CH 26

After the rain stopped, looking out from the balcony of the apartment, one could see a faint halo encircling the surroundings.

Lin Yuxing and Gu Zhongyi sat on the sofa, relaxed both in mind and body, discussing “issues” while enjoying fresh fruits on the coffee table. Due to excessive eating, Lin Yuxing was starting to feel a bit tired.

Seeing Lin Yuxing’s cheeks moving constantly, Gu Zhongyi picked up a plate of fruit and went to the kitchen to make a cup of juice.

Taking advantage of his absence, Lin Yuxing grabbed his phone and requested leave from Zhou Jie. It seemed like he wouldn’t be able to go to the bakery that day.

Coincidentally, a message from Su Li came in: “[Are you on your way back?]”

Lin Yuxing: “[No… the compatibility issue was discovered by the senior.”

Su Li: “[Oh my! Were you kicked out by him? Where are you now?]”

Lin Yuxing: “[No, no, I’m still at his place. He hasn’t terminated the contract . But we need to discuss some things, and he won’t let me leave until we’re done.]”

Su Li: “[?]”

Lin Yuxing suddenly sighed: “[Su Li, I never knew before… that there could be such a wonderful person in this world.]”

Su Li was confused: “[Who are you talking about?]”

Lin Yuxing: “[The senior, Senior Gu Zhongyi.]”

Su Li: “[…I don’t understand what kind of play you two have going on.]”

Su Li: “[Anyway, come back early. I just treated Gu Nuan to some fried chicken and found out it’s buy one, get one free today, so I brought some for you.]”

As soon as Lin Yuxing saw the fried chicken, he sent a hamster emoticon with gleaming eyes.

Su Li: “[Hehe, you little rascal.]”

Su Li: “[Remember to bring back the cake Gu Nuan bought for you when you return]”

Lin Yuxing: “[Okay, but I might come back late. The senior wants to know my food preferences. He said that since we’ll be working together for a long time, he needs to know these things.]”

Lin Yuxing continued: “[We also need to test our compatibility later.]”

Su Li remained in a state of “typing…”

When Gu Zhongyi returned, Lin Yuxing immediately put away his phone and continued their “meeting.”

While drinking juice, Lin Yuxing thought for a while and asked, “What are your food preferences?”

Gu Zhongyi answered honestly, “I’m not picky and I’m not allergic to anything.”

Lin Yuxing asked, “There must be something you like to eat, right?”

Gu Zhongyi recalled, “The street food stall you took me to that day was delicious. Take me there again next time.”

That answer warmed Lin Yuxing’s heart, and he scratched his nose and generously said, “Next time, I’ll treat you to crayfish. You wanted to eat it last time, right?”

“Minced meat vermicelli is good enough; crayfish costs over 100 yuan,” Gu Zhongyi thought Lin Yuxing had forgotten and reminded him.

Lin Yuxing muttered unexpectedly, “Ah, I’ts so good that i would make an exception.”

The phrase “Ah” made Gu Zhongyi pause for a moment. He curled his lips and immediately responded, “Okay, then I won’t hold back when we go next time.”

Gu Zhongyi glanced at the time and said, “I have a relative working at the Pheromone Research Institute. He wants us to be there at four o’clock. It’s more convenient to test compatibility there.”

Saying that, Gu Zhongyi turned on the projector in the living room, “Do you want to watch a movie?”

Lin Yuxing was startled by the slowly descending large screen, “Is there enough time?”

“It’s not even one o’clock yet,” Gu Zhongyi handed the remote control to Lin Yuxing and pulled down the blackout curtain in the living room, “You choose .”

However, Lin Yuxing felt like he was holding a hot potato and pressed on the interface for quite a while before sheepishly saying, “I haven’t watched many movies, so I don’t know what’s good. You choose.”

From childhood until now, Lin Yuxing had only been to a movie theater once.

It was when he was ten years old. With donations from kind-hearted people and organized by the welfare home, they all went to the newly opened cinema in town together. He remembered that the movie they watched was called “Parental Love,” telling the story of a couple who traveled a long way and went through hardships to find their child who had been abducted to the mountains, ultimately reuniting as a family.

At that time, Lin Yuxing was young and didn’t have a deep understanding of movies. He only remembered the accompanying volunteers being moved to tears.

As he looked at the happy ending on the screen, the only thing he could associate it with was the scene of his father abandoning him at the entrance of the welfare home.

He wasn’t sad or upset. He had long forgotten what his parents looked like.

Looking back now, he didn’t know if it was the audacity of the staff at the time or if the cheap cinema in the small town only had that one movie that day. Otherwise, why would they show such films to the children in the welfare home?

