Chapter 38

Chapter 38

Ning Yuyi carefully recalled and made a realization.

In dramas, the male lead would affectionately pat the female lead's head. Fan Zhongchuan did that; the male lead would be there for the female lead when she's down, Fan Zhongchuan did that too...

Ning Yuyi closed her eyes, fell back onto the bed, and stared blankly at the ceiling.

It's all over.

……

Zhou Erhe hummed an off-tune song, greeted the receptionist with a smile, and headed straight for his office.

But the moment he opened his office door, he saw someone sitting in his chair.

The person wore an oversized coat, complete with a duckbill cap, sunglasses, and a black face mask.

Zhou Erhe took a step back, ready to dial for help, when the person lifted their head, removing their mask and sunglasses to reveal a tired yet familiar face.

"Ning Yuyi." Zhou Erhe exclaimed, his voice unconsciously louder.

Ning Yuyi looked at Zhou Erhe with a pitiable expression, signaling him to close the door.

Only then did Zhou Erhe realize. He turned to the onlookers, made an apologetic gesture, and shut the office door.

Only after this did Ning Yuyi remove his hat, revealing messy hair.

Seeing the dark circles under Ning Yuyi's eyes, Zhou Erhe almost pinched himself in disbelief.

"Oh dear, you're a star! Shouldn't you take better care of your face?" Zhou Erhe said, looking at Ning Yuyi's face with concern.

"I have something to ask you." Ning Yuyi, who hadn't slept the previous night, had been speculating whether Fan Zhongchuan liked him.

"Go on, what's bothering you so much?"

"Hold on." Zhou Erhe suddenly looked up, "You're not telling me you've fallen for someone and they've rejected you, are you?!"

"With an imagination like yours, you're wasting talent not being a scriptwriter," Ning Yuyi, exhausted from lack of sleep, yawned.

"Then why are you looking like this?" Zhou Erhe was puzzled.

"Last night, while watching TV, something occurred to me," Ning Yuyi began cautiously.

"Worried about the end of the world?"

"Were you implying yesterday that Fan Zhongchuan likes me?"

Both questions were voiced simultaneously, casting a silence over the entire office.

Ning Yuyi, already wearing a somewhat strained expression, struggled for words: "Have you been watching too many sci-fi films? You're not actually thinking about switching careers to become an editor, are you?"

The end of the world? Only Zhou Erhe could come up with that.

Zhou Erhe looked even more surprised and momentarily forgot Ning Yuyi's teasing, "I hinted at it for so long yesterday and you didn't get it. What made you realize now?"

Ning Yuyi felt a rare blush of embarrassment, "Well, I watched some romantic dramas last night."

And then noticed a few oddities.

And after that...

Ning Yuyi left the sentence unfinished, but Zhou Erhe clearly understood the implication.

He stepped forward and patted Ning Yuyi's shoulder, "So, what's your plan? Do you like Fan Zhongchuan?"

Ning Yuyi opened his mouth but found no words.

Did he like Fan Zhongchuan?

He knew he depended on and felt close to Fan Zhongchuan, but he wasn't sure if what he felt was love.

In the past, when survival itself was a challenge, he hadn't the energy to entertain the thought of love, which seemed so irrelevant to him.

When he first started college, many girls approached him with confessions of affection. However, once rumors about his financial situation spread throughout the dormitory, those confessions dwindled.

There were still those who liked him regardless, but Ning Yuyi always feared he'd hold them back.

He felt he wasn't worthy of love.

Zhou Erhe could tell that even though Ning Yuyi understood Fan Zhongchuan's feelings now, he was still uncertain about his own.

"For now, just let things take their course," Zhou Erhe waved dismissively, unwilling to dwell on the topic.

"Alright," Ning Yuyi agreed, putting his hat back on, "I'll be going then."

"Let me accompany you. Get some rest. If paparazzi catch you looking like this, who knows how they'll spin the story."

"I'm fine on my own," Ning Yuyi replied, reaching the door. Suddenly, he turned back to ask Zhou Erhe, "You and Ying Jin, do you both have feelings for each other?"

Caught off-guard by the question, Zhou Erhe paused before smiling, "Of course."

Ning Yuyi nodded and closed the door behind him as he left.

In the following days, Fan Zhongchuan noticed that Ning Yuyi hadn't sent him any messages.

"Sweetie, come here," Ning Yuyi coaxed with a dried fish treat in hand, making Sweetie tilt her head from side to side. He captured this adorable moment on video and posted it on social media.

As soon as the video was shared, Ning Yuyi received several private messages from merchants on social media, all inquiring if Sweetie would be interested in starring in advertisements.

Ning Yuyi politely declined their offers and then opened a can of cat food for Sweetie.

"Sweetie is so smart," Ning Yuyi said, pouring the food into a bowl. Watching Sweetie devour the meal, he felt that this simple, slow-paced life had its own kind of happiness.

The elderly neighbor downstairs called out for Ning Yuyi to come down and have some soup. He responded affirmatively, left the cat, and headed downstairs.

Just as he began descending the stairs, the doorbell rang.

The elderly lady was busy preparing soup in the kitchen, so Ning Yuyi stopped her and went to answer the door himself.

But the moment he opened it, his wrist was grabbed, and he was enveloped by a familiar scent.

Fan Zhongchuan squeezed in through the door, holding Ning Yuyi's hand, half-embracing him and pressing him against the entryway.

"Avoiding me lately?" The question came with a tone that suggested he already knew the answer.

Ning Yuyi guiltily looked down, "No, not at all."

"Little liar," Fan Zhongchuan rested his chin on top of Ning Yuyi's head, "What's the matter, hm?"

