Chapter Index

    Chapter 9 Drunk and Staying Over

    Poster Reply to Floor 71: I’m currently on my crush’s sofa. How do I proceed with the conquest to seal the deal in one go? Waiting online, please advise!

    [Floor 72] I thought the poster had already been completely devoured by their crush!

    [Floor 73] Suggest buying a box of condoms first. Hygiene and safety should also be sealed in one go! (Dog head barking)

    [Floor 74] Just now they were secretly messing around in the garage, and now they’ve entered the inner sanctum?

    [Floor 75] Your mutual desire to sleep with each other is as obvious as a louse on a bald man’s head.

    [Floor 76] I bet fifty cents! Something big is definitely happening tonight! If I lose, I’ll… bet another fifty cents!

    [Floor 77] From the garage to the living room, then to the kitchen, then to the bedroom… Poster, try this movement path.

    [Floor 78] I’ve already prepared peanuts, melon seeds, and mineral water! Poster, treat this like a serious event!

    [Floor 79] Can you give the “eye-pulling” look? The kind of look that says, “Brother, I’m drunk, but I only want to be drunk in your arms!”

    [Floor 80] We are all thousand-year-old foxes, why play the ghost story game! Poster, just A-rank attack directly!

    [Floor 81] Poster, I’ll teach you: when he comes over, just say, “I feel dizzy, can I borrow your shoulder?”

    [Floor 82] I’ve already prepared peanuts, melon seeds, and beer!

    [Floor 83] Poster! To deal with this Mèn Sāo, ascetic type, the key is to be openly flirty! Vague, ambiguous teasing suits you best!

    Poster: Okay, I’ll try.

    Openly flirty, vague, and ambiguous teasing?

    Lin Yi exited the forum and pressed the phone screen dark. His fingertips still retained a slightly burning sensation from reading those bold suggestions.

    He took a deep breath, his gaze returning to the tall figure in the kitchen.

    Shen Beidao was facing away from him, preparing a simple meal in the kitchen.

    The warm yellow light outlined the powerful, firm curve of his buttocks beneath his suit trousers.

    As he bent down, the high-quality fabric stretched slightly. Just imagining it, Lin Yi could feel the soft, springy texture there.

    Lin Yi propped his chin on one hand, his fingers unconsciously tapping the table. An invisible flame seemed to gently scorch his heart: A masterpiece…

    If Shen Beidao, this kind of masterpiece, had been the model when he studied human anatomy back then, he would have consistently topped the exams!

    Although Lin Yi carried the title of “Master of the Dating Scene,” with a list of sixty-five “ex-boyfriends,” he knew clearly in his heart that this was just a bluff, a facade to achieve a certain goal, a shield he used for disguise and probing.

    Many of his “ex-boyfriends” didn’t even last 24 hours before he ruthlessly “broke up” with them. As for deeper intimate contact, his experience was pitifully lacking.

    His current mood was like secretly carrying an unruly rabbit, jumping up and down nervously.

    Shen Beidao seemed to sense the overly intense gaze behind him. He turned slightly and rolled up the sleeves of his shirt, revealing a section of his forearm—smoothly contoured and evenly toned.

    He had removed his suit jacket, leaving only the tailored dark vest and white shirt.

    Just standing there casually, the light cut a sharp silhouette on him. His shoulders were broad, narrowing abruptly at the waist, cinched into a deep line by the vest.

    The back muscles beneath the white shirt moved like an undercurrent with his movements, every line “silently” disappearing into the shadow of his waist.

    About twenty minutes later.

    Shen Beidao walked over, carrying a steaming bowl of tomato and egg noodles, and gently placed it on the dining table in front of Lin Yi. His voice was habitually gentle: “You eat first. I’ll go fry two more dishes.”

    Lin Yi instinctively reached out and grabbed his wrist. The skin he touched was warm and dry, and he could feel his steady pulse. “That’s enough, don’t bother.”

    He looked up, trying to make his eyes appear clear and innocent, carrying a subtle dependence. “I’ll just eat a little. It’s already ten o’clock; eating too much won’t digest well.”

