The Unattainable Flower Pulled Down from the Pedestal by Universal Dislike – CH23

Chapter 23

Lin Song’an freed a hand to turn on the light in the walk-in closet.

Glancing down once, he suppressed a smile and then turned the light off again.

The tips of Tan Ning’s ears were bright red.

The blush extended all the way down his neck.

This was not a reaction Tan Ning usually had.

So the little cat could be shy after all. Lin Song’an leaned in slightly, rubbing his cheek against Tan Ning’s burning ear, teasing him deliberately, “A little thief stealing watches—should I hand you over to the police, or deal with you right here?”

Tan Ning didn’t respond.

“What punishment is there for a cat stealing things?” Lin Song’an seized the opportunity to tease him relentlessly. “No more canned food? Locked up in a cage?”

“Stop talking,” Tan Ning forced out through clenched teeth, his tone murderous.

“Stop talking?” Lin Song’an exaggerated his tone. “Such a fierce little cat. You’ve stolen my diamond-encrusted watch, trespassed into my home, and now you won’t even let me speak?”

Utterly mortified, Tan Ning began to struggle desperately. Lin Song’an didn’t manage to hold onto him immediately and instinctively grabbed his arm. Tan Ning twisted his body, trying to escape no matter what. Unwilling to hurt him, Lin Song’an could only grab his clothes, but in the chaos, they both ended up tumbling onto the floor.

Lin Song’an placed his hand behind Tan Ning’s head to cushion it, holding him protectively in his arms.

All around them was pitch black.

With their vision limited, their hearing became acutely sensitive. Even without being pressed together, Lin Song’an could hear Tan Ning’s rapid heartbeat. He placed his palm over Tan Ning’s chest.

“What are you so nervous about?”

“I’m not.”

“Then explain the situation with the watch.”

“Let me go.”

“I won’t, unless you give me a reasonable explanation.”

“There’s nothing to explain.”

Lin Song’an pulled him up, dragging him into the narrow walk-in closet. He closed the door and turned on the light. Pressing Tan Ning against the glass cabinet and still restraining him, he said, “I think there’s plenty that needs explaining.”

Tan Ning was trembling slightly.

Lin Song’an pressed on, “Why do you have an identical watch? Why did you swap them? Why did you buy me one but not tell me?”

“I bought a fake to swap out your real one and planned to sell yours for money,” Tan Ning replied.

Lin Song’an applied a bit more pressure, and Tan Ning frowned slightly.

“Do you think I’ll believe that?” Lin Song’an laughed angrily.

Tan Ning lowered his eyes and said nothing.

“If you really wanted money, you’ve had plenty of opportunities over the past year and a half. I’ve told you my phone password and bank card PIN. You could have transferred money and left at any time, but you didn’t. Last month, I gave you that new phone, and when you got out of the car yesterday, you secretly left it on the back seat. Why did you return it? Why not sell it?”

“The phone is worth less than the watch.”

His stubbornness left Lin Song’an helpless, not even angry—just exasperated.

“Ning Ning, why do you insist on saying things that hurt me?”

Tan Ning stared blankly.

“If you truly don’t care, then return my pheromone perfume and the ceramic cat. Those are what’s most precious to me.”

Tan Ning’s face turned pale; he was clearly unwilling.

“Did you throw them away like garbage?”

Tan Ning turned his head aside.

Lin Song’an caressed Tan Ning’s cheek. Because of Tan Ning’s evasive lies, the long-held hope in Lin Song’an’s heart grew even stronger.

“You like me, don’t you?”

“I don’t,” Tan Ning answered quickly.

He replied so quickly that it seemed like he was covering something up.

“But I like you—a lot. Even when you suddenly broke up with me without telling me why, saying you just wanted to sleep with me, I still liked you.”

The thin veil between them was completely torn. Lin Song’an didn’t leave Tan Ning any room to retreat.

This time, Tan Ning truly wanted to escape.

Unable to push Lin Song’an away, he bit him—a sharp bite on the arm. Lin Song’an winced in pain and had to let go.

This time, Lin Song’an didn’t try to stop him. He watched as Tan Ning left.

