Professor Xie, isn't this a case of forcing customers to buy products that don't match the

The culinary extravaganza didn't end until nearly 11 p.m.

Faced with a dazzling array of delicious food, the brothers didn't even bother to touch the drinks next to them. They ate until their bellies were round and almost bursting at the seams.

Shang Song escorted his brothers, who were struggling to get down the stairs, to a taxi. Only when the taillights disappeared around the corner did he hum an off-key tune and take the elevator back to the 88th floor.

The living room was empty, and the door to the master bedroom was ajar, with warm light shining through.

Shang Song slipped inside.

Xie Jing had already taken a shower and was wearing a dark blue silk nightgown. He was sitting on the headboard with that thick philosophy book in his hand.

Hearing the noise, he looked up. "Did they send them away?"

"Okay! Everyone's gone back!" Shang Song replied as he quickly ripped himself clean and rushed into the bathroom.

After a splash of water, the hairdryer started whirring.

Once he had made himself smell wonderful, he was like a little cannonball, popping out of the bathroom and landing precisely on the bed.

He lay on the bed and sighed comfortably, then immediately rolled into Xie Jing's arms, which were already open for him.

He found the most comfortable position in Xie Jing's arms, then tilted his head back, his voice still tinged with excitement:

"Xie Jing!"

"I'm so happy today!!!"

Xie Jing's arm naturally encircled him, and only then did he look up from his book, meeting his strikingly bright eyes. A low murmur escaped his throat in response: "Hmm?"

"Hehe," Shang Song chuckled twice, then began to savor the memory: "That butter-baked lobster, the meat was so bouncy and sweet! Boss almost ate the shell! And that Wellington pastry, oh my god, how could it be so crispy and fragrant! Xu Lao Er ate most of it by himself! Oh right, and Sister Su's last dish, the sweet fermented rice balls egg tart! It was so cool and refreshing! Sweet and fragrant! I want to eat it again tomorrow!"

Xie Jing listened quietly to his chatter, watching him curl up in his arms like a contented kitten. He lowered his head and placed a light kiss on his smooth forehead.

"Okay, I'll have the kitchen make it for you again tomorrow."

Feeling pampered, Shang Song's inner joy exploded again, and he chuckled foolishly, "Xie Jing, your chef is truly amazing!"

Upon hearing Shang Song's words, Xie Jing paused slightly in stroking his back.

This unintentional remark served as a reminder to Xie Jing once again:

Shang Song's heart was not completely at peace with him.

Shang Song is happy here, pampered here, and enjoys everything here, but subconsciously, young people still reserve the possibility of leaving at any time.

No matter how nice this place is, it belongs to Xie Jing's family, not Shang Song's.

Shang Song was unaware of Xie Jing's momentary pause; he had already taken out his phone and was swiping his finger across the screen.

On the screen and in the WeChat group, messages were popping up like crazy.

Eldest: I'm back at the dorm! I'm so tired I don't want to move... but my soul is still floating on the 85th floor of the Cloud Top...

Third brother: I'm paralyzed too, I feel like my stomach is going to burst...

Boss: I think we should give Shang Xiaosong a proper "thank you"?

Third brother: That's right! Confess honestly, did you give Professor Xie some kind of KPI that he had to show affection in public?

Second Brother: Yeah! @SongNiXiaoZi! It was definitely planned in advance! Professor Xie's outfit! He looked like he was filming an idol drama! It was intentional! Absolutely intentional! To get back at us brothers! [Angrily throws dog bowl.jpg]

Boss: @Songxinjigou confirmed! He ambushed me the moment he walked in! He even said he was going down to pick someone up without wearing a coat! And he kissed my forehead! Ugh!

Third brother: And they feed me the whole time! I'm sick of watching! If it weren't for all that delicious food, I definitely wouldn't eat this dog food tonight!

Shang Song watched as his brothers criticized his public displays of affection, laughing so hard he almost dropped his phone while nestled in Xie Jing's arms.

