Chapter 19: Feeling Neglected

Chapter 19: Feeling Neglected

The sheer curtains on the balcony billowed back and forth in the wind, making the small bed Huo Yanchi had set up for Shen Junlan barely visible and quite inconspicuous.

Shen Junlan yawned and collapsed right in the middle of the large bed, his drowsy eyelids drooping, yet he still managed to tuck Huo Yanchi's pillow under his head.

Huo Yanchi stared at the subtle mound Shen Junlan made under the covers, unable to bring himself to speak. Instead, he tiptoed into the bathroom to freshen up. As he unbuttoned his clothes, his gaze drifted from Shen Junlan's fair shoulders, and he sat down ever so gently at the edge of the bed.

His Xiao Yezi was already sound asleep. Huo Yanchi leaned down and watched quietly, eventually unable to resist raising a hand to brush against Xiao Yezi's nose.

Xiao Yezi's nose was particularly straight and upturned. Huo Yanchi wiped the moisture from its tip, then cupped his fingers in his palm.

Huo Yanchi lay down on his side, facing Xiao Yezi, whose soft breaths brushed against his cheek. An inexplicable warmth surged from his chest.

The knife that had been clenched in his palm was discarded by Xiao Yezi. Since his Xiao Yezi had never seen him in that state, he could only conceal all his sharp edges and act gentle and attentive.

Huo Yanchi slowed his breathing, his expression softening. His fingertips inadvertently brushed against his wrist beneath the watch, ignoring the rough, uneven texture, and he calmly drew the covers over Xiao Yezi.

The ticking of the clock was piercingly sharp. Huo Yanchi counted the time silently, cycling from one to sixty sixty times before barely feeling drowsy.

Before falling asleep, he detected the scent of fresh grass again, several times stronger than usual.

***

"Huo Yanchi, you're finally awake."

Huo Yanchi murmured softly, as if he had been trapped in a beautiful nightmare. The moment he opened his eyes, he was met with Xiao Yezi's face, magnified up close, even the fine downy hairs clearly visible.

Shen Junlan's lips moved, but Huo Yanchi's attention was entirely focused on his crimson lips, not hearing a word he said.

The discomfort in his throat grew more pronounced. Huo Yanchi coughed twice, fist pressed to his lips, before drowsily sitting up.

"Huo Yanchi, even though I know you can't hear me, I still want to ask a question."

Shen Junlan brushed aside the disheveled hair on Huo Yanchi's forehead and poked his forehead a few times, annoyed.

"If you don't say anything, that means you heard me. Was that small bed made specially for me?"

Shen Junlan hadn't expected to fall asleep last night either. When he woke up, it was already late at night. Huo Yanchi lay beside him, breathing evenly, without any blanket covering him, since most of it was pinned under him.

Guiltily, Shen Junlan tucked the blanket around Huo Yanchi and changed positions to go back to sleep. When he woke, he was surprised to find a small bed had appeared on his flower stand.

The bedding was as soft as clouds, sinking at a touch. Shen Junlan's mind went blank, utterly confused about when it had been made.

"Good morning, Xiao Yezi. Today, I'll give you some nutrient solution—your favorite."

"The small bed was made specially for you. Whatever I have, my Xiao Yezi should have too. Do you like it?"

"I like it, I really do!" Shen Junlan almost leaped for joy.

Huo Yanchi listened to Xiao Yezi's clear, joyful murmurs by his ear, a faint smile tugging at his lips, filled with pride. What he gave had to perfectly meet Xiao Yezi's needs.

The bed was definitely the right gift. This way, Xiao Yezi wouldn't have to work so hard.

Shen Junlan shrank into a tiny form, curled up completely in the small bed, letting out a comfortable sigh.

"Huo Yanchi, thank you. I'll sleep in the small bed tonight."

Instantly, Huo Yanchi's expression changed. As he poured the nutrient solution, he said, "Actually, the big bed is more comfortable. It's just that our apartment isn't big enough. Otherwise, I would have gotten you a big bed directly."

Shen Junlan rubbed his cheeks and weakly replied, "It's actually fine. The big bed is for both of us to squeeze into together. This one is really good."

His voice was weak, but his conviction was firm.

Shen Junlan lay on the small bed, not getting up. He rested his head on his hands, eyes half-closed, his raised feet swinging happily, completely at ease.

As the last drop of nutrient solution was absorbed, Shen Junlan's complexion grew even rosier. He stretched lazily and sat up, leaning halfway out of the small bed to tug at his emerald-green leaves. They were smooth as jade, as if coated with a thin layer of golden light.

"Hey, Huo Yanchi, why don't you call Xiao Mei's owner and ask? I feel like I..."

Shen Junlan scratched his head, trailing off. He then simply jumped onto Huo Yanchi's shoulder, sat down, and mumbled, pinching his earlobe, "Just call and ask first. I'm not entirely sure yet."

Huo Yanchi took out his phone and said softly, "I wonder how Xiao Mei is doing. Maybe I should call and ask."

"Okay, okay! Huo Yanchi, you're so good. I've decided that next time we encounter a big dog, I'll allow you to step in front of me on your own."

Huo Yanchi drew out an "oh" with a prolonged tone. His Xiao Yezi was even better—grudgingly allowed him to help block big dogs. It was a big step—assuming they ever encountered a dog.

"Hello, Miss Su. This is Huo Yanchi. How is Xiao Mei doing?"

The voice on the other end sounded tired, with a hint of a sob, hoarse and low.

