Chapter 51

Chapter 51

"Close your eyes. I want to kiss you."

Xu Xun's voice was crystal clear in the narrow, dark alley.

Shen Tingzhou leaned stiffly against the wall, his heart pounding so hard that it made his chest numb, and that numbness spread all the way to his fingertips.

Xu Xun was like a hunter who had set up an inescapable trap. He did not urge Shen Tingzhou but instead rested his forehead against Shen Tingzhou's, waiting with extreme patience.

He looked down at Shen Tingzhou's fluttering eyelashes, which resembled a butterfly without a place to land, flying around frantically before finally settling gently on his eyelids.

Shen Tingzhou closed his eyes, his heart thumping loudly.

Suddenly, a soft touch landed lightly on his eyelid, moist and tender.

Shen Tingzhou's heart softened, and he slowly opened his eyes.

Xu Xun seemed to have been waiting for this reaction. The moment Shen Tingzhou opened his eyes, Xu Xun grabbed the back of Shen Tingzhou's head and kissed him on the lips.

Shen Tingzhou's nostrils were filled with Xu Xun's scent as his lips were forcefully sucked.

Feeling something push open his lips, Shen Tingzhou's nerves tingled, and he unconsciously grabbed the wall behind him.

Xu Xun released him, burying his head into Shen Tingzhou's neck, breathing softly.

Shen Tingzhou's entire body tensed, not daring to move.

Xu Xun hugged him, his voice sticky and sweet, "Why did you only start liking me now? I've been waiting for you for so long."

Hearing Xu Xun's almost plaintive words, Shen Tingzhou was taken aback.

Xu Xun lifted his head, and Shen Tingzhou saw the warmth in his eyes. A soft spot in his heart collapsed, and he couldn't help but reach out to touch Xu Xun's face.

This time when Xu Xun kissed him, Shen Tingzhou wasn't as stiff; he gently closed his eyes.

He truly liked the person in front of him.

-

Shen Tingzhou had never been in love before, and this first experience of affection left him somewhat at a loss.

Even after returning home, the heat on his face had not completely dissipated.

After Zhou Zitan dropped off He Yanting, he sent Shen Tingzhou a text message. It took over an hour for Shen Tingzhou to respond.

After taking a shower, lying in bed, Shen Tingzhou couldn't help but recall what Xu Xun had said in the alley.

"Why did you only start liking me now? I've been waiting for you for so long."

Did Xu Xun mean he had liked him for a long time?

When did he start liking him, and why did he not feel anything?

Shen Tingzhou tried to recall, but at most, he could remember that recently Xu Xun had started to get closer to him, such as lying on his knees or resting his head on his shoulder.

Perhaps because he thought too much about Xu Xun before bed, Shen Tingzhou had many dreams about Xu Xun that night.

In one dream, Xu Xun crawled out of the TV again, saying he wanted to take him on a date and asking him to crawl into the TV too.

Shen Tingzhou kept trying to crawl in, but got stuck halfway inside the TV. Xu Xun said he would punish him and then carried away all the cats...

In another dream, he and Xu Xun were lying on the beach, basking in the sun, when suddenly a huge cat face appeared above them.

The giant cat looked at them and said, "I've grown up now. I can take care of you."

Shen Tingzhou looked closely and realized it was Little Silver!

Then Little Silver started showering them with cat treats and dried fish, saying, "Even though you don't give me these often, I'm a good cat. I'll give you lots."

Shen Tingzhou and Xu Xun stared at each other, holding giant cat treats taller than themselves.

The third dream was a real event.

That day, the sky was gloomy, and Xu Xun, who had just returned from rehabilitation, also looked sullen.

When Shen Tingzhou went in to check on him, Xu Xun sat by the window, gazing indifferently at the dark clouds gathering in the sky.

At that point, Xu Xun no longer spoke sarcastically to Shen Tingzhou, but he still ignored him when he entered.

Every time it was overcast, Xu Xun's leg would hurt. Shen Tingzhou walked over and asked, "Do you need a hot compress?"

Xu Xun didn't respond, continuing to stare outside. Shen Tingzhou didn't say more, finished his check-up, and left.

Downstairs, the Steward came out of the kitchen carrying a birthday cake, smiling and saying, "Doctor Shen, stay for lunch today. It's the young master's birthday."

