“Brother!”
Lin Wan called out from the entrance, starting to take off her shoes.
It’s over! This situation is way too ambiguous, I can’t let my sister see this!
The moment Lin Luan heard Lin Wan’s voice, his mind went blank, adrenaline surging.
There was no time to think—his body reacted first. He spun around, scooped Su Jin into his arms.
“Don’t turn around—” Su Jin tried to stop Lin Luan from turning, but her mouth was immediately covered by his hand.
“Mmph!” She barely managed a short yelp before the world spun.
Lin Luan sat up with a sudden jerk, supporting Su Jin by her bottom and lifting her up. In Su Jin’s stunned gaze, he dashed to the bedroom wardrobe and yanked the door open, carrying her inside.
Everything happened in a flash. The wardrobe door had barely shut when Lin Wan’s footsteps reached the bedroom door.
“Brother? Are you in your room?” Lin Wan pushed open the half-closed door, poking her head in.
She saw the bed was a little messy, her brother’s shirt tossed to the side—but he was nowhere to be seen.
“Huh? Where did he go? I definitely heard something just now…”
Lin Wan scratched her head in confusion, glancing around the room, but saw nothing amiss.
Did he go out for something?
Lin Wan crossed her arms, cheeks puffed out.
“Really, he comes home and doesn’t say a word…”
Her footsteps faded away, apparently headed to the living room or her own room.
Only then did the two people crammed tightly together in the wardrobe finally breathe again.
Su Jin was nestled in Lin Luan’s arms in an incredibly intimate posture, curled up among the hanging clothes.
She was still sitting on Lin Luan as before, only now after Lin Luan had stood up, her body had turned.
Now she was clinging to Lin Luan, arms around his neck, legs wrapped around his waist, her chest pressed tightly against his warm torso—she could even feel his violently beating heart.
The darkness amplified all senses.
She could smell Lin Luan’s clean scent, mixed with a faint hint of ointment, and the camphor balls in the wardrobe.
Since Lin Luan was only wearing pants, his upper body bare, the sensation of their skin touching made Su Jin freeze up, blood rushing to her head, her face burning.
Lin Luan wasn’t faring much better.
He was holding soft, fragrant Su Jin in his arms. She wore nothing but his thin T-shirt; in the dark, his hands, supporting her, could clearly feel the curves of her body.
Lin Luan gritted his teeth, barely daring to breathe, his arms stiff around Su Jin, not daring to move at all.
In the cramped space, only the stifled sounds of their mingled breathing remained.
***
After a while, once certain Lin Wan wouldn’t return, Lin Luan leaned close to Su Jin’s ear and whispered extremely softly:
“Miss… Miss Su Jin… I’m sorry… urgent situation…”
His warm breath brushed Su Jin’s sensitive ear, making her involuntarily shiver.
Su Jin didn’t answer.
Because she was about to lose her mind.
It wasn’t until she pressed herself against Lin Luan that she realized—just now, in her panic in the bathroom, she’d left all her undergarments there.
Which meant, right now, she was wearing only Lin Luan’s oversized T-shirt.
With nothing underneath, that thin cotton T-shirt was basically useless.
She had to get down before Lin Luan noticed! Immediately! Right now!
Su Jin carefully shifted, trying to loosen her arms from around Lin Luan’s neck, her legs seeking a foothold on the floor to escape this dangerous posture.
Lin Luan obviously realized her intentions too, loosening his hold slightly, leaning back to make space for her in the cluttered, narrow wardrobe.
Both moved with utmost caution, afraid to make the slightest sound that might alert Lin Wan outside.
Shff, shff.
The rustling of clothes was unusually clear in the silent wardrobe.
A solid sensation came—Su Jin’s toes touched the wardrobe floor, and she slowly slid off Lin Luan.
Both secretly let out a breath at the increased distance.
Suddenly.
Bzz—bzz—bzz—
A sharp vibration sounded from Lin Luan’s pants pocket.
Both froze, movements halted.
Su Jin was still half-hanging on Lin Luan, his hand hovering at her waist.
