Chapter 3: Big Brother???
Qin Zelin turned back. Following the hand tugging at the hem of his clothes, he looked up at Cen Miao and asked in a low voice, “What is it now?”
Cen Miao lowered his eyes, looking rather aggrieved.
Hadn’t those two big sisters just said that once they were married, this human would always stay by his side and give him food?
Why was he leaving Cen Miao behind and getting into the car alone now?
Could it be… that he regretted it and no longer wanted to take care of him?
Was it because Cen Miao had eaten his steak earlier, making him think he ate too much and was too expensive to feed?
“Why are you… leaving by yourself?”
There was a hint of petulance in his soft voice. Qin Zelin’s ears grew warm at the sound, and his brows unconsciously furrowed.
He had seemed rather dull when they first met. How had he turned out to be… so fond of acting cute?
Looking into Cen Miao’s misty eyes, clouded with grievance, Qin Zelin let out a long sigh.
Just as he had expected, marriage was troublesome—even a contractual one.
Forget it. Old Master Cen had passed away, and Cen Miao had been driven out by the Cen family. With no one left to care for him, it was only natural that he would instinctively want to rely on Qin Zelin.
He was rather pitiful. Qin Zelin could slowly teach him otherwise in the future.
“You want me to go with you to pack your things?” Qin Zelin asked helplessly.
Cen Miao nodded and softly murmured, “Mm,” his voice still slightly nasal.
Qin Zelin: “…”
“Get in.”
“President Qin, are we going back to your home or the company?” the driver asked.
“Tell the driver your address.” Qin Zelin turned to look at Cen Miao.
Cen Miao thought for a moment before quietly saying, “Manfu Residential Complex.”
After a brief pause, he politely added in a soft voice, “Thank you, Big Brother.”
Qin Zelin’s hand paused just as he was about to check his emails. He raised his eyes toward the two of them, his brows drawing together.
Sensing his gaze, the driver instantly felt a chill run down his spine.
“!!!”
You can’t call me that!
“Haha, you can just call me Little Liu.”
Cen Miao nodded obediently. “Okay. Thank you… Big Brother Little Liu.”
Qin Zelin: “…”
Little Liu glanced sideways at the bodyguard in the passenger seat.
“…”
Help!
The bodyguard turned to stare out the window.
…The number you have dialed is currently out of service.
On the way, Cen Miao tugged lightly at the hem of Qin Zelin’s clothes and cautiously said, “Next time, I won’t eat your portion of food. I only ate it today because… you said I could.”
“I can eat… a little less. I won’t make you spend too much money on food.”
Qin Zelin: “…”
The bodyguard: “…?”
Little Liu: “???”
Even if you bought an island for no reason, you still wouldn’t be able to spend all the boss’s money!
Qin Zelin’s gaze fell on the hand clutching his clothes. Cen Miao’s wrist was slender and pale, and faint blue veins could be seen beneath his skin.
He was so thin. Had he not eaten a proper meal since Old Master Cen passed away?
“You don’t need to eat less,” Qin Zelin said calmly. “You can eat as much as you want.”
Cen Miao’s eyes instantly lit up, widening into perfect circles. “Really? Do you have… lots of money to buy food?”
Little Liu: He does! He has tons! An absurd amount!
Qin Zelin fell silent for a moment before quietly replying, “…Yes.”
Cen Miao was overjoyed.
His new caretaker was just as kind as his caretaker daddy in the apocalypse!
More than twenty minutes later, the car stopped in front of an old, weathered apartment building.
After replying to a message from his assistant, Qin Zelin turned his head and found Cen Miao staring at him expectantly.
“…”
They silently looked at each other for two seconds before Qin Zelin’s expression turned helpless.
“I have to go with you while you pack too?”
Cen Miao nodded vigorously.
Qin Zelin: “Let’s go.”
“The two of us can go. Little Wang, you don’t need to follow,” he coldly told the bodyguard, who was about to get out of the passenger seat.
“Yes, President Qin.”
Qin Zelin followed Cen Miao into a small semi-basement room. The furnishings were simple, but the place had been kept neat and clean.
Cen Miao stood blankly in the room, staring at Qin Zelin with a confused expression, as though this weren’t his own home.
Qin Zelin sighed and looked around.
“Where’s your suitcase?”
It took Cen Miao a moment to react. He pushed a suitcase out from the corner, stuffed all the clothes from the wardrobe inside, then went to pick up the slippers on the floor.
