Obediently, Lean on my Shoulder - Chapter 4

Chapter 4

“Hey!” he called out first. “Who are you? Are we that close? What right do you have to take the liberty of paying our bill?”

Everyone was stunned.

Teng Ming looked at Fan Ye and then at Li Shuren; he was the first to react. He stood up and pulled at Fan Ye, asking him to sit down and talk.

Fan Ye shook off Teng Ming’s hand, took five hundred yuan out of his wallet, and handed it over.

Li Shuren gave a slight smile, but before he could speak, Zhao Guang, who was at his side, took the money and said, “Hey, what kind of person are you? Someone pays the bill for you, and instead of being grateful, you put on a stinky face?”

Fan Ye didn’t seem to want to say anything more. He asked Teng Ming if he was finished eating, the implication being that Teng Ming should leave with him.

Teng Ming and Fan Ye met each other’s eyes. Although he didn’t know what kind of craze had taken hold of this guy, he knew it was best to leave with him at this moment. So, he stood up, thanked Li Shuren, and followed Fan Ye out.

Fan Ye took large strides. After a few steps, he stopped and waited for Teng Ming to reach his side. He grabbed Teng Ming’s hand and, ignoring the strange looks from the crowd, strode away.

Outside, the sky was already dark. The distant lights were beautiful, and the light breeze seemed to carry the fresh air of Erhai.

Fan Ye pulled Teng Ming’s hand and walked very fast; one had long legs and a tall stature, while the other had short legs and an average height. The one with shorter legs naturally found it a bit taxing.

Teng Ming tried to shake off Fan Ye’s hand, but it was held tightly. They walked together to the side of the road, and only after they stopped did Teng Ming finally shake off Fan Ye’s hand.

His hand was warm and a bit rough; when it was held tightly, that strength was very reassuring.

“What kind of craze are you in?” Teng Ming asked.

Fan Ye stared at him without speaking.

Teng Ming looked at him in confusion. “What are you looking at…”

Before the words fully left his mouth, Fan Ye’s kiss pressed in, and he was even cradling his face.

If it were just a touch of the lips it would have been fine, but when his tongue tried to pry open his teeth, Teng Ming pushed him away.

With this push, Fan Ye was somewhat stunned, and subsequently felt an inexplicable chill in his heart.

Was it still because of that plot-driven TV filmed in Japan?

Or was it that you’ve taken a liking to that whatever-his-name-is, Li Shuren?

The two took a taxi back, silent the whole way.

After arriving at the guesthouse, Fan Ye played on his phone in the room, while Teng Ming chose to go to the guesthouse lobby to read.

The lobby was decorated very freshly. Those placed in vases were fresh flowers. Sitting at the solid wood tables and chairs to read, the faint floral scent was very relaxing, let alone the fact that one could see the night view of Erhai just by turning their head.

When reading, Teng Ming liked to put his phone on silent. He turned his head and saw a boat passing by on the Erhai. Though the lights on the boat were a bit tacky, in the vastness of Erhai, it looked like a mirage; he quickly picked up his phone to take a photo. After opening his phone, messages from Zhao Guang popped up, along with a WeChat friend request. He took the photo first, then replied to the messages.

Zhao Guang said they had finished eating and were now preparing to come to the guesthouse where they were staying, requesting that Teng Ming send the address. The friend request was from Li Shuren.

In a short while, Li Shuren and the others arrived at the guesthouse. After seeing it, they were all very satisfied.

Li Shuren immediately said he wanted to thank Teng Ming for his help, but Teng Ming waved it off, saying it was just a small favor and there was no need for talk of repayment.

After the group completed the check-in procedures, they all came to thank Teng Ming.

This, in turn, made Teng Ming feel a bit embarrassed.

Zhao Guang and two other friends carried the luggage up, while Li Shuren stayed behind to sit and talk with Teng Ming.

“Is he still angry?” Li Shuren asked.