The vibration continued, accompanied by a faint ringtone. The light from the phone’s screen shone through the thin fabric, illuminating a patch inside the wardrobe.
Lin Luan didn’t need to check to know who it was.
At this time, only Lin Wan, who’d just come home and couldn’t find him, would call!
Sure enough, Lin Wan’s puzzled voice rang from the living room: “Huh? Is brother’s phone ringing in the room?”
Footsteps drew near the bedroom again!
It’s over!
Lin Luan’s mind raced.
As Lin Wan’s steps reached the bedroom door, Lin Luan made a split-second decision.
He gently pushed the now-standing Su Jin deeper into the wardrobe, silently mouthing: “Hide well!”
Then he slipped out sideways, threw on his shirt, and quietly closed the wardrobe door behind him.
The whole process was almost soundless.
***
Just as he left the wardrobe, Lin Wan pushed the bedroom door open again.
“Brother!” Lin Wan immediately spotted Lin Luan standing in the room, her face breaking into a delighted smile.
“You really are home! I called you just now, why didn’t you… Eh? Brother, why aren’t you wearing a shirt?”
Her gaze landed on Lin Luan’s bare upper body and his slightly tousled hair, and she paused in surprise.
Lin Luan forced himself to stay calm, working up a natural-looking smile.
“Xiaowan, you’re back? I was just… looking for something, wanted to give you a surprise, didn’t hear you call me.”
His heart hammered, but he tried to keep his tone steady, even adding a touch of deliberate lightness. “Was just about to change when you came in.”
As he spoke, he casually positioned himself to block the wardrobe from view.
“But I didn’t see you just now?”
“That’s… that’s because I was hiding.”
Lin Luan’s mind raced for a good excuse.
“Hiding?”
“Because I wanted to give you a surprise!”
Sure enough, Lin Wan was instantly distracted by the word “surprise”, her eyes lighting up. “Surprise? What surprise?”
“Well…” Lin Luan smiled, moved behind his sister, and covered her eyes with his hand. “Count down from ten, and I’ll tell you.”
“Brother… what are you doing, so formal.”
Lin Wan smiled dotingly, surprised at this childish side of her brother.
“Ten, nine, eight…” Lin Wan started counting obediently, smiling all the while.
Just as Lin Wan began her countdown, the wardrobe door opened a crack.
Su Jin drew a deep breath, slipped out barefoot from the wardrobe, and, using Lin Luan’s body as cover, darted out the bedroom door.
“…seven, six, five…” Lin Wan continued counting, oblivious to what was happening behind her.
Su Jin crossed the living room, put on her high heels at the door, quietly unlocked the main door, slipped out, and closed it again, making hardly any noise at all.
Outside.
“…four, three, two, one!” Lin Wan finished the countdown, expectantly asking, “Brother, where’s the surprise?”
Feeling Su Jin had gotten away, Lin Luan finally let out a sigh of relief and removed his hand from Lin Wan’s eyes.
“The surprise is…” Lin Luan broke into a relieved smile, “Look, your brother’s home! Isn’t that a surprise?”
Lin Wan was stunned for a second, then burst out laughing. “Brother, are you in elementary school?”
“All right, all right! Get out for a bit, let your brother change and I’ll make you dinner.” Lin Luan gently pushed Lin Wan toward the door.
“Okay, okay!” Lin Wan laughed as she left the bedroom. “Then I’ll use the bathroom first.”
“All right, all right.” Lin Luan replied, closing the bedroom door.
That was close… almost got caught.
Why does this feel like an illicit affair?
Lin Luan let out a sigh, changed into comfortable home clothes.
Honestly, if he weren’t going to stop after meeting Su Jin’s parents in a month, it’d be easier to just tell Lin Wan he had a girlfriend.
Whatever. It’ll be over soon. For now, better get dinner started for Xiaowan.
He straightened his clothes and opened the bedroom door again.
At the door, his sister was standing there.
“Xiaowan…?” Lin Luan looked puzzled.
Lin Wan had an exasperated expression, holding up a pair of black lace panties.
“Brother, you’d better explain where this thing in the bathroom came from.”