Chapter 269

Chapter 269

As dusk fell, all the lights in the house were turned on. Cheng Jing set out the small rice pot and bowls before heading to the kitchen to serve the soup and dishes.

Jiang Nian tiptoed onto the table, struggling as he tried to scoop rice. His hand slipped, nearly sending him tumbling into the pot with the rice scoop, but Cheng Jing swiftly grabbed the hem of his tiny clothes and lifted him up:

"Nian Nian, just sit still."

Even in his shrunken state, he couldn't stay still—their rice scoop was now taller than he was.

Jiang Nian rubbed his flushed ears:

"I just wanted to test my current strength."

Cheng Jing chuckled:

"It's only for a few days. Don’t push yourself—getting hurt would be terrible."

Jiang Nian pouted:

"Got it."

Cheng Jing poked his puffed-out cheek with a finger:

"Want me to feed you?"

"..."

Jiang Nian thought for a moment before answering:

"You feed me half, and I’ll eat the other half myself."

Being fed the entire meal would feel strange, so this way, he could maintain some independence while still indulging his boyfriend’s nurturing instincts. A good balance—thoughtful, as always.

Cheng Jing nodded and brought out a full set of miniature utensils, all made of safe materials he had checked beforehand.

He served rice and soup, even cutting the food into smaller pieces with scissors before pushing the prepared meal toward Jiang Nian:

"Here, eat slowly."

It was so amusing—it felt like caring for a little creature, making his heart melt.

"..."

They talked over dinner as usual, the atmosphere warm and harmonious.

A nearby camera captured it all.

After dinner, Cheng Jing still took Jiang Nian to visit his parents, dressing him in boys' clothes first.

His father and younger brother remained calm, just told him to look after Jiang Nian.

Cheng Jing naturally understood, assuring them he wouldn’t let his shrunken lover out of his sight—otherwise, someone might steal someone so small, and he’d never find him again.

His mother, however, had a far more exaggerated reaction, matching Huang Qian’s excitement. She fussed over Jiang Nian endlessly, and even insisted:

"Nian Nian’s a child now, got it? If it’s too much for you, he can stay with us these few days until he’s back to normal."

Cheng Jing’s expression darkened:

"Mom, your son is physically and mentally healthy, upstanding and wholesome, with no weird or unhealthy habits, really."

He could bet his mom had been reading some weird stuff again recently.

Mother Cheng laughed:

"Alright, if you bully Nian Nian, I'll give you a whooping."

Then she turned to chat with the now sweet-voiced Jiang Nian, worrying that his clothes weren't good enough and offering to make him new ones.

Jiang Nian declined—it was just three days, really not worth the trouble. After this whole mess, he swore he'd never let Qian Lang's superpower affect him again.

...

For the next three days, wherever Cheng Jing went, he took Jiang Nian with him. When outside, he carried him in his pocket; when alone or around close friends, Jiang Nian would ride on his shoulders or head.

Out in public, Cheng Jing dressed Jiang Nian in normal male attire, but at home, he indulged in dressing him up like a little doll, satisfying his doll-dressing fantasy.

Jiang Nian played along, wearing cute little outfits, playing cute, striking little poses, and crawling around the house. When idle, he'd cling to his boyfriend like a human charm.

Occasional little accidents and mischief became part of the fun of being small.

At night, Jiang Nian fell asleep in Cheng Jing's arms. Cheng Jing could silently watch him for hours, only placing the tiny bundle in the middle of the pillow when he was ready to sleep himself.

Too small—holding him while sleeping risked crushing him.

And so, they spent three joyful days with Jiang Nian as his living figurine.

On the fourth day, Jiang Nian transformed into a little boy around seven or eight years old, finally free from the helpless phase where he couldn’t open snack bags or nearly face-planted into serving dishes.

He became even more realistically adorable.

Holding him up with one arm, Cheng Jing felt the giddy joy of sudden fatherhood—his Nian Nian must have been this soft and cute as a child.

The next three stages each lasted only about a day.

Thus, after clearing his schedule, Cheng Jing decided not to go out until Jiang Nian fully recovered.

Teammates and friends still came daily to get their pics with Jiang Nian.

However, the children's clothes prepared by Huang Qian and the others were only worn for one day because, by the fifth day, the kid had morphed into a 16-year-old teenager.

"Brother Jing."

Morning sunlight streamed through the window as Jiang Nian, wearing a loose boyfriend shirt, leaned against the doorframe, bleary-eyed but smiling.

The clear teenage voice made Cheng Jing, who was poring over a map on a chair, look up in surprise.

Meeting a pair of gentle, smiling eyes, he was instantly thrown back to when they first met years ago:

That year, Jiang Nian was 16, and he was 18.

It was right after National Day. As an about-to-graduate high school senior, he participated in his last school tournament, both to blow off steam and unwind.

Back then, Jiang Nian, a first-year, was at the peak of his edgy teen phase. Dressed in a standard-issue school uniform of a shirt and black pants, he leaned against the equipment room door facing the court, just like now.

With a heart-stoppingly handsome face and a look that was all cocky innocence, he locked eyes with Cheng Jing across half the court, reeling him in instantly.

"I'm so sleepy, Brother Jing. Let me lean on you and nap a little more."

"My brain's not booting up," Jiang Nian rubbed his temples and nestled into the man's arms. Every time his body recovered, it was accompanied by an unusual sense of exhaustion.

Cheng Jing skillfully wrapped his arms around him, lowering his head to drop a comforting kiss:

"Sleep."

He loved this neediness—watching his lover grow up gradually felt magical.

"Mmm."

Jiang Nian burrowed against him like a kitten, giving a little lip smack before closing his eyes.

A silent smile curved Cheng Jing's lips as he gazed out the window. The slightly youthful face in his arms sent his mind wandering back to the days before the apocalypse...