Chapter 21: Work Day - Smooth Sailing.

The creator of the figurines, after taking his medicine, propped himself up and sat up from the ground.

It's going to be a restless night.

He Guan emptied his glass of cold water, letting the chill wash away the lingering burn in his mouth.

He crunched the remaining ice cubes in his glass, got off the bar stool, and turned off the ice maker.

When he turned around, Lou Dongcang was still in the same spot, motionless.

He Guan: "You..."

Unexpectedly, Lou Dongcang spoke at the same time: "You..."

He Guan hesitated for a moment.

Lou Dongcang remained silent.

Half a minute later.

"You go first."

"No, you go first."

Their words clashed again.

He Guan: "..."

Lou Dongcang: "I..."

This time, He Guan didn't let him finish.

He Guan: "Were you about to mention just now? Uh, it's okay, I get it. It's obvious you were still half asleep. I shouldn't have dragged you without waking you first. An accident, just a mishap."

He spoke rapidly, eager to move past this awkward moment.

Meanwhile, Lou Dongcang tried to open his eyes, his mind still lingering on earlier events.

He had caught a fleeting glimpse of someone, but now, he saw nothing. If not for the remaining sensation, Lou Dongcang wouldn't even think he had opened his eyes.

Was that He Guan?

It felt like he had just had a dream where He Guan's face was but a faint trace, and he couldn't recall any other details.

All he remembered was that the other seemed quite flustered, probably looking adorable.

He might want to dodge the issue now.

But he won't let him avoid it.

Lou Dongcang asked with a bewildered look, “What just happened? What accident? Why does my tongue hurt?”

He Guan: "..."

He Guan felt like he was shooting himself in the foot.

Right, Lou Dongcang was out of it just now. Recalling the moment, he had no idea what he had done.

He Guan resignedly walked back, “I just put two pills in your mouth, might have poked you, can I take a look?”

Sitting on the ground, Lou Dongcang paused for a few seconds, then continued his inquiries, "Why does it hurt all around then?"

From He Guan's perspective, it looked like Lou Dongcang had licked his own lips.

He bit him! He messed up!

Please, stop licking! I beg you!

He Guan closed his eyes for a moment, covering up with embarrassment, his face turning so red it almost outshone a tomato: “Maybe I pressed too hard with my fingers? You weren't fully awake and might have thought I was harming you, so I might've been too forceful...”

Lou Dongcang took the explanation and opened his mouth for him to inspect.

Although He Guan was currently distracted, Lou Dongcang could sense something was off.

His voice trembled ever so slightly.

So thin-skinned.

Pretending to inspect for a few seconds, He Guan remarked, “It's fine, no cuts, no bleeding.”

Lou Dongcang: “Mhm.”

He Guan squatted beside him, staying silent for a moment. Overwhelmed with guilt, he took the initiative to touch Lou's forehead, "Let me see if you're still feverish."

With eyes closed, Lou Dongcang allowed him, murmuring, "Just a little warm."

Both had sweat profusely just now. It was much better; just slightly warm.

The gentler Lou Dongcang's demeanor, the more He Guan felt like he was sitting on pins and needles.

God, what has he done...

He's a patient, after all...

Without pointing it out, Lou Dongcang intentionally held onto He Guan's hand when he tried to pull away, asking, "Why is your palm so hot?"

He Guan instinctively tried to pull away, but Lou's grip was tight, preventing him: "Ah... I feel a bit warm, might take a shower later."

No matter how hot it got, Lou Dongcang's palms were always cool.

After being held by him for a few seconds, He Guan's mind wandered, "Why have your hands never felt warm? Do you have another health issue? Should we schedule a check-up for you?"

Lou Dongcang: "It's natural. I've been to the hospital for it."

Late at night, with a slightly sluggish mind, He Guan struggled to come up with comforting words. As Lou still held his hand, He Guan responded by giving it a reassuring squeeze.

Lou Dongcang, seeing no reason to let go, remarked, "Isn't it quite late now?"

He Guan picked up the ear thermometer, "It's past two. Let's check your temperature again. If it's dropping, you should get some rest."

The reading was indeed much better than before.

.3°C – thankfully no longer in the high fever range.

