It was indeed a seduction.
Pei Yan watched Shen Ju’s lips pout as he spoke, and his gaze darkened for a moment.
He wanted to crush them fiercely.
Or poke into that pouty mouth, watching Shen Ju’s eyes well up with tears.
At that moment, Pei Yan couldn’t help but feel grateful again.
Fortunately, it was him.
If that System had chosen someone else…
“You… why didn’t you call me?”
Shen Ju was still a bit dissatisfied. He reached out and tugged at Pei Yan’s shirt over his chest, shaking it.
Pei Yan grasped Shen Ju’s hand, his gaze sweeping toward the others.
Everyone was staring in their direction.
Guan Mulin, in particular, finally snapped out of it. Shen Ju was truly drunk.
He instinctively reached out, wanting to take Shen Ju over.
“Shen Ju’s drunk. How about I—”
But before his hand could touch Shen Ju, Pei Yan had already supported him to his feet.
“Mm, he’s drunk.”
Pei Yan said, “I’ll take him back to the room.”
“We’re sharing a suite anyway.”
Damn, he’d almost forgotten that Shen Ju was actually rooming in the same suite as Pei Yan.
Guan Mulin felt a bit conflicted.
Pei Yan didn’t know about Shen Ju’s conversation with the System 996, nor did he know the real reason behind Shen Ju’s earlier behavior. If he insisted on taking Shen Ju back, it might seem a little off.
But if not…
What if Shen Chirp did something else?
Pei Haochuan’s little uncle probably saw them all as juniors anyway. He wouldn’t really misunderstand, right…
Pei Yan glanced at Guan Mulin and said calmly, “I’ll put him to bed once we’re back.”
“You guys keep having fun.”
Ah, bed—good, good.
Guan Mulin felt somewhat relieved. He’d wanted to say he’d go back with them, but the moment had passed. He could only nod. “Alright, thanks for the trouble.”
In the top-floor suite.
Pei Yan brought Shen Ju back, not wanting the others to see him in this drunken state.
He’d half-carried, half-supported him the whole way, and the kid had been nuzzling against his chest nonstop.
Stubbornly insisting that he call him by his nickname.
Finally, they reached the room.
Pei Yan only turned on the light in the entryway.
Then he brought him to the kitchen island, reached out, gripped Shen Ju’s waist, and lifted him onto the countertop.
“Huh?”
Shen Ju blinked his dazed eyes, looking around in confusion.
He was about as tall as Pei-ge now.
Shen Ju reached to tug at Pei Yan’s collar.
But Pei Yan blocked his hand.
Shen Ju wasn’t happy about it and pouted.
“Hot or not?”
The winter air was chilly. Though they’d taken the elevator straight to the top floor from the bar, Pei Yan had still bundled Shen Ju up in an outer coat, wrapping him like a little bear—hat and all.
Pei Yan himself wore only a black trench coat.
Now standing in front of Shen Ju, he leisurely shrugged it off and tossed it onto a nearby dining chair.
The heating had kicked on the moment they entered.
The temperature rose quickly, and Shen Ju did feel hot. He tugged at his down jacket.
Only then did he realize the hood was still up over his head.
Shen Ju reached for the hood again.
But his brain was sluggish. He instinctively yanked forward instead of flipping it back, which only pulled it tighter over his face. He tugged harder and ended up pitching forward.
Thud. He bumped right into Pei Yan’s chest again.
Pei Yan’s chest vibrated slightly, as if he were chuckling lowly.
“Want me to help?”
Shen Ju pursed his lips, unhappy.
He didn’t speak.
A hand reached up from below, as if to soothe, lightly brushing Shen Ju’s cheek inside the hood of the down jacket.
“Chirp Chirp.”
The pronunciation was spot-on, but soft—like he was afraid to disturb something precious with its weight.
Hearing Pei Yan call his nickname at last, Shen Ju was delighted.
Chin propped on Pei Yan’s chest, he lifted his head and took Pei Yan’s hand, placing it on his own head.
Help!
Pei Yan chuckled and helped Shen Ju out of the down jacket.
The Guan Family was helping Shen Ju, so Pei Yan naturally wouldn’t lag behind.
But this situation was truly testing him, forcing him to muster every ounce of restraint.
He couldn’t really respond—and he even had to “rebuff” the kid first.
For Pei Yan, that was no small challenge.
Yet the restless urge in his heart was undeniably satisfied.
Just like right now…
Pei Yan didn’t do anything extra while removing the jacket.
Once it was off, he stepped back, draped it over a chair, grabbed a glass, and went to the side of the island to fill it with water.
As if he’d completed his task and was now doing his own thing.
