Chapter 29

029.

Lu Yuan gave Bai Yu a live demonstration of what it meant to turn his head and shoot a glare that could kill.

If it weren't for the fact that he was holding Good Kid in his arms, he would have shoved the cardboard box right over the other man's head. Why did he have to bring up something as unlucky as memorizing papers in such a warm, pleasant moment? Wasn't that just asking for it?

His face tight, Lu Yuan chose to tattle to the Maine Coon kitten instead: "Good Kid, did you hear that? Big bro just wants to make you some clothes—it won't take much time at all. But some people actually think Big bro is slacking off!"

The last four words hit hard, carrying a full load of grievance, scattering the sparrows that had been roosting in the trees into flapping their wings and fleeing into the night with frantic chirps.

Bai Yu went quiet too.

After a pause, he explained: "I never said you were slacking off."

Didn't think so?

Then why bring up memorizing papers, and why specifically emphasize seven of them?

Irritation kept flaring up inside Lu Yuan. He hugged the box tighter, torn between storming off with the cat for maximum drama or slamming the box into the man's chest for style. But when his fierce glare met the man's eyes, which had softened from cold to slightly helpless, he paused.

What does that expression mean?

His brain short-circuiting, Lu Yuan blinked in a daze and began replaying the conversation.

He mentioned making clothes for Good Kid, Bai Yu reminded him about the seven papers, he pretended to tattle while actually accusing, and Bai Yu said that wasn't what he meant.

Wait, wait.

Nothing came to him.

Failing to find any hidden meaning, Lu Yuan stomped off heavily toward the entrance of Villa No. 1.

Bai Yu: "..."

At least he wasn't heading next door—that was something, at least.

Watching the figure ahead that looked ready to pop at the slightest poke, Bai Yu stood there, rubbing his aching temples. After pausing for a good while, he followed at a careful distance.

When he entered the house, Uncle Wei came up to greet him. Bai Yu asked, "Where's Lu Yuan?"

The old butler clucked his tongue a couple of times and lowered his voice: "The young master looked like he was ready to throw down with someone, muttering something or other under his breath, and just headed up to the second floor."

What could he be muttering?

Nothing but insults aimed at him.

Bai Yu knew it well. He gave a faint smirk, didn't bring up Lu Yuan's fury again, and instead said, "Uncle Wei, could you pull up the greenhouse security footage?"

In the guest bedroom.

Lu Yuan lay face-down on the bed, playing with the kitten with a feather wand, watching the Maine Coon dart up and down. His brows drooped, looking thoroughly annoyed: "Ugh, I should've just yeeted you back to your dad. What if you still keep me up tonight?"

He pulled out his phone, staring at the Y behind the cute avatar, twisting his brows in frustration: "If I text him now, would that make me look stupid?"

"Meow—"

Having caught the wand, Good Kid let out a long, happy meow, as if responding to Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan: "..."

He rolled onto his back, staring blankly at the ceiling. The warm white light blurred into rings under his long stare, making his eyes ache. As he rubbed his eyes and kept sulking, the phone in his hand suddenly buzzed with a notification. He held it up to his face and saw a red notification dot on the cat avatar he'd just been complaining about.

Lu Yuan quickly brought the phone closer and squinted at it.

Y: [Greenhouse footage.mp4]

Lu Yuan: "..."

He actually remembered.

Lu Yuan had almost forgotten himself.

With a tight face, he opened the video. The footage was crisp, and the angle was perfect—it caught the quiet of the box and the moment Good Kid burst out with the red camellia on his head. Lu Yuan watched it twice, then hit save without hesitation. He thought about posting it to his Moments, but then remembered Bai Yu might see it. His finger paused over the send button. He backed out and switched to a short-video app instead.

The appeal of cats was endless. Even Lu Yuan's account, which the system usually shadow-banned, got a few likes in no time.

Lu Yuan felt a bit better. He chose designing clothes for Good Kid over memorizing papers without a second thought.

Anyway, after two days with Bai Yu, he could tell that Bai Yu was cold, sure, but he wasn't scared of him like Lu Yan was. He was actually pretty easygoing—otherwise, he wouldn't have been so easily won over by a cup of Neon coffee. Worst case, he could make a matching outfit for Neon and burn it to him when he got the chance!

After sketching a few simple designs, Bai Yu put down his tablet, glanced at Good Kid, who was already sound asleep, and nodded in satisfaction.

The kitten must have worn itself out during the day, so it should sleep peacefully tonight.

Tonight, he'd actually get some sleep.

Lu Yuan smiled, pulled up the covers, and drifted off to sleep.

*

Thud.

Two hours later, he switched on the bedside lamp and looked at Good Kid, who was lying by his pillow, staring at him with an innocent look. He looked like he was possessed by a demonic cultivator, his face full of resentment.

He threw off the covers, shuffled into the bathroom in his slippers, and stood in front of the full-length mirror. Sure enough, his forehead, which had already been bumped that morning, was red again... He really couldn't understand why the kitten had to go rock-climbing on the headboard at night, only to lose its grip and fall right onto his forehead.

He pressed a cold compress to his forehead to bring down the redness. As he turned to go back, the Maine Coon kept hopping around his feet, trying to cling to his leg.

—This cat had no clue it had done anything wrong!

Lu Yuan hurried back to the bed, grabbed his phone from under the pillow, and texted Bai Yu.

Sesame Tangyuan: Actually, I'm starting to think making clothes for the cat is a waste of time.

A bad cat that keeps waking him up every night doesn't deserve a little suit!

