MTY chapter 49

A deathly silence.

The dimly lit bedroom, the flickering yellow light, the thick blanket lying in a heap on the ground—everything seemed frozen in time.

Lin Yu had always considered himself a bright, positive person who loved life.

But right now, he really wanted to die.

Lu Ziqing stared at the scene before him, stunned for two seconds. “…I’ll go get a water basin.”

He quickly returned, carrying a basin and a clean towel. Efficiently, he soaked the towel, wrung it out, and began wiping Lin Yu down.

From his cheeks to his neck, from his abdomen to his thighs.

Like a professional caregiver, his expression was neutral, his actions meticulous, ensuring every inch was wiped clean.

His movements were gentle yet efficient.

Even when he cleaned certain more sensitive areas, Lu Ziqing didn’t show any disgust or embarrassment. He simply focused on the task at hand.

In the suffocatingly awkward atmosphere, neither of them spoke.

Despite his light touch, faint red marks appeared wherever the towel passed.

Lu Ziqing paused. “Does it hurt?”

“It’s fine,” Lin Yu forced out a reply. “My skin is thin—it marks easily, but it’ll fade soon.”

Lu Ziqing: “Alright. If you feel uncomfortable, tell me.”

It took three rounds of fresh water before he was done.

After emptying the last basin, he fetched one final bowl of clean water.

Wrapping Lin Yu in a fresh blanket, he helped him sit on the lounge chair, then swiftly stripped the dirty sheets and replaced them with clean ones.

“Good thing I packed extra when we came,” Lu Ziqing muttered, tucking Lin Yu back into the fresh bedding. “Wait a bit—I’ll go wash the warming pad too.”

Lin Yu watched his busy figure, his face slightly flushed. He bit his lower lip and quietly buried his head under the covers.

A few minutes later, Lu Ziqing returned, carrying the freshly cleaned warming pad wrapped in a towel. He tucked it under the blanket at Lin Yu’s feet, rolling up the bottom of the blanket to trap the heat inside.

“The warmth dissipated earlier, so keep this on for now to avoid getting chilled. If it gets too hot, let me know, and I’ll take it out.”

Lin Yu: “…Okay.”

Lu Ziqing: “If there’s nothing else, I’ll head out. Just call me if you need anything—I’ll be on the sofa outside.”

As Lu Ziqing turned to leave, Lin Yu bit his lip, then whispered, “…I’m sorry.”

Lu Ziqing: “Why are you apologizing?”

“It’s just… I’ve caused you so much trouble,” Lin Yu mumbled, unable to relive the events of the past hour. “I didn’t expect things to turn out like this…”

“It’s not your fault, so why apologize?” Lu Ziqing replied. “I chose to come here and take care of you. I knew what I was getting into. This is my responsibility—you don’t have to feel guilty.”

Lin Yu: “Still, thank you for helping me…”

Lu Ziqing replied, “You’re welcome.”

Both of them were being polite, yet the atmosphere remained strange.

An awkward silence filled the air.

Lu Ziqing broke the silence again. “Well, I’ll be going then.”

Suddenly, Lin Yu said, “How about… you sleep on the bed? I’ll take the sofa.”

Lu Ziqing: “?”

Lin Yu: “You’ve worked so hard tonight. Sleeping on the sofa must be uncomfortable. From now on, you should sleep in the bed—I’ll take the sofa…”

It didn’t sit right with him—lying comfortably in bed while Lu Ziqing did everything for him.

As he spoke, he struggled to sit up.

Lu Ziqing immediately pushed him back down and rubbed his temples. “Lin Yu, just stop making trouble and lie down properly.”

Lin Yu hesitated. “I just feel bad making you take care of me like this…”

“Oh, come on. Haven’t you already done everything you shouldn’t have? What difference does this make?” Lu Ziqing shot him a helpless look.

Lin Yu stammered, “I-I didn’t…”

“Oh, you didn’t? Then what were you doing while secretly watching me tonight? Building planes and cannons?” Lu Ziqing suddenly asked. “What, now that you’re satisfied, you’re just going to pretend it didn’t happen?”

