Chapter 12: His Boss Has a Little Cutie Now
Cen Miao had never dared speak to him like that before. The slightest smile from Cen Ning used to make him absurdly happy.
He was always pretending to be sensible and obedient, hoping their parents—and Cen Ning himself—would accept him and let him become part of the Cen family.
Hmph. It didn’t matter. Without Grandpa protecting him, Cen Miao had already been thrown out. Brother Jianian’s family would never accept an unwanted bastard like him anyway.
Cen Ning got into the car, tightened his grip on the steering wheel, and stepped hard on the accelerator.
At almost the same time, Qin Zelin stepped out of a black Bentley, reading the day’s schedule and routine reports his secretary had sent to his phone.
After taking the elevator up and entering his office, there was an immediate knock at the door.
“Come in.”
Fang Huan entered and placed the documents requiring signatures on the left side of the desk. Seeing Qin Zelin remove his coat, he took it and hung it on the rack for him.
“Boss, regarding what you asked me to investigate yesterday, I haven’t found any rumors about the company being poorly managed or on the verge of bankruptcy. However, I’ve already spoken to the PR department and asked them to keep a close eye on it.”
“Mm. Understood.”
Qin Zelin nodded slightly. Then, staring at the coat hanging by the door, he unconsciously rubbed his fingers together, remembering the thin, cheaply made jacket he had touched yesterday.
Fang Huan: “?”
What did that mean?
Did he want new clothes?
Had he suddenly started caring about fashion?
Following Qin Zelin’s gaze toward the coat, Fang Huan said, “Several brands you often wear have released new collections recently. Shall I bring over the catalogs they sent later?”
“No need. You can choose for me.”
After speaking, Qin Zelin looked at Fang Huan as though he had something else to say.
Fang Huan: “…?”
Seriously, he never made things easy. Always making me guess.
I’m Fang Huan, not Detective Conan!
Recalling that all this strange behavior had begun after his boss got married, Fang Huan tentatively asked, “Should I have some clothes sent over for Young Master Cen as well?”
A flicker of surprise crossed Qin Zelin’s face before he nodded. A trace of approval flashed in his eyes, though his tone remained unchanged.
“Mm. Send some for him too.”
Fang Huan: “…”
He wasn’t Fang Huan.
He really was Detective Conan!
“…Of course, Boss.”
The office fell silent.
Fang Huan, who had no idea why his boss still hadn’t told him to leave: “…”
Ancestor! I’ve worked with you for years! We even went to the same university! What could possibly be so difficult to say?
“Ahem.” Qin Zelin lowered his head and opened a document. “Choose styles suitable for someone around twenty. Something… a little cute.”
Fang Huan suppressed his surprise.
“…Understood, Boss.”
“Send over some loungewear too. Light colors.” Qin Zelin picked up his pen and began signing the papers, then added, “Preferably something with a soft, fluffy texture.”
“As soon as possible.”
“…Yes. Understood.”
“Mm. You may go. Come notify me before the meeting.”
Finally hearing the words you may go, Fang Huan nodded briskly, gathered the signed documents, and left the office.
Outside the door, Fang Huan sighed.
That prenuptial agreement…
It had probably been a complete waste of paper.
It was only the third day of marriage, and his boss already thought the other man was cute~
He was even rushing to send him clothes.
At Capital University—
On the way to the teaching building, Xu Jianian finished discussing the part-time work schedule with Cen Miao, then turned to look at the person beside him.
Cen Miao seemed much more cheerful and lively all of a sudden.
He no longer had the hollow look in his eyes from the days immediately following Old Master Cen’s death.
And when faced with Cen Ning, he no longer swallowed every grievance in silence.
“By the way, Miaomiao, I heard from Chengcheng that you were looking for a place to live. Did you move out of the Cen family home?”
Cen Miao: “…Mm.”
Being thrown out… probably counted as moving out, right?
Xu Jianian had heard about Cen Miao’s background from the adults in his family. Remembering how restrained and out of place Cen Miao had seemed whenever Xu Jianian visited the Cen residence, he thought moving out might not be such a bad thing.