“Tan Ning!”

He shouted, but Tan Ning didn’t pause for a moment.

Tan Ning fled in panic to the front door, put on his shoes, and rushed out. He didn’t watch where he was going, just ran straight ahead—taking any path he could find, slipping through narrow lanes when there was none. Because he was running so hard, his already loose hair tie fell to the ground, and his long hair scattered. The night wind poured endlessly into his oversized sweatshirt. His body was cold, yet his limbs were hot—alternating between hot and cold, his fingertips numb. A sense of overwhelming panic consumed him.

How could Lin Song’an say such things?

Like him? How much did he like him?

Then why, when Lei Xin and the others asked Lin Song’an if he had a girlfriend, did Lin Song’an say he didn’t?

Tan Ning didn’t believe in Lin Song’an’s feelings.

He didn’t believe in the kind of love born from curiosity and novelty, like those soap romance dramas on TV.

He kept running forward, trying to shake off the turmoil in his mind.

He had suppressed his feelings for many years, and this was the first time he lost control, running forward like a madman.

His father, whom he had indirectly caused to die; his mother, who distanced herself to forget the pain; classmates who pointed fingers behind his back; a lover from a different world; the destined-to-be-ordinary life of a beta… He threw it all behind him.

He forgot it all.

When he finally stopped, he found himself in a small grove. There was no road ahead; Tan Ning had no idea where he was.

His heart was pounding abnormally, his breathing rapid.

But Lin Song’an’s words still echoed in his mind.

Not far away, there was a rustling sound in the bushes. Tan Ning’s mind went blank, and he took a step back. He wasn’t easily frightened, but the villa area was sparsely populated, with not a person or house in sight. It was too open, too quiet; any slight movement was amplified.

Even someone as calm as Tan Ning felt a bit panicked.

He reached into his pocket for his phone, only to find it wasn’t there. After thinking carefully, he remembered that he had been using the flashlight on his phone for illumination earlier. When Lin discovered him and they fell to the ground… Most likely, the phone had slipped out of his pocket then.

Tan Ning had a poor sense of direction and was now without any means of communication, stranded in an unfamiliar, desolate place.

His heart sank, but he didn’t let himself stay in panic. He took a deep breath and started running back, but soon came to a fork in the road. The paths stretched left and right, both shrouded in darkness and eerily unsettling.

He couldn’t recall which way he had come. Both sides had the same plane trees, offering no points of reference.

Tan Ning could only stand still.

Leaves rustled in the wind, making sparse, dragging sounds. Shadows on the ground resembled ghostly claws.

He told himself: There’s nothing to be afraid of.

Left or right—he had to make a choice.

Suddenly, he remembered something Lin Song’an had once said: He liked the left because the heart is on the left side.

Lin Song’an often held Tan Ning’s hand over the left side of his chest, asking, “Can you feel my heartbeat?”

Afterward, Tan Ning was always sleepy and too lazy to entertain Lin Song’an’s sentimental thoughts. He’d just mumble a “hmm” and bury his head to sleep.

“Left it is,” Tan Ning thought.

Having chosen a direction, he walked forward. He had no idea how long he’d been running earlier; this tree-lined path seemed endless.

His knees ached, forcing him to walk and stop intermittently.

Suddenly, his emotions surged again.

He didn’t want to face Lin Song’an anymore. He wished he was surrounded by people like Lei Xin, Xu Qingyang, and Zheng Yu—people who disliked him. Why did Lin Song’an have to appear, be so good to him, yet couldn’t guarantee he’d always be good to him? Saying he liked him, yet having an incurable rut period.

Tan Ning felt he was about to go insane. He shouldn’t have initiated things with Lin Song’an in the first place.

Who could tell him what to do now?

Tan Ning gradually slowed down.

“Who’s there?” A sudden shout broke his thoughts. Tan Ning looked in the direction of the voice.

It was a patrolling security guard.

From a distance, the guard saw a young man with disheveled hair, looking around suspiciously. One of the drawbacks of the villa area, besides the mosquitoes, was the frequent occurrence of thieves. Naturally, the guard wouldn’t miss this chance to catch someone.