Just as Shen Tingzhou was about to refuse, the Steward added, "Stay, please. Last year, his birthday was lively, but this year it's just the two of us."

Shen Tingzhou's heart twisted, and he swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue.

Although adding one more person to celebrate Xu Xun's birthday didn't make the atmosphere any livelier, they ate a silent birthday meal together. Xu Xun didn't even cut the cake.

Because it started raining, Xu Xun's afternoon rehabilitation plan was postponed. Shen Tingzhou pushed Xu Xun out for some fresh air under an umbrella.

He pushed Xu Xun to the lawn in the front yard, watching the new sprouts emerge despite the rain. Xu Xun calmly said, "What, are you going to give me some inspirational talk?"

Shen Tingzhou remained silent, simply taking his hand and extending it outside the umbrella.

Raindrops pattered onto Xu Xun's palm, making him frown and look up at Shen Tingzhou.

Shen Tingzhou said, "I'll give you a drop of rain."

Xu Xun's expression remained unchanged. "I remember the salary I pay you isn't low, right?"

Shen Tingzhou suddenly smiled. "Then I'll give you a whole patch of rain."

He took two steps back with the umbrella, allowing the slanted rain to drench Xu Xun.

Xu Xun's hair got wet, hanging limply over his handsome brows and eyes. He tugged at the corner of his mouth and said, "Childish!"

"Mr. Xu," Shen Tingzhou's face turned serious. "As your doctor, I want to tell you that as long as you persist, there is always hope. As Shen Tingzhou, I want to tell you that I won't dare to do this again next year because you will stand up and hit me."

Xu Xun looked through the curtain of rain at Shen Tingzhou.

In the darkening sky, his eyes were pitch-black and bright. He walked over with the umbrella, shielding Xu Xun from the falling rain once more.

Xu Xun's eyelashes fluttered. When Shen Tingzhou approached, he clasped the other's hand.

Shen Tingzhou looked over in confusion. Xu Xun lightly patted his face, an action that seemed almost teasing, but he said, "I don't need to wait a year; I can hit you now."

Shen Tingzhou was speechless for a moment. "...Mr. Xu, has anyone ever told you not to hit someone in the face?"

Xu Xun withdrew his hand. "Has anyone ever told you not to bully the disabled?"

Feeling guilty, Shen Tingzhou silently pushed Xu Xun back home.

In the dream, that day Xu Xun stood up and chased Shen Tingzhou down two streets to hit him.

Terrified, Shen Tingzhou ran forward frantically, into a pitch-black alley, where Xu Xun caught him. The other became clingy, whispering—

"Close your eyes; I want to kiss you."

-

The next day, Shen Tingzhou woke up feeling more exhausted than after running a marathon.

The other two dreams were fine, but Shen Tingzhou couldn't bear the second one, where the silver tabby turned into a giant cat and threw them cat treats.

But then again, it was amazing that Shenshen didn't consider them burdens and was willing to share cat treats and fish snacks with him and Xu Xun. Who wouldn't call that a divine cat?

After breakfast, Xu Xun called to ask if he was coming over, saying the cat missed him.

Xu Xun used to say things like this often, but since last night's incident, Shen Tingzhou felt a sense of flirtation when he heard it.

Shen Tingzhou suspected he was seeing what wasn't there, harboring some hidden feelings, making everything seem abnormal.

Driving to Xu Xun's house, the Steward was tending to flowers in the front yard, and Shen Tingzhou felt inexplicably guilty.

Xu Xun came out of the villa and, in front of the Steward, casually took Shen Tingzhou's hand.

Shen Tingzhou had intended to greet the Steward, but with Xu Xun's gesture, his face heated up, and he followed Xu Xun into the villa, feeling weak in the knees.

The Steward watched their backs, smiled, and then tied two branches together.

Inside the living room, Shen Tingzhou tried to pull his hand back. "I think we should be more careful in front of others."

Xu Xun was unperturbed and straightforward. "I like you, and you like me. Why should we be careful?"

Shen Tingzhou was taken aback by his directness and didn't know what to say.

Seeing Shenshen grooming himself on the sofa, the discomfort in his heart immediately vanished.

This was the angelic cat who was willing to share cat treats and fish snacks with them in his dreams.

With starry eyes, Shen Tingzhou pulled out a cat treat, and the silver tabby, which had been lounging leisurely, opened its eyes.

