Lin Chu sat in front of the computer and rested her chin on her hand. Her heart was filled with warmth as the person whom she was concerned about kept thinking about her as well.
Frankly, she could not remember the details of the things she saw online. None of it had made an impression on her. She was unaware that a stupid smile was plastered on her face all along.
Lin Chu returned to her senses when the doorbell rang suddenly. She realized that she was acting like a fool just now. She felt extremely awkward despite being the only person in the room.
As Lin Chu walked toward the doorway, her initial reaction was to wonder whether Yan Beicheng was here. Her heart thumped wildly and she was slightly anxious. She could not stop herself from feeling hopeful. Only then did she realize that she was actually hoping that Yan Beicheng had arrived.
Xu Moyan"s bedroom door was closed, but an extremely melodious voice that echoed from her computer could be heard from inside. Lin Chu knew that she was on the YY website while her door was closed. While they were having dinner, Xu Moyan had excitedly told her about the events that would be broadcasted on YY tonight. Xu Moyan immediately waited in front of her computer once she had finished her dinner because her beloved male idol would appear at a random time.
When she opened the door, Lin Chu never expected that Cheng Ziming would be standing at the doorway instead of Yan Beicheng.
Lin Chu was about to shut the door without saying anything further, but Cheng Ziming was in the way.
"I just want to say a few things." Cheng Ziming appeared rather sincere when he said this. He no longer seemed as arrogant as the last few times.
However, Lin Chu did not believe him when he acted like this. After all, a leopard could never change its spots. She refused to believe that Cheng Ziming"s nature could change out of the blue. She knew that she had to restrain herself.
As expected, she heard Cheng Ziming said, "Lin Chu, don"t get into a relations.h.i.+p with Yang Zhiyuan. You may find yourself in a similar situation in the future, but don"t agree to it even if your suitor is someone other than Yang Zhiyuan."
Lin Chu raised her eyebrows. This was incredibly ridiculous to her. At noon, she had already clearly stated that she would not fall in love with Yang Zhiyuan even if he became any richer. Why did Cheng Ziming rush over here to tell her these things?
It seemed as though Cheng Ziming did not notice the mocking look on Lin Chu"s face. He said, "You were right. Yang Zhiyuan is too old for you. You don"t need to marry him for his money."
Lin Chu remained silent. After all, Cheng Ziming would not listen to anything she said. If he had listened to her, he would not have come here to say this.
"Earlier today, Yang Zhiyuan mentioned that you had a boyfriend," said Cheng Ziming. He did not wait for Lin Chu to reply. He was only concerned about himself when he said, "You don"t have to deny it. He saw you in the afternoon and he spoke to the both of you as well."
Lin Chu kept mum. She could not be bothered to respond to Cheng Ziming. She finally realized that Cheng Ziming was crazy.
In the afternoon, Yang Zhiyuan saw a man who appeared to be Lin Chu"s boyfriend, but he never mentioned his age. Cheng Ziming made a guess and asked, "When Yang Zhiyuan said that he saw your boyfriend in the afternoon earlier today, was he talking about the man who drove a Grand Cherokee?"
"What does that have to do with you?" Lin Chu asked. A stern look appeared on her face when she heard him mention Yan Beicheng.
"Lin Chu, don"t you think that you"re being hypocritical? On one hand, you said that you wouldn"t marry someone you disliked for the sake of money because money isn"t everything to you. However, you"re dating a guy who drives an expensive car. Don"t pretend that both of you are in love. It would be really difficult for someone with your status to marry into a wealthy family. You rejected Yang Zhiyuan because he"s not rich enough for you, but the man who drives that Grand Cherokee may not necessarily be younger than Yang Zhiyuan."
Lin Chu knew that Cheng Ziming wanted to say that a young rich man would never truly love her. He was implying that she could only attract old rich men.
"Lin Chu, I know that you"re unhappy, but you should just accept it. Next time, you should look for an average person like yourself who don"t have a lot of money. It"ll be good enough for you to live your ordinary lives together. You shouldn"t think about entering an influential social circle like the rest of us. This circle doesn"t suit you."
Lin Chu sneered. What did he mean when he said that she was trying to enter "his" social circle? What circle did Cheng Ziming belong to? He arrogantly a.s.sumed that he was better than everyone else simply because he was the son-in-law of the Lin family. He a.s.sumed that he was part of the upper cla.s.s now.