He held the screen up to Xie Jing, his tone brimming with undisguised smugness: "Look! They're all saying you did it on purpose! They're calling me a scheming dog!"

Xie Jing lowered his eyes, glancing at the comments on the screen. His expression remained unchanged. He simply reached out and gently pinched Shang Song's slightly flushed cheeks after his bath. "Hmm, isn't that right?"

Shang Song laughed heartily; of course, he did it on purpose.

He put his phone away and started typing rapidly.

Song: Hehehe, I did it on purpose! I'm so jealous of you guys!

The group chat exploded instantly, with over 99 replies in no time.

Shang Song was amused and chuckled.

In Xie Jing's arms, she would laugh and slap Xie Jing's thigh one moment, and then wriggle like a worm the next.

Xie Jing could only helplessly hug the person, his gaze still fixed on the book in his hands, but he didn't turn the pages for a long time.

This was quite unusual for him, who was used to focusing on reading.

But at this moment, he felt unexpectedly content, and even felt that the philosophical ideas full of wisdom and dialectics in the book were not as important as the warm presence in his arms.

After an unknown amount of time, the worm gradually stopped wriggling, holding its phone in its hand, the phone still lit up, but it had already drifted off to sleep.

Xie Jing shifted his gaze from the seemingly endless page of the book to the sleeping face of the person in his arms.

Under the dim reading light, Shang Song's sleeping face was serene, his lips occasionally smacking unconsciously, as if he was still savoring a delicious meal from tonight.

Xie Jing looked at it for a long time before gently placing the book in her hand on the bedside table. She then carefully took the phone from Shang Song's hand and placed it on the book. She turned off the light, turned around, carefully adjusted her posture, lay down, pulled the blanket up, closed her eyes, and fell asleep in her lover's arms.

On the night of the Lantern Festival, when spring is in full bloom, one is most eager to stay warm in one's quilt.

The next day, at 7:00 AM.

Xie Jing opened his eyes habitually, paused for a moment, and was about to carefully get out of bed when he found that Shang Song was clinging to him like an octopus.

Shang Song wasn't just sleeping with his hair sticking up in all directions; his whole body was practically sticking up in all directions.

Under the blanket, something warm was poking Xie Jing's thigh in a carefree manner, occasionally nudging him unconsciously.

In his sleep, Shang Song seemed to sense that the large pillow was trying to pull away, so he clung to it even tighter.

It's the weekend, Shang Song is off work, and Xie Jing doesn't have anything urgent to do either.

He didn't want to wake Shang Song, so he simply closed his eyes and lay there, letting Shang Song nuzzle him.

The indoor heating was blowing air, and the curtains were swaying slightly, letting in a bit of the fresh morning light.

Xie Jing suddenly opened his eyes slowly, and beneath his fan-like eyelashes, the color of his eyes grew deeper and deeper.

He felt a small patch of damp fabric clinging to his thighs in his pajamas.

Realizing what it was, Xie Jing unconsciously curled up the hand that was naturally resting on Shang Song's back.

He looked down at the person in his arms. Shang Song's brows were furrowed, as if in pain, yet also as if in joy.

Xie Jing's face remained expressionless as he calmly looked at Shang Song.

22 is old.

It is indeed an age full of longing.

They crave the thrill of skin-to-skin contact, the privilege of being pampered and indulged, and all sorts of new and exciting experiences.

As for what price to pay, what alliances to forge, and what responsibilities to assume to acquire these things… 22-year-old Shang Song would confidently say:

No.

Xie Jing's fingertip slowly brushed against Shang Song's lower lip.

The lip color is a light pink.

Child.

Bad kid.

She only wanted to enjoy all the sweetness he gave her, yet cunningly refused to truly stay for him.

But there's no such thing as a free lunch.

Xie Jing lightly rubbed his fingertip against Shang Song's lower lip, and then a very faint smile appeared on his lips.

He carefully adjusted his posture, turning halfway to the side, one hand still firmly holding Shang Song, while the other hand slipped under the covers.