Father Ye entered the house, tired from the long trip. The business partner in Guangdong had delayed their delivery for various reasons, keeping him busy these past few days but thankfully, the issue was finally resolved.
It was already close to noon. The house was silent.
Ye Ran was probably out eating, he thought.
But as he pushed open the door, he saw Ye Ran coming down the stairs.
Ye Ran looked a bit flustered, his hair messy, breathing uneven. When he saw his father, he slowed down and asked, “Dad, you’re back?”
“Mm. Have you eaten?”
“Not yet.”
“Then I’ll cook.”
He bent down to change into his slippers but frowned slightly. Something about the shoe cabinet looked different, messier somehow. Still, after several days of exhaustion, his mind was too slow to process it.
He didn’t think much of it and rolled up his sleeves, heading into the kitchen.
Both father and son could cook. Mother Ye never could. Back when she was alive, Father Ye would spend his time at home experimenting with recipes after teaching. But since her passing, that hobby had faded.
Ye Ran descended the stairs stiffly, glancing back uneasily before stepping down.
The hallway upstairs was quiet.
The bedroom door was tightly shut, revealing nothing.
“Ranran?” his father called from downstairs.
Ye Ran snapped out of it. “Coming!” he answered quickly.
He entered the kitchen too, though his nerves made every movement clumsy.
Father Ye looked at him, opened his mouth to say something, then swallowed the words. “…Go peel the loofah.”
“Okay.” Ye Ran nodded.
He found the peeler and deftly began skinning the carrots and loofah.
Thwack, thwack, thwack.
The sound of the knife chopping chicken echoed fast and steady. Father Ye furrowed his brows, then after a few seconds, a flicker of guilt crossed his face.
He hadn’t been home these days. Ye Ran must have been feeling lonely.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t be acting so strangely.
From a long time ago, he had never known how to face Ye Ran alone. Ye Ran had always been quiet and obedient since childhood, well-mannered and proper under Mother Ye’s teachings. He loved this only son deeply, yet he didn’t know how to communicate with him.
When Mother Ye was still alive, things were fine. She was gentle and clever, the bridge that connected father and son. But after her passing, the Ye household was left with only his own taciturn self and an even quieter Ye Ran.
Father Ye had been a teacher for many years, and one of his most practiced habits was learning and self-reflection.
He knew well that he had been negligent in nurturing family closeness. He knew that Ye Ran was not close to him but he had never figured out how to change that. Until today, when he saw that flicker of disturbance on Ye Ran’s face, he finally made up his mind: for the next few days, he would not leave. He would stay home and properly spend time with Ye Ran.
Lunch was prepared at an unhurried pace.
When cooking the rice, Father Ye noticed Ye Ran pouring in four large bowls of it. His movements paused, and he reminded, “That’s too much rice, steam less next time.”
Ye Ran didn’t dare look at him, his voice soft. “…Okay.”
He continued rinsing the rice, but his mind was on Shen Shi, who was hiding upstairs in the bedroom, and he started to get a headache.
…Four bowls of rice should be enough, right?
At lunch, Ye Ran planned to finish eating quickly and escape.
He hadn’t expected that today, Father Ye would suddenly start talking, casually asking if anything had happened at school recently.
Ye Ran, startled, almost thought he had been found out. It took him a while before he stammered out some kind of reply.
Father Ye’s gaze grew more complicated as he watched his son eating in silence.
…It seemed he really hadn’t talked enough with Ye Ran.
A lunch that normally took thirty minutes dragged on until half past twelve.
Since Father Ye did the cooking, washing dishes fell to Ye Ran.
Watching his father go upstairs alone, Ye Ran’s scalp prickled like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, nerves drawn taut, holding his breath. After a few seconds, he quickly lowered his head and rushed into the kitchen. He washed the dishes, then carefully scooped up a bowl of rice.
Father Ye had the habit of taking a nap at noon.
Before going upstairs, Ye Ran carefully checked the study to make sure no one was inside. Only then did he quietly push open the bedroom door.
——
The room’s lights were off.
The curtains were half-drawn, letting in a dim glow through the cracks.
Shen Shi was lazily sprawled on a beanbag chair by the bed, holding his phone, eyes slightly lowered. His posture was loose and calm, utterly unbothered by being “hidden away in a golden house.”
When he heard the door open, he slowly lifted his gaze. His eyes fell on the meal in Ye Ran’s hands, and his lips curved faintly. “Master,” he drawled,
“Welcome home.”
Ye Ran’s body trembled, nearly spilling the food in his hands.
That low, drawling “Master” made his ears burn with embarrassment. He froze for several seconds before his ears turned completely red. “…Don’t talk nonsense.”
Barefoot, he stepped onto the gray mink carpet, his feet pale and slender, the veins faintly visible.
Shen Shi’s gaze dropped, then casually moved away.
Ye Ran quickly walked to the bed, drew the curtains shut, and turned on the bedside lamp.
The soft yellow light filled the space with warmth.
The lighting wasn’t bright, only enough to illuminate the small area by the bed.
