Yin Jiuxiao shamelessly accepted being called a jerk, not even attempting to refute it. In fact, he thought Lin Qinghen’s scolding was pretty spot-on and fitting.

He noticed that Lin Qinghen’s voice was hoarse too. And although his heart ached, a part of his naturally unruly side began to resurface at hearing that soft, husky tone. Since when has Lin Qinghen ever sounded like this?

After last night, he confirmed more than ever that he liked every version of Lin Qinghen, but at this point, he didn’t dare entertain any other thoughts. He tightened his embrace around him, giving him a gentle pat, letting Lin Qinghen have his way in everything. “Alright, I’m a jerk. Qinghen, you’re absolutely right.”

His response only made Lin Qinghen even angrier.

What did he mean by “absolutely right”? If he truly agreed with him, why hadn’t he listened last night? Lin Qinghen had repeatedly told him to stop, saying it was enough, yet he’d cried, pleaded, tried every soft approach he could think of—and none of it worked.

Wasn’t it just recently that they’d agreed on some ground rules, including listening to him?

The man was completely untrustworthy! Last night, Yin Jiuxiao had shown his true nature, completely hiding his more gentle side. He was practically ruthless. At certain moments, Lin Qinghen even thought Yin Jiuxiao’s gaze looked a bit red, like he wanted to consume him whole, down to his bones and blood.

Last night really brought out a lot of emotions in Lin Qinghen that he rarely showed. He felt like a different person, crying and feeling scared, with nowhere to run even though he wanted to.

Thinking about it only made him angrier, and he ignored Yin Jiuxiao’s soft apologies, reaching out to push him away.

But with his lack of strength, he couldn’t budge him one bit. His hands and feet were still weak, and Yin Jiuxiao remained utterly still. In trying to push him, he only ended up straining his sore muscles, bringing tears to his eyes.

This guy is solid as a rock! So annoying!

At this point, Yin Jiuxiao genuinely felt sorry, gently apologizing, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” Last night, he had only just finished stabilizing Lin Qinghen’s meridians, so overdoing it wasn’t wise. Still, he carefully channeled a bit of his energy to make him feel a bit more comfortable.

As soon as his hand landed on Lin Qinghen’s lower back, Lin Qinghen tensed up instinctively, pushing his hand away, wrapping himself tightly in the blanket, cocooning himself, and scooting to the edge of the bed with his back turned to Yin Jiuxiao.

“I was wrong,” Yin Jiuxiao tried to coax him again. “Qinghen, be good. Have something to eat first, and then you can be mad at me later, alright?”

Lin Qinghen’s face was stormy as he turned his back on him. Yin Jiuxiao watched the back of his head, hearing his icy voice: “So tell me, does anything I say even matter?”

“It always matters,” Yin Jiuxiao replied immediately. “Whatever Qinghen says, I’ll listen.”

“Then after tonight, you can sleep by yourself. I’ll have someone prepare the room next door for you.”

Yin Jiuxiao was silent for a moment, then seriously replied, “That won’t work.”

Lin Qinghen: …

Lin Qinghen was so furious he ignored him completely. No matter what he said, he wouldn’t respond. Yin Jiuxiao, feeling helpless, mumbled a bit under his breath to defend himself, “But last night, Qinghen, you did agree. How can you say I didn’t listen? What kind of couple sleeps apart anyway? Qinghen, you’re always so reasonable, aren’t you?”

Lin Qinghen: “I never agreed to let you go at it half the night!”

“Well, that’s a bit unclear, so you can’t entirely blame me. If you’re upset, hit me, bite me, whatever you like—I’ll let you get back at me without a word of complaint.” Yin Jiuxiao rested his head on Lin Qinghen’s shoulder, refusing to let him go, thinking that at least they were talking now. Lowering his voice, he used that same pitiful tone from before. “I’ve been wanting last night for a long time; I couldn’t hold back anymore. Besides, it’s not like you didn’t feel good at times, right?”

“No!” Lin Qinghen immediately denied it. “You performed terribly. Go ahead and hold back from now on, Yin Jiuxiao!”

But Lin Qinghen realized that hitting him was just another way of getting pushed around. Hitting him wouldn’t get anywhere; it was pointless.

Once something like this starts, there’s no stopping it. Yin Jiuxiao, having just tasted the sweetness of it last night, would sooner die than stop now.

Most of what he said was to get Lin Qinghen to talk to him again, but Yin Jiuxiao was still careful not to push him too far. Most of the time, he was coaxing and humbling himself, a skill he’d thoroughly mastered.

“…Just give it a few more tries, a few more times, and I’ll improve,” he murmured, sneaking in his real intentions among his sweet words. “Everything takes practice, and I promise I’ll make sure Qinghen enjoys it next time.”

After hearing him out, Lin Qinghen only thought he was shameless. He angrily turned and bit him, which Yin Jiuxiao allowed, but Lin Qinghen’s strength was no more than a kitten scratching, only making him seem even cuter in Yin Jiuxiao’s eyes.

The two of them truly spent quite some time tussling around in bed.

