Chapter 29 Part 2

Zhong Nian withdrew his gaze and found the man staring at him the whole time. His heart tightened, thinking the other minded his snooping. He quickly lowered his eyes and said softly, “Sir, do you need me to put your clothes in the wardrobe?”

“I’ll do it myself.” The man took them and, as he turned away, sniffed them.

“Then I…”

“As thanks, have some cake.” The man said again.

Zhong Nian: “…?”

He was a bit dazed. By the time he came to his senses, he had once again been kept in the room by the man, sitting side by side with him on that somewhat small double sofa.

He looked at the Cream Cake on the small plate in his hand, then at the Flower Tea on the table, unsure how to start.

“You don’t like sweets?” The man had been observing his reactions. Seeing him unmoving, he frowned slightly. “Second Brother often makes you Doughnuts. I thought you’d like sweet things.”

“It’s okay…” Zhong Nian didn’t particularly love them, but he didn’t hate them either.

After the Cruise Ship changed hands, the kitchen rarely made such flashy, non-filling Western desserts anymore. Zhong Nian hadn’t eaten Zhan Lu’s treats for a while, so he actually missed them a bit.

Since it was offered and he had no room to refuse, he might as well accept.

Zhong Nian took the small fork and ate a bite.

“How is it?”

“Pretty good.” Zhong Nian nodded.

Only then did the man shift his intense gaze and push the poured Flower Tea forward. “The chef said it pairs well to cut the richness.”

“Oh… okay.” Zhong Nian ate while pondering inwardly.

Why did he suddenly invite him to eat?

The one Zhong Nian couldn’t figure out the most was this Kidnapper Boss. His actions were inscrutable, his expressions sparse, and he wasn’t talkative.

Now was the same—he sat silently beside him, just watching him eat.

Under such scrutiny, Zhong Nian feared indigestion and couldn’t taste the flavor. He didn’t even know where to put his eyes.

Unintentionally, as he glanced around wildly, his eyes landed on the upside-down book on the table. He noticed the prominent title and subconsciously read it aloud: “How to…”

Before he finished, his vision blurred, and the book vanished from the table.

“?”

But one look at the barrage, and he understood what happened.

【Stuffed it straight into the sofa seam, lol.】

【Bro, you’re the Boss by day, secretly studying this at night?】

【How did he even find this on the ship?】

What book made the man so nervous that he hid it so quickly?

The more this was, the more curious Zhong Nian became.

He leaned over and peered into the sofa seam on the man’s side, indeed spotting a corner that hadn’t been hidden well.

The seam was shallow; no matter how he stuffed it, it wouldn’t go in fully.

The man could only push the book further back, blocking it with his body. His voice tensed. “What’s wrong? Not eating anymore?”

“I am.” Zhong Nian absentmindedly replied, but his attention stayed on the book. He twisted his waist effortfully to see it, not noticing how he was almost leaning into the man’s embrace.

Perhaps not wanting him to see, the man didn’t move away, letting him get closer.

Zhong Nian craned his neck until it ached but still couldn’t see. Then he lost balance and pitched forward.

The man watched him tumble toward him, subtly raising an arm to shield him, preventing a fall under the sofa.

Their body heat mingled. As they lifted their heads and locked eyes, so close they could see themselves in each other’s gaze, their breaths intertwined. A strange atmosphere spread, thick with ambiguity.

By coincidence, Zhong Nian’s hands landed squarely on the man’s chest. Unlike the earlier knock, it now felt very firm.

And…

Zhong Nian snapped awake, scrambled up quickly, wanting to say something to ease the awkwardness. Then he saw a large smear of cream on the man’s clothes.

He looked down at the cake in his hand—it was ruined.

“I’ll have someone make you another tomorrow.” The man remained calm and took the plate from his hand to set it on the table.

Zhong Nian scratched his cheek. “But your clothes…”

“Yeah, they’re dirty.”

“…”

Having soiled the man’s clothes twice in one day, Zhong Nian truly felt guilty.

“Let me wipe it for you first.”

Grabbing some tissues, Zhong Nian wiped it up while saying, “This is animal cream; it shouldn’t be hard to wash. Hot water will do. I’ll handle it when I get back.”

“Mmm.” The man responded lowly.

From his angle, he could see the young man’s lowered lashes, dense and long, half-veiling eyes tinged with annoyance. His hands moved earnestly, and his lips unconsciously pursed slightly.

They looked very kissable.

The sweet, cloying scent of Cream Cake filled the air, making it hard to tell if it came from his body or those lips.

Like ants crawling over him, a scorching itch rippled through his chest.

Without realizing it, drawn by the fragrance, the man lowered his head and leaned closer.

“This should… ah!”

Mid-sentence, Zhong Nian looked up, and his forehead collided with the man’s chin.

He clutched it and rubbed, eyes watering from the pain. He wondered how anyone’s chin could be so hard.

Despite hurting him like this, the man showed no sign of pain.

“Sorry.”

A hand followed to the spot of impact, rubbing it somewhat clumsily.

Zhong Nian paused slightly. Seeing guilt and embarrassment flicker across the man’s face made him feel awkward too. “I’m fine. Do you want to change your clothes first?”

“Mmm.”

Seeing the man rise and enter the bathroom, Zhong Nian realized belatedly.

Right, there’s a private bathroom here. So why did he change in front of him that morning?

He muttered softly to himself, then remembered something. He quickly reached into the sofa seam and finally saw the book’s true face.

How to Marry Your Crush: Starter Edition for Lifelong Singles