Chapter 33: Past Misunderstandings

Translator: Mukyuu
Editor: Mikyuu

Up on the third floor of the mansion, Ning Yue sat cross-legged and leaned against the side of the bathtub as he played around on his phone. 

He looked at the time. 

It’s been half an hour already… 

Just then, the phone vibrated twice. Li Xingwen had sent a WeChat message. 

Ning Yue opened the message without much thought and then fell silent at the sight. 

Li Xingwen had sent a photo. In the photo, his cousin’s chin was being gripped by the damned man next to him and his lips were covered by the same man. His cousin’s face was bright red and he gripped the other man’s sleeves like a shy wife would. 

Ning Yue almost crushed his cellphone. 

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Li Xingwen waved her hand with a bright smile. “Go on, go on. Go recover from the alcohol.” 

He Congsheng cried as he gritted his teeth and reached out a hand in an attempt to grab Ning Yan, who was practically lying on top of Lin Rong. However, someone beside him immediately yanked him back. 

That person patted his shoulder and advised, “I know that you’re good friends with Ning Yan, but you can’t be the third wheel in his relationship, right?” 

He Congsheng: My life’s dream is to be the third wheel!!!

…

Ning Yan was in a daze. 

He thought that he shouldn’t be this drunk from a single glass of red wine. But the truth was that his head felt dizzy, as if it were soaking in hot water. 

He leaned against the man and let himself be half-carried out. 

The entire way out, he could feel a lot of people’s eyes on them. He hid his face out of embarrassment. At the same time, he thought the pervert smelled nice and didn’t want to move. 

He couldn’t resist looking up at the man’s profile. 

The man looked down at him, laughed, and then asked gently, “What is it?” 

Ning Yan averted his gaze and continued to hmph. 

Lin Rong couldn’t resist laughing. 

He originally wanted to take Ning Yan upstairs, but Ning Yan refused to cooperate once they walked into the house. He refused to go upstairs and even made to sprawl himself out on the floor. 

Lin Rong tempted, “Yanyan, let’s go sit upstairs for a bit, okay?” 

There were too many people walking about on the first floor. They’d probably become the focus of everyone’s attention. 

Ning Yan said nothing but kept shaking his head. 

Lin Rong hesitated for a moment and then leaned down to pick up Ning Yan, bridal-style. 

Ning Yan yelped and hurriedly wound his arms around Lin Rong’s neck. Then he squinted at Lin Rong and exclaimed quietly, “You can actually lift me!” 

He is a manly man!

Lin Rong climbed the stairs steadily and laughed quietly at Ning Yan’s exclamation. 

Ning Yan sleepily looked at the corner of the man’s lips. He reached out a hand and poked at it, saying hoarsely, “I told you to smile more the last time. You listened.” 

The tip of the youth’s finger was warm as it gently prodded at his lips, that sensation making Lin Rong’s Adam’s apple vibrate slightly. 

He said quietly, “I remember everything you said.” 

Everything. 

Ning Yan paused. 

He pursed his lips and warmth flooded his heart. His brain turned even mushier… 

They quickly got to the second floor, which was indeed empty. Lin Rong headed straight for the sofa and was about to put the young man down when Ning Yan grabbed his neck tightly. 

Lin Rong stood there, frozen. His voice turned hoarse as he asked, “Yanyan?”

Ning Yan held tightly onto the man and his voice drifting as he softly said, “I’m dizzy.” 

Both of them stood there like that. In that instant, the very air in the room heated up. 

After a few seconds, Lin Rong moved. 

He slowly turned around and sat down on the sofa. 

The young man didn’t protest and simply allowed himself to remain on Lin Rong’s lap, still hugging the other man. 

Lin Rong sat still for a while. Then he moved the hand he had on Ning Yan’s back all the way up, until it reached the youth’s head. 

Lin Rong gently ruffled the hair of the young man in his arms and called again, still in the same hoarse voice, “Yanyan.” 

The young man rubbed up against the side of his face. 

Lin Rong halted and then he slowly hugged the young man, gradually tightening the embrace. 

This is someone he had thought about for so long.

At this second, he is so soft in his embrace. 

Lin Rong closed his eyes and inhaled quietly. Then he heard the young man ask quietly, “You… when did you start liking me?”

The question wasn’t unexpected. Actually, both of them had an understanding. They just hadn’t talked about it. 

Lin Rong didn’t know whether the appearance of that little white puppy really was the catalyst for all this, but none of his questions were as important as the next few moments. 

All this time, he had suppressed himself so that he wouldn’t bother Ning Yan or cause him any trouble. 

But in this second, he could finally say it. “I’ve liked you ever since I saw you the first time at the company.” 

 Ning Yan’s eyes flew open. 

