Chapter 2461: Another Me 30

Alright, I'm quite happy to see you this time. Jin Chen said he'd prepare a surprise for you, see you later.

After Jin Ge left, the apartment grew quiet again.

Li Chi sat alone on the sofa, the calm he'd forced earlier gradually fading.

His fingertips rubbed the warm, moist Pisces jade pendant on his chest, the icy jade warmed by his body heat.

He lowered his head and kissed the pendant, his brows and eyes filled with an inseparable longing.

"Brother..."

"I miss you so much."

The next day, Li Chi didn't receive the surprise Jin Ge had promised; instead, he got a call that caught him off guard.

It was the landlord calling.

"Mr. Li, I'm really sorry to bother you," the landlord said apologetically. "It's like this: someone bought the entire apartment yesterday."

"The new landlord is in a hurry, saying they want to give it as a gift to their lover. Look at this..."

Li Chi gripped the phone, his heart sinking sharply.

"It was bought?"

"Yeah, I didn't expect it to be so sudden either," the landlord sighed. "But don't worry, I've given you a few days to move out."

Li Chi looked around the small space, which held memories he shared with his brother.

He had promised Jin Chen that he would stay here, nowhere else, waiting for him to return.

"Auntie," Li Chi's voice tight, "this apartment... I could also buy it; the price is negotiable."

"This... oh dear, Mr. Li, they offered a very high price, the contract's already signed, and they're urging me to transfer ownership quickly—it seems they really need it... uh, hold on."

After a few seconds of silence on the other end, the landlord said, "I just mentioned your situation to the new landlord, and they said you can contact them directly. Should I forward their contact info so you two can talk?"

"Okay, thank you, Auntie."

Li Chi opened it, curled up on the sofa feeling anxious, copied the string of numbers, and the search results page popped up.

His gaze flickered— the new landlord's avatar was a jade pendant.

A Pisces jade pendant.

Li Chi instinctively touched the jade pendant on his chest, his trembling hand sending a friend verification request.

C has passed your friend verification request; you can now start chatting.

He stared at that name, unsure what to send, afraid it might just be a coincidence.

Immediately, a new message popped up.

C: Xiao Chi.

Li Chi's eyes instantly reddened, and he whispered, "Brother..."

Another message followed right after.

C: Xiao Chi, come open the door.

Li Chi jerked his head toward the living room door, not even bothering to put on his slippers, barefoot he ran to the doorway.

As the doorknob turned, sunlight poured in; Jin Chen stood in the light, his white shirt collar slightly open, a familiar smile playing at his lips.

Jin Chen raised his hand, ruffling Li Chi's hair, his voice tinged with laughter.

"Hello. This is the home I prepared for my boyfriend."

"May I ask, is this the handsome guy wearing the token?"

Li Chi flung himself into his arms, arms locked tight around his waist, tears soaking his shirt.

"Yes, it's me."

"'Brother...' he repeated over and over, his voice choking, 'I miss you so much, I really miss you...'"

Those days and nights of solitary waiting, the fear that his promise would come to nothing— at this moment, they finally received an answer.

Jin Chen stepped inside, smoothly pulling the door shut behind him, his back against the door, he gently pinched Li Chi's neck, lowered his head to kiss his ear, and whispered, "Guabao, I'm back."

Li Chi rubbed against his chest, burying his face deeper, "Never leave again."

"I won't go." Jin Chen tightened his arms, chin resting on Li Chi's head, "From now on, I'll take you everywhere with me."

Li Chi tightly encircled Jin Chen's neck, refusing to loosen even a bit, tilted his head up and kissed him.

The moment their lips touched, a warm sensation spread along his nerves, no longer the hazy entanglement of a dream.

Li Chi's kiss was lingering and forceful; his tongue lightly brushed the lower lip, a soft whimper escaped his throat— like a pout, yet also a complaint about the long wait of these days.

His handsome face shed its usual coolness; a restrained crimson flushed from his ears to his cheeks, even the corners of his eyes tinged with pale red, like a dusting of peach blossom powder, his tightly shut lashes still bearing undried tears that trembled lightly as the kiss deepened.

