The little crybaby in the group, the young master is a softie

"Yes, there are, but most of them have bad tempers. If you talk to them, they might scold you."

Mingxi was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing. "It can also curse? That's so interesting! What will it say? Will it be like the haggling aunties in the vegetable market?"

He kept asking questions in a chattering manner, sometimes he opened his mouth in surprise at a detail that Yin Hen said, and sometimes he laughed so hard that he couldn't straighten his back because of an interesting setting. His whole body seemed to be injected with energy, as fresh as a flower just picked out of the morning dew.

The excitement that she had deliberately suppressed in front of Su Xiang, the curiosity hidden behind her gentleness, all burst out without reservation at this moment, like bubbles in the sun, gorgeous and free.

Ming Xi laughed enough, and took Yin Hen's hand and ran to the corner of the street, "Come on, I'll take you to Fireworks Alley! You still remember? We've sneaked out twice before, but each time we were worried that Su Xiang would find out, so we were always nervous and never finished our walk."

Yin Hen was dragged forward by him, the corners of his mouth curled up: "Of course I remember. Your phone kept ringing at that time. I was afraid that Su Xiang would ask you why you didn't answer the phone when I got back, so I actually threw the phone into the sewer."

"Haha, there's nothing we can do about it."

As they spoke, they had already reached the alley entrance. As the noise and aroma of food washed over them, Mingxi tiptoed and pointed at the stalls in the alley. "Look at that grilled squid stall. Last time, we had no money and could only stand from a distance and smell it. Today, I'll treat you to two skewers! And the sweet cakes over there. Last time, you said the taro paste flavor was special, so I made a special note of it."

As he was speaking, the voice of the stall owner hawking sweet cakes drifted over. Ming Xi immediately pulled him over and said, "Boss, two sweet cakes!" Turning back to Yin Hen, he said, "Last time, you only took one bite before your master's summons sent you away. This time, you have to eat your fill."

Yin Hen took the hot cake and took a bite, "Thank you for remembering."

"Of course," Mingxi said, chewing on the cake. "I didn't get to try the stinky tofu last time, but they say it smells bad but tastes delicious. Do you want to try it? It's the place we hid and watched others eat at last time."

Yin Hen looked at the stinky tofu stall not far away, and remembered Ming Xi's look of secretly looking in from the corner last time. He couldn't help but smile: "Okay, no one is rushing me this time, I'll help you make up for what you didn't eat last time."

Mingxi's eyes lit up, and he pulled him over: "Boss, two servings of stinky tofu, with extra chili!"

……

As the sun set, the snack street gradually became less crowded. Ming Xi patted his round belly and burped contentedly. "You just got back. Do you have a place to stay? You can't stay out all the time, right?"

Yin Hen shook his head: "I haven't found a place yet. I was planning to... go back with you and squeeze in."

"Ah?" Ming Xi subconsciously took a half step back. "Go back to Haishang Mingyue? How can that be possible! Su Xiang is still there. The two of you are like cats with their fur standing on end when you meet. If he finds out you're there, there will be a huge uproar."

Yin Hen seemed calm: "Don't worry, I'm hiding in your room. Can he still search your room?"

"But, but sometimes he would suddenly come to my room to look for me..." Mingxi was still scared, "What if he saw me?"

"If we bump into each other, then we bump into each other. The worst that can happen is another fight." Yin Hen said lightly. Seeing Mingxi's face turn pale, he softened his tone and said, "I'm just kidding. I'm hiding somewhere secretive, in the closet, under the bed, I'll always find a place. Besides, he can't stare at you every day, right? Wait for a few days when he's not paying attention, and then I'll leave quietly."

Ming Xi thought about it for a long time. In fact, he had long wanted Yin Hen to stay. This idea was extremely dangerous, but strangely full of temptation.

He looked up at Yin Hen. There was a hint of expectation and a hint of subtle grievance in the other's eyes, like a big puppy waiting to be taken in.

"Then... then you have to promise that you will never make any sound and you won't walk around randomly!" Ming Xi finally let out a sigh of relief, but what followed was a secret, sweet panic that quietly spread in his heart.

He felt as if he was... heading down a path from which there was no turning back.

Yin Hen nodded immediately, smiling with his eyes curved: "I promise to be obedient and never cause you any trouble."

"Well, let's go. Let's go back quickly while it's still getting dark." Ming Xi pulled him towards the bright moon on the sea.

