What Did He Do?

He had just taken a short nap before lunch, then gone for a walk after eating—and now he was asleep again?

Before he knew it, Su Tingbai had entered Shen Rui'an's room. Unable to resist, he reached out and placed a finger beneath Shen Rui'an's nose to check his breathing. Warm air brushed over his finger, making it itch. He quickly withdrew his hand, relief loosening something in his chest.

It was all Shen Xiaoyao's fault for making Shen Rui'an's illness sound so terrifying. Every time Su Tingbai watched Shen Rui'an sleep, he was on edge.

It would be easier to take care of him if they slept in the same bed... Wait! Su Tingbai, what are you thinking?! Stop right there!

Su Tingbai fled in panic. Shen Rui'an noticed nothing and continued sleeping soundly.

Downstairs, Su Tingbai absentmindedly kneaded dough. It was one of his ways to relax. Once the dough was ready, he put it in the fridge to chill for an hour. After it had proofed, he would make croissants. Shen Rui'an should be awake by then, just in time for afternoon tea.

To that end, Su Tingbai had prepared coffee beans and milk ice cubes as well. Personally, he preferred an iced Americano with croissants, which balanced out their rich sweetness.

But...

Su Tingbai thought of the little pig-cat upstairs sleeping so peacefully. Yesterday, Shen Rui'an's eyes had lit up when he drank the fruit tea, and he had ended up hugging the huge cup and drinking every last drop. Maybe Shen Rui'an would prefer sweeter coffee? Perhaps he should make a latte or something?

Su Tingbai opened the enormous refrigerator and searched through it. Because of his work, he had installed two large refrigerators in the first-floor kitchen. They were now packed full of food—enough that even if the apocalypse came, he would not have to worry about starving to death immediately, not to mention the food he had stored in the basement.

Su Tingbai could make both Chinese pastries and Western desserts. That was simply how unreasonable a Food Spirit Root was. It was as if the supposed barrier between East and West had never worked on him at all.

And personally, Su Tingbai felt that Western cuisine was easier to pick up than Chinese cuisine.

Maybe that was why, when he had traveled abroad before and stayed with his childhood friend Xing Ying for a few days, he had nearly fed the elegant Mr. Xing, an overseas student in Britain, into gaining weight.

Xing Ying's friends had also been utterly won over by his cooking. With some of the ingredients available abroad, being able to make an authentic Chinese meal was genuinely not easy.

Su Tingbai did not think Western countries had nothing worth appreciating, either. At the very least, Nordic sausages and Western desserts were pretty good.

Provided the desserts were not quite so sweet. Still, sausages were made from real meat, and tasted better than some domestic meat sausages mixed with starch.

Su Tingbai personally did not like overly sweet things. He found them cloying. Everything should be enjoyed in moderation.

The camera hanging around his neck recorded Su Tingbai's busy afternoon frame by frame. Once the croissants came out of the oven, he immediately ground the coffee beans and made coffee. He scooped several spoonfuls of edible ice cubes from a separate compartment in the refrigerator, then prepared several cups of coffee according to different preferences.

He placed two servings on a tray, along with two croissants. He thoughtfully inserted a transparent straw into one cup of coffee before picking up his phone and messaging Little Zhu and the others, telling them to come get their own afternoon tea.

When Little Zhu and the others came to collect theirs, they once again marveled at how lucky they were. These benefits were incredible!

Su Tingbai had already carried the tray upstairs by the time they arrived.

There was an open-air terrace on the third floor, with a table and a sun umbrella. Su Tingbai had filled the terrace with flowers and plants, and they were in full bloom now, a glorious spread of color too beautiful for words.

It was even prettier than some trendy café check-in spots. Su Tingbai's private vlog occasionally featured scenes of him enjoying afternoon tea here. Whenever he posted one, countless people asked for the location, but Su Tingbai never responded because he did not like too many people intruding on his territory.

