Chapter 111
“Wu…” Su Bin’s confused mind came to a halt at the moment Allen kissed him.
Waiting for him to calm down, Allen began to caress his cheek and said, “Do you know why I call you ‘mu’?”
Su Bin replied, “Is it because of my Skype name?” That’s what Allen said initially, but it sounded quite similar to ‘mua.’
“I gave mua that name because it makes that sound when it calls. I call you ‘mu’ because its pronunciation is comforting,” Allen explained, pursing his lips and gently opening them, “It’s like a heartfelt whisper. Every time I call you, it feels like I’m calling myself. What I say to you is like talking to myself. Michael, mua is just a pet, but you are a part of me. Don’t ever doubt yourself.”
Su Bin silently stared at Allen. After a long while, he slowly reached out his hand and embraced him. He was convinced; he was healed.
“But I’ve noticed that many of the ways you treat me are similar to how you treat mua,” Su Bin couldn’t help but ask, even though he didn’t want to dwell on these issues. It was just an unconscious question.
Allen raised an eyebrow, “Then tell me, how should I treat you?”
“I don’t know…” Su Bin replied.
Allen pressed Su Bin into the soft bedding, lowered his head, and kissed him again. Originally, he intended to be gentle, but Su Bin’s jealous appearance was too cute, making Allen unable to resist being a bit rough.
After the kiss, Su Bin couldn’t even speak; he could only breathe heavily with a misty-eyed gaze.
“…Like this?” Allen smiled at him, gently saying, “I won’t kiss a cat like this.”
“…” Okay, at this moment, he had to admit that he might be a little bit jealous. Mainly, he was worried and angry—knowing Allen’s fragility, yet easily letting a cat hurt himself.
“Do you still want to play with mua in the future?” Allen raised an eyebrow.
Su Bin asked, “You don’t allow it?”
“It was my negligence this time. It won’t happen again,” Allen looked at Su Bin and explained, “Mu, mua is not just my pet but also my friend. You should know that during my loneliest and most helpless times, it accompanied me. So, no matter how it hurts me, I won’t blame it. It’s not as complicated as humans; its harm is unintentional, not malicious.”
“Alright, I forgive it,” Su Bin looked at Allen, suddenly having a thought—what if one day, I unintentionally hurt you too? Would you be as forgiving?
Su Bin hesitated, shook his head in his mind. How could he possibly hurt Allen? Allen was so strong, so good, and his lifespan was so short…
“Do you still remember the condition in the lease you gave me, ‘No pets allowed’? Why is that?” Su Bin tried to change the subject, “Why can’t I have pets?”
“I come back almost every month, and mua is sensitive. It doesn’t like the smell of other pets on me,” Allen explained.
“…” Damn! (=皿=)
“And now you’re not happy? You’re not a pet. When I get close to you, mua doesn’t mind,” Allen said.
“It’s not that! I thought you, like me, were allergic to pet fur and didn’t want roommates to have pets!” Su Bin said.
Allen frowned, seriously, “Are you allergic to pet fur?”
“A little bit,” Su Bin admitted.
“Tomorrow, I’ll have Mary lock up mua. I don’t know if there are any stray cat hairs in the room,” Allen said.
“It’s okay; we shouldn’t be here for long, right?” If Su Bin had some concerns before, Allen’s words completely reassured him. Hehe, Allen clearly values me more than a cat!
“At most three days. We’ll return to M City after three days,” Allen said.
Su Bin touched his nose, “That shouldn’t be a problem. As long as there’s no close contact, it’s fine. I used to walk Professor Smith’s dog in M City. Don’t worry.”
Allen gently tapped Su Bin’s forehead, “If there’s any discomfort, you must tell me.”
Su Bin: “…”
The next day, around noon, Su Bin woke up to find that all the replaced clothes were gone.
“I had Mary clean them for you,” Allen said, picking out a few clothes for him in the wardrobe and handing them over. “Try these on and see if they fit.”
At the foot of the bed were some old sweaters, shirts, and well-preserved pants and coats. Su Bin took a look and found that these clothes had a good feel to them. Despite the somewhat outdated styles, they didn’t appear tacky.
Su Bin put on a cashmere sweater, “Fits well!” The clothes were soft, comfortable, and had a pleasant fragrance.
“Not bad,” Allen agreed with crossed arms.
“Whose clothes are these?” Su Bin asked, following Allen’s guidance, putting on a cotton shirt and a knitted sweater.
“Mine,” Allen walked over and adjusted his collar. “These are clothes I wore when I was fifteen or sixteen.”
“Five or six years ago?” Su Bin was surprised. “These clothes still look good!”
“Because I’ve grown taller, I can’t wear them anymore,” Allen said, taking an old corduroy jacket with a slightly worn elbow and helping Su Bin put it on.
Looking in the mirror, Su Bin unexpectedly felt a high-quality retro vibe. Just thinking that these were clothes Allen had worn made him feel warm, as if he was being embraced by Allen.
