HRMCF Chapter 12

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🍋‍🟩 Completed Chapter

He must be overthinking it.

No matter what, Zhao Linsu shouldn't be that perverted.

Shen Yan shivered and vigorously rubbed his hair, banishing those terrifying images from his mind.

He had promised himself not to overthink!

"Lend me some clothes."

Shen Yan poked his head out from the bath towel.

Zhao Linsu had already entered his bedroom, the white shirt he was wearing dotted with water stains. He was unbuttoning it while familiarizing himself with the closet door.

Shen Yan subconsciously shifted his gaze away, but after doing so, he felt strange. Why did he look away?

Zhao Linsu dared to fantasize about him, so why couldn't he watch Zhao Linsu take off his clothes?

Look, just look, look openly, can't let him get away with that.

Shen Yan widened his eyes and observed carefully.

Zhao Linsu took off his clothes quickly, completely unaware that he was being watched.

The white shirt slid off his shoulders with a "whoosh," and Shen Yan's eyes blurred as he saw fresh flesh.

Honestly—pretty great.

From shoulder to back, the muscles flowed beautifully, and it was clear he wasn't just a pretty face. His shirts and T-shirts always looked loose, making him seem quite thin, but seeing him shirtless, Shen Yan realized Zhao Linsu was definitely not made of paper.

Those muscles... he should be able to do more than a dozen pull-ups in one go, right?

"Will this one work?"

Zhao Linsu turned around, holding one of his white T-shirts.

Wow, this guy's pecs are also amazing.

Shen Yan stared blankly. Zhao Linsu waved the T-shirt in his hand towards him. "Wipe your drool."

Shen Yan: "..."

Pui.

"Wear whatever you want," Shen Yan said sourly, "You've got a good build."

Zhao Linsu used the white shirt in his hand to wipe the wet spots on his body and neatly put on the T-shirt. "Not as strong as you, the flying man."

Shen Yan: "..."

"I'll put the crutches on the balcony to dry," Zhao Linsu shook the shirt a couple of times. "Call me if you need anything."

Shen Yan said "Oh," then hesitated. "Are you really staying here overnight?"

"I reckon Brother Shen won't check in after ten o'clock, but it's hard to say if he'll come back in the middle of the night, or early tomorrow morning..."

Zhao Linsu suddenly stopped talking, turned to look at Shen Yan, and smiled slightly. "Shen Yan, you seem to really not want me to stay?"

Shen Yan: Holy crap, he noticed!

"No..." Shen Yan quickly waved his hand, his face full of smiles. "I'm just afraid it'll be too much trouble for you."

Zhao Linsu stared at him. Shen Yan felt guilty and widened his eyes even more to show his innocence.

Zhao Linsu left with his shirt.

Shen Yan breathed a sigh of relief, then turned his head and thought again: Why did he feel guilty???

If Zhao Linsu hadn't done anything substantially wrong, then he had done even less wrong!

Shen Yan dried his hair and sent a previously taken photo to the media department.

【Round Face on the Road: Received, thank you, very handsome!】

Shen Yan didn't have many WeChat friends. He didn't like adding people he wasn't familiar with.

Adding them with nothing to say, just lying dormant in the list, he found quite pointless.

His WeChat list was mostly classmates, with more from high school. WeChat wasn't popular in elementary and middle school; they all used QQ. He had a lot of friends on QQ, but most of them were also "corpses." The only close friend left was basically Zhao Linsu.

Several familiar university classmates on his WeChat list sent a string of "congratulatory messages."

"Handsome, bro."

"Awesome, dunked and left, a hidden hero, the girls are screaming like crazy, don't make me jealous."

"Handsome, the people from the sports academy are looking for you, they're probably in love."

...

He was indeed handsome. Shen Yan scrolled down. His brother had sent a bunch of precautions, saying he would probably be back tomorrow, and he would come back as early as possible.

Shen Yan replied with "Got it, work comes first."

Putting down his phone, he ruffled his half-dry hair, lay on the desk, and tilted his head to look at the jersey hanging on the wall.

Originally, he wanted to put it away, treasure it like a family heirloom in the deepest corner of his closet.

But he couldn't help wanting to take it out and look at it.

