Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Eager for sleep, Ye Weian quickly bid farewell to Sister Long and Brother Zhang.

Returning, he found Zhou Huaichen chatting with the family butler.

Usually radiating a powerful aura, Zhou Huaichen appeared as a gentle and respectful junior in the butler's presence. Bathed in the soft light, he seemed unusually tender.

Ye Weian paused at a distance, admiring the scene, a wave of emotion washing over him.

— "So handsome."

Zhou Huaichen, hearing his thoughts, looked over.

Their eyes met.

Zhou Huaichen offered a faint smile.

Ye Weian's mind erupted in a flurry of thoughts.

— "Want to hug!"

— "Want to cuddle while sleeping!"

This version of A Chen was utterly captivating, like his cherished Purple Crystal Core. Rubies were nothing; they'd be out of favor tonight!

He strode over to the butler. "Grandpa Lin, I'll take A Chen upstairs to rest."

The butler, without a second thought, instructed a servant to prepare the guest room for Zhou Huaichen and even arranged clean sleepwear.

Ye Weian cast a subtle, resentful glance at the butler.

— "What's the point of a guest room?"

— "A Chen should sleep in my room."

Zhou Huaichen: "..."

The system scoffed mockingly: "Host, do you dare tell the butler directly that you want to sleep with President Zhou?"

Ye Weian: "..."

He didn't dare.

Asking A Chen to sleep with him on his first visit would undoubtedly shock Grandpa Lin.

Grandpa Lin was old and couldn't handle such a jolt.

But it didn't matter. Grandpa Lin, with his limited mobility, always slept on the first floor.

Once they were upstairs, he could still persuade A Chen.

System: "..."

Host, you're a zombie king—why are you so cunning?

Ye Weian led Zhou Huaichen to the third floor, stopping at the guest room door. "You go shower first," he said.

Zhou Huaichen raised an eyebrow slightly, looking at him.

The system was equally surprised.

Wasn't the host planning to coax President Zhou into sleeping together? Why was he sending him to the guest room?

Ye Weian pushed open the guest room door for Zhou Huaichen. "Grandpa Lin had someone place a change of clothes on the bedside table."

— "My bathroom has too many small mirrors. Can't let A Chen find out."

— "I'll come find him after he's showered."

System: "..."

Aha!

Host, you're truly something!

Zhou Huaichen, however, gave Ye Weian a long, searching look.

He was suddenly curious about those small mirrors.

After watching Zhou Huaichen enter the guest room, Ye Weian returned to the adjacent master bedroom to prepare for bed.

The system couldn't help but grumble, "Host, no matter what, tonight this system will absolutely prevent you two."

Ye Weian was unfazed. "Oh."

His mind was entirely consumed by the thought of sleeping with his beloved Purple Crystal Core. He had no interest in engaging with the system.

System: "..."

As a system, why did it possess so little authority?

Ye Weian said, "I'm going to shower. You can block yourself out."

System: "..."

Even if it didn't block itself, it had no desire to watch the host shower!

Its aesthetic preferences lay with other highly intelligent systems like itself!

While Zhou Huaichen and Ye Weian were showering, the system agonized over how to stop the host from sleeping with President Zhou.

It did have some punitive measures at its disposal.

But it couldn't bear to use them on the host!

Wuwu, the host was such a tormenting little minx.

As soon as Ye Weian finished showering, too excited to even dry his hair, he dashed out of the room.

He was going to get A Chen.

Just before he knocked, the system deliberately dampened his spirits: "President Zhou will definitely reject you."

Ye Weian was puzzled. "Why would he reject me when I'm this good-looking?"

A Chen had long desired to claim this fresh, tender cabbage—him!

To make himself even more alluring, he hadn't even dried his hair.

System: "..."

It suddenly realized a serious problem—perhaps the host didn't truly understand the meaning of the word "snuggle"...

While the system was questioning its very existence, Ye Weian knocked on the door.

Zhou Huaichen, wearing simple pajamas identical to Ye Weian's, stood behind the door, smiling at him.

A smile both enchanting and sweet.

Ye Weian's heart pounded instantly.

He walked over instinctively, staring intently at the other, and said, "I have many gems in my room. Would you like to come see them?"

His tone was uncannily like the Big Bad Wolf luring Little Red Riding Hood.

Zhou Huaichen gazed deeply into his eyes, saying nothing.

System: "..."

Even it could discern the host's intentions—Big Boss Zhou must have seen through them too.

It waited for Big Boss's reaction, trusting in Zhou Huaichen's character, convinced he would refuse.

Ye Weian continued to stare at Zhou Huaichen.

— "Why the silence?"

— "Hurry up and say yes."

Zhou Huaichen let out a soft sigh.

He looked at Ye Weian gently and said, "Alright, I'll come have a look."

System: "!"

Big Boss Zhou, how could you betray my trust!

Zhou Huaichen, unaware of the system's existence, naturally had no idea of its shattered heart.

He looked at Ye Weian and said softly, "Give me a moment."

With that, he turned and headed to the bathroom.

When he returned, he held a dry towel.

He walked directly to Ye Weian, stopped in front of him, and gently dried Ye Weian's hair.

Ye Weian stood obediently, allowing him to do so.

System: "..."

Such a harmonious and beautiful scene, yet it was in no mood to appreciate it.

It was troubled!

If Big Boss Zhou was going to sleep with the host, should it intervene or not?

Once his hair was semi-dry, Ye Weian eagerly pulled Zhou Huaichen by the sleeve into his room.

His bedroom was large and tidy, with warm tones, and a faint scent of pinewood permeated the air.

Zhou Huaichen's eyes darkened slightly as Ye Weian pulled him directly to the bed.