“Don’t take the slippers,” Qin Zelin’s voice came from above him. “They’re already old.”
Cen Miao pouted. His gaze lingered on the fluffy slippers for a moment before he raised his head and muttered quietly to Qin Zelin, “They’re cute. I want them.”
Qin Zelin: “…”
“I’ll take you to buy new ones later.” Seeing that Cen Miao was still holding on to the slippers, Qin Zelin paused before stiffly adding, “Ones just as… cute as those.”
Once Cen Miao finally put the slippers down, he tried to pick up the easel beside him.
Qin Zelin hurriedly said, “I’ll have someone set up an art studio for you at home tomorrow. You don’t need to bring that.”
After they finished packing, Qin Zelin carried the suitcase up the stairs. He looked back at Cen Miao, whose every movement seemed to lag by several seconds.
“Have you already told the landlord you’re moving out… Forget it. Give me your phone later. I’ll have my assistant handle it.”
After a long pause, Cen Miao finally reacted and said, “Oh.”
Qin Zelin: “…”
As soon as they left the building, Cen Miao spotted a small blue electric scooter parked in the corner. Remembering that it also belonged to the original owner of the body, he tugged at Qin Zelin’s sleeve and pointed at it.
“There’s also this.”
“You’ll have a driver to take you wherever you need to go from now on.”
Cen Miao looked at the little electric scooter covered in cartoon stickers, then at the black Maybach parked by the roadside with its sharp, severe lines.
He made his choice without the slightest hesitation.
“But my car is cuter. Your car is ugly.”
“………………..?”
His car was ugly???
Qin Zelin handed the suitcase to the bodyguard and raised a hand to rub his temples. He did not argue.
“I’ll have someone transport it home later.”
Once the bodyguard had stored the luggage and returned to the car, Qin Zelin quietly instructed the driver, “Go home first. Stop at a supermarket along the way.”
“Yes, President Qin.”
Inside the supermarket, Cen Miao stood in the slipper aisle, staring at a pair of black-and-white puppy-patterned cotton slippers for a long time.
They looked exactly like his Maomao! (???????)?
“Just take whichever pair you want. We already have the other daily necessities at home,” Qin Zelin said from behind him.
“Oh.”
Cen Miao scooped the slippers into his arms and followed behind Qin Zelin like a little tail.
Just as they were nearing the checkout, Qin Zelin suddenly felt that it had become far too quiet behind him.
When he turned around, Cen Miao was gone.
After circling around a few times, he finally found him standing in front of a shelf full of beef jerky, staring straight at it like a puppy that had spotted a bone.
“…………….”
“Why didn’t you tell me you were stopping?” Qin Zelin asked coldly with a frown.
Cen Miao turned around. Seeing Qin Zelin’s stern expression, he grew a little frightened. He lowered his head and nervously picked at his fingers, while the stray tuft of hair on top of his head drooped as well.
(?•?·?•??)
“I-I’m sorry.”
Qin Zelin pressed his thin lips together. Looking at Cen Miao’s aggrieved little expression, he felt an indescribable sensation pass through his heart.
After clearing his throat, his voice unconsciously softened.
“You want some?”
“Mm.”
“Take it.”
Cen Miao picked up a bag of beef jerky. Then he remembered that every resource in this world had to be bought with money.
After hesitating, he put it back and looked up timidly.
“Is it expensive? If it is, then… I won’t buy it.”
He was easy to take care of.
He was very well-behaved.
Qin Zelin lowered his gaze and met Cen Miao’s large, round, innocent eyes. He looked exactly like the pitiful puppy printed on the slippers in his arms.
“It’s not expensive.”
With that, Qin Zelin reached out and took down the bag Cen Miao had just returned. Then, while he was at it, he swept every bag of the same beef jerky off the shelf.
“Let’s go.”
“Mm!”
Delighted, Cen Miao hugged the puppy slippers and happily trotted after Qin Zelin toward the checkout.
—
In the villa’s entryway, Qin Zelin handed Cen Miao the slippers they had just bought.
“Put them on.”
“Oh.”
The Butler, Uncle Lin, watched the two of them interact, his face creasing into a broad smile.
Did this mean… it had worked out?
Suppressing his excitement, Uncle Lin hurriedly turned around, pulled out his phone, and began reporting the news.
