Chapter Text
The chaos outside had settled into a dull roar, but inside Wu Suowei’s office, the air was freezing—mostly because of the icy stare-down happening across his desk.
Sitting across from Wu Suowei was Mr. Tan, the regional manager for a heavy machinery firm that used to contract with Iron Claw. Mr. Tan was a man who clearly believed that volume made up for a lack of intelligence. He sat with his legs spread as far apart as the guest chair allowed, chewing on a toothpick and looking at Wu Suowei with a mixture of boredom and blatant condescension.
"Look, Mr. Wu," Tan said, flicking the toothpick onto the carpet with a casual disrespect that made Wu Suowei’s eye twitch.
"Let’s cut the act. I know how this works in Beijing. You’re the… face of the operation. Very pretty face, great for the brochures." He smirked, his eyes trailing over the charcoal suit that cost more than Wu Suowei’s entire office furniture collection.
Oh, how I wanted to punch him in the face.
"But I need to talk to the decision-maker. I need to talk to Chi Cheng. I’m not signing a logistics contract with a… how do I put this politely… a hobby project."
Wu Suowei’s hand tightened around his pen. The plastic barrel creaked under the pressure. He wasn't just falling for Chi Cheng, he was falling into the role of a man who wouldn't be stepped on.
"Mr. Tan," Wu Suowei said, his voice dropping into a register that was dangerously calm. "Mr. Chi is a silent partner. I own this company. I set the rules. I set the rates. And right now, the rate for you is increasing by the minute because you are currently wasting my oxygen."
"Cute," Tan laughed. "But I’m not paying premium rates to a puppet. Get me the Wolf, or I walk."
Before Wu Suowei could unleash a stinging rebuttal involving compound interest and a map to the door, his personal phone—propped up against Xiao Bao’s travel box—began to vibrate violently.
A video call request popped up.
Caller ID: GANG ZI
"One moment," Wu Suowei said through gritted teeth. He tapped the screen to decline.
The phone rang again instantly.
"He’s persistent," Tan sneered. "Maybe the real boss is calling to check on you?"
Wu Suowei glared at him and tapped 'Accept', intending to yell at Gang Zi for interrupting a negotiation.
"Gang Zi! I am in a meet—"
CRASH
The sound that erupted from the phone’s speaker was deafening. It sounded like a bomb going off. Mr. Tan jumped in his chair.
On the small screen, a cloud of white dust billowed out. Through the haze, Wu Suowei saw Gang Zi wearing a hard hat and safety goggles, looking like he’d just survived a collapse.. He was standing in what used to be Wu Suowei’s bedroom.
Except the bedroom was gone.
"Boss!" Gang Zi shouted over the roar of a jackhammer. "Good news! The wall is down! We found a structural anomaly in Mrs. Liu’s kitchen, but don't worry, we just bought the apartment below hers to reinforce the beam!"
"You bought the downstairs apartment too?!" Wu Suowei shrieked, forgetting the client entirely. "That’s three apartments! I just wanted a mattress, not a vertical monopoly!"
"Big Boss says go big or go home!" Gang Zi yelled back. He panned the camera.
Wu Suowei watched in horror as a sledgehammer smashed through the plaster, revealing Mrs. Liu—his elderly neighbor—sitting in a lawn chair amidst the rubble, clutching a bouquet of flowers and a check. She happily sang a high-pitched aria from a well known soap-opera.
"She’s very happy with the settlement!" Gang Zi gave a thumbs up. "We’re installing the hot tub by 2:00 PM! Just wanted to confirm—do you want the marble in 'Midnight Black' or 'Pimp Daddy Gold'? Chi Cheng voted for Gold, but I think it’s tacky!"
"Pimp Daddy Gold? What the hell is even that! Black!" Wu Suowei screamed into the phone. "Get the black! And tell him to stop buying the neighbors!"
He slammed the phone face down, cutting the feed.
Silence filled the office. The dust from the video call seemed to linger in the air.
Mr. Tan was staring at him, his mouth slightly open.
"Did…" Tan stammered. "Did you just buy three apartments and install a hot tub… during a morning meeting?"
