LHKE Ch30

The feeling of holding your loved one in your arms is like embracing a breeze full of spring, carrying a faint floral fragrance that’s clean and fresh.

Lu Changting left gentle kisses on his neck and whispered, “You’re truly special, so soft-hearted and easily deceived. You understand the ways of the world yet always live with kindness, transparent and upright.”

“You just think I’m easily deceived,” Shen Li said, burying his face in Lu Changting’s shoulder, hiding his reddened eyes. He was just willing to be deceived by Lu Changting.

Though it was only about some chocolates and honey pomelo tea, Lu Changting felt guilty when he thought about it, so he remained silent. He gently kissed Shen Li’s temple.

“I won’t deceive you anymore.”

In the private room, with no one to disturb them, they embraced each other, savoring the moment for a long time. When they went downstairs, they held hands. Despite just acknowledging their relationship, something more had changed between them. Anyone could see that they were a couple, so much so that it nearly made Le An drop his glass.

Fortunately, Le An had worked at “Gu Jiu” for several years and had witnessed many significant events, so he quickly regained his composure. He handed the forgotten invitation on the bar, which looked so lonely and pitiful, to Shen Li without asking or saying anything.

When Shen Li got home, it was already past two in the morning. He first sent a concise WeChat message to Cheng Zhao, telling him he was with Lu Changting, and then called Jiang Chifeng.

Jiang Chifeng had already fallen asleep, exhausted after spending time with Wei Wenxing, but the phone ringing woke him up, making his tone quite irritated when he answered.

“Shen Xiaoli, you better have a good reason for this,” he had intended to hang up when he saw the caller ID, but he held back his temper and answered.

Shen Li chuckled on the other end, and the call was filled with his laughter in the middle of the night, creating an eerie atmosphere.

Jiang Chifeng felt a chill run down his spine and became more awake, fearing the call might wake up Wei Wenxing, so he got out of bed and walked barefoot to the balcony.

“Shen Li, don’t scare me,” he said, closing the balcony door behind him. “What happened? Tell me, I won’t be mad.”

Shen Li lay on his bed, stretching his limbs and sounding relaxed in a way Jiang Chifeng had never heard before.

He said, “I’m with Lu Changting.”

Jiang Chifeng took a moment to process this and was now fully awake. His fingers subconsciously pinched a fully bloomed pink-white peony.

“Congratulations,” he said sincerely, truly happy for Shen Li. “You got what you wished for.”

“He doesn’t seem to have realized it yet,” Shen Li added. “That day, I misunderstood what he meant.”

Jiang Chifeng looked at the flower in his hand and asked cautiously, “Are you not planning to tell him?”

Shen Li laughed softly, “We’re already together.”

Whether or not Lu Changting knew didn’t matter as much anymore. He hadn’t said anything for a day or even a year. So many years had passed, so why bother now?

Jiang Chifeng sighed inwardly for his friend, thinking Shen Li was foolish: “Who confessed?”

“He did,” Shen Li replied. “I know what you’re worried about, and I know what I’m doing.”

He continued slowly, “There might be a lot of uncertainty ahead, but having this moment is already good enough.”

Lu Changting’s confession was like the Monkey King breaking the seal on the mountain, freeing Shen Li’s long-suppressed feelings, which grew rapidly and uncontrollably. He could never refuse Lu Changting, despite his worries and fears; he still moved closer to him.

“Lu Changting must have saved the world in his past life,” Jiang Chifeng joked in his usual irreverent tone, “If you break up, I’ll kick Wei Wenxing out, and we can be together.”

Shen Li laughed at that, “Don’t worry, I won’t give you that chance.”

Before Jiang Chifeng could say anything else, the sound of the balcony door sliding open was followed by a deep voice, “Who are you planning to kick out?”

Shen Li heard Wei Wenxing’s voice and thought that Jiang Chifeng really never learned his lesson. He quickly ended the call.

Wei Wenxing, half-awake and reaching out for his partner, was disoriented when he found the bed empty. He saw Jiang Chifeng talking on the balcony so late and felt annoyed, especially after hearing him casually talk about kicking him out.

Jiang Chifeng turned around and flashed a particularly obedient smile, “I didn’t say that, you heard wrong.”

He was still playing with the flower in his hand. The soft petals looked delicate in the moonlight. Jiang Chifeng raised his hand and placed the flower behind Wei Wenxing’s ear.

Though Wei Wenxing was in his thirties, with deep-set eyes and a straight nose, giving him a stern and upright appearance, the flower behind his ear looked out of place.

