Chapter 35 “Brother, do you like the help of a kitten?” What is there to coax…

"Brother, do you like the kitten's help?" What’s the point of coaxing…

"Mr. Huo, Huo Qilin requested to join the planning process, and I had the planning team leader reject him."

"Hmm, he already gave the proposal to Jiang Fengqiu yesterday and charged him 700,000. We can start the next step of the plan."

Chen Chen struggled not to roll his eyes. Huo Qilin has truly mastered the art of reaping without sowing, playing both sides.

"Understood, Mr. Huo. Any further instructions?"

Huo Zong casually extended his wrist, revealing a brand-new watch, and lightly brushed the dial before looking up at Chen Chen.

Years of experience as a special assistant clued Chen Chen in instantly. He quickly praised, "Mr. Huo, your watch is really beautiful and matches your style perfectly."

"Hmm, Jiang Fengmian gave it to me. Find out the brand for me."

Wow, Chen Chen mentally congratulated himself. Mr. Huo is low-key flaunting here.

"Alright, Mr. Huo, I might need to take a photo. It’s a rare brand."

"Sure. What does 8023 mean?"

Huo Zong suspected it wasn’t random, but he couldn’t find a definitive answer when he searched.

"Mr. Huo, it means 'love.' Let me demonstrate, and you’ll get it."

Chen Chen put down his phone and made the 'love' gesture, which is a transformation of 8023, an old-school way of saying 'love.'

"Ah, I get it."

Huo Zong’s lips twitched into a faint smile, and his movements while flipping through documents became lighter.

On a pure white A4 paper, Huo Zong used his unique artistic touch to record the scene of watching the stars together yesterday, emphasizing that accidental kiss.

Last night, Jiang Fengmian was startled by him. While he was holding Jiang Fengmian's arm, still contemplating whether to kiss the other eyelid, Jiang Fengmian took the chance to escape and ran away.

All that remained was a cute little bear slipper, along with a night of sweet dreams for Huo Zong.

"I’m home, brother."

Huo Zong looked up and saw a pile of snacks, with Jiang Fengmian buried under a mountain of snacks.

"Where’d you get all these snacks?"

"My colleagues gave them to me."

Huo Zong opened the drawer where the candies were kept. Chen Chen had just restocked it yesterday, and it was empty within an hour of work.

"My hand is wrapped in gauze, and they said I should eat healthy to heal, so they gave me a lot. Brother, try this, it smells amazing."

Jiang Fengmian broke off a piece of thin biscuit and fed it to Huo Zong, his gaze unconsciously falling on Huo Zong's rosy thin lips.

All night in his dreams, it was Huo Zong's voice—murmured, passionate, even somewhat smug—summarized in one sentence: he wanted Huo Zong to accidentally kiss him a few more times.

"Brother, you have biscuit crumbs on the corner of your mouth."

"Where? I can't see it. Maybe the kitten can help me out."

Huo Zong leaned slightly closer, his eyes level with Jiang Fengmian's, his eyes twinkling with amusement. Almost instantly, Jiang Fengmian understood—this was meant to tease him.

"Here, right here."

The kitten's soft pink pad pressed against the corner of Huo Zong's mouth, and his fingertip lightly hooked it. Jiang Fengmian stared directly at Huo Zong, his dimple deepening as he mischievously took the nearly invisible crumb into his mouth.

"Brother, do you like the kitten helping?"

Jiang Fengmian had his hands behind his back, standing very close to Huo Zong. Rays of sunlight filtered between them, casting a warm glow, creating an unspoken sense of intimacy.

Subtle emotions stirred beneath the surface. Jiang Fengmian’s lashes fluttered slightly as he suppressed his rapid heartbeat, pretending he wasn’t the one flirting.

Time seemed to drag on. Jiang Fengmian noticed every subtle change in Huo Zong. When that ambiguous look fell on him, Jiang Fengmian instinctively wanted to bolt.

As he straightened up, Huo Zong’s hand caught his wrist, and a low, magnetic voice came next, followed by a gentle pinch on his earlobe.

"The kitten’s good, I like it."

Hmph, that’s better.

"Brother, you better get back to work."

Jiang Fengmian grabbed some snacks and started munching. His task today was overwhelming—he had to finish four drafts under Huo Zong’s scrutiny. Just the thought made his eyes hurt.