“Moving out is probably for the best. I have an apartment near campus that I rarely use. If you need somewhere, you can—”
“Miaomiao, baby! Senior Xu!”
Chengcheng’s voice sounded from behind them.
They turned at the same time. Cen Miao’s eyes lit up, and his dimples appeared with his smile.
“Chengcheng!”
“Hey, baby, don’t look at me like that! You’re too pretty—I can’t handle it!”
Seeing Cen Miao smiling so brightly, Chengcheng became momentarily dazed and couldn’t resist reaching out to pinch his cheek.
Cen Miao’s pink lips were forced into a pout.
“Mmph… I’m not pretty.”
“Hm? If you’re not pretty, then who is?”
Chengcheng had originally wanted to tease him by asking whether he thought his husband was the most handsome. But with Xu Jianian present, he remembered Cen Miao’s habit of keeping personal matters private and swallowed the joke.
Cen Miao would tell people himself when he was ready to make it public.
Cen Miao frowned as he thought about what he had looked like before.
Everyone used to say he was the best-looking little zombie in the entire base.
“You have to have gray eyes and sharp teeth to be pretty!”
Chengcheng: “…………?”
Were Miaomiao’s tastes really that wild?
Did he like the wolfish type with gray contacts and sharp canine teeth?
“Mm… I suppose that kind is attractive too. Just a different kind of attractive from Miaomiao.”
“Right, Senior Xu?”
Xu Jianian’s expression paused slightly. He looked at Cen Miao, then smiled and nodded.
“Mm. Attractive.”
They parted ways with Xu Jianian at the stairwell. It wasn’t until Cen Miao reached the classroom and the exam paper was handed out that he finally understood what Xu Jianian had meant by an exam.
He scratched his head and stared at the questions.
They all seemed vaguely familiar, yet he wasn’t truly acquainted with any of them. It was like trying to scratch an itch through a padded coat.
Sigh…
Cen Miao stared at the densely printed exam paper and let out a long breath.
He didn’t want to be human anymore…
Being human was exhausting.
Why did humans have to learn all this stuff?!
By the time both exams ended, it was already noon.
“Baby, how did you do? Let’s eat first. We still have major courses this afternoon.”
“I didn’t know any of it.”
The moment Cen Miao heard the word eat, he hurriedly stood up and swallowed back his drool.
“Then let’s go eat quickly! I’m so hungry!”
Actually, being human… wasn’t that bad.
Chengcheng assumed Cen Miao was merely being modest and pulled him toward the cafeteria.
Back in the classroom, several people gathered around Cen Ning.
“Cen Ning.” Xu Xinyu waved a hand in front of his face. “Stop looking. I sat beside him. He practically handed in a blank paper. There’s no way he’ll score higher than you.”
“A blank paper? Are you sure?” Cen Ning asked in disbelief.
Weren’t his grades the only thing Cen Miao had going for him?
Ever since childhood, what Cen Ning hated most was hearing Grandpa tell him to learn from his older brother, as well as hearing relatives praise Cen Miao at family gatherings.
Even their parents, who hardly had any affection for Cen Miao, would smile and respond modestly on those occasions.
After Grandpa died, it was also because of Cen Miao’s good grades that their parents had merely taken back the money Grandpa left him instead of immediately throwing him out.
Had he simply given up on himself after being driven away?
“Of course I’m sure. I saw it with my own eyes—he barely wrote anything,” Xu Xinyu said confidently. “Ask Zhao Qi if you don’t believe me.”
“I saw it too. I was planning to sneak a look at his answers, but the whole paper was empty. It was even worse than mine. Young Master Cen, you can relax.”
The corner of Cen Ning’s lips curved upward.
“Whatever. I’m in a good mood today. I’ll treat you all to that new Fuxi restaurant.”
“Then we’re definitely eating our fill. I heard their meat is limited every day and flown in from overseas that same morning.”
Cen Ning twirled his car keys, a trace of contempt flashing through his eyes.
“Mm. Order whatever you want.”
In the cafeteria, Chengcheng stared at Cen Miao’s lunch in stunned silence, looking as though he had no idea what to say.
