“You can hold me like this every night from now on. I really like it.”
In the darkness, Lin Shen was too flustered to utter a single word, and Lu Jing fell silent as well. The vast room was left with only the sound of their breathing and heartbeats.
Moonlight filtered through a gap in the curtains, casting a hazy glow along the edge of the bed. Lin Shen stared into that empty space, his chest thumping wildly.
He knew Lu Jing was watching him.
Time slipped away into the night, and after what felt like an eternity, Lin Shen finally dared to move away from the very edge of the bed, shifting slightly closer.
But Lu Jing wasn’t about to let him off the hook.
“Lin Shen, you never used to stay so far from me,” he said, his voice carrying the huskiness unique to late nights. “You used to love wrapping your arms around my waist to fall asleep, and you’d give me a minty goodnight kiss every day.”
“I know you don’t remember any of this, but it’s okay. I’ll tell you all about it, little by little.”
The more understanding and kind Lu Jing was, the more Lin Shen felt he was being unreasonable.
How could he let his amnesia affect their normal marital relationship?
Summoning his courage, Lin Shen closed his eyes and moved even closer to Lu Jing.
The distance between them gradually narrowed until they were just a touch away from feeling each other’s presence.
Lu Jing curved his lips into a gentle smile and whispered, “Sleep well. Sweet dreams.”
Lin Shen buried half his face under the covers. “Sweet dreams.”
The next day.
Half-asleep, Lin Shen felt something heavy resting on his waist, and his legs seemed to be touching something different from usual.
Blinking groggily, the first thing he saw was the man’s sharply defined jaw, followed by his slightly pursed lips, a tall, straight nose, and finally, a pair of narrow, long eyes.
At that moment, those eyes held a tenderness so captivating that one glance was enough to fall into their depths, quietly meeting Lin Shen’s gaze.
Only when Lin Shen’s eyes were fully awake did Lu Jing smile and say, “Good morning.”
Alarm bells rang in Lin Shen’s head as he carefully assessed the situation.
Lu Jing’s hand was resting on his waist, and in his sleep, Lin Shen had mistaken Lu Jing for a teddy bear and clung to him all night!
His right leg was still draped over Lu Jing’s body, and they were so close that he could hear every breath the other took.
Realizing what he had done, Lin Shen quickly pulled away, scrambling off Lu Jing.
After completing the series of movements smoothly, Lin Shen finally managed to speak weakly, “Good morning.”
Lu Jing was still smiling. Before getting out of bed, he glanced at Lin Shen’s ears, which were peeking out from under the covers and flushed bright red. “You can hold me like this every night from now on. I really like it.”
Lin Shen shrank further under the covers, utterly embarrassed.
After breakfast, Lu Jing went out to work, while Lin Shen, having no job to do, could only stay at home.
Lin Shen didn’t idle away his time at home. Taking advantage of the alone time, he dug up many movies Lu Jing had starred in, curling up in a corner of the sofa every day to watch them intently.
Lu Jing had acted in a wide variety of film genres and taken on diverse roles. Thanks to his outstanding acting skills and unwavering dedication, his reputation in the industry had always been excellent.
Lin Shen was currently watching one of Lu Jing’s early films, from when he had just reached adulthood, his face still radiating the spirited vigor of youth.
Clips of his character from this drama had been edited by many fans and posted on major video platforms for daily appreciation. For a long time, the role Lu Jing played had been regarded by many young women as the ideal standard for a boyfriend.
Lin Shen, of course, had never thought of it that way, as back then, he had been purely a career fan of Lu Jing.
Little did he expect that, in the end, this career fan would find the fruit of love while following his idol.
In the following days, Lin Shen spent his time alone at home, watching Lu Jing’s movies and TV shows over and over again. He used this free period as study time, carefully observing every micro-expression on Lu Jing’s face and studying how an actor conveys a character’s intensity in front of the camera.
In the evenings, when Lu Jing returned home, Lin Shen would turn off the movies and join him in the kitchen or engage in other activities. Lu Jing was making an effort to invite him into his life, and Lin Shen was doing his best to integrate into Lu Jing’s life.
Both were taking steps toward each other, moving together toward a blissful marriage.
On a day whose exact number he couldn’t recall, Lin Shen was watching the climax of a movie. The classic performance in that scene had him dragging the progress bar back and forth repeatedly, wishing he could watch it frame by frame.
Perhaps he was too engrossed, as he didn’t notice the sound of the door opening.
Only after finishing that climax did Lin Shen stretch his body and realize someone was standing behind him.
He looked at Lu Jing, momentarily stunned, wishing he could vanish into the ground out of embarrassment.
Lu Jing glanced at the screen, then at Lin Shen, before finally settling his gaze on the notebook beside Lin Shen.
“Studying by watching movies?”
Lin Shen let out a soft “Mm” from his nose.
Lu Jing asked, “How long have you been watching?”
Lin Shen replied quietly, “About… a week.”
Lu Jing pressed, “All my movies?”
Lin Shen averted his eyes. “Not entirely.”
Lu Jing: “Hmm?”
Lin Shen gave up: “Most of it.”
The curve at the corner of Lu Jing’s mouth grew wider: “What did you learn?”
Lin Shen told the truth: “Just the surface. I can only see the superficial aspects and can’t delve too deep.”
“I’m right here. Why go the long way around instead of asking me?” Lu Jing took the tablet from Lin Shen’s hand and sat down beside him, casually ruffling his hair. “The moon is right in front of you, and you don’t even know how to use it when it’s handed to you.”
After spending this time together, Lin Shen no longer felt as awkward around Lu Jing as he had initially.
“Are you really willing to teach me?” He tilted his head slightly, looking at Lu Jing with some anticipation.
Lu Jing applied a bit of force with his hand, pulling Lin Shen’s head to rest on his shoulder: “Of course. When have I ever lied to you?”
Leaning against his shoulder, Lin Shen laughed: “I’ve lost my memory now, so naturally, I don’t remember whether you’ve lied to me or not. Whether you have or not, it’s all up to you to say.”
Lu Jing pretended to sigh: “It seems my credit score isn’t very high in your eyes.”
Lin Shen laughed to himself and didn’t respond further.
After he finished laughing, Lu Jing suddenly said: “Let’s start now.”
The topic shifted too quickly, and Lin Shen couldn’t react: “Start what?”
Lu Jing explained: “Aren’t you learning how to act? Since I’ve taken on the role of your teacher, I can’t start slacking off from day one.”
Lin Shen had never felt Lu Jing’s workaholic, professional nature so clearly before: “Starting so soon?”
Lu Jing tapped the tablet with his knuckles: “The earlier you start learning, the sooner you’ll master it, right?”
Lin Shen was convinced: “Where should we start learning first?”
This time, Lu Jing fell silent for a moment, his tapping gradually slowing down. Then, he suddenly set the tablet aside, abruptly grasped Lin Shen’s waist, and laid him down on the white leather sofa.
A dizzying spin, and Lin Shen sank into the sofa. Lu Jing leaned over, only half an inch away from him.
A slightly hoarse voice whispered into Lin Shen’s ear: “Let’s start with the sofa struggle scene you were just watching repeatedly.”
“This part best captures the primal desires of humans,” Lu Jing’s voice gradually softened into a breathy whisper: “Summarized in three words—sexual tension.”