Chapter 57 Liking Isn’t Business

Chapter 57: Liking Isn't a Business Deal

The air conditioning in the living room was turned up, and Lin Haoda had been kneeling on the carpet for too long, a thin sheen of sweat forming on the back of his neck.

The ceiling lights were all off, leaving only some distant lamp whose dim yellow light cast his shadow diagonally across the floor, the night taking on a seductive, romantic air.

The TV screen was still on, but a different movie was playing. The remote control had somehow ended up in Guan Junshan's hand, and he pressed the mute button, so the air was only occasionally punctuated by sounds that didn't belong to the film.

It swelled in his mouth. Lin Haoda swallowed with effort, his jaw raised high but unable to take it all, instead forcing saliva to drip everywhere.

He nudged it with the tip of his tongue, but finally couldn't help spitting it all out, muttering vague complaints, sitting on the carpet in a daze, gasping for air.

Guan Junshan tossed the remote aside, his hand sliding down along the sofa, slowly reaching his face, his neck.

His voice was also a little breathless. Lin Haoda heard him call his name very low, and his heart gave a numb little flutter, blurting out: "Do you want to continue?"

Guan Junshan's fingers touched his nose bridge, but he didn't speak. Lin Haoda looked up at his eyes. The night was deep and thick, and Guan Junshan's eyes seemed almost to sink into it.

Lin Haoda lowered his head slightly, parted his lips, carefully retracting his teeth. He tried sucking gently on Guan Junshan, not enough to be stimulating, but just the right amount of tenderness.

Guan Junshan pinched his earlobe, his breathing a little heavier, calling him in a low voice: "Baby."

Lin Haoda shifted slightly, his clothes brushing against the floor with a rustling sound. His calf was numb, and he pulled back a little, changed his position, one hand bracing against Guan Junshan's thigh.

Guan Junshan's fingers were very composed, leisurely circling the skin at the back of Lin Haoda's neck, gently brushing away his sweat. But the muscle on his thigh was the complete opposite. Whenever Lin Haoda swallowed deep and fast, the muscles under his palm would tense up excitedly, hard and firm, digging into his fingertips.

By the end, Lin Haoda's senses were blurry, maybe because tears had welled up in his eyes.

His lips were scalding, wet and red, as if they had sparked a fire. Lin Haoda pulled away early, but Guan Junshan grabbed the back of his neck to keep him from going too far. The tip was twitching, burning hot, the opening wet and slick, and finally came right against the corner of his mouth.

Lin Haoda knelt on the carpet, breathing in a daze, and after a long moment, he reached up and wiped his face, but didn't dare look down at it. His thin chest rose and fell.

Guan Junshan still held his wrist, leaning in close, kissing the corner of Lin Haoda's mouth. Both of their lips were now unclean, the taste unpleasant. Lin Haoda hurriedly tried to dodge, but Guan Junshan used two fingers to tilt his chin up, and in the next second easily pried open Lin Haoda's teeth.

Guan Junshan sucked on the tip of his tongue, forcing Lin Haoda to tilt his head back slightly. The tears that hadn't yet evaporated spilled down his chin. Before he could even react, Guan Junshan's breathing faltered first.

The next second, Lin Haoda was pulled into a tight embrace, hearing Guan Junshan murmur against his lips, apologizing vaguely, and asking if it was that uncomfortable.

Lin Haoda originally wanted to say it was okay, because it was Guan Junshan, so psychologically he felt like he was doing something similar to kissing.

But in the end, he couldn't say anything. Guan Junshan not only held him but also pushed him down onto the carpet, looking down at Lin Haoda from above in the dim, hazy light, and said, whether in praise or as a question: "How are you so good at being endearing?"

Being endearing was just fine. Lin Haoda lay content on the carpet, slowly closing his eyes.

He suffocated in a world full of Guan Junshan's scent, his heart feeling weightless, falling to a place no one else could reach.

That night they slept in the master bedroom. Lin Haoda didn't have time to choose, because Guan Junshan was the one who carried him to the room.

In the dark, the two bedrooms looked almost the same, aside from slight differences in orientation and furniture placement. After washing up, Lin Haoda was about to turn on the desk lamp to reply to some messages when the door opened and Guan Junshan walked in.

He was wearing a bathrobe, his hair wet, water droplets forming a line from the ends of his hair sliding down to his collarbone. Lin Haoda looked up at him, momentarily stunned. "You..."

Guan Junshan didn't answer, lifted the covers on the other side, and got into bed. Lin Haoda felt the mattress bounce lightly twice and froze, not daring to move.

Guan Junshan acted as if he didn't notice his expression, pulled a laptop out from under his arm, placed it on his lap, and without a word began writing emails in the dim light.

Seeing this, Lin Haoda swallowed the words at the tip of his tongue and silently turned up the desk lamp.

When he woke up the next morning, Guan Junshan was nowhere to be seen.

The curtains were half-closed, letting a few rays of dim light into the room. It was an overcast day, so the light was dull and not glaring.

Lin Haoda stretched, reaching out a hand to feel the spot beside him. The sheets were still warm. It hadn't all been an illusion.

He sat up slowly, touched the pajamas on his body—buttons done up all the way to the top—then turned his head to look at the bedside table, where Guan Junshan's laptop from last night was still casually placed.

Lin Haoda blinked up at the unfamiliar ceiling, tossed and turned for a bit, and suddenly heard faint voices from outside the door.

Guan Junshan's voice was always deep, and through the door Lin Haoda could vaguely hear him speaking at length.

The details were hard to make out. Lin Haoda pressed his lips together, accidentally tugging at a wound, and hissed through his teeth.

