He is Too Stingy, This Sand Sculpture Cannon Fodder

Shu You, completely bare, stared confidently at him without any self-consciousness. It had an air of “I’m not embarrassed, the embarrassment belongs to others.”

Shu You’s inner thoughts: Aren’t they all men? What’s the big deal? He was a legendary southerner who had been thoroughly scrubbed by everyone!

Lin Mingxu: “…”

He quickly released the other person as if his hands were burning, turned his head aside, his temple throbbing in pain. “…So, what did you just call me?”

“Oh.”

Shu You quickly said, “Help me get the toothpaste, toothbrush, and pajamas.”

Furrowing his eyebrows, Lin Mingxu asked, “…Didn’t you pack them in your travel bag?”

“Yeah,” Shu You naturally replied, “So I need them now, and after using them, I’ll pack them back.”

Lin Mingxu swiftly grabbed the entire travel bag and placed it on the dry bathroom floor.

Shu You bent down and started searching.

Lin Mingxu suddenly turned and walked out, staying calm for a while.

That was Shu You—four words forcefully imprinted in the man’s mind, replaced by another four words: “It feels good to the touch.”

Lin Mingxu’s face instantly darkened.

After finishing showering and changing into his pajamas, Shu You came out humming a song, seemingly unconcerned about the incident.

As if he had simply taken a shower in a public bathhouse.

Lin Mingxu was still in the living room, his expression changing.

Shu You curiously approached him, “Lin Mingxu, what’s wrong with you?”

The man deeply glanced at him and asked, “Are you done showering?”

“Yeah, I am.” Shu You’s face was flushed, his hair dry and fluffy, giving it a soft appearance.

Soft.

Lin Mingxu’s fingers intertwined as he gently caressed them.

His Adam’s apple moved, and he calmly said, “How’s your ankle?”

“Oh” Shu You immediately mentioned it, pouting, “It’s still a little red, but it should be fine. Just sprained it a bit, not painful.”

‘Not painful means there’s no serious injury, just a simple twist.’ He lifted his foot and turned his ankle around in place, examining it. “It’s fine.”

Lin Mingxu also looked over.

Because he had just showered, Shu You’s legs were fair and had a healthy glow. His ankles were slim, as if Lin Mingxu could firmly grab them with his hand and play with them in his palm.

This was Shu You—another four words involuntarily emerged in Lin Mingxu’s mind.

Taking a deep breath, Lin Mingxu calmly said, “Let me apply some medicine for you.”

“Is it necessary?” Shu You thought the pain had subsided and he wasn’t seriously injured, so there was no need for medicine.

But before he could object, Lin Mingxu had already found the Yunnan Baiyao ointment he bought last time and brought it over.

Rolling up his sleeves to reveal his strong and powerful arms, Lin Mingxu slightly raised his chin, gesturing for Shu You to sit on the small sofa.

Shu You didn’t think too much and obediently sat down.

Lin Mingxu sat beside him on the small sofa and said, “Stretch your leg out.”

Shu You quickly extended his leg, straightening it completely.

He initially intended to place it on the armrest of the small sofa, but Lin Mingxu moved slightly, causing his heel to land on the man’s thigh for some reason.

“Uh…”

Shu You hesitated for a moment and secretly glanced at Lin Mingxu.

Lin Mingxu seemed unfazed, just opening the packaging of the ointment spray.

Shu You breathed a sigh of relief and didn’t move his leg. He simply crossed and uncrossed his toes, occasionally striking a pose.

“Don’t move,” Lin Mingxu frowned, turned his hand, and casually fixed his ankle.

…The touch was indeed pleasant.

Waves surged in the man’s mind, transforming into an endless sea in his eyes. The next second, he aimed the spray at the affected area and gently pressed the switch.

The Yunnan Baiyao sprayed onto Shu You’s ankle.

Shu You’s toes trembled slightly, and he muttered, “It’s cool…”

“If it’s cool, be more careful next time,” Lin Mingxu finished applying the medicine but kept his hand in place, seemingly casual as he said, “Slipping in the shower is something only the elderly do, right?”

“Not at all,” Shu You shyly lowered his head, “Actually, I’m not that young.”

Lin Mingxu: ???

“I’ve already lived for more than two hundred months!”

The corner of Lin Mingxu’s mouth twitched.

Shu You continued, “But if my boyfriend thinks I’m still a baby, that’s not a problem.” He blinked his eyes, trying to pretend to be an old child, “My dad’s dad is called grandpa… Ah, Lin Mingxu, why did you pinch me!”

Lin Mingxu calmly withdrew his hand and said, “I wanted to see if an idiot would cry out in pain.”

A small area on Shu You’s calf immediately turned red, and he stared with wide eyes, complaining sadly, “Humans shouldn’t harm each other!”

