Chapter 23 (1,000 Nutrient Solutions Bonus Update) He…

Chapter 23 (Bonus Chapter for 1000 Power-ups) He...

He stood under the light, his tall frame casting a large shadow.

Lin Yunshu looked up, and even backlit, he could see Zhou Yu’s face break into a broad smile.

It actually felt rather warm.

It was a dazzling warmth that Lin Yunshu, whose life had been as monotonous as a silent film, couldn’t quite comprehend.

He froze for a few seconds, then curved his lips, grabbed Zhou Yu’s arm, and used it for support to stand up.

Li Xun’s home was a small villa in the suburbs. Zhou Yu didn’t call a driver, opting to drive Lin Yunshu there himself.

“Even without traffic, it’ll take over two hours,” Zhou Yu muttered while checking the GPS, then asked Lin Yunshu, “Can your body handle it?”

Lin Yunshu was fastening his seatbelt and gave him a strange look. “It’s just over two hours. We’ve taken slow trains for dozens of hours before. What’s the big deal?”

“It’s not the same,” Zhou Yu sighed.

Back then, they were so young—Zhou Yu had just graduated from university, and Lin Yunshu was only a freshman.

Zhou Yu had never taken a train in his life and wanted to experience it during his graduation trip. He gathered a group of close friends, including Tan Cong and Lin Yunshu, and set off on a slow train.

Along the way, they saw grasslands, snow-capped mountains, cattle, and sheep—it was truly an unforgettable trip.

Zhou Yu still remembered it clearly: back then, Secretary Lin still had some baby fat on his face, his cheeks always tinged pink, and when he spoke, his eyes were as round and bright as gems.

At one point, they passed by snow-capped mountains. Lin Yunshu leaned against the window to take photos, with vast stretches of sunlit snow peaks rising and falling behind him.

His profile seemed to melt into the snowy whiteness, leaving only a pair of sparkling eyes.

Zhou Yu’s camera was originally aimed at the mountains, but as if guided by some inexplicable force, it shifted.

When the photos were developed, every single one was of Lin Yunshu.

That was probably the moment he first fell for him.

Now, Zhou Yu looked at Lin Yunshu.

Lin Yunshu had matured a lot, grown much thinner, and the lines of his profile, no longer softened by youthful flesh, had become strikingly sharp.

But he was still beautiful—so beautiful it was almost piercing.

“What’s different?” Lin Yunshu lifted his gaze.

His bright eyes overlapped with the memory, yet now they were veiled with a faint haze—gentle and soft, tempering the sharp, dazzling beauty.

“Do I even need to say it?” Zhou Yu raised an eyebrow. “Back then, we took the train, but we didn’t *do* anything.”

Lin Yunshu: “...?”

He stared at Zhou Yu in shock.

Why was this man always able to say such improper things without batting an eye?

Zhou Yu acted as if he hadn’t noticed: “But it’s fine. Our car is good, and I’m a good driver. It won’t jostle you. If needed, I can even get you a cushion to sit on—”

Lin Yunshu nearly choked.

Clutching his chest, his ears bright red, he took several deep breaths before barely steadying his voice. “I’m perfectly fine.”

“It doesn’t hurt anymore?” Zhou Yu said in surprise. “Yesterday you could only lie on your stomach.”

Lin Yunshu closed his eyes tightly. “The human body’s self-repair function is much stronger than you think.”

“Really?” Zhou Yu’s eyes lit up.

“Really,” Lin Yunshu said earnestly, unable to see his expression. “I’m completely fine now. Absolutely great.”

Zhou Yu’s gaze deepened thoughtfully. “Is that so? Then I prepared for nothing. I actually brought a cushion for you…”

“Boss,” Lin Yunshu interrupted, his face flushed with embarrassment and frustration, unable to bear it any longer. “Should I drive instead?”

Zhou Yu paused, only then realizing he hadn’t started the car yet. The two-hour journey was almost stretched to three hours because of him.

He coughed and fastened his own seatbelt.

“You’re not driving. Someone who needs a heated massage lumbar support after sitting for a while—you think I’d let you drive?”

He stubbornly added, “If you start whining about back pain or sore arms again, am I supposed to massage you then?”

Lin Yunshu: “???”

His world was collapsing.

“When did I ever—”

Vroom!

Zhou Yu stepped on the accelerator and drove off.

·

The air in the suburbs was fresher than in the city. Li Xun came out to greet them from afar, directing them to park the car in the yard.

“This is my first time visiting an employee’s home,” Zhou Yu remarked.

“No, it’s not,” Li Xun said, puzzled. “Before you got married, you were always running over to Secretary Lin’s place.”

Though he was only ever allowed to sit in the living room.

Zhou Yu: “...Will talking back deduct your salary?”

Li Xun: “...”

He shut his mouth sheepishly.

Lin Yunshu got out of the car and greeted him cheerfully. “Good morning, Brother Li.”

“Good morning, Secretary Lin!” Li Xun said warmly. “It’s almost noon. Why not stay for lunch?”

