Chapter 21#
With the small heater on, the room was reasonably warm. The two chatted for a while, and it was already 10:30 PM.
Lin Fengzhi went to check the bathroom conditions.
Narrow and crowded, no floor heating, and no other heating facilities.
Leaving the small heater, wearing only a cashmere sweater, Lin Fengzhi sneezed from the cold.
“Achoo!”
Lin Fengzhi decided to shower when he got home tomorrow morning.
His lower abdomen was slightly bloated, but Lin Fengzhi didn’t relieve himself. Although the toilet was scrubbed very clean, there was a crack in the toilet seat, and Lin Fengzhi really didn’t want to use it.
He washed his hands casually and came out of the bathroom.
Yan Heqing was making the bed. Lin Fengzhi watched for a while, touched the back of his head, and said, “I showered this morning, it doesn’t matter if I don’t wash now, right?”
It didn’t matter, because Lin Fengzhi wouldn’t be sleeping here tonight.
“It’s okay.” Yan Heqing tucked in the quilt and found a set of sportswear from the box for him. “Just washed clean, make do with it.”
This time Lin Fengzhi didn’t refuse.
He took the clothes. He was wearing a long-sleeved shirt underneath, so he wasn’t afraid of chafing his skin.
Preparing to rest, Lin Fengzhi unfastened his watch.
It was a white ceramic mechanical watch, very exquisite and beautiful.
He took it off and put it on the bedside table. The room was too quiet, so he actively found a topic. “This watch is a Richard Mille white ceramic.” He stuck out his tongue again. “I wouldn’t bear to buy such a watch worth over a million. It was an 18th birthday gift from a friend.”
Suddenly he stopped. “You said we are twins, so you also had your 18th birthday last month, right?”
Lin Fengzhi became interested. “What gifts did you receive for your birthday?”
On the day of his 18th coming-of-age ceremony, Lin Fengzhi received a lot of formal wear.
Gifts from relatives and friends piled up in a room.
Father Lin and Mother Lin gave him a seaside holiday villa because he liked diving.
Eldest brother Lin Fengxian gave him ice hockey equipment.
Second brother Lin Fengyi gave him a car key, a scooter, not expensive, over 900,000.
Lu Muchi’s was relatively unique, a piece of white ceramic, and he also gave him a star.
On his birthday, an asteroid at 61 degrees north latitude could be found with an astronomical telescope.
Lu Muchi bought the naming rights and gave it to him, calling it Lin Fengzhi’s Star.
Lin Fengzhi got more excited as he spoke. “Do you have an astronomical telescope? I’ll adjust it for you to see, maybe we can see my star.”
“No,” Yan Heqing said lightly.
His interest dampened, Lin Fengzhi was a little disappointed. “Ah, then next time come to my house, I have one.”
Yan Heqing made the bed and took his change of clothes. “You sleep first, I’ll take a shower.”
Lin Fengzhi couldn’t sleep.
Yan Heqing went to take a shower. He sat on the sofa and didn’t want to move.
It was too cold. As soon as he left the small heater, he felt cold all over, and his feet followed suit.
He really didn’t understand why Yan Heqing didn’t find a house with floor heating.
The small room had nothing to visit. If it were his room, he could look at his collection of limited-edition shoes, and use the astronomical telescope to find stars.
With nothing to do, Lin Fengzhi took Yan Heqing’s sportswear. As always, it smelled of soap powder and was very soft.
The sound of trickling water came from the bathroom. Lin Fengzhi changed into the sportswear.
The trouser legs and sleeves were a bit long, so Lin Fengzhi rolled them up once.
Surprisingly, this set of clothes didn’t chafe his skin.
Lin Fengzhi tried rubbing his wrist with the sleeve. There was no abnormality, no allergic red spots.
What was the situation?
Lin Fengzhi studied it for a long time. The material didn’t look like the Pima cotton he usually wore, nor like other high-end fabrics. It was just ordinary cotton. Why didn’t it chafe his skin?
The sound of water stopped. Not long after, the bathroom door opened, and steam drifted out. Lin Fengzhi turned back and asked, “Your clothes…”
He stopped abruptly.
Yan Heqing had a dry towel on his head, changed into clean pajamas, and came out while wiping his hair.
His wet hair curled naturally, completely different from usual.
The pure black pajamas made his skin look as clear and white as snow. His slender neck, having been showered with hot water, was now rosy and glossy. His long eyelashes were stained with moisture, drooping lightly on his eyelids.
Lin Fengzhi used to think he looked exquisite enough, but seeing Yan Heqing, he felt a sense of inferiority.
How to describe it? The skin was similar, but the bone structure was worlds apart.
Yan Heqing also had a pure and elegant temperament from the inside out. One look and you knew he had read many books, the kind of top student who studied very well.