Cheng Ziming thought that Lin Chu would retort and scold him as she did in the past when he said these things.
He never expected that Lin Chu would merely smile and say, "Alright, I understand. Thank you for your kind suggestions."
Cheng Ziming was startled. He furrowed his eyebrows again. "Lin Chu, you"re not listening to me."
"Mr. Cheng, we have nothing to do with each other now. I don"t deserve your concern. Also, please don"t come to my house and disturb me anymore because my boyfriend comes over frequently. What"s going to happen if he sees this and wrongly a.s.sumes that I still harbor feelings for you? I cherish my current boyfriend very much. If you come over and hara.s.s me again, I"m will have to call the cops and report you, Mr. Cheng," snarled Lin Chu. She shut the door without saying another word.
Lin Chu"s reply shocked Cheng Ziming. He could not stop her in time.
Lin Chu closed the door, but she could still hear Cheng Ziming shouting outside. "What boyfriend? Is he really your boyfriend?"
Lin Chu ignored him. After several minutes of silence, she crept toward the peephole and looked out. She saw that Cheng Ziming had not left. A cigarette had appeared in his hand without her noticing, and he was fervently smoking it. More than half of his cigarette remained, but he threw it on the ground. He carelessly stepped on it a few times to extinguish it before he left furiously.
Lin Chu was filled with disgust as she turned back in. She truly felt as though she was blind in the past. She wondered how she had fallen in love with a degenerate like him.
She was originally in a rather good mood, but Cheng Ziming had spoiled it by disturbing her. She searched for a TV drama to watch. She did not know how it played out as she simply wanted something to distract her mind for some time. In the end, she merely watched half an episode before her cell phone rang again.
Lin Chu nearly flung her phone when she realized that Yan Beicheng"s name was displayed on the screen.
The man whom she was recently thinking about was suddenly calling her now. She was really hoping to hear his voice. Lin Chu was genuinely worried that she was going to do something stupid or embarra.s.s herself because she was so nervous.
Her cell phone kept ringing. Lin Chu took a deep breath and calmed down before she answered it.
"Were you sleeping?" Yan Beicheng spoke first without waiting for Lin Chu to say anything.
His voice was tinged with exhaustion and he seemed slightly tipsy as well. He spoke softly and he sounded somewhat dazed.
Cheng Ziming had annoyed her earlier. She felt an indescribable sense of relief when she heard Yan Beicheng"s voice now. Since she was slightly troubled, she wanted to vent to Yan Beicheng and seek him for comfort.
Lin Chu"s eyes widened suddenly. She was stunned by her thoughts. She wondered when she had started relying so heavily on Yan Beicheng. She even wanted to act like a spoiled child with him!
"No, I"m online." Lin Chu felt disappointed with herself. Why did she become so fl.u.s.tered when she heard his voice?
She returned to her bedroom and sat on the bed as she spoke.
"I"m downstairs at your place," said Yan Beicheng. His listless voice made it obvious that he had drunk some alcohol. "Put on some extra clothes when you come down. It"s cold outside."
Lin Chu, "..."
She never said that she was going down.
"Did you have a lot to drink?" Lin Chu pulled the wardrobe door open as she spoke and took out a coat.
"I"m fine," muttered Yan Beicheng.
Lin Chu knew at once that he was not alright. "Wait a minute for me."
As she spoke, Lin Chu put on the coat and went to the kitchen.
"Please don"t tell me that you drove here on your own," said Lin Chu as she took an average-sized vacuum flask from the cupboard. Xu Moyan had bought these flasks in j.a.pan when she was there for a business trip. She brought one back for Lin Chu as well. It was convenient to use them outside because they could effectively keep things hot or cold.
"No, Shao Huai drove me here." Yan Beicheng quietly laughed. His laughter was so seductive that it distracted Lin Chu. She loosened her grip around the flask. The vacuum flask noisily clanged as it fell on the table.
Naturally, Yan Beicheng heard the noise as well. He gently chuckled again. "Take your time. There"s no need to rush. I"ll wait for you."
"I"m not rus.h.i.+ng," said Lin Chu bashfully. "I"ll hang up first. I"ll be downstairs soon."
She ended the phone call once she had finished speaking.
