Yingqu Liuzi was pampered by her wealthy daddy.

He said it several times, his voice muffled and indistinct, as if he were talking in his sleep.

Then there was silence; her mouth was gagged.

The corridor outside was quiet.

The housekeeper and servants had all gone to bed, and only this bedroom in the entire mansion had a dim light still on.

The curtains weren't fully drawn, and a thin sliver of moonlight peeked in through the gap.

The two butterflies fluttered together.

Shen Yu'an's skin appeared even whiter against the dark curtains, contrasting sharply with Xize's complexion. Their fingers were intertwined.

The chain was still hanging on his uncle's body. With each slight movement, the metal plate occasionally touched his bones, the cool sensation being particularly noticeable against the warmth.

When Xize's fingers touched the sign, he would gently push it aside.

Shen Yu'an opened his eyes for a moment.

He saw that Xize had his head down, sweat on his forehead, and a deep, dark light in his gray-blue eyes.

He only looked at it for a second before closing his eyes and burying his face in the pillow.

Xize's drunken voice, hard as iron, pierced his earlobes.

"Baby is so great."

After saying this softly, Shen Yu'an tightened his grip even more, his hands squeezing harder.

Xize let out a heavy sigh.

He was then picked up, wrapped in a bath towel, and taken to the bathroom.

The steam rose quickly, turning the mirror into a white haze.

Xize sat on the edge of the rain tank and wiped the water for him, his movements were gentle, and the sound of water dripping was soft.

Shen Yu'an lay sprawled to the side, eyes closed, curled up and motionless. The steam rising from the ground seemed to shroud everything.

Xize kissed him for a long time, his lips landing warmly on his skin.

Shen Yu'an's hair was wet and stuck to her forehead. She buried her face in her arms, and her ears were bright red.

The water cooled down, so I added hot water again.

The steam in the bathroom grew thicker and thicker, making it impossible to see anything.

Later, Xize pulled him out of the tax room, wrapped him in a bath towel, and carried him back to the bedroom.

Length of night.

When Shen Yu'an woke up, it was already broad daylight.

Sunlight streamed in through the gaps in the curtains, landing at the foot of the bed, warm and cozy.

He moved slightly, then froze.

Her body was distorted, her legs were deformed, and her back looked like it had been disassembled and reassembled; nothing felt right.

He tried to turn over, pulling on his side and hissing.

This noise woke Xize up.

Xize's arm, which had been wrapped around his waist, immediately loosened its grip upon hearing the sound and looked down at him.

"woke up?"

Shen Yu'an looked up at him.

Xize looked relaxed, with a slight upturn at the corners of his mouth and a light in his gray-blue eyes, appearing to be in good spirits.

This made Shen Yu'an even more unhappy.

"...It hurts," Shen Yu'an said sullenly, burying her face in the pillow.

Xize removed his hand from his head, propped himself up, and leaned closer.

Where does it hurt?

"It hurts everywhere."

Xize didn't speak, but reached under the covers and placed his palm on Xize's back, gently patting him.

Shen Yu'an shrank back and let out a sigh.

"here?"

"Um."

Xize's hand slowly grew fleshy on his lower back.

The pressure was neither too strong nor too weak, and the palm was warm as it gently massaged along the muscles on the side of the face.

Shen Yu'an, who had been tense, softened up after being rubbed for a while and lay motionless on the pillow.

After rubbing Yao, Xize went downstairs and rubbed the outside of her thighs.

Shen Yu'an's legs are like garlic; he worked so hard yesterday and then stayed up most of the night afterward, so his muscles are very strong.

When Xize placed his hand on him, he made two sounds, unable to tell whether it was comfortable or uncomfortable.

"inventory……"

"Um."

Xize loosened his grip and slowly pushed along the side of his leg with his thumb.

Shen Yu'an lay face down on the bed, her face buried in the pillow, her exposed nape and ears were red.

The blanket slipped down to the ground, revealing the skin of the younger sibling, with several light red marks that stood out starkly against the fair skin.

Xize's gaze swept over those filled with hatred, his hand paused for a moment, then he looked away and continued to calm down.

After about ten minutes, Shen Yu'an felt a little more comfortable and turned over to lie on his back.

With this turn, even more intense hatred was revealed below the collarbone.

There were several scattered marks on the side of the neck, shoulders, and above the bear's mouth, varying in color, all left by Liu last night.

Xize looked at him, and Houjie moved slightly.

Shen Yu'an noticed his gaze, looked down, and her face immediately turned red.

He pulled the blanket up to cover his neck, leaving only his head sticking out.

"Stop looking."

"Okay, I won't watch anymore." Xize said, his gaze obediently shifting away, but the corners of his mouth were turned up.

Shen Yu'an glared at him.

He had intended to give a fierce look, but because his eyes were still moist from just waking up and his face was red, he looked like a kitten and didn't seem very threatening.

