Qin Zelin turned around, following the tug on his coat and looked at Cen Miao, asking softly, “What is it now?”
Cen Miao lowered his eyes, looking a little wronged.
Weren’t those two Older Sisters just saying that as long as he got married, he would keep him by his side and even give him food?
Why was this human leaving him now, getting into the car and walking away?
Could it be… regretting it? Not wanting to take care of him?
Because he just ate that piece of meat, did he think he ate too much and couldn’t be supported?
“Why… did you go by yourself?”
The soft voice had a hint of coquettishness, making Qin Zelin’s ears heat up, and he couldn’t help but frown.
The person who had seemed so stiff at first meeting… why was he now so fond of acting cute?
Looking at Cen Miao’s eyes, misted over with grievance, Qin Zelin let out a long sigh.
As expected, marriage—even a contractual one—was troublesome.
Well, probably because Old Master Cen had passed, and Cen Family had driven him out, he had no one to care for him, so he naturally wanted to depend on someone.
Poor thing. He would guide him slowly later.
“Do you want me to go with you to pack your things?” Qin Zelin asked in a helpless tone.
Cen Miao nodded and softly said, “Mm,” his voice slightly nasal.
Qin Zelin: “…….”
“Get in the car.”
“President Qin, are we going home or back to the company?” the Driver asked.
“Tell the Driver your home address,” Qin Zelin said, glancing sideways at Cen Miao.
Cen Miao recalled quietly, “In Manfu Residential Area.”
After a moment, he politely added in a soft voice: “Thank you, brother.”
Qin Zelin, about to check emails, paused, his eyes flicking to the two, frowning.
The Driver felt a chill run down his spine: “!!!” Definitely not allowed to be called that!
“Haha, you can just call me Xiao Liu.”
Cen Miao obediently nodded. “Okay, thank you, Xiao Liu brother.”
Qin Zelin: “……..”
Xiao Liu glanced at the Bodyguard in the passenger seat: “……..” Save me!
The Bodyguard turned his head toward the window: “…The number you dialed is not in service.”
On the way, Cen Miao tugged on Qin Zelin’s coat corner, cautiously speaking: “Next time, I won’t eat your food. Today… it’s only because you said I could eat it that I did.”
“I can eat less, I won’t waste much of your money on food.”
Qin Zelin: “……..”
Bodyguard: ……?
Xiao Liu: “???” You could buy an island for no reason and still not spend all the boss’s money!
Qin Zelin’s gaze fell on the hand holding his coat. The wrist was slender and pale, faint blue veins visible under the skin.
So thin… could it be that after Old Master Cen passed, he hadn’t eaten enough?
“You don’t need to eat less,” Qin Zelin said calmly. “Eat as much as you want.”
Cen Miao’s eyes lit up immediately, staring wide: “Really? You… have a lot of money to buy food?”
Xiao Liu: Yes! He has lots! Very, very much!
Qin Zelin was silent for a moment, then quietly responded, “…Mm.”
Cen Miao was ecstatic. His new caretaker was just as good as his Caretaker Dad in the apocalypse!
Twenty-some minutes later, the car stopped in front of an old building with some history.
Qin Zelin finished replying to his assistant’s messages, then turned to see Cen Miao looking at him eagerly.
“……..” They silently stared at each other for two seconds before Qin Zelin, showing helplessness, said: “Do I have to go with you to pack too?”
Cen Miao nodded vigorously.
Qin Zelin: “Let’s go.”
“I’ll go with him. Xiao Wang doesn’t need to follow.” He looked coldly at the Bodyguard getting out of the passenger seat.
“Understood, President Qin.”
Qin Zelin followed Cen Miao into a half-underground small apartment. The place was simple, but tidy and clean.
Cen Miao stood dazed, staring at Qin Zelin, his eyes vacant, as if this home wasn’t really his.
Qin Zelin sighed and glanced around. “Where’s the suitcase?”
After a moment, Cen Miao pushed out a suitcase from the corner, stuffed all the clothes from the cabinet inside, and went to get the slippers from the floor.
“Don’t need the slippers,” Qin Zelin’s voice came from above. “They’re old.”
Cen Miao pouted, eyes lingering on the fuzzy slippers for a moment before looking up and softly muttering to Qin Zelin: “Cute… want them.”
Qin Zelin: “……”
“I’ll take you to buy new ones later,” seeing that Cen Miao still held the slippers, he paused and stiffly added, “Just as… cute as these.”
When Cen Miao finally let go of the slippers and tried to grab an easel, Qin Zelin quickly said: “Tomorrow we’ll set up a studio at home. You don’t need to take this one.”
After packing, Qin Zelin carried the luggage upstairs, glancing back at Cen Miao, who walked as if with a delay. “Tell the landlord to process the lease termination… never mind. Give me the number; I’ll have my assistant handle it.”
After a while, Cen Miao responded with an “Oh.”
Qin Zelin: “……”
Outside the unit, Cen Miao noticed a small blue electric scooter in the corner, remembered it belonged to the original owner, and tugged Qin Zelin’s sleeve, pointing at it.
“And this too.”
“You’ll have the Driver to take you around from now on.”
Cen Miao glanced at the scooter with cartoon stickers, then at the sleek black Maybach on the street, and without hesitation, made his choice.
“But my scooter is cuter. Your car is ugly.”
“………………..?” His car is ugly???
Qin Zelin handed the suitcase to the Bodyguard, rubbed his temple, and didn’t argue: “We’ll have someone deliver it home later.”
After the Bodyguard stowed the luggage in the car, Qin Zelin quietly instructed the Driver: “Go home first. Stop at a supermarket on the way.”
“Understood, President Qin.”
At the supermarket, Cen Miao stared at a pair of black-and-white dog slippers in the slipper section.
They looked just like his Mao Mao! (づ??????)づ
“Take whichever you want. Other daily necessities are at home,” Qin Zelin’s voice came from behind.
“Oh,” Cen Miao hugged the slippers to his chest and followed Qin Zelin like a little tail.
Near the checkout, Qin Zelin suddenly noticed the quiet behind him. Looking back, Cen Miao was gone.
After a few turns, he found him in front of a row of beef jerky shelves, eyes fixed on the snacks like a puppy spotting a bone.
“…………….。。。”
“Why didn’t you tell me you were stopping?” Qin Zelin asked coldly, frowning.
Cen Miao turned, frightened by his stern expression, looking down at his fingers, the tuft of hair on his head drooping.
“Sorry….”
Qin Zelin pressed his thin lips together, feeling an inexplicable emotion at Cen Miao’s wronged expression. Clearing his throat, his voice softened unconsciously: “Do you want some?”
“Mm.”
“Take it.”
Cen Miao picked up a bag of jerky, hesitated as he remembered all supplies had to be bought, and shyly asked, “Is it expensive? If it’s expensive, I won’t buy it.”
He was easy to care for, and very sensible.
Qin Zelin looked down at Cen Miao’s big, innocent eyes, so much like the dog on the slippers, pitiful and adorable.
“Not expensive,” he said, taking the bag Cen Miao had put back, and then grabbing all the same jerky off the shelf. “Let’s go.”
“Mm.” Cen Miao happily hugged the dog slippers, scampering after Qin Zelin to the checkout.
At the villa entrance, Qin Zelin handed the newly bought slippers to Cen Miao. “Put them on.”
“Oh.”
The butler, Old Lin, watched the interaction, his face creased with a grin.
So… it’s official?
Old Lin suppressed his excitement, quickly turned away, and took out his phone to report.