Jiang Zao clocked in for work.
A new week had begun and the air carried that strange heaviness unique to early autumn, neither hot nor cool, just dense enough to cling to the skin.
The scent of fresh cypress drifted faintly through the breeze, its resinous note sweet and sharp.
Hugging a cardboard box against his chest, Jiang Zao stepped into the office building, right on time to run into Cheng Jiamin, who had just arrived herself.
“Good morning, little boss,” Cheng Jiamin greeted brightly. “Want me to help you carry that?”
“Morning, Minmin jie,” Jiang Zao said, smiling. “It’s not heavy. I already checked everything, no issues. Where should I put these later?”
“Just in the storage room,” Cheng Jiamin said. “Once you sign off on the delivery sheet, we can start the pre-sale.”
Jiang Zao nodded obediently.
“I’m heading out to grab breakfast,” Cheng Jiamin said, setting down her bag. “Want me to bring you a rice ball?”
“No need, thanks. I already ate before coming.”
“Wow, you actually ate breakfast before work?” she teased, eyeing him up and down. “And you even look awake for once! What happened, did you use a toy or something?”
Jiang Zao was completely unfazed. “Those things aren’t miracle medicine. They don’t make me wake up early.”
“Hahaha!” Cheng Jiamin burst into laughter.
Jiang Zao chuckled too, though half-heartedly.
Maybe it was guilt or just the memory of yesterday’s disaster but his chest still felt tight. After Zhou Yuchi came home from work last night, Jiang Zao had spent the entire evening hiding from him like a cat that had knocked over the flower vase.
This morning, he had to bring his work materials back to the company. He’d wrapped the box in multiple layers of tape, terrified that those things might tumble out again. He even woke up early, timing everything carefully so he wouldn’t bump into Zhou Yuchi.
Unfortunately, fate wasn’t feeling generous today.
The moment he opened the door, there he was, Zhou Yuchi, returning from his morning jog.
The man’s workout clothes clung to a frame all lean muscle and clean lines. A few damp strands of hair hung across his forehead, sweat glistening along the curve of his neck.
A towel rested loosely on his shoulders, and the faint scent of shampoo mixed with the salty trace of exertion, pure, unfiltered masculinity.
Zhou Yuchi pulled out one earbud, his gaze landing on Jiang Zao and lingering for a beat. “Up early?”
“Of course. Gotta go to work, can’t oversleep,” Jiang Zao muttered. His eyes darted around everywhere except Zhou Yuchi’s face. He looked exactly like a guilty puppy, trying and failing not to make eye contact.
Zhou Yuchi didn’t press him. He carried the bag in his hand into the house, asking casually, “Want breakfast?”
The smell hit Jiang Zao instantly, fresh egg crepes, steaming soup dumplings, pickled vegetables, and a cup of sweet soy milk.
His stomach clenched. He was hungry.
But imagining himself sitting across from Zhou Yuchi, with a box full of intimate lingerie right between them? Not a chance.
Clutching the box tighter, Jiang Zao straightened his spine like a soldier. “No, thanks. I’ll eat at the office.”
Zhou Yuchi didn’t argue. He reached into the bag, took out a paper sack, and pressed it into Jiang Zao’s hand.
Inside was a still-warm egg crepe and a cup of soy milk.
“Go on,” Zhou Yuchi said mildly. “Be careful on your way.”
“…,” Jiang Zao stood frozen. He hadn’t said anything about takeout.
Seeing him hesitate, Zhou Yuchi’s lips curved faintly, teasing. “If you can’t bear to part with me, I can drive you.”
That sent Jiang Zao bolt upright, muscles stiffening in alarm. “No! I’ll go myself. I like taking the subway, it’s the people’s exercise routine.”
And with that, he fled, breakfast and box in hand.
When he arrived at the office, he was still sighing to himself when Cheng Jiamin slung an arm around his shoulders, patting the taped-up box playfully.
“What’s on your mind, huh? These clothes, have you tried them on yet? I really want to see what they look like on you.”
Jiang Zao glanced down into the box, where bits of lace and fishbone peeked through the wrapping. A mix of dread and embarrassment rippled up his spine.
“…If they’re used in the right setting,” he muttered, “They’d probably be… impressive.”
“Right?” Cheng Jiamin grinned. “The details are so clever. Oh, by the way, Qi Yiran found a new movie. We’re all planning to study it later. Want to join?”
“What movie?”
“My Secret Brother’s Stepmother Lover.”
Jiang Zao blinked. “Wow… that’s one complicated relationship web.”
“Not interested?”
He shook his head quickly. “No thanks. I’ll pass.”
Adult films weren’t really his thing, and his colleagues were far too passionate about them. They didn’t just watch; they analyzed performances, took notes, discussed camera angles. It was… intense.
