Chapter 22: The Little Monster Is Angry
“Mr. Qin, the new CT results are ready. I’ll take you over.”
“Go ahead. I’ll take Grandpa back upstairs.”
“…All right.”
After confirming with the doctor that Cen Miao was completely fine, Qin Zelin returned to the hospital room.
The moment he pushed open the door, the person who had been eating a bun with his head lowered immediately stiffened his neck. His greasy little mouth pursed so high that he looked determined never to speak to Qin Zelin again for the rest of his life.
Looking at Cen Miao’s puffed-out cheek, still stuffed with bun, Qin Zelin felt like laughing.
“Doesn’t your neck hurt? Put on your shoes when you’re done eating. I asked for leave on your behalf, so we’ll go home first. The tutor can come by today for a trial lesson.”
By the time he finished speaking, Cen Miao’s neck had stiffened even more, and his lips were practically pointed at the ceiling. His entire body screamed, I’m angry. You can’t coax me. I don’t want to talk to you.
Qin Zelin sighed inwardly.
“…I wasn’t the one who told them. Shao Siheng happened to run into the doctor who treated you.”
“?”
Had he wrongly blamed the human?
Cen Miao slowly turned his head back.
“Then I’ll… believe you this once.”
Qin Zelin released a breath of relief.
The little monster was still quite reasonable when he wasn’t sick.
Cen Miao finished the rest of his bun in a few bites, put on his shoes, and shifted uncomfortably, his little face scrunching up.
His butt hurt so much!!
“Let’s go.” Qin Zelin picked up the bag containing the blanket and Cen Miao’s change of clothes, then turned to leave.
“Hubby, carry me.”
Cen Miao tugged at the hem of Qin Zelin’s clothes and looked up at him with damp, glistening eyes.
Qin Zelin lowered his gaze to the hand clutching his shirt.
“…?”
Had the little monster misunderstood and assumed Qin Zelin had carried him last night because he liked him too?
“Cen Miao,” he said as calmly as possible, “I carried you last night because you were unwell and couldn’t move properly. If you’re not physically uncomfortable, I won’t carry you.”
“I’m still uncomfortable.”
Cen Miao tilted his head back and pressed closer to Qin Zelin, his voice soft and clingy.
“Mmm~ Carry me. Carry me~”
The nasal little whines slipped into Qin Zelin’s ears, instantly disrupting his breathing and sending a tingling sensation through them.
The doctor had already said the little monster was completely fine. How could he still be uncomfortable?
He simply wanted to cling to Qin Zelin and be carried.
If Qin Zexi had acted spoiled with him like this, Qin Zelin would have kicked him away long ago.
But the little monster…
Qin Zelin looked at his trembling lashes.
Sigh. He was rather pitiful. He had suffered so much last night and even developed PTSD after losing his family.
Just this once.
There would be no next time.
Qin Zelin transferred the bag to his left hand and said quietly, “Hold tightly around my neck. If you fall, I’m not responsible.”
“Mm-hmm.”
In the underground parking garage, the driver stared blankly at the two people emerging from the elevator.
His boss held a bag in one hand while the other securely supported the person in his arms.
Hadn’t they said this morning that his husband was already fine?
The bodyguard immediately opened the car door when he saw them. He stepped forward to take the bag from Qin Zelin and pulled open the rear door.
Qin Zelin bent down and had barely placed Cen Miao on the seat when he heard him hiss.
“What’s wrong? Did you hit your head?”
Cen Miao shifted around with a pained expression.
“Hubby, my butt really hurts.”
The driver: “!!!”
The bodyguard: “!!!”
Qin Zelin was about to snap, What nonsense are you saying? when he suddenly remembered that Cen Miao had gone to the bathroom seven or eight times the previous night.
After a pause, he said, “That’s what happens when you eat so much. It’ll be better tomorrow.”
The driver’s pupils shook violently.
“…”
His butt… ate… what???
And now it hurt…
His husband had already been sick last night, yet the boss was still so…
The bodyguard calmly placed the bag in the trunk, then climbed into the passenger seat with his arms and legs moving stiffly on the same side.
Forgive his filthy mind, but he genuinely had no idea what a butt could eat besides… that.
The ride home was unnervingly quiet.
The driver and bodyguard even softened their breathing, afraid that if they uttered a single word, they would lose control of their expressions.
Only Cen Miao lazily leaned against Qin Zelin’s shoulder, staring blankly out the window.
“…”
Qin Zelin remained silent.
The little monster really did want to press himself against him at every possible moment now.
When the car entered the courtyard, several gardeners were transplanting yew trees. Cen Miao’s gaze lingered briefly on the tiny red berries growing on them before he went inside with Qin Zelin.
The moment they entered, Aunt Wang and Butler Lin, who had heard the car arrive, were already waiting in the entryway.
Aunt Wang stepped forward and rubbed Cen Miao’s back, her voice full of heartache.
“Oh, my poor darling. I heard you suffered terribly last night. You mustn’t be picky anymore. You need to eat plenty of vegetables. Having five kilograms of poop sitting in your stomach for days must have been so uncomfortable.”
Butler Lin nodded repeatedly beside her.
“Exactly. You really must eat more vegetables from now on. You were in so much pain last night that you cried.”
Cen Miao stood frozen by this sudden attack for a long moment.
Then he whipped his head toward Qin Zelin, his gaze filled with tiny knives.
Big liar!!!
Catching Cen Miao’s expression from the corner of his eye, Qin Zelin suddenly felt a headache coming on.
He could roughly guess how the news had spread.
Director Wu ? Shao Siheng ? Grandpa ? Butler Lin ? Aunt Wang.
Who would believe that he hadn’t told any of them a single word?
At this point, even jumping into the Yellow River wouldn’t wash him clean.
He truly wanted to make Director Wu cry.
After they changed shoes, Qin Zelin hadn’t even had time to defend himself before Cen Miao stormed toward the sofa.
“…”
“What’s wrong with him?” Butler Lin asked in confusion.
“It’s nothing. He just… didn’t sleep well last night, so he’s in a bad mood.”
Qin Zelin took a few steps toward the sofa, but his phone rang at that moment.
Glancing at the work that had piled up, he helplessly went upstairs first to shower and change.
When he came downstairs again, Cen Miao was nowhere near the sofa.
Seeing Qin Zelin lingering beside it, Butler Lin approached with a cheerful smile.
“Young Master, your husband said the house felt stuffy, so he went outside to play.”
Qin Zelin awkwardly cleared his throat.
“…Mm. I wasn’t looking for him. Make sure he eats more vegetables at lunch. I’m going to the office.”
“Yes, Young Master. Don’t worry.”
“I’m not worried.”
Butler Lin nodded repeatedly.
“Yes, yes! You’re not worried!”
You only nearly cried when you thought your husband had a terminal illness.
Qin Zelin: “…”
When he stepped outside, he saw Cen Miao standing nearby, watching the gardeners transplant the yew trees with great interest.
The driver opened the car door. Qin Zelin’s lips curved slightly as he bent down to get inside—
Only for Cen Miao’s next action to make his eyelid twitch violently.
“Cen Miao!!!”
The driver: “? Boss?”