Most of them were abandoned by their parents.

Lin Yuxing quickly realized he misspoke. He didn’t intend to elicit sympathy and changed his wording, “What I mean is, I have no taste. I always pick the wrong movies, so I don’t really enjoy going to see them.”

Gu Zhongyi calmly took the remote control and said, “I have a good taste in movies. Shall we go to the cinema together in the future?”

Invited by a friend, Lin Yuxing showed undisguised joy, “Sure! Then next time, I’ll treat you to a movie.”

That was another instance where he said he would treat Gu Zhongyi. First to crayfish and now a movie. Obviously, he was in a good mood.

“Since you’re treating me to crayfish, I’ll treat you to the movie,” Gu Zhongyi said, so that Lin Yuxing wouldn’t struggle with who would pay.

“For now, you’re treating me to crayfish, so the movie will be on me,” Gu Zhongyi pointed ahead. “Let’s pick a movie quickly.”

Lin Yuxing’s gaze returned to the screen.

Actually, for a moment, he was worried that Gu Zhongyi would open a movie similar to “Parental Love.” He tightened his nerves slightly, he didn’t want to watch those kinds of movies.

Fortunately, Gu Zhongyi had selected a relatively light-hearted sci-fi film.

As the movie began, Lin Yuxing couldn’t help but sit up straight. He was a bit unaccustomed to the dim environment, but soon he became captivated by the images on the screen, relaxing.

Gu Zhongyi sat beside him, and the faint scent of bitter orange pheromones lingered in the air like a fleeting fragrance.

Lin Yuxing emitted a faint scent of citrus as well, which Gu Zhongyi diligently and deliberately captured, lightly placing it in his heart.

A two-hour movie.

Lin Yuxing looked at the screen, and Gu Zhongyi looked at him.

They both got what they wanted.

Faintly, Lin Yuxing felt the gaze of Gu Zhongyi and turned his head. “What’s wrong?”

Gu Zhongyi pretended as if nothing had happened and reached for the fruit on the coffee table. Coincidentally, his arm brushed against Lin Yuxing’s arm in the dark. The warmth of their bodies transmitted to their senses in the blink of an eye, and a tense atmosphere instantly spread.

The fruit in Gu Zhongyi’s hand fell, and his voice suddenly became hoarse. Then, his magnetic voice fell on Lin Yuxing’s ears. “Sorry, I didn’t hold it properly.”

“Thud, thud—”

Lin Yuxing’s heart unexpectedly began to beat at the wrong rhythm, just like before, when it felt like a little deer was ramming inside him.

The sweet taste of the fruit replaced the sweetness that should have been the pheromones, unconsciously sweetening his heart.

He thought, maybe it was because he took allergy medicine while on suppressant medication and it lost some of its effect?

Lin Yuxing touched his chest and took a deep breath.

Four o’clock……………

They arrived on time at the entrance of the pheromone research institute in City C.

After the security guard made contact , confirming their identities, they were allowed to enter. Gu Zhongyi skillfully parked the car in the parking lot and took Lin Yuxing to the testing building’s lobby.

Looking at the unfamiliar environment, Lin Yuxing curiously asked, “Senior, are you familiar with this place?”

“More or less.”

Gu Zhongyi wouldn’t tell Lin Yuxing that in the current world, it was actually his first time coming to the institute. But in the previous world, he had indeed been there many times.

Every time, it was for Qu Xing.

Qu Xing’s cancer occurred in his glands, and the medication at the hospital couldn’t ease his pain anymore. Helplessly, Gu Zhongyi went there time and time again, using the back door to obtain some medication that couldn’t be found elsewhere.

It could be considered as using poison to fight poison, allowing Qu Xing to ease a lot of physical pain during the last stage of his life.

At that moment, Gu Zhongyi’s phone vibrated. It was a call from Yang Qing.

Gu Zhongyi whispered, “I’ll take a call outside and be back soon.”

“Okay.”

Lin Yuxing looked around boredly. The testing building was empty, and it appeared quite desolate. Lin Yuxing’s major was well-suited for working there, but the minimum educational requirement at the institute was a postgraduate degree.

He regretfully pursed his lips, knowing that once he graduated from undergraduate, he should immediately start looking for a job, with almost no chance of taking the postgraduate entrance examination.

Suddenly, Lin Yuxing remembered that he hadn’t replied to Su Li’s message, so he quickly took out his phone.

Su Li: [Do you remember the “blessing” post on the forum?]

Lin Yuxing: [How could I forget it.]

Su Li: [Why don’t you reply to me tomorrow? It’s fine if you reply next year too.]

Lin Yuxing: [Sorry, I got caught up in a conversation with Senior.]

