04 : Not opposed to blind dates

 Yin Luo didn't hear those words.

His attention was entirely focused on the skin on the back of his neck.

Duan Muze was very strong; his cool fingers were rubbing against his neck, and he hadn't let go yet. Yin Luo was a little breathless, enduring the discomfort: "Let go of me."

"...It hurts."

He had meant to be stern, but as soon as his voice came out, it somehow changed its meaning

—becoming a pleading, complaining tone .

Duan Muze paused.

After subconsciously letting go, he realized that the boy's "it hurts" wasn't just a complaint.

Several light red marks appeared on the side of his neck, likely from being strangled. The once fair skin on the back of his neck now bore several very obvious finger marks.

The color was dark.

Duan Muze's fingers involuntarily curled.

Had he used that much force?

The person carrying the hot soup, realizing he had almost bumped into someone, immediately apologized: "Sorry, I didn't hold it properly, are you alright?"

After recovering, Yin Luo noticed some soup stains on the hem of his clothes. However, he didn't want to waste time on this, so he pulled his loosened collar back in place: "It's okay."

The other person apologized again, even offering to add him on WeChat to pay for the clothes.

"No need."

Yin Luo refused and ignored him, turning back to Duan Muze and asking, "What did you just say?"

The man was looking at the person behind Yin Luo with a stern face. The other person was frightened by his unfriendly expression and left sullenly. Then, he lowered his eyes, staring at Yin Luo's still misty eyes, and said stiffly, "Nothing."

The system appeared in time, repeating Duan Muze's original words: [Host, he said you didn't even try to avoid him, why didn't you let Li Feiran come over?]

It conveniently skipped the key point of that sentence.

Yin Luo slowly glanced at Duan Muze. This person looked cold and aloof, but he didn't expect him to be so sarcastic right away. Or had he already seen through his villainous nature, so he didn't give him a friendly look?

Maintaining his persona, he looked away, neither thanking Duan Muze nor continuing to speak.

After asking the system which window to go to, Yinluo turned around to buy food. When it was his turn in line, he asked the cafeteria lady for two takeout meals.

The system was surprised and kindly reminded him: [Host, are you trying to stuff Li Feiran to death?]

Yinluo: [...The other one isn't for Li Feiran.]

The system was silent for a moment: [Host, I remember you ate before you came, what's wrong? Aren't you full?]

"..."

Yinluo was very patient with the system: [What are we here for today?]

System: [We're here to increase favorability...I know! This meal is for Duan Muze!]

Yinluo: [So smart, pat on the head.]

System: [(#^.^#)]

Actually, it wasn't really for Duan Muze; he bought it for his mother's caregiver. Yinluo glanced at the line behind him; Duan Muze was standing not far away.

He picked up the bag and stopped as he passed the man.

"Here, take this."

A look of surprise finally appeared on Duan Muze's face. Yin Luo extended the bag forward slightly. "Consider it payment for what happened earlier."

"Didn't you help me avoid the hot soup?"

Was she thanking him?

Duan Muze felt that this young master of the Yin family seemed different from the rumors.

When he heard from the agent that Yin Luo wanted to meet him, his first reaction was disgust. In the years he'd been with the Duan family, he'd witnessed the sordid affairs of this so-called high society. Using a meeting as a pretext, it was nothing more than a sugar daddy arrangement.

After he refused, this young master indeed revealed his true colors.

"Do you want it or not..."

A slightly dissatisfied voice brought Duan Muze back to his senses. He glanced at the boy beside him, who was more than half a head shorter than him.

The outstretched fingers were starting to turn red from the bag of food.

So arrogant, if he really wanted to keep someone as a sugar daddy, he wondered who would be at a disadvantage.

Just as Yin Luo was getting impatient, the other person finally reached out and took the bag.

[Favorability +5]

Having heard the expected increase in favorability, Yinluo didn't linger in the cafeteria. It was hot and crowded; an accidental bump would be torture. He

walked through the garden to the inpatient ward lobby. A few meters away, Li Feiran was leaning against the wall, greeting him, "Yinyin, you're finally back."

If you ignored his half-suspended arm, he was quite elegant.

Yinluo had originally planned to take the elevator to his room, but this made things much easier. He handed him the food: "Here you go, I'm going back."

Li Feiran paused, "Going back so soon? Stay a little longer."

Mission accomplished, Yinluo's neck was also uncomfortable, and he refused without hesitation.

Li Feiran

, his eyelids drooping, was thinking of a reason to keep him, but he accidentally noticed a deep red mark on the other's neck. He leaned closer, finding the mark strange, as if someone had pressed it in: "What happened to your neck? It wasn't there just now."

"I accidentally got it." Yinluo, too lazy to talk to him anymore, said "I'm going back" and left through the front door.

So, naturally, he didn't see Duan Muze entering from the other door.

