The man seemed to have just finished showering. He had changed into his pajamas, the buttons neatly fastened across his chest, leaving only a small patch of skin around the collarbone exposed.
The simple ivory silk pajamas fit him like something straight out of a fashion magazine, making him appear effortlessly elegant.
Chi Shuyi handed Bai Zhou the backpack that had been hanging from his wrist, expression calm and collected. Bai Zhou let out a small sigh of relief.
“Thanks, Shuyi ge.”
“Did you call Aunt Zhao?”
“Mm.”
Bai Zhou studied Chi Shuyi’s face carefully. Seeing nothing unusual, he finally relaxed completely.
“You must be exhausted from the past few days. After the call, get some rest.”
Chi Shuyi raised a hand and gently ruffled Bai Zhou’s hair. His light-colored eyes caught the glow of the lamp, flickering softly with a subtle warmth.
“I know. You too, Shuyi ge.”
Chi Shuyi smiled faintly, but instead of returning to his room immediately, he lingered in the living room. He seemed to be waiting for something, yet at the same time appeared absorbed in work.
Bai Zhou charged his phone, then rummaged through the pile of clothes Chi Shuyi had bought him earlier, selecting a new pair of pajamas to bring to the bathroom.
Five minutes later, Bai Zhou emerged from the bathroom, holding the pajamas in his arms, and immediately met Chi Shuyi’s warm hazel eyes again.
Chi Shuyi closed his laptop slowly, his expression softening with concern as he walked over.
“What’s wrong?”
Bai Zhou pressed his lips together in mild frustration. “The bathroom in my room is broken. Are there any other bathrooms I could use on the first floor?”
Chi Shuyi hesitated, looking troubled. “Usually I’m the only one living in the apartment. I haven’t set up the guest rooms properly. Your bathroom isn’t usable… there’s only mine.”
“Ah…” Bai Zhou let out a disappointed sound.
“If you don’t mind, Zhouzhou, you can use mine.”
“Really? That’s okay?!”
Perhaps because of the work he had been handling just moments ago, Chi Shuyi still wore a pair of thin-framed glasses. His warm brown eyes reflected the soft light, watching Bai Zhou with such gentleness that it was impossible for the boy to refuse anything.
“Of course.”
Bai Zhou’s excitement bubbled as he hugged the pajamas and headed toward Chi Shuyi’s room.
The man followed at a measured pace, eyes fixed on the boy’s slender back, lips curved in a faint, gentle smile. His gaze burned with a quiet intensity, the subtle rise and fall of his Adam’s apple betraying his desire, yet his hands remained careful, considerate, never overstepping.
Chi Shuyi’s bathroom was large, and the faint scent lingering in the air carried his personal aroma, a subtle, cool, woody fragrance unique to him.
It was Bai Zhou’s first time using such a private space, and he hesitated, deliberately avoiding the bathtub and standing under the showerhead instead.
The glass fogged up gradually, leaving only vague, fleeting shadows that stirred Chi Shuyi’s thoughts, each silhouette teasing and provoking in quiet ways.
Chi Shuyi closed the door gently, listening to the soft rustle of clothing and the spray of water.
He seated himself slowly on the edge of the bed, eyes deepening as he recalled the boy’s tender voice calling his name earlier, certain he could win him over.
A low chuckle escaped him. Winning Bai Zhou didn’t require effort; it was the boy’s innocence and subtle charm that captivated, while he, in contrast, applied careful thought and strategy, weaving every small action to draw him closer.
Bai Zhou stepped out of the bathroom in his new pajamas, still fogged with steam. Chi Shuyi’s gaze lingered, momentarily caught off guard. The pajamas, so familiar, they were exactly the same style he himself wore.
The ivory silk clung gently to Bai Zhou’s form, the neckline open just enough to reveal the tender white skin beneath. His flushed face and damp black hair, streaked with water, hinted at lingering warmth, the small patch of wetness on his shoulder creating a delicate indentation.
Chi Shuyi’s gaze softened. He approached to remove the towel draped around Bai Zhou’s neck, gently massaging his head.
