Chapter 93 Mind-Reading Game

Chapter 93: The Guessing Game

In Lin Haoda's memory, Guan Junshan seemed like two different people depending on whether he was smiling or not.

The first time he met Guan Junshan, a misunderstanding led to a small dispute. Actually, it couldn't be called a dispute; if forced to define it, it might have been a one-sided warning and reprimand — at that time, Guan Junshan sat under the chandelier of an upscale restaurant, his face cold, his words direct and hurtful. Without smiling or any extra expression, he looked even colder and harder than the chocolate dessert on the table that had just been taken out of the fridge and hadn't had time to thaw, making Lin Haoda's teeth ache for the first time.

Later, when he and Guan Junshan were secretly dating, he was fortunate enough to see him smile many times, and soon understood why a person who was so self-disciplined could have so many love affairs made up by the tabloids.

Of course, later they parted on bad terms. It was definitely not about the issue of smiling or not; it was just that Lin Haoda began to dream frequently, and in his dreams he returned many times to that top-floor restaurant with the expensive crystal chandelier.

In that imaginary restaurant where no one else existed except them, Guan Junshan, as expected, had a sullen face and said some unpleasant things. Lin Haoda sat across the table, the reflection of the crystal fringe on the pale tablecloth swayed precariously.

He tried hard to cover his ears, and even better, to tear out his heart and let it go free. When he woke up the next day, his brain, out of self-protection, forced him to forget the content of the conversation.

But Lin Haoda still remembered the embarrassment and sadness in the dream, which all came from that unsmiling, cold, and unapproachable Guan Junshan.

In the somewhat stuffy underground garage, the car window slowly rolled all the way down. Guan Junshan was wearing a formal suit, his hair neatly styled, revealing a smooth forehead and a pair of dark eyes, with not the slightest hint of a smile.

His gaze cut through the silence and fell on Lin Haoda's face, without any hint of surprise.

Instead, he rested his elbow on the car window and said in a courteous tone, "What a coincidence."

The opening line seemed deliberately clichéd. But because it was Guan Junshan, it carried a bit more credibility: "Are you here shopping too?"

Lin Haoda did not speak. He slightly moved his eyes, his gaze falling on the rearview mirror ahead. Instead, it was Pei Mingyi beside him who replied, "Good evening. We have a reservation at a restaurant upstairs."

Upon hearing this, Guan Junshan curved his lips and said, "I see." Clearly, after the pleasantries, he should have driven off, but instead, half-jokingly, as if he really wanted to know, he asked, "Which restaurant? I don't come to this area often."

Lin Haoda lowered his eyes, seeing his face in the mirror—the angle made his features look slightly distorted.

In the mirror, Guan Junshan was listening intently to Pei Mingyi's introduction, his lips slightly upturned. He was clearly smiling, but his eyes didn't match the smile.

His pupils were naturally very dark. Up close, it felt that whenever Guan Junshan stared intently at someone, it carried a kind of cold disdain that didn't match his apparent good nature.

Although it seemed unkind to guess about others in this way, thinking of this, Lin Haoda was more concerned that his thoughts were always unconsciously led by Guan Junshan. He quickly stopped himself.

After stopping to talk for a few minutes, the cars waiting in line behind could not wait any longer and honked twice impatiently.

A voice came vaguely from the passenger seat of the car, seemingly calling Guan Junshan. Guan Junshan turned his face, lowered his voice to say a few soothing words, then turned back: "I've taken up quite a bit of your time. I'll go park first."

Pei Mingyi said, "Don't mention it," and raised his hand to point out a convenient parking spot. Guan Junshan stepped on the brake, and through the rising window gap, nodded to say goodbye to them.

Passing through a sensor door, they entered the elevator lobby. Arriving a few seconds late, they just missed one elevator. Perhaps because of the holiday, the mall was more than twice as crowded as usual. The floor numbers on the displays moved and stopped erratically; the down arrow hadn't lit up in a while. Yet the number of people in the lobby kept increasing, eventually forming a line.

Guan Junshan quickly parked his car and walked in, triggering the sound-activated lights as he walked.

Lin Haoda happened to look up and saw a strikingly handsome boy following him. He froze for a moment.

The boy was slender, with big eyes and a few strands of his hair dyed flaxen gray, standing out conspicuously in the crowd. He casually walked to the elevator, carefully read the floor directory on the wall, then waved his hand and called Guan Junshan over.

Guan Junshan was originally standing by the glass door, replying to a message. Hearing the sound, he put away his phone, raised his head, and met Lin Haoda's gaze.

His gaze crossed the crowded sea of people. Guan Junshan stopped in his tracks, said nothing, and did not move. His emotions were calm and unruffled; he just looked back at him quietly.

