Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Jiang Mo’s muffled groan reached Chen Zui’s ears. If he were to make that sound in the future…

The bed would definitely be worth looking forward to, Chen Zui mused, deciding to continue feigning sleep.

Jiang Mo was about to burst. He switched from poking Chen Zui’s arm to gently pushing him, his voice rising slightly: "Mr. Chen? Mr. Chen?"

In response, Chen Zui "accidentally" nudged him again, this time with even more force. Jiang Mo nearly had an accident right then and there. He couldn’t hold it any longer—if he did, he’d wet the bed. Without even bothering to properly wake Chen Zui, he bolted upright, took a large stride off the bed, and rushed to the bathroom at top speed.

Chen Zui opened his eyes and smiled silently.

Ao Tian: "You’re so wicked, *^_^*"

When Jiang Mo returned after relieving himself, he saw the bedroom light was on and Chen Zui was awake, looking somewhat dazed as he asked, "What’s wrong?"

Jiang Mo felt acutely awkward, almost fidgeting a hole in his pants. He lowered his head and said, "Sorry for waking you, I really needed to use the bathroom."

Chen Zui let out an "oh" and said, "As long as you’re okay."

He pulled his legs back. "Let’s go back to sleep then."

Jiang Mo’s head drooped even lower, his neck turning crimson. "Wait, I…" He couldn’t finish his sentence. Although he hadn’t wet the bed, he had made a small mess in his underwear. Without further explanation, he went to the cabinet, crouched down with his back to Chen Zui, and pulled open the bottom drawer.

Chen Zui watched him. What a peach of a butt—but what kind of demure, straight-laced guy was this?

Jiang Mo clutched a clean pair of underwear, concealing it in his hand. "You go ahead and sleep, I’ll be right back."

Without daring to look back, he dashed to the bathroom again.

When Jiang Mo returned, Chen Zui appeared to have fallen back asleep. Jiang Mo stared at him for a moment, sighed inwardly in embarrassment, turned off the light, and carefully climbed over Chen Zui to get to his side, being extra cautious not to touch him and wake him up.

Before he could make it over, Chen Zui suddenly lifted his leg and turned over, pulling the stunned Jiang Mo into his arms and moving him to the inside. This time, they were face to face, and Chen Zui’s lips brushed his forehead like a kiss.

Jiang Mo was completely stunned, so much so that he didn’t notice Chen Zui’s hand resting on his butt.

Chen Zui: "A perky butt is a man’s best dowry."

Ao Tian: "Kudos."

After that, there were no more disturbances. Chen Zui slept soundly, holding the satisfying cushion in his arms, while Jiang Mo lay awake until dawn. He counted 236 sheep but still couldn’t fall asleep because, every time he tried, he’d get distracted by the rise and fall of Chen Zui’s chest muscles with each breath.

Jiang Mo felt he shouldn’t be like this, but Mr. Chen’s physique was truly impressive.

—

After washing up, Chen Zui emerged from the bathroom feeling fresh and energized. Jiang Mo was in the kitchen making breakfast.

Chen Zui went to play with the little black kitten. "What’s its name?"

Jiang Mo glanced back at the bold kitten pawing at Chen Zui’s hand. It seemed Mr. Chen didn’t remember this little cat.

Well, important folks tend to forget things.

"It doesn’t have a name yet."

Chen Zui picked up the soft, milky-soft kitten, which had clearly filled out since that night. It seemed Jiang Mo had been taking good care of it.

"If it doesn’t have a name, can I give it one?"

"Of course." Jiang Mo was already feeling a bit envious of the kitten. He cracked a few eggs into the pan and started frying them.

Chen Zui stared at the kitten licking its paws. "Let’s call you Xiao Momo."

Jiang Mo: ⊙▽⊙

The name made his heart flutter, especially when "Xiao Momo" was spoken by Chen Zui.

The little kitten meowed.

Chen Zui: "Seems it likes the name. Let me check if Xiao Momo is a boy or a girl?"

