Red Line Resurrection Chapter 8
byChapter 8
◎Going out for coconut chicken.◎
It wasn’t He Wen who came to pick up Shen Lingjun from school today.
Seeing Liang Ji’an, a wave of joy washed over him. He quickly waved goodbye to Zhou Shunan and hurried toward the school gate. Liang Ji’an smoothly took his backpack. Shen Lingjun had originally intended to sit in the back, but then he realized this was a golden opportunity to close the distance between them. He opened the passenger door and slipped inside.
“Ge, why did you come to pick me up today?”
After calling him that several times last night, the address had become very natural for him, but Liang Ji’an still felt a slight awkwardness every time he heard it. He paused before replying, “I wasn’t very busy today.”
“Was that person just now your classmate?”
It was a very familiar question, but since there was absolutely nothing going on between him and Zhou Shunan, Shen Lingjun answered with a clear conscience, “Yeah, he’s the guy behind me. He’s pretty nice.”
Liang Ji’an didn’t comment further, only saying, “Later, I’ll take you to buy some clothes. We’ll eat dinner out. What do you want to eat?”
Shen Lingjun smiled sweetly, “Anything is fine. I’ll listen to Ge.”
Liang Ji’an could tell that he was just trying hard to appear relaxed and obedient, but in reality, he was still tense, like a cat ready to puff up and hiss at any moment. If He Wen could sense that Shen Lingjun cared deeply about his attitude toward him, Liang Ji’an certainly wasn’t oblivious.
He probably still lacked a sense of security.
The education Liang Ji’an received since childhood and the world he was exposed to were, in some ways, perfectly matched, yet they were deeply contradictory when it came to family relationships. The warm, harmonious family environment found in fairy tales had almost never existed in the Liang family. Relatives schemed against each other for power and money, and relations between brothers were far from amicable. Over time, he had grown accustomed to the superficiality of filial piety and fraternal respect. Now, this non-threatening younger brother appeared after everything had settled, seemingly offering him a chance to practice the theories of normal family relationships.
Even though he knew clearly that Shen Lingjun’s current closeness was likely just fear of being abandoned again.
But precisely because of this, he would try hard to get closer to him and maintain their familial bond in order to preserve his current life.
In its own way, wasn’t this a form of pure affection?
Liang Ji’an tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. “How about coconut chicken?”
Shen Lingjun only dared to sneak glances at him from the corner of his eye. Hearing the suggestion, he immediately nodded, feeling very relieved that it wasn’t some high-end restaurant; otherwise, he wouldn’t even know how to use a knife and fork.
The clothing store they went to, however, looked more like a tailor shop. From Shen Lingjun’s perspective, it was hard to define exactly what it was. Liang Ji’an picked out several different styles of suits, and then the staff wheeled them into the fitting room on a small cart for further selection.
Calling it a fitting room was an understatement; the space inside was large enough for ten people. Shen Lingjun nervously looked at Liang Ji’an, who didn’t seem planning to leave, and whispered, “Ge…”
“What is it?” Liang Ji’an leaned back on the sofa, crossing his arms and speaking unhurriedly, “A friend is having a birthday party next month, and I want you to come with me then.”
“Try all these clothes on first. See if there’s a set you really like.”
It seemed his brother intended to help him choose. Although Shen Lingjun was embarrassed, he couldn’t refuse. He turned his back to change. Liang Ji’an found his cautiousness somewhat amusing. “You’re not a girl. Is it really inconvenient for me to be here while you just change your shirt?”
The moment the words left his mouth, Shen Lingjun’s heart jumped, and goosebumps rose all over him. He didn’t dare turn his head, constantly reassuring himself that perhaps Liang Ji’an genuinely found his timid behavior strange. After all, from his perspective, they were both men, and there was no need for avoidance. Strangers even scrubbed each other’s backs in bathhouses.
A hundred and eighty thoughts spun through his mind, but in the end, he said nothing, remaining turned away as he changed his clothes.
The City No. 1 High School uniform was also a formal suit shirt. When he took off the jacket, the shirt underneath clung to his body, outlining a very narrow, slender waist. As Shen Lingjun continued unbuttoning, Liang Ji’an noticed his ears were bright red, and even the back of his neck was flushed. He realized that both his recent comment and the current scene made it look like he was forcing the young boy, which was indeed inappropriate. He abruptly stood up, pulled the curtain open, and said, “Call me when you’re done changing.”
Shen Lingjun tried on five sets of clothes. It had to be said that Liang Ji’an had an exceptional eye for formal wear, and Shen Lingjun managed to pull off almost all of them. They finally settled on a pink and white spliced suit. It wasn’t so sober as to be rigid, nor so flamboyant as to be overly conspicuous—perfect for his age.
After choosing the clothes, the tailor came in to take his measurements. It was the first time he had been surrounded by people with measuring tapes and small notebooks, and he patted his flat chest, experiencing his second moment of relief that day.
Thank goodness he hadn’t developed much there.
Otherwise, Liang Ji’an would definitely discover something.
On the way to dinner, Shen Lingjun was noticeably less tense than he had been on the way over. Piano instrumental music played in the car, and neither of them spoke. Shen Lingjun stared blankly at the night view outside the window. The wind carried scattered raindrops that drifted onto his face. He rolled up the window, and a fine, dense curtain of rain quickly formed on the glass.
The brightly lit city turned into mottled, vivid blocks of color in the rain. Traffic flowed like weaving threads. He thought of his quiet and silent old home after dark, and then he thought of his mother.
He had thought that once he started living a good life, he would resent his so-called birth father or Liang Ji’an—why didn’t they take him back sooner? Why did they abandon him there for eighteen years without a word? But now, he was only thinking of his mother. His mother had endured a bitter life for even longer.
He was too quiet. When Liang Ji’an backed up the car, he couldn’t help but glance at him, but he was startled by Shen Lingjun’s lonely yet extremely calm expression. It was as if the child harbored countless emotions that he couldn’t share with outsiders. Just as he was about to speak, Shen Lingjun snapped out of his thoughts, blinked away the moisture in his eyes, covered his stomach, and instinctively whined, “Ge, I’m so hungry.”
“We’ll be there soon.” Liang Ji’an was very receptive to his display of affection and gently reassured him, “We hit rush hour traffic, so it’s a bit backed up ahead.”
The coconut chicken restaurant was an old establishment located by the roadside. Even with the rain, there were still many customers. Fortunately, Liang Ji’an was familiar with the owner and had called ahead to reserve a table.
The soup base was sweet and the chicken tender and smooth. The heat from the hot pot dispelled the slight chill of the spring rain. Liang Ji’an placed a chicken leg in his bowl. Shen Lingjun held the bowl with both hands to receive it, his thanks far more sincere than when he bought the suit. “Thank you, Ge.”
He was a very focused eater. Liang Ji’an had originally intended to use the opportunity to ask about his studies today, but he didn’t know where to start. In the end, he found himself eating quite a bit as well, and the two of them finished the entire chicken completely.
On the way back, the rain had lessened, but the umbrella was still tilted slightly. Shen Lingjun looked up, and a sudden, inexplicable feeling of happiness welled up in his heart.