Chen Zemian couldn’t disobey Lu Zhuonian, so he had no choice but to pick up his computer and drive silently. First, he gathered Liu Yuebo and Yan Luo, then headed to the preparation area to fetch Lu Zhuonian.
Xiao Kesong drove the car himself. When he saw Lu Zhuonian walking toward Chen Zemian’s vehicle, he couldn’t hide his dissatisfaction. “Can’t you leave one person to accompany me?” he muttered.
Half a minute later, Liu Yuebo and Yan Luo had already settled into Xiao Kesong’s car.
Liu Yuebo leaned against the window, gazing at the vehicle with a contemplative expression. Then, he turned to Yan Luo and asked softly, “Did you see it?”
Yan Luo blinked in confusion. “What did I see?”
Liu Yuebo’s eyes flickered with curiosity. “The sweatshirt Mr. Lu is wearing… it’s the one Chen Zhe took.”
Yan Luo glanced at Chen Zemian, who was indeed wearing that same piece of clothing, and nodded. “Yes, that’s right.”
Taking a deep breath, Liu Yuebo leaned back into his seat and asked with a hint of suspicion, “Doesn’t Mr. Lu have mysophobia? Why would he wear Chen Zhe’s clothes?”
Xiao Kesong responded calmly, “They live together, so it’s not unusual for them to change clothes with each other. Besides, the down jacket he’s wearing is also Zhuonian’s.”
Liu Yuebo was stunned upon hearing this. For a moment, he didn’t know what shocked him more — living together or sharing clothes. He repeated incredulously, “Living together?”
Xiao Kesong turned the steering wheel smoothly and drove out of the shooting range. “Yes. Zhuonian’s hand was injured, and it’s inconvenient for him to move around. Also,” he added softly, “don’t go spreading this around. Zhuonian doesn’t want his mother to know.”
Liu Yuebo fell silent for a few seconds, then asked cautiously, “Is it about the hand burn or about living together?”
Xiao Kesong answered without hesitation, “Of course, it’s about the hand burn.”
Liu Yuebo nodded in understanding. After all, the hand burn was something secretive — something they couldn’t talk about outside. But living together? That was a different story.
The dinner venue was Lushui Pavilion.
As soon as Chen Zemian sat down, Liu Yuebo immediately took the seat next to him. He fidgeted, scratching his ears and cheeks, eager to say something but hesitating.
Chen Zemian glanced at him. “Do you have urticaria?”
Liu Yuebo tried his best to lower his voice, leaning in to whisper to Chen Zemian. But just as he moved close, Lu Zhuonian’s eyes flicked over sharply, startling him into coughing.
Chen Zemian quickly dodged. “Where are your manners? Why are you coughing into someone’s ear?”
Lu Zhuonian looked at the seat beside him and said calmly, “Come sit next to me.”
Chen Zemian moved over with a relaxed smile and said, “Tell me what you want to eat later — I’ll help you pick it out.”
Lu Zhuonian responded evenly, “I can use my left hand.”
Chen Zemian rolled his eyes. “Your left hand is slow to pick up food. It’ll affect my eating.”
Lu Zhuonian nodded reluctantly. “Fine. Use a serving chopstick.”
Chen Zemian muttered, “Too much trouble,” then turned his head and lowered his voice. “If it weren’t for grandson Liu Yuebo being such a good eater, I’m afraid you wouldn’t stand a chance. Who would care about you?”
Unbeknownst to him, that “grandson” — Liu Yuebo — heard every word clearly.
Well, I worked hard to keep your secret, and now I’m your grandson!
Liu Yuebo, furious, turned around and started badmouthing Chen Zemian to Xue Duo.
While they whispered, no one knew what Liu Yuebo was saying, but Xue Duo’s eyes flashed with horror. He looked at Chen Zemian and winked, then pulled out his phone and pressed it hard.
A few seconds later, Chen Zemian saw a message pop up from Xue Duo.
[Xue Duo: Why do you want to live with Mr. Lu?!]
Chen Zemian, feeling lazy to reply, directly shot back, “Living together is just for convenience — serving the boss. Stay dedicated.”
As soon as those words left his mouth, the entire dining table fell into an awkward silence.
Ye Chen’s hand froze over the menu. He looked up at Lu Zhuonian, who remained composed, sipping his tea with calm eyes fixed on Xiao Kesong.
Xiao Kesong picked up a napkin and examined it with exaggerated seriousness, as if scrutinizing whether it was clean — probably paranoid about mysophobia himself.
Meanwhile, Liu Yuebo, who supported his head with one hand, silently covered his face, pretending to be indifferent.
