LHKE Ch 8

Coaxing Shen Li to release his grip, Lu Changting filled a cup with half a glass of warm water. As he handed it over, Shen Li unexpectedly grabbed his wrist and pulled him down, wrapping his arms around him like vines.

Lu Changting was embraced by Shen Li.

Realizing the intimacy of the position, Lu Changting tensed up completely.

Shen Li clung to his shoulder, rubbing his cheek against Lu Changting’s neck and murmuring, “Why did you come back so late? I’ve been waiting for you for a long time.”

Having only been away for a minute or two to get water, Shen Li’s sudden accusation left Lu Changting nearly speechless.

Shen Li was drunk, so he had to be handled with care and comfort.

He awkwardly patted Shen Li’s back and softened his tone, “Drink the water first, okay?”

Shen Li obediently released him from his embrace, took the water, and drank.

Lu Changting continued to gently persuade him to take off his shoes and socks, change into pajamas, and after sorting everything out, he finally breathed a sigh of relief, “Get some rest early. I’ll head back to my room now.”

“You’re leaving again!”

When Shen Li realized Lu Changting was leaving, he immediately became anxious. Without thinking, he grabbed Lu Changting’s collar, hurriedly leaned in, and kissed him.

Soft lips pressed against Lu Changting’s, and Shen Li’s moist, drunk tongue took the opportunity to pry open his mouth, mingling with the intoxicating alcohol, entangling their lips and tongues.

Lu Changting stared in shock as tears suddenly fell from the corners of Shen Li’s eyes. His attempt to push Shen Li away faltered, and Shen Li wrapped his arms around his neck, clinging tightly, fiercely, and urgently.

He even bit Lu Changting, as if to vent his frustration at Lu Changting’s departure. Shen Li bit Lu Changting’s lower lip and nibbled with his teeth, then gently licked it. At twenty-seven years old, Lu Changting had never been kissed like this before, especially by a man.

He kept his eyes open, watching Shen Li’s dark eyelashes flutter and the tear streaks on his face… Then he reached out and embraced Shen Li, pressing their soft, wet lips and tongues together, indulging in a kiss.

He felt like he must be going crazy.

Shen Li’s breathing grew heavier and hotter. He awkwardly rubbed against Lu Changting’s lower body, feeling uncomfortable. Following his desires, he reached down, but as soon as he touched the belt around Shen Li’s waist, his wrist was tightly held and pressed above his head.

Lu Changting, still rational, ended the absurd kiss.

Shen Li looked at him with eyes brimming with tears, as if a heavy rain could fall any moment. His eyes were red, his face was red, and his lips were even redder. He no longer resembled the composed Shen Boss of usual.

Lu Changting gazed at him without avoiding his eyes, breathing heavily, and said, “Shen Li.”

Shen Li blinked, and it was as if a heavy rain poured down, soaking the young man’s handsome face.

“Xiao Gege.” He broke free from Lu Changting’s grip, somewhat recklessly throwing himself into Lu Changting’s embrace, burying his face in his chest, and cried in a hoarse voice, “I miss you so much…”

The impact was somewhat heavy, making Lu Changting’s heart tremble as if doused with a bucket of cold water—cold and heart-wrenching…

He pulled away from his desires and came to his senses.

Shen Li’s gaze wasn’t focused on him.

Those gentle, passionate eyes seemed to look through him, gazing at someone else.

Wanting to push Shen Li away, Lu Changting’s heart softened at his subdued crying. He allowed Shen Li to hold him for a while, and once Shen Li fell asleep from crying, he covered him with a blanket and returned to his own room.

At 2 a.m., Lu Changting finished his shower, dressed casually in a bathrobe, and pushed open the floor-to-ceiling window.

The night was dark, with no stars or moon visible. He didn’t turn on the lights, simply sitting on the lounge chair, and lit a cigarette.

The tobacco smell was stimulating but made him hazily recall the young, attractive body he had glimpsed last night and the absurd kiss just now, making him feel as if his life for the past twenty-odd years had been overturned.

He was reacting to Shen Li.

It was too absurd.

He clearly liked women.

How could he be having such feelings for Shen Li?

Lu Changting took a long drag from his cigarette, exhaling slowly, trying to expel the uneasy feelings from his chest.

He tried hard to recall how he felt with Tang Yao, but realized there was nothing particularly memorable.

He had met Tang Yao in the second semester of his sophomore year. During the summer vacation, Tang Yao confessed her feelings, and they got together. When school started again in their senior year, with the pressure of studies and the constraints of early romance, they would eat together, study together, he privately tutored Tang Yao, exchanged gifts during holidays, but there didn’t seem to be many “sweet memories.”

Back then, they were young and their affections were restrained; kisses were just brief touches on the lips… nothing like Shen Li’s wildness.

Wild and unrestrained.

As the cigarette burned down, Lu Changting stubbed it out and lit another.

