Chapter 57 – Caught in the Act
....
After a night of deep and peaceful sleep, the first rays of morning sunlight quietly slipped through the gaps in the window, casting a warm golden glow across the room.
Outside, birds perched among the branches sang cheerfully, their clear chirping drifting into the house and gently pulling Lin Xin from his dreams.
His long eyelashes fluttered. Still caught between sleep and wakefulness, Lin Xin unconsciously turned toward the source of warmth beside him.
His soft blond hair was slightly disheveled, several loose strands falling across his fair face. Without opening his eyes, he nuzzled against the warm object near his cheek. It was comfortable, far more comfortable than the pillow.
Like a contented cat seeking a sunny spot, he instinctively snuggled closer. His arms tightened slightly around the warmth while a faint trace of satisfaction appeared on his face. For a few blissful moments, Lin Xin had no desire to wake up.
Then a low chuckle sounded above his head.
The pleasant deep sound carried an unmistakable hint of amusement.
Lin Xin paused as his sleepy mind slowly began to clear.
Blinking in confusion, he lifted his head and the moment his green eyes met Han Yan’s dark gaze, his thoughts stopped completely.
Han Yan was already awake.
Leaning comfortably against the headboard, he looked unusually relaxed. The morning sunlight softened the sharp edges of his handsome features, making the smile lingering in his eyes even more noticeable.
Seeing Lin Xin finally look up, Han Yan raised a hand and gave a small playful wave.
"Good morning."
Lin Xin stared blankly.
His sluggish mind replayed the events of the past few moments the warmth, the thing he had been hugging, and the thing he had happily rubbed his face against.
"..."
That was not a pillow.
It was Han Yan’s chest.
For a brief moment, Lin Xin looked completely stunned, as though his soul had left his body. Then color quickly spread across his cheeks, reaching the tips of his ears.
Han Yan watched his reaction and could no longer suppress his laughter.
"You were hugging me so tightly that I couldn’t even move."
His voice was warm with amusement.
Looking at Lin Xin’s increasingly embarrassed expression, he tilted his head slightly.
"Did you sleep that well?"
Lin Xin wished the ground would open up and swallow him already.
His arms immediately loosened.
Trying to escape the awkward situation, he hurriedly moved backward.
Unfortunately, the bed inside the small room was not particularly large, in his flustered state, he failed to notice how close he was to the edge.
The moment he shifted away, his body tilted backward.
Lin Xin’s eyes widened.
The edge of the bed rapidly approached.
Before he could react...
A hand shot out and firmly grabbed his wrist.
Han Yan’s expression changed instantly.
The teasing smile disappeared as he pulled Lin Xin back with a careful but steady motion. Caught completely off guard, Lin Xin stumbled forward and crashed directly into his chest.
A soft thump echoed inside the quiet room.
Everything suddenly became still.
Lin Xin froze.
One of Han Yan’s arms wrapped around Lin Xin’s waist to steady him while the other still held his wrist.
The sudden closeness made Lin Xin’s entire body stiffen.
Then he heard it.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
A strong heartbeat sounded beneath his cheek.
At first, Lin Xin thought it was his own racing heart, but he quickly realized the sound was coming from directly beneath his cheek which belonged to Han Yan.
The discovery only made his face grow warmer.
His fingers unconsciously curled against Han Yan’s clothes.
Above him, Han Yan lowered his head.
"Xin’ger, are you alright?"
The concern in his voice immediately chased away the remaining traces of teasing.
His brows furrowed as he carefully examined Lin Xin.
"Why are you so clumsy this early in the morning?"
Han Yan looked genuinely troubled.
"Do you know you could have gotten seriously hurt?"
As he spoke, one hand remained around Lin Xin’s waist while the other carefully examined Lin Xin from head to toe.
"Did you hit anything?"
His gaze swept across Lin Xin’s face.
"Does your arm hurt? Your back? Are you feeling dizzy?"
The anxiety in his eyes was impossible to miss.
Lin Xin looked up quietly.
Their gazes met.
For a moment, he forgot how to respond.
Han Yan was truly worried.
Not because anything serious had occurred, but simply because he had almost fallen.
The realization stirred a warmth inside Lin Xin’s chest. He had long been used to relying on himself, used to enduring things quietly without expecting anyone to worry about him.
But this was different.
His concern was straightforward and sincere.
The tension between his brows, the way he carefully checked for any injuries and the relief that appeared when he confirmed he was unharmed all made his heart soften.
"Xin’ger?"
Only when Han Yan called his name again did he return to his senses.
He quickly shook his head.
"I’m alright."
His voice was soft.
"You pulled me back before I fell."
Han Yan’s expression eased.
However, Lin Xin soon realized that Han Yan’s arm was still around his waist.
