Chapter 31 I Want to Kiss You

Chapter 31: I Want to Kiss You

In the afternoon, Lin Zaishan’s car was towed away because he parked it in the wrong spot while at the teahouse. When he came out, the car was gone. Meng Lang and Li Ranyu were still upstairs drinking tea; only the pretty boy came down to see him off. Lin Zaishan was about to call his driver, but Yu Yizhou insisted on driving him personally.

He didn’t bother to be polite, since there were things he couldn’t say in front of Meng Lang and the others earlier. Now that they were alone, it was a good opportunity for a proper chat. So he thanked him and got into Yu Yizhou’s car.

On the way, he didn’t hold back—he asked the whole way about Yuan Che’s time on the island. That was his advantage now: no matter how much you two little fags shared a secret understanding, you couldn’t make it public. Several times during the ride, Lin Zaishan sensed Yu Yizhou trying to steer the conversation toward him, but he deliberately dodged the topic, refusing to discuss anything personal, only talking about Yuan Che.

So what? He was Yuan Che’s legitimate brother-in-law, and secretly his only husband. No matter how uncomfortable Yu Yizhou felt, he had to put up with it.

This one-sided “bullying” of the little husband continued the whole way. Just before getting out, for some reason, Yu Yizhou voluntarily added him on WeChat. Lin Zaishan didn’t hesitate—if he wanted to add, then add—and directly gave him his phone number.

But to assert his dominance on social media, he intentionally didn’t accept the friend request immediately, planning to go home and pin the photo of him eating at Lin Yajun’s place. That meal was nothing special, but the key was that Yuan Che appeared half in the frame—enough to make certain people see the situation clearly.

After all this maneuvering, his mind was completely occupied with how to put the pretty boy in his place. He didn’t even notice that he’d left his coat in Yu Yizhou’s car until Yuan Che mentioned it.

“I left my coat at Yu Yizhou’s place,” he said, holding Yuan Che, his tone as casual as ever.

Strangely, saying it out loud made him feel more at ease. Probably because he’d sorted through the logic on the way. Now, his eyes held no fear of the fag—only the competitive drive to charm the fag and put the pretty boy in his place.

“You went to meet Yu Yizhou??”

Yuan Che sat up abruptly, easily pulling away from that warm but brief embrace. Frowning, he stared at Lin Zaishan with obvious displeasure.

“When did that happen?”

The sudden movement made Lin Zaishan realize once again that the person in his arms wasn’t some frail little wife, but a strong, full-grown man. The reason he hadn’t broken free earlier was simply because he didn’t want to.

“I’m asking you a question!” Yuan Che urged, his tone still gentle but clearly anxious. His brows were knitted together as he stared straight at Lin Zaishan.

“Oh, right, I did see him.” Lin Zaishan recovered from his daze and glanced at him guiltily. For some reason, he instinctively lied. “Um… Meng Lang called me over. I didn’t know it was your friend’s place.”

He paused, his mind racing as he continued fabricating: “You know he’s acquainted with that crowd—they said they wanted to go to a resort. I figured I should take you along, so I’m telling you right now, as soon as I got home.”

After he said this, the other person’s expression visibly improved.

Lin Zaishan pressed his advantage, moving closer to Yuan Che and grabbing his hand, his voice unbelievably tender: “So? Do you want to go with your husband?”

As he asked, his fingertips deliberately traced a circle on Yuan Che’s palm. Yuan Che’s hand was warm, and at the touch, his fingers curled involuntarily. Lin Zaishan noticed, smiled to himself, but didn’t pull away. Instead, he gently played with Yuan Che’s fingers, rubbing the pads of his fingers, pinching the tips, unhurriedly, as if playing with a fun little toy.

By the time he was done, Yuan Che’s face had already turned red before he could answer.

From his ears to his neck, a flush stood out vividly in the dim light of the car. He opened his mouth as if to say something, then pressed his lips together, just staring at their interlaced hands, his eyelashes fluttering.

Lin Zaishan watched him, a smile curling at the corners of his lips without his realizing it.

— Seriously? A love triangle? “Dear Xiaozhou”?

He tightened his fingers again, fully enclosing Yuan Che’s hand, his thumb brushing lightly over the back of it.

“I’m asking you, are you coming or not?” He asked again, his voice carrying a hint of smugness, as if he already knew the answer.

This persistent follow-up question made Yuan Che even more flustered. After a long moment, Yuan Che lifted his face to look at him, his hand still obediently being kneaded. Just as he was about to speak, the driver in the front seat quietly reminded them,

“Mr. Lin, we’ve arrived.”

The driver didn’t turn around, his tone laced with careful hesitation. Lin Zaishan looked up, about to tell him to kill the engine and wait a bit, but as soon as Yuan Che heard the driver’s voice, he yanked his hand back as if he’d been caught.

“Let’s go home first, brother-in-law.”

Yuan Che spoke in a rare, firm tone. Without even looking back at him, he opened the car door and got out. Lin Zaishan watched him, bemused, but then saw Yuan Che close the door and quickly circle around to his side, open his door, and bend down to look at him—clearly waiting for him to get out.

Lin Zaishan tilted his head, meeting his gaze for a few seconds, then let out a small laugh. He told the driver what time to pick him up the next day, then stepped out.

The door closed behind him, and the car slowly drove away. The two stood face to face in the empty parking lot, half a step apart.

Lin Zaishan gave him a once-over. The man who had been shy, ears red in the car, was now standing tall, his expression much more relaxed.

“What’s up?” He spoke first, his tone teasing. “What’s the rush?”

Yuan Che glanced at him, then looked away, saying nothing. But he didn’t leave either, just stood there, hands hanging at his sides, fingers slightly curled.

For once, Lin Zaishan was patient. He took his hand and tilted his head to look at him: “He’s just an employee. Did he spook you?”

“I’m not afraid of him,” Yuan Che said quietly, but didn’t pull away, letting him lean in.

“Then why are you in such a hurry?”

“…”

“Talk.” Lin Zaishan urged softly, giving his palm a gentle squeeze. “If you don’t say it, you’re sleeping alone tonight.”

That threat worked. Yuan Che’s body tensed slightly. He looked up at Lin Zaishan, his lips moving, but his voice dropped even lower—

“Because I want to kiss you.”

“What?” Lin Zaishan tilted his ear, not catching it.

Yuan Che didn’t repeat himself. He lifted his eyes, fixing them firmly on Lin Zaishan, his gaze steady and clear.

“I said,” his voice was low but every word came through clear, “I want to kiss you, but I don’t want any outsiders around.”

He paused, his eyes lingered on Lin Zaishan’s face for a moment, then added, “It would make you uncomfortable. I remember that.”