Try Again chapter 41
In the Fitting Room
“When did you peek?” Jiang Lin felt a bit confused by his words and couldn’t even remember when he had measured his measurements.
Ji Minglun reached out, holding both sides of his waist. He felt Jiang Lin’s body tense for a moment before letting go. “When we tailored our suits after graduating from high school, didn’t the teacher measure us?”
That was several years ago; Jiang Lin hadn’t realized Ji Minglun had had him on his mind back then. He couldn’t help but ask again, “So when did you start feeling that way about me?”
Ji Minglun lifted his gaze to tease him, pretending not to understand: “Which way?”
“Just…” Jiang Lin hesitated, this word was still difficult for him to say, even though there was no one around. He stammered, “I mean… like…”
“Do you mean when I started liking you?” Ji Minglun responded quickly this time. Noticing Jiang Lin’s unnatural gaze shifting to the side, he decided not to tease him anymore and honestly said, “Can’t remember clearly, it was either the first or second year of high school.”
Jiang Lin was surprised and asked, “So early?”
“Yeah,” Ji Minglun said, playfully tugging at Jiang Lin’s little finger resting beside him, “I never figured out how I managed to like you for so long.”
Jiang Lin fell silent, and Ji Minglun saw the guilt in his expression. He smiled and said, “Let’s not dwell on the past. Your turn now. When did you realize you liked me?”
Jiang Lin was still caught up in the timeline of when Ji Minglun liked him. He had always thought it was just in the last two years but didn’t expect it to be back in high school. He wondered if their interactions over the years had been difficult for Ji Minglun.
He lowered his eyelids, his gaze settling on Ji Minglun’s hand that occasionally brushed against him. After a moment, he said, “It was about half a year after I went to Los Angeles. It might have been even earlier.”
“Earlier?”
Ji Minglun repeated the words, and at that moment, the store staff came over with two rolls of fabric, saying, “Do you two need anything else? We have a new style of trousers this season made from a brand new fabric, and all the customers who have tried them say they are very comfortable. Would you like to give them a try?”
They generally didn’t wear formal attire, so Ji Minglun wanted to refuse, but Jiang Lin turned to the staff and said, “Sure.”
The staff led them to the trousers section. As they walked, Ji Minglun whispered, “Why are you suddenly interested in buying trousers?”
Jiang Lin replied, “There will be more occasions to wear formal clothes coming up, so I should prepare in advance.”
“Are you talking about internships?” Ji Minglun frowned. “Do you still want to be a journalist?”
“Yeah, I want to report news everywhere.”
This dream had been set before Jiang Lin got into university. When Ji Minglun learned that he wanted to be a journalist, he had even suggested trying something else since reporters were often out running around, which was not only hard work but also quite dangerous. However, Jiang Lin was firm in his decision, and it was surprising that six years had passed, yet he still felt the same way.
“And you?” Jiang Lin asked. “Are you still not planning to take over your parents’ business?”
“Please spare me,” Ji Minglun replied dismissively. “With that free time, I’d rather be your coworker.”
While they were talking, the staff brought the trousers over. After she finished introducing the fabric and design features, Ji Minglun said, “Get us two pairs in our sizes.”
The staff glanced at their builds and went to fetch them. Jiang Lin reminded, “Today is for you, so choose carefully.”
Ji Minglun pushed Jiang Lin’s shoulder to look at the shirts ahead. “If we’re buying, let’s get the same ones. What’s the point if I’m the only one wearing them?”
After selecting shirts, trousers, and belts, Ji Minglun took both sets and pulled Jiang Lin into a fitting room.
Before entering, Jiang Lin initially refused, as it felt strange to enter the same room in front of the staff. However, Ji Minglun insisted, and once the door was locked, he pinned Jiang Lin against the wall. With clothes still hanging on his arm, he eagerly asked, “What did you mean by ‘earlier’?”
Jiang Lin knew he wouldn’t drop the subject and didn’t plan to hide it anymore. “Actually, from that night until I later went to Los Angeles, I was thinking about you. But at that time, I thought it was just the aftereffects of that incident, and maybe I wasn’t used to being apart from you, so…”
Jiang Lin paused, feeling a bit embarrassed but still finished his sentence: “Later, I found out my roommate is also gay. After talking with him, I realized what my feelings for you were.”
“Your roommate?” Ji Minglun’s expression became serious. “Does he like you?”