Holding the cigarette between his fingers, he pressed his rough fingertip against his lips and bit the cigarette, taking a long drag.

It was maddening how he kept thinking about Shen Li.

Recalling the few times Shen Li had been affectionate with others, Lu Changting found it somewhat ridiculous that he was sitting here in the middle of the night, thinking about his sexual orientation.

Whether Shen Li was a rake or just playing around, with so many people around him and a “Xiao Gege” in his heart, how could there be anything left to give?

That night, Lu Changting smoked a whole pack of cigarettes, still unable to accept his sudden change in orientation.

He might need some time to think it over.

As the night grew deeper, the room was pitch dark and quiet. Once he lay down, he almost immediately fell asleep, dreaming no dreams.

…

In the early spring, the wind was warm, and sunlight streamed through the curtain gaps onto the bedside.

The young man, wrapped up tightly in bed, turned over and after a long struggle with the blanket, finally stretched out his arm. He groggily pulled out his phone from under the pillow, glanced at it—10:27.

He rubbed his eyes and struggled to sit up.

The hangover headache and thirst made him frown. Shaking his head, he got up, took off his pajamas, and walked into the bathroom.

After showering, he finally woke up from his drowsiness, changed into clean clothes, and, too lazy to blow-dry his hair, just wiped it a bit before walking out in his slippers.

Lu Changyin and Lu Changge, the two younger sisters, were sitting on the sofa, eating fruit and watching a variety show. When they saw him get up, they greeted him with smiles.

“Brother Shen, you’re awake.”

Shen Li took a sip of water and his voice sounded a bit hoarse. “…Where are others?”

“They went hiking,” Lu Changyin said, handing him an apple. “Brother Changting, Brother Fu, and Fu Qingshan all went. Xingye didn’t want to move, so he had breakfast and went back to his room to sleep. Yao hasn’t come out yet, so he might still be sleeping.”

Although Shen Li knew it was normal that others went out to play and didn’t call him given that he had slept so late, hearing it still made him a bit down. He forced a smile, split the apple in half with his hands, and took a bite. “Why didn’t you go?”

“Hiking is too tiring,” Lu Changge said, staring at him as he split the apple with his bare hands. “Brother Shen, you’re amazing. How did you do that?”

Lu Changyin blinked and grabbed another apple, eager to try.

Shen Li chuckled. “Little girl, don’t try to copy this.”

He glanced at the luggage in the living room. “We’re going back this afternoon, right?”

“Yeah,” Lu Changyin nodded. “Changge and I have already packed. You can pack up early too, Brother Shen.”

Lu Changge, hugging a pillow and resting her chin on it, spoke weakly, “I don’t know when the others will be back. I’m already hungry.”

“You can order takeout,” Shen Li said, taking out his phone. “What do you want to eat?”

“…I’m hungry, but I don’t have an appetite,” she said, looking at the menu, which was all heavy and meaty dishes that didn’t appeal to her.

Noticing that Lu Changge looked a bit unwell and seemed to be sick, with Lu Changyin eating the fruit, Shen Li put away his phone. “I’ll cook for you. How about a simple, light noodle soup? Would you like that?”

Lu Changge asked quietly, “…Will it be too much trouble?”

“It’s fine,” Shen Li smiled. “I haven’t eaten anything yet, so I’ll make it too.”

He then asked, “Changyin, do you want some?”

“Yes!” Lu Changyin said with a smile, “I’m hungry too.”

“Then go upstairs and call Chen Xingye, ask if he wants some, and check if Xiao Yao is up. Is that okay?”

“Sure.”

Shen Li went to the kitchen to wash a pot and start boiling water.

When Lu Changyin came downstairs, she told Shen Li, “Yao is awake, taking a shower, and Xingye wants some too. He said anything would be fine.”

She showed the WeChat page on her phone. “My brother and the others are on their way down. I told them we’d handle lunch ourselves, so they should do the same.”

Shen Li responded with an “mm,” washed another pot, took out five eggs from the fridge, and fried them.

After boiling the water, he poured it into bowls with salt and seasonings for the noodle soup. He put the noodles in, placed the fried eggs at the bottom of the bowl, added the softened noodles, and since there was no green onion in the fridge, he just boiled some bok choy and put it on top.

Lu Changyin helped bring the noodles out, and Chen Xingye and Xiao Yao came downstairs one after the other. The smell of the light noodles made their stomachs growl.

At the table, Shen Li casually asked who had brought him back to his room. Chen Xingye thought for a moment and said, “I think it was Changting.”

“Definitely not me,” Xiao Yao said while eating, not bothering to talk.

The two young girls, who had left the earliest, didn’t know anything.

Shen Li’s memory after getting drunk was completely fragmented. He vaguely remembered having a dream, but he couldn’t recall what it was about.

He suppressed the slight unease in his heart and thought he would ask Lu Changting later.

He wondered if he had made a scene after getting drunk…