Chapter 98: Sharing a Bed
Xie Ning was quite composed; he didn’t start a huge scene in such a setting. He looked at Ye Zhile. “I know who you are. You’re the one who divorced the Supreme Leader. Did he forget about you and discard you?”
“You motherf—” Leng Xingtu stood up and grabbed Xie Ning’s collar. “You’re really asking for a beating!”
“Xingtu!” Ye Zhile quickly pulled him back. “There are many people here; it’ll be filmed. Do you really want to see yourself on the Xingwang (Star Net)?”
Being reminded of this, Leng Xingtu let go of Xie Ning in disgust and warned him, “Try talking trash again.”
“I’m telling the truth, am I not?” Xie Ning looked at Ye Zhile provocatively.
“We are divorced.” At that moment, an abrupt voice rang out. Ye Zhile was startled. He turned around to see Ji Shuohan standing behind him, a hand resting on his shoulder. He looked at Xie Ning with cold disdain. “But I am currently pursuing him. Do you have a problem with that?”
Xie Ning was speechless. He lowered his head. “I… I only said that after seeing the announcement from the Shouling-bu…”
“The announcement from the Shouling-bu was just business, but that isn’t a reason for you to provoke him,” Ji Shuohan said expressionlessly. An Enigma’s aura put immense pressure on Xie Ning, and he hurried away.
Ye Zhile slapped his hand away. “Don’t touch me.”
Ji Shuohan dropped his hand. “Are you done eating? I’ll take you home.”
Ye Zhile didn’t answer him, but said to Leng Xingtu, “I’m leaving first. You should go back early too.”
“Okay, bye.” Leng Xingtu waved.
Ye Zhile ultimately got into Ji Shuohan’s car. Only then did he realize that while Ji Shuohan was watching over him, he hadn’t neglected his work at all; he was currently looking through documents.
Seeing him so serious and stern, Ye Zhile didn’t disturb him. But seeing the dark circles under his eyes, his heart still trembled.
He pursed his lips and gave a light cough. “Let’s go home.”
“Okay, I’ll take you home.” Although Ji Shuohan didn’t look up, he had heard Ye Zhile’s words. Seeing he wasn’t catching on, Ye Zhile muttered another sentence. “To the Shouling-fu…”
“Okay… huh?” Ji Shuohan suddenly looked up, doubting his own ears. “Zhile is willing to go back with me?”
“I just don’t want you to drop dead!” Ye Zhile said crossly.
Ji Shuohan’s mood, however, was very pleasant. Looking at these dense documents now, they seemed quite clear. “Okay, back to the Shouling-fu. Let’s pick up Dudu first.”
A family had to be complete.
After picking up Dudu and returning to the Shouling-fu, Xu-bo was quite shocked when they arrived, but he couldn’t help but feel relieved. He looked at Ye Zhile. “It’s good you’re back. It’s good you’re back.”
Ye Zhile smiled, and Xiao-ru was also very happy, holding Dudu to play.
Ye Zhile had his things moved back to his own room. Ji Shuohan watched and didn’t dare say much, feeling nothing but endless regret. After all, he was the one who had acted foolishly back then, saying things like he wasn’t used to sleeping with others. He really wanted to go back and slap himself twice.
After showering, Ye Zhile dried his hair and sat on the bed. This room was still as cold and clear as before. Once, Ye Zhile would have felt lonely and dejected, but now he only felt that fate was playing tricks on him. He was back…
Knock, knock!
Ji Shuohan opened the door and entered. The sweet scent of freesias greeted him, and his footsteps paused. “I’ll help you blow-dry your hair.”
Ye Zhile raised his hands. “I have hands.”
With that, Ye Zhile went into the bathroom to dry his hair. Ji Shuohan also followed him in. He was a head taller than the Omega, so Ye Zhile could see him directly in the mirror. Perhaps his arms were tired, for he turned around and handed the hair dryer to Ji Shuohan.
Ji Shuohan gave a light laugh, took it, and dried his hair for him.
“Is it cold?” Ji Shuohan looked at the person in the mirror. It was already winter. Back when Ji Shuohan first returned, it seemed to have been quite cold too. He had let the Omega sleep alone; it must have been very cold.
Ji Shuohan’s tone was full of guilt. Ye Zhile said disdainfully, “It’s not cold at all. Do you think the air conditioner is just for decoration?”
Ji Shuohan said no more and dried his hair seriously. The youth’s hair was fluffy and soft, carrying a light fragrance. The whole person emitted a clean and sweet aura. Ji Shuohan’s hands felt itchy, and he tousled his head, earning a glare from Ye Zhile.
After drying his hair, Ji Shuohan instinctively kissed the top of Ye Zhile’s head. “Goodnight.”
Before Ye Zhile could react, the person behind him had already left. He looked at his flushed face in the mirror and bared his teeth, very unhappy. “So useless!”
Ye Zhile was used to sleeping in, especially in winter; it was like a little bear hibernating. Ji Shuohan entered quietly and called him softly, “Zhile?”