Shen Shi simply sat down on the carpet. Ye Ran grabbed a cushion, sat in front of him, and handed him a full bowl of food: shrimp, meat, and vegetables, all still steaming, clearly reheated.
“Sorry, there’s no more loofah or eggs in the soup, so I didn’t bring any,” Ye Ran said apologetically, his voice small. “What do you want for dinner? I’ll cook tonight.”
Shen Shi didn’t take the bowl. He only lifted his eyes slightly, dark irises locking onto Ye Ran’s face, signaling, “I can eat anything.”
Ye Ran’s ears reddened even more, the blush spreading down to his neck.
Realizing what that sounded like, he urged softly, “…Shen Shi!”
Shen Shi still didn’t move.
Ye Ran took a deep breath, his long eyes shimmering faintly as if with moisture. After a moment, he picked up a piece of braised shrimp and fed it to him.
Shen Shi obediently ate it, his eyes filled with quiet amusement. His voice, however, carried an unreadable teasing note as he murmured, “Thank you, Master.”
Ye Ran: “…”
Ye Ran’s fingers trembled, he could barely hold the chopsticks. “Shut up and eat.”
Seeing his genuine fluster, Shen Shi stopped teasing. After that, the feeding went smoothly. By the end, Shen Shi took the bowl himself and fed Ye Ran two pieces of shrimp.
Father Ye’s braised shrimp was exceptional. To make it easier, Ye Ran had already peeled all the shells and heads downstairs with gloves on, so it would be convenient for Shen Shi to eat.
Now, having greedily eaten two shrimp from Shen Shi’s bowl, Ye Ran felt a bit embarrassed. When Shen Shi offered him another, he shook his head. “I’m done.”
What was left in the bowl were two homely dishes: shredded pork with carrots and stir-fried greens.
Shen Shi ate neatly, clearly well-trained since childhood. Even without a table, his back stayed perfectly straight, and his chopsticks made no clattering against the bowl. He finished quickly yet without seeming rushed, tidied up, and when he looked up, he met Ye Ran’s sparkling eyes.
“Wow,” Ye Ran breathed, completely captivated. “You’re amazing.”
Shen Shi chuckled softly. What was so amazing about eating a meal?
The clock on the wall pointed to one o’clock.
Shen Shi tilted his head slightly. “Shouldn’t you be napping now?”
Ye Ran’s body clock was precise, he always took a nap at noon. If he didn’t, he’d be sleepy and listless in the afternoon.
Ye Ran blinked, glanced at the clock, and suddenly the drowsiness he’d been suppressing washed over him.
He yawned, picked up the dishes, and trotted downstairs. “I’ll wash these first, then come back up to sleep.”
Shen Shi instinctively got up to follow him. “Why aren’t you wearing shoes?”
Only then did Ye Ran realize he was barefoot. The floors throughout the Ye house were covered in gray mink carpets, hard to maintain, but wonderfully soft. He turned a corner, slipped into his slippers, and gripped the doorknob, whispering worriedly, “Shh… I’ll be right back.”
Shen Shi raised an eyebrow, his dark pupils shifting slightly, reflecting Ye Ran’s anxious face.
He smiled gently, his tone perfectly obedient. “Then hurry back. I’ll wait for you.”
Ye Ran nodded at once and ran downstairs without stopping.
——
When he returned, the bedside lamp had already been turned off.
Ye Ran stepped softly, but just as he neared the bed, Shen Shi suddenly grabbed his wrist. His grip was firm, and Ye Ran instinctively leaned forward from the pull until his fingertips brushed against a patch of warm, solid muscle. He froze instantly, voice trembling, eyes darting helplessly.
“Y-you… Shen, Shen Shi?”
The man on the bed spoke in a lazy, low drawl, his tone thick with a faint sleepiness. “My clothes are dirty.”
Whatever Ye Ran had meant to say was swallowed back immediately.
“…Oh,” he stammered, tongue flicking nervously over his lips in the dark. “Then I’ll get you some clothes.”
But the hand holding his wrist tightened.
Shen Shi said quietly, “After we sleep.”
The next second, the world spun.
Ye Ran was pulled down onto the soft bed, sinking into the mattress like falling into a cloud. Drowsiness spread through him at once. Under Shen Shi’s casual, unyielding restraint, he was forced to rest against his chest, surrounded by that strong, unfamiliar scent that belonged entirely to Shen Shi and slowly drifted into sleep.
——
They slept straight until four in the afternoon.
When Ye Ran woke, the room was pitch-dark.
His eyes were unfocused at first, taking a long time to adjust before his senses gradually returned.
Something held him in place, a firm arm draped over his waist, warm breath brushing against the back of his neck. When he tried to turn his head, the man nestled against his shoulder stirred slightly, and the large hand on his waist patted him softly, as if in comfort.
The air beneath the blanket was warm, but Ye Ran’s skin was damp with sweat.
Tiny beads of it pricked along his back, making his heart race uncontrollably.
This wasn’t the first time he had shared a bed with Shen Shi but it was the first time since they had officially become a couple.
