He was downright alluring

Sleeping in his new room felt so comfortable. At last, he no longer had to share a bedroom with Sheriff.

He no longer had to suffer Sheriff's torment in the middle of the night, or be woken by a stink and scoop Sheriff's poop with his eyes half closed.

After a quick wash, Li Yi rubbed his slightly hungry stomach and headed downstairs for breakfast. While still on the stairs, he heard cheerful voices and laughter below.

Hmph, the eyesore's here!

Lu Junjia and Zhou Xuanze sat snuggled together, as though afraid no one would know they were a couple. When they saw Li Yi coming downstairs, they sprang apart as if stung by wasps.

Zhou Xuanze looked up at Li Yi as he approached. It had only been a day since he last saw him, yet he somehow seemed to have changed a great deal.

Since he had just gotten up, he was still wearing a loose, pale-yellow T-shirt, worn enough to serve as pajamas, and cotton shorts.

His exposed calves were fair and long, with evenly defined muscles.

The young man's skin was fair. Up close, one could even see the soft down on his pink-tinged skin, let alone those strikingly beautiful features.

Li Yi used to follow him everywhere, all obedience and admiration, his eyes always sparkling when he looked at him.

But after seeing it long enough, he had grown bored. That predictable obedience and those unappealing, dull clothes-he was already sick of them.

Lu Junjia, by contrast, was more varied. Though not as beautiful as Li Yi, he was sometimes sweet and considerate, sometimes willful and mischievous, making him seem much more lively.

Sometimes, he even wore special outfits to seduce him, which was quite a thrill.

But now, Li Yi had shed that obedient demeanor. His expression was cold, and he looked at people as though they were stinking dog shit, yet it struck a chord deep inside Zhou Xuanze.

Whenever those alluring eyes glanced his way with a hint of a smile, Zhou Xuanze felt his heart clench.

How had he ever thought Li Yi was unattractive?

He was downright alluring!

In comparison, the docile Lu Junjia beside him seemed rather bland.

Was Li Yi so different today because he still resented him for bringing up breaking up the day before yesterday, and was trying every means to catch his attention?

He really couldn't bear to let him go. Zhou Xuanze felt rather pleased with himself.

"Li Yi, you're up." Zhou Xuanze stood and greeted him happily.

"Are you blind?" Li Yi rolled his eyes at him and walked toward the coffee machine.

"Li Yi, how can you be so rude? Xuanze came to see you first thing this morning and waited ages for you to wake up. He greets you, and you still give him that nasty attitude," Qiao Xinyue scolded.

"I'm not a garbage dump, so don't bring your trash to me. You know perfectly well whether he came especially to see me." Li Yi lowered his head to examine the coffee machine. Qiao Xinyue had never allowed him to touch it before, but now he was determined to.

"..." Qiao Xinyue was too angry to speak.

"Li Yi, I didn't think things through the day before yesterday. I really did come especially to apologize today." Zhou Xuanze walked over with a deeply affectionate look and tried to put an arm around his shoulders, only for Li Yi to slap his hand away.

On the sofa behind them, Lu Junjia gritted his teeth hard, inwardly cursing Li Yi as a bitch!

If not for his shares, Brother Xuanze wouldn't have to lower himself like this to coax someone so detestable.

Li Yi finally figured out the coffee machine and spooned some beans into it. He glanced sideways at Zhou Xuanze beside him and asked coldly, "You came to apologize?"

"I was too impulsive last time. Next time, I'll make sure to talk things over with you instead of throwing around the idea of breaking up." As Zhou Xuanze spoke, he lowered his head to check Li Yi's expression. "You must have been miserable these past two days."

"Miserable? Not at all. I've been pretty happy." Li Yi's lips curved into a smile. He pulled a panda patch out of his shorts pocket and slapped it firmly onto his chest.

He pointed to the QR code on it. "If you want to apologize, show some sincerity first. Transfer a million and let's see."

"A million?" Lu Junjia rose from the sofa. "Li Yi, Brother Xuanze has already swallowed his pride and apologized.

