When the Wild Beast is Trapped in the Nightmare Cycle (BL)
Chapter 229: Scummy Shen Nianzu

Chapter 229: Scummy Shen Nianzu

As a result of the minor injuries they had sustained in the Cycle, the trio found themselves down with a high fever once they returned to the real world. This was already a far better outcome than Shen Nianzu’s initial grim prediction, who had thought that he would end up in the ICU again, and that’s why he did not complain when Assistant Qing Mo began to nag at him like a fussy mother.

"I’ve told you not to leave your windows open when you sleep, and see what happens?!" He took the thermometer from Shen Nianzu and read the temperature out loud, his tone bordering on incredulous, "It’s thirty eight degrees Celsius. Thirty eight, Young Master!"

Shen Nianzu let out a dry cough as he buried his face into the pillow, mumbling, "I heard you just fine the first time. No need to repeat it again."

"No, I need to repeat it again and again until your ears grow calluses. Who knows, maybe you will only learn this way!" Qing Mo huffed in anger. "And how did the three of you manage to get sick at the same time? Did you have a pajama party last night or something? Also, who is this Mr. Gu? Where did he come from? Why haven’t I heard of him before?" Qing Mo scrutinized him with a suspicious look.

He couldn’t be blamed for this. He had been working for the Shen Family for decades, and thus he knew very well how aloof and reclusive Shen Nianzu was. He disliked company or any emotional entanglement, preferring to be left on his own accord instead. Jin Jiuchi’s sudden appearance was more than enough to make Qing Mo curious to death, and now there was also Mr. Gu, a freshman at university, who would be a permanent guest at the villa.

It left Qing Mo utterly perplexed. Since when did Shen Nianzu gain a lot of friends?

Shen Nianzu raised his eyelids and shot him a glare. "Do I need to report to you everytime I make a friend?"

Uh-oh, it seemed like he had wounded Young Master Shen’s fragile pride. Clearing his throat, Qing Mo replied awkwardly, "N–No, it’s not like that, Young Master. I’m just—"

A series of knocks landed on the door, interrupting him mid-sentence. Then, it was followed by a weak yet persistent voice, "Nian’er, Nian’er, are you there?"

"Oh, Mr. Jin is here again. Please wait a moment." Qing Mo went to open the door, but only by a crack as he firmly stood on the doorway to obstruct the view inside. He offered a professional smile to Jin Jiuchi, who had managed to drag his feet here with a thick blanket draped around his shoulders and an anti-fever patch on his forehead. "Mr. Jin, are you hungry? Please wait for a while. The chef is preparing the food now as we speak—"

Jin Jiuchi tried to peer into the room to no avail. He still could not catch sight of Shen Nianzu.

After they returned to the villa, Shen Nianzu had promptly gave his assistant a call before tossing Jin Jiuchi and Gu Luoxin into separate guest rooms, while he locked himself inside the master bedroom. Since then, Jin Jiuchi had not seen him even once, let alone touch or smell him.

This was the third time he had made this trip, but Qing Mo was always there to block his way. The first time, Qing Mo informed him that Shen Nianzu was still asleep. The second time, he reasoned that Jin Jiuchi was still too weak and he worried that they would exacerbate their illness by sharing a room. Unwilling to worsen the jade doll’s condition, Jin Jiuchi could only leave with a desolate look. And now, the third time...

"I don’t want to eat," Jin Jiuchi sniffled and rubbed his runny nose. His imaginary ears and tails were dropping in sadness, like a puppy being kicked by his owner. "I only want to see Nian’er..."

Coming from Jin Jiuchi who was an utter glutton, this sentence was as rare as a blizzard in summer. It was apparent how much he longed to see the jade doll. Qing Mo couldn’t help but curse his young master inwardly. The excuse he had given earlier had all been at Shen Nianzu’s instruction, who expressed that he was in no condition to receive guests. But this was his own boyfriend they were talking about! How could he possibly refuse to meet him?

Young Master, don’t be such a scum, okay?! Look at how lovelorn this man is because of you!

Alas, despite his disapproval, he was still Young Master Shen’s assistant, and it was his job to carry out the man’s order. He could only harden his heart and plastered a smile on his face, "Mr. Jin, I’m sorry but—"

"Let him in," a raspy voice echoed from within.

Jin Jiuchi’s silver eyes instantly lit up, for he had been waiting for this moment. As a good and law-abiding citizen, he had refrained from breaking into the room no matter how much he wanted to see Shen Nianzu. He must respect Nian’er personal space and boundary! However, it was another case altogether now that Nian’er was granting him permission!

He briskly strode past Qing Mo into the room and called out with his arms outstretched, tears squeezing out of his eyes, "Nian’er!"

Qing Mo, who was about to excuse himself, was caught off guard when he turned around and saw a completely different room than moments ago. The scattered pillows were now neatly arranged, the chaotic and tangled blanket was smoothed out, and as for Young Master Shen... he had changed out of his baggy pajamas to a white satin robe, his disheveled silver hair was combed, and the sweet scent of perfume lingered in the air.

Meanwhile, the aforementioned Young Master was now leaning against the headboard, his cheeks flushed and breathing a tad heavy after the flurry of activity he had completed in such a short time.

Where does your messy appearance from earlier go? Have I stumbled upon a parallel universe?!

Qing Mo was baffled for a second, before realization abruptly dawned on him. Damn it, so Young Master Shen was truly not lying when he said that he was not in any condition to receive guests. Now that he had somewhat regained his strength, the first thing he did was to meticulously groom himself to present a perfect façade!

Unexpectedly, his Young Master was quite... adorable.

It seemed like he was not that scummy, after all?

Qing Mo showed an old mother’s smile as he retreated from the room, saying, "Then I will go check on the progress in the kitchen." The last thing he saw before he closed the door was Jin Jiuchi who was engulfing Shen Nianzu into a tight and affectionate embrace.