PBMM CH5

After the introductions, Lin Chi took He Qing by the hand and carefully led him up the stairs. The Lin family residence was a typical mansion; the winding staircase turned for several flights before they reached the guest room prepared for He Qing.

Closing the door, Lin Chi guided He Qing, whose eyes were covered in gauze, to sit down on the sofa. Seeing him obediently allow himself to be positioned, Lin Chi felt a pang of guilt. He explained in a soft voice, “A-Qing, our relationship… my dad can’t know about it for the time being…”

He Qing’s expression paused for a moment before he obediently nodded. “I understand.”

Ever since he realized he liked Lin Chi, he understood that this kind of sexual orientation wouldn’t be accepted by the general public. Furthermore, his lover was such an outstanding person—how could he be allowed to have any stains on his reputation?

He Qing told himself that this was enough. The fact that Lin Chi could accept him was already his great fortune, and he should feel satisfied. However, even though he thought this way, deep down in his heart, there was still a faint sense of unease.

Lin Chi only saw He Qing nod in agreement, so well-behaved that he didn’t even ask a single question. His heart felt as if it were soaking in a hot spring, so warm that it made his chest ache with tenderness. He reached out and stroked the teenager’s fair face. The soft, tender touch made it hard for him to let go, his fingers lingering on his skin. “A-Qing, actually…”

He gritted his teeth and told the truth: “Actually, I’m adopted. My father and I are just distant relatives. After my mother passed away, he took me in. If I were his biological son, I would definitely acknowledge our relationship, but I’m not…”

This part of his past was something Lin Chi was always unwilling to tell others. But now, to comfort his lover, he spilled out the worries he had been harboring. “My father has always been lukewarm towards me. I have no guarantee that if he finds out I can’t leave an heir for the Lin family, he will still keep me as his successor. A-Qing, just bear with it a little longer. Wait for me to grow up, wait until I’m strong enough that no one can gossip about our relationship. I will definitely tell everyone that you are my lover!”

Hearing Lin Chi’s words, the teenager was stunned. He hadn’t expected A-Chi to tell him this, nor had he expected Lin Chi’s background to be so heartbreaking. Gripping his lover’s hand tightly, He Qing leaned against him and nodded obediently. “A-Chi, I believe in you. You will definitely become the strongest person!”

“I’ll be careful not to let anything slip.”

He Qing’s obedient and understanding nature made Lin Chi’s heart ache while also bringing him some comfort. Holding the teenager who was softly leaning into his embrace, he felt extremely fortunate that he was the one chosen during that game of Dare. Such an obedient, endearing lover—so what if he was a man?

[Ding! Lin Chi favorability: 80]

[Congratulations to the Host for reaching the third stage: True Love is Invincible. The blind assistance service is now 20% off. Please select: 1 for Purchase, 2 for Purchase Double.]

[Not buying.] He Qing was being weakly held by Lin Chi, smelling the faint fragrance on his body. [This father and son pair is very easy to tell apart, just smell their body wash. The dad is mint, the son is lavender. Neither uses perfume~]

[Hehe.] The system did not want to speak with someone who wouldn’t buy anything.

He Qing magnanimously didn’t mind. [Little System~ Above eighty needs a bit of stimulation, quick, give me an idea.]

[One thousand points.]

[Forget it, I’ll figure it out myself!]

As for ‘figuring it out himself’, He Qing spent the whole night thinking but still didn’t come up with a plan. His eyes couldn’t see, but his ears could hear. The pendulum clock outside struck seven times. It was 7:00 AM.

With absolute darkness before his eyes, He Qing wore a calm expression as he fumbled to find his clothes and put them on. Then, with great difficulty, he put on his shoes and carefully advanced while feeling the wall. Because he was unfamiliar with the layout, every step he took was extremely cautious, tinged with fear of the unknown ahead.

Lin Cheng woke up at his usual time. He opened his bedroom door and leaned against the railing, looking downstairs, lost in thought. That was until he heard a soft creak. A nearby door was gently pushed open, and a figure struggling to walk appeared. Both of his hands felt along the wall, walking exceedingly slowly, shifting forward step by step.

Lin Cheng didn’t make a sound. He watched the teenager walk with difficulty but without rushing. To the left of He Qing’s room was Lin Chi’s room. Lin Cheng guessed that Lin Chi must have told him last night, which was why he was moving forward with such purpose.

