Chapter 87

Chapter 87

Mr. Sang actually wanted to kiss him?

The direct words caught Shi Yu completely off guard, leaving him stunned. He never expected Him to say that.

But, the fingers lightly stroking the back of his neck confirmed it was real.

Shi Yu’s heart pounded. Meeting those gray, narrow, serpentine pupils, he suddenly steeled himself.

If He wanted to kiss him, and he wasn’t exactly indifferent to the idea...

Why not give it a try?

It’s not like he had anything to lose.

When the deity lowered his gaze to gauge his reaction, Shi Yu didn’t pull away.

The air between them burned.

Nervously holding his breath, still processing the initial touch, Shi Yu heard a soft chuckle.

"Seems like you don’t mind it."

If he didn’t dislike it... then he must like it.

As Sang Huaiyu’s gentle, husky voice trailed off, the thought flashed through Shi Yu’s mind. But before he could think further, his mind went blank.

The moment their lips met, it was nothing like he’d imagined.

Snakes are masters of deception. Only after dulling his senses into numbness did Shi Yu sense the danger.

By then, it was too late to retreat. With the back of his neck held firmly—like a kitten’s scruff—he could only blink dazedly.

Time lost meaning. By the time he noticed his fingers shaking, cold platinum blonde curls brushed against his shoulders.

Sang Huaiyu reached out, gently wiping the tears from the corners of his eyes, his tone impeccably polite.

"Sorry, I got carried away. Did I frighten Xiao Yu?"

He’d truly struggled to restrain himself. What was meant to be a brief, chaste kiss had gone way further than planned.

The intimacy he’d never cared for among human couples felt entirely different with Shi Yu.

A primal possessiveness surged within Sang Huaiyu, making him finally understand those humans—no, he’d gone even further than them.

Until Xiao Yu began to cry.

Perhaps it was a chain reaction stirred by overwhelming emotions.

Shi Yu’s beautiful eyes were slightly reddened, his lashes damp.

Swallowing hard, the deity’s gaze remained fixed on his prey. Though his words apologized, his tone was unmistakably satisfied.

Shi Yu was completely stunned. Was this really what a first kiss was supposed to be like?

Wait—was this how all couples kissed?

His heart finally started pounding wildly after calming down slightly. When he heard Sang Huaiyu speak, his ears burned.

"Never mind."

Though Shi Yu had been kissed until tears welled up, he didn’t want to seem like a total amateur.

Opening his mouth, he instinctively, without thinking, blurted out, "It wasn't that scary."

Just okay.

As soon as the words left his mouth, the room went dead silent.

Realizing what he had just said, Shi Yu wanted to smack himself silly.

Wait, what was he saying?! he thought.

Shi Yu stiffly raised his head and cautiously stepped back, putting distance between himself and Mr. Sang, only to see Sang Huaiyu turn to look at him with an inscrutable look.

"So Little Fish is quite the tough one, huh?"

Shi Yu: "..."

N-not that impressive really.

"It's already midnight."

"So sleepy."

"That's it, I'm done, Little Monster needs to rest."

"'Night, Mr. Sang!"

The moment he finished speaking, Shi Yu immediately retreated into his room and slammed the door shut, not daring to look at the god's reaction outside.

Afraid that even a second’s delay would lead to something disastrous.

Sang Huaiyu quirked a brow upon hearing Xiao Yu use Little Monster as an excuse.

But seeing how flustered he was, something strange tugged at his chest. He touched his lips, replaying the moment.

......

Only after closing the door did Shi Yu finally snap back to reality.

Oh god, this is beyond awkward, beyond awkward.

He was cringing so hard his toes curled, and his scalp prickled. Thankfully, Sang Huaiyu hadn’t said anything further—otherwise, Shi Yu felt like he might’ve spontaneously combusted on the spot.

His head was spinning. Robotically, he shuffled to the bed, his body still burning up. He reached up and touched his cheek.

So hot.

His gaze drifted to his phone, and acting on pure impulse, he picked it up.

"How do couples feel after their first kiss?"

After typing out the question, it felt off. He deleted it and started over.

"What does it feel like the first time kissing someone who isn’t your partner?"

He had just searched the strange question when the search results instantly provided an answer.

"Intense!"

Shi Yu’s face burned the moment he saw those words.

It really was thrilling.

But was it embarrassing to be so overwhelmed he cried from a kiss?

He never considered himself the type to cry easily. How did he end up like that just from a face-to-face encounter?

His thoughts muddled, Shi Yu looked at the search results and comforted himself that this was normal. Most people probably... react this way, right?

...

The next morning, Shi Yu had scrolled online late into the night before finally falling into a hazy sleep, not waking up until noon.

It wasn’t until he was fully awake that he remembered something he’d forgotten last night.

Shit.

They'd already kissed—how was he supposed to look Mr. Sang in the eye this morning?

Wait—

Shi Yu snatched his phone on instinct, sighing in relief once he checked the time.