Jin Chen lowered his head, responding gently and patiently.

Jin Chen let him kiss, his hand wrapping around the waist and slowly tightening. Until Li Chi's breathing grew slightly uneven and he eased his grip, his palm slid down the back, fingertips unintentionally touching a small hard bump on the outer side of his forearm.

The motion stopped instantly.

Jin Chen's brows furrowed slightly as he took Li Chi's hand, lifting his arm to eye level, his fingertip lightly touching the edge of the scab: "Does it still hurt?"

Li Chi followed his gaze, lowering his eyes— as if just remembering— then lifted his eyes, still flushed from the kiss, to look at Jin Chen.

"'Brother,' his voice still tinged with the slight breathlessness from the kiss, yet a hint of pride, 'Li Donglai attempted murder on purpose. I sent him away.'"

He now seemed like a little creature that had done a good deed and just wanted a pat on the head, his tone rising slightly at the end, hiding a eager desire for praise.

Seeing him like that, Jin Chen's heart softened instantly; he pinched Li Chi's flushed cheeks with his fingertip, albeit somewhat grudgingly.

"Yes, our Xiao Chi is amazing— braver than I imagined, able to face those jackals alone and even strike back."

But then his tone shifted, "But this is too dangerous."

"'Li Donglai's nature is that of a mad dog— when cornered he'll do anything! What if...' Seeing Li Chi flinch at his tone, he swallowed the harsher words that followed."

"'Alright, no what-ifs.'"

"But."

There's no 'what if', and there will never be a next time—if you dare hurt yourself like this again...

Jin Chen exerted force with the arm wrapped around Li Chi's waist, easily lifting him up.

Li Chi let out a low gasp and instinctively tightened his legs around his waist.

Jin Chen carried him a few steps to the low cabinet by the entryway and set him down securely.

The entryway's height made Li Chi a bit taller than him.

Jin Chen lifted his head, his gaze locked onto Li Chi sitting on the cabinet, and said, "Then I'll cut my hand too—wherever you're hurt, I'll cut the same spot."

Li Chi's heart stopped at his words, his face instantly paling, "No, brother!"

He hurriedly grabbed Jin Chen's wrist, "I... I just... because I knew you weren't in my body..."

Only then did he dare to go all out.

"If I'm not in your body, you don't cherish yourself?" Jin Chen raised an eyebrow, his tone tinged with deliberate teasing.

Li Chi knew he was in the wrong, and also knew his brother doted on him.

Seeing Jin Chen's darkened expression, Li Chi felt a little panicked.

He carefully bent his waist, cupped Jin Chen's cheeks with both hands, pressing the soft, warm flesh against him, rubbing in a flattering, dependent manner.

The corners of his brows furrowed slightly from grievance and helplessness, the pink in his cheeks not yet faded, his upward-slanting eyes glistening with moisture, adding a touch of breathtaking beauty.

His moist eyes looked like they were submerged in water, gazing at Jin Chen pitifully and adorably.

"Brother..." his voice soft and sweet, with a teasing tone, "Don't be angry, hug me again, okay?"

Jin Chen felt a tingling at his heart from the rubbing, the sternness he'd deliberately put on collapsing.

He let out a soft sigh, lowered him from the entryway, and held him close again.

Li Chi clung to him with both hands and feet, burying his face in the crook of his neck.

After Li Chi kissed him for a while, Jin Chen took his hand and walked toward the living room.

Li Chi then sat on his legs, his pink-tinged fingertips resting on Jin Chen's shoulder, the other hand wrapping around his neck as he kissed him again, their bodies pressed scorching hot.

Unable to control his surging emotions, he tilted his head and buried his face in Jin Chen's neck, his shoulders trembling slightly as he quietly released the grievance and longing he'd held for so long.

【Detected Villain Heartthrob Value +15, total 79!】

【Detected Villain Blackening Value -10, total 36!】

Outside the window, the brewing storm finally poured down.

Bean-sized raindrops pattered against the glass, weaving a dense curtain that shrouded the entire city in a hazy mist.

It seemed as if, between heaven and earth, only their small, clung-to space remained.

Even all things seemed to whisper applause for this long-awaited reunion.