Thirsty Skin - Chapter 40

Chapter 40 – “Lin Wan, I need you to hug me”

Their chests were pressed tightly together, their hearts beating against their left chests, and they could feel each other’s heart rate with every breath.

The clear water made Zhu Chizhou feel slippery when he held him in his arms. The muscles beneath the skin were strong and firm. Both the feeling of the body and the touch under the palms were very comfortable.

The temperature of the swimming pool is nearly ten degrees lower than the skin temperature, so one would still feel cold when soaking in the water, but the parts of Zhu Chizhou’s body that are close to his body felt warm.

【I feel so comfortable that I don’t want to let go.】

【Hold me for a while longer…】

So Zhu Chizhou hugged Lin Wan for several minutes, until he felt the gaze from the people around him became more and more obvious. He gently patted Lin Wan on the back, signaling him to let go.

Lin Wan hugged Zhu Chizhou’s neck and stood onhis tiptoes to try to step on the bottom of the pool. However, because he was not tall enough, the water level was about to submerge his mouth and nose when he stepped on the bottom of the pool. He hugged Zhu Chizhou again, 【So scary!】

Zhu Chizhou held the thin waist of the man in his arms with both hands, feeling as if he could break it with a little force, and unconsciously lowered his voice: “It’s okay, we’ll take it slow.”

“The water is too deep.” Lin Wan complained.

【I can’t reach the bottom.】

【Can you carry me to a shallower place?】

Zhu Chizhou did not fulfill Lin Wan’s wish, but said: “Come, hold my hand, use me as a float, and then relax your body, and you will be able to float.”

Lin Wan whispered: “I dare not.”

“It’s okay,” Zhu Chizhou said, coaxing a child, “I will always be by your side. If you sink, I will pick you up.”

Zhu Chizhou’s constant assurance gave Lin Wan courage. He tried to loosen his hands, lie flat in the water, and slowly float up.

As his body floated, his fingers slid along Zhu Chizhou’s shoulders and away from Zhu Chizhou.

His fingertips slid across Zhu Chizhou’s strong shoulders, across Zhu Chizhou’s powerful forearms, and across Zhu Chizhou’s broad palms. Just as he was about to slip from Zhu Chizhou’s fingertips, Zhu Chizhou grabbed him.

Lin Wan’s heart was finally at peace.

【This is indeed much more useful than a kickboard.】

Zhu Chizhou: “…”

After the ice cubes, he defeated the float in Lin Wan’s mind, which is a cause for celebration.

Zhu Chizhou held Lin Wan’s hand and swam backwards, letting Lin Wan float the whole time. Lin Wan didn’t feel any effort or fear at all, but felt a little embarrassed because he kept looking at Zhu Chizhou in this posture.

After swimming back and forth along the lane, Zhu Chizhou took Lin Wan to the shallower side of the pool. He asked Lin Wan to hold the edge of the pool, and began to teach Lin Wan the correct breaststroke leg movements.

Zhu Chizhou remembered that the last time he saw Lin Wan swimming, his movements were wrong, so this time he had to start teaching him from the beginning.

After explaining the theoretical knowledge, he let Lin Wan move his legs in the water to get a feel for it. He then moved behind Lin Wan to observe whether his movements were correct.

The water ripples gently as his legs swing, and Lin Wan’s thin body looks even more slender and fair in the blue water.

It took Zhu Chizhou great effort to try not to pay attention to Lin Wan’s buttocks. He didn’t know if it was because of the swimming trunks, but the buttocks were really full, round, perky and cute, which made Zhu Chizhou’s heart beat wildly.

【Is this right? Why is he silent?】

Zhu Chizhou returned to his senses and focused his gaze on Lin Wan’s legs.

Lin Wan’s movements were a bit clumsy. Every time he kicked his legs, his toes did not extend outward correctly. This caused the thrust of the water flow to weaken, making it very difficult for him to swim.

Zhu Chizhou corrected him: “Turn your feet outward and feel the resistance of the water.”

Lin Wan obediently curled up his instep and his toes also followed suit.

Zhu Chizhou thought that his inflexible appearance was too cute, and couldn’t help but pinch his toes, “You’re too tight, relax a little.”

Lin Wan shuddered when he was touched, and took a deep breath, “What did you say?”

At first, Zhu Chizhou didn’t realise what was wrong with that sentence, until he saw the tips of Lin Wan’s ears turned red. It was then that he reacted. He glanced at Lin Wan’s plump and round buttocks, and silently looked away.

After more than half an hour, Lin Wan had basically mastered the correct leg movements.

