Chapter 48: Tickle - His Greediness Shows.

Come morning, He Guan was jolted awake by an unfamiliar sensation.

Something was pressing against him, so warm it made him break out in a light sweat. He shifted slightly, only to be pulled into a tight embrace and his eyes shot open.

It was…

Clarity dawned on He Guan.

The alarm hadn't rung yet. The curtains shielded the room, keeping it dim.

Before He Guan could make another move, he was pulled close from behind, a nose nuzzling behind his ear, a voice asked, "Awake?"

He Guan's voice was hoarse, "...let me go first."

Luo Dongcang began, "Why..."

Halting midsentence, realization dawned on him about the morning's situation, coupled with how close they were during sleep...

Luo Dongcang voluntarily released him.

He Guan sat up in bed, disregarding the man, heading to brush his teeth first.

Luo Dongcang remained silent for several minutes, processing, before following to the bathroom, stopping at the sink.

The master bedroom's en-suite was designed for two, separating wet and dry areas. And over the days at home, He Guan had picked up a minor habit.

Take the sinks in the bathroom, for example; he always chose the one further in.

This meant Luo Dongcang had two fewer steps to walk.

After some consideration, Luo Dongcang asked, "Are you feeling alright?"

He Guan, brushing his teeth at the adjacent sink, choked slightly on his toothpaste.

If mint lingers in one's mouth for too long, it develops a spicy taste.

With He Guan's irregular sleep pattern these past days, he only realized this morning that he felt a bit feverish, making the toothpaste sting like horseradish.

He spat out the foam, rinsed his mouth with water, and coughed several times while leaning over the sink.

Luo Dongcang moved closer, rubbing his back soothingly.

Feeling slightly better, He Guan continued washing his face, murmuring, "...Why ask that? Can't you come up with a different question?"

With a helpless chuckle, Luo Dongcang responded, "I wish I didn't have to, but I need to know if you're comfortable, right? How else would we cuddle in sleep?"

He Guan grabbed a towel to dry his face, retorting, "When did I ever agree to cuddle with you in bed?"

Feigning surprise, Luo Dongcang asked, "So we can't even cuddle?"

He Guan threw the towel at him, "You're always so clever."

Always so clever.

Skipping the cuddling part and directly addressing the morning's discomfort.

Sleeping together doesn't necessarily mean cuddling.

While He Guan seemed to have accepted him, his guard remained up.

It was just an experiment after all. He Guan was unsure of how far they'd go; it's always better to be cautious.

Rapid developments might accumulate tensions, and a sudden realization later... could be explosive.

Deep down, He Guan cherished his relationship with Luo Dongcang.

Holding the towel, Luo Dongcang looked at him pleadingly, "Really, no cuddling?"

He Guan: "..."

The word "no" hovered on his lips for a moment before he finally said, "We can sleep together."

Luo Dongcang's face lit up with a smile, "Great."

He Guan observed him for a while. Given their early rise, there was ample time for Luo Dongcang to stay at home, allowing He Guan a rare opportunity to really look at him.

He Guan had never experienced...

...the novelty of affecting someone's mood with just a few words.

He Guan: "Aren't you going to brush your teeth?"

Luo Dongcang: "Mm, after I get an answer."

An amused He Guan retorted, "Am I a faucet? You only flow when I speak?"

So he would only brush his teeth after He Guan gave a response?

Was this some kind of childish game?

Luo Dongcang: "Although I didn't intend it that way... it might be fitting after all."

After responding, he fell silent.

He was still awaiting He Guan's reaction.

Struggling, He Guan said, "Who would be pleased being jolted awake like that in the morning?"

Luo Dongcang: "So you were just displeased, not disgusted?"

He Guan: "I'd rather not dwell on it, but no, I wouldn't say I was disgusted..."

Luo Dongcang: "That's a relief."

His tone conveyed the sense of a narrow escape.

Amused by his reaction, He Guan teased, "What if I said I was?"

Luo Dongcang seemed momentarily stumped.

He Guan's query was impulsive, not intended to corner him. Changing the subject, he said, "Go brush your teeth. I'm going to help Uncle Yue..."

As he spoke, he walked towards the door. Noticing Luo Dongcang frozen in place, He Guan began to reflect.

Maybe he shouldn't ask such questions in the future... It felt rather awkward, as if they were strangers.

