KM: Chapter 39

“Are you happy now?” You Chen smiled helplessly and pinched Ji An's chin. “Then let's eat.”

“Okay.”

Ji An was in a great mood and agreed to everything. You Chen took the opportunity to keep feeding him soup. It was almost finished when Ji An finally realized what was happening. He looked up at You Chen with a somewhat aggrieved expression, silently refusing with his fingers against the bowl.

You Chen raised an eyebrow and said, “Finish it. Only then will I take you to the company tomorrow.”

Ji An immediately drooped his head, looking even more aggrieved, but obediently opened his mouth to finish the rest. Then he looked at You Chen as if seeking approval, his thoughts written all over his face.

You Chen chuckled, “Alright, I’ll take you.”

He finally figured out how to make Ji An obedient. If Ji An wanted to go to the company with him every day, he would use this tactic daily, confident it would work every time.

“Go to your room and sleep. I need to go to the study to edit some base images.”

“I’ll accompany you.”

Ji An clung to him, refusing to let go, saying he had slept all day and wasn’t tired at all.

“I won’t disturb you, okay?”

You Chen squinted, not responding.

Ji An had just spoken smoothly, without a stutter.

Ji An’s stutter had long been cured, but whenever he spoke to You Chen, it was as if he reverted to his old self, needing to carefully articulate each word with pauses to speak properly.

He suddenly realized this was also because Ji An was sick. Whenever Ji An saw him or faced him, he involuntarily rewound time to a few years ago, trapping himself and You Chen in the most painful moments of his memory, never moving forward.

So he could only communicate using the old ways because Ji An hadn’t moved on, trapped in place.

You Chen knew how severe Ji An's lack of security was, but he seemed to only now realize that the old You Chen gave Ji An an overly saturated sense of security. This security was embedded in Ji An’s body, and after being forcibly removed, it left a huge wound, making Ji An's condition worse than it was initially. Ji An had lost the ability to establish emotional trust.

The allure of something never had is nothing compared to the allure of something once possessed.

Because absence can form a habit, and habits can be adapted to, but loss is not; loss is irreversible damage.

It’s not that the current You Chen can’t provide it, but the wound is already there. He must invest more effort and patience to fill this wound, providing a sense of security a hundred times greater than before.

Their emotional structure was twisted.

If he had to provide an excessive sense of security, it would inevitably evolve into a terrifying controlling desire. If Ji An had to establish trust with him, he must be willing to be forever controlled.

“Okay? I really won’t disturb you.”

Ji An looked up and kissed You Chen’s chin, pulling back quickly. You Chen looked down at him, tilting his head, and asked, “Don’t even know where to kiss, baby, how should I agree to you?”

Ji An hesitated for a moment, then leaned in to touch his lips, but You Chen wasn’t satisfied. He pushed further, “Just touching doesn’t count as a kiss.”

“You Chen…”

Ji An called him pitifully. Unmoved, You Chen forced Ji An to straighten his back and lean in again, rubbing his soft lips a few times as a kiss. You Chen said he had to use his tongue, and Ji An’s breathing faltered for a moment. He blinked and then carefully licked You Chen’s lips with his tongue.

You Chen held Ji An’s waist, knowing he was afraid, probably of being bitten. Ji An never dared to stick out his tongue.

Pretending not to move, Ji An relaxed his guard, slightly opening his mouth and sticking his tongue out a bit more.

You Chen seized the opportunity, grabbing Ji An’s nape and pressing in hard, biting Ji An’s tongue. Ji An whimpered twice, all sounds swallowed.

The hand clutching his shoulder slowly fell, and the straightened back collapsed. Ji An went soft from the kiss, and You Chen finally let him go, holding him while making a cup of milk powder in the kitchen and heading to the study.

Ji An sat on You Chen’s lap, holding the cup and drinking bit by bit. His red, bitten lips were smeared with milk, and his pink tongue gently swept it away, creating a scene both innocent and erotic.

You Chen glanced at him, reaching out to rub his reddened eye corners and cheeks, then picked up his phone to take a picture.

“Huh?”

Ji An looked at him in confusion. He smiled lightly and turned the phone to show Ji An.

The title of photographer was never for nothing. It was a very ordinary action and expression, yet because of You Chen’s strange shooting angle and the deliberately left red fingerprints, the photo was filled with an ambiguous and erotic atmosphere.

Ji An’s face turned red instantly, covering the screen with his hand, not daring to look again. You Chen leaned down to lick the remaining milk on his lips and asked in a low voice, “Does it look good? Want me to help edit it?”

“No… no need.”

You Chen nodded, “Oh, so it doesn’t look good. I’ll take another one for you next time.”

Ji An shook his head, “No… don’t take this kind of photo.”

“I’m the photographer, I decide.”

You Chen supported Ji An’s nape, lifting the cup bottom with his fingers to feed Ji An the rest, saying as he did, “Finish it, and we can go to the company together tomorrow.”

Ji An also realized that in the future, this phrase would be You Chen’s winning tactic to make him instantly comply with any command.

“You were very good today.”

You Chen contentedly rubbed Ji An’s head, put down the cup, and turned on the computer to start editing photos. Ji An leaned against him, curiously staring at the computer, whispering, “He’s really good-looking.”

You Chen typed on the keyboard, looking at the photo with no expression and said, “Not as good-looking as the one I just took.”

Ji An froze for a moment, then his ears reddened as he realized what You Chen meant. You Chen withdrew his hand, pinching Ji An’s chin and shaking it, asking, “Isn’t that right?”

Ji An played deaf and dumb, turning to bury himself in his embrace.

You Chen chuckled lightly, not pressing further, continuing to adjust the photo.

“I’ll take more for you next time.”

The next day, Ji An got up very early, as if worried You Chen would sneak away without taking him to the company.

You Chen coaxed him helplessly, telling him to sleep a little longer and promising not to leave secretly. Ji An half-believed him, finally closing his eyes after tightly hugging his arm, sleeping a little more.

On the way to the company, You Chen bought him congee, and while sitting in the passenger seat, You Chen’s tone was like coaxing a child, “Baby, if you can finish this bowl of congee by yourself, I’ll give you a little gift tonight.”

Ji An quickly nodded, “Okay.”

He hurriedly finished the congee, then stretched out his hand to show You Chen. You Chen nodded, and he asked pitifully, “Then, at noon, do I have to eat by myself too?”

You Chen sighed helplessly, “I’ll feed you.”