The Tao family was immensely wealthy, and their garage was filled with luxury cars of all kinds. There had never been a shortage of vehicles, nor any need to carpool. Moreover, Sui Yuesheng and Tao Fengche often had different destinations, so each would usually take their preferred car and leave separately.

But today was different.

Sui Yuesheng was going to drop Tao Fengche off at school before heading to the Tao Corporation. Using two cars seemed excessive, and quite over-the-top. After Xu Song pointed this out, Tao Fengche didn’t hesitate and immediately gave his driver the day off.

By the time he had finished breakfast and walked out with his backpack, Sui Yuesheng’s Karlmann King was already parked at the main entrance of the mansion.

Sui Yuesheng had bought the car after returning to the country, identical to the one he had driven abroad. But regardless of which car it was, Tao Fengche had never ridden in either.

As soon as he got in, his eyes lit up.

He spoke to Sui Yuesheng, who was sitting in the back, engrossed in work emails on his tablet, but his eyes remained glued to the car’s sleek and modern interior, staring intently at the cutting-edge design of the dashboard.

“Ge, did you custom design this car to look like the Batmobile?” Tao Fengche asked, marveling at it.

Sui Yuesheng didn’t respond to the question and instead asked, “Is it cool?”

“Super cool!” Tao Fengche replied with two firm words. He seemed casually enthusiastic, but his unwavering gaze at the control panel betrayed his true fascination.

Men always love cars, and seeing Tao Fengche’s bright-eyed excitement made Sui Yuesheng feel amused. He resisted the urge to ruffle the boy’s neatly styled hair into a mess.

Suppressing the impulse, Sui Yuesheng smirked and said, “How about I switch cars with you?”

Tao Fengche instinctively pursed his lips, looking slightly conflicted.

…Was he reluctant to give up his extended Maybach?

Sui Yuesheng mused silently, just about to say that he could take any other car from the garage when he saw Tao Fengche shake his head.

“No, taking this car to school would be too flashy.”

…Besides, this type of car is better suited for someone like his bold and stunning older brother.

Tao Fengche didn’t dare voice his true thoughts, only murmuring them silently in his heart.

Sui Yuesheng, however, was genuinely surprised.

Tao Fengche wasn’t even eighteen yet—in many ways, he was still a child. And his affection for the car was obvious. Sui Yuesheng hadn’t expected this response, but upon reflection, he realized it was exactly the kind of thing Tao Fengche would say.

Without another word, Sui Yuesheng raised an eyebrow slightly, the smile on his lips deepening.

If Assistant Zhou had been in the car to witness this, he would have been utterly shocked.

From the time they were still in the Western Continent, Zhou had served as Sui Yuesheng’s personal assistant for many years.

Zhou was highly competent, managing the overseas branch efficiently, and upon returning to Jingpu, he handled both the Tao family’s public and private affairs effortlessly, especially anything concerning Tao Fengche. Zhou was always ready at a moment’s notice, earning a salary that few could ever dream of, but with almost no personal time.

However, ever since Sui Yuesheng moved into the Tao family’s ancestral home, Assistant Zhou no longer shadowed him closely. Instead, Sui Yuesheng had purchased an apartment near the Tao Corporation for him, so they could meet at the office each morning.

As a result, Zhou wasn’t in the car to witness the rare sight of Sui Yuesheng smiling so sincerely, several times in one day, just because he was happy.

Usually, any smile from Sui Yuesheng carried a hint of sarcasm or contempt, or, in moments of intense anger, a disturbingly radiant smile. Assistant Zhou had seen it so often that it no longer fazed him, only filled him with dread.

But Tao Fengche was entirely unaware of the royal-level VIP treatment he was receiving at this moment.

All he knew was that Sui Yuesheng’s smile looked great, and being in the same confined space with him felt relaxing. His body loosened up, and he reflexively yawned.

“Feeling sleepy?” Sui Yuesheng asked without looking up from his tablet.

“Yeah,” Tao Fengche admitted sheepishly.

Although Sui Yuesheng couldn’t see him, he still nodded.

He hadn’t slept well the night before, tossing and turning with excitement, and only managed to drift off just before dawn, only to be woken up by his alarm.

Luckily, he was young and an alpha, otherwise, his body wouldn’t have held up.

“There’s no pillow in the car…” Sui Yuesheng hesitated after shutting down his tablet.

Having grown up in a slum and later enduring torment after arriving in Jingpu, Sui Yuesheng was used to hardship. Now, even though he lived comfortably, as long as his surroundings were clean and orderly, he was satisfied and hadn’t developed any extravagant habits.

Most of the time, he worked during the ride, occasionally taking a short nap leaning against the window, but he had never thought to equip the car with extra comforts.

—Except for a warm blanket.

No matter how much care he received, the suffering he endured ten years ago left him sensitive to the cold. He always kept a blanket in the car to warm up during chilly moments, but the thought of a pillow had never crossed his mind.

Sui Yuesheng looked a bit troubled, but Tao Fengche wasn’t surprised by his response.

The Karlmann King looked like it belonged in a superhero movie with its angular exterior, high-tech interior, and sleek black leather seats. A fluffy pillow inside this car would be completely out of place.

Tao Fengche mentally pictured a pink pillow in the car and winced at the thought—it was like a mismatch in a video game. What kind of creator would put those together so carelessly?

He was still laughing to himself when Sui Yuesheng spoke again.

“How about… you lean on me and rest for a while?”

Tao Fengche: “?!”

He froze like someone under a spell. After a moment, he regained control of his body, about to speak, when he noticed Sui Yuesheng’s subtle discomfort and his tight grip on the tablet.

Sui Yuesheng wasn’t as relaxed as he appeared.

