By the time Xu Jin returned to the apartment building, he had successfully frozen his mind.
Or at least, he told himself he did.
He marched up the stairs with determination, jaw set, brain chanting:
No aprons.
No sleeping angels.
No hand-holding couples.
No thoughts.
He reached the corridor of the twelfth floor.
The moment he stepped out, a familiar voice greeted him.
"Back already?"
Grandma Liang stood at the door of apartment 1207, holding a small towel. She looked refreshed, as if she had simply gone to stroll through a garden instead of unknowingly orchestrating emotional chaos.
Xu Jin stopped in front of her."Yes," he said stiffly. "I ran."Grandma Liang smiled warmly. "Good. Healthy young men should run."
Xu Jin nodded, wiping sweat from his neck.
"I handed Yunhu to you. He didn't cause trouble, right?"
Grandma Liang's eyes sparkled.
"He slept very well."
Xu Jin did not want to imagine where.
So he didn't.
"Come in," she said. "Breakfast is ready."
Xu Jin's stomach growled at the exact wrong moment.
Grandma Liang laughed. "See? Even your body agrees."
He followed her inside.
The moment he stepped into the apartment, the smell hit him.And there—
In the kitchen.Liang Chen.Hair neatly tied back now. Sleeves rolled to his elbows. That cursed cat apron was still around his waist.
Xu Jin froze.Not dramatically.Just… internally screaming.Liang Chen turned, holding a tray.
"Oh. You're back."His voice was calm. Gentle. As if he had never appeared in anyone's dreams causing emotional disasters.
Xu Jin straightened instantly."I— I'm back."
Smooth.Very smooth.
Grandma Liang nudged him lightly toward the table."Sit. Eat. My grandson worked hard."
Xu Jin sat automatically.Yunhu jumped onto the chair beside him, tail high, eyes shining.
Liang Chen set the tray on the table and picked up another bowl to place in front of Xu Jin.
Xu Jin, remembering basic manners, quickly stood up to help.
"I can carry that."
He reached for the bowl.
Liang Chen passed it over—
And leaned slightly closer to place it carefully in Xu Jin's hands.
"Be careful," Liang Chen said quietly in a teasing manner. "Don't drop it, little boy."
Xu Jin's brain short-circuited.
Little boy?
His face turned red so fast it should have been studied by scientists.
"I— I'm not— I won't—"
He stumbled half a step.
Didn't drop the bowl.
But nearly dropped his dignity.
Grandma Liang watched with sparkling eyes.
"My, my," she teased. "Cat got your tongue?"
Xu Jin wanted the floor to swallow him.
Liang Chen blinked, slightly puzzled at the sudden tension.
"…Are you feeling unwell again?" he asked, reaching out instinctively toward Xu Jin's forehead.
Xu Jin jerked back like a startled cat.
"No! I'm healthy! Very healthy! Strong! Running! Breathing!"
Yunhu meowed.
As if laughing.
Grandma Liang sat down calmly, pouring tea.
"Enough teasing," she said sweetly. "Sit. Eat. Or the food will get cold."
Xu Jin sat down so stiffly his back could have been used as a ruler.
Liang Chen took the seat across from him, calm and composed, pouring tea into Xu Jin's cup.
Xu Jin stared at the tea.
At the apron.
At the cat happily ate from a small bowl near Liang Chen's side.
Betrayal on every level.
He picked up his chopsticks.
And whispered under his breath—
"…Wrong path."
The cat purred smugly, accepting a head rub from Liang Chen like a prince receiving tribute.
Xu Jin needed to change the topic immediately before his dignity dissolved completely.
So he blurted, "Professor… how many degrees did you take to become a professor so young?"
The room paused.
Grandma turned slowly.
Liang Chen turned slowly.
Both wore the same expression:
What nonsense is he saying now?
Grandma opened her mouth — but Liang Chen smoothly cut in.
"…So," Liang Chen said, tilting his head, eyes amused, "what age do I look like to you?"
Xu Jin panicked. "Near me! Right, Grandma?"
Grandma nodded like she was watching a courtroom drama. "Go on. Continue."
Liang Chen smiled. "I'm twenty-seven."
Silence.
Xu Jin's soul exited his body, took a walk, reconsidered life, and returned.
"Twenty—seven?!"
He stared.
No way.
This man looked twenty at most. Maybe nineteen on a good day.
"You're older than me by four years?? You look like a prodigy student, not a professor!"
Liang Chen leaned back, amused. "So that's why you spoke to me so casually. I thought you simply lacked manners."
Xu Jin's face ignited. "No! I mean— you look— young— very young—"
Grandma elbowed him. "Eat."
Liang Chen rested his chin on his hand, eyes glittering with quiet mischief.
"Since I'm older," he said lightly, "you should call me brother, hmm?"
Xu Jin inhaled mid-bite.
And immediately choked.
Grandma calmly handed him water like this outcome had been predicted hours ago.
The cat purred louder.
Liang Chen smiled softly.
And Xu Jin decided — this breakfast table was more dangerous than any battlefield.
After breakfast, the apartment returned to its usual gentle bustle.
Grandma gathered the dishes, humming. Liang Chen adjusted his coat and shoulder bag, slipping on his shoes with quiet efficiency. Yunhu immediately wrapped around his ankle like a clingy white cloud before being gently peeled off and handed to Grandma.
"I'm leaving," Chen said, calm as always.
Xu Jin nodded, suddenly aware of how natural this morning had felt.
Soon, Chen left for the university. Grandma went to water her plants by the balcony.
Xu Jin crouched before Yunhu. "Behave. Protect Grandma. Don't abandon her like you abandoned me."
Yunhu blinked.
Xu Jin straightened, grabbed his jacket, and walked out. Today, he had something to do.