Zhu Chizhou pulled his hand and asked him to use him as a float, just like he did at the beginning, and practiced back and forth along the swimming lane.

Bright lights poured down from the dome, and the light reflected on the water surface swayed gently with the ripples, like stars.

Lin Wan was held by Zhu Chizhou’s hand, and swimming in the water was like floating in the air. For the first time since he was eight years old, he no longer felt that water was so scary.

They swam until ten o’clock. It was only the two of them left in the pool. The staff were packing up on the shore and preparing to get off work.

Lin Wan felt tired and wanted to go up, but once he left the swimming pool, he would have no excuse to let Zhu Chizhou hold his hand, let alone an excuse for Zhu Chizhou to hug him.

【I’m so sad, but it’s time for us to go.】

As he continued to swim forward while thinking this, Zhu Chizhou suddenly stopped for some reason, and Lin Wan bumped straight into Zhu Chizhou’s chest.

This is the deep water area, and if you stop, you will sink. Lin Wan’s feet couldn’t reach the bottom of the pool, and the fear of water suddenly surges up again, so he instinctively hugs Zhu Chizhou’s neck.

Zhu Chizhou put his arm around his waist and asked, “Do you still want to swim? Do you want to take a break?”

Lin Wan hung on Zhu Chizhou: “Yeah, I’m a little tired.”

“I’ll take you to the shore.”

Zhu Chizhou swam towards the shore with Lin Wan in backstroke. Lin Wan lay on Zhu Chizhou’s chest. When his eyes accidentally met Zhu Chizhou’s, his ears turned red.

【This posture is so ambiguous.】

Zhu Chizhou also blushed, but because of his dark skin and the weight-bearing exercise he was doing, his blush was not very obvious.

When they were almost at the shore, Zhu Chizhou showed no intention of stopping. Lin Wan was worried that his head would hit the edge of the pool, so he reached out to cushion Zhu Chizhou’s head and said, “Be careful!”

Zhu Chizhou was very agile in the water. He stopped when he almost hit the tiles, then turned around while holding Lin Wan and pushed him to the shore.

Lin Wan could step on the bottom of the ladder from this position. He was about to turn around and climb up, but Zhu Chizhou held his waist tightly and whispered in his ear, “I’ll carry you up.”

Lin Wan thought, 【You are also in the water, how can you carry me up…】

Before he could finish his words, Zhu Chizhou grabbed his waist with both hands and lifted him up.

With a “splash”, Lin Wan’s upper body was lifted out of the water and he sat on the shore.

Lin Wan: “!!!”

【He’s like Superman!】

【So… so handsome, I want to do it again.】

Zhu Chizhou laughed in the water: “Do you want to come down again?”

“No,” Lin Wan slowly climbed up from the tiles, “I’m going to take a shower.”

Zhu Chizhou easily pushed himself out of the water. The two found their slippers, put them on, and walked towards the locker room together.

Lin Wan changed his clothes in the shower cubicle like he did last time, but this time when he came out, Zhu Chizhou was still topless, so Lin Wan could admire Zhu Chizhou’s body while drying his hair with a towel. 【This is amazing.】

【Ancient Greek god in charge of body shape.】

Zhu Chizhou paused, put the short-sleeved T-shirt he had just taken out back into the bag, and walked towards Lin Wan.

His hair was still dripping with water, which rolled down his shoulders, slid over his chest and abdominal muscles, and finally along the contours of his muscles, seeping into the waistband of his black sweatpants.

Lin Wan followed the water droplets with his eyes, lingering for a moment on the strong and tight waist. He looked up at Zhu Chizhou and said, “Your hair is wet.”

Zhu Chizhou had short hair and didn’t care: “It’s okay, it will be done in a moment.”

Lin Wan stood in front of Zhu Chizhou and ordered, “Lower your head.”

Zhu Chizhou didn’t understand, but he still lowered his head obediently. Lin Wan then stood on tiptoe and used the towel that he had used to wipe his hair to help Zhu Chizhou wipe the water off.

The body was warm after taking a shower, with the scent of shower gel. Zhu Chizhou buried his head, and Lin Wan’s arms were swinging on both sides of his head, making him feel as if he was being embraced by Lin Wan.

Lin Wan’s actions were extremely gentle. Even Ms. Zhu Ling had never helped him wipe his hair like this. Lin Wan simply spoiled him like a child.

From this angle, he could just see Lin Wan’s waist. That slender waist swayed slightly with the movements, flexible and beautiful.

Zhu Chizhou thought of the dangerous words about looseness and tightness again, closed his eyes, and tried to stop his wild thoughts in his heart.

