SFBF CH54

Having entrusted Assistant Tian to deliver the cake upstairs, Shen Qing sat downstairs. Before the second pot of tea even arrived, he inexplicably felt a chill run down his spine.

He subconsciously twisted his body to look upstairs, but because of the blind spot, he couldn’t see anything.

At this moment, Xu Yujie pulled up photos on his phone to show him.

It just so happened that Shen Qing was planning a trip to Europe. Mr. Xu had been to many places, and mostly for the sake of experiencing and having fun, so he could directly provide Shen Qing with a travel guide. Shen Qing simply asked him where would be fun to go.

Xu Yujie enthusiastically introduced those fun places and various local customs.

When he reached an exciting part, he remembered he had photos saved on his phone, and immediately pulled them out to show Shen Qing.

Shen Qing didn’t overthink the chill anymore, taking the other party’s phone and listening to Mr. Xu’s explanations.

A moment later, he heard a sound from the stairs… it was Duo Duo, wearing his little shark pajamas, running down again.

“What’s wrong?” Shen Qing looked up and asked.

Gu Duo, whose face was almost entirely gloomy, stepped off the last stair and walked over. He first glanced at Uncle Xu beside Shen Qing, and then looked at Shen Qing, saying, “I want to lend my clothes to Xu Weiming to wear, is that okay? …The rabbit one.”

When asking this question, Duo Duo actually seemed very much like a well-behaved child seeking his parent’s permission for everything. His tone was earnest and sincere, sounding even a little bit like a child acting spoiled.

Though looking closely, his face was still expressionless, without the slightest hint of emotion related to acting spoiled.

But Shen Qing was still startled by Gu Duo’s tone.

This cub was usually quite reserved and disliked troubling adults; he almost never proactively made requests.

He always kept things bottled up inside, and many times Shen Qing had to guess what he wanted.

This was the first time the cub had asked him if something was okay like this. Shen Qing took it very seriously and immediately asked subconsciously, “What rabbit clothes?”

Only after asking did he suddenly recall that the other party was likely referring to the little bunny onesie among the pajamas they had just received.

Before Gu Duo could speak, Shen Qing immediately added, “Of course you can.”

He had ordered a set of every design for both Duo Duo and Ao-zai.

So not only did Ao-zai have a little bunny onesie, but Duo Duo had one too.

Even though he felt Duo Duo wouldn’t like such an adorable bunny style.

But Shen Qing didn’t think buying it would be a waste. —He prepared it first, and if Young Master Duo truly disliked it, they could always donate it.

He completely didn’t expect that a cub roughly the same size as Duo Duo would just show up like this, and a very cute cub at that!

Having already automatically pictured how cute little Xu Weiming would look after turning into a bunny, Shen Qing smiled and said, “It’s Duo Duo’s own clothes, so Duo Duo can decide for himself. As long as you don’t mind, it’s totally okay.”

Hearing this, Gu Duo nodded. Clearly, before coming downstairs to seek Shen Qing’s opinion, he hadn’t thought the other party would refuse, but out of politeness, he still had to ask first. After all, this was a gift from his Little Dad, and giving it away to someone else directly wouldn’t be good.

Moreover…

Gu Duo glanced again at the youth sitting with his Little Dad, and couldn’t help stepping forward again. Approaching Shen Qing’s side, he looked up. “Then can Little Dad come upstairs with me? …I want you to take some photos of us.”

After saying that, he turned his head and stared at Xu Yujie like a tiger eyeing its prey.

Xu Yujie, who inexplicably found himself being treated with hostility by a cub: “?”

Shen Qing had originally promised Xu Weiming’s mother that he would take some photos of the cubs to send to her. Now, hearing Duo-zai actually proactively inviting him to take pictures, he naturally wouldn’t refuse.

Standing up immediately, Shen Qing turned back to Xu Yujie and said, “I’ll go up and take a look, Mr. Xu…”

Xu Yujie had heard their conversation and wanted to follow them up to take a look too; after all, it was his own nephew getting dressed up.

But before he could even stand up, he received the gloomy stare of Young Master Gu Duo from a short distance away…

Xu Yujie: ???

Why did I suddenly feel like I’m not very welcome here?

This kid called Duo Duo gave him a completely different feeling from all other children.

Of course, as a single dog, Xu Yujie didn’t have kids of his own. The ones he interacted with most were his nephew Xu Weiming, and some other children in the Xu family.