Ye Weian immediately lifted the pillow. "Look, this is my favorite ruby. I sleep with it every night."

— "A Chen is even more tempting than a ruby. I’ll hold A Chen to sleep from now on!"

— "The ruby can be put away!"

Zhou Huaichen: "..."

So this person wanted to hold him to sleep as a replacement for the ruby?

Ye Weian placed the ruby in the bedside drawer, then turned and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Ready to sleep?" He looked up at Zhou Huaichen and patted the bed.

Zhou Huaichen looked down at him and smiled faintly. "This is my first time staying over. Perhaps it's better if I use the guest room."

Ye Weian looked at him, puzzled. "Are you afraid Grandpa Lin will see? Don’t worry, Grandpa Lin won’t come upstairs."

Zhou Huaichen: "..."

It seemed that excuse wouldn't work.

Ye Weian blinked. "My bed is big too."

— "We can sleep together!"

Zhou Huaichen gazed at him deeply, unsure how to explain himself.

He had agreed to stay over only to get closer to this person.

As for sleeping while holding each other...

If they truly ended up holding each other tonight, he was afraid even several cold showers wouldn’t be enough to calm him down.

The system was quite pleased.

As expected of the Big Boss it admired—he had good character.

It had originally intended to play the villain and stop the two, but now it seemed its intervention wasn’t needed.

Ye Weian continued staring expressionlessly at Zhou Huaichen.

— "Am I not attractive to A Chen?"

— "Why hasn’t he agreed yet?"

Zhou Huaichen smiled wryly.

He should have refused to stay over from the beginning, rather than endure such a sweet burden now.

After a brief silence, Zhou Huaichen suddenly crouched down and gently took Ye Weian’s hand.

Ye Weian felt a sudden warmth spread through his palm.

He looked down at this man, constantly exuding a grape-like scent, his eyes filled with confusion.

— "Is A Chen thinking of proposing?"

Zhou Huaichen looked up at him, his gaze deep and shadowy, bottomless: "Do you remember the last time you touched my abs, and I went back to my room?"

Ye Weian: "Huh?"

— "What does that have to do with you turning me down?"

Zhou Huaichen's voice was husky: "Last time, I managed to hold back. But if I sleep while holding you this time, I... I'm afraid I won't be able to control myself."

Ye Weian: "?"

The system roared in his ear just then: "President Zhou is a healthy, normal man! You're torturing him!"

The system: "Host, you're not human!"

Ye Weian: "..."

He wasn't human to begin with—he was the Zombie King.

But... A Chen really didn’t seem to want to sleep while cuddling him.

He let out a long sigh.

— "I'm unhappy."

Zhou Huaichen gently squeezed his fingers and said softly, "We should have a defined relationship before we can sleep together."

Ye Weian tilted his head to look at him: "What kind of relationship?"

His eyes were wide and clear, filled with a naive innocence.

Zhou Huaichen suddenly realized that perhaps this person had never considered being with him.

His voice carried a tinge of pain, but his gaze remained gentle and focused: "I want to court you, to live together as a couple in the future."

After a pause, he added in a low voice, "Would you... be willing to consider it?"

He knew that with Ye Weian, he could express his thoughts directly.

But he wasn’t sure if this person understood his ulterior motives.

Ye Weian remained silent.

— "A Chen is so gentle."

— "If I didn’t have to be with Yan Qing, I wouldn’t hesitate for a second!"

— "Ah... I’m such a scumbag! I keep saying I’m going after Yan Qing, but my body craves A Chen... I’m so trashy!"

He sighed in frustration, yet clutched onto Zhou Huaichen’s hand.

He couldn’t bear to let go of such a delicious and fragrant grape beauty.

Nor could he stand to see this beauty disappointed!

The system: "..."

Host, you really are a bit of a scumbag.

The next second, the system reflected on itself: "Host, I’m also at fault. I shouldn’t have told you to get close to President Zhou, causing his innocent heart to fall for you."

The system: "President Zhou seems completely smitten, but host, you have to be with Yan Qing."

If the mission isn’t completed, the readers’ resentment will backlash onto the host, and perhaps the host will disappear.

Besides, the host also wants to save his parents and younger brother.

But... President Zhou is really so good!

The system sobbed: "Host, you’re a scumbag, and I’m a malicious system."

The system: "We don’t deserve him!"

Ye Weian: "..."

Zhou Huaichen heard Ye Weian’s inner thoughts, and his initially low spirits brightened.

He had thought Ye Weian didn’t understand his feelings, or that Ye Weian felt nothing for him.

But Ye Weian wasn’t unwilling—he just had reasons he had to refuse.

Being highly perceptive, Zhou Huaichen naturally understood the issue lay with Yan Qing.

As long as he figured out why Ye Weian insisted on being with Yan Qing, the obstacle between them could be resolved.

With this thought, he couldn’t bring himself to pressure Ye Weian further.

He glanced down at their intertwined hands, then looked up at the person he loved, his voice rough and husky: "Do you want to touch my abs?"

Ye Weian: "?"

The system: "?"

Zhou Huaichen murmured softly: "Even as friends, you can touch my abs."

Ye Weian: "..."

— "A Chen, do you think I’m a fool?"

Zhou Huaichen let out a soft laugh, took his hand, and slowly guided it down to his waist.

Ye Weian: "!"

The system: "!"

I want to report someone for being indecent here!!

Author's note: Sorry, sorry, dear readers. Today’s word count is low because I’ve been really stuck... But don’t worry, I’ve smoothed out the outline and promise to update daily from now on!

Thank you all so much for your support. I’ll keep working hard!