Jing Nian had a leisurely morning, but he could tell Jiang Jue was quite busy.
Jiang Jue spent the morning sitting in a quiet corner of the rest area, holding his laptop and attending three consecutive online meetings.
During that time, he also took a phone call. Out of boredom, Jing Nian walked over with a drink and overheard a bit—it seemed Jiang Jue was asking someone to help find an antique item, probably something work-related, so Jing Nian didn’t pry further.
Not long after, the silver shaded British shorthair that had been bullied by Little Rabbit earlier slowly emerged from a corner.
The kitten weaved around the tables and chairs, circling Jiang Jue’s legs affectionately, its tail held high as it let out soft meows.
This was a pet shop cat’s tried-and-true method for begging for treats.
Unfortunately, Jiang Jue was busy, his eyes fixed on the screen. He only spared one hand to quickly pat the kitten’s head, giving it a perfunctory response.
The kitten refused to give up and, seizing the moment when Jiang Jue lifted his arm, burrowed right into his lap.
Jing Nian, who had been sitting listlessly behind the counter, immediately straightened up and stood from his seat.
That was his…!
Wait, no—why was he thinking that way?!
He stared at the cat nestled in the man’s arms, lost in thought, then silently sat back down.
Little Rabbit saw it too and, without a word, rolled up its nonexistent sleeves and charged over to settle the score with that silver shaded cat.
Anyone who bullies Little Rabbit is no good, and anyone bullied by Little Rabbit is no good either.
That sneaky, scheming little cat—how dare it burrow into someone’s lap!
Is that even your spot?!
Little Rabbit rushed over, chased the silver shaded cat away, and cornered it once again for another beating.
The small pet dogs nearby were so frightened they huddled in a corner, trembling, afraid they might be next.
At noon, the shop had an hour-long break for lunch. Jiang Jue closed his laptop, walked over to Jing Nian, and asked gently, “What would you like to eat? I’ll go buy lunch for you.”
Jing Nian tilted his head and thought for a moment. “McDonald’s!”
“Alright,” Jiang Jue agreed, and before leaving, he habitually ruffled Jing Nian’s hair.
Jing Nian wrinkled his nose, annoyed that Jiang Jue’s hands smelled of other cats, and smoothed down his own hair.
Just then, a customer—a young woman—came into the shop wanting to pet the animals.
Jing Nian lowered his head to register her, and the woman noticed an especially cute dwarf rabbit sitting on the front desk, soft and fluffy, curled up like a little kiwifruit.
“Can I pet it?”
Jing Nian looked up at the sound, and when the woman saw his face, her expression instantly changed. She repeated, “Can I pet it?”
The only pet here was Little Rabbit, so Jing Nian didn’t think much of it and nodded. “Sure.”
Then the woman decisively pulled out her phone, held it up, and used a clever camera angle to make it look like she was petting Jing Nian’s head from a distance.
Little Rabbit, who had already lifted its head expectantly, waiting for the young woman to pet it: …
What?! Its soft, fluffy self was less appealing than Jing Nian’s bare, hard head?!
How outrageous!
Furious, Little Rabbit hopped in front of Jing Nian, reached up, and pulled down one of its short ears, leaving only one standing.
A rabbit with only one ear up is like giving the middle finger—a rude gesture.
Give me back the young woman!
“Are you crazy? Can’t you have some manners?” Jing Nian poked the little troublemaker with a finger, sending it stumbling sideways.
Jiang Jue, returning with lunch, had no idea that his A’Nian had just been virtually petted by someone else. “Freshly baked red bean pies, eat them while they’re hot.”
Jing Nian took the still-warm paper bag and was about to dig in when he suddenly looked down and noticed his pink, cute work uniform.
A mischievous thought crossed his mind, and he sneakily glanced at Jiang Jue.
Only to be caught red-handed.
Jiang Jue inserted a straw into a drink and handed it to him. “What’s wrong? Not to your taste?”
“Nothing,” Jing Nian shook his head, thinking he was acting perfectly innocent, unaware that the subtle expression on his face had already given him away.
Just by looking at him, Jiang Jue knew the kid was up to no good.
Back when the little rascal used to smear ink all over his clothes, he wore that exact same expression.
Well, as long as the kid was happy.
Jiang Jue had also prepared a big box of timothy hay for Little Rabbit.
Little Rabbit was moved to tears. It had been so long since anyone had paid him such attention. He immediately hugged the hay and started munching away.
But Jiang Jue’s next words sent a chill down his spine.
The man curved his lips slightly, as if casually reminding him, “Take your time, no rush. There’s more in the car—I bought a whole cart for Little Rabbit.”
A whole cart…? A truckload?!
The hay in his mouth instantly lost its flavor. Little Rabbit stiffly turned to look at Jing Nian, his first thought being that Jing Nian hadn’t erased the man’s memories thoroughly enough.
But then he looked at Jiang Jue’s calm, unruffled demeanor—his tone gentle and mild, as if he was genuinely concerned about him eating too fast.
Besides, this man was always polite when he spoke. Maybe he was just overthinking it… overthinking it…
Jing Nian had no idea what Little Rabbit and Jiang Jue had talked about that day. He only noticed that Little Rabbit was acting strangely, eating his hay sometimes fast, sometimes slow.
He took a big bite of his burger and tapped Little Rabbit’s head. “Chew slowly! You’ll choke eating that fast!”
Little Rabbit angrily threw the hay aside and perked up one ear again.
Jiang Jue watched the two of them bicker fondly, finally catching a glimpse of the carefree, spirited child Jing Nian used to be.
