Suddenly, he felt water droplets falling on his head. He tilted his head back slightly and saw a raindrop fall into his eye.
It was damp, with the coolness characteristic of late winter.
Yan Heqing looked at the lake.
A few steps ahead, the lights were reflected on the water, visible to the naked eye, creating ripples.
"It's raining," he said softly.
Upon hearing this, Lu Lin turned over the sweet potato and stood up, saying, "There's an umbrella in the trunk."
Yan Heqing had seen him put something in the trunk.
The car was parked not far away, and the rain was getting heavier. When Lu Lin came back, he brought not only an umbrella but also a cashmere blanket.
The cashmere blanket was tossed directly onto Yan Heqing's head, and Lu Lin opened his umbrella.
The umbrella was unusually large, completely obscuring their No. 1 Primary School fishing spot. It hadn't been up for long when raindrops began to patter against the umbrella, and the rain started to fall.
Raindrops dripped down the edge of the umbrella; there was no wind, and the rain wasn't loud, just a gentle patter.
The water boiled, and the kettle lid bounced and gurgled from the steam.
Yan Heqing gripped the sweet potato tightly; its scalding heat warmed his palms, yet he didn't feel cold. He didn't leave empty-handed; he simply tilted his head slightly, and the cashmere blanket slid down to his shoulder. Even wearing a down jacket, he could still feel the warmth.
"You have a bad neck, why are you twisting it like that?" Lu Lin looked over.
A faint glint appeared in Yan Heqing's eyes as he gazed at the sweet potato, his voice calm, "Knowing that too much sweetness isn't good, we still can't help but try it. I guess that's just human nature."
With only half a sweet potato left, he bent down and finished it in one bite.
"It's naturally sweet; eating a few more won't have a big impact."
Aside from pineapple shrimp fritters and mint mung bean soup, this was the third time Lu Lin had discovered Yan Heqing's preferences.
He hadn't eaten yet, and handed his sweet potato to Yan Heqing. "There's still much room for exploration in human nature."
Yan Heqing stared at it for two seconds before taking it.
After that, neither of them spoke again; one quietly ate a sweet potato, and the other quietly read a novel.
It was raining heavily in the mountains, but there was no sound in the city; it was just cold, extremely cold.
After leaving the hospital, Lu Muchi didn't drive; instead, he took a taxi to buy gifts and then went to Yan Heqing's residence.
He was crouching at the door of Yan Heqing's house, trembling, clutching a cardboard box.
He tried to knock on the door several times.
When he arrived, the windows on the third floor were dark. He checked the time; it was 11 o'clock. Yan Heqing should be resting now.
In the past, he would have knocked on the door without saying a word.
But now he's here to explain, to explain that his Lin Fengzhi is a thing of the past.
This morning in the hospital room, Yan Heqing was indifferent. He thought about it for a long time and finally understood.
Ignoring his calls, distancing herself from him, and being cold to him were all because of Lin Fengzhi.
Yan Heqing and Lin Fengzhi are brothers, and he would not covet anything Lin Fengzhi, including him.
Even though Yan Heqing liked him so much.
Therefore, he couldn't wait to catch up with Yan Heqing, just to tell him that he had figured out his thoughts and was now sure of who his heart belonged to.
He liked him; he had unknowingly fallen for Yan Heqing long ago!
He didn't raise his hand to knock. He had grabbed his coat instead of his down jacket. The empty windows in the hallway kept letting in a cold draft. He was reluctant to leave. He wanted Yan Heqing to open the door and be the first person he would see.
Something was moving in the cardboard box, making a soft sound. Lu Muchi looked down, lifted a piece of the cardboard lid, and a fluffy kitten popped out. Lu Muchi shushed it, pushed it back in, and then looked up at the dark window.
Let it get light soon!
--
The rain stopped around 5 p. m., and soon after, light began to appear on the horizon, showing signs of the sun emerging.
There were no fish floating on the lake.
It rained last night, and all the bait was washed away.
Packing his things to return to the city, Yan Heqing turned on his phone before getting into the car.
Upon powering on the device, a WeChat immediately popped up.
Sep 12, Lin Fengzhi.
At 1:02 AM, a message appeared.
Did you agree to be with him?
Chapter 55
Did you agree to be with him?
Yan Heqing stared at those words, and suddenly felt nauseous.
It wasn't a physical urge to vomit; it was a deep-seated disgust welling up from the depths of my heart and soul.
He turned off the screen and looked up ahead.
Lu Lin carried the tools and put them in the trunk.
From some distance, the faint light of dawn fell upon him, blurring his features somewhat.
Yan Heqing stood there quietly for a long time, until Lu Lin closed the trunk, then he stepped forward, his eyes slightly curved, and asked, "Are you in a hurry to go back?"
Lu Lin asked, "Still want to fish?"
Yan Heqing shook his head, "I'm sleepy. Can I take a nap before we set off?"
A strong feeling of nausea was still churning within him. He was incredibly sleepy; he was sure he would fall asleep once he got in the car.
Lu Lin's lips curled into a slight smile. "You think I'm Arno Stark?"
A look of confusion crossed Yan Heqing's eyes.
Lu Lin's heart suddenly pounded heavily.
A hazy morning mist shrouded the lake, and his voice seemed to melt into that mist, ethereal yet deep and gentle.
"He's a cartoon character born with a genetic disease, relying on machines to survive and unable to move independently."
"He's also a super genius; he reprogrammed his cells, repaired his bodily functions, and can never need to sleep."
Lu Lin rubbed his temples. "I'm just an ordinary person; I need to catch up on sleep before I can drive."
Yan Heqing suddenly said, "You are not an ordinary person."
Lu Lin looked at him.
Yan Heqing's eyes were clear, and a smile slowly bloomed on his lips. "You're a workaholic; you don't even take a break during the Spring Festival."
"I'm not a workaholic, I'm just interested in my work." Lu Lin gave him a deep look, then turned and opened the back door. "It's the same with anything else."
He didn't say what the other things were, and Yan Heqing didn't ask either.
Lu Lin took the shovel and said, "You sleep in the back." He walked a few steps, opened the driver's side door, and got in.
Yan Heqing bent down to get into the car. The back seat was very spacious, enough for an adult man to lie down, and there were two black jacquard cushions.
In the front seat, Lu Lin was taking off his coat, the fabric rustling softly. He didn't turn around, his voice echoing in the car, "Don't forget to take off your shoes, or your feet will be swollen when you wake up."