Chapter 69

Chapter 69

The cold kitchen was heating up. Xu Yan, seeing Wen Sinian’s face so close, turned his head away, his gaze darting nervously.

“N-no… we can’t…”

Wen Sinian relented, “Then can I kiss your cheek?”

This time, Xu Yan was firm, shaking his head again. “No.”

Wen Sinian could only take a deep breath and sigh softly. “Alright.”

Changing the subject, he asked, “I didn’t dare show up in front of you these past few days to disturb you. I just waited at home. Do you think I behaved well enough? Are you satisfied?”

Xu Yan deliberately said, “Just okay.”

“Just okay, huh?” Wen Sinian chuckled. “Then I’ll keep trying.”

Xu Yan: “Mhm, you keep trying.”

With that, he broke free from Wen Sinian’s arms, pressed the bottle into his hands, and rushed out, face burning.

Wen Sinian washed and put away the bottle. When he came out, he saw Xu Yan crouching by the living room door again, intently watching the sleeping rabbit.

He walked over and said, “I’m leaving.”

Xu Yan glanced up at him, as if wanting to say something but holding back, only managing a stiff “Yeah.”

Wen Sinian took two steps away, then turned back, crouching in front of him and wrapping his coat around Xu Yan’s shoulders.

Seeing Wen Sinian wearing only a thin cashmere sweater, Xu Yan tried to return the coat, but Wen Sinian grabbed his hand, brought it to his lips, and blew warm air on it, rubbing gently.

“Your hands are so cold. Keep it on.”

“But won’t you be cold?”

“I have other clothes,” Wen Sinian said. “Don’t stay out too long. The temperature will drop tonight. Watch for a bit, then go to bed.”

Xu Yan’s gaze drifted back to the sleeping lop-eared bunny. “I’m not tired yet.”

Wen Sinian squeezed his palm. “Listen to me. Don’t catch a cold. It’s almost New Year’s Eve. Old folks say if you get sick around the New Year, you’ll be unwell all year.”

Xu Yan couldn’t help but laugh. “That’s just something to scare kids, isn’t it?”

Wen Sinian stroked his hair. “You are a kid.”

Xu Yan’s heart softened. By the time he looked up, Wen Sinian had already stood, his figure quickly disappearing into the dark outside.

Still wrapped in Wen Sinian’s coat, Xu Yan buried his face in it and took a deep breath.

No scent of cigarettes—just the warm, woody fragrance of car air freshener.

The next morning, Xu Yan noticed many gift boxes in the living room and a neatly tidied yard. Besides the rabbit, there were now golden chicks and ducklings in the pens in the fence.

His heart leapt. He hadn’t seen any for sale at the market these past few days and wondered where on earth Wen Sinian had gotten them.

After feeding the chicks and ducklings, he went out to find Shen Nanli and Shang Jia. He wrapped up his sales early and hurried home to care for the still bottle-fed bunny.

As expected, Wen Sinian was already there when he returned, chatting with his grandmother. Several workers were putting in a new TV and air conditioner in the living room.

Xu Yan dashed over, pulling Wen Sinian into his room. “Why did you buy so much stuff again?”

Wen Sinian explained, “Grandma likes watching TV. A larger screen is gentler on her eyes. The house is cold, so your room needs another air conditioner. The radiant heating here doesn't work well, and the AC isn’t very effective either. I’ll get someone to look at it later.”

Xu Yan: “It’s fine. I’ll replace them myself when I earn enough.”

“But I don’t want you to suffer, baby. I’ve said it before—every penny I make is yours. Give me a chance to make up for my mistakes, okay?” Wen Sinian gently held his hand. “Are your hands always this cold at home? Does the blanket warm up enough at night?”

Xu Yan was surprised he’d even thought of that.

“It warms up fine. I sleep really well at night.”

A lie.

Every morning, he woke up curled into a ball, his legs icy cold.

Wen Sinian didn’t press him. When they stepped out of the room, the workers had already finished installing the furniture and left.

Xu Yan played with the bunny while Wen Sinian went into the kitchen. Soon, three bowls of steaming noodles appeared on the table.

Wen Sinian handed Xu Yan chopsticks. “Try it.”

Xu Yan took a bite and gaped at him. Had Wen Sinian been secretly practicing cooking? His skills had gotten so much better.

