6. Schrödinger’s partner and vinegar factory.

The first ray of sunlight poured into the stuffy bedroom as Qiu Rong turned over, pulled the covers over his head, and tried to grasp onto the fading dream. Suddenly, he noticed that something was missing beside him. His slender arm reached out, searching, but found no warm and soft body, only a cold and smooth bedsheet.

The little cat that had been nuzzling against his neck in his dream disappeared with a “pop.” Qiu Rong sat up abruptly and realized that not only was the cat gone, but his spouse, who had fallen asleep in his arms the night before, was also missing.

The bedroom door was closed, and faint bird chirping could be heard from outside the window. Qiu Rong yawned and glanced at the clock on the bedside table—it had just struck seven.

He guessed that Yan Ling must have some work to attend to and didn’t want to disturb his sleep, so he closed the door and went to the living room.

Qiu Rong pulled open the curtains, stretched lazily in the morning sun, and contemplated if there were any good movies released recently while allowing fresh air to fill the room.

Of course, it was a perfect weekend for going out on a date.

But thinking about Yan Ling’s exhaustion from the previous day, Qiu Rong also felt that staying at home all day would be quite nice.

In summary, as long as they were together, passing the time was also a form of romance.

After freshening up, Qiu Rong left the bedroom but didn’t see the CEO sitting on the couch working on his laptop, as expected. Instead, there was some activity coming from the kitchen.

“Why didn’t you sleep a bit longer?” Yan Ling opened the kitchen door before Qiu Rong and held a plate with several golden and crispy fried dough sticks.

“I didn’t see you,” Qiu Rong took the plate from Yan Ling’s hand and asked, “Why are you up so early? Do you have work?”

Yan Ling mumbled, “…Yeah, a bit of work.”

Setting down the plate, Qiu Rong was about to enter the kitchen when Yan Ling came out with two cups of soy milk, effortlessly handing one to him.

Qiu Rong went to put the soy milk down while Yan Ling turned and entered the kitchen. This time, he took two eggs and discreetly closed the kitchen door as he came out.

Qiu Rong didn’t pay much attention to this small gesture. Seeing that everything was ready, he pulled out a chair for Yan Ling and sat down himself.

There were no frozen dough sticks at home, and he didn’t hear the sound of a blender. It was clear that this breakfast was a delivery.

“What kind of business needs to be dealt with so early on a weekend morning?” Qiu Rong took a bite of the fried dough stick and asked.

Yan Ling seemed to have little appetite. He took a sip of soy milk and said, “It’s a project partner who just arrived in City S from overseas. They’ll be here for three days and then leave. I need to go there.”

“You’re going on a business trip?”

Yan Ling felt guilty and tactically continued drinking his soy milk. “Mhm.”

Qiu Rong didn’t sense anything amiss. Yan Ling had a busy job, so it was normal for him to go on a business trip.

“When are you leaving?”

Yan Ling coughed. “Right now.”

Qiu Rong stopped peeling the egg.

“The car is waiting downstairs.” After finishing the soy milk in a couple of sips, Yan Ling put down the empty cup and stood up. “I’ll go pack my luggage first.”

Sitting together with Qiu Rong again would only make him hungry.

Just as he took a couple of steps, Yan Ling remembered something in the kitchen trash can. He paused and turned around to ask, “By the way, where is my blue striped tie?”

“I put it in the drawer last time.” Qiu Rong held an egg in his hands, sitting at the dining table, looking up at Yan Ling with longing eyes, like a lost puppy.

Yan Ling knew it would be like this. These days, he had been working overtime for various reasons, and his time with Qiu Rong had significantly decreased.

He had planned to go out and have fun with him on the weekend, but his physical condition didn’t allow it.

Glancing at the kitchen, Yan Ling was worried about leaving Qiu Rong alone in the dining room, so he invited, “Could you help me pack my luggage?”

Qiu Rong readily abandoned the half-peeled egg and followed Yan Ling into the bedroom like a little tail.

“I’ll try to come back as soon as possible. It’s just a few days away,” Yan Ling controlled the distance between them in the shared room, neither too close nor too far from Qiu Rong.

Qiu Rong packed his toiletry bag, made sure nothing was missing, and closed the luggage.

“Don’t rush, take care of yourself,” he wasn’t an unreasonable person, he just felt sorry for Yan Ling’s hard work.

Seeing that Yan Ling’s complexion was still pale, Qiu Rong really wanted to stop him from going.

“I’ll accompany you,” Qiu Rong suddenly said.

Yan Ling stepped back. “No need, the car is downstairs.”

Qiu Rong felt helpless, knowing that Yan Ling didn’t want to waste his time.

Bound by the image of a simple student, most of the time, Yan Ling held the dominant position in their relationship.

