Chapter 37 I Like Him—So Much It’s Unbearable

“Eat some too,” Leng Keyan said softly. “You’ve been busy all day, you must be hungry. Let’s share—one bite each.”

Yin Siyao hesitated for a moment, but still scooped up a spoonful of soup and brought it to his lips.

“It really is delicious.”

He praised it, a trace of broth clinging to his lips, making them look especially moist under the light.

Leng Keyan’s gaze unconsciously fixed on those lips.

The thin lips, glistening with soup, opened and closed as he spoke, as if silently inviting him.

So red. So moist. So tempting to bite…

The thought had just flashed through his mind when his body moved ahead of reason.

Leng Keyan leaned forward and lightly pecked Yin Siyao on the lips.

Time seemed to freeze in that instant.

Yin Siyao’s eyes widened in shock, and the insulated lunchbox in his hand fell onto the bed with a loud clang.

Soup spilled across the blanket, its rich aroma filling the room.

Startled, Yin Siyao jumped back as if scalded, retreating several steps and nearly hitting the wall.

“Y-you…” He pointed at Leng Keyan, lips trembling.

Whether from anger or embarrassment, his face flushed red. “This is utterly outrageous—defying all ethics and propriety!”

Leng Keyan was also stunned by his own actions, staring blankly at the mess on the bed.

Flustered, he tried to explain, “Teacher Yin, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to.”

“Your lips looked so soft and full… I couldn’t hold back, I just wanted to taste them… I know I was wrong…”

It would’ve been better if he hadn’t said anything—his explanation only made Yin Siyao’s expression darken further.

“So now it sounds like I was deliberately seducing you?” Yin Siyao’s voice carried suppressed anger. “I was just drinking soup—how did that turn into seducing you?”

If word of this got out, he might lose his job.

Yin Siyao didn’t come from a privileged background.

His parents had scrimped and saved to put him through university, hoping he would succeed.

And he had—standing out through excellent grades and earning a position at Kangren Hospital.

The pay there was generous. He had planned to work hard, save for seven or eight years to afford a down payment on a home, and then bring his parents to live comfortably with him.

If he lost everything over a scandal like this, it would all be ruined.

A teacher-student relationship was taboo anywhere.

After weighing the consequences, Yin Siyao’s expression grew calm—coldly distant.

“No, that’s not what I meant!” Leng Keyan hurriedly explained when he saw that look. “I just couldn’t control myself. It has nothing to do with you, Teacher Yin. You didn’t seduce me at all.”

“That’s enough. Stop talking!” Yin Siyao snapped. “Don’t mention this again.”

Leng Keyan nodded pitifully. “Oh…”

“I’ll pretend today never happened,” Yin Siyao said flatly. “From now on, I’ll keep my distance. You don’t need to feel guilty. This ends here.”

Leng Keyan stared at him blankly, his heart aching terribly.

“I’ll call someone to clean this up.” Yin Siyao pressed the call button and left the room without looking back.

—

In the restroom, Yin Siyao splashed water on his face, his fingers unconsciously brushing over his lips.

The scene replayed in his mind—the brightness in Leng Keyan’s eyes as he leaned in, and that feather-light kiss…

He shook his head hard, trying to drive the images away.

He was the teacher. Leng Keyan was the student. There shouldn’t be any feelings that crossed that line.

Besides, he had parents to support and a future to plan. He couldn’t destroy everything over a moment of impulse.

After rinsing his face with cold water, Yin Siyao returned to his office and resumed work.

—

Back in the ward, Leng Keyan stared blankly at the mess on the bed, then touched his lips.

It felt like Yin Siyao’s warmth and touch still lingered there.

Why had he suddenly kissed him?

Why did it hurt so much when Yin Siyao ignored him?

The caretaker soon came in to clean up and changed the bedding.

Sitting quietly to the side, Leng Keyan took out his phone and typed into the search bar:

“Why would someone suddenly kiss another person?”

The answers were almost unanimous:

“Because you like them.”
“The body is more honest than the heart.”
“When you really want to kiss someone, it means you’ve already fallen in love.”

Leng Keyan stared at the replies, feeling like his worldview had been shaken.

Like? Love?

Toward Yin Siyao?

Thinking back on their time together, Yin Siyao had always patiently answered his foolish questions.

He gently corrected him when he made mistakes, stayed anxiously by his side when he got hurt, and even fed him with care.

So… he liked Yin Siyao.

Not admiration from a student to a teacher—but something more intimate, more intense.

This realization filled him with both panic and excitement.

But recalling Yin Siyao’s reaction—and that deliberate distance—Leng Keyan felt his road to winning him over would be long and difficult.

Still… did Yin Siyao like men or women?

What if he was homophobic like his uncle’s family?

But when Yin Siyao scolded him just now, he called him “immoral” and “outrageous”—not a pervert, and he didn’t seem disgusted.

Did that mean he could accept men?

And even after being kissed, Yin Siyao didn’t hit him—didn’t that mean he didn’t dislike him?

And if he didn’t dislike him… didn’t that mean he liked him?

From what Yin Siyao said, it seemed he mainly minded that Leng Keyan was just an intern.

If he became a full-time doctor, could he then openly pursue Yin Siyao and start a sweet, happy life together?

But he was still just an intern. By the time he became permanent, it might be too late.

No—he had to make the first move.

Yin Siyao was skilled, handsome, gentle, and capable. If someone else snatched him away, he’d have nowhere to cry.

Leng Keyan picked up his phone again and searched:

“How to pursue an older man?”

“If he hasn’t seen much of the world, show him its splendor.”

Yin Siyao thought even a 200-yuan dessert was expensive. If he spent money recklessly, he’d just be seen as wasteful—not suitable for marriage.

“If he’s world-weary, take him on a carousel.”

Yin Siyao wasn’t world-weary at all. Even at thirty-one, he was gentle and refined like a clear mountain spring. Standing beside him, he looked the same age.

“If he’s inexperienced in love, undress him.”

Just a kiss had already caused such a big reaction. If he really tried that, Yin Siyao might beat him to death thinking he was a pervert.

“If he’s experienced, cook for him.”

That one seemed doable. But had Yin Siyao ever been in a relationship?

He was closest to Teacher Song, but Leng Keyan didn’t dare ask Song Jingmo about him.

His uncle seemed to know Yin Siyao pretty well.

Leng Keyan dialed Lu Er’s number. “Uncle, emergency!”

Lu Er had just finished showering and was drying his hair. “What now?”

“Uncle, I like Yin Siyao—so much it’s unbearable. Can you help me?”

With a loud smack, Lu Er’s phone dropped onto his foot, making him suck in a sharp breath of pain.