He is Too Stingy, This Sand Sculpture Cannon Fodder

Shu You’s heart skipped a beat in an instant.

Lin Mingxu simply looked at him and calmly reached out his hand, gathering the collar of his yukata that he had loosened. He lightly said, “You’ve been sleeping in the same bed with me for so long, yet when faced with such a situation, you only know how to run away.”

Shu You: “…”

“Moreover,” the man glanced at him with a hint of meaning and said, “Aren’t you my boyfriend?”

“Or perhaps,” Lin Mingxu’s gaze followed him closely as he softly said, “All those words were lies to deceive me.”

Shu You stuttered, hastily defending himself, “How could that be? I genuinely have deep feelings for you.”

“Oh,” Lin Mingxu calmly said, “Then why did you run away today?”

“Um,” Shu You stammered, “I acted on impulse.”

Arching an eyebrow, Lin Mingxu calmly asked, “What did you impulsively do?”

“I…”Shu You shyly lowered his head, “I had an urgent need.”

Lin Mingxu: “…”

No, he couldn’t let Shu You lead him in circles.

Taking a deep breath, Lin Mingxu coldly said, “Then why did you avoid me?”

“I haven’t been avoiding you,” Shu You widened his eyes, blinking rapidly in an attempt to display his innocence, “When did I avoid you? Aren’t you right here in front of me? If I were avoiding you, why wouldn’t I just go sleep with Chu Qing next door?”

Lin Mingxu’s eyes darkened, “So you want to sleep with Chu Qing?”

“No, no,” Shu You hurriedly corrected himself, “It was just a slip of the tongue. I meant Peng Shang’en next door as well.”

He patted his chest, making a solemn vow, “But I absolutely haven’t been avoiding you. If I were avoiding you, you wouldn’t have found me here.”

“I might have already flown ten kilometers high,” Shu You said.

“You’ve grown wings,” Lin Mingxu remarked.

“No,” Shu You casually replied, “After all, flying by plane is the fastest way.”

For a moment, Lin Mingxu didn’t know whether to praise him for being clever or not.

Shu You even raised his hand to swear, “I swear, I absolutely haven’t been avoiding you.” At most, he was just evading a little bit.

Really, just a tiny bit.

Moreover, he understood now. Lin Mingxu was right. After sharing the same bed for so long, why did he suddenly act so coy?

Wasn’t it just that? Lin… Lin Mingxu had seen him change clothes several times.

He had a really good figure.

After Shu You finished his dubious argument, he confidently said, “We’ve been together for so long, yet you still say such things. It hurts me a little.”

Lin Mingxu: …

Playing the blame game.

Shu You reached out and tugged at the hem of Lin Mingxu’s pajamas, whispering softly, “Even if I feel a little embarrassed for a moment, you shouldn’t doubt my sincerity towards you.”

Gritting his teeth, Lin Mingxu asked, “You have sincerity?”

“Of course, I do.”

Shu You was greatly surprised and hastily grabbed Lin Mingxu’s hand, pressing it against his chest. He said, “Feel it.”

Lin Mingxu remembered the time when Shu You got drunk and angered him to death.

But this time, Lin Mingxu didn’t move and let his hand rest on Shu You’s small chest.

The warm and powerful hand was only separated by a thin layer of clothing, causing Shu You’s heart to suddenly pound intensely.

Shu You wondered why Lin Mingxu didn’t avoid him.

He looked at Lin Mingxu with a subtle expression, thinking that it would be difficult for him to handle such an unconventional approach.

Lin Mingxu paused for a moment and casually withdrew his hand, acting as if nothing had happened. He said, “What else?”

“Um…”

As Shu You’s heart gradually returned to normal, he didn’t have the presence of mind to dwell on it and continued, “There’s also my actual actions.”

Lin Mingxu suddenly had a bad feeling. “What kind of actual actions?”

“Well,” Shu You shyly lowered his gaze and said, “Just wait and see.”

Obviously, the person whose heart was pounding had changed.

Seeing that the topic had been redirected by himself, Shu You quickly took a step to the left, trying to slip out of Lin Mingxu’s encirclement. Unexpectedly, at that moment, Lin Mingxu calmly said, “Why not take action now?”

“Ah,” Shu You was shocked, “Isn’t it too soon?”

Lin Mingxu stared at him, “What’s wrong with that?”

