Chapter 45: My Boyfriend

For some reason, the sunset came earlier than usual that day.

They watched a grand sunset by the sea, where the azure sky and the rolling greenish-blue ocean were draped in vast swathes of red clouds. At the horizon, the sea and sky seemed to merge into one line, and the sun slowly sank below the sea level, its afterglow spreading over the ocean, casting a shimmering golden light across the rippling waves.

Lin Hexi took out his phone to capture the sunset, but was disappointed to find the image backlit.

After hastily snapping a couple of shots, Lin Hexi put away his phone and looked ahead to his side.

Lin Tong was pulling You Chong and Zhou Xuan in for a selfie, with the sea waves and sunset in the background. You Chong’s expression was perfunctory as he looked into the camera.

After taking the photo, Lin Tong and Zhou Xuan huddled together to look at the pictures, while You Chong, seemingly uninterested in such things, got up and took a couple of steps to an empty spot nearby. He sat down lazily on the beach, facing the sea.

The orange-red rays of the sunset instantly cast over his face, and You Chong squinted his eyes slightly.

Lin Hexi stared at his side profile for a moment and couldn’t help but open the camera on his phone.

He studied You Chong’s face through the lens. Even in the backlit setting, the heavy light and shadows outlined the contours of You Chong’s face clearly, like the most perfect sculpture crafted by an artist’s blade, evoking admiration.

Lin Hexi pressed the shutter button but forgot to mute the sound.

The perfect work of art turned his head at the sound, and raising his eyebrow slightly, “Are you secretly taking pictures of me?”

Lin Hexi deleted the photo, walked over, and sat cross-legged beside You Chong, his expression unchanged as he explained, “I was just taking pictures of the sunset.”

You Chong clearly didn’t believe him and extended his palm, “Let me see the photo album.”

Lin Hexi helpfully opened the album interface for him and handed over the phone.

You Chong lowered his head slightly, his fingertips touching the phone screen as he slowly scrolled through the images.

Lin Hexi, propping himself up with one hand at his side, leaned closer to You Chong’s face, and lowering his head to watch intently.

Ten steps behind them, Yang Juan sat on the ground, raising his phone to capture the sunset on the distant sea.

Zhao Du finished drinking his water and, noticing Yang Juan sitting alone, casually sat down next to him. He lazily hooked an arm around Yang Juan’s shoulder and leaned in to look at the image on his phone screen.

The unexpected force of Zhao Du’s arm bumped Yang Juan, causing the phone’s screen to tilt downward. Startled, Yang Juan’s fingers trembled slightly, and he unintentionally pressed the shutter button.

Feeling irritated, Yang Juan turned his head, his eyes dark and lips pressed together as he glared at Zhao Du.

Zhao Du quickly removed his arm from Yang Juan’s shoulder, sheepishly touched the tip of his nose, and apologized with a nervous laugh, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to.”

Only then did Yang Juan avert his intense gaze.

Zhao Du awkwardly got up from beside him and turned to look for Zhou Xuan up ahead.

When Yang Juan looked up again, the red sun was almost completely sinking below the sea, and the others were getting up from the beach, preparing to pack their things and head back for dinner.

Yang Juan showed a hint of regret and reluctance. He didn’t stand up immediately but instead lowered his head and pulled up the photo that Zhao Du had ruined, intending to delete it.

However, the moment his eyes fell on the photo, Yang Juan’s finger hovering over the delete button suddenly froze.

The photo didn’t capture the sunset or the sea, but it did capture You Chong and Lin Hexi sitting in the sunset, backlit.

The heavy light and shadow outlined their clear silhouettes. In the photo, the two sat side by side on the beach. You Chong’s head was slightly lowered, while Lin Hexi, with his palm braced at his side, leaned towards You Chong, also with his head down, his face gently turned towards You Chong—

Their silhouettes overlapped slightly in one small part.

It was as if Lin Hexi had lowered his head, leaned closer to You Chong, and then gently turned his face to kiss him.

Yang Juan raised his head in a daze, confused. So, just now, were You Chong and Lin Hexi really kissing while sitting there?

