Lin Haobai couldn’t care about anything else, he began to suspect he was dreaming again.
The small amount of alcohol in his system made his head feel light and dizzy. He forced his already large eyes wide open and looked at the person next to him again.
It was still that pink figure.
He blinked, refused to believe it, and shook his head. Yet, in the restroom filled with air freshener, he could unmistakably smell that familiar scent.
“Hello, you…”
A hoarse voice echoed through the empty restroom.
Ren Tianxing heard this, zipped up, and looked up.
Well, this was quite the scene.
He was seeing his “son”, to be precise, the real-life prototype of his collectible figure. Such a coincidence made him unconsciously smile.
“Need something?”
Lin Haobai was momentarily blinded by that smile, blooming like a flower. His cheeks, already flushed from the alcohol, turned even redder. His whole body seemed to heat up, and he felt like a crab steaming in a pot, radiating warmth all over.
Suddenly, he couldn’t speak a word.
Ren Tianxing, who usually disliked being stared at, surprisingly didn’t get angry. Observing Lin Haobai’s dazed expression, he asked, “Do you need help?”
Lin Haobai stared dumbly at him, utterly shocked. His stunned expression made Ren Tianxing’s handsome face look almost comical.
Unable to contain it, Ren Tianxing let out a chuckle. This guy, serious expression or not, was already intimidating with that physique, but looking so clueless just made him want to tease him a little.
The laughter finally brought Lin Haobai a bit back to reality. He shook his head and whispered, “Thank you.”
Seeing that Lin Haobai was fine, Ren Tianxing figured he had other things to do, so he left. As he walked, he reached into his pocket for the small figure he always carried and patted its chocolate-colored face. “Little one, why does your real-life version have such rosy cheeks? Like a little apple. Ha ha!”
Lin Haobai, standing by the sink, splashed his face with the cold tap water. Now fully awake, he thought back to the person he had just encountered and began to doubt whether it had been a hallucination caused by the alcohol. Otherwise, how could someone from his dream appear in the real world?
This person didn’t just invade his dreams, now he seemed to appear even after he drank.
So domineering!!
He must just be too tired!
Lin Haobai found the best excuse for himself.
He had lived 22 years and worked nonstop for 14 of them, it was about time he took a proper rest.
Because of the night’s unexpected events, after returning to the private room, Lin Haobai immediately discussed with his manager and decided to clear his entire schedule for the next month. He planned to go home to see his mom and recuperate. Otherwise, if he kept dreaming about that gorgeous male beauty, he feared he might go crazy.
Ren Tianxing, on the other hand, left with one hand clutching the small figure as he headed straight for the bar area, the place where he was meeting friends tonight.
In the quiet private room of the bar, he had barely sat down when his childhood friend Liu Tianyou grabbed him.
“You little rascal, went to the restroom and came back looking all smug. Don’t tell me you went out there to flaunt your charm before coming back!”
Ren Tianxing picked up his glass and took a sip, teasing: “Not exactly flaunting charm… just went to the restroom.” What he didn’t mention was that he had encountered a man who was a little cute, a little sexy. Would he get another chance to see him?
After a few playful jabs at each other, they moved on to the main topic of the night.
Tonight wasn’t about having fun, it was about planning a hunt.
“Tianxing, how confident are you about this?”
Liu Tianyou put away his mischievous grin and asked seriously. The other two men sitting nearby wore the same cautious expressions as they looked at Ren Tianxing.
It wasn’t surprising, they were being careful because Ren Tianxing’s plan this time was enormous. If a single step went wrong, they could end up losing half their fortunes.
Ren Tianxing ran a hand over the figure in his pocket, tracing the familiar lines, lips pressed into a slight smile.
“I can’t guarantee the rest, but this plan has been in preparation for years. Everything is ready. Even if you don’t lend a hand, I’m confident I can take down that old fox myself. I just want to implement the plan quickly, which is why I’m bringing you guys in.”
With that, he clenched the figure tightly in his hand and fell silent, giving his three friends time to consider. After all, not everyone would dare to cooperate with him.
By the time Lin Haobai got home, it was already past 1 a.m.
The apartment was quiet, without a trace of everyday life. His home was a small apartment in the city center, private and secure, which was why he usually stayed here while working. His mom, being more camera-shy, lived in a detached villa in the suburbs.
Walking toward the bathroom, Lin Haobai thought about what he needed to pack to take home tomorrow.
The hot water poured over his head with a rush, making him let out a contented sigh. The rising steam reminded him of the very first day he dreamt of that handsome man.
