There is a person in this world whose eyes can see me. He favors me, indulges me. He cares about my life and death, my safety, my joys and sorrows, what I like to eat, what I want, not who I am or what my status is.

This is too easy to get addicted to, too easy to drown in.

These words circled on the tip of his tongue, but not a single one was spoken.

Sheng Shaoyan only replied solemnly, “Grandpa, he is very important to me.”

Opening the door to the study, Shen Xici and Lan Xiaoshan were huddled by the fish tank, one moment calling “Mengmeng,” the next calling “Yueshen,” while sprinkling fish food inside.

Sheng Shaoyan stood at the doorway, not immediately approaching, just watching Shen Xici from a distance.

Fortunately.

Fortunately, he had not lost him.

Hearing the noise, Shen Xici turned his head, his eyes lighting up. “A’Shao, you’re finished with your work? Perfect, Uncle Laisen is calling us for dinner.”

Only then did Sheng Shaoyan walk over, his arm naturally draping over Shen Xici’s shoulder. He asked Lan Xiaoshan, “Xiaoshan, why don’t you stay for dinner with us?”

Lan Xiaoshan was a bit reserved, scratching the back of his head. “No need to trouble you. I just came to drop off some documents and see the fish. I can eat when I get back.”

Sheng Shaoyan: “It’s getting late. Let’s eat together.”

That feeling of pressure that made one want to stand at attention with hands pressed against their trouser seams appeared again. Lan Xiaoshan subconsciously didn’t dare to refuse again, and obediently followed them to the front hall with his bag on his back.

Shen Xici’s excitement hadn’t faded yet. “Mengmeng is so cute. It follows my finger and shakes its head left and right. It’s also cute when it eats. Its mouth is so small, and its tail wags back and forth. And its tail reflects light! I saw the drawings my fans made. If Mengmeng really became a person, it would definitely be very beautiful.”

With that, Shen Xici opened Weibo and scrolled through the several fan art illustrations he had saved. “A’Shao, look, isn’t it!”

Sheng Shaoyan lowered his head and looked carefully. “Yes, they’re well-drawn. But you’re the most beautiful.”

The words Shen Xici was about to say got stuck in his throat, and his eyes widened.

They were just passing a corner. Taking advantage of the two-second blind spot, Sheng Shaoyan pulled him closer, lowered his head, and quickly kissed the corner of Shen Xici’s eye.

The tips of Shen Xici’s ears turned a little red. Afraid of being discovered by Lan Xiaoshan, he whispered, “A’Shao, why did you suddenly—”

Sheng Shaoyan calmly finished his sentence, “Yes, I suddenly wanted to kiss you.”

Lan Xiaoshan followed behind them. As he followed, he suddenly noticed, how come Brother Shao’s hand was like it was glued to Brother Shen’s shoulder and never came off?

And, when Brother Shen spoke, Brother Shao would slightly turn his head, his expression focused. When it was Brother Shao’s turn to reply, Brother Shao would lower his head and speak close to Brother Shen’s ear, his expression incredibly gentle.

It wasn’t noisy around them. Did they have to be that close to hear?

Also, the sky hadn’t completely darkened yet, and the streetlights in the garden were quite bright, but whenever they passed some steps or a small bridge, Brother Shao would carefully remind him. Lan Xiaoshan, a single dog, was deeply shocked.

He secretly deduced: They had been living together during the filming of “Mountain Range Line.” After it wrapped, the two must have had a fight and entered a cold war period. That’s why later, when filming “Divine Capital Calamity” in Qintai Film and Television City, Brother Shao had traveled a long way, chasing after his wife to beg for forgiveness.

The effect must have been very good. Brother Shao had re-entered the probation period. That’s why during the time Brother Shen was filming “Fleeting Life,” Brother Shao didn’t appear much, but he would contact Brother Shen online every day and would also try to curry favor from time to time to earn points.

Later, when the steel frame on set collapsed and Brother Shen had an accident, the two finally used this as an opportunity to bury the hatchet. After being discharged from the hospital, Brother Shen also moved into the inner garden of Jiezhou Garden and continued to live together.

Lan Xiaoshan exclaimed in his heart, he understood! After breaking up and getting back together, going through emotional ups and downs, the almost broken mirror was made whole again, and the two’s relationship had entered a sweet, passionate phase!

As expected of the CP he shipped. They were so worth shipping. He had been shipping them for over half a year, and there was still new material to dig up and savor!

As for that fish, Brother Shao was rich. What did it matter if it was expensive? That was the weight of love!

Thoroughly satisfied with his shipping, when they arrived at the dining place, Lan Xiaoshan sat down opposite them. He watched his Brother Shao help pull out a chair, pour water and place it in front of Brother Shen. When their eyes met, his Brother Shen would smile.