Leaving Shen Ju “hanging” on the counter, while moving around him.
Shen Ju’s head swiveled, following Pei Yan.
His legs swung, heels tapping the counter with an oddly rhythmic beat.
He watched Pei Yan roll up his sleeves, revealing toned forearms.
Under the trench coat was a black crewneck sweater, paired with matching pants. The sweater wasn’t baggy—it hugged his frame, accentuating his broad shoulders and narrow waist, the inverted triangle of his upper body highlighting his solid back and muscle lines. A real feast for the eyes.
Shen Ju was unconsciously drawn in, his gaze tracking Pei Yan’s every move.
But Pei Yan ignored him.
After removing the jacket, he hadn’t glanced his way once.
As if helping had been an obligation—and now he was withdrawing fast.
If Shen Ju were sober, he probably wouldn’t have complained.
But now, with his mind foggy, he was acting on pure instinct.
He hated being ignored by Pei Yan.
He’d even told Pei Yan his nickname!
And Pei Yan had called him by it!
Shen Ju had mentally placed Pei Yan in his inner circle.
How could he ignore me?
That doesn’t make sense.
Seeing Pei Yan finish filling the glass, Shen Ju slammed his heel against the edge of the counter and reached out toward him. “I… I want some too…”
Both hands outstretched, like begging for a hug.
Pei Yan held the glass of water, silently watching Shen Ju.
If Shen Ju were sober, he’d have noticed how dark Pei Yan’s gaze was—like it could swallow him whole, unwavering.
“Want… water…”
Drunk, Shen Ju was stubbornly persistent.
First it was getting Pei Yan to say the nickname; now it was drinking the water from his hand.
Seeing Pei Yan not budge, Shen Ju looked pitiful. “Bro…”
His heels tapped the counter again—tap tap—not knowing how to get down.
It was hard to say Pei Yan wasn’t doing this on purpose.
He probably hadn’t had good intentions from the start.
Finally, Pei Yan moved.
He walked back to Shen Ju with the glass. “Who’re you calling?”
“You’ve got so many ‘brothers’…”
Pei Yan murmured lowly. His other hand lifted, forearm tensing with veins, but it touched Shen Ju’s face gently—thumb pressing lightly on his lips…
Really want to crush them hard.
“Do they all call you Chirp Chirp too?”
Shen Ju was thirsty. He licked his lips—and ended up licking Pei Yan’s thumb. Unaware, he nodded instinctively, not even parsing the question fully. Only Jian Yi called him that, usually when mad, as a warning.
The pressure on his lips suddenly increased…
Pei Yan chuckled softly.
“I see…”
So he was the last to know.
And if not for the task, who knows when he’d have found out.
Pei Yan withdrew his hand, spinning the glass in his grip.
Shen Ju watched, suddenly struck by inspiration.
He grabbed the hem of Pei Yan’s shirt. “Like it best when Pei-ge calls me.”
Pei Yan coaxed playfully, “Why?”
Shen Ju tilted his head, honest. His gaze flicked down. “Wanna… drink water…”
Pei Yan: “…”
Fine.
Pei Yan couldn’t help but laugh. He stopped teasing.
He held the glass to Shen Ju’s lips. “Drink up.”
Shen Ju lifted both hands to cup it, gulping greedily. He’d been parched too long; water spilled from the corners of his mouth, trickling down to Pei Yan’s fingers. Pei Yan’s gaze darkened further.
Teasing him like this—who was really being tortured?
Pei Yan inhaled deeply. Once Shen Ju finished, he pulled the glass away, setting it on the counter. He rubbed the water from his fingers.
Shen Ju’s eyes followed, wanting more.
“No.”
Pei Yan pressed Shen Ju’s stomach lightly. “Can’t drink more.”
“Too much and you’ll be running to the bathroom. I won’t be able to watch you tonight.”
“Why…”
Shen Ju blinked blankly.
He kept tugging Pei Yan. “Don’t… go…”
He still remembered the task.
“I still need to se—”
【AHHH HOST! STOP!!!】
996 was scared witless, vowing never to let the host touch alcohol again!
Who could’ve guessed Shen Ju could actually get drunk.
But after watching so long, the task seemed to be progressing smoothly?
Shen Ju startled, nearly dying of fright himself…
His body jerked, and he fell silent.
Pei Yan sighed inwardly.
What else could it be?
Of course, that…
He was afraid of staying too close—afraid of slipping up. He couldn’t actually do anything, and even teasing had nearly pulled him under…
“Alright, come down.”
Pei Yan gripped under Shen Ju’s arms and lifted him off the counter.
