Chapter 35: Then You Can’t Sleep with Me!
“…???”
Cen Miao stared at the takeout boxes in confusion.
That little lamb had been so big. Could it transform somehow and fit inside such a tiny container?
“I mean the cutest little lamb I chose earlier.”
“Mm,” Qin Zelin replied. “It was already a young lamb, so there wasn’t much meat. There were a lot of us, and this plate of lamb pilaf was the only dish left untouched. I had all of it packed for you.”
The moment he finished speaking, Cen Miao suddenly burst into tears with a loud wail.
Everyone froze.
No one had any idea where those tears had come from.
Qin Zelin: “…???”
“What’s wrong? If you didn’t get enough, we can come back and eat here again next time, all right?” Qin Zelin reached out to wipe away Cen Miao’s tears.
But the moment those comforting words left his mouth, Cen Miao cried even harder.
His tears fell like a broken string of pearls.
Everyone gathered around him helplessly, exchanging bewildered looks. None of them knew how to comfort him.
Qin Zelin was equally confused by the sudden situation. Since it was bitterly cold outside, he could only signal the driver to bring a blanket from the car and wrap Cen Miao in it first.
A thought suddenly flashed through Yu Wei’s mind.
She asked quietly, “Brother Qin, could Little Brother have thought that when we went to choose the lamb earlier, you were letting him pick a pet?”
Everyone’s gaze immediately swung toward Qin Zelin.
Suddenly, it all made perfect sense.
Qin Zelin: “…”
He truly hadn’t told Cen Miao that the lamb they chose had been taken into the kitchen…
And turned into their dinner.
No wonder the little monster had kept asking during the meal when they were taking the lamb home.
Qin Zelin had assumed he hadn’t eaten enough and wanted to pack up the leftovers…
He exchanged a glance with Meng Yu and the others.
They instantly understood and quietly slipped back into the courtyard.
Inside, Meng Yu lowered his voice.
“I can’t believe he actually convinced us to get him a lamb. That’s true love.”
Before long, they emerged from the courtyard again, leading a small lamb.
“Little Brother, hurry and look. Is this the lamb you wanted?”
“He’s asking you.” Qin Zelin gently patted the person in his arms.
Cen Miao poked his head out from Qin Zelin’s embrace and glanced at the lamb.
Then he cried even harder.
“Aah~~~~~~~”
“Mine had…” He pointed at the lamb’s mouth between sobs. “A black spot here.”
Qin Zelin fell silent.
“…”
“A black spot?” Meng Yu raised his voice. “Of course there was one! The lamb beside this one had a black spot. I brought the wrong one!”
“Wait here, Little Brother! I’ll switch them right now!”
As he spoke, Meng Yu turned and headed back into the courtyard.
Qin Zexi and Xu Xiao followed behind him, both thoroughly confused.
Xu Xiao moved closer to Meng Yu and whispered, “Meng the Third, in that short amount of time, you actually saw which lamb had a black spot on its mouth?”
“Saw my ass,” Meng Yu replied rapidly without slowing down. “I’m going to ask the owner for a marker. If he wants a black spot, we’ll draw one on.”
“Huh?” Qin Zexi froze. “Then what happens when the black spot rubs off later?”
Meng Yu rolled his eyes.
“It disappeared as the lamb grew. Do you even need to ask?”
A few minutes later, the three men came back out with the lamb.
“Here you go, Little Brother. Your little black-spotted lamb is here~”
Meng Yu led it over to Cen Miao.
Cen Miao lowered his head and inspected it.
Then he lovingly stepped forward, scooped the lamb into his arms, and said between sniffles, “It’s mine. Thank you, Big Brother.”
That single “Big Brother” made Meng Yu completely obedient.
He waved his hand.
“No need to thank me. We’re all family.”
Then Qin Zelin’s dark gaze swept toward him.
Meng Yu hurriedly corrected himself.
“No, I mean… we’re all brothers.”
“?”
Why was his face still so dark?
“All… brothers?”
“Hubby, can I raise the little lamb? I’ll work hard to earn money and buy food for it,” Cen Miao promised grandly.
Qin Zelin withdrew his gaze.
“…Mm.”
He looked at Cen Miao, whose lashes were still wet with tears, and released a long breath.
Without much hesitation, he accepted the fact that a sheep would now be living in his courtyard.
Compared to the little monster’s tearful attacks, building a shelter for a lamb suddenly seemed incredibly simple.
So when Cen Miao insisted on holding the lamb in the back seat, Qin Zelin didn’t resist either.
He was only worried it might relieve itself in the car, so he made Cen Miao wrap it in the blanket.
Qin Zexi climbed dazedly into Shao Siheng’s car.
“Did you see that? My brother actually let a sheep sit beside him.”
Shao Siheng wanted to say:
Was that merely a sheep?
That was love~
“Bro, I’m emotionally wounded. I’m sleeping at your place tonight!” Qin Zexi sprawled against the seat.
Shao Siheng’s Adam’s apple shifted.
“No.”
“Why?”
Shao Siheng: “…”
Why else?
Because he was afraid he’d stay hard for him all night.
“I have an early shift tomorrow. I’ll wake you up, and I won’t have time to make you breakfast.”
“Oh, just leave when you need to. I’m not going to starve to death.” Qin Zexi pulled a bag of candy from the center console and popped one into his mouth. “Besides, otherwise you’ll have to drive me home before going back to your place. What a hassle.”
Shao Siheng replied helplessly, “…Fine.”
“This candy is pretty good. Buy more.”
“Mm.”
On the way home, Qin Zelin turned and met the lamb’s gaze.
After staring at its mouth for a moment, he nearly coughed.
Perhaps the heater inside the car was too warm, or perhaps the lamb had licked it.
Either way, the black spot…
Had smudged.
This kind of ridiculous idea definitely hadn’t come from Qin Zexi or Xu Xiao.
Only Meng Yu could have thought of it.
[Qin Zelin] The marker has already started smudging, but thanks anyway.
[The Capital’s Most Handsome Man] You’re welcome~ Big Brotherrr~
[Qin Zelin] …
When they arrived home, Qin Zelin looked at Cen Miao, who was still clutching the lamb after getting out of the car.
“Leave it outside. I’ll have someone build it a shelter tomorrow.”
The moment Cen Miao heard that, he hugged the lamb even tighter, pressing his face against its curly wool.
His voice was muffled but unusually determined.
“I want to sleep while holding the little lamb.”
Qin Zelin felt his head buzz as his blood pressure shot straight upward.
His tone turned stern and left no room for refusal.
“No. It can only be kept in the courtyard.”
Cen Miao tilted his head and looked at him, his clear eyes filled with confusion and stubbornness.
Back in his old world, whenever he raised Maomao, he had always slept while hugging Maomao.
“I want to sleep while holding the little lamb,” Cen Miao repeated stubbornly.
A vein throbbed at Qin Zelin’s temple, and his voice dropped.
“If you’re going to hold it, then you can’t sleep with me.”
The moment those words fell, silence descended between them.
Qin Zelin stared closely at Cen Miao.
He watched him lovingly stroke the lamb for a long while, then secretly glance up at Qin Zelin, his little face full of conflict.
The nameless fire in Qin Zelin’s chest flared violently.
The little monster was actually hesitating between him and that filthy sheep????
What right did that sheep have to be compared with him???