The moment Shen Tingzhou tore open the cat treat, the orange cat, dragging its plump body, rushed to Shen Tingzhou's feet as if riding on wheels, followed quickly by the calico cat.

Surrounded by three cats, Shen Tingzhou happily fed each one and petted them afterward.

Once his cat fix was satisfied, Shen Tingzhou realized there was still one... no, there was still a person beside him.

Shen Tingzhou stiffly turned his head inch by inch to see a calm and peaceful face.

Xu Xun smiled. "It's okay, go ahead and pet them."

Shen Tingzhou sensed something was amiss. "I..."

Xu Xun picked up the orange cat and placed it in Shen Tingzhou's arms, speaking kindly. "These cats were bought because you like them. Seeing you happy makes me happy too."

Holding the fat orange cat, Shen Tingzhou felt the weight of Xu Xun's affection, thinking no one could be more understanding and considerate than Xu Xun, his heart pounding.

"Doctor Shen," the Steward approached with a tray. "Have some tea."

Shen Tingzhou's racing heart immediately slowed, and he hastily accepted the cup. "Thank you."

Seeing the green tea, Shen Tingzhou felt something was off and glanced at the Steward.

The Steward smiled. "Still green tea."

Shen Tingzhou took a sip, his peripheral vision catching the Steward as he walked away, but the strange feeling lingered.

Recalling past incidents, a suspicion slowly emerged.

Shen Tingzhou cautiously looked at Xu Xun. "Is the green tea the Steward mentioned..."

Before he could finish, Xu Xun covered his mouth.

Shen Tingzhou: ...

Looking into Shen Tingzhou's clear and moist eyes, Xu Xun lowered his head and pecked at him repeatedly, leaving Shen Tingzhou's mind blank, unable to think of anything else.

A few minutes later, Shen Tingzhou, who had been petting the cat, suddenly realized that Xu Xun might have used his good looks to charm him just now...

Shen Tingzhou glanced at Xu Xun again out of the corner of his eye.

Xu Xun was very perceptive and covered Shen Tingzhou's eyes with his hand before leaning in for another kiss.

Shen Tingzhou had no choice but to succumb to Xu Xun's charms. After all, he was quite intimidating, kissing him whenever he pleased. How could Xiao Shen resist?

After the kiss, Xu Xun would lower his eyelashes and whisper softly, "We've already raised three cats together. Do you really need to worry so much?"

Shen Tingzhou: No worries, no worries, can't worry at all!

From a distance came the Steward's sigh, "Spring is almost here; the wild vegetables I planted will grow soon."

Shen Tingzhou: ...

Xu Xun then handed the calico cat back to Shen Tingzhou, adding another layer of affection. He repeated, "We have three cats together. What bad intentions could I possibly have?"

Steward: "Digging up wild vegetables."

Shen Tingzhou: ...

Xu Xun remained silent for a long time before pulling Shen Tingzhou up. "Let's go for a walk."

Shen Tingzhou nodded slightly, "Okay."

The Steward said leisurely, "Don't go into the woods."

Seeing Xu Xun's darkened face, Shen Tingzhou couldn't help but want to laugh, until Xu Xun looked at him with a pained expression, "We have three cats together..."

Shen Tingzhou quickly straightened his lips: Got it, got it, won't laugh anymore.

-

Shen Tingzhou didn't go into the woods with Xu Xun. They walked around the neighborhood a few times until the Steward called them back for dinner.

In the past, Shen Tingzhou thought dating was boring, but now he found it quite interesting.

That evening, after returning home, Shen Tingzhou took out the note Xu Xun had given him from his pocket.

As he was writing a reply, the doorbell rang, and he got up to open the door.

Zhou Zitan brought someone who looked seven-tenths like Jiang Ji. He pushed the person toward Shen Tingzhou, "Doctor Shen, does he look alike? Does he look alike?"

The man wasn't surprised by this, clearly having made some kind of deal with Zhou Zitan.

Shen Tingzhou's temple throbbed, "What do you mean?"

Zhou Zitan excitedly said, "This is for my brother. With a new one, he'll forget the old one soon. What do you think?"

Shen Tingzhou felt dizzy and couldn't speak for a while.

Zhou Zitan's smile gradually faded, becoming cautious, "What's wrong? Is it not good?"