"What are you doing? What"s all that noise?" Xu Moyan rushed to the doorway of the kitchen. She poked her head inside to take a look.
"Nothing. I"m just making a honey drink." Lin Chu took a jar of honey from the cupboard. "Isn"t your idol going to suddenly appear tonight? Is it alright for you to come out here? What"s going to happen if your idol shows up while you"re gone?"
"Oh no! I"m done chatting. I"ll go back first," Xu Moyan shrieked before she slipped away and ran back in.
Lin Chu giggled. Once she had mixed the honey with some warm water, she poured it into the flask and rushed outside.
Lin Chu pushed the screen door open. The streetlight was not s.h.i.+ning particularly brightly, but she briefly glanced around. There was a Grand Cherokee that was parked nearby on the left side. She noticed that the car"s headlights were turned on.
Lin Chu hurriedly ran over. The car"s back doors were unlocked just as she ran up beside the vehicle. Lin Chu opened the door and saw Yan Beicheng sitting inside. She could see clearly that he was looking at her because the lights inside the car were turned on.
Lin Chu"s face reddened. When she sat inside, she noticed that there was no one in front.
Upon noticing Lin Chu"s gaze, Yan Beicheng explained, "Shao Huai complained that he was getting bored in the car so he went outside to get some fresh air."
Lin Chu would never believe these excuses. She did not see anyone near the car when she came here. It was impossible that Shao Huai would have wandered far away just for a breath of fresh air. However, she kept mum. She could smell the faint scent of alcohol after she closed the car door, but it was not unbearable because it was very light.
"Did you drink a lot?" asked Lin Chu.
Although she had neither personally nor openly agreed to be Yan Beicheng"s girlfriend, her tone indicated that she was not treating him as an outsider anymore.
Yan Beicheng was slightly intoxicated from the alcohol that he drank, but he still noticed the changes in Lin Chu"s tone and words. His features relaxed while the hints of joy in his black eyes could not be suppressed any longer.
There were no stars in the night sky now, but there were dazzling specs of light in Yan Beicheng"s dark pupils. It looked prettier than the sky.
Suddenly, he raised his hand and pretended to cover his mouth. He exhaled against his palm and sniffed it before he furrowed his eyebrows. He turned to Lin Chu and asked, "Do I stink?"
Lin Chu shook her head and pa.s.sed the flask to him. "I just made this honey drink. You should drink some. It"ll make you feel better."
Yan Beicheng obediently took the flask and gulped down the slightly warm honey beverage. His stomach felt much better after that. The taste of alcohol in his mouth faded and it was replaced by the sweet flavor of honey instead.
Yan Beicheng placed the cap back on the flask once he had finished drinking. He looked at Lin Chu with a gentle gaze. It was filled with affection that could not be hidden anymore.
The fondness in his eyes was so apparent that Lin Chu could not a.s.sume that she was mistaken.
Lin Chu was at a loss because Yan Beicheng"s gaze made her slightly embarra.s.sed. She s.h.i.+fted her gaze, but she could not stop herself from looking at him again. Her mouth twitched several times before she quietly asked, "Didn"t you say that you weren"t coming tonight?"
"I couldn"t help myself. I wanted to come and see you." The corners of Yan Beicheng"s lips faintly curled upward. His expression implied that he was saying these things because he knew that Lin Chu wanted him to do that.
It was unknown whether his voice sounded slightly clearer than before because the honey had lubricated his throat. However, he did not speak loudly. His soft voice seemed as though it was trapped inside his throat.
His voice wound itself around her ears inside the limited s.p.a.ce of the car. It was so seductive that her ear lobes were already red.
Suddenly, Yan Beicheng s.h.i.+fted over to sit closer to her. Shocked, Lin Chu instinctively retreated and avoided him, but she could not hide when her entire back was leaning against the car door. Yan Beicheng squeezed himself nearer to her until their thighs were pressed together.
Lin Chu"s entire body grew warmer. She was so nervous that she trembled faintly.
She watched as Yan Beicheng covered his mouth and exhaled against his hand again. A little while later, he turned to her and asked, "Are you sure I don"t stink?"
Lin Chu was briefly dumbfounded before she realized what Yan Beicheng meant. There was only a faint smell of alcohol when she had just entered the car. Frankly, she did not find it repulsive at all.
