Try Again chapter 45

For You

Ji Minglun looked into his eyes, answering his question with another: “Since you came back to find me, it wasn’t just on impulse, right? Did you think about the obstacles before you returned?”

Jiang Lin hesitated slightly. “You mean your parents and my dad?”

“Yeah.”

“I did,” Jiang Lin leaned back in his chair, frowning a little. “But I’m not confident.”

“Not confident in convincing them?” Ji Minglun asked.

Jiang Lin nodded. He had been thinking about this ever since he realized he liked Ji Minglun and didn’t want to give up. If there was a chance for them to be together again, they’d have to face their parents eventually.

He hadn’t known what Ji Minglun had been thinking before confessing to him, but he figured Ji Minglun wasn’t someone who acted without thinking. This gave him some comfort, even though he hadn’t fully worked out how to deal with it yet.

“To be honest, I’m not absolutely sure either,” Ji Minglun smiled, and when Jiang Lin looked at him, he added, “But I don’t see it as a problem.”

Ji Minglun reached out to hold Jiang Lin’s hand, which was resting on the table, gently stroking his warm fingers. “We’ll both graduate next year. It’s not like we don’t have savings or can’t make money. If you want to be honest with them, then we will. If you don’t want this to affect you right now, we won’t say anything.”

“After all, we’ve been close since we were kids. You’ve stayed over at my house often, and I’ve spent the night at yours. They won’t think anything of it.”

“If you hadn’t been lying naked in my bed this morning, I wouldn’t have worried about my mom seeing you.” Even while discussing serious matters, Ji Minglun couldn’t resist making a playful comment to lighten the mood. As expected, Jiang Lin withdrew his hand shyly and said, “Don’t bring up this morning.”

“Why not bring it up?” Ji Minglun pulled the chair closer, turned him around, and trapped his legs with his own, holding his shoulders as he said, “Are you trying to back out after fucking me?”

Unexpectedly, Ji Minglun was so blunt. Under the gaze of those mischievous eyes, Jiang Lin’s mind was filled with last night’s indescribable images, and he couldn’t help but be thrown off track and retorted, “Who fucked whom, exactly?”

Ji Minglun was momentarily stunned. Once Jiang Lin finished speaking, he quickly realized what he had said. Before he could put on a serious face and steer the conversation back, Ji Minglun suddenly leaned in close, his lips almost touching Jiang Lin’s before stopping.

Jiang Lin held his breath; in that brief moment, his heart raced into the depths of his mind.

Ji Minglun’s breath brushed against his lips. Due to the proximity, he couldn’t see Ji Minglun’s face clearly, only hearing him speak in an ambiguous tone, “Jiang Lin, so you want to fuck me, huh?”

Jiang Lin’s ears felt like they were about to explode. He raised his hand to push Ji Minglun away, but Ji Minglun was quicker and grabbed his wrist first. With his palm pressed against Ji Minglun’s strong chest, separated only by a thin layer of fabric, he recalled the feeling from last night, where there was nothing in between, directly touching his chest.

Sweaty, slick, with muscles that were just the right balance of soft and hard, and the searing heat…

What was he thinking?

Before he could shake off those chaotic thoughts, Ji Minglun had already kissed him.

His held breath faltered, as if the trembling dam had finally collapsed under the rushing current. Jiang Lin was pushed back into the chair, and the kiss made him feel weak all over, especially that aching spot in his lower back, which became uncomfortable due to the awkward position. He quickly couldn’t hold on any longer, wrapping his arms around Ji Minglun’s neck for leverage, and in between gasps, he mumbled, “Wait, my back hurts.”

Ji Minglun released his lips and reached around to feel his lower back: “Here?”

Jiang Lin rested his forehead on Ji Minglun’s shoulder, saying, “Yeah, don’t press it.”

“First, eat the noodles,” Ji Minglun said as he let go of him and stood up to grab his phone. “I’ll buy some medicine and then give you a massage.”

“You’re going downstairs?” Jiang Lin watched him closely as Ji Minglun grabbed his phone and returned, sitting back down beside him, handing him chopsticks and saying, “I’m not going down; I can just order and have a rider bring it up.”

Jiang Lin took the chopsticks and moved Ji Minglun’s phone aside: “You should eat the noodles first, too.”

Ji Minglun smiled, leaning closer: “Then you feed me.”

After saying this, he opened his mouth. Jiang Lin glanced at him and picked up a handful of noodles, bringing the bowl to his lips. After Ji Minglun took a bite, Jiang Lin continued to feed him another mouthful, then took the bowl to feed himself in turn.

By the time both their bowls were finally empty, Cheese under the table was already lying against the leg of the table, yawning sleepily.

Ji Minglun ordered the needed medicine, picked up the bowls, and went to wash them in the kitchen. Jiang Lin bent down to hug Cheese, but remembering he wasn’t wearing gloves, he went to grab them first. Then he sat on the sofa, hugging Cheese while watching TV.