“Well, well, stealing from the Tianhe Villas now?” The guard ran over, wielding a rubber baton.

“I didn’t.”

Using the patrol car’s lights, the guard got a clear look at Tan Ning’s face. “You’re not a resident here. How did you get in?”

“A friend of mine lives here,” Tan Ning defended himself.

But his explanation was useless. The guard, holding a walkie-talkie and baton, threatened to hit him if he didn’t cooperate. “A friend? Which building, what’s their name? Don’t lie.”

Tan Ning recalled that Lin Song’an’s house was in District One, right in the center. This was District Four. Lin Song’an had mentioned before that there was a grove southeast of his house. Tan Ning suddenly had a sense of direction and was about to run forward when the guard grabbed him.

Pressing the rubber baton against Tan Ning’s back, the guard cursed, “Trying to run? I’ve got a stun baton here!”

No matter how Tan Ning explained, the guard wouldn’t believe him.

“Lin Song’an? Hah! If you’re going to make up names, at least try harder. This is the Tianhe Group’s own property, and you mention Lin Song’an? Why not say Lin Yexun?”

Tan Ning sighed and squatted quietly on the ground.

He was exhausted.

The guard snorted, speaking into his walkie-talkie, “I’ve got a suspicious person here in District Four’s Fenghua Forest—probably a thief.”

Before he could finish, a young man’s voice came through the earpiece, “Ning Ning—is that Tan Ning?”

The voice was hoarse with urgency.

It was Lin Song’an.

Lin Song’an was looking for him.

Despite having angered Lin Song’an repeatedly, despite Tan Ning’s refusal to admit his feelings, Lin Song’an had still come looking for him.

Tan Ning couldn’t deny that hearing Lin Song’an’s voice at that moment brought him immense relief. It felt like with Lin Song’an around, there was nothing to fear.

Being loved felt like having a strong backing.

He leaned toward the walkie-talkie and answered, “Yes.”

The guard was stunned.

Before long, Lin Song’an’s car sped toward them, moving so fast that the tires screeched against the road. As it turned, dust flew up like in a race track scene, and the bright headlights illuminated the entire grove.

Looking back, Tan Ning realized it wasn’t so frightening after all.

Lin Song’an opened the car door and ran over, pulling Tan Ning into his arms. He felt Tan Ning’s back and arms, appearing even more anxious than Tan Ning himself. “Are you hurt?”

Swallowing hard, the guard was intimidated by Lin Song’an’s furious presence and couldn’t speak for a moment. “M-M-Mr. Lin?”

He looked between Lin Song’an and Tan Ning, unable to believe they were actually connected.

Lin Song’an was full of anger and was about to speak when Tan Ning stopped him. Placing his hands on Lin Song’an’s shoulders to stand up, he said softly, “Let’s go.”

“It’s his job,” Tan Ning didn’t want to dwell on it.

So Lin Song’an let it go.

The guard was too frightened to move; his walkie-talkie had fallen to the ground.

As Tan Ning walked toward the car, the guard finally stammered, “I’m sorry, I—”

Tan Ning shook his head, opened the car door, and got in.

Once the door was closed, Tan Ning kept his head down. Lin Song’an reached over to smooth his long hair but was dodged by Tan Ning.

Lin Song’an drove back home in silence, not even taking time to park in the garage. He hurriedly pulled Tan Ning into the living room, pressing him onto the sofa. Kneeling in front of him, he checked Tan Ning’s wrists and knees hidden under his clothes.

Tan Ning always walked with his head down and often moved a beat slower. Last year during a physical exam, he had fallen heavily while running, scraping his knees and calves until they bled through his pants.

He hadn’t cared, but Lin Song’an had been distressed.

“I’m fine,” Tan Ning said.

Lin Song’an released Tan Ning’s sleeves and pant legs, still shaken. “I won’t ask anymore. If you don’t want to answer, I won’t push you. Had I known you’d be this scared, I wouldn’t have forced you.”

Tan Ning suddenly looked up sharply.

How could Lin Song’an accommodate him to this extent?