Not all children were like Ming-bao, with a good personality and as soft and cute as a little angel.

But there had never been a child whose stare could make his hair stand on end…

Alright, considering I am a strange uncle after all, going to someone else’s children’s playroom probably isn’t very appropriate.

Knowing when to advance and when to retreat, Xu Yujie said to Shen Qing, “Then Mr. Shen, you go play with them. I still have some matters to attend to, so I’ll leave first. I’ll come pick Ming-bao up before evening. …I’ve really troubled you, Mr. Shen.”

“No trouble at all.” Shen Qing also sensed Duo Duo’s hostility toward Mr. Xu, so he didn’t ask him to stay, merely saying, “See you tonight then.”

Afterward, Shen Qing and Gu Duo walked Xu Yujie out together.

On the way back to the stairs, Shen Qing held Gu Duo’s hand and asked, “Duo Duo doesn’t seem to like that Uncle Xu very much? Why is that? Did he bully you?”

He had to consider this possibility. After all, Duo Duo was a child who hid things in his heart, and who knew exactly why he disliked Uncle Xu.

What if Uncle Xu had bullied this cub before?

Shen Qing thought, feeling very much like a protective mother hen.

But hearing this question, Gu Duo only shook his head and said, “I’ve never met that Uncle Xu before.”

Shen Qing: “Then why…”

Gu Duo said, “Intuition.”

Shen Qing: “?”

Gu Duo still kept a cold face, looking very cool, but he lowered his head.

His vocabulary was limited after all, and he was young, so Gu Duo couldn’t describe his feelings. Anyway, he just didn’t like the way that uncle looked at his Little Dad.

Moreover…

Gu Duo turned back and looked up toward the third floor.

Moreover, he felt that his Little Uncle didn’t like that uncle either.

Since Duo Duo fell silent, Shen Qing didn’t press the issue further. As long as he wasn’t being bullied, it was fine.

He rubbed Gu Duo’s big head again and suddenly changed the subject: “Duo Duo is so awesome, willing to share clothes with other kids! When the three of you each wear a set later, it’ll definitely be super cute.”

“Mhm.” Gu Duo was already used to Shen Qing’s jumping train of thought and rapid topic changes, and instead breathed a sigh of relief.

Faced with the praise, he only gave a profound sound of acknowledgment.

But suddenly thinking of something, Gu Duo abruptly said, “Xu Weiming said he really likes that rabbit suit. When he leaves tonight, I want to give the clothes directly to him, is that okay?”

“That little rabbit one? Sure. Of course you can.”

Shen Qing beamed, showering his cub with fierce praises. Words about ‘loving classmates’, ‘helping each other’, and even ‘sacrificing oneself for others’ tumbled out.

Finally, Shen Qing narrowed his eyes, smiling like a sly fox: “Since our Duo Duo is so loving, Daddy will buy you a new set later!”

Hearing this, the arm being held instantly stiffened, and then Gu Duo shook his head vigorously, saying, “No need.”

Shen Qing: “Yes need, yes need.”

For the first time, Gu Duo shook his head like a rattle-drum: “No need.”

Shen Qing: “Why refuse? Duo-zai would look very cute wearing the little rabbit onesie too.”

Seeing that Shen Qing was teasing him, Gu Duo kept a cold face: “…Not cute.”

Shen Qing: “How would you know if it’s not cute if you don’t try it?”

Gu Duo: “…Definitely not cute.”

Later, Gu Duo still insisted on giving his little bunny onesie to Xu Weiming to wear.

The clothes Ming-bao came in were a bit formal, which indeed wasn’t convenient for a child to climb and play around the house in. Changing into the little bunny pajamas made things much easier.

He was naturally the type with fair skin and high visual appeal. Now, stuffed into the soft, chubby bunny onesie, and wearing the hood with the big ears, he looked fair, tender, perfectly round, and even more adorably silly.

Fulfilling the request Gu Duo had specially run down to make of him, Shen Qing fiercely snapped a whole batch of photos of these three cubs.

Duo Duo didn’t like taking pictures to begin with, but he was the one who brought up the request… So no matter what, he had to bite the bullet and cooperate.

The other two cubs quite enjoyed taking pictures. Ao-zai simply liked the feeling of the camera, and the feeling of someone interacting with him.

Whether it was striking poses with his brothers or following Shen Qing’s instructions on what movements to do, he giggled the entire time, cooperating very happily.

