The car cruised smoothly along the road.
Hu Xiaoyu turned to admire the city streets outside, then lowered his gaze to the head resting on his lap—Yu Tan's head. His heart was utterly content.
"So good to look at?" Yu Tan raised a brow, his mood light, his deep, lazy voice pleasing to the ear.
"Everything's good to look at," Hu Xiaoyu nodded, his fox-like eyes brimming with sincerity.
Yu Tan chuckled, reached up to pinch Hu Xiaoyu's slightly rounded cheeks, then closed his eyes again.
The car was spacious, with a driver at the wheel.
Ah Jiu sat alone in the front, listening to the two in the back. Their chatter was silly, even trivial, but the atmosphere was warm and intimate. On his usually impassive face, a rare gentle smile flickered.
He even found himself wishing—if only things could stay like this forever.
Half an hour later, the car turned into a tree-lined lane and stopped before a quiet, secluded restaurant.
Hu Xiaoyu loved places with fewer people and more greenery. Stretching lazily after he got out, he spotted a small sparrow perched on a branch and immediately wanted to chat with it—maybe ask if this not-so-much-like-a-restaurant place had anything especially tasty.
For him, as long as there was fish, he was fine. But inviting someone else out to eat—that was different. He didn't want to risk disappointing them.
Rather than asking the waiters—no, servers, as they were called these days—he figured it would be more reliable to ask the locals.
But just as he sent out a thread of spiritual energy toward the sparrow, his plan was cut short.
Someone pinched the back of his neck. His instinct was to curl up and shield his tail.
Oh, right. He was in human form now. No tail to protect.
Still, the reflex was inescapable. His limbs went limp, his eyes instantly filling with liquid brightness.
He turned his misty gaze toward the culprit.
Yu Tan caught the shimmer in those damp eyes, and a flicker of amazement crossed his face.
Had he been too rough?
For the first time, doubt stirred in his chest—along with the sudden urge to soothe.
Hu Xiaoyu shielded the back of his neck with his palm and quickly backed away, his voice soft and sulky: "Don't touch me!"
Yu Tan's eyes narrowed, his expression darkening. "Come here."
Hu Xiaoyu looked like a startled little animal, bouncing back a step. It was adorable—but disobedience was another matter. Especially here.
Even Ah Jiu, following silently behind, flinched at Yu Tan's tone.
But Hu Xiaoyu didn't seem fazed. Instead, he puzzled over why Yu Tan was upset.
Thinking back—he'd been oddly clingy all morning, sniffing him like a puppy…
Ah. He understood.
When Yu Tan had first taken him in, he'd always stuck close, terrified of being abandoned.
So Hu Xiaoyu trotted back over, slipped his hand into Yu Tan's, and coaxed him softly: "I'm not leaving. Don't be scared."
Yu Tan: "…"
Ah Jiu's mouth twitched. He turned away, not sure whether to laugh or sigh.
What on earth made Hu Xiaoyu think their boss was a baby who needed comforting?
Hu Xiaoyu held Yu Tan's hand and thought about how cold it was. No wonder his face was always so pale. Any paler, and he'd look like the original host hanging from the ceiling…
Yu Tan frowned at the warmth of those small fingers and yanked his hand free.
He wanted to scold the boy for overstepping—but then remembered he had just been resting his head on that same lap. The rebuke stuck in his throat.
Hu Xiaoyu met his dark, cold gaze innocently. "It's okay. I don't mind the cold."
Something lodged in Yu Tan's chest. "Self-important little fool."
Yet even as he spoke, his arm curled around Hu Xiaoyu's shoulders, drawing him close. "No more nonsense. Do what I say. Understood?"
Hu Xiaoyu humored him with a cheerful, "Okay."
Then, after a pause, he ventured, "Yu Tan, can you let go of me now?"
"What?"
"This… isn't good."
His sharp eyes had already noticed several people in the restaurant glancing their way. Flustered, he slipped Yu Tan's arm from his shoulders and returned to simply holding hands. "This is better."
Public affection, he thought, was like being dressed in front of others—you couldn't act like you were at home.
If not for that small hand still clasped in his, Yu Tan might have thought the boy was rejecting him. But a shift in thought told him otherwise. So he said nothing, simply led Hu Xiaoyu forward by the hand.
Ah Jiu followed, his expression complicated as his eyes lingered on their entwined fingers.
Last night, the boss had wiped his hand after touching Hu Xiaoyu's face. And now?
Once, he had feared Hu Xiaoyu would be frightened off by Yu Tan. But now, it seemed it might be Yu Tan who needed protection.
When the restaurant manager spotted Yu Tan, he rushed out to greet them.
Yu Tan seemed in the mood for small talk. He lounged casually in the lobby, listening to the manager explain the menu and tossing out idle questions.
The poor man had no idea what this dangerous figure wanted, and sweat beaded on his brow. Fortunately, the cheerful young man at his side was curious and chatty, easing the tension somewhat.
Still, the manager avoided meeting the youth's eyes. One careless glance, and he might be distracted—and Yu Tan's temper was not to be tested.
As Yu Tan sat bored, Hu Xiaoyu's questions grew increasingly animated, while the sweating manager answered with surprising calm.
Then Yu Tan said suddenly, "Well, well… look who's here."
His tone carried something strange: excitement, disdain, and a trace of malice.
Hu Xiaoyu followed his gaze.
A group of familiar faces was being led in. At their head was a tall, graceful young man, striking in looks, exuding easy charm.
Sensing Hu Xiaoyu's eyes—or perhaps seeing Yu Tan beside him—his own gaze, once warm, turned cool.
Hu Xiaoyu recognized him at once.
Liu Luanzhou.
Though they had never met, the original host's memories were full of him.
It was Liu Luanzhou who had discovered the original Hu Xiaoyu and sent him back to the Hu family. Later, the original had fallen hopelessly for him, only to spiral into despair when he couldn't adapt to the wealthy household.
That day in the mountain villa—Hu Xiaoyu had stumbled upon the original host's death precisely because he had gone searching for Liu Luanzhou.
Li Yu had told him Liu would be there, giving him one last chance to confess.
But when he didn't find him, and after a vicious fight with his parents, he ended his life.
The memories pressed in, too vivid. Hu Xiaoyu dazed for a moment.
Then Yu Tan's eerie whisper brushed his ear: "Is he good-looking?"
Hu Xiaoyu nodded seriously. "Yes. Very."