“The padding in this financial report is outrageous. The revenue and expenditures don’t match at all.”
Those pale, smooth fingertips had intended to turn the page, but suddenly tightened instead, crumpling the paper.
His forehead pressed against the report, Xue Bao Tian gritted his teeth and cursed:
“Yan Ye, are you fucking done yet?!”
A bite landed lightly on his shoulder, followed by kisses trailing behind his ear. Heat pressed against his back like a wall as a low voice drifted over.
“Focus, Two Hundred.”
The hair beneath his palm was soft. With only a slight increase in force, all kinds of filthy curses could be crushed down into the blankets, becoming muffled and indistinct, tinged with restrained, broken sobs.
Xue Bao Tian had always been contradictory.
He possessed an unbelievably sharp tongue, yet also an extremely pliant body.
And it was precisely because of that contradiction that Yan Ye’s civilized disguise had been torn away again and again, exposing the greedy, bloodthirsty thing underneath.
The paper in his hand was crushed into a ball with rustling sounds.
The blazing heat kissed its way across endless mountain ridges until it reached the corner of Xue Bao Tian’s lips.
“How’d it get wrinkled?” Yan Ye murmured with laughter hidden in his voice. “Wasn’t Master Xue still reading it?”
Grinding his teeth, Xue Bao Tian hissed back:
“Yan Ye, once I get off this bed, I’m fucking killing you!”
The kisses only became denser.
“Master Xue,” Yan Ye murmured softly, “why not kill me right here instead?”
The hand clutching the report tightened further and further.
The text warped beneath chaotic folds as a speed beyond comprehension shattered apart Xue Bao Tian’s curses.
Only when the sheet was suddenly ripped apart, leaving behind jagged torn edges, did he manage to summon enough strength to curse one last time.
“Beast…”
The bathwater was the perfect temperature.
Soaking inside it, Xue Bao Tian stretched his aching limbs.
The more he thought about it, the stupider he felt.
Yan Ye had somehow tricked him into coming home with him, and three days had passed.
They’d accomplished absolutely nothing except barely leaving the bed.
That damn dog Yan Ye had even pretended to be sick and taken three days off work.
Even when they weren’t doing anything, he still monopolized Xue Bao Tian like a wild dog marking territory.
Whenever Xue Bao Tian cursed too viciously, Yan Ye would simply shut him up with kisses.
As a result, Yan Ye’s lips were covered in wounds now—all bitten by Xue Bao Tian.
The bathroom door opened.
The tall man walked in, blocking the light.
“Don’t stay in too long. Once the water cools, you’ll catch a cold easily.”
Yan Ye stood there with a towel, waiting for him to get up.
Steam had flushed Xue Bao Tian’s complexion faintly red, making his lips appear even redder and his teeth whiter. He looked every bit the pampered young master—noble and handsome.
Resting one arm on the edge of the bathtub, he let water droplets slide slowly from the ends of his hair.
He was too exhausted to even curse properly anymore.
“Yan Ye, when the hell are you going to work this insanity out of your system? At this rate, if Wang Quan doesn’t kill me first, you will.”
Yan Ye draped the towel around his neck and reached into the water to haul Xue Bao Tian out.
Not caring at all that his own clothes got soaked, he let the man lean directly against him before carefully drying the water from his skin.
The steam covering the mirror gradually faded.
The blurred reflection of a handsome face slowly sharpened into clarity.
Watching the mirror, Yan Ye spoke awkwardly:
“You know… I never really got to eat my fill before. Now that I finally can…” He paused. “I got a little out of control.”
Xue Bao Tian pondered that for quite a while before finally realizing Yan Ye wasn’t talking about rice or steamed buns.
Motherfucker.
Furious, Xue Bao Tian tried his old trick again and lifted his knee toward Yan Ye’s crotch.
But Yan Ye dodged deftly and laughed while pushing him toward the bathroom exit.
“Eat first. I made noodles.”
After eating noodles for three straight days, even if they tasted decent, Xue Bao Tian was inevitably sick of them.
