The emotions were tense all morning, and suddenly they were released.
Song Jianchu was stunned for a second, then averted his gaze and chuckled briefly.
Upon hearing the laughter by his ear, Mu Ye raised an eyebrow. If he wasn’t driving, he really wanted to turn and take a look.
The boy’s laughter was somewhat hoarse due to fatigue, low and with an indescribable attraction.
Mu Ye’s gaze shifted slightly, unable to resist teasing again, “Am I so handsome that you’re attracted to me?”
With his spirits relaxed, Song Jianchu began to feel drowsy. He lazily narrowed his eyes and said, “Teacher Mu.”
Mu Ye immediately resumed seriousness and said, “Just kidding.”
Song Jianchu lazily propped up his face, the corners of his mouth loose, as he looked at the scenery outside. “Keep it up.”
Mu Ye paused for a moment, biting his lip to restrain the urge to pull over. He smiled and said, “Can I take that as your approval? Did I earn some points?”
Perhaps because he was too tired, Song Jianchu’s rationality also dissipated somewhat. He made a sound of agreement.
Mu Ye smiled and said, “Then I’ll continue doing that.”
“But,” Song Jianchu said in a low voice, “You don’t have to change yourself for me.”
Mu Ye raised an eyebrow. “Is it not good to become the kind of person you like?”
The kind of person he liked?
Song Jianchu squinted his eyes, averting his gaze from the shadow of his eyelashes.
The man’s features emitted a white light like snow, and his short hair softly scattered between his eyebrows and eyes. Even the gleam in his eyes was gentle.
As Song Jianchu listened to the sound of his heartbeat by his ear, his cheeks burned, and his vision became blurred.
He wanted to say that there was really no need to change.
Because no matter how he changed, he looked the same in his eyes.
He was still Teacher Mu.
Mu Ye waited for a long time without receiving an answer. He glanced at him with his peripheral vision.
The boy had covered himself with his coat, burying half of his face in the collar, already asleep.
Mu Ye looked at the road, taking the opportunity to secretly extend his hand and gently touch the boy’s head.
The boy had a tough character as a little fan, but his hair was surprisingly soft. Just touching it made one’s heart soften, as if touching the best kind of fur on a cat’s belly.
A hug in the morning would be enough.
Mu Ye sighed softly with regret.
Before meeting the little fan, he had never realized that he was someone who craved physical contact like this. He and the little fan seemed to have become addicted to being close, unconsciously reaching a point where it was difficult to bear not touching for even a moment.
Mu Ye flicked the soft strands of hair with his fingers, and Song Jianchu’s head moved slightly.
Reluctantly, Mu Ye withdrew his hand and slowed down the car.
There was still some time before the client’s train arrived, so the two of them went to the market first.
The market had already caused a commotion yesterday when they came. Even though they covered their faces well, the cameras of the paparazzi behind them were still quite conspicuous. The local young people quickly recognized them and excitedly followed along, filming with their phones.
Today wasn’t much better, as they were constantly being surrounded by onlookers.
Song Jianchu held his notebook and checked the shopping list, going to each stall to make purchases.
The auntie selling seafood was very enthusiastic. “Take whatever you want to eat. The newly arrived lobsters are especially plump. Take two.”
“Don’t let it affect your business.” Song Jianchu looked at the list and said, “Could you please help me choose a fresh river fish?”
The auntie picked the plumpest and freshest fish. “They’re all freshly iced fish, and the river fish has the best texture now.”
Mu Ye took the processed fish. “Thank you.”
Song Jianchu paid.
Because a big eater came to the shop, the shopping took a bit longer.
Once Song Jianchu finished buying things, Mu Ye would automatically take them from him and quickly carry a handful of bags.
Song Jianchu didn’t have much in his hands and frowned, saying, “Give me some more, don’t strain your hands.”
Mu Ye evaded his hand, saying, “It’s fine, it’s not heavy.”
If it were someone else, Song Jianchu would have been too lazy to argue.
