CH 26

Bonus chapter sponsored by @Aer!

When Xia Shu’an returned upstairs, Shen Boyan was already in the office. He raised his eyes and glanced at the young man who walked in, saying, “You’re back?”

“Um.”

“Just in time. I’m also done here. Let’s go back.”

After finishing speaking, he picked up the car key and walked out of the office. Xia Shu’an followed him silently. Two people, one in front and one behind, walked with no more than half a hand’s distance between them.

Xia Shu’an lowered his eyelids and controlled his body’s impulses rationally: You have already decided to spend time with Shen Boyan slowly, calmly, and peacefully, and if possible, try to reverse this person’s brain that is not developing in a normal direction.

Yes, you can!

After all the self-psychological adjustment, Xia Shu’an had already calmed down when he got in the car. He lowered his head and fastened his seat belt, then raised his head just in time to meet Shen Boyan’s gaze.

Shen Boyan’s heart moved. He stroked Xia Shu’an’s cheek with one hand and asked in a low voice, “Where did you go today?”

“I went downstairs for a stroll and went to the studio to watch the shooting.”

“Was it fun?”

“It’s okay.”

“You can come again later if you want.”

Shen Boyan didn’t really want to know about Xia Shu’an’s movements; after all, this entire building belongs to him. He just liked the feeling of being in control of Xia Shu’an. Mfn: Yeahhhh you need help sir.

Watching the young man obediently and softly flip his body in his palm, pressing his cheek against his warm palm, obedient to his master like a domesticated bird, he felt joy from the bottom of his heart.

Shen Boyan withdrew his hand. “Where do you want to eat tonight?”

Xia Shu’an’s eyes trembled. Want to go out on a “date”?

You are dreaming.

The young man frowned like a sick and weak little beauty and said wearily, “Go home; I’m a little tired.”

Seeing his lack of energy, Shen Boyan didn’t force himself. As soon as the two arrived home, Xia Shu’an went upstairs and went into the bedroom. He said, “I’m tired, so I’m going to rest first. Call me at night.”

Shen Boyan frowned but did not disturb him. He changed his clothes and slowly walked downstairs. “Aunt Qiao, call the doctor over.”

Aunt Qiao trotted over and said, “What’s the matter? Is Mr. Xia feeling unwell again?”

“Yes, maybe it’s a cold from the recent temperature drop. Tell the doctor to come by before dinner.”

“Okay.”

Xia Shu’an originally just found an excuse to hide from Shen Boyan, but unexpectedly fell asleep. Half asleep and half awake, he saw a figure sitting on the head of the bed with his hand on his forehead.

Xia Shu’an suddenly opened his eyes. “What are you doing?”

Shen Boyan withdrew his hand as if nothing had happened: “See if you have a fever.”

“No.”

The young man sat up from the bed, feeling even more drowsy after sleeping too much. He yawned lazily and said, “I don’t have a fever; I’m just a little sleepy. Did you have dinner?”

Xia Shu’an quickly got off the bed. Before going to bed, he had changed into his pajamas. Now he changed again and put on a long coat, trousers, and socks, making sure that there was no more bare skin all over his body, and only then did he go downstairs.

When he reached the stairs, he saw the doctor sitting down.

Xia Shu’an looked back at the silent Shen Boyan in some surprise and walked slowly to the doctor. “Doctor Ke, you are here.”

The doctor held the medicine box with a smile and said, “The temperature has dropped again recently, so I came to do a check-up for everyone.”

Then his timing was too coincidental. Xia Shu’an didn’t expose him but just smiled kindly.

Xia Shu’an was not sick in the first place; he was just weak and prone to minor injuries. The doctor can only ask him to pay attention to daily rest and warmth and nourish his body with traditional Chinese medicine.

Xia Shu’an: “I hate traditional Chinese medicine.”

Dr. Ke: “Then let’s take some supplements first. I think Mr. Xia’s complexion has improved a lot in recent days.”

The doctor explained a few more daily precautions and then went to the kitchen with the auntie.

The living room fell silent for a moment, and suddenly, Shen Boyan felt an itch on his palm. He turned his head and saw Xia Shu’an scratching his palm with his fingernails.

It was as if a basin of finely divided crystals had been poured into the young man’s eyes, each of which shone brightly. The corners of his slightly raised lips were cunning, and his face was unexpectedly a little childish.

Shen Boyan’s palms were itchy, and his heart was even more itchy.

Xia Shu’an spoke softly; his tone seemed to be whispering.

“It was you who called the doctor.”

Shen Boyan: “You guess?”

“I guess it is.”

The smile line on the young man’s lips rose, and he spoke as if it were a little secret between the two of them: “Do you care about me a lot?”

Shen Boyan said calmly, “You belong to me now, and of course I will care about what belongs to me.”

The corner of the young man’s lips twitched, and he told himself from the bottom of his heart: Don’t worry, Xia Shu’an, didn’t you always know he’d have a stress attack from time to time? Calm down, calm down.