In short, it was difficult for a male college student to play the role of a CEO.

“There’s still time. I’ll leave after having breakfast with you,” Yan Ling returned to the dining room, picking up the half-peeled egg that Qiu Rong left.

Qiu Rong sat down, drinking soy milk with a dejected expression, while Yan Ling fed him the egg as if feeding a little dog and peeled another egg, placing it on Qiu Rong’s plate.

It was evident that Yan Ling was still a bit anxious. He glanced at his wristwatch, saw that Qiu Rong had almost finished eating, and picked up the small plate containing the eggshells to go to the kitchen.

After finishing the last sip of soy milk, Qiu Rong stood up and tidied up the things on the table.

Yan Ling came out with a garbage bag. “Then I’m leaving?”

Qiu Rong placed the glass and plate in the sink and followed him to the doorway. Yan Ling had already changed his shoes.

“Give me a call when you arrive,” Qiu Rong said.

Yan Ling nodded and, seeing that Qiu Rong was still looking at him, after struggling in his heart and making sure his teeth wouldn’t suddenly pop out, he leaned in and quickly kissed Qiu Rong.

When the elevator door closed completely, the hungry respected Prince finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He could’ve suffocated.

Last night, his crimson lips rubbed against his wheat-colored skin, leaving marks. The sharp tips of his teeth even grazed a small indentation on his neck.

But in the end, Yan Ling couldn’t bring himself to bite down.

He got out of bed quietly and closed the bedroom door to block the smell.

After calling Vincent, Yan Ling followed another faint fragrance and stood in front of the refrigerator.

He had forgotten that Qiu Rong said there was some duck blood left.

Diluted duck blood couldn’t compare to Puppy Qiu’s fragrance, but it was better than nothing.

Human blood had to be endured, but duck blood was unnecessary.

At three in the morning, the beautiful cold beauty with snow-white skin sat under the serene moonlight and enjoyed a taste of duck blood. Occasionally, a satisfied smile would appear on his face. The scene was eerie, and if Qiu Rong woke up last night, he would have knocked himself unconscious again on the spot.

…Let’s just consider it a dream.

Yan Ling threw away the trash in his hand and handed the suitcase to Vincent, who had been waiting downstairs for a long time.

Of course, the business trip was just an excuse. The risk of Yan Ling and Qiu Rong living together in the same room was too great. It was better to stay outside for a while until his body recovered before returning home.

Yan Ling had finished all the remaining duck blood in the refrigerator. This morning, Vincent specially went to the market and bought new ones as a replacement.

In the kitchen, Yan Ling tried to shape the duck blood to resemble last night’s appearance. However, Qiu Rong woke up so early that Yan Ling heard some movement and only had time to hurriedly clean up the crime scene.

He didn’t even have time to dispose of the plastic packaging, boldly leaving it in the trash bin, with the bold green wrapping film proudly showcasing its existence.

Fortunately, he managed to bluff his way through.

As for the blood clots that had changed shape in the refrigerator… most people wouldn’t pay attention to these details, right?

“Your Highness, are we going to the villa?” Vincent returned to the driver’s seat after placing the suitcase and Yan Ling tiredly pinched his temples, giving a response.

They had to put on a full show. Late at night, when Yan Ling was sitting alone in the living room, he checked the morning flights, and after browsing through various options, it seemed that the flight to City S was the most suitable. Therefore, it was decided that Schrödinger’s collaboration partner would also land in City S.

Just in case, Vincent actually went and booked a plane ticket.

Qiu Rong was alone at home with nothing to do. The pleasant fantasy of embracing his spouse and watching a movie had shattered. He slumped on the sofa for a while, then got up to wash the cups in the kitchen.

Then he wiped the table and mopped the floor.

Watered the plants and fertilized them.

Like a diligent seashell girl.

After completing all the chores, he checked the time. Yan Ling would be arriving soon. Qiu Rong sent a message and slumped back on the sofa, waiting for a reply.

Yan Ling, who was on the outskirts of the city, wasn’t in a hurry. He checked the official website to confirm that the flight had landed in City S. After ten minutes, he finally received a response.

Confirming that Yan Ling had safely arrived in City S, Qiu Rong sprang up like a carp. Yan Ling said he would stay in City S for at least three days, and the duck blood in the refrigerator couldn’t wait any longer.

He heated a pot of soup and finished the remaining half of the duck blood by himself. Qiu Rong couldn’t taste it, but he felt that the taste of the duck blood wasn’t as delicious as yesterday’s.

It would be better to drink his spouse’s broth.

The lonely puppy didn’t want to stay alone in the empty house. After finishing lunch, Qiu Rong took the remaining half portion of duck blood noodle soup and went to the school to bring some warmth.

