After Thinking I Was the Top, I Was Taken by a Cold Beauty - Chapter 15

After Lin Yanxu sent his message, several students knocked on the office door and walked in. Soon after, a larger crowd of people swarmed inside. Consequently, he did not see the message the other party had sent. Seeing that the students had business with him, he temporarily set his phone aside.

On the other end, the last two messages Yun Deng had sent were like stones sinking into the ocean. As the minutes ticked by, his heart began to pound with anxiety. It was impossible that the other man had actually seen them and gotten angry, right?

Yun Deng lay flat on his bed, contemplating life, until the sun began to set. Suddenly, he remembered the mutton soup in the kitchen and the laundry on the balcony. He had neglected a pot of good soup for the sake of a beautiful man; by the time he went to turn off the stove, the soup had nearly boiled dry. After messaging Xia Shisheng, he pulled up a chair and settled his dinner with the noodles he had cooked for himself.

Just as he picked up his chopsticks, the phone sitting by the sink suddenly rang. Seeing it was a call from the bar he frequently visited, Yun Deng considered it carefully before answering. After listening for only a few sentences, he refused the invitation on the grounds that he was afraid of alcohol poisoning. If he went again, he truly might drink himself into a medical crisis.

Ever since his last hangover, his stomach had felt uncomfortable. Anything spicy or cold would cause him pain for a day and a night. However, staying home without going out was incredibly boring. After tidying up the dishes, Yun Deng checked the time and decided to go wait at the school entrance. He had already figured out the man’s general working hours and had even obtained this semester’s course schedule from the official website.

Yun Deng hurriedly grabbed a jacket and headed out. At this hour, the night market was just beginning to open. Coupled with events at the nearby plaza attracting customers, most of the foot traffic was concentrated around the commercial street. Yun Deng drove his car to avoid that area, choosing a road with less traffic. However, there was a reason few people took this route; he hit a red light almost immediately, and the three-kilometer drive nearly made him lose his temper.

By the time he arrived, there were only two minutes left before the students finished their evening self-study. As soon as Yun Deng approached the school gate, he craned his neck in anticipation, hoping for the same good luck he had experienced the past two days.

Perhaps heaven favored their romance, because just as the crowd of parents picking up their children began to disperse, he spotted Lin Yanxu inside the school gates at a glance. There was someone walking beside him as well. Tonight, Lin Yanxu had stayed to help Fang Yu resolve a classroom conflict, and he was now walking out of the school gates alongside her. Fang Yu had not expected two male students to start a physical fight in the corridor over a dormitory water dispute. When the class monitor told her, she had rushed to the classroom in a panic. After several hours of ideological counseling, the two students finally apologized to each other and reconciled.

“Teacher Lin, thank you so much for pulling those two kids apart today. Otherwise, no matter how much I shouted, it would have been useless.” Fang Yu turned her head and gave him a kind smile.

“It was nothing,” Lin Yanxu replied.

Just as the two were about to part ways at different intersections, Lin Yanxu spotted Yun Deng sitting on a stone bollard. Tonight’s evening breeze carried a hint of a chill, and the warm yellow light of the streetlamps illuminated the area where the youth sat. He was wearing a white jacket tonight with the hood pulled over his head and his hands tucked into his pockets, meeting Lin Yanxu’s gaze directly.

Yun Deng was indeed a bit cold; he had not expected the nights in the capital to still be this chilly in May. Seeing the man walking with a beautiful girl made his heart feel even colder. His original sense of anticipation instantly turned into sadness. However, he did not show it on his face; he simply stared at Lin Yanxu. Even if the man did not belong to him, it was not illegal to look, was it?

He thought the man would ignore him and leave, but Lin Yanxu walked straight toward him instead. Lin Yanxu stopped about a meter away. Seeing the youth’s downcast and sorrowful expression, he could not help but curl his lips into a light smile. He looked like a little puppy. He wore his joy and sorrow plainly on his face, not knowing how to hide them at all.

Adjusting his glasses, Lin Yanxu explained, “I did not ignore your messages on purpose.”

At these words, Yun Deng immediately looked up at him happily. His bright, clear eyes became even more moving, and Lin Yanxu found his gaze being drawn in unknowingly.

“A pearl for a beauty. This is for you.”

Yun Deng pulled the red velvet box from his pocket, speaking as he handed it to Lin Yanxu. Even though he was the one giving the gift, he felt a bit embarrassed. He did not even dare to look up, deeply afraid of being rejected.

Sure enough, just as he had feared, Lin Yanxu declined. No matter how much he tried to force it into the man’s hands, it was useless. Yun Deng had no choice but to take the box back, his disappointment clearly visible on his face. Not wanting to delay the man for too long, he asked the question he cared about most.

“May I pursue you?”

Lin Yanxu was taken aback at first, but he quickly recovered his composure. Seeing the youth’s serious expression that did not look like a joke, he could only let out a helpless laugh.

