The housekeeper added, “He’s staying out for both weekends.”
“I see,” Shang Xuci said calmly.
Two days wasn’t long, but it wasn’t short either.
When the weekend passed, Jian Xun stood at the door, bag in hand, eagerly waiting.
He’d already asked the front desk, but Shang Xuci hadn’t arrived yet. According to his usual schedule, the man still had ten minutes to go.
The familiar car pulled up, and the man stepped out, heading straight for the door.
Jian Xun’s eyes lit up, and he hurried after him. “Boss, you’re here?”
Shang Xuci glanced at him calmly, then walked straight toward the elevator. Jian Xun quickened his pace to follow.
He didn’t know if it was just his imagination, but the moment he entered the elevator, Jian Xun felt a chill run down his spine.
Back at his workstation, he put his bag away, turned on his computer, and took out a bag of scented tea the girl next door had given him.
While washing cups in the bathroom, Jian Xun overheard a few women at the nearby sink gossiping about him and Shang Xuci.
“Are they together?”
“Probably. I’ve never heard of an assistant living with the boss—coming and going together like that.”
“I heard from former employees that Mr. Shang has never been this attentive to anyone. Didn’t you see the clothes Jian Xun is wearing? We couldn’t even afford one with our monthly salary.”
“Well, you know what? I saw them in matching outfits. And Jian brings Mr. Shang homemade meals every day. Haven’t you noticed Miss Meng has been visiting the boss less often since he showed up?”
“Mr. Shang always looks at him with such tenderness.”
“Are they in a relationship? Or… something like that?”
“That kind of relationship?”
“Keep your voice down, that’s a bit harsh. She’s just saying he’s being kept…”
Jian Xun didn’t mind the first part—it was just a misunderstanding. But when the word kept came up, his ears pricked up and he froze in his tracks.
“It’s really possible. I’ve been watching for a while. Jian Xun’s such an innocent kid. I asked him once—he’s single and doesn’t come from a well-off family. But when he talks about Mr. Shang, his eyes light up and he can’t stop smiling.”
“Yeah, he always eats lunch with the boss. Since they’re a couple, Secretary Fu definitely wouldn’t be so strict with the boss’s wife. Just look at her attitude.”
“Tsk tsk. He works for the boss during the day and works for the boss after hours. I wonder if he’s getting double pay…”
The voices gradually faded. Only after they had completely disappeared did Jian Xun finally wash his hands and leave the bathroom.
He was listless the whole morning, even making mistakes while typing documents.
At noon—
Jian Xun was heating his lunch box in the microwave when he happened to see Secretary Fu.
“Brother Fu, could you please take the lunch to the boss?” Jian Xun asked softly, holding out the lunch box.
Fu Qian said coldly, “I’ll do it myself.”
Jian Xun immediately withdrew his hand and nodded in agreement.
He had no choice but to obediently carry the lunch box to Shang Xuci.
At the dining table, a few exquisite cakes had been set out. Shang Xuci usually pushed them toward him, and he had always eaten them, thinking the boss didn’t like sweets. Now, looking back, it seemed those cakes had been prepared especially for him.
Just as he was lost in thought, Fu Qian knocked on the door and entered, placing a bottle of hot pure milk on the table. Jian Xun instinctively reached for it. Fu Qian coughed twice. Jian Xun looked up at her stern expression. She glanced at him and then at Shang Xuci, as if to say the milk was meant for the boss.
Jian Xun quickly put it back.
Shang Xuci raised his eyes. “Don’t like it?”
“Huh?” Jian Xun blinked in confusion. Realizing what he was doing, he hurriedly said, “This is from Secretary Fu—for the boss.”
“I don’t drink pure milk.” Shang Xuci fixed his gaze on Jian Xun and said calmly, “This is for you.”
“Oh.” Jian Xun inserted the straw and took a sip. From the corner of his eye, he glanced at Fu Qian. He had the vague feeling Secretary Fu didn’t like him much. She had always bought him cakes and poured him milk before, but now that he was a person instead of a cat, had she changed her mind?
Fu Qian pursed her lips and asked, “Mr. Shang, how’s Sui Sui?”