This morning, the weather had been nice when Ji Minglun woke up, but by the time Jiang Lin had awakened, it had turned cloudy. Now the clouds outside were thickening, and the TV news was announcing the arrival time of the typhoon and its impact on the coastal areas.

Moving Cheese’s head, which was continually nudging into his pajamas, away, Jiang Lin called to the person in the kitchen, “I want to go back for a bit this afternoon.”

“Why are you going back?” Ji Minglun asked, turning to look at him. “You should just stay here for the next few days.”

“I didn’t bring my computer and other things; I still need them.”

Ji Minglun glanced at the sky outside: “Then let’s go early and come back early. We need to also stop by the supermarket later to stock up on some things.”

Jiang Lin got up and went to the balcony. He brought his clothes in, and after changing, Ji Minglun came back inside. Seeing that Jiang Lin was already dressed, he came over, wrapped his arms around his waist, buried his face in his ear, and sniffed. Just as Jiang Lin felt the ticklish urge to laugh, Ji Minglun pinched his chin and kissed him.

Cheese was at their feet, looking up at them as they cuddled and kissed. Not sure if he understood or not, he straightened up and barked once at them, then began to circle around their feet.

Jiang Lin was jolted awake by Cheese’s barking and avoided kissing Ji Minglun. Ji Minglun sighed, holding him close, and whispered into his warm, soft ear, “You need to get used to letting Cheese eat dog food; otherwise, I’m going to starve.”

Ignoring Ji Minglun’s nonsense, Jiang Lin pushed his arm away and said, “Let’s hurry up and go out.”

When the delivery person brought the medicine, Ji Minglun massaged Jiang Lin’s waist for a while before they both went downstairs. While they were in the elevator, Ji Minglun’s phone rang. He answered the call directly, asking, “What’s up?”

The person on the other end said, “I have a package that needs to be signed for. Are you home now? Can you help me sign it?”

“Where’s the delivery person?” Ji Minglun asked.

“By the delivery locker at the entrance of the community,” Su Yan said. “If you can, just go over and give them my phone number to pick it up.”

“Okay.” Ji Minglun readily agreed, hanging up the phone and turning to see something in Jiang Lin’s gaze.

He put his phone back in his pocket, and since there was no one else in the elevator, he took Jiang Lin’s hand and said, “It’s Su Yan, the neighbor across the hall. He’s on a business trip to Wuyishan and asked me to help him pick up the package.”

That day at the poolside of Fantawild Park, Jiang Lin had crossed paths with Su Yan. Although his thoughts were entirely on Ji Minglun at the time, Jiang Lin still remembered the handsome boy.

Thinking back to when he had just returned, Su Yan had been sitting in the passenger seat next to Ji Minglun, and the two seemed very close as they came and went together. Even knowing they weren’t in that kind of relationship, Jiang Lin still felt a bit uneasy.

Seeing him silent, Ji Minglun leaned closer and said, “Su Yan has a boyfriend. The apartment across from mine belongs to his boyfriend, Ji Qian. They’re both on the business trip to Wuyishan together.”

Jiang Lin stared at the numbers on the floor indicator as they continued to descend. “When did you meet him?” he asked.

“A few months ago,” Ji Minglun replied. “I even helped him pursue his boyfriend. You wouldn’t believe it, but Su Yan is quite capable when it comes to pursuing people; he’s also pretty proactive.”

Jiang Lin glanced at Ji Minglun, noticing the smile in his eyes as he praised someone else, and couldn’t help but retract his hand, saying, “Since you admire him so much, why didn’t you consider pursuing him when he was single?”

Ji Minglun enjoyed watching Jiang Lin’s expressions when jealous. He leaned in and coaxed, “I can’t pursue anyone else. I’ve had a crush on you for so many years; how could I accept someone else?”

Taking Jiang Lin’s hand again, Ji Minglun squeezed his fingertips and said, “Even during this past year since you broke up with me, I haven’t been with anyone else.”

Jiang Lin looked at Ji Minglun, and the emotions in his eyes gradually softened. Just as Ji Minglun sensed he wanted to speak, the elevator doors opened with a “ding,” and an elderly lady from the fifth floor walked in.

Jiang Lin withdrew his hand, awkwardly glancing to the side. The elderly lady, not noticing their hand-holding, smiled and nodded at them.

The two stood on opposite sides, and when they reached the first floor, Jiang Lin wanted to follow Ji Minglun to pick up the package, but Ji Minglun handed him the car keys and whispered in his ear, “You’re not well yet; walk less and sit in the car while you wait for me.”

Until the elevator doors closed again, Jiang Lin was still lost in thought from Ji Minglun’s words. However, his body reacted more honestly and sensitively than his mind. He covered his flushed ears and slowly walked over to Ji Minglun’s car, getting into the driver’s seat.

Ji Minglun quickly grabbed the package and went to place it in Su Yan’s refrigerator. When he reached the parking garage, he found Jiang Lin had already started the engine. He walked over to the driver’s side and asked, “Are you driving?”