It’s all small things.

Xia Shu’an took a breath, and he looked up at Shen Boyan softly and tenderly, saying, “Then, Luo Nian and I, who do you care more about?”

Shen Boyan’s expression suddenly became weird; his eyes shone sharply, and he lowered his head. “Are you jealous?”

Xia Shu’an looked like he had been told what was on his mind as he twisted his head in embarrassment. “I’m not!”

The feeling of being scratched by the soft cat’s paw in Shen Boyan’s heart became stronger. He pinched Xia Shu’an’s chin and turned his face around. The faces of the two people were very close, and their breaths almost merged together.

Shen Boyan stroked his lower lip with his finger, brushing over the moist lip flesh that had been moisturized by water droplets when he had just drank water. His finger sank in slightly: “Be good; as I said earlier, he can’t compare to you.”

This time, Xia Shu’an stubbornly did not give in. He looked directly into Shen Boyan’s eyes and said, “Why can’t I compare? Is it because I came from a better background than Luo Nian, and you got me after a lot of effort?”

“That’s why I’m more important than him?”

Shen Boyan’s face was slightly cold. He withdrew his hand, took half a step back, and bent down to get the mobile phone on the table. “An appropriate amount of jealousy is cute. Overdoing it makes it ugly.”

“You need to get a grip on yourself.”

Wow, that’s a really classic sentence that ranks first on the scum speech list.

Xia Shu’an narrowed her eyes slightly. The fist placed behind him was hardened a few times, and he finally let it go slowly.

When Shen Boyan straightened up again, Xia Shu’an glanced away, avoiding the man’s gaze. He looked disappointed. “You’re right. I won’t say it again in the future.”

Shen Boyan was very satisfied with Xia Shu’an’s “general understanding”, but seeing Xia Shu’an’s dejected face, his heart was vaguely unhappy, and there was also discomfort in his unhappiness. He wanted to speak several times, but he didn’t know what to say when he opened his mouth.

…

Probably because of his bad mood, Xia Shu’an had a very simple dinner this time, and he went upstairs after eating. Shen Boyan went to the study to deal with work for a while, and when he walked into the bedroom, Xia Shu’an was already lying under the quilt.

“I’m a little tired; I’m going to sleep first.”

“…”

Xia Shu’an’s sleep quality was really good. After a while, there was a steady breathing sound from under the quilt. These days, Shen Boyan has gotten used to Xia Shu’an’s hug, Xia Shu’an’s kiss, and the cuddle before going to bed. Even if there were no nighttime activities, Xia Shu’an would tightly hug him and press his cheek against his chest to seek a source of heat.

There was nothing today, not even a kiss before bed. Shen Boyan stood at the head of the bed, spun around for a while, and finally, with a cold face, pulled back the quilt and lay down stiffly.

In the middle of the night, the young man uttered indistinct dreams, his head tilted on the pillow, and his body naturally squeezed towards the heat source in the middle. The man, who had had his eyes closed and his brain awake for a good half hour or so, rolled over and took the young man into his arms.

…

Finally, let’s sleep.

…

Early the next morning, Xia Shu’an woke up earlier than Shen Boyan and went out as soon as he got up.

Shen Boyan couldn’t find Xia Shu’an anywhere; his face obviously sank, and he asked, “Where did Xia Shu’an go?”

“I don’t know. He just said he went to see a friend.”

“…”

What friends!

…

Xia Shu’an’s friend is precisely Chu Wenzhi, whom Shen Boyan is familiar with. As the sun slowly cleared in the morning, he went to a morning tea shop in the city to chat and drink tea with Chu Wenzhi.

Rongchuan City also had the habit of drinking morning tea many years ago, but with the rapid economic development, modern urbanites have forgotten this entertainment in the busy commute. It is only on weekends that you can meet some friends and enjoy a leisurely morning tea at a restaurant.

The two sat by the window. Under the morning light, Xia Shu’an’s face was covered with a layer of blush; his skin was moist and delicate, and his face, like a jade crown, was even more poetic due to the comfort. Just by looking at his face, you can tell that he has not had a bad time these days.

“How are you and Shen Boyan doing?”

“We’re fine.” Xia Shu’an replied. Compared with his previous life, it’s pretty good.

Other than the brain and mouth needing to be repaired, there are no other problems.

Chu Wenzhi’s face was complicated: “I didn’t expect that you and Shen Boyan could really get along peacefully.”

“I always felt that Shen Boyan was scheming and had ulterior motives. The first time I saw him in the art gallery, it must have been arranged deliberately by him. Why would he suddenly come to talk to a small person like me at that time!”

He had an exasperated look on his face, clearly having a strong opinion of Shen Boyan. In this instant, Xia Shu’an suddenly comprehended the importance of the man who acted as a buffer zone between his son-in-law and his mother-in-law.