Wu Suowei adjusted his tie. He was breathing hard. He looked at Mr. Tan with the wild eyes of a man who was slowly losing his grip on reality and replacing it with pure, unadulterated cash flow.
"My partner likes to… nest," Wu Suowei said tightly. "Now, about your rate."
"I…" Tan shifted uncomfortably. "I think we can stick to the standard—"
SLAM
The office door flew open.
Jiang Xiaoshuai marched in, looking like he was under immense duress. He wasn't holding files. He wasn't holding a phone.
He was holding a silver serving platter with a domed lid, followed by two delivery men in crisp white uniforms pushing a heated trolley that smelled richer than Mr. Tan’s entire company.
"Lunchtime!" Xiaoshuai announced, his voice cracking with the stress of a man under a death threat. "12:30 PM on the dot! Mandatory feeding time!"
"Xiaoshuai!" Wu Suowei groaned, burying his face in his hands. "I am negotiating! I have a cup of noodles in the break room!"
"The noodles have been confiscated and destroyed," Xiaoshuai declared, parking the trolley next to the shocked client. He pulled a memo from his pocket. "Per the Big Boss instructions: 'If Da Bao does not consume at least 800 calories of protein by 1:00 PM, the Executive Assistant (which is me) will be reassigned to clean the sewers of the new industrial park.'"
Xiaoshuai looked at Wu Suowei with pleading, watery eyes. "Please eat, Da Wei. I don't want to be a sewer rat. I have soft hands."
One of the white-gloved waiters stepped forward and whipped the dome off the silver platter.
Steam curled into the air.
Resting on the plate was not a sandwich. It was a Lobster Thermidor, split and grilled to perfection, sitting next to a stack of Wagyu beef cubes that glistened with truffle glaze. There was also a small bowl of gold-leaf rice.
The smell filled the small office instantly—butter, cognac, and money.
Mr. Tan looked at the lobster. He looked at the Wagyu. Then he looked at Wu Suowei, who was glaring at the food as if it were a personal insult.
"Is that…" Tan swallowed hard. "Is that lunch?"
He looked at Tan, his eyes cold and sharp.
"It’s a burden," Wu Suowei sighed, stabbing a piece of Wagyu with unnecessary aggression. He pointed the silver fork—holding about $100 worth of beef—at Tan’s chest. "You called me a puppet earlier, Mr. Tan. Tell me... do puppets usually eat better than the men who try to bully them?"
Tan shrank back. The sheer display of casual, chaotic wealth was overwhelming. The demolished apartments. The hot tub. The lobster lunch delivery in a mid-rise office.
This wasn't a puppet.
This was a warlord being pampered by a god.
"I..." Tan stood up, his arrogance evaporating. "I think the 5% rate increase is fair. Actually, very fair."
"Excellent," Wu Suowei said, chewing the beef (which melted in his mouth, damn it). He pointed to the door with the fork. "Xiaoshuai, print the contract. Mr. Tan is signing. And then get him out of here before he breathes on my lobster."
Xiaoshuai scrambled to the printer. "On it, Boss!"
Tan signed the papers with shaking hands and fled the office as if the lobster might attack him.
As the door clicked shut, Wu Suowei slumped in his chair. He looked at the pile of luxury food, then at Xiaoshuai, who was wiping sweat from his forehead.
"We survived," Xiaoshuai whispered.
"Barely," Wu Suowei mumbled. He looked at the box on his desk.
The lid of Xiao Bao’s tank nudged open. The tiny yellow snake peeked out, tongue flicking toward the smell of the warm beef.
Wu Suowei sighed. He cut a tiny, unseasoned sliver of the Wagyu beef and held it out on his finger.
"Here," Wu Suowei whispered to the snake. "Don't tell your dad I’m sharing. He’ll think I’m going soft."
Xiao Bao struck fast, snatching the meat.
Wu Suowei ate another piece of lobster, ignoring the bill in his head, and decided that maybe—just maybe—being a ‘kept man’ had its perks.
Especially the lunch.
—
Wu Suowei sat at his desk, the lingering scent of truffle and lobster still hanging in the air like a decadent fog. The signed contract from Mr. Tan—with its beautiful, panicked 5% rate increase—sat in the center of his blotter.