Xize got out of bed, picked up the pajamas that were thrown at the foot of the bed, and put them on him.

Shen Yu'an sat up in her pajamas, her back still aching, and braced herself against the edge of the bed to steady herself.

"What would you like to eat? I'll have it brought up."

Shen Yu'an thought for a moment and said porridge.

Xize went out for a while and came back carrying a tray.

The porridge was hot, with a small dish of pickled vegetables and a glass of warm milk on the side. He placed the tray on the bedside table, sat on the edge of the bed, and picked up the bowl of porridge to blow on it.

Shen Yu'an reached out to take it, but Xize didn't give it to him.

"I'll feed you."

"I can eat by myself."

"Sit still."

Shen Yu'an's hand stopped in mid-air. He looked at Xize's serious expression, then at the bowl of porridge, and withdrew his hand.

Xize scooped up a spoonful of porridge, blew on it twice to test the temperature, and then held it to his lips.

Shen Yu'an opened his mouth and ate it.

The porridge was cooked until it was very thick, the rice grains had dissolved, the temperature was just right, and the saltiness was just right.

Shen Yu'an ate the second spoonful when it was handed to him.

When the third spoonful was handed to him, he didn't open his mouth, but instead looked down at his collarbone.

"How am I supposed to go out with my neck like this?"

Xize followed his gaze and glanced at Shen Yu'an. There were several red marks on the side of Shen Yu'an's neck. The deepest one was above the shinbone. It looked like a mosquito bite if you didn't look closely, but anyone could tell it wasn't if you got a little closer.

"It'll disappear in a couple of days," Xize said.

"In a couple of days? What about today?"

"I'm not going out today."

"I have class tomorrow."

"It should be almost completely gone by tomorrow."

Shen Yu'an glared at him, this time genuinely annoyed.

But when he looked down at the marks of hatred and then at Xize holding the bowl of porridge and waiting for him earnestly, his anger subsided.

"Be gentler next time," he said sullenly.

"Okay," Caesar replied quickly.

"...You always say yes."

Xize held the spoon to his mouth again. Shen Yu'an opened his mouth and ate, chewing with his cheeks bulging.

As Xize watched him eat, the corners of his mouth never left his lips.

When Shen Yu'an finished half a bowl of porridge, he said he was full.

Xize finished the rest of his drink and then brought him more milk.

Shen Yu'an took a couple of sips, then felt his lower back ache again. He leaned back against the headboard, frowning as he gently rubbed his lower back.

Xize put the tray down and came back with a tube of ointment in his hand.

"Apply this."

"What?"

"Eliminating."

Shen Yu'an looked at the ointment in his hand, then at him, and her face flushed red.

"I'll apply it myself."

"You can't reach it."

"I can reach it."

Xize didn't speak, but sat on the edge of the bed and looked at him.

Those grey-blue eyes waited quietly and patiently, without urging them, just watching.

Shen Yu'an stared at him for a few seconds before giving in.

He lay on the bed, pulled his pajamas up a little to reveal his backside, then buried his face in the pillow and muttered, "Hurry up and apply it."

Xize squeezed out a little ointment, spread it with his fingertip, and gently applied it.

The ointment was cool, and Shen Yu'an even hesitated for a moment when he touched it.

Xize slowly spread his fingers to allow the ointment to seep in, and then applied it to several spots along the crease.

His movements were very gentle, even more careful than when giving a massage.

Shen Yu'an lay on the pillow, feeling the warmth of his fingertips and the coolness of the ointment alternately, and gradually relaxed, his breathing slowing down.

After applying the ointment, Xize placed it on the bedside table and wiped his hands with a tissue.

He leaned down and touched Shen Yu'an's nape with his lips.

"Still angry?"

"No," Shen Yu'an's voice muffled beneath the pillow, "It's just... you hate me too much."

"Next time, please clean it more thoroughly."

Shen Yu'an didn't speak, but the tips of her ears twitched. Xize knew that meant she wasn't angry anymore.

He rolled over and lay back down next to Shen Yu'an, turning to look at him. Shen Yu'an was still lying face down, his face turned to the side, half of his face buried in the pillow, only one eye peeking out as he looked at him.

"Daddy," he called out.

"Um."

Aren't you going out today?

"I'll stay with you."

"What about the afternoon?"

"I'll stay with you too."

Shen Yu'an looked at him for two seconds, then turned her face away, but the corner of her mouth curled up slightly.

Xize pulled the blanket up to cover his exposed shoulders.

The two lay on the bed for a while longer, neither of them speaking.

Shen Yu'an slowly fell asleep again.

Xize lay on his side watching him, watching his breathing become even, watching his eyelashes cast small shadows on his face.

He reached out and gently touched the chain on Shen Yu'an's collarbone with his fingertips, adjusting the metal plate to its correct position against her skin.

Then he withdrew his hand, lay down quietly, and let the person next to him sleep soundly.