Jiang Lin didn't eat much tonight, but he drank two bottles of wine. When he got in the car just now, Ji Minglun vaguely smelled a little bit of alcohol on him, but his eyes were quite sober.
"What do you want to eat?" Ji Minglun asked.
"Let's eat dumplings. There's a dumpling restaurant here that is said to be a must-try."
Jiang Lin got out of bed and sat on the edge of the bed to put on his slippers. The loose legs of his shorts were lifted up to his thighs by the bed sheets.
Ji Minglun took another look at the shallow bulge, turned his eyes away and said, "Then change your clothes, I'll wait for you outside."
After smoking a cigarette outside, Jiang Lin opened the door and came out. The two walked towards the elevator. When they got downstairs, Jiang Lin turned on the navigation to lead the way. They walked to the intersection in front of the clock tower and found a local to ask for directions. After crossing two streets, they finally arrived at Defachang's store.
The brightly lit building in front of you is a time-honored famous store. A traditional Chinese plaque with "德发长" stands at the highest point. A huge red lantern is hung in front of each floor-to-ceiling window, making it look majestic and ancient.
The hall on the second floor was filled with tables of all sizes. Even though it was past eight o'clock, the place was still packed with diners. The two were led to a small table by the waiter. Ji Minglun scanned the order code and handed the phone to Jiang Lin to ask him what he wanted to eat. Jiang Lin didn't take it. He propped his elbow on the table and leaned over to watch with him.
The table was a small table, so when Jiang Lin leaned over, Ji Minglun could smell the fragrance of his hair.
It's not the gardenia from last night, but my own bottle of sandalwood and cedar scented shampoo.
His eyes slid from Jiang Lin's slender neck to his collarbone. Ji Minglun wondered if the smell on Jiang Lin's body was the same as the scent of his bottle of sports shower gel. When he was distracted, Jiang Lin poked the screen and turned to him and said, "Order these twenty-four solar terms dumplings, they look good..."
Before he could finish the rest of his words, Jiang Lin forgot that he was too close. When he turned around, Ji Minglun's face was right in front of him and they could even feel each other's breath.
The arm on the table shrunk an inch towards the body. Jiang Lin turned his gaze back to the screen, trying to make his movements appear natural. Ji Minglun placed the phone in front of him and picked up the teapot to pour each of them a cup.
After this unexpected episode, Jiang Lin didn't even look at Ji Minglun's face. After ordering, he started drinking tea, with his eyes fixed on the gap between the two tables next to him.
The table next to him was by the window, and the entire floor-to-ceiling glass allowed a panoramic view of the beautifully lit bell tower not far away. He looked at it for a while and couldn't help but turned to Ji Minglun and said, "The night view here is really beautiful."
Ji Minglun was also looking in the direction he was looking at: "Well, it's a completely different style from Xiamen."
Jiang Lin smiled while holding the teacup: "It's a good thing you came, otherwise I would have missed it."
"You used to think ancient things were boring." Ji Minglun also said with a smile.
His smile seemed casual, but Jiang Lin felt it was necessary to clarify the misunderstanding at that time: "You actually asked at the wrong time that time. I had just had an argument with my dad about that woman, and you told me about it in the afternoon."
"So it's not that I didn't like it, I just wasn't in the mood during that time."
Not long after Jiang Lin's mother passed away, Jiang Jianchen immediately married his next wife. This incident was as much of a blow to Jiang Lin as the death of his mother, and it was also the direct reason why his relationship with Jiang Jianchen deteriorated beyond repair.
Ji Minglun asked: "What were you arguing about?"
Jiang Lin shook his head. He didn’t want to recall it. “I can’t remember clearly.”
"Then don't think about it anymore, just eat dumplings." Ji Minglun changed the subject. Jiang Lin looked up and saw the waiter bringing the dumplings and dumpling soup they ordered to the table. Jiang Lin picked up a crab roe dumpling. Ji Minglun looked at him with chopsticks, and waited until he swallowed it before asking, "How does it taste?"
"Not bad," Jiang Lin picked up another one and handed it to Ji Minglun, "Try it too."
Ji Minglun looked at the dumpling that was handed to his mouth. The chopsticks holding the dumpling were shining with oil under the light. Unlike his reaction last time at Lao Yu Congee Shop, this time he opened his mouth and ate without hesitation. When the chopsticks and the dumpling entered his mouth together, Jiang Lin realized that they were sharing tableware again, and he took the initiative to feed Ji Minglun.