But the hands of the King of the Music Industry were too precious. Song Jianchu went to get more bags a few times.
“Give me the fish.”
“The rice cake.”
“The sausage.”
Mu Ye stood in place, watching him with interest, skillfully avoiding his actions, which made the surrounding pedestrians laugh.
Blushing, Song Jianchu gave up, with no expression on his face as he walked forward.
[“Hahaha, Teacher Mu, are you teasing a child?”]
[“So sweet, sob”]
[“This damn sweet scene”]
[“It’s so good, the child is already addicted, sob”]
Mu Ye followed half a step behind him, as if casually asking, “Leader, why are you so good to the new employee? Is it because foodies stick together?”
Why was he suddenly labeled as a foodie?
Song Jianchu casually replied, “She treated me to a meal before, so this one is my treat.”
Mu Ye paused for a moment, catching up and walking side by side, “During your school days, right?”
Song Jianchu had no intention of explaining further and simply said, “Mm.”
Mu Ye’s tone was casual, “Why did she treat you to a meal?”
Song Jianchu said, “She borrowed notes from me.”
Mu Ye nodded, naturally asking further, “She only treated you to a meal?”
“Yeah.”
“She didn’t do anything else?”
Song Jianchu glanced at him suspiciously and said, “Hmm.”
Mu Ye immediately restrained himself and smiled gently, saying, “Then we should treat her well tonight.”
[“Teacher Mu, you looked like a young wife checking her husband’s romantic history just now.”]
[“Saying something from the heart, don’t hit me, but I feel like Teacher Mu has the potential to be a meticulous person. (Facepalm)”]
After finishing the shopping and getting back to the car, Mu Ye looked at him with a hesitant expression, almost hinting with his eyes, perhaps afraid of saying something that would ruin his image.
With just one glance, Song Jianchu understood what Mu Ye wanted, to cuddle with him for a while. It had been several hours since they last had some intimate time together.
Song Jianchu thought it wouldn’t be a problem to take a few minutes to turn off the camera. He reached out towards the camera in the car.
Mu Ye stared at his actions, a slight smile appearing on his face.
Just as the hand reached halfway, it was pulled back.
Song Jianchu suddenly became curious about how long Mu Ye could endure.
Seemingly not receiving any signal, Song Jianchu fastened his seatbelt and said, “It’s almost time, let’s go to the station.”
Mu Ye’s expression showed regret as he silently drove.
There was no chance for intimacy after picking up the guests. Mu Ye remained silent throughout the journey, not as chatty and lively with the guests as before.
Song Jianchu tilted his head and observed. Mu Ye’s face had a faint smile, and he truly looked handsome.
“Teacher Mu,” Song Jianchu asked in a language only the two of them would understand, “Are you still okay?”
Mu Ye slightly bit his lip, appearing a bit weary. “I’m fine.”
Song Jianchu suppressed his laughter at the corner of his mouth.
Mu Ye continued to drive in silence.
[“Teacher Mu, why are you so quiet today?”]
[“Is it because driving is tiring?”]
[“It’s probably not that. The journey is not that long.”]
[“It’s great, isn’t it normal for the godly man to speak less?”]
When they returned to the guesthouse, it was already noon. An Ran came out to receive the items. “Thank you for your hard work. You’ve been out for a long time, go inside and rest.”
Song Jianchu asked, “Did you walk the dogs?”
“I did.” An Ran was also a dog lover and found them adorable. “I went for a walk with Teacher Pei, and the dogs are so cute and well-behaved.”
Song Jianchu fed the dogs some snacks, and An Ran joined in to pet the dogs as well. She smiled and said, “Jianchu, I feel like this one resembles you. It has a cool personality despite being a foodie. It doesn’t jump on people.”
Song Jianchu was speechless and replied coolly, “Thank you.”
An Ran was still a bit afraid of Song Jianchu, so she quickly said, “Just kidding. Jianchu, of course, you are much more handsome than the dogs.”
“Chu Chu,” Mu Ye asked at the staircase on the first floor, “Do you want to go upstairs and rest for a while?”
