Shen Chuanqiong clicked his tongue and flicked Shen Nanxing’s forehead. “What are you thinking about?”

He wanted to, but someone had to give him the chance first!

Shen Nanxing rubbed his head. “Don’t you like Sister Qingyan? How is what you’re doing any different from being a jerk?”

Shen Chuanqiong ruffled his hair. “My silly brother, have you ever considered that maybe it was Qingyan I was with last night?”

If he didn’t explain soon, he’d really be labeled a scumbag.

Hearing that, Shen Nanxing finally relaxed.

“Alright, now get out. Your brother needs to change.”

Shen Chuanqiong noticed him still staring at his neck, coughed awkwardly, and changed the subject.

Shen Nanxing mumbled an “Oh” before stepping out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Huh, so his brother was actually quite charming, huh? Managing to win Sister Qingyan over so quickly.

—

As the seasons shifted, winter nights seemed to fall even faster. The remaining daylight quickly faded into darkness.

Fu Zhiyuan looked at the dimming sky outside his office window. Placing down his documents, he turned to his assistant and said in a deep voice, “You can leave work early today. Send the remaining files to my email.”

To the assistant, who was used to endless overtime, this felt like a miracle.

“…President Fu, are you sure?”

Why was the boss in such a good mood today? Something felt off!

Seeing him standing there, not leaving, Fu Zhiyuan frowned. “What? You want to work overtime?”

The assistant shook his head immediately. “No, not at all!”

“I’ll sort the files right now and send them to your inbox,” he said hurriedly, then practically ran out to get it done, nearly grinning from ear to ear at the rare opportunity to leave early.

Fu Zhiyuan checked his watch—6:30 PM. Grabbing his coat, he left the office and headed for the underground parking lot.

The driver had already pulled the car around and even brought along Cotton Candy.

Opening the car door, Fu Zhiyuan saw the kitten meowing softly inside its carrier. He tapped lightly on the space bubble cover, making Cotton Candy perk up and look around. Unfortunately, the kitten was too small and couldn’t reach the top of the carrier, so all it could do was meow back in response.

Fu Zhiyuan placed the carrier on the back seat and spoke gently, “Be good. Once we see your brother, I’ll let you out.”

After making sure Cotton Candy was secure, he got into the driver’s seat and started the car, heading to pick up Shen Nanxing.

—

Shen Nanxing had just finished class and was leaving school when he noticed a luxury car parked by the road. He recognized it—it was the same car Fu Zhiyuan had driven when he took him home last time.

Fu Zhiyuan, spotting Shen Nanxing through the car window, immediately stepped out.

“Xingbao, are you cold?”

Before Shen Nanxing could answer, Fu Zhiyuan had already taken off his trench coat and draped it over his shoulders.

“I’m not cold—” Shen Nanxing began, but the warmth of the coat was already pressing down on him.

Looking past Fu Zhiyuan, he asked, “Zhiyuan-ge, where’s Cotton Candy?”

Fu Zhiyuan raised a brow and chuckled, “So you only have eyes for Cotton Candy, huh?”

He was standing right there, and yet Xingbao barely spared him a glance!

“What? You’re the one who said you’d bring the cat for me to see!” Shen Nanxing huffed, giving him a dissatisfied glare.

Fu Zhiyuan reached out, gently ruffling his hair. “She’s in the car. Come on, Xingbao, let’s get inside.”

As soon as Shen Nanxing opened the car door, he heard Cotton Candy’s meows.

Following the sound, he spotted the cat carrier in the back seat. His eyes lit up with joy as he said, “Zhiyuan-ge, I’ll sit in the back tonight. I want to play with Cotton Candy.”

Fu Zhiyuan sighed, his tone slightly aggrieved. “Xingbao, you’re really treating me like a chauffeur now, huh?”

Looks like bringing the cat along today wasn’t such a wise choice after all.

Shen Nanxing awkwardly chuckled. “How could I dare? I just wanted to see the cat… I got a little excited.”

Seeing him so serious, Fu Zhiyuan softened. “I’m just teasing you. Go bond with her properly.”

Shen Nanxing happily responded with an “Okay!” and opened the passenger door, moving to the back seat.

He gently greeted Cotton Candy through the space bubble of the carrier. “Hello, Cotton Candy! It’s nice to meet you. I’m your brother Nanxing.”

Cotton Candy tilted her head. “Meow~”

Shen Nanxing was immediately smitten by the adorable gesture and exclaimed, “You’re so cute! And your eyes are especially beautiful.”

“Meow~”

“Your tail is pretty too. It must be so fluffy and soft.”

“Meow, meow, meow~”

Shen Nanxing kept showering Cotton Candy with praises while Fu Zhiyuan, watching the interaction from the rearview mirror, felt his stern expression soften a little.

‘Xingbao, you’re so sweet and adorable too.’

Eventually, Shen Nanxing couldn’t resist and took Cotton Candy out of the carrier, placing her on his lap.

Strangely enough, despite it being their first meeting, Cotton Candy wasn’t shy at all. She let Shen Nanxing pet her without resistance, occasionally letting out a soft meow in response.

After finding a comfortable spot, the kitten curled up in his lap and dozed off, purring softly.

Only then did Shen Nanxing remember there was another person in the car.

Meanwhile, the completely ignored “Driver Fu” was practically dying of jealousy in the front seat.

‘If I knew this would happen, I wouldn’t have brought the cat! She’s stolen all of Xingbao’s attention…’

The car was silent except for the sound of Cotton Candy’s gentle purring.

Breaking the silence, Shen Nanxing asked, “Zhiyuan-ge, what should we eat later?”

Fu Zhiyuan kept his eyes on the road, answering with a firm, “Cat food.”

Shen Nanxing blinked, thinking he misheard. “C-Cat food?”

‘I never took you for someone with such a strange preference…‘

He stared at Fu Zhiyuan, who didn’t seem to be joking.

“Zhiyuan-ge, I didn’t expect you to like eating that. How could you steal Cotton Candy’s food?” Shen Nanxing said with exaggerated surprise.

Hearing that, Fu Zhiyuan’s expression darkened further.

‘He really believed me?’

All he wanted was to get Shen Nanxing’s attention, yet somehow, his words had completely backfired.

Feeling defeated, Fu Zhiyuan sighed and clarified, “Xingbao, I was just joking. Don’t take it seriously.”

Shen Nanxing quickly nodded. “Oh, good, good. I was starting to get worried.”

‘But why does he seem so upset all of a sudden?’

Before long, Fu Zhiyuan pulled up to their destination—a western-style restaurant.

Shen Nanxing glanced at Cotton Candy, who was sound asleep on his lap, feeling a bit troubled.

Fu Zhiyuan took a quick look at Cotton Candy, then gently lifted her and placed her back into the cat carrier.

After Shen Nanxing got out of the car, Fu Zhiyuan swiftly closed the car door. With a calm expression, he said, “Let Cotton Candy stay in the car. It’s too noisy outside, and she might feel uncomfortable.”

Shen Nanxing nodded, though he couldn’t help but think, ‘Your expression doesn’t seem like you intended to bring her along anyway.‘