"Yes, it's not bad," Ji Minglun commented calmly, the dumplings had thin skin and delicious meat fillings, "You can also try this Twenty-Four Solar Terms."
Without giving Jiang Lin time to react, he picked up a dumpling with a colorful skin and handed it to Jiang Lin's mouth.
Jiang Lin's attention was still on his overstepping behavior. The dumpling with a slightly sticky outer layer stuck to his lips. He subconsciously opened his mouth, and the dumpling and chopsticks touched his tongue.
After feeding him, Ji Minglun didn't ask him if it tasted good or not, and picked up another one to eat himself.
"Well, this one is also fine." Ji Minglun touched the colorful dumplings of the twenty-four solar terms with the tip of his chopsticks, picked up the tea and took a sip, then called the waiter to bring the osmanthus wine.
Osmanthus wine is the specialty here. The light yellow wine is covered with osmanthus petals, and it tastes rich in floral aroma. After the waiter brought it over, Ji Minglun poured a glass for Jiang Lin and asked, "Is it good?"
"It tastes good." Jiang Lin nodded and almost handed him the glass again. Fortunately, he thought of it in advance and held back this time.
Ji Minglun also took a sip. The wine was sweet and tasted a bit like rice wine. Later, the walnut cakes and crispy chicken they ordered were served. Jiang Lin couldn't stop eating. When he broke the crispy chicken, the fingers of both hands were stained with grease. Ji Minglun watched him divide the chicken for himself, and thought of how he had been eating in front of everyone these two days, and his mood improved a lot.
After eating, the two walked towards the hotel.
Just now Jiang Lin was greedy and thought the sweet-scented osmanthus wine was delicious, so he drank two pots by himself. Now he was drunk and his steps were a little unsteady. Ji Minglun walked beside him and was bumped by him from time to time. He simply put his arm around his shoulders to help him walk in a straight line.
Jiang Lin did not struggle to break free. He turned and looked at Ji Minglun. His eyes became bold and direct. He did not think that looking at Ji Minglun like this might be embarrassing.
Unable to avoid his gaze, Ji Minglun had to stare straight ahead. Fortunately, Jiang Lin turned back after watching for a while. However, his left foot suddenly kicked a broken hole in the stone pier that was only a few centimeters protruding.
The kick caught him completely off guard, and the pain sobered him up immediately. He sat on the ground, holding his left foot, and began rubbing it without taking off his shoes.
Ji Minglun pulled his hand away and carefully took off his sneakers and socks to check the socks.
Jiang Lin's big toe and index finger were visibly red. As soon as Ji Minglun touched him, he gasped and shouted "it hurts" three times.
After such a short while, the color of the toe darkened, but fortunately it was no big deal. Jiang Lin lowered his head, looking at the swollen toe with a frustrated look on his face, and wanted to stand up after the pain was gone, but Ji Minglun helped him up first, stuffed the shoe into his hand, and squatted down in front of him again.
Jiang Lin held the shoes in his arms and didn't notice that the soles were pressing against the T-shirt on his chest. He just stared blankly at the person in front of him.
Ji Minglun turned around and urged: "Come up."
Jiang Lin hesitated for a moment before lying on him. Ji Minglun held his inner thighs with both hands and lifted him up. He held his sneakers in one hand and put the other hand on Ji Minglun's shoulder, watching the man carrying him and walking forward.
South Street was bustling and prosperous at night. The ancient city wall on one side was lit up with charming landscape lights, kites and glowing children's toys were hovering in the sky, and citizens were walking in groups of three or two in the park next to it. They walked against the flow of people on the wide sidewalk, and after walking for a while, a weight fell on one of Ji Minglun's shoulders.
Jiang Lin rested his head on his shoulder, looked at the scenery on the street across the street, and spoke a few words.
His voice was vague, sounding more like a mumble. Ji Minglun didn't hear clearly, and soon he said it again: "Can you please not immigrate?"
Without stopping, Ji Minglun continued walking forward: "Even immigrants can still contact each other through the Internet."
