Jian Song scrambled to pull clothes out of his bag, accidentally stuffing his underwear in along with the rest in a crumpled ball; it was impossible to tell what was what inside the bundle.
Lu Yingchi watched him and could not help but chuckle. “Brother Jian, do you want to check what you have grabbed? You do not want to bring the wrong clothes.”
Jian Song coughed. “Brother Jian is not a fool like you. How could I possibly grab the wrong clothes?”
With extreme confidence, he started walking, only to realize he had no idea where the bathroom was, as Lu Yingchi’s bedroom did not have an attached one. Embarrassed, Jian Song lowered his head and asked, “Where is the bathroom?”
Lu Yingchi considerately pointed the way and opened the bedroom door. “Over there.”
Because the entire floor belonged to Lu Yingchi, the bathroom and restroom were located outside the room. Jian Song walked out and pulled the door shut behind him. Once inside, the awkwardness hit him. He and Lu Yingchi had only known each other for a few days, and here he was, boldly coming into his home and using his bathroom. But if he had to choose, he would still choose Lu Yingchi; he had appeared just in time, like a savior. Well, he should not be blamed, should he? It is just for one night.
Jian Song finished washing quickly and started getting dressed. As he shook out the bundle of clothes, he realized he had grabbed two tops.
Jian Song was shocked. He did not want to believe it. He shook the clothes again, hoping a pair of pants would fly out. No matter how hard he shook, there were no pants. His underwear, caught in the shuffle, fell onto the wet floor, right into a puddle of water left over from his shower, soaking it completely.
Jian Song went silent. Jian Song accepted his fate. Jian Song screamed silently. Is this really happening to me? Am I truly the unluckiest person in the world? Not only was he kicked out of his home, but now, while staying at someone else’s place, he had to deal with this humiliation?
The suppressed emotions finally collapsed. Jian Song grabbed the soaked underwear and threw it into the bucket; now it was truly dripping wet. His eyes turned red, and tears fell silently. To keep Lu Yingchi from hearing him cry, Jian Song turned on the shower, sobbing softly beneath the sound of the running water.
While he could hide his sobs, he could not hide his pheromones. The bitter scent of chocolate seeped through the cracks in the door and reached Lu Yingchi.
Lu Yingchi was sitting at his desk previewing tomorrow’s lessons when the faint, bitter scent of chocolate drifted into his nose. He recognized it as Jian Song’s pheromones, but today, the chocolate scent carried a trace of bitterness. Lu Yingchi frowned; just from the pheromones, he knew Jian Song was in a bad mood.
He left his chair and walked to the bathroom door. Worried that Jian Song might have hurt himself, he knocked. “Brother Jian, have you not finished yet?”
Jian Song, caught off guard, was so startled that he inhaled sharply, choking on his own saliva while crying. His face turned bright red, and his eyes grew even puffier. As he wiped away his tears, he tried to sound composed.
“Cough! I am, I am fine, cough, cough! Do not, do not worry about me.”
Hearing Jian Song coughing as if he were trying to cough up his lungs, Lu Yingchi grew frantic. “Brother Jian, what is wrong? Did you fall? Why are you coughing so hard? Are you really okay?”
Jian Song could not speak anymore. That inhalation had nearly choked him to death; his throat was in agony. Lu Yingchi heard only silence and became even more anxious. His brows locked. “Brother Jian? Are you in trouble? I am coming in!”
When Jian Song heard Lu Yingchi was coming in, his eyes widened. I only have a top on, and not even any underwear! If Lu Yingchi sees this, I will be so embarrassed I will die!
Even in his state of distress, he had to stop him.
“NO!”
Because he had been coughing so severely, the first syllable came out too weakly. The word “No” did not register; to Lu Yingchi, it sounded like Jian Song weakly whispering, “Yes.”
Lu Yingchi’s eyes shifted. Yes? If a strong, confident person like Brother Jian was asking for help, he must really be in trouble.
Lu Yingchi pushed the door open. Jian Song did not have the habit of locking the bathroom door, so the handle turned easily. Jian Song was leaning against the vanity, face flushed, eyes red, tears still streaming down his cheeks. When he saw Lu Yingchi burst in, he stared in disbelief.
Lu Yingchi was stunned by the sight. Jian Song was only wearing a short top that failed to cover his private parts. Fortunately, Jian Song was hunched over, so Lu Yingchi did not see everything, but those straight, slender, porcelain white legs were fully exposed to Lu Yingchi’s eyes.
Lu Yingchi’s breath hitched; his heart skipped a few beats.
After a few seconds of rigidity, Jian Song realized the situation. His face turned even redder, and he gripped the hem of his shirt with one hand, trying to cover himself. But the shirt was too short; if he pulled it down, his chest was exposed; if he pulled it up, his legs showed. The most important thing is not to expose my junk! No matter how close we are, you cannot just show off such private areas!
Jian Song was on the verge of a breakdown. Lu Yingchi, the dog, was still standing at the door, staring; God knows what he was thinking.
“Lu Yingchi! Get out!”
Hearing Jian Song’s raspy shout, Lu Yingchi finally snapped out of it. He blinked and immediately turned around to close the door.
Jian Song was breathing heavily, and so was Lu Yingchi. What had just happened was a true challenge to Lu Yingchi’s restraint. Lu Yingchi’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard. Those legs; covered by uniform pants all the time, I never realized Brother Jian’s figure was so good. Lu Yingchi could not help but replay the image: the misty steam, Jian Song’s shy, red face, and those smooth, long legs.
His nose began to itch, and a warm sensation trickled down. He reached up and wiped it away—blood. Red. Lu Yingchi panicked. If I walk out and Jian Song sees me bleeding because I looked at his legs, he will definitely think I am a pervert and despise me.
Lu Yingchi hurried away from the bathroom door to find tissues and water. Inside, Jian Song struggled to calm his breathing, but it was impossible. That scene was truly social suicide!
Jian Song splashed his face with water. God, how am I supposed to face Lu Yingchi now? I should have just gone to Jiang Qi’s house; at least nothing this awkward would happen there.
Jian Song wanted to drown himself. I cannot even get my clothes right! He felt cold, but with his underwear wet, he only had the one top. He had two choices: ask Lu Yingchi for clothes, or go out and get them himself.
The first was immediately discarded. After such an awkward moment, how could I ask him to bring me clothes? Is there only one way? Go get them myself? But in this situation, going out is very inconvenient!
Jian Song took a few deep breaths, mentally prepared himself, and peeked nervously out the door. He did not see Lu Yingchi. Great, crisis averted. To be safe, he called out, “Lu Yingchi? Lu Yingchi, are you in the room?”