By now, Mr. Sang should’ve left for work, right?

But the universe had other plans. When he hesitantly peeked out of his room, he found... Sang Huaiyu was still there!

Not only still there, but sitting in the living room, glancing up the second he heard a noise.

Shi Yu: ...

"Haha, fancy meeting you here."

"Mr. Sang isn't working today?"

Isn’t it Monday? Why’s the ever-punctual workaholic still home?!

Sang Huaiyu replied calmly, "I got worried when I didn’t see Xiao Yu this morning."

"Did Xiao Yu just wake up?"

Shi Yu gave a stiff nod, mortified to admit he’d googled kissing all night.

He pushed the door open, forcing casualness as he stepped out.

Noticing Sang Huaiyu skimming through papers, he threw a glance, then blurted out the first thing to break the silence.

"What are you looking at, Mr. Sang?"

Sang Huaiyu looked up, meeting his gaze. "An ‘abnormal weather’ alert the Ability User Association sent over this morning."

After yesterday’s weird magnetic spikes—going haywire then stabilizing—the Association had to file it under ‘abnormal weather’ as a placeholder and CC’d Sang Huaiyu.

"Wait, the Ability User Association?"

Shi Yu whirled around.

Mr. Sang gave a light chuckle: "They hoped I could help identify the cause of yesterday's anomalies."

"Yeah, you know, that apocalyptic feeling yesterday really freaked people out."

It truly felt like the end of the world.

Shi Yu recalled the initial weather changes from yesterday and realized it indeed matched.

However.

Ahem, would Mr. Sang notice anything?

He shot a glance: "It had to be those ancient gods behind this yesterday, right?"

"Did Mr. Sang find anything out?"

"It was indeed those ancient gods."

Sang Huaiyu turned to Shi Yu: "They secretly opened Space Vortexes at various hidden locations."

"Space maintains this world's stability. If vortices are opened, the entire world could be torn apart."

Of course, this would only affect humans. For Sang Huaiyu, it was merely a minor inconvenience.

Shi Yu went still for a moment. Though he'd sensed something amiss, he had no idea yesterday's events were this severe.

Opening Space Vortexes, threatening the whole world falling apart?!

Damn those bastards—they died too easily!

An inexplicable surge of rage startled even himself.

But instantly, he made excuses to himself. As part of humanity himself, with most acquaintances being ordinary people, no wonder he was furious at the near-catastrophe caused by the Space Vortexes.

Shi Yu angrily punched the counter.

Sang Huaiyu said thoughtfully: "I've already dealt with those ancient gods."

"However, the Space Vortexes..."

He hesitated.

Shi Yu, recalling yesterday's fading disturbances, felt his stomach clench.

What about the Space Vortexes?

Were they still open?

Or were there remnants?

His expression darkened.

Sang Huaiyu: "When I went to handle the Space Vortexes, I found someone had beaten me to it—sealing them all completely."

"No idea who did it."

Shi Yu: ...

"Oh, really?"

"That’s surprising."

"But no matter what, it's good that nothing happened."

His face twisted oddly for a moment before he turned away, wondering: Wait, was he the one who fixed that Space Vortex yesterday?

It was known that the abnormal weather was related to the Space Vortex, and after he patched up the finger leak, the abnormal weather disappeared.

So... Shi Yu came to an unbelievable but unavoidable conclusion.

—What he repaired yesterday wasn’t some bone wind, but the Space Vortex?

Shi Yu looked confused: But how could that vortex have been on him?

Seeing Shi Yu play dumb, Sang Huaiyu didn’t expose him and instead said gently, "Yes, it’s good that nothing happened."

"No need to worry, Xiao Yu."

Shi Yu: ...

What was there for him to worry about?

He gave an awkward laugh, trying to change the subject, but the words that came out were, "Mr. Sang, are you planning to go to the Ability User Association later?"

After saying this, he quickly added, "Just curious, is all."

"The Little Monster was wondering, are you still doing Prenatal Education this afternoon?"

Was it really the Little Monster who wanted to ask?

Sang Huaiyu’s gaze fell on his abdomen.

Shi Yu felt guilty for a second but then remembered he was blaming it on the kid—the Little Monster wouldn’t expose him—so he immediately got his confidence back.

The Little Monster made a confused "Wah?" sound in his belly, not understanding why its name was brought up.

Still, it obediently stayed quiet.

Sang Huaiyu smirked slightly.

"In the afternoon, I might be back late."

Just as Shi Yu let out a relieved sigh, Sang Huaiyu added, "But if family time is more important, I can skip it."

Shi Yu choked on his breath, speechless.

Parent-child bonding could wait for now.

He casually touched his stomach.

"If you’re busy, Mr. Sang, go ahead. The Little Monster will be fine—I’ll take care of the Prenatal Education today."

Shi Yu didn’t even notice how he was talking to Sang Huaiyu now was just like a real family of three.

When one partner had to go out, the responsibility of teaching the child fell to the other.

Sang Huaiyu’s lips curved upward, his mood instantly improved.