“Do you like them?” Allen smiled at him.
“Yeah!” Su Bin touched the clothes and asked, “What brand is this? Why are there no labels?” And how could they be so well-maintained after five or six years? It’s really rare!
“No brand, they’re all custom-made at a workshop,” Allen replied.
Wow, that sounds impressive! “Are all your clothes custom-made?”
“Mostly, I rarely buy from stores,” Allen said.
“No wonder I’ve never seen you wear designer brands.”
Allen smiled, “In the upper echelons of society, especially among the aristocracy, people have very discerning tastes. Wearing a designer brand is considered undignified.”
“Huh? Why?” Su Bin was puzzled, as many wealthy people in his home country liked wearing designer brands.
“Because of the ‘family’ spirit. All the clothes are passed down based on the preferences and styles of the ancestors. The clothes I wear are from the handcraft workshop used by the previous generation. For a girl, wearing a dress left by her grandmother to attend a banquet would be an honor. On the contrary, if you wear the most popular designer brand, it would be considered vulgar and degrading by those people. It’s not that the quality of designer clothes is bad; it’s just that it would make you look like a nouveau riche. In B country, people don’t use that term as a compliment because it implies being rich but lacking in refinement,” Allen explained calmly.
Su Bin suddenly thought of Jin Fei and was about to wax eloquent about it when he heard Allen say, “Of course, I have no bias against Fly; he’s a very nice person.”
Su Bin: “…” Damn, can you read minds?
After lunch, Allen went to the hospital, not letting Su Bin accompany him. Instead, he instructed Jessie to accompany him around the estate.
Jessie was one of the maids at Roland Manor. Perhaps calling her a “maid” in this era was not quite appropriate; it was more accurate to say she “worked for Roland Manor.”
Roland Manor currently had six employees responsible for the day-to-day cleaning and maintenance of the estate. Mary was their manager.
“Is Mary the housekeeper?” Su Bin asked.
Jessie said, “No, after Duke Allen took over Roland Manor, he dismissed many people because he felt it was too extravagant. Besides, he rarely comes back now that he works in M City. So, the manor doesn’t currently need a housekeeper.”
“Isn’t Allen studying in M City?” Su Bin thought he was a doctor? Oh, right, a doctor is a job too!
“I heard that Duke Allen is doing research at M University’s medical school, related to hemophilia. He has never given up on treating himself,” Jessie said.
Su Bin exclaimed, “Can his illness still be treated?”
“I don’t know, but we all believe that Duke Allen can find a way,” Jessie smiled.
Su Bin, upon hearing this, suddenly remembered Allen asking him, “Do you still believe I can only live for ten more years?” His heart tightened, even a maid believed in her employer’s recovery. Had he misunderstood something before?
“Mary said Duke Allen treats you like a younger brother, is that true?” Su Bin asked.
“Yeah…” Was that what Mary told Jessie?
“Although it’s inappropriate to say something like that the first time we meet, Mr. Su, I hope you will treat Duke Allen well,” Jessie said.
This was the second time someone had said something like this to him. Su Bin asked, “Because Allen’s parents passed away, and because of hemophilia?”
Jessie shook her head, “Almost everyone remaining in the manor has watched Duke Allen grow up. It’s not easy for him to have survived until today. But our feelings for him are not out of pity; it’s admiration. His value for life has infected all of us, making us cherish every day. We are all living happily now…” Jessie smiled and said, “Duke Allen is a bit proud. If he knew we pitied him, he would be very angry. In fact, he looks serious but is a very gentle and kind person. You’ll feel it when you spend more time with him.”
Su Bin had already felt Allen’s strength and kindness… In fact, he couldn’t deny that he was starting to care more and more about Allen.
“Can you tell me about Allen’s childhood?” Su Bin looked at Jessie.
Jessie hesitated for a moment, then smiled and said, “Follow me.”
Jessie led Su Bin to a room on the second floor of the villa. “This is the study.”
Su Bin: “Is this the room where Mua is kept?”
Jessie: “No, Mua is in the big study. This room is where the Duke used to study when he was a child.”
Su Bin hesitated a bit: “Is it okay for us to come in here?”
Jessie: “Of course, it’s fine. The Duke instructed me to show you around and told me to tell you to consider this place as your own home.”
Su Bin felt warm inside and walked in. The study had a large bay window, and in the corner, there was a foldable wheelchair. The bookshelf on one wall was filled with books, and the corners of the bookshelf were padded with sponge, probably to prevent Allen from injuring himself.
Su Bin saw a photo frame on one of the shelves, faintly making out the figures of three people in the photos. Was this a family portrait of Allen?
Jessie stood behind him and suddenly exclaimed, covering her mouth, “Ah! I just noticed you’re wearing the Duke’s childhood clothes. Seeing your back, I almost thought I saw young Lance…”
