Chapter 20: You’re a Bad Human…
At ten o’clock, Qin Zelin finished his online meeting, dealt with several more documents, and returned to the bedroom.
The moment he entered, he saw Cen Miao stepping out after a shower. His cheeks were flushed red from the steam, his eyes damp and glistening, and his naturally wavy hair had become even curlier and messier after getting wet.
Paired with his new brown fluffy pajamas, he looked exactly like a scruffy little curly-haired puppy.
A smile unconsciously spread through Qin Zelin’s eyes. He reached out and gave Cen Miao’s fuzzy pajamas a little rub.
“Why didn’t you dry your hair?”
Cen Miao, who thought it would dry on its own and was simply too lazy to use the hair dryer, shifted his eyes.
“You dry it for me.”
Then, imitating what he had seen in the video, he grabbed Qin Zelin’s sleeve and swung it back and forth as he spoke.
“Hubby~ Pretty please~”
Qin Zelin lowered his head and looked at the reddened corners of Cen Miao’s eyes.
“…”
The little monster liked him so much. If Qin Zelin refused, he would probably cry again like he had last night.
When Qin Zelin didn’t react, Cen Miao tilted his head.
“Hubby? I’m begging you?”
Cen Miao: “…?”
Why wasn’t it working?
Was it because he hadn’t said the third line?
“Hubby, you’re the bestest ever??”
“Ahem.” Qin Zelin abruptly turned his head away and cleared his throat. “Just this once. There won’t be a next time.”
“Wait on the sofa. I’ll get the hair dryer.”
With that, he quickly walked into the bathroom.
Cen Miao nodded. “Okay.”
Everything the video taught him really was true!!!
Once he said all three lines, Qin Zelin actually agreed!
The hair dryer hummed as Qin Zelin ran his fingers through Cen Miao’s soft, slightly curly hair. Whenever he accidentally brushed the rim of his ear or the back of his neck, Cen Miao would lightly shrink his neck like a little quail.
Once Qin Zelin realized he was ticklish, he deliberately teased him, wanting to see him scrunch up his neck again.
Cen Miao tilted his head back and frowned.
“Don’t touch my ears.”
“Then dry it yourself. If I do it, I’m going to touch them.”
Cen Miao puffed out his cheeks.
“…Then… be more careful.”
Suppressing a smile, Qin Zelin murmured, “Mm,” but his teasing fingers showed no restraint whatsoever.
After a long while, the sound of the hair dryer finally stopped.
“Thank you, Hubby.”
Without waiting for Qin Zelin to respond, Cen Miao rubbed his ears a few times, then shuffled toward the bed in his slippers and comfortably tucked himself under the covers.
Qin Zelin remained standing where he was, unconsciously rubbing his fingertips together. Then he picked up his pajamas and went into the bathroom to wash up.
Steam filled the bathroom, carrying the lingering fragrance of body wash.
Cen Miao’s discarded clothes lay in the laundry basket, and the last small white garment he had removed was sprawled openly on top.
Qin Zelin’s steps halted.
His Adam’s apple slowly bobbed, and a wave of heat suddenly surged through his lower abdomen. Cursing inwardly, he quickly grabbed a towel and covered it.
The little monster…
Could he have done that on purpose?
The shower took a very long time.
By the time Qin Zelin dried his hair and returned to bed, Cen Miao was already half asleep.
Sensing someone lie down beside him, Cen Miao instinctively moved closer to hug Qin Zelin’s arm. Yet as he approached, he wrinkled his nose and sniffed before shifting back toward his own side.
As though he had smelled something he didn’t particularly like.
Qin Zelin: “…”
He cleared his throat, rubbed his nose, and switched off the light.
A little after one in the morning, the entire world was silent.
Cen Miao curled into a ball on the bed, twisting restlessly as broken whimpers escaped from beneath the blanket.
“Ugh…”
The movement beside him woke Qin Zelin. He stretched out an arm and switched on the bedside lamp.
“Cen Miao? What’s wrong?” he asked, touching the person curled into a ball beside him.
“It hurts… Boohoo~”
Qin Zelin instantly became fully awake. He hurriedly sat up, his expression tense.