The earlier reading of 39°C now seemed like an aberration.

He Guan: "It's below 38°C. I'll get you some warm water to drink."

With that, he began to rise.

Lou Dongcang, seated on the floor, wasn't in a hurry to stand. He held onto He Guan's hand, not letting go.

He Guan: "What's the matter?"

Lou Dongcang: "Never mind."

The blind man, seated on the floor, finally released his grip, suggesting, "Prepare something for yourself first. I'll be fine soon. I get a fever every year around this time, but it always subsides quickly."

With his back to Lou, He Guan took a moment before saying, "I'm not in a rush, nor am I tired."

He chuckled, "I'm happy to do it."

He Guan's assistance to Chu Li was twofold: firstly to save a life and secondly for his career, his motives weren't entirely pure.

Assisting Yue Shu and Du Junyan, while also taking care of Yan Xu, was in part because he felt the need for more support around him.

But with Lou Dongcang...

He had no ulterior motives with him, seeing him purely as family.

Lou Dongcang: "I don’t think you're too busy, but... are you sure you're not hungry?"

He Guan understood.

It wasn’t a distant gesture, sending him off to avoid the trouble of looking after him.

It was pure concern.

He Guan, sensitive to such emotions, discerned the underlying meaning in his words. Patting his stomach, he admitted, "…Actually, I might be a bit hungry."

Lou Dongcang: "Go make some food then. I'll head upstairs."

He Guan: "Have you eaten? Did Uncle Yue cook?"

Lou Dongcang: "Yes."

It was then that Lou Dongcang heard He Guan’s footsteps slowly moving away.

Fetching some hot water, He Guan directed from the kitchen, "Alright then, head straight... I'll guide you."

"Shift a bit to the right. Reach out, and you’ll find the piano."

"Keep going... Yes, that's it."

"This house is so spacious," He Guan mentioned as he rinsed and stored the fruit, "It seems a bit tricky to navigate."

Lou Dongcang, pausing at the foot of the stairs, suggested, "Maybe you can give me a tour some time?"

As He Guan prepared noodles, he remarked, "I have to be at the office tomorrow morning..."

Pausing for a moment, he added, "Actually, that might work. I got something new; we can give it a try tomorrow."

Lou Dongcang: "What is it?"

He Guan: "You’ll find out tomorrow... Since you’re still here, have a strawberry. I just washed them."

He Guan approached with a basket of strawberries, offering one, commenting, "They’re in season, a bit pricey. Give it a taste."

Lou Dongcang, resisting the urge to mischievously bite his fingers, took a gentle bite, noting, "Sweet."

He Guan: "Take them upstairs and enjoy."

Lou Dongcang: "Okay."

Handing him the fruit basket, He Guan returned to the kitchen to prepare some noodles.

He quickly whipped up a bowl of spicy oil-tossed noodles. Enjoying it downstairs, he felt an uncommon sense of contentment.

Eating alone was a scene he had experienced numerous times at the company.

During the subsequent period, when no one was home, there was hardly a reason for He Guan to return. If not for his pet, Xiao Huang, he might have stayed at the company indefinitely.

He had claimed the company's rest area as his mini-kitchen. Often, after working late into the night, he’d glance at the clock, realizing he needed to eat and refuel.

He finished numbly, ate up, washed the dishes and the pots, and then stepped out to see...

Across the floor-to-ceiling window, the skyscraper was ablaze with lights, the individual rooms glowing golden.

He Guan would often sit directly in front of the floor-to-ceiling window at around this time.

At just past 2 in the morning, it was the perfect time to empty one's mind and zone out.

He could no longer distinguish between fatigue and rest, simply robotically presenting one project proposal after another, berating departments that underperformed until they were utterly chastised.

When he first arrived in this world, He Guan thought he had lost the ability to care for others.

After all, he was so stiff when facing Chu Li.

Unexpectedly, that wasn't the case.

He just... hadn't been close to anyone in such a long time.

There was no one at home to converse with him, to listen to his stories.

Chatting with Lou Dongcang in this manner felt like a luxury to him, making him feel alive.

So, since Lou Dongcang only offered his company for that single night, He Guan wouldn't willingly leave.