“Yeah,” Jiang Lin unlocked the passenger door and nodded with his chin, “Get in.”

Understanding Jiang Lin’s intentions, Ji Minglun didn’t mention it but smiled and got into the passenger seat. On the way, he reminded Jiang Lin to turn into the hardware store to buy fuses. After they returned, he would help Jiang Lin tidy up the things he needed.

Looking at the open English reference book on the table, Ji Minglun asked, “When does your school start?”

Jiang Lin was at the wardrobe getting clean clothes when he paused at the question, lowering his eyelashes as he replied, “In about half a month.”

Ji Minglun didn’t say anything further; the atmosphere in the room became heavier than before. After Jiang Lin finished packing, he bent down to grab his underwear, but Ji Minglun pulled him back by the arm from behind, saying, “I’ll do it.”

He watched as Ji Minglun opened the drawer where he kept his underwear and started selecting. The image of Ji Minglun taking off his underwear last night suddenly flashed back into his mind. He turned away awkwardly, and after Ji Minglun finished picking, he looked up at Jiang Lin, saying, “I bought you half a dozen new ones yesterday, so you don’t need to take these.”

Jiang Lin also remembered the new ones they bought yesterday, so he nodded as he watched Ji Minglun close the drawer. After Ji Minglun stood up, he hugged him tightly and asked, “How will you get there? Are you going to Beijing or Shanghai for a layover?”

There were no direct flights from Xiamen to Los Angeles. The last time he went, Jiang Lin had gone to Shanghai for a layover. He didn’t respond, and Ji Minglun said, “I’ll take you there.”

Thinking Ji Minglun was referring to taking him to the layover location, Jiang Lin was surprised when Ji Minglun continued, “And I’ll also check out your school.”

Jiang Lin turned back, saying, “That would be too tiring for you, and when I start school, you’ll have to start as well, right?”

“It’s not tiring at all,” Ji Minglun laughed, raising his left hand to gently pinch Jiang Lin’s nose, “I can take two weeks off to accompany you then.”

In his second year of graduate school, there weren’t many important courses left, so it wouldn’t be hard for Ji Minglun to take leave. After thinking for a moment, Jiang Lin couldn’t help but agree, “Okay.”

He also wanted to spend more time with Ji Minglun and didn’t want to face a year of separation right after they just started.

Ji Minglun lowered his head and kissed Jiang Lin’s lips. This time, there was no Cheese to interrupt them. Jiang Lin was very invested; perhaps because they had mentioned separation, he had no intention of stopping, allowing Ji Minglun to tease him. Soon, they stumbled onto the bed together, both panting heavily, their eyes filled with intense possessiveness for each other.

Jiang Lin wasn’t fully ready yet, and there was nothing usable at his home. Ji Minglun controlled his impulses and didn’t go all the way, just holding him as they released together. At the end, Jiang Lin weakly leaned on Ji Minglun’s shoulder, feeling sleepy again.

He had already exhausted himself last night, and Ji Minglun didn’t have the heart to wake him. He wiped him down a bit, pulled up the blanket to cover him, and held him for a nap, only waking him around five to pack up and leave.

On the way, Ji Minglun turned into a supermarket. The two pushed a cart around, mostly buying food: fresh produce, snacks, and Jiang Lin even bought a dozen tropical fruit cocktails.

These cocktails had a very low alcohol content, and his eczema had improved a lot, so Ji Minglun didn’t stop him. However, when Jiang Lin went to check out, Ji Minglun remembered that they had run out of shaving cream and returned to the men’s section on the second floor.

When they were going through their second growth phase, Ji Minglun had started taking care of Jiang Lin’s shaving cream and other necessities. However, Jiang Lin hardly needed it since he had sparse body hair and only used it once every four or five days. As he picked up two bottles of his usual brand, Jiang Lin was about to leave when Ji Minglun called out to him before he could turn.

When he looked back, Ji Minglun had reached over to the next shelf and pointed to a wide array of condoms, saying, “They have taro-flavored ones; do you want me to buy them for you?”

Last night, they had only found the original flavor at the convenience store, and Ji Minglun had been thinking about this ever since. Jiang Lin was caught off guard by the question and felt a bit embarrassed, whispering, “What do I need that for?”

Ji Minglun took a step closer to him, handing him the taro-flavored condoms he had just picked up: “Of course, to use it. Otherwise, you might not be able to control yourself and always get the sheets dirty. We don’t have that many clean sheets to change at home.”

Ji Minglun didn’t mean to tease; he was just trying to lighten the mood. But hearing his nonchalant tone, Jiang Lin felt his composure slipping. He grabbed the condoms, intending to put them back, but as he turned, he caught sight of a cart coming around the corner a few steps away, followed by a man and a woman walking out, their gazes locking onto his.

Jiang Lin still held the box of condoms in his hand, but he felt frozen like a wooden stake. Ji Minglun sensed this and turned to look, only to come face to face with Deng Feng and Deng Yi.