Looking at Xu Nian, Chen Zhou swallowed hard, then inched forward step by step, feeling somewhat nervous inside.
Xu Nian’s hair was a bit damp now, with droplets still clinging to the strands brushing against his cheek, yet this look unexpectedly made him appear somewhat softer.
Chen Zhou had always thought the muscles across Xu Nian’s shoulders and back were exceptionally attractive, not the artificially built-up kind, but exuding a profound sense of raw power.
At this moment, he shamelessly scrutinized the other man, feeling as though the words “feast for the eyes” were practically written all over Xu Nian.
Thinking he was being entirely too hopeless, Chen Zhou immediately shook his head to banish these thoughts and walked over obediently.
“Brother, should I sleep on the inside or the outside?” Chen Zhou blinked as he asked.
Helping him arrange the quilt, Xu Nian paused in silence for a brief moment. “Whichever you prefer.”
“Oh.” Glancing at the bed, Chen Zhou weighed his options and chose the spot against the wall.
“Then I’ll sleep on the inside.” Making up his mind quickly, Chen Zhou got onto the bed.
With a soft “yeah,” Xu Nian headed toward the bathroom.
Figuring that Xu Nian was going to wash up, Chen Zhou lay down to sleep first. Not far away by the window sat the pot of jasmine flowers he had given to Xu Nian, emitting a delightful, soothing fragrance. Closing his eyes, the heavy wave of exhaustion quickly lulled him toward sleep.
Fumbling around alone in the bathroom for quite a while, Xu Nian couldn’t quite explain why he felt so nervous. Finally, waiting until all was quiet outside, he dragged his feet and walked out.
By the time Xu Nian emerged, Chen Zhou was already fast asleep, lying with his back turned outward. Xu Nian walked over and slipped into bed with utmost care and light steps.
The person beside him breathed evenly, the quilt covering only half of his body to reveal a small portion of his face, looking peaceful and well-behaved.
Xu Nian desperately wanted to pull the person into his arms and shower him with fierce kisses, but in the end, he settled for gently tucking the quilt properly around him.
Closing his eyes, Xu Nian forced himself to try to sleep, but it didn’t take long for him to realize he had been overly optimistic. Sleep was completely out of the question.
The subtle, lingering fragrance in the air made his throat feel parched. He kept himself confined to the very edge of the bed, terrified of accidentally bumping into the person beside him.
Yet Chen Zhou was anything but well-behaved in his sleep, adopting a sleeping posture even more unrestrained than last time.
Just as Xu Nian was beginning to feel a hint of sleepiness, Chen Zhou rolled over and draped an arm right across his chest.
Sensing the clean, soapy scent and the body temperature higher than his own, Xu Nian felt a sudden surge of heat rush through him, completely throwing him off balance.
With a helpless sigh, Xu Nian gently lifted the arm off his chest, turned over, and attempted once more to fall asleep.
Chen Zhou was hardly about to stay put. Not even a minute after his arm was moved away, he inched outward again, pressing his forehead directly against Xu Nian’s back.
The cool, soft head touching his spine made Xu Nian give a slight, involuntary shiver.
Not daring to make any sudden moves, Xu Nian lowered his voice. “You…”
Whatever. Xu Nian sighed. Just let it be.
Completely dead to the world, Chen Zhou drifted off and found himself caught in a dream.
In the dream, he must have been very young because his perspective was remarkably low. Walking down a street on what felt like a scorching summer day, he wandered aimlessly and endlessly.
Looking down at his clothes, he saw they were tattered and filthy, as if he had taken a fall somewhere along the way.
An overwhelming sense of helplessness washed over him. Feeling deeply saddened, Chen Zhou vaguely caught sight of a figure at the very end of the road.
Stumbling forward eagerly, he still couldn’t quite make out the person’s face.
Yet for the first time in forever, he felt a wave of profound gentleness. Stretching out his arms, he reached out as if pleading for something.
Then, he was pulled securely into an embrace.