The first time they met? 

He and Lin Rong had debuted the same year. That was five years ago when they were both in college. 

Sometime five years ago, Lin Rong’s father, the well-loved singer Lin Yan, had brought Lin Rong to Morningstar Entertainment. It had been summer vacation and Ning Yan was playing the guitar while hanging around in his father’s office. He had been thinking of his song and singing as he was strumming. Then the door opened and he had looked up into the gaze of that cold young man standing outside the door. 

Ning Yan wondered sometimes. 

Lin Yan was an artist managed by Morningstar Entertainment and also a good friend of Ning Yan’s father. Whenever he returned to City C on break, he’d often visit his father at Morningstar Entertainment. Supposedly Lin Rong would often follow Lin Yan to the company, but the two of them had only met five years ago. 

In comparison to the current day, Lin Rong was still a bit shy back then. But those black eyes had the same intensity as they looked at him. 

“You, you fell for me at first sight?” Ning Yan asked quietly. 

He heard the man’s response, which was a low, “Yeah.” 

Ning Yan thought he heard the sound of fireworks exploding. His entire body heated up. 

What? That was five years ago!

He was a little smug, a little excited, but also confused and distressed on Lin Rong’s behalf. 

He pushed Lin Rong back a little bit and asked confusedly, “Then, then what was that about you dissing me before?”

Lin Rong: ?

He looked utterly confused. 

Ning Yan felt a bit guilty—he had realized that he might have been mistaken, but if he didn’t get to the bottom of this, he’d forever be bothered by it!

When he first met Lin Rong, Ning Yan had already seen him as a competitor. But it was only after “that incident” that he considered Lin Rong his rival. 

Ning Yan gathered up his courage and said, “A-about three years ago I released an album. Do you remember?” 

Lin Rong nodded obediently. 

Three years ago, Ning Yan very quickly released his second album and had broken his own records. He had been at the top of various charts. 

He had been so proud of himself. Yet when he ran into Lin Rong that one time at the company, he made a greeting in passing and walked away, and when he came back, he accidentally overheard Lin Rong talking with his manager Lu Ming. 

Lu Ming had asked, “Why are you always staring at Ning Yan?” 

This jerk had fallen silent for a while and then said coldly, “It’s the way he always looks so proud…” 

He had only heard half of the sentence before someone came over to greet him. Ning Yan hurriedly walked away but his entire mind was filled with Lin Rong’s “It’s the way he always looks so proud…” 

Ning Yan had walked rapidly to the door and then paused. His face flushed and then paled and his heart beat super fast. 

He, he, he, he had been a bit proud recently. But, but he had done so well, wasn’t he allowed to be proud?! Hmm?! 

What did Lin Rong want to do because he always looked so proud??

—Was he unhappy? Did he want to teach him a lesson?! Did he want a battle?!

Ning Yan’s imagination had run away from him. He felt both wronged and ashamed, which caused his face to flush. In his heart, Lin Rong’s image suddenly became that of a demon staring at him in disdain… Finally, Ning Yan puffed out his chest and he shouted angrily in his heart— 

Fine, a battle it is. Bring it on!

Lin Rong! From today onwards, you’ll be my mortal enemy for the rest of my life!!!

Lin Rong tried to go through his memory about this event for a minute… 

Ning Yan demanded irately, “Hurry up and remember it!” Then he hiccuped. 

Lin Rong soothed, “I’m thinking. Give me a moment.”

Which is why he tried even harder to dig through the memories in his mind until he finally recalled.

He froze. Then his face flushed and his gaze started wandering. 

“Hurry, hurry! Don’t lie!” Ning Yan saw that the man had remembered and could die of anxiousness. 

Lin Rong coughed lightly and refused to meet Ning Yan’s gaze. 

Ning Yan held the man’s face and commanded furiously, “Hurry!”

Lin Rong took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and said quietly, “That day…” 

That day three years ago, Lu Ming discovered for the first time that his attitude towards Ning Yan wasn’t quite right and had asked him about it.

“Why are you always staring at Ning Yan?” 

“It’s the way he always looks so proud…”

Lin Rong had paused then and the corners of his mouth tucked in. “It’s cute.”

Lu Ming, “…” 

Lin Rong continued, “The way he’s foolish. It’s cute too.”

Lu Ming, “…”

Lin Rong insisted, “Really cute.” 

Lu Ming said, “… Don’t let anyone hear just the first part of your sentence.” 

At that moment— 

Ning Yan: ???? 

This?! This?!

If it was this, why did he have to preface it with “It’s the way he always looks so proud”??? The two halves differed so much in tone?!

He had misunderstood for so many years! He’d always thought this guy looked down on him and dissed him!!

