Chapter 73: Pick One, Okay?

    Shen Nianzu cleared his throat and turned his attention to Jin Jiuchi, ignoring how the assistant almost fainted out of shock. He gave a tight-lipped smile and pinched Jin Jiuchi’s arm in warning, but he failed spectacularly for the man’s arm was packed with solid muscles with no fat for him to pinch into.

    "Why are you tickling me, Nian’er?" Jin Jiuchi asked strangely.

    ’Patience,’ Shen Nianzu repeated to himself over and over again like a mantra, and then he hissed in a low voice, "Let go."

    "Why should I?" Jin Jiuchi pouted in defiance. "Nian’er, do you hate me now? Don’t you like it when I hug you like this?" He exerted a little strength into his arms, and Shen Nianzu gasped when he was brought closer until there was no distance between their bodies.

    Jin Jiuchi’s body temperature had always leaned to the higher side, and in their current position, Shen Nianzu felt as if the man’s searing heat was being transferred to him through his back, his torso, his limbs and literally his whole body. Jin Jiuchi’s heartbeat intermingled with his own, until he could no longer tell who belonged to whom.

    T–This damned husky! Hadn’t Shen Nianzu warned him not to be so touchy-feely?! He had not learned his lesson from being paralyzed for two whole hours, had he?!

    Shen Nianzu gritted out in anger, "Jin Jiuchi!"

    "Yes, Nian’er?" Jin Jiuchi answered sweetly.

    "Let go...!" He struggled to peel the man’s arms off him and hurriedly created some distance between them, glaring vehemently. "You are not allowed to touch me as you please!"

    "Why?!" Jin Jiuchi demanded in extreme shock as if he had just been told that the whole world was ending in five seconds.

    As the two of them bickered back and forth, Assistant Qing’s jaws hung wider and wider until it almost touched the floor.

    ’So this was the person Young Master Shen ordered him to locate,’ he thought as he observed Jin intently. He had no idea what he’d expected from the two of them, but it was certainly not... this kind of relationship!

    His gaze then moved to Shen Nianzu, taking in the vivid and vibrant emotions on the silver-haired man with wonder. His family had been working for Shen Family for generations and thus he could be considered as the Young Master’s childhood companion and playmate, but never before had he seen the man like this. In his memory, Shen Nianzu had always been a cold and noble person, almost detached in sentimentality. Especially one day, when everything suddenly changed for him.

    Qing Mo had no clear idea of what had happened, but until now, he could vividly recall Shen Nianzu’s bloodless and stricken face as if he had gone through Hell and back. Since that day, he became even more reclusive. He deliberately created more distance between him and other people and chose to move into his villa in the middle of the mountain. Even the Master and Madam were unable to get through to him.

    But now...

    Qing Mo took the initiative to step forward and bowed politely toward Jin Jiuchi, "Nice to meet you, Mr. Jin. My name is Qing Mo, and I am Young Master Shen’s assistant. Feel free to call me Assistant Qing or Qing Mo like Young Master does."

    This was the first time Jin Jiuchi had ever been treated in such a formal way, and he couldn’t help but feel nervous as though he had no idea where to put his hands and legs. "Um, A–Assistant Qing. Nice to meet you too, I am Jin Jiuchi..."

    Shen Nianzu cast him a skeptical look from the side. Why did he become so docile all of a sudden?

    "Please come in," Qing Mo stepped aside and gestured for them to enter. "It will not be good to stand out here in the cold for long."

    "Oh, you don’t need to be worried about me, Assistant Qing! I am very strong and resilient!" As if fearing that the man would not believe him, he rolled up his sleeve to show his toned forearm. "Look here, it’s—ukh!" His words were choked off abruptly when Shen Nianzu tugged on his collar and dragged him inside the house. "Ow ow ow, Nian’er, don’t pull me! I can walk on my own!"

    Once the huge double door was closed, Shen Nianzu turned to ask his assistant, all the while pretending that he did not hear a certain husky’s fervent complaint beside him. "Why are you here at such a late hour?"

    Qing Mo cleared his throat, "I’m here to give you the report, but since you have found the person..." he cast a meaningful glance to Jin Jiuchi, and only then did Shen Nianzu recall that he had demanded his poor assistant to turn the entire hospitals in the country upside down to search for the man.

    Earlier, when he saw Jin Jiuchi on the TV, he had hung up on the call in a hurry and forgotten to inform Qing Mo about it.

    Why was he so easily distracted when it came to Jin Jiuchi? Sighing, he told the assistant, "Thank you for your hard work. I don’t think I will need you in the next few days, so feel free to go home and rest now."