The T University Lin Fengzhi got into was good, but he was an art student. His cultural courses were just at a normal level, not bad, but not outstanding.
Yan Heqing’s grades must be very outstanding, having been admitted to the ace major of the top university in the country.
Lin Fengzhi suddenly thought of Lu Lin.
Lu Lin was also a top student who graduated from Peking University… another ace major, Law.
Lin Fengzhi immediately envied Yan Heqing.
If he also studied at Peking University, even if Lu Lin had graduated many years ago, even if they weren’t in the same department, he could barely be considered Lu Lin’s junior schoolmate.
That way, Lu Lin would at least remember his name.
Lin Fengzhi’s eyes drifted, and he began to miss Lu Lin again.
Wonder what Lu Lin is doing now?
“What clothes?” Yan Heqing wiped his hair half-dry and pulled the towel down to hang around his neck.
Lin Fengzhi said “Ah”. “What?”
“You just asked me about clothes.”
Lin Fengzhi remembered. He pulled at the clothes. “Oh, oh, I wanted to ask about the material of your clothes. My skin is sensitive, and many clothes cause allergies, but yours don’t.”
“Old.”
Lin Fengzhi was stunned. “There is such a material?”
“Clothes worn for too long, worn out a lot, become skin-friendly,” Yan Heqing explained lightly.
Lin Fengzhi was surprised. So that’s what it meant.
He looked down at the clothes. Yan Heqing kept them very well. He didn’t expect them to be very old clothes.
Looking up again, seeing Yan Heqing walking towards the kitchen, Lin Fengzhi grabbed the white ceramic watch to check the time. It was past 11 o’clock. He asked strangely, “You want to eat a late-night snack?”
“Boiling water.”
Yan Heqing just started boiling water when a knock on the door came. Yan Heqing’s eyes shifted slightly.
Here he comes.
Lu Muchi.
Yan Heqing filled a small cup with tap water and slowly watered the few pots of succulents on the windowsill.
At the same time, he said from the kitchen, “Fengzhi, open the door.”
It was the first time Lin Fengzhi had this experience. The bed faced the door, and he could hear clearly when someone knocked.
It felt very novel.
But it’s so late, who would come to visit?
Yan Heqing’s classmate, colleague, or friend?
“Oh.” Lin Fengzhi got up and went to open the door with curiosity.
The door opened, and Lin Fengzhi’s pupils suddenly dilated, extremely surprised. “Lu Muchi?”
Outside the door, Lu Muchi, covered in a thin layer of snow, froze. His blood seemed to freeze all over, and his limbs felt cold.
He came to find fault, but didn’t expect to run into Lin Fengzhi.
Lu Muchi frowned. Running into his sweetheart at a “strange man’s” house, how should he explain this? What if…
Lin Fengzhi was equally shocked.
He didn’t want to tell Lu Muchi about his relationship with Yan Heqing for the time being.
How did Lu Muchi find this place?!
Did he know?
Lin Fengzhi’s face twitched slightly, his fingers nervously gripping the door handle.
Both of them had a guilty conscience, and for a moment, they tacitly didn’t speak.
Just then, Yan Heqing’s voice came from the kitchen, “Who is it?”
Thud!
The next instant, Lin Fengzhi slammed the door shut, his heartbeat like thunder.
Yan Heqing came out of the kitchen, pretending nothing happened. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing!” Lin Fengzhi shook his head mechanically. He grabbed his coat. “Suddenly remembered something, I’d better go first tonight.”
Too late to change clothes, Lin Fengzhi put on his coat directly, hurriedly put on his shoes, opened a crack in the door, squeezed out, and closed the door.
Yan Heqing held the warm water, said nothing, walked to the coffee table, poured a few cough pills, and swallowed them.
After drinking the water, he coughed lowly twice.
Lin Fengzhi pulled Lu Muchi downstairs and walked forward for a few minutes before stopping.
He was panic-stricken, not knowing if Lu Muchi simply came to find him, or… heard some rumors.
Big brother was on a business trip, second brother had always been at odds with Lu Muchi, and Father Lin and Mother Lin wouldn’t tell Lu Muchi. But many people entered and left the Lin family every day, and Yan Heqing had a face similar to his…
Lin Fengzhi regretted inviting Yan Heqing to the Lin family as a guest last time.
He stared closely at Lu Muchi, probing tentatively.
“You… how did you come here to find me?”
Lu Muchi also came back to his senses at this time. It seemed that Lin Fengzhi didn’t know he knew Yan Heqing, and misunderstood that he came to find him.
He immediately seized the opportunity. “Couldn’t get through to your phone, contacted Uncle Lin, said you were at a friend’s house, so I asked for the address and came.”
