Chapter 12: Forgot to Bring Clothes

“My mistake for thinking he was your friend,” the race car driver said, looking slightly apologetic. “He didn’t seem to be in a good mood. Do you want to go check on him?”

You Chong was silent for a moment. He then put down the fruit knife, washed his hands at the sink, and turned to head outside.

Meanwhile, Lin Hexi, once outside, immediately returned to his usual demeanor, dismissing the earlier incident as if it were nothing. Although he did not take the initiative to speak, it was not his intention to deceive You Chong. Having been scolded by him for no reason, Lin Hexi naturally did not want to just walk away like that. Instead, he wanted to find a way to make You Chong feel somewhat guilty.

As he reached the backyard door, he nearly collided with a tall girl rushing in from outside. She was looking down and was walking quickly. Lin Hexi stopped just in time, and reached out to steady her.

Once she had regained her balance, before she could react, he quickly let go, took two steps back, and teasingly asked with a smile, “Where are you rushing off to?”

The short-haired girl looked up when heard the sound of his voice, and revealed a somewhat familiar face—it was Chen Yao’s friend.

As her eyes met his smiling eyes, she was momentarily flustered but quickly regained her composure, and spoke normally, “You were gone for so long, they sent me to check on you.”

Without doubting her words, Lin Hexi nodded and said, “Nothing happened. Let’s go.”

However, the short-haired girl remained where she was, and just looked at him without speaking.

Lin Hexi’s expression grew slightly puzzled, “What’s wrong?”

Standing in the light from outside, she gave him a nervous yet sweet smile. Just as Lin Hexi was about to ask again, she quietly raised her hand and gently pushed him from the light at the door into the darkness inside.

The darkness, where the light couldn’t reach, completely isolated them from the view of everyone in the backyard. Realizing what she might be intending, Lin Hexi leaned against the wall silently without moving.

Perhaps influenced by their profession, the young car models here were all very uninhibited. In the faint light spilling from the villa’s living room, the short-haired girl grasped his forearm and leaned in, attempting to wrap her arms around his waist.

Lin Hexi timely placed his hand between them, preventing her from coming any closer. He spoke calmly, “If you have something to say, just say it directly. There’s no need to get so close; I can hear you clearly.”

The girl paused, slightly taken aback, and stopped advancing. In a soft but steady voice, she asked, “You don’t like it?”

Lin Hexi replied plainly, “I don’t like it.”

“You’re different from the men I know. They never refuse when we approach them,” the tall and sexy young car model said, looking a bit confused and at a loss. “I’m sorry, this is the first time I’ve encountered someone like you. If I used the wrong approach, I hope you don’t mind. I just wanted to tell you that I like you. Your looks and personality fit my ideal boyfriend.”

In the near darkness, she tilted her face up to look at him, “What do you think of me?”

Lin Hexi smiled, and there was no ill intent in his smile. “I think you’re great.” His voice was equally soft but firm enough to leave no room for doubt. “But I’m sorry, I don’t have romantic feelings for you.”

The girl stepped back, with disappointment evident on her face. “Alright, I understand.”

Lin Hexi didn’t offer any words of comfort, but just watched her leave silently.

Just as she stepped over the threshold into the light of the courtyard, Lin Hexi called out, “Although I have no right to interfere, those people who never refuse your advances aren’t worth your trust.”

The girl paused. A moment later, standing in the light, she turned and smiled at him in the darkness.

Lin Hexi returned to the living room to find his shirt, only to see You Chong sitting on the sofa, looking at him with a complex expression.

“Did you see my shirt?” Lin Hexi asked casually, not even looking up at You Chong, with his eyes scanning the sofa.

He didn’t expect You Chong to respond, but he did, with just two concise words: “No.”

Lin Hexi paused in his search, his gaze settling on You Chong’s face, then slowly shifting to the empty space beside him. He walked over and deliberately sat down close to You Chong on the sofa.

You Chong, unusually, didn’t move away from him and even turned his head to scrutinize him thoughtfully.

Lin Hexi felt perplexed, wondering if he had overdone his act in the kitchen. Still, he didn’t ask directly. Instead, with a probing intent, he leaned closer to You Chong, and yawned lazily, “When are we going back to the hotel to sleep?”

