Zhong Nian chatted with the considerate Mr. Administrator for quite a while, and they fed the cat together. By the time the entire afternoon had passed, their relationship had grown much closer.
After they parted, the first thing Zhong Nian did upon returning home was open the fridge and eat the tiramisu.
Jiang Jingyun’s skills were indeed excellent.
The tiramisu had a rich aroma, with the sweetness perfectly balanced by the bitter coffee, and a light, delicate texture. In no time, Zhong Nian had eaten more than half the box.
The portion was quite large, and he couldn’t finish it. He hid the box at the very back of the fridge’s chilling compartment, planning to sneak another bite before bed.
At six in the evening, his husband returned home as promised.
“Baby—”
The peaceful solitude unique to being alone shattered. Zhong Nian wanted to sigh at the familiar sappy endearment but remained unmoved, continuing to stare at the TV screen without even lifting his head.
After some rustling sounds, the sofa beside him sank, and then a scorching chest carrying a cold woody scent pressed against him. “Little Nian, your husband is back.”
“I know. Don’t block me.” Zhong Nian pushed him away in annoyance but still couldn’t escape. He got a kiss on the cheek and gritted his teeth to hold back from swinging.
Mo Heng held him. “Are you hungry? Want to eat dinner first?”
Zhong Nian’s eyes stayed glued to the TV. “I’ll eat later.”
He had just snuck some tiramisu not long ago and wasn’t hungry at all.
“Mm, okay.”
Mo Heng watched TV with him for half an hour. When the time seemed right, he ordered dinner and had it delivered.
The dishes were different, but the taste was about the same as the previous times.
Zhong Nian, who already had little appetite, ate even less.
“Why did you only eat so little?” Mo Heng started to worry again and reached out to touch Zhong Nian’s stomach.
Zhong Nian dodged. “I just don’t feel like eating.”
Mo Heng smiled. “Did Baby eat something else?”
Zhong Nian looked away, mumbling guiltily, “No.”
“Mm, but the snacks at home are much fewer, and the trash bin is full of the wrappers Baby finished.”
“…”
This was actually Zhong Nian’s oversight; he had forgotten to clear away the “evidence” from entertaining his guest.
He simply let it slide and tacitly accepted it.
“You can’t skip proper meals for just snacks.” At that moment, Mo Heng acted like a parent. “From now on, I’ll have to limit Little Nian’s daily snack intake.”
“…Oh.”
Zhong Nian didn’t take it to heart; he didn’t particularly love snacks anyway.
The homemade desserts from Mr. Administrator were more than enough to satisfy his cravings.
Mo Heng touched his stomach again and found it indeed bulging, so he indulged him. “If you can’t eat more, then don’t. Your husband will clean up later. Little Nian, go play first. Bath time at nine.”
Zhong Nian was a bit reluctant. “Does it have to be so early?”
“Nine isn’t early; it’ll take a while before you can sleep.” Mo Heng said.
Remembering that the apartment had only one bathroom and they had to take turns, Zhong Nian fell silent.
He let Mo Heng shower first, then used the time to finish off the remaining tiramisu in the fridge. He washed the box clean and hid it with the cookie jar.
The longer he kept the stuff around, the more nervous he got—like hiding a bomb, afraid Mo Heng would discover it and start interrogating him endlessly.
He licked the cocoa powder from the corners of his mouth. Seeing the time was about up, Zhong Nian ran back to the living room sofa and pretended to watch TV.
As he watched, he suddenly noticed a bag next to the TV cabinet. It seemed like something Mo Heng had brought back but left untouched, piquing his curiosity.
He had just stepped forward to untie the bag’s drawstring knot when he heard Mo Heng’s voice from the bathroom after finishing his shower. “Little Nian, it’s your turn to bathe. How about wearing this to sleep tonight?”
Zhong Nian looked up and felt speechless upon seeing the pajamas in the man’s hand.
They weren’t anything improper—matching the set Mo Heng wore—but the open cardigan top had a deep V-neck that was particularly low. The size was too big too; any slight bend would expose certain areas.
If he lived alone, Zhong Nian would have loved such unrestricted clothes, but with a pervert in the house, it was a different story.
“I don’t want it.” Zhong Nian firmly rejected the man’s suggestion, ran into the bedroom, and picked out a safer pair of pajamas. “This one will be more comfortable.”
Mo Heng nodded good-naturedly without comment, put the pajamas back in the cabinet, as if he had just grabbed them casually without deeper intent.
“Go wash up. We’ll sleep early tonight.”
“Mm.” Hearing the man say that, Zhong Nian felt uneasy instead. He hugged his pajamas and entered the bathroom.
He soaked until his skin wrinkled and his head felt dizzy before slowly emerging from the bathroom. He saw Mo Heng placing items from the bag by the TV into the nightstand.
He didn’t catch what they were exactly before the drawer closed.
Mo Heng handed him a cup of warm water he had prepared in advance. “You soaked so long; you must be thirsty, right?”
It was exactly what Zhong Nian needed. He took it and drank more than half.
As he set the cup on the nightstand, he glimpsed something and jolted alert, his dizzy mind clearing instantly.
Five little boxes… Square and neat, printed with familiar words, just like last night, openly displayed.
Had they been found??
Zhong Nian’s face paled. He glanced back and saw Mo Heng had gone back into the bathroom to clean the tub. He immediately repeated his old trick, scooped up the boxes from the nightstand, and scurried around the bedroom like an ant on a hot pan, searching for a better hiding spot.