Lin Yu’s face instantly turned bright red.

“If you really feel guilty, I do have a question for you,” Lu Ziqing said as he sat on the edge of the bed, pressing down on the blanket to make sure Lin Yu couldn’t escape. “We’ve come this far, yet you still refuse to accept my confession… I want to know, what exactly are you thinking?”

Lin Yu stared at him blankly. “What do you mean?”

“You obviously have feelings for me, but you still won’t say yes. Don’t tell me you just see me as a tool to satisfy your desires?” Lu Ziqing lowered his head, looking straight at him. “Do you think I have a nice body, good enough for you to fantasize about and use to relieve your urges, but not good enough for you to actually date? Is that it?”

Lin Yu hurriedly denied, “N-no, that’s not it…”

Lu Ziqing: “So that means you agree to date me?”

Lin Yu: “Uh…”

Lin Yu felt like he was lying on a bed of nails.

The way Lu Ziqing said it made it sound like he was some kind of heartless player stringing him along.

But that wasn’t what he meant at all.

For the past two days, his mind had been in a haze because of his heat cycle, and he was barely thinking straight.

Secretly watching Lu Ziqing at night was purely an instinctive reaction—his brain hadn’t even processed it.

Or rather, even if he did think about it for a second or two, his rationality slipped away as quickly as it had come.

Lin Yu struggled to speak. “Give me… give me a little more time to think about it, okay?”

Lu Ziqing stared at him for a while.

After a moment, he sighed and sat up straight.

“Forget it,” he said softly. “I’m making it sound like I’m forcing you to say yes.”

Lin Yu felt guilty. “I-I just don’t want to agree to something so important when my head isn’t clear. That wouldn’t be fair to you…”

“You’re surprisingly responsible,” Lu Ziqing scoffed. “Fine. But I still want some kind of reward. The couch is really uncomfortable—I want to sleep on the bed.”

Lin Yu eagerly sat up. “Then, I’ll go sleep outsi—”

Before he could finish, Lu Ziqing shoved him back down, lifted the blanket, and climbed in beside him.

Lin Yu’s eyes widened. “…?”

Lu Ziqing propped himself up on one elbow and smiled at him. “You invited me to sleep in the bed. You can’t take it back now.”

…

Lin Yu went completely stiff.

The old-fashioned bed was narrow, with one side pressed against the wall. It was just big enough to squeeze two people in.

But that also meant he and Lu Ziqing were less than five centimeters apart—if either of them reached out, they’d touch.

They stared at each other, faces inches away.

Lin Yu swallowed and said with difficulty, “This… doesn’t seem appropriate…”

“I don’t see anything wrong with it,” Lu Ziqing replied. “If you do, tell me what it is.”

Lin Yu hesitated. “…It’s a little hot.”

“Really?” Lu Ziqing thought for a moment. “Well, I feel a little cold. So I guess we balance each other out.”

Just as Lin Yu was about to refuse, he was pulled into a cool, refreshing embrace.

Lu Ziqing had been outside just now, wearing only thin pajamas, so his body was cool to the touch.

His hair smelled like fragrant neroli shampoo, and his skin carried a faint hint of mint.

In an instant, the whole bed was filled with a crisp, refreshing scent.

Lu Ziqing’s chest was broad and firm. Resting his head on it felt soft and comfortable.

Lin Yu’s mind went blank.

“L-Lu Ziqing,” he murmured dizzily. “This… isn’t right…”

“You said you were hot,” Lu Ziqing whispered near his ear. “I think, now that we’ve balanced out, it’s just right.”

His voice was low and magnetic, carrying a quiet intimacy that sent shivers down Lin Yu’s spine.

The warm breath against his ear made his skin tingle, as if something was gently scratching at his heart.

Just a moment ago, his head had been clearing up during their conversation.