The noodles tasted exactly like the ones he and his grandmother made.

Grandma ate happily beside them, staying quiet the whole while.

She had taught Wen Sinian the recipe. Turns out, he was a fast learner.

Wen Sinian lingered till evening before finally leaving, stealing glances at Xu Yan repeatedly, clearly hoping he’d ask him to stay. But Xu Yan was too focused on the bunny to spare him even a glance.

Wen Sinian began to regret getting the little thing.

After helping Shen Nanli sell goods for two more days, Xu Yan returned each time to find Wen Sinian busying himself around his house. Eventually, he stopped paying it any mind.

Before bed one night, Xu Yan went to take one last look at the bunny, only to find it throwing up. The milk it had drunk in the afternoon was almost entirely expelled, milky stains soaking through the cloth beneath it.

Frantic but afraid to do the wrong thing, Xu Yan paced worriedly by the warming box before quickly grabbing his phone to make a call.

He answered immediately.

“Hello?” Xu Yan said urgently. “Get back here. Now.”

Wen Sinian’s heart jumped. “What’s wrong?”

The bunny seemed to have finished vomiting, its legs twitching weakly as if in pain.

Xu Yan hurriedly explained, “The bunny—it just puked up all its milk. I don’t know what’s wrong. Come back and check on it. I’m scared to touch it.”

Wen Sinian’s voice was calm. “I’ll be right there. Any other symptoms besides vomiting?”

Xu Yan studied the bunny carefully. “Not that I can see.”

Wen Sinian: “Put your hand in and feel its temperature.”

“Where?”

“Its tummy. Is it warm?”

Xu Yan did as told and indeed felt the rabbit's temperature was higher than usual: "It feels a bit warm. Is it running a fever?"

Wen Sinian reassured him, "Possibly. Don’t worry yet. Go inside and change into something warmer, then wait for me."

Xu Yan couldn’t be bothered to change clothes, simply draping the coat Wen Sinian had left for him before stepping outside.

Less than two minutes later, the front door was knocked on from outside. He rushed to open it, his eyes rimmed red. "What took you so long?"

Wen Sinian saw his slim figure swallowed up in his own coat, his hair slightly disheveled, soft strands clinging to his cheeks. His heart softened at once as he took Xu Yan’s hand and hurried inside.

He grabbed the carrier, guided Xu Yan to the passenger seat, and drove swiftly to the town’s pet store.

It was already late, and the pet store had long closed. Wen Sinian dialed the number left on the door while Xu Yan cradled the little rabbit in the box, as its kicks grew weaker. Unable to hold back, tears spilled over.

This was entirely his fault—he hadn’t taken good enough care of the rabbit.

The call finally connected. Since the rabbit had been bought from this store, the owner quickly arrived, led them inside, and carefully examined the weak little creature.

"It’s just worn out from throwing up. Don’t worry, it’s likely just caught a chill. The incubator seems faulty—that’s our store’s mistake. I’ll get you a replacement later."

Xu Yan remained uneasy. "It looked like it was seizing earlier. Is it really okay?"

"Nothing serious. It might have also eaten too much. From now on, feed it milk just once a day. Its stomach is weak these days and can’t handle much food. Wait three days before resuming normal feeding," the owner explained while readying a small syringe. "I’ll give it a fever reducer."

As the sharp needle neared the rabbit’s tiny bottom, Xu Yan frowned tightly, unable to watch.

A big hand cradled the back of his head, gently pressing his cheek against Wen Sinian’s chest until it was done.

The owner replaced the incubator and gave them some medication. "Just mix this with its milk."

Back home, the rabbit was already asleep in its new box.

Xu Yan placed it in his room, planning to keep a close eye on it through the night.

Wen Sinian noticed his still-puffy eyes—he’d clearly been scared stiff the rabbit wouldn’t make it.

"It’s not your fault. Don’t blame yourself," Wen Sinian said, as if seeing right through him. "The incubator malfunctioned. The temperature display was normal—there was no way you could’ve known."

Xu Yan lowered his head, still guilt-ridden.

Wen Sinian framed his face gently, murmuring soothingly. "No more tears, okay? Or your eyes will turn as red as its."

Xu Yan mumbled, "Its eyes are so pretty..."

"Mhm, so are yours."

Xu Yan butted his head against him in protest.

