Jing Mian thought,
Of course… it is inappropriate!
But there were no other more suitable titles, and perhaps even if he thought of one, he wouldn’t be able to say it out loud.
Jing Mian found himself at a loss for words.
At the same time, he hadn’t anticipated that the conversation would take such an unexpected turn.
The luggage boxes were stacked to the side, facing Mr. Ren, who did not shy away from his gaze, seemingly waiting for his response.
His mind raced, and after a moment of hesitation, Jing Mian tentatively asked,
“Should I call you ‘hubby’?”
Ren Xingwan: “…”
Mr. Ren fell into an unusual silence.
When he said this, Jing Mian’s expression was not mischievous or coy; rather, he was earnestly and obediently discussing the matter with Mr. Ren.
After a brief silence, the other man cleared his throat.
Unintentionally, his deep voice carried a barely perceptible huskiness: “… What?”
Jing Mian couldn’t tell if it was his imagination, but he sensed a shift in the atmosphere.
The temperature, which had been difficult to lower, seemed to rise once more, quietly and imperceptibly.
Jing Mian swallowed hard, realizing he might have said something he shouldn’t have. He suppressed his racing heart and awkwardly changed the subject, asking,
“Then, in front of others, can I call you Mr. Ren?”
Ren Xingwan pressed his lips together, his gaze pausing for a moment: “You can.”
Then he added, “But not ‘you’.”
“…”
Jing Mian felt a bit embarrassed.
Faced with a man who was clearly older than him, Jing Mian instinctively wanted to use formal language, and being corrected caught him off guard.
But he nodded anyway: “Okay.”
Mr. Ren’s expression seemed to soften a little.
Or perhaps it was just Jing Mian’s imagination, but soon, the man’s gaze shifted away as he turned the key in the lock.
—The door opened.
The man stepped aside slightly, allowing Jing Mian to peek inside, like a curious and cautious fawn exploring a new habitat.
Jing Mian stepped into the foyer, and Mr. Ren’s home was quiet.
The atmosphere lacked the warmth of home, revealing the essence of a solitary life.
He looked down to change his shoes.
Just as he had taken one off, Jing Mian suddenly realized.
He had moved out of his dorm in a hurry; although most of his belongings were packed in boxes, a few essential items had been left behind.
Like slippers.
Like a charger.
Like a change of pajamas.
…
Should he go back for them?
As he hesitated, Jing Mian felt the man beside him lean down.
Ren Xingwan picked up a pair of soft, lighter-colored slippers from the side of the foyer, next to a pair that was clearly too large.
In a voice that was steady, he said softly, “These are yours.”
Jing Mian was taken aback.
Surprised, he accepted the brand-new slippers, unable to help but wonder if Ren Xingwan had prepared them in advance, placing them in the foyer before he arrived?
…
Jing Mian pursed his lips slightly.
Mr. Ren seemed to be more thoughtful about this marriage contract than he had imagined.
The young man put on the slippers and stepped onto the smooth floor of the foyer, his feet and socks enveloped in the soft fabric, fitting perfectly.
At that moment, he could finally see the layout of the villa.
The first thing that caught his eye was the spacious living room not far away, with a sofa, a large-screen TV that blended with the light gray walls, a dining table, a kitchen deeper inside, and a straight staircase leading to the second floor on the right.
The decor style matched Mr. Ren’s aura—cold, minimalist, and impeccably clean.
Only the warm-colored furniture added a touch of coziness.
Jing Mian, holding the box, didn’t immediately explore the villa but turned to the man and asked, “Where should I put this?”
Ren Xingwan lifted two other boxes with one hand and said, “The first guest room on the left at the top of the stairs; the master bedroom is next door.”
Jing Mian nodded, indicating he understood.
So, he carried the box upstairs.
Ren Xingwan followed behind him.
Then, he saw Jing Mian reach the second floor and stop at the first room on the left.
Without pausing, the young man walked straight in.
Ren Xingwan: “…”
Jing Mian set down the box and glanced around the guest room, noticing the neatness of the bed. Besides the bathroom, there was a walk-in closet, and the soft curtains were warm in color.
The floor-to-ceiling window perfectly framed the open Springwood Scenic Area, which he had heard was a proud feature of this upscale community.
Jing Mian’s eyes widened in surprise, feeling a sense of awe.
At the same time, he realized that this pleasant and comfortable residence closely resembled his long-held vision of what ‘home’ should be.
This was the place where he would live for a long time in the future.
Jing Mian felt an indescribable sensation.
Just as he was about to open the box and put his clothes away, he turned around.
—And saw Mr. Ren standing there, slightly silent and unmoving.
Jing Mian: “?”
Aren’t you going to move in?
Worried that Mr. Ren might be too tired, he walked over to the man, ready to take the box from him.
However, Mr. Ren remained still, only pausing for a moment before quietly saying, “Why are you unloading here?”
Jing Mian was taken aback.
In an instant, he understood.
Was this question asking… why he didn’t choose to unload in the master bedroom?