"He's going to find out," Xiaoshuai whispered, leaning against the doorframe while clutching a stack of invoices.
"Find out what?" Wu Suowei asked, trying to look busy by organizing his paperclips by size.
"That you chose ‘Midnight Black’ instead of the ‘Pimp Daddy Gold’," Xiaoshuai said, his voice trembling slightly. "Chi Cheng doesn't like being overruled on design choices. Especially when it involves marble. He has… opinions on opulence."
"It’s my apartment!" Wu Suowei countered, though he immediately looked at his phone to make sure it wasn't vibrating. "And 'Pimp Daddy Gold' is an affront to my ancestors. I'm a serious businessman, Xiaoshuai. I can't have a bathroom that looks like a gilded disco."
Before Xiaoshuai could respond, the office's main line rang. Then Line 2. Then Line 3.
The ‘high-stakes’ part of the day wasn't over. Word had traveled fast through the grapevine of Beijing's logistics world: Wu Trading wasn't just a modest firm anymore, it was backed by the kind of money that buys neighbors just to reinforce a mattress.
"Boss!" the receptionist called out, her voice sounding significantly more respectful than it had two hours ago. "I have the CEO of South-Sea Logistics on the line. He says he’s 'reconsidering' the exclusive partnership we offered last month."
Wu Suowei straightened his charcoal jacket. He felt the weight of the suit, the warmth of the lobster in his stomach, and the memory of Chi Cheng’s ‘L’ word in the car.
"Put him through," Wu Suowei said. He looked at Xiaoshuai and smirked. "And Xiaoshuai? Bring me those apology pears. I think I’m going to need a snack while I squeeze this guy for every cent he’s worth."
—
"Mr. Wu," the CEO’s voice crackled over the speaker. He sounded like a man who had spent the morning reading about the demolition. "I heard you had a… productive morning. I was wondering if we could discuss those shipping rates again. Perhaps the 10% volume discount we requested was a bit… ambitious?"
Wu Suowei leaned back in his chair, propping his feet up near Xiao Bao’s box.
"Ambitious is a kind word, Mr. Zhou," Wu Suowei said, his voice smooth and dangerously relaxed. "In this market, I’d call it 'hallucinatory.' Actually, I was just looking at my ledger. Due to some… unexpected structural investments in my personal life… my operating costs have shifted. The discount is off the table."
"Off the table?" Zhou stammered. "But—"
"In fact," Wu Suowei interrupted, popping a slice of a high-end pear into his mouth, "there’s a 2% surcharge for 'administrative intensity.' My COO—Jiang Xiaoshuai—is very expensive to maintain. He requires Wagyu at 12:30 PM sharp."
Across the room, Xiaoshuai facepalmed, but he was already typing up the new terms.
"I… I see," Zhou said, the sound of a pen scratching frantically on the other end. "2% surcharge. We can… we can make that work. As long as our containers are prioritized?"
"Prioritized?" Wu Suowei looked at the gold-leaf rice left on his plate. "Mr. Zhou, for 2%, they’ll be treated like diamonds. And I have it on good authority that I have a very high distaste for people who misplace diamonds."
By the time he hung up, Wu Suowei felt a rush better than any caffeine hit. He looked at Xiaoshuai.
"How much did we just make?"
Xiaoshuai looked at his calculator, his eyes widening. "In annual projections? Enough to buy ten hot tubs. In Pimp Daddy Gold."
"Keep the black," Wu Suowei whispered, a triumphant grin spreading across his face. "But maybe tell the contractor to add a gold faucet. Just to keep the 'Wolf' from biting."
—
The frantic energy of the day had finally simmered down to a low, satisfied hum. Jiang Xiaoshuai was slumped over his desk, burying his face in a cool towel, while Wu Suowei was meticulously filing away the signed contract from Mr. Tan.
The glass doors slid open silently.
Chi Cheng didn't walk in, he occupied the space. He was still wearing the same suit from the morning, but now he had the relaxed, loose-limbed energy of a predator who had already eaten and was just patrolling his territory.
Xiaoshuai immediately straightened up, throwing the towel into a drawer. "Chairman Chi."
