After a quick wash, I turned off the light, and the tent went dark instantly; I couldn't even hear my own breathing.
Yan Heqing fell asleep quickly; he was so exhausted that even after a while, there was still no sound of breathing. It was so quiet that Lu Lin had to reach out and check Yan Heqing's breath. Only after feeling a slight warmth did he withdraw his hand.
As I adjusted to the darkness, I could vaguely make out Yan Heqing's sleeping face.
She slept quietly, without deliberately avoiding him, lying flat on her back, shoulder to shoulder with him, completely unguarded.
An inexplicable desire welled up in my abdomen, a feeling I hadn't experienced before.
Since meeting Yan Heqing, Lu Lin has often found himself unable to control himself.
What's more, Yan Heqing was right beside him this time.
The unique, clean, and pure aura of the young man constantly assaulted his reason. Lu Lin stared intently at Yan Heqing, his desire rising more intensely than ever before.
Yan Heqing slept soundly and peacefully.
That night at the bar, and twice at the hospital, Yan Heqing always had a furrowed brow in his sleep.
Suddenly, Yan Heqing rolled over.
People are always unconsciously seeking warmth; they instinctively gravitate towards that one and only source of warmth.
In his daze, he heard a deep sigh, then a soft one, and then Yan Heqing felt himself enveloped in a safe and warm place.
Reluctant to part with the warmth, he held on tightly.
*
When Lu Lin woke up, Yan Heqing was already gone. He glanced at the time; it was 7:30.
He changed his clothes and noticed a familiar stainless steel lunchbox on his travel bag. He picked it up and opened it; it contained lean meat porridge, still very hot.
He took the item and left the tent. The campsite was unusually quiet; all the other students were gone.
Lu Lin finished washing up and headed towards his car when a middle-aged man approached him, talking on the phone. "Yes, Little Sun and his friend got lost in the mountains last night. He caught a cold from the frost, but it's not serious. His friend just took him down the mountain for an IV drip..."
The counselor of Class 2, Life Sciences, bumped into Lu Lin and his eyes widened in surprise.
He attended Lu Lin's lecture last semester, and he would never mistake him for the real Lu Lin!
The funds for this event were allocated by the Lu Group Scholarship; could they be here for an inspection?
The counselor quickly hung up the phone and rushed over to greet him warmly, "Hello Mr. Lu, this is Old Chen, the counselor from the Life Sciences Department! Please feel free to ask if you need anything!"
Upon hearing that it was Yan Heqing's counselor, Lu Lin stopped and asked, "Are there any activities for the students today?"
Old Chen nodded, "Yes, some go up the mountain to catch insects, and some go to the base to observe plants." He seized the opportunity to introduce, " Mr. Lu, are you free now? I'll take you to our base."
Lu Lin didn't want to disturb Yan Heqing's class. "What time do you finish?"
Six o'clock.
Lu Lin didn't linger. He went back to his car, finished his lean meat porridge, grabbed his fishing bag, and headed into the mountains.
Today, Yan Heqing's group's task was to go to the base to observe plants. The base they went to was about ten minutes away from the camp, and it was a sunroom being built in the woods.
The sunroom is filled with plants, all of which have grown exceptionally large, with leaves twice the size of common plants. In particular, the Florentina shrub, which climbs all over the flower rack, blooms a month early, with flowers as big as bowls. The clusters of flowers crowd the flower rack, and the rich, bright red blossoms adorn the space full of greenery.
Zhan Pingting exclaimed repeatedly, "So beautiful! I've never seen such big, beautifully blooming roses!"
Zhao Yong smiled and said, "If you like it, I'll plant roses all over your yard in the future."
Zhan Pingting didn't respond, but instead wanted to talk to Yan Heqing.
Yan Heqing was observing a potted plant, scribbling notes in his notebook.
Zhan Pingting closed her mouth, which had been open. They were all wearing white coats today, which was inappropriate. A phrase popped into Zhan Pingting's mind. "To look pretty, wear mourning clothes."
Yan Heqing is just too perfect for a white lab coat!
Her eyes darted around, and she secretly took a picture with her phone, quickly sending it to Zhou Wuyou, "Your idol! He's so innocent yet alluring..."
Zhou Wuyou is typing, "Which base are you at? Share the address."
Zhan Pingting was somewhat surprised, "Are you coming over?"
"Yes, I want to confess my feelings."
"!!!!!" Zhan Pingting was shocked. Was it that intense?! She quickly shared her location.
Zhou Wuyou arrived in the afternoon.
She looked dejected; it wasn't like she was going to confess her feelings, but more like she was saying goodbye.
Zhan Pingting wanted to tease her a bit more, but seeing her expression, she immediately became worried. "What's wrong? You look terrible. How about..." she tentatively suggested, "We should spend more time together before confessing? That would increase the chances of success."
Zhou Wuyou shook her head, "I won't hide it from you, I..." She bit her lip, then continued, "I know the result."
Zhan Pingting was baffled. "What's the result?"
Zhou Wuyou simply shook her head. She knew very well that her confession to Yan Heqing would fail. Last night, back in her tent, she thought about Tianming and finally realized what was wrong.
The airflow is incorrect.
Others might not notice, but she could tell that the aura between Yan Heqing and his friend surnamed Lu was clearly different from theirs.
She liked Yan Heqing, and she understood what that meant.
But she wanted to fight for herself.
If they're still friends, she has a chance to win them over.
Zhan Pingting called Zhao Yong away, leaving only Yan Heqing in the sunroom. He was observing an Arisaema plant, a highly poisonous plant whose sap is toxic, but whose tuber can be used in medicine. Footsteps approached.
Zhou Wuyou called softly, "Classmate Yan."
Yan Heqing closed his notebook, stood up, and turned back politely to ask, "Is there something you need?"
"I like you." Zhou Wuyou spoke quickly. "I know you don't like me, but I still want to tell you how I feel. If..." she mustered her courage, "It would be even better if you were willing to try dating me."
"I'm sorry," Yan Heqing said calmly, "We're not a good match."
Zhou Wuyou felt as if she had fallen into an abyss. She forced a smile, "I understand. I have to go now. I wish you..." She held back her tears, "... that you find the right person!"
She turned around, bit her lip, and ran out of the sunroom.
Zhan Pingting was waiting outside. When she saw Zhou Wuyou running out crying, she knew what had happened. She sighed, shook her head, and chased after him.