When Shi Yu looked over, he smiled and said, "Then I’ll leave it to Xiao Yu."

"Let’s eat first, then."

Shi Yu nodded, watching as the Evil God walked into the kitchen and brought out the food he’d already made, his feelings mixed.

Seeing that the other made no mention of last night's kiss, he sighed in relief.

After finishing the pineapple fried rice, Shi Yu placed the dishes into the dishwasher.

At that moment, he noticed Sang Huaiyu glance at his phone.

The phone on the coffee table vibrated briefly, the caller ID showing "Ability User Association" flashing briefly before disappearing. Sang Huaiyu looked almost disappointed.

"I’ve got to step out for a bit."

"If Xiao Yu gets hungry in the afternoon, you can have some snacks first."

"I’ll be back."

"Mm."

Shi Yu responded softly, watching as the other man headed to the door.

After picking up his suit jacket, Sang Huaiyu suddenly turned back.

"I forgot my tie. Xiao Yu, mind handing it to me?"

Suit tie?

Shi Yu's gaze fell on the custom-tailored suit in Sang Huaiyu's hands, a little confused.

"Where is it?"

"Hmm, in the cabinet next to you."

"Second shelf."

Following Sang Huaiyu’s directions, Shi Yu successfully found the tie and brought it over.

Sang Huaiyu lowered his eyes, looking at the compliant young man in front of him, his throat tightening again.

"Doesn’t Xiao Yu get a reward?"

"What reward?"

Shi Yu blinked in surprise—why would fetching a tie deserve a reward?

He wanted to step back, but Sang Huaiyu grabbed his hand and pressed it to his neck.

"Aren’t you going to tie it for me?"

Shi Yu couldn’t help feeling that their current relationship was strange.

After last night’s kiss, he had assumed it was just a result of a rush of hormones, but the way the Evil God was acting now… it seemed different from what he’d thought.

Was a fling supposed to be like this?

His fingers twitched, feeling a little off.

But with his hand gripped, Shi Yu couldn't break free either, so he could only say, "I haven't worn suits much."

"I'll just do my best to try."

Of course, if it didn't turn out well, the deity could always do it himself.

He barely steadied his racing heart and reached out.

"You’ll need to let go, or I can’t tie it right."

Sang Huaiyu held his gaze for a moment before finally releasing his hand.

When those cold, slender fingers left his wrist, Shi Yu still felt strangely unsettled. Realizing what he was thinking, he snapped back to attention.

Was this really the time to space out?

Better to quickly tie Mr. Sang’s tie and send him on his way.

Shi Yu snapped back to reality in an instant, berating himself inwardly as his hands worked through the knot.

A few minutes later, a lopsided knot hung crookedly.

Shi Yu looked at his handiwork, his lips quirking slightly before he quickly withdrew his hands.

"Done, Mr. Sang."

"That’s about it."

The tie in the mirror was not even close to as crisp as the ones Sang Huaiyu usually tied himself, but… this was Shi Yu helping him.

No matter how he looked at it, he found it impossibly charming.

"I adore it."

"Thank you, Xiao Yu."

Shi Yu hesitated, wanting to say something—was Mr. Sang’s standard really that low? But he wasn’t about to poke the bear by speaking up now, so he just pasted on a smile.

"As long as Mr. Sang likes it."

Sang Huaiyu gave him one last look before finally turning to leave.

Only when the man was gone did Shi Yu let out a shaky breath, collapsing onto the sofa.

Finally gone!

But this was all so bizarre.

Recalling how stiff his fingers had been earlier, he covered his eyes, sensing things had… veered off course.

From last night to this morning, nothing had gone to plan.

What was supposed to be a casual fling didn’t seem so simple anymore. He bit his lip, his thoughts in knots, helplessly conflicted.

First the kiss, now the tie…

He thought, just what was Sang Huaiyu thinking?

Clutching a cushion, Shi Yu stared blankly out the window.

Just as he spaced out for a second, his phone suddenly rang.

Shi Yu picked it up absentmindedly, only for his eyes to nearly pop out of his head the next second.

A minute ago, a crazy amount of money had suddenly been transferred into his account?

At first look, he almost thought he had misread the number. Holding his breath, he counted the digits again, making sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him.

But this much… it could probably buy an entire street in the bustling commercial district, couldn't it?

Had Sang Huaiyu gone completely crazy?

With that insane amount, Shi Yu didn't even consider the possibility of it being from anyone else.

Then, he saw Sang Huaiyu's text message.

"For Xiao Yu to use as spending money."

"Xiao Yu can buy whatever she wants for fun."

Shi Yu: Holy shit!!!

Was this the kind of money you could just play around with like it's nothing?

Shi Yu stared at the string of numbers for a long time before he clenched his jaw as he typed a reply.

In the car, Sang Huaiyu, waiting at a red light, was holding his phone. After a while, he saw Shi Yu’s text message.

"—Mr. Sang... are you trying to court me?"