“Is that so?” Lin Mingxu raised an eyebrow, “How do you know?”

“I…” Shu You’s eyes darted around, “Actually, I’m a gray wolf from the north…”

Lin Mingxu: …I almost forgot.

On the road of nonsense and babbling, Shu You had never encountered an opponent.

Shu You vividly described the Big Bad Wolf, repeatedly mentioning the White Rabbit milk candy, depicting it as extremely fierce.

His little mouth kept going, but Lin Mingxu’s expression subtly stared at him for a while before suddenly interrupting, “What time is your flight tomorrow?”

“Nine o’clock in the morning.”

Shu You wouldn’t delay important matters, so he remembered it very clearly.

Lin Mingxu picked up his phone to show him, “It’s already twelve o’clock now.”

Shu You: !!!

Without saying a word, he quickly jumped off the couch, crawled into bed, covered himself with the blanket, and closed his eyes.

The actions were swift and smooth.

However…

Shu You discreetly opened one eye, then the other, keeping both eyes half-open as he sneakily looked at Lin Mingxu.

Lin Mingxu: …

Seemingly helpless yet like a gradually ingrained habit, the man paused, got up, and walked over, whispering two words.

“Goodnight.”

In the blink of an eye, it was the next morning, and Lin Mingxu indeed drove Shu You to the airport in Peng Shang’en’s car.

Wu Youzhe had been waiting here for quite some time.

Unfortunately, the production team didn’t reimburse his expenses, so he couldn’t accompany them this time.

Wu Youzhe, who couldn’t follow them the whole way, was worried, “Shu You, be careful when you’re out and don’t talk to strangers…”

Shu You interrupted with confusion, “Isn’t it impolite not to speak?”

Wu Youzhe looked concerned, “…But I’m worried that what you say might be worse than not saying anything.”

Shu You nodded, “Right, every word I speak is a gem, each sentence full of truth. I can’t just let anyone listen casually.”

Wu Youzhe: …No, that’s not what he meant.

The airport parking lot was a distance away from the terminal building, with a road in between, and there was quite a lot of traffic even early in the morning.

The three of them were about to cross the road when Wu Youzhe noticed there was no one on the opposite side and suggested, “Why don’t we just cross directly?”

“No.”

Shu You shook his head, “It’s better to use the pedestrian crossing.”

Wu Youzhe paused, “I didn’t expect you to follow traffic rules so strictly, Shu You.”

“It’s not that.”

Shu You smiled and explained, “It’s because if you get hit outside the pedestrian crossing, you won’t get any compensation.”

Wu Youzhe: …Well, that does make sense. Truly wise words.

After a series of twists and turns, Shu You finally got his boarding pass. Just as he was about to go in, he suddenly remembered something. He turned around and stood in front of the two.

“Brother Wu…”

Wu Youzhe thought he was going to bid him a formal farewell and was about to be moved, but Shu You said, “You go ahead! I’ll send you a message when I arrive.”

Wu Youzhe: …

As the manager’s desolate figure left, he walked away. Once he was gone, Shu You turned to Lin Mingxu with a big smile on his face. “Boyfriend, I’m going on a business trip!”

Lin Mingxu remained expressionless, “You already said that last night.”

Shu You blinked his eyes, undeterred, and continued, “Well, you…”

“Take care, have a safe journey, and come back soon.”

Lin Mingxu finished in one breath, raising an eyebrow as he looked at him. “You can board now.”

“Ah…”

Shu You blushed, lowering his gaze, “I didn’t expect you to love me so much.”

“Remember every word I say like this.”

Lin Mingxu: …No, he didn’t say that.

Shu You was still a little unsatisfied and happily said to Lin Mingxu, “Anyway, when I’m not at home…”

Lin Mingxu’s face remained devoid of any extra expressions, already anticipating that the next sentence wouldn’t be about concern.

…The most likely thing was to spend less money.

However, Shu You wore a radiant smile, and his fluffy hair stood up as he said, “You take good care of yourself, boyfriend!”

Lin Mingxu: …

His heart trembled lightly, and when he looked again, Shu You had already walked far away.

The young man’s figure was tall and slender, like a budding tree, thriving and growing.

And soon, it would be flourishing, with lush branches and beautiful flowers blooming.

At that time…

Lin Mingxu’s eyes flickered with a hidden emotion, for the first time in his life, allowing his thoughts to wander freely.

It seems…

…that he himself didn’t want to restrain himself.

After over two hours, Shu You successfully arrived in Changle City. He searched for the person picking him up at the exit for a while but couldn’t find them. He had to call Wu Youzhe and ask for the contact number on this side.

Then Shu You dialed the number again, and his voice abruptly sounded several meters away. He followed the sound and saw a bewildered young man holding a cardboard sign in his left hand, while his right hand was frantically searching for his phone.

