Chapter 50: Sending the Kid to Work

The banquet ended, and Jiang Xiaoyu was still plotting to sneak away when Ye Lian had Yan Feilang park the car directly at his doorstep.

“Go on.” Ye Lian patted the black cat’s head.

Jiang Xiaoyu crouched beside him. The man carried a faint scent of alcohol—it wasn’t unpleasant, but it made Jiang Xiaoyu’s brain a bit fuzzy.

He looked up at Ye Lian. The man chuckled and asked, “What’s wrong? Can’t bear to leave Uncle?”

Jiang Xiaoyu’s ears flushed red as he nipped at him. “No way!” He kicked his legs and jumped down from the car, vanishing from Ye Lian’s sight in a flash.

Yan Feilang turned the steering wheel to head back up the mountain, his voice rough. “Boss, Young Master Yu will arrive tomorrow.”

Ye Lian propped his temple with one hand. Even after drinking quite a bit with Wan Keyao, his expression remained clear-headed. “Go pick up Third Brother early tomorrow morning. I’ve arranged his accommodations.”

“Got it.”

Ye Yuzhi was transferring to Pine City with his whole family. Hopefully, there wouldn’t be any complications.

—

Jiang Xiaoyu bolted home as fast as he could, only to spot Ye Qingxu at the door, holding some food. The man rang the doorbell a few times with no answer, then pulled out his phone, his expression hesitant about whether to call.

“Forget it, it’s too late…” Assuming Jiang Xiaoyu was asleep, he looked a bit downcast at not seeing him. He squatted down and handed the food to the Little Yellow Dog at the fence, gesturing awkwardly. “Food—for your owner. Eat it in the morning.”

The dog didn’t understand, but it sniffed at it. Ye Qingxu relaxed, about to hang the food around its neck, when the dog happily barked at the gate, tongue lolling: “Woof woof!”

Ye Qingxu froze, then turned to see a Little Black Cat in a rose-pink skirt, a big bow at the back of its neck that made its head look tiny and adorable.

“Are you Little Yu’s new cat?” It had green eyes, and Ye Qingxu inexplicably felt affectionate toward it. He reached out tentatively to pet it, then smiled. “Such a good kitty.”

Jiang Xiaoyu rubbed against him, then darted through the fence, meowing at the dog while running, “Little Yellow, watch him. Don’t let him leave yet.”

The Little Yellow Dog woofed once, then gently grabbed Ye Qingxu’s shirtsleeve in its mouth when he tried to hang the food on its neck again, refusing to let go.

Ye Qingxu frowned. “Doggy, let go.” As he puzzled over it, the voice he’d been longing for came from inside the door: “Mr. Ye? Sorry, I was asleep. What brings you here so late?”

Probably just woken up, Jiang Xiaoyu’s hair was a bit messy as he pulled on a short-sleeved shirt while walking out.

Ye Qingxu quickly stood. “I was taking a walk and saw some street snacks for sale nearby, so I thought I’d bring some over. Oh, and last time I washed clothes here, so I came to pick them up.”

Jiang Xiaoyu opened the door, a murmur of suspicion in his heart: Taking a walk this late? All the way out here?

He took the food from the Little Yellow Dog’s neck, a bit embarrassed. “Thanks, Mr. Ye. You could’ve just come for your clothes—no need to bring food.”

Ye Qingxu followed him inside, smiling. “No need to thank me. I saw you liked shellfish last time, so I grabbed some from a roadside vendor.”

Jiang Xiaoyu scratched his head sheepishly, set the food on the table, and turned to get bowls and chopsticks. “Then let’s eat together?”

“Good, good!” Ye Qingxu agreed eagerly, helping Jiang Xiaoyu unpack the food. He asked, “I saw a little black cat at the door earlier—is it yours?”

Jiang Xiaoyu felt a twinge of awkwardness but mumbled, “Yeah, it is.”

“Very cute.” Ye Qingxu had a placating intent. “First time I’ve seen a curly-haired cat like that. The outfit looks great on it too.”

“Thanks…” Jiang Xiaoyu set out the bowls and chopsticks, quickly steering back. “Eat up first. I’ll grab your clothes.”

Ye Qingxu instinctively wanted to follow but worried about startling him, so he sat in a chair instead. Watching the cats and dog crowd under the table drawn by the seafood scent, he awkwardly picked up a cat and muttered to himself, “What does your owner like to eat? Does he like fish?” He’d bought fish last time for dinner, but Jiang Xiaoyu hadn’t eaten much, so uncertain, he asked again, “If I buy sashimi, would he like it?”

He didn’t expect a reply from the cat—just felt thrilled and nervous about spending time with Jiang Xiaoyu.

“Here.” Jiang Xiaoyu came back with a bag. “All cleaned.”

Ye Qingxu stood to take it, smiling. “I forgot your clothes. I’ll get them next time.”

Jiang Xiaoyu nodded. They ate in silence for a bit. Jiang Xiaoyu felt awkward… because Ye Qingxu kept staring at him with this intense, indescribable gaze. Whenever his chopsticks hovered over a dish, the man looked gratified and touched, as if Jiang Xiaoyu had done something that made him overjoyed.

Ye Qingxu picked at his food idly. Seeing Jiang Xiaoyu reach for a napkin, he jumped up to grab one. “Enough to eat? I can buy more if not.”

Jiang Xiaoyu nodded with pursed lips. “Plenty.” He poked at a few shells. He wasn’t dumb—these ingredients didn’t look like roadside stuff…

“Mr. Ye…” He hesitated to speak.

