identity do you want?”

Lu Lin’s breath hitched.

He blurted it out, without thinking, without weighing anything—just the deepest voice, suppressed for years, finally breaking through every barrier:

“I want to marry you, brother!”

As the words left his mouth, even he was stunned.

But the words were out, and he couldn’t take them back—and he didn’t want to.

He stared at Shen Qingci, his eyes full of hope and fear, like a prisoner waiting for the verdict.

Shen Qingci looked at him.

His face, cold and clear as jade, was still expressionless.

After a beat, he said:

"That won't work."

Lu Lin was stunned. "Why?"

Shen Qingci answered flatly, like he was explaining something to a clueless kid:

"We're both men."

He paused, like he was figuring out how to put it more clearly:

"Although among the business partners I've dealt with before, some liked to bring male companions to various occasions, they never had any real standing—they were just... kept men."

"But I want to marry you, big brother," Lu Lin repeated stubbornly, the light in his eyes dimming a little, but still blazing as he stared at him.

Shen Qingci's brow twitched almost imperceptibly.

He tapped his finger lightly on the top of his cane, making a soft click.

After a moment, he lifted his eyes to look at Lu Lin, his voice still cold and matter-of-fact:

"No marriage."

Then he paused:

"But a lover? That's fine."

Lu Lin's eyes, which had gone dim, instantly lit back up.

Shen Qingci watched his expression change, a hint of barely noticeable amusement flickering in his eyes.

He stood up, leaning on his cane, moving with a dignified, unhurried grace, as if that conversation was no big deal.

He looked down at this man, half a head taller than him, who was now staring at him like a puppy waiting for a treat.

Then he raised his cane and tapped Lu Lin's arm with the tip.

"There. You've got your status."

His voice was calm, like it was only natural:

"Now you can court me."

He paused, his cold, clear eyes meeting Lu Lin's burning gaze, and said slowly:

"Until I fall for you."

Lu Lin was totally floored.

He looked at Shen Qingci, at that face, like jade from a painting, as if untouched by the ordinary world, at those eyes that were always so calm and collected, at those thin lips slightly pursed, and suddenly felt his eyes burn.

"Big brother..."

His voice was hoarse, trembling with barely contained excitement and surprise:

"Do you mean... I can pursue you?"

Shen Qingci didn't reply.

He just pulled back his cane, turned, and walked to his desk.

His back was lean and straight, his steps steady and unhurried, as if what he'd just said was nothing special.

But to Lu Lin, that back seemed to glow.

He sat on the sofa, watching Shen Qingci walk behind the desk and sit down, watching that cold, dignified figure pick up the papers on the desk again, watching those slender fingers flip through the pages.

Suddenly, he let out a "hehe" chuckle.

Shen Qingci looked up and shot him a faint glance.

Lu Lin immediately suppressed his smile, but the light in his eyes couldn't be hidden.

It was too bright, so bright that Shen Qingci had to look away.

He lowered his head and continued reading the documents, as if nothing had happened.

Only his fingertips, as they turned the pages, seemed to move a little slower than usual.