Lu Yuan, quick to love and quick to hate, pointed at the Maine Coon and threatened: "If you land on my face again, we're through."

"Meow meow!"

Lu Yuan: "You don't have a choice—when that happens, you're going to live with your dad—"

Mid-sentence in his fake cat-speak rant, which was really just nonsense to scare the kitten, Lu Yuan suddenly froze. He turned toward the guest room door, which had just been knocked on three times. Then it hit him, and he snapped his head down to look at his phone.

...He'd been so pissed off he'd completely lost track of the time.

The real question was—had Bai Yu actually been woken up by him?

Lu Yuan: "..."

The door opened, and the dim corridor light outlined a man's tall silhouette.

The second Lu Yuan looked up and locked eyes with Bai Yu, guilt hit him like a truck. He dropped his gaze fast, rubbed the tip of his nose, and was about to force himself to speak when his eyes snagged on what the man was wearing.

He was wearing a dark silk robe, the soft, clingy fabric leaving little to the imagination, and the sash at his waist was so loose that Lu Yuan could see his abs at a glance. He sucked in a sharp breath, forcibly dragged his eyes upward, and cleared his throat, pretending to be composed.

"Causing trouble again?"

Bai Yu, using the light from behind the door, spotted the cat trailing behind Lu Yuan like a little shadow. The Maine Coon kitten still had that innocent look on its face, and even seemed excited to see its dad, sprinting over on all fours to launch itself at Bai Yu's legs.

Cat claws hooking into silk? Way too easy. Seeing Bai Yu's robe getting tugged down by the good kid, Lu Yuan's eyes went wide.

This, this, this...!

Whap.

A hand reached out, grabbed the hood hanging behind Lu Yuan's head, and yanked it forward over his face. The flashy, baggy design easily blocked his vision, and Bai Yu took the chance to bend down and scoop up the cat. Glancing at the snagged fabric, he curled his lip: "How many of my clothes and pants are you trying to ruin? Can you even afford to replace them?"

"The kitten didn't mean it. It pounces on you 'cause it likes you." Lu Yuan pulled the hood off, instinctively defending the good kid, and gave his totally biased take: "Otherwise, why would it jump on you and not someone else?"

"By that logic, it keeps you up at night 'cause it likes you too? Otherwise, why would it only bug you and not anyone else?" Bai Yu arched an eyebrow, his features softening under the light, but his words were infuriating enough.

What made Lu Yuan even madder was himself.

A second ago, he'd been annoyed at the good kid for tormenting him, and now he was defending it?

After mentally scolding himself, Lu Yuan shot back with full confidence: "That's obviously 'cause I'm the only one in the room."

Bai Yu nodded: "Obviously. And now I'm the only one out here."

Lu Yuan: "..."

He raised his eyes wearily and asked, "So, are we really gonna fight this late at night?"

Bai Yu: "No need. I'll take the cat. You get some good rest and try to make it more clothes."

With that, Bai Yu turned and left with the cat in his arms. His sharp, tall silhouette and the vaguely suggestive tone of his words made Lu Yuan, still standing there, realize belatedly—

Was this dude actually mocking him?

He'd already admitted that making clothes for the good kid was a waste of time, and now he was telling him to make even more?

Furiously bristling again, Lu Yuan glared at the man's retreating back and made a nasty face. But just then, the man and the cat both turned around at the perfect moment, and the face froze mid-make.

Lu Yuan: "...I'm just training my facial muscles."

Bai Yu let out a soft laugh: "Young Master Lu has quite the unique hobby."

Training facial muscles in the middle of the night—anyone who heard that would say it was quite the idea.

Lu Yuan: [○･｀Д´･○]

It was another night of great sleep after sending off the good kid. Lu Yuan opened his eyes at exactly eight the next morning. The curtains in the guest bedroom slid open slowly, and warm sunlight spilled in generously. He squinted in enjoyment, then turned to look for the cat before remembering that Bai Yu had taken it last night.

After getting ready, he yawned and walked out. When he reached the living room, he found the old housekeeper standing in front of a laundry basket. The basket was piled with quite a few clothes, but the most eye-catching was the one on top—a dark silk robe that looked extremely familiar, as if the last time he'd seen it was in the early hours of this very morning.

His yawn got stuck halfway as he swallowed it back. Lu Yuan tested the waters: "This is...?"

Hearing the noise, the old housekeeper looked up with a kind, smiling face: "Ah, Young Master, it's you. The master said these clothes were all torn by the good kid and told me to throw them away."

Lu Yuan was shocked: "All of them?"

From what he remembered, wasn't it just the trousers from the day they'd assembled the cat tree and last night's robe?

The old housekeeper nodded, speculating: "He said the cat got into the master's wardrobe."

Lu Yuan: "..."

Standing there staring at the basket in silence for a long moment, Lu Yuan suddenly pulled out his phone and found Lu Yan's WeChat.

Sesame Tangyuan: I patted the family's No. 2 good looks and said: Hail to the king.

Lu Yuan: "?"

The king, whether he'd woken up early or hadn't slept at all, replied at lightning speed, and very much in character.

Family's No. 2 good looks: [If you have something to report, report it; if not, dismiss the court.jpg]

Sesame Tangyuan: Heard the cat you gave Bai Yu got into his wardrobe last night and tore up his—

Lu Yuan glanced at the basket again, exaggerating: A dozen or so pounds of clothes.

Sesame Tangyuan: I'll take a photo for you in a bit. You go buy the same ones, and we'll both earn ourselves a free pass on one essay from him. What do you think?