Try Again chapter 38

Don’t Wear It

Lying in bed, Jiang Lin stared at the chandelier, his mind filled with Ji Minglun’s earlier words.

It was strange; they had slept together before, but after Ji Minglun explicitly said it, the meaning seemed to change.

He didn’t know if it was because they had already understood each other’s feelings.

The end of the chandelier was a black musical note holder fixed to the ceiling, which reminded him of the dream catcher that Ji Minglun had thrown away.

If he had been honest with Ji Minglun from the beginning, the dream catcher wouldn’t have been thrown away.

Footsteps approached from outside the room. Realizing he was lost in thought, Ji Minglun sat down at the edge of the bed and asked, “What are you thinking about?”

“I was thinking it’s a pity about the dream catcher you threw away.”

Ji Minglun had changed into pajama pants and, upon hearing this, smiled as he lay down: “I didn’t throw it away; I locked it in the cabinet.”

Jiang Lin was about to give him half the blanket when he sat up after hearing this. “You didn’t throw it away? Then why did you trick me?”

After coaxing him back down, Ji Minglun admitted after they both tucked themselves under the blanket, “I did it to annoy you.”

Seeing the half-smiling profile on the pillow next to him, Jiang Lin couldn’t help but pinch him under the blanket. He felt satisfied when Ji Minglun gasped in pain and turned over, facing away.

Rubbing the spot Jiang Lin had pinched, Ji Minglun pressed up against him from behind, peeking at his closed eyes, and chuckled, “You’re angry now? Why don’t you think about how many times you’ve annoyed me since you came back?”

“So you want to get your revenge one by one,” Jiang Lin summarized for him.

An arm wrapped around his waist, and Jiang Lin felt warmth at the back of his neck, soon realizing that the soft sensation came from Ji Minglun’s lips.

His tightly closed eyelashes fluttered. He heard Ji Minglun softly say, “I never thought of it that way; I can’t bear to be angry with you anymore.”

The kiss that landed at the back of his neck withdrew, and Jiang Lin opened his eyes, turning to meet Ji Minglun’s gaze.

Ji Minglun propped himself up on his elbow, and their eyes lingered on each other for a moment before his expression changed, his attention shifting to Jiang Lin’s lips.

Jiang Lin felt his cheeks flush under Ji Minglun’s unabashed gaze, and his right hand, hidden under the blanket, unconsciously grasped Ji Minglun’s hand resting on his abdomen.

This action seemed to flip a switch. Ji Minglun lowered his head and planted a kiss on the side of Jiang Lin’s nose, which felt ticklish, as if a feather were brushing against his heart.

His lowered eyelids concealed his nervousness. Ji Minglun’s second kiss landed on the corner of his mouth.

His heartbeat quickened, soft lips wetting his tightly closed ones. Their mingled breaths became indistinguishable, and Jiang Lin unconsciously parted his lips. Ji Minglun held his shoulders to lay him back down, his weight pressing down.

The surge of emotions was about to explode; Ji Minglun bit and sucked on his lips, and after a gentle tease, the attack came quickly. Soon, Jiang Lin’s tongue felt numb from the intensity, and his waist was kneaded until it felt weak, letting out whimpers as he reached for the blanket, only to have his hand pinned down, his last bit of strength taken away.

Unlike the kiss from a year ago, which had overwhelmed him and scared him stiff, Jiang Lin kept his eyes half-open this time. He couldn’t see the person above him clearly but could vividly picture Ji Minglun’s current state deep in his mind. As Ji Minglun kissed him, the desire in his movements became clearer with each forceful action, igniting something within Jiang Lin, making him unwilling to just passively endure.

His active participation intensified the kiss’s intensity, and he quickly sensed something pressing against him. Ji Minglun had to pause, burying his face in Jiang Lin’s neck to catch his breath.

The hazy white ceiling blurred into his vision as Jiang Lin gasped for air, his focus fading. His lips were swollen, tinged with a subtle pain, but it paled in comparison to the heat lingering in his neck.

He lifted his soft hand to rest on the back of Ji Minglun’s neck, gently caressing the hot skin there. Ji Minglun’s breathing quickly slowed as he lifted his face to touch Jiang Lin’s forehead, saying, “You still have a fever; just sleep for now.”

Jiang Lin nodded, feeling his breath calm down significantly, though his cheeks remained flushed. Ji Minglun got off him, and neither mentioned the state they were in. After tucking Jiang Lin in, Ji Minglun lay flat. With his fingers resting on the sheets beside him, Jiang Lin was about to remind himself to stop thinking and sleep when Ji Minglun turned over, moving closer and saying, “Let me hold you while we sleep.”

The joy that bubbled up lifted the corners of Jiang Lin’s mouth. He let Ji Minglun wrap his arms around him again, his back pressed against the warm chest, feeling as if his heart, which had been racing in the void, was being held securely. He felt a sense of relief wash over him.

Having not rested well in the past few days, he soon fell asleep without realizing it, waking up only in the evening to find the space behind him empty and the room dim.

Feeling the cold pillow next to him, Jiang Lin thought Ji Minglun had left. However, upon opening his eyes, he noticed warm light spilling around the crack of the bedroom door.

