Chi Liu blushed as he looked at the man whose head was resting on his lap. The bear headgear had been pushed aside by the movement, revealing half of a sharply defined jawline.

So, the neighbor can talk! And his voice sounds oddly familiar!

Now, if he simply takes it off, he’ll be able to see the man’s face…

The man seemed to have fallen asleep, no longer spouting any nonsensical drivel, only his strong arm still tightly wrapped around his waist.

After a long while, Chi Liu sighed softly, a rare occurrence. He didn’t remove the headgear, but gently brushed the man’s hand away, carefully moving the head from his lap, and then casually grabbed a pillow to place under the other’s neck.

He wouldn’t pry into a friend’s privacy.

Chi Liu stood up, twitching his lips as he glanced at the man lying stiffly on the sofa. If this is what the neighbor looks like after getting drunk, his drinking manners are pretty good?

Then he walked towards the kitchen—sure enough, if he wants to eat his fill, he has to rely on himself!

For dinner, he cooked tomato and beef brisket, steamed eggs, and stir-fried two simple home-style dishes. Chi Liu also freshly squeezed an extra cup of strawberry juice.

Since he started experiencing morning sickness, his appetite had decreased significantly, and he even began to show slight signs of anemia. So, he tried to prepare every meal as lavishly as possible, hoping to eat more himself.

After quickly eating half, Chi Liu sealed the neighbor’s portion with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator. Then, he went to his room to wash up and go to bed.

…

The night was deep, and Chi Liu’s breathing gradually became even.

In the quiet living room, the man on the sofa suddenly sat up, took off his headgear, and looked towards the master bedroom.

His handsome face was still tinged with drunkenness—he loved fine wine, but wasn’t good at handling alcohol with a high proof.

Drunk, Chu Qi got up and silently walked towards the bedroom, officially starting his drunken rampage.

Ubiquitous vortexes of shadow surged with the man’s footsteps, only to be utterly crushed by him.

In the moonlight, countless deep blue tentacles surged onto the young man’s body, forming a cage that almost swallowed the sleeping youth.

Only the handsome head remained human, and at this moment, a tentacle gently lifted Chi Liu’s hand that was resting on his abdomen, and the head took the opportunity to roll into the young man’s arms.

Chi Liu’s hand unconsciously lowered—as if he was holding the head in his arms.

Deep blue tentacles wrapped around the young man’s body like crazy, surging wildly. Chu Qi’s head closed its eyes, his face full of a half-drunk, half-awake infatuation.

He whispered sadly and intimately, “Darling.”

“Let’s get married. I promise, we’ll be the happiest family…”

“Little one,” the tentacle wrapped around the young man’s slender waist slowly undulated, its tip accurately placed on the location of the embryo. It gently stroked the smooth, soft skin there, and Chu Qi mumbled drunkenly, “You agree, right?”

The little one, rudely awakened and extremely unhappy: “Even without a dad, Mom and I are a happy family!”

Chu Qi: “…..”

As the tentacles surged, Chi Liu’s brow slowly furrowed. An abnormal flush floated on his face, his long eyelashes trembled, and his eyelids finally slowly opened—

The entire room of tentacles froze like wooden puppets, as if someone had pressed the pause button!

In the young man’s arms, Chu Qi’s head didn’t even dare to blink, his drunken eyes meeting the other’s hazy, moist gaze.

Chi Liu, his brain still immersed in sleepiness: “…?”

What kind of bizarre dream is this!

He just dreamed that the neighbor didn’t drink that Long Island Iced Tea, and was skillfully cooking in the kitchen, while he was sitting at the dining table, and a cute children’s writing board decorated with yellow flowers was floating in front of him, nuzzling him affectionately, with an adorable message written on it: 【Mom!】

Chi Liu smiled and corrected, “Call me Dad.”

Writing board: 【Mom! Mom! Mom! ~】

Chi Liu: “…..”

Heh, not a surprising dream at all!

Later, just as his neighbor was about to bring out the cooked dishes, he fell into a perverted nightmare composed of countless bizarre tentacles and a human head…

Compared to this kind of dream, the writing board calling him Mom is practically adorable!

Since it’s just a dream anyway, Chi Liu isn’t afraid at all.

He turned the annoying face in his arms to the other side, out of sight, out of mind, and then hugged the head like a pillow, falling back into slumber.

