Chapter 28

028.

Compared to the loose black tee, the black training tank was more like the sweater Bai Yu usually wore, but it was even easier on the eyes since it was sleeveless, showing more skin.

Lu Yuan rested his elbow on his knee, his palm cupping his face. His hand, which had been teasing the Maine Coon kitten with a dried fish, unconsciously paused, and his sneaky appreciation became shamelessly obvious as time passed and Bai Yu remained seemingly "unaware."

His skin was so pale, his waist so slim, his legs so long, and his eyes... his eyes were chilly.

Caught in seconds, Lu Yuan sheepishly touched his nose and offered a sheepish grin: "Why'd you stop hitting that punching bag?"

He already hadn't slept well last night, and that sudden head turn almost stopped his heart.

Bai Yu turned around and unwrapped his boxing gloves, his voice still breathy from the intense workout. Though not loud, the way he was panting was honestly kinda sexy, making his heart, which had almost stopped, race again.

He quietly rubbed his ear, and just as he lowered his hand, he heard the man say flatly: "Because there's a stare behind me so intense it feels like it's trying to peel my clothes off."

Lu Yuan: "..."

Was it really that dramatic?

Now doubting himself, Lu Yuan coughed lightly and, with lightning-fast reflexes, snatched up the kitten still determinedly trying to get at the dried fish. In a super innocent voice, he said, "Oh, that must be our good boy, right? Because daddy doesn't wanna give you the dried fish, huh?"

Even though the kitten didn't understand, it played along and meowed, then rubbed against Lu Yuan's hand affectionately, whimpering and being all cute to try to get Lu Yuan to help it grab the fish.

The kitten was so cute, Lu Yuan couldn't resist at all.

He even totally forgot how the cat had wrecked his sleep last night, and turned to untie the string with the dried fish.

Bai Yu watched his movements, his brows furrowed slightly, really feeling how much Lu Yuan spoiled the kid. Tossing his boxing gloves into the bamboo basket nearby, Bai Yu leaned down to grab the towel off the lounge chair, wiping the light sweat from his forehead and shoulders. He said casually, "You've had your look. Now go back to bed."

Lu Yuan was watching the cat eat the fish and shook his head: "Wait a bit more."

Bai Yu: "Either go back to bed, or take the cat and go back to bed."

Thud.

Lu Yuan immediately stopped petting the kitten's head, quickly got up off the floor, and said with a smile: "I'm going now."

No way—after the cat kept him up all night, he'd take it back to bed? He'd literally drop dead.

It was a shame to miss out on the hot guy's workout routine... Before the disappointment could fade, Bai Yu, as if reading his mind, suddenly said: "Don't worry, you can watch again tomorrow at this time."

Lu Yuan's smile froze: "..."

Ugh, even if he noticed him staring, couldn't he just pretend he didn't?

Lu Yuan turned and left, his green dinosaur tail swinging hard, looking all embarrassed and annoyed. Bai Yu smirked slightly, watching him go.

With the little troublemaker gone, Lu Yuan's nap was pure bliss. When he woke, the sky was fully bright. Glancing at his phone, it was already past two in the afternoon.

After a quick wash-up, he changed into fresh pajamas and slowly pushed the door open to head out. The moment the door opened, he spotted the Maine Coon lying by the entrance playing with a ball of yarn. Seeing Lu Yuan come out, it immediately kicked the ball away, hooked its claws onto his pajamas, and scrambled up onto his leg.

Lu Yuan picked it up and made his way to the first-floor living room, where he first spotted a familiar figure.

Lu Zhuo, sitting on the sofa, turned around and greeted his younger brother with a grin: "Morning, A Yuan."

It wasn't really morning anymore.

Lu Yuan obediently responded: "Second Brother, morning. When did you get here? Why didn't you wake me?"

"Bai Yu said you didn't sleep well last night, so I figured I wouldn't disturb your rest." Lu Zhuo was dressed very casually today. His relationship with Bai Yu was obviously close—he sat on someone else's turf with complete ease, long legs bent and propped on the sofa. His gaze shifted to the cat in the young man's arms, and he rested his chin on his hand to ask, "So this is the cat Lu Yan sent over? That brat has good taste—it's pretty cute."

Lu Yuan blinked, stole a glance at the man on the other sofa, then suddenly broke into a bright smile. He walked quickly to the sofa and presented the good kid to Lu Zhuo.

Lu Zhuo: "?"

Lu Yuan cleared his throat: "Let it get to know its Second Brother."

Second Brother Lu clearly hadn't expected Bai Yu and the cat to have a father-son relationship, so he accepted the so-called "Second Brother" title without issue.

He deftly reached out and scratched under the kitten's chin, and the Maine Coon began purring contentedly. The two of them were absorbed in their play, completely unaware that the other man present had lifted his eyelids, his slightly narrowed eyes carrying a hint of meaning as he looked at Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan pretended not to see.

He even dared to point at Second Brother Lu and say to the cat: "Good kid, this is your Second Brother."

Lu Zhuo was also very cooperative, opening his mouth to chime in, when a cold warning sounded in his ear: "That's my son."

Lu Zhuo: "..."

The words "Good kid, I'm your Second Brother" got stuck in his throat—neither coming out nor going down, nearly choking him to death.

Only the culprit behind it all was about to die laughing on the inside.

Lu Zhuo genuinely hadn't expected Bai Yu to be so fond of this cat. He quickly returned the son to its rightful owner, watching the Maine Coon knead its paws on the man's thigh, and shook his head in amazement.

Then he pulled Lu Yuan to sit beside him and asked: "How's your waist been these past two days? I brought you some healing ointment. A doctor from the neighboring department has a family that runs a traditional Chinese medicine clinic—they make their own ointment, said to be very effective for waist sprains."