Shen Tingzhou wearily said, "Xiao Zhou, the idea of a substitute is outdated."

"I'm not making him a substitute; this is just a transition," Zhou Zitan argued logically. "They say the best way to forget an old love is to start a new one. Let my brother date someone who looks like Jiang Ji first, then gradually find someone who looks a little less like him, and finally someone who doesn't look like him at all."

Doing desensitization therapy here!

Shen Tingzhou leaned against the door frame and sighed heavily.

Seeing Shen Tingzhou's poor expression, Zhou Zitan asked the man to leave.

The man hesitated, "About the money..."

Zhou Zitan immediately transferred the money via his phone, and the man left smiling.

"Now it's just the two of us. Doctor Shen, what do you want to say?" Zhou Zitan looked at Shen Tingzhou eagerly.

Shen Tingzhou, feeling a headache, said, "Your brother's mental age is only a few years old. These things... aren't suitable for him."

"Because he's easily deceived at this age, he can forget Jiang Ji faster. Once he regains his memory, he won't listen to me anymore," Zhou Zitan tried to convince Shen Tingzhou. "Don't you think Jiang Ji never loved my brother?"

Shen Tingzhou agreed, but this was their matter, especially given He Yanting's amnesia. It was better not to interfere too much.

Worried about Zhou Zitan taking advantage of He Yanting's amnesia, Shen Tingzhou played his trump card.

"Aren't you afraid that when he regains his memory, he'll hate you for manipulating him during his amnesia?"

Zhou Zitan deflated, his mood dejected, "...Yes."

But he didn't want He Yanting to be with someone who didn't love him, let alone someone who had hurt him. What if he followed in his uncle's footsteps and lost his life?

Seeing Zhou Zitan like this, Shen Tingzhou didn't know what to say.

After a long silence, Shen Tingzhou finally spoke, "If you're asking for my opinion, I strongly disagree."

Zhou Zitan left Shen Tingzhou's house, disappointed.

Walking downstairs, Zhou Zitan's face turned grim as he remembered something. He took out his phone and dialed a number.

When the call connected, Zhou Zitan scolded, "What kind of stupid idea was that? Doctor Shen doesn't agree at all."

The person on the other end chuckled, "Why don't you come over, and we can talk in person."

Without hesitation, Zhou Zitan refused, "No."

The man softened his voice, "I have another idea. I guarantee your Doctor Shen will agree."

Zhou Zitan hesitated, then said firmly, "You'd better have a real one, or I'll take your life."

The man smiled and gave Zhou Zitan an address.

-

Over the past two days, Zhou Zitan had been acting very strangely. Shen Tingzhou pondered it for half the night but couldn't figure it out.

The next day, he drove to Qin Si's place to pick up some documents and was teased again about being drained of his essence by a demon.

Shen Tingzhou thought to himself, being drained by a demon was better than being scared by Zhou Zitan.

Qin Si bit into the doughnut Shen Tingzhou had bought and said, as if remembering something, "By the way, do you remember Fu Yusheng?"

Shen Tingzhou flipped through the documents without looking up, "Yeah, what about him?"

Qin Si, unusually gossipy, said, "He came out."

Shen Tingzhou looked up, "Huh? I remember he liked girls."

Qin Si: "Tell me about it. He used to chase after a girl from the dental department, but suddenly he turned gay. His partner is even one of his patients."

Shen Tingzhou fell silent.

Qin Si really disliked relationships between teachers and students or doctors and patients. To him, these were abuses of power, especially when it came to male-male relationships.

"Is this really love? Patients naturally depend on their doctors, which is like the suspension bridge effect. As a doctor, one should guide them, not get involved with them. This is extremely unprofessional and irresponsible. I think the patient could sue him."

Shen Tingzhou felt like sitting on pins and needles, pricked by thorns, and had a fish bone stuck in his throat.

Under Qin Si's vigorous criticism, Shen Tingzhou weakly said, "Actually, I'm also with one of my patients."

Qin Si was taken aback and then said, "Your situation is different."

Shen Tingzhou: "You don't need to make such a hard turn; I understand."

Qin Si: "Your situation is different."

Shen Tingzhou waved his hand, got up with a forced smile, "Really, no need to comfort me."

This friendship might end here. His actions had touched upon Qin Si's values. How could people with different worldviews stay together?