"Call me if anything happens, understand?" Wen Sinian wiped the tears from his cheeks. "I’ll be there in a flash, so don’t be afraid."

After Wen Sinian left, Xu Yan realized how fast he’d gotten there—less than ten minutes.

Had he stayed up too?

Xu Yan glanced at the rabbit before lying back in bed. On a whim, he picked up the white phone always kept on his nightstand and opened the monitoring app for the first time—and froze in shock.

A large red dot blinked on the screen, right outside the gate, unmoving.

Worried he might get scared again, afraid of hearing him cry—so he’d kept watch outside.

Xu Yan’s lip trembled as he rubbed his eyes, staring at the dot. He must be so uncomfortable sleeping in the car.

But they weren’t on good terms yet—they couldn’t share a bed.

Besides, the bed in the small study was too tiny. Someone his size would squish him flat.

The bed in Shang Jia’s room was bigger, but she was staying at Shen Nanli’s place—had she settled in for good?

His mind kept drifting until, still gripping the phone, Xu Yan fell asleep.

*

The next morning, his first order of business was checking on the rabbit.

Thankfully, after a night’s rest, the little rabbit had recovered, now bouncing around lively in its box. Xu Yan let out a relieved breath.

It was already New Year’s Eve. Following tradition, Xu Yan and his grandmother would give the house a thorough cleaning from top to bottom.

But when he stepped out of his room, he found Shang Jia and Shen Nanli already there—one sweeping, the other mopping, working up a sweat.

"What are you two doing?"

Shen Nanli wiped his sweat. "Helping you and Grandma clean! Why’d you sleep in so late? We’ve been at it for a while."

"Aren’t you selling goods today?"

Shen Nanli grinned. "Sold out! Even cleared my stock—we’re rolling in it this year! You two are my lucky stars. Business boomed the moment you arrived."

Shang Jia chimed in, "Enough talk, back to work!"

Xu Yan grabbed a broom. "I’ll tidy the yard then."

Shang Jia glanced outside. "Someone’s already beating you to it. No need for you."

Standing at the living room door, Xu Yan saw three figures in the yard—his grandmother in her wheelchair directing, while the other two fed the chickens and washed the courtyard, working up a storm.

The already tiny yard now felt oddly crowded.

Xu Yan was stunned. "Why are there so many people here...?"

Just then, several yellow fluffballs squeezed through the bamboo fence, scattering across the yard.

His grandmother shouted, "Stop, stop! Pause the cleaning—catch the chickens first!"

At her command, Wen Sinian and Zhuang Sheng in the yard, along with Shang Jia and Shen Nanli inside, all dropped their tasks and rushed to chase the runaway fluffballs.

The yard erupted into chaos—chickens flapping, ducks darting, laughter ringing.

Xu Yan joined the chase with his broom but accidentally collided with Shang Jia, both landing on the ground with an "Oof!"

Shen Nanli doubled over laughing at the sight.

Zhuang Sheng helped Shang Jia up, stifling a chuckle as he asked if she was hurt.

Meanwhile, Xu Yan was scooped up by Wen Sinian, who held him by the waist and carried him to a stone bench by the fence. Kneeling before him, Wen Sinian cupped his face, eyes full of concern, uncaring of the others’ gazes.

"Where does it hurt? Let me see."

Xu Yan lowered his hand from his forehead. Wen Sinian brushed aside his bangs, revealing a large red mark on his fair skin—likely to swell soon.

When Wen Sinian lightly touched it, Xu Yan hissed in pain, tears pooling in his eyes.

"It hurts..."

On the other side, Shang Jia’s forehead was also swollen. Seeing Xu Yan being led inside by Wen Sinian while she could only hold her head helplessly, she lunged at Shen Nanli, who was still laughing uncontrollably, and began pummelling him.

The yard immediately broke into lively commotion again.

Wen Sinian had Xu Yan sit on the sofa. "Is there any ointment here to reduce swelling?"

Xu Yan hesitated, then whispered, "In my room..."

Wen Sinian searched the small study and, sure enough, spotted the familiar ointment tube on the bedside cabinet.

He brought it out to find Xu Yan checking his forehead in a mirror.

Wen Sinian took the mirror away. "No broken skin. Applying some ointment will help it heal quickly."

Xu Yan didn’t speak, just looked at him with reddened eyes, as pitiful as last night's rabbit.