The deep, pleasant voice brushed past Ning Yuyi's ear, making his heart race for no apparent reason.

"Really, it's nothing," Ning Yuyi stammered, searching for an excuse, "I've just been... a bit busy recently."

Ning Yuyi thought his excuse was pretty good.

Being a bit busy could explain why he hadn't reached out.

To his surprise, Fan Zhongchuan quirked an eyebrow and retorted, "Busy playing with your cat?"

Ning Yuyi choked on his own saliva, coughing uncontrollably.

As he coughed, he wondered where he had slipped up.

Seeing the confusion in Ning Yuyi's eyes, Fan Zhongchuan leisurely hinted, "Social media."

Ning Yuyi: "!!!"

Damn, if he'd known, he wouldn't have shared that video of Sweetie for his fans.

Unable to help himself, Ning Yuyi poked Fan Zhongchuan in the chest, "What's the CEO of the mighty Fan Corporation doing browsing social media all day?"

"What are you doing?" Fan Zhongchuan chuckled softly.

His chest rose and fell with his laughter, the sensation easily transmitting to Ning Yuyi's fingertips through the thin fabric.

Ning Yuyi quickly recoiled, curling his fingers in response.

"Of course, it's because I like you," Fan Zhongchuan confessed, wrapping his arms around Ning Yuyi and gently stroking the nape of his neck.

Being particularly sensitive at the nape, Ning Yuyi melted at the touch, momentarily missing Fan Zhongchuan's direct admission.

A few seconds later, realization dawned, and Ning Yuyi's eyes, brimming with emotion, widened in surprise.

"Hmm? How does that feel?" From Ning Yuyi's sudden distance, Fan Zhongchuan could guess what was on his mind.

At that moment, Ning Yuyi wished he could curl up into a tiny ball.

But Fan Zhongchuan didn't press him, understanding the shy nature of the man in his embrace and not wanting to overwhelm him.

"Uh, let me go first," Ning Yuyi murmured, legs feeling weak from the sensation, "Auntie is still in the kitchen."

Just then, footsteps echoed from the kitchen, approaching the living room.

Only now did Fan Zhongchuan, with a hint of regret, release Ning Yuyi, letting him stabilize himself against the wall. "Will you have dinner with me?"

Ning Yuyi shot Fan Zhongchuan a glare, though its effect was dampened by the warmth in his eyes.

It only seemed to tease and tempt Fan Zhongchuan further.

"Not joining me?" Fan Zhongchuan smiled, asking once more.

Huffily, Ning Yuyi turned away but called out to the kitchen, "Auntie, two sets of tableware, please."

"Alright!" The aunt responded, fetching another set of dishes.

Fan Zhongchuan's smile softened as he took a seat beside Ning Yuyi.

The aunt had prepared a tofu and blackfish soup. The tender tofu, cooked in the blackfish broth, took on a unique savory flavor, while neutralizing some of the fishy taste.

The creamy fish soup was rich without being heavy, garnished with green onions, making it appear especially appetizing.

Ning Yuyi sipped the soup slowly, his gaze fixed on the bowl, deliberately avoiding any eye contact with the man opposite him.

Even so, he could feel that man's unwavering gaze, always resting on him.

Finally, Ning Yuyi set down his chopsticks and looked up, "Are you here to have soup or just stare at me?"

His voice held a mix of reproach, slight annoyance, and an underlying shyness.

Fan Zhongchuan, ever so leisurely, placed his spoon down. Without uttering a word, he just continued to smile affectionately at him.

This feeling of punching into cotton frustrated Ning Yuyi even more.

Quickly finishing his soup, Ning Yuyi immediately retreated to his room.

Before leaving the dining area, he glanced at Fan Zhongchuan, who was still gracefully sipping his soup, and remarked, "Mr. Fan, you have countless matters to attend to daily. Once you finish your soup, I won't bother escorting you out."

The implication was clear - leave once you're done.

Ah, the darling is upset.

Fan Zhongchuan placed his utensils down, watching Ning Yuyi's retreating figure, and let out a sigh.

With plenty of business matters awaiting him, Fan Zhongchuan left a gift he brought on the dining table, greeted the housemaid in the kitchen, and headed to his company.

……

After sulking in his room for nearly ten minutes, Ning Yuyi finally peeked out from under his blanket, quietly listening for sounds from downstairs.

Realizing it was quiet, he irritably threw his pillow onto the bed.

To calm his mind, Ning Yuyi began studying the complete script of "Zhouyang Emperor".

Ever since he deeply immersed himself in several sweet romance TV series recently, Ning Yuyi finally started to grasp the Ninth Prince's love for the female lead in the drama.

He studied it until sunset.

Only when the housemaid called him for dinner did Ning Yuyi tear himself away from the script, stretching his shoulders before heading downstairs.

As he sat down at the dining table, intending to check out the latest gossip on his phone, his gaze was unintentionally drawn to a deep blue, velvet box the size of a fist at the corner of the table.

Intrigued, Ning Yuyi picked it up and examined it.

The housemaid, while setting the dishes on the table, noticed Ning Yuyi's interest and explained, "Mr. Fan left that for you at noon. He said it's an apology gift."

Fan Zhongchuan? An apology gift?

After placing the dishes, the housemaid returned to the kitchen.

Ning Yuyi stared at the velvet box, pursing his lips, then opened it.

Inside lay a cufflink, made of pure silver with a sapphire-inlaid letter 'N', elegantly simple.

Closing the box, a pleased smile appeared on Ning Yuyi's face, and he cheerfully finished his meal.

Author's Note: One update today, might have a second one tonight.