AMBTICBPIB Chapter 46

Chu Yi, still in his pajamas, walked ahead of Shen Jin. As he walked, he suddenly felt clumsy, his movements awkward and uncoordinated.

His mind was racing with the thought of sleeping with Shen Jin.

Shen Jin, following behind, couldn’t help but chuckle at Chu Yi’s awkwardness. He stepped forward and said, “Are you nervous? I’m not going to eat you.”

Chu Yi retorted, “I’m not nervous.”

Shen Jin noticed Chu Yi’s ears turning visibly red, their flushed tips strangely endearing. His eyes sparkled with amusement.

Chu Yi’s room was separated from Shen Jin’s by a short corridor, brightly lit.

Shen Jin’s gaze drifted to Chu Yi’s ankles—pale and slender. He had held those delicate ankles before, the memory as vivid as if it had happened just last night.

With deliberate restraint, Shen Jin averted his eyes, worried that Chu Yi might refuse to return to his room if he noticed.

For some reason, Chu Yi felt a sudden warmth in his ankles. Thankfully, the burning sensation didn’t last long.

Shen Jin’s room was warm, with a faint woody fragrance that made Chu Yi’s entire body relax the moment he stepped inside.

Seeing only one blanket on the bed, Chu Yi blinked, hesitating. *Would it be too dramatic to ask for another blanket?* he wondered. *Never mind, it’s not like we haven’t shared a bed before.*

Fortunately, there was an extra pillow.

Chu Yi burrowed under the blanket, which was also warm. As he lay down, he couldn’t help but let out a long, contented sigh. His own bed was always cold, while Shen Jin’s was simply too comfortable.

Seeing Chu Yi settle into bed, Shen Jin breathed a sigh of relief. He had been prepared to say he didn’t have an extra blanket if Chu Yi asked for one. If Chu Yi insisted on going back for his own, Shen Jin had reasons ready to stop him.

After finally getting Chu Yi into his bed, there was no way he’d let them sleep under separate blankets.

But his worries proved unnecessary. Chu Yi simply slipped under the blanket without a word.

When Shen Jin got into bed, Chu Yi scooted over, leaving plenty of space for him.

Shen Jin pulled him back by the shoulder. “The bed’s huge. Stop moving. It won’t eat you.”

Chu Yi, now nestled obediently beside Shen Jin, felt his cheeks flush.

They were so close that a faint, alluring scent swirled around Chu Yi’s nose. He sniffed lightly—the fragrance was intoxicating.

The scent emanated from the hollow of Shen Jin’s throat.

Chu Yi tilted his head, his gaze landing on Shen Jin’s Adam’s apple. *Why is his Adam’s apple so damn sexy?* Above it lay Shen Jin’s sharp jawline, and higher still, his lips—those lips that had kissed him so fiercely.

Shen Jin was impossibly handsome. No matter the angle, there wasn’t a single unflattering view. Chu Yi’s heart began to race, its rhythm erratic.

He shifted his gaze upward again, meeting Shen Jin’s eyes.

Shen Jin regarded him with a knowing smile, as if he’d caught every one of Chu Yi’s furtive glances. Caught red-handed, Chu Yi cleared his throat, feeling he needed to say something to cover his embarrassment.

“Your room is huge, and the bed is really comfortable.”

Then Chu Yi heard Shen Jin’s soft chuckle, his warm breath brushing against the top of his head, tickling slightly.

“Do you really mean that?” Shen Jin asked.

Chu Yi nodded. “Really.”

“Since you find my bed so comfortable,” Shen Jin said, “you can sleep here from now on.”

“Huh?” Chu Yi replied.

In the dimly lit bedroom, the darkness heightened his senses. Chu Yi clearly felt Shen Jin’s body heat and breath were stronger and more invasive than usual, gradually overwhelming his senses.

The usually dignified Patriarch Shen was now acting unreasonably. “Don’t want to? Were you lying about it being comfortable earlier?”

Chu Yi decided to change the subject. “The heating system in my room should be fixed by tomorrow, right?”

“I don’t know,” Shen Jin replied. “It might take several days to repair.”

“Ah? So I have to stay here for several days?” Chu Yi asked.

“You don’t want to sleep in my room?” Shen Jin asked.

Shen Jin’s tone reminded Chu Yi of their first encounter.

“No, no,” Chu Yi said. “Your bed is very comfortable. I want to sleep here.”

A soft chuckle came from above.

It turned out Shen Jin was teasing him. Chu Yi opened his mouth, but couldn’t think of anything to say, so he fell silent.

Shen Jin took his hand. “Your hand is still a bit cold.”

Chu Yi didn’t mind at all. “It’s nothing. It’s always like this in winter. I’m used to it.”

Shen Jin hated hearing Chu Yi say he was “used to it” more than anything. Every time Chu Yi said those words, his heart ached beyond measure.

Chu Yi didn’t notice the change in Shen Jin’s expression, nor did he know what Shen Jin was thinking. All he knew was that his hands had suddenly been seized. Before he could react, his hands were placed on Shen Jin’s chest, and an arm wrapped around his waist, pulling him closer.

Shen Jin’s chest was firm and warm, much warmer than Chu Yi’s. Chu Yi’s fingertips slowly began to warm, and he could feel Shen Jin’s strong heartbeat pulsing through his palms.

