As soon as Ling Shuangjiang entered the room, she found a clean towel and handed it to him, saying, "Quickly dry your hair, then take a shower and change your clothes."
Xie Wang covered his head with a towel and stared intently at Ling Shuangjiang. "Where is Lin Jiayi?"
Ling Shuangjiang was helping Xie Wang find a bathrobe when she paused and said, "He went back."
Xie Wang didn't ask any more questions. He took off his wet pants and shirt, leaving him only in his boxer briefs.
"This is a bathrobe. If you really don't have any clean clothes, have your assistant bring some tomorrow."
Ling Shuangjiang turned around and saw Xie Wang's current state, then avoided his gaze: "Go take a shower."
Xie Wang's gaze fell on his V-line and abs as he slowly walked up to Ling Shuangjiang. "How about I go and book another room?"
Ling Shuangjiang: "There are no rooms available."
"I remember now," Xie Wang said. "Then I'll go."
Stepping into the bathroom, Xie Wang looked at himself in the mirror and gave a serious evaluation: "Abs, 9.9 points. Chest muscles, 9.9 points. Legs, 10 points."
He thought of Ling Shuangjiang's ideal type.
It seems like this is exactly my body type.
Thinking about this, Xie Wang's mood suddenly improved a lot.
The sound of water only came from inside the bathroom after a long while.
Ling Shuangjiang lay on the bed, wondering what Xie Wang had been doing before taking a bath.
Tonight is destined to be a sleepless night.
He recalled Xie Wang's reddened eyes when Xie Wang returned.
I wonder if Xie Wang is going to cry.
Ling Shuangjiang sighed and sent a WeChat message to Lin Jiayi.
[Ling Shuangjiang: Xie Wang came over, but I don't know why he didn't come to see me. When I found him, he was standing in the yard getting rained on.]
[Lin Jiayi: My God, don't get sick.]
[Ling Shuangjiang: I asked the boss for some cold medicine. When I brought him back, I felt his body was stiff.]
[Lin Jiayi: Tsk tsk tsk, poor little thing. But my darling, you'd better watch out for a self-inflicted injury ploy.]
[Ling Shuangjiang: I'd actually be relieved if he put in the effort to stage a self-inflicted injury; I'm just afraid he'd just stand there dumbfounded, not knowing what he was thinking.]
[Lin Jiayi: What else could I be thinking? I'm just heartbroken.]
At that moment, the bathroom door opened.
A wave of humid heat hit me.
Ling Shuangjiang looked up and noticed that Xie Wang was only wearing a bath towel around his waist. He said calmly, "Why aren't you wearing a bathrobe?"
Xie Wang walked up to him and slowly turned around: "Can I wait until it cools down before I put it on? It's a bit hot now."
Ling Shuangjiang nodded: "Okay, but I think you'd better put it on quickly, I'm afraid you'll catch a cold."
Xie Wang: "Don't worry, I'm healthy and I never catch a cold."
Upon hearing this, Ling Shuangjiang, who had already prepared the cold medicine, chuckled: "Are you still going to take the medicine? I just asked the front desk for some."
Xie Wang never takes cold medicine. He gets a cold every two or three years, and he always manages to tough it out on his own, relying on his immune system.
"Drink." Xie Wang walked over and obediently picked up the cup: "I'm getting old, taking medicine is safer."
After taking two bites, he frowned.
The medicine still smelled as bad as ever.
Ling Shuangjiang handed him a piece of chocolate: "If it's bitter, have a candy."
Xie Wang nodded, threw it into his mouth, and stood in front of Ling Shuangjiang, staring intently at him.
Ling Shuangjiang sat on the bed, half-covered by a blanket. Seeing Xie Wang's hesitant expression, she asked, "Is there something you want to tell me?"
After hesitating for a moment, Xie Wang finally decided to tell her about Lin Jiayi's crush on Ling Shuangjiang.
"Lin Jiayi likes you; he told me that."
Ling Shuangjiang rested her chin on her knees and blinked: "Oh, I see."
Xie Wang took a step forward, almost sitting on the bed: "And you, what do you think?"
Ling Shuangjiang raised an eyebrow: "You really want to know?"
Xie Wang moved his lips, then looked away: "No, I was just curious. After all, this is a secret I told you."
Ling Shuangjiang smiled and murmured, "Can you tell me what you're thinking? If Lin Jiayi told you about this, why are you telling me?"
“We’re good friends.” Xie Wang looked at him. “Of course I’ll care about your affairs.”
Ling Shuangjiang didn't speak this time, but just smiled at Xie Wang while resting her chin on her hand.
Xie Wang felt awkward under his gaze, silently put on his bathrobe, and sat on the corner of the bed: "What are you thinking? Can you tell me?"
Ling Shuangjiang took a deep breath and asked meaningfully, "What do you think of A-Yi?"
"What do I think?" Xie Wang said seriously, "Actually, you don't need to consider other people's opinions. After all, when it comes to feelings, it all depends on your own feelings."
Ling Shuangjiang smiled and said, "I thought you didn't like Ayi because I didn't see that you two got along well."
Xie Wang paused for a moment: "I really don't like him."