He had always considered his patience not very good, but for some reason, after meeting Lin Haoda, Lin Haoda was always the one to look away first.

Lin Haoda looked into his deep eyes for a few seconds, then calmly averted his gaze, turned his face, and started chatting with Pei Mingyi beside him.

Guan Junshan lowered his eyes and smiled imperceptibly, not sure what he'd been expecting.

Finally, the elevator arrived amidst discontented grumbles. The people at the back of the line instinctively surged forward. The line in front of the elevator doors got shorter as people crowded in, backs almost touching chests.

Not wanting to jostle with them, Lin Haoda stepped out of line, and Pei Mingyi also moved to the side.

Half a minute later, another elevator also arrived at the ground floor. After both cars departed fully loaded, the elevator lobby fell silent again, leaving only a few scattered people waiting for the next trip.

Guan Junshan leisurely walked from the back of the line to the front, cleared his throat, and said in a resigned tone, "I didn't expect so many people."

One conversation leads to another. Since they had already responded the first time, it wouldn't be good to play dumb or pretend not to hear the second time.

This time it was Lin Haoda who spoke first. He rarely took the initiative to ask: "Mr. Guan, which floor are you going to?"

Guan Junshan turned around, glanced at the boy, and they exchanged a look out of Lin Haoda’s sight. Then the boy raised his finger and signaled a number to him.

Pei Mingyi saw this from the side and said in a gentle voice, "Sixth floor, that's fine. There won't be many people there."

Lin Haoda took over the conversation: "Actually, there are escalators ahead with fewer people. You can take your time going up."

The implication was that it wasn’t too late for Guan Junshan to take the escalator instead.

The atmosphere was quiet for a moment.

It was like playing a petty guessing game, indirectly reminding Guan Junshan of his unkind behavior of following them all the way, and issuing a gentle warning.

The old Lin Haoda would never have done that.

With his personality, he would either endure patiently or escape first. He always avoided conflict and kept things predictable.

So who was he doing this for? Pei Mingyi? Because he didn't want his current boyfriend to run into a persistent ex-boyfriend, he was willing to speak gently and give advice patiently.

Guan Junshan squinted his eyes, pretending to hesitate, then suddenly spoke, asking, "Which floor is the restaurant on? I just remembered we haven't decided on dinner yet."

"Tenth to twelfth," Lin Haoda answered quickly.

"Then why not go to the tenth floor first," Guan Junshan said very calmly, immediately changing his decision.

As they spoke, the elevator had already started descending. Suddenly, Guan Junshan reached out a hand without warning and leaned slightly toward Lin Haoda.

A whiff of the all-too-familiar bergamot scent hit his nose, and Lin Haoda's heart skipped a beat. His hands and feet went numb, as if from an electric shock. He nervously tried to step back half a step, but the next second, his heel hit the marble wall.

Guan Junshan, however, acted completely normal. He turned to glance at the elevator panel behind Lin Haoda, reaching his arm over Lin Haoda's shoulder to press a button.

His heart pounded as if being sucked into an inescapable black hole.

No one present noticed anything amiss, only Lin Haoda knew he was flustered, his numb fingertips digging deeply into his palm.

If one were to say Guan Junshan did it intentionally, deliberately teasing, after doing all this he nevertheless retreated to his original spot with perfect propriety, casually chatting with Pei Mingyi about the weather as if nothing had happened.

Fortunately, with a "ding," the elevator soon arrived.

The silver elevator doors slowly opened, like a giant mouth that could never be satisfied. People poured out, and they stepped inside.

Lin Haoda stepped inside, with Pei Mingyi close behind. Guan Junshan followed half a step behind, pressed "10" on the panel, then turned his head and casually asked, "Which floor are you going to?" looking perfectly courteous.

Call it being willful at the wrong time, but anyway, Lin Haoda didn't want to answer and let the question hang. At this point, Pei Mingyi seemed to sense something and smoothly and tactfully replied, "Let's go to the eighth floor first. A new pet store just opened."

He skillfully smoothed things over without leaving a trace.

Guan Junshan pressed the button while saying "Oh," seeming quite interested, and asked, "Are you planning to get a pet? A cat or a dog?"

"A cat, then." Pei Mingyi didn't deny it, going on, "We'll pick a gentle one, not too rowdy."

He then turned his head to look at Lin Haoda, as if seeking his opinion.

Lin Haoda stood in the farthest corner of the elevator car, and after a long moment, he said softly, "Mm."

He slightly lowered his eyes, looking at his own toes, looking gentle and shy, as if he understood everything, as if he were truly setting up a home together with Pei Mingyi, looking forward to a pet that belonged to both of them.