Chen Zemian looked around at everyone, but for some reason, no one spoke. He tried to send a questioning glance with his eyes, but everyone, except Yan Luo, was busy with their own things; no one paid him any attention.
Yan Luo and Chen Zemian exchanged a look. His eyes were clear, and when Chen Zemian looked at him, Yan Luo tilted his head in confusion.
Chen Zemian tilted his head twice. Yan Luo responded by tilting his head downward, as if competing to see who could tilt the furthest.
Of course, Chen Zemian was not to be outdone. He worked harder, but the armrest of the chair was slippery, and his leaning arm slipped, hitting Lu Zhuonian’s shoulder.
Lu Zhuonian glanced at him, raised his hand to steady him, and whispered, “Sit properly. Don’t move.”
Chen Zemian protested, “No, I’m competing with Yan Luo.”
Lu Zhuonian replied calmly, “Are you competing in a contest of will? Then, fine — you win.”
Chen Zemian, dissatisfied, said, “What do you mean, ‘contest of will’? I’m talking about who can bend further.”
Lu Zhuonian’s tone was straightforward. “You lose.”
Chen Zemian didn’t think he lost — he believed it was just an accident. He tried to save face, saying, “That’s just a minor defeat.”
Lu Zhuonian responded with a deadpan tone, “If you consider that a victory, then the German army’s Normandy landing was also a ‘small defeat’ for the Germans.”
Hearing this, Ye Chen raised his eyebrows and looked at Lu Zhuonian with his eyes — is it really that straightforward?
Lu Zhuonian’s expression was blank as he reached out and took the menu from Ye Chen, then handed it to Chen Zemian. “If you’re not going to look, just order for someone else.”
Ye Chen: “…”
Chen Zemian felt a little uneasy. The waiter had brought several menus, yet Lu Zhuonian had specifically grabbed Ye Chen’s — a bit unreasonable.
He returned the menu to Ye Chen. “Ye Shao, take a look first.”
Lu Zhuonian said casually, “Look — most of the dishes he ordered aren’t even worth eating.”
Ye Chen responded, “I have no problem eating from your private kitchen.”
Lu Zhuonian nodded. “Good. Just order whatever you want.”
Both spoke in a calm tone, yet an unspoken tension lingered. Xue Duo, feeling embarrassed, couldn’t sit still. He stood up and handed another menu over. “Order, order.”
“What are you doing? Don’t cause trouble,” Chen Zemian warned, grabbing Lu Zhuonian’s arm. “Is this dish good?”
Lu Zhuonian replied that it was okay, then recommended a few dishes Chen Zemian might like.
The cuisine at Lushui Pavilion was renowned, especially the squirrel fish — fragrant, tender, and perfectly balanced between sweet and sour.
Chen Zemian ate most of it himself, only taking a few bites of the other dishes before feeling full and sitting in a daze.
Lu Zhuonian set down his chopsticks and looked at him. “When can you help me pick up some food?”
Chen Zemian, immersed in eating, only remembered his task after a moment. His eyes only saw food — the rest of the world faded away.
The dishes in front of Lu Zhuonian were so clean they looked freshly served. It was obvious he hadn’t eaten much.
He hurriedly picked up the serving chopsticks, trying to make up for lost time.
Once the round table was served again, the pile of food on Lu Zhuonian’s plate had grown into a small mountain. Since Lu Zhuonian was a slow eater by nature — and with the added complication of eating outside and using his left hand — his pace was even slower.
Chen Zemian, anxious and eager, put on disposable gloves. He shredded the lobster meat and nudged it into Lu Zhuonian’s bowl. “Eat quickly.”
Lu Zhuonian felt it was a bit undignified — almost like feeding a dog — but, considering Chen Zemian’s effort, he still condescended to eat it.
Xiao Kesong watched silently, then whispered to Chen Zemian, “Didn’t Zhuonian’s hand get burned? You can’t eat seafood or other irritating foods, right?”
Chen Zemian, who was usually rough and slow-minded after a meal, remembered this and grabbed the lobster from Lu Zhuonian’s bowl. “Don’t eat it,” he said hurriedly.
Lu Zhuonian: “…”
Ye Chen, watching from the side, chuckled quietly. He saw Chen Zemian’s hand darting in and out of Lu Zhuonian’s bowl three times, then asked casually, “What about your mysophobia?”
Lu Zhuonian replied lightly, “It’s an emergency. I can’t starve. Do you have any objections?”
Ye Chen responded, “No. Kesong, do you have anything to say?”