The person behind him fell silent. The fingers on his shoulder exerted a little force and then released. When he finally reached the intersection, he heard the sound of an object falling to the ground. Looking back, he saw that the shoe Jiang Lin was holding had fallen off.
The head on his shoulder was breathing evenly. Ji Minglun called out twice but no one answered, so he knew Jiang Lin was asleep. Thinking that he had drunk wine for both meals tonight, Ji Minglun squatted down helplessly to pick up the shoes. He tried twice but failed. Fortunately, a little girl who passed by took the initiative to help him pick them up.
After thanking the cute little girl with a bun, Ji Minglun lifted the person on his back and crossed the street when the light turned green.
When he returned to the hotel, he was already sweating profusely. Ji Minglun put Jiang Lin on the bed and squatted down to check Jiang Lin's left foot. The two toes were still red and swollen. He took ice cubes from the small refrigerator and wrapped them in a towel to cool them. He also wrung out a face towel to wipe the sweat off Jiang Lin's neck.
When taking off Jiang Lin's pants, he tried his best not to look at the part that he shouldn't see, but after taking them off, Jiang Lin turned over and lay on his side on the quilt.
The well-wrapped boxer shorts highlighted the round and full shape of the buttocks, and even the invisible gap in the middle became faintly visible. Ji Minglun turned his face away, rubbed his nose with his index finger, forced himself not to think about anything, and took Jiang Lin's pajamas and put them on.
After settling the people down, he took a shower before lying down on the bed. He originally wanted to check his phone before going to sleep, but he didn't expect Jiang Lin to turn over, put his arms and legs on him, and put his face close to him.
Ji Minglun endured the pain and made sure that Jiang Lin was still sleeping soundly before he quietly turned his head and looked at the person who was so close to him.
The night a year ago came to his mind again, and his body seemed to remember how exciting it was to have lips and tongue contact with the person in front of him. Thinking of the aroma of osmanthus wine, he couldn't help it and leaned his head forward a little, but stopped when he was about to touch those lips.
Jiang Lin's peaceful sleeping face reflected in his pupils made him realize how inappropriate what he was about to do was.
He also drank a little tonight, although he was far from being drunk, he was definitely out of control.
He turned off the desk lamp and put his cell phone on the bedside table. Before pulling up the quilt, he still couldn't help himself. He gently lifted Jiang Lin's head and rested it on his arms, closing his eyes as if he was holding him in his arms.
When Jiang Lin woke up the next day, Ji Minglun was already standing by the bed, fully dressed.
He had a slight headache and couldn't remember how he got back last night. He found himself wearing pajamas. Before he could remember whether he had changed, he heard Ji Minglun asking him how his feet felt.
Looking at his toes which were no longer damaged, he finally remembered that it was Ji Minglun who carried him back.
After finishing the breakfast delivered to the room, they arrived at the hotel lobby on time at 12 o'clock to meet everyone.
Today's itinerary was to the Tang Paradise, and like yesterday, we were all outdoors. It was already too hot around three in the afternoon, so we found a teahouse nearby to sit down and have some snacks, then went for a barbecue, and watched the performance at the Tang Dynasty City That Never Sleeps in the evening.
It was just past 8:30 when we left Qujiang New District. Deng Yi did not suggest going to the bar tonight. Probably because she had been drinking for two nights in a row, she started to yawn frequently with her hands covering her mouth in the evening.
Two taxis drove to the hotel entrance one after another. After getting off the cars, everyone walked into the lobby one after another. While waiting for the elevator, Shen Ran saw that it was really early, so he asked Ji Minglun and Deng Feng if they wanted to play billiards.
All three of them knew how to play, but Wang Shi was not good at it so he decided not to join in. Deng Yi had taken a nap in the car and was now feeling a little energetic so she wanted to go too. Shen Ran asked Jiang Lin if he wanted to join them. Jiang Lin thought that he hadn't chosen a birthday present for Ji Minglun yet, so he decided to go for a walk tonight.
While they were talking, the elevator reached the first floor. Shi Xiaomin and Wang Shi went in, and the others returned to the hotel entrance. Shen Ran pointed to the right and said that there was a billiard hall over there, so they walked over there, and Jiang Lin walked to the left.
There are many luxury stores on South Street. Jiang Lin walked a few steps and entered the first one. He began to look at the exquisite jewelry on the counter. The clerk came to him and asked him enthusiastically if he needed help. He raised his left hand and said, "I want to pick a bracelet suitable for boys."