“We are boyfriends to each other, and our relationship is so good,” he emphasized certain words, “and there’s no one else here.”

As if an eagle had caught a chick, the man’s eyes darkened, and he said, “I think it’s time to take things further, don’t you?”

“Um,” Shu You froze.

He never expected that Lin Mingxu would suddenly bring up this topic.

But this doesn’t make sense. Doesn’t Lin Mingxu dislike me?

He’s so carefree and always gets angry. Why did Lin Mingxu suddenly mention this?

For a moment, Shu You’s mind went blank, and he became at a loss for words. He opened his mouth and instinctively looked up, only to see the man’s deep gaze fixed on him.

The two of them locked eyes, and he could see himself reflected in his eyes.

Shu You was stunned and blushed. He stammered and hesitated, “Well, it’s not that it’s not possible, but…”

Lin Mingxu’s tone unconsciously carried a hint of strangeness, “You’re reluctant to take things further with me.”

Was it too fast, or did he simply not like it, even to the point of disgust?

At the thought of that possibility, Lin Mingxu’s gaze darkened.

“No,” Shu You reflexively denied, “I, I, I…”

His ears turned slightly red, his eyes wandered aimlessly, and finally, he bit his lip and forced himself to say, “Then you shouldn’t make a move.”

Lin Mingxu shouldn’t make a move.

The man’s breathing faltered, as if his feet were rooted to the ground. The youth approached a little, and a faint scent of soap wafted over, enveloping them in their own private world.

Shu You nervously swallowed, and his gaze became vacant. Slowly, he moved closer. Lin Mingxu’s lowered fingertips curled up slightly, and he subconsciously rubbed them.

Should he reach out? Should he hold him now?

Shu You’s waist was so slender, could he just wrap his arms around it and hold him close?

Disorderly electric currents surged through his body, growing more intense without finding an outlet.

Lin Mingxu remained motionless as Shu You approached, closer and closer.

His delicate eyebrows and eyes enlarged in front of Shu You, and his fine eyelashes trembled gently, like a butterfly about to take flight on a piano string. Lin Mingxu was momentarily surprised, and a sudden warmth appeared on his lips.

A fleeting moment.

Shu You’s figure disappeared in a hurry, as if escaping, running towards the bathroom. “I really need to go; I’ll be back later.”

Lin Mingxu: “.”

Expressionless, he lay down to sleep.

Forget it, give Shu You some time.

After all, he was already caught in the trap.

He wasn’t in a hurry.

Shu You rushed into the bathroom, feeling his face burning up.

He actually did that to Lin Mingxu.

It turns out his bottom line could be even lower, a little lower, and his shamelessness could be a bit thicker.

But then again, why did he…

Shu You felt something was off about himself.

No, this was just a temporary compromise, like sharing a bed with Lin Mingxu. It was just a temporary arrangement.

But for some reason, his heart raced in that brief moment.

His mind was in chaos. He decided to wash his face twice and brush his teeth three times.

He almost brushed his gums bare.

At that moment, Shu You’s phone rang.

He casually pressed the answer button. “Hello?”

Wu Youzhe’s voice came through the phone. “Hey Shu You, what are you doing this weekend?”

“I went out to play.”

Shu You replied without thinking, “With a few friends, including Lin Mingxu, we’re going to soak in hot springs.”

Soaking in hot springs.

Wu Youzhe couldn’t help but feel envious. “Give me the name and address. Next time, I’ll bring my wife and kids.”

Shu You didn’t know the exact address, but he knew it was quite upscale. He told Wu Youzhe the name, and after carefully noting it down, Wu Youzhe said, “Have fun. Let’s meet up on Monday and chat in person.”

“We can’t chat on the phone?”

“No,” Wu Youzhe said mysteriously, “It’s a big surprise. We’ll talk when we meet.”

Shu You was puzzled. “What kind of surprise?”

Wu Youzhe replied, “I won’t say. We’ll talk when we meet.”

Shu You: “…”

He felt like Wu Youzhe was picking up some bad habits.

Why did he use the word “also”?

The call ended, and after lingering in the bathroom for so long, Shu You finally came out.

The lights were off when he entered the room, and it was dim. He quietly slipped into the bed, covering himself with the blanket, minimizing his presence.

Lin Mingxu should be asleep by now.

Shu You’s ears were still a bit red. After lying flat and pulling up the blanket, for the first time, he opened his eyes in bed and looked at the ceiling.