His expression slightly warmed up again.
"Umm..."
Lin Xin eyes drifted away.
"Can you let go of me?"
The moment those words left his mouth, Han Yan brows rose slightly.
His expression looked oddly dissatisfied.
"Why should I?"
Lin Xin blinked.
"You always make me worry about you" he said, his tone carrying a hint of grievance.
"You nearly fell just now. What if I hadn’t caught you in time? Your body is still recovering. What if you hit your head? What if you injured yourself?"
Before he could continue listing every possible danger that might have occurred, the bedroom door suddenly opened.
Creak.
Little Dong Hai stood at the doorway with Zhi Zun in his arms.
The black cat was comfortably nestled against his chest, its golden eyes half-open.
The moment Dong Hai entered, his footsteps paused, his attention immediately drawn to the two people in front of him.
His gaze slowly moved from Han Yan’s arm wrapped around Lin Xin’s waist...
To Lin Xin’s hands resting against Han Yan’s slightly open chest.
A heavy silence filled the room.
Even Zhi Zun’s golden eyes widened.
"..."
"..."
A look of sudden realization appeared on Dong Hai’s face.
"Ehh..."
His eyes widened more as he quickly lowered his little head, his gaze shifting away in embarrassment.
"Sorry!"
His voice became noticeably smaller.
"I’m sorry for interrupting."
Without waiting for a response, he immediately stepped backward.
Bang.
The door closed.
The room became completely silent.
The birds outside continued singing as though nothing had happened.
Inside, however, the atmosphere became unbearably awkward.
Neither Han Yan nor Lin Xin dared look at each other.
The scene from moments ago suddenly appeared much more suspicious than it had felt while it was happening.
After several heartbeats, Han Yan abruptly released him.
The speed was so fast it almost seemed as though he had been burned.
"Ahem."
His ears were slightly red.
Avoiding Lin Xin’s gaze, he sat upright.
"I’ll go freshen up."
The words came out far too quickly.
Before Lin Xin could respond, Han Yan had already gotten out from the bed.
His retreating figure disappeared through the door with remarkable speed.
A moment later, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from the courtyard.
The room became quiet once more.
Lin Xin stared blankly at the closed door for a long moment before slowly raising his hands to cover his face.
The tips of his ears were burning.
After a moment, he grabbed the thin blanket and pulled it over his head.
Only a mess of blond hair remained visible.
After a night of restless sleep, his soft blond hair had several stubborn strands sticking out in every direction.
Lin Xin curled further beneath the blanket, hiding his burning face he was reluctant to face anyone.
Outside, Han Yan leaned against the courtyard wall, one hand resting against his forehead as he tried to calm the restless thoughts swirling in his mind.
The cool morning breeze did little to ease the unusual restlessness in his chest.
Even after stepping out into the courtyard, Han Yan could not stop thinking about the warmth that had filled his arms and those clear green eyes that seemed impossible to forget.
Han Yan immediately opened his eyes again.
Perhaps washing his face a few more times would help calm the strange restless feelings stirring within him.
The morning continued as usual, yet the atmosphere between the two remained anything but ordinary.
After they had both freshened up and finished their meal, an awkward silence lingered at the table.
Neither Han Yan nor Lin Xin mentioned what had happened that morning.
Lin Xin eventually went to the kitchen to put away the dishes, leaving Han Yan sitting with Little Dong Hai.
Han Yan coughed lightly, trying to break the strange atmosphere before looking at the little boy.
"Hai’er, why did you come to our room earlier?"
Little Dong Hai blinked.
"Eh?"
He tilted his head before answering honestly.
"Well... it was already so late in the day, and you two still hadn’t come out."
His small face became serious as he explained.
"I thought something had happened, so I went to check if you were alright."
Then he paused.
His eyes drifted away slightly.
"But then I saw..."
The little boy’s expression became complicated, as though he was trying very hard to understand something.
"I didn’t know I came at the wrong time."
He said it with complete seriousness.
Han Yan could only smile awkwardly.
"..."
At the side, Zhi Zun’s golden eyes narrowed dangerously.
He had been holding back his anger for a long time after what he had seen.
How dare this human!
How dare he eat this ancestor’s cabbage after all the effort this ancestor had put into watching over him.
His precious cabbage which had been carefully protected, was actually taken away by such a shameless pig.
(PS the precious cabbage is Lin Xin, Zhi Zun calls him Lan Xin)
Absolutely unforgivable!
The moment it obtained that token, it would definitely show Han Yan what this ancestor was truly capable of.
Zhi Zun flicked its tail angrily, already imagining the day Han Yan would kneel and beg for his forgiveness.
Hmph, did he really think this ancestor had forgotten what happened with yesterday’s pork belly?
....