“Is that warmer?” Shen Jin asked.

“Very warm,” Chu Yi replied.

Shen Jin hooked his long leg around Chu Yi’s cool feet, drawing them against his calf. It felt like soaking his feet in a warm spring, relaxing his entire body.

Unable to describe the comforting warmth, Chu Yi looked up to see Shen Jin’s expression, but accidentally bumped his chin.

A sudden tingling sensation ran through his waist as Shen Jin’s wristband vibrated. The waist was a sensitive area, and Chu Yi bit his lip, taking a deep breath.

*Why doesn’t Shen Jin take off his wristband even when he’s sleeping?* Chu Yi wondered. Just then, Shen Jin removed the wristband and set it aside without even glancing at the notifications. He rubbed Chu Yi’s head. “Did you hurt yourself?”

Chu Yi shook his head. He wasn’t really hurt; it was probably Shen Jin’s chin that hurt, but Shen Jin didn’t seem to mind at all.

It seemed Shen Jin had an exceptionally high pain tolerance. Chu Yi had seen him injured several times, yet he never even frowned.

In such a warm embrace, drowsiness quickly set in. Lately, Chu Yi had been feeling unusually sleepy, probably due to the spring fatigue. In this comfortable environment, it was even easier to drift off.

He closed his eyes and fell asleep almost immediately.

After a while, Shen Jin noticed the person in his arms had fallen silent. He looked down and saw Chu Yi was asleep.

Shen Jin: …

The sleeping Chu Yi was quiet, beautiful, and fragile, needing to be carefully protected and cherished.

Shen Jin lowered his head and gently kissed Chu Yi’s forehead.

Waking up in Shen Jin’s arms the next morning, Chu Yi took a few seconds to remember they had slept together the previous night.

But when he had fallen asleep, their positions hadn’t been this intimate.

It was rare to find Shen Jin still asleep. Chu Yi couldn’t resist gazing at him. His nose was truly striking, and his face was undeniably handsome.

As he stared, Chu Yi awkwardly got up and quietly slipped back to his own room.

*This is too obvious, especially this early in the morning,* he thought. *Thank goodness Shen Jin didn’t wake up. If he had caught me, I’d be mortified.*

The moment Chu Yi softly closed the door, Shen Jin opened his eyes, his face radiating contentment. Unbeknownst to Chu Yi, Shen Jin’s expression was even more revealing.

Back in his room, Chu Yi began his morning routine.

While squeezing toothpaste onto his brush, he pursed his lips. They seemed to carry a faint citrus scent—not just on his lips, but also on his tongue and in his mouth.

Chu Yi glanced at his reflection in the mirror, still puzzled, but couldn’t figure out the reason.

Shen Jin had come downstairs earlier. When Chu Yi sat beside him, he noticed a faint citrus scent on Shen Jin as well.

Seeing Chu Yi staring, Shen Jin asked, “What’s wrong?”

Chu Yi shook his head, still perplexed.

Today’s breakfast was *Niangchun*, a dish featuring duck eggs and glass noodles.

Butler Wen had meticulously selected the finest duck eggs, resulting in an even more delicious flavor.

*Niangchun* involves stuffing duck eggs with meat filling, unlike stuffed tofu. The process is more intricate, requiring the meat filling to be carefully inserted into the yolk bit by bit. Inexperienced hands could easily break the yolk, ruining the egg—a task demanding precision.

But for Butler Wen, it was second nature.

Even cooking the duck eggs required meticulous attention to detail, with strict control over the heat to ensure both the meat filling and the egg itself were cooked to perfection.

This was Chu Yi’s first time trying *Niangchun*. He had initially assumed it was just a regular bowl of duck egg and glass noodle soup, but the vibrant green scallions sprinkled on top immediately whetted his appetite.

After taking a bite, Chu Yi’s eyes lit up. The dish combined the rich flavor of duck egg with the savory taste of meat filling. The tender egg and fragrant meat created an exceptionally delicious combination, complemented by the perfectly cooked glass noodles.

Chu Yi asked, “Uncle Wen, what’s this called?”

It was his first time trying egg yolks stuffed with meat.

Uncle Wen replied, “It’s called ‘Stuffed Spring’.”

This dish was a specialty of Butler Wen’s kitchen. During spring, the adults would often make Stuffed Spring for the children.

In previous years, Uncle Wen had always prepared Stuffed Spring for Shen Jin every spring. Now, of course, he was making it for Chu Yi as well.

As they spoke, Chu Yi finished his first duck egg. “This is so delicious!”

Seeing how happily he ate, Uncle Wen’s smile grew even brighter.

“From now on, I’ll make Stuffed Spring for you every spring,” Uncle Wen promised.

Chu Yi nodded eagerly. “Mm-hmm!”

Uncle Wen deliberately placed an extra duck egg in Chu Yi’s bowl. After finishing the eggs and glass noodles, Chu Yi drank every last drop of the broth, feeling warm all over.

Feeling cozy and content, Chu Yi headed off to school.

With no morning commitments, Shen Jin drove him there.

As they neared the school, Chu Yi suddenly turned to Shen Jin, a realization dawning on his face.

He remembered why the citrus scent on Shen Jin’s lips had seemed so familiar. He had seen the citrus-flavored mouthwash Shen Jin used in the bathroom.