But now, resting on Lu Ziqing’s chest, inhaling his refreshing scent, his brain started overheating again.

His skin burned.

His glands swelled silently.

He muttered, “This… isn’t right…” but his body instinctively leaned in a little closer.

So cool…

Like a giant ice pack beside him—he couldn’t help but press against it, just a little more, and then a little more.

Lin Yu mumbled, “We can’t do this…”

“Good point,” Lu Ziqing said. “If only your hand wasn’t secretly groping my abs, your argument would be more convincing.”

Lin Yu was no longer processing his words.

His mind had slipped back into chaos.

He didn’t know what he was doing anymore, or what was happening.

All he knew was that the person in front of him felt so comfortable, so cool, so soft…

……

When Lin Yu woke up the next day, the sun was already high in the sky.

He lazily blinked a few times, staring at the ceiling for ten seconds before the memories of last night hit him.

Panic surged through him as he sat up and looked to the side.

Empty.

The sound of running water came from outside—Lu Ziqing must have already woken up and was washing vegetables or brushing his teeth.

Lin Yu’s memories of last night were a little fuzzy.

He remembered everything before Lu Ziqing got into bed—though he really didn’t want to recall it.

As for after Lu Ziqing got in…

He vaguely remembered feeling hot again, then pressing against Lu Ziqing’s cool body.

And after that… nothing, right?

Lin Yu told himself hopefully.

He probably just… hugged Lu Ziqing all night. It was because of his heat cycle—he couldn’t control himself. Lu Ziqing should understand that, right?

He tried to reassure himself, but a lingering unease remained, as if he had forgotten something important.

And why did his whole body feel so sluggish and relaxed, as if he had been thoroughly exhausted?

After he hugged Lu Ziqing last night…

After that…

A troubling thought suddenly flashed through Lin Yu’s mind.

Could he have…

“You’re awake.” Lu Ziqing pushed open the screen door and, seeing Lin Yu sitting up, spoke casually. “I’m washing some pumpkin. I’ll make pumpkin congee for you later. Do you want sugar in it?”

“Uh, n-no need.” After last night, Lin Yu didn’t quite dare to look directly at him, so he stared at the hem of his T-shirt instead. “Just pumpkin… is fine.”

Lu Ziqing: “Mm.”

Lin Yu gathered his courage and glanced up at Lu Ziqing.

He looked a bit tired, with faint dark circles under his eyes and lips that seemed slightly dry.

As if he had just recovered from an illness.

…

Lin Yu’s mind was a mess. He quickly looked away, lifted the blanket, and said, “I-I’ll get up…”

But as soon as he pulled back the covers, he froze.

He was wearing a completely unfamiliar set of pajamas—white with polka dots, oversized, and old-fashioned.

But he clearly remembered that after Lu Ziqing had helped him clean up last night, he had changed into a long-sleeved, light green pajama set from home.

Lin Yu stared at the polka dots on his pajama pants. “These pajamas…”

Lu Ziqing paused for a moment. “I found them in the wardrobe. Everything else was in women’s sizes. I guessed this set might have been left here by your father for when he visited the countryside.”

Lin Yu looked at him in confusion. “But I remember… last night, I was wearing the green set.”

Lu Ziqing suddenly fell silent.

Lin Yu pressed, “Where’s the green one? I’m sure I wore it all night…”

Lu Ziqing: “…”

Lin Yu: “You don’t know? Or you don’t remember?”

Lin Yu had always been frugal and wasn’t about to let a set of perfectly good pajamas disappear without explanation.

There was no way he could just lose a set of clothes like that.

That green pajama set had cost over a hundred yuan during last year’s big sale—it was pure cotton, a good buy.

“…I washed it.” Lu Ziqing finally seemed a bit annoyed by his questions and turned his face away. “Last night, after you hugged me… you clung to me for ages and made a mess. My pajamas got dirty too, so I had to change yours.”

…

Lin Yu felt like he had been struck by lightning. “…Huh?”

 

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Author’s Note

Intense!!!!

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