    As he spoke, his thumb pad very slowly rubbed the softest part of the other man’s inner wrist—this was the “openly flirty” move taught by the netizens.

    Shen Beidao’s gaze lingered on Lin Yi’s hand for a moment, his eyes seeming to deepen slightly. He nodded. “Alright, then I’ll get you a drink.”

    “Do you have any alcohol?” Lin Yi asked, seizing the opportunity, though his heart trembled slightly at the bold idea he was about to execute.

    “You want to drink?” Shen Beidao looked at him.

    “A little drink is good for the mood!” Lin Yi curved his Peach Blossom Eyes, dragging out a slightly ambiguous ending to his voice, his eyes moist. “So I can go to sleep earlier later.”

    They were both adults; some things didn’t need to be spelled out.

    Lin Yi hadn’t suggested going back, and Shen Beidao hadn’t offered to send him.

    Their eyes briefly met in the air. A certain unspoken understanding sizzled in the quiet atmosphere, flowing with the dangerous emotions between adults…

    Shen Beidao gave him a deep look, then turned and walked toward the refrigerator.

    Taking advantage of this gap, Lin Yi’s attention was drawn to a square bottle of foreign liquor on the nearby bar counter.

    He walked over curiously, his fingertips tracing the glass bottle. He observed that the liquor was clear as water, and the label read: [Alcohol Content 55%]

    “Student Shen,” he turned back, his voice carrying manufactured curiosity. “Can I try this?”

    Shen Beidao was walking over with a bottle of low-alcohol sparkling grape wine. Seeing this, he frowned slightly. “That one has a high alcohol content and a strong taste. It’s not suitable for drinking now.”

    “It’s okay.” Lin Yi tilted his head, like a small cat full of curiosity and fondness for cuddling. “I like trying things I haven’t drunk before. Can I? Just a tiny bit.”

    He held up his index finger and thumb, making a “tiny bit” gesture, full of hard-to-refuse pleading.

    Shen Beidao was still hesitating. Although the liquor tasted pure, it had a strong kick. He was worried…

    Seeing that Shen Beidao didn’t object, Lin Yi acted as if he had received tacit permission. He quickly picked up a clean shot glass nearby, poured a full glass, and tilted his head back, gulping it down like plain water. “Gulp, gulp…”

    “Lin Yi, only drink one-third…”

    The liquid, like fire, instantly sliced down his throat, bringing a fierce and direct coolness. The taste was surprisingly good, almost indistinguishable from a regular cold drink.

    Shen Beidao’s warning had just begun. Before he could finish the word “one-third,” he saw Lin Yi place the empty glass back on the bar with a ‘clack.’ A little colorless liquor remained at the bottom.

    And Lin Yi himself, from his cheeks to his neck, rapidly flushed a pale pink.

    The alcohol hadn’t fully rushed to his head yet, but a warmth was slowly fermenting in his stomach.

    Riding on this borrowed liquid courage, Lin Yi quickly walked the three steps to stand in front of Shen Beidao.

    He stopped.

    He felt his cheeks burning hot, his ears also fiercely warm, but his eyes were unusually bright.

    They were even covered with a hazy mist due to the alcohol, staring straight at the man who made his heart flutter.

    “Shen Beidao.”

    He spoke, his voice carrying a subtle hoarseness and tremor from the alcohol’s stimulation. “Listen to me first. Before I finish speaking, you are not allowed to talk, and you are not allowed to interrupt me.”

    Shen Beidao looked at the visible redness spreading across his cheeks and ear tips, and his Peach Blossom Eyes clouded with a hazy mist. He sighed helplessly internally, feeling a pang of regret: If he had known this, he really should have hidden this bottle of liquor beforehand, or at least… diluted it with water.

    The night he had envisioned should not begin with a state of intoxication.

    “I…” Lin Yi took a deep breath before continuing. “From the first moment I saw you at the coffee shop, I felt something especially different about you…”

    He reached out, seemingly wanting to grab something, but his hand just weakly swayed in the air, grasping nothing.