He couldn’t fall asleep.

Just couldn’t fall asleep.

Oh, he remembered, it was because he hadn’t said goodnight yet.

But today…

Shu You quietly turned over in bed, stealing a glance at the side.

Lin Mingxu had his eyes closed, breathing steadily

Shu You began a fierce internal struggle.

Should he say it?

Should he not say it?

Should he pretend everything’s fine?

Or should he admit he couldn’t sleep?

And then the voice behind slapped the one in front to death.

Shu You collected his thoughts and hesitated before speaking, “Lin-“

Suddenly, Lin Mingxu turned around, his eyes opening. “Can’t sleep.”

Shu You cleared his throat. “Yeah, a little.”

He looked at Lin Mingxu with anticipation. “That…”

Lin Mingxu looked deeply into his eyes. “You want to say goodnight to me.”

“Yes, yes, yes.”

Shu You felt slightly embarrassed. It was a habit he couldn’t change, and there was nothing he could do about it.

It’s not that he couldn’t sleep, but it would be difficult, and he always felt empty inside.

Shu You blinked his bright black eyes, looking at him with anticipation.

Lin Mingxu gazed deeply into his eyes and suddenly reached out his arm, placing his palm on Shu You’s shoulder.

Shu You was stunned.

Lin Mingxu just left his hand there, not doing anything, but the next second, he abruptly lifted his upper body and lightly kissed Shuyou’s forehead.

Shu You couldn’t believe his eyes, staring wide-eyed.

Calmly, Lin Mingxu withdrew his hand. “That’s my response to what you did earlier.”

Then Shu You became dumbfounded.

Three seconds passed.

Five seconds passed.

Ten seconds passed.

Lin Mingxu furrowed his brows slightly. “Shu You.”

Why was he not reacting at all?

“Ah.”

Shu You snapped out of it, suddenly pulling the blanket down and muttered, “You haven’t said goodnight yet.”

“…”

Lin Mingxu thought he had something on his mind.

The man let out a sigh of relief, his voice softened a rare few degrees, seemingly with hidden affection.

“Goodnight.”

The next morning, Shu You walked out of the room with dark circles under his eyes.

For some reason, he had dreamed all night.

Not a nightmare, but a strange and colorful dream.

He dreamt of himself transforming into a small white rabbit, freely hopping and bouncing on the vast grassland, happily dancing hand in hand with a group of companions—don’t ask why rabbits would dance hand in hand, they just did.

Then, with a loud bang in the sky, a dazzling figure appeared, snatching away one white rabbit with a swipe of its claw.

It was his turn, and the black eagle also captured him and brought him back to the nest.

Shu You thought he was doomed, but to his surprise, all the other rabbits were there too.

They were still playing cards, even under the watchful eye of the black eagle.

The rabbits played poker together under the surveillance of the black eagle. After a round, Shu You ended up with the joker card in his hand. The black eagle stood menacingly behind him, breathing heavily on the back of his neck. “It’s you.”

Shu You quickly said, “It’s not me! You’re mistaken! I’m a good rabbit!”

But the black eagle didn’t believe him and continued ominously, “Since you have the joker card, you must face the punishment.”

Shu You asked, “What punishment?”

“The person who draws the joker card is responsible for wasting money,” said the Black Eagle with a gloomy face.

Shu You:…

And that startled him awake.

After waking up, Shu You’s heart was still pounding.

So when he walked into the dining room, Shu You looked pale, and his steps seemed unsteady, as if someone owed him a large sum of money and declared him a debtor.

Chu Qing couldn’t help but look at him curiously. “Shu You, didn’t you sleep well last night?”

That shouldn’t be the case.

In such a pleasant atmosphere at the hot spring resort, couples should at least have a rosy complexion.

Shu You weakly replied, “It’s alright.”

Chu Qing was even more puzzled. “Then what’s going on with you?”

Shu You weakly replied, “It’s alright.”

“But why do you look like this when everything is ‘alright’?”

“It’s alright.”

Chu Qing understood; it was an automatic response.

Shu You’s hair was drooping a bit on top of his head.

Before long, Lin Mingxu also entered and sat next to him.

Chu Qing secretly observed and found that Lin Mingxu appeared calm and relaxed as usual, revealing nothing.

The group began to have breakfast and discuss their plans for later. The main attraction here was the beautiful scenery and smooth hot springs. They soon decided to go hiking.

