I'll sleep on the couch

Song Su's heart had been in her throat for ten days. Seeing the two of them back on good terms finally put her at ease. Of course she was happy-she even ate almost half a bowl more at dinner.

Seeing his wife so happy she practically wanted to hum, Lin Qixiu couldn't help laughing. "You're this happy that Mianmian found a job?"

"Of course I am. You have no idea-while he was sick all this time, Qinghe never even showed his face. I thought they'd fallen out. Now everything's fine. They're hanging out again, and Mianmian's even found a job. He'll make eight thousand a month."

"With a job, it'll be easier for him to find a partner. His blind dates will have a better chance of working out."

Lin Qixiu joined her in imagining it. "Exactly. A man needs a certain financial foundation to find a partner. Mianmian was just too lazy, which was why he couldn't find anyone. Now that he's willing to work and has a, uh, reasonably respectable-sounding job, his chances of finding someone are much better."

"Exactly. I'll post him on my Moments in a bit and let our friends and relatives see that our Mianmian really isn't lazy anymore. He's working now. If they know anyone suitable, they should hurry up and introduce them."

The two imagined a wonderful future, grinning from ear to ear, as though they could already see themselves holding Lin Fengmian's child years down the line.

Meanwhile, Xia Qinghe was suffering. Lin Fengmian's scent filled his nose. He had always thought Lin Fengmian carried a lovely milky scent, ever since they were little. He loved it so much he wished he could stay right beside Lin Fengmian and breathe it in every day.

Now that scent kept pushing into his nose, like a spoonful of oil poured into water. Those filthy thoughts hidden in the shadows began stirring again, crackling and boiling over.

Especially since Lin Fengmian wouldn't even stay still in his sleep. Xia Qinghe was already pressed right against the edge of the bed, yet Lin Fengmian still managed to find his way over in his sleep.

One leg draped over his waist, and an arm kept burrowing beneath his neck, insisting that he use it as a pillow. If he didn't, he would get bitten.

The back of his neck had already been bitten several times.

Lin Fengmian's warm breath brushed the back of his neck. The ticklish sensation sank through his skin straight into his heart, then spread through his whole body with his blood.

Xia Qinghe turned over to face Lin Fengmian, only for Lin Fengmian's breath to fall on his face. He regretted it instantly.

Xia Qinghe stared at Lin Fengmian's lips, barely visible in the darkness. Heat surged through him, and he abruptly rolled back over, turning his back to Lin Fengmian.

Lin Fengmian kicked out, sending him off the bed. "Are you a fucking pancake? You've been flipping back and forth all night."

Xia Qinghe picked up his pillow and fled. "I'll sleep on the couch."

Lin Fengmian's eyes flew open, sleepiness still lingering in them. He sat up cross-legged and watched Xia Qinghe sneak off to the living room.

What the hell was he up to?

Lin Fengmian was too sleepy, and he had to get up early tomorrow. He decided to look for answers after he woke up.

Xia Qinghe lay down on the couch and listened for sounds from the bedroom. Half an hour later, there was still nothing. For some reason, he felt a little unhappy.

He wanted Lin Fengmian to care about why he had been acting strange, yet he was afraid of that concern.

It left him more conflicted than facing his toughest competitor. He had always been decisive; this was the first time he had ever been so hesitant.

He covered his eyes with his arm, pressing against the spot that had swollen from being hit. As the aching pressure came, Xia Qinghe inexplicably laughed.

A pillow flew out of the bedroom.

Xia Qinghe shut his mouth.

Early the next morning, Xia Qinghe's personal assistant delivered fresh fruit and vegetables, all kinds of organic fruit and vegetable juices and milk, and an array of daily necessities.

Xia Qinghe kneaded the dough to knock the air out. He had left it to rise last night to make soup dumplings this morning.

The personal assistant set everything down without letting his gaze wander. "President Xia, should I put these in the fridge?"

Xia Qinghe didn't even look up, his hands deftly filling and pleating the dumplings. "No. From now on, just leave them at the door. Don't come in."

"Okay." The personal assistant slipped back to the 107th floor. "Wow, I never knew President Xia could make steamed buns. When I delivered his fruit and vegetables just now, I saw him making them. He was so practiced-you could tell he'd been doing it for years."

His words earned him scorn from a whole crowd. "Do you know what your job title is?"

"Personal assistant."

"Exactly. You've been buying groceries for President Xia for almost a year. If you think he can't cook, what would he be buying groceries for? To put them in the fridge and look at them?"

The personal assistant: ...That made so much sense.

Secretary Su had just arrived at the office and happened to hear the assistants in the secretarial office chatting. "President Xia joined the cooking club in high school. That's where he learned to cook."

There was still half an hour before work started, so everyone gathered around Secretary Su to gossip.

"President Xia was a pampered young master from childhood. He could've had everything done for him. Why did he learn to cook?"

"What else could it have been? Jealousy, of course." Just thinking about it made Secretary Su want to laugh himself to death. "Our President Xia..."

It was golden October, and fragrance filled the grounds. Banners fluttered at Shengjing International High School. Everyone had just returned from the National Day break, like little birds freshly returned to their cages-their bodies were at school, but their hearts had yet to return.

"Wow, this is so good. This one's delicious too. Mimi, your pastries taste great and look so pretty." Lin Fengmian's cheeks bulged like a hamster's as he accepted the treats Mimi fed him.

Mimi pressed her lips together, two little dimples appearing in her cheeks as she smiled.

Sweetened by the treats, Lin Fengmian offered sweet words in return. "Mimi, your dimples are really pretty too."

Beside them, Xia Qinghe rolled his eyes skyward and kicked away the wastepaper basket next to him. His brows were drawn low, and he looked ready for trouble. "A good dog stays out of the way."

With that, he used his height and size to push aside Mimi, who only reached his chest, and gave her a sidelong look. "Class is about to start. Don't stand here. And stop feeding my Mianmian this junk food."

Mimi wasn't offended or angry in the slightest. Instead, she covered her face, her eyes frighteningly bright, and ran back to her little group. They giggled nearby, glancing over at them again and again.

Their looks made Xia Qinghe's expression grow even colder. He pulled out a wet wipe and wiped the cream off Lin Fengmian's face. "If you want cake, I'll have the butler bring some over. If you don't think our chef's cakes taste good, I'll order some from a Michelin hotel. Don't eat the stuff those girls make in their club."

"Who knows whether their ingredients have expired? Ingredients used for practice like this are usually low-quality. Aren't you afraid you'll get diarrhea?"

A little cake with a bite taken out of it stopped Xia Qinghe's mouth. He wanted to spit it out, but couldn't bear to. Mianmian had bitten it.

Xia Qinghe swallowed with a frown. "It tastes awful. All artificial sweetener. I don't know what's so good about it that you'd praise it to the skies."

Lin Fengmian raised his hands slightly, and Xia Qinghe hurriedly pulled out another wet wipe, drew his hands over, and wiped each finger clean.

Lin Fengmian sniffled. He had gone to the Arctic with Xia Qinghe to see the northern lights over the National Day break and caught a cold from the chill. He still hadn't recovered.

"Where did you go? I looked for you forever, and you weren't answering your phone. I only asked Mimi for cake because I couldn't find you."

Xia Qinghe's hands paused before he continued wiping Lin Fengmian's fingers, not even missing beneath his nails, as though he wanted to wipe away every trace of Mimi.

"The basketball team has a competition coming up. The teacher called me over to discuss tactics. I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to buy you food. I let you oversleep and go hungry."

"You can punish me however you want, but you can't eat this stuff from those girls. If you get diarrhea, I'm not carrying you to the infirmary."