“What is it?” Ye Zhile opened his eyes impatiently, looking sleepy. His small face was flushed and delicate. Ji Shuohan’s heart softened as he saw this. He said, “Breakfast is ready. Remember to get up and eat; it’ll get cold soon.”
“I know…” Ye Zhile said indistinctly.
Ji Shuohan didn’t disturb him further, went out, closed the door, and left for the Shouling-bu.
Ye Zhile originally wanted to keep sleeping, but since Ji Shuohan had made breakfast, it wouldn’t be good if it got cold.
He sat up irritably, and after washing up, he resignedly went downstairs.
Xiao-ru was playing with Dudu. Seeing him, she said, “Good morning, Madam.”
“Good morning.” Ye Zhile didn’t correct her title. It wasn’t that he was thinking of remarriage, but it was just a title. Since she called him that, so be it. Changing it might make everyone awkward. Whatever.
“Mama!” Dudu was learning to walk, his steps faltering. Xiao-ru was protecting him from the side. Ye Zhile watched happily, and had already become accustomed to Dudu’s way of calling him. He opened his arms. “Dudu is so great!”
When Dudu reached his feet, Ye Zhile picked him up and kissed his cheek. “So good!”
Ye Zhile fed Dudu. Xiao-ru reminded him, “Madam, Dudu has already eaten. Children bloat easily; he shouldn’t eat too much.”
“Oh, right.” Ye Zhile handed Dudu to Xiao-ru. “Go play with Auntie Xiao-ru. I’ll play with you after I’m done eating.”
Dudu hummed something and hugged Xiao-ru’s neck to go play.
When he didn’t have classes, Ye Zhile stayed at home. The pheromone gene modification business was causing quite a stir, so he didn’t dare go out much.
Ji Shuohan also ran between the Shouling-bu and the Shouling-fu every day. When he wasn’t too busy, he stayed at home to work.
Ye Zhile was in the kitchen learning to make pastries. This time he made blueberry rolls. He brought them straight to the study, entered without knocking, and placed them in front of Ji Shuohan, ordering him, “Eat them all!”
Not fond of sweets? I’ll see just how much you aren’t fond of them!
Ji Shuohan didn’t say a second word. He immediately picked up a blueberry roll and ate it. After finishing, he didn’t forget to praise him. “It’s delicious. Zhile’s pastry-making skills are getting better and better.”
Ye Zhile gave a forced smile. “Don’t you dislike sweets? How are you eating them now?”
Ji Shuohan explained seriously, “I’m not very fond of sweets, but I will try to eat anything you make. What you made is also very delicious.”
Ye Zhile was half-convinced. He questioned him again, “Then why did you eat Ruan Chenxin’s mung bean cakes? And you ate them all!”
“When?” Ji Shuohan felt he was being wrongly accused.
“When he was here! Also! He said that when you were together, you loved the mung bean cakes he made and finished them every time!” The more Ye Zhile thought about it, the angrier he got. When he first made pineapple cakes, Ji Shuohan had only eaten two pieces!
Ji Shuohan really was wrongly accused this time. However, looking at Ye Zhile’s jealous appearance, he couldn’t help but feel a bit happy. He explained, “We weren’t ‘together.’ That was when I had memory loss. I didn’t even know who I was and had nowhere to go, so I temporarily stayed there. I only ate his mung bean cakes because his cooking… wasn’t very good. But those mung bean cakes last time—I really didn’t eat them. I had him take them away.”
“Really?” Ye Zhile thought, could he have been lied to by Ruan Chenxin?
“Really.” Ji Shuohan looked at Ye Zhile with a sincere gaze. Ye Zhile believed him. “Alright then.”
He picked up a blueberry roll and said to Ji Shuohan, “Finish them and bring the plate down.”
“Okay.” Ji Shuohan didn’t dare disobey. Looking at the seven or eight fist-sized pastries, he felt it was a sweet burden. If only he hadn’t been such a jerk back then.
Ultimately, Ji Shuohan ate every last one, but he was so sickened by the cream that he couldn’t eat much for dinner. Ye Zhile, on the other hand, ate quite heartily. The food Ji Shuohan made suited his tastes perfectly. He liked strong flavors—heavy oil and spice—and so did Ji Shuohan.
It was the end of the term, and Ye Zhile was busy reviewing, striving not to fail his exams. He left early and returned late. Looking at Dudu being left alone at the Shouling-fu, he felt very guilty… but after weighing the pros and cons, he felt his exams were more important.
On the day the exams ended, Ye Zhile walked out of the school gates. For some reason, he felt like something was watching him, but when he looked carefully, there was nothing.
“What are you thinking about?” Ji Shuohan asked him.
Ye Zhile shook his head and got into the car.
“Are you tired from the exams?” Ji Shuohan asked again.
Ye Zhile glanced at him. “Don’t bother me. I want to rest.”
Ji Shuohan covered him with a small blanket. “Sleep.”
