Chapter 19

Chapter 19

The night was dark and heavy.

The windows of the house were brightly lit.

On the wide windowsill, several kittens of varying fur colors padded about, holding their bushy tails aloft and swishing them. With a nimble leap, they reached the high cat tree to sharpen their claws, making a *click-clack-clack* sound.

The housekeeper finished her day's work.

"Try this."

Bian Han brought out the prepared flat sesame-hawthorn treats.

She placed the bamboo steamer, still emitting white steam, onto a heat-resistant mat.

Lifting the lid revealed chestnut cakes.

Jiang Jining scratched the chin of the yellow favorite kitten lying by his hand. Under Bian Han's expectant gaze, he took a bite of the candied hawthorn, his eyes gradually curving into crescents. "Delicious."

"Really?" Bian Han also picked up a skewer of bright red strawberries, layered with yogurt. "It's okay. By the way—what did you want to say?"

She was always kind and warm with Jiang Jining.

She had even changed into loungewear, her fresh, clean, fair complexion makeup-free. The tea-colored glasses framed her face, making it look as small as a palm.

It put people at ease.

Jiang Jining thought for a moment and first asked, "The books say this world has monogamy, with men and women marrying. So... here, relationships between men are not looked upon favorably by society, are they?"

"No, they're not—"

Bian Han stopped herself mid-sentence.

The kid was innocent. She decided to be more objective: "However, heterosexuality is the norm in our world."

She really didn't want to bring up a certain brother as an example.

But facing Jiang Jining's blank-slate worldview, Bian Han weighed her words carefully: "Bian Jiacheng's previous romantic partners were all of the same sex. Pursuing love boldly, as long as it's not illegal, is not a problem."

Why ask this all of a sudden...

Bian Han placed her hands lightly on the table, eagerly asking: "Do you have a boy you like?"

Jiang Jining shook his head. "I've just always been confused."

If that's the case, as Bian Han said...

Bian Jiacheng had always had someone he loved, following his feelings and choosing his own love. Then why did his family still arrange a marriage alliance and wedding for him?

This was undoubtedly contradictory.

Even Bian Jiacheng had gone abroad to protest.

Bian Han tried to understand Jiang Jining's train of thought. "Every family's level of acceptance is different. I'm particularly sup... ahem, anyway, two boys being together is also very good. It's just that parents consider many more things together."

Jiang Jining: "Consider what?"

Bian Han listed them one by one: "Character, personality, and the ability to manage a relationship. After all, without the tie of children, it's normal for parents not to accept it, or to be stricter in their considerations."

Jiang Jining became even more confused.

He remembered this society already advocated for gender equality. Ji Huan and Bian Han were the best examples.

Couldn't continue the family line?

Do people still have to have a son?

There was another possibility.

The puzzle that had perplexed Jiang Jining for over two months was finally voiced: "In this world, men cannot bear children, can they?"

"Of course not."

Bian Han wondered what kind of question this was.

But then she fixed her gaze directly on Jiang Jining, her whole body stiffening. Could it be...

"I can." Jiang Jining's eyes lowered, and when he raised them again, there was a touch of relief. "Where I come from, men can be distinguished at birth by the red moles on their skin. They can conceive offspring."

Bian Han was speechless.

Her gaze locked onto the area near the corner of Jiang Jining's eye.

It appeared when Jiang Jining lowered his eyes, but when he blinked, one would only be captivated by his mesmerizingly beautiful eyes, often failing to notice such a lovely red mole.

Bian Han hesitated, words on the tip of her tongue, but ultimately could only cover her face to calm her emotions. "...Let me think for a moment."

Jiang Jining picked up the cold tea he had made during the day.

"Is there more?" Bian Han was afraid she might have missed other important information, looking at Jiang Jining with a serious expression. "Is there anything else related to this?"

So, Jiang Jining naturally confessed about his heat cycle.

"At the end of every month?" Bian Han always maintained just the right amount of concern and calmness. She took Jiang Jining's hand. "...Then didn't it start not long after I left?"

