Chapter 39: Held Hands for a Moment
The Ye family and the Lin family were familiar with each other, so Lin Wenbin and Ye Ziming could be considered acquaintances.
That included Zhang Xiaoling too. Their parents often met and talked, so the kids all knew each other. But truthfully, they didn’t interact that much.
At least, that’s how Ye Ziming saw it.
Seeing Ye Ziming’s reaction, both Lin Wenbin and Zhang Xiaoling were a little surprised, but not really. After all, that’s just the kind of person he was.
“If you don’t want to say, then forget it.”
After being turned down by Ye Ziming, Lin Wenbin wasn’t angry. He just scratched his head and said with a little regret.
“I guess we won’t get to see her then.”
Zhang Xiaoling also looked a bit disappointed after hearing that, and she picked up the homework from Lin Muqing’s desk.
She wanted to say something to Lin Muqing, but the latter had her head turned the whole time, avoiding eye contact, so she gave up on trying to chat.
She said a few more things to Lin Wenbin and then went off to collect the rest of the class’s homework.
As Zhang Xiaoling walked away, Lin Wenbin looked back at Ye Ziming and then at Lin Muqing beside him.
He hadn’t given up on the topic yet. He figured if Ye Ziming didn’t want to talk, he could still find out through his own connections.
Or maybe he could ask Lin Muqing some indirect questions and get to the truth that way, like figuring out who really owns that cafe.
“Boss… what do we do now?”
After Zhang Xiaoling left, Lin Muqing leaned over her desk and whispered to her good buddy, looking seriously worried.
She never imagined that Lin Wenbin would dig so deep. He even started looking into who owned the cafe!
If he kept this up, wouldn’t her secret get exposed sooner or later!?
“Don’t worry. He won’t find out.”
Just as she was getting the most anxious, Ye Ziming gently squeezed her small hand and whispered too.
There was a little space between their desks, and he had been holding Lin Muqing’s hand there the whole time, never letting go.
“Trust me.”
As he said this, Ye Ziming looked right into her eyes, his tone sincere and calm.
“Oh…”
Lin Muqing softly nodded. Looking into her good buddy’s eyes, she again felt that strange sense of peace.
She couldn’t explain it, but she really believed he could take care of everything. All she had to do was focus on her job.
As she kept looking into his eyes, Lin Muqing slowly spaced out. She just laid on her desk, staring at him like that.
It wasn’t until the bell rang for morning reading that she snapped out of it in surprise.
She rushed to pull out her books to get ready for class, only to realize… her hand was still being held by her good buddy.
“Um… Boss, can you let go now?”
She glanced awkwardly at their joined hands. This kind of situation… really gave off “boy love” vibes.
Two guys holding hands like this? Just thinking about it gave her chills.
If anyone else saw, she would probably die of embarrassment on the spot and get labeled as that guy.
“Mm.”
Looking at how nervous she was, Ye Ziming actually found her pretty cute. A small smile appeared on his lips.
He slowly let go of her hand and calmly took out his textbook, acting like nothing strange had happened at all.
And so, the morning reading period began. Both of them quietly opened their books and started reading like usual.
But halfway through morning reading, Lin Muqing couldn't help secretly glancing at her good buddy. Then she looked at her own hand.
It felt kind of strange. Maybe the reason she felt so calm earlier was because he had been holding her hand.
When she heard Lin Wenbin and Zhang Xiaoling chatting, she hadn’t felt that nervous, and even now, she wasn’t scared or anxious at all.
“What’s wrong?”
Ye Ziming suddenly turned to her and asked with a confused look.
“Ah… n-nothing.”
She quickly looked away and buried her head in her book, pretending nothing had happened while continuing to read.
Getting caught sneaking a look was really embarrassing, Lin Muqing’s secondhand embarrassment was kicking in hard.
“Pfft~”
Ye Ziming let out a soft chuckle, but it was quickly covered up by the sound of everyone reading aloud. No one noticed the strange noise.
The morning reading class continued...
When class ended, Ye Ziming took the initiative to explain to Lin Muqing why she didn’t need to worry.
He told her that he liked to keep a low profile, so most people just thought Sister Yu was the manager of the cafe.
Only a very small number of people knew the truth, like his family or trusted people who would keep it a secret.
“I see~ Then I guess it’s fine.”
Lin Muqing let out a deep breath and finally felt much more at ease. Her bright smile returned, making her look like the sunny, cheerful boy again.
Since everything was explained clearly, there was nothing left to worry about.
She pulled a tissue from her backpack and casually slipped it into her pocket. Then she stood up to leave the classroom.
What she didn’t know was that Ye Ziming had noticed her small movements, and quietly stood up too.
He followed her all the way to the restroom entrance. After glancing around to make sure no one was nearby, he went in as well.
Inside the restroom, there was no one else. Ye Ziming first heard the faint sound of a broken pipe, followed by the toilet flushing.
“Phew~ I drank too much soy milk.”
Lin Muqing mumbled to herself while pulling up her pants and getting ready to wash her hands.
She unlatched the door, only to see a very familiar face standing right outside. It was her good buddy, Ye Ziming.
“Boss? You need to use the bathroom too?”
She asked curiously. There was actually a closer restroom nearby, so she didn’t understand why he came all the way here.
While asking, she walked over to the sink, turned on the tap, and began washing her hands.
“Mm.”
He nodded and let out a soft nasal sound. His face was expressionless, and his voice was flat too.
“Emmm... are you waiting for me?”
After washing her hands, Lin Muqing looked at him, confused.
He wasn’t using the toilet or washing his hands, just standing there. Two guys silently staring at each other in the bathroom felt super weird.
It was definitely off.
“Uh… Boss, what are you doing?”
Ye Ziming stepped forward, stood in front of her, and looked down at her from above. Then he raised his hand and touched her neck.
His gaze was strange, and his face didn’t show any emotion.
He didn’t say a single word, but Lin Muqing instantly felt a lot of pressure. She froze in place, not daring to move.
“There was something on your neck.”
After a few seconds, Ye Ziming took his hand and eyes away, then turned and walked out of the bathroom.
Out of her sight, a meaningful smile slowly formed on his face. His eyes narrowed slightly, as if thinking about something.
“…What just happened?”
Lin Muqing scratched the back of her head in confusion as she watched her good buddy leave, completely unsure of what that was all about.