Iron Bull fait son retour

Chapitre 9

Ling Li clearly spent a lot of time with the opera troupe during his vacations. Besides contributing plenty of seafood, he also brought two cases of beer. He showed great respect for Master Lü and spoke very casually with the other members of the troupe. Because of his special status, everyone's attention was naturally drawn to him. Even Hua Kai smiled and occasionally communicated with Ling Li using sign language. They talked about topics that Tao Rujiu didn't fully understand, laughing as they recounted the past of Hailing City. As a reporter, Tao Rujiu should have listened quietly and taken notes. But sitting far away at the other end of the group, the young man only felt lonely.

He found himself wanting not only to listen but also to join in, to become a part of Hailing City. Yet the reality was that he was like a drop of oil rejected by the ocean, floating alone on the surface.

Fortunately, this melancholy didn't last long. After the chilled beer arrived, the slightly sentimental reminiscences turned into casual conversations about all sorts of things, as well as some rustic board games.

The aroma of scallion oil gradually wafted from the stove in the back room, making one's mouth water.

Raw blood clams, oysters, and whelks; scallops in scallion oil; roe, mussels, clams, scallops, and chicken leg snails; steamed blue crabs; stir-fried red flower crabs with assorted sauces; salt and pepper shrimp; and two large bowls of cold seaweed salad and jellyfish skin... After more than twenty seafood dishes were served one after another, Tao Rujiu finally truly experienced the charm of the seaside.

After a while, everyone ate and chatted happily. The person responsible for picking the watermelons left the table and returned a little while later with five watermelons, which they threw into the well. Night fell, and the lights came on.

"Speaking of which, it's Tao Tao's turn to go to the melon field again tomorrow. Who's going to guide him?"

Someone suddenly asked this question. In the opera troupe, there were always an even number of people picking melons, and on the day it was Tao Rujiu's turn, there just happened to be no one to partner with him.

Normally, no one cared much about this matter; the next trip to the underground palace wasn't a big deal for them. They could just see who was free and go along. However, at this moment, a special person volunteered to go with Tao Rujiu.

"If you're going to lead the way, then let me go. I guess I'll be eating your watermelons here for a while longer."

Tao Rujiu stared wide-eyed at the sharp man on the other end of the table. The man laughed nonchalantly, as if the argument from earlier that day had never happened.

As he said this, he stood with his wine glass and walked towards Tao Rujiu.

"Reporter Tao, you wouldn't mind coming with me, would you?"

Tao Rujiu was taken aback by Ling Li's sudden change in attitude and remained dazed for a while until his glass was filled with beer by Ling Li before he realized what was happening.

"If reporter Tao is willing, let's drink this up."

Ling Li was the first to down his beer in one gulp, drawing cheers from those around him. Tao Rujiu had no choice but to pick up his glass as well, but his doubts only deepened.

What is this? Is it a sharp yet subtle apology?

Both men finished their drinks, and their interaction ignited the drinking spirits of the others. After the food on the table was finished, everyone's attention turned entirely to the two cases of beer. The urging and pleading for drinks gradually turned into a drinking contest.

Aside from the fact that the flowers were too young to drink soft drinks and Master Lü insisted on drinking tea, everyone present ended up blushing.

By 10 p.m., only four people remained sitting on their stools, including Ling Li and Tao Rujiu.

Ling Li was used to alcohol, so these low-alcohol beers were nothing to him. The other two were also clearly "exercising" every week, but Tao Rujiu's drinking capacity surprised Ling Li.

The young man propped his head up with one hand, leaning against the table. The dim light shone on his forehead, casting shadows of his dark eyelashes. His eyes were closed, as if he had fallen asleep, but his right hand still clutched half a glass of beer, ready to face any sharp "challenge."

"Let's have another drink."

Ling Li smiled and sat down next to Tao Rujiu, offering to refill his half-full glass of beer. The young man slowly raised his head to look at him, his hazy eyes revealing a hint of drunkenness.

"…cannot……"

His supporting hand weakly swayed, trying to cover the glass to prevent the beer from spilling, but Ling Li still took the glass first, filled it up, and brought it directly to his lips.

"So? Do you dare to drink the last cup?"

Feeling the cool beer brought to his lips, Tao Rujiu subconsciously pursed his lips and tilted his head back to avoid it. But Ling Li grabbed his head from behind and practically shoved it into the beer. Caught off guard, he inhaled a lot of beer even through his nose and immediately began to struggle violently, pushing the glass away and spilling most of the beer onto both him and Ling Li.