Yuan Shang, as a standard single dog, buried himself in the laboratory every day, wandering in the ocean of knowledge. Staying up all night was a common occurrence for him, and he ate whenever he remembered, or didn’t bother if he forgot.

When Qiu Rong knocked on the dormitory door, he had to wait for about five minutes before Yuan Shang finally got out of bed.

“Brother, I slept at 6 a.m. You better have a good reason for disturbing me,” Yuan Shang knew very well that Qiu Rong had strict principles. Before opening the door, he grabbed a set of clothes from the wardrobe and put it on to avoid indecency.

Qiu Rong lifted the food container in his hand and said calmly, “Just tell me if you want to eat or not.”

Yuan Shang took a closer look and immediately opened the door, respectfully inviting Qiu Rong into the dormitory.

The graduate student dormitory at University A was a double room. Yuan Shang’s roommate moved out last semester to live with his girlfriend, so Yuan Shang was alone now. He could sleep whenever he wanted and be as carefree as he wished. It was indeed a joyful life.

The above is by no means a lie told by a single dog.

Yuan Shang happily drank the big bone soup and saw Qiu Rong sitting at the adjacent table with empty eyes, seemingly contemplating some important matters of life.

Instead of spending the weekend at home with his CEO in a lovey-dovey manner, he came to take care of the lonely young man. After finishing the “charitable lunch” and letting out a satisfied burp, Yuan Shang finally remembered to show concern for his brother, “Is your partner… working overtime?”

Qiu Rong tilted his head and glanced at him like a soulless salted fish. He uttered two words, “On a business trip.”

Yuan Shang didn’t understand the clinginess of couples. Since he had finished his meal, he felt reassured and said, “That’s fine. Being a CEO, it’s normal to be busy and go on business trips once in a while, right?”

Qiu Rong looked at him again, remained silent for a moment, and said, “It’s not because of that.”

“Then what is it?” Yuan Shang cautiously asked, “Could it be that you had a fight?”

Qiu Rong shook his head, sighed, sat up and turned towards Yuan Shang, speaking seriously, “I feel that something is off.”

Yuan Shang sat up straight as well and asked with concern, “What’s off?”

Qiu Rong stared at Yuan Shang, his expression profound and inscrutable. “Yan Ling’s assistant has ulterior motives towards him.”

Yuan Shang: “…”

Out of trust for his brother, Yuan Shang decided to listen to Qiu Rong’s statement.

When he heard that Qiu Rong became jealous because Yan Ling used the assistant’s handkerchief, Yuan Shang interjected, “Hold on, this doesn’t make any sense.”

“Getting jealous over borrowing a handkerchief in an emergency. Then what about you bringing me food? Should your CEO set up a vinegar factory overnight when he finds out?” Yuan Shang questioned.

Qiu Rong: “…”

Mr. Landlord and the Werewolf.

He was clearly the Werewolf, so how did he end up becoming Mr. Landlord?

He kindly brought food, but he still had to be criticized.

Is it still possible for Yuan Shang to vomit out everything he ate?

“I did it because I didn’t want to have duck blood vermicelli soup for three meals!” Qiu Rong said with a sinister tone.

Yuan Shang’s eyes welled up with tears. “Indeed, I’m just here to help finish leftovers…”

Yuan Shang: “Anything else? Bring me more!”

Qiu Rong: “…”

After a moment of joking around, Yuan Shang stood up and went to the sink to wash the lunchbox. He made a serious suggestion, “If you have any problems, go communicate with your CEO. It’s better than sitting here alone and overthinking.”

“He’s been too busy lately, and I don’t want to bother him,” Qiu Rong replied.

“Being in a relationship means causing trouble for each other and still finding it sweet. If you ask him, he might find you cute,” Yuan Shang turned his head to look at Qiu Rong, who was sitting on the chair with limbs almost unable to stretch, towering at nearly 1.9 meters in height. He realized he may have used the word “cute” a bit too liberally.

Feeling a slight chill.

Qiu Rong didn’t fully agree with the “indulging in sweetness” theory, but when he thought about Yan Ling’s tolerance towards him, he felt that it might be worth taking the opportunity to be a little jealous.

If he didn’t ask about it, he would keep worrying about it.

Small creations bring joy, while big creations harm the body.

*too much of something is harmful

Ask early, be at ease.

If Yan Ling spoils him later, he’ll act cute and ask for some benefits. But if Yan Ling doesn’t spoil him…

He’ll go and see where the land is good and start a vinegar factory.

The author has something to say:

Yuan Shang: Is that really going to happen?

(Have you noticed that Qiu Rong uses a thermos for his spouse and a regular lunchbox for his brother?)

Yuan Shang: …?