The girl nodded vigorously, "Welcome! Please come in and have a seat! The noodles will be ready soon!"
The small shop was spotless, with a fan whirring overhead. Yan Heqing found a table, sat down, and took out two chopsticks, handing one to Lu Lin first. "Last winter, this was the first bowl of hot noodle soup I ate here," he said, a smile playing on his lips. "So I brought you here to try it."
Lu Lin mentally calculated the time.
It should be during the time when Yan Heqing was being harassed by Lu Muchi and had severed ties with his adoptive parents.
He took the chopsticks. "It must be delicious."
Just then, the girl brought over a bowl of beef noodles. The portion of meat was noticeably larger, and the fried egg was golden brown and fragrant. It was at this moment that the girl noticed Lu Lin, and she thought to herself, "Wow, beautiful people always have handsome friends too!"
She ran back to the kitchen and brought out a large plate of sliced braised tofu and braised eggs.
It was dinnertime, and the two hadn't been eating long when a lot of other customers started coming in, and the small shop suddenly became lively. The two of them didn't say much and quietly finished their food.
When paying the bill, the girl said the same thing again, "Welcome to come again anytime!"
Yan Heqing smiled and nodded.
As Yan Lu Lin walked out of the beef noodle shop side by side, it was already dark. Yan Heqing didn't intend to take a car and continued walking along the sidewalk. Lu Lin quietly followed him until they reached an arched bridge where there were fewer people. Yan Heqing stopped at the highest point of the bridge and looked down at the water flowing below.
The streetlights weren't very bright, so you couldn't see the water flowing; you could only see a few dappled streaks of light and shadow.
"You know that, right?" Yan Heqing turned around, her eyes fixed on Lu Lin's, "I deliberately approached you."
Lu Lin stopped three or four steps behind him. Lu Lin did not expect Yan Heqing to reveal his hand at this moment, but it was not without clues.
"Know."
"When?" Yan Heqing asked, "The bar, the frozen lake, the coffee shop?"
Lu Lin didn't answer directly, "It's not important."
Yan Heqing clenched his fingers, his usually dry palms now glistening with a light sweat. "But I was lying to you."
The air seemed to freeze as soon as those words were spoken.
Behind them were occasional passing vehicles and pedestrians. The two of them just looked at each other quietly. In fact, it wasn't long before Lu Lin moved. He stepped forward and gently, with tenderness, rubbed the top of the young man's head.
"You're all alone, there's no other way."
In an instant, Yan Heqing was unable to move.
A multitude of indescribable emotions surged within him, and he imagined countless possible reactions from Lu Lin.
He knew Lu Lin wouldn't blame him.
But Lu Lin's answer still deeply shocked him.
Past and present kept intertwining, flashing past him like a fleeting scene, making it difficult for him to even speak. "Don't you think I'm scary?"
Lu Lin's eyes only held amusement. "If it were me, I would be far more terrifying than you."
Yan Heqing fell silent. He stared at Lu Lin for a long time before turning around and walking away again.
Lu Lin continued to follow, but at a suitable distance so as not to disturb Yan Heqing, and enough to catch up immediately if Yan Heqing had any accidents.
As night deepened, Yan Heqing walked very slowly. He had no destination in mind; after crossing the bridge, he continued walking along the sidewalk.
He walked for an unknown amount of time before finally stopping.
He raised his hand to touch his eyes.
My eyelashes were already completely wet.
He suddenly realized what was happening, and he cried.
He cried even after vowing never to cry again.
Chapter 118
A person's breakdown can happen in an instant.
Yan Heqing couldn't control himself, nor did he want to. On this ordinary day on the calendar, he vented all his emotions on the busy roadside.
On this day, right now, he no longer suppressed his emotions.
Longing, pain, resentment, pressure, emotion...
It was a cry from the depths of the soul.
He gripped the arm tightly, but the next moment someone turned him around and pulled him into their arms.
The familiar embrace was the most comforting scent to him. Lu Lin pulled him into a tight hug, his warm, dry palms stroking Yan Heqing's hair.
Cry, cry it all out.
Yan Heqing burst into tears.
He thought of many things, but in the end, they all became blurry, and nothing remained.
He couldn't control his thoughts, and kept repeating, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."
Lu Lin lowered her head and kissed the top of his head. "All you did was come to my side. You don't need to apologize."
Yan Heqing shook his head in Lu Lin's arms. He wanted to say something, but he didn't know what he wanted to say, so he could only tighten his arms and hug Lu Lin tightly, not wanting to let go, not even an inch.
Occasionally, passersby would walk by, and upon hearing the crying, they would look over curiously. Lu Lin paid no attention to them; his eyes were only on Yan Heqing. He gently comforted him until Yan Heqing's crying subsided and he fell asleep in his arms. Only then did he pick Yan Heqing up in his arms and carry him into the car when the driver arrived.
Yan Heqing was still sobbing even though she was asleep. Lu Lin looked up and gestured to the driver, who understood and drove to the best five-star hotel in the city.
In the past, Lu Lin would spend a day or two staying in a hotel, doing nothing but reading novels in his room. This was another way for him to relieve stress, besides fishing.
It's not appropriate for Yan Heqing to return to their residence tonight.
Yan Heqing slept for a long time and was awakened by the sound of rain. When he opened his eyes, he was in a completely unfamiliar environment.
The room was dimly lit, the curtains on the French windows were not drawn, and it was pitch black outside. The rain was pounding against the glass, and thunder was rumbling.
Yan Heqing gradually came to his senses after listening to the thunder and rain for a while.
He threw back the covers and got out of bed. A soft, fine wool carpet was laid out, and he walked barefoot outside.
Opening the door, the outside room was also dimly lit, with only a floor lamp on. Lu Lin was sitting on the sofa reading a book.
Despite the torrential rain outside, he turned the pages of the book so quietly that it was almost silent.
Yan Heqing closed the door silently.
He realized this was a hotel. He looked around and found the restroom, then went inside.