Chi Cheng nodded at him—a dismissal and a greeting rolled into one—and walked straight into Wu Suowei’s office. He didn't knock. He leaned against the doorframe, crossing his arms, his dark eyes sweeping over the stack of contracts and the empty lobster shells.
"So," Chi Cheng said, his voice low. "How is my partner performing? Bull market or bear market?"
Wu Suowei looked up, feigning nonchalance, though his heart did that traitorous double-tap against his ribs. He held up Mr. Tan’s contract.
"Bull market," Wu Suowei declared, failing to hide his smug grin. "We’re up 15% on volume, and I successfully levied a 'nuisance tax' on South-Sea Logistics. And…" He pointed to the empty silver platter. "… I ate the lobster. It was acceptable."
Chi Cheng’s lips quirked upward. He walked around the desk, invading Wu Suowei’s personal space until Wu Suowei was forced to swivel his chair to face him.
"Acceptable?" Chi Cheng murmured, placing a hand on the armrest, trapping Wu Suowei. "I'll have the chef fired."
"Don't you dare," Wu Suowei said quickly. "The sauce was… good. Fantastic."
"Good." Chi Cheng checked his watch. "Pack up. The market is closed. We have a site inspection to attend to."
"Site inspection?" Wu Suowei blinked. "For a new warehouse?"
"For your bedroom," Chi Cheng corrected. "Gang Zi says the 'renovation' is ahead of schedule."
—
The walk-up was tense. The hallway smelled of chalk and destruction. But nothing prepared Wu Suowei for the moment the front door opened.
"It’s ventilated," Chi Cheng argued, stepping casually over a pile of pulverized drywall as if it were a decorative rug.
"It’s a hole!" Wu Suowei shouted, his voice echoing weirdly. He waved his arms frantically at the gaping void where his load-bearing wall used to be. Through the dust, he could clearly see the interior of Unit 303, which was currently being stripped to the studs by a crew of men in yellow vests.
"There is no bedroom! There is only… dust and echoes! Where am I supposed to sleep? On the exposed rebar? Should I just dangle from the ceiling like a bat?"
"The hotel is booked," Gang Zi interjected helpfully from the doorway, holding a clipboard covered in plaster dust. "Penthouse suite. Ocean view… well, smog view, but it's high up."
"No," Chi Cheng said immediately, cutting the idea down before it could take root. "Hotels are impersonal. The staff asks too many questions."
He turned to Wu Suowei, who was frantically trying to cover his suits with plastic bags to protect them from the plaster dust.
"Pack a bag, Da Bao," Chi Cheng commanded, his tone brokering no argument. "You’re staying with me."
"I am not moving in with you," he protested, coughing as a cloud of white dust poofed off his shoulder. "We’ve been dating for—what? Three days? If you can even call this 'dating' and not a 'hostile corporate acquisition'!"
He pointed an accusing finger at Chi Cheng.
"Just because you dropped the 'L' word in traffic this morning doesn't mean you get to skip the tutorial levels! That was already a statistical anomaly! Moving in is a Phase 4 relationship step. We are barely in Phase 1! We haven't even gone to the movies yet!"
Chi Cheng stepped closer, crowding Wu Suowei against the only remaining sturdy wall. He looked down, a smug, satisfied glint in his eyes.
"I demolished your wall, bought your neighbor’s life, destroyed your business rival, and told you I loved you before breakfast," Chi Cheng listed off, checking his watch with maddening calm.
He leaned in, his voice dropping to a low, silky whisper that made Wu Suowei’s knees weak.
"And you even said it back, Da Bao. Don't act as if I didn't hear you whispering to the window. You signed the contract verbally, and I accepted the terms. So don't pretend this is Phase 1."
Wu Suowei opened his mouth, then closed it, his face turning a brilliant shade of red. "I… that was… the window needed reassurance! It was a reflex!"
"Ineffective defense," Chi Cheng smirked. "Pack up. I have a villa in the suburbs. It’s quiet. It has air filtration. And…"
He paused, his expression shifting to something mocking yet fond.
"…Xiao Cubao misses you."
Wu Suowei froze, the blush fading into confusion. "Who is Xiao Cubao?"
"Our first child," Chi Cheng said, his voice dropping into a tone of mock-seriousness that made Wu Suowei’s skin prickle. "The albino. You met her back at the office. I officially renamed her after you."