Zhou Yu stepped in front of Lin Yunshu. “We’ll skip the meal. We’re just here to pick up the cat and leave.”

He placed a hand on Lin Yunshu’s back, his tone slightly helpless. “His stomach can’t handle anything right now. No need to trouble yourself with cooking, and it’ll save him from feeling unwell and coming to whine to me later.”

Li Xun: “?”

What is he even bragging about?

Secretary Lin doesn’t seem like the type to act cute.

Li Xun thought the boss was acting strange today and shot a panicked look toward Secretary Lin.

Secretary Lin looked completely unfazed, exuding a sense of detachment—as if he had endured enough torment, realized resistance was futile, and finally chose to embrace defeat.

He smiled and changed the subject: "Let's go see the cat."

Li Xun nodded and quickly led the way inside: "This way."

As the two walked ahead, Li Xun whispered to Lin Yunshu, "What’s going on with the boss?"

After just two days apart, he seemed weirdly energetic, almost unnervingly so.

"Nothing much," Lin Yunshu replied calmly. "The weather’s been nice lately—the withered leaves have turned green again, and even the river water level has risen. It’s normal for people to feel more energetic."

Li Xun: ":o"

Secretary Lin: "^?_?^"

Zhou Yu had indeed been acting strange lately, like some sort of pod person, but Lin Yunshu was already getting used to it.

He had always been highly adaptable—otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to work for years under a boss like Zhou Yu, whose bizarre thought patterns defied all logic.

A high salary allowed him to suspend his disbelief and justify the boss’s actions from every possible angle.

As long as the salary was high enough, whatever the boss said was right. Even if he were to go streaking through the streets, there must be a good reason for it.

Li Xun was impressed by Secretary Lin’s absolute faith. Reflecting on his own lower salary, he realized he might be coming up short in the kind of spirit that overcomes all obstacles to defend the boss.

"Your house is quite nice," Zhou Yu remarked. "Three floors with two courtyards."

Li Xun was startled. "Boss, I really don’t know how to respond to that. It’s just a self-built house! I usually only come back on weekends."

Zhou Yu chuckled. "I didn’t mean anything by it. Why are you so nervous?"

Li Xun breathed a small sigh of relief, only to realize that the spot next to him had suddenly emptied.

Unnoticed, Zhou Yu had wedged himself between him and Secretary Lin, wrapping an arm around Secretary Lin’s back and leisurely walking away with him.

As if letting Secretary Lin stay with another man for even a moment would be the death of him.

Li Xun: "..."

Cringe.

As soon as they entered the house, Zhou Yu caught a whiff of greasy, aromatic air.

He wrinkled his nose. "You’re eating fried chicken this early in the morning?"

The dining table was piled with packaging, as if someone had been in the middle of a meal. A small mountain of chicken bones sat piled up, the smell of fried food assaulting his senses.

He turned to Lin Yunshu and asked quietly, "Does the smell bother you?"

"Not at all," Lin Yunshu replied, surprised that was his concern. "It doesn't bother me—"

"As long as it doesn’t bother you," Zhou Yu said.

It wasn’t that he was overreacting—he’d simply learned that many people with sensitive stomachs couldn’t stand the smell of greasy food.

Especially someone like Secretary Lin, who looked like he’d only ever eaten plain, simple food. Fried food just wasn’t his style.

"Um... does eating fried chicken have specific hours?" Li Xun wondered. "You just eat it whenever you feel like it, right? Boss, you pay us so well—surely you want your employees to eat whatever they want, stay happy and energetic, and work happily for you!"

Lin Yunshu nodded in agreement.

Zhou Yu rubbed his nose, not understanding how the two of them had suddenly bonded over this.

"Alright then," he said, waving a hand dismissively. "Eat whatever you want. Now go get the cat for me."

"Sure thing!" Li Xun grinned and bolted upstairs.

Zhou Yu wrapped an arm around Lin Yunshu and steered him toward the sofa. "Sit for a bit."

"It’s fine, I’ll stand for a while," Lin Yunshu said, holding his lower back. "I’ve been sitting for too long already."

Zhou Yu rubbed his lower back gently. "Uncomfortable?"

"Just want to move around a little," Lin Yunshu replied with a light laugh. "I’ll have to sit for another two hours during the ride back."

Just then, Li Xun came clattering down the stairs, holding a cat in one hand and a large bag in the other.

Catching a faint glimpse of the kitten in his arms, Lin Yunshu suddenly grew nervous.

As Li Xun approached, he casually set the bag on the floor and pulled out a fluffy little creature from his arms.

The cat was as docile as a toy, letting Li Xun hold it in his palms and present it to Lin Yunshu without trying to escape, make a sound, or fuss. It simply gazed timidly at the extremely good-looking person in front of it.

"What’s wrong, kitty? Don't you remember him?" Li Xun held the cat up. "Weren’t you just on a video call with him yesterday?"