Arriving at the back door of the club, he kept looking back. Yin Hen was dragged along by him and couldn't help but chuckle, "Is it really that stressful? You make me look like a thief."

"Shh! Keep your voice down!" Mingxi quickly covered his mouth and looked around nervously, "Do you want others to hear you? Come with me!"

The two of them tiptoed all the way, avoiding the patrolling bodyguards, and finally found Mingxi's room. They opened the door and quickly pulled Yin Hen in.

The room instantly became quiet, with only the slightly rapid breathing of the two people. They looked at each other for a few seconds and couldn't help laughing.

"I was scared to death," Ming Xi covered his chest, "Just now when I passed by the South Courtyard, I heard Su Xiang talking to someone on the phone. I almost thought he was going to be caught." As he spoke, he slumped down on the edge of the bed and patted the place next to him.

Yin Hen sat down next to him. "You're still so timid, but thanks to your cleverness, otherwise we would have met under Su Xiang's fist right now."

"Hehe, not really. He's been much better lately, not as irritable as before...but he still looks unhappy every time I mention you. Now that you're back, are you really not going to have a good talk with him? It's no use going on like this all the time."

Yin Hen was silent for a moment before he said, "What can Su Xiang and I talk about? Let's wait until he agrees for us to play together. Talking now will only lead to another fight and cause you more trouble."

He turned to look at Mingxi, "I came back this time just to be with you happily, and I don't want you to be caught in the middle and feel embarrassed."

Ming Xi said softly, "I'm not afraid of hardship, I just... want you all to be well... Oh, right! I left something for you!"

He stood up suddenly, ran to the desk and rummaged through it. He took out a small cloth bag tied with a red string from the innermost drawer and handed it to Yin Hen:

"Look! This is a peace charm I learned to make from the little monster. It's stuffed with dried mugwort and a little talisman I drew. Hehe, it's a little ugly and has no magical power, but I thought... if you ever get into danger, carrying it with you would give you peace of mind."

Yin Hen took the cloth bag and solemnly put it into his inner pocket, close to his heart: "I like your amulet very much. It is more precious than the protective magic weapon my master gave me."

Ming Xi's face suddenly lit up with a smile: "I'm glad you like it! I thought you would find it childish."

Just as he finished speaking, footsteps were heard in the corridor outside the door, followed by Su Xiang's voice: "Mingxi, are you back? It's time for dinner."

Ming Xi was so frightened that his face turned pale. He grabbed Yin Hen's arm and said in a trembling voice: "He, he's coming!"

Yin Hen's eyes darkened, but he remained remarkably calm. He quickly scanned the room, his gaze settling on the huge wardrobe against the wall.

"Go in." He whispered, pulling Mingxi towards the closet.

"What, what?" Before Mingxi could react, he pushed her into the closet.

There were many clothes for the four seasons hanging in the closet, so there wasn't much space to hide people. He was about to speak when Yin Hen came in and closed the closet door.

Darkness suddenly enveloped them.

"You, why did you push me in here? I don't need to hide..."

"Shh! Don't talk."

Su Xiang's footsteps stopped in front of the door. The door was pushed open and he stuck his head in and called out twice: "Mingxi? Mingxi?"

The room was silent and no one responded.

Mingxi held his breath. He could feel Yin Hen's arm around his waist, pulling him closer to him, as if afraid that he would make a sound out of nervousness.

This intimate action made Mingxi's whole body stiffen, but he didn't dare to struggle.

Su Xiang walked in and took a look around, frowning slightly, muttering softly: "This guy, didn't he say he was going to get something and would be back soon? Why is there still no sign of him?"

He stood in the room for a moment, then turned and walked out, closing the door behind him. The sound of his footsteps gradually faded away.

Neither of the two people in the closet spoke immediately. They could only hear each other's breathing, intertwining in the small space.

After a long while, Ming Xi made sure that Su Xiang had gone far away, and then he dared to gently push Yin Hen: "He, he's gone..."

Yin Hen didn't move. He lowered his head and leaned close to his face in the darkness. Ming Xi could feel the tip of his nose almost touching her forehead, and his breath was hot on his lips.

"Are you scared?"

Mingxi's heart beat faster and he nodded.

Those two short minutes just now felt like a century. Su Xiang was in the room, yet they were clinging to each other in the closet. That stolen intimacy and the danger of being discovered at any moment were like poison, terrifying him, yet he couldn't help but feel his heart palpitating.

"Mingxi." Yin Hen's voice was low and serious. "Have you ever thought about... leaving here?"