The group of six returned to the parasol area, put on their clothes, and found a nearby ocean-themed restaurant for dinner.

As the waiter led them to their seats, Lin Hexi once again keenly sensed someone’s gaze on him.

After following the direction of the stare, he spotted the couple he had seen earlier on the beach that afternoon.

The woman was sitting with her back to them, focused on her meal, while the man rested his chin on his interlaced fingers, raising his eyebrows and giving Lin Hexi an amused smile filled with interest.

Lin Hexi remained expressionless, intending to ignore it, when someone stepped in front of him, blocking the persistent gaze for him.

You Chong’s profile came into view, causing Lin Hexi to pause slightly before silently curling his lips into a faint smile.

He found You Chong’s actions rather novel.

Whether it was now or that time at the bar when You Chong had intercepted a punch for him, Lin Hexi, having grown up always stepping in to meddle occasionally or block punches for others, had never experienced being shielded by someone as if he were a girl.

However, as luck would have it, the waiter led them to a table diagonal from the couple’s, seating six.

And Lin Hexi happened to sit facing the man directly.

Throughout the entire meal, the man’s gaze frequently wandered toward Lin Hexi, carrying an indescribable implication.

Irritated by the persistent stare, Lin Hexi put down his chopsticks, stood up, and frowned. “I’m going to the restroom.”

Lin Tong and Zhou Xuan naturally paid him no mind.

Yang Juan, however, nodded blankly in response. “Okay.”

You Chong said nothing but glanced up at him.

Lin Hexi had already composed himself, his expression back to normal. He turned and walked into the nearby hallway. As he passed the table diagonally across, he suddenly lowered his gaze, silently glancing at the man sitting across from his girlfriend. He raised his head and straightened his collar casually, then curved his lips into a meaningful smile.

The man watched, brushing his fingertip lightly across his lips, with a deep flame already burning in his eyes.

The next second, Lin Hexi walked past him, the casual smile fading from his lips, his eyes taking on a hint of coldness.

Years of countless fighting experiences had taught him that the effective way to deal with trouble wasn’t to avoid it but to solve it directly by himself.

This approach had never failed him.

When he passed by the waiter, he stopped to ask for the location of the restroom.

After receiving a clear answer, Lin Hexi didn’t leave immediately. Instead, he turned around and looked back.

The man had already risen from the table, following behind at an unhurried pace.

Only then did Lin Hexi retract his gaze and exit the dining hall, turning into the corridor where the restroom was located.

At this time, the restroom was empty. Lin Hexi deftly grabbed a maintenance sign from behind the door and placed it outside.

The footsteps behind him grew increasingly distinct. Lin Hexi looked up and saw the man in a tight tank top walking toward him.

Meanwhile, Lin Tong complained that the food at the restaurant wasn’t good and suggested going to a nearby night market instead.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Du and Yang Juan also seemed tempted by the idea.

Zhou Xuan immediately spoke up, “Then let’s go now.”

Yang Juan instinctively nodded but quickly realized something was off. He shook his head rapidly and pointed to the empty seat diagonally across. “Lin Hexi hasn’t come back yet.”

Lin Tong showed a hint of impatience. “Why isn’t he back yet? Can one of you go and get him?”

Yang Juan opened his mouth to agree, but then caught sight of You Chong sitting beside him and slowly closed his mouth again.

After glancing at the time on his phone, You Chong stood up from his seat, his expression calm. “I’ll go check.”

Yang Juan sat on the sofa, his gaze silently following You Chong’s departing figure, and his face revealing a knowing expression.

As You Chong walked through the hallway, he noticed that the man was also missing from the table.

The man’s seat was opposite Lin Hexi’s, so from You Chong’s angle, he couldn’t see the table where the couple was sitting.

Recalling the way the man had looked at Lin Hexi, You Chong’s expression darkened slightly as he quickly made his way to the restroom.

Inside, Lin Hexi was still dealing with the man.

The man sized him up with interest. “Your boyfriend is still out front eating, and you dared to call me over?”

