*
The young man's waist was so slender that he could encircle it with one hand, thin beyond description.
Lu Lin let go and took a step back, his brows drawing together slightly. "What were you planning to do if I hadn't come?"
Yan Heqing blinked, showing a hint of mischief befitting his age for the first time. "I only agreed to play because I saw you. No matter what I rolled, I was never going to lose."
Lu Lin's expression gradually relaxed. He went over to the sofa and sat down. "How were you so sure I'd help you?"
"You're a good person." Yan Heqing's lips curved faintly.
It was the first time Lu Lin had ever been handed the good guy card. He said evenly, "A good person won't necessarily help you."
"But you did help me."
Lu Lin was momentarily speechless. Yan Heqing continued, "You helped me again today. I'm a bartender here. What would you like to drink? I'll make it for you."
Lu Lin unfastened his cuffs. "A Negroni."
Yan Heqing returned to the drinks trolley and quietly mixed the cocktail. The private room was dimly lit, leaving his outline indistinct. Lu Lin watched for a while before asking, "How old are you?"
"Eighteen."
Lu Lin asked, "Aren't you in school?"
"I am. A first-year university student." Yan Heqing mixed the drink, his voice as clear and cool as spring water. "I've taken a temporary leave of absence for these two months."
Lu Lin looked thoughtful. "Working so many jobs-are you that short of money?"
Yan Heqing finished the drink and set it on the table in front of Lu Lin, answering frankly, "Yes, very."
Lu Lin said nothing. He picked up the glass. It tasted the same as ever. After a few sips, he said, "I'm going to rest here. Don't go back out tonight either. You're not suited to working in a bar."
Lu Lin drained the rest of his drink in one swallow and set down the glass. Sure enough, he unbuttoned his jacket, leaned back against the sofa, and closed his eyes to rest.
Yan Heqing quietly walked over to the sofa on the other side and sat down. He gazed into the dimness ahead, his eyes flickering slightly.
He was good at rolling dice. A girl who promoted drinks had taught him at the last bar where he worked part-time.
"You get all sorts in bars. Knowing how to roll dice can sometimes solve a lot of problems."
It had indeed come in handy today.
After thinking for a while, Yan Heqing grew a little sleepy too. The room was heated to a comfortable temperature, but he still pulled his clothes tightly around himself, turned slightly onto his side, and rested his head against the sofa. He closed his eyes and fell asleep very quietly.
Time ticked by. There was not a sound in the private room. In the darkness, Lu Lin slowly opened his eyes and looked at Yan Heqing a short distance away.
The young man slept neatly and very quietly, his delicate, refined face tucked into the crook of his neck. The loose hair over his forehead had fallen down, covering his eyes.
His callused hands rested on his legs. Even asleep, he had the posture of a well-behaved student.
"Cough, cough." The young man suddenly coughed softly a few times. Seemingly a little cold, he tugged his clothes closer and curled up, slumping sideways onto the sofa.
Had he still not recovered from falling through the ice last time? Lu Lin frowned slightly, got up to find the controls, and raised the room temperature.
Back at the sofa, Lu Lin suddenly wanted a cigarette. He rarely smoked, only occasionally having one when he needed to think something through.
He reached into his pocket for his cigarette case and was about to take one out when he remembered Yan Heqing was there too. He put it back.
Downstairs, Chu Ziyu and Xie Yunjie were both staring at the second floor, one still open-mouthed, the other clicking his tongue in admiration.
Xie Yunjie finally understood why Lu Lin had asked for someone's name last time. So he had taken a fancy to Yan Heqing.
After a while, Chu Ziyu finally closed his mouth and raised his brows inquisitively. "When do you think Old Lu will come down?"
Xie Yunjie picked up his drink. "No idea."
Chu Ziyu offered an experienced analysis. "The first time is always a novelty. And with him like an old house catching fire, wouldn't he need at least a few hours?"
Then daylight came.
Yan Heqing's body clock was precise. He woke at six on the dot.
He opened his eyes and first looked toward where Lu Lin was resting. Lu Lin seemed to be sleeping deeply.
Yan Heqing made no sound. He got up quietly, opened the door to the private room, and closed it silently behind him.
The moment the door closed, Lu Lin opened his eyes. He grabbed the cigarette case he had tossed aside and lit a cigarette.
Yan Heqing went down to the first floor. It was quiet, with hardly anyone left. He returned to the changing room, changed his clothes, and left the bar.
At six in the morning, it was not yet light. As soon as Yan Heqing left the bar, someone followed him.
Yan Heqing's expression remained unruffled. He walked at an unhurried pace, discreetly surveying his surroundings.
Before long, he spotted a mobile breakfast stall across the street.
Yan Heqing crossed at the crosswalk. Only when he approached the stall did he discover it sold crepes, both savory and sweet.
Yan Heqing read the sign and ordered a banana crepe and a cup of soy milk.
The stall owner was a very elderly woman, but her movements were deft. She spread out the crepe, rolled it around the fried banana, and slipped it into a paper bag in one smooth sequence.
"Eight yuan fifty altogether." The old woman handed it to Yan Heqing along with the soy milk.
"Thank you." Yan Heqing paid with a ten-yuan note.
The old woman was delighted to see cash. The payment QR code belonged to her son; money paid by scanning it went straight into his pocket.
The old woman handed Yan Heqing one yuan fifty in change.
Yan Heqing took it, put it in his pocket, and turned to continue toward the subway station.
The freshly made crepe was steaming hot and warmed his hands as he held it. Yan Heqing carefully took a bite. It was hot, fragrant, and sweet. He had only taken a few bites when someone blocked his path.
Lin Fengyi had waited for Yan Heqing all night and followed him all the way from the bar.
Seeing Yan Heqing relish the cheap street food, Lin Fengyi frowned in distaste. "Are you really that short of money?"
Yan Heqing ignored him and took a sip of soy milk, his attitude completely different from the last time at the Lin house.
Lin Fengyi even had an overwhelmingly strong feeling that Yan Heqing... looked down on him!
This made Lin Fengyi bristle. He twisted his lips into a sneer. "If Zhizhi's classmates and friends find out you work at a bar, you'll really embarrass him."
Yan Heqing lowered his soy milk and said calmly, "I earn money through my own labor. I don't find that shameful."
Lin Fengyi sneered. "Through your labor? More like through your body. You stayed in that private room last night because Lu Lin took a fancy to you, didn't you?"