Thus, under Shen Qing’s direction, the little dinosaur Ao-zai created many classic looks. There were ones of him curled into a ball on the carpet, exposing the ridge-like spikes on his back; ones of him lying flat with his little tail stretched out; ones of him baring his fangs, tail perked up, cosplaying as the monster Godzilla; as well as some high-difficulty maneuvers…

For example, being dragged by the tail by the other two cubs, cosplaying as a floor mop.

…

And being picked up off the ground by an adult grabbing his “scruff”.

The first dragging maneuver was easy to accomplish. Duo Duo and Ming-bao were both six and a half years old, so two of them pulling one could completely drag Ao-zai.

The little dinosaur Ao-zai lay completely flat on the cleanly polished floor, entirely enjoying the feeling of being dragged back and forth by his older brothers, his eyes looking at the ceiling curved in delight the entire time…

Taking photos was secondary now.

The little dinosaur Ao-zai was mainly focusing on being carefree and comfortable.

If the background wasn’t the house, you’d think he was skiing, and the activity was dog sledding…

After Shen Qing said several times that it was enough, the photos were taken, and they didn’t need to drag him anymore, the two older cubs pulling the little dinosaur showed no intention of stopping, solely focused on making little Ao-zai laugh. Shen Qing couldn’t help but start thinking—Maybe he didn’t buy enough varieties of cartoon onesies…

He should definitely buy two Husky onesies next time.

Afterward, Shen Qing personally went to retrieve the insanely delighted Ao-zai, leading to the second high-difficulty maneuver—

He lifted Ao-zai by the collar at the back of his clothes. The onesie was loose, so it wouldn’t choke the child’s neck, and the fabric at the “scruff” of the neck was very easy to grip. With one grab, the cub could be lifted, and for a short time, he didn’t feel heavy at all.

Feeling himself being picked up by his collar, the cub instantly became well-behaved, very much like a naughty little animal being held by the scruff of its neck. So Shen Qing sacrificed his arm a bit and posed “carrying” Ao-zai several times.

Compared to doing the poses, Ming-bao was more concerned with the results. That meant the photos after they were taken—

After taking pictures, he would lean over to see how the Pweety Uncle edited his photos.

A white, soft little bunny with perked-up ears—he didn’t even need to pose. No matter how you took it, he looked like a perfectly round, white, and tender glutinous rice ball, and the photos barely needed any editing.

Shen Qing picked a few particularly representative ones to show Ming-bao, saying, “How about we send these to your mom?”

“Okay!” Ming-bao said. “I want Duo Duo’s and Ao-zai’s too! Send them to my Uncle, he’ll help Ming-bao print them out!”

“Uncle? The one who dropped you off?”

Ming-bao: “Yes!”

“Alright.”

Since he had just added Mr. Xu on WeChat, Shen Qing said, “Then I’ll just send them directly to your uncle. Take a look, Ming-bao, which ones do you want?”

Having snapped thirty or forty group photos of the three cubs in one breath, Shen Qing’s phone screen was now entirely filled with the figures of the cubs in cartoon pajamas.

Not every single one was perfect, but they were definitely all very characteristic, feeling like every single one could be printed out as a keepsake.

Looking at these photos, Shen Qing finally somewhat understood the mentality of people who loved showing off their kids.

…

They are truly too cute!

The kind that makes you happy just looking at them, making you really want to share your joy with others.

Especially since these three cubs beside him were incredibly well-behaved. They didn’t cry, didn’t make a fuss, didn’t fight. The older ones took care of the younger one, and the younger one could play by himself. Such worry-free cubs directly elevated the comfort level of his cub-raising career by several dimensions.

It would be weird if he wasn’t happy!

…Unfortunately, his WeChat and Weibo were both a bit messy, making it inconvenient to post them publicly.

Shen Qing had to obediently send all the selected photos in one go to Ming-bao’s mom and uncle.

Ming-bao’s mom seemed to be a career-driven strong woman. Currently on an emergency business trip, she was probably still on the plane and didn’t reply.

On the contrary, Xu Yujie replied quickly: [Wow, so cute. Mr. Shen, your photography skills are amazing!]

Shen Qing replied politely: [It’s just that the cubs are too cute, it didn’t require any photography skills from me at all haha.]

…This wasn’t him being modest. Shen Qing genuinely had straight-man aesthetics and truly didn’t know how to take photos.