“Alright then. I’ll grab some lunch and come find you later.”
When she left, the office quieted. Jiang Zao settled down to tidy his paperwork, check the store analytics, and finish up a few pending promotional tasks.
But once things slowed, his mind wandered straight back to last night’s embarrassment.
Scowling, he snatched his phone and began typing furiously.
【ZaoZaoSleepsEarly: [Punch Punch Punch.JPG]】
【ZaoZaoSleepsEarly: [Punch Punch Punch.JPG]】
【ZaoZaoSleepsEarly: [Punch Punch Punch.JPG]】
Almost immediately, he got a reply:
【MadDog(▽皿▽#): 1】
【MadDog(▽皿▽#): You finished breakfast?】
He was talking about the one he bought.
【ZaoZaoSleepsEarly: It was awful.】
【MadDog(▽皿▽#): Okay.】
【MadDog(▽皿▽#): Then you pick dinner. You owe me, remember?】
【ZaoZaoSleepsEarly: I’m not picking.】
【MadDog(▽皿▽#): Thai curry.】
【ZaoZaoSleepsEarly: No.】
【MadDog(▽皿▽#): Korean fried chicken.】
【ZaoZaoSleepsEarly: Not eating.】
【MadDog(▽皿▽#): Barbecue crayfish.】
【ZaoZaoSleepsEarly: Hate it.】
Then silence.
After a long pause,
【MadDog(▽皿▽#): Zao Zao, are you pouting?】
Jiang Zao: “…”
He dropped his phone onto the desk, buried his face in his hands, and groaned. Zhou Yuchi’s smirking face flashed in his mind’s eye, and he let out a soundless scream.
“What’s wrong, sweetheart?” Cheng Jiamin’s voice chimed in as she sauntered over, having finished her “film study.”
“Minmin jie…” Jiang Zao looked up with wide, pleading eyes.
“Who bullied you?” She rolled up her sleeves dramatically. “Tell me and I’ll go beat him up.”
Jiang Zao hesitated. Maybe a senior like her could give better advice. “It’s just… someone moved into my place recently. Yesterday, he caught me while I was checking products. He didn’t say anything, but it was really embarrassing.”
“Ohh, I see.” Cheng Jiamin nodded. “Yeah, that’s the downside of shared housing. You could just tell him, though. Our field’s niche, sure, but these days everyone’s open-minded. Work is work, no shame in it.”
“That’s the problem,” Jiang Zao sighed. “He’s known me since we were kids. And he’s infuriating. Always competing, always trying to provoke me. I really don’t want him to know.”
“Wait, ‘since you were kids’? How young?”
“Uh… childhood neighbors. We even went to the same schools.”
“Ohhh~” Cheng Jiamin’s voice went singsong. “Childhood sweethearts, huh?”
“…No,” Jiang Zao said flatly. “Just childhood friends. And he’s a menace. Constantly picking fights. A real pain.”
Cheng Jiamin gasped in mock delight. “Enemies to lovers setup! Delicious!”
“It’s not that dramatic,” Jiang Zao muttered. “At best, rivals. And now he’s living in my apartment and refusing to move out…”
“Wait, what?! You’re living together?”
“…”
How had shared housing turned into cohabitation?
“That’s adorable.” Cheng Jiamin poked his shoulder. “So the breakfast earlier, that was from him, right?”
Jiang Zao didn’t answer. Which, of course, said everything.
“Kyaaa! I knew it!” she squealed. “He totally likes you! It’s the universal rule, rivals always end up together!”
Jiang Zao choked on air.
After a long beat, he managed a calm, strained voice. “He’s straight.”
“Hahaha okay, okay, I got carried away,” she said, laughing. “But honestly, that setup would sell like crazy in a romance novel.”
Then she softened, patting his shoulder. “Anyway, relax. The more you overthink, the weirder it gets. Just act normal, if you’re fine, it’ll be fine.”
Jiang Zao pursed his lips thoughtfully, cheeks dimpling slightly as he nodded.
“Or,” Cheng Jiamin added, “you two could draft a roommate agreement. It’s a thing now, even couples do it. Set boundaries, keep distance, respect each other’s privacy. That should make things easier.”
That actually made sense.
Jiang Zao’s eyes lit up. He rubbed his chin and nodded slowly, already considering the idea.
That night, Zhou Yuchi came home late.
The living room lights were off, but signs of life were scattered everywhere, two mismatched shoes in the entryway, a fluffy jacket draped carelessly over the coat rack by the mirror.
He’d spent the day at a meeting, still dressed in a crisp shirt. The jacket was tossed aside, his tie missing, the top few buttons undone. The looseness gave him a kind of casual danger, refined on the surface, but with a lazy arrogance underneath.