"You know perfectly well that he's starting a business and doesn't have much money, yet you're demanding a million from him. You're going way too far."

"No matter how little money he has, he's still the Zhou family's second young master." Li Yi gave Lu Junjia a pointed look. "Zhou Xuanze isn't worked up, so why are you? It's not your money."

Then he lazily glanced upward. "What do you say?"

The instant his long lashes lifted and his dark eyes flicked idly upward, a trace of languor and allure spilled out.

Zhou Xuanze's heartbeat faltered for a moment, and he nodded involuntarily.

"See? Second Young Master Zhou is much more generous than a stingy adopted son like you." Li Yi's lips curved upward. Watching Lu Junjia grit his teeth in anger put him in an excellent mood.

"Scan it." He pointed at the QR code on his chest and said flatly, "This was custom-made."

Was it custom-made especially for him?

At the thought of that answer, Zhou Xuanze pulled out his phone much faster. Li Yi had certainly put a lot of thought into winning him back, pulling one little trick after another.

Zhou Xuanze rather enjoyed these changes Li Yi had made for him.

With a beep, the transfer went through.

Looking at the million he had received, Li Yi's smile deepened. Holding his finished coffee, he shoved Zhou Xuanze aside. "Don't block the way. I'm getting breakfast."

"Li Yi, I haven't had breakfast yet." Zhou Xuanze followed him, watching his hand reach for the soup dumplings.

Li Yi still remembered that he liked soup dumplings. There was no mistake-he was trying to win him back!

"What the hell does that have to do with me?" Li Yi took a plateful of soup dumplings and a cup of freshly made soy milk. He took one sip of the coffee, found it too bitter, and abandoned it beside the steamer.

"Soup dumplings are my favorite." Zhou Xuanze picked up the coffee he had set down and followed him.

"They're my favorite too. I used to be a fucking idiot and let you have all the good stuff. But I'm not a fucking idiot anymore, so of course I'm keeping the good food for myself." Li Yi blew on a dumpling, gently bit through its thin wrapper, sucked out the broth, then bit off half the dumpling.

The savory taste of meat instantly filled his mouth, and he narrowed his eyes in satisfaction.

Although the Lu household had several detestable people in it, the chef's skills were truly excellent. The food was even better than what most restaurants served.

"You think you used to be a fucking idiot?" The smile on Zhou Xuanze's face gradually cracked. Holding the coffee, he could neither set it down nor keep holding it.

"Hmph." Li Yi gave him a sidelong look. He could call himself a fucking idiot, but who the hell was Zhou Xuanze to dare call him one?

What did that look in Li Yi's eyes mean? Disgust, contempt, impatience-was he really treating him like garbage?

Hadn't asking for that million been his way of acting coy and making up?

Zhou Xuanze vaguely sensed that something was gradually slipping away from him, and he felt a little panicked for no apparent reason.

"Brother Xuanze, you wanted soup dumplings, so I brought you a plate." Carrying a plate of soup dumplings, Lu Junjia considerately walked over to Zhou Xuanze.

"Thank you, Junjia." Zhou Xuanze looked down at the dumplings on the plate, thinking that Junjia was the one who knew how to care for him. This was the person he should choose to marry.

How dare Li Yi play so hard to get? He hadn't said a single nice thing to him all morning. He would definitely make him regret it!

Zhou Xuanze decided he would stop coaxing him.

If Li Yi thought dressing differently than usual would be enough to bewitch him, he was underestimating him!

"Hss!" Li Yi accidentally burned his tongue. He stuck out its tip, hissing and panting as he fanned it with his hand.

That little pink tongue flashed between his lips, carrying a distinct sort of cuteness.

Zhou Xuanze couldn't help glancing over.

"Brother Xuanze, would you like anything else to drink?" Lu Junjia blocked his view and bent down to ask with a smile, blinking playfully. "I can get it for you."

"A glass of warm water." Zhou Xuanze withdrew his gaze and gave an offhand reply.