"I know some good pet sellers too."

Guan Junshan let out a laugh, but the smile in his eyes was fleeting. He stared from afar at Lin Haoda’s profile, partially obscured by strands of hair, "If you ever need one, I can put you in touch."

Pei Mingyi politely thanked him and tactfully dropped the subject.

The elevator arrived at the eighth floor first. Lin Haoda walked out last, only moving toward the door after the others had stepped out.

It was perfectly normal to let people off first, but a little boy waiting outside, either out of mischief or impatience, barged straight into the elevator.

Lin Haoda saw it and tried to dodge, but he'd already taken a step out, and his arms flailed. In the end, his brain and limbs couldn't get in sync.

Off balance, Lin Haoda lifted his head and instinctively looked toward Pei Mingyi’s back, about to call out to him. But before he could speak, a pair of hands had already steadied his shoulders.

"Careful." Guan Junshan stood behind him, calmly said two words.

Before Lin Haoda could turn around, the hands withdrew, as lightly as a dragonfly skimming the water, leaving only a faint warmth on his coat.

Lin Haoda clutched his scarf and stepped out of the elevator. Pei Mingyi came over a moment later to take his hand, asking with concern, "Are you okay?"

Lin Haoda shook his head and opened his mouth, about to say something.

The elevator doors slowly closed behind him.

He pressed his lips together, and finally let out what seemed like a long sigh.

There were quite a few people in the pet store, more people playing with cats than actually choosing one.

Lin Haoda had initially thought it was just an excuse made up in the elevator, but Pei Mingyi was genuinely considering adopting a cat together with him.

A staff member warmly came up to them, asking what kind of cat they were looking for to keep them company. Lin Haoda looked around the cat enclosure for a while, hesitated for a long time, and finally gave up. Having been fostered with relatives since childhood, he had trouble enough just taking care of himself, let alone considering raising another living thing.

Over time, that mindset had become deeply ingrained and was hard to change.

Pei Mingyi wasn’t aware of Lin Haoda’s upbringing, and today was the first time he heard him mention it. Feeling both sympathy and guilt, he put an arm around Lin Haoda’s shoulder and said he wanted to give him another gift instead.

He hugged Lin Haoda tightly, so tightly that it was hard to break free, and in a low, affectionate tone, tried to persuade him: "Lin Haoda, can we not just 'try' anymore? Can you give me some genuine love and affection?"

The staff member had slipped away at some point. In the smallish room, the floor was covered with light-colored tatami mats.

All around, special pet enclosures lined the walls. Many kittens were scratching at the glass doors of their compartments or quietly watching them. A pendant light hung from the ceiling, illuminating Pei Mingyi’s earnest, bright eyes.

Lin Haoda’s heart beat slowly in his chest. He lowered his eyes, knowing that his feelings for Pei Mingyi were nowhere near love or affection.

But if he didn’t force himself to admit it, new, more dangerous thoughts would crawl out and make him repeat the same mistakes.

He felt his own cowardice, hypocrisy, and despicability, thinking that the world now had one more criminal who deceives and toys with emotions.

And in this long silence, Pei Mingyi had already cupped his face, slowly lowering his head to kiss the love he had been waiting so long for.

Whom should he refuse—Pei Mingyi or himself? Lin Haoda didn’t move, tilting his face up in defeat, his cheeks pale and his eyelashes trembling slightly.

The breath drew closer and closer. Lin Haoda couldn’t find a reason to pull away, so he let himself go numb, thinking: Maybe refusal would be meaningless anyway.

"Excuse me, sorry to interrupt."

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. It was the staff member at the entrance: "A gentleman's here asking for you two. He says he's your friend."

Then the door opened from the outside, and Lin Haoda turned his face in a daze.

Guan Junshan strolled in.

As if he hadn’t seen their intimate moment at all, Guan Junshan’s gaze slowly moved from Lin Haoda’s face to Pei Mingyi’s, smiling with just the right mix of politeness and sincerity: "Great, you really are here."

"All the restaurant seats tonight are fully booked. I happen to have a guest, and I was wondering if I could ask for a favor, Mr. Pei—would it be convenient for me to share a table with you two?"

He paused briefly, his tone sincere, leaving no room for refusal: "Of course, I'll cover all the expenses."

As they left the pet store, Lin Haoda walked ahead and overheard Guan Junshan ask casually, "Found one you like?"

Pei Mingyi replied beside him, "Not yet. Maybe pets, like people, depend on fate—you can't just take one home like that."

Guan Junshan chuckled and nodded in agreement, "True enough."