Wen Sinian’s heart clenched painfully. Scooping some ointment on his fingers, he carefully applied it to Xu Yan’s forehead and said gently, "Go rest in your room for a while. I’ll take care of the cleaning outside."

Xu Yan looked at him. "You know how?"

Wen Sinian: "I do."

Xu Yan still looked skeptical. "And there’s the New Year’s feast to prepare."

Wen Sinian had already finished applying the ointment and leaned in to blow on the spot. "I'll handle everything. If there’s anything I don’t know, I’ll ask you. You just tell me what to do, okay?"

Only then did Xu Yan nod.

Wen Sinian put away the ointment, his fingertips still cool and sticky. Because of the way he’d applied the ointment, the two had unknowingly gotten very close.

Still cupping Xu Yan’s cheek with his other hand, he asked, "How's the rabbit this morning?"

Xu Yan replied, "Much better. It’s playing alone in its box."

"Did it bother you last night?"

"No, it was very good," Xu Yan said. Then, hesitantly, he added, "You… stayed all night, didn’t you?"

Wen Sinian admitted directly, "Yes, in case you needed to call me."

Xu Yan noticed the fatigue in his eyes. "You haven’t been resting properly these days, have you? You leave so late and come back so early—how much sleep are you even getting? And then you’re busy all day. You'll run yourself ragged!"

Wen Sinian knew he must have checked the location records.

Being questioned and cared for like this gave him a strange satisfaction.

This was the right he’d given Xu Yan. He enjoyed being managed by Xu Yan, feeling at ease in both body and mind.

His fingertips brushed Xu Yan’s cheek as he lowered his voice. "I'm a bit tired."

In truth, he’d also made time to work on his graduation project and job, even attending two video meetings.

Xu Yan pushed his hand away and ordered, "Stop this. You have to sleep properly at night, or I won’t let you come to my house anymore."

Wen Sinian’s gaze dropped to his lips. "I can't fall asleep."

"How could that be?"

"Not without you."

Xu Yan froze, then seemed to remember something. "You… brought your medicine?"

Wen Sinian answered frankly, "No."

Xu Yan was shocked. "Ah? Then… what will you do?"

Wen Sinian: "Nothing."

He’d gone without for the days Xu Yan was gone, not even taking care of himself.

Given their usual frequency, he should’ve been unable to think clearly without taking a few doses by now.

Yet here he was, perfectly calm, speaking peacefully with Xu Yan face to face.

A flicker of hope rose in Xu Yan’s heart. "Is your condition… improving?"

Wen Sinian took his hand. "What do you think?"

Xu Yan yanked his hand back like he'd been burned, stammering, flustered, "Y-you’re so shameless..."

Wen Sinian smiled faintly, with a hint of bitterness.

"Mhm. Scold me all you want, baby."

He was shameless, twisted, dark, and obsessive—but as long as Xu Yan didn’t leave him, he could treat him however he pleased.

Taking a tissue, Wen Sinian changed the subject, wiping the ointment from his fingertips as he asked softly, "Why did you bring the ointment out with you?"

Xu Yan shifted uncomfortably and glared at him.

Like he didn't know.

Wen Sinian’s tone was concerned. "You kept it by the bedside. Where else hurts?"

Xu Yan refused to answer. He snatched the ointment back, pushed Wen Sinian away, and stood to leave.

An arm suddenly wrapped around his waist, gently but firmly stopping him. Then, as if by accident, a long leg tripped him, and Xu Yan found himself straddling Wen Sinian.

Holding him close, Wen Sinian reminded, "Be careful."

Xu Yan’s face flushed as he braced his hands on Wen Sinian’s shoulders, glaring. "This is all your fault!"

Wen Sinian, afraid he might fall, cupped the softness beneath him.

"It’s all my fault. Poor baby, isn’t it?"

In a whisper only the two could hear, he asked by Xu Yan’s ear, "Did I go too hard that day? Is it still swollen inside?"

Xu Yan had been applying the ointment for days and felt it had mostly healed, but Wen Sinian had truly gone too far—doing it himself had been difficult.

Clapping a hand over Wen Sinian’s mouth, Xu Yan shot a nervous glance toward the door. "Wh-what nonsense are you saying?!"

Wen Sinian’s lips brushed against his palm as he murmured, "With hands as small as yours, can they reach deep inside?"

"Want me to help?"