He had no time to dodge and was exposed to the intense heat of the beer bath. He frowned and released Tao Rujiu, letting him fall onto the table. But before he could think of any further action, Tao Rujiu was already being carefully helped up by Qin Huakai.

(Tao Tao drank too much, so I took him to rest.)

Ling Li grabbed a few napkins and casually wiped the beer stains off his clothes. He watched as Hua Kai helped Tao Rujiu into the house. Suddenly remembering what Tao Rujiu had said during the day, he immediately followed her in, still feeling uneasy.

Pushing open the door, the first thing she saw was Tao Rujiu lying unconscious on the bed, while Hua Kai was sitting on the edge of the bed, preparing to unbutton his clothes. "Hua Kai, what are you doing?"

Ling Li frowned and asked. He was still fairly clear-headed, but the alcohol had somehow affected his judgment.

(Tao Tao's clothes are wet, and I want to help him change them.)

"I'll do it. Children should go to bed at ten o'clock."

He quickly glanced around and, sure enough, saw two sets of bedding. It seemed Tao Rujiu wasn't lying. Ling Li frowned, pondering how to break this seemingly "unsafe" situation.

(I'm not a child.)

Hua Kai paused her movements for a moment, straightened up, and made a gesture.

(And I've been staying here for the past few days, and Tao Tao is drunk and needs taking care of...)

"Forget it, I'm not planning to go back to the villa today anyway. You can go back to your room and sleep. At least you've left me a place. As for Reporter Tao, I'll keep an eye on him."

Ling Li glanced at Tao Rujiu, who was sleeping on the bed. It seemed that he shouldn't be too troublesome.

(But……)

Ling Li's sharp words clearly disrupted Hua Kai's original plans and left no room for negotiation. Qin Hua Kai could only glance at the unconscious Tao Rujiu with slight resentment, then pack her bedding and let Ling Li escort her back to her room.

At five minutes to eleven, Ling Li returned to Tao Rujiu's old house. It seemed he would have to spend the night there.

Tao Rujiu was lying on his back, taking up most of the space on the bed. Ling Li pushed his legs aside, sat on the edge of the bed, and lit a cigarette before bed.

He remembered first seeing Tao Rujiu seven nights ago, under a dim, yellowish light. The young man's fair skin, slightly blond hair, and pleading expression made him seem like a piece of lightly flavored cream slowly melting. It made one want to reach out and poke him, to see if they could leave their own fingerprint.

Perhaps my unfriendly attitude towards Tao Rujiu was an attempt to leave my mark on him?

Ling Li smiled, realizing that he had started to get to the bottom of things, like a sentimental poet.

He stubbed out his cigarette and opened the window to let the smoke dissipate. He glanced at his watch; it was nearly midnight. He turned and went back to his bed, but couldn't find a spare bamboo mat or blanket. It was summer, after all; if he didn't make a fuss, he could manage.

A draft dissipated the smoke in the room, and Tao Rujiu turned over in his sleep. Only then did Ling Li notice the beer smell on each other. He casually took off his shirt and tossed it aside, then pushed Tao Rujiu a little closer before lying down on the bed himself. After a while, he sighed again, got up, and started to peel off the other's beer-stained shirt.

"...Excuse me, turn over and lie down properly!"

"What era are we living in? Still wearing an old man's vest!"

…………

...

Intermittent, sharp, low complaints drifted from the cottage, then the lights went out. The Jade Oriole Pavilion returned to the silence of the night.

the next day.

The morning in Hailing City is the coolest time of day, but Tao Rujiu was awakened by the heat.

As soon as he opened his eyes, his head throbbed with pain. He had a decent alcohol tolerance, but his recovery from a hangover was relatively slow.

Tao Rujiu raised his hand to his forehead and felt a cold bead of sweat. As he regained consciousness, he realized he was covered in sweat. His trousers were damp and clung to his legs, while his upper body…

He reached out to confirm, and sure enough, his upper body was completely naked. Turning his head, he saw another man lying on the other half of the bed, also shirtless.

With his golden-brown hair and a physique as graceful as a male model, Tao Rujiu was still quite certain that the man's back was to her.

But how come Ling Li is on this bed?

What happened after yesterday? Tao Rujiu tore his hair into a mess and couldn't remember. He only remembered that beer was spilled on him and Ling Li, and then he got drunk.