Let this friendship end as peacefully as it began...

"Listen to me!" Qin Si emphasized, "After he went abroad, he changed his major. He's now a psychologist!"

Shen Tingzhou immediately sat back down and joined Qin Si in criticizing.

"How can a psychologist fall in love with their patient? That's outrageous!"

Now Qin Si didn't want to discuss Fu Yusheng anymore. He pulled out a chair and adopted an interrogative posture, "So, tell me, which employer did you end up with?"

Under interrogation, Shen Tingzhou lowered his head, "The fourth one."

Qin Si had a strong impression of Xu Xun, "Oh, the one who's sarcastic, right?"

Shen Tingzhou quickly defended Xu Xun, "He's not sarcastic anymore. Now he's very nice and even raised three cats for me."

Master of mishearing Qin Si: "What, he gave birth to three cats for you!"

Shen Tingzhou twitched at the corner of his mouth, "There's a big difference between raising and giving birth!"

Qin Si pointed at Shen Tingzhou's face, "But your expression and tone just now made it seem like he gave birth to three cats for you."

Shen Tingzhou: "I didn't..."

On second thought, Xu Xun's tone did indeed sound like he had given birth to three cats.

Cat-loving Xiao Qin approved of the relationship, "Go ahead, go ahead. He's already raised, no, given birth to three cats for you. What more could you want?"

Shen Tingzhou also felt that life was complete and couldn't ask for more.

Qin Si prodded, "What kind of cats? Are they as beautiful as our eight gorgeous ones?"

Shen Tingzhou sensed his intention to compare and refused, "All cats are beautiful."

Of course, his three were particularly beautiful.

Qin Si huffed, "Monkey, I heard your thoughts!"

Shen Tingzhou: ...

Qin Si was about to say something else when his expression suddenly changed, and he frantically searched for something to hide behind.

Shen Tingzhou was puzzled, "What's wrong with you?"

His words brought some rationality back to Qin Si, who pretended to be calm, "Nothing."

"What's really going on?"

"...It seems Qin Shiyao is here."

Shen Tingzhou, who hadn't heard anything, opened the door doubtfully, and Qin Si called out from behind, "Don't—"

But it was too late; Shen Tingzhou had already locked eyes with Qin Shiyao at the other end of the corridor.

They were at least seven or eight meters apart, and the hospital's soundproofing was excellent. It was amazing that Qin Si could hear Qin Shiyao's voice.

Qin Shiyao had accidentally collided with a tall young man and stepped on his glasses.

Qin Si's radar picked up Qin Shiyao's signal at that moment—the crisp sound of heels crushing the frame and Qin Shiyao's apology.

The young man shook his head, said it wasn't necessary, picked up the broken glasses, and walked away.

Qin Shiyao walked toward Shen Tingzhou, looking back at the handsome young man.

Qin Si hummed lightly.

Shen Tingzhou turned to look at him. "Jealous?"

Qin Si's features trembled. "What nonsense are you talking about! I'm worried she might forcibly take this man! I don't know her at all!"

Three exclamations in one sentence; it was quite a feat for Xiao Qin.

Shen Tingzhou patted Qin Si's shoulder. "I've never been forcibly taken by her, unlike you."

Qin Si looked incredulous. "You've learned bad habits from your fourth guest."

What kind of nonsense is the fourth guest? Xu Xun is his only guest!

Qin Shiyao approached, and Qin Si quickly retreated into the office, but Qin Shiyao didn't even notice him, still looking at the young man with broken glasses.

Shen Tingzhou heard her mutter, "That's not right. Could my intuition be wrong?"

Then Qin Shiyao suddenly looked at Shen Tingzhou. "Even if my intuition is wrong, your rule will never be."

Shen Tingzhou: Huh?

Just as the young man was about to disappear at the end of the corridor, a boy suddenly jumped onto his back, covering his eyes with a close smile. "Guess who I am?"

The young man caught his hand, seemingly helpless. "You've got the wrong person."

"Still pretending to be your brother? You're not even wearing your glasses, and you're still in the same coat." The boy bit his ear. "Pretend, entertain me!"

At the other end of the corridor, a man who looked almost identical to the young man said with a subtle expression, "Qin Qin, I'm over here."

The boy named Qin Qin froze and then slowly slid down from the young man's back.

