Chapter 6
Lin Lu slept until around three in the afternoon. When he woke up, the four people in the living room were still busy. He walked downstairs groggily, and Xue Wensong glanced up and said, “Awake?”
“Yeah,” Lin Lu’s voice was hoarse. He walked to the open kitchen, grabbed a glass of water, and noticed that the cups on the coffee table were all empty. So, he took the initiative to pour water for the four of them from the thermos.
Xue Wensong watched Lin Lu moving around and suddenly stopped typing on his computer. He placed it on the coffee table and called out to Lin Lu, “Come here.”
Puzzled, Lin Lu walked over to Xue Wensong. He thought Xue Wensong wanted to tell him something, but instead, Xue Wensong simply took the water bottle from his hand and placed it on the table. Then, he pulled Lin Lu into his arms.
Lin Lu: “?!?”
He struggled to get up, but Xue Wensong hugged him tightly and buried his face in Lin Lu’s neck.
“What’s wrong with you?” Lin Lu asked nervously.
“Just a bit tired,” Xue Wensong said, “Just relax a bit.”
He didn’t say the last sentence out loud.
Lin Lu suggested, “Then why don’t you lie down on the bed for a while?”
“No,” Xue Wensong shook his head. Then, he leaned closer to Lin Lu’s ear and asked in a deliberately low voice, “Are you nervous?”
Lin Lu didn’t know where to put his hands, feeling awkward as they rested on his lap.
“N-No, I’m not,” Lin Lu subconsciously denied, but in reality, he was tense all over.
Xue Wensong’s thighs were firm, and Lin Lu had never been in such close contact with anyone before. He didn’t know how to react.
“Relax,” Xue Wensong chuckled softly, his warm breath tickling Lin Lu’s earlobe, making his heart itch.
“I-I-I’m not nervous,” Lin Lu insisted.
“Then relax, okay?” Xue Wensong coaxed gently.
Lin Lu realized how stiff his body was. He felt like he was overreacting. What was the big deal about sitting on Xue Wensong’s lap? He took a deep breath, forced himself to relax his shoulders, and the next moment, he sank into Xue Wensong’s embrace.
“Mm, not bad,” Xue Wensong said satisfactorily, his lips curving up slightly, “Nice and soft.”
Lin Lu’s hands rested on Xue Wensong’s chest, and he wanted to curse him as a pervert. But thinking that there were others behind him, he held back.
The other three didn’t dare to look up, but they all glanced at this side from the corner of their eyes.
In a certain hidden discussion group:
Tan: Are you kidding me!!! We’re still working!!
Luo: Sister-in-law is already familiar. Sighs.jpg
Song: The boss is trying to seduce someone, who can resist?
Xue Wensong had relaxed enough and soon let go of Lin Lu. He supported Lin Lu’s lower back and helped him up. Lin Lu didn’t dare to look at him and awkwardly looked at the other three, saying, “What do you guys want to eat tonight?”
“Huh?” Luo Yun responded, “Aren’t we ordering takeout?”
“Well, let me cook for you guys,” Lin Lu said softly, “I have nothing else to do anyway.”
“Yay!” The three immediately cheered.
Lin Lu pushed the shopping cart around the supermarket, crossing off items on the list he had prepared on his phone one by one.
When he finally checked off the last item, a WeChat message suddenly popped up on the screen from Yang Li, a stage manager he had met at the film and television city.
Yang Li: “There’s a historical drama audition recently, with speaking roles. Want to give it a try?”
Lin Lu quickly replied: “Yes!”
Yang Li: “The audition is this Friday morning at ten. There are quite a lot of people. Check your schedule.”
Lin Lu: “Got it.”
Yang Li forwarded the specific audition details to Lin Lu. He read through it meticulously before rushing to the checkout counter with his shopping cart.
Yang Li was one of the big sisters Lin Lu had befriended at the film and television city. She always forwarded job opportunities to Lin Lu as soon as she got them. She believed Lin Lu had good looks and urged him to make a resume and try contacting talent agencies instead of doing extra work all the time. However, Lin Lu wanted to finish his university studies first, so he had never taken that step.
Although Lin Lu was usually at the bottom of the class, he had a high success rate in auditions for roles. Of course, to avoid affecting his studies, most of the roles he auditioned for were non-speaking extras. As long as he didn’t look too out of place, he could usually get a part.
But things are different now. Lin Lu was about to finish his studies, and he had more free time. It was time to consider taking the next step.
Feeling good when he returned home, Lin Lu rolled up his sleeves and prepared a sumptuous dinner for the four people lounging in the living room. Finally, after Luo Yun exclaimed that he wanted to settle down in their home because of the delicious food, Lin Lu served some post-dinner fruit and brewed a pot of tea, then sat on the sofa with Xue Wensong to digest their meal.
The sound of the three busy people in the kitchen drifted over, and Lin Lu glanced at the serene and peaceful night outside. The cup of water in his hand slowly emitted mist, creating a comfortable and cozy atmosphere.
“Oh, by the way,” Lin Lu suddenly remembered something, “are you coming to teach us tomorrow?”
“Yeah,” Xue Wensong took a sip of tea without saying much.