That man had a beautiful, fair face and a pleasant voice. Even though he had always appeared as a giant in his dreams, he had never been frightening. Tonight, however, was unusual, under the influence of alcohol, the man he saw was almost as tall as him. Maybe just a little taller, but definitely not a giant.
Was that fleeting glimpse tonight a dream or reality? And if it was real, who exactly was he?
With these questions swirling in his mind, when Lin Haobai finally lay down in bed, for the first time ever, he wanted to dream of that handsome man again. This time, he wanted to figure out what was really going on.
It was as if fate had heard his wish.
Soon, Lin Haobai, who always slept soundly, drifted into slumber.
He didn’t notice that, as his sleep deepened, streams of white light began radiating from his body. The light gradually coalesced into a figure, the same size as Lin Haobai himself. The luminous figure didn’t seem to possess any independent consciousness.
Once fully formed, it transformed into a beam of light and shot toward the suburban villa.
Had he still been conscious at that moment, he would have realized that this villa was very close to his own home.
The room was silent and pitch-black, without a single sound.
When Lin Haobai opened his eyes, he found that he couldn’t move. He knew immediately that he had entered another dream. As always in his dreams, there was a remarkably beautiful man.
He looked around carefully. The surroundings were quiet and dark; he guessed it was likely bedtime. The familiar fragrance lingered in his nose, letting him know the man was nearby.
Settling his mind, he soon detected a steady breathing not far from him.
The man was asleep.
This time, Lin Haobai didn’t panic. Instead, he widened his eyes, trying to gather more clues from the dream. But the darkness slowed his exploration. In the endless blackness, only the even breathing beside him confirmed that someone was there.
After several careful looks and no further discoveries, he squinted his eyes slightly and began to rest.
When he woke the next day, Lin Haobai tried to stretch, only to realize he still couldn’t move. Great, he was only experiencing a lucid moment within a dream.
A subtle pressure pressed against his body, giving him the sensation of being trapped. Opening his eyes, he was met with a dazzlingly white chest, nearly blinding him. Although firm, the chest’s flawless fairness radiated a warm heat that made his entire body feel lazy and relaxed.
Lin Haobai felt like yawning, rubbing his eyes, and falling back asleep for a while.
But the familiar fragrance lingering in his nose suddenly thinned. The next moment, the world spun wildly around him again.
With all the experience he had by now, he already understood what was happening.
Sure enough, the next moment, that enlarged, beautiful face appeared before him.
Probably because he had just woken up, the face still bore faint sleep marks from the pillow. The marks were light and did nothing to diminish its beauty. If anything, they softened the distant, untouchable aura it usually carried.
Those starry, glittering eyes reflected the sunlight, sparkling brilliantly, making his heart race wildly.
Lin Haobai wanted to reach out and steady his own rebellious little heart. For the first time, he truly understood that beauty knew no gender. This person’s beauty carried an intense, almost aggressive quality that drilled straight into his eyes. If it weren’t for the slightly cool, aloof aura, this face would probably draw crowds of men and women alike.
Even he, a man he considered straighter than steel, couldn’t stop his heart from pounding.
“Good morning, little one. Did you miss your daddy?”
The moment those words came out, Lin Haobai wanted to cover that mouth with its moving red lips. This person really shouldn’t speak, silent, he was breathtaking; speaking, he was a rogue.
And the rogue kept going.
Lin Haobai watched as the corner of his mouth curled into that mischievous, almost scripted smile. His neck shivered, goosebumps rising all over.
Great, now this rogue was getting hands-on.
“Little one, tell me, how do you make me this happy? Just holding you tight makes me sleep like a baby. You’re way more effective than all those so-called experts with their sleeping pills and melatonin.”
Lin Haobai felt heat and tingling all over, completely unable to move, awkward yet wanting to laugh, while receiving this endless chatter in his ears.
“Little one, I saw the real you yesterday. You’re actually quite cute. Your little face all flushed like that… it just makes people want to tease you a little.”
Lin Haobai, already awkward, froze completely at this.
What did he mean by “the real you”?
What did he mean by “quite cute”?
What did he mean by “little flushed face”?
Wasn’t this a dream?
Wasn’t yesterday just a hallucination after drinking?
Could there really be such a beautiful, delicate man in real life?
Lin Haobai thought: if he could move right now, he would immediately sit on the person in front of him, pin him down hard. He would grab his collar with both hands, glare at that perfect little face, and demand an explanation for exactly what he meant.