Chapter 22

Fu Luoyin drove Lin Shuicheng back home, having already ordered takeout on the way. By the time they arrived, the food had also reached their doorstep.

Knowing that Lin Shuicheng enjoyed spicy food, Fu had chosen a Szechuan restaurant that delivered the sizzling hot pot right to their door. The aromatic blend of spiciness, freshness, and fragrance filled the air, warming them up and bringing clarity to their minds.

The Fu family generally didn't have a taste for spicy food, except for Fu himself. In Star City, cuisine tended towards sweetness and saltiness, with an emphasis on "aroma" and "richness." However, Fu Luoyin, having grown up in Jiangnan rather than Star City, had developed a taste for all kinds of food without any pickiness. During his two years in the Eighth Military District, even a keyboard would have looked appetizing to him like chocolate, regardless of its origin.

At the entrance, he lifted the heavy meal with one hand and affectionately ruffled Lin Shuicheng's head with the other: "Good boy, go open the door."

It was only as he watched Lin Shuicheng enter the passcode that Fu realized it was his own birthday – he had always relied on facial recognition to enter and had completely forgotten about this detail when he asked Lin Shuicheng his birthdate earlier that morning.

No wonder Lin Shuicheng was upset.

He wasn't angry at Fu for being stern but for doubting that he knew Fu's birthday.

This realization softened Fu Luoyin's heart. He shouldn't have doubted Lin Shuicheng, especially not when he was feeling troubled. He should not have taken out his frustration on Lin Shuicheng.

He was certain that Lin Shuicheng loved him deeply.

After entering the house, Lin Shuicheng first attended to feeding the commander.

The Chief had stopped eating after a while, leaving Lin Shuicheng puzzled. He reached out and touched the Chief's belly, which was round and plump, clearly indicating that the Chief was already full.

He glanced at the Chief's bowl.

The Chief usually ate from a stainless steel bowl, placed by the living room floor-to-ceiling window. Now, there was an exquisite celadon-glazed bowl beside it – worth a thousand or two, part of a set Zhou Heng had bought.

Obviously, when Fu Luoyin returned in the afternoon, he had casually picked up this bowl to fill with cat food, wanting to feed the cat. He was cautious, knowing that the Chief wouldn't eat anything he offered, so he hadn't used the Chief's original small steel bowl. He feared that if he used this one for the food, the Chief might reject the bowl altogether.

Despite his usual disdain, the Chief hadn't eaten. But after Fu Luoyin left, the cat couldn't resist the hunger and secretly devoured everything.

It was a cat with both dignity and not much of it.

Lin Shuicheng pressed his lips together, and the gloom that had weighed on him all day seemed to dissipate a little at this moment.

Smiling, he picked up both bowls to wash them. He was fastidious about cleanliness and usually washed dishes with a dishwasher, but the Chief's bowl was always hand-washed separately.

Fu Luoyin, busy transferring takeout into plates, caught sight of him washing two cat bowls and instinctively kept quiet – there was no need to share with his lover the embarrassment of being rejected by the cat he was trying to feed.

After washing the two cat bowls, Lin Shuicheng placed them back by the floor-to-ceiling window as they were.

On the table were dishes such as fish-flavored shredded pork, boiled pork slices, and an entire steamed fish with chopped chili peppers, simmering in a tin pot, releasing fragrant bubbles.

Lin Shuicheng ate more than usual. Fu Luoyin had a phone conference in the wee hours of the night and was afraid of stomach pain, so he ate very little, picking only the non-spicy fish-flavored shredded pork and Kung Pao chicken.

Both of them were exhausted today, so they didn't speak at the dinner table, quietly savoring their food in silence.

After the meal, Lin Shuicheng went to take a shower.

He took longer than usual, and since the Chief had tried to push open the bathroom door previously without success, this time he learned his lesson and tugged at Fu Luoyin's pants leg.

Fu Luoyin was browsing through documents sent by Unit 7 when he looked down and saw a Holstein cat staring at him with green eyes, in a subdued manner.

The moment he noticed Fu Luoyin's attention, the Chief immediately strolled inside.

Following, Fu Luoyin pushed open the bathroom door and found Lin Shuicheng, just like last time, sleeping in the bathtub. Beside the bathtub, there was a waterproof tablet playing a video related to AI technology. The audio was compressed, and the distant, faint buzzing of the voices echoed softly in his ears.

Last time, when he had reached for Lin Shuicheng, he had woken up. But this time, he didn't stir at all. Fu Luoyin glanced at the ventilation fan; its whirring blades seemed to be functioning properly, indicating that it wasn't likely due to hypoxia causing dizziness or weakness.

Lin Shuicheng genuinely appeared to be very tired.

Fu Luoyin carried Lin Shuicheng horizontally, placing him first on one side of the bed before using a towel to gently wipe away the water from his body.

It was late autumn, and despite the air conditioning, the room still held a chill.

In his sleep, Lin Shuicheng clung onto Fu Luoyin unconsciously, causing the latter to be drenched in water. His clothes stuck coldly to his skin, while a playful tabby cat circled around his feet, causing mischief.

After drying Lin Shuicheng off, Fu Luoyin then carried him over to the other, undampened side of the bed, wrapping him snugly in blankets and propping him up against the headboard. He then went in search of a hairdryer.

Lin Shuicheng's hair was incredibly soft, with his wispy strands feeling fluffy and delightful to stroke when held in the palm of one's hand. It made him seem even more like some small, adorable creature.

