CH 42

Song Zhi Xu stood at the window and took a deep puff from the cigarette lit in his fingertips. 

The smoke went down his throat into his lungs, circulated for all the way around before coming out again. He was silent for a moment before he said seriously.

“I’m very aware, Lin Ran is not Lin Mu and I’ve never confused (fail to differentiate) the two.” 

Although it was indeed true that previously he had agreed to take care of Lin Ran because of Lin Mu, at that time he only thought of Lin Ran as the little brother of his friend before then he slowly grew to care more and more about Lin Ran. He was also very clear that he was Lin Ran and had nothing to do with Lin Mu.

“Really?” Mu Qingting still needed to confirm it once again, but in his heart he actually knew that Song Zhi Xu was not that kind of person either.

“Hn, I like Lin Ran just because he is Lin Ran, it has nothing to do with Lin Mu.” Song Zhi Xu said again.

“Tch, I think you’re a wimp.” Mu Qingting’s face returned to his usual expression as he leaned sideways against the wall with the cigarette in his hands. 

“Wimp?” Song Zhi Xu was a little confused.

“You liked Lin Mu back then and you didn’t even tell him until now, right? Even I know it by myself. What about this time? You’re holding back too?” Mu Qingting had known Song Zhi Xu for many years so he knew him too well. 

“What is there to say about this? Can’t you tell if I like it or not?” Song Zhi Xu’s fingers holding the cigarette tightened for a moment and the smoke he had inhaled, he forgot to spit it out, choking him with a few coughs.

Mu Qingting moved closer to him, patted his shoulder and wink at him as he said, “Do you want this buddy to help you out?” 

……

On the other side, ever since Song Zhi Xu had gone out, Lin Ran had been a little fidgety and looking towards the door from time to time. 

He had finished eating all the dishes that Song Zhi Xu had given him in his bowl, but he himself hadn’t taken any dishes from the table.

During the car ride, Mu Qingting had already told Xiao Nanyu about Lin Ran’s condition,so Xiao Nanyu needed to pay attention to Lin Ran when he was eating. 

As there were only two people in the room, Xiao Nanyu lowered his voice as he asked Lin Ran.

“Ran Ran, do you not like the food on the table? Tell me what do you want to eat, I’ll have someone serve it to you again, okay?” As he said this, Xiao Nanyu really made the movement of getting up. 

“No…no need, Ran Ran is not a picky eater.” Lin Ran immediately shook his head and said in a small voice.

“Then why didn’t you eat it? I know you must not have eaten enough,right?” Xiao Nanyu asked again. 

Lin Ran bit his lip and didn’t answer. He subconsciously glanced at the seat beside him and bowed his head again.

Xiao Nanyu had been paying attention to him and looking at him like this, he knew it must have something to do with Song Zhi Xu. 

“Ran Ran you can tell me, I won’t tell anyone else, especially Song Zhi Xu. Now, no one else in the room beside us will hear it.”

Lin Ran was silent again for a while, perhaps it was the slow talking of Xiao Nanyu that did help him to relax, after a while he then said, 

“It’s…it’s because Ran Ran fat and it’s hurting Song Zhi Xu’s arm so… so Ran Ran has to lose weight and eat less.”

“Fat?” Xiao Nanyu shot a glance at Lin Ran. 

This entire body didn’t have much flesh, who is the heartless person that said he was fat? 

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“You just went to smoke right? It’s usually bitter in the mouth after smoking, so drink a sip of juice to moisten your throat.” 

Mu Qingting frowned in disgust, pushed the juice he handed over and moved to the other side.

“Who wants to drink juice? Go away.” 

Xiao Nanyu thought for a moment before he came up to him again, “Take a sip and I’ll tell you why Lin Ran isn’t eating.”

Mu Qingting was taken aback and raised his head to look at Lin Ran who was now sticking himself to Song Zhi Xu’s side again, across from him. He gritted his teeth, for the sake of his bro, somewhat resentful as he said, 

“I drink Coke.”

