Chapter 22

“You—did you need something from me?”

Even though his conscience was clear, Li Jichuan still turned his head to glance at the door behind him, making sure it was firmly shut.

The silent wheels rolled smoothly as he moved toward the desk. Su Pu was admiring the display cabinet beside it.

When Li Jichuan drew closer, Su Pu swallowed nervously, his cheeks beginning to heat up.

He handed over the text he had prepared earlier, explaining his purpose.

Li Jichuan took the phone and read in silence, focused and serious.

Su Pu stood beside him with his hands clasped behind his back, like a student waiting for a teacher to check his homework.

“Mm. This is very logical, clearly structured—and you even included risk projections?”

Li Jichuan looked at Su Pu in mild surprise.

“Have you studied this before?”

Su Pu nodded.

【I worked on project proposals in college.】

Su Pu had attended a local university. Because he could not speak, he was unable to do group presentations, so he took on much of the preparatory work instead. Over time, this honed his writing skills.

After asking the question, Li Jichuan reread Su Pu’s proposal.

To be honest, Su Pu’s plan really was the option most capable of achieving the level of data accuracy Li Jichuan wanted at this stage.

However, it required a relatively large personnel investment while yielding comparatively limited data, making it inefficient. That was why their team had rejected it early on.

Now that Su Pu had brought it up again, it gave Li Jichuan a chance to reconsider his own decision.

It seemed that he had been too eager to achieve results, rushing for quick success and losing sight of what truly mattered.

His target users were not just data points, but living, breathing people.

If he wanted them to share their genuine thoughts, he would have to use the most sincere approach—even if that approach sounded clumsy and inefficient.

【Ouyang and I have already talked it over. We’ll use this offline event at our coffee shop to collect responses on site. Ouyang will also contact some college students who work part-time at other branches and ask if they’re willing to participate. That way, it won’t interfere with our store’s normal operations.】

Li Jichuan fell silent for a long moment.

“But will your baristas also be participating in the offline event? Don’t most places just hire temporary staff or event companies for this?”

Su Pu narrowed his eyes and smiled.

【Because we’re helping you. You went with me to support Ouyang, so I want to do something in return… Ouyang too. He wants to thank you for taking him in last night.】

Li Jichuan frowned slightly.

“But I don’t need you to repay me for anything…”

Or rather—

His thoughts drifted back to last night. After they got home and Su Pu had changed into his pajamas, he had been tossing and turning on the bed, refusing to sleep properly.

Li Jichuan leaned against the headboard, the blanket pulled over his legs.

Su Pu was like a puppy in a new home, crawling all over the bed, making Li Jichuan laugh.

“Take a break…”

As Su Pu crawled over, Li Jichuan wrapped an arm around him, stopping him from roaming around.

“You’re this energetic after drinking? Didn’t you sleep well just now?”

Su Pu looked up at him, eyes hazy, blinking slowly.

Li Jichuan raised an eyebrow. “Me—Li Jichuan. Your husband in name. Don’t recognize me?”

The next second, Su Pu’s brows relaxed, and he smiled.

Of course he remembered.

His husband~

“Do you know who I am?” Li Jichuan pressed.

Su Pu nodded vigorously, but his body seemed wound up like a spring, ready to crawl again.

“Don’t move…”

Li Jichuan reacted quickly, grabbing the edge of the blanket on the other side and pulling it over, wrapping the little puppy up inside.

He held Su Pu in his arms, leaving only his head uncovered to breathe.

“Then I’ll ask you a few questions, and you have to answer honestly,” Li Jichuan said.

Su Pu nodded, then looked confused.

He couldn’t speak—how was he supposed to answer?

Li Jichuan had already thought of that. He extended his free hand in front of Su Pu and waved it.

“Your hand. Give it to me.”

Su Pu blinked, wriggled a bit, and obediently placed one hand into Li Jichuan’s palm.

He really was like a puppy. Li Jichuan’s eyes softened, warmth spilling over, the corners of his mouth lifting unconsciously.

In that moment, Su Pu felt his heart melt completely.

Moved by impulse, he withdrew his hand from Li Jichuan’s palm and replaced it with his chin instead.

Li Jichuan slowly closed his eyes. In his twenty-seven years of life, this was the first time he had ever felt his heart struck so hard by something.

It didn’t hurt—but his chest tingled, his head grew warm, and the happiness made him dizzy.

Still, he had something important to ask. After a long pause, Li Jichuan forced himself to move his hand away from Su Pu’s chin and took hold of his fingers again.

“Next, listen carefully to my questions. If the answer is yes, squeeze my finger once. If it’s no, squeeze twice. Can you do that?”

Su Pu seemed to be getting sleepy again. He nodded drowsily, then squeezed Li Jichuan’s finger once.

“Okay. Then I’ll start.”