Su Li: [Sigh, I’m no match for Senior Gu.]

Lin Yuxing: [Hamster crying face x3]

Su Li said: [Okay, I’m just joking. I was bored and went to that post. Guess what I found?]

Lin Yuxing asked, giving Su Li a surprised emoticon face: [What?]

Su Li: [In that post, any comment criticizing you has been deleted. Just a moment ago, someone anonymously insulted you in my thread, and when I refreshed, it was gone! I can’t stop laughing. I even suspect that the one who posted isn’t Gu Zhongyi himself, but a puppet.]

Lin Yuxing didn’t quite understand the meaning of “puppet.”

Su Li: [Let me give you an example. When we read novels, there are often supporting characters who drive the plot or the emotional progress of the main characters. They’re called puppets.]

Su Li continued excitedly: [If he isn’t a puppet, could he be shipping classmates in secret? That’s so funny! Does anyone even ship classmates from the same school?]

Lin Yuxing: [What does “shipping” mean?]

Su Li sighed, feeling that Lin Yuxing didn’t spend much time online. As one of the top ten best roommates, Su Li had to educate Lin Yuxing to help him keep up.

Su Li sent a long voice message, which left Lin Yuxing stunned.

Fortunately, Lin Yuxing had good comprehension skills and managed to understand it.

Lin Yuxing: [Thank you, you know a lot.]

Su Li boasted: [No big deal~]

Having learned new knowledge, Lin Yuxing didn’t continue chatting with Su Li. A bit of doubt arose in his heart, and he immediately opened the chat box of ID789, which he hadn’t looked at for a long time.

Outside the testing building, Gu Zhongyi had just hung up Yang Qing’s call when a message popped up on his phone, coming from his other account.

This account only had Lin Yuxing as a friend.

To not miss any of Lin Yuxing’s messages, Gu Zhongyi deliberately logged in to both accounts on the same phone.

Lin Yuxing: [Long time no see. Forgive me for asking, do you know Gu Zhongyi?]

Gu Zhongyi’s heart skipped a beat. He suspected that Lin Yuxing had discovered something.

After careful consideration, Gu Zhongyi decided to reply cautiously.

ID789: [?]

Half a minute later.

Lin Yuxing: [I noticed that you deleted all the comments in the post that spoke ill of me. So, I guess Gu Zhongyi might have contacted you.]

Gu Zhongyi breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed that Yang Qing had done an excellent job.

ID789: [No, I just don’t like people who talk nonsense.]

Lin Yuxing: [I don’t know why, but I find that reason hard to believe.]

Lin Yuxing’s attitude towards ID789 wasn’t as polite as it was towards Gu Zhongyi. Usually, he would speak his mind and ask whatever he wanted freely.

Gu Zhongyi noticed that as well.

Lin Yuxing: [I’ve always found it strange. You don’t even know Gu Zhongyi, so why do you support us being in a relationship?]

Lin Yuxing: [Will you give me an honest answer?]

ID789: [Because you are a good match.]

Lin Yuxing: [It seems like you won’t.]

ID789: [I really think you two are a good match. I hope you can be together for a long time.]

Lin Yuxing: [?]

Lin Yuxing: [Uh, thank you.]

Gu Zhongyi became bolder and took the initiative.

ID789: [Why do you thank me so reluctantly? Don’t you like Gu Zhongyi?]

Lin Yuxing instantly replied: [Of course I like him! Who wouldn’t? I definitely like Gu Zhongyi!]

Gu Zhongyi’s mouth curled up, and he felt as light as a feather, as if he was walking on cotton.

ID789: [Hmm.]

ID789: [Okay.]

ID789: [Anything else?]

Lin Yuxing suddenly realized something was off and decided to improvise: [Wait, could it be… are you really just a fan of fictional couples?!]

Gu Zhongyi had lived for at least ten more years, so he certainly knew what being a fan of fictional couples meant.

Although he wasn’t one, his behavior really resembled it. Posting for the main characters, controlling their comments, always believing that the main characters were a perfect match—wasn’t that being a fan?

Gu Zhongyi really didn’t want to admit it, but there didn’t seem to be a better answer.

ID789: […Hmm.]

Would Lin Yuxing think he was weird? If he would, then he’d change his wording.

ID789: [Sorry, did I make you uncomfortable? I can delete the post.]

He was prepared to change his wording.

However, Lin Yuxing replied: [You’re indeed strange… but thank you for your support. We will be together for a long time.]

Lin Yuxing: [You don’t need to delete the post. Thanks for your hard work.]

Lin Yuxing truly lived up to being the most dedicated worker in this world, never forgetting his job’s mission.

ID789 also received affirmation from the main character.