It’s a four-hour drive to the ranch. At first, Seth slowed down so Fang Chen could enjoy the scenery, but it didn’t take long before the initial excitement wore off and Fang Chen began to yawn.

After a while, his head lolled to the side, and he fell sound asleep.

If it weren’t for the fact that he was driving, Seth really wanted to tilt Fang Chen’s head onto his shoulder.

Eat, then nap, and then they’d arrived. Fang Chen felt a little guilty, his hair a total mess, and grinned sheepishly at Seth. “You worked so hard, driving this whole way.”

Seth glanced meaningfully at the sleep-crease on Fang Chen’s cheek. “I’m not tired.”

He always seemed a little obsessed with the teen’s black hair, reaching out to brush a few strands aside. Fang Chen’s bangs had grown a bit, tickling his eyelashes and making him blink more than usual.

“Bang bang!”

There was a knock at the car window.

Fang Chen jumped, twisting around—there was Joey’s big face outside the window.

They’d all arrived.

As Fang Chen turned, Seth’s hand missed. He shot Joey a cold glare, and Joey instantly withdrew his head in embarrassment. But Fang Chen was already opening the car door to get out.

“You guys have been here long?”

Joey looked over Fang Chen’s shoulder at Seth’s unhappy face and scratched his head, “Just got here.”

Fang Chen looked up at the ranch ahead—a wash of green greeted his eyes. At the gate stood a middle-aged man in a straw hat, waving them over with enthusiasm, “Good afternoon! Lunch is ready!”

“This is Uncle Boer, he manages the ranch for Seth,” Joey explained. “His roast chicken is amazing!”

“Don’t worry—roast chicken’s all set for lunch,” Uncle Boer beamed.

Fang Chen looked a little shy, “Sorry for the trouble.”

“No no, don’t say that—you’re here to have fun; it’s my pleasure!”

Seth came over, carrying Fang Chen’s bag in one hand, gently ruffling his hair with the other, speaking quietly, “Don’t be nervous. Coming here is about relaxing.”

Fang Chen looked up, nodded.

Outside the ranch was a wooden fence hung with roots and other unidentifiable things. Uncle Boer explained they were for keeping bugs away.

“There’s some inside your rooms, too.”

Fang Chen smiled, his eyes curving. “You’re so thoughtful.”

Uncle Boer shrugged, “Seth called ahead to tell me to set it up.”

Fang Chen blinked, but before he could reply, Joey crowed, “Why wasn’t that set up last time?! Halfway through the night, I woke up and there was this huge spider on my pillow—nearly died of fright!”

The story made Fang Chen shudder. He knew the ranch was eco-friendly, but that was a bit much.

Seth shot Joey an annoyed look. “If you like, you could pass out right now.”

Joey shut up immediately.

Uncle Boer led them to a row of cozy cabins, each clean and pretty, with its own little yard—perfect for a relaxing afternoon tea.

This is awesome!

Fang Chen was admiring the view when Seth leaned down and whispered in his ear, “Pick the second one on the left. There’s a surprise.”

Eh?!

Seth straightened up, leaving Fang Chen dumbfounded.

A surprise? What kind of surprise?

And—just now Seth spoke right in his ear, his breath warm and ticklish against it.

Feeling awkward, Fang Chen rubs his ear, but when it came time to pick a cabin, he immediately chose the one Seth had recommended.

Coincidentally, Seth’s was right next door.

Holding the key, Fang Chen licked his lips, feeling oddly guilty.

It felt… like cheating.

After a morning in the car, everyone was tired. They decided to rest and change before lunch.

Fang Chen stood at his door with the key, hesitating.

What would the surprise be? Would he flip the covers and find a giant cockroach with pigtails?

“Don’t trust me?” came Seth’s low voice from behind.

Seth had appeared beside him, looking down from above and raising his chin slightly, “Open the door.”

Why does this feel so commanding…?

Fang Chen pouted, slid in the key, turned the knob, and pushed the door open.

The room was cozy, with a blue rug on the floor, nameless flowers in white and blue on the windowsill, and a wind chime made from dried fruit. Very unique.

Fang Chen looked around, more and more pleased. He turned to thank Seth, “Thank you—I love it!”

He thought that was the surprise, maybe the room was specially decorated.

But Seth just tilted his head, “Look there.”

What?

Fang Chen glanced at the corner—on a cushion, something moved.