He threw off the blanket and got out of bed, walking to the living room. The dining table was set with several plates of washed ingredients, a plugged-in hot pot in the center, and the television playing the news with no sound. Instead, he heard faint voices coming from the kitchen.

Approaching the kitchen door, he realized it was Ji Minglun on the phone.

Ji Minglun stood with his back to him, looking out the window. Though his voice was soft, Jiang Lin could make out that he was talking to Ji Zhuosheng.

They were discussing immigration matters.

This was also something Jiang Lin was most concerned about at the moment. He listened quietly and was soon noticed by Ji Minglun, who was leaning against the sink. After exchanging a few words with the person on the other end, Ji Minglun put away his phone and walked over. “Why didn’t you say anything when you woke up?”

“I didn’t want to disturb you while you were discussing important matters.”

Ji Minglun brushed Jiang Lin’s bangs away, his warm palm resting on his forehead. “I checked your temperature earlier; it’s still a low fever. Do you feel unwell anywhere?”

Jiang Lin shook his head. “I feel much better after sleeping.”

“Let’s sit down for dinner,” Ji Minglun said, holding his shoulder to turn him around and pushing him to sit at the table, cranking the hot pot’s power to maximum. “What do you want to drink? I bought orange juice, cola…”

Before he could finish, a loud “bang” sounded, and then everything went dark.

Ji Minglun hadn’t reacted yet, but Jiang Lin burst into laughter first.

Shaking his head in helplessness, Ji Minglun turned on his phone’s flashlight, the bright light illuminating Jiang Lin’s fair face. Seeing him grinning from ear to ear made him laugh too. “Why didn’t you remind me?”

“I just didn’t think of it right away,” Jiang Lin explained.

Ji Minglun walked back to the kitchen, and Jiang Lin followed, watching him open the circuit box. After checking, Ji Minglun said, “The fuse blew again.”

The last time it happened was during the typhoon, and Ji Minglun had helped Jiang Lin replace the fuse, so he went to the cabinet to grab another one. However, this time, the new fuse seemed faulty, and even after replacing it, it didn’t light up.

There were no spare fuses left in the house. Brushing off the dust on his hands, Ji Minglun said, “Let’s go to my place tonight. We’ll come back tomorrow during the day to help you fix it.”

“What about the food?” Jiang Lin asked.

“Let’s pack it up and take it with us,” Ji Minglun replied.

Ji Minglun acted quickly, with Jiang Lin holding one phone for light and Ji Minglun holding a bag to pack. They soon had everything cleaned up. Jiang Lin went back to the bedroom to change into a new set of clothes and then got into Ji Minglun’s car downstairs.

On the way, Ji Minglun turned into a fresh produce supermarket to buy hot pot base and dipping sauce. When they got home, the ingredients were laid out on the table one by one. Jiang Lin picked up his chopsticks and didn’t stop eating, having the most satisfying meal he’d had in days.

Unfortunately, his eczema meant he couldn’t touch alcohol; otherwise, having hot pot with cold beer in summer would be the most enjoyable thing.

After dinner, Ji Minglun washed the dishes while Jiang Lin stood by to help. Ji Minglun told him to take a shower first. Remembering he hadn’t brought any clean clothes, Jiang Lin said, “Wait, can you find me something to change into? I didn’t bring any.”

“I put your clothes in the storage room; they’ve been in there too long and need to be washed. Go look for mine in the wardrobe first,” Ji Minglun replied.

Pausing his dishwashing, Jiang Lin looked up and asked, “You didn’t throw away those clothes?”

Ji Minglun countered, “What? You wanted me to throw them away?”

“No,” Jiang Lin replied, stacking the dried dishes. “When I came last time, you gave me your clothes, and I thought you’d thrown away mine.”

The person beside him didn’t respond. Soon, the sound of running water stopped. Ji Minglun pulled a paper towel to dry his hands and leaned closer, asking, “Did you really not wear any underwear last time?”

Recalling that bold action, Jiang Lin felt a bit embarrassed. He put down the dishcloth and tried to walk back to the room, but Ji Minglun reached out and pulled him back into his arms.

They had just confessed their feelings to each other, and Jiang Lin wasn’t quite used to such intimacy. He placed his hands on Ji Minglun’s shoulders, looking somewhat awkward. Ji Minglun sensed this and loosened his grip, asking, “Not used to it yet?”

Jiang Lin nodded, worried Ji Minglun might misunderstand him again. He proactively explained, “Just give me two days, and I’ll be fine.”

Releasing him, Ji Minglun ruffled Jiang Lin’s hair. “Go grab some pajamas; just don’t wear any underwear. Mine would be too big for you, and it won’t be comfortable.”

After he said that, Jiang Lin’s face visibly flushed, and he didn’t bother to argue. He turned and headed toward the master bedroom.

Watching Jiang Lin’s angry back, Ji Minglun couldn’t help but laugh as he continued washing the dishes.

Standing by the wardrobe door in the master bedroom, Jiang Lin found a set of dark blue pajamas. He opened the drawer below to find underwear. Originally, he planned to grab a pair, but after rummaging through, he realized Ji Minglun hadn’t been wrong; his underwear was indeed more than a size too large for him.

Thinking about how it would look on him made Jiang Lin’s ears flush. He simply didn’t take any and closed the wardrobe door to head for the shower.