Lu Yuan touched his waist and answered honestly: "Much better, but I can't do any strenuous exercise."

"Healing pretty fast—looks like Chairman Bai's apology was sincere." Lu Zhuo teased with a laugh, earning a cold look from Bai Yu. But as old friends, he was long accustomed to Bai Yu's expression. Unlike Lu Yan, he remained perfectly composed. "Well then, just rest up for now."

Lu Yuan nodded repeatedly.

Lu Zhuo stayed for dinner at Songlan Mansion before leaving.

After the meal, Lu Yuan took advantage of the fact that it hadn't started snowing yet to take the cat for a stroll around the sprawling villa complex. Along the way, he filmed several adorable videos of the good kid and posted them to social media.

On the way back, he first stopped by his own Villa No. 2.

Seeing their young master walk in carrying the cat, the resident butler Chen Chi was so moved he nearly wanted to cry.

Third Young Master Lu Yan hadn't returned to Songlan Mansion since yesterday. The entire villa's owners had all run off, leaving him—a butler with nothing to do—all alone. Chen Chi was utterly miserable. But he never expected that on this ordinary evening, his young master had come back!

Yet just as he smiled and stepped forward to greet him, he heard Lu Yuan say: "I'm just here to grab a board. Brother Chen, you go about your business."

Chen Chi: "...So, you'll be heading back over tonight?"

Lu Yuan nodded: "Yeah. Oh, right, Brother Chen, I bought some fabric—it should arrive tomorrow. Help me sign for it when it comes."

The surge of enthusiasm that had just welled up in Butler Chen instantly evaporated, and he could only maintain a strained smile as he acknowledged with a "yes."

Lu Yuan slipped the tablet into his pocket and walked off with it on his back.

The thesis-writing wasn't that urgent, and judging by Bai Yu's attitude, he seemed inclined to let it slide. So Lu Yuan decided to find something else to occupy his time. That something was the promise he'd made to the good kid earlier—making it clothes.

But the suit can wait—he plans to make something else for the little one.

When Lu Yuan got back to Villa No. 1, Bai Yu wasn't upstairs. Through the glass, Lu Yuan spotted him in the flower room.

The first time Lu Yuan stepped into the place, he'd been fascinated by the flowers in the glass room, and when the old housekeeper told him they were all grown by Bai Yu himself, he was even more amazed. Today, spotting him in the flower room, he walked right in without a second thought.

The temperature inside was far warmer than outside—a cozy warmth washed over him the moment he stepped in. Lu Yuan let out an impressed "Wow": "So pretty! I heard you grew all these yourself—that's awesome."

The little furball seemed to agree, scrambling out of Lu Yuan's arms to reach for the Kaffir lily nearby.

Oh no, you can't grab that!

He quickly snatched the paw back, warning it: "Don't touch—this flower's worth seven figures. If you wreck it, selling both of us won't cover the cost... wait, no."

He suddenly realized: "You're not my kid anyway. If you ruin it, your dad is responsible."

And with that, he let the paw loose.

Bai Yu rubbed his forehead, thinking Lu Yuan had no conscience at all, but when he saw the cat actually going for it again, he bent down, scooped it up, and plopped it into a nearby cardboard box, tossing it a few red camellias that had fallen onto the table.

The little one immediately started meowing, batting at the flowers with both paws and nuzzling them.

After a little while, it suddenly went quiet. Lu Yuan raised an eyebrow, trying not to look too curious, and strolled over—just as the Maine Coon kitten popped its head out, covered in red camellias, meowing right at Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan was so hit by the cuteness that he clutched his chest: "Sweetie, you're so adorable! A pretty little cat wearing flowers!"

It was just too sudden—he didn't even have time to get his phone out and missed that adorable moment!

Hearing him grumble, Bai Yu glanced at the camera up ahead and said, "You can ask Uncle Wei to grab the surveillance footage later."

Oh, yeah.

The flowers in this glass room were worth several houses; it would be crazy not to have cameras.

"Great, great," he nodded eagerly. "I could watch that moment a hundred times."

Bai Yu, however, found Lu Yuan's reaction more amusing than the cat's.

When Lu Yuan was happy, his face lit up in a way you could feel even in the dark. Anyone who saw it couldn't help but feel better.

"Want me to take a pot to your bedroom?" Bai Yu asked him.

Lu Yuan waved his hands repeatedly: "No need, it's fine here. Besides, I'm not the only one sleeping in the guest room—the little one will dig up all your flowers while I'm asleep, and you'll be crying before you know it."

Bai Yu casually tossed out: "It's just a pot of flowers."

Lu Yuan pointed at that old, gnarled Kaffir lily and asked in a low voice: "Even this one?"

Bai Yu: "Sure."

Lu Yuan: "..."

I don't get you rich people.

He didn't take the flowers—he carried the box with the cat inside and left. Watching him head toward Villa No. 1, Bai Yu followed behind and casually remarked, "I thought you'd run off with my cat and never come back."

Lu Yuan turned his head: "How could I! Am I that kind of person?"

Though he had thought about it, the little one's daily supplies were all at Villa No. 1, and if he really took it home, he couldn't properly care for it.

But—

Holding the box, he said, "I do need to go back tomorrow. I ordered some fabric for the little one—I'll make it some clothes."

Bai Yu's steps faltered.

He'd heard Lu Yuan mention making the cat a little suit before, but since Lu Yuan hadn't shown any movement today, Bai Yu assumed he was just talking. He hadn't expected him to actually mean it.

He stared at the Maine Coon kitten for a moment, then suddenly spoke: "Do you remember you still owe me seven papers to memorize?"