“Uncle, don’t forget what I told you!”
Before Ti Xiao left the neighborhood, Ti Nanyi eagerly volunteered to see him off — naturally, she had ulterior motives.
“Can’t you give me a break and not make me meet your English teacher?”
Ti Xiao, still mourning the accidental deletion of Xiao Yao’s voice message, flicked her forehead in annoyance.
“Go study properly.”
Right then, the bus arrived. Ti Xiao squeezed a coin out of her as bus fare, then hopped on, eager to get home and find Xiao Yao.
New Year’s Day.
The bus was packed. People jostled shoulder to shoulder, and Ti Xiao, being on the shorter side, almost disappeared into the crowd.
Despite the chaos, he clung to his phone, stubbornly chatting with Xiao Yao. His phone even got knocked out of his hand once.
Xiao Yao seemed very interested in Little Hulu, so Ti Xiao rambled on about his lazy cat, repeatedly emphasizing how much of a couch potato she was.
Magic Conch: She’s super, super lazy. But the good thing is, I can cuddle her whenever I want. Haha, I kinda wish I could turn into Little Hulu.
While Xiao Yao played with the cat, Ti Xiao sat up straight, eyes gleaming with curiosity as he looked around Xiao Yao’s home. It was spotless and tidy, radiating the vibe of an old-school, responsible adult.
What surprised him most, though, was discovering that Xiao Yao could paint traditional Chinese art. He’d never mentioned it before.
“Why didn’t you ever tell me you could paint?”
Ti Xiao stared at a painting on the wall.
“It’s nothing special. I only learned a little, and now I mostly just practice calligraphy.”
Xiao Yao followed his gaze. The painting was a fine-line depiction of lotus flowers blooming on a summer night, delicate and intricate — but not his work.
“I didn’t paint that.”
He seemed to remember something he didn’t want to dwell on and quickly changed the subject.
“By the way, do all artists like keeping cats?”
“Huh? All artists?” Ti Xiao missed the brief hesitation in his words.
“I have a friend who paints, too. Not oil painting, though — he draws comics.”
Xiao Yao watched Ti Xiao’s reaction carefully.
Sure enough, a flicker of guilt flashed across Ti Xiao’s face.
“Really? What a coincidence — I mean, wow, drawing comics is amazing! I read a lot of comics myself.”
His heart skipped a beat. He mentally reviewed all of Xiao Yao’s visits to his place, convinced he hadn’t let anything slip. His parents only knew he earned money through freelance illustration work — they didn’t know about the comics.
“Yeah,” Xiao Yao said slowly. “He actually works as an editor on that comic platform, ‘Goo Goo Goo.’ You’ve probably heard of it?”
Ti Xiao’s heart thudded again.
He hadn’t just heard of it — he drew for it.
“Never heard of it.” Ti Xiao lied with the confidence of someone well-practiced in the art of deception.
“Oh, really?”
Xiao Yao smiled and stood up.
“I’ll go get the rice.”
During lunch, Little Hulu meowed incessantly by the table.
Xiao Yao picked up a piece of meat and asked, “Can I give her this?”
“Ignore her. She’s fine with cat food.”
Ti Xiao kept his head down, shoveling rice into his mouth.
Trying to mooch food off my Xiao Yao? Hah! Dream on.
After wiping his hands, Xiao Yao asked, “Does it taste good?”
“Yeah!”
Ti Xiao nodded vigorously, cheeks bulging like a chipmunk as he stuffed more food in, looking thoroughly content.
Xiao Yao couldn’t help but smile — he’d discovered yet another adorable trait to poke fun at.
Past: Cats can be aloof. Maybe that’s just how they are.
Yet, the moment Ti Xiao brought Little Hulu to Xiao Yao’s house, the cat transformed.
Gone was the lazy, indifferent fluff ball. She was suddenly lively and affectionate, rubbing against Xiao Yao’s leg, meowing in a soft, sugary tone completely unlike her usual self.
Who the heck has been feeding you this whole time?!
Was this… cat behavior based on looks?
Ti Xiao was fuming.
Meanwhile, Xiao Yao gently scratched Little Hulu’s chin, smiling as she purred happily in his arms.
Still, watching Xiao Yao hold Little Hulu, eyes lowered, face gentle and serene — even if she was a little traitor, the scene of him and my cat was undeniably pleasing to the eye.
Ti Xiao carefully watched Xiao Yao’s expression, setting down his bowl and chopsticks as he cautiously asked, “Can I come over for meals again?”
What the heck, Ti Xiao? Are you getting a little too comfortable?
Xiao Yao didn’t say anything. He just stared at him.
“I-I can buy groceries! Your cooking is really good, and… I’m not very good at it…”
Ti Xiao hurried to explain, but his voice got quieter and quieter until it faded to a barely audible whisper.
What are you even saying, Ti Xiao?!
“Did you forget? I told you yesterday,” Xiao Yao handed him a bowl of soup. “If you want to come over, just come. Grocery shopping or whatever — up to you.”
Ti Xiao’s eyes lit up instantly. “Okay! Got it! I’ll handle the groceries, don’t worry!”
Seeing the sparkle in his eyes, Xiao Yao stood up. “I’ll go get more rice.”
“Wait, I want some too!”
Now that he got the answer he wanted, Ti Xiao was bold enough to order Xiao Yao around.
Xiao Yao, with his long legs, took a stride forward, covering a good distance. In a panic, Ti Xiao leaned over and grabbed at him to pass his bowl.