Shu You walked over and, upon seeing the situation, immediately felt pity in his heart. He spoke in a gentle tone, “Hello, I’m Shu You.”

“Huh?”

The young man was taken aback, “Hold on, let me take a call first…”

He finally found his phone and saw an unknown number. Without thinking, he returned the call.

…Shu You’s phone rang.

Young man: …

Feeling embarrassed, he put away his phone and said, “Hello, Mr. Shu? I’m here from the TV station to pick you up…”

To ease the atmosphere, he quickly said something nice, “Mr. Shu has such keen eyes to spot our sign at a glance.”

“Not really.”

Shu You spoke honestly, “You were holding the sign the wrong way. I heard the ringtone and followed the sound.”

Young man: …Oh no, this is bad.

He couldn’t even complete such a simple task properly. It seemed that his internship period would turn into a period of failure.

The two of them walked out with an awkward atmosphere. Fortunately, the car that came to pick them up was of good quality, and the young man’s driving skills were also excellent. They arrived smoothly at the hospitality hotel and settled in.

Shu You checked into a business suite with a large bed and immediately took a picture, sending it to Lin Mingxu.

【I’ve settled in! [Pictures][Pictures][Pictures]】

Lin Mingxu didn’t reply.

Shu You sent another message.

【The bed is quite comfortable, hehe. [Picture]】

Still no reply from Lin Mingxu.

Could he be busy?

After thinking for a moment, Shu You sent a third message.

【Boyfriend, I’ve been kidnapped!】

Still no response from Lin Mingxu.

Shu You was certain that Lin Mingxu was busy.

Since that was the case…

Shu You decisively put his phone aside and swiftly entered the hotel bathroom, turning on the bathtub, adding bath gel, and selecting the bubble bath option…

It felt so comfortable…

It had been a long time since he had taken a bath.

He soaked for more than ten minutes, enjoying the moment with half-closed eyes, when suddenly his phone rang—Shu You had casually thrown it on the bed earlier.

Now he had to climb out of the bathtub with a wet body, quickly put on a bathrobe, and go to the bedside to answer the call.

It was a call from Lin Mingxu.

The man’s voice was cold, as if a Siberian gust of wind was blowing, “I heard you’ve been kidnapped?”

“No, not at all.”

Shu You immediately denied, “Why did you say ‘heard’? It was me who said it.”

Lin Mingxu: …Damn it.

Knowing it was a lie, he still made this call.

So his tone became even colder, “Just rest well at the hotel and return as soon as possible.”

Shu You was still thinking about the bubble bath in the bathtub, so he quickly acknowledged with an “Mhm” to indicate that he understood.

Lin Mingxu hung up the phone, and on the other side, Peng Shang’en chuckled, “Brother Lin, Shu You isn’t at home?”

Lin Mingxu responded with a vague “Mhm” and continued looking at the documents on the screen.

Peng Shang’en teased, “Brother Lin, aren’t you worried about Shu You going out alone?”

Lin Mingxu didn’t lift his head and calmly asked, “What should I be worried about?”

“Ah!”

Peng Shang’en slapped his thigh, “Shu You is at risk being alone outside. He’s young and good-looking, so attractive. Aren’t you afraid someone might be interested in him?”

“And just now, he hung up the phone quickly. Hehe, maybe there’s a handsome guy beside him, bothering him. Remember the last time we had dinner at the inn? Wasn’t there a very proactive guy?”

Lin Mingxu neither confirmed nor denied, remaining silent.

Peng Shang’en became more enthusiastic, lowering his voice mysteriously, “If I were you, I’d keep a closer eye on him. How about this? Why don’t you make a video call?”

Lin Mingxu paused for a moment and calmly said, “No need.”

“…Alright then.”

Peng Shang’en was just joking and didn’t continue with the topic.

As time passed second by second, half an hour later, Peng Shang’en went to the bathroom, but Lin Mingxu remained seated behind the desk.

He finished reading the document and was about to move the mouse to click on the next one when his raised finger accidentally touched the phone placed on the table. Suddenly, he picked it up and flipped it over a couple of times.

Video call…

Peng Shang’en was still busy in the bathroom, seemingly unable to come out for a while.

Lin Mingxu maintained his usual expression and initiated the video call.

…He just had a few things to say.

It was true that Shu You easily attracted people, but they were all bad apples.

For example, that playboy from the last inn, and the prodigal son, Lu Chenbi.

Although he was clever, the world was treacherous.

Regardless of their current relationship, Lin Mingxu felt he should give him some advice regarding his safety while he was away.

“Ring, ring, ring, ring, ring, ring, ring…”

With a beep, the video call connected.

Lin Mingxu glanced at the screen and his face instantly darkened. Through gritted teeth, he asked, “What are you doing, Shu You?”