Chapter 13
Xie Zhang entered the bathroom and reached for his toothbrush holder.
Song Jingmo, having discarded the screaming chickens, slid onto the counter, a chibi shadow figure grabbing the toothpaste tube, poised for action.
A flicker of bewilderment crossed Xie Zhang’s eyes.
Song Jingmo huffed, expertly squeezing a dollop of toothpaste onto Xie Zhang’s toothbrush with a shadow tendril.
Then he shoved it towards Xie Zhang’s mouth.
There!
Brush your teeth, no slacking!
Xie Zhang hesitated for a second, then, before the shadow tendril could attempt to brush his teeth for him, he began his morning routine.
But his feelings were complex.
It had been a long, long time… since his mother’s death, no one had intruded into his life like this, taking on the role of caretaker, supervisor, and scheduler.
Xie Zhang was used to being in control, managing every aspect of his own life and his lover’s, always careful not to overstep, worried about stifling Song Jingmo, yet anxious when he wasn’t around.
But now, Momo was here.
Always, constantly, never leaving his side.
Xie Zhang rinsed his mouth, then looked up at himself in the mirror, a gentle, loving smile slowly spreading across his face.
Song Jingmo, placing the toothpaste back on the shelf, saw the smile and, startled, slid off the counter, landing directly under the running faucet.
He was drenched, literally.
He shook his head, remembering he was a shadow.
Xie Zhang, however, didn’t treat him like a mere shadow. He quickly turned off the faucet, carefully wiped the sink dry, and then folded a hand towel into a neat little square.
Without prompting, Song Jingmo settled onto the soft towel.
Xie Zhang gently and meticulously dried the splayed-out shadow figure, as if he were dealing with a real, tangible being, despite the lack of any discernible features.
Song Jingmo obediently raised his arms and legs as instructed, then sat on the towel rack while Xie Zhang washed his face and shaved.
Ten minutes later, Song Jingmo watched with satisfaction as Xie Zhang emerged, dressed in his workout clothes, clean, fresh, and looking good.
The chibi shadow hopped onto his shoulder, scampering around before settling into a comfortable position. He gestured with his hand.
A giant shadow arrow pointed towards the front door, which Xie Zhang hadn’t used in over two weeks.
—Let’s go!
…
The gentle morning sun cast long, distorted shadows across the trees, flowers, and buildings.
Song Jingmo rarely saw the morning sun.
If he did, it was usually at an airport, bleary-eyed from jet lag, catching a glimpse of the sunrise.
During his brief stint of keeping a normal schedule with Xie Zhang, he’d managed to wake up for breakfast by 8:30—but by then, Xie Zhang had already finished his morning run and workout, and showered.
This was the first time Song Jingmo had seen Xie Zhang on his morning run, the first time he’d seen the world through his eyes at this time of day.
The morning sky was different from the afternoon or evening sky, crisp and clear, with a thin layer of mist shimmering with golden sunlight.
Xie Zhang’s villa was a standalone house on a hillside. His morning runs weren’t long.
But to Song Jingmo, everything was a new and exciting discovery.
As Xie Zhang ran, adjusting his breathing, the chibi shadow clung to the zipper of his jacket, looking around curiously.
Wow, a little bird with a red crest and blue wings! He’d never seen it in the villa before.
Song Jingmo craned his neck to get a better look, then, remembering he wasn’t human, he rubbed his hands together, floated out of Xie Zhang’s jacket, and stealthily approached the bird.
As he got closer, he realized the bird was much larger than he’d thought.
The chibi shadow stretched out his arms, slightly bewildered.
This bird… was probably over 50 centimeters long?
Xie Zhang stopped as soon as Song Jingmo left his side, keeping his distance so as not to startle the bird. He lowered his voice: “That’s a Red-billed Blue Magpie, a large corvid.”
Oh… that made sense.
The more he looked, the more beautiful Song Jingmo found the bird, with its red beak and feet, black breast, and blue “cap.” He excitedly wiggled his shadow tendrils.
Xie Zhang said calmly: “We can’t keep it. It’s a protected species. It’s illegal.”
He’d discovered the bird by chance and reported it to the wildlife protection agency. Since these birds lived in flocks, they hadn’t been relocated, but they were tagged, and someone came to check on them regularly.
Song Jingmo sighed in disappointment. He tentatively reached out, wanting to hug the large bird.
The magpie, startled by the approaching shadow, but unafraid due to its size advantage, tilted its head, curiously observing the chibi figure.
Song Jingmo looked up nervously.
Several more magpies landed on nearby branches, their calls echoing through the air.
Seemingly annoyed by the noise, the magpie in front of Song Jingmo squawked impatiently, then nudged him with its beak.
Song Jingmo, overjoyed: “!”
The next second, he was unceremoniously pushed off the branch.
Song Jingmo, dejected: “.”
The chibi shadow floated down like a piece of paper, landing in Xie Zhang’s outstretched hand.
Song Jingmo huddled in Xie Zhang’s palm, feeling utterly rejected.
He didn’t understand. He’d always been popular, loved by everyone, with a good personality. Why was he now shunned by cats, dogs, and birds?
Xie Zhang, amused, tucked the chibi shadow into his jacket pocket, zipping it closed.
—He needed to buy some workout clothes with chest pockets.
He thought.
…
Thanks to the quiet neighborhood, Xie Zhang’s shadow could freely scamper around, teasing birds and pulling at grass, without scaring any passersby.
Their morning run complete, they returned home.
The schedule included a gym session, but since Xie Zhang was just getting back into exercise, Song Jingmo insisted on a gradual approach, pushing him towards the bathroom.
Xie Zhang couldn’t argue with him.
As he entered the bathroom and began to undress, he looked down and saw the chibi shadow, radiating anticipation.
Song Jingmo rubbed his hands together, looking expectantly at Xie Zhang.
Well?
Take your clothes off!
Xie Zhang: “…”
Neither a normal person nor a mentally ill person would react to their own shadow in that way.
But his shadow was Momo.
And Momo was watching him.
Xie Zhang’s fingers froze on his shirt buttons.
After a long moment, he forced himself to look at the non-reflective tiles, quickly undressing, only to have the ever-helpful Song Jingmo snatch the towel, soap, and loofah, attempting to assist him.
Xie Zhang: “…”
After a rather awkward shower, Xie Zhang quickly wrapped himself in a towel and hurried out of the bathroom.
For the first time, he was incredibly grateful that Momo was just an inky black blob, devoid of details.
But as he entered the dressing room, he stepped on a stray screaming chicken, eliciting a loud shriek.
Xie Zhang: “…”
The usually composed and meticulous CEO took a deep breath, a strand of wet hair falling across his forehead.
He picked up the screaming chicken, the one that had escaped his earlier purge, and buried it deep within his closet, along with the rest of the yellow menaces.
The chibi shadow, strolling out of the steamy bathroom, saw Xie Zhang, wrapped in a towel, bending down to pick up the screaming chicken. He peeked, then let out a loud whistle.
Seemingly concerned but actually ogling, Song Jingmo, despite his inky black form, was practically glowing with a blush, his non-existent mind filled with impure thoughts.
Heh heh, his darling’s physique was indeed excellent!
Slurp!
