Chapter 27: Like Me
“The employees who were in the meeting tonight—I notified them this afternoon to come in tomorrow afternoon instead.”
“The doctor from the Pheromone Research Institute asked me today if any other symptoms occurred during your susceptibility period.”
Shi He walked out of the elevator and gently placed Ruan Zhimian onto the booth seat, which had long been layered with a soft pad. He adjusted the angle for lying down before answering Special Assistant Chu.
“I am fine.”
The car door pulled shut and drove out from the garage. Rain constantly washed the vehicle, with the precipitation level approaching heavy rain.
Normally, Shi He would take off his hearing aid and close his eyes.
At this moment, he did nothing. His unreadable phoenix eyes watched Ruan Zhimian beside him and the black snake that was gradually becoming excessive, coiling around Ruan Zhimian’s wrist step by step.
The spiritual body represented the master.
After a long time, Shi He lowered his head and kissed the fair back of the hand.
“Baby, come home with me.”
During his early childhood, Shi He’s parents had a harmonious relationship and two years of happy times, though the Shi family’s happiness was accompanied by rigorous studies.
Under such high pressure, Shi He was far stronger than children of his age.
As he grew older, his parents spent more time apart than together, each busy with their own work, rarely appearing before him. He was entrusted to others for care.
Sometimes it was an uncle, sometimes his grandfather.
Perhaps born with severed emotions, he didn’t miss his parents, nor did he act out or cry like typical children. He would only stay quietly to the side when his parents returned home.
Until that car accident happened, Shi He’s life became different from the age of ten.
After returning to the country, Shi He moved out. This large flat, which was over ten years old, was a high-end apartment in Huajiang with full surrounding facilities.
In the underground garage, the tall and upright Alpha leaned down and carefully carried Ruan Zhimian out of the car.
He walked to the elevator, entered the code, and went upstairs.
With a ding from the elevator, the little young master who had slept for nearly three hours rubbed his misty dark eyes. He opened them from Shi He’s embrace, his voice tiny: “Where am I?”
“My house.”
Shi He’s house? How did I end up here?
Watching Shi He press his index finger against the fingerprint scanner and push the door open with his long legs, his voice was calm and natural: “It’s raining heavily outside. The Ruan residence is too far; it’s not safe.”
“We are friends. You took me in last time; I’m taking you in this time.”
Before he could react, he was sitting obediently on the shoe cabinet. He lowered his eyes, watching Shi He put slippers on him, and said to him in a muffled voice, “Thank you. You’re such a good person.”
He looked into the house. “Where… where do I sleep?”
Shi He put on his slippers and helped him down. “The master bedroom. The guest room hasn’t been cleaned. I’ll sleep on the sofa.”
A soft hand reached over, resting on his forehead. “Are you feeling any discomfort today?”
His beautiful small face was lifted, filled with serious worry, as if he knew what rainy days represented for him.
Shi He’s hand supported Ruan Zhimian’s shoulder. “No, I’m fine.”
Ruan Zhimian looked and looked again, muttering a small sentence: “You ran out into the rain last time; I was very worried.”
Having just woken up, his steps were also soft and lacking strength.
He had already washed up, but to go find Shi He, he had changed back into outdoor clothes and watched the chef sister make something delicious, finally waiting in the garage for a bit before coming upstairs.
There wasn’t much to see in Shi He’s house; it looked like a model home.
Ruan Zhimian leaned against the doorframe, clutching the “pajamas” Shi He found for him, and reached out to grab the hem of Shi He’s clothes. “I’ll sleep on the sofa; you sleep in the bedroom.”
Although dizzy, he was very polite.
Shi He’s answer was to push him through the door. “No need. Rest early.”
Ruan Zhimian spread out the pajamas—a large T-shirt and casual pants.
He gestured with them in front of the mirror. “So big.”
Ruan Zhimian went to wash his face and change into the pajamas. He looked around; Shi He’s bedroom was so simple that, aside from basic living necessities, not even a single book could be seen.
The little young master stepped into the slippers, the pant legs piling up at his ankles. The collar was also large, and his fingers were easily swallowed by the sleeves, making him look even smaller and a bit cute.
A pair of clear dark eyes looked over. “Shi He.”
The Alpha was at the dining table, pouring water to drink.
“My brother is taking me to the hospital tomorrow morning. Will I disturb you when I wake up?”
“No.”
Shi He picked up an empty glass. “Do you want water?”
Ruan Zhimian shook his head and pitter-pattered back to the bedroom in his slippers.
Shi He put down the glass, his eyes intimidating a certain black snake that still wanted to follow him inside.
“Sss—”
“My wife, not yours.”
“Sss—”
The little black snake curled up. Watching Shi He unscrew a syringe to start the first injection of the early morning early, it said defiantly, “Sss—”
Shi He went to shower. Wearing a bathrobe, he walked to the study and opened the surveillance for the master bedroom.
On the large bed, Ruan Zhimian was nowhere to be seen. The camera zoomed in again, seeing the slight bulge in the quilt.
He always liked to hide himself to sleep, like a kitten.
Shi He stood up, preparing to turn off the computer.
At this moment, a very light “Shi He…” came from the speakers.
Perhaps having seen Shi He too many times, or perhaps having just heard the bits and pieces of these past years from others, Ruan Zhimian fell into a dream.
The dream was both real and illusory. In a nursing home filled with the smell of disinfectant, ten-year-old Shi He sat in a hospital room wearing patient clothes. He was very quiet, watching the people in front of him discuss his business without a word. His injured arm was fixed in front of him with a bandage, looking quite piteous.
“This kid—doesn’t see his family coming?”
“Probably no time to care. They gave quite a bit of money. Now that he’s deaf, he can’t hear anyway. The director only just got him a hearing aid a while ago.”
“Looks like a problematic one too. Doesn’t cry or make trouble; might be autism.”
Ruan Zhimian walked over. Usually good-tempered, he couldn’t help but push these people away, saying fiercely, “What nonsense are you talking? Shut up! He has a family, and he is very normal.”
The young boy looked toward Ruan Zhimian. His voice was raspy and he spoke slowly, his fingers tightly clutching a candy. “Who are you? Why are you staring at me…”
…
Shi He opened the bedroom door. Ruan Zhimian’s hand hung by the side of the bed, deep in sleep. His whole being was curled up, constantly calling his name. A faint scent of lily of the valley drifted out slowly, extremely difficult to detect.
The Alpha squatted down, picked up the fallen pillow, and pulled up the edge of the quilt with his long fingers. “Baby, having a nightmare?”
In his hazy and blurred vision, Ruan Zhimian tremblingly hugged Shi He. Like a person falling into a raging river hugging a piece of driftwood, his breathing was hurried. “I dreamed of you.”
“What did you dream?”
“You were alone as a child…”
The Alpha’s handsome and superior face approached. His cold white fingers bent slightly to wipe away that tear. His deep, gloomy eyes curved slightly, and his right hand pressed against the snowy-white, smooth nape of the neck, his fingertips stroking it. “Dreaming of me? Do you like me?”
He said, “You must like me.”
What descended again was Shi He’s kiss.
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