When Pei Zhongkang put down his chopsticks, Shen Lingyi was serving soup to Qiguan Yuan.
Her movements were natural; she ladled out half a bowl, placed it beside Qiguan Yuan, and then turned the soup bowl back.
Qiguan Yuan picked up the bowl, took a sip, and put it down.
Shen Lingyi watched his movements, then looked at his slightly drooping eyelids, and noticed that his eyelashes were blinking more slowly than before.
"Is Yuanyuan tired?" Shen Lingyi asked.
Qiguan Yuan shook his head.
"It's alright." But his voice was a little softer than before.
Shen Lingyi, who frequently watched Qiguan Yuan's live streams, could hardly possibly not know what his behavior meant.
This is how Yuanyuan reacts whenever she's sleepy.
Pei Zhongkang glanced at Shen Lingyi, and the two exchanged a look without speaking, but their meaning was conveyed.
Shen Lingyi finished her soup, wiped her mouth, and said to Pei Yubai, "It's getting late. Your father and I would like to stroll around Jiangcheng a bit. It's a rare opportunity for you to come all this way, so you should go back and rest first."
Pei Yubai looked at her. "Where do you live?"
Shen Lingyi: "We'll arrange it ourselves, don't worry about it. Just take good care of Yuanyuan."
Pei Zhongkang had already stood up from his chair and said to Qiguan Yuan, "You've worked hard today, get some rest."
Qiguan Yuan stood up and nodded slightly. "Okay."
Shen Lingyi patted Qiguan Yuan's hand and said, " Yuanyuan, next time I'll have Xiaobai bring you home to play."
Qiguan Yuan responded with a "Okay".
Shen Lingyi let go of his hand, walked up to Pei Yubai, and straightened his collar. "Take Yuanyuan home, don't worry about us. You have work tomorrow, don't stay up late."
Pei Yubai nodded.
Pei Zhongkang and Shen Lingyi left first.
The door to the private room closed.
Qiguan Yuan was still standing there. Pei Yubai was looking at him, and Qiguan Yuan was also looking at him.
The two left the restaurant.
The road outside is narrow, lined with osmanthus trees, but they haven't bloomed yet, and their leaves are a dark green.
The streetlights were spaced far apart, casting a dim, yellowish light that stretched people's shadows long.
Qiguan Yuan walked beside Pei Yubai at a moderate pace, his silver hair gleaming faintly under the streetlights.
After walking for a while, Qiguan Yuan spoke up, " Pei Yubai."
Pei Yubai turned his head to look at him.
Qiguan Yuan didn't look at him, but kept looking at the road ahead. "Why don't you seem happy today?"
Pei Yubai's finger twitched.
He didn't speak.
The two walked for a while longer. "When Mom touched your ear," Pei Yubai pursed his lips, "You let her touch it."
Qiguan Yuan glanced at him sideways, while Pei Yubai stared at the road ahead, his chin clenched and his lips pressed into a thin line.
Qiguan Yuan turned his face towards him.
"That's your mother." Qiguan Yuan's finger was still on his chin.
Qiguan Yuan somewhat amusing. "Why are you even being sarcastic about your own mother?"
Pei Yubai remained silent.
Qiguan Yuan lowered his hand and looked into Pei Yubai's eyes. Pei Yubai's eyes reflected the light from the streetlamp and Qiguan Yuan's face.
Don't you like people touching my ears and tail?
Pei Yubai nodded.
Qiguan Yuan tilted his head slightly.
Pei Yubai pursed his lips. "I haven't even touched it much myself, Yuanyuan, I don't want anyone else to touch it."
Qiguan Yuan looked at the red spreading across his ears and the corners of his mouth curved slightly.
Qiguan Yuan took half a step forward, reducing the distance between them to the width of a hand.
His shoulder was pressed against Pei Yubai's shoulder, and he looked up at Pei Yubai with his face slightly tilted back.
"Do you like my ears and tail, Pei Yubai?"
"I like it." Pei Yubai's voice was a little low as he thought about what Yuanyuan's ears and tail would look like, and his Adam's apple bobbed up and down.
Qiguan Yuan turned around and continued walking forward.
There was no one around.
After taking a couple of steps, his ears peeked out from his hair, silvery-white and fluffy, gleaming softly under the streetlights.
Its tail also emerged from under the robe; it was fluffy, white, with the tip slightly upturned.
"You can touch it." Qiguan Yuan's voice came from the front, the last syllable slightly raised, as if he were coaxing Pei Yubai.
Pei Yubai succeeded.
He knew Yuanyuan would coax him and let him touch her.
Pei Yubai took a quick step and walked to Qiguan Yuan's side.
He raised his hand, stopping beside Qiguan Yuan's ear, but didn't lower it.
Qiguan Yuan tilted his head slightly, his ear brushing against Pei Yubai's fingers.
Pei Yubai, Qiguan Yuan's ear twitched slightly in his palm.
Pei Yubai paused for a moment, then continued touching.
His fingertips traced circles along the earlobe, and Qiguan Yuan's ear gently turned in the direction of his fingers.
Qiguan Yuan continued walking forward, at a moderate pace.
Pei Yubai followed beside him, his hand still resting on his ear.
Qiguan Yuan's tail swayed slowly behind him, its tip brushing against Pei Yubai's hand. Pei Yubai glanced at the tail, then reached out with his other hand and grasped the tip.
Qiguan Yuan's tail twitched in his palm but didn't retract.
Pei Yubai's fingers slowly slid upwards from the tip of the tail, and when they reached the middle of the tail, Qiguan Yuan slowed his pace.
Just as he was about to touch the base of the tail, Qiguan Yuan grabbed his hand. " Pei Yubai, you can't touch the base of the tail."
Pei Yubai's finger stopped there, not moving upwards.
At this moment, he recalled that Meng Xu had once wanted to keep a fox as a pet, and for a period of time he would go online every day to learn about foxes.
Then I don't know where I saw a saying that if the base of a fox's tail is touched, it will lose its strength. (, pronounced jin, cannot pronounce the correct word.)
Will Yuanyuan... do that too?
Qiguan Yuan's tail loosened from his wrist and rubbed against Pei Yubai's palm.
Although the great actor Pei's mind is full of unserious thoughts, he is still an actor and will hide his true feelings.
He presented himself as a virtuous and upright gentleman.
Qiguan Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly, leaning against Pei Yubai, his steps becoming slower and slower.
Pei Yubai put his arm around his waist.
"Can't walk anymore?" Pei Yubai's voice was low. Qiguan Yuan shook his head, but didn't leave him.
The two of them left.
Qiguan Yuan leaned against him, Pei Yubai wrapped his arms around his waist, and the fingers of his other hand were still tucked into Qiguan Yuan's hair, the fingertips touching the edge of his ear.
Having dismissed those rather unserious thoughts from his mind, Pei Yubai began to consider how to resolve Yuanyuan's ID card issue.
Although Yuanyuan is truly like a hermit from another world.
However, not having an ID card is very troublesome in the current situation.
He thought about Meng Xu tomorrow and taking Yuanyuan to take care of the ID card issue first.
Later, when his film was about to start shooting, he didn't have as much time to deal with it.