Ling Shuangjiang pretended to be hesitant: "Then let me think about this."
"Think about it." Xie Wang stood guard over him, suppressing his nervousness. "I'll wait here until you've thought it through."
Perhaps fearing it was inappropriate to sit on Ling Shuangjiang's bed, Xie Wang walked over and sat down on the sofa, his hands clasped in front of him, his dark pupils fixed on Ling Shuangjiang.
Ling Shuangjiang thought he looked adorable and laughed out loud: "Ayi and I are just good friends, we can't be lovers."
"Really?" Xie Wang jumped up and gently knelt down beside Ling Shuangjiang's bed. "You don't like him?"
Ling Shuangjiang nodded her chin: "I don't like it."
Xie Wang instantly felt relieved, and even his tone became lighter: "What if he relentlessly pursued you? Would you say yes?"
Ling Shuangjiang: "Probably not. We know each other too well; we're not suitable to be a couple."
"I think so too." Xie Wang's mood improved uncontrollably, and the frustration and distress he felt today disappeared.
He asked, "Frost's Descent, do you want something to eat?"
Ling Shuangjiang's eyes softened: "Haven't you eaten anything tonight?"
Xie Wang: "Yeah, my stomach was a little upset earlier, but it's better now."
Soon, the two ordered some dinner and asked the proprietress to deliver it.
When the doorbell rang, Xie Wang opened the door to receive the meal.
When the landlady saw it was him, she suddenly realized something: "The one you're looking for is Mr. Ling from this room!"
Xie Wang nodded: "Mm."
The proprietress immediately explained, "The call I made just now was to Mr. Ling from B002, not this person. I'm so sorry, Mr. Xie."
Xie Wang instantly understood the root of the misunderstanding. He nodded and said, "It's alright. You are very vigilant, and guests feel at ease staying here."
Seeing that she wasn't being scolded, the proprietress beamed: "This is a complimentary dessert for you. Enjoy your dinner. I won't disturb you two any longer."
The word "young couple" made Xie Wang pause for two seconds. He turned around and looked at Ling Shuangjiang sitting on the bed, explaining to the landlady, "We are not a couple."
The proprietress said in surprise, "I'm sorry, I thought you two had a lot of chemistry, I misunderstood."
"It's nothing." Xie Wang took out two banknotes and handed them to the proprietress. "Thank you for your hard work tonight."
The proprietress was instantly delighted: "Thank you, sir."
After closing the door, Ling Shuangjiang dined with Xie Wang.
The proprietress was quite skilled; she made excellent spicy crayfish and stir-fried clam noodles. Seeing Xie Wang enjoying his meal, Ling Shuangjiang also ate a couple of bites with him.
The crayfish were a bit hard to peel, Ling Shuangjiang muttered, as she spent most of her time eating clam rice noodles.
He was already quite full from eating at the food street in the evening, but now that he was with Xie Wang, his appetite had improved considerably.
Xie Wang peeled a small bowl full of crayfish and handed it to Ling Shuangjiang: "You eat."
Ling Shuangjiang blinked: "You want them all for me?"
Xie Wang: "Yes, it's all yours."
Ling Shuangjiang didn't move, but instead used a spoon to scoop up a few pieces and held them to Xie Wang's lips: "You eat too."
Xie Wang moved somewhat awkwardly, his eyes glancing at Ling Shuangjiang almost imperceptibly, then evasively replied, "Um, thank you."
He tentatively opened his mouth, letting Ling Shuangjiang feed him.
Ling Shuangjiang's skin is very fair, especially after she has just taken a bath. Her skin looks like the finest porcelain glaze, gentle and jade-like.
Right now, his cheek was noticeably smeared with crayfish broth, which he didn't know when it happened.
Xie Wang pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to him: "Your face is smeared with soup."
Ling Shuangjiang held the bowl with both hands and gently leaned her face closer: "Can you wipe it for me?"
"Okay." Xie Wang's Adam's apple bobbed rapidly, his eyes carrying a mixture of fervor and awkwardness. He held her very gently, afraid of hurting Ling Shuangjiang, even more carefully than when handling precious antiques and paintings.
After a moment, Ling Shuangjiang smiled and said, "Thank you."
Xie Wang lowered his head: "You're welcome."
It was almost dawn when Ling Shuangjiang said, "Go to sleep."
Xie Wang glanced at the narrow sofa and walked to the wardrobe: "I'll sleep on the floor, the sofa isn't long enough."
Ling Shuangjiang sat on the bed, her gaze following Xie Wang. Watching him leisurely tidy the bed, she spoke gently, "Would you like to sleep next to me?"
Xie Wang suddenly looked up: "...No need, I can just sleep on the ground."
"Really not coming?" Ling Shuangjiang patted the pillow next to her and asked with a half-smile, "Anyway, this is a double room, it's 2 meters wide, it's quite spacious for the two of us to sleep on it."
Xie Wang wavered for a moment, but he quickly refused: "But you like boys, so it's not appropriate for me to sleep with you."
Ling Shuangjiang said leisurely, "Didn't you say we were good friends? If we're good friends, what's wrong with sleeping together? As long as our relationship is purely platonic, isn't that enough?"