Shoutout to Kari for the commission!
After the new-semester orientation activities, Le Cheng went out to eat with the people from his club.
Thanks to Le Cheng’s efforts, they had recruited quite a few new members. Xu Yuan was extremely happy about it and even declared that he would pass the club president position on to Le Cheng. Le Cheng hurriedly refused.
Xu Yuan had no choice but to reluctantly pass the throne to Tan Xiaobai instead.
Tan Xiaobai pretended to be heartbroken. “President, why are you so hesitant even when passing on the position? Is there something I’ve done that you’re dissatisfied with?”
Xu Yuan was disgusted enough to elegantly send him a single word: “Scram.”
There were quite a lot of people at the dinner, including many couples. Some of the junior students saw that Le Cheng was easy to talk to, so they grabbed him and started chatting. “Senior, you and Senior Zhou are basically the perfect couple in our eyes.”
Le Cheng blinked in confusion. “Huh? Why?”
The short-haired junior girl said, “You two look so perfect together, and you have such a good relationship. We run into you two around campus all the time, so you’re basically the perfect romance.”
The praise made Le Cheng incredibly happy. He modestly said, “Actually, we’re not that special.”
Conversations about couples always made people want to gossip. The junior girl told him all sorts of dramatic stories about people around her, and Le Cheng listened with great interest.
“Ring-ring-ring—”
A phone rang. The junior girl picked up her phone and gave Le Cheng an apologetic look. Le Cheng hurriedly gestured for her to answer it.
“Hello? Linlin.” The junior said, “Aiyo, I’m heading back soon. Did you finish playing your game?”
“Mm-hmm, okay. I’ll bring it back for you when I get back. Bye-bye.”
The junior hung up the phone, and Le Cheng casually asked, “Your roommate?” She even called him “Linlin.”
“No, my boyfriend,” the junior said. “His name is Li Fenglin, with the ‘lin’ from ‘forest,’ so I usually call him Linlin.”
Le Cheng nodded. “I see.”
“Mm. Though at first he didn’t like me calling him that.” The junior smiled. “He said it sounded like a girl’s name, but now he really likes me calling him that. By the way, Senior, what do you call Senior Zhou?”
Le Cheng paused. He usually called Zhou Shirui by his full name, since it came naturally and worked in all kinds of situations. Sometimes there would be a period after Zhou Shirui’s name, sometimes a tilde, and sometimes an exclamation mark.
Only very, very occasionally did he call him Senior Zhou, and he probably didn’t do it even once a year.
“I always call him by his full name,” Le Cheng said. “It’s easier to remember.”
“Hahahaha, is it because Senior Zhou doesn’t let you call him anything else?” The junior automatically came up with a reason for him. “I saw the two of you together a while ago. From the way Senior Zhou looks, you can tell he’s usually pretty cold.”
“He’s okay.” Le Cheng explained somewhat guiltily, “He’s just not much of a talker.”
The junior nodded. “I can tell.”
After they finished eating, Le Cheng left, said goodbye to everyone, and got into Zhou Shirui’s car.
The junior walked him to the car. They had gotten along especially well while chatting and had even added each other on WeChat. After saying hello to Zhou Shirui, she said, “Bye-bye, Chengzi!”
Le Cheng said goodbye to her, turned around, fastened his seat belt, and the car started moving slowly through the night. Lights flickered into the car, and after being silent for a long while, Zhou Shirui suddenly asked, “What did she just call you?”
Le Cheng took a moment to react. “Call me what?”
Half of Zhou Shirui’s profile was hidden in the darkness. “She just called you by your name?”
“Oh… no, right?” Le Cheng didn’t pay much attention. “I think she called me Chengzi.”
Zhou Shirui turned his head away and said nothing.
Le Cheng didn’t notice. He lowered his head and glanced at his phone.
Zhou Shirui suddenly said again, “It’s bad for your eyes to look at your phone when the light is too dim. No more looking.”
Le Cheng said, “Okay.”
Then he put his phone away and focused on the road ahead.
When they got home, Le Cheng washed his hands and went to eat. Before going to bed, he went to take a shower. He was humming to himself while watching a video when the door suddenly opened.