Lin Hexi paused for a second.

Then he realized that the “boyfriend” the man was referring to was likely You Chong.

Lin Hexi, no longer patient as he had been with Ning Nan’s girlfriend, frowned and said, “Cut the crap. Let’s get this over with quickly.”

As if hearing something amusing, the man laughed out loud. “I’m not the kind of guy who can finish things quickly.”

Lin Hexi asked, “How long do you need?”

The man whispered a number.

Lin Hexi crossed his arms, slowly raising his eyebrows. “Still a bit worse than my boyfriend.”

The man frowned in displeasure but, recalling You Chong’s height and build, quickly shrugged it off.

What the man hadn’t expected was that, after seeing Lin Hexi nestled in his boyfriend’s arms that afternoon, he had assumed Lin Hexi was a docile, soft kitten. Upon closer scrutiny now, he had to admit that he had misjudged; the person in front of him seemed even more unruly than a seemingly obedient kitten.

Increasingly aware of the differences between playing with men and women, he grew more excited. He placed a hand on the wall beside Lin Hexi’s face, hinting suggestively and openly, “Duration doesn’t matter; what matters is who can make you feel better. You and your boyfriend were already on the verge, yet he still didn’t make a move. Seems like your boyfriend really doesn’t get it.”

As if touched by this, Lin Hexi sighed with a mix of truth and pretense, “Yeah, dating a straight guy is really boring.”

The man laughed again, lowering his head to kiss Lin Hexi’s neck, his tone dropping to a near intimate and tempting whisper, “Don’t worry, I’m way more interesting than your boyfriend.”

Lin Hexi stood still, neither dodging nor avoiding. Calmly, he shifted his entire weight onto his left leg, then lowered his gaze, his eyes accurately landing on a spot beneath the man’s waist.

The restroom door was suddenly kicked open, and You Chong walked in, holding the maintenance sign in one hand.

Seeing the man leaning over Lin Hexi, You Chong raised the sign high, his voice laced with a palpable chill and anger. “Let’s see if your kiss lands first or if what I’m holding smashes down faster.”

The man reluctantly paused, and Lin Hexi also regretfully lowered his right leg, which had been lifted off the ground.

Clearly, the man was more wary of Lin Hexi’s so-called official boyfriend, You Chong. If a direct conflict broke out, the man wasn’t entirely confident he’d come out on top in this fight.

He stepped back from Lin Hexi and spread his hands towards You Chong, saying, “He was the one who leaned in willingly.”

Hearing this, Lin Hexi lowered his head and meekly walked behind You Chong. “I was forced by him.”

The man sneered unhurriedly, pulling out his phone from his pocket, which had been recording the entire time, and played back the conversation between him and Lin Hexi for You Chong to hear.

Lin Hexi hadn’t expected the man to be recording and felt his lips twitch slightly, leaving him momentarily speechless.

To his surprise, even though the conversation between him and the man was clearly insincere, You Chong still seemed angered. He dropped the maintenance sign, grabbed the man by the collar, and spoke in a cold, icy tone, “Didn’t I tell you to watch your mouth?”

The man’s expression showed a hint of shock; he hadn’t anticipated that the person in front of him, despite supposedly being cheated on by his boyfriend, would turn the tables and come after him. For a moment, he was at a loss.

Lin Hexi was equally stunned.

He had assumed You Chong would be upset because of the casual lies he’d made up about him, but that wasn’t the case.

Lin Hexi couldn’t help but glance up at You Chong’s profile.

He’s standing up for me, Lin Hexi thought, and focused solely on this realization.

Yet in his heart, it felt like the strings of a musical instrument being plucked chaotically, slightly stirring.

The next moment, he put away all his thoughts, and with a calm expression, walked toward the man who was only wary of You Chong and had completely dismissed him. Lin Hexi swung his fist, landing a heavy punch on the man’s face.

The man was knocked to the ground, and his cheekbone immediately swelling up.

Lin Hexi looked down slightly, giving him a smile. “Why are you afraid of my boyfriend? Do you really think my punches are softer than his?”