The man just stood there, making no sound and no movement, watching the gauze-blindfolded boy inch his way over. There was a vase in front of him, its height not quite reaching a level where a hand sliding along the wall would touch it. Lin Cheng didn’t warn him, simply watching as He Qing slowly approached. Just as he was about to bump into it, the boy’s footsteps paused, and he smoothly bypassed it. Lin Cheng watched with interest, only then realizing that every time he extended his leg, he was slowly probing to see if there was an obstacle ahead, only daring to put his foot down when he was sure it was clear.

As he passed by Lin Cheng, the teenager stopped. He turned hesitantly in his direction, his voice soft and uncertain: “Lin… Uncle?”

Lin Cheng raised an eyebrow, looking at his covered eyes. His magnetic voice, slightly husky from the morning, rang out: “How did you know I was here?”

The boy in front of him smiled shyly, answering with a hint of embarrassment: “I smelled the scent of mint on Uncle.”

“Hm?” Lin Cheng hadn’t expected this to be the answer, but he quickly followed up: “What about Lin Chi? How do you distinguish him?”

He Qing didn’t quite understand why he was asking, but he still obediently told the truth: “A-Chi smells like very fresh lavender…”

It was as if even the scent of Lin Chi’s body wash was enough to make him feel a sense of adoration. Even blindfolded, even trying hard to hide it, the person in front of him had a love for Lin Chi that shone too brightly to be ignored.

With He Qing currently unable to see, Lin Cheng pressed a hand to his chest in bewilderment. His heart was beating with an uncharacteristic intensity, leaving him somewhat confused. Meanwhile, the person who had made his heart flutter was already politely but distantly bowing slightly to say goodbye, continuing his cautious trek toward Lin Chi’s room.

Lin Cheng could only see his back, which was thin and frail compared to others his age, and his soft black hair wrapped in gauze. His gaze darkened. Taking a few steps forward, he grabbed that soft hand.

Suddenly having his hand grabbed, the teenager panicked slightly and tried to break free, but he was clamped tight by a strong, slender hand and couldn’t escape. Beside his ear came the man’s deep, magnetic voice: “Where do you want to go? I’ll take you.”

The boy, being an orphan, felt somewhat overwhelmed by this elder’s care, but he was still too embarrassed to state his true desire outright. After quietly murmuring a thank you, he whispered, “Could Uncle take me to find A-Chi? I want to look for him…”

He just woke up and already wants to find Lin Chi? Lin Cheng’s grip on the boy’s hand tightened. Seeing the boy look up with a bewildered expression, he quickly recovered himself. “Alright.”

He led He Qing to Lin Chi’s door. He watched as the boy, seemingly terrified of waking the person inside, carefully knocked on the door over and over. Perhaps he himself didn’t even realize just how obvious the anticipation and nervousness on his face were.

Lin Cheng watched coldly as Lin Chi opened the door, greeted him with slight surprise, and then brought the person into the room. He didn’t leave. Through the door that wasn’t tightly shut, the teenager’s weak, bashful voice drifted out: “A-Chi… I want to use the bathroom. Can you take me…”

Like a peeping tom, Lin Cheng stood quietly outside the door, listening to Lin Chi softly coaxing him, along with the boy’s sweet, trusting, and coquettish voice. It wasn’t until the grandfather clock struck eight times that he abruptly snapped to his senses. He glanced at the watch on his wrist; sure enough, it was already 8:00.

Normally at this time, Lin Cheng would already be sitting in his office, handling company affairs. But today, he hadn’t even stepped out the door. He didn’t know what was wrong with himself, but listening to the intimate tone He Qing used with Lin Chi inside, and then thinking of how distant he was toward him, threads of displeasure began to rise in his heart.

He went downstairs and got into his car. Sitting in the driver’s seat, he suddenly pulled out his phone, quickly tapped on it a few times to send a message, and drove away from the house.

Lin Corporation.

—Ding-dong!

The secretary, who was currently wondering why President Lin still hadn’t arrived for work, heard the notification tone. He pulled out his phone and took a look: [Before getting off work, buy a bottle of lavender body wash and place it in my office.]

__

Author’s Note:

Secretary: (╯°Д°)╯╧═╧ Am I a nanny? You CEOs, can’t you buy what you want yourselves?!