Shen Tingzhou looked at the bewildered boy. Could he be the one on the forum who always mistakes his twin boyfriend?

The boy covered his face and ran away.

The younger twin awkwardly said to his older brother, "I'll go check on him."

The older brother nodded, and the ear that had been bitten was still slightly shiny, while the other ear was also red.

After they all left, Qin Shiyao's suppressed laughter gradually became uncontrollable.

"I knew it," Qin Shiyao slapped Shen Tingzhou hard. "With you around, how could my intuition be wrong!"

Shen Tingzhou: ...

Shen Tingzhou moved aside. "Why are you here?"

Qin Shiyao wiped away a tear from laughing. "To see my best friend; she's about to give birth."

Shen Tingzhou exchanged a glance with Qin Shiyao. "Is it..."

Qin Shiyao confirmed his guess. "Yes, she can finally rest easy after getting her revenge."

Shen Tingzhou gave Qin Si a sympathetic look. From Qin Shiyao's tone, his cousin must have suffered a lot.

Qin Si had a cold, indifferent face, clearly giving up on saving his cousin.

After all, he was the one who started it, and being retaliated against was his own fault for treating others' feelings like glass shards.

After eating some fresh gossip, Qin Shiyao finally noticed Qin Si in the office.

Qin Shiyao raised an eyebrow. "Why are you hiding? No guts to admit what you did?"

Qin Si turned his head coldly. "Don't talk nonsense; it was my mother's idea. I didn't know beforehand."

Qin Shiyao looked at her new manicure and chuckled. "Some men say they'll live with cats forever, but when their elders arrange a blind date, they rush there faster than anyone else. Or maybe it was someone's own request."

Qin Si looked frustrated. "I've already said, I didn't know beforehand. I was tricked into going."

Shen Tingzhou broke their cryptic conversation. "Did you two go on a blind date?"

Qin Shiyao spoke first. "Don't make it sound so bad; people don't go on dates with dogs."

Qin Si followed. "I wouldn't go on a date with some temperamental woman either."

Qin Shiyao glanced at him. "Who said anything about being temperamental?"

Qin Si instinctively backed away but still insisted, "It doesn't matter who I'm talking about; I won't get married anyway."

Qin Shiyao sneered. "You can't marry anyway."

Qin Si retorted, "You can't even find a husband."

Shen Tingzhou thought, _One can't marry, the other can't find a husband; in a way, they're a match._

Qin Shiyao's friend called, and her voice immediately became as warm as spring breeze. She gave Qin Si a glare and walked away proudly.

Only after she disappeared did Qin Si realize, "She said I can't marry? I'm a man; if I can't marry, it means I can't find a wife!"

Shen Tingzhou solemnly patted Qin Si's shoulder.

In front of Qin Jie, you're destined to be the one getting married!

-

After getting the documents from Qin Si, Shen Tingzhou went to Su Yu's house.

When Su Yu opened the door, tears started falling, and Shen Tingzhou's heart nearly stopped.

Shen Tingzhou was startled. "What's wrong?"

Su Yu choked back tears, "Big Qiang he..."

Good heavens, this news was too unexpected for Shen Tingzhou. "Mr. Xiao Su he..."

Su Yu instantly stopped crying and looked at Shen Tingzhou with dissatisfaction. "Why is he Mr. Xiao Su? Am I old?"

"..." Shen Tingzhou: "He is Mr. Xiao Su, and you are Mr. Xiao Yu."

Su Yu found Xiao Yu more endearing and finally continued crying. "Big Qiang has been in Ah Yan's study for a long time and hasn't come out."

Shen Tingzhou suddenly looked towards the study, worried. "Did Mr. Yu release snakes again? I don't have the antivenom; I'll call someone to bring it over quickly, or we should go to the hospital."

Seeing Su Yu standing there looking at him with dissatisfaction, Shen Tingzhou paused in confusion.

Su Yu emphasized, "Big Qiang has been alone with Ah Yan for a long time. They're both men."

Shen Tingzhou thought for a moment. "Are you saying they two...?"

"There must be something going on. I'm pregnant, weak and helpless, and they..." Su Yu started crying again.

The last attempt at catching them in the act wasn't satisfying enough, so we're doing it again?

Shen Tingzhou took a deep breath and went along with Su Yu's thoughts. "Then let's go upstairs and check."