“When I ran out after you and couldn’t find you, the guards said they hadn’t seen you. There are unfenced artificial lakes on both sides here. Ning Ning, you really scared me.”

Lin Song’an was massaging Tan Ning’s knees; his warm palm pressed exactly where Tan Ning’s muscles ached.

That warmth instantly spread from his knees throughout his body.

“I bought the watch as a birthday gift,” Tan Ning suddenly said.

Lin Song’an paused.

“Sorry it’s a few months late,” Tan Ning said, lowering his head. “Happy birthday.”

For a few seconds, the air seemed to freeze.

It was so quiet that only their breathing could be heard.

Lin Song’an’s eyes first showed surprise, then a faint joy, like a small flame. He looked up, meeting Tan Ning’s eyes, and tentatively asked, “I didn’t hear you clearly, Ning Ning. What did you just say?”

“Happy birthday.”

Before he could finish speaking, Lin Song’an pressed him down onto the sofa. Kisses rained down like a storm. The temperature kept rising; every inch of skin they touched felt like it was on fire. Tan Ning was almost scorched. He first tried to push Lin Song’an away, but after struggling in vain, his hands could only rest on Lin Song’an’s shoulders, turning into an embrace.

Lin Song’an lost control. Those simple words from Tan Ning had stirred his heart and extinguished his reason. He needed nothing else—no reassurance—just having Tan Ning by his side, in his arms, was enough.

Tan Ning was like a cat.

A beautiful cat who didn’t need to take the initiative; someone would come to love him.

At last, Lin Song’an could sense a bit of the genuine feelings hidden beneath the cat’s cold exterior.

He cares. He knows.

He had spent the fees from dozens of tutoring sessions to buy an expensive watch as a birthday gift but hadn’t dared to give it directly. He could only swap it secretly, only to hear Lin Song’an repeatedly say he didn’t like it.

Lin Song’an finally understood why Tan Ning had been sulking those few times; there had been clues all along.

Love leaves traces.

He knew that Tan Ning wasn’t as heartless as he appeared. Behind every cold glance, perhaps the little cat was hiding his true feelings.

“Then why did you break up with me? Why?”

Tan Ning didn’t answer.

Lin Song’an didn’t dare press further and compromised, “It’s okay. If you don’t want to say, you don’t have to. We have plenty of time.”

He captured Tan Ning’s lips again, saying between kisses, “Ning Ning, I’ll wear that watch every day from now on.”

Tan Ning looked up, and Lin Song’an kissed him even more deeply.

Tan Ning could clearly feel Lin Song’an’s passion. He was slightly dazed, and under Lin Song’an’s coaxing, he opened his mouth.

Lin Song’an’s hand began to move slowly downward. Tan Ning curled into the corner of the sofa, exposing to Lin Song’an a smooth, jade-like nape.

Facing such a piece of jade, Lin Song’an became a patient craftsman. He first removed the rough outer layer carefully, revealing the true appearance of the jade. He held the unpolished gem in his palm, examining it from every angle, waiting for it to become fully moist before placing it on the lathe to carve it bit by bit.

Sometimes this step was difficult.

Lin Song’an held down the uncooperative Tan Ning, whispering in his ear, “Be good.”

The humid and sultry air of late August forced a rough piece of jade to be ground down under the strong grip of the craftsman, becoming soft and fragile, its surface glowing pink. When the carving was finished, the craftsman took out a metal rod to probe the inner chamber of the jade.

This step required skilled technique; too light or too heavy could damage the jade. Fortunately, the craftsman was quite experienced.

Finally came the polishing.

Lin Song’an held the smooth, delicate jade in his palm.

Tan Ning felt as if Lin Song’an had led him into a dreamy, enchanting forest where only the two of them existed. He didn’t need to fill his time with studies and part-time jobs or pretend not to care while secretly observing Lin Song’an’s life.

They were simply together.

Just like when they first started dating—Lin Song’an held his hand, and he intertwined their fingers.

