I’m splitting this chapter because it’s too long.
The cave they had passed earlier was nearby. When they first saw it, Li Qianxing and Jiang Lin had casually discussed cave-related plot elements, like scenes from horror or crime investigation films. Little did they know that in just a moment, they would be entering a cave themselves.
With a jacket draped over his head obstructing his vision and Jiang Lin’s firm grip on his shoulder, Li Qianxing hurried forward, his gaze fixed on the path ahead.
The paved mountain trail was narrow, suitable for single file but too tight for two to walk side by side. They had been walking one behind the other, but now Li Qianxing stayed on the gravel path, shifting slightly inward. Jiang Lin had one foot on the trail and the other on the muddy ground beside it.
Both tall with long legs, they took large strides. At first, Li Qianxing focused on the path before him, but soon he noticed that despite the minimal elevation of the stone path, each of Jiang Lin’s steps alternated between high and low, with grass blades constantly brushing against his side.
However, even so, Jiang Lin’s grip never wavered, and he showed no intention of switching to single file. When they encountered rough patches, he would step completely off the path, leaving the stone surface entirely for Li Qianxing.
It would be fine if he didn’t notice these details. But once he did, he couldn’t help but feel a strange stirring in his heart.
Li Qianxing suddenly recalled his first romantic scene many years ago. Not the unrequited love in that film when he was seventeen, but a genuine romantic subplot in an urban drama.
Back then, to portray a role he had no experience with, he not only watched countless romantic scenes but also observed couples in various settings daily, incorporating those observations into his performance.
One detail he remembered was how he would automatically walk on the outer side of the sidewalk when picking up his love interest after work. Sometimes, when cars splashed through puddles, he would instinctively shield her. The director and his co-star had praised his attentiveness to these nuances.
Now, Li Qianxing unconsciously drew parallels between Jiang Lin’s actions and his own past performances.
At the same time, Qi Jingnian’s words echoed in his mind, “You always attract admirers when you act in romantic roles” and “What if Jiang Lin develops feelings for you…”
But he quickly recalled his past experiences with admirers and shook his head—no, Jiang Lin didn’t give off that vibe.
Thinking of the two eggs from that morning, Li Qianxing sighed softly—Jiang Lin was probably just influenced by Cheng Yue’s character, habitually looking after him.
He had been through this before, getting so immersed in a role that some behaviors carried over into his real life. However, after being pursued two or three times because of it, he became extra cautious to avoid misunderstandings.
This was Jiang Lin’s first romantic role, so his inexperience in this area wasn’t surprising.
As Li Qianxing’s mind wandered, Jiang Lin’s voice suddenly cut through his thoughts.
“Feeling stuffy? We’re almost there, just a bit longer. Bear with it.”
Li Qianxing was startled but quickly realized his earlier head shake must have been noticeable, causing Jiang Lin to misunderstand.
He hastily replied, “It’s fine…”
But just then, a gust of wind blew, and as he opened his mouth, he inhaled a rush of cold air, causing him to cough several times.
Jiang Lin adjusted his grip, pulling the jacket tighter around Li Qianxing. “Don’t talk.”
The jacket’s inner lining was softly fleeced, and as it pressed closer, the soft fur brushed against Li Qianxing’s cheek. Whether it was his imagination or not, it seemed to block out all the wind, enveloping his face in warmth.
Finally entering the cave, Li Qianxing caught his breath from the brisk walk and quickly removed the jacket.
The damp, moist air immediately hit his face, dissipating the warmth that had surrounded him. Li Qianxing couldn’t help but shiver.
The mountain air was already cool, and with the rain, the chill seemed to cling to his exposed skin, instantly drawing away his body heat.
But Li Qianxing’s first concern was for Jiang Lin. He now realized Jiang Lin was wearing only a short-sleeved T-shirt and hurriedly offered the jacket back to him.
“Put this on, quick!”
Jiang Lin reached out, but instead of taking the jacket, he grasped Li Qianxing’s wrist, pulling him further into the cave.
“The rain’s getting heavier. It’ll blow into the entrance. Let’s go in a bit more.”
Li Qianxing was pulled further into the cave by Jiang Lin.
As they drew closer, he finally noticed the water droplets clinging to Jiang Lin’s hair and the large wet patch on his shirt. The thick denim jeans were fine, but the thin cotton T-shirt clung to his body, faintly revealing his muscle contours.
Li Qianxing frowned, instinctively reaching out to touch. His palm met Jiang Lin’s chest, first feeling the water-soaked cotton, then the warmth of the skin beneath.
That warmth brought Li Qianxing back to his senses. He quickly withdrew his hand but couldn’t help clenching his fist as if trying to retain that warmth.
He composed himself and looked up at Jiang Lin. “Wearing wet clothes can make you sick. Your jacket has a fleece lining. Take off the T-shirt and wear it directly.”
Jiang Lin smiled. “Alright. Xiao Ding brought me this thick jacket, so I wore this thin short-sleeve underneath. I’m not sure if this is unfortunate or a lucky coincidence.”
As he spoke, he lowered his head, crossed his hands to grab the hem of his shirt, and pulled it up.
The dark T-shirt slid upwards, revealing taut skin beneath. Even as Jiang Lin stretched upward, his abs remained clearly defined.
Li Qianxing was extremely close to him at this moment. Even in the dim cave light, he clearly saw this scene.
This wasn’t the first time Li Qianxing had seen Jiang Lin’s muscles. They had even embraced, skin to skin, while filming earlier.
