Chapter 97 2/2

“I like you,” Cen Lang stated, “I’ll protect you.”

Jiang Li narrowed his eyes.

Cen Lang didn’t ask for Jiang Li’s response; Jiang Li’s reaction said it all.

Jiang Li was carried to the central bed, and since it was getting late, Cen Lang suggested, “Let’s sleep here tonight, and I’ll take you back home tomorrow morning.”

Jiang Li replied, “Oh.”

Cen Lang’s eyes were full of smiles. “Does this mean we’re dating now?”

Jiang Li replied, “I think it’s just the pheromones at work. A man should wait until he’s forty to be considered mature.”

Cen Lang felt a sense of déjà vu; it turns out he had said those words himself.

Cen Lang amended, “I was wrong. I should follow your dad’s example and date when I meet the right person.”

Jiang Li remarked, “A five-year age difference is too big, isn’t it?”

That was also something Cen Lang had said.

Cen Lang admitted, “I’m narrow-minded. I lack vision.”

Jiang Li questioned, “We grew up together since we were kids. Are you sure you don’t just see me as a brother?”

Cen Lang confessed, “I’m a pervert.”

Looking at the small single bed in the bedroom, where two people could barely fit, Jiang Li complained, “The bed is so small.”

Cen Lang offered, “I’ll sleep on the floor.”

Unsatisfied, Jiang Li said, “We can still squeeze.”

Without informing their parents, the young couple had no plans to do anything but cuddle side by side on the bed.

Jiang Li asked, “Should we tell Dad?”

Cen Lang pondered for a moment. “We can, if you’re uncomfortable, I’ll tell him.”

So they arranged to meet with General Lu, then Cen Lang changed his mind.

Jiang Li replied, “No need, let’s wait until after our graduation trip.”

It’s normal for brotherly affection to turn into something more during a trip, unlike now, where both of them are acting like perverts.

Cen Lang agreed, “Okay.”

Jiang Li fell asleep in Cen Lang’s arms and was awakened the next day by Cen Lang pinching his cheek.

“It’s time to go back. Dad’s going to knock on your door soon.”

Jiang Li woke up groggily. “Okay, then goodbye.”

He picked up his skateboard and headed out, with Cen Lang following him.

“Goodbye.”

“I’ll accompany you.”

Jiang Li paused. “But you don’t have a skateboard.”

Cen Lang shrugged. “It’s just a dozen kilometers, a morning jog.”

So Jiang Li rode his skateboard while Cen Lang jogged behind, closely following.

Jiang Li had the vague feeling that Cen Lang was taking him out for a stroll like a parent with their child.

Cen Lang urged, “Speed up, so you can get home early for breakfast. I can keep up.”

Jiang Li reluctantly sped up, maintaining a steady pace.

Cen Lang decided to overtake, leading the way ahead. Being tall and athletic, he was as swift as the wind.

Jiang Li gritted his teeth. “If I crash into you, it’s not my responsibility.”

Cen Lang challenged, “Try me.”

Jiang Li retorted, “You think I won’t?”

Cen Lang responded, “If you crash into me, you’ll be responsible for giving me a massage, helping me bathe, and even assisting me with going to the bathroom every day.”

Jiang Li frowned, “You seem to be enjoying this.”

Cen Lang accelerated as fast as he could, just to spend a little more time with Jiang Li in the Jiang family’s basement.

The thought of Jiang Li’s father walking around above them made Jiang Li’s cheeks turn red.

“You’re doing this on purpose,” Jiang Li accused.

A man who seeks excitement like this isn’t someone you should keep.

Cen Lang suggested, “How about I wait for you here every night from now on?”

Having secret meetings in the underground tunnel.

Jiang Li, still a model student, declined, “No.”

Cen Lang persisted, “How about we move closer to the center?”

Jiang Li retorted, “Can’t you use the front door?”

Cen Lang explained, “We can’t kiss properly if we use the front door.”

Jiang Li replied, “We don’t need to kiss every day, you can keep the skateboard, I’m going up.”

He didn’t need to ride the skateboard anymore.

Cen Lang watched Jiang Li climb up, thinking about getting a two-person mode of transportation.

Jiang Li sneaked back cautiously, observing his father’s whereabouts, and safely returned to his bedroom.

During breakfast, Jiang Wanlan mentioned, “Lu Jing, I think there are rats in the basement.”

Lu Jing responded, “Isn’t the basement clean?”

Jiang Wanlan said, “I don’t know, it’s just a feeling.”

Jiang Li was secretly alarmed but kept a calm demeanor while eating.

Jiang Wanlan asked, “Baby, have you seen any?”

Jiang Li replied, “No.”

Jiang Li didn’t agree to Cen Lang’s proposal for tunnel rendezvous.

At eleven o’clock that night, when it was quiet, Jiang Li lay in bed thinking about what his father had said during the day. Were there really rats?

He was careful when entering and leaving, not knocking over anything.

There didn’t seem to be any signs of rat activity.

Could his father be trying to deceive him because he was going to the basement too often?

Jiang Li bought a box of rat poison and a box of rat traps and placed them along the corners of the basement.

…

Cen Lang went on a month-long space mission, and when he returned, instead of telling Jiang Li in advance, he deliberately said, “I’ll be waiting for you in the basement.”

Annoying.

Of course, after a month apart, Jiang Li couldn’t wait to see his boyfriend immediately, so he took the risk of opening the secret door again.

He sat there, not going down, unable to bring himself to purposefully rendezvous with someone, and instead talked to Cen Lang through the window.

Cen Lang handed him a piece of pastry, “I just bought it.”

Jiang Li accidentally dropped it, and it landed right on the rat poison powder.

“Ah.”

There was no trash can in the basement, and Jiang Li didn’t bring anything to eat downstairs.

Cen Lang couldn’t see the fine powder from his angle and reached out, “I’ll eat it, to eliminate the evidence of our secret meeting.”

Jiang Li replied, “…”

Don’t eliminate yourself!