The two brothers in the private room were startled, standing up in unison and staring at the door.

Qi Yuan walked in and, seeing their synchronized movements, looked puzzled. “What’s wrong? Do you need to go to the bathroom?”

Lin Can was still brainstorming how to come up with an excuse when Lin Xun nodded first, “Uh-huh, I want to go to the bathroom.”

Qi Yuan waved his hand, his attitude still friendly, showing no signs of abnormality. “Go ahead, have them take you. This place is a bit big, and it’s easy to get lost if you’re not careful.”

Lin Xun nodded a couple of times and followed the restaurant staff out.

As soon as the door was closed, Lin Can hadn’t even had a chance to breathe a sigh of relief when Qi Yuan suddenly said, “What, does your brother think I can’t compare to your ex-husband? How much benefit did your ex-husband give him?”

Sure enough, he heard it.

Lin Can internally wailed, bracing himself to explain, “He doesn’t know anything; he’s just talking nonsense.”

“Not knowing is one thing, but whether he’s talking nonsense is another,” Qi Yuan huffed, clearly not pleased.

Lin Can poured him a cup of tea and gently placed it in front of him, his voice instinctively softening a lot. “He’s just a bit scared of you; once he gets familiar, he won’t think like that anymore.”

“Scared of me?” Qi Yuan slightly tilted his head, his gaze sweeping over the steaming tea, landing on Lin Can’s face, which he both loved and hated. “What is he scared of? Am I going to eat him?”

That’s even scarier than eating someone.

Lin Can fell silent for half a minute, watching Lin Xun about to return, and finally couldn’t help but say, “I… I have a request.”

This was the first time Lin Can used the word “request” with him, and Qi Yuan immediately became interested, even putting down his favorite Bai Hao Silver Needle tea. “Go ahead.”

He raised his chin at Lin Can, but his back involuntarily straightened.

“I told Lin Xun that we are in a relationship…”

“Uh-huh?” Qi Yuan’s tone was puzzled but not surprised. Given Lin Can’s vanity, how could he admit to being supported by someone?

Asking him to cooperate in acting out a script was the most fitting action for his character.

Qi Yuan’s long fingers rubbed the cup’s rim. “What benefits do I get?”

“As long as I can do it, you can ask for anything,” Lin Can said.

“Hah, that’s quite a hefty price.” Qi Yuan’s mood improved even more.

What else could Lin Can do? If the 林 family found out that Lin Can was being supported, their world would truly collapse.

Lin Mu couldn’t handle even the slightest blow.

Thinking about how the original character in the book became cannon fodder and how Lin Mu was devastated to the point of passing away from grief, Lin Can let out a deep sigh.

“Alright, stop sighing. I’m not refusing you,” Qi Yuan said, unable to stand Lin Can’s occasional sad and worried look.

He’s clearly just a scumbag.

Lin Can smiled, and Qi Yuan even detected a hint of gratitude in that smile.

When Lin Xun returned, he had already adjusted his state, no longer panicking. Although he was still a bit awkward, it was much better than the earlier situation where he didn’t dare to breathe.

“Eat more; if it’s not enough, I’ll order more.” Because of his boyfriend status, Qi Yuan was much more enthusiastic than before, even using public chopsticks several times to serve Lin Xun, leaving the restaurant staff waiting in shock.

After working here for over a decade, it was the first time he saw this young master being so attentive, like a prospective son-in-law trying to please his future mother-in-law.

Although Lin Xun was a kid from the mountains, he was quite clever and quickly grasped Qi Yuan’s rhythm, handling the situation with calmness and appropriateness.

“You’re much more agile than your brother,” Qi Yuan praised Lin Xun while not forgetting to complain about Lin Can. “Your brother is just a blockhead; he can’t even say nice things.”

Lin Xun looked at Lin Can in surprise.

This person was known for being good at making people happy and was famous for his slick tongue. How did he end up with a clumsy evaluation from this 戚少?

