Chapter 27
Author: Mr. Big Horn
When Su Jinxin finally came to his senses, he found himself standing at the bus stop just outside Yan Zhen’s private estate. One more step, and he’d be in view of the estate’s security cameras. He quickly stepped back and sat on the curb of the bus stop, looking at the dense private gardens in front of him.
Finally, he hugged his shoulders and broke down in tears.
As if his tears weren’t enough, a flash of lightning streaked across the sky, and torrential rain began to pour down.
On his way home, Yan Zhen saw Su Jinxin, who looked like a soaked, abandoned puppy with red, tear-streaked eyes and a lost expression.
—At first, he thought he was hallucinating due to his longing for Su Jinxin. He hadn’t planned to come back to the villa today since seeing Su Jinxin’s things still hurt. But once his work was done, he relaxed and forgot to tell the driver. He dozed off and woke up outside the garden. He was about to tell the driver to turn around when the driver asked, “Sir, is that Mr. Su?”
Yan Zhen’s heart tightened.
He rubbed his eyes in disbelief.
He quickly opened the umbrella and got out of the car. Seeing Su Jinxin was real, his heart nearly stopped: “Jinxin? What’s wrong? Why are you here?”
Su Jinxin, still in a daze from crying, reacted slowly.
He “ah-ed” as he came to his senses and tried to run, but Yan Zhen had already grabbed him by the waist, holding him close: “Why are you here crying all by yourself? Who upset you? —Didn’t you realize it was raining? How could you let yourself get like this?”
Feeling the coldness of Su Jinxin’s body, like he’d been pulled from a freezer, Yan Zhen was alarmed. He stuffed Su Jinxin into the car, grabbed his hands, and ordered him not to move. He held Su Jinxin close to warm him up. As soon as they got to the villa, he carried Su Jinxin inside and put him in a bathtub filled with hot water.
Su Jinxin remained dazed.
It wasn’t until Yan Zhen pulled him out, dried him off, and tucked him into bed that he weakly called out, “Mr. Yan.”
“Mm.” Yan Zhen’s brows were furrowed, his expression uncertain. “Drink this ginger tea.”
Su Jinxin didn’t dare make a sound and obediently complied.
Yan Zhen rubbed his temples, stepped out onto the balcony to smoke, and then abruptly came back inside: “Su Jinxin, I need to ask you something. Answer honestly.”
“Uh?”
“Do you… maybe like me, even just a little?”
Su Jinxin’s bowl clattered to the floor, and tears welled up again: “I-I’m sorry! I won’t bother… mm…”
Yan Zhen cut him off by pinning him to the bed, kissing him breathless before letting go: “You fool, why did you run? —Didn’t you realize? I like you.”
Su Jinxin was utterly stunned.
He stared wide-eyed, his lips red from the hot water, unable to say a word.
It was like winning a lottery jackpot he hadn’t even bought a ticket for. No, it was like someone handing him the jackpot winnings he hadn’t even thought to try for—after all, even if given a hundred chances, Su Jinxin would never have imagined Yan Zhen would…
The overwhelming surprise and joy nearly broke him—his heart raced, his breathing was rapid, yet he felt like he couldn’t get enough air. Dizzy, he could only grab Yan Zhen’s arm in a daze.
Even Yan Zhen, who had seen a lot, was startled by Su Jinxin’s reaction. He quickly pulled Su Jinxin up and patted his back: “Jinxin? Xin Xin? Don’t be afraid… even if you don’t like me, it’s okay. I won’t do anything to you… Just don’t overthink things and make yourself miserable. Let me handle everything else, okay? We’ll take it one step at a time.”
Su Jinxin opened his mouth to speak but was choked by sobs, his face turning red.
After a while, he finally managed to say, “It’s not that.”
He tried to continue, but another sob cut him off.
“What isn’t?” Yan Zhen asked, patiently patting his back. “Don’t be nervous, take your time.”
Su Jinxin clung tightly to Yan Zhen’s shoulders and took a deep breath before saying, “It’s not just a little bit of liking.”
“I see…” Yan Zhen raised an eyebrow slightly and sighed, “I had a feeling, but…”
“No!” Su Jinxin, realizing he had misspoken, quickly hugged Yan Zhen’s neck tightly, “It’s not just a little bit. I like you a lot, more than anyone else!”
—He practically shouted, his voice cracking with sobs.
His words vibrated in Yan Zhen’s ear, making it buzz.
Yan Zhen hadn’t expected such courage from him and was momentarily stunned.
He pulled Su Jinxin away, grabbed his chin, and made him look into his eyes: “Really?”
Su Jinxin, realizing how bold he had just been, felt his face and neck turn bright red. His earlobes were so red they looked like they might bleed, but he still looked seriously into Yan Zhen’s eyes and nodded vigorously.
“How much do you like me?” Yan Zhen asked with a mischievous smile, squinting at him.
How was Su Jinxin supposed to answer that?
Those few words had taken all his courage, and now he was overwhelmed with embarrassment. Trapped in Yan Zhen’s arms, his lower back pressed by a warm hand, he couldn’t escape even if he wanted to. And honestly, he didn’t want to. He lowered his long eyelashes, trying to hide his face, and stammered, “I… always think about you… I dream about you every night… and when I see you with someone else… uh…” He spoke in a halting whisper, sneaking glances at Yan Zhen.
Yan Zhen felt his lower abdomen heat up, unable to resist pulling Su Jinxin’s head back down onto the bed, kissing him for a while before saying, “I feel the same way.”
Su Jinxin finally felt a sense of reality.
He responded with a low “Mm.”