Glancing at the fairly appetizing bowl of noodle soup, he asked:
“Does this house only have noodles, or are noodles the only thing you know how to make?”
“I haven’t really cooked much else.” Yan Ye spread a thick cushion over the chair. “My master liked noodles. Sometimes the film crew meals weren’t available, so he’d have me make noodles for him.”
He adjusted the cushion carefully.
“I haven’t had time to learn new dishes these past few days. Master Xue will have to make do with this for now. Later, whatever you want to eat, I’ll learn how to cook it.”
The phrase “haven’t had time” made Xue Bao Tian’s teeth itch viciously.
He walked back into the bedroom to change clothes before leaving Yan Ye’s apartment.
Although surprised, Yan Ye silently followed behind him anyway.
Only after the car stopped in front of a pet center did he finally ask:
“Why are we here?”
Xue Bao Tian pushed open the car door and got out. Cold wind rushed into the vehicle carrying his icy response straight into Yan Ye’s ears.
“To get you neutered.”
Amid the noisy chorus of barking cats and dogs, Xue Bao Tian held a kitten in his arms with visible disgust.
“Stop crying already. Your daily food costs more than mine now, and you’re still acting wronged?”
Though he cursed nonstop, his fingers kept gently stroking the kitten’s fur, soothing the tiny heart that had been boarded away for two months and now feared abandonment again.
The pet shop owner finished packing up the kitten’s belongings and thoughtfully suggested:
“Aren’t you neutering it? Neutering is healthier for cats.”
“If it can’t even fuck anymore, what’s the point of being healthy?” Xue Bao Tian pointed at Yan Ye standing by the door. “This giant idiot needs to stay healthy. Can you operate on him instead?”
Seeing the owner’s awkward expression, Yan Ye walked over and gently said:
“He’s joking. How much for the boarding fees? I’ll pay.”
After settling the bill, the owner handed the kitten’s things to Yan Ye.
“These are the kitty’s things. Has the kitten still not been named? It’s better to give it one. Helps the owner bond better.”
Taking the items, Yan Ye smiled and thanked them.
Once inside the car and after settling everything properly, he scratched beneath the kitten’s chin and asked:
“You never named it? Why not?”
Xue Bao Tian now sat in the passenger seat holding the cat.
Staring out the window, he answered flatly:
“Why does it have to have a name? As long as I know it’s my cat, that’s enough.”
The car smoothly pulled onto the road.
Yan Ye responded with a soft “Mm.”
“Then I’ll call it ‘Bao’s Cat’ from now on.”
Xue Bao Tian turned to look at him with utter disgust.
“Little idiot.”
Yan Ye shook his head with a smile.
“That name’s already mine. Can’t give it to the cat.”
“Fuck.”
Laughter finally appeared in Xue Bao Tian’s eyes as he turned back toward the window again.
“Drive to the market.”
By the time braised pork and stir-fried vegetables were placed on the table, Yan Ye looked genuinely shocked.
“You made this?”
Holding chopsticks, Xue Bao Tian pointed toward the kitten that had jumped onto the table.
“It did.”
Yan Ye was absurdly fond of Xue Bao Tian’s aloof attitude.
But he didn’t dare indulge himself by stealing kisses anymore.
If he behaved properly, at least he’d still get a hot meal.
If he angered Xue Bao Tian again, he probably wouldn’t even get a drop of grease.
After finishing dinner, Xue Bao Tian poured cat food and water for the kitten.
Once the cat finished eating and curled against his feet purring, Yan Ye was somehow still eating huge mouthfuls of food.
How many bowls is that already?
Sitting across from him with a cigarette in hand, Xue Bao Tian seriously considered whether feeding this sharply handsome face until it jiggled with fat might count as a form of revenge.
But the thought vanished just as quickly.
Who knew how much longer he’d have to keep looking at this face?
Right now it was still acceptable.
If it got fat, it’d be way too offensive to the eyes.
