Xu Jin opened the door.
And froze.
Standing in the corridor was Liang Chen.
Not in his usual neat shirt.
Not in his university professor elegance.
But in a cute cat-patterned apron, pale yellow, with tiny paw prints scattered across it.
For a second, Xu Jin genuinely forgot how to breathe.
His heart kicked hard against his ribs.
"…You…?" he stammered. "Why are you here?"
Liang Chen blinked, clearly puzzled by Xu Jin's reaction. His calm eyes swept over Xu Jin's face.
"Are you unwell?" he asked gently. "Your face is very red."
He lifted his hand, about to place it on Xu Jin's forehead to check his temperature.
But before his fingers could touch—
Xu Jin grabbed his wrist.
Their skin met. Warm. Suddenly.
Both of them stiffened.
At that exact moment, a soft giggle floated down the corridor. A young girl passing by slowed, whispering to her friend with bright eyes—
"Wow… a cute couple."
The words hit like a bomb.
Xu Jin's grip loosened instantly.
Liang Chen withdrew his hand just as fast.
Both stood there, ears red, eyes avoiding each other.
Xu Jin cleared his throat roughly and stepped aside.
"…You didn't come for dinner," Liang Chen said, regaining his composure. "So Grandma asked me to come take you. Come. Let's eat."
Xu Jin didn't move.
He looked away, jaw tightening slightly.
"…It's not good to eat for free every day," he said quietly. "I still haven't paid for the hospital bills."
Liang Chen stared at him for a moment.
Then, with calm logic that cut straight through Xu Jin's dignity, he replied—
"So… you plan to go to the hospital after eating your breakfast?"
Xu Jin's eyes widened.
"…!"
His brain short-circuited.
His ears turned bright red again.
Liang Chen tilted his head, genuinely curious, unaware of the damage he'd just caused.
Xu Jin muttered something incomprehensible under his breath.
Just then—
Grandma Liang appeared behind her grandson, hands on her hips, smiling like a victorious general.
"Can you stop flirting with my grandson in the corridor?" she said cheerfully. "Dinner is getting cold."
Silence.
Xu Jin's soul left his body.
Liang Chen's eyes widened in rare embarrassment.
And the girl down the hall giggled again before disappearing into the elevator.
Grandma Liang waved.
"Come, come. Before I start charging you rent for standing here."
Xu Jin sighed, defeated.
"…This family is too much."
But he still followed them inside.
They start their dinner.Yunhu finished his bowl in record time.
Crunch. Crunch. Lick.
Not a single piece was left behind.
He lifted his head, whiskers twitching, and stared up at Liang Chen with bright expectant eyes.
Liang Chen paused, then sighed lightly — as if surrendering to fate — and opened a small jar. From inside, he took one tiny treat and placed it delicately in front of the kitten.
Yunhu didn't hesitate.
He gobbled it instantly, tail swishing in victory.
Then, as if payment had been completed, Yunhu stepped forward. One paw on Liang Chen's knee. Then another. With effortless confidence, he climbed onto his lap, turned in a circle, and settled down.
A white, fluffy emperor claiming his throne.
Liang Chen froze for a moment… then carefully rested his hand on Yunhu's back.
The kitten purred.
Soft. Satisfied. Possessive.
As though Liang Chen now belonged to him.Across the table, Grandma Liang watched with sparkling eyes.
"Oh my," she said softly. "He's chosen you."
Xu Jin, who had been lifting his spoon toward his mouth, froze mid-air.
His jaw dropped slightly.
"That… demon…" he whispered.
Grandma Liang chuckled. "Looks like he's very satisfied with today's service."
Xu Jin stared at Yunhu — his Yunhu — comfortably sprawled on another man's lap, tail flicking lazily like a satisfied landlord.
Xu Jin slowly put his spoon down.
"…Traitor," he muttered, wounded to the core.
Yunhu opened one eye, glanced at Xu Jin, then closed it again.
Dismissed.
Xu Jin lay flat on his bed, staring at the ceiling.
The room was dark. Quiet. Peaceful.
Too peaceful.
His brain, unfortunately, was not.
He shifted slightly, pulling the blanket higher. Yunhu was curled beside his ribs, warm and heavy like a tiny weighted pillow.
Xu Jin closed his eyes.
And immediately—
Cat apron.
Liang Chen. Standing at his door. Soft lighting. Neat hair. Calm expression. And that ridiculous, adorable apron with tiny paw prints across the front.
Xu Jin's eyes snapped open.
"…No," he whispered to himself.
He turned to the other side.
Still the apron.
His heart gave a strange little thump.
"No no no," he muttered, pressing his palm to his forehead. "It wasn't him. It was the apron. The apron was cute. Just the apron."
Yunhu shifted, purring lightly in his sleep.
Xu Jin glared at the kitten.
"This is your fault," he whispered. "You made him wear that thing."
He turned again.
And there it was again — Liang Chen's puzzled face leaning closer, asking if he was unwell, hand reaching toward his forehead.
Xu Jin felt heat rush up his neck.
"…Why am I thinking about a professor in the middle of the night?"
He sat up slightly, scolding himself.
"Xu Jin. Young master. Top graduate. Future legend. Do not walk onto a strange path."
He lay back down, covering his face with the blanket.
"…He looked too much like a housewife…"
He froze.
Slowly pulled the blanket down.
"…No. No no no. That's slander. That's criminal."
He slapped the pillow once in frustration.
"Shut up, Xu Jin! Stop thinking!"
Yunhu rolled over, placing one tiny paw on Xu Jin's arm like a comforting demon.
Xu Jin stared at the ceiling again.
"…Internal demon versus external demon," he muttered.
One wearing an apron.
One purring beside him.
Defeated, he turned off his brain the only way he knew how.
He hugged the kitten, sighed deeply, and finally drifted to sleep.