He walked closer. The “something” raised its head, making Fang Chen’s eyes go wide. “Is that—”

“A baby lamb, just a month old.”

“My god…it’s so pretty!”

Indeed, the lamb was pristine, with a ribbon tied around its neck, looking like a gift.

Fang Chen squatted in front of it, stretching out a hand to gently pet its head. Warm, soft—he loved it at once.

“Am I supposed to raise it?” Fang Chen fretted. “I don’t really know how to care for a lamb.”

He looked up, eyes round, even cuter than the lamb in Seth’s view.

Seth raised an eyebrow, “Of course not. It’s just here for you to play with; later on Uncle Boer will have someone take it back.”

Fang Chen felt relieved—but also a bit reluctant.

The little lamb was just too cute.

“There’s a bottle over there; you can feed it.”

Fang Chen looked over; sure enough, there was a bottle on the shelf, still warm from being filled.

The lamb’s eyes went straight to the bottle, nuzzling against Fang Chen’s chest. Fang Chen couldn’t help laughing, “How are you this greedy?”

He hugged it and passed the bottle; the lamb latched on and started chugging.

Fang Chen’s eyes curved with delight, “It’s so obedient.”

Seth, arms folded, watched deeply, then licked his lips before saying nonchalantly, “Not as obedient as you.”

!!!!

Fang Chen instantly glared at him.

Seth just laughed, “Isn’t it true? When I tied you up, you didn’t struggle, didn’t even shout—just did whatever I said.”

Still have the nerve to mention it!

Fang Chen muttered, “I thought you were a chainsaw-wielding psycho about to murder me when you dragged me to the factory. I was scared to death.”

“Really?” Seth teased. “I remember you slept soundly that night.”

Fang Chen blushed and turned his head away.

Seth didn’t tease further; he excused himself, “I’ll head to my room. Once you’ve settled in, come to the dining hall.”

“Okay.”

Once Seth was gone, Fang Chen poked the lamb’s head, “You better be careful—stay far away from the big bad guy.”

The lamb drank happily, not heeding at all.

In some ways, Fang Chen and his lamb were alike—eat, sleep, and doze off on soft blankets.

He stroked its ear before heading to shower and change.

By the time he headed out, he found Seth waiting in the yard. Fang Chen hurried over, surprised, “You didn’t go to the dining hall?”

“Afraid you’d get lost.”

Seth’s gaze lingered on Fang Chen. Usually he wore loose clothes for comfort; now he had a pink denim jumpsuit on, making his skin look even paler.

As Seth kept looking at him, Fang Chen glanced down awkwardly, “Does it look bad?”

He hadn’t bought clothes since he transmigrated. This was from the original owner’s suitcase, and for the trip, he wanted to dress up and take photos.

“Of course not.”

This time, Seth didn’t say “cute”—he used a word Fang Chen preferred: “Very cool.”

That made Fang Chen happy, and he smiled.

“Let’s go eat—are you hungry?”

Fang Chen wasn’t really; Seth had stuffed him with breakfast and he’d napped all the way here, so he hadn’t burned anything off.

But he didn’t want to stand out, so he obediently joined Seth for lunch.

The weather was perfect, so Uncle Boer set the food on a big outdoor table—roast chicken, grilled meat, grilled fish.

When they arrived, everyone else was already seated. Joey waved his soda, face animated, “Seriously! Did you know? In California there’s a ranch open for visitors, and because it’s so pretty, people flock there joyfully.”

“But the owner was actually a killer—he murdered his wife and hid her in the cellar, and every visitor who went missing on the ranch was actually—”

“Thud!”

A paper ball nailed Joey in the head. He rubbed his scalp angrily, “Damn—oh! God! Seth, you’re here. Sit over, I saved the biggest drumstick for you.”

“Looks like you prefer sleeping in cellars over cabins,” Seth said coldly.

Joey swallowed, glancing at Fang Chen’s pale face, and shrank away obediently.

Alright.

He’d spooked Seth’s little lamb.

__

Author’s note:

Pop quiz [multiple choice]
Why did Seth lick his lips when he saw Fang Chen feeding the lamb?

A. He wanted some milk too. [kiss]
B. He hoped Fang Chen would hold him like that. [heart-eyes]
C. He wanted to eat the lamb. [rainbow flattery]
D. He wanted to eat Fang Chen. [shades]