After Song Jianchu finished feeding the last piece of meat strip in his hand, he turned around and met Mu Ye’s gaze.
This time, Song Jianchu noticed something.
Mu Ye glanced lightly at the new employee who was petting the dog beside Song Jianchu. It was evident that he was concerned about the close distance between them.
“Brother Chu, do we still have jerky?” An Ran said, “Look at this one, it’s so good at acting cute.”
Song Jianchu consciously took a few steps away from An Ran, thinking it was enough and not wanting to make the person suffocate him. He was about to head towards the stairs when he proactively hugged Mu Ye.
Pei Shinian, who was at the front desk, said, “You guys don’t have time to rest. There’s a group of customers going to the scenic area soon, and they’ve booked the transportation service. You have to leave again.”
Back in the car, Mu Ye’s smile became even more subdued.
The female students in the car couldn’t take their eyes off Mu Ye’s profile.
[“Husband, you’re so cool today.”]
[“You make my legs weak with your handsomeness.”]
[“Teacher Mu, did you change your persona?”]
[“Ah, ah, ah, husband!!”]
However, the Mu Ye that Song Jianchu saw was different.
He could clearly feel that Mu Ye was feeling low and had lost his desire to speak.
Because of the busy work, Song Jianchu couldn’t let Mu Ye embrace him, and he also felt a bit regretful, but there was nothing he could do.
As a result, they were busy the entire day, and Song Jianchu didn’t find any opportunity for Mu Ye to get closer to him.
Mu Ye successfully held onto his promise and didn’t pester him all day.
During the staff dinner, Mu Ye sat next to Song Jianchu.
From the corner of his eye, Song Jianchu noticed that Mu Ye leaned towards him as if he was accustomed to it, but immediately sat upright.
Song Jianchu turned his head.
Mu Ye’s complexion appeared somewhat weary. He hadn’t spoken much since the afternoon, and his demeanor had become somewhat cold.
Pei Shinian, sitting opposite, sat down and curiously looked at his brother. “Brother, why are you so quiet today? Are you tired?”
An Ran said, “Teacher Mu doesn’t seem to have much energy.”
Bai Xingyu poured himself a drink and said, “Let him have a drink, and he’ll be fine.”
Song Jianchu poured a glass of beer for Mu Ye and said, “Teacher Mu, you’ve worked hard today.”
Mu Ye slowly turned his gaze towards him and, when holding the glass, their fingers touched for a moment.
Song Jianchu intentionally didn’t move his hand away, allowing Mu Ye to touch him a bit longer. He heard Mu Ye let out a gentle sigh beside him.
Everyone raised their glasses.
“Cheers, welcome to the new staff!”
“Cheers!”
“Thank you, teachers! Thanks, Brother Chu, for feeding us!” An Ran cheerfully exclaimed, “I don’t have any talents, but I’ll give you all a live performance as a foodie later.”
[“Hahaha, be more confident, that’s your talent!”]
[“Woo, I envy being able to see my wife eat live.”]
Everyone chatted while eating, and Song Jianchu kept observing Mu Ye with concern, thinking that maybe he would feel better if he had a drink.
Mu Ye drank a glass of beer and put down the glass. He still looked exhausted and seemed uninterested in alcohol.
Song Jianchu: “…”
An Ran said, “I watched the previous episode, it’s a pity, I also want to go back to school and take a look.”
“But Teacher Qin is indeed more suitable to go back to our alma mater as a teacher.” An Ran laughed with self-awareness, “After all, he and Brother Chu are both top students. I wouldn’t be able to handle the junior and senior students.”
“Are you three from the same year?” Pei Shinian asked.
“Yes,” An Ran said, “Brother Chu was amazing back then, a super genius. But… his image is quite different now, haha.”
An Ran added with a strong will to survive, “But he’s also handsome! Many senior sisters liked him.”
Song Jianchu quickly glanced at Mu Ye and frowned, “There aren’t many, are there?”