[Chen Chen: Mr. Huo, I’ve looked into it. It’s a niche brand called 'True Love,' primarily aimed at couples. The name of your model is 'The Only One.' The retail price is 288,000, but with engraving and the 8023 serial number, it comes to 298,000.]

[Mr. Huo: Hmm.]

True Love, The Only One.

Huo Zong’s eyes lingered on Jiang Fengmian, who was engrossed in a battle with a bag of chips, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the watch. Could this clueless fool understand what these words meant?

A suspicion began to form in Huo Zong's mind. He silently repeated Jiang Fengmian's name and decided to have Chen Chen investigate Jiang Fengmian’s background in detail.

[Chen Chen: Understood, Mr. Huo. Some informants might be hard to track down, so it might take some time.]

[Mr. Huo: Hmm, deduct the expenses from my account. Make sure it’s thorough, no rush.]

[Chen Chen: Got it, will do.]

The morning passed quickly. Jiang Fengmian stretched lazily and sent the completed drafts to Huo Zong.

Bored, Jiang Fengmian clicked into Huo Zong’s social media feed, where a new post stood out in the previously empty space.

Huo Zong: 'The Only One'～

The accompanying photo was the watch he had gifted. From his side, he could only see that Sheng Zhiyi had liked it and commented, "Is this from my aunt?" Huo Zong didn’t reply, but the slightly offbeat '～' hinted at his barely contained joy.

Jiang Fengmian smiled, switched back to his main account, liked Huo Zong’s post, and left a comment with a cat paw emoji.

Ding dong.

Huo Zong: Pet.

[Jiang Fengmian: Brother, I’m your only social media post.]

[Huo Zong: No, this is the watch.]

[Jiang Fengmian: Hmph, I don’t care, it’s me!]

[Huo Zong: Petting the kitten.]

"Yo, Su Yanchu, what’s going on?"

"Not really, just making sure your account wasn’t hacked."

A moment later, Jiang Fengmian popped up in the video, waving his bandaged hand, "Hey there."

"Fengmian, so you’re the one who sent the watch, huh?"

Jiang Fengmian: "Yep, that’s me."

"Fengmian, listen up, your top priority right now is to blow through Huo Zong’s cash. He’s rolling in dough every day, so no need to hold back. I looked it up—that watch’s only 300 grand. Next time, just swipe Huo Zong’s card and grab yourself a 30 million one."

"Exactly, it’s his money."

Su Yanchu gave him a thumbs up—what a thrifty, perfect boyfriend.

"Huo Zong, I heard the debt collectors from Tian Shang Ren Jian showed up at the Huo family. Man, I’d love to see Huo Qing’s face. Didn’t he say Tian Shang Ren Jian was a playground for the reckless and irresponsible? Now his golden boy’s a regular there—he must be fuming."

"They went today?"

Wang Hu said Tian Shang Ren Jian gave Huo Qilin three days. He got over 800 grand from Jiang Fengqiu—he should’ve paid it back.

"No need to thank me, it’s my job as the second shareholder of Tian Shang Ren Jian. I just brought it up to Old Xie, and he pushed them to collect 150 grand today. Huo Qing dropped his cane right then and there."

"Yeah, you should’ve. Since Huo Qilin’s a regular, why didn’t you jack up the room rates and stock his suite with top-shelf booze? A million’s chump change for Huo Qing."

"Honestly, you’re the sneaky one. Huo Qilin probably won’t dare go back now—Huo Qing’s got him on a tight leash."

"Alright, got it. Let’s hang up if there’s nothing else."

Su Yanchu gripped his phone—Huo Zong was really in trouble this time. He ran his hands through his hair—he couldn’t just let Huo Zong spiral into crime.

[Su Yanchu: Huo Zong, are you sure Jiang Fengmian has independent behavior and civil capacity, can be with you?]

[Su Yanchu: I always feel uneasy, the Jiang family and the Huo family are a bunch of legal illiterates, you can’t do this.]

[Huo Zong: ...]

[Huo Zong: Am I a beast?]

[Su Yanchu: Tsk, hard to say, Jiang Fengmian is so beautiful, it’s normal if you can’t control yourself.]

[Huo Zong: Get lost.]