Such a good thing, what's the point of letting the closet see it all? It had to be hung on the wall for him to admire every day to make it worthwhile.

Actually, there were far fewer people playing basketball in college than in high school, and fewer in high school than in middle school. High school was busy with studying, and college was also busy with studying. After studying, they were busy with internships, and after internships, they were busy with work.

Shen Yan lowered his head and leaned his forehead against the desk, swaying slightly.

Wasn't he just holding onto the tail end of his youth? Why did it feel like he had done something wrong?

His foot still hurt. The doctor said it was best to lie down. His hair was almost dry. Shen Yan got up and hopped back to bed.

The media department's efficiency was incredibly high. He had just sent the photo, and in less than an hour, their college's official website had a report out.

They had indeed lost miserably, the score was directly omitted, and the main text emphasized that their college "showed their spirit and their mettle," very positive energy. They posted several photos, two of which were of Shen Yan alone. The number of views below the article had already reached several thousand. Shen Yan found his feelings quite contradictory: he wanted to show off, but he was also afraid of showing off too much.

A small-scale display of coolness would suffice.

Unfortunately, within his smallest social circle, only Zhu Ningbo thought he was very handsome, sending him dozens of photos in one go.

【sy: So many photos?】

【Calm Waves: I was too nervous during the dunk, didn't have time to take any.】

【Calm Waves: Too handsome.】

Shen Yan felt slightly comforted and replied with "Thanks."

【Calm Waves: I think I saw Zhao Linsu.】

【Calm Waves: After you went down, a few people on the opposite side also left, one looked quite like him.】

【sy: It was him.】

【Calm Waves: Oh oh, so I wasn't mistaken.】

Shen Yan put away his phone, thinking this guy was really quite strange. He had arranged such a good seat for him, with a full view of the sports academy hunks, and he didn't even want to sit there. Zhu Ningbo's opposite...

Shen Yan's thoughts suddenly broke off.

Zhu Ningbo's opposite seat—wasn't that directly facing the direction of his cold bench?

Shen Yan: "..."

Shen Yan immediately told himself not to be too narcissistic.

Maybe this guy had arrived just in time and just picked an empty seat to sit in?

Shen Yan pulled the blanket on the bed over his face.

He hated this world.

Why hadn't the apocalypse arrived yet?!

The room was very quiet. He didn't know where Zhao Linsu was, probably still doing homework in the living room. Anyway, it was quite quiet, no sounds.

It was often like this when Zhao Linsu came to Shen Yan's house as a guest.

The two of them would be in Shen Yan's room, each in their own space. Shen Yan would play games, and Zhao Linsu would play on his phone. When Shen Yan got excited while playing, he would call Zhao Linsu to watch, but Zhao Linsu would be too lazy to pay attention and would continue playing on his phone. Shen Yan didn't mind. He would just shout a couple of times for his own enjoyment, not caring if Zhao Linsu actually watched his moves. Just kidding, his moves were not something a noob like Zhao Linsu could appreciate.

Anyway, they each did their own thing, but it didn't feel wrong. Both of them were quite comfortable and at ease.

Shen Yan lay in bed, not comfortable at all, not at ease at all.

Every time he tried to adjust his mindset and view Zhao Linsu normally, Zhao Linsu would always give him a "surprise" that made him unable to stop suspecting.

After suspecting for a while, he would find that it was just a false alarm, a misunderstanding.

Since that was the case, he might as well just ask.

【sy: Was the game good?】

Shen Yan sent Zhao Linsu a WeChat message.

The two of them were in the same space but still messaging each other. Shen Yan scratched his face awkwardly.

He guessed that Zhao Linsu would immediately grab his phone and mock him first.

【Son: With an air show to watch, how could it not be good?】

Shen Yan: "..."

Will this ever end?

【sy: I know I was wrong, don't mention it.】

【Son: Didn't say you were wrong.】

Shen Yan was stunned for a moment.

【Son: Pain is temporary, coolness is forever.】

【Son: Didn't you also say, no next time.】

Zhao Linsu also shared a link with him, which was the article on the college's official website that Shen Yan had just read.

【Son: Need me to print it out and stick it on the wall for you?】

Shen Yan's face flushed, and at the same time, his mood brightened.