She previously hated the stench that wafted around after people drank alcohol. She disliked the smell even if it was faint. However, she did not complain when it came to Yan Beicheng.
In spite of the hesitant feelings in her heart, Lin Chu knew that she felt this way because she liked Yan Beicheng. She did not hate anything about Yan Beicheng simply because of who he was.
Lin Chu hurriedly shook her head when she saw Yan Beicheng furrowing his eyebrows slightly as though he hated the smell of alcohol on his body. She was about to say that it was not disgusting. However, Yan Beicheng suddenly swooped down and kissed her when she had just opened her mouth. He covered her lips immediately. While her mouth was open, he took the opportunity to enter it and have his way with her. He sealed her lips so tightly that air could not escape either. The faint taste of alcohol on his lips and teeth invaded her entire cavity at the same time as well.
However, Lin Chu did not find it disgusting. On the contrary, it seemed as though Yan Beicheng"s drunkenness had faintly affected her too as light red patches had vaguely formed on her cheeks.
Her heart thumped wildly and vigorously as he held her entire body tightly. She became completely helpless as he kissed her. She never knew that kissing could feel so enjoyable. It was a pleasurable and intoxicating feeling that directly pierced the depths of her heart.
Yan Beicheng faintly loosened his grip. Lin Chu"s doe-like eyes usually had a clear view of everything, but they looked faintly muddled now.
Lin Chu saw that Yan Beicheng was looking at her dusky eyes with indescribable gentleness. Meanwhile, his attractive thin lips were faintly stretched into an arc.
Yan Beicheng gently pressed his lips against hers. His raspy voice murmured, "I wanted to kiss you the moment you stepped inside, but I was worried that you"d hate it because I taste like alcohol."
Lin Chu could feel his lips vibrating against her own when he spoke. He plastered himself against her without any intention of leaving. She could not avoid him because the back of her head was pressed against the car window. She did not know what to do when Yan Beicheng teased her.
The inside of the car was brightly illuminated. When Yan Beicheng lowered his eyes, he saw that her cheeks were becoming redder. He could not suppress the affection that was growing in his heart. Although he had already pulled her into an embrace, he still felt as though he desperately wanted to hold her closer against his chest. He pressed his lips against her burning cheeks while his nose sniffed the fragrant scent that wafted off her face.
Several moments pa.s.sed before Yan Beicheng finally exhaled and let her go. "I"ll walk you upstairs. You should go to bed earlier."
Lin Chu never expected that Yan Beicheng would release her and allow her to return so quickly. Initially, she a.s.sumed that he would insist on spending more time talking to her since he came here despite being tipsy.
The corners of Yan Beicheng"s lips curled upward into a smile that made Lin Chu blush. "I came because I wanted to hug and kiss you."
Lin Chu, "..."
"Do you want to stay here so that we can kiss for a little longer instead?" Yan Beicheng softly chuckled. He was about to grab Lin Chu again.
Lin Chu blushed and quickly shoved him away. She frantically pushed the car door open and got out.
She had just steadied herself before she noticed that Yan Beicheng had followed her down.
"I"m just walking you upstairs," Yan Beicheng calmly explained under Lin Chu"s doubtful gaze.
"My housemate is at home," murmured Lin Chu.
Yan Beicheng narrowed his eyes. "Are you still planning to hide my existence?"
"No, I just don"t know how to tell her yet," Lin Chu hurriedly said. Yan Beicheng exuded an imposing force when he narrowed his eyes. Lin Chu could sense great pressure.
She heard Yan Beicheng quietly snort before he reached out and grabbed her hand. His long fingers with distinct joints coiled themselves around her fingers. He threaded them through the gaps between her fingers and held her hand firmly.
Her fingers were soft and seemingly boneless while Yan Beicheng"s fingers were slender and st.u.r.dy. As he held her hand, he would occasionally exert a little more force in his grip. She could feel the joints of his long fingers that were protruding out slightly.
The scent of alcohol faded once they were outside. She stood next to Yan Beicheng and walked with him as their arms affectionately rubbed against each other. She could faintly smell a crisp manly scent that drifted from his body. She did not know what cologne he used, but it certainly smelled good.
This was the first time that she had walked with him in such an intimate manner. It was a cold windy night, but she felt as though her cheeks were burning.