“Okay, fine, fine, I’ll pour it for you.” Xiao Nanyu poured a cup of cola from his own cup and handed it over to curry a favor with him, watching Mu Qingting take a sip, then he was satisfied. 

“Song Zhi Xu, just now, where did you go?” After Song Zhi Xu sat next to Lin Ran, Lin Ran relaxed and a smile finally appeared on his face.

“Went out for a smoke.” Song Zhi Xu glanced at Lin Ran’s already empty bowl and added, “Are you full?” 

Lin Ran hesitated for a split second, then nodded his head.

Seeing that nothing on the table was taken by Lin Ran, Song Zhi Xu also knew that Lin Ran must not have eaten much, given the amount of food he had given him before and how much usually Lin Ran could eat. 

“Eat a little more or you’ll be hungry at night.” Song Zhi Xu gave him some more food to eat.

Lin Ran did not refuse and took his chopsticks and ate obediently. 

Song Zhi Xu wasn’t too hungry, thinking about what Mu Qingting had just said outside, he had some desire to drink some wine, but he still had to drive, so he could only pick up the fruit juice he had ordered for Lin Ran and drink it one cup at a time.

The four of them finished their meal and went back separately. 

Song Zhi Xu drove Lin Ran home. On the other side, Mu Qingting lived near the hospital and he accidentally took Xiao Nanyu back to the hospital, where Xiao Nanyu ‘s car was still parked in the hospital car park.

In the car, Lin Ran suddenly remembered and sat up straight with some nervousness. 

“Song Zhi Xu, the little turtle, the little turtle is still basking in the sun, will it die from the heat?” Lin Ran put it under the floor-to-ceiling window and left it alone, it had been sunbathing for a long time now.

“It won’t die.” Thinking about the turtle that he had bought back on impulse, Song Zhi Xu felt it was such a trouble. 

Lin Ran had actually been lying on the floor for an hour watching it, even when he was alone with him, he still remembered the turtle.

It had only been half a day since he bought it home, if he kept it for a longer time, would there still be a place for me? Moreover, Lin Ran has been remembering the tortoise for the entire day.  

“Then let’s go back soon, the little turtle will be scared at home by himself.” Lin Ran looked outside a little nervously, it was already dark.

Just like how he would be scared when he was at home by himself. 

Song Zhi Xu didn’t say anything, he just drove and after a while he suddenly said.

“Ran Ran, is the clear stewed soft-shelled turtle soup you had today good?” 

“Soup?” Lin Ran thought about the fact that there was only one soup on the table today, so he nodded, “It’s good.”

“Then… the turtle stew soup is actually… quite tasty.” Song Zhi Xu added. 

“Turtle soup?” Lin Ran instantly tensed up and shook his head vigorously, “No, not, don’t stew it.”

Song Zhi Xu was silent, nodding after a long time and replying indifferently,”Okay.” 

Only then did Lin Ran was relieved.

It was not easy for them to be finally home yet Lin Ran first ran in to see his turtle, changed its water and put in its food, ran back and forth a few times trying to find a place to put it down, but finally set it on the coffee table, plopped down next to it and watch it. 

Song Zhi Xu took off his outer suit and unbuttoned his shirt by two, opened a bottle of red wine for himself and sat behind the bar counter sipping it, watching Lin Ran run back and forth across the room with his fish bowl in his arms.

He thought that he would have to buy a big fish bowl so that Lin Ran couldn’t hold it and move it around like this in the future. The problem was the turtle was a little too small so it was not suitable to put in the big fish tank. 

Song Zhi Xu was drinking his wine and thinking about it when suddenly the mobile phone in his hand rang. It was a message from Mu Qingting.

[Lin Ran said he had made your arms hurt by pressing on it, so he thinks he’s fat, that’s why he didn’t dare to eat to full.] 

Song Zhi Xu read the sentence back and forth several times, frowning slightly, then finished the wine in his glass in one gulp before he poured another glass.