“Brother Chu, you probably didn’t notice because you were busy studying,” An Ran said, “Just to catch a glimpse of you, many senior sisters from our year would come to stroll around the floors every day. Director Zhang had to chase away so many people.”
Sensing Mu Ye’s gaze drifting lightly towards them, Song Jianchu sealed An Ran’s mouth by giving her a chicken leg, saying, “Eat your food.”
An Ran gratefully said, “Thank you, Brother Chu.”
Mu Ye stared at An Ran’s plate and then glanced faintly at Song Jianchu.
Song Jianchu understood and immediately gave Mu Ye a chicken leg too.
Mu Ye lazily leaned back in his chair, lowered his eyes, and said softly, “I don’t want to eat chicken.”
Mu Ye finally spoke, and everyone stopped chatting and looked over together.
Song Jianchu then picked a piece of fish, carefully removing the bones, and put it in Mu Ye’s plate.
Mu Ye’s eyelashes drooped. “I don’t want to eat fish.”
Song Jianchu picked up a piece of rice cake for him.
“I don’t like rice cakes.”
Didn’t he say earlier that he would eat anything?
Everyone’s eyes gradually became confused.
An Ran stared at the handsome man in front of her, trying to lighten the mood with a forced smile. “Haha, Teacher Mu is quite picky.”
[“???”]
[“Is he drunk or something?”]
[“He only had one glass, right?”]
Song Jianchu patiently asked, “Then what do you want to eat?”
Mu Ye fell silent for a moment, slowly raised his gaze, and said softly, “Anything else is fine.”
Song Jianchu immediately understood and picked a dish that An Ran hadn’t touched and put it in front of Mu Ye.
Mu Ye softly said “Thank you” and slowly picked up his chopsticks to eat.
[“Mr. Mu, what about your hand???”]
[“Ah, ah, ah, you mischievous person! No acting cute!”]
[“Hahaha, Mu Ye, you’re so adorable.”]
Bai Xingyu looked at him with a strange expression. “Are you okay?”
Mu Ye didn’t pay attention to him and looked back at Song Jianchu.
He wanted to drink alcohol.
Song Jianchu quickly understood and poured a glass of alcohol for Mu Ye.
Mu Ye’s complexion eased a bit, and he silently picked up the glass.
[“Son, you spoil him so much.”]
[“Ah, ah, ah, spoil him, spoil him.”]
“Jianchu, you don’t have to pay attention to him,” Bai Xingyu said disdainfully, “Don’t you have hands? Why are you having another episode?”
Song Jianchu continued to serve Mu Ye food like taking care of a girlfriend.
Pei Shinian’s expression was speechless. He thought that dealing with his brother, who acts like this, wasn’t easy for Song Jianchu.
With a big eater at the table, the whole table of dishes was finished, not a bit left.
“You’re amazing,” Pei Shinian exclaimed in shock, “You can eat even more than what was shown in the video.”
An Ran patted her satisfied belly and said apologetically, “I didn’t want to scare everyone in the mukbang videos, so I restrained myself a bit.”
Pei Shinian was scared off.
Except for Song Jianchu, the four in the drinking group had all drunk quite a bit.
Bai Xingyu and Lu Shen returned to their dormitory, and An Ran went to the room that Pei Shinian had arranged for her to rest.
Pei Shinian stretched lazily, following behind Mu Ye and Song Jianchu as they went upstairs. “There’s no choice, I can only squeeze with you guys tonight.”
Mu Ye stopped in his tracks, turned back, and said calmly, “Sleep with Teacher Bai and the others.”
“What joke are you making, Brother?” Pei Shinian widened his eyes in horror, “They’ve been drinking, who knows what they might do at night? If I go over now, won’t I be asking for trouble?”
Song Jianchu thought that if Mu Ye continued to hold back, he might actually get sick, but he couldn’t refuse Pei Shinian from staying in their room.
Mu Ye’s face turned even paler, and he ruthlessly said, “You can sleep on the sofa downstairs.”
“Brother,” Pei Shinian was heartbroken, “How could you treat your poor little brother like this?”