Le Cheng was a little surprised, but didn’t move. “What are you doing?”
Zhou Shirui silently walked in, squeezed out a pump of body wash, then turned Le Cheng around and helped rub it onto his back.
Le Cheng was a little puzzled. “What’s wrong? Why are you suddenly putting body wash on me…”
Before he could finish speaking, something touched his face. It was a blob of foam.
“Why did you put it on my face?” Le Cheng protested. Just as he was about to turn around, Zhou Shirui pressed him directly against the wall and leaned close to him. His voice came from behind his ear. “…Little lamb.”
“What little lamb?” Le Cheng’s head was full of question marks.
“You’re the little lamb,” Zhou Shirui said. “This is a ball of fluff.”
Le Cheng was amused by his strange childishness and laughed. “Fine, fine. Then what are you?”
Zhou Shirui said, “I’m a little lamb too.”
Le Cheng dabbed a little foam onto his face as well.
Zhou Shirui’s clothes got wet while he was helping Le Cheng shower, so he washed himself clean with him too. He wrapped Le Cheng up and took him back to the room, then helped dry his hair.
The warm air brushed gently over his scalp. Le Cheng was getting drowsy when he felt Zhou Shirui touch his face. He also heard Zhou Shirui say, “Don’t let other people call you Chengzi anymore.”
Le Cheng wondered if he had heard wrong. “What?”
“I don’t like hearing other people call you Chengzi,” Zhou Shirui repeated. Perhaps he felt that his request was a little excessive, because he pressed his lips together before compromising, “You can also just not let them call you that in front of me.”
Only then did Le Cheng belatedly realize. “So that’s what this is about?”
Zhou Shirui said, “Hm?”
Le Cheng laughed. “What? You’re even jealous over a nickname.”
Zhou Shirui corrected him. “It’s not an ordinary nickname.”
Le Cheng said, “How is it not ordinary?”
“Chengzi,” Zhou Shirui said. “It’s not ordinary at all. It sounds very intimate.”
Le Cheng understood. Although he didn’t quite understand Zhou Shirui’s thought process, he still nodded. “Then I won’t let them call me that anymore. They can just call me by my name, okay?”
Zhou Shirui said, “As long as they don’t call you that in front of me.”
That was the compromise he could offer.
Le Cheng nodded and repeated, “Okay. They won’t call me that in front of you.”
A few days later, they had some time off and drove back to Le Cheng’s home.
Cao Fanqin and Le Shuhai came out to welcome them. They had even specially tidied up Le Cheng’s room. It was cold, and Le Cheng urged them to hurry inside.
Because they had been together for so long, Zhou Shirui had already become familiar with them. Cao Fanqin patted Zhou Shirui on the back and praised him, “Look at Little Zhou’s physique. It’s so good. You must usually be very busy, right? Do you still have time to work out?”
“Yes.” Zhou Shirui spoke very appropriately. “I make time by squeezing it in. If I have time, I work out.”
“See? Look at him.” Cao Fanqin turned her attention to Le Cheng. “Why don’t you work out too? Look at those skinny arms and legs of yours. Even your dad is stronger than you.”
Le Cheng blinked guiltily. “…Ahem. Because I’m also, I’m also pretty busy.”
“Could you possibly be as busy as Little Zhou?” Cao Fanqin questioned.
Needing a witness, Le Cheng hurriedly tugged on Zhou Shirui with his hand. When one tug didn’t work, he tugged again. Zhou Shirui was pulled into a smile by him and deliberately teased him. He lowered his head to look at him, his expression seeming very puzzled.
Le Cheng’s big eyes were filled with the accusation, “Why aren’t you helping me say something!!!” And there were definitely three exclamation marks in there.
Since Zhou Shirui wouldn’t help him, Le Cheng could only brace himself and say, “I’m just as busy as him, and I’m a creativity-based creator. It’s hard to string my time together, so it’s even harder to squeeze in time to work out.”
Cao Fanqin didn’t believe him. “Really? Little Zhou wouldn’t lie. What do you think, Little Zhou?”
Only then did Zhou Shirui speak, his voice calm and convincing. “That’s how it is. Chengcheng is very busy.”