“Can I pursue you? Give me a chance…”

Yun Deng tried his old trick again, grabbing the man’s arm and shaking it gently. Unfortunately, before he could say the word brother, his mouth was covered by a hand. In the next second, a man and a woman walked out of the school gates. The man wore glasses and a plaid shirt, while the woman wore a rose-red printed long-sleeved dress. The two were walking home from work arm-in-arm. Upon seeing Lin Yanxu, they greeted him warmly.

“Teacher Lin, you have not left yet?”

Lin Yanxu turned slightly to block their view of Yun Deng. He was about to release the hand covering Yun Deng’s mouth, but as soon as he moved to withdraw, the person hiding behind his back grabbed his hand with both of theirs and pressed it back against their own face.

“I am leaving soon.”

“Oh, okay. You, young people should drive slowly after work. See you at the morning meeting tomorrow. We will head off first.”

While Lin Yanxu was having a brief conversation with his two colleagues, Yun Deng was restlessly playing with his hand, moving it away and then pressing it back. Once the two had left, Lin Yanxu turned back and retracted his hand.

Yun Deng looked around to ensure no one was there before continuing to pester him. “Good brother, give me a chance. Just say yes.”

Lin Yanxu had other matters to attend to tonight. Being entangled by the youth meant he could not leave immediately, but he was not annoyed. He was about to ask a question when he was interrupted. Anticipating what the man wanted to ask, Yun Deng immediately said, “I have only ever called you ‘Good Brother.’ I am begging you.”

In the end, having no other choice, Lin Yanxu left him with a “Suit yourself” before departing. He thought Yun Deng would follow him again, but the youth left immediately after getting that answer. When Yun Deng arrived today, he had parked his car a hundred meters from the school, and he reached it in less than a minute. While pulling his keys from his pocket, he felt as if something extra were inside.

After sitting in the driver’s seat, he took the object out. It was a pearl with excellent luster and texture. Lin Yanxu could tell at a glance that it was expensive. At the same time, his phone screen lit up in the dark on the passenger seat, showing two unread messages.

“Mian Mian Yu: Look in your pocket! You must keep it; I really wanted to give it to you.”

“Mian Mian Yu: A pearl for a beauty.”

If anyone else had done these things or said these words, Lin Yanxu would have found it frivolous. However, when paired with Yun Deng’s innocent and harmless face, it just made him look very silly.

…

On the other side, Yun Deng, unaware that he had left a silly impression, was happily sitting in a barbecue shop messaging Xia Shisheng.

“Mian Mian Yu: I told you my gay-dar is accurate. Anyone I set my sights on is either gay or bisexual.”

“Mian Mian Yu: I just saw him at the school gate and asked if I could pursue him.”

“Mian Mian Yu: And then he was conquered by my charm, hahahaha.”

Xia Shisheng had likely finished coaxing his girlfriend and was currently online, replying almost instantly.

“min: For real? Is that guy really not straight?”

“min: You lucky brat.”

Yun Deng immediately typed back.

“Mian Mian Yu: He agreed to let me pursue him. Should I send him something from Chow Tai Fook or Lao Feng Xiang?”

“min: Are you sick? You are sending gifts again. You might as well give them to me.”

“min: Give me some gold, and I will work like a horse for you immediately.”

“Mian Mian Yu: Forget it. I want a beautiful wife, not a straight man like you who does not even wash his socks.”

“Mian Mian Yu: Stay away from me.”

After replying, Yun Deng put down his phone. While drinking a beer, he looked up at the night sky and pondered what kind of gift would be appropriate for the man. He drank as he thought, and it was only after half a bottle was gone that he realized he had driven here today. He was so happy today that he had ordered two pounds of spicy crawfish and three bottles of beer, nearly forgetting that he was supposed to avoid cold and spicy food.

By now, his lips were numb from the spice, his tongue had lost all sensation, and a thin layer of sweat covered his nose. Yun Deng quickly took off his gloves, wiped his hands with tissues, and used his phone to search for the nearest hospital. He called the owner over to help pack the leftovers and settle the bill, then hailed a motorcycle taxi to the traditional Chinese medicine hospital ten kilometers away.

Yun Deng sat by a trash can with his box of crawfish and a bottle of beer to continue eating. Before starting, he used a mini-program to book an appointment for himself. It proved to be a wise move, as his stomach began to ache shortly after. Following the principle of not wasting food, he finished the last of the meal and threw it into the food waste bin. He endured the pain, crouched down to wipe away some accidentally spilled sauce with a tissue, and then immediately entered the hospital.

Before leaving the hospital, the gastroenterologist gave him a severe scolding. Previously, when he felt unwell, he had not gone to the hospital and had simply bought some medicine at a pharmacy. Today’s examination revealed that he had chronic gastritis, along with a mild case of pharyngitis.

Yun Deng walked out of the hospital hall carrying a bag of medicine, feeling somewhat dazed. In ancient times, the first emperor failed to complete his business before his passing; today, Yun Deng’s quest to find a wife was thwarted by his fragile health.

He immediately vowed to the hospital that he would quit drinking. If he drank again, he would never be able to be the one on top for the rest of his life.

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