The mountain wasn’t high, and the trail was well-maintained. There were pavilions on the mountain where they could have a picnic and enjoy the view.

The only small flaw was that it was a bit cold outside, and there were signs of snowfall again.

However, since they were all young people, they weren’t worried about slipping or anything like that. They changed into suitable clothes, packed their belongings, and set off in groups of two or three.

Naturally, Shu You and Lin Mingxu formed a team.

They walked up the mountain along the path, gradually distancing themselves from the others. Soon, in front of them were only the road and the trees, and behind them were also the road and the trees.

Only their companions walked beside them.

Shu You looked down, step by step, and suddenly chuckled. “Lin Mingxu, look at this.”

Walking shoulder to shoulder, Lin Mingxu was slightly taller, but he slowed down his pace to match Shu You’s. So when Shu You looked down, he saw almost parallel sets of four legs.

First, the left leg and foot, then the right leg and foot.

Step by step, in perfect sync, there was a silent understanding between them.

Lin Mingxu noticed, and his gaze deepened. He asked softly, “What is it?”

Shu You looked up at him, smiling as he said, “Have you ever played the game ‘two people, three legs’?”

Lin Mingxu replied, “No.”

“I have. We played it during the sports festival in junior high.”

Shu You’s eyes and eyebrows curved as he began to tell a funny story from the sports festival. “It was so much fun in 8th grade. My desk partner and I participated in the ‘two people, three legs’ race, and unexpectedly, we ended up getting third place.”

“Even though we fell so miserably during the race that my mom almost didn’t recognize me when I came home after school.”

Lin Mingxu just listened.

As he listened, a gentle smile appeared between the man’s brows, and there was a softness in his eyes. The corners of his lips also curved up at some point. Shu You caught a glimpse of it and made a funny face.

“Smile a little, it’s good for your health. Boyfriend, you finally smiled.”

Did he smile?

The corners of Lin Mingxu’s lips immediately stiffened.

“Hey.”

Shu You stared at him and muttered, “That fake smile of yours won’t do. Come on, do it again.”

Lin Mingxu: “.”

He twitched at the corner of his mouth and calmly said, “A fake smile is still a smile.”

“But that won’t do.”

Shu You insisted, “A genuine smile is good for your health. Your fake smile can only be described as subpar.”

Lin Mingxu realized that a subpar smile was the result of being in poor health.

He had nothing to say and remained silent. However, Shu You had no intention of giving up. His eyes shifted, and suddenly he took a few steps forward and went to the roadside to fetch something.

Before long, Shu You returned, spreading his hands and showing it to Lin Mingxu, saying, “Look.”

It was a small rabbit.

A rabbit made of snow.

It couldn’t be said to be lifelike, but it had a touch of resemblance.

If Shu You hadn’t deliberately inserted two dried yellow leaves as rabbit ears, Lin Mingxu would have almost failed to recognize it.

Shu You blinked his eyes, eagerly waiting for him and said, “Quick, praise me.”

Lin Mingxu found it difficult to express, hesitated, and with a guilty conscience, he said, “It’s quite cute.”

At least, the shape was round, and the lines were quite adorable.

Shu You was satisfied, happily taking the snow rabbit to play.

Lin Mingxu watched, suddenly feeling something in his heart.

“Shu You.”

“Ah.”

Shu You turned his head to look at him and asked, “What’s wrong?”

In a low voice, Lin Mingxu said softly, “When is your birthday?”

“Uh.”

Shu You thought for a moment, not knowing the original owner’s birthday, so he casually mentioned his own, “My birthday is at the end of the twelfth month, on the twenty-sixth.”

It felt both young and old.

And it was coming soon, just over a month away.

Lin Mingxu noted the date and asked, “What birthday gift do you want?”

Birthday gift.

Shu You suddenly became excited, “Boyfriend, you want to give me a birthday gift?”

His expression changed too abruptly, and Lin Mingxu suddenly felt something was amiss, but since the words had already been spoken, he just responded with a vague “Yes.”

Shu You chuckled.

He began to count his fingers, and with each press of his fair and tender finger, Lin Mingxu’s eyelid twitched.

Another twitch.

And another.

Then all ten fingers went down, and Shu You, with a beaming smile, said, “I’ve figured it out.”

Lin Mingxu asked, “Tell me.”

Shu You blinked his eyes and slowly said, “On my birthday, I want to learn how to invest and manage finances from you.”