The door to Jiang Zao’s room was tightly closed. Zhou Yuchi didn’t disturb him. Instead, he went into his own room, leaving the door slightly ajar.
After tidying up a bit, he rolled up his sleeves, set his laptop on the desk, and then came a soft knock.
He turned.
Jiang Zao stood in the doorway, one hand balancing his own laptop, the other knocking politely.
Fresh from the shower, he looked soft and clean. His hair was still damp, skin faintly flushed from the steam.
He wore loose pajamas patterned with tiny cartoon bears, the pale fabric making his skin look even whiter. His expression was a little petulant, brows drawn together.
“You came back and didn’t even say something?” he complained quietly.
Zhou Yuchi glanced up, his gaze calm, the chill of his eyes softened by faint amusement. “What’s wrong?”
Jiang Zao lifted the laptop in his hands, his tone firm. “I have something to talk about.”
Zhou Yuchi’s eyes flicked upward, taking him in.
He’d never seen this version of Jiang Zao before, barefoot, fresh from the shower, smelling faintly of soap and something warm, eyes bright and lips still damp.
The top of Zhou Yuchi’s shirt hung open, collar loosened. Beneath the thin fabric, the contours of muscle were obvious, firm, defined.
His gaze lingered, tracing slowly from Jiang Zao’s face down to his bare toes, deliberate as a blade’s edge.
Jiang Zao stiffened under the look. “What are you staring at?”
Zhou Yuchi didn’t answer right away. He tilted his head slightly, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
“Zao Zao,” he said softly, voice low and lazy, “come in. Let’s talk in my room.”
✦ ✧ ✦
Cressilia
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
Coffee is technically a form of emotional support.
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
← PreviousNext →
ChaptersChapter 1 · The BossChapter 2 · Childhood FriendChapter 3 · Settlement of AccountChapter 4 · Button UnderwearChapter 5 · Open The DoorChapter 6 · (O△O)!Chapter 7 · Woe to himChapter 8 · Break The JarChapter 9 · Keep your promiseChapter 10 · MovieChapter 11 · Try on clothesChapter 12 · Hide! Hide! HIDE!Chapter 13 · ShameChapter 14 · ProtocolChapter 15 · TraceChapter 16 · What are you nervous about?Chapter 17 · Physical TestChapter 18 · Protect One’s OwnChapter 19 · MassageChapter 20 · BiteChapter 21 · Bring him homeChapter 22 · True LoveChapter 23 · After drinkingChapter 24 · MarketChapter 25 · Temporary TattooChapter 26 · Shooting GameChapter 27 · Escape GameChapter 28 · Terrifying dreamChapter 29 · ExhibitionChapter 30 · Pocky GameChapter 31 · TeasingChapter 32 · Pure scoundrelChapter 33 · Straight menChapter 34 · Gay BarChapter 35 · Lip lickingChapter 36 · Doesn’t seem like a good personChapter 37 · AddictionChapter 38 · Reporting videoChapter 39 · Rough LanguageChapter 40 · Wow!Chapter 41 · Hot spring resort～～Chapter 42 · It looks good!Chapter 43 · Hot SpringChapter 44 · HonestyChapter 45 · VinegarChapter 46 · I’ll keep you companyChapter 47 · Rocking ChairChapter 48 · VileChapter 49 · Losing ComposureChapter 50 · A Guide to Identifying Gay MenChapter 51 · Going HomeChapter 52 · KissChapter 53 · PeckChapter 54 · Pearl Wedding AttireChapter 55 · For No ReasonChapter 56 · Stop CalculatingChapter 57 · HandcuffsChapter 58 · Too FarChapter 59 · The MuzzleChapter 60 · Taking It FurtherChapter 61 · Does kissing feel good?Chapter 62 · HmmChapter 63 · GuidanceChapter 64 · VideoChapter 65 · No ProblemChapter 66 · Come DownChapter 67 · Is That All?Chapter 68 · HmphChapter 69 · Applying MedicineChapter 70 · ToysChapter 71 · BathroomChapter 72 · PlacementChapter 73 · WaitingChapter 74 · LoveChapter 75 · StarsChapter 76 · RoommateChapter 77 · BoyfriendChapter 78 · MouthChapter 79 · MidsummerChapter 80 · Aeroplane ChessChapter 81 · Ice CubesChapter 82 · All Night LongChapter 83 · SleepChapter 84 · The Alt AccountChapter 85 · End of the Main StoryChapter 86 · Extra 1Chapter 87 · Extra 2Chapter 88 · Extra 3Chapter 89 · Extra 4Chapter 90 · Extra 5Chapter 91 · Extra 6Chapter 92 · Extra 7Chapter 93 · Extra 8Chapter 94 · Extra 9Chapter 95 · Extra 10Chapter 96 · Extra 11