If Jing Nian had thought the job was easy in the morning, by the afternoon, he wanted to punch his past self for even entertaining that idea.
Perhaps everyone had been too busy in the morning to relax, so they all crowded in during the afternoon.
The first-floor lounge was packed. The pets couldn’t laze around like they did in the morning either—they all perked up to “entertain” guests and earn treats.
Jing Nian thought he was already swamped, but he had no idea that an even worse situation awaited him.
Someone started it, and before he knew it, Jing Nian was not only attending to guests but also taking photos with them.
He had a handsome face, and even when he wore an expression as if someone owed him two million, the customers would still excitedly squeal about how cute he was and crowd around him with their phones.
From the moment Jiang Jue saw Jing Nian surrounded, he felt uneasy.
His possessiveness over A’Nian was intense. Without hesitation, he squeezed through the tightly packed crowd to the counter and subtly positioned himself in front of Jing Nian.
“The store has specially arranged photo areas. Everyone is welcome to take pictures there. Please do not disturb the staff.”
His demeanor was gentle, his voice calm and measured, yet he carried an innate air of authority. He raised an arm, shielding Jing Nian without being overt.
But Jiang Jue had clearly underestimated the madness of this new generation.
For some reason, seeing him so protective of Jing Nian and the two of them standing together only made everyone even more excited.
The girls at the front all nodded in agreement, “Okay, we definitely won’t take any more photos.”
In reality, the camera flashes never even turned off.
If asked, they’d say the shop had no rule against taking photos, and taking pictures with customers was actually part of Jing Nian’s job.
So, the focus of the photos shifted from one person to two. No one directly approached Jing Nian for a photo anymore—the lenses were all aimed at him and Jiang Jue.
Jing Nian hesitated, his face darkening, his small mouth opening and closing, “You’re here to cause trouble, aren’t you?”
Jiang Jue hadn’t expected things to develop in a direction he’d never imagined. Was he really getting old?
Finally, after enduring until the end of the shift, Jing Nian swore he’d never come back while eagerly pulling Jiang Jue into the changing room.
The employee changing rooms were individual cubicles, not very spacious, just barely enough to fit two grown men.
“The apron is really troublesome to take off. I can’t do it myself—help me,” Jing Nian had his own excuse.
He closed the door, turned his back to the mirror, and let the man behind him help him untie the apron.
Private and cramped spaces always made it easier for unspoken thoughts to grow.
Jiang Jue’s eyes darkened, his Adam’s apple bobbing, “Alright… I’ll help A’Nian.”
The man’s fingers landed on the bow of the pink lace apron. The ribbon wasn’t as difficult to untie as Jing Nian had claimed—it loosened with a gentle tug.
But Jiang Jue didn’t let go easily.
His palm slid along the edge of the apron, moving forward to rest on the slender waist, pressing against it through the layer of clothing.
Jing Nian’s waist was soft and slender. In the past, Jiang Jue could wrap one hand around it, and with a bit more force, faint red marks would be left behind.
While he was lost in thought, staring at the boy’s slender waist, Jing Nian remained oblivious, tilting his head back and humming softly.
Jing Nian could hear the rustling behind him, but after a while, Jiang Jue still hadn’t said anything.
He glanced sideways and saw that the apron had long been untied, yet the man’s hand was still resting on his waist.
The kitten’s face immediately fell.
The moment Jing Nian looked over, Jiang Jue let go, returning to his usual gentle and refined demeanor, as if the person with all those unspeakable thoughts just moments ago wasn’t him at all.
Holding the apron, he shrugged innocently, “It wasn’t hard to untie. It came loose with just a tug.”
Liar!
“Then why did you take so long just now?”
He had indeed taken his time—in his mind, he had already pinned the boy down and taken his time.
Jing Nian didn’t have the energy to argue about it and pulled out the excuse he’d prepared earlier, “I didn’t expect working at a pet shop to be so exhausting. I’m never coming back again.”
He looked at the apron in Jiang Jue’s hand with “reluctance,” “I won’t get to see this outfit again either. What a shame…”
“Why don’t you try it on for me!”
Jiang Jue’s temple twitched. He knew there was a trap in those words, but the trap was laid right in the middle of the road—it was far too obvious.
So, the boy wanted to see him wear this.
Thinking he was unwilling, Jing Nian pitifully tugged at his hand and pleaded softly, “No one will see in here. It’s just me, and I won’t laugh at you.”
As he spoke, he had already taken the apron and held it up against the man, trying to change the subject and distract him.
“Does your company have any positions that are low-effort, high-paying, and easy? Hook me up with some backdoor access.”
Jiang Jue had no idea how that apron ended up tangled around him.
In the mirror, the size that fit Jing Nian perfectly looked like a child’s bib on him—not only unattractive but also carrying an indescribable sense of incongruity.
“My company does have…”
He stopped himself just in time.
With his authority, he could easily pull strings for Jing Nian a hundred times over, but he couldn’t let Jing Nian know he was in Longjing just yet.
“Those positions aren’t good enough—they’d be too demeaning for A’Nian. But I do have one that’s perfect for you.”
Jing Nian was still staring wide-eyed at the apron draped over him when his wrist was gently caught and guided to rest against the man’s chest.
Beneath his palm, he could feel the steady thump of a heartbeat. Jing Nian felt his own heart suddenly racing, and the tips of his ears flushed pink without him realizing.
“…Huh, what?”
Jiang Jue leaned in close, his warm breath brushing against Jing Nian’s ear, his voice low and intimate. “Be my personal assistant, and let me stay by your side every day.”