No wonder Lin Ran had been eating so little recently. Now when he thought about it carefully, it indeed started after his arm had been pressed numb that night. So that was it. 

Song Zhi Xu looked over at the quieted down Lin Ran who was lying near the edge of the coffee table watching the turtle eat its food, revealing a helpless smile.

Sure enough, this little fool, It’s just normal for the shoulder to go numb after being pressed overnight, since when he disliked him and said that he is too fat? 

“Ran Ran, come here.” Song Zhi Xu waved at Lin Ran.

When Lin Ran saw Song Zhi Xu, he immediately forgot about the little turtle on the table, stood up and walked over to Song Zhi Xu’s side. Lin Ran was pulled over to sit on his lap. 

As soon as Lin Ran got close to Song Zhi Xu, he smelt the faint scent of wine in the air and looked into the glass with curiosity.

Song Zhi Xu laughed lightly and lifted the glass for Lin Ran to drink. Lin Ran drank a little then frowned deeply. 

“It doesn’t taste good.”

Song Zhi Xu didn’t answer him, he drank all the red wine in the place where Lin Ran had drunk it, into his mouth and swallowed it. 

Lin Ran watched as Song Zhi Xu finished drinking, showing his surprise.

He had obviously tasted it and it was not good. 

Song Zhi Xu was already a little drunk and looked at Lin Ran’s lips close within his reach, he was in daze for a moment before forcing himself to look away again.

He looked down, lifted the hem of Lin Ran’s T-shirt and used one hand to pinch the skin on Lin Ran’s stomach. 

Lin Ran’s waist was originally thin and he was skinny, so after a few pinches, he couldn’t get any flesh. Song Zhi Xu shook his head.

“Lose weight again, no flesh at all.” 

Lin Ran looked down and pinched himself. He was just a little happy to ask Song Zhi Xu if he wasn’t fat anymore yet he heard Song Zhi Xu indifferently said,

“It’s better to be fat a little, it’s comfortable to squeeze.” 

Lin Ran’s expression froze and he looked at Song Zhi Xu a little nervously, “Song Zhi Xu, you like the fat Ran Ran?”

Song Zhi Xu originally wanted to say that he likes all kinds of him but when he thought of Lin Ran not eating recently, he turned to nod again. 

This made Lin Ran even more nervous, trying to shrink his stomach and press Song Zhi Xu’s hand to his skin.

“Song Zhi Xu squeeze again, Ran Ran has flesh, a bit fat.” 

Song Zhi Xu squeezed him again, the soft and smooth skin on his tummy felt extremely good, making it a little hard for him to let go, but Song Zhi Xu still shook his head.

“Not fat.” 

Lin Ran’s eyes were red with nervousness as he lowered his head and a warm tear fell on the back of Song Zhi Xu’s hand.

“Then… then Song Zhi Xu don’t like Ran Ran anymore?” 

Song Zhi Xu just wanted Lin Ran didn’t lose weight. When he saw him crying he was also a little nervous, panicking as he lifted his chin and wiped his tears.

“Ran Ran, I don’t dislike you. How could I dislike you? Don’t cry, don’t cry anymore.” 

As soon as Song Zhi Xu said that, Lin Ran cried even louder and louder instead, his shoulders trembling.

He was just trying hard to get Song Zhi Xu to like him, but now Song Zhi Xu seemed to dislike him more and more, so he was a little scared. 

“Ran Ran.” Song Zhi Xu was at a loss when he saw the little fool who was crying and trembling in his embrace.

He had already been drinking, then he was thinking about what Mu Qingting had said about him being a “wimp”, and now that Lin Ran was in his arms, Song Zhi Xu picked up his chin and kissed him, indescribably kissing the lips he had been coveting all night. 

The lips were covered with a slight coolness. Lin Ran forgot to cry for a moment, his eyelashes still holding the tears that hadn’t fallen and for a while, his eyes widened open as he was stunned by this.