His lips were still hot, the heat never fading. When he had washed up last night, Lin Haoda had noticed several small wounds inside his mouth from slight scrapes—his own inexperience—he'd forgotten to keep his teeth out of the way.

Lin Haoda rinsed his mouth, slipped on a jacket, and was about to go out when the door was pushed open from the outside.

Guan Junshan was fully dressed and standing in the doorway. He looked surprised to see Lin Haoda. "Up already?"

Lin Haoda clutched his phone, nodded, and murmured an "mm-hm" in agreement.

"Breakfast is ready." Guan Junshan opened the door fully, then stepped back to make room. "There's whole wheat toast, fried eggs, and porridge. What do you like?"

"Porridge." Lin Haoda opened his mouth, took a step forward, then added, "Anything's fine."

He walked on the carpet in his slippers. As he passed the living room, he suddenly turned to glance at the sofa, then quickly looked away, the tips of his ears turning a little red. Guan Junshan followed behind, catching his every reaction perfectly. He smiled slightly, stepped forward half a pace, held his waist, and asked in a low voice: "Did you sleep well last night?"

Lin Haoda, caught off guard by the warm breath on the back of his neck, immediately felt his face heat up. "...Tonight I'll go to the guest bedroom myself."

Guan Junshan was silent for a few seconds, then asked: "Did I disturb you?"

Lin Haoda shook his head, saying "No," unwilling to admit that it was because of all the close contact over the past two days that he had become more and more unsure how to face Guan Junshan. To put it simply, he was shy.

If they were to cuddle and be affectionate every day, that would be one thing. But after kissing and sleeping together, waking up the next morning to see Guan Junshan fully dressed, with a stern look on his face, standing there—he was just as intimidating, making Lin Haoda dare not recall the previous night's events at all.

Guan Junshan stood behind him, looking down and seeing him biting his lip without speaking, thought he was reluctant. The smile on his face faded. "I thought you were willing too."

"..." Lin Haoda stared at the tips of his shoes, easily embarrassed, unable to speak.

Being willing in his heart was one thing, but how long had they even known each other's feelings? Counting on his fingers, it had only been a few days. Apart from the most intimate act, they had already done everything else that should and shouldn't be done. Lin Haoda's personality was naturally soft; it was half reluctance, half acquiescence. Did Guan Junshan have to force him to admit it out loud? He wanted it all—to have his cake and eat it, too.

Lin Haoda turned his head, his gaze falling on the briefcase by the sofa. He cleared his throat, changing the subject: "When are you going to work?"

Guan Junshan glanced in that direction, said flatly: "I'll leave in a little while."

Lin Haoda was quiet for a moment, then said: "Then I'll go have breakfast with you."

After speaking, he slightly raised the hand hanging at his side, his little finger climbing up along Guan Junshan's palm, gently hooking it.

It was a kind of peace offering, a silent plea for mercy.

Guan Junshan let him do as he pleased, but his face didn't show it at all. He still kept a very intimidating, straight face, looking straight ahead, speaking matter-of-factly: Auntie would still come on time to clean today, and would prepare lunch for Lin Haoda. If there was anything he wanted to eat or use, he could tell her directly.

Lin Haoda agreed, pulling him toward the dining room. He knew that the more composed Guan Junshan looked on the surface, the more unhappy he was inside. As they pulled, the action somehow changed. Lin Haoda wrapped his arms around Guan Junshan's neck, whispering: "Why such a sour face?"

Guan Junshan kept one hand in his pocket, not moving, not speaking. After a moment, he turned to look out the floor-to-ceiling window, silent.

Lin Haoda's fingers traced the brooch on his chest, and he said in a muffled voice, head bowed: "It's not that I don't want to... I'm willing too."

"It's just bashfulness." Lin Haoda, burning all the way to the roots of his ears, lay against Guan Junshan's chest and analyzed himself: "At least give me some time to adjust."

"Adapt to what?" Guan Junshan reached out and put a hand on his waist, said in a low voice, "You know I don't have that much time, nor patience."

After all, he was a businessman. Businessmen never wait; they strike when they see an opportunity.

Lin Haoda looked up at Guan Junshan, wanting to say something, but finally stopped himself. "Guan Junshan," he called softly, and then, as if gathering courage, paused for a moment before saying to him, "Loving someone is not like doing business, and time cannot be used as a bargaining chip."

"I will try to get used to you," Lin Haoda looked at him intently, his eyes sparkled in the gentle morning light, making his pupils bright and clear. "Can you also learn to be a little more tolerant of me?"

After saying that, he rose on his tiptoes and closed his eyes to plant a kiss on Guan Junshan's lips.

Guan Junshan half-closed his eyes, gazing at his innocent and earnest expression. His Adam's apple rolled, and the next second he wrapped his arm around his waist, deepening the kiss.

After they parted, both were slightly out of breath.

Before Lin Haoda could say anything else, Guan Junshan kept holding him and whispered in his ear, "I'll try too."

Lin Haoda was taken aback and was about to smile, but Guan Junshan took his hand and continued, "There's one more thing I forgot to tell you."

"Hmm?" Lin Haoda looked up at him. "What is it?"

Guan Junshan gave his fingers a squeeze and said in a very casual tone, "Yang Yue is here. I asked him to stay for breakfast."

Lin Haoda blinked and turned his face towards the dining room.

They had been wrapped up in each other just moments ago, completely unaware. Behind a waist-high ornamental plant, at the sunlit dining table, the silent Yang Yue now pulled out a chair and stood up.

Lin Haoda's shoulders trembled. It was too late to push Guan Junshan away now.

Yang Yue looked calmly at Lin Haoda, still in Guan Junshan's arms, and greeted him with perfect composure:

"Good morning, Mr. Lin."