“Why didn’t you dry your hair?”
“I’ll do it when I get back…”
Bai Zhou recoiled slightly, still unused to such intimacy, attempting to step back, only to be drawn back gently by Chi Shuyi.
“Do it here. I’ll help.”
Before Bai Zhou could respond, Chi Shuyi had already found a hairdryer in the bathroom and guided him to the head of the bed.
“Sit here.”
He tested the temperature on his hand before directing the warm air over Bai Zhou’s hair.
Bai Zhou had only brought pajamas, so he used Chi Shuyi’s shampoo and shower gel, his entire being wrapped in the subtle woody scent that now clung to him completely, as if marked invisibly by Chi Shuyi.
The thought thrilled Chi Shuyi, possessing and controlling this small, perfect boy filled him with a heady satisfaction, a thrill no ordinary sound could match.
A warm breeze brushed over Bai Zhou’s small head, carrying away the exhaustion of a long day. The boy stretched slightly, eyes half-closed, the comfort coaxing a drowsy heaviness over him.
Chi Shuyi blew the air patiently, keeping the airflow low, not rushing. It seemed to go on forever, until the boy’s resistance finally gave way, and he drifted into Chi Shuyi’s embrace.
Chi Shuyi lowered his gaze to the obedient boy in his arms, massaging his sore wrists while carefully checking that Bai Zhou’s hair was fully dry. Once satisfied, he quietly carried him to the bed.
The soft amber glow of the room painted a gentle halo across Bai Zhou’s serene sleeping face. Fine eyelashes cast faint shadows, and his breathing was long and even, steady and calm.
Chi Shuyi did nothing more than dim the lights to their lowest setting, lying quietly on the other side of the bed, watching. After a while, he reached out to lightly brush Bai Zhou’s long eyelashes, smoothing the boy’s brow when it creased in unrest.
Bai Zhou’s sleep was restless. His legs were slightly bent, curled toward his torso, and his arms rested protectively over his chest, a self-guarding posture.
Even a simple sleeping pose stirred waves of affection in Chi Shuyi. He couldn’t resist taking Bai Zhou’s hand in his, as if holding it could chase away every unease.
He studied the boy from brow to nose to mouth, committing every line and shadow to memory, sketching him in his mind a thousand times over.
Finally, he drew Bai Zhou close, feeling the steady beat of his heart against his own chaotic rhythm. A satisfied sigh escaped him, as though he had found the missing piece of his life, filling a hollow he had long felt, sinking into a cloud of softness, completely enveloped.
Chi Shuyi pressed a light, tender kiss to Bai Zhou’s forehead, his gaze lingering with longing.
“Good night, Zhouzhou.”
The next morning.
Sunlight filtered through sheer curtains, casting soft, fragmented light across the two figures tangled under the covers.
The taller figure of Chi Shuyi wrapped the boy securely in his arms, the blanket covering Bai Zhou up to his chin, leaving only the upper half of his rosy face exposed.
The sudden ringing of a phone shattered the serene scene.
Bai Zhou, half-asleep, reached out a delicate wrist from under the covers to grab the phone on the bedside, fumbling a moment before a large hand placed it firmly in his grasp. He blinked, confused, and accepted it groggily.
“Mm?”
Still drowsy, his voice thick with lingering sleep, he raised the phone to his ear, squinting slightly. His tone had a soft, trusting innocence, like a small, naive animal venturing into a predator’s den, offering vulnerability to someone who seemed kind, yet fierce.
Suddenly, a call came in.
“B.. Boss’s wife?!”
The unfamiliar yet excited voice from the other end of the line startled Bai Zhou half-awake. He blinked groggily, mumbling, “You’ve got the wrong number.”
“N-no, I didn’t! This is President Chi’s number!”
President Chi? Chi Shuyi?
Bai Zhou shot upright in bed, his mind still foggy but his instincts screaming that something was wrong. Wait! who had just handed him the phone? And whose phone was it exactly?
Before he could piece together the answer, it arrived on its own.
