Shang Xuci took him to the adjacent utility room and applied some painkillers to Jian Xun’s wound.
The man’s dark eyes focused on the injury, his large hands moving gently as he applied the medicine.
“Does it hurt?” His voice softened like a spring breeze.
Jian Xun was stunned. He had never seen a boss show such concern for anyone before.
He pressed further. “Can you blow on it?”
Shang Xuci paused. “? ?”
Jian Xun stared up at him without blinking. “Blow on the wound. I was injured before, and blowing on it healed it.”
Shang Xuci interrupted ruthlessly. “That’s just a joke. If you’re injured, you should see a doctor. Treatment is the only thing that works.”
Jian Xun frowned slightly. “You weren’t like this before. Didn’t you blow on Sui Sui?”
He puffed his cheeks, his expression slightly displeased.
Shang Xuci applied more medicine and pinched his cheek. “Smile.”
Jian Xun pouted. “I can’t smile.”
Shang Xuci glanced at him calmly. “Add five hundred to your salary.”
Jian Xun immediately broke into a brilliant smile, as if the pain from his previous injury had been an illusion.
Shang Xuci: “…”
He suddenly seemed to have mastered the art of soothing a child.
Shang Xuci stood, ruffled Jian Xun’s hair, and said, “Pay attention to where you’re walking next time. Don’t stare at the bookshelf.”
Jian Xun muttered softly, following him. “Who made your study so big? You have to run quite a distance just to get something.”
Still preoccupied with his meal, Jian Xun watched Shang Xuci take his first bite with a spoon before pointing to the bookshelf. “Boss, can I read a book?”
Shang Xuci raised his eyelids slightly. “As you wish.”
Jian Xun beamed, picked up the cat illustration he had just noticed, and sat across from Shang Xuci. Like an elementary school student in class, he straightened his back, placed his hands on the table, and studied the illustration intently.
Shang Xuci elegantly finished his fried rice. Jian Xun immediately stood and walked over to clear the table. “I’ll put the plates away.”
He picked up the plates, glanced at his empty coffee cup, then carried both in his hands and briskly walked out.
Shang Xuci stared at his back, not withdrawing his gaze until the door gently closed.
The room returned to silence.
Shang Xuci closed the book in his hands and shut his eyes to rest.
“Click.”
The door opened again.
Shang Xuci opened his eyes and looked up.
The study door had opened just a crack, revealing a small head.
“Boss, can I come up and read after I finish washing the dishes?”
Shang Xuci glanced at the open cat illustration on the table and said calmly, “Bring Sui Sui here.”
Jian Xun: “…Okay.”
The young man looked visibly disappointed, his eyelashes drooping.
Shang Xuci couldn’t help but add, “Tell the butler to bring up another plate of snacks.”
Jian Xun: “Okay.”
The door closed again.
Jian Xun, descending the stairs, tugged at the two strings on his sweatshirt and sighed. If he had known, he wouldn’t have asked. This way, he could turn into a cat, openly enter the study to look at the illustrations, and even sleep on the boss’s lap.
But the boss had just patted his head!
Jian Xun smiled sweetly, patted his head again, and hummed a song as he went downstairs to get some snacks.
The only snack left was a small, delicate cake. It had a slightly golden rim and a white cream top, adorned with a fresh strawberry and finely chopped chocolate, giving it an alluring hue. The round, chewy surface seemed to invite a bite.
Jian Xun inhaled the aroma and felt a surge of greed.
The chef was away, and with only this one piece of cake left, Jian Xun shook off the urge to eat, arranged the cake delicately, and carried it upstairs.
There were still twenty pages of illustrations left. Jian Xun checked the time and realized he had an hour.
No rush.
He wanted to finish reading and then go back.
Jian Xun glanced at Shang Xuci, who was also reading, and quietly sat down on the bench.
Since he had entered, the boss hadn’t even looked up at him.
A sweet, enticing aroma filled the air, awakening Jian Xun’s taste buds. The blend of vanilla, butter, and sugar whetted his appetite.
After smelling it, Jian Xun’s mind drifted away from the illustrations. The page he was reading still featured a kitten enjoying a delicious meal, which only made him hungrier.
He hadn’t eaten dinner yet, and by now, he was already ravenous.
His gaze gradually shifted from the cake to Shang Xuci. Seeing that he barely moved his fingers, turning the pages without even touching the cake, Jian Xun’s heart itched even more.
Was he going to eat it or not?
Jian Xun slumped forward, elbows resting on the table, chin propped up, staring blankly at the cake.
He’d pick up a late-night snack on the way home. If he came across a dessert shop that was still open, he’d buy two of the same cakes—one for Xu Tutu and one for himself.
Jian Xun was already imagining the taste of the cakes, grinning foolishly.
Shang Xuci inadvertently caught a glimpse of his silly expression, his voice smooth and magnetic.
“Jian Xun.”
Jian Xun subconsciously reached up and lightly brushed his lips, panicking. “Boss, what did you say?”
“Eat the cake.”
Jian Xun: “???”
Shang Xuci pushed the cake toward him.
“A dessert for the kids.”
Jian Xun’s eyes instantly brightened. “Can I have some?”
Shang Xuci: “Who else but you?”
Jian Xun was so excited he almost wanted to pounce on him.
“Boss, you’re so kind!”
His head itched—he wanted to turn into a cat, rub against it, and cling to Shang Xuci’s neck!
Jian Xun focused on eating the cake. It was soft, sticky, and sweet—just as delicious as he’d imagined!
A can of drink appeared in front of him.
Jian Xun looked up at the man in confusion.
Shang Xuci said, “It’s a relief.”