Yet for some reason, this time left him suddenly unsure where to look.
It’s because this is private, not work-related, Li Qianxing reasoned in his somewhat muddled mind, trying to explain it to himself.
At this point, either turning his face or body away would seem too deliberate. He forcibly suppressed the strange feeling in his heart, watching as Jiang Lin used the dry part of his T-shirt to wipe himself down, then handed over the jacket at the right moment.
Jiang Lin put on the jacket and carefully examined Li Qianxing. “Did you get wet?”
Li Qianxing pulled out a pack of tissues from his pocket, took two sheets, and handed the pack to Jiang Lin. While wiping off water droplets, he said, “It’s fine. My tracksuit is thick and the fabric doesn’t soak through easily.”
After dealing with their clothes, they finally surveyed the cave.
The cave wasn’t large, but more than enough for two people to shelter from the rain. In this situation, there was no need to be picky. Jiang Lin sat directly on the dry ground, gesturing for Li Qianxing to sit as well.
Li Qianxing sat down beside him, their shoulders and knees immediately touching.
Suddenly, two sounds rang out almost simultaneously – a phone ring and a message alert. They exchanged a glance and quickly reached for their phones.
The signal was still poor, only one bar, but at least it was something. Jiang Lin opened WeChat to see a string of messages from Xiao Ding.
Li Qianxing answered his call, and before he could speak, Xiao Zhu’s anxious voice came through.
“Li-ge! Are you alright? Where are you now? The crew said you’d already come down the mountain, but I couldn’t reach you earlier!”
Li Qianxing had to hold the phone away, waiting for her to finish before bringing it back to his ear and calmly reassuring her, “Nothing’s wrong. It’s raining on the mountain, and Jiang Lin and I are sheltering in a cave. We must have taken a wrong turn; the signal here is not good.”
Xiao Zhu sighed in relief, then said, “It’s raining at the foot of the mountain too, but not heavily. Can you share your location? Xiao Ding and I can come get you.”
Li Qianxing replied, “No need. When the rain stops, we’ll follow the path back. We probably took a wrong turn at a signpost. The signal’s too weak, and the mountain paths are confusing. If you come up, you might get lost too, which would be troublesome. The weather forecast says it’s just a shower, it won’t last long.”
Xiao Zhu tried to argue, but finally just urged, “Then make sure you don’t get separated from Teacher Jiang!”
Hearing this, Li Qianxing glanced at Jiang Lin.
Jiang Lin was right next to Li Qianxing and could hear Xiao Zhu’s loud voice clearly. He leaned in, smiling, “Don’t worry, I’ll definitely stick close to Li-ge.”
After Li Qianxing hung up, Jiang Lin opened the crew’s group chat to check and messaged He Zhanpeng briefly.
As he put his phone away and looked up, he saw Li Qianxing seemingly lost in thought, unconsciously licking his lower lip, his Adam’s apple bobbing a few times – a clear sign of thirst.
Jiang Lin pulled out a bottle of water he’d brought specifically and offered it to Li Qianxing. “Have some.”
Li Qianxing turned to look and reached out to take it.
Suddenly, Jiang Lin withdrew the bottle. “Wait, hold on.”
As he spoke, he unzipped his jacket, tucked the water bottle inside, and zipped it back up.
“The water’s cold. It’s cool out, and drinking it might make you uncomfortable. I’ll warm it up a bit for you.”
Li Qianxing blinked, his heart inexplicably fluttering.
The rain outside seemed to intensify, its patter like surround-sound effects, seemingly isolating their cave from the outside world.
The world suddenly felt incredibly small, just this tiny space with only the two of them.
They chatted idly for a while before Jiang Lin took out the water bottle again, offering it once more. “At least it’s not cold now.”
Li Qianxing accepted it, unscrewed the cap, and took small sips.
The water wasn’t cold, but it wasn’t quite warm either. Yet as he drank, he felt warmth spreading all the way to his core.
After Li Qianxing finished, Jiang Lin took a couple of sips himself, then carefully set the bottle aside.
With nothing else to do, they continued their casual conversation, speaking about whatever came to mind.
Li Qianxing was actually someone who enjoyed solitude, accustomed to being alone. However, trapped by rain on the mountain, he couldn’t help but feel grateful for the company.
Especially since that company was Jiang Lin.
Whether talking or in silence, there was no awkwardness, just a natural atmosphere, much like Ji Ming’an and Cheng Yue in the drama.
However, even in their casual conversation, Jiang Lin immediately noticed when Li Qianxing’s voice grew weak.
Li Qianxing’s lips had paled slightly, his brows furrowed, his body more hunched than before, with one hand pressing against his abdomen.
Jiang Lin checked the time, realizing it was already 2 PM, nearly two hours past their usual lunch time.
He moved closer to Li Qianxing and asked softly, “Does your stomach hurt?”
Li Qianxing nodded slightly.
Jiang Lin: “Did you bring medicine?”
Li Qianxing: “It’s with Xiao Zhu.”
Jiang Lin considered methods he’d seen before for relieving stomach pain, then asked, “Would warming you up help you feel better?”
Li Qianxing, confused: “Warm?”
Jiang Lin extended his hand. “Like this.”
He placed his hand on Li Qianxing’s, his palm’s warmth immediately heating the cold skin.
Li Qianxing froze, but Jiang Lin didn’t wait for a response, reaching out to embrace him.
“Here, lean against me.”
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