Fu Luoyin gently nestled Xia Ran into his embrace and began to dry his hair with a soft breeze.

Xia Ran had never used a hair dryer in his life, not even during the freezing winters of junior and senior high school when he'd join the boys in shampooing their hair twice a day, directly under the tap. They'd rush to their morning study sessions, squeezing out a few extra minutes of sleep. His hair would often freeze solid in the winter winds. Among teenage boys, such meaningless contests were the norm – who could withstand the coldest blast of water for the longest, as if it measured their masculinity.

Their homeroom teacher once commented that either these boys' brains were frozen or already malfunctioning.

Back then, Xia Ran was not in the same class, but upon learning about this habit, he bought a small hair dryer for Fu Luoyin, asking him to keep it in his dormitory. However, Fu Luoyin had never used it.

...

In that fleeting moment of thought, Fu Luoyin paused his blow-drying, directing the warm air towards Lin Shuicheng's nape for a while. The heat startled Lin Shuicheng awake, causing him to shift aside.

Promptly, Fu Luoyin moved the hairdryer away and touched Lin Shuicheng's head.

Lin Shuicheng opened his eyes to look at him.

Lin Shuicheng preferred bathing in hotter water; his entire body was still flushed when he finished, even his eyelids had a rosy tint. As his glistening eyes opened, it felt as if his heart was brushed by the thick lashes.

He looked like a captivating creature.

Noticing that Fu Luoyin posed no threat, Lin Shuicheng swiftly closed his eyes again, nestling back into his embrace as obediently as could be.

Softly, Fu Luoyin said, "Only you know how to indulge. There won't be a next time."

He continued to dry Lin Shuicheng's hair until it became dry and soft, then switched off the hairdryer.

Gently, he tucked Lin Shuicheng under the covers.

The other side of the large bed was damp, but Fu Luoyin didn't bother. He casually threw a blanket over it and lay down fully clothed for a while.

He set an alarm on his phone and held it in his palm. Forty minutes later, the device vibrated, and Fu Luoyin promptly dismissed the alarm. He then rubbed his temples gently before softly rising from the bed.

Beside him, Lin Shuicheng lay nestled, his breaths shallow and sleep peaceful.

Fu Luoyin noticed the tabby cat crouching by the door. The feline wasn't asleep or engaged in its usual acrobatics; it simply stared at them from the entrance. Its eyes gleamed green in the darkness.

With a soft nudge from the tip of his foot, Fu Luoyin said, "Go inside."

The tabby didn't comply but instead puffed out a breath towards him, its tail raised in alertness. Unlike before, it didn't dash away in a flash. It stayed there, seemingly hesitating.

Taking advantage of the situation, Fu Luoyin playfully stroked the leader's head before heading to the living room.

Lin Shuicheng was awakened by the leader's licks. The cow cat was crouched by his pillow, continuously using its rough tongue to caress his cheek.

Lin Shuicheng came to, turning his head and asking in a hoarse voice, "…Leader?"

The cow cat pawed at him and meowed softly.

Lin Shuicheng immediately recalled that he had forgotten to open the door to the small balcony on the west side when he used the indoor purification system earlier. The leader's litter box was on that balcony, and being just one cat, it couldn't open that door by itself. Thus, it had come to find him.

There had been one or two instances like this before. Lin Shuicheng rolled out of bed and realized he was completely naked.

He then vaguely recalled that Fu Luoyin had carried him from the bathroom.

Lin Shuicheng found a robe and draped it over himself before heading out with the chief. The air conditioner and humidifier were running, so the room wasn't too cold.

The west balcony was close to his workspace. Rubbing his eyes, Lin Shuicheng opened the door for the chief, who immediately darted in.

The chilly breeze woke Lin Shuicheng up as well. He yawned, tears welling in his eyes, then rubbed his head.

After the chief finished his business, he came back inside. Lin Shuicheng closed the door and reached for his PAD on the bedside table.

The screen had been on for too long, and the PAD was almost out of battery. Lin Shuicheng took it to the living room to find a charger. As he stepped into the room, he paused in surprise.

Their living room had a floor-to-ceiling window, but it wasn't sealed. A small door beside the window could be pushed open to access a small balcony.

Fu Luoyin was on a video call on the balcony, with only the balcony light on. The warm yellow glow filtered through the glass, casting a faint outline of his figure.

Dressed in military uniform, Fu Luoyin sat straight and dignified, his voice lowered and muffled by the curtains and glass. His entire presence seemed hazy, like the moon on an impending rainy night—distant and unfamiliar.

Fu Luoyin was acutely aware of any subtle changes in his surroundings, and even though Lin Shuicheng made no sound, he still turned his head to glance back with narrowed eyes.

Upon realizing that it was Lin Shuicheng who had woken up, Fu Luoyin resumed his meeting, but now slightly tilted his body towards him, allowing him to keep an eye on what Lin Shuicheng was doing.

Lin Shuicheng did nothing but sit on the sofa, holding his PAD in a daze, staring at him just like that.

It was as if he was still waking up from sleep, or perhaps he was simply looking at him with his usual, affectionate and gentle gaze.

As Fu Luoyin's meeting was drawing to a close, he intended to open the door and enter the living room. Without any particular reason, he felt like teasing Lin Shuicheng. However, at that moment, a message popped up on his screen, reading, "You have a new incoming message."

"Should you accept the friend request from 'Summer'?"

"Reason for request: Can we talk? I need to discuss something with you."