“Then I’ll have to live here.”
Xue Bao Tian froze for a moment, then laughed. “Fuck, so this is what you were setting me up for?” He leaned back against the wall again, his gaze disdainful. “Trying to scare me again? Zhang Chi, I’ve realized you’re the kind of petty schemer who’ll do anything to get what he wants. Stay the hell away from me. I have trypophobia—I can’t handle all eight hundred of those little schemes of yours.”
The amusement in Zhang Chi’s eyes was obvious. Not only did he refuse to deny it, he admitted it openly. “There’s some selfishness in what I’m saying, but not much. Huang Song really is trouble. If you’re wary of him, you don’t have to go to the dinner.”
“Master Xue isn’t that cowardly. And do you seriously think you’re the only person I can rely on?” Xue Bao Tian yanked open a nearby drawer and threw several stacks of cash onto the table. “Three-legged toads are hard to find, but musclebound idiots are a dime a dozen!”
The woven sack slipped from Zhang Chi’s fingers and dropped to the floor. He pushed the door open and walked inside. In only two steps, he was standing right in front of Xue Bao Tian, one hand rising to caress his cheek. “But you also know I’m the most suitable choice.”
His fingers slid down over smooth skin and tipped Xue Bao Tian’s chin upward. At such close range, even their breaths felt scorching. “I’ve fucked you before, so naturally I’ll do everything I can to keep you safe. I’m the one who injured Huang Song’s people. If I go to the dinner with you, it’ll give you more clout too. So, Two Hundred, are you really not planning to use me?”
There was barely any distance between them; one slight tilt would be enough for a kiss. Xue Bao Tian stared at Zhang Chi’s infuriatingly handsome face for a long while before finally shoving him away in irritation. “Living here is out of the question. I’ll book you a hotel.”
Zhang Chi immediately crowded close again. “I can feed the cat and cook.”
“I’ll book you the best hotel. Your salary will satisfy you too.”
“I’ll stay in the guest room. Whatever you say goes. I promise I’ll behave.”
“Don’t push your luck, Zhang Chi. I’m warning you—quit while you’re ahead.”
“I absolutely won’t touch you unless you ask for it yourself.”
Xue Bao Tian burst out laughing. “Zhang Chi, do you seriously think you have any credibility left with me?”
Zhang Chi smiled with the same gentle warmth. “If I can’t keep my word, you can throw me out anytime. And I’ll deal with Huang Song before I leave. Aside from anything involving the bed, my word still counts.”
Xue Bao Tian glared viciously at him, cursing him a hundred and eighty times in his head before finally grabbing him by the collar through gritted teeth. “Don’t bring that pile of trash into my house. Though you’re fucking trash too.”
He shoved Zhang Chi away and slammed the bedroom door with a bang, startling the kitten. Zhang Chi crouched down, stroked its fur, then lifted one tiny paw and said with a smile, “Please take care of me from now on.”
The woven sack went into the storage room, and Zhang Chi moved into the guest room.
He really did behave himself. Every night, he stayed inside the guest room without stepping past the door. Xue Bao Tian secretly checked several times, and every single time all he saw was the tightly shut door. That reassured him somewhat, though he still locked the master bedroom every night. Zhang Chi was shameless—there was no such thing as being too careful.
After twisting the lock twice in the opposite direction, Xue Bao Tian opened his bedroom door. The kitchen hummed with the sound of the range hood and sizzling oil. Bright morning sunlight streamed through the windows, making the apartment’s once-lifeless air seem suddenly alive.
A faint shadow stretched from the kitchen across the floor near the living room. Wrapped in the smell of cooking, Xue Bao Tian stared at that shadow and unconsciously murmured, “Mom.”
By the time Zhang Chi noticed him, Xue Bao Tian was already leaning against the wall, silently watching him from the kitchen doorway.
Zhang Chi took off his apron, switched off the stove, walked out of the kitchen, and pulled Xue Bao Tian into his arms. Unusually, Xue Bao Tian did not push him away. He only muttered, “So fucking annoying,” then let himself be held and accepted the good-morning kiss Zhang Chi pressed against his earlobe.
“Go wash up. Breakfast is almost ready.” Zhang Chi patted the small of his back.
“So naggy.” Xue Bao Tian pushed him away and turned toward the bathroom. “I drink coffee in the morning. Make me a cup.”
When he came back out, breakfast was already on the table—plain porridge, side dishes, and fried eggs. An utterly ordinary breakfast.
Running a hand through his damp hair, Xue Bao Tian swept his gaze over the table. “Where’s the coffee?”
Zhang Chi pulled out a chair for him. “I don’t know how to make coffee. You’ll have to teach me. Eat first. I’ll make it for you tomorrow.”
Xue Bao Tian was unusually easygoing today. Aside from the sour look on his face, he did not complain much. After taking a sip of vegetable porridge, he had originally intended to sneer at it, but after opening his mouth several times and failing to get past his own conscience, he gave up.
His phone rang. It was his assistant. Xue Bao Tian answered the video call and propped the phone up on the table.
“Talk.”
“Boss, the president’s office called. They want us to switch meeting rooms. They said Conference Room A01 has an important reception today.”
Xue Bao Tian had scheduled a quarterly performance-analysis meeting that day. He liked showing off, so naturally he had reserved the company’s most luxurious conference room.
Taking another sip of porridge, he answered with an indifferent “Mm,” then casually asked, “What important meeting does the company have today? How come I haven’t heard anything about it?”
“Vice President Wei wants A01. Apparently he’s introducing some industry big shot to the chairman today. He also reserved a table at Shaohua tonight and invited a bunch of directors along.”
Xue Bao Tian slowly straightened. “My brother-in-law? What the hell is he up to now? Why don’t I know about it?”
The assistant had just opened his mouth to continue when he suddenly saw, through the video feed, a broad, solid hand reach in with a tissue and wipe a smear of porridge from the corner of Xue Bao Tian’s mouth. His boss merely glanced toward the person beside him and accepted the gesture as though it were perfectly natural.
That was way too intimate. A lover? But that was obviously a man’s hand!
“Boss… is there someone beside you?”
Xue Bao Tian pulled a cigarette from the pack and held it between his lips, his gaze shifting toward someone outside the assistant’s view.
After lighting it, Xue Bao Tian answered blandly, “A personal assistant and bodyguard.”
The assistant had followed Xue Bao Tian long enough to pick up some of his habits. Inwardly, he cursed, Fuck, corporate slaves really have it rough these days. Even wiping the boss’s mouth is part of the job now.
The thought had barely crossed his mind before his eyes widened again. The cigarette Xue Bao Tian had not even taken a puff from was plucked away by that same hand reaching back into frame. Then a deep male voice sounded.
“Eat properly.”
The assistant nearly exploded inwardly. Holy shit, is this corporate slave new on the job? Hasn’t he ever been chewed out by Vice President Xue before?
Sure enough, the stream of curses came immediately afterward. But when that hand hauled his boss out of the camera’s view, the familiar abuse gradually changed in tone.
“That phone’s still on, damn it!” That was the last thing the assistant heard.