Twice already!

And that rascal Bian Jiacheng hadn't breathed a word about it.

Jiang Jining had also protected himself very well, locking himself in his room without eating or drinking, with no one to care for him. These methods were far too extreme.

How awful for you.

Another thought popped into Bian Han's head: "Bian Jiacheng didn't bully you while I was away, did he?"

Jiang Jining shook his head. "I didn't let him in."

"That's good." Bian Han had asked someone to look after him beforehand, so an explanation was still necessary. "I don't doubt his character. Chengzi saw me find you, so he's practically your half-uncle. I was just afraid he might be too rough with a kid."

As soon as these words were spoken—

Across the ocean, a handsome man who had just gotten up for his morning workout sneezed three times in a row, not doubting for a second that his parents were burning incense at home, cursing him as an unfilial son.

"That's only a few days away then."

Bian Han checked the date. "Alright then, for the last few days, I'll notify the housekeeper not to come to work, and I'll take leave to stay home."

The plan was halted by Jiang Jining: "...That's not necessary."

Bian Han saw the boy looking embarrassed and, in a flash of understanding, said gently as someone who had been through it before, "How about I come back morning, noon, and evening? I’ll still go to work normally during the day."

Jiang Jining nodded eagerly.

Their little secret-sharing session was over. Bian Han still felt the need to remind him, "You must never tell anyone about this. During this special time, you have to stay home and can’t go out, understand?"

Jiang Jining nodded lightly and continued nibbling on the hawthorn.

Bian Han was taking no chances: "Don’t tell the nanny, don’t tell Bian Jiacheng, and that goes for Fu Yuze too!"

They were all people close to him.

Jiang Jining sensed the seriousness of the matter.

He nodded twice in a row, assuring her he could do it.

"Buzz..."

"What’s that sound?"

Bian Han heard the vibration nearby.

Jiang Jining lowered his hand from the table. "It’s my bedtime alarm."

"Then you should get ready for bed early."

Bian Han didn't think anything of it. She went to the living room, poured a glass of cold water to settle her nerves, and on her way back past the study, she saw Jiang Jining still looking down and swiping on his watch. She asked him, "Aren’t you going to sleep now?"

Jiang Jining moved his hand away again. "Got it."

He kept a very regular sleep schedule.

Fu Yuze was even more so, always sending him messages precisely between 7 and 8 p.m.

"Ningning."

The message was simple.

Jiang Jining wasn’t in a hurry to reply.

After showering and changing into pajamas, he knelt by the bed to comb his hair, turned on the tasseled desk lamp, paused, then gently pulled open the drawer and took out the smartphone.

Jiang Jining held down the power button.

With Bian Han at home, he always felt awkward sending voice messages. The 26-key keyboard wasn’t very familiar to him, and writing on the watch screen was a bit too small.

Updating...

When it was ready,

Jiang Jining saw Fu Yuze’s profile picture for the first time.

He wanted to zoom in but accidentally tapped the white, Q-style chef’s hat.

"I patted 'The Chef'"

What did that mean?

Jiang Jining imitated the earlier action and tapped again. A second identical line appeared below. Finding it amusing, he then saw a new message pop up—

"'The Chef' patted me"

The Chef: "Going to sleep?"

Jiang Jining finally switched to handwriting and wrote back stroke by stroke: "No call today."

The Chef replied quickly: "Okay..."

What did those ellipses mean?

Jiang Jining was pondering when he thought of something and typed out word by word: "Your kitty cat?"

The Chef: "Hmm?"

The Chef: "The one we found today?"

The Chef: "Put it in a cardboard box and had my assistant take it to the hospital for a checkup. I paid for the foster care fees, waiting for someone to adopt it."

Jiang Jining was stunned for a moment.

He didn’t... take it home to keep?

"Mm, that’s really cool of you too."

Jiang Jining only realized something was off after hitting send—he had accidentally pressed the predictive text on the keyboard.

There was an extra word...

Two blushes spread across his cheeks.