But Xu Yujie insisted he took them very well and with creativity, making Shen Qing himself almost believe it, nearly convinced he was some sort of delayed photographic artist.

Later, when the cubs had played until they were sweating, Shen Qing had them sit down to rest and watch TV together.

Duo Duo and Ao-zai didn’t watch TV, but Ming-bao did.

He was following several cartoons at once. However, his family was strict, and he was only allowed to watch forty minutes of cartoons every day, with an extra forty minutes on holidays…

So upon hearing they could watch TV, the little bunny Ming-bao literally jumped up.

He particularly cherished this opportunity to watch TV. The moment the cartoon was pulled up, his watery big eyes were completely captivated by the TV screen.

The three cubs sat in a row on the shag carpet in the outer room, in the order of the little dinosaur Ao-zai, the little shark Duo-zai, and the little bunny Ming-bao. In front of them were fruit juices and various little snacks.

Ao-zai and Ming-bao uniformly had their heads tilted up, mouths open, little legs stretched straight out, watching without blinking.

Compared to them, Gu Duo was better at expression management. His mouth wasn’t open, but he was also completely absorbed.

…Sure enough, no human cub can resist the absolute rule of cartoons.

Even the future President Duo is no exception.

Shen Qing couldn’t help but start suspecting if the cartoon movie he had picked for Duo Duo and Ao-zai to accompany him in watching last time was simply unsuitable for children, which was why Duo Duo had no interest, and Ao-zai had simply fallen asleep.

…Human cubs really do need to watch cartoons made for little cubs!

Out of curiosity and a spirit of exploration, Shen Qing sat on the side and started watching along with them.

However, three minutes later…

Shen Qing’s head flopped to the side.

He almost fell asleep right then and there!

The cubs, who had been earnestly watching the cartoon, all turned their heads in unison to look at him. Shen Qing: …

Awkwardly rubbing his face, he said, “It’s nothing, you guys continue.”

Since he said it was nothing, the cubs turned their heads back in unison, looking at the TV again.

Afterward, Shen Qing scrambled to his feet on the spot and checked the time: “…Although this cartoon is good, you guys are still too young. Watching for too long will ruin your eyes, so… I’ll come turn off the TV in forty minutes.”

Children only cherished what was right in front of them and hadn’t yet learned to bargain; as long as they could watch now, it was fine.

So Shen Qing’s words fell on deaf ears. The three cubs looked at him blankly; some nodded, others seemed completely deaf to what he said, still immersed in the bizarre and colorful world of the cartoon.

Shen Qing had originally wanted to remind them to play nicely and be safe, but looking at the three well-behaved little beans sitting in a row, he felt this matter completely didn’t need his reminding. So he didn’t nag, and tactfully exited the cubs’ room.

The moment he closed the door, Shen Qing let out a huge yawn.

…It’s only morning, why am I so sleepy?

Cartoons truly possess magical powers!

Regardless, his cub-raising duties for today had been ongoing for over an hour. Shen Qing asked for a cup of coffee, then hurriedly ran back to his own room, opened his computer, and started surfing the web.

He didn’t log into his game directly, worried he would get too engrossed and forget to turn off the TV for the cubs.

…Self-control is something even adults often lack, let alone children.

For this reason, Shen Qing even specifically set an alarm on his phone.

When the alarm went off, he got up and returned to the cubs’ playroom. With one glance, he saw only one little dinosaur left in front of the TV. The little shark and little bunny who were originally sitting there had changed locations… Unknown since when, they were already lying on the floor nearby, studying foreign languages.

Shen Qing: “???”

Didn’t we agree that nobody has self-control?!

Seeing him come in, Gu Duo, who was lying on the floor, stood up directly, still holding a book in his hand: “The TV watching time set by Little Dad has passed…”

Gu Duo raised his hand and looked at the digital watch on his wrist: “By four minutes.”

Shen Qing: “…”

Okay, I said I’d give them another forty minutes of TV before leaving, but after exiting the room, I first slowly went downstairs to ask for a coffee, then returned to my room to turn on the computer. Only after all these operations did I open my phone to start the forty-minute timer.

Coupled with the time it took to walk over after the alarm rang, perhaps I really did ‘delay’ by four minutes…

…As expected of President Duo, so rigorous.

While looking for the remote to turn off the TV, Shen Qing curiously asked Gu Duo, “So you started studying four minutes ago?”