Tao Fengche saw through the act but couldn’t bear to turn him down.

After all, this was the first—and only—person he had ever liked.

Heart racing, he leaned over and gently rested his head on Sui Yuesheng’s shoulder.

And instantly, his eyes widened.

Su Yuesheng was too thin. His shoulder had only a thin layer of muscle, and his shoulder blades were almost sharp. Tao Fengche knew all too well how strong Su Yuesheng was—definitely not the frail omega he appeared to be. He could easily take down a well-trained alpha, more capable than most.

After sparring with him months ago, Tao Fengche never underestimated him again. Yet now, leaning on him, he felt like he might crush him.

The slight movement didn’t go unnoticed by Sui Yuesheng, whose soft curls brushed against Tao Fengche’s face, sending a shiver down his spine like a breeze through the forest.

Tao Fengche’s heart raced, and his feelings surged uncontrollably, but just as his panic peaked, Sui Yuesheng suddenly spoke.

“Wait.”

Tao Fengche jolted away, startled.

Ignoring his reaction, Sui Yuesheng gently pushed his hair to one side, making sure nothing would bother him. “Okay.”

His pale, swan-like neck now fully exposed, Tao Fengche felt like he could relate to a vampire, completely mesmerized.

Trying to hide his excitement, he leaned back onto Sui Yuesheng’s shoulder, filled with a quiet joy he had never felt before.

He struggled to stay awake, but the warmth of the car, the faint scent of Sui Yuesheng’s cologne, and his brother’s even breathing soon lulled him into a peaceful sleep.

In the hazy space between sleep and wakefulness, Tao Fengche mumbled, “Gege, your hair smells so good…”

His voice was light, but Sui Yuesheng heard every word.

He didn’t lift his eyes from the tablet and even replied to an email, asking the recipient to redo the GG plan. But he lowered his voice to match Tao Fengche’s tone: “It’s the scent of the conditioner.”

Whether Tao Fengche heard it or not, he rubbed his face against Sui Yuesheng’s shoulder, muttered a few more indistinct words, and made some barely audible sounds, like time had suddenly reversed, taking them back to their childhood days when they were always together.

Ten years ago, Sui Yuesheng had lulled Tao Fengche to sleep many times and was familiar with his routine before completely drifting off. He didn’t bother trying to make sense of his mumbles—likely just more of his odd-toned “Gege.”

Sui Yuesheng, experienced in such matters, said nothing else, simply softening his voice: “Sleep.”

The next moment, Tao Fengche was fully overtaken by sleep and fell into a deep slumber.

The breathing near his ear became steady, and his heartbeat slowed to a calm, strong rhythm. Sui Yuesheng, trained to discern between faking and genuine sleep, knew for sure that Tao Fengche was truly asleep.

His typing gradually slowed, and after replying to the email he was reading, he turned off the tablet. Slightly tilting his head, he glanced at the person leaning on his shoulder through his peripheral vision, feeling a mix of emotions.

——Although Tao Fengche was still a young man, his facial features, which had matured, were already striking—sharp and defined, with deep-set eyes and long eyelashes. It was easy to imagine that he was probably adored by many at school.

But now, he lay quietly against Sui Yuesheng’s shoulder, completely defenseless, sleeping deeply. His usual sharp aura had receded, and because of the angle and his posture, his slightly longer hair hung down over his eyebrows, making him look soft and harmless, like a large wild beast in its master’s lap, lying on its back, exposing its soft belly, with its claws tucked in, allowing its paw pads to be played with.

But this young alpha who hadn’t fully grown up, rather than resembling a fierce lion or tiger, was still more like a large dog, wasn’t he?

Thinking this, Sui Yuesheng, as if guided by some unknown force, reached out and gently touched Tao Fengche’s fingertips, softly squeezing them in his palm.

Tao Fengche didn’t move, continuing to sleep soundly, showing complete trust.

Sui Yuesheng loosely held Tao Fengche’s fingers, overwhelmed with emotion, feeling utterly conflicted.

…For people like them, who spent their lives walking a tightrope and living with danger, vigilance was essential, just like the saying: “How can one sleep peacefully beside another?”

Sui Yuesheng had long kept a Desert Eagle loaded with bullets under his pillow, with guns hidden in his wardrobe and bathroom, and he knew well that Tao Fengche probably had even more weapons in his room than he did.

But now, Tao Fengche slept peacefully on his shoulder, looking so serene that Sui Yuesheng had no doubt that, if the journey were longer, Tao Fengche would soon start snoring softly.

…He truly had no doubts about him and hadn’t put up any defenses or precautions.

Sui Yuesheng finally realized this.

What Jing Ning had tried in vain to achieve with words, Tao Fengche had effortlessly accomplished in his sleep. The heavy knot in Sui Yuesheng’s heart completely dissolved, leaving him feeling entirely at ease.

He shifted his shoulder slightly, adjusting Tao Fengche to a more comfortable position, and then turned his head, momentarily abandoning his heavy workload, to gaze at Tao Fengche’s peaceful sleeping face, as if watching a tangible dream.

The Karlmann King skillfully maneuvered through the morning rush-hour traffic. The driver was highly skilled, and the ride was incredibly smooth. With no external disruptions, Sui Yuesheng was able to immerse himself in his own world.

After a while, on a sudden whim, he gently poked Tao Fengche’s nose with his left hand, still holding his fingertips loosely with his right. Not feeling it was enough, he quietly pinched his nose.

Tao Fengche, finding it hard to breathe in his sleep, let out a disgruntled hum, frowning slightly, wrinkling his nose.

Sui Yuesheng smoothed the frown on his brow, and suddenly smiled.