It seems that Ling Li slept with him for a night, which isn't a big deal, since they're both men. However, it's surprising that the dignified CEO Ling didn't mind the humble room and slept in the same bed with someone he dislikes.

Carefully sitting up, Tao Rujiu habitually reached under her pillow for her glasses and put them on, when suddenly a question came to mind.

Would Ling Li really sleep with sunglasses on? So what does Ling Li look like without sunglasses?

Curiosity drove him to slowly lean over, prop himself up on Ling Li's body with his hands, and look down.

Ling Li seemed to still be fast asleep.

It was a strikingly handsome face, perfectly proportioned to his physique. His features were deep-set and sculpted, his eyes tightly closed beneath sharp eyebrows, and his straight nose and strong lips accentuated a masculine sensuality. Tao Rujiu stared at him, holding her breath, even feeling a pang of inferiority—this was the kind of man girls would find attractive.

To my shame, there was a time when young people also longed to possess such charm. Unfortunately, the boy next door's appearance could only ever be used for touching his face and hair, and he was even forced to wear women's clothing to serve as a so-called "signboard girl" during club recruitment.

Still bent over, Tao Rujiu sighed softly, unaware that the thin, damp heat of her breath fell on the sharp, bare chest, disturbing the man's sleep.

Feeling the unusual heat of the morning, Lingli instinctively reached out to brush away the unpleasant source of heat. But before he could raise his right hand, he bumped into something, and then the sudden weight of the impact on his chest jolted him awake.

What did he see? Tao Rujiu, shirtless, was pressed against his chest.

"What are you doing!"

He frowned and squinted as he asked.

"...This was...originally..."

The young man was extremely embarrassed; his skin flushed slightly against his pale complexion. His beautiful phoenix eyes dared not look directly at the man he was pinning down. His awkward expression was stiff, and he even forgot to move away from Ling Li. Instead, Ling Li pushed Tao Rujiu away and turned over to put on the sunglasses from beside the pillow.

However, even though they only stared at each other for less than ten seconds, Tao Rujiu could still clearly see the sharp eyes. They were not the dark brown of most Asians, but an ocean-like blue, a cold blue.

"Going into heat so early in the morning? My dear reporter Tao."

After putting on sunglasses, he leaned back on the bed with a leisurely air, and asked the young man he had almost pushed off the bed with a sharp, cold laugh.

"But is it okay that I'm a man?"

"Who, who's in heat!"

Tao Rujiu nervously muttered a defense in a low voice, then got up to pick up the clothes she had carelessly discarded on the ground the night before. But as soon as she lifted one sleeve, two or three plastic buttons fell to the ground. Looking at the front, she saw several holes torn in the places where the buttons had been sewn on.

"...You helped me 'take it off'?"

The only person who could possibly harbor hatred towards his shirts is Ling Li.

"Yes, but it wasn't intentional. This garment is very old; it tears easily."

Ling Li also got off the bed, picked up his clothes, and took out a cigarette from his pocket.

"Speaking of which, my clothes are dirty too, could you get me a new one?"

Tao Rujiu stopped what he was doing as if he had heard a fairy tale.

"I only brought these few clothes. If one gets damaged, I'll give you another. What am I supposed to wear?"

Ling Li didn't answer immediately, but jumped out of bed after finishing his cigarette. Before Tao Rujiu could react, he opened the drawer under the display shelf without permission.

"Tsk tsk, how come you're so poor?"

The drawer was exactly as Tao Rujiu had described. Aside from the one the young man needed to replace, there was only another faded black T-shirt left. This might be acceptable for a college student's drawer, but for a journalist whose profession involved interacting with people, it seemed rather shabby.

"Don't journalists have a lot of shady income? Why be so stingy with yourself?"

“I’m a money-losing person, I can’t get the ‘gray income’ you’re talking about.”

Tao Rujiu rushed in two or three steps to block the drawer in front of Ling Li, and answered irritably.

"Moreover, would someone with illicit income stay here and just try to get an interview opportunity by talking?"

"So how do you think they got the interview opportunity? By bribing me? With money I don't need at all, or... their bodies?"

Ling Li leaned against the wall, mocking Tao Rujiu's naiveté.

"Regardless, you were the one who spilled that drink on me yesterday. The shirt cost 1,200 yuan. You can choose whether to pay the money or give me a change of clothes."