Li Feiran did see Duan Muze, his face instantly turning cold, and he sneered, "What are you doing at the hospital?"

Duan Muze stopped.

He was carrying a bag, obviously having just been to the cafeteria. Li Feiran seemed to realize something: "You didn't follow Yin Luo here, did you?"

Duan Muze finally gave him a look.

Li Feiran was extremely annoyed by the look, and coupled with the mark on Yin Luo's neck that bothered him, he felt extremely irritated: "Yin Luo came to see me, you know that, right? He'll only hang out with people like me from now on." "

Those rumors before, saying he's interested in you or something, it's just because he's young, hasn't been in a relationship, and has poor taste. Don't actually think he's interested in you."

"Just keep acting in your entertainment industry."

Li Feiran said a lot, but Duan Muze's face remained expressionless.

He turned around and went back to the cafeteria. The door to

the

ward opened. The caregiver, having finished all her chores, smiled and said to Duan Muze, "Thank you for your help. Is the cafeteria crowded?"

Duan Muze placed the food on the table. "It's alright."

Seeing he was still carrying a portion, the caregiver assumed he was going to eat there too. "I'll make room for you."

"No need, I'm going back soon." Duan Muze glanced at the woman on the bed, then indifferently pushed open the door.

Once in the car, he placed the food Yin Luo had bought on the passenger seat, but the image of that small piece of neck involuntarily surfaced in his mind.

How could someone have such fragile skin, and even without much force, leave such a deep mark?

It won't fade for days.

Duan Muze's eyelids twitched.

Li Feiran's words echoed in his ears at the same time—

…Never been in a relationship before?

*

Along the way, Yin Luo was almost driven crazy by the voice in her head.

【Affection +1.】

【Affection +1.】

【Affection +1

.】

…

It rang five times in a row before stopping.

Yin Luo pressed her temples.

One minute at a time.

What was Duan Muze doing? Was he practicing math?

Yin Luo asked the system, but the system didn't know either. Yin Luo asked again: 【When is the next mission?】

System: 【The next mission will be after school starts.】

Yin Luo: 【That long?】

System: 【Duan Muze is going to the mountains to film next, this is just a brief mention.】

To finish the mission as soon as possible and go home, Yin Luo didn't want to waste this month: 【Can I go to the set to see him?】 System: [

Aside from the general direction, plot lines like this that are only briefly mentioned can be decided by the host~ But host, only staff members are allowed on set.]

Yin Luo said "Oh": [It's too late for me to apply for the job now, isn't it?]

The system kindly reminded: [Host, Shang Chengning is the president of the male lead's agency.]

Hmm?

Shang Chengning? Is he the one she's supposed to marry?

What a coincidence. Perfect timing to increase her favorability while also raising this person's bullying value.

After arriving home, Yin's mother was baking, and Yin Luo washed her hands and offered to help her. Seeing her son so clingy, Yin's mother smiled brightly: "What's wrong? In a good mood today?"

Yin Luo was stirring egg whites: "I'm in a good mood every day. Even if I'm not, seeing you makes me feel better."

"Your mouth is as sweet as honey."

The two put the finished cake base into the oven. Seeing that they had finished chatting about trivial matters, Yin Luo finally got to the point: "Mom, what's the name of that person you said you wanted to introduce me to last time?"

Yin's mother was surprised: "What's wrong? Are you interested?"

Yin Luo: "Yeah, a little."

Seeing that her son was finally not opposed to blind dates, Yin's mother said happily: "He's the son of a merchant, named Shang Chengnin. He's a few years older than you. He's been managing the company all these years, so other things have been neglected. His family asked me to ask your opinion a few days ago. If you agree, they'll arrange a meeting. They won't interfere with anything else. By the way, his family gave me their phone number."

Anyway, they had to meet sooner or later. After all, how could they increase their bullying points if they didn't meet? Yinluo agreed to meet and saved the phone number. "I'm going to take a shower."

"Okay, I'll call you when the cake is done." Yinluo's mother had already informed the other family that the child was willing to meet, and they quickly

received a message.

After reading the message, Yinluo's mother said to Yinluo, who was going upstairs, "Xiao Shang might call you in a bit, don't hang up on him thinking it's a nuisance."

"Mmm—"

Yinluo replied, but didn't really take it to heart. After showering, he lay on the bed in his loose pajamas playing games.

After playing for more than ten minutes, his eyelids began to droop.

He didn't know how much time had passed when he vaguely heard his phone vibrate. Without opening his eyes, he answered the phone instinctively, without even seeing who was calling.

"Hello."

The man's voice on the other end was deep and pleasant. If it were anyone else answering the phone, they would definitely exclaim something like, "This voice is so beautiful it's like my ears are pregnant." But Yinluo was a straight man, and he was too sleepy to hear anything, so to him, the other person was just a man disturbing his sleep.