Xiao Kesong wanted to say a lot! He looked Lu Zhuonian up and down, feeling how much he had changed recently. His temper had improved, and even his picky, mysophobic tendencies had mostly disappeared.
Lu Zhuonian, in front of him, was wearing Chen Zemian’s sweater and eating peeled shrimp from Chen Zemian’s hand. The most shocking part was that someone with such a strong sense of territory and distance was sharing his bowl with Chen Zemian!
Even though Chen Zemian moved quickly, Xiao Kesong still saw it — Chen Zemian casually stuffed the shrimp meat into his mouth, as if it was nothing unusual.
And Lu Zhuonian, remarkably, allowed it.
This was truly alarming.
Previously, Xiao Kesong had been worried about what Lu Zhuonian might do to Chen Zemian, but now he was more concerned about Lu Zhuonian himself.
He wondered what Chen Zemian had done during Lu Zhuonian’s injury to bring back his arrogance so completely.
If it only took more than twenty days to change a person, what was the point of his cautiousness over the past few years?
*****
In the wealthy circle, there are no real secrets. The fact that Chen Zemian lived in Lu Zhuonian’s house spread rapidly among the young master circle.
Most people were surprised, but only because Chen Zemian had somehow stood out from all the lackeys and gained Lu Zhuonian’s favor.
Few considered the ambiguity — after all, Lu Zhuonian had always been reserved, not interested in beauty, and had shown no particular interest in the same sex before.
If two boys share interests and get along well, they naturally want to spend more time together. The same logic applied to their close friends. During winter and summer vacations, it’s normal for a group of friends to hang out for an entire month.
Just because most people don’t think about it doesn’t mean no one is curious. Some people asked Chen Zemian indirectly, others in roundabout ways to Xiao Kesong and Ye Chen, but none got a clear answer.
Observing Lu Zhuonian and Chen Zemian’s daily interactions, they gradually dispelled their doubts — nothing was out of the ordinary.
Chen Zemian, for his part, didn’t care much about the outside chatter.
When Lu Zhuonian’s hand recovered, he moved out of his house and returned to the shooting range to continue his work. There was still some unfinished business before the New Year.
In the end, he couldn’t resist the lure of money. He packaged the game and the studio together and sold them for 11 million.
Chen Zemian decided that, as soon as the money arrived, he would go to Hainan for a trip!
With the New Year approaching, he had no relatives here — staying in Beijing felt dull. So, he figured, why not find somewhere to relax? Hainan’s mild climate was just right for his health
Since he was infected with the flu last time, he had been coughing intermittently. Chen Zhe has allergic asthma and is best suited for recuperation in a humid environment.
Previously, Lu Zhuonian was injured, and the matters concerning the shooting range and the game studio were all over the place. As a result, he never had a moment to spare. Now, with the international shooting competition finally over and Lu Zhuonian’s hand healed, he could finally go on vacation!
Thinking about the upcoming trip, Chen Zhemian was in high spirits, a bright smile spreading across his face as he looked at everyone around him.
Liu Yuebo, familiar with Chen Zemian’s cheerful expression, couldn’t help but ask with a teasing tone, “Who are you bullying again?”
Chen Zemian, feeling a bit speechless, shot back, “If you can’t speak properly, then don’t say anything at all.”
Liu Yuebo frowned, studying Chen Zemian’s expression. “Look at you — your face looks like you’ve done something bad. Come on, tell me honestly — what are you so happy about?”
Chen Zemian chuckled, “I’m going to Hainan for a trip in a few days.”
Liu Yuebo’s eyes widened subconsciously. “With Mr. Lu?”
Surprised, Chen Zemian shook his head. “No, I’m going there for the New Year. The Lu family has so many social engagements at the end of the year — there’s no way he’s going out for fun.”
Liu Yuebo’s face darkened with suspicion. “You know how many social events the Lu family hosts at this time. If you don’t follow him to make connections, you might as well run away. So, what’s your reason for going to Hainan? You said you finally became a close minister to the emperor, but at the critical moment, you’re just exiling yourself. Are you stupid?”
Feeling righteous, Chen Zemian retorted, “What are you talking about? Do Mr. Lu and I have that kind of relationship?”
Liu Yuebo’s head was filled with question marks. “Aren’t you guys—?”
Chen Zemian waved his hand dismissively. “You really underestimate me. I’m not interested in those connections.”
Liu Yuebo pressed further, “Then what are you interested in?”
Without hesitation, Chen Zemian replied, “Of course it’s Mr. Lu. He’s a very nice person.”