Could it be that the threshold for flattery has become so high that even his brother, who could talk to anyone, didn’t meet the standard?

Lin Can felt a bit guilty under that scrutinizing gaze and quickly said, “Eat, eat. After we finish, I still have to go back and tidy up your room. You’ve traveled all day and must be tired.”

Lin Xun responded with an “oh,” obediently burying his head and demolishing the pile of food that Qi Yuan had just served him.

• After dinner, they returned to Yu Jing Garden, and it was exactly eight o’clock, with the sky completely dark.

“You’ll stay with me for the next few days…” Lin Can pushed open his bedroom door, then fell silent.

Can someone tell him why everything in his room was gone?

Qi Yuan pretended to casually block Lin Xun’s puzzled gaze, smiling as he explained, “This is the room your brother lived in when he just moved here. Now that we’re living together, it’s better for you to stay here since it’s empty.”

Lin Xun nodded obediently, but his gaze towards Lin Can couldn’t help but carry a hint of accusation.

How long has it been since you separated from your sister-in-law, and you can already sleep in the same room with someone else? What a scumbag!

Lin Can had no complaints to voice, only pretending not to understand his meaning, letting him tidy up alone and go to bed early.

“If you have any questions, just come find me.”

Lin Can closed the door and then turned to Qi Yuan, who was leaning against the wall. “If he sleeps here, where do I sleep?”

“I already said, you’ll sleep with me,” Qi Yuan took off the caring big brother facade and smiled mischievously.

Lin Can frowned. “I thought you were just saying that.”

“We’re a couple; what’s wrong with sleeping in the same room?”

Qi Yuan pulled Lin Can’s arm and led him into the master bedroom.

On the desk, Lin Can saw the book he had been reading recently and found his old clothes that he often wore while cleaning on the chair.

They were probably too worn out, so the responsible staff didn’t put them directly in Qi Yuan’s wardrobe.

“Hey, I’m talking to you.” Noticing Lin Can’s attention was elsewhere, Qi Yuan turned his face towards him.

Lin Can responded with a puzzled “huh?” “What?”

“I said couples should live together. What do you think?” Qi Yuan asked him.

Lin Can showed a troubled expression. “But we’re not real couples.”

“Fake couples are still couples. Just cooperate with me,” Qi Yuan raised his hand and gently patted Lin Can’s handsome face, his actions quite smug. “Otherwise, I’ll tell Lin Xun that we’re just in a vulgar support relationship.”

Lin Can sighed, “I never said I wouldn’t cooperate with you.”

Qi Yuan found it amusing. “I didn’t expect you to care so much about family, willing to give up land and pay compensation.”

No, I just don’t want to take a life.

Lin Can rebutted in his heart.

In any case, living in the same room had become a done deal; now the question was whether to sleep in the same bed.

Lin Can was very insistent on this point. “I’ll just sleep on the sofa.”

“I don’t have an extra blanket for you,” Qi Yuan had already had someone take away the extra things.

Lin Can shook his head firmly. “I don’t need a blanket; I can just cover myself with a few clothes.”

“You’re sounding so pitiful,” Qi Yuan scoffed. “As if I’m abusing you.”

Not giving him a new blanket is still not considered abuse?

Lin Can lowered his head, silently flipping through the pages of the book.

Looking at this person’s back, Qi Yuan felt that some kind of resentment was about to take shape.

Not to mention, it was a bit cute.

Qi Yuan walked behind him and poked his deeply sunken waist. “If I don’t do anything, are you going to sleep on the bed?”

Lin Can turned around and glanced at him.

“Speak.”

“Are you really not going to do anything?” Lin Can asked slowly.

“Why?” Qi Yuan retorted, “Don’t you trust me, Qi Yuan?”

Lin Can felt embarrassed to admit that he indeed didn’t trust him, so he could only shake his head gently.

Whether he trusted Qi Yuan or not remained uncertain.