He was seriously lying while wearing that handsome face.
Cao Fanqin believed him and began feeling sorry for Le Cheng. “That busy? You still need to take care of your health. Don’t always take advantage of being young and neglect your body.”
Le Cheng wanted to laugh but secretly held it back. He thought of every sad thing he could possibly think of in this lifetime before finally saying calmly, “Mom, I understand. I just love working, that’s all.”
Only after Cao Fanqin and Le Shuhai had walked ahead did Le Cheng stifle his laughter and throw himself into Zhou Shirui’s arms, delighted beyond words.
After they left the station and got into the car, Zhou Shirui finally glanced sideways at him. “You just happen to really love working that much?”
“What?” Le Cheng asked, guiltily warning him, “Don’t you dare expose me in front of Mom and Dad.”
Zhou Shirui didn’t look like someone who had been warned.
Le Cheng asked again, “Did you hear me?”
Zhou Shirui didn’t say anything.
Le Cheng thought about it, then leaned over and kissed him.
Only then did Zhou Shirui say, “Mm, I heard you.”
Le Cheng said he really did love kisses, and Zhou Shirui didn’t deny it.
After they got home and ate, the whole family sat in the living room watching TV.
Cao Fanqin suddenly wanted some mango, so she ordered Le Shuhai around. “Old Le, hurry up and wash some mango for the kids, then cut it up and bring it over.”
Le Shuhai stood up and smiled at her. “I think you’re the one who wants to eat it, and you’re just using the kid as an excuse. If you say you want some, how could I not cut it up for you?”
“Aiyo, you’re so annoying.” Cao Fanqin laughed as she scolded him. “So many words. Hurry up and go.”
Le Shuhai went to cut the mango, muttering, “You could at least call me something nicer.”
Cao Fanqin said, “At your age, you still want to hear sweet talk?”
Le Cheng caught all of that and curiously leaned over to ask, “Mom, what do you mean? What other nice things did you used to call him?”
Cao Fanqin glanced at him. “There was nothing nice. Your dad was just talking nonsense.”
Le Cheng didn’t believe her. “Mom, you definitely lied to me.”
“This child.” Cao Fanqin was helpless after being pestered by him. After a moment, she finally said, “Back then, your dad and I were dating freely, weren’t we? We were young then, and your dad was older than me. At the time, it was popular to call older guys ‘Ge,’ so I called your dad Hai Ge.”
As luck would have it, Le Shuhai walked over at that moment. “See? Look how quickly your mom’s heart changed. After all these years, Hai Ge has already become Old Le.”
“You’re not Old Le?” Cao Fanqin asked.
Le Shuhai nodded. “I am, I am.”
After being force-fed a mouthful of their parents’ sweetness, Le Cheng was actually quite happy. Zhou Shirui skewered a piece of mango with a toothpick and held it to his mouth. Le Cheng could now accept Zhou Shirui taking care of him in front of his parents without feeling self-conscious. He turned his head and took the mango into his mouth, chewing happily. “It’s so sweet.”
“You eat some too.” Le Cheng skewered a piece of mango for him.
At some point, Le Shuhai and Cao Fanqin had taken up the evening activity of going downstairs for a walk. They had only watched TV for a short while before leaving at nine.
They even asked the two of them if they wanted to come along.
Le Cheng waved his hand. “No, I want to watch TV.”
Cao Fanqin said, “Okay, then we’ll go first.”
Once they left, the house became much quieter. Le Cheng was still eating mango when Zhou Shirui approached him and suddenly asked, “Why don’t you have a nickname like that for me?”
Le Cheng looked at him in confusion. “What kind?”
Zhou Shirui said, “The kind Mom and Dad have.” He had already started calling them Mom and Dad a long time ago.
Le Cheng understood. Hesitating and stumbling over his words, he said, “I don’t think nicknames are that important, right? Besides, they don’t even call each other that often.”
Actually, it was because he felt embarrassed, just like how he couldn’t bring himself to call Zhou Shirui something like “husband.”