“Where does it hurt?”
“My stomach… My stomach hurts.”
Seeing sweat covering Cen Miao’s forehead from the pain, Qin Zelin quickly got out of bed and changed clothes. After telling the driver to prepare the car, he found a pair of thick socks and put them on Cen Miao.
Then he bent down, gently brushed aside the sweat-dampened strands of hair clinging to Cen Miao’s forehead, and asked softly, “Cen Miao, we need to go to the hospital. Can you get up and put on your shoes first?”
Cen Miao buried his face in the blanket.
“No… Boohoo.”
Left with no choice, Qin Zelin braced one knee against the edge of the bed, leaned forward, and gathered Cen Miao into his arms. He lifted him onto his body before standing.
His movements were gentle, but Cen Miao still burst into tears from the pain.
“Aah~~~~ Boohoo.”
Qin Zelin soothed his back with one hand as he carried him downstairs.
In the first-floor living room, Butler Lin heard the commotion and hurried out of his room with a coat draped over his shoulders.
“Oh dear, what happened to him?”
“His stomach suddenly started hurting. I’m taking him to the hospital.”
Without slowing his steps toward the door, Qin Zelin glanced at the wool blanket draped over the back of the sofa.
“Uncle Lin, please get that blanket for me.”
“Yes, yes. Right away.”
Qin Zelin stopped and lowered his head slightly, his voice deep and steady.
“Cen Miao, wrap your arms around my neck.”
Once he felt Cen Miao’s arms circle his neck, Qin Zelin removed the hand supporting his back. He firmly held Cen Miao beneath the bottom with one arm while taking the blanket from Butler Lin with the other.
Only after wrapping Cen Miao securely from head to toe did he head outside.
The driver had already opened the rear door. Qin Zelin turned sideways, shielding Cen Miao’s head as he got into the car.
“Go to the hospital. Drive faster.”
“Yes, Boss.”
Inside the car, Cen Miao curled up in Qin Zelin’s arms, his face buried against his neck as he sobbed and hiccupped.
“Aah~~~~ Make it stop hurting.”
The driver: “…?”
The boss didn’t have superpowers.
“Mm.” Qin Zelin held the person in his arms with one hand. He slipped the other beneath the blanket and gently rubbed Cen Miao’s stomach with his warm palm. “Does this feel a little better?”
The person in his arms shifted and gave a heavily nasal, “Mm.”
The driver: Hah! The superpower of love!
As a single dog, he had been too ignorant!
Once they reached the hospital parking lot, Qin Zelin quickly carried Cen Miao into the emergency department.
After the doctor ordered several examinations, Cen Miao refused to cooperate no matter what they said.
Qin Zelin was utterly overwhelmed. Treating him like a stubborn piglet, he coaxed, tricked, and pleaded until he finally managed to get him through all the required tests.
Inside the hospital room, Qin Zelin sat on the bed with his back against the wall. Cen Miao was in his arms, wailing aggrievedly after having blood drawn.
“Aah~~~~ Boohoo! You’re a bad human! Aah~~~~”
Qin Zelin’s temples tightened.
He decided to take back what he had once said about the little monster being easy to coax.
He wasn’t easy to coax at all!!!
“You’re a bad person~~~ Boohoo.”
He missed his caretaker daddy!
Qin Zelin: “…”
Hah.
When he had begged Qin Zelin to dry his hair, what had he said again?
That Qin Zelin was the bestest ever.
Besides, Qin Zelin hadn’t been the one who drew his blood.
“Aah~~~~~~~~”
Qin Zelin’s ears rang for a moment. He tilted his head back and stared at the ceiling.
“Mm. I’m a bad person.”
“Hiss—Cen Miao.” Qin Zelin’s body stiffened. “Are you a puppy? Why are you biting me?”
“Bite the bad person! I’ll eat you! Boohoo.”
“…”
The driver’s gaze wandered as his toes curled awkwardly against the floor.
Was… Was he really allowed to hear all this?
An hour later, the examination results finally came back.
A nurse knocked before entering the room.
(?o?)…
