Chapter 58: I Like You

What do you mean?

Listening to Shang Moting's words, Lin Ting felt her head spinning again, unable to sort things out.

What did he mean by "just like them"?

What on earth did it mean?

Oh no.

Her heart had started beating abnormally again.

Was she falling ill?

Or had she drunk fake alcohol, causing delayed intoxication?

However, Shang Moting did not provide an answer; he remained silent.

Neither of them spoke another word all the way back to their residence.

"Why did we come back home?" Lin Ting recovered her senses and said, "We agreed that I would treat you to dinner."

"The ingredients were bought with the money you left behind, so it still counts as you treating me," Shang Moting replied.

"That was just rent money for my stay," Lin Ting said, following him into the living room.

When changing her shoes, she noticed that her slippers were still sitting right in their original spot.

It looked as though they hadn't been moved since the day she left.

Or rather, as if they had been waiting all along for her return.

Lin Ting clenched her fingers slightly, changed into her slippers, and trailed closely behind Shang Moting.

With her mind preoccupied, she kept her gaze lowered, staring at Shang Moting's legs.

When Shang Moting stopped, she bumped right into him.

Shang Moting turned around, looked at her, and asked, "When did you turn into a little tail? You follow me even to the restroom."

Lin Ting glanced at the restroom door and immediately turned to walk away.

Only to be pulled back by Shang Moting: "Since you're already here, go wash your hands."

Thinking he made a fair point, Lin Ting went into the restroom and washed her hands.

She washed her hands.

He stood by and watched.

Suddenly, Lin Ting had the strange sensation of being a little child while he was an adult supervising her handwashing.

His gaze was entirely too intense, and his presence far too overwhelming.

Her heartbeat quickened even more.

Unable to handle the rapid pounding of her heart, Lin Ting hurriedly sped through washing her hands.

Without even drying them, she darted out of the restroom.

...

The private chef at home had prepared noodles.

Lin Ting sat by the dining table, keeping Shang Moting company while he ate.

"You're really not going to have any?" Shang Moting asked.

The noodles smelled incredible.

Lin Ting had to force herself to swallow the saliva pooling in her mouth.

However, eating anything more today would put her way over her calorie limit.

"No, I'm not eating," Lin Ting said with exceptional firmness. "Classes officially start on Monday, and being overweight is going to be miserable."

Shang Moting didn't try to persuade her further and quietly finished his noodles.

Staring at the noodles, Lin Ting felt that her dinner had been a complete waste; she was starving now.

Therefore, halfway through Shang Moting's bowl of noodles, Lin Ting reached out toward the jelly resting on the dining table.

Shang Moting watched her outstretched hand.

Lin Ting asked, "Can I eat this?"

"Mm," Shang Moting replied. "Zhishu bought it. There's plenty more in the cabinet behind you."

Lin Ting picked up a piece of jelly and checked the ingredient label.

She figured eating two pieces should be fine.

"Why is there over twenty-five percent vodka in this?" Lin Ting asked as she tore open the packaging. "I need to taste-test whether they skimped on the alcohol content."

She tasted two pieces.

And then... Shang Moting had to support her all the way up the stairs.

Initially, there was no immediate reaction after eating them.

But by the time Shang Moting finished his noodles and Lin Ting stood up, the entire room seemed to be spinning.

Noticing that she couldn't walk in a straight line and was about to crash straight into the Fortune bamboo plant, Shang Moting finally realized that she was drunk on the alcohol jelly.

He hurriedly caught her in his arms.

Lin Ting mumbled, "No need to support me, I'm just a little dizzy, not drunk at all. I'm very clear-headed."

Shang Moting let go of her: "You don't need support?"

Lin Ting took two steps, lunged to grab Shang Moting's hand, but grabbed empty air instead: "You'd better hold me after all."

Shang Moting steadied her and led her up the stairs.

Clutching Shang Moting's hand tightly, Lin Ting said, "Shang Moting, your house seems to be inside a washing machine. It looks like it wants to spin me dry."