A hand reached out from behind him, brushing past his ear to take the phone. The handsome man leaning lazily against the headboard gave Bai Zhou a gentle smile before speaking into the receiver, his deep, magnetic voice naturally picking up where Bai Zhou had left off.
“No mistake. Go on.”
Chi Shuyi showed no sign of embarrassment, discussing business as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
His sleep shirt hung loosely on him; two buttons had come undone during the night, revealing smooth, pale skin and the faint outline of firm muscles beneath the silk fabric.
Under normal circumstances, waking up to such a sight should have been a blessing, beauty at point-blank range but Bai Zhou was too horrified to even breathe properly.
What the hell was happening?! Why was he waking up in the main character’s bed?!
He squeezed his eyes shut, counted to three, and opened them again, only to meet the same strikingly handsome face.
“What’s wrong, Zhouzhou? Are you feeling unwell?” Chi Shuyi asked, covering the phone’s receiver as he leaned closer, concerned about softening his features.
No, don’t come closer! That makes it even worse!
Bai Zhou stiffly shook his head, forcing himself to stay calm and piece together the previous night’s events.
Last night, he’d borrowed Chi Shuyi’s bathroom, and afterward, Chi Shuyi had helped him blow-dry his hair. Then… nothing. That was the last thing he remembered.
So, had he fallen asleep while Chi Shuyi was drying his hair? Then why hadn’t Chi Shuyi just sent him back to his own room? And if he’d known the phone call wasn’t meant for him, why had he handed it over anyway?
While Bai Zhou’s brain was working overtime to untangle the mystery, the man beside him had already finished the call.
“You fell asleep last night,” Chi Shuyi explained mildly. “I was worried that moving you back would wake you, so I let you rest here.”
Ah, so that was it.
That was… incredibly considerate, actually. Bai Zhou let out a breath of relief, inwardly berating himself for overthinking.
After all, this was the pure-as-snow main character from a clean romance. Even if they had somehow ended up naked under the same blanket, the most that would’ve happened was innocent small talk before bed. Besides, their clothes were perfectly intact, what could possibly have gone wrong?
He really had been corrupted by Fu Linyi. Now everything he looked at seemed indecent.
Just when Bai Zhou thought the morning couldn’t get any more surreal, it did.
Downstairs, the dining table was already set with a spread so rich and beautiful it could’ve come straight from a magazine photo shoot.
Chi Shuyi, who disliked noise and rarely allowed household staff inside except for the occasional cleaning, must have cooked it all himself.
Bai Zhou sat at the table, questioning reality once more.
Wait a second! Hadn’t Chi Shuyi woken up with him? Then where did he find the time to make all this? Did he have a double? Was this secretly a fantasy novel?
“What’s wrong, Zhouzhou? You don’t like it?”
“No, it’s not that,” Bai Zhou replied, blinking at the variety of dishes. “You made all this yourself?”
“Mhm.” Chi Shuyi smiled lightly. “It’s been a while since I got to have breakfast alone with you. I got a bit carried away. Try some.”
He picked up a delicate soup dumpling and placed it in Bai Zhou’s bowl.
Bai Zhou took a bite, the rich broth bursting in his mouth. He couldn’t help sighing inwardly, no wonder this man was the story’s main character. He was perfect in every way.
After breakfast, Bai Zhou returned to his room and retrieved his fully charged phone. The screen lit up with several unread messages.
Fu Licheng : Are you free next week?
Fu Licheng : Nothing special, just wondering if you’d like to hang out.
Fu Licheng : Or the week after, that works too.
Fu Licheng : Hey, you promised you’d reply to my messages.
Fu Licheng : Bai Zhou, you’re breaking your promise!