He didn’t end up moving forward… but somehow…
Ti Xiao had grabbed Xiao Yao’s pants.
They both froze.
Xiao Yao stood there with the bowl in hand, stuck between moving and not moving.
Meanwhile, a faint chill against his lower back made him realize what had happened.
Ti Xiao still clung to the fabric, too afraid to let go. His gaze accidentally followed the curve of Xiao Yao’s lower back, tracing the lean muscles down to the waistband of his underwear — the elastic band adorned with small, English letters.
Further down was the slight curve of his hip.
Wait, was this how I got hooked the first time I saw him? His waist?!
What do those English letters even mean?
Of all times, his brain decided now was a great moment to wander.
Neither of them moved, and the atmosphere turned unbearably awkward.
Even the air seemed to freeze.
“Let go.” Xiao Yao’s voice was soft.
It snapped Ti Xiao out of his daze, and he quickly let go.
SMACK!
The sudden slap of the elastic waistband snapping back echoed through the quiet room, sharp and unforgiving.
When Xiao Yao took the bowl from him, Ti Xiao didn’t dare lift his head. He seriously considered grabbing Little Hulu and fleeing back to his own apartment.
After Xiao Yao returned with the rice, their conversation noticeably dwindled. They each focused on their food, and Ti Xiao mentally cursed his own hand for being so reckless.
He lowered his head and scrolled through Weibo, replying to a few fans about catching up on work and doing a livestream that night.
Xiao Yao’s phone buzzed a few times. After glancing at the screen, he broke the silence.
“Are you planning to read tonight?”
“Huh?”
Ti Xiao looked up, confused by the sudden question.
“Did you finish the book from last night?”
Or rather, did you finish driving those five ‘cars’ last night?
“Oh, that? Not yet. I’ll finish reading it when I get home tonight.”
Ti Xiao flipped his phone face-down on the table, already thinking about how he’d tackle the rest of the chapters later.
“That’s good. Doesn’t matter what kind of book it is — reading more is always a good thing.”
Xiao Yao fought back a laugh, taking a bite of his food while casually checking the shipping status of the microphone he’d ordered.
The tracking information said it had arrived in Xuancheng and would likely be delivered that afternoon.
Now to figure out a way to give it to him without blowing my cover.
While brainstorming how to discreetly pass along the gift, Xiao Yao’s phone rang.
He answered, speaking in English.
Ti Xiao couldn’t understand a word and just sat there, staring blankly.
“I’ll head out for a bit.”
Xiao Yao frowned, hung up, threw on a coat, and left.
When he came back, he was leading a little boy with curly blonde hair and bright blue eyes.
Half of the boy’s face was hidden behind a scarf, and his big eyes blinked curiously as he glanced around the room. His curls bounced with every movement.
He was so cute that bubbles of excitement popped in Ti Xiao’s chest.
“Take off your scarf and coat and set them aside,” Xiao Yao instructed in English.
Ti Xiao only caught a single word.
The little boy pointed at him. “Who’s he?”
“Be polite. Put your hand down. You shouldn’t point at people.”
Xiao Yao gently pushed the little boy’s hand down.
Ti Xiao’s gaze stayed glued to Xiao Yu. This little mixed-race munchkin, barely reaching Xiao Yao’s thigh, was way too adorable.
“Come here,” Xiao Yao called out from the dining table, stopping Xiao Yu from turning on the TV to watch cartoons.
Ti Xiao straightened up a bit, inching closer to Xiao Yao, and whispered, “Is he your family?”
“Yeah, he’s my…”
Before Xiao Yao could finish his sentence, Xiao Yu had already bounced over, climbed onto his lap, and tilted his little face up with a bright, sweet smile.
“Papa!”
Xiao Yao immediately flicked his forehead.
Ti Xiao nearly fell off his chair.
…Meow meow meow?!
P…Papa?!
Someone, please tell this academic underachiever if that actually means dad?!
Xiao Yao is a freaking dad???
Ti Xiao instinctively looked at Xiao Yao, only to find him already looking back — his expression flustered, as if afraid of being misunderstood.
“He’s my younger brother,” Xiao Yao hurriedly clarified.
Then, to explain the mixed-race features, he added, “We have different mothers.”
Ti Xiao finally understood. He figured Xiao Yao’s family situation might be a bit complicated, but he didn’t want to pry. Instead, he clumsily tried to talk to Xiao Yu in broken English, itching to pinch his chubby little cheeks.
“What… your… name? How… old… are?”
Xiao Yao, the impromptu English teacher, mentally tallied three grammar mistakes.
Meanwhile, Xiao Yu whipped his little head to the side, ignored Ti Xiao completely, and even slapped his hand away with surprising force.
Ti Xiao awkwardly withdrew his hand.
“Cleveland!”
Xiao Yao’s voice turned sharp.
He sternly scolded Xiao Yu in English, his tone serious. As he spoke, the little boy’s mouth gradually turned downward, and with a few rapid blinks, tears rolled down his cheeks.
Feeling his heart crumble, Ti Xiao quickly pulled Xiao Yu over and wiped his tears with a tissue.
“He’s just a kid, Xiao Yao. Don’t be so harsh. There, there, don’t cry.”
The little boy’s tearful, pitiful expression tugged at every soft spot in Ti Xiao’s heart.
How could Xiao Yao make such a cute little guy cry?
While Ti Xiao busied himself with comforting the child, Xiao Yao watched quietly from the side. The furrow between his brows slowly smoothed out.
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