Jing Mian asked, “Do you live in the master bedroom?”
Ren Xingwan corrected him: “You.”
Jing Mian awkwardly replied, “… you.”
Ren Xingwan hummed in acknowledgment.
Jing Mian felt his ears grow warm.
What Mr. Ren meant, put more bluntly, was—why was he going to the other room instead of living with him?
Even in this indirect and brief language, even the slightest expression or micro-expression from Mr. Ren became strangely straightforward.
As Jing Mian struggled to respond, he found himself having a different thought.
For instance, they hadn’t held the wedding yet.
Initially, Jing Mian thought that their contractual marriage wouldn’t require a ceremony, but Manager Yang had informed him about the upcoming wedding.
So, if a family union was a grand and complete process, then in Jing Mian’s subconscious, the wedding seemed to be the final step.
A step that felt somewhat indispensable.
Even though they had completely scrambled the order, first obtaining the marriage certificate and then cohabiting…
But with the last step not completed, Jing Mian felt that they hadn’t reached the stage of sharing a bed, even though they were a contractual couple.
Most importantly, deep down, Jing Mian felt that…
Mr. Ren probably wouldn’t be accustomed to having another person in bed.
Thus, Jing Mian very consciously carried his luggage into the guest room.
After all, it was a guest room and more fitting for his current identity.
But it seemed to have backfired, leading Mr. Ren to misunderstand that he… was being rejected?
Jing Mian felt a bit embarrassed.
That was certainly not his intention.
The young man paused, hesitated, and softly said, “If you’re not in a hurry, I’d like to… move into the master bedroom after the wedding.”
Jing Mian looked up, meeting Mr. Ren’s gaze: “Can you accept that?”
Not in a hurry?
Ren Xingwan seemed to fall silent for a moment.
The man said, “You?”
Jing Mian: “…… you.”
The young man’s throat moved slightly.
He had corrected himself twice.
He thought that at least for today, he would absolutely not make that mistake again.
After a while, just when Jing Mian thought the man wouldn’t respond, Mr. Ren’s deep voice reached his ears: “Okay.”
However, that night, Jing Mian did not successfully move into the guest room.
The man took the three slightly heavy boxes into the master bedroom, including the one Jing Mian was holding.
The situation had inexplicably turned into—Jing Mian living in Mr. Ren’s bedroom, while the man moved to the guest room.
The young man wondered if this situation would last until the wedding.
Late at night.
Jing Mian couldn’t help but turn over.
No matter what, he couldn’t fall asleep.
It wasn’t that he wasn’t used to the bed.
Perhaps it hadn’t been so obvious before, but now, lying on Mr. Ren’s mattress, covered with his blanket, resting on his pillow, even the air was filled with Mr. Ren’s familiar scent.
The same scent as his brother.
His thoughts were a bit chaotic, and Jing Mian felt a dryness in his throat, unable to help but recall the kiss from earlier that day.
If he were to analyze it, it was merely a simple birthday gift, or perhaps a duty to fulfill within the family marriage contract, or maybe it was just a moment of unrestrained emotion that couldn’t be suppressed.
In any case, it had happened, but it wouldn’t be given any significance.
There was really no need to dwell on it.
Tomorrow, there would be a make-up exam for the entire school, and only the students who had unfortunately failed last semester would be busy. Moreover, it was the weekend, so Jing Mian didn’t have to rush back to school.
Me. had sent a message in the club group, asking the members to come to the club tomorrow morning to meet with several producers and developers from the Radiance Game company.
So he had to wake up early tomorrow.
He absolutely couldn’t stay up late and end up with dark circles under his eyes.
After all, he was still wearing a hat and a mask, mostly revealing only his eyes, which would be very noticeable.
Having mentally prepared himself, the young man sighed softly, silently turning over and directing his gaze toward the ceiling.
Jing Mian closed his eyes, trying to keep the moonlight and faint glow at bay, and drift back to sleep.
……
……
Was being kissed by Mr. Ren making him feel weak all over? Was that okay?
Jing Mian successfully experienced insomnia.
The next morning.
Jing Mian woke up quickly.
He rolled out of bed and went to the bathroom mirror to check, and yes, no dark circles.
Jing Mian secretly breathed a sigh of relief and began to wash up.
Yesterday, he had specifically brought his toothbrush and cup, and when he placed them on the sink, he noticed that Mr. Ren’s toothbrush hadn’t been taken away.
Perhaps there were spare ones in the guest room?
After rinsing his mouth, the young man extended his fingertip, pausing in mid-air.
Jing Mian thought for a moment.
Then, he placed his toothbrush cup next to Mr. Ren’s.
At the same time, he stood his toothbrush inside, noticing that Mr. Ren’s toothbrush was angled to the right. Jing Mian hesitated, then adjusted his toothbrush to face left.
The arrangement was symmetrical and harmonious.
Jing Mian’s obsessive-compulsive tendencies were satisfied.
So this is what living together feels like, with things in pairs.
