No Shame

Bian He took the orange juice and held it in both hands as he drank.

He drank very slowly.

His head was slightly lowered, long lashes casting shadows that hid the emotion in his eyes.

His profile looked like a perfect statue.

A face personally touched by God, every line carved to utter perfection.

He could never get enough of looking at it.

Halfway through the meal, the group was well into their drinking.

Wan Ying set down his wineglass and hooked Little Treasure's fingertips beneath the table.

With a silent signal, Bian He obediently rose and followed him.

After sending the vice-captain a message, they went to the register to settle the bill early.

Outside the restaurant, it was pitch-black.

The wind was cold.

Bian He's nose had turned red from the chill.

Wan Ying pulled up his hood and covered those reddened ears.

"Let's go home first."

Bian He nodded blankly, seemingly still controlled by the alcohol, drunk and dazed.

When they reached the underground parking garage,

they got into the car and turned on the heat.

Wan Ying heard movement from the back seat and had no idea why.

On the way here, he had eagerly insisted on riding in the passenger seat, as though it were some exclusive position. Why did he want to sit in the back on the way home?

For no reason, Wan Ying's mood sank.

He unfastened his seat belt and tried hard to recall how he had offended him.

Outsiders all said Bian He had a good temper, unaware that Wan Ying had found himself a very difficult Little Treasure.

So difficult to please—probably only Wan Ying had the patience for him.

He opened the door, climbed into the back seat, and squeezed Bian He into the corner.

The car was hot enough to make the tip of Bian He's nose sweat, yet he still had not taken off his hood.

Wan Ying sighed softly, untied the hood, unzipped it, and took off his coat.

Looking at that flushed face, he wiped away the sweat on the tip of his nose.

"Bian He, what's wrong? Why are you angry?"

Could it be because those teammates had spoken too carelessly?

Bian He lowered his head against Wan Ying's shoulder, his voice aggrieved. "Why wouldn't you let me... Did you think I'd embarrass you?"

??

Wan Ying was utterly baffled.

He cupped Bian He's face and stroked his cheek. "You're throwing a tantrum over that?"

"It's not that I won't let you call me that. Little Treasure is so outstanding—how could you possibly embarrass me?"

"That name can only be said when it's just the two of us. It's embarrassing to say it in front of other people."

He could not exactly face outsiders in the same state he was in when they were alone together.

It felt different.

Besides, hearing Bian He call him those two words gave him an impulse that was hard to control.

His self-control seemed to be getting worse and worse.

"Bian He, is your head still spinning? If you can't drink, you don't have to drink in the future. They were only joking. They've been single too long, so they don't know when to stop. Don't take it to heart."

"Does my sulky Little Treasure feel any better now? You barely ate earlier. Are you still hungry?"

Bian He took the opportunity to lie in his arms, exposing his stomach and placing Wan Ying's hand over it. "I don't want to eat."

"Wan Ying..."

He happily shook his head, looking even more like a puppy.

How could there be such an adorable treasure?

And this treasure happened to belong to him, for him alone.

Maybe it was because they had been drinking.

Or maybe the strawberry-flavored mouthwash was simply too sweet.

Wan Ying lowered his head and kissed him.

The good child froze for a moment, then let Wan Ying have his way.

Kissing in this position was a little tiring.

Wan Ying sucked in a sharp breath from the pain. Bian He had treated him like a meaty bone.

The car was filled with both of their pheromone scents.

Just as things were about to get out of control, they reluctantly pulled apart.

"Strawberry-flavored."

Wan Ying glanced down at himself.

Tch.

"No more fooling around."

Bian He drooped his head listlessly. "..."

Wan Ying's face heated for a moment. "A little cold wind will be enough."

His self-control was a little lacking. He could not provoke him so carelessly next time.

They each sat by a window, the windows half-open. The cold wind occasionally blew in, dispersing the pheromones and the impulse along with them.

Wan Ying straightened his clothes and glanced at the one he had coaxed into feeling better.

He opened the car door, got into the driver's seat, and prepared to drive home.

Before he could start the car, Puppy obediently climbed back into the passenger seat.

"Only I can sit in your passenger seat. Nobody else can. I've already marked this spot. I can't let myself smell another guy's scent here."

He really knew how to push his luck.

"So domineering?" Wan Ying looked straight ahead and sped up.

He did not answer.

No one had ever ridden in Wan Ying's car. Bian He was the first.

He had never allowed anyone else into his car, no matter who they were.

He did not like it much. Cleaning up afterward was too troublesome.

They returned home.

Wan Ying went into the study to handle work and read through some books.

He left Bian He alone in the living room to play with a ball.

After sleeping through the night and nearly the entire day after that, he was not sleepy in the slightest.

Bian He sprawled on the sofa while Misfortune Bear played on the television.

The phone in his pocket rang.

He went to the balcony and closed the partition door.

He answered the call. "What is it?"

His cold expression was hidden in the darkness of the night.

"Captain, that bear was injected with a mutation serum. Someone deliberately put it there, and the surveillance footage was destroyed."

"But I got some information. It was probably someone higher up who gave the order. What should we do? Should we keep investigating...?"

Bian He tapped his phone case once and thought for several seconds. "Leak a little information and let him investigate it himself. Keep it subtle."

"We're almost out of suppressants. Put out a few more packs."

As soon as he finished speaking, a worried voice came through the phone. "Captain, I prepared so much for you, and you've used it all? Isn't that too frequent? You can't keep using so much. If the old man finds out, I'll definitely get scolded."

"Consider using pheromones to soothe yourself. That's the best and most effective method, and it would minimize the harm to you."

"Got it. I'll go pick it up tomorrow."

Bian He hung up.

He sat on the floor and played with a jigsaw puzzle.

The study door opened.

Wan Ying carried a glass of water toward the kitchen and glanced at the living room, but Puppy was nowhere to be seen.

Where had he gone in such a short time?

Wan Ying set the glass on the coffee table and headed toward the balcony.

He opened the partition door.

More than half of the puzzle on the floor had been put together.

How should he put this? It was assembled very well.

It was just wrong.

The only piece that was right... Wan Ying's gaze tightened as he crouched down for a closer look.

He had spent ages trying to find a suitable piece, yet Bian He had somehow fitted it in by chance?

He picked up the piece and asked, "Where did you find this piece? How did you know it belonged here?"

Wan Ying watched Bian He blink in confusion, as though he knew nothing at all.

He instantly felt a little stupid.

It looked like Bian He had simply stumbled across this one piece among tens of thousands of puzzle pieces.

"What are you talking about, Brother? Did I put it together wrong? I already finished it. It just doesn't look quite the same as the picture on the box. Did they print it wrong?"

Little Treasure looked smug. He was very smart.

When faced with a problem, he never doubted himself. He only thought there was something wrong with whoever had made the question.

Wan Ying put the puzzle piece back where it belonged and rubbed Puppy's head. "Mm, my Little Treasure is very smart. They printed it wrong."