“Not important?” Zhou Shirui reached out and pinched his cheek, squeezing the flesh until his cheek puffed out, ruthlessly exposing him. “You just don’t want to.”
Le Cheng let out a sound and immediately turned the tables. “You pinched me until it hurts. Look, is my face swollen?”
Zhou Shirui had been holding back his strength the whole time. At his words, he almost laughed out of exasperation, but still let go.
Le Cheng opened his big eyes and asked, “Is it red? Even if it’s not swollen, it must be red.”
“Whatever.” Le Cheng buried his face into Zhou Shirui’s arms as though he had suffered some tremendous injury. “You have to blow on it for me. Hurry up and blow on it.”
Zhou Shirui lowered his head and blew gently on his cheek.
Le Cheng heard him describe him as, “Spoiled brat.”
Le Cheng pretended not to hear him.
Le Shuhai and Cao Fanqin came back after only half an hour. Their reason was that moderate exercise was healthy for older people, while too much exercise was bad for the body.
Le Cheng loudly demanded, “Did Dad get tired and not want to walk anymore?”
Cao Fanqin said, “You guessed right.”
Le Shuhai rubbed his nose. “Why do you have to tell the kid everything?”
Le Cheng quickly hid behind Zhou Shirui.
Half a year earlier, they had replaced Le Cheng’s bedroom bed with an extra-large double bed, so the two of them didn’t feel cramped sleeping together at all. Le Cheng was very pleased. He rolled around on the bed, and Zhou Shirui reached out, wrapped him up in the blanket, and then pulled him into his arms.
Since they couldn’t do anything, they turned the lights off early, and Le Cheng and Zhou Shirui whispered to each other.
Le Cheng’s bedroom was directly across from Cao Fanqin and Le Shuhai’s room. And because it was an old house, the doors didn’t block sound very well. Whenever anyone opened a door, they could hear it clearly.
With a creak, someone came out.
Le Cheng immediately shut his mouth and heard Cao Fanqin say, “Hai Ge, turn on the light for me.”
Click.
The light was turned on.
Le Cheng said nothing, and Zhou Shirui didn’t speak either. Only after they could no longer hear Cao Fanqin did Le Cheng hear Zhou Shirui say, “Don’t call that very often?”
Le Cheng stammered, “Actually, I’m not really sure about that either…”
Zhou Shirui asked again, “You’re not sure, or you’re doing it on purpose?”
Le Cheng had no way to answer. Moonlight filtered through the thin curtains. He couldn’t see Zhou Shirui’s expression clearly, but he felt a little guilty.
Zhou Shirui said, “Fine.”
He sounded as though he were feeling lonely, hurt, and even a little angry.
Le Cheng really didn’t want Zhou Shirui to feel lonely or hurt. The reason he had never called him that all this time was because Zhou Shirui only ever mentioned it in passing and never actually pressed the issue.
So Le Cheng reached out in the darkness and hugged him, asking somewhat nervously, “Are you angry?”
Zhou Shirui said, “No.”
Le Cheng asked, “Really?”
Zhou Shirui said, “Mm.” He sounded quite angry, though.
Le Cheng thought for a moment, then said, “Don’t be angry, okay, Gege?”
Zhou Shirui shifted slightly, the corners of his lips silently lifting in the darkness. It probably took a great deal of self-control to keep his voice sounding calm and composed. “What did you call me?”
After Le Cheng called him that once, he realized it wasn’t as embarrassing as he had imagined. He rubbed his cheek against Zhou Shirui’s neck, all soft and fluffy, and said, “Gege, don’t be angry anymore.”
Zhou Shirui stopped holding back and pulled him onto his lap, making him call him that again.
Zhou Shirui’s reaction was bigger than Le Cheng had expected. Le Cheng understood, after all, some people simply loved hearing this. But as time went on, he realized that it wasn’t quite that simple.
Not only did Zhou Shirui never get tired of hearing it, he even made a three-part agreement with him, requiring him to say it at least three times a week.
Actually, it had been seven times at first. Three times was what Le Cheng had bargained him down to.
Le Cheng gradually stopped understanding. Why did even this have to be mandatory?
He said, somewhat dissatisfied, “Why do you love hearing ‘Gege’ so much? Have you gotten addicted to hearing it?”
