Chapter 2739: Transmigrated to the Aristocratic Academy as a Special Recruitment Student 24

Jin Chen walked toward the closed living-room door, stood in front of it, curled his fingers and knocked three times on the door panel, as if knowing the person who ought to hear would definitely hear.

If you don't come back, I'm leaving.

Several seconds later, the wall beside the living room slid open, revealing a private elevator leading to the basement.

Ling Yao walked out from inside, his eyes flickering, not daring to meet Jin Chen's gaze, his face showing the guilt of someone caught doing something wrong.

Jin Chen looked at him for a few seconds, helplessly curled his lips, and reached out his hand.

Seeing Jin Chen's gesture, Ling Yao quietly breathed a sigh of relief, quickly walked over and instinctively wanted to take his hand.

But Jin Chen's hand moved upward, pinching the soft flesh at the back of his neck, kneading it gently but firmly, with a hint of reprimand.

Open the door.

... Scary as hell, and it's not even past midnight yet.

Ling Yao muttered under his breath, gave him a dissatisfied glance, but still obediently reached out and pressed the identifier beside the door.

The two entered the living room one after the other.

——

Jin Chen didn't rush to take out what was in his pocket.

This afternoon in the small garden, plus just now Lin Baiyu's bizarre night attack.

He's not an idiot, so he naturally could see the clues.

Jin Chen took off his coat and casually draped it over the sofa arm, then looked at Ling Yao.

Why didn't you tell him about our relationship?

Ling Yao dazed for a moment, his heart feeling as if it were gently lifted and then slowly squeezed.

He lifted his head and whispered back, "We... what relationship?"

They both knew exactly who that "he" referred to.

Only Ling Yao was uncertain about how Jin Chen defined this chaotic yet intimate relationship in his heart.

Jin Chen lowered his gaze to him, his eyes falling on his pale lips, his fingertips lightly brushing Ling Yao's warm cheek.

"A relationship where we can kiss." He answered candidly, sending ripples through Ling Yao's heart.

Ling Yao pressed his lips, feeling a secret sweetness rise in his heart from those words, along with a complicated tangle.

"Baiyu is a very important friend of mine," he said, his voice dropping, quite troubled, "I previously didn't know... how to talk to him."

Jin Chen's fingertip gently rubbed the delicate skin of his cheek, his tone still gentle, but the question he asked made Ling Yao's heart tighten:

"If I don't expose this today, what do we, Young Master Ling, plan to do?"

His gaze was deep, as if he could see into Ling Yao's heart, "Or rather, between me and your friend, am I this special recruitment student the one to be discarded, the option that can be given up?"

Ling Yao's heart jolted, as if he'd been viciously stabbed, a near-panic sense of injustice surging up.

"No!" Ling Yao protested urgently, "I never wanted to abandon you, never have."

He lifted his face, eagerly gazing at Jin Chen's somewhat dissatisfied eyes, unable to resist rubbing his cheek against the warm palm.

"Are you angry?" Ling Yao asked softly.

In the dim living room, the floor lamp emitted a halo of light.

Ling Yao stared at Jin Chen's expressionless face, feeling increasingly unsure in his heart.

He practically rubbed himself, actively sitting into Jin Chen's embrace.

This young master, always pampered and only needing others to coax him when he throws a tantrum, when had he ever learned to soothe someone?

Ling Yao was quite inexperienced, lifting his face to rub his forehead against Jin Chen, showing a sort of reckless abandon.

"Even... even if you don't speak today, I won't give you up to Baiyu."

Ling Yao tried to make excuses for himself, "You took my plush bear, and later I didn't really stay angry at you... we're even, okay?"

As Ling Yao spoke, he slightly pursed his lips, his handsome, rebellious brows and eyes looking very stern, appearing strong yet also a bit fragile.

Like a spiky, puffed-up hedgehog accustomed to baring its teeth and claws, in front of someone he trusts he reveals his softest, most defenseless belly.

Jin Chen looked at his awkwardly sincere expression, the displeasure in his eyes fading, he let out a low laugh, raised his hand, and poked Ling Yao's puffed cheek.

"That's all that needed to be known." His tone also returned to its usual languid indulgence.

Ling Yao keenly sensed the change in Jin Chen's mood, seized the opportunity to shift the topic,

"By the way, why did you give me so many flat tongue-stud bars?"

Ling Yao took out a wooden box, shook it, and inside were various flat short studs of different materials and colors, the basic fittings used to replace the decoration at the base of a tongue stud.

He licked the tiny protruding bead on his tongue tip, feeling a bit nervous, "Don't you want me to wear a tongue stud anymore?"

"No." Jin Chen denied, gesturing for Ling Yao to fetch the coat he had just taken off.

Ling Yao eyed him suspiciously, got up, fetched the coat, and pulled another box from its pocket.

Before Ling Yao even opened it, he smelled a sweet, tempting candy fragrance; inside lay many candies shaped into various tiny hearts, crystal clear and utterly adorable.

Looking closely, each candy's base cleverly had a small hole for fixing onto the tongue stud's shaft.

Ling Yao realized the candies' purpose, his cheeks flushing faintly, and he unconsciously licked his slightly dry lips.

Jin Chen looked at him with a smiling squint, his fingertip pressing over the slightly pursed corner of his lips, his tone teasing, "You haven't even eaten yet, why are you already drooling?"

"No way!" Ling Yao flared with embarrassment and anger, glaring at him, swatting his hand away, yet couldn't help but sit back into his embrace, muttering, "This definitely isn't for me to eat, you're still that pervert after all."

Jin Chen neither confirmed nor denied the accusation, reaching out to pinch his lower lip, "Open your mouth, I'll put it on you."

Ling Yao involuntarily held his breath.