Teng Ming hesitated for a moment and instantly understood that the “he” Li Shuren referred to was his Fan Ye.

Teng Ming nodded.

Li Shuren said, “If it really doesn’t work, I’ll go up and find him to apologize. I can’t let things be difficult for you.”

Teng Ming said, “You didn’t do anything wrong; there’s no need to apologize.”

He noticed that Li Shuren didn’t say “your boyfriend” but very cautiously used “he” to represent Fan Ye.

Afterward, the two chatted more about their respective jobs and the purpose of their travels.

To Teng Ming’s surprise, Li Shuren also worked in Shanghai, though not in the same district. Li Shuren was a freelance photographer; he had come this time after taking on a task from a travel company for a Yunnan travel shoot.

Li Shuren asked Teng Ming if he was interested in participating in a small script task he was preparing for a shoot, and mentioned that the current remuneration might not be high.

Regarding scripts, Teng Ming had always wanted to try his hand at them. Firstly, it would broaden his horizons, and secondly, scripts were more profitable than writing novels. Tauruses are famously fond of money.

However, Teng Ming had hardly made any money in the last six months. The reason was that he was unwilling to follow the trend and write those trashy, cliché stories; he wanted to write the stories he envisioned in his heart. Though they were niche, they were, after all, what he liked.

For the past half-year, he had been spending his previous savings. Fan Ye, naturally, didn’t know about this.

To Teng Ming, this was a very embarrassing matter, so he had been keeping it from Fan Ye.

Even though Fan Ye always said Teng Ming should spend his money, Teng Ming always felt that would make him like a “little white face” (toy boy) kept by someone. He didn’t have the capital of a “little white face” anyway; his appearance was average, and he even had a bit of a tendency toward becoming a “little bear” (stocky/cuddly).

Teng Ming agreed to Li Shuren on the spot, and the two made an appointment to find time the next day to talk it over properly. Afterward, Li Shuren went upstairs to rest.

Close to 10:00 PM, Zhao Guang and the others, who had been noisy upstairs, gradually quieted down. The guesthouse owner sat at the counter drinking tea and once invited Teng Ming over to join him, but Teng Ming didn’t much like drinking tea. He also knew that once he went over to drink tea, he would end up chatting with the owner, and then many personal details and stories would be spilled out.

Sometimes he didn’t like talking about himself to others.

Seeing that Teng Ming was reading intently, the guesthouse owner didn’t call him again.

When Teng Ming wanted to go back to the room to sleep, it was almost 11:00 PM.

The room was in total darkness, with only a few slivers of light filtering through the curtains that weren’t drawn tight.

Fan Ye actually went to sleep this early?

Thinking this, he walked into the room with light steps.

He didn’t know, however, that someone had stepped out of bed quietly and hidden behind the glass at the junction of the bathroom and the hallway.

Just as Teng Ming stepped out of the hallway, a dark shadow pounced. The scent of aftershave mixed into his breath fresh and intoxicating.

Large hands squeezed his shoulders, and soft lips blocked his mouth. The aura was like lava splattering before a volcanic eruption; the moment it touched Teng Ming, the blood in his body was ignited like dry wood.

Then, desire converged into a flowing stream of molten fire, rushing wantonly through his body, seeking a breakthrough.

All the stuffiness in his heart these past days, all the grievances, and all the determination for a cold war were dissolved by this single kiss from Fan Ye. Teng Ming also finally realized how much he wanted Fan Ye, not just his body, but his mind was also screaming for him. During the day, his logic had always triumphed over his emotions, but perhaps it was this night at Erhai that broke through the defensive line of his reason.

“Ming-ming, I want you,” his deep, thick, slightly hoarse voice rang out, drumming against his eardrums.

Fan Ye’s hands unbuttoned Teng Ming’s clothes, while Teng Ming touched his body wantonly.

It is this one sentence that makes one helpless, and it is this one sentence that makes one’s defenses collapse.