Zhou Shirui turned his head to look at him. “Mm. I’m addicted to hearing it.”
Le Cheng said it, but he still did as he was told.
What could he do? Little Le Cheng thought to himself. Zhou Shirui already gave in to him a lot in their daily life, so he might as well let Zhou Shirui have his way when it came to this form of address.
***
In his spare time, Le Cheng liked to use little bits of free time to scroll through Douyin. Since he was an art blogger, his homepage was basically filled with art-related content.
One day, he happened to come across a couples video. Le Cheng had never been interested in the scripted skits people acted out online. His fingertip was already sliding across the screen, intending to select “Not interested,” when something suddenly caught his attention.
There was no other reason for it. One of the people in the video was wearing glasses, which inevitably made him look twice.
The video itself was very simple. Basically, one person wanted a kiss, while the other refused to kiss him, so the guy was forced to act cute and spoiled. The contrast was adorable, like a puppy.
Le Cheng laughed out loud while watching it, gave them a like, and scrolled on to the next video.
But when Zhou Shirui came out of the study, Le Cheng looked at his back and suddenly started imagining things.
He realized he had never seen Zhou Shirui act spoiled before.
At his core, Zhou Shirui was a rather cold person. Acting cute was even more outside his usual range. Le Cheng knew it was probably impossible, but he couldn’t resist the curiosity. The more he imagined it, the more he wanted to know what Zhou Shirui would look like acting spoiled.
So he scrolled back to the video he had liked.
There were a lot of comments.
[sl: I was so busy smoking that I forgot to smoke you guys.]
[A Dream Within a Dream: So sweet. Is there a full uncensored version?]
[Fat Little Lemon: Did I say you two could kiss?]
[Curly Hair Is Real: This little thing can just be posted to your Moments.]
……
Among all the comments, Le Cheng immediately noticed several netizens saying things like, “Thanks, streamer. I used this on my boyfriend, and it worked hahaha!”
Those words instantly filled Le Cheng with fighting spirit.
If someone else had succeeded, why couldn’t that someone be him?
So, possessed by the idea, Le Cheng mentally rehearsed it once before marching confidently toward the study.
Zhou Shirui was working seriously.
Le Cheng poked his head in and watched for a moment before retreating again.
Not a good time.
About two hours later, Zhou Shirui had completely finished working and came out. By then, Le Cheng had already showered and was sitting on the sofa.
“Why did you shower so early today?” Zhou Shirui walked over.
Le Cheng blinked guiltily. “Mm, I wanted to shower earlier. You go shower too, then come back and watch Animal World with me.”
Zhou Shirui said okay and turned around to go to the bathroom.
Le Cheng absentmindedly watched TV. While waiting, he almost forgot about his plan.
So when Zhou Shirui had already reached his hand beneath the hem of his shirt, Le Cheng hurriedly stopped him, cleared his throat, and moved a little farther away before pointing at his own lips.
Zhou Shirui didn’t say anything. Instead, he leaned forward and kissed him.
Le Cheng quickly moved backward.
Zhou Shirui missed, opened his eyes, and looked somewhat puzzled.
Le Cheng hadn’t expected the plan to go so smoothly. He couldn’t help curving his lips upward.
Zhou Shirui stared at his expression for two seconds before leaning in to kiss him again.
Le Cheng dodged again.
This time, he really thought it was fun. He tried very hard not to laugh out loud.
Zhou Shirui kissed him again.
Le Cheng dodged again, turning his head and laughing until his whole body trembled. He didn’t forget to placate Zhou Shirui, either. “Hahaha… okay, okay, don’t be angry. I’ll definitely let you kiss me this time.”
Zhou Shirui looked at him, his dark eyes deep and unreadable, as though he were brewing something. He didn’t say a word.
Le Cheng leaned a little closer and urged him, “Kiss me.”
Zhou Shirui leaned in again.
Le Cheng dodged with a swift movement.
He was laughing so hard he could barely contain himself, but he still remembered his line. “Hahaha… if you’re willing to consider begging me right now, then I’ll let you ki— mm!”