You Chong quickly raised his hand, pressing his phone against Lin Hexi’s cheek to keep him from getting closer, and warned bluntly, “Stay away from me.”

Lin Hexi, unusually obedient, nodded and straightened up his body, and slowly retreated.

You Chong lowered the hand holding his phone.

However, Lin Hexi tilted his head again, and leaned onto You Chong’s shoulder.

Annoyed, You Chong placed his palm against Lin Hexi’s head, but then noticed his bare, pale arm sneaking around behind him, brazenly reaching out from his other side, as if ready to wrap around his waist at any moment.

Veins faintly throbbing on his forehead, You Chong forcefully gripped Lin Hexi’s wrist and pushed him away.

Lin Hexi leaned back due to inertia, then steadied himself and looked at You Chong with surprise. “I was just trying to get my shirt.”

You Chong, already standing up from the sofa, didn’t believe his clumsy excuse for a second. He turned, and said with a deep and serious voice, “If you know how to tell others not to touch you casually, why don’t you remind yourself not to do the same to others?”

Lin Hexi was momentarily stunned but quickly caught on. “You saw that?”

“You were deliberately putting on a show for me, weren’t you? You knew I would come out, so you waited there,” You Chong retorted, with a face full of sarcasm and sharp gaze. “Since you went to such lengths to act, how could I not play along? The lines were good, but the actor wasn’t.”

Without another word, he turned and left briskly.

Lin Hexi sat on the sofa alone for a while before reaching out to grab his wrinkled T-shirt from the corner. He held it up and shook it out, and muttered with a smile, “I really was just trying to get my shirt.”

Around ten o’clock, they left the villa for the hotel. The rooms had been booked in advance, with a total of five rooms. You Chong and Zhou Xuan each had their own rooms, and the remaining six were in double rooms. With the addition of Lin Hexi, the plan was for him to book another room at the front desk.

Given that the hotel was close to the racetrack and many out-of-towners chose to stay there rather than drive back late at night, it had been fully booked for the race day a week in advance.

The five rooms had to be redistributed. You Chong still got a room to himself, Zhou Xuan and Lin Tong shared one room, Lin Hexi and Yang Juan shared another, and the remaining four had to figure out their arrangements.

Once in the room, Lin Hexi realized he hadn’t brought a change of clothes. Unlike the cooler seasons, where not changing clothes for an overnight stay might be tolerable, the sweltering heat of September made it unbearable not to change due to the constant sweating.

Summer clothes are lightweight and don’t take up much space, so Yang Juan had packed a spare set. However, Lin Hexi couldn’t wear them because he was taller. Among the remaining seven people, there were about two or three whose height and build were similar to or larger than his.

After much deliberation, Lin Hexi amusingly concluded that the person he was most familiar with among them, despite their poor relationship, was You Chong. And given their strained relationship, even if he went to ask, he might not get the clothes.

Moreover, he had just annoyed You Chong a few hours ago, so it was highly likely that his request would be denied.

With equal chances of success and failure, he vacillated several times between going and not going. Finally, he grabbed Yang Juan, who was bent over his bag retrieving clothes, took the backpack from him, and covered it tightly. He smiled and winked at Yang Juan and said, “If the next thing you take out of the bag is a shirt, I won’t go. If it’s pants, I’ll go. How does that sound?”

Yang Juan looked up, bewildered. “What?”

“Nothing,” Lin Hexi replied, his smile widening. “Just close your eyes.”

Yang Juan obediently closed his eyes.

Lin Hexi placed the backpack beside him and closed his own eyes as well. “Now, reach in and take something out.”

Yang Juan did as instructed and then opened his eyes.

Seeing what he held, his face flushed with embarrassment.

Lin Hexi also opened his eyes, raising an eyebrow thoughtfully at the item in Yang Juan’s hand.

Yang Juan quickly bundled the item back into the bag, and stammered, “So, are you going or not?”

“I’m going,” Lin Hexi said, his lips curling into a slight smile as he stood up from the bed. “Underwear is also pants. So, of course, I’m going.”