Serenade

When Bo Yan saw Jin Xi, she was sitting alone on a plastic chair outside the 7-Eleven store, with her hands folded on her lap. Her dark doe eyes darted left and right.

A gust of cold wind at night made her shiver involuntarily. Her nose was red, and next to her white snow boots was an oil painting gift box.

Bo Yan quickened his pace and jogged over to her side, looking down at her, "What's going on?"

Jin Xi looked up at him with flushed eyes and said in a muffled voice, "I had a little quarrel at home over there."

Bo Yan sat down next to her and let out a soft breath through his nose. Propping his hands on his knees, he leaned over to examine the paint box, "How come you didn't deliver it?"

"I'm not going to deliver it anymore," Jin Xi hugged the gift box with a look of annoyance on her face. She grunted, "Changed my mind, I'll keep it for myself."

Bo Yan could probably guess that the gift was rejected. He patted her little head in a reprimanding manner, "Don't be upset over little things during the New Year."

"This is not a little thing," Jin Xi sneezed and rubbed her nose. "Forget it, let's not talk about it."

Bo Yan simply took off his down jacket and draped it over Jin Xi's shoulders, gently saying, "Look at you, all messed up."

The clothes carried his body warmth, warm and cozy. He put it on for her and carefully buttoned it up from bottom to top.

Jin Xi has a petite figure. Wearing Bo Yan's oversized down jacket made her look even smaller, shrinking entirely into the clothes.

She looked up to see him wearing only a thin round neck sweater. "Aren't you cold, senior?"

"Not cold," Bo Yan said, then sneezed.

"Come on, just admit it." Jin Xi said and proceeded to take off the down jacket to return it to Bo Yan.

Once a man has given his clothes to a woman, it hurts his pride to take it back.

Bo Yan grabbed Jin Xi's collar with one hand and lifted the little girl right up to his eye level, staring at her, "I'm not cold, girl."

Jin Xi: ......

If you're not cold then you're not. Why are you being so fierce?

She shook off Bo Yan's hand and neatened her hair like a cat, "Don't mess with me."

The three words "don't mess with me" made Bo Yan hear some inscrutable meaning. He chuckled and patted the back of her head, "Let's go, I'll take you home."

"If I go back now, Shen Ping Chuan will surely kick up a fuss. I'll go back tomorrow morning."

Bo Yan raised his brows in a question, "You wanna sit outside the convenience store all night?"

Jin Xi got to her feet, "I was planning to stay at a hotel."

Bo Yan took Jin Xi to a hotel, holding the paint box in one hand. At the front desk in the lobby, Jin Xi rummaged in her backpack for a long time. She took out a thermal cup, tissues, lipstick, but couldn't find her ID card.

She looked at Bo Yan awkwardly, "Is there a kind of...hotel that doesn't require ID?"

Bo Yan put all her stuff back into her bag and casually slung it over his shoulder. He said helplessly, "There is."

Jin Xi followed Bo Yan to the door of his apartment. She halted in her tracks.

A "hotel" that doesn't require ID turned out to be his apartment!

Bo Yan took out his keys and saw Jin Xi standing still at the elevator entrance. He looked back at her, "What's wrong?"

Jin Xi took another step back, with one leg inside the elevator, stuck at the door. She asked uneasily, "Why did you bring me to your home, senior?"

The key ring spun around his slender fingers.

"Staying at my place or an illegal unlicensed inn, you choose."

Before Jin Xi could respond, Bo Yan went on, "I heard those illegal inns rarely change sheets, and the walls aren't very soundproof either. Hmm...if someone knocks on your door in the middle of the night, don't open it no matter what."

Before he finished, the little girl had already scurried to his side, hugging his arm and said in terror, "I'll stay at your place, senior!"

Bo Yan opened the door and welcomed Jin Xi in.

The lights in the room were turned up to maximum brightness. Jin Xi looked around, the environment was not unfamiliar. A large duplex with three bedrooms and a living room. He lived alone, so it looked a little empty.

The furniture and decor were all simple styles. The room was tidy and clean.

Jin Xi looked at the two photos on the wall and nodded at them, murmuring, "Uncle, auntie, sorry for intruding."

Upon hearing this, Bo Yan glanced back at her. The little girl was quite sincere.

He pressed his lips for a moment, casually threw the keys on the cabinet, then turned on the heater.

Soon, every room became warm and comfortable.

Jin Xi sat nervously on the edge of the sofa, hugging her little backpack. Bo Yan went to the kitchen, not sure what he was up to.

Jin Xi picked up the remote control and turned on the TV, tuning in to an episode of Doraemon.

When Bo Yan came out, he was holding two glass cups, filled with white milk.

Jin Xi took the milk. The temperature was just right, he must have heated it up just now.

Seeing her take a shallow sip, leaving a ring of milky white above her upper lip, Bo Yan smiled gently.

"Jin Xi sweetie, does the milk taste good?"

"Yeah, very good."

Bo Yan clinked his cup against hers, making a crisp sound. Then he drank all the milk in his cup in one go.