After washing the dishes, Yan Ye found both man and cat on the balcony.
He placed a cup of fragrant coffee beside Xue Bao Tian.
The kitten curled on his lap sniffed at the scent before losing interest and curling back up.
Yan Ye’s apartment was nice.
The balcony was large, decorated with several green plants.
Not lush, but lively enough.
Night had fully fallen now.
Outside the window stretched only a dark sky with neither moon nor stars.
Nothing worth seeing.
Hooking a finger through the cup handle, Xue Bao Tian took a sip of coffee.
He knew the person beside him was waiting eagerly for a reaction.
After savoring it for a moment, he merely commented:
“Not bad.”
Yan Ye’s smile immediately brightened for real.
Pretending to pet the kitten, he instead grabbed the hand also stroking the cat.
Rubbing Xue Bao Tian’s soft fingertips, he asked:
“Never thought Master Xue could cook.”
Xue Bao Tian sank deeper into the sofa and found a comfortable position.
“I’ve lived through hard times too. I wasn’t born with a young master’s life. My dad originally sold cheap goods at the market. He’s a rough guy without much scheming, which is why he trusted Wei Hua so easily and fell into such a massive pit.”
Yan Ye quietly moved closer.
One arm rested behind Xue Bao Tian on the sofa back, loosely surrounding both him and the cat.
“Why didn’t your father trust you instead? Why rely on an outsider?”
Xue Bao Tian laughed self-mockingly.
“I never studied properly either, so naturally he didn’t trust me. Honestly, asking me to help you review company accounts probably isn’t a wise decision.”
“Education and ability aren’t always equal.”
Yan Ye pulled both man and cat closer into his arms.
“Master Xue is very smart. I trust you.”
“You just haven’t seen enough of the world. Never seen rivers or oceans, so the moment you stepped outside, you jumped straight into my little ditch.” Xue Bao Tian snorted. “Don’t worry. You won’t drown. Master Xue will keep you afloat.”
Yan Ye was extremely good at going with the flow.
His soft “Then I’ll be relying on Master Xue” almost sounded like a confession of love.
Xue Bao Tian didn’t usually drink coffee at night.
Yet after hearing those words, he lifted the cup for another sip anyway.
The movement disturbed the kitten’s sleep, causing it to hop off his lap and return to its little bed.
“I used to have a cat named Dou Dou. Just an ordinary tabby, no different from any other stray tabby on the streets.”
The coffee was rich and bitter.
“Later… someone killed it.”
Xue Bao Tian stared into the endless darkness outside the balcony.
“That person even deliberately came to provoke me afterward. He said all tabbies looked alike and asked if I knew how he identified which one was mine.”
He laughed coldly.
“He said because whenever he called ‘Dou Dou,’ my cat would run over and rub against his legs.”
After that, I never named another cat again.”
Silence stretched for a long moment.
Then Xue Bao Tian clicked his tongue softly.
“Fuck. I’ve had enemies since I was a kid. Dragged a lot of people down with me.” He looked at Yan Ye. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll drag you down too?”
Yan Ye didn’t answer.
Instead, he finished the remaining coffee and frowned slightly at the bitterness.
“Tomorrow night there’s a company gathering. I plan to bring you with me. Since you’re my assistant publicly, even if you don’t need to become close with them, you’ll eventually have to meet them anyway.”
“Who’ll be there?”
“Some executives. And my cousin Sheng Yu.”
“Fine.”
Xue Bao Tian studied Yan Ye’s serious expression and smiled lazily.
“Your Master Xue has seen every kind of situation before. Relax.”
“Stay away from Sheng Yu.”
Yan Ye’s voice suddenly sharpened in the darkness.
His arm tightened around Xue Bao Tian.
“He swings both ways.”
Xue Bao Tian froze briefly before bursting into laughter.
“Your Master Xue is fucking straight.”
Then he abruptly choked on his own words and glared viciously at Yan Ye.
“Falling into the gutter doesn’t count.”
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Futile Devices Scans 
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