Qi Yuan didn’t care to delve deeper, just slammed the book on the table. “Shower and sleep.”

Thanks to Xie Jun’s proper arrangements, Lin Can’s things were basically all moved into Qi Yuan’s room, making everything convenient.

Qi Yuan was already immune to Lin Can’s casual sleepwear and sleep pants, just patting the bed for him to come sleep.

Once Lin Can obediently lay down, Qi Yuan leaned over and asked if Lin Can knew that during the dating variety show recording, they would also have to sleep together.

Lin Can was about to play dead when he heard this and immediately became unsettled.

“Sleep together? Is that allowed to be broadcast?”

“What’s wrong with it being broadcast?” Qi Yuan said deliberately. “We just sleep peacefully; we’re not doing anything bad.”

Looking at the person getting closer, almost sticking to him, Lin Can’s expression was complicated.

“By the way, what shower gel are you using?” Qi Yuan leaned close to Lin Can’s neck and sniffed. “Why does it smell so good?”

Lin Can uncomfortably moved towards the edge of the bed. “It’s the set from your bathroom; don’t you use it too?”

“I do, but I don’t smell like you.”

After saying that, Qi Yuan let Lin Can smell his own scent. “Don’t you believe me? Smell it and see if it’s different.”

Why didn’t he insist on sleeping on the sofa?

Lin Can felt a bit overwhelmed. “Let’s just sleep; I have to get up early tomorrow to make breakfast for you.”

“I’ll have someone bring breakfast; don’t rush to sleep yet.”

Qi Yuan didn’t realize how eager he was; instead, he pressed Lin Can down, not letting him escape. “Smell it; if you don’t smell it, I won’t let you sleep.”

Lin Can had no choice but to stretch his neck and sniff a couple of times at Qi Yuan’s neck, which was leaning towards him.

“Is it different?”

Lin Can frowned, his nostrils unconsciously flaring as he sniffed a few more times. “It seems a bit different.”

“I think I don’t smell as good as you do,” Qi Yuan said.

Lin Can didn’t know how to respond to that, so he simply blanked out. “I think you smell better than I do.”

Qi Yuan suddenly laughed.

“Your little mouth is quite sweet,” he commented on Lin Can.

Lin Can felt a bit numb; he was speaking the truth.

Qi Yuan really liked the scent on Lin Can, leaning close to him and sniffing around. At first, Lin Can felt uncomfortable, but later realized Qi Yuan really had no intention of making a move, so he completely gave up on struggling.

Fortunately, the air conditioning in the room was set low enough; otherwise, with Qi Yuan’s body temperature, he would have been drenched in sweat by now.

Lin Can’s biggest characteristic was going with the flow; once he got used to it, he felt everything was fine. Half an hour ago, he was still praying for his integrity in the bathroom, and half an hour later, he was lying next to the big bad guy, feeling drowsy.

He was dozing off when suddenly he heard Qi Yuan ask him why he was in contact with Yu Jishu again.

“Weren’t you saying he’s not a good person? Why did you rush over when he called you? Are you trying to sell yourself for a good price?”

“You, don’t talk nonsense,” Lin Can said, too sleepy to open his eyes, his words a bit mindless. “It’s my brother who is with him…”

“So you were threatened.”

The person beside him chuckled softly.

“He actually dared to threaten you; he really doesn’t want to live. How about I help you get back at him?”

Getting back at him was too exaggerated; Lin Can just wanted to avoid being entangled with that scumbag in the future.

“Is that all you’re planning? Don’t you want me to find someone to beat him up badly?”

Lin Can felt that the voice was too noisy, disturbing him even while trying to sleep, so he simply turned over.

“No, I don’t want to; don’t, don’t make noise…”

Watching Lin Can turn over and face away from him, covering his head with the blanket while complaining about the noise, Qi Yuan felt inexplicably happy.

You know, looking at him like this, he’s actually a bit cute.