Gu Duo was noncommittal.

He merely gestured for Ming-bao, who was also lying there, to get up, saying, “Let’s go study inside.”

Ming-bao blinked his watery big eyes. Although his expression lost control and he pouted upon hearing the word “study,” he still obediently got up and followed Gu Duo toward the inner room…

Looking back as he walked, he stared at Shen Qing pitifully, continuing to pout.

Shen Qing: …

Having spent so much time together, Shen Qing generally understood Gu Duo’s behavioral patterns—the reason he had preferred resisting the temptation of TV to lie here and study just now was that he didn’t want to leave Ao-zai alone outside.

And Ao-zai was only three and a half. He usually just followed his brother in studying, and Gu Duo wouldn’t force his little brother to study.

Thus resulting in the scene of him and Ming-bao lying here studying, keeping Ao-zai company while he watched cartoons.

As for Ming-bao… who asked you to promise Duo Duo that you’d teach him German and learn French from him…

Severely bewitched by this cub’s watery eyes, for a split second, Shen Qing really wanted to pull him back and let him continue watching TV—

Such a cute cub, what’s wrong with letting him watch a bit more!

He just wants to watch TV!

But ultimately, Shen Qing only gave the cub a helpless, ‘my hands are tied’ look.

Ming-bao, whose rabbit ears had drooped down: …

Before going in to study, he still politely waved a paw at Shen Qing.

On the other side, the TV had been turned off. Ao-zai, who was watching excitedly, had a blank expression on his face. He looked at Shen Qing in confusion, seemingly wanting to watch more.

He was only a three-and-a-half-year-old cub after all; it was still very hard for Ao-zai to possess his brother’s level of self-control.

But a little cub had the traits of a little cub, which meant his attention was also very easily diverted. Shen Qing pointed at the unclosed door of the inner room: “Your brothers went to study, is Ao-zai not going?”

Ao-zai, whose eyes were still a bit confused just a moment ago: O.O!

Hearing that his brothers went to study, Ao-zai immediately gave an “Ao,” wiggled his little body to stand up, and then pitter-pattered away.

His little tail still wagged back and forth.

Amused by this cub, Shen Qing walked over and secretly peeked at them. Sure enough, they were all gathered around the table, starting to study.

To welcome Ming-bao’s arrival, Gu Duo had specially asked Grandma Zhang early in the morning to add a small stool next to the desk… In short, the three cubs were all sitting obediently at the table, looking as serious as if they were holding some high-level seminar.

Amused by them once again, Shen Qing took out his phone, snapped another picture, and quietly retreated.

Asking the servants to clean up the outer room, and confirming lunch and other schedules with Auntie Zhang, Shen Qing once again sighed at the benefits of having many nannies in the house. He didn’t need to do anything, and for the rest of the time, he went back to his room to play.

.

Because Ming-bao was here, Shen Qing arranged for the cubs’ lunch to be served directly in their room, without calling them downstairs to eat.

Whether they were studying or playing with toys together, putting himself in the cubs’ shoes, Shen Qing didn’t want adults intruding too much.

He hoped Ming-bao, as their little guest, could have fun and relax here.

The cubs’ lunch was personally prepared by Auntie Zhang. As it neared lunchtime, Shen Qing, fully embracing his role as host, specifically went to check on it. The color, aroma, and taste were all excellent, and it was rich in nutrients.

“It looks appetizing,” Shen Qing said with a smile.

Auntie Zhang loved it when people praised her cooking. She instantly beamed and added:

“Oh right, Madam, the Mister just sent word down saying he won’t be coming down for lunch today. So you…”

“…Does the Mister have something to do? Then what is he eating for lunch?”

Shen Qing tilted his head and asked.

“I don’t know about that,” Auntie Zhang said. “Anyway, little Tian just came down and said the Mister isn’t coming down to eat, and told you to eat by yourself for lunch.”

Shen Qing looked suspiciously upstairs. At this time, the villa was spacious and bright, and it was quiet both upstairs and downstairs. There were no people coming for meetings or anything.

“Alright, I understand.”

Shen Qing wasn’t hungry yet and wasn’t in a rush to have the kitchen prepare his meal.

After thinking about it, he headed straight for the elevator and went up to the third floor.

The Boss just promised me he’d come down to eat together from now on… Even when he was so busy yesterday, he came down. It’s only the second day, and he suddenly breaks the promise. This made Shen Qing wonder if Gu Huaiyu was genuinely busy, or if something had gone wrong again.

