Jiang Xunyu didn’t dare to get distracted again, and Ji Yuzhou also immersed himself in his work. The room became quiet, the only sounds being the ticking of the clock on the wall and the occasional rustling of Jiang Xunyu’s pages.

Time passed quickly when one was focused, and before long, Ji Yuzhou pinched the bridge of his nose in relief. It was already 11 PM.

He leaned back in his chair and looked over at Jiang Xunyu, who was still hunched over the desk, engrossed in his work.

Jiang Xunyu was clearly still deep in thought, his brow furrowed as he unconsciously bit his lip, unaware of Ji Yuzhou’s gaze.

The kid was still growing, and Ji Yuzhou knew he shouldn’t stay up too late. He lightly tapped the desk, and Jiang Xunyu looked up in response.

Ji Yuzhou said, “It’s getting late, let’s stop here for tonight.”

Jiang Xunyu glanced at the clock; it was only 11. He usually studied until after that, but since Ji Yuzhou had given the signal to end, he didn’t feel right staying any longer. He nodded, “Okay.”

He packed his things, stood up, and politely bowed to Ji Yuzhou. “Thank you, Mr. Ji.”

“Mm,” Ji Yuzhou smiled slightly. “Get some rest.”

Jiang Xunyu took a few steps and suddenly remembered something. He paused and turned around, walking back to Ji Yuzhou. “Mr. Ji…”

“What is it?”

Jiang Xunyu looked a little hesitant, glancing at the desk. “Can I take the steps you wrote back with me? I want… to review them again.”

As he spoke, his voice became softer, and his head lowered in embarrassment.

“Of course,” Ji Yuzhou chuckled, organizing the notes he had intended to throw away and handing them to Jiang Xunyu.

Jiang Xunyu reached out to take them, but his fingers accidentally brushed against Ji Yuzhou’s. His body froze for a moment, and he quickly hugged the papers to his chest. “Thank you again,” he muttered, then hurriedly left the study.

Ji Yuzhou sat at his desk, watching Jiang Xunyu’s hurried exit, and a silent smile spread across his face.

His other hand touched the place where they had collided earlier, and it seemed as though Jiang Xunyu’s body warmth still lingered there.

…..

Jiang Xunyu fled back to his room, closed the door, and gently leaned against it. His heart was still pounding fast.

It was only a touch of their fingertips, yet he couldn’t understand why his heart was racing so much, as if it wanted to leap out of his chest and offer itself to that mature and gentle man.

Xiao C suddenly popped up from the side. “Xunyu, why is your face so red?! Are you feeling unwell?”

“No,” Jiang Xunyu shook his head, walking over to sit at his little desk.

Xiao C wasn’t about to give up. “But the system monitored your heart rate and body temperature, and they’re both above normal. The data says this might be…”

Jiang Xunyu quickly covered Xiao C’s mouth.

Xiao C, with its round and smooth body, easily slipped out of Jiang Xunyu’s arm and flew to a place he couldn’t reach.

A mischievous face appeared on the screen: “Xunyu, could it be that you’re… in heat?!”

Jiang Xunyu: “…”

This AI robot seemed to have lost its mind. Maybe he should just…

Xiao C continued its analysis seriously, “Flushed face, rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath… You said you’re not sick, so isn’t that exactly the symptom of heat, as mentioned in the manual?”

“… Shut up.”

He was fully convinced that the creators of Xiao C must have referred to a manual called “Daily Care of Sows.”

Jiang Xunyu chose to ignore Xiao C’s chatter, stood up, and took a shower. The redness on his face gradually faded.

Before sitting back down at his desk, he carefully folded the papers that Ji Yuzhou had written and placed them at the bottom of his drawer, along with the original one.

He didn’t dare admit it, but deep inside, he was starting to develop other desires for Mr. Ji.

….

Ji Yuzhou was a night owl, accustomed to staying up late. After Jiang Xunyu left, he continued reviewing documents until early morning when he began to feel a faint drowsiness.

He turned off the light screen, took a shower, and went downstairs to get a glass of cold water. He was surprised to see that a faint light was still coming from the gap under Jiang Xunyu’s door.

Ji Yuzhou checked the time; it was already past 1 AM.

Was the kid still not asleep? Ji Yuzhou frowned slightly and went to his room to knock on the door.

No one responded, so Ji Yuzhou simply opened the door.

Jiang Xunyu was lying on his desk, with Xiao C flashing a red light, which indicated it was in charging sleep mode.

Ji Yuzhou approached, and Jiang Xunyu, deeply asleep, still had his assignment pressed under his hand.

Ji Yuzhou shook his head, grabbed a blanket, and covered him with it. As he turned to leave, he accidentally kicked the desk, only to notice that the bottom drawer of Jiang Xunyu’s desk was open.

The drawer was empty, and Ji Yuzhou’s gaze naturally moved upward, where he saw a few sheets of paper pressed beneath Jiang Xunyu’s slender arm.

The topmost one was the problem-solving steps he had written for him for the first time.

For the sake of being environmentally friendly, Ji Yuzhou’s household used recycled paper for scratch paper, which was thin and soft. Over time, the edges of the paper had started to fray.

Ji Yuzhou tried to pull the paper out, but Jiang Xunyu murmured in his sleep, pressing the paper even tighter against his body, as if protecting it like a treasure.

Ji Yuzhou wasn’t stupid. With a little imagination, he realized what had happened. The kid had kept everything he had written, even placing it in the most hidden drawer as if it were a precious item.

A strange feeling welled up in Ji Yuzhou’s heart.

Indeed, just a little bit of kindness was enough to make him trust anyone completely.

He looked at the sleeping Jiang Xunyu, hesitated for a moment, then placed the blanket he had covered him with aside and gently lifted him, placing him on the bed.

Upon hearing some rustling, Xiao C opened its eyes, and the indicator light on its head changed color.

“Shh—”

Ji Yuzhou shot it a glance, signaling it to be quiet.

Jiang Xunyu, having just taken a shower, was wearing loose pajamas. As Ji Yuzhou lifted him, the shirt slipped off his shoulder, revealing half of his smooth chest.

Earlier, Ji Yuzhou had bought him some scar-removal cream, and it had worked well. The bruises that were once dark had faded, leaving only a few faint red marks, which would also disappear with time.

Now, those tiny red spots on Jiang Xunyu’s skin looked like blush petals scattered across his body. Ji Yuzhou couldn’t help but swallow hard.

He turned his gaze away, not wanting to look further. He gently adjusted Jiang Xunyu’s shirt and tucked him into bed.

After making sure the blanket was neatly covering him, Ji Yuzhou hurriedly left, leaving behind Xiao C, who was still puzzled and unaware of what had just happened.