    However, Qing Mo’s attention was not on Shen Nianzu’s words, but on the bite mark that stood out like a sore thumb against his young master’s fair neck, which was exposed when the man turned his head. It looked fairly new, as if it had just been planted just a while ago...

    Under Shen Nianzu’s questioning gaze, he sidled up closer and whispered, "Are you sure you have everything you need?"

    Shen Nianzu furrowed his brows in confusion, "What?"

    "Well, I am quite certain that there is no lube or cond—okhh!" Qing Mo almost bit down on his tongue when Shen Nianzu grabbed him by the back of his neck and hurled him out of the house by force.

    A sweet smile curved on Shen Nianzu’s lips, which made Qing Mo tremble in horror because the young master only smiled like that when he wanted to butcher someone and throw their corpse into the middle of the ocean. "Goodnight, Qing Mo. I hope you have a veeery nice dream."

    "W–Wait...!" Qing Mo reached out a hand tremblingly, but the door was already slammed shut in front of his face. He couldn’t help but lament for the injustice he had suffered. Was there something wrong with his question?!

    Shen Nianzu locked the main door behind him and cursed under his breath. His heart skipped a beat when he looked up and saw Jin Jiuchi narrowing his gaze at him in doubt.

    Damn it! What was the use of whispering when this man had superb and excellent senses that could hear things from meters away?! Shen Nianzu swore that his intention was nothing but pure when he brought Jin Jiuchi here, but thanks to his assistant’s unnecessary meddling, inappropriate images began to take root inside his mind.

    He mentally slapped himself on the face. What the hell are you thinking, Shen Nianzu?! No such things will happen under this roof tonight!

    "Let’s go," he faked a calm look while walking toward the grand staircase. "The phone is on the second floor."

    "Nian’er..."

    Shen Nianzu’s heart shook when he heard Jin Jiuchi call his name and his voice ended up cracking in the end. "...What?" he replied without looking back, his fists clenched tight by his side.

    He was prepared for Jin Jiuchi to ask about what Qing Mo had said earlier or even questioned his true intention, but in the end, what came out of Jin Jiuchi’s mouth was,

    "Why did he call you ’Young Master Shen’? Aren’t you Nian’er?"

    Did he possibly not hear it just now? Shen Nianzu secretly heaved a sigh of relief and tension loosened from his shoulders. As they made their way to the second floor, he explained with a neutral tone, "That’s because my surname is Shen. Nianzu is my name. My parents named me like this to honor our ancestors. Isn’t it silly?"

    Jin Jiuchi shook his head, "How can it be? It sounds so awe-inspiring!" Meanwhile, Jin Jiuchi did not even know who named him or whether there was an underlying meaning behind his name. However, he was not one who would dwell on such a trivial matter and soon, he threw the topic to the back of his mind and forgot it completely.

    "Shen Nianzu, huh..." Jin Jiuchi rolled the name on his tongue, trying to familiarize himself with the foreign words. "Shen Nianzu... Shen Nianzu..."

    Everytime Jin Jiuchi uttered his name with that deep and baritone voice of his, Shen Nianzu’s heart couldn’t help but race faster. W–Why did Jin Jiuchi have to say it in such a gentle and affectionate tone as if he was whispering a lover’s name? It made his ears feel so ticklish! He desperately ignored the strange sensation and led Jin Jiuchi along the simple yet elegant hallway toward where his room was.

    But then, just as he barely managed to keep his heartbeat in control, he heard Jin Jiuchi sigh wistfully behind him and mutter in a quiet voice, "Why does everything about Nian’er so damn pretty? Even your name sounds so beautiful..."

    Shen Nianzu swiveled around to glare at the man, "Stop it." He did not think that his heart would be strong enough to hear any more of the compliments Jin Jiuchi was throwing at him. Did Jin Jiuchi even know what kind of effect he had on him? He must not have, otherwise he would not keep provoking and teasing Shen Nianzu like this.

    It made things all the more annoying. Why should he be the one who always got flustered and stirred up every single time?!

    "Why should I?" Jin Jiuchi challenged with a petulant tone. Amidst the dark hallway with only the faint ray of moonlight spilling in through the glass wall, he looked seconds away from merging completely into the shadows. Only a pair of silver eyes were glowing in an intense radiance as they were fixed on Shen Nianzu, taking in each shift and fluctuation on the jade doll’s face.

    Jin Jiuchi started to count with his fingers, "I am not allowed to touch you as I please... and now, I can’t even call you pretty?" He clicked his tongue and shook his head, "Nian’er, you can only pick one, okay?"