By the time He Guan entered the master bedroom, Lou Dongcang had already taken a shower and was waiting for him by the bed.

He Guan: "Why haven't you dried your hair again?"

Hearing his voice, Lou Dongcang tilted his face slightly upward: "Waiting for you."

He Guan fetched a towel and stood in front of him, drying his hair, teasing, "Ah, so you've become dependent on me, huh?"

Lou Dongcang remained silent for a moment.

He Guan had intended it as a light joke, and thought his tone conveyed that, but seeing Lou Dongcang quiet down, he furrowed his brows.

Did he say something wrong?

He lowered his head, focusing on drying the hair with the beige towel when something cold touched his face. He instinctively looked up, "What is it?"

A strawberry.

Lou Dongcang slightly lifted his head: "A strawberry, saved for you."

He Guan: "Huh?"

Lou Dongcang: "Consider it a bribe. You're on hair-drying duty now."

He Guan chuckled: "What kind of bribe is this? I was the one who bought the strawberries!"

Lou Dongcang: "The strawberry isn't a bribe."

After drying a few strands, He Guan casually picked up the towel and inquired, "Then, what is?"

With a previously suppressed voice now clear, Lou Dongcang replied with a smile, "Feeding it to you is."

It took a while for He Guan to find his voice.

"You're so cunning, Old Lou. I take back thinking you weren't in finance."

Lou Dongcang arched an eyebrow, "Will you eat it or not?"

He Guan: "I will."

He tilted his head to bite the strawberry, biting a bit too zealously and inadvertently catching not only the green leaves but also the tip of Lou Dongcang's finger.

Chewing the fresh strawberry, the juicy burst prevented him from opening his mouth. Apologizing felt awkward, yet silence was also uncomfortable.

He then watched as Lou Dongcang withdrew his hand and licked the bitten spot.

The imprints of He Guan's teeth were still visible on the finger.

After swallowing the strawberry, He Guan wisely stayed silent, picked another, and after finishing all the strawberries, quickly mumbled, "I'll go brush my teeth. You can sleep first."

The man, having licked his fingers clean, promptly replied, "Alright."

When he crawled into bed, He Guan, still feeling uneasy, checked the temperature once more.

Half-asleep, Lou Dongcang, disturbed by the beeping of the thermometer, mumbled, "The fever has really subsided..."

He Guan glanced at the reading, 37°C, and started, "Checking it won’t..."

He wanted to say, "Checking it won’t hurt."

The drowsy man leaned over, naturally drawing him into an embrace. Pressing He Guan's face against his chest, he murmured, "It's not hot anymore. Want to feel?"

He then nuzzled the top of He Guan's head and drifted back to sleep.

He Guan, in his embrace, stiffened like a plank of wood.

Indeed, he wasn't hot.

The warm chest rose and fell with each breath. The exhaled air, cool and refreshing, brushed against He Guan's temples, indicating a normal temperature.

But this closeness was unprecedented.

So close that He Guan felt his own body temperature rising, his heartbeat thundering.

He blinked, then blinked again, ultimately choosing not to push the man away.

The next day, unsurprisingly, He Guan overslept.

He had slept late, and by morning he hadn't even heard his own alarm. Waking up and sitting on the edge of the bed, he noticed the slanted rays of sunlight shining on his legs.

He Guan reached for his phone to check the time.

He had slept straight through until 12:30 in the afternoon.

He groaned and held his forehead, only to hear a chuckle behind him.

He Guan quickly turned his head, "Old Lou?"

Lou Dongcang was standing by the wardrobe, silent until that single chuckle he had just let out.

Lou Dongcang asked, "Sleep well?"

Sitting at the edge of the bed, He Guan sighed, "Did you turn off my alarm?"

He Guan wasn't the type to not hear alarms, but if the alarm only rang once or twice, that would be a different story.

Lou Dongcang nodded, "Yes."

He Guan stood up and stretched, "Alright then, what's done is done... I'll contact my assistant later... it's not urgent."

Lou Dongcang: "Aren't you mad at me?"

Pushing past him to get his clothes, He Guan replied, "Come on, Old Lou. If we had just met and you asked me that, it would be one thing. But asking me now? I might start thinking you've got amnesia and don’t remember who I am... You're blocking the wardrobe, move aside a bit."