Shang Moting remarked, "Just two pieces of jelly knocked you flat, and yet you still dare to drink alcohol at group gatherings?"

Arriving at the door of her room, Shang Moting paused to unlock it.

Lin Ting suddenly leaned against him and emphasized, "The wine at group gatherings is sweet."

A fresh, light fragrance mixed with the scent of alcohol washed over him.

Instinctively, Shang Moting wrapped an arm around her waist.

He lowered his gaze to look at her flushed cheeks and her furrowed brows.

Leaning against him, Lin Ting said, "You don't understand, it's sweet. It doesn't intoxicate people."

"Then what does intoxicate people?" Shang Moting asked.

Lin Ting thought for a moment and replied, "People, I suppose. When your thoughts are tangled, it's easy to get drunk. People intoxicate people."

"Who are you thinking about?" Shang Moting asked again.

"You," Lin Ting answered. "I can't figure it out, it's such a mess, and the messiness is somewhat annoying."

Hearing her reply, Shang Moting watched her red lips parting and closing. After a moment, he took a soft breath and averted his gaze.

"Why did you stop talking?" Lin Ting asked.

"What do you want me to say?" Shang Moting replied.

Lin Ting fell silent, her brow furrowing even deeper.

Lifting his hand, Shang Moting pressed his fingertip against her forehead: "Keep frowning like that and you'll get wrinkles."

Lin Ting acted as though she hadn't heard him.

Pushing his finger aside, she looked right at him and asked, "What was the meaning of sending me flowers?"

Shang Moting's eyelashes fluttered slightly.

"What did it mean?" Lin Ting repeated.

The hand Shang Moting had placed on the small of her back tightened its grip, as he suddenly felt somewhat intoxicated himself: "I like you."

Lin Ting raised her hand and slowly clutched his shirt, gripping it tighter and tighter.

Her face showed no dramatic fluctuation of emotion in response to Shang Moting's confession.

It was as though she hadn't heard it, or hadn't understood it at all.

After a short while, she asked again, "Why do you like me?"

Her voice was exceptionally clear.

There was no slurring associated with drunkenness.

Just by listening to her voice, one wouldn't even guess she was intoxicated.

Yet her reactions were indeed remarkably sluggish.

Whether it was asking questions or the emotional changes on her face.

"Does liking someone require a reason?" Shang Moting looked into her eyes and asked.

Lin Ting fell silent once more. After a brief pause, she said, "Everything needs a reason. Being pretty, being fun, or something else. There always has to be a reason."

"I can't think of a reason," Shang Moting said. "When you like someone, you just like them. Why go looking for so many reasons? There are so many pretty and fun people out there, but I only like you."

Lin Ting fell silent again.

She looked at him.

It was impossible to tell whether she had heard his words or not.

She simply kept staring at him.

Blinking her eyes, she looked at him as if studying a fascinating specimen.

Just as Shang Moting was about to tell her to go back to sleep,

Lin Ting suddenly stood on tiptoe and kissed him gently on the lips.

Shang Moting's pupils trembled violently.

He tightened his hold on her waist once more.

He stared at her.

Lin Ting's lips lingered against his, neither moving away nor deepening the kiss.

At first, her eyes were wide open, her eyelashes fluttering rapidly.

After a few seconds, she slowly closed her eyes.

Then she lightly licked his lips before pulling back.

A sweet fragrance, mingled with a hint of alcoholic bitterness, dispersed between their lips.

Reason and hesitation were swallowed up.

Their heartbeats became intertwined.

Placing his hand on the back of her head, Shang Moting pressed her closer, kissed her back, and deepened the kiss.

Their breaths tangled together.

Unable to keep up, Lin Ting began to run out of breath. Subconsciously, she pushed against his shoulder with a soft, protesting murmur.

Shang Moting released her lips.

Out of pure instinct, Lin Ting gasped for air.

No sooner had she taken a single breath than Shang Moting captured her lips again.

This time, the kiss lasted much longer.

Lin Ting could barely keep her footing.

Holding her arm, Shang Moting guided her to wrap her arms around his neck, gently leading her to respond to him, little by little...