Shang Xuci: “?”
Fu Qian remained calm. “Many partners sent us cat products for the storage room. They’re all for Sui Sui. He should like them. You haven’t brought him here in a while.”
“That depends on whether he wants to come,” Shang Xuci said, glancing at Jian Xun with a hint of meaning.
Jian Xun caught the look and immediately lowered his head, pretending not to hear.
Everyone knew the boss had a beautiful lion cat that he cherished like the apple of his eye. When the cat went missing, everyone had to work overtime, utterly exhausted. When the cat was finally found, no one was happier than the employees—except the owner himself.
Fu Qian had always taken care of him whenever he came to the company, and after all this time, he had wanted to see the cat.
If Jian Xun knew what Fu Qian was thinking, he would definitely change his mind and say he had good taste.
After Fu Qian left, Jian Xun continued to eat in silence, completely different from his usual chatterbox self.
In the end, a few pieces of cake were still left untouched on the table.
Shang Xuci quickly noticed the boy’s mood was off and asked, “Are you unhappy?”
Jian Xun finished the last bite of his lunch, muttering glumly, “No.”
“If you don’t tell me, I’ll have to ask someone to investigate.”
“Don’t…” Jian Xun raised his head from where it had been lowered, tears welling in his eyes. “Don’t investigate. I’ll tell you.”
Normally talkative, Jian Xun simply repeated what he had overheard today.
“Eat with me, drink with me, stay with me—that’s right,” Shang Xuci said thoughtfully.
“Sleeping with him is also a thing,” Jian Xun muttered softly. Back when he was a cat, he had always slept next to the man. How could that not be considered sleeping with him?
Shang Xuci, well aware of the truth, understood. He set his water glass down and asked calmly, “What else?”
Jian Xun lowered his eyes, his voice growing even softer. “I just get a salary…”
Even if you’re my poop scooper, you can’t exploit your employees.
Shang Xuci: “Okay, I get it.”
His feelings were complicated. Ever since he had learned Jian Xun’s true identity, he had made sure he had the best food and clothing. Their former boss-and-employee relationship was already long over. Yet the little fool wasn’t worried about people gossiping about their closeness—he was worried about money…
It seemed he hadn’t given the cat enough of a sense of security.
Shang Xuci reached out and ruffled his hair. Jian Xun instinctively rubbed his head against the man’s palm.
“Why are you acting like a kitten?” Shang Xuci chuckled, his lips curling.
Jian Xun’s body stiffened, his fair face instantly flushing red.
“I’m… done.” His heart was beating strangely, his fingers felt hot, and he didn’t dare look at the man. His eyes darted around until they landed on the small cakes. He said, “I’ll pack these up.”
“Okay.”
Jian Xun took their lunch boxes to wash. By the time he was done, the office was already dark. After lunch, everyone had begun their nap.
Jian Xun also pulled out a small bed from under his workstation. Every day at noon, he had to lie down in this cramped, cold, and hard space, spreading a small blanket over it.
He had just taken out his fluffy blanket and was about to make his bed when his phone lit up on the desk. Opening it, he saw a message from Shang Xuci, telling him to go to the break room.
Folding the blanket and tucking it back into his bag, Jian Xun stood up and headed over.
When he entered, the man had just finished making the final touches.
“New contract. Take a look.”
Jian Xun picked up the contract and skimmed through it. It was similar to the previous one he had signed, except for the new “compensation” clause at the end. Of course, this “compensation” was flexible and didn’t restrict his freedom.
Triple the salary!
Jian Xun swallowed, glanced at the large, soft bed beside him, and suddenly darted out. “Boss, wait a minute!”
He tiptoed back to his workstation to grab something, then ran back excitedly.
Shang Xuci saw him carrying a bag to the bed and digging through it.
Out came a small blanket, a small quilt, and a soft little pillow.
All that was missing were pajamas.
Shang Xuci froze for a moment, then the corners of his lips curved slightly.
Jian Xun sat on the bed. It was just as soft as he had imagined. Looking up with a bright smile, he said, “Boss, do you want me to be your cuddly pillow?”