He checked the kitten. "Wow~ Xiao Momo, your little pepper is so small."

Even though he was talking about the cat, Jiang Mo inexplicably blushed.

Chen Zui scratched the kitten under its chin, making it purr loudly and contentedly.

Chen Zui: "Our Xiao Momo is so adorable."

Jiang Mo’s face grew even redder.

Ao Tian: "Favorability +35. I’m going to use you as a case study for other hosts."

Jiang Mo brought over the noodles with fried eggs and sausages, then pulled out a chair. "Mr. Chen, breakfast is ready."

Chen Zui said "Okay," washed his hands, and went to the table. "The noodles smell amazing."

Jiang Mo smiled happily at the praise.

During breakfast, Chen Zui noticed Jiang Mo’s dark circles and asked with concern, "Did you not sleep well last night?"

Jiang Mo, who looked as ill at ease as if he were eating at a stranger’s house, shook his head. "No, I slept very well."

Chen Zui chuckled. "I thought you must have slept well too—you even ended up in my arms and hugged me."

Jiang Mo’s head shot up. Those were his lines... The morally rigid man opened and closed his mouth a few times, tongue-tied. He couldn’t bring himself to say, "No, it was you who held me," so he could only accept the blame.

He lowered his head again. "I’m sorry."

Chen Zui: Tsk, this kind of reaction just makes a bad guy want to bully him even more.

After breakfast, the two went out. Chen Zui offered to give Jiang Mo a ride to work, but Jiang Mo quickly declined. Chen Zui didn’t insist, and they parted ways at the apartment complex entrance.

When Jiang Mo reached the subway station, he checked his phone. ? had sent a photo of him and Mr. Chen coming out of the building entrance.

?: "You’re being very disobedient."

Jiang Mo felt immense disgust and anger toward this person, especially remembering how he had inserted that thing inside him...

He should die.

He felt he shouldn’t continue to be manipulated. Frowning, he wondered what would happen if he blocked the sender. Given the other’s temper, he’d probably show up in person.

Jiang Mo gradually started devising a plan.

When he arrived at the company, he saw Chen Xiu. Another wave of fresh anger boiled up in his heart and mind. Chen Xiu had dumped him for Xiao Hang, even though he was the one who had approached Jiang Mo first!

Jiang Mo recalled that day.

It wasn't long after he had joined the company, still an intern. He wasn't a likable person, and his boss had no faith in him, always dumping random tasks on him and giving him grief. His colleagues probably also thought he wouldn't last long, so no one showed him any kindness.

That day, the supervisor, having taken out his frustration from somewhere else, vented it all on him. It seemed like picking on the weakest, and in the supervisor's eyes, he was the easy target.

It was Chen Xiu who spoke up for him.

At that moment, he felt as if Chen Xiu was glowing with this holy light, illuminating him—it was so beautiful.

If it had ended there, he wouldn't have developed any other feelings. But coincidentally, it was pouring rain that day, and after work, he was stuck outside the office, hesitating whether to take a taxi to the subway station when Chen Xiu appeared again.

"Jiang Mo, I'm heading to the subway station. If it's on the way, let's go together."

In the cold rain, under the small umbrella, their arms kept touching. It was a kind of beauty Jiang Mo had never experienced before. He desperately wanted to hold onto this light, this beauty, so he began stalking and monitoring Chen Xiu, starting to talk and chat with him every day in his stalker role. That period was the happiest time of his life.

But now, Chen Xiu and Xiao Hang had ruined everything.

Chen Xiu suddenly felt a chill run down his spine—the sensation of being watched had actually appeared in the office. He turned around abruptly, scanning the area with his eyes, but only saw colleagues at their desks, no one staring at him.

Uncomfortable, he withdrew his gaze. Xiao Hang had said he would handle the matter, hoping to smoke out the guy.

—

Chen Zui appeared at the door of Jiang Mo's apartment, picked the lock with practiced ease, then swapped something out.

Ao Tian had no idea what his host was planning, but he believed his host knew what he was doing and there was no need to worry.