Chen Zhou woke up the next morning feeling entirely overheated. Opening his eyes, he discovered he was being held tightly in Xu Nian’s arms, his limbs practically pinned in place. Tilting his head upward brought him within inches of Xu Nian’s chin, the other man’s breathing brushing against the top of his head.
His back was slick with sweat, prompting Chen Zhou to lick his dry lips.
This was an intensely perilous posture.
Unfortunately, Xu Nian showed not the slightest sign of waking up. Chen Zhou attempted to wiggle his arm free, but it was completely locked down.
Unwilling to wake Xu Nian up, he had no choice but to stay completely still and wait it out.
Luckily, Xu Nian shifted after a short while, evidently finding the position less than comfortable, and slowly blinked his eyes open.
“Brother, are you awake?” Chen Zhou asked in a hushed whisper.
“…Yeah,” Xu Nian replied lazily, still making no move to let go of him.
Waiting a moment and seeing that Xu Nian remained unmoving, Chen Zhou asked, “Brother, aren’t we getting up?”
Stiffening his entire body and keeping still, Xu Nian squeezed a few words out from between his teeth. “Give it a minute.”
Not quite understanding, Chen Zhou tilted his head up, his forehead lightly grazing Xu Nian’s lips. “Huh? Give it how long?”
With his jaw clenched tightly and his eyes shut, Xu Nian pulled Chen Zhou’s head firmly down against his chest. “Stop squirming. Just a little longer.”
Left with no choice, Chen Zhou kept his mouth shut.
After lingering lazily for quite a while, the two of them finally got ready. Having completely forgotten to fold his quilt, Chen Zhou rushed downstairs in a hurry to help out.
Diligence remained one of his greatest virtues.
Standing behind him with a rather peculiar expression, Xu Nian watched Chen Zhou bounce over to chat with the others, letting out a long sigh after a moment before the corners of his mouth curved upward.
He really had managed to fall completely into this kid’s hands, after all.
Xu Nian and Chen Zhou had agreed to bring Aunt Wang home today, and Chen Zhou also planned to take the opportunity to drop by and check on the original owner’s parents.
Around noon, Xu Nian handed the shop over to Wang Qi. The two of them picked up Aunt Wang and boarded a vehicle to leave.
It wasn’t until this moment that 126 finally came back online.
[126, where on earth did you go?]
Unaccustomed to 126’s prolonged absence, Chen Zhou had suspected that something serious must have gone wrong.
[Apologies, host. I was summoned away by the boss. We ran into a few issues.] Hesitating slightly, 126 continued, [It concerned the protagonist.]
Catching onto an unexpected detail, Chen Zhou asked, [You guys have a boss?]
[Yes. He doesn’t have a numerical designation. He’s our superior, oversees our operations, and issues our tasks.]
Nodding slightly, Chen Zhou asked, [You mentioned earlier that something went wrong with the protagonist. What happened?]
[…] 126 seemed to be treading very carefully in its conversation with Chen Zhou. [The protagonist developed some rather unusual thoughts, thoughts that simply shouldn’t exist…]
[Rest assured, host, it has already been resolved. I won’t leave without explanation again.]
Twiddling his fingers and deep in thought, Chen Zhou furrowed his brow into a distinct frown.
[Alright, I understand.]
In the end, he decided not to press any further.
The journey wasn’t particularly long. After chatting with Aunt Wang for a bit, Chen Zhou arrived at the destination. A wave of guilt washed over him now, Aunt Wang had been so kind to him, yet he had gone and spirited away her son.
“Xiaojia, come visit the house more often from now on.”
Arriving at Xu Nian’s home, Chen Zhou temporarily parted ways with them, while Aunt Wang couldn’t resist extending an invitation right up until she stepped inside.
“I will, Aunt Wang. Take care of your health.”
After seeing Aunt Wang safely inside, Xu Nian came back out and grabbed Chen Zhou’s hand, his palm warm and rough as he leaned in close to whisper, “Come find your brother tonight.”
Deliberately refusing to play along, Chen Zhou said, “No can do. I need to go home and help my mom.”
“Be a good boy. Your brother will go help you out later.”
Pursing his lips, Chen Zhou gave in. “Fine.”