Normally, Shen Qing rarely meddled in other people’s private affairs. Like before, when he was working or living in a school dorm, he never asked whether his colleagues or roommates had eaten, nor did he pay much attention to it…

They weren’t little kids like Duo Duo and Ao-zai who needed to be monitored when drinking milk.

But Gu Huaiyu… wasn’t he his long-term meal ticket!

The Big Boss is different from other people!

Moreover, the Boss seems to have a bit of anorexia to begin with.

Focused on wanting the boss to live a few more days, Shen Qing was quite worried about the other’s physical condition.

The third floor was also empty. The assistants had probably all gone out on errands. After exiting the elevator, Shen Qing didn’t run into anyone, so he had no way to inquire about President Gu’s situation.

Walking directly to the door of Gu Huaiyu’s office, Shen Qing knocked. After vaguely hearing someone inside say “Come in,” he pushed the door and walked in.

The weather was still great today, the sun shining brightly outside, and the curtains in Gu Huaiyu’s office were wide open.

Shen Qing rarely came to the Boss’s office on such a bright midday. As soon as he entered, he felt the room was much brighter than before. Also… it seemed much colder…

?

The moment he pushed the door open, he met Gu Huaiyu’s icy gaze from behind the desk. Shen Qing felt like he was hit by a freeze spell.

Looking closely, it wasn’t just President Gu’s eyes that were chilly; his entire aura was as cold as ice water…

Even though the other party’s face had always been expressionless, and he often stared with a piercing gaze, at this moment, Shen Qing just felt the Boss was in a very bad mood.

Shen Qing: “Boss?”

Gu Huaiyu: “What is it?”

Meeting each other’s eyes, the two spoke almost simultaneously.

Then both paused and stopped talking.

Shen Qing subconsciously widened his eyes.

…Okay, even the Boss’s voice is cold.

It seems something really happened to make him unhappy…

Simply closing the door, Shen Qing slipped inside and walked all the way to President Gu’s desk.

Not feeling at all that President Gu’s bad mood could be related to himself, Shen Qing’s tone was relaxed: “What’s wrong? Why aren’t you coming down to eat?”

As he got closer, he noticed that the slice of cake he had asked Assistant Tian to bring up this morning was still sitting perfectly intact on the corner of President Gu’s desk. Even the utensils hadn’t been touched…

There were only a few scattered documents on Gu Huaiyu’s desk; the rest were still stacked neatly to the side. This layout made that slice of cake look very conspicuous.

As if it had been disdained by someone.

Shen Qing couldn’t figure out what was wrong and asked directly, “You didn’t even eat the cake sent to you?”

Gu Huaiyu didn’t answer why he didn’t eat it. He merely raised his eyebrows slightly, looking at Shen Qing with an even sterner expression: “Who sent me the cake?”

Shen Qing: ?

What’s wrong with the Boss?

…During breakfast this morning, I clearly gave him a heads-up. I said Ming-bao was coming today, and that Auntie Zhang specifically made a carrot cake, and that she’d make a portion especially for President Gu and send it up to him when it was done…

Shen Qing said, “Me. Didn’t we agree…”

Gu Huaiyu suddenly interrupted him: “If I remember correctly, Assistant Tian brought this up.”

His speaking speed was slow, his voice increasingly cold and stern.

After speaking, the Boss even flicked the document in his hand, half-standing it up, and lowered his eyes to scan the text on it.

Shen Qing’s eyes remained wide open: “…Right, I asked Assistant Tian to bring it up.”

Standing right in front of President Gu’s desk, from his angle, he could still see the Boss’s pale, handsome face and his thin, drooping eyelids…

Gu Huaiyu calmly and composedly scanning documents like this truly gave off a cold and callous feeling.

…No wonder the people outside are so afraid of him.

But Shen Qing still had a baffled expression: “Is there a problem? You don’t even trust things brought up by Assistant Tian? Don’t worry, it’s not poisoned.”

Gu Huaiyu: “…”

The hand holding the document paused heavily.

Several creases immediately appeared on the snow-white paper.

Gu Huaiyu abruptly raised his head, no longer looking at the document, his brow furrowing uncontrollably: “What poison?”

“Ah?” Shen Qing was even more confused. “…Weren’t you avoiding it because you worried the cake was poisoned?”

Gu Huaiyu: “…Your imagination is very vivid.”