It still had to be Zhao Linsu, his good brother who knew him inside and out!

【sy: Hehe, don't be too filial.】

【Son: What do you want to eat tonight?】

【sy: Let me order, let me order, what do you want to eat?】

【Son: Anything.】

Shen Yan exited WeChat and happily ordered takeout from a fast-food joint.

After ordering, he remembered that he had sent Zhao Linsu a WeChat message to ask about his seat.

Lie flat.

The fried chicken place was just down the street outside the complex. The delivery was quick. Shen Yan heard the sound of Zhao Linsu opening the door and hurriedly struggled to get up.

Zhao Linsu had already come in with the fried chicken. "Eat in here?"

"Sure, just open the window."

Shen Yan sat on the bed, and Zhao Linsu sat on the small sofa in his room, holding the fried chicken in one hand and his phone in the other.

Shen Yan took a bite of a chicken leg and suddenly said, "Zhu Ningbo said he didn't see you. Did you even go to the game?"

"Did," Zhao Linsu said without looking up, "Too lazy to walk in, just picked a random empty seat."

Shen Yan said "Oh," and suddenly felt both relieved and a little annoyed with himself. Why did he get so nervous at the slightest thing? He was like a frightened bird, afraid that Zhao Linsu...

Shen Yan buried his head in the fried chicken.

The room was filled with the crunching sound of fried chicken. Shen Yan gradually relaxed and couldn't help but smile.

His smile was caught by Zhao Linsu. "What are you secretly happy about again?"

Shen Yan said, "Nothing," he said with a smile, "You just said, 'Pain is temporary, coolness is forever,' and I thought the same thing at the time."

Zhao Linsu took a tissue from his desk and wiped his hands leisurely. "Your thoughts have always been this simple, like an elementary school student."

Shen Yan scoffed and didn't argue, continuing to eat his fried chicken. As he ate, he remembered the stray dog in the corridor. "Zhao Linsu, could you take some dog food down and see if the dog ate? I forgot to feed it today, I'm afraid it's hungry."

Zhao Linsu raised his eyelids. "Not bad, even with a lame leg, you haven't forgotten your brother."

Shen Yan: "..."

First, he just twisted his ankle, he wasn't lame.

Second, Zhao Linsu's dinner today was also his responsibility. They were brothers, so let's not point fingers.

"Just go take a look," Shen Yan said, "Feel its belly, you'll probably know. It doesn't really know when it's full, it'll eat whatever you give it. Don't feed it too much. Thanks, do a good deed to the end, the puppy will thank you."

Zhao Linsu also smiled. "The puppy will thank me?"

Shen Yan nodded repeatedly.

"Got it."

Zhao Linsu said lazily. He stood up and asked, "Where's the dog food?"

"It's on top of the shoe cabinet by the door."

Zhao Linsu waved his hand and left. Shen Yan continued to happily eat his fried chicken. As he ate, it dawned on him—what did Zhao Linsu mean by "Got it" just now?

The puppy lay in the corridor, very well-behaved and quiet. Its whole body was hidden in the shadows, as if afraid of causing trouble.

Zhao Linsu went over with the dog food and squatted down.

The puppy raised its face, as if it recognized him. Its eyes were watery, without any hostility.

Zhao Linsu felt the puppy's belly. It was indeed flat.

He poured a little dog food on the ground. The puppy sniffed it and immediately started eating, eating with great concentration, wagging its tail.

Zhao Linsu leaned against the wall of the corridor, looking at his phone while waiting for the puppy to eat.

【Shen Yan: Did you just call me a dog?】

The corners of his mouth slightly raised, Zhao Linsu put away his phone and glanced at the puppy who was engrossed in eating.

Shen Yan received a photo from Zhao Linsu.

In the photo, the puppy was eating without looking up, its tail curled upwards.

Shen Yan's heart melted as he looked at it. He zoomed in and out on the photo for a long time before reluctantly exiting.

Tomorrow, before he went to school, he would definitely bring some snacks for the puppy.

A new reply popped up on the phone screen.

【Son: No, you're overthinking it.】

Shen Yan snorted, thinking, you better know your place.

【Son: Are you as cute as a dog?】

Shen Yan: "..."

Thanks, he didn't need to be cute, he just needed to be handsome.