He lay sweaty in Lin Song’an’s arms, watching as Lin Song’an fetched a towel warmed with hot water. Obediently, he lifted his legs and arms, waiting to be cleaned and then carried to a bed in another room. The silk bedding felt cool; Tan Ning shivered slightly, and Lin Song’an climbed in to hold him.

After the intensity, Lin Song’an reverted from a domineering alpha to his clingy self. He nuzzled against Tan Ning’s neck and chest, whispering words that made Tan Ning’s ears burn.

“During my rut period that day, I wanted to call you.”

“I didn’t want you to worry, but I was also afraid you wouldn’t care at all. I dialed your number several times but didn’t press call.”

“Thinking of you made it a bit better.”

“But the more I thought about you, the harder it was.”

“My mom gave me a bottle of omega pheromone extract. Some people who are allergic to rut suppressants use it as a desperate measure.”

Tan Ning’s eyelashes trembled slightly.

“I didn’t use it,” Lin Song’an said. “I didn’t use it even when I first differentiated; it’s easy to become dependent.”

“You’ve never experienced the soothing effect of omega pheromones,” Tan Ning said blankly.

“No, I haven’t.”

“If you did experience it—”

“I don’t need it. I only want you.”

This sentence struck directly at Tan Ning’s heart. For a moment, he couldn’t bear such intense affection. After a long while, he asked, “Lin Song’an, why do you like me?”

“Because you’re special. The way you handle Lin Qi so effortlessly made me feel you’re different from everyone else.”

Throughout his life, Tan Ning had always excelled academically, but among the top students, he was the least liked and praised because he was too unconventional. His hair was long, his personality odd, and his deskmates frequently asked to change seats. In school, teachers often favored well-behaved, high-achieving students. Someone like Tan Ning didn’t serve as a good example.

He was rarely praised.

Even Yue Ying and his grandfather overlooked his merits. When they spoke of him, they’d always add a “but.”

“Xiao Ning studies well, but he’s too introverted.”

“Xiao Ning is obedient, but he’s not very friendly.”

“Xiao Ning is sensible, but he’s too cold to his family.”

*

Lin Song’an thought for a moment and added, “And you’re a beautiful little cat.”

Tan Ning waited for the “but” that usually followed.

“A fierce yet adorable little cat.”

Tan Ning waited several minutes but didn’t hear Lin Song’an say “but.”

He was a bit stunned, as if he didn’t understand. After a while, he buried his face in the pillow.

But Lin Song’an promptly pulled him back.

“I really can’t figure you out. I want to know: the one who seduced me back then and the one who dives under the covers after just a few words—which one is the real you?”

Lin Song’an turned him over, smiling as he nibbled him. “Hmm? Answer me.”

Tan Ning closed his eyes, resisting passively.

“Wear my shirt again sometime. I want to see.”

Tan Ning pretended to sleep.

“Then, for my next birthday, give me that as a gift, okay?” Lin Song’an massaged Tan Ning’s sore waist. “If you don’t speak, I’ll take it as a yes.”

As night deepened, Tan Ning wasn’t sleepy. He quietly stared at the ceiling, listening to Lin Song’an’s steady breathing beside him.

Lin Song’an lay on his side, his arm draped over Tan Ning’s waist.

Tan Ning reached out, circling around to Lin Song’an’s nape. Through the inhibitor patch, he lightly touched Lin Song’an’s gland.

The gland was sensitive; even with a light touch, Lin Song’an’s arm began to relax.

Tan Ning’s eyes darkened.

He pretended to push Lin Song’an away, shifting slightly. In his sleep, Lin Song’an sensed it and instinctively pulled him closer.

Tan Ning felt that this was how it should be.

The next morning, Tan Ning groggily opened his eyes, meeting Lin Song’an’s gaze.

Lin Song’an lay on his side beside him, his eyes focused on Tan Ning’s lips and nose.

Seeing Tan Ning awake, he leaned in for a kiss.

The confusion of the previous night came flooding back. Tan Ning immediately tried to get out of bed, his face stern, as if the tenderness of last night had been a mistake. Lin Song’an didn’t stop him but asked, “Shall we start dating again?”

Tan Ning abruptly froze, his back stiffening.