“Hello…” The other end didn’t speak again. Yin Luo hummed twice, slightly more awake, and urged, “Speak up…”

The boy’s voice, still nasal from just waking up, was soft and limp, reminiscent of delicate rose petals.

Shang Chengning found it hard to connect this soft voice with the rumored arrogant and domineering young master of the Yin family. He paused, lowering his voice even further: “I’m Shang Cheng—”

Before he could finish, he was interrupted: “Wait a minute.”

There was a knock on the door, followed by a kind female voice: “Yin Yin, time for milk.”

Milk?

Shang Chengning could almost picture it.

It seemed like a little kid.

The door opened, and Yin’s mother stood outside with the milk. Feeling the temperature of the air conditioner, she frowned and scolded, “Don’t wear so little.”

“Hmm…” Yin Luo rubbed his eyes, took the milk, and remembered he hadn’t hung up the phone. He picked up his phone, glanced at the number, and realized it was Shang Chengning calling.

Yin’s mother was still standing outside the door. Afraid of being overheard saying something embarrassing about being scolded, Yin Luo immediately said, "I have something to do, I'll call you back later."

She then hung up.

The system immediately chimed in: [Shang Chengning's bullying value +3.]

Yin Luo mentally praised herself for being a genius.

Yin's mother saw the message: "Was that Xiao Shang calling?"

Yin Luo: "Yes."

"This child is quite proactive." Yin's mother was pleased and wanted to ask more, but fearing that she would annoy Yin Luo, she simply didn't, letting the young people develop their relationship on their own. A few minutes

later , as she hummed a song as she took the cake out of the oven, Yin Yuzhou returned. 

"You're back just in time, the cake's freshly baked." Yin Yuzhou searched the living room but couldn't find the person he was looking for. 

"Where's Yinyin?" Yin's mother replied, "Your brother's upstairs." Yin Yuzhou's lips curled slightly. "I'll go call him down to eat with us." 

"Hey, wait a minute, don't call him yet." Yin's mother immediately stopped him as he was about to go upstairs. "He's on the phone with that Shang family kid." 

Yin Yuzhou paused. "Shang family?" Yin's mother said, "The one we were trying to arrange a blind date for them a few days ago, Shang Chengning from the Shang family. I've been wondering about that too. 

Yinyin was all grumpy and unhappy a few days ago, but today she actually asked me for his number. 

Looks like there's a chance." She went on and on, not noticing her eldest son's increasingly somber expression. * Yin Luo finished his milk, still feeling sleepy, and planned to take a nap before calling Shang Chengning. 

Before he could lie down, someone knocked on the door again. He thought it was Yin's mother. "It's open, you can come in." 

The door opened, revealing a man's calm and indifferent face. 

Yinluo paused for a moment, then immediately straightened her posture and whispered, "Brother."

Yin Yuzhou noticed the boy's sudden change in demeanor. It was his first time in Yin Luo's room; it was tidy, the only thing messy being Yin Luo's loose pajamas.

The boy sat at the foot of the bed, his hair tousled and fluffy, looking very soft to the touch.

His eyes were red, and there were sleep marks on his face.

Under the light, he looked even more refined than during the day.

Yin Yuzhou hummed in agreement and sat down on the only chair in the room: "Yin Yin, why did you suddenly decide to date?"

Yin Luo was taken aback at first, but then realized that his mother must have told him.

But... why did Yin Yuzhou have the time to concern himself with his affairs?

Yin Luo didn't have time to think about these complexities and made up a reason: "Everyone's dating, and I want to date too."

This reason seemed to convince Yin Yuzhou, who didn't say anything more.

The room suddenly fell silent.

Yin Luo felt a little uneasy and tentatively called out, "...Brother?"

He didn't know what Yin Yuzhou was thinking at that moment.

He was still so young, Yin Yuzhou thought.

"You can wait until you're twenty-five... no, thirty, it's not too late."

A moment later,

Yin Yuzhou finally spoke: "Have you ever been in a relationship before?"

Yin Luo honestly answered, "No..." "

The other person is nine years older than you, has more social experience than you, and might lie to you." Yin Yuzhou paused for a few seconds before continuing, word by word, "Now, listen carefully to what your brother says."

*

"Don't spend more than an hour alone with him."

"Keep a distance of at least half a meter."

Yin Yuzhou: "Anything else?"

"Anything else..." Yin Luo hesitated, but looking at the serious man, he continued, repeating what the other had just warned him about.

"Don't let him get close, don't let him touch your waist." "

If he asks for a kiss or anything more outrageous, don't agree."

...

Yin Luo was extremely confused at this point, his voice slow and hesitant.

He thought his brother was making a fuss.

Who would touch someone's waist and kiss them on the first meeting?!

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