He paused, a dark glint of mischief in his eyes. "She seems to love her new name, too. Especially when it’s from her 'mom."
“What? Mom?” Wu Suowei’s face scrunched up into a knot of pure indignation. He nearly dropped the plastic bags he was clutching. "Who are you calling a mother? I am a logistics entrepreneur! I am a man of the people! I am not a maternal figure for a cold-blooded reptile that could swallow me whole!"
"You're the one who tucked Xiao Bao into your breast pocket and fed him Wagyu earlier," Chi Cheng pointed out, his smirk widening. "That's motherly instinct if I've ever seen it. You even made sure the pieces were bite-sized."
"And Cubao?" Wu Suowei continued, ignoring the Wagyu comment as he frantically processed the name. "Like… 'Little Jealousy'? You renamed a deadly, world-class predator 'Little Jealousy' just because you think I’m jealous?"
"Aren't you?" Chi Cheng teased. He stepped over a jagged pile of rubble, closing the distance between them until Wu Suowei was trapped against the only remaining doorframe. He leaned in, the scent of his expensive cologne mixing with the dry tang of drywall dust. His thumb reached out, gently brushing a smudge of white plaster off the tip of Wu Suowei’s nose.
"Did you think I didn’t notice your jealousy yesterday at the restaurant?" Chi Cheng’s voice dropped to a low, knowing vibration. "The way you looked at her when she tried to smile at me? You looked like you wanted to audit her entire existence out of the city. It’s a fitting name for our daughter."
"She is not my daughter! And I am not jealous!" Wu Suowei hissed, though his face was heating up to a temperature that would have made a cold-blooded python very comfortable. "I am… fiscally protective of my time! And my assets! You are an asset!"
The air in the room suddenly felt heavy, charged with a tension that pushed the sound of the jackhammers and the construction crew into the far distance.
Chi Cheng didn't pull away. Instead, he leaned in further, his shadow completely swallowing Wu Suowei form. He tilted his head and, with a slow, deliberate movement, nipped the shell of Wu Suowei’s burning ear.
It wasn't a graze, it was a possessive, sharp bite that sent a shiver down Wu Suowei’s spine.
The effect was instantaneous. Outside the doorway, the construction noise seemed to vanish. Gang Zi stopped shuffling his papers. The workmen held their breath. You could have heard a pin drop in the debris-strewn hallway as the silence turned absolute.
Wu Suowei’s breath hitched, his entire body locking up as he felt the humid heat of Chi Cheng’s breath against his skin.
"Behave," Chi Cheng whispered against his ear, his voice a dark caress.
He straightened up then, towering over the shorter man with a triumphant look, and gestured toward the portable tank sitting safely in the corner. "Now, pack Xiao Bao. We’re leaving before the dust settles on your pride."
Wu Suowei stood there for a second, his brain a mess of static and fire. He felt like his ear was glowing. Finally, he blinked, trying to regain his footing.
He started to reach for the tank, but then he froze, his brain finally catching up to the timeline. He spun around, pointing a finger at Chi Cheng’s chest. “Wait. How did you even know I fed Xiao Bao Wagyu? You weren't there! You were... I don't even know where you were, but you weren't in my office!”
Chi Cheng threw a devastatingly smug smirk at him, the kind that implied he saw everything even when his eyes were closed.
“I have my ways, Da Bao,” Chi Cheng said, leaning down to whisper again. “Let's just say I pay very close attention to my partner. Especially when they’re eating a hundred-dollar lunch.”
"You bugged my office?!" Wu Suowei shrieked. "Or was it Xiaoshuai? I knew that cactus he brought was suspicious! It’s a spy cactus, isn’t it? That traitor! I'm firing him! I'm docking his pay for espionage!"
“I don’t need a spy cactus to know what my partner is doing, and he's on my payroll too, remember?", Chi Cheng laughed, a deep, rich sound that broke the silence and sent the workmen back into motion. “Now, Move. The car is waiting, and I don’t like to keep the 'children' waiting for dinner.”
—
The drive to the villa was a transition from the gritty, dust-choked reality of the apartment to the lush, quiet opulence of the Beijing suburbs. Inside the Maybach, the silence was thick, broken only by the occasional soft clink of Xiao Bao’s travel tank shifting against the leather seat.