Lin Fengzhi quietly breathed a sigh of relief. He curved his eyes. “So urgent, what do you want with me?”
Lu Muchi suddenly approached, his thumb landing on the bruise on Lin Fengzhi’s face. “To see if your injury has healed.”
Lu Muchi’s fingertips had a faint smell of tobacco. Unlike Yan Heqing’s roughness, his hands were slightly cool and very delicate. Lin Fengzhi felt his face heat up inexplicably. He didn’t feel how ambiguous this face-touching action was when done by his good friend, and didn’t avoid it, complaining, “Thought it was something big, just such a small thing…”
“No matter how small your matter is, it is a big matter to me.” Lu Muchi looked at him intently.
Under the light, Lu Muchi’s profile looked somewhat like Lu Lin. Lin Fengzhi was in a trance for a moment.
After a while, he blinked. “It’s too late, I’m going home first.”
Lu Muchi nodded. “I’ll take you.”
Upstairs, Yan Heqing removed the white ceramic watch pressing on his book, opened the book, and read carefully.
After reading enough, Yan Heqing turned off the light and rested.
—
The next morning, on Yan Heqing’s way to work, Lin Fengzhi called.
He still addressed Yan Heqing awkwardly, simply said good morning, and went straight to the point. “I’m busy with school these few days. Keep the clothes and watch there for now, I’ll pick them up on the weekend.”
He paused, hesitated, but still said, “If the watch wasn’t a gift from a friend, actually it wouldn’t matter if I gave it to you to wear.”
He felt that Yan Heqing shouldn’t be a person who covets petty gains, but after all, it was something worth over a million… better to hint tactfully first.
Yan Heqing’s voice was flat. “Okay.”
It seemed even more awkward over the phone, with nothing to talk about. Lin Fengzhi chatted a few words of gossip and then used class as an excuse to hang up.
The billboards outside the subway flashed by rapidly. Yan Heqing put away his phone. The subway gradually stopped steadily, the doors opened, and the crowd of office workers racing against time surged out like a floodgate opening.
Yan Heqing walked at the very end, walking out of the subway station unhurriedly.
At 8:30 in the morning, there were no customers yet. Today’s morning shift was Yan Heqing and another male waiter.
Yan Heqing changed into his uniform, bending over to arrange cakes in the dessert cabinet.
The other male waiter curled his lips in disdain, very displeased with Yan Heqing.
The store manager isn’t here, who are you showing off your diligence to!
He waved his hand. “I’m going to the toilet, you watch the store first.”
He picked up his phone and went outside to find a place to slack off.
Yan Heqing didn’t react, focusing on arranging the cakes.
He didn’t like desserts, but colorful and sweet-smelling things could always make people feel happy.
“A cup of black coffee, a piece of cream cake.”
A voice fell from overhead.
Yan Heqing stood up straight, a polite smile on the corner of his mouth. “Welcome, please wait a moment.”
He turned to make coffee.
Lu Lin stared intently at his straight and thin back until Yan Heqing returned with the coffee.
The store was very quiet. The young man lowered his head slightly, put on the cup lid, put it into a paper bag, then opened the dessert cabinet door and accurately took out the small square with slightly more cream on the left.
Lu Lin didn’t say a word, quietly waiting for Yan Heqing to pack. His pocket vibrated slightly, and he took out his phone.
Checking the caller ID, he answered the call. “What is it?”
“This Friday, my last bachelor night before marriage, President Lu, you must give me face.” Xie Yunjie’s voice carried a smile.
Yan Heqing finished packing and tied a bow with a purple ribbon, the same as the one he gave Lu Lin last night. Lu Lin’s eyes shifted slightly, and he asked calmly, “Location.”
“Haven’t decided yet,” Xie Yunjie said. “How about you decide, President Lu? It’s rare to find a place you’re satisfied with.”
At this time, Yan Heqing put the cake into the paper bag containing the coffee, arranged the corners, and placed it on the counter in front of Lu Lin.
He didn’t speak, waiting for Lu Lin to finish the call.
“You decide yourself,” Lu Lin said lightly. “As long as the cocktails are good.”
“Drinking cocktails, then OG, Friday night at 8 o’clock.” Xie Yunjie laughed. “Master Xiao Yan starts work at 8 o’clock.”
Lu Lin hung up the phone and took out his wallet to pay. “How much.”
Yan Heqing smiled. “No need, my treat.”
“Half price today too?”
“That’s not it, but with my employee price, I can get a 20% discount.”
Lu Lin pulled out two banknotes and put them on the counter. “Treat me next time it’s half price.”
He left carrying the things.
Yan Heqing watched Lu Lin walk away, his fine eyelashes trembling slightly.
Friday.