Su Yu nodded and followed behind Shen Tingzhou, his red eyes barely concealing his excitement.

Shen Tingzhou walked up to the second floor, exchanged a glance with Su Yu, and then knocked on the study door. "Mr. Yu."

Su Yu seemed to find this pace too slow, stepped forward, kicked the door open, and then hid behind Shen Tingzhou, his eyes clear and innocent.

Such a weak and helpless one!

With the door kicked open, Shen Tingzhou had no choice but to walk in and was shocked by what he saw.

Yu Mingyan was working from home at his solid wood desk, while Su Qiang, tied up like a dumpling, lay on the ground beside him, making muffled cries for help through the cloth covering his mouth.

Su Yu seemed genuinely unaware of what was happening inside. Seeing this scene, a hint of disappointment flashed across his eyes.

Shen Tingzhou didn't know what Su Yu had imagined, but he pretended not to notice the disappointment and turned to untie Su Qiang.

Yu Mingyan waved Su Yu over, and as he approached, he touched Su Yu's belly. "Bored?"

Su Yu leaned lazily against him. "Not bored, I have Dr. Shen."

Yu Mingyan smiled and wrapped his arm around him. "Once we get through this busy period, I'll take you somewhere fun. Any place you want to go?"

Su Yu thought for a moment. "Anywhere is fine, as long as you're there, of course, with Dr. Shen."

Dr. Shen, who was still untying the ropes, paused briefly before continuing to pretend he couldn't hear anything.

After the ropes were untied, Su Qiang jumped up immediately.

Shen Tingzhou wondered how long Su Qiang had been tied up, yet his limbs showed no signs of numbness. Such energy—was this the physique of someone from the Flower District?

Su Qiang pointed angrily at the couple embracing each other. "You shameless people."

Su Yu huffed. "You came here to seduce Ah Yan, and you call me shameless?"

Su Qiang jumped in anger. "Who seduced him? I just wanted to release cockroaches into his study!"

Shen Tingzhou: ...So childish.

Su Yu didn't believe it. "Would you do something so stupid?"

Su Qiang retorted, "How is it stupid? The cockroaches I released are a new breed, with super-strong reproduction abilities. They can fly, run, and hide. I want your house crawling with cockroaches, your children dancing with cockroaches, having cockroaches lick your son's feet, and your children eating cockroaches."

Su Yu showed a look of disgust. "How can you be so vicious?"

Shen Tingzhou: This is indeed quite vicious...

Yu Mingyan comforted Su Yu. "Don't worry, I'll make him dance with cockroaches, and with cockroaches..."

Su Qiang shouted, "Shut up! You, you wait and see!"

With that, Su Qiang grabbed Shen Tingzhou. "Dr. Shen, let's go!"

Shen Tingzhou: ?

Shen Tingzhou was dragged out of the room by Su Qiang, and Su Yu immediately chased after them. "You can't take Dr. Shen away."

Su Qiang smirked coldly. "I will take him away!"

Su Yu grabbed Shen Tingzhou's other hand. "Dr. Shen is my child's godfather."

Su Qiang, unwilling to fall behind Su Yu, immediately added, "Dr. Shen is my future child's godfather."

Shen Tingzhou: ...

Shen Tingzhou was pulled back and forth between the two, and somehow became another child's godfather without realizing it.

"Alright," Shen Tingzhou called out to stop the argument. "You're pregnant, so you shouldn't get upset. Sit on the sofa; you're a guest, so you should be polite and sit on the sofa too."

Su Yu and Su Qiang glared at each other with sparks flying, and they said in unison, "You let go first!"

And then again in unison, "Why should I let go first?"

Shen Tingzhou was getting a headache from their bickering, "I'll count to three, and you both let go."

The two of them had already complied when, at that moment, Yu Jurong arrived, with Zhou Zitan following behind him.

Neither Shen Tingzhou nor Zhou Zitan had expected to see each other here, and they were both taken aback.

Seeing Shen Tingzhou being pulled by the two, Zhou Zitan immediately became furious and rushed over, "What are you doing touching Dr. Shen?"

Su Qiang frowned, "Who are you?"

Su Yu huffed angrily, "It's you again, Xiao Zhou."

The situation, which had just stabilized, suddenly became complicated once more.

Shen Tingzhou: ...