“No, he has someone he likes. We’re just really good friends, and he helped me a lot when I came back to find you.”
“How did he help?”
Not wanting to be misunderstood regarding Lu Zhe, Jiang Lin explained how Lu Zhe had guided him. After listening, Ji Minglun couldn’t hide his disappointment. “So it was because he encouraged you that you came back.”
“Of course not.” Jiang Lin didn’t understand how Ji Minglun misunderstood him this way. He was never good with words and, feeling anxious, grabbed Ji Minglun’s arm, raising his face to say, “I came back because I couldn’t hold back anymore. I was also afraid you might like someone else. I actually…”
The rest of his unfinished sentence got caught in his throat as Ji Minglun lowered his head and kissed his lips.
Jiang Lin’s eyelashes fluttered lightly, and he unconsciously tightened his grip on Ji Minglun’s fingers. With Ji Minglun pinning him against the wall, his back pressed against the cool bricks while the person in front of him was warm and passionate. Not only was he stealing the air from Jiang Lin’s mouth, but he also pushed his leg in. Soon, Jiang Lin found himself losing strength from the kiss and could only lean against Ji Minglun’s thigh.
The thrill of sneaking a kiss outside was entirely different from being at home. Besides the sweet sounds of their kissing and their heartbeats, they could also hear people talking outside. This secret and forbidden stimulation heightened their desire, and Jiang Lin felt his mind melting into mush. He unconsciously wrapped his arms around Ji Minglun’s shoulders. When Ji Minglun finally released him, Jiang Lin buried his face in the crook of Ji Minglun’s neck to catch his breath, not daring to lift his head for a long time.
With his arms supporting Jiang Lin, Ji Minglun took a moment before looking down and reminding, “You should change first.”
They had been inside for a while, and lingering too long might raise suspicions. Jiang Lin’s face flushed, and even when he stood straight, he still wouldn’t lift his head. Taking his set from Ji Minglun’s hands, he turned around to take off his shirt, glancing back at Ji Minglun, who indeed stood still, watching him.
They grew up together, and although they had often seen each other without shirts before, their relationship was different now. He couldn’t bring himself to change clothes right in front of Ji Minglun after they had just been intimate, so he sent Ji Minglun to the next changing room. After they both changed and came out to check the mirror, the staff enthusiastically praised their appearances. Ji Minglun was also very satisfied with how the identical outfits looked on them, so he had the staff pack everything.
After leaving the store, Ji Minglun took Jiang Lin to an innerwear store to buy underwear.
Initially, Ji Minglun wanted to buy two dozen, but Jiang Lin disagreed, saying that was too excessive and only agreed to half a dozen. However, at checkout, Ji Minglun asked the staff for half a dozen identical pairs in his size, and Jiang Lin shot him a glance but ultimately didn’t say anything more.
Carrying a bag and taking the elevator, Ji Minglun looked at his wrist to check the time and asked Jiang Lin if he wanted to have dinner. They had just eaten around three o’clock and weren’t feeling hungry, so they continued to wander around. They arrived at the entrance of a pet supplies store, where Jiang Lin stood still, staring at the dog bed displayed in the window.
Ji Minglun stopped beside him and said, “The owner called me the day before yesterday and said you haven’t had time to take Cheese out lately, so I took him for a walk and bought him some beef and tomato-flavored snacks.”
“I didn’t say I didn’t have time,” Jiang Lin said, moving his fingers at his side. He didn’t finish his sentence, but Ji Minglun understood what he meant and asked, “How about we go take a look now? You don’t have to touch him.”
After hesitating for a moment, Jiang Lin turned to Ji Minglun and said, “When I go back to Los Angeles, can I leave Cheese with you?”
Ruffling the little braid at the back of his head, Ji Minglun smiled and said, “Didn’t you ask me that before you left last time? Of course, it’s no problem.”
Ji Minglun was referring to the time when they had a falling out. Jiang Lin’s face returned to a smile as he pointed to the dog bed and said, “Let’s buy him a new bed.”
Ji Minglun pulled Jiang Lin into the store, and they looked around. Jiang Lin chose a tent-style bed with a removable curtain, which Ji Minglun also thought was better. They picked out clothes, toys, and snacks for Cheese, and by the end, they each had two large bags to carry out and drove to the pet store.