The item given last time was also a bracelet. He should have avoided this option this time, but after thinking about it, he still felt that the bracelet was the most suitable.
Replace the old one, and the one Ji Minglun wears on his wrist from now on is the one he gave him.
After listening to his description of his requirements, the clerk showed him two bracelets, neither of which satisfied him, so he led him to the counter near the door and pointed to one of the bracelets placed on black velvet cloth and began to introduce it.
This bracelet is completely different from the one he gave to Ji Minglun at that time in terms of design inspiration and style. The previous one was more individual and matched Ji Minglun's usual hip-hop style. This bracelet tends to be versatile, simple and smart but not eye-catching, and it would not look abrupt even if worn with a shirt or a suit.
This was exactly the feeling he wanted. After all, Ji Minglun would graduate in a year, and he hoped that this bracelet could witness the process of that man's change in dressing style.
This idea can be considered as wishful thinking, but he came back this time just to pursue Ji Minglun. Although there are many difficulties, he cannot let himself be discouraged.
He asked the clerk to take out the bracelet for him to try on, and just as he fastened the clasp, he heard someone calling his name.
The voice belonged to Deng Feng. He turned around and saw that the four people who were originally going to play billiard were all looking at him in the store.
As soon as the gift was put on her hand, Ji Minglun noticed it and immediately asked the clerk to help her take it off. Deng Yi stepped in first and said when she saw the bracelet: "This bracelet is so unique, Jiang Lin, you have good taste."
Deng Feng walked to the other side, put his wrist next to Jiang Lin's hand for comparison, and agreed: "It does look good."
Ji Minglun and Shen Ran came in last. Shen Ran curiously poked his head in, and Ji Minglun glanced at her. When he looked at the bracelet, Jiang Lin also looked at him. Their eyes touched lightly, and Jiang Lin looked away first. He then remembered that Jiang Lin had said he wanted to make up for the birthday present.
Jiang Lin doesn't know how to wear jewelry, so the reason why he chose it here and tried it on should be that it was chosen for him.
Thinking of Jiang Lin's excited expression when he tried it on just now, Ji Minglun resisted the urge to smile and continued to look at the bracelet.
Jiang Lin saw that he wanted to laugh but held it back. He couldn't help but feel annoyed that the surprise was gone, so he had to walk around the crowd and leave first.
Deng Yi followed him and asked, "Why don't you buy it if you like it? The price is quite suitable."
"No, I was just looking around." Jiang Lin explained anxiously. When he went out, he didn't notice that the threshold of this store was relatively shallow, and when he stepped down, he missed two steps.
Deng Yi wanted to pull him up, but before he could touch him, another arm grabbed him first. Deng Feng took a step forward and grabbed him. After he stood firm, he did not let go of his arm and asked, "Are you okay?"
Deng Yi's hand was still stretched out in the air. When she saw Deng Feng's nervous expression for a moment, she suddenly realized something and put her arm down.
Jiang Lin felt embarrassed, so he pulled his arm back and said it was okay. He then changed the subject and asked, "Didn't you go play billiards? Why are you back?"
“It’s Shen Ran again,” Deng Yi laughed and complained about the person behind him, “He remembered the wrong direction and took us to the public toilet.”
Thinking of that scene, Jiang Lin wanted to laugh, and Deng Yi said, "Do you want to go with us?"
"No need, you guys go play."
"Okay then, let's go first."
Deng Yi took Deng Feng away, and Ji Minglun and Shen Ran followed. When they passed by him, Ji Minglun looked at him again.
After the four of them walked into a building in front, Jiang Lin looked back at the store they had just come out of, and thought about changing for other gifts.
He went in another direction and turned into a shopping mall. After shopping for more than half an hour, Deng Feng went back to the luxury store on the pretext of going to the bathroom.
As the store was about to close, Deng Feng walked to the counter where Jiang Lin had been leaning just now and asked the clerk to take out the bracelet for him to see.
The clerk was the same one who had received Jiang Lin. Deng Feng asked her if Jiang Lin had come back to buy another bracelet. She said no, and that this was the only bracelet left.
Thinking of Jiang Lin's happy expression when he tried it on just now, Deng Feng asked the clerk to help him pack it up, paid the bill and left.