This leisurely and slow pace of life continued into January of the following year.

Upon entering January, Wen Shaozhuo had to start working hard for his first final exams after transferring schools. Naturally, he could no longer study outside with his teacher for long and frequent periods as he had before.

When Lin Chen told Cheng Huanzhen this news, Cheng Huanzhen was in a terrible mood for a long time.

For an entire day, he followed Lin Chen around, hugging Lin Chen’s waist and burying his head in the crook of Lin Chen’s neck from behind.

Lin Chen tried to coax Cheng Huanzhen.

Cheng Huanzhen would respond, but his responses were listless, so concise that there was nothing other than a “Hmm.”

Lin Chen: “I’ve been slacking off during work hours to accompany you for so long, how are you still not satisfied?”

Cheng Huanzhen lay there sullenly: “Hmm.”

Lin Chen: “I’ll be on vacation in a few months. If you want, you can come live with me then.”

Cheng Huanzhen continued to lie there sullenly: “Hmm.”

Lin Chen: “If you’re still a grunting monster like this then, I’ll kick you out.”

Cheng Huanzhen: “Hmm… Hmm?!”

Cheng Huanzhen looked up in disbelief, turning Little Uncle’s shoulder towards him with utter heartbreak, staring straight at him.

Little Uncle smiled: “Can you speak now?”

Cheng Huanzhen stared at Little Uncle’s smile for two seconds, then slowly buried his face back into the crook of Little Uncle’s neck.

Cheng Huanzhen asked dejectedly: “After Wen Shaozhuo comes back, can I still come to see you, Little Uncle?”

Little Uncle thought for a moment and said, “If I’m not busy.”

Cheng Huanzhen asked melancholically: “Isn’t Wen Shaozhuo doing very well now? What else do you need to be busy with, Little Uncle?”

He tried hard to think about the Wen family’s situation: “Do you need to make Wen Shaozhuo reconcile with Uncle Wen and Auntie Wen? Like… Li Yunhui and his father?”

Little Uncle lowered his eyes and looked at him with a smile again: “You’ve done quite a bit of research on my work.”

Cheng Huanzhen: “I didn’t research on purpose, Little Uncle. I just interviewed them a bit.”

Little Uncle gazed at him: “Oh?”

Cheng Huanzhen looked away and whispered: “…Okay, Little Uncle, I researched on purpose. But I think this is completely explainable. I like you very much, so I want to research everything about you. You can’t be mad at me, Little Uncle.”

Ever since they helped each other that day, there were many things Cheng Huanzhen wouldn’t hide from Little Uncle anymore.

For example, that he liked Little Uncle; that he liked Little Uncle very much; that he especially liked Little Uncle; that he always needed to take care of himself the morning after dreaming about Little Uncle…

Little Uncle would always soften his heart towards him under such honesty.

Just like now.

Little Uncle gazed at him quietly for three seconds, then casually withdrew his gaze, his tone returning to normal: “Fine, it’s not a big deal anyway… Their family is different from the Li family. Restoring family relationships isn’t that easy.”

Cheng Huanzhen asked: “I heard Wen Shaozhuo even put Uncle Wen and Auntie Wen on Do Not Disturb on WeChat?”

Little Uncle replied: “You can’t force a melon to be sweet. I consider this one of my successful achievements.”

Cheng Huanzhen thought for a moment and said: “Just like how you provoked the relationship between Grandfather and me back then?”

Little Uncle raised an eyebrow: “What do you mean I provoked? I just created an opportunity for you to fully express your attitude towards Old Master Cheng.”

…Isn’t that the same meaning?

Cheng Huanzhen thought.

But seeing that Little Uncle didn’t seem to want to admit to the word “provoke,” he just gave a simple “Oh.”

Cheng Huanzhen: “…Then Wen Shaozhuo is really lucky.”

Little Uncle tilted his head: “Why mention him? Aren’t you lucky too?”

Cheng Huanzhen sullenly didn’t want to answer.