Carefully, he shifted and slipped out of Shen Shi’s arms.
Even such small movements nearly made his heart jump out of his chest. His breathing grew uneven.
He sat at the edge of the bed and looked at the clock on the wall.
4:22.
Shen Shi was still asleep.
He hadn’t properly rested since returning from New Zealand. Even at lunch, though he’d eaten slowly and calmly, Ye Ran could still see the fatigue and hunger beneath the surface.
Ye Ran’s heart softened completely.
After a moment, he leaned down, exhaling lightly, and pressed a gentle kiss to Shen Shi’s lips.
Shen Shi didn’t react.
Ye Ran let out a quiet sigh of relief and reached up to brush a few strands of hair from Shen Shi’s forehead.
Remembering that he needed to go downstairs to make dinner, he didn’t linger any longer. He slipped away soundlessly.
In the dark, the man’s lips curled faintly.
The dim light seeping through the curtain’s gap traced the bridge of his nose and the depth of his eyes. With that small, unreadable smile, he closed his eyes again, lazily drifting back to sleep.
——
For dinner, Ye Ran planned to make corn rib soup and curry chicken rice.
The soup had to start early, it was six o’clock when they normally ate, so an hour of simmering would be just right.
As he came downstairs, Ye Ran realized Father Ye was already there, watching financial news while on a business call.
“Yes, I know. This is a rare opportunity. Partnering with Haicheng’s Zhendin Company…” His tone was calm and professional. “I’ve worked with their manager before, no issues with their background or reliability. I’ll visit Haicheng in person later.”
“Yes, I heard their chairman went on vacation to New Zealand… That won’t affect our cooperation. We’ll discuss it once I’m back.”
After hanging up, Father Ye glanced toward Ye Ran busying himself in the kitchen. After a moment’s thought, he walked in too, using this as an opening to talk.
“I’ll probably leave around the tenth,” he said casually, watching Ye Ran’s expression carefully. “I’ll be home these next few days. Do you want to go anywhere?”
“Huh?” Ye Ran froze, looking up in surprise. “Dad, your vacation’s that long this year?”
Usually, Father Ye left by the seventh or eighth day of the new year, never later.
“Mm. There’s a promising business deal, but the lead over there won’t be back at work until around the tenth. Their boss is on vacation, so I can stay in Beijing a few more days. I’ll have some free time.”
Free time, meaning, he’d be home all day.
Ye Ran understood instantly. Thinking of Shen Shi upstairs, his scalp prickled. “Then what about your friends…” he asked cautiously, “you’re not going to visit them?”
“No,” Father Ye said, sounding increasingly guilty as he caught the faint reproach in Ye Ran’s tone. “I’ll just stay home these few days. Nowhere to go.”
Boom—
It was like thunder splitting the sky.
Ye Ran almost lost his footing, his vision darkening.
If Father Ye didn’t leave the house… how was Shen Shi supposed to leave?
He forced a strained smile. “Actually, I don’t have anywhere I want to go. Let’s just stay home.”
“That’s fine too. The New Year holiday isn’t over yet, most places probably aren’t open anyway.” Father Ye nodded approvingly.
That evening, dinner dragged on even longer.
Father Ye was unusually talkative at the table, while Ye Ran, fraught with nerves, could only answer carefully and politely. When the meal finally ended and Father Ye went to the study to read, Ye Ran immediately packed up a portion of food and hurried to the bedroom.
——
Inside, the room was dimly lit.
Shen Shi lay sprawled lazily on the bed, scrolling idly through his phone. The sapphire-colored blanket had slipped down his chest, revealing smooth, defined muscles that traced downward into the loose waistband of his pants.
Hearing the sound, he lifted his head, narrowed his eyes, and looked at Ye Ran. “Baby.”
He said it casually, but his tone drew out the last syllable lazily. “I’ve been waiting so long the flowers have wilted.”
Ye Ran froze mid-step, holding a bowl in each hand, feeling like a butler serving a pampered cat lord and Shen Shi was that Siberian tiger-cat he’d hidden away in his “golden house.”
Shen Shi sat up from the bed, the quilt slipping down completely, revealing tight, firm abs.
Ye Ran kept his eyes lowered, refusing to look anywhere improper.
He handed Shen Shi the dishes and sighed helplessly, asking, “…How many days can you still stay in the capital?”
Shen Shi’s hand paused mid-motion. He quickly caught on. “What’s your dad doing these next few days?”
Ye Ran thought of the one thing his father always did whenever he stayed home, and his heart instantly went dark. “He’s not leaving these few days. If I’m right, tomorrow or the day after, he’ll call a housekeeping company for a full cleaning.”
Shen Shi was silent for a few seconds, then said, “My flight’s tomorrow night at nine.”
Ye Ran froze. A few seconds later, realization dawned, and he looked up in shock. “…T-tomorrow? You’re leaving tomorrow?”
Only two days in the capital?
“Mm.” Shen Shi turned to him, and as if he could see the unease and reluctance in Ye Ran’s eyes, he sighed softly and said in a low voice, “Baby, I only came back this time to see you.”