    “Although we’ve only known each other for… five or six days? But love doesn’t care about the length of time! I especially, especially, like…”

    He struggled to organize his words, wanting to pour out all the passionate declarations he had learned from the forum and all the burning feelings in his heart. However, his brain suddenly became like a kite with a broken string, beginning to drift uncontrollably.

    The single Shen Beidao in front of him turned into two, his outline blurring and beginning to sway rhythmically left and right…

    “Hmm? Is it an earthquake?”

    Lin Yi confusedly shook his increasingly heavy head, trying to dispel the annoying dizziness, but his body disobeyed him, softening and falling forward, landing perfectly into a solid, warm embrace.

    A familiar scent instantly enveloped him.

    “I haven’t finished talking yet…”

    He mumbled a complaint, unconsciously rubbing his cheek against the fine-quality shirt, like a small wild cat seeking comfort. “Shen Beidao, why are you rushing to hug me… I haven’t finished… I… I li…”

    The final “like you” failed to fully escape, dissipating like a sigh, swallowed by the fibers of the cloth.

    Lin Yi’s head completely drooped, resting heavily on Shen Beidao’s chest, sinking into the deep darkness woven by the alcohol.

    His warm breath passed through the thin shirt fabric, warming Shen Beidao’s skin…

    Shen Beidao stood rigidly in place, feeling the sudden increase in weight in his arms and the completely defenseless posture of reliance.

    He looked down at Lin Yi’s tightly closed eyes, and the lips that were even redder from the alcohol…

    He pressed his temples, feeling an unprecedented headache.

    He glanced at his watch. From the moment they entered the door until now, excluding the time spent cooking, the actual time they spent alone was a pitiful three minutes.

    If he had known this, he truly shouldn’t have kept such “trouble-making” hard liquor at home.

    He sighed resignedly, bent down, and carefully lifted Lin Yi into a bridal carry.

    The young man was lighter than he expected. Curled up in his arms, he shed all his usual flamboyance, leaving only complete trust and vulnerability.

    Shen Beidao carried him into the bedroom, gently placing him on his spacious bed. He took off his shoes and pulled the soft down comforter up, tucking him in securely up to his chin.

    Lin Yi looked exceptionally well-behaved in his sleep, though his brows were slightly furrowed, as if something was still bothering him in his dreams.

    Shen Beidao stood quietly by the bed for a moment, his gaze complex as it swept over the youth’s peaceful sleeping face. Finally, he silently turned off the main light, leaving only a dim bedside lamp, and then gently closed the door.

    Returning to the dining room, Shen Beidao looked at the bowl of tomato and egg noodles that had only been tasted once. He sat down silently, picked up the pair of chopsticks Lin Yi had used, and began to eat dinner.

    He never liked wasting food.

    He thought, it was only to avoid wasting food.

    Just then, Lin Yi’s phone, left on the dining table, suddenly lit up. Immediately afterward, a sharp ringtone sounded again and again, persistent like a death knell.

    Shen Beidao hadn’t intended to answer it; he had no standing to answer someone else’s private call.

    But the ringing showed no sign of stopping, sounding particularly harsh in the empty room, disturbing his peace of mind.

    He finally picked up the phone. The screen displayed two characters: [Mom]

    Worried that there might be an urgent family matter and they couldn’t reach him, Shen Beidao hesitated repeatedly. His fingertip hovered over the green answer button for a moment before pressing it.

    Before he could even say “Hello,” a woman’s sharp, heart-wrenching shriek, laced with sobs and profound despair, immediately came through the phone:

    “Lin Yi! You went to see Xie Chun alone again?! Are you determined to force me to death before you’re satisfied! Are you that cheap? Do you have to get involved with men? Do you have to follow your father’s example! Will you only be happy after you’ve completely ruined your mother?…”

    A string of accusations, cries, and curses, like a mixture of ice and water, slammed down on him.

    However, the storm on the other end of the phone failed to move Shen Beidao. His gaze turned heavily toward the direction of the bedroom…

    He worried that if this little rabbit’s secret were discovered, it might drag his budding heart into a bottomless abyss…

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