Wearing slippers, the hem of his shirt slightly rolled up from sleeping, he tidied himself up and walked down the stairs, catching a faint whiff of something resembling breakfast.
It seemed to be coming from the dining table he had seen when he entered last night, positioned near the kitchen.
As he got closer, his taste buds were tantalized, stirring his appetite.
Jing Mian stopped in his tracks, only to discover that Mr. Ren was already up.
And the enticing aroma was not an illusion; Jing Mian’s eyes widened slightly as he saw a variety of breakfast items laid out on the table: crab meat soup dumplings, pork and corn congee, shrimp dumplings… pan-seared cod paired with refreshing greens, all steaming hot.
Jing Mian was quite surprised.
After all, during his time at school, waking up early was difficult, and the cafeteria was always crowded. A breakfast this lavish reminded him of the last time he had a serious meal on his birthday.
For instance, he had earnestly eaten a bowl of longevity noodles.
Jing Mian asked in astonishment, “Did you make all of this?”
He hadn’t forgotten yesterday, so this time he reminded himself internally not to mistakenly call him “you.”
Ren Xingwan replied, “I bought it from outside.”
Jing Mian: “…”
Alright, he had overthought it.
But it still didn’t affect Jing Mian’s appetite; he sat down at the table, picked two of his favorite items and placed them on his plate. To avoid affecting Mr. Ren’s appetite, he only took one of each and ate quietly.
“Are you going out later?”
Jing Mian suddenly heard Mr. Ren ask him.
Jing Mian nodded: “There are no classes at school, but I joined a club, and there’s an arrangement today.”
Although Jing Mian mentioned the club, he deliberately skipped over the part about the Radiance Game.
After all, during their first meeting, a fan had recognized him, and Mr. Ren was right there, so he probably had a rough idea. However, he hadn’t pursued the matter later.
So Jing Mian wasn’t sure how Mr. Ren felt about the game.
Or perhaps, like his father said, Mr. Ren would think of him as a college student addicted to gaming and neglecting his studies. Jing Mian planned to keep quiet to avoid unnecessary trouble.
Unexpectedly, Mr. Ren didn’t ask further.
Instead, he said, “I’ll give you a ride.”
Jing Mian was taken aback.
He asked, “Isn’t that inconvenient? You… you’re busy, right?”
“Very busy,” Ren Xingwan said, “but it’s convenient.”
Jing Mian swallowed hard and said, “Okay.”
He silently picked up a shrimp dumpling.
But he found that somehow, the breakfast he had unconsciously taken a bit more of had been subtly pushed toward him.
Jing Mian took a bite, the soft and hot texture spreading from his lips and teeth, the aroma wafting up.
Mr. Ren probably had other plans today, as he wore formal attire when driving him, not using a chauffeur. His long fingers gripped the steering wheel, making him look even more handsome and upright.
Jing Mian sat in the passenger seat.
It was still the same car as yesterday, but the snow had stopped today. The first snow hadn’t accumulated on the ground, but the temperature had dropped a degree, and stepping out in the morning made the cold seep into his sleeves and skin.
Jing Mian placed his hands on his knees, his backpack resting in the back seat, and from the driver’s perspective, he sat very properly.
Mr. Ren was in the driver’s seat, and the atmosphere was quiet and still.
Neither of them were particularly talkative.
Jing Mian noticed that the more he got to know Mr. Ren, the more he had a grasp of the man’s personality.
In stark contrast to his distant childhood memories, the gentle and handsome brother who used to comfort him had become powerful and aloof as an adult, even bordering on taciturn.
The initial stark contrast had made Jing Mian fail to recognize Mr. Ren, but as they gradually interacted, he had become accustomed to this atmosphere.
Even when they were in the same car, not speaking and lost in thought didn’t feel awkward.
Jing Mian gazed out at the passing scenery, but his mind was still active.
He thought about how a man with Mr. Ren’s personality would prepare such a proposal for him by the sea.
It was surprising to think about.
Perhaps many things had changed, time had passed, and people had changed, but some details… seemed to remain the same.
Jing Mian hadn’t told Mr. Ren the address of the club, and the man hadn’t asked. Jing Mian thought that perhaps the last time Mr. Ren picked him up from the club, he had inadvertently sent him the address of the barbecue restaurant while he was still groggy.
And the club was right across from the barbecue restaurant.
In a drunken state, he had contacted the man, and on the way to the beach, he had been so tipsy that he had even asked him to help him with the hangover medicine.
Jing Mian lowered his gaze.
He felt so embarrassed.
The young man couldn’t help but wonder if Ren Xingwan ever got drunk.
What would Mr. Ren be like when he was drunk?
Jing Mian imagined it but found he had no idea.
In his impression, even if Mr. Ren were to get drunk, he wouldn’t lose his composure, still cold and meticulous; perhaps no one would even notice.
Lost in thought, suddenly, Jing Mian’s phone rang.
He picked it up and saw that there was a new message in the club group.