He brushed against him

The arguments in the live comments kept raging, showing no sign of stopping even after night had fallen.

After Yu Xinyan chased Chen Mingyi, insisting on washing the dishes, Yuan Man and Du Yuesi followed them into the kitchen area one after the other.

Watching the four of them, Song Nianxing decided to make room and leave.

But in Chen Mingyi's eyes, his departing figure became a sign that he could not bear to be away from Shen Siyi, and a sigh of exasperation escaped her throat.

Yuan Man glanced at her and smiled gently. "Why the sigh? Is your hair getting in the way?"

As he spoke, he gestured toward Chen Mingyi's long hair, which she had to keep pushing aside with her hand to stop it from blocking her vision, then took the hair tie off his wrist and handed it to her.

Chen Mingyi paused, and her clear eyes suddenly lit up. "Thank you."

"No big deal," Yuan Man replied.

Yu Xinyan happened to catch this scene. He blinked, recalling how Yuan Man used to offer him hair ties all the time. Although he had refused every time, now that Yuan Man had stopped asking him and offered one to someone else instead, he could not quite describe how he felt.

At that moment, Du Yuesi was also looking at Chen Mingyi.

The next instant, Yu Xinyan and Du Yuesi looked away almost simultaneously.

Their eyes met briefly. Du Yuesi smiled brightly, took the pink piggy hair tie off her own wrist, and held it out to Yu Xinyan.

Looking at the person before him, Yu Xinyan's eyes suddenly glimmered with surprise.

"This... thank you." He accepted it with a smile, then asked in puzzlement, "I really didn't expect you to carry a hair tie when your hair's short."

Du Yuesi glanced again at Chen Mingyi, who had already tied up her hair and was smiling brightly at Yuan Man, then shrugged casually. "Habit. Some people... someone always needs one. See, you happen to need it. Your company makes you keep this hairstyle, right? Must be pretty inconvenient?"

Yu Xinyan blinked as he listened.

Someone always needs one?

She was so bossy and brazen when she fought for the fruit bowl earlier, and now she's so thoughtful and kind. Hmm... she really is far too much like that Yuan Man.

Pah! Why was he thinking about Yuan Man?

After silently musing to himself, Yu Xinyan gave a soft tsk and began complaining to Du Yuesi. "Ugh, just talking about this hair annoys me. Let me tell you..."

[Oh my, oh my, I don't even need to say who Yuan Man carries that hair tie for. His own hair's so short he has no use for it. Obviously it's for a certain silver-haired beauty~ You Taro Balls shippers are going to kill me.]

[What a shame he didn't give it to Yu Xinyan. Why did he give it to Chen Mingyi?]

[Haha, who says he has to give it to Yu Xinyan? You shippers have been acting entitled for way too long, haven't you? Our Yuan Man has always been such a gentleman. I'm starting to ship him with Chen Mingyi!! The "Man-Yi" ship rises from this moment on!]

[Is no one going to praise Du Yuesi? She's such an attentive queen, and her interactions with Yu Xinyan are so shippable too. Let "New Moon Night" rise as well!]

[But I really do want to ask why Du Yuesi carries a hair tie when she has short hair? I have a bold idea. Could she be carrying it for Chen Mingyi? Could the legendary, most bizarre "A Little Interesting" ship actually be real?]

[I think everyone above has honestly lost their minds.]

[Forget "Taro Balls," "A Little Interesting," "New Moon Night," and "Man-Yi." Has nobody noticed "Gleaming Starlight" in the corner?! Feels like they're about to ask us to pass them a condom any second!!]

While the four-person dance was playing out in the kitchen, Song Nianxing withdrew of his own accord, sat by the sofa, and started assembling the LEGO bricks on the table by himself.

He was deeply absorbed in it. Only when the sofa beside him sank and the scent of rose shower gel wafted toward him did he regain a little awareness.

He glanced to the side. Shen Siyi was resting his chin on one hand, watching what he was building.

Without makeup, his face looked much cleaner, but his features seemed to have become even more sharply defined. The mole on his brow bone was clearer too, giving him a more aggressive look, with a touch of boldness that had never appeared on him before.

At that moment, the loose hair over his forehead was wet, dotted with droplets of water. One droplet slid along his chiseled jawline, passed over his neck, and finally disappeared into his open V-neck.

Song Nianxing unconsciously pressed his lips together. The next second, Shen Siyi met his eyes with a half-lidded gaze, tender and alluring, with a hint of amusement. The corner of his mouth curved as he raised a brow. "Like what you see?"

Song Nianxing nodded instinctively. "Yes."

The instant he realized what he was doing, his eyes flew wide, and his hand shook as well.

The half-built castle he had worked so hard to stack came crashing down, scattering into pieces.

Shen Siyi chuckled softly and slowly reached toward a brick that had fallen beside Song Nianxing's hand, leaning closer to Song Nianxing at the same time.

Flustered, Song Nianxing leaned backward, trying to dodge him.

At the sight, Shen Siyi's eyes darkened almost imperceptibly.

His Nianxing still shied away from him...

After taking a moment to steady himself, Shen Siyi made his smile much more innocent and gentle.

"Since Nianxing likes what he sees, then~ why not help me finish my task now? What do you say?"

He drew back a little, but kept his gaze fixed openly on Song Nianxing's eyes.

Song Nianxing felt stiff all over, his mind a complete jumble. He could not think at all.

The task. Right, Shen Siyi had chosen him for his intimacy task, and it still wasn't finished.

Brushing against him... would Shen Siyi get far too intimate with him?

"How... how do we finish it?"

He regretted it as soon as he asked.

Shen Siyi had helped him so many times. Really, however he wanted him to cooperate, he ought to agree. It would count as repaying him, after all.

Asking that now made it sound as though he had conditions.

Song Nianxing, you're really awful!

At the thought, Song Nianxing lowered his eyes, feeling a little guilty.

The next second, he felt something skim lightly over his hand, like a feather.

His gaze followed the sensation to that spot.

Shen Siyi's finger was brushing lightly against his thumb as though plucking a string.

Then Shen Siyi's voice came. "Isn't my task to brush against you? Like this is enough."

As Shen Siyi spoke, he began softly counting, "One, two." With each number, his fingertip stroked lightly over Song Nianxing's hand.

Song Nianxing froze.

Just... just like this? Was this really all it took?

He raised his eyes to meet Shen Siyi's. Those eyes were filled with tenderness and restraint.

Seeing this, then remembering his own petty suspicions just now, Song Nianxing felt as though someone had gripped his heart tightly.

How could he think that way about Shen Siyi?

How could Shen Siyi possibly go too far with him?

This was Shen Siyi, after all, so gentle and pure! Someone who was always so considerate and eager to help others.

Song Nianxing, you really are a bastard!