The young man’s hand just happened to cover the head’s soft lips. Chu Qi’s pupils were filled with excited red light, and he carefully extended the tip of his tongue, licking the young man’s soft palm.

The tentacles in the room danced wildly like crazy, leaving deep blue afterimages everywhere.

Chu Qi felt happy again.

He closed his eyes, carefully peeking into the young man’s current dream…

Ah, so darling wants to eat the dishes he makes so much…

…

So, the next evening, when Chi Liu came home, he found a chaotic kitchen.

And a tall man standing in the kitchen, covered in a mess.

The floor was covered in a mess of raw fish innards and scales, while a plate of braised fish, nearly unrecognizable, sat quietly on the counter, emitting a burnt smell.

Chi Liu: “…..”

Chu Qi held up a writing board, looking like a convict in a mugshot: 【Sorry.】

This damned fish is so damn hard to make!

After a long while, Chi Liu “Pfft” laughed out loud; his neighbor is truly talented!

He was about to say something when his gaze swept over the man’s hand and his pupils shrank: the pale fingers and the back of his hand were covered with tiny cuts, and the largest one was still oozing bright red blood…

After a long while, a soft, helpless smile appeared on Chi Liu’s face: “Why did you have to cook for me?” He paused, then folded his arms and leaned against the doorframe, raising an eyebrow and saying, “You can talk, right? Just say it directly.”

Chu Qi, pausing as he erased the original words, looked at the gentle-eyed young man through the headgear, his magnetic voice still presenting a particular distortion: “Want you to be happy.”

In that noisy, strange dream, Chi Liu was very happy.

Chi Liu was stunned, lowered his eyes, smiled, and sighed. He walked forward, took the man’s wrist, and led him out, complaining, “Even when cooking, you have to talk about the method, you can ask the owner to help clean the fish—”

He had already pulled the man to the sofa: “As for cooking, you don’t have to start with a difficult braised fish.”

Chu Qi tilted his head slightly, curiously watching the young man treat the wounds that he could heal with a snap of his fingers.

Then, he honestly stated a fact: “It’s tough to make.”

He followed the recipe step by step, but not a single part of that fish would listen to him.

The fish was too stupid and had too small a brain. If he released mental pollution on it, it would only turn into a terrifying, mutated fish that NPCs couldn’t eat.

Chi Liu: “Pfft.”

He quickly treated the wounds with iodine and put on a few bandages: “Okay.”

Chu Qi excitedly looked at the bandages on the back of his hand, still stained with the warmth of the young man’s fingers.

Chi Liu didn’t pay attention. He got up to go to the kitchen to get the fish, stifling a laugh as he said, “Go wash your hands, it’s time for a feast!”

…

Dinner was still lavish, because Chi Liu ordered takeout, plus that braised fish.

Even though it emitted a strange burnt smell, Chi Liu still smiled and picked up a piece of fish, putting it in his mouth to savor it slowly.

Wow, Ah Yuan is a genius to be able to make this kind of flavor!

Chi Liu clenched his fingers, smiled, and swallowed it.

As a lawless evil god, Chu Qi experienced the feeling of nervousness for the first time: “Is it good?”

Chi Liu couldn’t help but pick up a second chopstick, his voice a little teasing: “Um… very special, one of a kind.”

The little one, who was developing and had just learned to share a tiny bit of smell with his mom: “Yuck! Yuck! Yuck! Wuwuwu, it’s so disgusting! Mom, am I going to die? QAQ”

Chu Qi: “…..”

He had no concept of taste for NPCs. The little one was only able to taste “good” or “bad” because he had half-human blood.

So it was very disgusting.

But why does Little Chi still eat so happily…

An unfamiliar, crazy throbbing spread down his spine. Chu Qi was almost unable to control his true form, which was stirring beneath his skin… The cuffs hanging down were surging wildly, about to intertwine with the shadows…

He thought—

Chi Liu was completely unaware. He swallowed a mouthful of fish, raised his head, and smiled, saying, “Well, tomorrow—” Will you come see my store’s trial opening?

Before he could finish speaking, Chu Qi’s distorted voice sounded affectionately in the space: “Can you marry me?”

Chi Liu: “…..”

“Cough cough cough!”

He picked up the strawberry juice on the side and drank two whole cups to suppress the cough!

Chi Liu gasped for breath, the sound of his heart beating too fast vibrating in his eardrums. His thin skin was so red that it was almost dripping blood, and even his earlobes were red.