Jin Xi hugged the warm glass and looked at Bo Yan, "Senior really likes drinking milk, that's why you grew so tall."

"So you should drink more milk too."

Jin Xi put down her glass and moved closer to Bo Yan. Her little face roamed on his chest, her nose twitching, sniffing him like a puppy, "I find that senior smells like..."

Bo Yan jumped in fright and retreated back.

Jin Xi looked up with a smile, "Senior smells like milk, very nice."

Milk scent?

Is she making fun of him? Other than manly musk, how can he have any other kind of smell?

Bo Yan felt a little embarrassed. He took the cup and shoved it in her hand, urging her, "Hurry up and finish it, then go to sleep."

Girls really are different from boys. When drinking milk, instead of gulping down half the cup in one go like him, Jin Xi would take a sip, seem to pause and rest for a bit, then gently sip again, and rest again.

Bo Yan sat beside her, making sure she finished the milk. Twenty minutes went by.

When she finally finished, he took the empty cup from her hand and casually grabbed a tissue to wipe her mouth.

Now he understood why Shen Ping Chuan was so fussy. Raising a girl like this from young, even the roughest man would be softened.

Bo Yan washed the cups in the sink. Jin Xi came over, leaning against the door and asked him, "Senior, where do I sleep tonight?"

Bo Yan casually said, "Sleep in my bed."

Jin Xi quickly retreated, stuttering, "Then... then I sleep in senior's bed, where does senior sleep..."

Seeing her reaction, Bo Yan found it amusing. He wiped his hands and came out, dragging her into the bedroom and closed the door, "There's only one bed in the house, where do you think I should sleep?"

The bedroom was still in the same condition as when he left it earlier. Warm yellow light from a bedside lamp created a cozy atmosphere. In the middle was a dark blue king-sized bed with the sheets messily sprawled open. On the bedside table were a phone charger and a smart alarm clock.

Bo Yan went over to charge his phone, then neatly re-spread the bedsheet, "New sheets for the new year."

Jin Xi leaned against the wall, unable to move her feet.

That's not the issue at all!

She looked at Bo Yan in horror, "No other rooms, senior?"

"There are, but no one has lived there for a long time. It'd take me several hours to clean it up for you now."

"I see..."

As a guest, she should just go along with the host. Can't make too many demands.

"Then I'll...sleep here."

Bo Yan's mouth curved up slightly. He bent down to touch the bed board, very hard.

He was used to hard beds, so there was no mattress or blankets underneath. Now that the little girl is staying over, she probably wouldn't find it comfortable.

He immediately took out a thick down comforter from the cabinet and neatly spread it on the bed, "There, sleep early."

Jin Xi nodded and placed her small backpack on the bedside cabinet. She looked up at Bo Yan.

He wore a thin round neck sweater, revealing his long neck and an protruding Adam's apple. His sharp jawline had beautiful arcs, angular and distinct. The corners of Bo Yan's thin lips curved up slightly.

Jin Xi's little heart pitter-pattered nonstop. She quickly slipped under the blanket, taking the left side of the bed.

Well, it's not like they haven't slept together before, so no need to fear a second time.

"You... go out first." She mumbled with her face covered by the blanket, and pulled her backpack in as well.

Seeing her fumbling chaotically under the covers, Bo Yan smiled, the tip of his tongue brushing the back of his teeth.

"No."

No?

Jin Xi froze. She clearly felt the bed sink down beside her, he... he came in!

She quickly scooted aside, waiting for a while but he made no moves. She opened up a corner of the blanket and looked at him.

He was leisurely propped up at the bedside, looking down at her condescendingly with a hint of a playful smile, "You don't get to sleep with your senior that easily."

Jin Xi was stunned.

Bo Yan reached out and patted her little cheeks, his gaze lowered to her petite chest. Raising a brow, he smiled without another word, turned and left the room, closing the door behind him.

"Good night."

Jin Xi looked down at her chest, bewildered.

Is he...disparaging her small size?!

Jin Xi groped her soft breasts, although not huge knockers, they were decently filled right?

What right does Bo Yan have...to look down on her!

Jin Xi turned off the lights, crawled under the blanket in a huff. The tense mood dissipated completely.

She slept exceptionally soundly that night.

...

In the morning, Jin Xi was woken up by the sound of firecrackers outside the window.

It was the 30th, bustling and lively outside, a harmonious festive atmosphere.

Jin Xi opened her eyes and looked around the tidy room, feeling a bit unfamiliar with the surroundings.

This was Bo Yan's home.

She rubbed her eyes and quietly got dressed, tiptoeing out the door.

The light-blocking curtains in the living room were tightly drawn, with only faint morning light leaking in through the gaps, making the surroundings appear dim and obscure.

Bo Yan was wearing a light gray sweater and cotton pants, lying on his back on the long sofa, one hand pillowing the back of his head while the other hung loosely off the side. A thin blanket covered his body.

The sofa was not big enough for his tall frame, with his legs sticking out over the edge, exposing a section of fair calf.

Jin Xi came to Bo Yan's side and crouched down, leaning over him as she studied his sleeping face intently.