Shen Rui'an counted as one too, but he was well-behaved, so Su Tingbai did not mind.

There were two reclining chairs beside the table, each with a cushion on it.

Su Tingbai set the afternoon tea on the table, then quietly walked to Shen Rui'an's bedroom door. The door had been left open all along. As soon as he approached, Su Tingbai heard the sound of washing up.

He politely knocked on the door. "Shen Rui'an? Are you awake?"

Shen Rui'an had just woken up and was still groggy. He was in the bathroom splashing water on his face. A few damp strands of hair had fallen over his forehead, and Shen Rui'an found them bothersome, so he simply used his wet hand to sweep his hair back, revealing his delicate brows and eyes. Hearing the knock, he hurriedly wiped his face, though a few droplets remained. Against Shen Rui'an's face, they looked like pearls placed there deliberately for decoration.

Su Tingbai's heart beat especially fast. He wanted to wipe away the droplet at the corner of Shen Rui'an's eye with his thumb, but if he really did that, Shen Xiaoyao's eye corner would definitely turn red...

"I'm awake." Having just woken up, his voice was hoarse. It sounded soft to Su Tingbai, as if a restless kitten had scratched at his heart.

"Would you like some afternoon tea? I made croissants and latte coffee. Can you drink coffee?" Su Tingbai suspected that if Shen Rui'an slept all day, he might not be able to sleep tonight.

Croissants? Latte? Shen Rui'an's eyes immediately lit up, and he nodded. "Where is it?"

"On our floor. Have you seen the terrace at the end of the hall?" Su Tingbai led Shen Rui'an as he spoke. "It's an excellent viewing spot. I had it made specially."

As he spoke, he brought Shen Rui'an to the terrace, then said, "Here it is. Wait a moment."

Shen Rui'an was amazed by the beauty of the place, but before he could praise it, Su Tingbai turned around and somehow came back with several large Stitch plushies, as well as a few cushions.

"It'll be more comfortable if you use these cushions. This plushie is for you to hold."

He had heard that Shen Rui'an liked Stitch.

Hugging the blue plushie, Shen Rui'an could not help burying his face in it and taking a deep breath. Then he rubbed his head against it. It felt so nice!

He actually had plenty of cute plushies at home too, with blue Stitch plushies being the most numerous. He even had several on his bed. He had originally wanted to bring them, but since he would be staying at someone else's place, he decided against it.

He had not expected Su Tingbai to have them too!

"You like Stitch too?" His bright eyes looked at Su Tingbai. Since he had just woken up, his eyes were still a little moist. When those eyes turned toward him, Su Tingbai felt as though he were the person Shen Rui'an trusted most.

...I want to kiss him.

?!

Su Tingbai was horrified, though his face remained expressionless. How could he have such a terrifying thought?!

Shen Rui'an was a little cute, a little pretty, a little delicate... but, he, he, he...

Su Tingbai's thoughts were in utter chaos, but Shen Rui'an had no idea. Spotting a coffee with a straw in it, he picked it up and examined it carefully. "Is this the latte?"

Su Tingbai did not answer. Shen Rui'an turned to look at him, only to find Su Tingbai's expression slightly twisted. His face was stiff, and he seemed displeased—almost impatient?

Shen Rui'an was utterly confused. Had he gone too far these past two days and finally worn Su Tingbai out?

For an instant, Shen Rui'an felt a little sad. He knew his own personality too well: always pushing his luck and acting spoiled once he was favored. But he absolutely could not change.

The tiny bit of fondness Shen Rui'an had developed because of Su Tingbai's meticulous care over the past two days vanished at once. His mood sank as well. The alluring brightness in his eyes was veiled by gloom. With his gaze lowered, he returned to the distant, world-weary manner he had worn when he first arrived.

The moment Su Tingbai came back to his senses, he realized Shen Xiaoyao had turned cold toward him.

What happened? What did he do?

Su Tingbai was completely baffled.