“I’ll take you to wash up, then you sleep like a good boy.”
“No…”
Shen Ju scrunched his face. The task felt unfinished.
But the alcohol was hitting harder, muddling his thoughts.
One moment he wanted Pei Yan to hate him; the next, not to. Thinking it over left him feeling wronged, eyes reddening.
“Pei-ge~”
Shen Ju drew out the call.
As Pei Yan looked over in surprise, he burst into tears…
“Pei-ge, don’t hate me! Waaah!”
Big, messy sobs.
So wronged, so wronged.
Even leaving 996 speechless…
For the first time, 996 truly realized how deeply the host could hurt.
Usually, those feelings were buried under layers of pretense…
Host…
996 didn’t know what to say.
Its code glitched.
Unable to watch, 996 decided to shut itself down for the night.
Meanwhile.
Pei Yan caught the lunging Shen Ju in his arms.
After the initial surprise, he fully accepted the flood of emotions—he’d known Shen Ju would break eventually.
Teasing him after the drinking had been partly to draw it out.
Alcohol was a perfect excuse.
Bullied while drunk, crying it out was natural.
Shen Ju’s words tumbled incoherently. After the first sob, he couldn’t say more, burrowing into Pei Yan’s chest like a small animal seeking comfort.
Pei Yan scooped him up like a child and carried him to Shen Ju’s room.
There, he tried to set him down, but Shen Ju clung tight, burrowing deeper.
Pei Yan simply sat on the bed, settling Shen Ju in his lap.
Cry it out. You can cry freely in front of me.
Everything will be fine.
Pei Yan patted him, thoughts drifting.
He really wanted to tell Shen Ju he’d never hate him.
Because…
Pei Yan looked down at the one hiding his face in his chest and mouthed silently:
I like you.
He didn’t know exactly when it started.
Maybe when Shen Ju kept insisting he was so good.
Maybe when Shen Ju defended him in front of others.
Maybe watching the kid struggle with tasks beyond his control.
Maybe realizing Shen Ju pitied him…
Or maybe the first time someone hauled him up like yanking green onions from the dirt, planting him on solid ground from the pond. Or the first time a pomegranate bonked him on the head, making him plop down on his butt in front of everyone…
Thinking of it, Pei Yan chuckled silently.
So many moments.
Reflecting back, there were so many special, unforgettable moments—how could he possibly fail to notice the person in his arms? Coming back to his senses, his gaze had already settled on Shen Ju.
But Pei Yan wasn’t sure what Shen Ju truly felt for him.
He had probably always seen him as an elder, as “Pei-ge.”
He couldn’t be certain how much attention this kid, who threw himself wholly into his tasks, could spare for him. Nor could he demand that Shen Ju focus only on him.
But tonight was undoubtedly an unexpected delight.
Even if it was thanks to the task, Shen Ju had finally turned more of his attention toward him—and that attention was exactly what Pei Yan craved.
How fortunate.
That was why Pei Yan wasn’t quite his “steady” self tonight.
He couldn’t wait to test something.
To vent the restless urge stirring in his heart.
Because even if he teased the boy, Shen Ju couldn’t escape.
Because he had to stay by his side to “complete his task”?
He couldn’t get away.
What a delightful realization.
Just thinking about it made Pei Yan’s heart thump wildly, clamor with excitement…
On one hand, he ached for him; on the other, he brimmed with joy and delight.
But after Shen Ju clung to him and bawled his eyes out, heartache completely took over.
Too pitiful, baby.
Pei Yan thought, stroking Shen Ju’s hair.
By now, Shen Ju had cried himself out and fallen asleep.
His lashes were wet and clumped, his little face flushed from the alcohol.
Pei Yan bent down to lay Shen Ju on the bed, then gazed at him for a long while.
Truly… too pitiful, baby.
If that System wasn’t just fixated on completing tasks, seeing you like this, it ought to ache for you like I do—wish it could lay the whole world at your feet.
Pei Yan let out a soft chuckle.
He felt himself caught in a dilemma.
He wanted to preserve this task-driven status quo, yet he didn’t want Shen Ju to keep agonizing and hurting like this… How delightfully tormenting. He needed to find a way that satisfied both sides.
![The Spoiled Little Beauty is Always Abusing the Protagonist [Quick Transmigration]](https://i1.wp.com/dobynovels.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/quickk.jpg?resize=151,215 "The Spoiled Little Beauty is Always Abusing the Protagonist [Quick Transmigration]")
If Pei Uncle makes the protagonists get together, then there’d be no need for Shen Ju to be the villain. Or if the brother takes it upon himself after realising his feelings, SJ doesn’t have to be the scapegoat.