Jiang Chifeng, through the lens of love, saw charm even in what seemed incongruous, finding tenderness in the hardened features. With a smile and a hint of the gentle moonlight in his eyes, he said, “It’s for you.”

Then, not giving Wei Wenxing a chance to argue, he pulled him by the arm back into the room, saying, “I’m so tired, let’s go back to sleep.”

Wei Wenxing noticed Jiang Chifeng was barefoot and frowned, lifting him up with a resigned tone, “You’re not wearing shoes again.”

Though Jiang Chifeng felt a bit sore and cold, he didn’t notice it while chatting with Shen Li. It wasn’t until Wei Wenxing held him that he felt the chill and the aches climbing from his legs upward. He was wearing soft and fine pajamas, and with Wei Wenxing shirtless, their body heat mingled warmly. Jiang Chifeng, now back in bed, clung to Wei Wenxing’s neck, trying to find a comfortable spot to nestle in, muttering, “Goodnight.”

Wei Wenxing didn’t respond, just held him tight and closed his eyes.

Jiang Chifeng sighed softly and whispered, “It was Shen Li’s call.”

Wei Wenxing patted his back gently, “Go to sleep, goodnight.”

Someone falls asleep in the embrace of their loved one, the bed warm and comforting, while another person, having just taken a cold shower, emerges feeling cool all over. With their pajamas draped over their shoulders and only wearing a loose pair of pajama pants, they pick up their phone, open the group chat, and start sending red envelopes.

Even the cold shower didn’t calm him down; he needed to do something else.

He sent around ten “Wishing you prosperity and great fortune” red envelopes, and finally, someone took a break from collecting them to send a message in the chat.

[Happy Wanderer: @L, Young Master Lu, did you hit the jackpot?]

[Xu: ???]

[Xu: Changting, why aren’t you asleep yet?]

Lu Changting didn’t reply but sent a few more red envelopes.

His incessant red envelope notifications caused Shen Li’s phone to vibrate nonstop. Halfway through his shower, he rinsed the foam off his body, wiped his hands on a towel, and glanced at his phone, feeling a bit amused.

After putting on his pajamas and coming out, he noticed that Xiao Yao had also started flooding the chat and even mentioned him.

[Happy Wanderer: Holy crap?]

[Happy Wanderer: @L, Buddy, did you find someone?]

[Happy Wanderer: ?!!!]

[Happy Wanderer: You actually managed to win over Boss Shen, impressive.]

[Happy Wanderer: @Liquor Seller @L]

[Xu: ??????????????????????????]

[Xu: What?]

[Happy Wanderer: Look at his Moments, I’m so jealous.]

[Liquor Seller: ……]

Shen Li sent a string of ellipses, licked his lips, and nervously clicked on Lu Changting’s Moments.

Lu Changting’s Moments post read, “@Liquor Seller One in 7.2 billion, hello there.”

The post was accompanied by a photo of two hands clasped together. Shen Li didn’t know when Lu Changting had snapped it. The lighting was dim, and the image a bit blurry, but Shen Li stared at it for a while and then saved it to his phone.

He thought to himself that he must take many more photos with Lu Changting in the future and save them all.

Switching back to the group chat, he counted the number of red envelopes Lu Changting had sent. Unsure of the amount in each, but assuming it wasn’t a small sum, he carefully filled each one with 100 yuan and sent out the same number of red envelopes.

[Xu: Hahaha, congratulations.]

Xiao Yao’s fingers hurt from tapping on the red envelopes, but he was filled with emotions.

[Happy Wanderer: @L @Liquor Seller Congratulations.]

[Happy Wanderer: I’m really looking forward to seeing the bewildered faces of Xingye and the others when they wake up and see the red envelopes in the chat tomorrow morning.]

[L: Thanks.]

[Liquor Seller: Thank you.]

After responding to the group chat, Shen Li switched to his private chat with Lu Changting, and sure enough, a new message popped up.

[L: Finished your shower?]

[Liquor Seller: Yeah.]

[Liquor Seller: Why aren’t you sleeping? You have work tomorrow.]

Lu Changting sent a voice message, his voice hushed: “I can’t sleep.”

“I’m too happy,” he paused and then chuckled softly, “I’ve never been this happy before.”

Shen Li smiled too and pressed the voice button, saying, “But you have work tomorrow. How about you go to sleep now and continue being happy after you wake up?”

Lu Changting reluctantly agreed with an “Mm”: “Then you should also go to sleep.”

“Goodnight,” Shen Li said softly, “Sweet dreams.”

A particularly soft “oh” followed, the tone gentle, its pitch rising slightly, sounding even lighter and softer coming from the phone. Lu Changting listened to the voice message several times before finally replying with a smile, “Goodnight.”