Meanwhile, Wei Lin was in charge of the congee they’d been simmering. It was ready long ago, but since Yin Jiuxiao hadn’t asked for it to be brought in, he’d waited quite a while, even remaking a fresh pot before Yin Jiuxiao finally asked for it to be delivered.

When Wei Lin came in carrying the tray, he immediately saw Lin Qinghen. Wrapped in two loose robes, he was seated there, his usual demeanor somewhat changed. Though he’d freshened up, faint traces and a lingering warmth still peeked through his clothing.

Lin Qinghen was half-reclined in a soft chair, a pillow propping up his back, looking completely different from before. Normally, Lin Qinghen would sit with a straight posture no matter where he was, but now there was an indescribable languidness to him. His head was slightly lifted, and when his eyes swept over to Wei Lin, Wei Lin immediately looked away.

Not that Yin Jiuxiao would have let him stare for long. He quickly walked over to block the view, took the tray from Wei Lin, and shooed him out.

Yin Jiuxiao’s possessiveness was particularly intense today. He even tried to feed the congee to Lin Qinghen himself, only to have his hand slapped away as Lin Qinghen gave him a glare.

“Get lost, go sit over there,” Lin Qinghen snapped, reaching for the spoon himself. “I have hands of my own.”

As he ate, he eventually asked, “Was there some matter you had to attend to today?”

He hadn’t seen Yin Jiuxiao when he woke up, and after a while, he’d returned. Figuring it must have been something important that couldn’t be delayed, he’d let it go. Yin Jiuxiao then shared the details with him, explaining his approach. Lin Qinghen listened intently and finally looked at him, seeming satisfied.

Talking business, Lin Qinghen’s usual calm and seriousness returned.

“Do it the way you planned,” he said. “Don’t interfere unnecessarily. New ideas should be encouraged and given time. Let’s observe a bit longer; I’ll go check it out in a few days.”

Yin Jiuxiao nodded, adding his thoughts, “Today’s timing was fortunate, and it’s good I handled it. The Plantation is just beginning, and with all the experimentation, unexpected issues are bound to pop up. If something does go wrong, I can claim responsibility, which keeps the blame from falling on you, so no one will harbor resentment.”

The Alchemist Association representative’s words had been careless, and while Yin Jiuxiao hadn’t confronted him about it, he’d taken it as a reminder.

It seemed the man was truly loyal to Lin Qinghen. Though sometimes slow on the uptake, his allegiance was clear.

Yin Jiuxiao understood that his Qinghen was frail, with limited spiritual energy. He knew this more clearly than anyone. He worried about whether this delicate constitution could ever truly improve.

While Lin Qinghen had Heavenly Tier spiritual devices and Yin Jiuxiao by his side at all times, there was always the risk of unexpected threats.

But power wasn’t the only form of protection. Genuine respect and support from others and a high enough status could be just as effective. With these in place, no one would dare touch him lightly.

After listening, Lin Qinghen stared at him briefly, quietly muttering, “What you said isn’t that different from what I was going to say.” Yin Jiuxiao saw him lower his spoon, turn his head slightly, and give a barely noticeable smile.

Today, he finally got to see a bit of a happy expression.

Seeing him smile put Yin Jiuxiao at ease, his heart lifting. He tentatively suggested, “Then, in a few days, I’ll accompany Qinghen to go check it out?”

Lin Qinghen glanced at him and gave a slight nod. Although it was soft, he heard it clearly enough.

So the room next door never got prepared after all.

That night, however, Lin Qinghen, restless, spent all night in the Testing Chamber, catching up on his planned work and leaving Yin Jiuxiao to fend for himself.

But the lonely nights didn’t last long. By the next night, though Lin Qinghen kicked him a few times in bed, he wasn’t actually kicked out.

Everyone could tell what was going on with this young couple, though Lin Yunsi was still oblivious.

Being young, he didn’t overthink things and believed Yin Jiuxiao’s story that Lin Qinghen was busy researching something new. When he finally saw him, his first question was, “What were you researching yesterday? Let me see!”

Lin Qinghen didn’t answer him.

Lin Yunsi looked at him with shining, curious eyes, thinking Lin Qinghen’s face seemed a bit red.

Whoa… Lin Qinghen can blush?

“None of your business,” Lin Qinghen coughed, shifting the topic immediately. “Kid, go, go, go, mind your own business!”

Who’s the kid?

Embarrassed and frustrated, right?

Still, Lin Yunsi was a bit scared of him, so he didn’t press any further. But his curiosity remained, so the next day, he asked Yu Yinyin when he ran into her at Die Meng.

Yu Yinyin’s expression immediately shifted.

She thought about it for a moment, her face showing a somewhat painful realization, as though some prized crop had been ravaged by a wild boar.

Lin Yunsi heard her mutter something he couldn’t quite catch, but she seemed about ready to go out and punch someone. However, she changed her mind halfway and walked back, refusing to explain herself.

So what was Lin Qinghen researching anyway? Why all the secrecy?

Lin Yunsi was left thoroughly puzzled.

Oh well. He was a kid, after all, and his attention span was short. Without any answers, he quickly forgot about it. A few days later, Lin Qinghen took him to the Plantation for some actual business.