Chapter 3170: Bitter Summer in Paulownia Lane

I arrived at the hospital.

I know, Doctor Xu said your mood regulation disorder has improved; what happened recently?

... I met someone, he still doesn't know I'm ill.

You must follow the doctor's orders, take your medicine properly, Jin Chen, you should try to continue contacting him.

I want to…… but I can't control it; will he be afraid of me?

But you're getting better, go bravely give it a try.

……

Jin Chen put this month's medicine into his sling bag, zipped it up, and walked out of the hospital Main Gate.

The sun grew hotter, the blazing sunlight baked the ground, visible heat waves.

He narrowed his eyes, thinking of going straight to the bus stop.

His phone vibrated once; it was a picture sent by Chenshu. Jin Chen opened it: a green lawn, a large camphor tree.

Jin Chen froze, turned his head to look at the small park beside the hospital.

Several dozen meters away, through the scorching midday air, he saw Chenshu hiding under the tree shade at the park entrance, wearing a white T-shirt, holding a bubble-blowing toy, playing even more happily than the kids not far away.

Chenshu looked in his direction, noticed Jin Chen's gaze, smiled and waved, raising the plastic tube and blowing a puff toward him; bubbles floated across the road and over to him.

The sun was too bright; in Jin Chen's hazy vision, color suddenly appeared.

Clear, transparent, brightly shining. In Chenshu's eyes.

"Why are you here?" Jin Chen crossed the road and walked over, standing before Chenshu.

Chenshu raised the bubble wand and blew again; transparent bubbles drifted out of the wand, floating slowly toward Jin Chen's face, one landing on his nose tip, leaving a moist coolness.

"Because I heard Xiao Chen didn't want to come to the hospital alone." Chenshu said, laughing.

He shoved the bubble wand into his pocket, took a step forward, grabbed Jin Chen's hand, jumped down from the nearby tile pedestal, then seamlessly embraced Jin Chen's shoulders, "But it's a shame the bus times are off; I only had time to pick you up."

Jin Chen was held by him, hearing the throbbing heartbeat pounding in his throat, behind his eardrums, thumping, resonating in sync with the trembling of the tree overhead; under the sun, the leaves rustled, flashes of light flickered.

Those sharp, homeless emotions were wrapped in warmth.

Chenshu chose the spot perfectly; no one would see them, the tree shade hid their vivid moment.

They stood very close, close enough that their warm body heat felt intimate; the scent of bubble solution permeated the air, sweet and cloying, cheap yet like some hazy allure, drawing them nearer, ever nearer, the wind stirring their clothes.

Jin Chen's Adam's apple rolled uncontrollably, his sun‑burned face heating; he lowered his gaze and saw Chenshu's lips, slightly upturned with a smile, only a few centimeters away.

He lowered his head and urgently bit that lip, his bones tingling. His breath grew heavy, his heartbeat became frantic and heavy, calling out some desire he could not name.

——

"Ah……"

Chenshu, who had almost bitten his lower lip, collapsed onto Jin Chen's shoulder laughing helplessly, the laughter puffing against Jin Chen's neck side, "I'll have to remember this well."

He took out his phone, snapped Jin Chen's flushed ears and his handsome, aloof profile; Jin Chen turned his head to avoid him, but Chenshu moved in to rub his face, "You bit me so hard. Why are your ears still red."

Jin Chen's gaze dropped again and again, finally fixing on the tiny mole on Chenshu's nose tip; he lowered his head and kissed it firmly.

He felt a little embarrassed.

There was still so much pleasure.

The bubble solution was about half blown away; Chenshu's cheek hurt a bit, he flicked his wrist, put the bubble wand back into Jin Chen's bag, preparing to head back.

Just then, his phone rang.

Chenshu pulled it out and saw his second sister's avatar flashing on the screen. He was in a good mood and didn't mind comforting the resentful miss, so he turned sideways, leaned on Jin Chen's shoulder, and pressed the answer key.

In the next instant, Jin Chen lowered his eyes and saw the smile vanish from Chenshu's face.

He didn't turn on speakerphone, but the voice from the other end was truly too loud—a man's voice coarse and furious, audible even through the earpiece.

"Chenshu! You still dare to stay outside and not come back! What kind of talk is this! Whose illegitimate child acts as reckless as you, when something this big happens at home, do we still have to come fetch you back!"

That man looked to be in his thirties, his face somewhat similar to Chenshu's, but his demeanor was completely different—full of flesh, swollen eye bags, wearing an ill‑fitting suit jacket, a tie loosely draped around his neck, exuding a lofty, self‑righteous anger.

Jin Chen lowered his gaze and saw Chenshu's lip corners curl up again, still his usual smile, but his eyes were cold underneath.

"I'm not going back; here everyone would be satisfied. Remove one eyesore, and you'll also be peaceful."

The man on the other end grew angrier, cursing a few more things.

Jin Chen didn't really listen, just stared at the man's face on the screen; obviously, Xiang Yingfan also noticed Jin Chen, that gloomy, cold stare landing on the screen, his sickly white skin making his pupils look even blacker, like a ghoul under the sun, sending a chill through anyone who saw it.

Xiang Yingfan froze for a moment, then his voice turned even more shrill, the hand pointing at the screen trembling, "Who is this person? Chenshu, you actually dare to mess around with all this nonsense outside! Chenshu, do you know whose face you're losing! You…… you're simply a pervert!"

Chenshu sat up straight, his aura suddenly changing—no longer languid, no longer careless, finally revealing a hint of sharpness.

"Seeing you couldn't beat those few, are you now unable to hold onto what little you have, so you're eyeing the tiny bit of property I hold?"

Chenshu's tone even had a hint of kindness: "Xiang Yingfan, how did you become a stray dog?"

He also made two sucking sounds, as if calling a downtrodden dog.

The Xiang Yingfan on the other end was furious, shouting a few more things; Chenshu didn't wait to hear it all and ended the video call. A dozen seconds later, the second sister's account sent a message, apparently an apology, saying the eldest brother had drunk too much, she couldn't stop him, and said sorry.

Chenshu didn't reply, locked the screen and slipped the phone back into his pocket, turned his head to look at Jin Chen, returning to his languid self, mixed with a bit of complaining and coquettishness, "What's going on, I want to change my SIM card."

Jin Chen didn't respond to his words, reached out and embraced Chenshu, "Who is that person."

Chenshu buried his face in Jin Chen's neck side, gently sniffing his scent, his forehead gradually moving down to rest on Jin Chen's collarbone.

His tone remained light: "Don't talk about these heavy topics; come with me to change the SIM card. And also…"

Chenshu rubbed his stomach, lifted his head, and gave Jin Chen a pitiful look, "I'm so hungry, it's time for lunch."

Seeing he had nothing more to say, Jin Chen's eyes drooped wearily; he took Chenshu's hand, guided his fingers to touch the blood‑drop earring on his own earlobe, then lowered his head and lightly pecked Chenshu's lips.

Chenshu, somewhat unable to withstand his kiss, gave a soft laugh, turned his head to evade, his voice tinged with a breath, and used his fingertip to rub Jin Chen's ear, "Are you trying to soothe me, Xiao Chen."

Jin Chen said nothing, continued kissing him, his arms sliding over his waist, tightening bit by bit.

Chenshu closed his eyes, letting him kiss him, appearing indifferent, carefree.