[Su Yanchu: Alright, that word is enough.]

Luckily, Huo Zong shielded his phone—otherwise, Jiang Fengmian would’ve seen it.

No one can force Jiang Fengmian to do what he doesn’t like, including him.

***

To catch up with the project, Huo Zong had to work late for several days in a row.

Next door, Jiang Fengmian sent the final draft to Huo Zong and decided to tease him again.

[Dong Li: Huo Zong, are you satisfied with my draft?]

[Huo Zong: Hmm.]

[Huo Zong: Transferred 20,000 yuan.]

[Huo Zong: Good job, thanks for your hard work. Once the project wraps up and the financials are ready, the profits will be wired right away.]

[Dong Li: No worries, Mr. Huo. Got some free time? How about I treat you to dinner?]

[Huo Zong: No thanks, my kitten wouldn’t like that.]

[Dong Li: Mr. Huo, mind if I see your cat?]

[Huo Zong: No, just reach out for work stuff.]

The kitten wasn’t upset; in fact, it gleefully rolled around on the big bed in the inner room, turning the neatly made bed into a mess before finally calming down.

"Jiang Fengmian."

"Coming."

Huo Zong reached out and ruffled Jiang Fengmian's messy hair. His eyes were slightly red at the corners, as if he were extremely tired.

"I can leave work earlier tomorrow."

"Okay."

Jiang Fengmian instinctively leaned into Huo Zong. Ever since Huo Zong learned about his claustrophobia, he’d always hold him tight in the elevator. Jiang Fengmian would press his face into Huo Zong’s chest, listening to his heartbeat, and the noise would slowly fade.

"Bro, I’m so tired."

Jiang Fengmian’s eyes grew heavy, and he started nodding off on Huo Zong’s shoulder. He grabbed Huo Zong’s shirt, yawning over and over.

"I’ve got you."

Jiang Fengmian, still dazed, didn’t fully grasp what was happening, but Huo Zong had already scooped him up by the waist. Without thinking, Jiang Fengmian wrapped his legs around Huo Zong’s waist, looped his arms around his neck, and nestled into a comfy spot to close his eyes.

The walk from the office to the car took about three minutes, and by then, Jiang Fengmian was out cold. He muttered in discomfort, and Huo Zong listened closely, realizing he was complaining about his hand hurting.

In the car, Huo Zong let Jiang Fengmian rest his head on his shoulder while he held his waist, softly rubbing his fingers.

Jiang Fengmian’s middle finger looked a bit swollen, probably from overuse.

Huo Zong’s eyes lingered on Jiang Fengmian’s slightly open collar, his expression unreadable.

What was he hiding?

The driver kept the car steady, and at a red light, he couldn’t resist a peek in the rearview mirror.

He saw Huo Zong’s fingers tangled in Jiang Fengmian’s hair, his gaze soft and affectionate, his whole presence mellowed.

The driver, gripping the wheel, couldn’t help but grin. Huo Zong had always been so lonely, standing apart from everyone, cold and distant.

After all this time, Huo Zong had finally found someone to share his journey.

The moonlight was stunning tonight, bathing Jiang Fengmian in a gentle glow. Huo Zong carried him, stepping from the silver light into the flower-filled darkness.

Huo Zong opened the small box where he kept money for Jiang Fengmian, counting the stacks according to the dates on the bills. Only seventeen thousand was missing.

He silently placed the money back in the same spot, putting today's stick figure drawing inside. His gaze lingered on the walk-in closet, but he didn't take any further action.

***

"Little lazy cat, wake up and get up."

Jiang Fengmian murmured and hooked his fingers around Huo Zong's, unconsciously nuzzling against them.

"Huo Zong, sleep with me."

"No, Jiang Fengmian, you need to get up. Doctor Uncle has returned from abroad and will be here in an hour to examine you. You can't laze around in bed."

Doctor Uncle, coming to the house, for a check-up...

Jiang Fengmian's body trembled, his drowsiness immediately halved. He struggled to get up, his face filled with fear.

How is he back already? In front of such a top expert, he’d be exposed in minutes.

"Huo Zong, I suddenly feel dizzy. Am I running a fever?"

"Let me see."

Huo Zong leaned down, pressing his forehead against Jiang Fengmian's, his breath brushing against his cheek, making Jiang Fengmian's whole body heat up.