Li Jichuan took a deep breath and looked at Su Pu, who had his eyes closed and was humming softly.

“Are you afraid of me?”

All he heard was Su Pu’s steady, gentle breathing. After a moment, Su Pu squeezed twice.

Not afraid.

“Then… do you dislike me?”

This time, Su Pu answered more quickly.

Two squeezes again.

Don’t dislike him.

Li Jichuan shifted his arm, holding Su Pu even closer.

“Then why do you have nightmares every night? Is it related to me?”

When Su Pu slept, he sometimes showed expressions of pain Li Jichuan had never seen before—ragged breathing, sweat-soaked hair. It was impossible to ignore.

He had assumed Su Pu had been forced into marrying him and was resisting it deep down.

But Li Jichuan could feel that Su Pu treated him kindly, attentively. He didn’t dislike him.

The answers just now confirmed that.

So what was it?

After a long pause, Su Pu opened his eyes, staring blankly at the blanket.

Two squeezes.

So Li Jichuan was not the source of his nightmares.

“Then… is it related to your past?”

One squeeze.

Su Pu admitted it.

Li Jichuan wanted to ask more, but he remembered the tears Su Pu had shed at the bar earlier that day.

Being drunk was already miserable enough. He didn’t want to reopen his wounds.

That was enough. Knowing that he wasn’t the cause of Su Pu’s pain was enough.

Li Jichuan silently held him tighter.

“Whoever caused you so much pain, you still have to keep moving forward. The person sleeping beside you now is me, and the person living with you is also me. I promise you—I won’t hurt you. So at least when you’re with me, put aside your fear and those terrible memories for now, and sleep well, okay?”

Su Pu let him hold him, not responding for a long time.

Just when Li Jichuan thought Su Pu had fallen asleep, he felt a sudden squeeze on his finger.

Su Pu squeezed once, firmly.

Okay!

Then Li Jichuan felt his finger being guided into the space between them.

A soft touch brushed against his fingertip.

Su Pu gently—solemnly—kissed his finger.

Li Jichuan’s mind went blank.

This—he had only wanted Su Pu to feel more relaxed around him.

He had never expected such intimacy between them.

Was this appropriate? Was he taking advantage of Su Pu?

After all, he was a notorious cripple…

But what if—just what if—Su Pu truly liked him?

He hadn’t been taken to a family party as decoration, yet he could curl up in his arms and fall fast asleep…

Did that mean that his sincerity might be returned with sincerity as well?

Exhaling deeply twice, Li Jichuan spoke hesitantly.

“Su Pu, one last question. Is there any chance you could… give me an opportunity?”

This time, Su Pu didn’t answer. He was truly asleep.

Li Jichuan loosened the arm holding him, and Su Pu naturally rolled onto his side of the bed, lying flat.

There was disappointment, and there was relief. Li Jichuan felt foolish.

Just like the kind of person he had always scorned—someone ruled by emotion.

Wasn’t this the very definition of a love-struck fool?

He let out a long breath and was about to pull his hand back—

Only to realize that Su Pu was gripping his finger tightly, still gripping it…

…

Thinking back to this, Li Jichuan forced himself to refocus.

Today, he found it unusually hard to concentrate.

“I think your idea is very good… If it doesn’t cause you too much trouble, we can give it a try.”

When he agreed, Su Pu’s smile bloomed with relief.

It was far too sweet, his dimples brimming with honey.

Li Jichuan’s heart began to waver again. Before anything even more improper showed on his face, he claimed to be busy with work and sent Su Pu away.

Su Pu left his office smiling, mission accomplished—though just before leaving, he had the vague sense that there was something he still needed to confirm.

But he couldn’t remember what it was…

Back at the coffee shop, he washed his hands again, tied on his apron, and walked from the break room into the prep area.

As he passed the register, he saw Ouyang helping a customer wearing a cycling helmet place an order.

The customer had pale skin and lowered eyes, not daring to look at anyone.

Ouyang spoke loudly. “Sir, this cup is a large, and this one is extra-large. Which size would you like?”

The customer just shook his head.

“No, I’m asking which size you want—you have to tell me…” Ouyang assumed he hadn’t heard and raised his voice even more.

Su Pu stopped him. As a disabled person himself, he was especially sensitive to situations like this.

The person across from them might be hearing-impaired.

He waved at the small helmet and began signing.

The helmet jerked up quickly. When he saw that it was Su Pu, he bounced on his toes with excitement.

“Uh—I, I… I can hear.”

The helmeted person took two steps back and bowed deeply to both of them.

“Last—last night, thank you—for helping me out… I came to say—say thanks.”

Su Pu and Ouyang exchanged a look.

Last night… helping out…?

They looked again at the “little helmet.”

Thin. Pale.

Ouyang’s fight last night might really not have been for Su Pu after all.