"Mr. Huo, Xiao Mei has undergone a full examination. There are multiple past injuries, mostly on the neck and buttocks—fleshy, furry areas. I’ve been busy with work, and Xiao Mei isn’t a noisy dog, so I didn’t notice until now."

"Thank you. If it weren’t for you, I’d still be in the dark."

Su Yun paused, quickly wiping away a tear at the corner of her eye, and said apologetically, "About last night—my father told me everything. I’m sorry, it’s all my fault. I’ve already broken up with him and am going through legal proceedings for intentionally abusing Xiao Mei and other stray animals, as well as some other financial disputes."

"Mr. Huo, I’m truly sorry. I failed to see his true character. We were even discussing marriage, and I only realized his issues now."

Huo Yanchi replied calmly, "Miss Su, you don’t need to blame yourself. It was his problem, and I’ve already taught him a lesson. Let Xiao Mei focus on recovering. I won’t disturb you further."

"Wait, wait—Xiao Mei seems to have something... to say."

Su Yun stared blankly at Xiao Mei. She was about to invite Huo Yanchi to dinner when she felt Xiao Mei tugging at her. In her daze, Xiao Mei snatched the phone and ran off. Su Yun chased after her, shouting, barely managing to keep Huo Yanchi from hanging up.

"Woof woof, woof woof woof woof woof."

*Hello, thank you so much. You understood me and saved me. My mom has broken up with him, and she won’t cry for no reason anymore.*

The series of barks left Huo Yanchi baffled. He silently placed the phone in front of Xiao Yezi for him to interpret.

"I can’t understand," Huo Yanchi replied in a voice only Xiao Yezi could hear. His meaning was clear: let Xiao Yezi handle it—he truly couldn’t understand what Xiao Mei was saying.

Shen Junlan silently turned his head and stared wide-eyed at Huo Yanchi. He understood, but how could he make Xiao Mei understand? He wasn’t sure if Xiao Mei could comprehend him speaking like this.

As a last resort, Shen Junlan slowly said, "It’s okay, Xiao Mei. Focus on recovering."

"Woof woof woof."

*Okay, thank you.*

"Miss Su, I think I understand. Was Xiao Mei trying to say thank you?"

"P-probably," Su Yun could only interpret it that way since she couldn’t understand either.

"Goodbye, Miss Su."

Before hanging up, Su Yun was about to say "please," but Huo Yanchi couldn’t take credit—it was all Xiao Yezi’s doing. Xiao Mei had already thanked him.

"Huo Yanchi, actually, what I wanted to say earlier was that my spiritual power has increased. I have a faint feeling it’s because I helped Xiao Mei, which is why I asked you to call and check. After Xiao Mei said thank you, my spiritual power increased a little more."

Huo Yanchi glanced over; Shen Junlan had almost returned to a normal human state, no longer illusory and blurry. Perhaps soon, Xiao Yezi would be just like an ordinary person.

"Do you know what this means? It means I don’t have to rely solely on you to boost my spiritual power. I used to think I could only increase it by cuddling with you. I was always worried it might harm you, but now it’s fine—I can help more little animals instead."

"You even thoughtfully prepared a small bed for me, so I won’t need to cuddle with you every night anymore."

With each sentence Shen Junlan spoke, Huo Yanchi’s face grew darker. With a crack, he snapped off a piece of the wooden flower stand, his expression shifting dramatically.

So he wasn’t the only one anymore. Great.

Good. Very good. Just perfect.

"Hu-Huo Yanchi, what’s wrong?"

That expression made Shen Junlan uneasy. He quietly moved an inch away from Huo Yanchi, but seeing Huo Yanchi’s face darken further, he nervously shuffled back.

"Master, don’t make that face—it scares me."

Heh, Huo Yanchi couldn’t detect even a trace of fear in Xiao Yezi.

Huo Yanchi took a deep breath, closing his eyes briefly as they ached with frustration.

So he gave him the bed. Brilliant move. Now not only was he no longer special, but he wasn’t even needed to keep warm at night.

Huo Yanchi narrowed his eyes, glaring intently at the small bed, seriously thinking how to make the sturdy solid wood bed break within a day.

*Brring, brring!*

The sudden ringing shattered the strange atmosphere in the room. It was Zhao Qi calling.

Tch, the call couldn’t have come at a worse time. If it had been just a bit later, Xiao Yezi might have cuddled up to his shoulder. But now Xiao Yezi had run off, and he felt like running away too.

"Hmm."

Zhao Qi paused. Something felt off—Boss Huo’s mood seemed off. He wiped his palms on his pants and instinctively straightened his posture.

"Boss Huo, Deputy Zhao contacted me to say that their company’s President Zheng would like to meet with you tomorrow at noon or in the evening to discuss details over a meal. He’ll arrange the venue."

"I heard they’ve produced a sample. You can take a look at it before making a decision."

"Hmm, evening it is. Draft the contract—if everything’s in order, we’ll sign it directly."

Huo Yanchi felt a pang of bitterness. He had been busy preparing snacks for his snack-loving Xiao Yezi, only to have Xiao Yezi move to the small bed and stop sleeping with him.

And the most crucial part—no more snuggling. This couldn’t be happening.

Huo Yanchi shot a sidelong glance at Shen Junlan, who was now curled up happily on his small bed, as if it had already become his new favorite thing. Breaking it on the first day would be too cruel.

He’d have to think of another way.

Author’s Note:

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The next chapter will be updated the day after tomorrow. The story will be going VIP in a few days, and updates will stabilize after that [hahahaha][hahahaha][hahahaha].