On the way, Ji Minglun bought Jiang Lin a pair of disposable medical gloves at a pharmacy. When they saw Cheese, he jumped into Jiang Lin’s arms because he missed him so much. Jiang Lin played with Cheese for a while and couldn’t bear to put him down, so Ji Minglun suggested taking Cheese home for the night, since the dog bed was in the next room and closing the door at night wouldn’t matter.
Jiang Lin went to find the owner to check out while Ji Minglun put the new leash on Cheese. Perhaps sensing it was time to go home, Cheese was too excited and wouldn’t cooperate. With the help of the staff, Ji Minglun struggled for a long time before finally getting the leash on, and Cheese licked him on the face several times, making him both laugh out loud.
On the way back, Cheese’s barking echoed in the car. Jiang Lin, sitting in the back seat, couldn’t hold back the lively puppy bouncing around, and he didn’t pay attention to the route. It wasn’t until they reached the vicinity of Ji Minglun’s apartment that he realized, “Why aren’t we going to my apartment?”
Ji Minglun glanced at him in the rearview mirror and said, “We’re going to my apartment first tonight; my bed is bigger.”
Cheese took the opportunity to lick Jiang Lin’s neck, and Jiang Lin dodged, asking once Cheese was settled, “What?”
Pulling over to a temporary parking space on the side of the road, Ji Minglun unbuckled his seatbelt. “Wait for me a moment; I’ll go buy what we need for tonight.”
Jiang Lin still didn’t understand what they would need for tonight until Ji Minglun walked a few steps away, turned around, and asked him what flavor of condoms he liked.
Watching his expression shift from confusion to helplessness, Ji Minglun smiled, recalling that Jiang Lin usually liked taro. He suggested looking for taro flavor first, and if that wasn’t available, they could buy watermelon instead.
As he watched Ji Minglun walk into the convenience store ahead, Jiang Lin exchanged glances with Cheese, who was resting on his lap.
Cheese tilted his head, looking at him with big, round, dark eyes. Jiang Lin was taken aback by the puppy’s innocent face; he reached out and ruffled the little dog’s head, leaning back against the seat with his eyes closed.
When Ji Minglun returned, Jiang Lin didn’t open his eyes. Once they entered the community, he heard Ji Minglun’s phone ring.
The car display showed Deng Feng’s name. Realizing he was also in the car, Ji Minglun hung up and, after getting out, Deng Feng sent a message: [Feeling down, let’s go out for drinks.]
They both stood by the trunk, getting their things. Jiang Lin caught a glimpse of Ji Minglun’s phone screen and said, “That was Deng Feng calling just now, right?”
“Yeah.” Ji Minglun’s expression was somewhat complicated, unsure whether to refuse Deng Feng’s invitation to drink.
Since returning from Xi’an, Deng Feng had tried to reach him several times, but he either didn’t answer or his phone was off. Now, realizing Jiang Lin had already rejected Deng Feng, Ji Minglun figured Deng Feng must be feeling bad too. After hesitating for a moment, he tucked his phone back into his pocket.
Jiang Lin didn’t ask why he didn’t reply. They both seemed to have a tacit understanding as they took their things and led Cheese into the elevator.
After placing the bags on the ground, Jiang Lin rubbed his fingers that had been pinched by the heavy items. Ji Minglun took his hand to check the small blisters from eczema. Confirming there was no problem, he held onto him. There were no other people in the elevator, and Jiang Lin didn’t pull away. Their palms pressed together as they watched the numbers on the elevator panel rise rapidly, soon reaching the 28th floor.
Ji Minglun still held onto Jiang Lin, lifting the three heavy bags from the floor with one hand and leaving the two lighter bags for Jiang Lin. After stepping out of the elevator, Ji Minglun’s phone rang again.
Seeing the lit-up screen, Ji Minglun said, “I’ll step out for a moment to clarify things with him.”
Pulling Cheese, who was nudging his leg, closer, Jiang Lin hesitated and said, “I’ll wait for you to come back.”
Leaning close to Jiang Lin, Ji Minglun placed a kiss on his rosy lips before turning and leaving.
Author’s Note:
To avoid confusion, let me remind you that Zhao Jiyu is a beautiful and problematic character(who hasn’t appeared before). Regarding Shen Ran’s appearance, I described him in Chapter 2 when he first appeared. He is the junior who opened the door when Jiang Lin first found Minglun’s house and later during a basketball game when Jiang Lin hiccupped, at the buffet, and when they went to Xi’an.