Leaving Cen Chi alone in the car made Chi Zhan uneasy.
“Find a nearby budget hotel,” he instructed the driver.
“No.” Cen Chi murmured, eyes closed.
The driver glanced at the rearview mirror.
“So… who am I listening to, exactly?”
Cen Chi recited an address, then slumped against Chi Zhan’s shoulder and didn’t move again.
“Well, I’m driving then.”
“…Okay, sure.”
He couldn’t help feeling like Doctor Cen’s drunkenness came in waves—lucid one moment, completely out of it the next.
The address Cen Chi gave seemed pretty far, located in one of the city’s most upscale residential complexes. It took over half an hour to get there.
“How much did you even drink…” Chi Zhan grumbled as he supported Cen Chi out of the car. “Aren’t either of you working tomorrow?”
Cen Chi seemed slightly more awake now. He was no longer dead weight against Chi Zhan, making it a bit easier to manage.
It was well past midnight. The night sky was like ink-drenched cloth—dark and clear, without a single cloud. A few faint stars twinkled overhead. A gust of wind swept by, making Chi Zhan shiver.
That cold wind seemed to rouse Cen Chi. For the first time, he pulled away from Chi Zhan and stood on his own, turning to look at him.
“…Secretary Chi?” His tone was laced with confusion. “You brought me back?”
Chi Zhan gave a soft “Mm,” exhaling deeply as though he’d just completed a grueling mission. “You’re finally awake.”
“I just remember drinking at the bar. Was it Zhou Yanxing who called you?” Cen Chi frowned slightly.
Damn—he’d forgotten what happened at the bar? Who was going to vouch for Chi Zhan now?
But then he caught the faint smile flickering in Cen Chi’s eyes and suddenly got suspicious.
“Wait… you do remember, don’t you?”
“What?”
Playing dumb, seriously…?
Chi Zhan was already starting to feel sleepy.
“Doctor Cen, you should head inside. I’ll be off.”
But Cen Chi didn’t move. He glanced at his watch.
“It’s late. You won’t find a cab out here. And your phone isn’t with you—how are you going to pay for anything? If you don’t mind, why don’t you just stay at my place tonight?”
***
The heater was turned up inside. Chi Zhan sat stiffly on the couch, gradually thawing out.
He took a look around—Cen Chi’s apartment was nothing like he’d expected. If anything, it was even more minimalistic.
The entire space was done in black, white, and grey. Not a single other color in sight: black leather sofa, white wooden table, grey media console.
Even Zhou Yanxing’s ultra-minimalist break room had a few colorful knickknacks scattered about. But here? Aside from a leafy green plant by the window, there wasn’t a single splash of color anywhere.
Was this just a personal preference?
Suddenly, something small and soft crashed into Chi Zhan’s chest. He nearly had a heart attack—thought it was a rat.
Looking down, he realized it was a tiny black cat.
Wait, Cen Chi keeps a cat?
Cen Chi walked out of the kitchen and placed a mug of hot cocoa in front of Chi Zhan—pure white, of course.
“Meow Meow seems to like you,” he commented, glancing at the cat curled on Chi Zhan’s lap. Then, to Chi Zhan himself, who was frozen stiff, he added, “Don’t be scared. She doesn’t bite.”
“I—I’m not scared. I was just afraid she’d fall,” Chi Zhan said, clearly nervous. This was his first time having a kitten sprawled on him. She was warm and soft. The feeling was oddly novel. “Is her name Meow Meow?”
“Yeah. She kept meowing, so I called her Meow Meow,” Cen Chi explained with complete composure.
“……”
…Well, that actually made sense.
After a few minutes of lounging, Meow Meow was lured away by the toy in Cen Chi’s hand. Chi Zhan finally relaxed, watching as Cen Chi coaxed the kitten into her little nest.
“I thought you were the type with a cleanliness obsession. Didn’t expect you to keep pets.”
“Cleanliness obsession?”
“It’s just… your place is so spotless. And the decor—just black, white, and grey. Most people wouldn’t choose such a stark palette.”
Cen Chi smiled but didn’t reply.
Chi Zhan sipped his cocoa slowly. The warmth seeped in, and drowsiness crept up on him again. He stifled a yawn, rubbed his eyes—and noticed Cen Chi watching him intently.
Chi Zhan blinked.
“What?”
Cen Chi looked away.
“I set out toiletries for you. Also… do you prefer cotton or silk pajamas?”
“I’m fine with either.”
Chi Zhan followed him into the bedroom. Unsurprisingly, it was decorated in the same monochrome palette. A few books were arranged neatly on the side. Cen Chi pulled out several sets of brand-new pajamas.
“Which one do you like?”
“Uh…”
Cen Chi caught his hesitation.
“Don’t like any of them?”
The pajamas weren’t black, white, or grey—they were soft pastel shades: pink, blue, yellow. Not exactly styles a grown man like him would usually wear. But he was staying under someone else’s roof—it didn’t seem right to be picky.
Chi Zhan finally picked the blue one. The toiletries were, naturally, also black and white. The guest room? Same deal.
Plenty of people liked minimalist decor, but someone this extreme? That was rare.
Cen Chi changed into his own pajamas and washed up as well. When Chi Zhan looked into the mirror, he couldn’t help but feel a little indignant—why was Cen Chi’s pajama set black while his was powder blue?
Still, it wasn’t something he could say out loud.
After a moment of deliberation, Chi Zhan asked to borrow an alarm clock.
Cen Chi raised an eyebrow.
“Didn’t Zhou Yanxing say you didn’t need to work in the morning? You can sleep in.”
“Well, yeah, but…”
So all that talk earlier—“drunk and can’t remember anything”—was obviously a lie.
“I’ll be back around noon,” Cen Chi added with a smile. “Let’s have lunch together before I take you in. Consider it payment for escorting me home tonight. Deal?”
Sounded like a pretty good deal, honestly. What choice did Chi Zhan have? He nodded.
“Oh, right, Secretary Chi…” Cen Chi paused, lifting his gaze toward him. “About how we address each other—should we change that?”
