Chapter 4

He smiled and said, "This is the kind of thing you should mention, right, Owen?"

Owen merely curled one corner of his lips into a faint smile and did not answer.

On the day Xin Chun went on his blind date, Owen took everyone to work.

Li Ze sighed at the pile of documents.

Before long, Ivy came in carrying another set of materials. "These files need to be sorted and cataloged too. Li Ze, come take a look."

Li Ze let out a miserable wail and walked over. "Wasn't this batch of materials not urgent? Why did the boss decide they had to be finished today?"

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"And these materials really need Mr. Xin. He's the professional one, and with his input, we're less likely to make mistakes."

Ivy said, "Unfortunately, Mr. Xin went on a blind date today."

"Yeah." Li Ze nodded. "The boss can't exactly call Mr. Xin back, can he?"

Ivy paused, sharply sensing that something seemed off.

Li Ze glanced out the window and said, "Ivy, look how gloomy the sky is outside. Do you think it'll rain later?"

"It's the rainy season here. Good thing I brought an umbrella."

Near the end of the workday, Ivy brought the sorted materials to Owen. "Mr. Xin will still need to look over this portion once he gets back, boss."

"I know. Leave it there."

Ivy set the materials aside as instructed. Just as she was about to leave, Owen spoke again. "Is it going to rain outside?"

"Yes. It looks like it'll start any moment now."

Owen looked up. "The work is finished, and it's about time. You can get off early."

"Okay, boss."

Since she could leave early, staying even one extra second would count as a loss.

After Ivy happily clicked away in her high heels, Owen called Xin Chun.

Meanwhile, Xin Chun was seeing his blind date, Miko, home.

Seeing Xin Chun on the phone, Miko stood quietly beside him and waited. Just as Grandpa Zhao had described, she had a baby face, sweet and adorable features, and dimples when she smiled. More importantly, she was polite and had a good personality.

"Okay, then I'll wait for you at the intersection." Xin Chun hung up shortly afterward.

Miko said, "You can stop here. My place is just ahead. Senior, take this umbrella. It's definitely going to rain soon."

She had checked the forecast before leaving. It said there would be rain, so she had brought an umbrella.

Xin Chun refused. "No need. Someone's coming to pick me up soon. You should head back. I'll call you when there's news."

"Then thank you in advance, Senior." They attended different schools but were in the same major, and for convenience, Miko had started calling Xin Chun Senior as they chatted.

She smiled shyly. "I really have to trouble you to help me."

"It's no trouble, just a small favor. I won't walk you any farther, then. Be careful on the way."

"Okay. Goodbye, Senior."

After Miko left, Xin Chun put away his phone and hummed as he walked toward the meeting spot.

Not long after, once the rain began pattering down, Owen drove over to pick Xin Chun up.

Before the car had even come to a complete stop, Xin Chun dashed through the rain from beneath the roadside awning to the car, quickly opened the door, and climbed in.

"Whew, I'm freezing. This rain really came out of nowhere. It's pouring."

Xin Chun wiped the rain from his face, and a tissue was handed to him from beside him.

"Wipe yourself off," Owen said.

"Thanks." Xin Chun took it and wiped his face. "Oh, right, I still haven't returned your handkerchief. I keep forgetting."

"No rush."

"How can that be? I've already washed it. Didn't you say you wanted to discuss work with me? It's not easy to find somewhere to talk on a rainy day..."

"How about going to my place? I can return your handkerchief while we're there."

Xin Chun turned his head, smiling with an innocent expression. Rain had soaked the hair on his forehead, leaving strands plastered against his fair cheeks, while his eyes shone brightly.

Still chilled and not yet warmed up, he hunched his shoulders slightly, making him look even more like a pitiful little rabbit.

Owen had originally intended to drive to where Xin Chun lived. Hearing that, he said calmly, "All right. Tell me the way."

"This way, this way." Xin Chun happily pointed out the route.

Chapter 4

The rain grew heavier and heavier, and the car could not make it all the way up, so they had to walk part of the distance.

Owen had brought only one umbrella. The two squeezed beneath it, shoulder to shoulder. The umbrella tilted toward Xin Chun, leaving most of the rain to fall on Owen, but he did not seem to care at all.

When they reached Xin Chun's home and opened the door, the handsome Alaskan Malamute lunged at them.

"Woof."

"All right, all right, don't make a fuss." Xin Chun held back the overly enthusiastic dog, invited Owen inside, changed into house slippers, and took off his coat.

"Your coat is wet, Owen. Your shirt is wet here too." Xin Chun immediately spotted the places soaked through by rain.

Owen said, "It's fine."

Xin Chun said, "How can it be fine? Wearing wet clothes is uncomfortable. Take them off. I'll dry them for you. It won't take long."

"Sorry for the trouble."

Xin Chun found an oversized, loose T-shirt and returned to the living room.

By then, Owen had already undone every button on his shirt, though he had not had time to take it off yet. The open shirt revealed his solid chest, abdominal muscles, and the V-line that gradually disappeared beneath his pants.

Owen had worked out very well.

Xin Chun's eyes clearly conveyed his amazement. He praised him aloud as well, then handed him the T-shirt. "Here. This is the largest size I have. I don't know if you'll fit into it, so try it on first."

Owen took it. The shirt fit him only barely.

Xin Chun went to dry Owen's coat and shirt, then refilled Handsome Star's food and water. Only then did he finally have time to sit on the sofa and discuss business with Owen.

Owen had brought documents.

After they finished discussing work, he naturally asked the question that had been sitting in his mind all day. "How was the blind date?"