✦ ✧ ✦
Vynellia
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
A wild translator appears! Their weakness: coffee. ☕
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
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ChaptersChapter 1 · Green Tea Bun (1)Chapter 2 · Green Tea Bun (2)Chapter 3 · Green Tea Bun (3)Chapter 4 · Green Tea Bun (4)Chapter 5 · Green Tea Bun (5)Chapter 6 · Green Tea Bun (6)Chapter 7 · Green Tea Bun (7)Chapter 8 · Green Tea Bun (8)Chapter 9 · Green Tea Bun (9)Chapter 10 · Green Tea Bun (10)Chapter 11 · Green Tea Bun (11)Chapter 12 · Green Tea Bun (12)Chapter 13 · Green Tea Bun (13)Chapter 14 · Green Tea Bun (14)Chapter 15 · Green Tea Bun (15)Chapter 16 · Green Tea Bun (16)Chapter 17 · Green Tea Bun (17)Chapter 18 · Green Tea Bun (18)Chapter 19 · Green Tea Bun (19)Chapter 20 · Green Tea Bun (20)Chapter 21 · Green Tea Bun (21)Chapter 22 · Green Tea Bun (22)Chapter 23 · Green Tea Bun (23)Chapter 24 Part 1 · Green Tea Bun (24)Chapter 24 Part 2 · Green Tea Bun (24)Chapter 25 · Green Tea Bun (25)Chapter 26 · Green Tea Bun (26)Chapter 27 · Green Tea Bun (27)Chapter 28 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (1)Chapter 29 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (2)Chapter 30 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (3)Chapter 32 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (5)Chapter 33 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (6)Chapter 34 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (7)Chapter 35 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (8)Chapter 36 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (9)Chapter 37 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (10)Chapter 38 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (11)Chapter 39 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (12)Chapter 40 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (13)Chapter 41 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (14)Chapter 42 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (15)Chapter 43 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (16)Chapter 44 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (17)Chapter 45 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (18)Chapter 46 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (19)Chapter 47 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (20)Chapter 48 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (21)Chapter 49 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (22)Chapter 50 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (23)Chapter 51 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (24)Chapter 52 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (25)Chapter 53 · The Fake Young Master in an ABO Novel (26)Chapter 54 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (1)Chapter 55 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (2)Chapter 56 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (3)Chapter 57 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (4)Chapter 58 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (5)Chapter 59 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (6)Chapter 60 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (7)Chapter 61 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (8)Chapter 62 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (9)Chapter 63 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (10)Chapter 64 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (11)Chapter 65 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (12)Chapter 66 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (13)Chapter 67 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (14)Chapter 68 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (15)Chapter 69 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (16)Chapter 70 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (17)Chapter 71 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (18)Chapter 72 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (19)Chapter 73 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (20)Chapter 74 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (21)Chapter 75 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (22)Chapter 76 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (23)Chapter 77 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (24)Chapter 78 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (25)Chapter 79 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (26)Chapter 80 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (27)Chapter 81 · The Poor Little One at the Noble Academy (28)Chapter 82 · Apocalyptic Lord (1)Chapter 83 · Apocalyptic Lord (2)Chapter 84 · Apocalyptic Lord (3)Chapter 85 · Apocalyptic Lord (4)Chapter 86 · Apocalyptic Lord (5)Chapter 87 · Apocalyptic Lord (6)Chapter 88 · Apocalyptic Lord (7)Chapter 89 · Apocalyptic Lord (8)Chapter 90 · Apocalyptic Lord (9)Chapter 91 · Apocalyptic Lord (10)Chapter 92 · Apocalyptic Lord (11)Chapter 93 · Apocalyptic Lord (12)Chapter 94 · Apocalyptic Lord (13)Chapter 96 · Apocalyptic Lord (15)Chapter 97 · Apocalyptic Lord (16)Chapter 98 · Apocalyptic Lord (17)Chapter 99 · Apocalyptic Lord (18)Chapter 100 · Apocalyptic Lord (19)Chapter 101 · Apocalyptic Lord (20)Chapter 102 · Apocalyptic Lord (21)Chapter 103 · Apocalyptic Lord (22)Chapter 104 · Apocalyptic Lord (22)Chapter 105 · Apocalyptic Lord (24)Chapter 106 · The Real World (1)Chapter 107 · The Real World (2)Chapter 108 · Extra 1