Gu Huaiyu evaluated objectively.

It was just that his face visibly paled a bit more, as if out of anger.

When the Boss didn’t speak and just stared fixedly at someone, it was quite scary. But once he opened his mouth—and didn’t use his reprimanding tone—it felt much better.

Shen Qing automatically relaxed: “Otherwise, what other reason could there be? I only specifically asked Assistant Tian to deliver it because I was afraid you wouldn’t feel at ease and wouldn’t eat it. I wouldn’t have dared to entrust it to anyone else! And the result…”

The result is the Boss really didn’t touch a single bite!

It’s a bit of a waste of food.

Shen Qing pouted dissatisfiedly. …This seemed to be an influence from Ming-bao.

Opposite him, Gu Huaiyu’s expression suddenly softened a bit, though it remained odd.

He slowly set down the document and looked at Shen Qing again: “What do you mean ‘you specifically asked Tian Yi to bring it up to me’? How specific?”

Halfway through speaking, his voice had dropped sufficiently low: “Why didn’t I feel anything specific at all?”

Shen Qing: ?

He tried to explain: “…I just felt it would be weird to have someone else bring it over? After all, your office area isn’t a place just anyone can come to, not even the butler.”

Putting himself in someone else’s shoes, Shen Qing realized this wasn’t a joke: “Think about it, if I had Auntie Zhang come over to deliver the cake, wouldn’t that cause her a lot of psychological pressure?”

“…”

Gu Huaiyu fell silent after hearing this.

Or rather, he choked up.

A long time later, he finally took a deep breath: “…The one you aren’t at ease about, is it me, or Auntie Zhang who might be scared by me?”

Shen Qing thought about this question carefully: “…Both, I guess.”

After all, he was quite worried that President Gu wouldn’t eat a cake delivered by someone else…

It wasn’t a question of whether it was poisoned or not.

It’s… President Gu cares about his face!

He needs me to ‘coax’ him before he’ll eat!

This time, because I gave President Gu a heads-up early this morning, I felt like the ‘coaxing’ was already done. Shen Qing thought Gu Huaiyu would eat it, so he directly asked Assistant Tian to help bring it up.

I never expected…

Boss, are you really this tsundere?

I just wanted to be a little lazy…

Alright, I get it, I get it.

When Shen Qing said “Both, I guess,” Gu Huaiyu fell silent.

His eyes wavered, his expression growing increasingly odd.

By the time he snapped back, the youth had already walked around to his side and pulled the tray holding the cake in front of him.

Because it was made by Auntie Zhang and didn’t undergo Shen Qing’s secondary processing, the exterior of this cake was extremely simple. It only had a carrot-colored sponge cake and white cream as icing.

But because the ingredients used were solid, and it had only been a few hours since it came out of the oven, this piece of cake still exuded a sweet aroma.

Smelling the aroma, Gu Huaiyu didn’t move at all. He just stared fixedly at the pure white cream on top, the air pressure dropping even lower.

Seeing this, Shen Qing simply picked up the spoon, scooped up the tip of the slice, and brought it to the Boss’s mouth: “Eat.”

Gu Huaiyu: “…”

He didn’t open his mouth, but slowly turned his head to look at the youth, his eyes pitch-black.

Perhaps due to the brightness of the room, as his eyes wavered, Shen Qing saw some shock and a tiny trace of light in them.

Shen Qing: “…Come on, eat.”

“…”

“It’s very delicious, I specifically saved it for you.”

Hearing this, Gu Huaiyu raised an eyebrow: “You specifically again?”

“Yeah.”

Shen Qing nodded earnestly. “This time it’s true. Originally Auntie Zhang only planned to make a small one, but since you only eat carrot-flavored little cakes, I just had her make a big one directly!”

Gu Huaiyu: “.”

He suddenly went silent again.

It was just that the gloomy aura in the room seemed to have dissipated a lot. The Boss’s expression was no longer so cold and stern.

Seeing this situation, although Shen Qing didn’t know why his mood had suddenly improved again, feeling the change, he pushed the spoon forward a bit more.

The exquisite steel spoon holding a small piece of cake directly touched Gu Huaiyu’s lips.

…

Although it was just Shen Qing’s hand trembling, touching and leaving instantly.

But feeling the sudden added touch of wet softness on his lips, Gu Huaiyu still looked up at the youth.

Still didn’t eat.