“The sofa is big enough, and there are four dogs to accompany you.”
“You want me to sleep with the dogs??”
Mu Ye directly grabbed Song Jianchu’s hand and quickly entered the room.
Pei Shinian immediately ran to catch up, but the door closed in front of his face.
“Brother!” Pei Shinian knocked on the door, “You can’t treat me like this! Open the door!”
Mu Ye directly locked the door.
Song Jianchu hesitated and said, “Let him in, the first floor might be cold at night–“
Before he finished speaking, Mu Ye pressed him against the door.
Mu Ye wasn’t drunk, but he was slightly tipsy. After holding back the whole day, his eyes were slightly red from suppressing his emotions.
Song Jianchu was stunned and instinctively closed his eyes.
He thought Mu Ye was going to kiss him, so he waited for a few seconds, but there was no kiss.
Song Jianchu slowly opened his eyes.
Mu Ye placed both hands on his shoulders, his gaze filled with longing and hesitation. Yet, he restrained himself from leaning in, as if waiting for the owner’s permission.
Outside the room, Pei Shinian desperately knocked on the door, “Brother, you’ve gone too far!”
Song Jianchu chuckled lightly, somewhat helpless, and took the initiative to reach out and hug him. “Come here.”
It was like a switch had been flipped.
Mu Ye hugged him tightly, burying his face in the crook of Song Jianchu’s neck.
Being so close to Mu Ye, Song Jianchu unexpectedly felt relieved.
He hadn’t had a very comfortable day either.
They hugged and rubbed against each other for a while. Mu Ye helplessly muttered, “Chu Chu, I’ve done my best.”
Song Jianchu tightened his lips and replied, “Mm.”
Mu Ye bit his earlobe and lightly grazed it with his teeth, weakly saying, “I can’t do it anymore, I really can’t hold back.”
Song Jianchu tried his best to hold back his laughter, raised his hand, and stroked Mu Ye’s hair. “It’s okay.”
“If I don’t hug you, you don’t think of me.”
Song Jianchu reassured him, “I do.”
Mu Ye sounded resentful, “You even feed others.”
“I was wrong.”
Mu Ye softly “Mm”ed, his tone filled with some complaints.
Finally being close to him, Mu Ye didn’t want to let go for a moment. He closed his eyes, comfortably leaning against Song Jianchu and recharging himself.
Pei Shinian had become silent outside. Perhaps he had already gone downstairs to sleep on the first floor.
Song Jianchu patted Mu Ye’s back and coaxed him, “Let Teacher Pei come in.”
Mu Ye rested his chin on Song Jianchu’s shoulder, reluctantly saying, “Then can I still hug you while sleeping?”
There were two beds in the room, but since he and Mu Ye were sleeping together, one bed had remained untouched.
Song Jianchu thought that if Pei Shinian came in to sleep, it wouldn’t be very comfortable for him to sleep with Mu Ye.
Song Jianchu tactfully said, “You’ll be going home tomorrow night.”
Mu Ye’s tone was low, “I haven’t hugged you for a whole day.”
“…”
Pei Shinian already knew about their relationship, so there was no point in pretending.
Song Jianchu calmly agreed, “Then let’s hug.”
Mu Ye looked up, surprised. Song Jianchu had always been discreet about their relationship in front of others.
His previous reluctance disappeared, and a hint of anticipation appeared in Mu Ye’s expression.
Mu Ye’s Adam’s apple bobbed lightly as he stared at the calm-faced young man, confirming, “It’s okay even if someone sees?”
Song Jianchu’s face turned slightly red, and he awkwardly looked away, “We can only hug while sleeping.”
Mu Ye took a shallow breath, and his Adam’s apple bobbed again.
Pei Shinian, leaning against the wall near the door, was about to go downstairs to sleep with the dogs.
Suddenly, the door next to him opened.
Moved, Pei Shinian looked up, “Brother.”
His brother calmly said, “Come in.”
thank you for the update! merry christmas~