Parting ways with Xu Nian, Chen Zhou headed home, where Chen Hui beamed with delight the moment she saw her son walk through the door. Yet Chen Zhou’s mind was entirely occupied with figuring out how to explain his current situation to her.
He could probably gloss over the job part, but what about Xu Nian? He had no desire to keep sneaking around as if their relationship was something shameful to be hidden from the world.
“Mom. How have you and Dad been doing lately?”
“We’re good, everything’s great.” Busy tidying up her son’s things, Chen Hui couldn’t wipe the smile off her face.
Unwilling to shatter all of this just yet, Chen Zhou decided to put off what he wanted to say for a little longer.
During dinner at home, Chen Zhou played the role of the original owner to appease his parents. Suddenly, he found himself somewhat missing the days at the restaurant, where he could always be his true, unfiltered self in front of Xu Nian.
[Ding-dong, ten points have been credited to your account. Congratulations, host, you have accumulated all the required points!]
126’s voice popped up out of nowhere, startling Chen Zhou.
[Awesome, thanks, 126.]
Hesitating for a moment, 126 asked, [Host, now that you’ve completed all tasks, this system can actually allow you to leave right now and transition directly to the next task world.]
Chen Zhou’s movements paused. [What happens if I do?]
[We can provide a fabricated death exit…]
Chen Zhou nearly dropped the bowl in his hand, rejecting the idea on pure instinct. [No.]
He refused.
[As you mentioned before, if I choose not to leave now, I’ll naturally depart when the time comes, right?]
[Yes, host.]
[Then I choose to wait. I don’t want a fake death exit.]
Remaining silent for a long time, 126 finally offered a simple response. [Alright.]
Sensing that 126 still had more to say to him, but realizing the timing wasn’t right, Chen Zhou planned to discuss it further once night fell.
After finishing dinner and helping clear the table, Chen Zhou stepped out of the house.
The evening moonlight was wonderful, and people were gathered around the ponds cooling off in the evening breeze. Autumn had set in, bringing a refreshing crispness to the air.
Clutching some snacks in his arms, Chen Zhou walked toward Xu Nian’s house.
Before he even reached the spot, he caught sight of a figure lingering by the gentle slope ahead. Xu Nian was smoking a cigarette, having evidently been waiting outside for quite some time.
Standing in a dimly lit, shadowed spot that cast a tall yet solitary silhouette, Xu Nian looked imposing yet entirely alone.
Running over, Chen Zhou called out, “Brother.”
Instantly tossing away his cigarette, Xu Nian pulled him in for a kiss, though the lingering taste of tobacco still drifted straight into Chen Zhou’s mouth.
Getting nipped again, Chen Zhou pushed him away. “Brother, it hurts. Stop biting me.”
Breathing heavily and ignoring the protest, Xu Nian pulled him right back into his embrace. “Your brother missed you.”
“We literally only missed an afternoon.”
Handing over the snacks, Chen Zhou said, “Brother, my mom asked me to give these to you.”
Taking them with a smile, Xu Nian replied, “Your brother’s going to catch some fish for you in a couple of days.”
Nearby, clusters of people were chatting noisily, yet this particular patch remained quiet. Though Chen Zhou worried about being spotted, he couldn’t bring himself to push away Xu Nian’s affectionate advances.
“Let your brother have one more kiss.”
Pulled close once more, Chen Zhou protested, “Only if you promise not to bite.”
“Deal.” Xu Nian murmured his agreement, yet still kissed him with fierce intensity. “Your brother listens to you in everything.”
Before long, Xu Nian’s breathing grew ragged as he grabbed Chen Zhou’s hand.
Whenever they were intimate before, Xu Nian always held back his strength, knowing Chen Zhou could push him away the moment he felt reluctant. This time, however, left no room for refusal.
Xu Nian’s broad palm gripped Chen Zhou’s, the calluses scraping pleasantly against the back of his hand. His other arm held him fast, refusing to let him escape as it wandered across his back, radiating a scorching heat.
Chen Zhou felt the warm, ragged breath of the other man.
“Help your brother out, won’t you? Hmm?”