Zhou Shirui didn’t beg him.
Instead, he grabbed the back of his neck and forcefully pulled him into a kiss.
Le Cheng’s glasses were removed and flew off somewhere, while he was pressed against the sofa, letting out muffled protests of “Mmph, mmph, mmph!”
But his protests were useless. Zhou Shirui captured his lips and tongue, completely overpowering him.
After failing once, Little Le Cheng looked at his swollen lips and finally understood: a scripted video was a scripted video. Reality was completely different!
And Zhou Shirui happened to love bringing up old scores in the most casual way. Later, when he kissed Le Cheng, he asked very seriously, “Why aren’t you dodging now?”
Le Cheng stubbornly refused to admit defeat. “Because I don’t want to dodge anymore.”
Zhou Shirui raised the corners of his lips. “Really?”
Le Cheng immediately threw a throw pillow at him, then turned his head away and refused to talk to him.
After learning his lesson from being fooled by Douyin, Le Cheng stopped watching the app for a long time.
But because he still needed to post his artwork, he had to open it briefly every day. Le Cheng clicked “Not interested” on every couples creator that appeared in his feed, and only then could he happily go back to scrolling through videos.
Recently, Le Cheng had also become obsessed with watching cute pet videos on Douyin.
Because of the algorithm, he had only liked one adorable hamster squishing video, and suddenly his entire homepage was flooded with fluffy little animals.
So during his nightly phone-and-tablet time before bed, while Zhou Shirui sat beside him looking at his computer, he could always hear Le Cheng laughing hysterically at something on his tablet.
Zhou Shirui asked, “What are you watching?”
It was fine when he didn’t ask. The moment he did, Le Cheng would squirm his way over and hold up the tablet for him to see.
“This is way too cute! So cute, so cute. I really want to sit on it until it dies, or punch it to death.”
Zhou Shirui listened to his outrageous “violent” declarations with amusement and reached over to brush Le Cheng’s bangs aside. “They’re already this cute. Why do you still have to be so ‘violent’?”
Le Cheng’s reasoning was quite convincing. “There’s actually scientific evidence for this. It’s called cute aggression. Some people become aggressive toward things that are too cute, so it’s because the puppy is too cute. You can’t blame me.”
Zhou Shirui nodded and patted his butt, signaling that it was time to get back to work.
Because he watched so many cute pet videos, Le Cheng also came across a lot of educational content. He even became addicted to watching cats eat on Douyin livestreams, where automatic cat feeders dispensed food for all kinds of cats.
There were also many stray cats downstairs in their residential complex, but the kindhearted residents had fed them so well that they were all plump and healthy. Le Cheng often went downstairs to feed them too, taking the opportunity to pet their heads. After seeing the educational content, he learned that the cat food he had previously bought wasn’t particularly suitable for stray cats, so he carefully researched what to buy. He also joined the community’s [Cat Feeding Plan] group and discussed with everyone the idea of pooling money to build a cat shelter, so the cats wouldn’t have to run around looking for somewhere to hide when it rained or during winter.
One day, Zhou Shirui happened to see Le Cheng sitting on the living room floor unpacking deliveries. There were all kinds of dry and wet cat food. When Le Cheng heard the noise, he guiltily scrambled to his feet and tried to cover up his guilt with volume. “I only sat on the floor for a little while.”
Zhou Shirui responded with an “Mm.” “Are you planning to raise a cat?”
Seeing that he had gotten away with it, Le Cheng hurriedly shook his head. “No. These are for the stray cats downstairs. Didn’t you say you don’t like animals that shed? We won’t keep one at home.”
Zhou Shirui walked over and bent down to look at the things he had bought. After a pause, he said, “…If you really like them, we can keep one. As long as we keep things clean, it won’t be a problem.”
Le Cheng looked up at him, his long eyelashes blinking. “Really?”
Zhou Shirui said, “Mm. Really.”
But Le Cheng was only excited for a couple of seconds before shaking his head. “Forget it. Having the cats and dogs downstairs is already great, and I can’t guarantee that I’d be able to take good care of one myself.”
He really would be very busy once he got busy.
Zhou Shirui rubbed the back of his neck. “Then we won’t keep one.”