"We need to be even more twisted than the deranged attacker!"

Just before leaving work, someone brought Xiao Hang a file. He had given his subordinates the phone number of the person harassing Chen Xiu, and the document in his hand contained information pulled from that number.

He carefully reviewed it.

This person not only harassed Chen Xiu but had also socked him. Xiao Hang's good-looking face, now bruised by a large contusion, exuded icy rage.

He was hell-bent on catching this person and making him suffer.

Jiang Mo followed Chen Xiu onto the subway. After getting off, he took a bus and finally walked a stretch of road to the villa area halfway up the mountain.

He stared at the high-security villa complex—getting in would be next to impossible.

His fists clenched so tight they creaked.

Even after he had beaten up Xiao Hang, Chen Xiu wasn't cutting him off. What else could he do?

His wolf-cub eyes darkened, bottomless. Was kidnapping Chen Xiu the only option?

Jiang Mo returned home, lost in thought.

After closing the door, Jiang Mo sensed something wrong. He turned on the light and scanned the room.

It was too quiet.

He immediately opened his phone and checked the surveillance app. Sure enough, something was wrong.

That psycho had broken in and taken the cat!

Jiang Mo was now filled with regret. To keep a low profile, he hadn't installed chains and locks on the outside of the door, which would have allowed him to lock it from the outside when he left.

That psycho couldn't have sawed through it with a chainsaw from the outside.

But it was too late for regrets now.

He immediately sent a message to the other person: "It's just a kitten!"

Jiang Mo was truly furious.

When Chen Zui received this message, Xiao Momo was showing off its "paw flowers" for him.

"?" : "If you want it back, you only need to do one thing."

Intuition told Jiang Mo it wouldn't be anything good.

"?" : "Go to your bedroom."

Jiang Mo still went to the bedroom and saw an exquisitely wrapped box. He cautiously opened it—inside was a familiar item that dragged him back to that dark alley.

"?" : "This is your punishment for breaking the toy."

"?" : "Turn on the video. I want to watch you put it in until the end. Otherwise—"

Jiang Mo clenched his jaw. He would never do such a thing!

"?" sent another photo—a hand closed around the kitten's neck, needing only a little more pressure.

"?" : "Or do you want it to die?"

Chen Zui typed with one hand while using the other to scratch the kitten's chin. The kitten, enjoying it, leaned its little head against his hand.

"Madman!" Jiang Mo's breathing quickened. He hadn't expected this guy to be so deranged as to threaten him with a kitten's life. His eyes flickered with conflict and hesitation. Even so, he wouldn't do it for a cat he had only had for a few days...

His phone buzzed again—a message from Chen Zui: "Passed by a pet shop after work and thought of Xiao Momo. The little guy is so adorable, not shy at all."

Jiang Mo: ...

"?" : "I'll give you three minutes to decide."

Chen Zui: "Couldn't resist buying a few toys for Xiao Momo. Do you have time? I can swing by."

"?" : "Two and a half minutes left. Do you think the kitten will cry before it dies?"

Chen Zui: "The shop assistant recommended a few little outfits. Xiao Momo would look so cute in them."

"?" : "The kitten keeps meowing. Is it missing you? Or is it scared?"

Jiang Mo stared at the alternating messages from the two, his mind about to snap.

"?" sent another voice message. He played it—it was the kitten meowing, heart-wrenching cries.

"?" : "Last thirty seconds. Looks like it's time to say goodbye to your cat. Don't worry, I'll give you the body back."

Jiang Mo thought of the kitten's appearance—its perfectly round head, big innocent eyes, how it would run to greet him after work, rubbing against his legs and meowing. At night, it never caused trouble, ate obediently, and would flop down in front of him, belly exposed, wanting belly rubs...

Chen Zui gave the kitten a treat. Jiang Mo called, then requested to switch to video.

Chen Zui patted the kitten's head—after all, it was the MVP here.

Author's Note:

Kitten: This cat's got more screen time than I do! [paw]