Chi Liu stared dumbfounded at the opposite side—no, what kind of bad luck with romance is he having lately!

Why are one or two people coming to propose to him?

Chu Qi put down the bear headgear and looked gently at the young man, whose face was flushed and eyes moist from the eye holes, repeating, “Can you marry me?” His voice was unbelievably gentle.

“Thump, thump”

Chi Liu listened blankly to the sound of his heart beating one or two beats faster—that’s also normal.

After all, no one would be utterly indifferent to a proposal, right? Although he hasn’t even seen the face of the person proposing!

“Uh,” Chi Liu put his hands on the table and stood up: “I, I’m full, enjoy your meal!”

After saying that, he turned around and strode back to his room.

Chu Qi quietly and gently observed his back. The door closed with a “bang.” He removed the headgear and tilted his head in confusion—he had clearly been rejected again, so why wasn’t he sad now?

…

In the dim, quiet room, Chi Liu leaned against the door with his arms folded, his cheeks burning. After a long while, he pinched his brow in a headache and walked towards the bathroom.

He still has a trial opening tomorrow!

He must get enough sleep! Sleep!

He wants to get the best sleep!

…

“You don’t look like you slept well?” On the bar’s terrace, Secretary Wen held a glass of girly pink Cosmopolitan, looking curiously at the young man with a slightly pale face.

He’s so curious!

Ever since he learned from the boss that Little Chi had actually brought him home, he’s been scratching his head and his liver with curiosity about their interaction!

He can’t figure it out. Doesn’t Little Chi have any good feelings for the boss at all? How did he suddenly take the initiative to bring him home?

It can’t be that the boss has been wearing that stupid bear headgear in front of Little Chi and Little Chi doesn’t even know that the other party is the boss, right?

Hahaha, it’s not a romance novel, it definitely won’t be so melodramatic!

Secretary Wen was almost sickeningly gentle: “Is there something on your mind?”

Amidst the exuberant and dazzling rock music, Chi Liu leaned against the terrace railing and smiled slightly: “No.” Absolutely not.

Chi Liu: “You’re not suitable for moonlighting as a confidante.”

Secretary Wen coughed lightly and pushed up his glasses: “Okay.”

He paused and said thoughtfully, “You have to go for a physical examination tomorrow. Do you need me to accompany you?”

Chi Liu smiled and shook his head—he’s not that fragile, right!

Then, his gaze swept across the terrace and looked inside.

It’s still daytime now, so in theory the bar’s business shouldn’t be that good.

However, the terrace was now bustling with a colorful crowd of customers!

The interior was also packed, and at the resident singer’s spot, Wen Xi wore a black leather jacket, played the bass, and sang super cool, hard, and powerful songs as if she had become a different person.

A green-haired girl with pigtails was happily playing the drums.

Qi Teng was frantically mixing drinks, as if he had truly grown eight hands, shaking the cocktail shaker so quickly that it left afterimages. Xiang Xiang and the other waiters were diligently bringing drinks and various snacks to the customers. He appeared too gentle and delicate and received a lot of tips.

Chi Liu was naturally delighted, but also a little incredulous: the business was so good on the first day of the trial opening!

Secretary Wen took a sip of his drink and laughed, “They all work night shifts, so they can only come to play during the day. Your store will be jam-packed day and night in the future.”

Chi Liu patted Secretary Wen’s shoulder: “Thank you.”

He knew that he owed his friend for the promotion.

Secretary Wen raised his glass to Chi Liu and touched Chi Liu’s glass of warm water: “You’re welcome.”

Just then, the wind chimes at the bar door rang softly.

New customers entered the store, passed through the noisy interior, and walked towards the terrace.

Suddenly, the entire space fell silent, and all the customers froze, staring at the new customer who had already arrived on the terrace. Only Wen Xi was still fearlessly playing the bass and rapping.

Secretary Wen’s mouth was already wider than an egg.

Chu Qi stood in front of Chi Liu, a strange smile on his handsome face: “I want that drink I had when we first met.”

Remembering Chi Liu’s face instantly turning red on the first night in the other world: “Cough cough cough!”

Cough cough cough cough cough!

He must be dreaming right now!

He can’t tell whether this one-night stand is damned or that Afternoon of a Faun^[1]T/N: most commonly refers to Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune (Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun), a groundbreaking orchestral work by French composer Claude Debussy, … Continue reading that he never wants to mix even once is damned!