He moved around, naturally wrapping one arm around Little Uncle’s waist, the other around his shoulders, neck, and the back of his head, lowering his head slightly to kiss him.

He kissed Little Uncle’s lips, the tip of his tongue probing forward to find Little Uncle’s tongue.

Perhaps because Little Uncle was going back to work soon, he rarely allowed a tongue kiss today.

Just two days after they helped each other, he had tried kissing Little Uncle like this for the first time.

But that day, his emotions were too tense, his anticipation too high, so as soon as he kissed Little Uncle, he forgot that people need to breathe, kissing Little Uncle until he was dizzy from lack of oxygen. When Little Uncle angrily slapped his arm, he accidentally bit Little Uncle’s tongue due to nervousness.

With the two incidents combined, Little Uncle was so angry that he wasn’t allowed to kiss his lips for a long time.

He didn’t know how to coax Little Uncle at the time, so he bought three strawberry cake shops for him, but even that didn’t work.

It only slightly suppressed Little Uncle’s anger—specifically: when Little Uncle was most angry, he would expressionlessly turn his head and leave upon hearing that he wanted a kiss; when he had coaxed Little Uncle’s anger down a bit, Little Uncle would walk a few steps after turning his head to leave, then turn back, reach out his hand, and hold his hand while walking together.

It wasn’t until today that he tasted Little Uncle’s tongue for the second time.

Cheng Huanzhen kissed Little Uncle cautiously.

These days, following his kissing study plan, he secretly read many books, studied many instructional videos, diligently enriched his theoretical knowledge, and practiced seriously with flat lollipops.

But when it came to the real thing, Cheng Huanzhen found that there was still a big difference between theory and practice.

When he studied theory and practiced by himself, there wasn’t such a soft tongue of Little Uncle tempting him, nor was there Little Uncle in his arms making him reluctant to let go.

Fortunately, the lesson from last time’s failure was too painful. This time, Cheng Huanzhen kept his mind tense throughout, strictly controlled the time, and didn’t have another kissing accident like last time.

When the tip of his tongue separated from Little Uncle’s, Little Uncle half-squinted his eyes, looking dazed and confused.

After the kiss stopped and a few seconds passed, Little Uncle blinked slowly, his eyes becoming clear again, revealing a smile to praise him: “Not bad this time.”

Cheng Huanzhen asked expectantly: “Then Little Uncle, can we continue?”

Little Uncle widened his eyes: “You just kissed! No, wait until next time!”

Cheng Huanzhen was extremely disappointed.

But thinking that Little Uncle would go back to work after today ended and might not be able to come out for a short time, he didn’t want to let Little Uncle go so easily.

So he dragged Little Uncle into hugs, kissed other places, helped each other, and stayed busy until evening.

It wasn’t until almost midnight, when he wouldn’t be able to wake up the next morning if he didn’t go back, that Cheng Huanzhen finally let go of Little Uncle reluctantly and drove him back to the rental villa.

On the way, Cheng Huanzhen suddenly asked: “Little Uncle, will you get sick again and use that as an excuse to leave the Wen family?”

Little Uncle looked back at him calmly and asked: “Why ask this suddenly?”

Cheng Huanzhen was silent for a moment. He looked at the road seriously, his tone sounding very calm as he said: “Being sick is very uncomfortable. Little Uncle, why don’t you change the method? Disappearing, or sudden ‘death’ overnight like Fang Chengyu would be fine.”

Little Uncle opened the window a bit. The chilly night wind rushed into the car, instantly dispersing much of the warm air inside.

Cheng Huanzhen quietly glanced at Little Uncle out of the corner of his eye.

Little Uncle rested his elbow on the car window, looking at the street scene outside. He thought for a moment with a “Hmm…” and said: “It’s hard to say. It depends on the situation.”

Little Uncle looked back and smiled at him: “No matter the situation, disappearance and sudden death definitely can’t be used. A-Shao isn’t that strong. If I do that, he’ll collapse. So they’re definitely not in my plan.”

Cheng Huanzhen was a bit unhappy: “Does that mean you thought I was very strong back then, Little Uncle, so you did that to me?”