So close, first thing in the morning.

"No fever. You’re probably just groggy from sleep. Get up, have some breakfast, and you’ll feel better."

"Alright."

Jiang Fengmian wanted to cry but had no tears. He dragged himself to the bathroom, sitting on the toilet, frantically searching online for the facial expressions and eye movements of a fool.

He practiced in front of the mirror for a long time, but it didn’t look anything like what the internet described.

Now, he could only take it one step at a time.

Doctor Uncle was just as Jiang Fengmian had imagined—elegant, gentle, and always smiling when he spoke. He wore a long gown, half-rimmed glasses, his eyes bright and lively, and his hair thick and black.

"Is this the patient?"

"Jiang Fengmian, this is Doctor Uncle."

"Hello, Doctor Uncle."

Doctor Uncle looked at Jiang Fengmian and hummed softly, "Hello, your outfit today is very cute. Did you pick it out yourself, or was it someone else’s choice?"

Jiang Fengmian nervously hid behind Huo Zong, fidgeting with his fingers, timidly greeting Doctor Uncle.

"I picked it myself."

Jiang Fengmian found it strange why Doctor Uncle would ask that.

"Give me the examination reports."

The villa was quiet except for the sound of Doctor Uncle flipping through the reports. He examined each item meticulously, occasionally glancing up to observe Jiang Fengmian’s condition.

"Don't be nervous, I'm not a bad person. We've already discussed the cause over the phone. You've also communicated with the doctor about his brain examination results, and there's no problem, right?"

"Right, that's why we wanted you to take another look and see if there's any treatment plan."

Doctor Uncle looked directly at Jiang Fengmian. His gaze was clear and bright, his behavior normal, and his expression coherent. Considering he had been abused by his family, physically healed, but still had some psychological issues.

"It's like this, Mr. Huo, you don't need to be nervous. There's no need for external treatment. You've spent the most time with him. What do you think..."

Huo Zong met Jiang Fengmian's evasive gaze and chose a neutral word, "Not bad."

"Hmm, I think the patient is self-suppressing and has been under long-term psychological suggestion. Initially, the brain injury showed symptoms of foolishness, possibly triggered by some external stimuli. Even after recovery, he has maintained this state for a long time."

"You mentioned that when you first saw him, his condition was very bad. Now that it has improved, I believe that being away from the source of anxiety and the oppressive environment has helped him gradually open up, which is why he’s acting differently now."

Huo Zong nodded. Back in the Jiang family, everyone wanted Jiang Fengmian dead, but here, he’s in a relatively safe environment. Once he relaxes, he’ll gradually get better.

"Mr. Huo, no treatment is necessary. There’s nothing wrong neurologically. Just give it time."

"Alright, thank you, Dr. Wu."

Once Dr. Wu left, Jiang Fengmian’s tense nerves eased a little. Huo Zong backed him step by step until he could only lean helplessly against the wall, staring at him with teary eyes.

"Brother."

"Hmm. Jiang Fengmian, no one here can hurt you. Don’t worry. I just wanted to check if there were any other issues with your head, so we don’t delay treatment. That’s all."

"I know, brother is worried about me."

"I’ve already improved a lot."

Jiang Fengmian grabbed Huo Zong’s fingers, acting soft and coquettish, whining as if worried Huo Zong wouldn’t believe he had problems.

"That’s good. I’ll feel better once you’re fully recovered."

Jiang Fengmian nodded vigorously. Of course, he could get better, but it’ll take time. With Dr. Wu’s confirmation, it was easier to proceed. His brain was fine; it was just his heart. It’s normal to improve gradually.

"Huo Zong, what if, I mean what if, I’m hiding something from you. Would you be mad at me?"

The kitten looked up at his collar pitifully. Huo Zong was helpless; the clumsy kitten might as well have written 'I’m hiding something' on his forehead, yet he thought his 'what if' was clever.

"It depends on what it is. If it’s something really serious, I might get mad."

"Ah?"

Jiang Fengmian’s heart sank. Pretending to be clueless and deceiving Huo Zong was probably really serious.

How frustrating. What if Huo Zong got mad and left him?

"But if you can sweet-talk me, I won’t be mad."

"How do I coax you?"