“Here!” Ye Qingxu nodded eagerly. “Water? Or—”

Jiang Xiaoyu quickly stopped him from standing. “Mr. Ye, you don’t have to do this. If you need help with something, just say it.” The man’s fawning attitude was too obvious, making Jiang Xiaoyu suspect he wanted a favor.

Ye Qingxu paused, then suddenly had a flash of inspiration. He sat back down, apologetic. “Since you asked, I’ll be direct. I’ve only been in Pine City a short while, and the hotel isn’t convenient. I really like it here, so I was wondering if I could stay temporarily until I find a stable place. Of course, I’d pay rent and cover food and expenses.”

Jiang Xiaoyu was dumbfounded. “But I only have one bedroom…”

Ye Qingxu hurried. “The sofa’s fine for me.”

That definitely wouldn’t do—plus, Jiang Xiaoyu couldn’t let a normal person know he could turn into a cat. It’d be inconvenient if he really stayed. Jiang Xiaoyu wanted to refuse but didn’t know how, while Ye Qingxu seemed to realize his abruptness and apologized. “Sorry, I didn’t think it through. I was thinking it’d be convenient for designing your yard if I stayed here, but I didn’t consider your inconvenience. I’ve put you in a tough spot.”

With that, he stood to leave. “Really sorry. It’s late—finish eating and rest. I won’t disturb you.” He was so stupid for such a lame excuse. Suppressing his bitterness, afraid of upsetting the kid, he kept his head down, avoiding his gaze.

Jiang Xiaoyu wasn’t sure if he imagined it, but Ye Qingxu’s eyes seemed a bit red. He followed him to the yard gate and heard, “Head back. I’ll come by this weekend to take measurements and bring food then.”

Jiang Xiaoyu didn’t get why he was so into feeding him, but seeing the man’s reddened eyes up close confirmed it. He opened his mouth, hesitated forever, and as Ye Qingxu turned to leave, blurted, “Wait—if you don’t mind, I can set up a bed in the room. It might be cramped, no rent needed. It’s no big deal, just a bed…”

He trailed off nervously. Ye Qingxu turned back with an expression he couldn’t quite read—happy, yet seeming heartbroken.

Then Ye Qingxu stepped forward in two strides and hugged him, voice trembling. “Good.”

—

Jiang Xiaoyu was truly baffled. The very next day after agreeing to let Ye Qingxu stay, the man dragged his luggage and moved in.

“I really can’t cook except for dumplings. Try them—see if they suit your taste.” Ye Qingxu smiled gently, leaving Jiang Xiaoyu unsure where to put his hands and feet.

This was the closest he’d been to anyone in so long, and Jiang Xiaoyu felt super awkward—especially with the man staring at him like a benevolent elder, which he wasn’t used to at all.

“They’re good. Um, I’m off to work.” He forced down a few, barely tasting them, then stood to leave.

“Good, good.” Ye Qingxu nodded and grabbed a lunchbox from the side. “Take this—I packed it from a restaurant this morning. Heat it up for lunch.”

Before Jiang Xiaoyu could refuse, the man stuffed a bag of snacks into his arms. “Take this too—for your colleagues. And this one. Eat up, there’ll be more tomorrow.”

Dazed, Jiang Xiaoyu clutched the pile of food as Ye Qingxu pushed him into the car and buckled his seatbelt. “I’m heading to Reid Europe anyway. I’ll drop you at the Public Security Bureau on the way.”

By the time Jiang Xiaoyu dazedly got out at the Public Security Bureau entrance, he still hadn’t snapped out of it. The turn of events felt creepily bizarre.

“Who’s that?” Zhang Pangpang, munching a bun, had just arrived. Passing the door, he eyed the statue-like Jiang Xiaoyu. “Who dropped you off for work?” First time in ages seeing someone give Jiang Xiaoyu a ride?

Jiang Xiaoyu said, “My tenant…”

“Eh? A tenant?” Zhang Pangpang swallowed his food twice before flipping through the bag in Jiang Xiaoyu’s hand. “What’d you bring? Whoa! This stuff is pricey—I wanted some last time but couldn’t bring myself to buy it! Let Fat Lord have a taste, let Fat Lord have a taste!”

Ye Qingxu had told him to share with his colleagues? Jiang Xiaoyu grabbed a few and handed them to Zhang Pangpang. “Here, for you.”

He distributed snacks to all the colleagues when he entered the Case Handling Office. Amid their strangely puzzled gazes, even he himself felt something was off as he walked into Jin Ge’s office.

“Shifu, this is for you.” He handed over a snack box he didn’t recognize.

“What’s this?” Jin Ge stubbed out his cigarette, took it, glanced at it, then eyed him suspiciously. “Did you rob a bank or something? Buying stuff this expensive?” This one box of cookies was worth about a week’s pay for this cat cub, right?

Jiang Xiaoyu pouted, feeling inexplicably aggrieved as he told him about Ye Qingxu. “Why would he do that? It’s so weird. Should I not have let him move in?”

Jin Ge munched on the cookies, feeling a bit bought off by the treat, and coaxed, “It’s fine. Shifu will go back with you tonight and take a look.”

In the end, the two hadn’t even made it back when they ran into Ye Qingxu at the Public Security Bureau entrance right at the end of the workday—he’d come to pick someone up from work.

“Off work? I was passing by and came to pick you up.” The man stated it matter-of-factly, speaking to Jin Ge just like he was picking up a kid from kindergarten. “This must be the boss, right? Thanks for looking after him.”

Jin ·Kindergarten Principal· Ge stared at the face in front of him, nearly identical to Jiang Xiaoyu’s, and grinned with bared teeth. “No trouble at all.”