He tapped on the sent message, and the two words "Delete" that popped up felt like a lifeline.

"Confirm deletion of this message?"

Jiang Jining quickly tapped confirm.

Done.

Fu Yuze probably wouldn’t see it.

"The Chef" sent a message: "What’s wrong?"

Jiang Jining switched to voice mode, held down the button, and said, "I’m feeling a bit sleepy, going to bed."

Fu Yuze replied with a voice message too. Even though it was the same phone microphone, his voice on the other end was magnetic and gentle: "Why are you sleeping earlier and earlier? No place to swim at home?"

Jiang Jining felt as if he’d been nudged.

The swimming pool!

He used to have a good habit—swimming every day, sleeping well, eating well, and not getting out of breath after just a few steps. But it had been a long time since he practiced after moving back.

Giving up halfway wasn’t good.

"I’ll ask tomorrow," Jiang Jining thought, planning to ask Bian Han again in the morning.

Fu Yuze: "Where are you living now?"

Jiang Jining wouldn’t forget the address this time and gave the location.

Fu Yuze told him to wait a moment, and twenty seconds later gave him a precise answer: "Your place is next to the villa area, so you share the landscaping and community amenities, but all you can use is the public pool. The public pools within three kilometers have decent reputations, but it's currently their busy season for sign-ups."

Of course, Jiang Jining's goal wasn't just to swim. He had ulterior motives, so he naturally didn't want to go to a public pool.

"Then..."

Jiang Jining said dejectedly, pressing the voice message button: "Then what should I do?"

Might as well just go jump in the lake.

"How about I tell you how to take the bus to Xieting?" Fu Yuze offered him a reasonable suggestion.

Jiang Jining's eyes lit up.

Right, he could just go find Uncle Lu to open the door!

"Okay." After agreeing, Jiang Jining wanted to know: "Will I need to take a bus?"

Teacher Lin had taken him on the bus and subway at 10:30 on a weekday. Jiang Jining reviewed it in his mind; it didn't seem too hard.

Chef: 「Wait a moment.」

Ten seconds later.

Chef: 「Business card」

Chef: 「Found you a driver you can hire by the month, you can get a discount. He's out making a living to support his family; it's not easy. Text him to set up the time and place before you head out, he'll pick you up on time.」

Chef: 「Photo」「Photo」

Jiang Jining saw the car was clean and the driver in his black uniform looked friendly. After thinking it over, he accepted.

「Okay.」

Jiang Jining sent another voice message: "Then I'll pay him the standard rate."

Chef: 「Try saying it yourself tomorrow?」

Jiang Jining: 「Okay.」

A week later, he could reasonably return to "recuperate," and by then he could use getting sick from a chill as an excuse. Otherwise, during his heat, he wouldn't have the energy to deal with Fu Yuze calling him.

He'd give himself away.

After chatting, Jiang Jining felt a bit thirsty and went to the living room for water. Returning to his room, he saw light under the door at the end of the hallway. He walked over and knocked.

"Come in," Bian Han said.

Jiang Jining gently pushed the door open. "Are you still working?"

Bian Han took off her glasses. She was sitting behind the huge display doing eye exercises.

Jiang Jining knew well this was Bian Han's study, which she cherished greatly. The cat could enter the bedroom but couldn't come in here freely. The bookshelves and trophies were absolutely not to be touched.

The maid tidied up very carefully.

"Can't sleep, kiddo?" Bian Han moved the mouse, tidied up and put away the draft in her hand, pressed it down with a book, and waved for him to come in. "Still have something on your mind?"

"Getting ready to sleep."

Jiang Jining worried he had said too much today.

Once Bian Han got worried, it drained her energy. He couldn't help but comfort her: "You should sleep early too, staying up late hurts your health."

Bian Han felt a warmth in her heart, turned off the computer, stood up and stretched. "Then I'll listen to you."

Before returning to his room—

Jiang Jining heard Bian Han's sentimental words: "Ningning... if I ever really can't find a way for you to go home, will you blame me?"