Seeing the cream on the corner of Jian Xun’s mouth and his satisfied smile, Shang Xuci’s heart skipped a beat. It seemed his emotions were easily influenced by the young man. He tore off a piece of paper and opened the can.
Jian Xun didn’t even glance at it; he simply picked up the drink and gulped it down.
“Ah, delicious!” Jian Xun sighed contentedly, rubbing his belly and narrowing his eyes.
Shang Xuci didn’t even notice the slight curl of his lips. His gaze returned to the book, his thoughts turning a thousand times. These past few days, he seemed constantly aware of Jian Xun. In just a few short weeks, his tolerance for him had grown considerably. Crucially, the more he got to know him, the more he liked him.
Jian Xun took a second sip, reading as he drank, until the words on the page seemed to spin around like ants.
Why do I feel so dizzy?
I’m so sleepy.
Jian Xun yawned and fell asleep, resting his head on his arm.
After focusing on him for a moment, Shang Xuci looked up to find Jian Xun asleep. Calling his name several times to no avail, he carried the boy back to bed.
Shang Xuci lifted Jian Xun horizontally, feeling how light he was. He then looked at the boy’s fair face, cheeks faintly pink, mumbling incoherently.
He looked drunk.
It was just fruit wine, not high in alcohol. Could he really get drunk from that? Shang Xuci narrowed his eyes slightly, an unfamiliar emotion flickering across them. He lowered his head, inhaled the boy’s faint floral scent, sighed, and looked away.
Glancing at Jian Xun’s sleeping position again, he noticed the boy was slightly curled up, knees bent, head resting on his arm. His other hand rested casually on his chest, fingers curled into a half-fist, occasionally scratching his head like a cat.
“…What a little fool.”
The boy murmured something in his sleep. Leaning closer, Shang Xuci heard him clearly mutter, “Shang Shang.”
Shang Shang?
Who was that? Who was the person appearing in his dreams?
Shang Xuci frowned slightly as he straightened the corners of the quilt, unaware of his own irritation.
The man stood up, not returning to the study. He showered and went to bed.
The night was quiet. A cool breeze blew through the screen window, gently caressing Jian Xun’s cheek. He shivered and drowsily opened his eyes.
Has he fallen asleep?
Is he lying in bed now?
Memories flooded back, and Jian Xun shuddered, instantly awake.
He quickly checked his phone. Over ten missed calls, all from Xu Tutu. Glancing at the time, it was almost eleven o’clock.
The call went through, and Jian Xun explained the whole story. He described Xu Tutu as a generous cat and agreed to come back tomorrow.
Putting down the phone, Jian Xun lifted the covers and returned to sleep.
He recalled falling asleep in the study, his head resting in a gentle, generous embrace. The warmth made him wish to be held like that forever.
In a daze, he saw his boss laying him on the bed, tucking him in, and gently ruffling his hair, calling him a little idiot in a friendly way.
Jian Xun touched his ear, which still seemed to hold the man’s warmth.
He could accept a head pat, but why pinch his ear? And pinch it the same way he pinched Sui Sui’s ear…
Jian Xun felt shy and buried his head in the covers.
He couldn’t figure it out. Was it because his ear felt so good to the touch? Jian Xun pinched his smooth, soft earlobe, and his eyelashes fluttered.
It felt itchy and a little… pleasurable.
It felt like a very intimate act.
Does the boss do this to other people?
He closed his eyes, lay on his side, and turned over.
Opened his eyes.
Still couldn’t sleep.
Jian Xun checked the dashboard. Aside from the decrease in his blackened stats, the other stats remained largely unchanged.
Is it because Sui Sui is a fake cat?
Slipping on his slippers, Jian Xun headed upstairs. Shang Xuci, also awake, had gotten up to pour himself a glass of water from the dispenser outside. Hearing footsteps on the stairs, he stepped back into the shadows.
As the sound drew nearer, Shang Xuci glanced down. Seeing who it was, he turned, went back inside, and closed the door.
“Click!”
It was the sound of a door opening. Even with his eyes closed, Shang Xuci was certain it was the bedroom door.
The silence deepened, his breathing slowing for a beat.
Though he didn’t open his eyes, he wanted to know what Jian Xun was up to.
The dim orange light in the room glowed softly.
Jian Xun stood beside the bed, gazing intently at Shang Xuci. He stepped forward and waved a hand in front of his face—no reaction. The man seemed sound asleep.
Growing bolder, Jian Xun squatted down, leaned in, sniffed lightly, and muttered under his breath, “The intimacy level hasn’t increased at all. Do you expect me to stick to you 24/7?”
“But you have to go to work.”
“When will we finally have a happy ending?” Jian Xun cupped his face and looked at him. “Never mind. Just a smile every day is good enough.”
“You look so handsome when you smile!” Jian Xun struggled to find the right word, finally settling on, “Even more handsome than Chen Chi!”
Chen Chi?
Who?
Why did Jian Xun come here in the middle of the night just to say these strange things?
Shang Xuci kept his breathing steady, his eyelids barely twitching. He felt the boy’s breath growing heavier, warmer—drifting closer and closer to his face…
The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Shang Xuci hesitated, debating whether to open his eyes.
Suddenly, the room went pitch dark. The edge of the bed dipped, and a faint cherry blossom scent filled the air. A soft peck landed on his left cheek.
“Goodnight.”
The gentle, youthful voice was unmistakably Jian Xun’s.
Caught off guard by the kiss, Shang Xuci froze for a few seconds. The moment Jian Xun pulled away, he reached out, his fingertips brushing against something as light and soft as a dandelion.
He caught nothing.
Shang Xuci’s eyes snapped open.
A dark figure crouched beside the bed, letting out a soft, tender sound.
“Meow?”