Lu Zhuonian responded softly, “Thank you for the compliment.”
Chen Zemian froze, caught off guard by the sudden, unexpected attack.
He turned around and looked at Lu Zhuonian, saying with a grin, “I really suspect there are silencers on your shoes.”
Lu Zhuonian took off his gloves, picked up the crossbow on the table, and shot him a calm look. “Are you playing with the crossbow again?”
Chen Zemian nodded eagerly. “Yes, the previous game has been sold, and I’m about to start preparing for that shooting game.”
Lu Zhuonian looked a little surprised. “So soon? Has the project been approved?”
Chen Zemian confirmed with a nod. “Yes, it’s called Peaceful Battlefield. It’s themed around anti-terrorism, and it’s a military-style competition experience game.”
Lu Zhuonian raised the crossbow and aimed at a circular target twenty meters away. “Are you still missing any weapon parameters?”
Chen Zemian shook his head. “Not for now. I need to discuss it further while working on it. We’ll talk after the New Year. I’ve sold the studio and need to assemble a new team… but that’s not urgent. By the way, you just went back to the Lu residence. Did your mother notice that your hand was injured?”
Lu Zhuonian hadn’t returned to the old house for nearly a month since the ‘milk pot explosion’. After finally recovering, he immediately went to report to his mother, avoiding suspicion.
Everything else was easy to handle — except for a deep scar on his wrist that couldn’t be fully removed after several laser treatments. That scar remained his only flaw.
However, since Lu Zhuonian hadn’t been detained at the old house, he must have managed to slip away with it.
Sure enough, Lu Zhuonian said, “She didn’t notice. I didn’t take off my gloves.”
Chen Zemian glanced at Lu Zhuonian’s wrist. “You’ve been wearing gloves all this time, and your mother didn’t ask?”
Lu Zhuonian pulled the trigger, and the crossbow arrow shot through the air, hitting the bull’s-eye precisely. “Mysophobia,” he replied simply. “She’s used to it.”
Chen Zemian was speechless.
Lu Zhuonian was somewhat of a germaphobe, and his sleep disorder was also quite serious — not a disease, but enough to make others cautious. The Lu family’s standards for health were truly strict.
No wonder their children, often with poor attention spans, were sent for sensory integration training.
Lu Zhuonian noticed that Chen Zemian was again lost in thought. He gently tapped his forehead.
“Hey!” Chen Zemian made a dissatisfied “tsk” sound. “That hurts!”
Lu Zhuonian responded with a teasing smile. “Delicate.”
Indeed, his skin was tender, as if made of almond tofu — soft and smooth.
*****
On the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, at five o’clock in the morning on the Little New Year in the north, Chen Zemian was abruptly awakened by the loud crackle of firecrackers.
Isn’t setting off fireworks forbidden before dawn? Who’s breaking the rules?
The noise was deafening — too loud, too early.
He pulled the quilt over his head, grabbed his phone, and checked the surroundings. No rule forbade fireworks in this world, he found.
He couldn’t help but complain. Maybe in this universe, there’s no air pollution to worry about.
But that meant the Little New Year was just beginning, and the firecrackers would likely go on until the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. Would he be woken up every morning?
He stayed at Lu Zhuonian’s house a while ago, and he didn’t hear a single firecracker.
Perhaps the villa was more upscale.
It’s easy to go from frugal to luxurious. Chen Zemian didn’t think his previous home had poor soundproofing — yet, after living at Lu Zhuonian’s, he realized the walls weren’t soundproof enough. The noise was relentless, and the community’s parking was tight — that was another issue.
Especially after getting used to sleeping on a mattress worth hundreds of thousands, sleeping on his own old mattress now felt like lying on straw.
Chen Zemian’s material desires weren’t high. He’d previously sold his game studio, thinking earning ten million yuan would be enough for a comfortable retirement city. But now, he realized that if he truly wanted the kind of life Lu Zhuonian lived, ten million was far from sufficient.
That kind of comfort couldn’t be bought with money alone.
So, he decided, he must keep making money.
The sound of firecrackers was motivating.
He also wanted to live in a high-end villa, be neighbors with refined people, sleep on a mattress worth hundreds of thousands, and drink spring water from Yuquan Mountain!
Today, Lu Zhuonian returned to the Lu family’s old house to celebrate the festival. Liu Yuebo’s parents and brothers had also come back to China.
Since the boss and his younger brother would be reunited with their families and wouldn’t go to the shooting range, Chen Zemian decided to take a day off.
At eleven in the morning, he got up from bed. Too lazy to go downstairs for food, he made a pack of instant noodles, grabbed a popular comic he’d been following recently, and ate while reading.