At the dining table, Ye Zhile was listless. Even facing his favorite spicy swimming crab, he couldn’t muster any interest. Ji Shuohan thought he was sick and reached out to check his forehead, but the temperature was normal. He then held his hand. “What’s wrong?”
Ye Zhile was lost in his own thoughts and even forgot to pull his hand away from Ji Shuohan’s. He said worriedly, “I feel like I’ve been a bit paranoid lately, always overthinking.”
Ji Shuohan knit his brows. “For example?”
“I keep feeling like someone is monitoring me.” Ye Zhile propped up his chin. “But when I look carefully, I can’t feel it anymore. Is it just me overthinking?”
Hearing this, Ji Shuohan suddenly felt a chill. He immediately thought of that organization and asked hurriedly, “When did it start?”
Ye Zhile thought for a moment. “It seems to have been since the night I returned to the Shouling-fu.”
That day at the restaurant, he had caught a glimpse of that figure, but he hadn’t thought much of it at the time. Later at school, he could feel that gaze from the shadows. Thinking of this, Ye Zhile suddenly trembled. He said weakly, “It’s so scary.”
Ji Shuohan tightened his grip on his hand. “Don’t go out. Just stay at home, okay?”
“I know.” Ye Zhile regained his senses and pulled his hand away. “Why are you touching me again…”
Ji Shuohan retracted his hand. After dinner, he went to the study to ask for news from the Inspection Department, but there was still no progress. His face was full of worry.
Ye Zhile was in the living room watching television. Seeing it was almost ten o’clock, he was about to head upstairs to sleep. However, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed something. His heart gave a violent shudder, and he turned his head. A pair of eyes, like a soul-reaping god of death, was staring at him.
Ye Zhile’s eyes widened in terror, and he screamed, “Ah—!”
When Ji Shuohan heard the scream, he rushed down. Ye Zhile was slumped on the floor, staring at the window in terror, trembling. He hurried over and pulled him into his arms. “Zhile?”
Ye Zhile hurriedly hid in his embrace, speaking with a tremble, “Someone… someone was watching me…”
Ji Shuohan looked up. Outside the floor-to-ceiling window, all was silent. “Zhile, where is someone?”
Ye Zhile looked up tremulously, pressing closer to Ji Shuohan. He looked at the floor-to-ceiling window; there wasn’t a single figure there. “They were right there at the window just now. They were looking at me…”
Just thinking of that gaze made Ye Zhile unable to stop shaking. His eyes were moist. “I’m scared…”
Ji Shuohan held him tightly. “It’s okay. I’m here.”
Ye Zhile really was frightened. He kept his head buried and didn’t dare look up, hiding in Ji Shuohan’s arms. Ji Shuohan carried him upstairs and comforted him. “Don’t be afraid.”
Ye Zhile didn’t dare leave him, and Ji Shuohan didn’t go anywhere either, staying by his side. The youth’s eyes were red, and he looked at him pitifully. “Don’t leave.”
“I won’t leave.” Ji Shuohan covered him with the blanket. “I’ll watch over you until you fall asleep before I go.”
Ye Zhile thought about it and shook his head, moving to the other side of the bed. His meaning was clear. “Just for tonight.”
He couldn’t get that terrifying image out of his mind; the more he thought about it, the more afraid he became. He didn’t dare be alone.
Ji Shuohan got into bed and lay down beside him. Ye Zhile didn’t press against him; he still had his boundaries. “Don’t touch me.”
“Okay, I won’t touch you.” Ji Shuohan followed his wishes.
However, Ye Zhile couldn’t settle into sleep for a long time. He couldn’t sleep even with the lamp on; everything around him felt eerie. He called out tremulously, “Ji Shuohan…”
“I’m here,” Ji Shuohan replied.
“I’m scared,” Ye Zhile said.
Ji Shuohan’s heart ached for him. Regardless of anything else, he pulled the youth into his arms and stroked his head. “Were you frightened?”
“Mm.” At this moment, Ye Zhile also threw his boundaries to the wind and burrowed into Ji Shuohan’s embrace. He only wanted Ji Shuohan to wrap him up and protect him, leaving no gap for even a breeze.
Ji Shuohan stroked his back and coaxed him softly, “I’m here. Sleep peacefully.”
Ye Zhile hugged himself in his arms and, under Ji Shuohan’s soft coaxing, gradually fell asleep.
Ye Zhile didn’t sleep soundly. When Ji Shuohan woke up the next day, he also woke up, with dark circles under his eyes. “Are you going to the Shouling-bu?”
“I’m not going. I’ll stay home with you today. I’ll go down and make breakfast for you,” Ji Shuohan coaxed him.
Ye Zhile shook his head, looking sleepy. “Let the cook do it today. Stay with me for a little longer; I didn’t sleep well…”
He didn’t dare sleep alone.
“Okay.” Ji Shuohan granted his every request and lay back down, holding Ye Zhile until noon, when Ye Zhile finally got enough sleep.
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