Le Cheng continued unpacking his deliveries. The next day, he noticed that there was a small stool in the house. It was very short and tiny, and looked completely out of place in the home. Curious, he carried it over to Zhou Shirui and asked, “Did you bring this back?”
Zhou Shirui’s hands were busy typing on the keyboard. Hearing him, he nodded. “Mm. It’s for you to sit on while unpacking deliveries. Don’t sit on the floor anymore.”
Le Cheng happily walked over and kissed him, then carried his little stool away with a delighted little bounce in his step.
Most of the people in the group Le Cheng had joined were women who had pets of their own. They had even divided up the areas where each person was responsible for the stray cats. People often posted photos in the group asking where a particular cat had gone.
[Twist Twist (6-year-old British Shorthair): photo.jpg]
[Twist Twist (6-year-old British Shorthair): Where did Big White go? I didn’t see him today.]
[Wangcai’s Mom: Hahaha, he’s here with me.]
[Wangcai’s Mom: Probably wandered over.]
[Little Duanwu (Ragdoll boy): I saw him too.]
[Little Duanwu (Ragdoll boy): photo photo]
Le Cheng was both shocked and impressed, because it seemed like everyone knew every single cat.
Occasionally, the group would have a get-together, which basically meant everyone going downstairs together to walk their cats and dogs. As one of the few young and handsome people in the group who didn’t have a pet, Le Cheng received quite a bit of attention.
But because Le Cheng was efficient and had taught himself how to assemble cat shelters, he instantly went from “that handsome guy without a pet” to “that handsome guy who’s really good at assembling cat shelters.”
The cats that most frequently visited downstairs from his building were two big orange cats. Each one was fat and round, like two fluffy, soft loaves of bread. Le Cheng often squatted by the feeding area in the afternoon, taking advantage of the cats eating to enthusiastically pet their fur.
When Zhou Shirui came home, he spotted him from far away.
Le Cheng was wearing a loose jacket. His thick hair was illuminated by the sunlight with a fluffy orange glow, and the small patch of exposed skin was very pale. He looked warm and peaceful, almost like another, much larger orange cat.
While petting their fur, Le Cheng tried to mediate between the two big orange cats.
“Big Yellow, you’re already so fat. Why are you still stealing your little brother’s food? Little Yellow, hurry up and eat. Don’t squeeze, don’t squeeze. There’s enough for everyone…”
His ear suddenly stung slightly. Le Cheng jumped in surprise and turned around, only to see Zhou Shirui standing behind him, bent slightly at the waist, his expression perfectly calm.
Le Cheng covered his ear with the hand that hadn’t touched the cats. “Did you just bite me?!”
Zhou Shirui neither admitted nor denied it. Instead, he asked, “The two cats are already this fat, and you’re still feeding them this much?”
Le Cheng, who had just been criticizing Big Yellow for being fat, immediately became unhappy. “What? What’s wrong with letting little animals eat a little more? Besides, I brought an electronic scale and weighed them the day before yesterday. They’re not overweight. They’re just a little bloated! Just bloated!”
“Fine. Bloated.” Zhou Shirui stopped looking at Big Yellow and Little Yellow, who were practically solid balls of flesh, grabbed Le Cheng by the arm, pulled him to his feet, and took him home.
That night, just before bed, Le Cheng was so absorbed in scrolling through videos that he was half-asleep. In a daze, he felt his face get gently bitten again.
Le Cheng waved his hand like he was swatting a mosquito. Too annoyed to even open his eyes, he mumbled, “Zhou Shirui… go to sleep… go to sleep…”
“Mm.” Zhou Shirui tucked his hand back under the blanket. “Go to sleep.”
Le Cheng obediently stopped moving. Before long, his breathing became steady.
Zhou Shirui stared at him for a moment, then restrained himself and reached out to gently pinch his cheeks, squeezing both sides.
Only then did he belatedly remember Le Cheng’s earlier theory about cute aggression, and he wholeheartedly agreed with it.
He really was so cute that Zhou Shirui wanted to bite him in one go.
He wasn’t even fluffy, so how could he still be this cute?