Twenty minutes later, both of them had packed up, and Zhu Chizhou asked Lin Wan: “Shall we go eat something?”

Glancing at the time, it was already past half past ten. Lin Wan said, “It’s too late. I won’t eat anymore. I’ll go home and sleep.”

Zhu Chizhou was reluctant to leave: “You didn’t have dinner, aren’t you hungry?”

“I’m hungry,” Lin Wan said, “but I don’t want to eat.”

Zhu Chizhou smiled and said, “You are very self-disciplined. Are you afraid of gaining weight?”

Lin Wan thought for a moment and said, “Nowadays, when we go out to eat, we usually eat barbecue or something like that, which doesn’t seem very healthy.”

Zhu Chizhou pointed out: “You took me to eat hotpot for supper before.”

“Well,” Lin Wan cleared her throat, “but my throat feels a bit uncomfortable today.”

“You have a cold?”

“It’s not a cold, it’s just a sore throat. Maybe I stayed up too late recently.”

【I soak in ice water every day, how could I catch a cold!】

The two of them walked out of the swimming pool and headed towards the parking lot while talking.

It was dark all around, with the street lights on fifty meters away. The thick night enveloped the two of them, but they walked slower and slower, as if they didn’t think it was too late at all.

Zhu Chizhou said: “I will buy you some snow pears tomorrow, and you can go back and make some rock sugar and snow pear water to drink.”

After saying that, he was afraid that Lin Wan would find it troublesome, so he added: “It’s very simple, just like boiling a chicken breast.”

Lin Wan shook his head: “No, I don’t want to start a fire at home.”

“If you’re afraid of trouble, I’ll cook for you.”

“It’s not that I’m afraid of trouble,” Lin Wan said in a low voice in the dim light, “I just don’t want to cook at home.”

“Then don’t you cook at home in Rong City?”

“It’s different,” Lin Wan lowered his eyes, “I still have my grandparents and my aunt in Rong City, and there are people to take care of the house.”

Zhu Chizhou couldn’t help laughing: “You are afraid to clean up, you are too lazy.”

“It’s not laziness,” Lin Wan said slowly, “I’m worried… If I cook alone at home, what if I leave home and never come back? The food in the kitchen will go bad, mold, grow bugs, rot, and flow with sticky liquid, making the whole house smell bad.”

Zhu Chizhou: “…your worry is quite vivid.”

“Have you ever smelled that smell?” Lin Wan said, “The smell of decay. I’ll never forget it.”

Zhu Chizhou was stunned for a moment, then realized that Lin Wan was talking about his personal experience.

“When I was eight years old, my mother took a piece of beef and put it in the kitchen to thaw. Then my family went out, and I didn’t go back until several months later. You can’t imagine the smell. I was…”

“Stop talking,” Zhu Chizhou suddenly grabbed Lin Wan’s hand and interrupted him, “Stop talking, it won’t happen again.”

Lin Wan was silent for a while and said, “So I just don’t want to cook at home, I’m not lazy.”

“I know,” Zhu Chizhou held Lin Wan’s hand, “You are not lazy.”

Lin Wan looked down at the place where they were holding hands and asked, “Are you afraid of the dark again?”

Zhu Chizhou said: “Well, don’t let me go.”

So Lin Wan did not pull his hand back and was led by Zhu Chizhou to the car.

But no matter how slowly they walked, they finally reached their destination. Lin Wan stood by the car door and said, “Then I’ll leave? Are you afraid of being alone?”

Zhu Chizhou insisted on carrying out his fear of dark character to the end, “I’m afraid, I still have a long way to go home.”

Lin Wan turned his hand over and held his: “I’ll take you back.”

Seeing that Lin Wan was serious, Zhu Chizhou said hurriedly, “No, I’m not that scared when I’m driving.”

“Is this really okay?”

Zhu Chizhou saw the worry in his eyes and said, “If you encourage me, I’ll be fine.”

Lin Wan looked at him seriously: “What encouragement?”

Zhu Chizhou wanted to pull him into his arms, but he hoped that Lin Wan would take the initiative to hug him, so he said shamelessly: “Lin Wan, I need you to hug me.”

Lin Wan then let go of his hand, raised his arms, and slowly hugged Zhu Chizhou’s neck, and asked, “Is it okay to hug like this?”

“Okay,” Zhu Chizhou hugged him back, “Hold me for a little longer, so I can hold on until I get home.”

Lin Wan said “OK” and gently pressed his cheek against Zhu Chizhou’s neck, soft and obedient.

Zhu Chizhou lowered his head to the top of his head and thought, ‘I’m afraid I’ll be afraid of the dark for the rest of my life.’