Little Uncle: “…You can’t put it that way.”

Little Uncle said gently: “Your situations are not the same. You are a very persistent person, and your inner core is solid. If I disappeared, your first reaction would definitely be to find me. But A-Shao is different. His inner core has just been established and isn’t stable. To a large extent, he still needs to rely on me, so…”

He paused, suddenly sighed, and shook his head: “Anyway, if the method is too radical, it will only destroy all the results of my work over the past year.”

Cheng Huanzhen pursed his lips tightly, veins popping out on his fingers gripping the steering wheel.

“But using illness as a means…”

He opened his mouth dryly, wanting to speak but stopping, stopping but wanting to speak.

He really wanted to ask Little Uncle, what was up with all those surgeries he underwent as Li Shuyun back then?

If everything was a lie and all the illnesses were fake, how to explain the series of organ removal surgeries Little Uncle underwent last year??

Questions that had been set aside by his brain resurfaced. Unlike before, this time he knew clearly that it was Little Uncle who had endured all that.

Little Uncle probably saw through his emotions.

Just then, the car stopped at an intersection. Little Uncle suddenly reached over and patted his head, smiling at him: “Don’t worry. Since I dare to do this job, of course there’s special technology involved. Nothing will really happen.”

Cheng Huanzhen didn’t quite believe Little Uncle’s words.

Otherwise, when he found Little Uncle outside the funeral home back then, why was Little Uncle in that state?

Fortunately, he still remembered what Little Uncle said when he admitted his identity. He barely suppressed his questions with reason, keeping them stifled in his throat.

But as compensation, when he dropped Little Uncle off near the villa area, he turned off the car, opened his arms unhappily to Little Uncle, and said seriously: “Little Uncle, hug.”

Little Uncle sighed and hugged him.

He asked again: “Little Uncle, what is our relationship now? Can we be considered lovers?”

Little Uncle pondered for a moment. Just as Cheng Huanzhen was waiting with trembling heart, he slowly replied: “Alright, since you ask me so.”

Cheng Huanzhen earnestly cupped Little Uncle’s face, kissed him, and said solemnly: “Then Little Uncle, you must not really get sick. Otherwise, I will feel heartache, be sad, and worry a lot.”

Little Uncle’s eyelashes blinked lively twice, his eyes suddenly curving into a smile as he said: “Don’t worry, of course I won’t make myself uncomfortable.”

Little Uncle gave him a promise, then quickly got out of the car with light steps, turned the corner, and disappeared from view.

The joy from Little Uncle’s admission only lasted for less than five minutes. When Little Uncle’s figure completely disappeared from view, Cheng Huanzhen felt the world become empty again.

…Little Uncle went to accompany his new younger brother.

After lighting up his world, Little Uncle was going to light up someone else’s world.

This thought made Cheng Huanzhen’s work efficiency extremely mediocre for several consecutive days.

He couldn’t help checking WeChat every now and then to see if Little Uncle had replied to his messages or said anything to him.

If there were no words, he couldn’t help but wonder if Little Uncle was doing something intimate with Wen Shaozhuo at this moment.

…Just like the things Little Uncle would do to him?

Days like this continued until January 13th, his twenty-third birthday.

With Wen Shaozhuo still at home, Little Uncle deliberately found an excuse to sneak out, removed his makeup, and invited him out to celebrate his birthday.

…When Little Uncle was still Cheng Yiming back then, had he ever taken leave to leave his side for anyone?

No!

But now, Little Uncle took leave from the Wen family for him!

…He was different to Little Uncle too!

All of Cheng Huanzhen’s worries and unhappiness from these days dissipated completely.

Even when Little Uncle said to him after celebrating his birthday: “I’ll be busy wrapping up the order during this time. Don’t come looking for me, or I’m afraid of being exposed. I’ll come find you when I’m done.”

He just held Little Uncle’s face, kissed and kissed, then replied hoarsely: “Okay, okay, I’ll listen to you, Little Uncle. Work hard, come home early, I’m waiting for you.”