He knew Shang Xuci often had insomnia, and that he slept most easily when a cat was lying beside him. This was a perfect way to earn points.
The boy tilted his head back, revealing a smooth neck. His delicate features were strikingly beautiful.
His fair skin glowed under the light, his posture unconsciously forming an inviting gesture.
Shang Xuci’s eyes darkened, his heartbeat pounding like a drum. His voice was hoarse: “Jian Xun.”
Do you know what this means?
Jian Xun looked up at him with wide, clear eyes. Seeing the man staring at him without speaking, hesitation in his gaze, he suddenly remembered something. He quickly stood, nervously pinching the corner of his clothes.
“I can give you a massage, too,” Jian Xun blurted out.
He regretted it immediately, annoyed at himself. I almost forgot—the boss has mysophobia.
“Then a massage.” Shang Xuci didn’t directly answer his earlier question. He slowly walked toward the bed and slipped off his coat. Jian Xun immediately rushed to take it from him and put it away carefully.
Triple salary!
He had to do something for the boss.
It was a pity he couldn’t turn into a cat right now, or else he would have jumped onto the man’s lap and fallen asleep.
Shang Xuci lay in bed while Jian Xun massaged him. As he worked, Jian Xun’s eyelids grew heavy, and his head began to nod. Just as he was about to drift off, a pair of strong hands pulled him up, and he heard someone whisper “Pillow!” in his ear.
Outside, the sun shone brightly, streaming in through the glass, quietly stretching the shadows as if trying to take over the entire room.
Jian Xun’s nose twitched at a familiar scent. He nuzzled his head against the man’s arm, relaxed, and sank into a deep sleep.
Two o’clock in the afternoon.
Fu Qian arrived to deliver documents and found Shang Xuci’s office empty. Curious, he stepped back out.
In the office area, Jian Xun’s desk was also empty. Fu Qian sent him a message and tried calling, but no one answered.
As he approached the lounge door, he saw a man carrying clothes.
“Shang—”
Shang Xuci made a shushing gesture and strode over. “Let’s talk outside.”
He closed the door gently behind him. Fu Qian glanced inside—and froze in horror.
“Don’t assign him too much work in the future.”
Fu Qian was stunned by the strange remark, only then realizing what it implied. Could the rumors in the office be true?
He followed behind Shang Xuci, his expression carefully blank, though inside a huge wave of shock surged.
Mr. Shang had always been single. Even after he brought Xinyu back, tripling his net worth, and his fiancée Jiang Yuanqing broke off their engagement, countless men and women had approached him—but he never gave anyone a second glance. And now… he was fixated on this kid?
Fu Qian knew Jian Xun’s background. Just two months ago, he had no connection to Mr. Shang. He had first worked as a housekeeper, then been assigned to Xinyu Group as an assistant. At first, Fu Qian thought he was just a distant relative, but he never imagined that this “relative” was tied directly to Mr. Shang.
Now that he understood the truth, Fu Qian felt conflicted. Jian Xun was innocent and naive—wouldn’t he be deceived by Mr. Shang? And if people saw him as nothing more than a “kept” lover, wouldn’t that ruin his reputation?
Should he give the boy some advice? Fu Qian frowned and sighed.
Three o’clock in the afternoon.
Jian Xun yawned lazily, stretched, and checked his phone.
He squinted at the screen. 3:04 PM. His eyes flew wide open. He had overslept!
Wouldn’t his salary be docked?!
He hurriedly changed his clothes and slipped out of bed. Seeing no one in the hallway, he rushed back to the office.
Everyone was busy with their own work; no one paid him any attention. He quickly sat at his workstation, patted his chest, and let out a long sigh of relief. The guilt of oversleeping seemed to give him a jolt of adrenaline, allowing him to focus.
He worked steadily until five in the afternoon.
By half past five, most of the office staff had already left, leaving only two or three people behind.
Dong-dong—
There were two knocks on his desk. Jian Xun looked up.
“I’m going home.”
Jian Xun paused, then said hesitantly, “I’m not going home today.”
Shang Xuci: “?”
Meeting the man’s deep gaze, Jian Xun quickly looked away and said softly, “I mean… I’m going home to stay.”