Lou Dongcang stepped to the side, chuckling at He Guan's playful tone, "I just wanted to hear you say it."

As he tied his tie, He Guan remarked, "Alright, but just this once. No more wasting my breath in the future..."

Looking at his bed-headed reflection in the mirror, he added with a grin, "Waking up early gives me a headache and I'm less efficient. Today's tasks aren't as urgent as the last time I went to the office. Plus, my reliable assistant would reschedule the meetings to the afternoon if he couldn’t reach me by the appointed time. He even informed the driver and messaged me at 9 o'clock."

He buckled his belt, "Most importantly, I'm a board member. Whether I’m early or late doesn't matter. At the end of the day, others will wait for me."

"No harm done. I got extra sleep, which is actually quite nice. In fact, I should be thanking you."

He always weighed pros and cons.

Lou Dongcang simply responded, "Mm."

Adjusting his tie and getting into his coat, He Guan asked, "Have you eaten? I'm heading downstairs, join me."

Lou Dongcang: "I haven't. Alright."

Naturally grabbing Lou Dongcang by the wrist, He Guan led him out, "Wonder what Uncle Yue made. I'm starving..."

There had been rain the previous day, but today the sun shone brightly and clearly. So clear, in fact, it felt like one's eyesight had improved by a whole prescription grade.

As He Guan assisted Uncle Yue by bringing dishes from the kitchen, he gazed outside through the large ground-floor windows.

The view was clear and tranquil, with the newly installed floral wall standing serenely in the distance.

Lou Dongcang took a seat by the table and, noticing that He Guan hadn't set down the dishes, asked, "What's the matter?"

He Guan chuckled, "It's been a long time since I've woken up this late. I slept for so long... a whole day has passed. I had plans to finish work this morning, return in the afternoon, and plant the flowers with you."

He added, "The begonia bulbs I bought have been sitting for two days and need to be planted soon. I saw Uncle Yue has already planted the pines... Yes."

Lou Dongcang reached out, taking the dish from He Guan's hand with precision and setting it on the table, suggesting, "Let's plant them when you come back. How about we get someone to install some lights outside this afternoon?"

He Guan looked down, staring at him, lost for words.

Sensing his gaze, Lou Dongcang inquired, "What's wrong?"

He Guan replied, "It's the first time you've taken the initiative to suggest something... It caught me off guard."

Just as Lou Dongcang was about to reply, Uncle Yue, having finished tidying up the kitchen, approached, stating, "Let's eat."

His tone seemed off.

He Guan asked, "What's the matter, Uncle? Are you unhappy about being stuck at home?"

Uncle Yue shook his head, "No, I saw a snake in the house."

A snake that likely preys on birds.

He Guan reasoned, "Oh, it might be because of the heavy rain yesterday. But there shouldn't be any venomous snakes around here. Probably just a grass snake? Don't worry. While you may fear it, it's even more scared of you. Just give it space and it'll leave."

Uncle Yue responded, "Mm."

They clearly weren't talking about the same thing.

After finishing his meal, just as He Guan was about to leave, Du Junyan called, saying he had parked out front.

Wiping his mouth, He Guan made his way to the door, but as he stepped out, a voice from behind halted him.

"He Guan."

Turning around, He Guan responded, "What is it, Old Lou? If there's something you want, just let me know. I'll bring it for you."

Leaning against the door frame, Lou Dongcang approached, pausing for a moment before softly leaning against the door, clarifying, "No, that's not it."

He Guan urged, "Come on, speak up. I really need to head to work."

Raising his hand, Lou Dongcang gently waved, saying, "Safe travels."

The man leaning against the door appeared nonchalant, his voice tinted with amusement. After speaking, he lowered his hand.

He Guan stood still, feeling as if he had been struck by something profound.

He had imagined countless times a scenario where someone would see him off or welcome him home. Yet, in reality, he often returned to an empty house, even the snake plant he owned had withered beyond revival.

Only a cold pet snake awaits his feeding.

Little did I expect it to come to fruition here in Lou Dong's building today.

He Guan laughed, saying, "No problem!"

Accepting the all-too-common blessing, he moved forward, striding briskly into the calm and gentle afternoon sun.