He was so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn't notice the foot extended to trip him.

Suddenly off-balance, a hand reached out, pulling him close with his face nestled against a neck.

Half-irritated, half-amused, he was held tight by Luo Dongcang and remarked, "You were waiting to do that, weren't you?"

Luo Dongcang: "It's the second time I've done it; you just didn't notice."

He Guan: "And now you're blaming me?"

Luo Dongcang hugged him closer, whispering with a sigh, "Even if you said 'disgusted,' there's nothing I can do... I'd just have to keep my distance... sleep like we used to."

He Guan gently patted him, murmuring, "It was just a hypothetical."

Luo Dongcang: "Mm."

Luo Dongcang's embraces were always tight. From the very beginning, once he set his mind on someone, he'd never let go. He was fiercely exclusive, yet his embrace provided an immense sense of security.

Wrapped tightly in Luo Dongcang's arms, He Guan was fine at first. But when those faint kisses started trailing up his neck, goosebumps sprouted.

He Guan, flustered, tried to push him away: "Wait... wait, stop kissing my neck, it's ticklish... stop it, let me go downstairs..."

Luo Dongcang paused, "I won't."

The cool sensation of his breath lingered on He Guan's neck, refusing to fade.

He Guan, retracting his neck, protested, "Can we be rational? I need to go help downstairs... Ah!"

Luo Dongcang planted another kiss on his face, teasing, "How about this level?"

He Guan retorted, "Are you treating this like an experiment?... Stop kissing!"

His stern demeanor failed to deter the man embracing him. On the contrary, Luo Dongcang grew bolder, his long fingers sneaking into He Guan's collar.

He Guan's hand pressed warningly against Luo Dongcang's throat, "...Do you want me to go to work or not?"

Luo Dongcang responded, "What's so great about work?"

But while he said that, he had already released his hold, no longer clinging to He Guan.

The person in his arms seemed a bit shaken, evidently not too comfortable with the intrusive hand.

He'd try again another time.

Once released, He Guan's first reaction was to shake out his collar, trying to rid himself of the lingering touch.

But all efforts were in vain.

Not only were they useless, but it seemed even more evident.

Lou Dongcang held onto his clothing, unwilling to let go even if he felt somewhat unwanted (though he wasn't), and refused to let him leave.

He Guan: "Why weren't you this clingy before?"

Lou Dongcang: "Weren't you also not agreeing to be my boyfriend before?"

He Guan paused for two seconds.

Lou Dongcang jumped to a conclusion: "Alright, I'll have to get used to this term, then I'll try again later."

He Guan pried his hand away.

However, Lou Dongcang clutched onto He Guan's pajama hem with a firm grip, not half-hearted or insincere, but tightly, with all five fingers.

The fabric was soft, and shaking him off directly wasn't practical, so He Guan attempted to pry his hand away, but after a lot of effort, he only managed to release one finger, and Lou Dongcang immediately grasped him again.

The two silently struggled with this piece of fabric, spending several minutes going back and forth.

But He Guan didn't indulge him, eventually succeeding in prying his hand away and letting him go.

This was almost a 100% signal of rejection and dislike.

Lou Dongcang stood quietly, saying, "I'll go brush my teeth and come down to find you."

He Guan took a step out.

Lou Dongcang, not receiving a response, was about to turn back to face the sink when suddenly someone pressed up against his shoulder.

He Guan rested his chin on his shoulder and nuzzled his ear lightly, "That term is fine."

"I don't dislike it, you can call me that, I'll agree."

"But it's not quite practical for you to call me that now, don't think about it."

"If you keep holding me like this, I'll be late for work, and I still need to help Uncle Yue make breakfast. You don't know what the mornings are like. Alright, I promise you, we can spend more time together when I get back home tonight."

Such an easily ignited situation.

His speech was slightly faster than usual, and he seemed a bit embarrassed, with his jaw occasionally brushing against Lou Dongcang's shoulder as he spoke.

After He Guan finished speaking, as if afraid of a response from Lou Dongcang, he left even faster than usual.

He hurried downstairs, leaving Lou Dongcang staring at the sink, clutching his towel.

What just...

How can it be this good?

He can be quite greedy.

*

Today's work went smoother than He Guan had expected.

The app's basic framework is in place, and He Guan installed it for a test run. There weren't any major issues for now, possibly because the server had no users, so there was no pressure—everything ran exceptionally smoothly.

