Chapter 117: So, Are You Still Leaving

Chapter 117: So, Are You Still Leaving?

Guan Junshan's almost petulant complaint left Lin Haoda, standing before him, abruptly silent.

He was stunned at first, his lips moving slightly, but he didn't know what to say. He had just uttered "you" when he stopped, dropping his eyes evasively.

Guan Junshan looked down at him, silent for a few seconds. He opened his mouth, his voice very low, and called out, "Hao Da," then paused for a moment before continuing, "I'm sorry."

He let go of the hand gripping Lin Haoda's shoulder, his arm rose and fell limply by his side, before attempting an explanation. "Maybe it's because... seeing you, I was too surprised."

Lin Haoda's back was pressed against the door, with no room to retreat, so he had to shift half a step to the side. As soon as he moved, Guan Junshan's other hand, which had been resting on his lower back, also slipped away.

"...I'm sorry," Guan Junshan apologized again, his expression downcast as he stared at Lin Haoda's profile, his voice low. "You don't have to leave. Just give me a few minutes."

With that, he turned and walked toward the bedroom. Lin Haoda stood there for a while, hearing rustling sounds from inside. Before long, Guan Junshan came out pushing a suitcase.

He stopped in front of Lin Haoda and emphasized again, "You stay and sleep here. I'll go get another room next door."

Lin Haoda glanced around briefly and offered some weak excuse, refusing, "The suite is too big. I'm not used to it. A single room suits me better."

Guan Junshan took the room card from his coat pocket, bent down, and placed it on the arm of the sofa, as if dismissing a child's tantrum, reverting to his usual composed demeanor. "It's very late. You need to rest. We'll talk about everything else tomorrow."

"Guan Junshan," Lin Haoda stood in the entryway, suddenly wanting to tease him, so he asked, "Aren't you curious about my answer?"

Standing a few meters away, Guan Junshan's shadow was elongated by the light on the carpet. His gaze drifted elsewhere, as if he wanted to leave or hadn't heard the question clearly before answering with a steady, "Hm."

"You don't care, huh?" Lin Haoda remarked, continuing to look at him. "Changed your mind that fast?"

Guan Junshan said, "No, you don't need to worry about my feelings..."

But before he could finish, Lin Haoda interrupted, "Tang Chen did persuade me, actually."

Guan Junshan suddenly fell silent, stunned for a moment, his gaze sharp and piercing, like two swords that pinned him in place.

Lin Haoda was quite pleased, having seized such a rare opportunity. He had originally intended to drag it out a bit more, but in the end, he couldn't withstand that nearly scorching, unguarded stare. He cleared his throat and finished, "But you got it wrong. He persuaded me not to come."

Guan Junshan drew in a long breath, his expression turning momentarily dazed. His lips parted, as if he wanted to ask something, but no sound came out.

The room was quiet for a moment, until their eyes met. A faint, indistinct sense of loss welled up in Lin Haoda's heart—perhaps it was recalling the tone and expression on Tang Chen's face when he advised him not to come find Guan Junshan, essentially saying they had been entangled long enough and there would be no outcome.

Not wanting Guan Junshan to see this dejection, Lin Haoda quickly adjusted his expression, walking toward him as he said, "So, I'm the one who should apologize. When I get back, I'll have to apologize to Tang Chen properly."

Guan Junshan immediately spoke up: "I'll go with you."

Lin Haoda smiled and gently refused, "Better not, Mr. Guan."

With that, he stopped in front of him, lightly tapping the suitcase between them with his toe. "So... are you still leaving?"

Unexpectedly, Guan Junshan actually nodded and gave another "Hm." Lin Haoda looked up at him and saw his expressionless face, completely indecipherable. He couldn't help but ask angrily, "What are you agreeing to?"

"Didn't you say we should sleep separately?" At a critical moment, Guan Junshan was perfectly clear and didn't hesitate, his right hand still resting on the suitcase handle. "The other rooms are a bit smaller, not as good as this one."

Lin Haoda thought, Who's talking about rooms? But he didn't show it, casually glancing behind him. "Who said that? Sleeping on the sofa is fine too..."

Guan Junshan stepped forward, finally a bit of expression showing on his face, staring intently at him. "So can I stay tonight, Hao Da?"

Now that it had come to this, it felt like he was the one extending the invitation. The tips of Lin Haoda's ears gradually turned red, and his voice was a little low as he said, "Yes."

That night, Lin Haoda couldn't help recalling their reunion after their first separation, also in a hotel suite—one person sleeping in the bedroom, the other consigned to the sofa.

But this time, their positions were completely reversed. Initially, Lin Haoda hadn't intended to take the bed. Before taking a shower, he lightly suggested to Guan Junshan that he could sleep on the sofa for one night.

Guan Junshan disagreed, asking, "What if you get sick?" Without giving him a chance to continue, he got up and went straight to the study to work.

Lin Haoda wanted to say he wouldn't, since after dinner he had drunk a cold prevention drink and was about to take a bath.

The bathwater was at the perfect temperature. Lin Haoda stayed in the tub a bit long, and Guan Junshan knocked twice, asking if he had gotten out yet, afraid he might have fallen asleep.

By the time he blow-dried his hair and came out, Guan Junshan's work was done. The light in the living room had dimmed a little. The projector was on, playing some variety show Lin Haoda didn't understand at low volume.

Guan Junshan put down his coffee cup, stood up from the sofa, turned around and asked, "Are you cold?" adding, "I turned the temperature up a few degrees."