He certainly couldn’t tell Lin Lu about the agreement he had reached with Tang Yi.
Lin Lu kindly reminded him, “I noticed that the classroom has been changed to the lecture hall, so there will probably be a lot of people.”
Xue Wensong didn’t seem too concerned, “That’s fine.”
Lin Lu stole a glance at Xue Wensong. That kind of confident and leisurely attitude was something he could never learn.
He remembered his first public performance in the drama club when there were only fifty or sixty people in the audience, and it made him incredibly nervous. Although he had gradually become accustomed to performing in front of strangers, he would still get sweaty palms if he wasn’t fully prepared.
Xue Wensong probably had never been nervous before. After all, he was so talented and knowledgeable that he would shine wherever he went, like a piece of gold.
Lost in thought, Lin Lu suddenly heard Xue Wensong beside him say, “Sit in the front row tomorrow.”
Lin Lu nodded obediently, “Okay.”
Xue Wensong smirked, “I’ll call on you to answer questions.”
Lin Lu was startled, “Huh?”
Looking at Lin Lu’s beautiful eyes widened in panic again, Xue Wensong couldn’t help but chuckle, “Are you that afraid?”
Afraid! In Lin Lu’s eyes, Xue Wensong was like a big tiger. Just a slight movement of his claw would make Lin Lu feel panicked.
He pleaded, “P-Please don’t call on me! I-I definitely won’t be able to answer.”
Xue Wensong found it amusing, “How do you know if you haven’t heard the question yet?”
“I know!” Lin Lu asserted confidently, “I’ve heard your speeches, your questions are always sharp.”
Xue Wensong thought for a moment and said, “Then let me ask you a simple question. You’ll definitely be able to answer it.”
“Okay.” A glimmer of hope suddenly appeared in Lin Lu’s eyes. “Go ahead and ask me now. Let me prepare first.”
“Sure.” Xue Wensong smiled faintly and, in the anticipating eyes of Lin Lu, slowly said, “Who is your husband?”
The expectant expression on Lin Lu’s face suddenly disappeared. When he realized that this was the question Xue Wensong wanted to ask him, he immediately blushed and exclaimed angrily, “You’re teasing me again!”
The three people in the kitchen had finished cleaning up and listened to Xue Wensong and Lin Lu’s conversation the whole time. Tan chuckled softly and said, “Boss, the deadline for submitting the competition entries is approaching. Do you have time to attend classes at P University?”
Xue Wensong calmly replied, “It’s not a problem.”
Lin Lu suddenly remembered what Zhang Yihang had said and asked, “Are you preparing for the XW competition?”
“Yeah,” Luo Yun sat back on the sofa, grabbed a slice of orange, and popped it into his mouth, “Whether the boss can make a comeback depends on this competition.”
“There shouldn’t be a problem, right?” Lin Lu looked at Xue Wensong. “You’ve won the first prize five times.”
“Do you remember that so clearly?” Xue Wensong raised an eyebrow in surprise.
“I’m in the computer science department after all…”
“Well, there shouldn’t be a problem.” Xue Wensong didn’t inquire further.
“But,” Lin Lu continued, “why would winning a prize help you make a comeback?”
“Winning the prize isn’t the key,” Song Xin interjected, “The government has a major project, and if you want to bid for it, you need the qualification of winning a prize.”
Lin Lu nodded as if he understood.
Xue Wensong pinched Lin Lu’s soft cheeks and said to the other three, “Let’s call it a night here. There’s no need to discuss the final stage anymore. Let’s all go home and work on our own tasks.”
After the three programmers left, Lin Lu finally found an opportunity to discuss things with Xue Wensong. He had rehearsed countless times in his mind and nervously sat on the bed, waiting for Xue Wensong to finish his shower.
But as soon as Xue Wensong came out, all the lines Lin Lu had prepared vanished into thin air. “Why aren’t you dressed properly again?” he blurted out.
Xue Wensong, with a towel wrapped around his waist, casually dried his hair. “I’m used to it when I’m alone.”
“But now there’s two people!” Lin Lu turned away from Xue Wensong in annoyance, only to hear a low chuckle from behind, “Well, I’m not alone anymore.”
After changing clothes, Xue Wensong found it strange that Lin Lu was still sitting on the bed looking sulky, so he asked, “Do you have something to say to me?”
Lin Lu turned around, awkwardly staring at the floor, and said, “The deadline for submitting the graduation thesis is approaching, so I’ll be going to the library to work on it when I have time.”
Lin Lu felt a little guilty because what he meant by “going to the library to work on it” was actually going to the film and television city to film.
Xue Wensong didn’t suspect anything but still said, “You can write it at home. I won’t disturb you.”
“No,” Lin Lu shook his head without hesitation, “It’s inconvenient to look up references at home. I can borrow reference materials from the library anytime.”
Lin Lu’s reason was impeccable, but when Xue Wensong remained silent, his heart rose to his throat.
After a while, Xue Wensong finally spoke up, “That’s fine.”
Lin Lu’s heart swelled with immense joy, but before he could enjoy it for long, he heard Xue Wensong’s next words, “Let me see the thesis you’ve written first.”
