Xu Duwan was aware that his actions were sometimes abnormal. After noticing the strong fluctuations in his emotions, he even refused to communicate with people for a long time.
Later, he took the initiative to see a psychologist. After learning about his past, the doctor told him that the bullying he had experienced in school had caused him psychological trauma and made him prone to irritability and anger.
He used to think he hated Shen Mingjin, so he never hid his behavior from him, but now…
Now that Shen Mingjin is willing to be with him, he can no longer act the way he did before—
This will frighten Shen Mingjin.
He didn’t want to break up with Shen Mingjin again.
Thinking of this, Xu Duwan took a deep breath, lowered his head, and pinched his palm with his fingertips, feeling the piercing pain. After a long while, he barely managed to suppress his turbulent emotions and said in a trembling voice:
”…..good.”
”What’s wrong?” Shen Mingjin wasn’t stupid; he sensitively noticed Xu Duwan’s emotional change. He paused in his grabbing the clothes, walked to Xu Duwan’s side, cupped his face, and whispered:
”Feeling unwell?”
”…No.” Xu Duwan’s nose stung with tears, and he shamelessly turned his face away.
”I don’t feel uncomfortable.”
He didn’t want to appear too clingy, in case Shen Mingjin disliked him again.
”…” Shen Mingjin looked at Xu Duwan’s reddened eyes and felt that the other party’s words were not convincing at all.
As if possessed, he moved his fingertips, his fingertips brushing against Xu Duwan’s trembling eyelashes. He sighed, stepped forward, and pulled Xu Duwan into a tight embrace, gently patting his back.
”Alright, why are you crying?”
”I didn’t cry!” Xu Duwan choked back tears and shouted.
”Okay, okay, you didn’t cry.” Shen Mingjin wanted to laugh:
”I’ll just go out for a little while,”
He thought for a moment, and seeing Xu Duwan’s wary expression, he said again after a long pause:
”If you’re worried, come with me.”
“……….”
Xu Duwan sniffed, dejectedly kicking the floor with his plush toy, feeling the wound on his knee still throbbing with each bend.
”I don’t want to see him.”
He didn’t say who it was, but Shen Mingjin could guess that he was talking about Shen Lian.
It’s understandable, really. Nobody wants to run into a classmate who bullied them in school again as an adult.
Shen Mingjin cupped Xu Duwan’s face in his hands and kissed his cheeks gently, as if to comfort him.
Xu Duwan felt a little ticklish from the kiss and turned his head to avoid it, but Shen Mingjin pressed his struggling hand down and pinned him against the wall.
Two long, slender legs were crossed, their shadows reflected on the smooth tile floor, inexplicably exuding a tender and affectionate air.
”I’ll be back soon.”
Shen Mingjin kissed Xu Duwan’s red ear, his voice very low:
”I’ll come back after I finish what I’m doing.”
Xu Duwan turned his head, his emotions gradually calming down under Shen Mingjin’s soothing words. He gripped Shen Mingjin’s collar tightly and then loosened his grip, his chest heaving a few times, before finally nodding.
”………good.”
”You really won’t go with me?”
Xu Duwan watched Shen Mingjin change his shoes and leave, then thought for a moment and said:
”No.”
He was like a gloomy little mushroom growing in the dark, only able to survive by absorbing damp rainwater. Shen Mingjin was like a ray of sun; if he held on too tightly, he would get burned, yet he instinctively wanted to get close to him.
Shen Mingjin glanced back at him, paused in his steps, hesitated for a moment, then waved, signaling Xu Duwan to come over.
Xu Duwan paused for a moment, then obediently ran to his side, looking expectant:
”What, aren’t you leaving?”
”…I’ll treat you to dinner after I get paid later.”
Shen Mingjin looked at Xu Duwan’s bright eyes and thought they resembled some kind of gemstone. It took him a long time to finally look away from them.
”Be good, listen to me, and wait for me to come back.”
“……Okay.” Xu Duwan was very easy to coax and reluctantly agreed.
Shen Mingjin stared at Xu Duwan’s flushed face, pondered for a moment, and felt that the two of them seemed a little too clingy, unlike the atmosphere between a sugar daddy and his kept woman, but rather like… dating?
Shen Mingjin was amused by his own guess and couldn’t help but chuckle. When Xu Duwan looked over in confusion, he touched Xu Duwan’s hair and said in a light tone, “I’m leaving.” Then he turned and left, not noticing that Xu Duwan was leaning against the door, watching him alone for a long time.
Lin Ciyang had been waiting at the place designated by Shen Mingjin for a long time. As soon as he saw Shen Mingjin, he rushed over, his face showing obvious anxiety.
”Brother Shen, my sister…”
”Don’t worry.” Shen Mingjin pressed his palm down slightly, looking very calm. He then led the bewildered man back into Shen Lian’s antique shop.
Compared to his first visit, Shen Mingjin was clearly much more familiar with the place. Leading Lin Ciyang through the corridor, he expertly entered a hidden inner room, lifting the curtain as if he had been there countless times before, and calling out inside:
”Shen Lian.”
The voice watching the treasure in the inner room was startled by the familiar shout, and he almost dropped the porcelain vase his sister had just bought.
”This bottle is a fake, don’t bother looking at it.”
Shen Mingjin skillfully dodged the dazzling array of antiques on the ground, walked over to Shen Lian, and sat down. His gaze inadvertently met Shen Lian’s bewildered eyes. He paused, then whispered:
”How is the injury on your face?”
”How dare you say that?” Shen Lian felt a surge of anger rising in his head at the mention of this. However, what infuriated him even more was that Shen Mingjin had hit him because of Xu Duwan. After mumbling “I’m fine,” he launched into a furious attack:
”Where have you been all these years? And how did you end up hanging out with Xu Duwan again? He’s a mad dog, you should stay away from him.”
”This is my business, it has nothing to do with you.”
Upon hearing Shen Lian’s assessment of Xu Duwan, Shen Mingjin frowned and interrupted Shen Lian:
”Don’t think I don’t know you laid a hand on him behind my back. If you say another word, I’ll drag you to him and make you kneel down and apologize for what you did.”
His words were very serious, making Shen Lian’s hair stand on end, and he said in disbelief:
”For him, you actually…”
”Remember this, he’s mine from now on. You’re not allowed to lay a finger on him, understand?”
Shen Mingjin lowered his eyes slightly, revealing a hint of intimidation, until Shen Lian reluctantly and meekly agreed, only then did he remove his cold expression.
”By the way, I came to see you today for two things.”
He didn’t even care whether he had kept in touch with Shen Lian over the years, but he knew that he and Shen Lian had known each other since childhood and their relationship was still quite good.
”First, help me find a discerning owner for my agarwood bracelet; second…”
Shen Mingjin watched as Shen Lian took the bracelet from his hand, and her voice lowered:
”Take me to see my dad.”
He remembered that his parents and grandfather had always lived together, and that if he found his father, he could see his other relatives.
Now that he’s back, he should find his parents first.
”…See your dad?”
Unexpectedly, as soon as he finished speaking, Shen Lian paused, looking somewhat shocked. It took him a long while to close his mouth, which had been agape in surprise. Under Shen Mingjin’s bewildered gaze, Shen Lian avoided his scrutiny, his fingertips unconsciously tightening their grip on the cold bracelet. After a long pause, he said, somewhat incoherently:
”Didn’t you say you never wanted to see him again?”
”What?” Shen Mingjin looked at Shen Lian in astonishment: “I said that?”
“Yes.” Shen Lian nodded, uttering a sentence that instantly made Shen Mingjin tense up:
“You severed your father-son relationship four years ago.”