Lin Yunshu was nervous, carefully reaching out to gently press the kitten’s paw pad. "Hello there~"

Zhou Yu couldn’t hold back a chuckle. "Are you shaking hands with her?"

"Huh?" Lin Yunshu didn’t quite get it.

Zhou Yu found it even funnier.

"Here, Secretary Lin, hold her and bond a little," Li Xun said, nudging the cat toward Lin Yunshu’s chest.

Lin Yunshu instinctively pulled back, but Zhou Yu blocked his retreat.

It was rare to see Secretary Lin so flustered, and Zhou Yu enjoyed the sight, placing a hand on his shoulder. "It’s fine, go ahead and hold her."

Lin Yunshu took a deep breath and carefully accepted the cat from Li Xun’s hands.

The first touch was magical.

Lin Yunshu’s eyes lit up as he marveled, "So small, so soft..."

It was a long-haired calico kitten with large, round eyes that drooped slightly downward, giving it a perpetually pitiful expression no matter what it did.

Lin Yunshu gently stroked it, and the kitten stretched out its paws, beginning to knead pitifully against his chest.

Lin Yunshu’s heart melted. He looked up at Zhou Yu with a delighted smile. "She likes me!"

Zhou Yu’s heart melted too. "Who wouldn’t like you?"

Lin Yunshu pressed his lips together and looked down.

After handing over the kitten, Li Xun continued eating, holding a bag of fish and chips as he walked over. "Have you two decided on a name yet?"

They actually hadn't thought about that yet.

Lin Yunshu asked Zhou Yu, "Do you have any ideas?"

"Didn't you say you'd name the kitten?" Zhou Yu replied.

Lin Yunshu looked troubled. "I don't know either..."

"No rush, you can take your time," Li Xun said, munching on his fries.

Perhaps smelling the fries, the kitten suddenly stirred, struggling to leap toward Li Xun's hand, its round eyes fixed on the fries.

"No, baby," Lin Yunshu quickly held the kitten back. "You can't eat this."

The kitten meowed urgently.

"Little glutton," Li Xun said. "This one's a glutton. Even in the litter, she was the most eager to nurse. Look how round her belly is."

Lin Yunshu smiled fondly.

"Yu Shu," Zhou Yu, who had been watching for a while, suddenly said. "Let's call her 'Yu Shu'."

Lin Yunshu looked up. "How so?"

Zhou Yu took a couple of steps closer and stroked the kitten's head. "Since she loves fish and fries so much but can't eat them, why not just call her Yu Shu? That way, every time she licks her fur, it'll be like she's eating some."

Lin Yunshu: "..."

Li Xun: "..."

"Good, that's good!" Li Xun exclaimed, slapping his knee in admiration. "As expected of a boss! Naming things is truly an art! Witty yet elegant, cute and full of creativity! Well done!"

Lin Yunshu: "O.O"

Has his colleague improved already?

He detected a professional threat in the art of flattery.

Zhou Yu showed a satisfied smile.

"Yu Shu, little Yu Shu."

Li Xun repeated the name twice but suddenly felt something was off.

It felt too familiar, almost like calling Secretary Lin by a nickname.

The thought gave him goosebumps.

"Hey kitty," he changed his tone again, patting the kitten's head. "You'll be going home with your dad soon. You're about to live the good life, a pampered little lady living in luxury. Aren't you happy?"

The kitten seemed to understand. Hearing about becoming a wealthy cat, it immediately buried itself in Lin Yunshu's arms and refused to come out.

Li Xun: "..."

He scratched his head awkwardly. "Well, milk makes family, I guess."

Lin Yunshu laughed. At first, he was hesitant to hold the kitten, but within minutes, he didn't want to let go.

"I heard this kind of cat can live up to ten years old?" he asked.

"Normally, they live about eight or nine years, up to ten," Li Xun said. "If well taken care of, living twenty years isn't out of the question."

"Twenty years?" Lin Yunshu was surprised. "That long..."

His heart suddenly sank.

He realized that twenty years was a long time, and he might not even live that long himself.

"Twenty years isn't so long?" Zhou Yu said with a smile. "We'll still be young then. I'd even say it's not enough."

Lin Yunshu's brow twitched, a hint of sadness in his eyes.

He couldn't really imagine what things would be like twenty years later.

"Right."

He lowered his head, gently squeezing the kitten's paw, his eyes growing moist.

I'll try my best to be with you as long as I can.

He thought to himself.

*Author's note:* Later, Shushu: Be with you longer.

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(PS: This story is not angsty.)

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★Did you see it? Did all of you see it? What is this? This is an extra chapter!! Oh my god, it's an extra chapter! My life, Yan Songsong's life, is actually associated with the words "extra chapter"!

I updated extra! I updated extra! (Dizzy) (Shouldn't I ask for more comments/kudos?!)

P.P.S.: The kitten's name has been chosen! Adopted from the suggestion by the commenter "CilantroDiary" in Chapter 9's comments! Thank you, CilantroDiary (though I don't know if she's still reading this [sad face]).