Only then did Lin Rong realize something. He asked cautiously, “Yanyan, did you overhear the first half?” 

Ning Yan lowered his head in shame.

Lin Rong’s heart also sped up. 

He fell silent and then said slowly, “Yanyan… you said two years ago that you didn’t like me… Was that for real or—” 

Ning Yan immediately interrupted, “Ahhhhh!” 

Lin Rong, “…” 

He squinted. “Yanyan…” 

Ning Yan continued screaming like a groundhog, “Ahhhhhh!” 

Lin Rong, “…” 

Ning Yan demanded, “I’m sober now. I’m going down to continue with the party…” 

He climbed off the man’s lap self-consciously, but Lin Rong grabbed him and pulled him back so that he couldn’t move. 

He froze and then pretended to shout, “What are you doing? Let go of me!”

The jerk has gotten braver. At the beginning, he hadn’t even dared smile at him. Now he’s not only kissed him but also dares to hold him in an embrace and stop him from leaving!

“I refuse to let go.” The man drew closer and lowered his voice to slowly say beside Ning Yan’s ear, “Yanyan, how about you? When did you start to like me?” 

Ning Yan continued being a screaming groundhog, “Ahhhhhhhh—” 

Lin Rong paused and then tightened his hold around the youth’s waist. He couldn’t resist asking, “Yanyan, you—” 

Everything had started changing with the little white dog. But would the youth really change his view on him because he picked up the little white puppy? Change until it had become this? 

Or…

Lin Rong believed that his hypothesis was absolutely ridiculous, but he had to ask, “Are Sese and you really—” 

Just then, a barking sound came from upstairs. 

Lin Rong paused and looked up. He saw that at some point, Ning Yue had appeared on the staircase leading down to the second floor and was giving them a death glare. 

Lin Rong, “…” 

Ning Yan hadn’t seen Ning Yue. He answered, a bit stupidly, when he heard Lin Rong’s question, “Sese? What about Sese?” 

When faced with the confusion in Ning Yan’s eyes, Lin Rong didn’t know what to say.

That was foolish after all. Besides, he had heard a dog bark. Though it wasn’t clear, that should be Sese. 

He touched his forehead and sighed. 

Ning Yan was about to say something when he suddenly heard the chilly voice of his cousin from behind them, “Ning Yan.” 

Ning Yan jumped in fright and trembled. Then he turned around puzzled. 

Cold air wafted out from Ning Yue. “Get over here. No more playing!” 

Ning Yan ducked. He felt he was being treated unfairly and reached out a hand to cling to the man. He didn’t want to let go. 

It hasn’t been three hours yet, why is Ning Yue calling him?

Ning Yue took a deep breath and his voice turned even more threatening, “Are you coming or not?”

Though Lin Rong felt a bit awkward, Ning Yue was standing there and they couldn’t continue as if he wasn’t. 

He sighed again and urged resignedly, “Yanyan, go home and rest.” 

Ning Yan shook his head and leaned it against Lin Rong’s chest. 

Lin Rong had to laugh. He gently ruffled the young man’s hair. “Be good.” 

Ning Yan looked up and complained, “I don’t want to leave.” 

Lin Rong continued gently, “Listen to your brother.” 

Ning Yan still glued himself to Lin Rong. 

Lin Rong put his lips against Ning Yan’s ear and quietly said, “I like you, Yanyan.” 

Ning Yan shivered. 

“Listen to your brother. We’ll have lots of time later, okay?” 

Ning Yan raised his head and looked at Lin Rong with soft eyes. 

That look softened Lin Rong’s expression. 

“Ning. Yan.” Ning Yue’s voice had become so cold it was freezing. 

Ning Yan was so annoyed that he turned around to glare angrily at Ning Yue. 

Ning Yue didn’t care and, in fact, returned a glare that was even colder. 

… Ning Yan lost the fight. 

He let go in defeat, thought of something, and then moved closer so he could smooch Lin Rong’s lips. It made a chu sound. 

Lin Rong was caught off-guard and his entire body tensed up. 

Just as his eyes darkened, he heard the young man say softly, “Then, I’ll see you next time, big pervert.” 

Afterwards, the young man stood up shyly and walked on unsteady legs over to Ning Yue. 

Ning Yue’s face had turned into a block of ice as soon as he witnessed the kiss. He grabbed a hold of Ning Yan, glanced at Lin Rong once last time, and then hauled Ning Yan upstairs with a stern face. 

…

Very quickly, the two of them disappeared up the stairs. 

The second floor fell silent and only the muffled sounds of excitement drifted up. 

The man sat by himself on the sofa for a very long time. He absentmindedly touched at his lips and then… 

Adopted a puzzled expression. 

… What had Yanyan just called him???