This kind of otaku life still felt pretty good.
He took a bottle of Coke from the fridge, and just as he turned on his phone, it rang — Lu Zhuonian.
Chen Zemian answered, still holding his Coke.
“Hello,” he said, swallowing the last mouthful. “Lu Shao, do you have any instructions?”
Lu Zhuonian’s voice was gentle and amused. “Chen Zemian, you’re absent from work again.”
Chen Zemian choked on his Coke. “Cough cough — today’s the Little New Year! Who’s complaining to you? Manager Wang? Or Yan Luo?”
“Why are you coughing again?” Lu Zhuonian asked, ignoring the question. “Did you eat something cold or sweet again?”
Chen Zemian suspected that his phone was being monitored. He quickly covered the camera, pushed the ice Coke away, and lied with false innocence, “No, I have allergic asthma. There are fireworks outside, and some irritating gases are floating into the house.”
Lu Zhuonian responded calmly, “Buy an air purifier.”
Chen Zemian considered this. It made sense — his sensitive trachea would benefit from one. “Okay, I’ll check online later.”
“I didn’t tell you this,” Lu Zhuonian said softly, “but I’ve already arranged for someone to buy the purifier and send it to you.”
Chen Zemian slightly curled his fingers. “You buy it for me?”
Lu Zhuonian replied casually, “Wang Shun went.”
Chen Zemian was stunned. “Wang Shun?”
Lu Zhuonian liked to speak casually, often leaving Chen Zemian at a loss. “Yes. It’s the bodyguard you knocked out with a palm in Lushui Pavilion.”
Chen Zemian made a small sound of “uh” on the other end, trying to think of a way to change the subject.
“I mean,” Chen Zemian said, “I feel guilty bothering Lu Shao. Even if the purifier isn’t expensive, I don’t want to trouble you. I’d feel guilty.”
Lu Zhuonian responded in a low, magnetic tone, “I hope you have a conscience.”
Chen Zemian hurriedly agreed. “Of course I do!”
Lu Zhuonian continued, “Your conscience is that you know I’m not going to the shooting range today, so you’re taking the opportunity to give yourself a day off.”
Chen Zemian grumbled, “They started setting off firecrackers at five in the morning, and it’s so noisy I couldn’t sleep. I got up late. I’ll go now.”
“No need,” Lu Zhuonian said softly. “Today is the Little New Year, and the noise will only increase tonight. If it’s too loud, you can come stay at my house. I’ve been in the old house recently, and I won’t be going back.”
Chen Zemian hesitated, thinking of the soft mattress that looked like a cloud or a feather, and felt moved. Still, he worried it would be rude to just barge in while Lu Zhuonian was away.
Finally, he said, “That’s not good. You’re not there, so I’ll just sleep in my own house.”
Lu Zhuonian’s voice was gentle but firm. “What does it matter? You’ve slept alone before I moved in, haven’t you?”
Although the words sounded a bit odd, they made sense.
Since sleep was involved, Chen Zemian couldn’t help but ask about Lu Zhuonian’s sleep disorder. “How have you been sleeping lately?”
Lu Zhuonian replied honestly, “Much better since you moved out.”
This implied that his sleep issues had persisted for more than a day or two, and Chen Zemian couldn’t help but wonder — why did he blame him?
He defended himself, “After I adjusted my work and rest schedule, I never bothered you again.”
Lu Zhuonian raised an eyebrow. “Oh, so you also know that asking people to go hiking and watch the sunrise early in the morning is annoying.”
“It’s boring to stay awake all night,” Chen Zemian declared proudly. “If you have insomnia, you can come to me! I’ll keep you company.”
Lu Zhuonian heard exactly what he wanted, and a faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips. “Okay,” he said lightly.
Suddenly, someone in the community started setting off firecrackers again, the loud bang echoing through the air.
Chen Zemian stepped into the inner room with his phone. “Did you hear that? So noisy.”
Lu Zhuonian responded, “It’s very noisy. Just go to my house.”
Without hesitation, Chen Zemian agreed.
The two exchanged a few words, mostly trivial, before ending the call.
As he put his phone down, Chen Zemian noticed it was getting hot. A low battery warning appeared, reminding him to recharge.
He plugged in his phone and returned to bed, intending to watch anime. He picked a popular youth series, but surprisingly, he found himself uninterested.
Strange — he’d been hooked just moments before. Maybe it was better to watch something while eating.
After all, nothing beats watching anime while indulging in food.
*****
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Author: LazyHermitGal
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