Huo Zong’s gaze lingered on Jiang Fengmian’s slightly parted lips, his eyes darkening as he said meaningfully, "That depends on what clever ideas your little brain can think of. I’m pretty easy to win over."

"Is that really true?"

Jiang Fengmian scratched his chin, distressed. He could only say flatly, "Huo Zong, don’t be mad. I didn’t mean it."

Oh no, Jiang Fengmian felt like this would just make Huo Zong madder.

"Brother, you’d better be easy to win over."

"Jiang Fengmian, are you keeping something from me? Hmm?"

The rising tone of that 'hmm' was full of meaning. Jiang Fengmian froze, wanting to run, but Huo Zong’s arm blocked the wall, trapping him in a tight embrace.

"No, nothing at all."

"Brother’s being silly, it’s just a 'what if.'"

"Oh, what a great 'what if.'"

Jiang Fengmian lowered his head, avoiding Huo Zong's probing gaze. His eyes darted around, and he quickly took the initiative to ask, "Brother, if you lied to me and I got angry, how would you comfort me?"

Huo Zong chuckled, realizing Jiang Fengmian was fishing for his answer.

"See that chain? First, I'd tie you up, then comfort you. Best of all, I'd hug and cuddle you. My little cat is understanding, so you wouldn't be mad at me, right?"

Jiang Fengmian instinctively nodded. He had an epiphany—why apologize? Just lock Huo Zong up and compel love.

If once isn't enough, then next time. He didn't believe Huo Zong could stay mad for long.

"Jiang Fengmian, no matter when, I would never hurt you, so there's no need to hypothesize about unnecessary things."

That might not be true. Playing dumb could be a big or small deal, and he didn't dare to gamble, nor could he.

"Um, brother, can you let me go?"

Huo Zong seemed to snap out of a dream, patting Jiang Fengmian's shoulder and moving aside. Finally, he squeezed Jiang Fengmian's palm, which was damp and clammy.

His little cat must have been really nervous.

Jiang Fengmian fled back to the bedroom, patting his pounding chest, and collapsed on the sofa like a dead body.

He recalled Huo Zong's behavior, which seemed to have changed since that day after the shower.

Jiang Fengmian pinched his soft belly, wondering if Huo Zong had taken a fancy to him.

As soon as this thought emerged, Jiang Fengmian suppressed it. Huo Zong wasn't that shallow; how could he be different because of this?

Perhaps he had discovered Huo Zong's vulnerable side, and Huo Zong subconsciously placed him in the circle of his heart, making it feel different.

Jiang Fengmian lay for a while, then went to rummage through his little box. As soon as he opened it, the stick figure drawing fell out.

The stick figure jumped for joy, caught steadily by the taller one.

That kiss was drawn so absurdly that Jiang Fengmian thought Huo Zong was going to eat him.

After laughing enough, Jiang Fengmian took the drawing to confront Huo Zong.

The study door was wide open, and a stack of books on the desk had been moved by Huo Zong, conveniently placing "Restraining Desires" on top.

"Brother, are you busy?"

Huo Zong flipped another page of the document, lifting his eyelids slightly, "Not too bad, come in."

"Brother, you sneakily put the drawing in there. What if I couldn't see it?"

"Then leave it to fate. You'll see it someday."

Jiang Fengmian plopped onto Huo Zong's lap, his fingers tracing the stick figure, whining, "Brother, you should write something. Sometimes I can't understand."

"I'm clueless, I can't understand this one either."

Huo Zong's pupils slightly contracted—it was the one he used to apologize.

"What don't you understand?"

"Here."

The stick figure held a pitch-black blob in its hand. Jiang Fengmian always thought it was a gift, but he hadn't seen anything.

Huo Zong fell silent, the weight on his leg felt heavy as Jiang Fengmian leaned against him without hesitation. His gaze fixed on the fair neck before him. He couldn't resist gently covering it with his hand.

A single palm could encircle Jiang Fengmian's swan-like neck entirely.

His thumb pressed against Jiang Fengmian's Adam's apple, applying slight pressure. He blew a breath towards Jiang Fengmian's ear, feeling the swallowing motion beneath his palm, and he felt a surge of pleasure.

"Jiang Fengmian, what is it that you desire?"

"It's Huo Zong's heart."