The room was indeed warmer than before. Lin Haoda walked over in his bathrobe and sat on the other end of the sofa, asking, "I didn't turn on the exhaust fan; the bathroom should still be nice and warm. Do you want to take a shower?"

Guan Junshan murmured in agreement, but added, "Not right now."

Lin Haoda didn't say anything in response, sneaking a glance at the clock on the wall. It was 10:30 PM Zurich time. He had been on a plane all day, his head fuzzy, unable to figure out the time back home. He probably didn't need to worry about jet lag, but he wasn't sleepy now and couldn't fall asleep anyway.

After briefly asking about Guan Junshan's schedule for going to the hospital the next day, and with nothing else to do on the sofa, Lin Haoda was about to go to his room to unpack and go to sleep when Guan Junshan, sitting beside him, suddenly spoke up: "Do you want to watch a movie?"

Lin Haoda shifted his gaze to the screen, hesitated for two seconds, and Guan Junshan had already handed him the remote, then got up and walked toward the coffee machine, saying, "Pick one first."

All the movies on the hotel's list were pay-per-view. Lin Haoda flipped through a few pages, thinking it wasn't very cost-effective since he could watch on his phone anyway.

But Guan Junshan came back, standing behind him with a coffee cup, watching him flip back and forth. Suddenly, he called out to stop him and said, "How about this one?"

Lin Haoda didn't react in time, holding the remote and looking up at him.

Guan Junshan raised his hand, pointed at the screen—the second row, first on the left. "I remember you didn't finish it last time."

Hearing this, Lin Haoda immediately looked up. It took him a moment to remember, "Oh," he said, then added, "That movie is so old."

Last time, he had been on the sofa, running a low fever, watching while hooked up to an IV, and had only gotten through about a third before changing the channel.

He hadn't expected Guan Junshan to still remember.

Actually, it wasn't that he hadn't finished it. It was a classic romance, but too heavy and sad. The first time Lin Haoda saw the ending in school, it made him sad for a long time, so it left a deep impression on him and he never dared to watch the whole movie again.

But before he could explain, Guan Junshan had already taken the remote and confirmed the payment.

The film's theme song began to play in the dim room. Lin Haoda trailed off. Guan Junshan came around and sat back down beside him.

When the end credits rolled, Lin Haoda still couldn't help but cry, his eyes getting a little red, his expression tinged with sadness.

Guan Junshan got up, turned on a lamp, and went to pour him a glass of hot water. Lin Haoda held the glass, his voice, tinged with a nasal quality, was mixed with the closing theme, somewhat suppressed. He asked, "Why did the male lead have to lie to her at the end?"

Guan Junshan said nothing, just looked at him for a long time in silence. Then he lifted his hand, his fingers touching Lin Haoda's cool, slightly protruding wrist bone. The temperature difference between their bodies made this insignificant contact feel vivid and three-dimensional. Lin Haoda felt as if his wrist were wrapped in a flame, but it wasn't scorching—just a faint, warm sensation.

"Because he loved her very much," Guan Junshan opened his lips, his voice emerging from between his perfect teeth, clear and low, "but lost the chance to be near her."

For the first time, Lin Haoda didn't immediately pull his wrist away. He let Guan Junshan hold his wrist for a bit, then said, "But the one who was deceived wasn't happy either."

Guan Junshan looked down at him, silent for a few seconds, and said, "Yes. It won't happen again."

In the long, silent exchange of gazes, neither seemed to know who leaned in first.

It was likely Guan Junshan, because he not only didn't let go of Lin Haoda, but even touched his fingers, gripped him tighter and pulled him closer.

Because of the movement, the collar of Lin Haoda's bathrobe was pulled open a little, the sash loosening. The hair on his forehead fell softly over his eyes, glistening softly under the floor lamp.

Guan Junshan found it only natural to think Lin Haoda was beautiful.

He felt his body temperature slowly rising, his throat, after gulping down several large cups of coffee, felt inexplicably parched, urgently needing something to quench his thirst—something soft, sweet, pleasant, and comforting.

His heart raced fast and erratically. Guan Junshan lowered his head, saw Lin Haoda's drooping eyelashes, and his free hand reached out uncontrollably, touched his cheek as delicate as clouds, brushing it ever so lightly.

Their breaths slowly, slowly rose and fell in alternating rhythm, drawing closer and closer until they intertwined.

Guan Junshan's fingers moved back, touching the nape of Lin Haoda's neck, then he tilted his head slightly, their noses brushing.

No one called a halt. In the dim and intimate corner of the sofa, only a faintly sorrowful piano melody quietly poured and flowed.

Just as Guan Junshan was about to kiss his lips, the phone pressed under the throw pillow suddenly vibrated.

Guan Junshan couldn't see his own expression, but he felt it must not look very good, because Lin Haoda, with an ambiguous smile, looked at him and gently pushed his shoulder, urging him to get up. Then Lin Haoda simply straightened his bathrobe belt, picked up the cup, and drank several mouthfuls of water.

Guan Junshan swept a glance at his phone, then also reached out to smooth the wrinkled hem of his shirt. Both of them awkwardly pretended to be busy. Lin Haoda stood up from the sofa, said he was going back to rest, and urged him to sleep early, adding that if the sofa was uncomfortable, they must book two rooms tomorrow. Guan Junshan rarely lost control like this. He wanted to apologize, to urgently explain, feeling intense remorse, yet had to concede. He watched Lin Haoda all the way to the bedroom door, then turned silently and walked toward the bathroom.