Hiss, this atmosphere, these small interactive details, this feeling of sitting right across from them, watching his CP continuously cook up and produce content, was just too satisfying!

Shen Xici drank some water, thinking to himself that although Lan Xiaoshan had always misunderstood that Sheng Shaoyan was his boyfriend, he had never admitted it.

But now that he and Sheng Shaoyan were really together, Lan Xiaoshan was his assistant, so it was necessary to formally tell him.

After struggling for a long time, he still didn’t know how to bring it up. After much thought, Shen Xici decided to just say it plainly, “Xiaoshan, A’Shao and I are together.”

Lan Xiaoshan was drinking herbal tea, thinking it tasted sweet and delicious, but not as sweet as the CP he shipped.

Hearing this, he looked up blankly. “I know. Haven’t you been together for a long time?”

He then proudly stated, “The first time I met Brother Shao, I knew your relationship was not ordinary! And besides me, Sister Yage knows, Teacher Zhong also knows, and many people on the crew have noticed. It’s just that everyone has a tacit understanding. A secret, you know, an underground relationship. Everyone gets it!”

Shen Xici: “…”

What was going on? So, I was the last one to know?

He subconsciously turned to look at Sheng Shaoyan, only to see Sheng Shaoyan holding a cup, hiding the smile at the corner of his mouth.

Lan Xiaoshan looked at Sheng Shaoyan’s expression, then at the gratified look in Butler Laisen’s eyes as he stood by the table. He actively stood up to help Butler Laisen with the plates and even recommended himself, “Brother Shao, do you need someone to carry plates here? Let me, let me! I know how to say that line!”

He cleared his throat and spoke with a gratified and affectionate expression, “I haven’t seen the Young Master smile like this in a long time.”

“Cough—cough—” Shen Xici choked directly, then laughed at him, “Are you trying to jump ship right in front of me?”

Lan Xiaoshan pretended to be embarrassed, “Oh, what’s this about jumping ship? I’m just trying to develop a side hustle.”

Shen Xici found that this sentence was really brainwashing. So much so that during the meal, whenever he saw Lan Xiaoshan, that sentence would automatically pop into his head.

After dinner, the sky had completely darkened. After seeing Lan Xiaoshan off, Shen Xici and Sheng Shaoyan walked back to Shuyu Shanfang along the winding courtyard path.

Shen Xici had just closed the door behind him and was about to ask Sheng Shaoyan if he had an online meeting later, when he was lifted up and seated on the cabinet by the door.

As if breaking through an invisible barrier, Sheng Shaoyan propped one hand against the wall, the other tightly around his waist, and kissed him deeply and forcefully.

Shen Xici felt his lips being held, sucked and bitten wantonly. The person kissing him was like a lion leisurely savoring its prey. The tip of his tongue broke through his lips and teeth, and oxygen quickly became scarce. Shen Xici wanted to open his mouth to breathe, only to be taken advantage of and kissed even deeper.

Different from the conquest between his lips and teeth, the hand on his waist was steady, stroking him slowly and methodically. It made Shen Xici’s whole body go soft, and he couldn’t help but let out a broken, muffled groan.

“Let me catch my breath, A’Shao, let me catch my breath…” His head was spinning from lack of oxygen. Shen Xici held on to his sanity. “A’Shao… kissing like this on the first day of being together…”

He wanted to ask, is it normal to be kissed like this on the first day of being together?

“Kissing how?” Sheng Shaoyan’s palm supported his lower back, his nose brushing against his, then gently touching his lips, like a dragonfly skimming the water, kissing him on and off. His voice was magnetic and hoarse. “In the bedroom of that house, I already wanted to kiss you like this. I thought about it many times.”

The lights were not on. In the dim light, Sheng Shaoyan’s dark blue eyes had accumulated too much desire, waiting to be released.

Shen Xici had never imagined that in that rental apartment… they had been sleeping in the same bed back then.

“And, Xici, have you forgotten what I said in the hospital room?”

Even without being specific, Shen Xici immediately understood which sentence Sheng Shaoyan was referring to—

“I want to kiss you countless times every day, I want to press you down on the bed, I want to kiss every inch of you…”

Undeniably, that sentence had lit a fire. Before he could think too much, Sheng Shaoyan kissed him again. Both of their breathing became more and more rapid. He was kissed until his head tilted back, his waist arching backward. The strength in his waist gradually drained away, and he began to lose support. His hands flailed around, but he couldn’t grab anything.

Perhaps sensing that he was sliding down inch by inch, Sheng Shaoyan suddenly lifted his legs, hooked them around his waist, and forcibly propped him up, continuing to kiss him.

This relationship, the first lesson Shen Xici summed up was—this level of intimacy should not be indulged from the very beginning. Once indulged, it will continue to happen, with absolutely no possibility of stopping at just a taste.