In order to prevent Chu Wenzhi from repeating the same mistakes, Xia Shu’an could only betray his conscience: “Shen Boyan is really nice to me. He doesn’t restrict me in terms of food, clothing, housing, and transportation, and he won’t lock me up at home and stop me from going to work. I can go to dinner with colleagues at night and only need to make a phone call. If I’m late, he won’t force me to come home… He even let me convert the roof balcony into a vegetable garden! We even bought seeds together!”

Chu Wenzhi was greatly shocked: “Isn’t this like the bare minimum?”

Xia Shu’an: “…”

Xia Shu’an helped his forehead and said calmly, “What about you? How are you doing recently?”

Chu Wenzhi saw that he was embarrassed, and he reluctantly changed the subject. “Me? I recently…”

The two had morning tea for nearly two hours, and they didn’t separate until almost 10:00 in the morning. Just as he was stepping out of the store, a call came into Xia Shu’an’s cell phone.

Chu Wenzhi looked back at Xia Shu’an, and saw that the corners of his mouth ticked up into a smile after seeing the name displayed on the screen, then quickly leveled off and answered the phone with an unpredictable expression.

“Where are you?” The man’s voice from the other end was still calm. If you didn’t listen carefully, you wouldn’t be able to hear the restlessness in his voice.

Xia Shu’an said in a gentle tone, “I’m with the friend you also know. Wenzhi.”

“…At noon, are you coming back for lunch?”

“All right, I guess; I don’t have a good appetite; I can’t eat anywhere …… forget it; I better come back.” He sighed and wilted. “I’ll bring some cooked food back on the way; you just ask Auntie to prepare vegetables and soup.”

“I’m hanging up now.”

Xia Shu’an finished the call “quietly” and “not in high spirits”. He put the phone in his pocket casually, then raised his head and waved vigorously at Chu Wenzhi, who was a few steps away. He had just finished breakfast; his blood-red and flushed face, nourished by the nutritious morning tea, was shining brightly in the sun. The dust rustled down between the fluttering eyelashes, and Chu Wenzhi could even see the light flowing in his eyes clearly.

Xia Shu’an’s eyes contained a smile: “I’ll leave first; we’ll make another appointment next time.”

“Ok……”

Xia Shu’an got in the car and took a detour to one of his favorite delis, which thankfully had been open for ten years, so it wouldn’t be another couple of years before he could get a taste of what he missed. On the way, he also passed by a shopping mall and watched as three and four-year-olds, escorted by their parents, squatted down to pet the heads of the puppies in front of them.

This picture is warm and cute. Xia Shu’an couldn’t help but smile. The soothing music flowing in the car was as pleasant as the sunshine outside the car window.

Until he drove into the community, the scenery on both sides gradually became familiar, and Xia Shu’an’s expression was toned down visibly to the naked eye.

When Xia Shu’an got out of the car, his eyes were gloomy, and his face was pale. He was like a hibiscus flower after being hit by a heavy rain. He handed the bag in his hand to the auntie and smiled briefly at Shen Boyan, who was at the door.

“I’m back.”

Shen Boyan: “…”

Shen Boyan looked at his haggard face and abruptly swallowed back the questioning words.

Xia Shu’an normally didn’t eat much, but now he eats even less. After Shen Boyan persuaded him a few times, he reluctantly ate a few mouthfuls, with an expression of being unable to swallow.

In the end, Shen Boyan could only say, “Okay, don’t eat if you can’t eat it.”

Xia Shu’an had a relieved expression on his face.

“…”

“Then I’ll go up first.”

After eating, Xia Shu’an went upstairs, as if he were avoiding Shen Boyan. Shen Boyan was probably really pushed to the limit. Xia Shu’an was reading in the room, and the man strode in, pinching the young man’s chin and forcing him to face himself.

The man’s eyes were deep, as if he wanted to see through Xia Shu’an’s eyes and see into his heart.

“You’re not happy?”

Xia Shu’an struggled a little.

“No, I’m fine.”

“You call this fine?”

The young man’s lips trembled, and his eyes struggled, as if the anger, resentment, and anxiety that had been accumulated for a long time were about to break through the shackles in his heart at this moment and pour out.

There was some hope in Shen Boyan’s eyes, but the next moment, Xia Shu’an seemed to regain his senses. He shook off Shen Boyan’s hand, wiped his face vigorously, and said hastily, “I’m really fine. What you said…”

The young man said sadly, “I remember them all.”

Shen Boyan blurted out, “What I said—”

“What?”

Shen Boyan bit his lip hard, his expression changing, as if he were deeply disgusted and as if he were unwavering. After a short rest, he took a step back from the sofa and said stiffly, “It’s nothing. I, I’m going out; you continue to read.”

“…”

Then Xia Shu’an helplessly watched as Shen Boyan fled in defeat.

“…”

Which brain part went wrong when he evolved from an ape to a human?