He Guan: "The finished app looks great. What about the name?"

The room fell silent with all attendees of the meeting.

He Guan rubbed his forehead and said, "Let me think of a name, is that okay?"

The manager said, "Please go ahead."

He Guan interlocked his ten fingers and placed them on the conference table. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "Let's call it 'Equator.'"

"Isn't the equator the hottest and most happening place? The stars of the galaxy should be the hottest."

Someone started clapping, but He Guan raised his hand and lowered it, putting an end to it.

He Guan: "You can start designing the logo now. Give me something passable by this Friday. Applause sure comes quickly; when did everyone become so enthusiastic about their work?"

Some employees couldn't help but chuckle.

To be honest, He Guan's meeting style was quite different from Lou Jun Duo's.

Lou Jun Duo's meetings were rather dull, consisting of giving orders, project progress reports, follow-ups, and feedback, as well as recent financial analysis.

On the other hand, He Guan had a distinct personal style. He asked incisive questions that made the departments in question squirm, and through these Q&A sessions, he already had a clear grasp of recent accomplishments.

He Guan: "Alright, the meeting is adjourned."

He left with his notebook and pen, suddenly remembering his afternoon schedule. He wanted to confirm it with Yan Xu, but when he turned around, he saw Yan Xu coughing while leaning on the conference table.

He Guan: "Yan Xu, what's wrong?"

Yan Xu shook his head, "I've caught a bit of a cold. I've been coughing all day. President He, please go ahead; I'll find a mask to prevent spreading..."

An infected wound, showing signs of infection, would lead to a cold, coughing, and fever in due time.

Yan Xu was accustomed to this process.

Perhaps he'd need to take a sick leave tomorrow...

He Guan nodded, "Alright, you can go back to your office."

Yan Xu complied and returned to his office.

He Guan paused for a moment and said, "Xiao He, get me a cup."

The employee who was called over was on their way to the break room with a stack of paper cups. Upon hearing this, they asked, "Do you want me to help with pouring coffee?"

He Guan shook his head, "No, I'll just take some hot water."

He waited a few minutes in line behind the other employees, and once it was his turn, he filled his cup and left.

"President He actually remembers my last name!!!"

"Goodness, are you daydreaming? Focus on your work. Have you finished your tasks?"

"Oh dear, it's so boring during this shift. Can't I at least enjoy the sight of someone good-looking to lift my spirits?"

"Alright, alright, back to work... Damn it, the photography department is going on another outdoor shoot today... I'll head out first..."

"How pitiful, a woman who spends every day with a camera tripod. Is your neck okay?"

"Shut up!"

He Guan returned to his office with the hot water and took out a pack of aspirin from his drawer.

Yan Xu was organizing documents nearby and, once done, saw the water and pills offered by He Guan.

He Guan: "Take them."

Yan Xu: "...Can I take them later in the evening?"

He Guan: "?"

Yan Xu: "Taking them makes me drowsy, and I don't want to feel that way right now."

He Guan: "Isn't life more important than work? Take them, finish, and take a nap on the sofa over there. There isn't much to do today, and I don't need you."

Yan Xu: "But I..."

However, aside from performing well at work, he had no other remarkable talents, and especially when he was injured, he didn't want to endure any discomfort.

He Guan: "If you waste more of my time, I'll report it in your performance evaluation."

Yan Xu had no choice but to take the pills and was handed a blanket by He Guan from the lounge.

He Guan: "Wrap up."

Yan Xu: "President He, I still..."

He Guan lowered his head to review documents, "Any more complaints, and it will affect your performance evaluation."

Yan Xu immediately fell silent.

On He Guan's desk, there's a water-filled ornament. The water cascades into a bamboo tube before being pumped back to the top.

The soft sound of the circulating water was the only noise in the office for a moment.

Yan Xu swallowed his medicine, surprised he was allowed a break during work hours. A sudden wave of fatigue washed over him.

Just before drifting off, he saw He Guan flip the sign on the office door to "Do Not Disturb."

*

He Guan finished his day's work and left the office. It was just past five when he reached the underground parking lot.

Out of habit, he glanced at his parking spot, only to find an unexpected figure there.

The same person he had brushed his teeth with that morning.

He stood by the elevator, rubbing his eyes in disbelief.

Was he seeing things?

Why was Lou Dongzang here?