Shen Qing didn’t notice these small details. Seeing the Boss still holding back and refusing to open his mouth, he had no choice but to say, “Besides, I haven’t even eaten any yet… I gave it all to you and the cubs, what… what are you still dissatisfied with?”

Hearing this, Gu Huaiyu lifted his eyelids and finally opened his mouth: “Then let’s eat together.”

“Sure.”

As Shen Qing spoke, he noticed there were two sets of utensils on the plate. Figuring they’d be eating lunch soon anyway, the Boss might not be able to finish this slice alone…

He simply popped the piece in his hand into his own mouth.

Gu Huaiyu: “…?”

He abruptly looked up at the youth again.

“…What’s wrong?”

Suddenly swept by Gu Huaiyu’s shock-filled gaze, Shen Qing also instinctively froze.

In this instant, it felt as if he had done something absolutely shocking…

After freezing, Shen Qing felt baffled, but also perfectly justified—You refused to eat it yourself, are you not even going to let me eat it?

Holding up the spoon for ages, I get tired too, okay?

Gu Huaiyu: “…You… just now I… seemed to have touched…”

As he spoke, he pointed at his own lips.

“Ah?” Shen Qing blinked, seemingly understanding the other party’s meaning…

But President Gu didn’t even open his mouth just now, it was at most just a brief touch, so it shouldn’t be a big deal, right?

“It’s fine, I don’t mind you,” Shen Qing said without being fussy about it at all.

He pulled a smile at the Boss. Shen Qing rolled his eyes and then remembered: But two grown men scooping and eating from the same piece of cake is indeed a bit weird.

Thinking of this, he picked up the butter knife, made a cut in the middle of the cake slice, and yielded the larger back half to Gu Huaiyu. He ate the part with the tip that he had just scooped from.

“This is okay now, right?”

Shen Qing, who had to bend down just now to cut the cake, looked up at the Boss again. His eyes sparkled as he revealed a smug smile.

Gu Huaiyu’s thin eyelids drooped down.

He didn’t say anything.

He just slowly picked up the other spoon on the plate.

.

There were two sets of utensils, but only one plate.

In order to conveniently share the piece of cake, Shen Qing couldn’t be too far away. He walked back around to the other side of the desk, sat face-to-face with Gu Huaiyu, and half-leaned on President Gu’s desk to eat the cake.

…Although he disliked sweets, Auntie Zhang’s dessert had reached the pinnacle of perfection. The sweetness was so perfect that Shen Qing couldn’t pick out a single flaw, and he actually quite enjoyed eating it.

Compared to him, Gu Huaiyu’s eating speed was still extremely, extremely slow.

Chewing over thirty times per bite.

“Boss, let me ask you a question, ha.”

Shen Qing suddenly spoke up: “You chew so meticulously when you eat, do you actually like eating, or do you dislike it?”

“You want to know?”

Gu Huaiyu, who had been quietly eating, looked up upon hearing this. He involuntarily paused, then suddenly said to the youth opposite him: “…Come here.”

Shen Qing: “What for?”

While asking this verbally, he still stood up, gripping the edge of the desk with both hands, and leaned closer toward the opposite side.

Gu Huaiyu blinked: “Come a little closer.”

Shen Qing: “Hm?”

Blinking in confusion, Shen Qing couldn’t think of what the Boss asking him to “come over” had to do with the question he just asked, but he obediently leaned in a bit more.

After that, Gu Huaiyu suddenly raised his hand and wiped the corner of his lips.

Shen Qing: “?!”

The icy fingertips abruptly brushed past his lips. Shen Qing was given a huge fright and immediately looked up at the person opposite him.

…Looking up, he crashed straight into the eyes of the other party looking at him.

…

Looking from such a close distance, in Gu Huaiyu’s beautiful phoenix eyes, there was actually a trace of… a smile.

?

Before Shen Qing could see clearly, Gu Huaiyu had already looked away.

Shen Qing looked down again and saw the other party’s long, slender finger extended, with a bit of cream on the fingertip.

…

Only then did he barely realize that the Boss was actually wiping his mouth for him…

Hey, why make it so mysterious then, asking me to ‘come here’ and ‘come closer’. He could’ve just said so, and I could’ve wiped it myself…

Before Shen Qing could finish his internal roasting, he suddenly felt a chill on his cheek.

…Gu Huaiyu had actually smeared that wiped-off cream right onto his face!!!

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