His features were very sharp, appearing somewhat cold and even fierce when not smiling, making him hard to approach. Especially his narrow, phoenix-shaped eyes, sharp and aloof.

But he liked to smile when awake, softening his brow line considerably, adding a hint of allure to his gaze.

Jin Xi gently brushed his long eyelashes with her fingertips. How could a boy have such pretty lashes?

Just then, the man's hand suddenly shot out and accurately grabbed her wrist.

Jin Xi was caught off guard and quickly tried to retract her hand, but his grip was too strong, leaving her unable to break free...

Bo Yan slowly opened his narrow eyes, revealing an inky black pupil that gave off a bewitching feeling, truly like a seductive fox.

He pulled Jin Xi closer and asked in a lilting tone, "Am I fun to play with?"

Jin Xi struggled to pull away, but his hand was too strong for her to break free. "I didn't do anything, I just...touched your eyelashes, that's all."

Bo Yan gave a faint smile and released her. "Who allowed you to randomly touch as you please?"

"I wasn't touching randomly," Jin Xi said innocently. "I didn't touch any inappropriate places."

They were just eyelashes, was he going to be so petty?

He actually found it a bit interesting, throwing off the blanket as he sat up on the sofa, knees bent. He asked Jin Xi in return, "Which places are inappropriate to touch?"

"Um..." Jin Xi's gaze lowered to the waistband of his pants.

Bo Yan lazily pulled the blanket back over his lower body and murmured, "You know not to touch inappropriately, but you can't stare inappropriately either."

If you react from staring, are you going to take responsibility?

Jin Xi nodded rapidly like a pecking chick, then solemnly said to him, "I have something to tell you, senior."

"Oh?"

"Senior, you...you shouldn't casually bring girls home in the future."

Especially with your good looks, you must be careful about safety."

Why was she lecturing him now?

Bo Yan irritably ruffled her hair and pushed her to the edge of the sofa. "Why?"

"I'm not a bad person, but others might be. Anyway, since you live alone, you must be careful about safety."

For some reason, this sounded strange to hear.

Bo Yan pressed down on the back of her head and slowly moved closer to her, speaking seriously and solemnly. "I should be the one telling you that you absolutely, absolutely cannot go home with any guy besides me."

"Why does it have to be besides senior?"

Bo Yan released his hold and lazily leaned back against the sofa. He looked down at her arrogantly. "Because senior loves you."

Jin Xi: ......

Thanks for the love.

**

Jin Xi's phone ran out of battery last night. She left it charging on the nightstand and forgot to turn it back on. When she finally powered it up this morning, dozens of missed calls instantly flooded in, starting from seven in the morning until now at eight forty, coming in every few minutes.

The caller ID displayed: Shen Ping Chuan.

Jin Xi's phone slipped from her hand in fright, her soul leaving her body as her face turned deathly pale and her lips trembled violently. "I'm done for!"

Bo Yan picked up her phone and saw the screen. "You really are done for."

This was no mere missed call from Shen Ping Chuan. This was a lethal barrage of missiles.

How could Jin Xi have expected him to go to the Jin residence to pick her up so early? That guy normally slept until noon before getting up, so she planned to sneak back home early in the morning.

But Shen Ping Chuan had gone to the Jin mansion first thing in the morning and found out she had already left the previous night. And now her phone was unreachable...

Judging by the dozens of missed calls, Shen Ping Chuan must be going insane right now!

"S-Senior, what should I do?" Jin Xi looked at Bo Yan pleadingly, her face ghastly white.

Bo Yan poured himself a glass of water and strolled to the dining table, pulling out a chair to sit down lazily. "Do you want to hear my suggestion?"

Jin Xi nodded profusely.

Bo Yan said, "Move in with me. Shen Ping Chuan won't be able to find you for the rest of his life."

Jin Xi: ......

What kind of suggestion was that!

Just then, the ominous ringing of her phone sounded once more. The caller ID—

Shen Ping Chuan.

Jin Xi's hand shook as she held the phone, too scared to pick up. She looked to Bo Yan for help.

In the end, Bo Yan took the phone and answered the call.

Shen Ping Chuan's voice was extremely low and solemn.

"Jin Xi, where are you?"

It was not hysterical anger nor vulgar cursing. Even his way of addressing her had changed from "little ass" to "Jin Xi".

The current Shen Ping Chuan was like the calm before a raging tornado. If vulgar cursing was anger level six, then the current Shen Ping Chuan was definitely a full level ten.

Bo Yan calmly responded, "Shen Ping Chuan, it's me."

On the other end of the call, Shen Ping Chuan paused in surprise. "Bo Yan?"

Bo Yan glanced at the trembling Jin Xi and said, "Don't worry. Jin Xi spent the night at my place last night."

After saying that, he immediately hung up without waiting for Shen Ping Chuan's reaction.

Jin Xi asked puzzledly, "Why did you hang up?"

Bo Yan touched his chest and answered honestly, "I'm a little scared too."

Author's note: Your raging brother will arrive on the battlefield in ten seconds.

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