Wu Suowei sat as far away from Chi Cheng as the spacious backseat allowed, his back pressed against the door. His ear—the one Chi Cheng had nipped—was still throbbing with a phantom heat that refused to cool down.
"You're awfully quiet," Chi Cheng remarked, his eyes fixed on the road, though the smirk was evident in his voice. "Calculating the square footage of the villa? Or are you still stuck on the 'Mom' comment?"
"I am not the mom!" Wu Suowei snapped, finally turning his head. "If we’re doing this—which we aren't—I am the Dad. Specifically, the cool, responsible Dad who manages the budget and makes sure the kids don't eat the furniture. You can be the the other Dad or the Father. The… the scary, overbearing Father who buys buildings out of spite."
Chi Cheng’s eyes crinkled at the corners, clearly amused. "The 'Father'? That sounds very formal. Very… patriarchal. So we’re a two-dad household now? I didn't realize you’d planned our family tree so thoroughly, Da Bao."
"It’s a hypothetical hierarchy!" Wu Suowei countered, waving a hand dismissively. "I’m just saying, if there’s a maternal role, it’s definitely not me. I don't have the temperament for it. I’m a businessman. I’m a strategist. I am 'Dad'—the one who says no to Pimp Daddy Gold marble!"
Chi Cheng let out a short, bark-like laugh. "You're the 'Dad' who tucks a python into his silk shirt and feeds it Wagyu? That sounds like a very indulgent parent to me."
"That was a business lunch!" Wu Suowei argued, his face flaring red again. "I was just ensuring the 'child' had a high-protein diet for optimal growth. It’s an investment in his future scales!"
"Of course, of course, Dad," Chi Cheng teased, the word sounding low and dangerously intimate when he said it. They took a sharp turn into a private, tree-lined lane. "But I think Xiao Cubao might have something to say about the 'no' to the gold marble. She has very expensive taste, just like her other Dad."
Wu Suowei slumped into the seat, defeated by Chi Cheng’s relentless amusement. "You still haven't explained the 'ways' you knew about the Wagyu. If I find a microphone in my stapler, I’m charging you a surveillance fee."
"It wasn't a bug, Da Bao. The restaurant I ordered the lunch from? I own forty percent of it. The delivery driver didn't just bring you a lobster, he brought me a report. He said you looked 'aggressively satisfied' while feeding the snake."
"Of course," Wu Suowei grumbled. "Is there anything in this city you don't have a stake in?"
"Only the things that don't interest me," Chi Cheng said softly. The car slowed as they approached a massive, wrought-iron gate that swung open automatically, revealing a driveway paved in smooth, dark stone. "And right now, my interests are very… concentrated."
The Maybach rolled to a silent stop in front of the sprawling modern villa—a masterpiece of glass, steel, and dark marble that looked more like a fortress than a home. Up front, the driver sat in stone-faced silence, perfectly trained to act as if the two men in the back didn't exist.
"We’re here," Chi Cheng announced, though he made no move to get out. He shifted in the plush leather seat, turning to look at Wu Suowei. His gaze was heavy and unreadable in the twilight filtering through the tinted windows. "Welcome home, Da Bao. Try not to get lost. If you do, just call for 'Father'… or ‘Daddy’. I’ll come find you."
Wu Suowei’s heart did a nervous skip at the second option, but he bristled, trying to maintain his dignity. "By the way," Chi Cheng murmured, leaning closer into Wu Suowei’s personal space, "the delivery driver didn't tell me about the Wagyu."
Wu Suowei paused, his hand already on the door handle, ready to bolt. "Then how—"
"The smoke detector," Chi Cheng revealed, his voice brimming with dark amusement. "The one directly above your desk. It’s a 4K wide-angle feed with night vision. I watched the whole thing from my office. The way you picked up the beef… the way you blew on it so it wasn't too hot for him… it was very touching, Dad."
Wu Suowei’s jaw didn't just drop, it practically hit the floor mats. He turned around, staring at Chi Cheng in pure, unadulterated shock.
"You... you watched me? You installed a hidden camera in my office? That’s a violation of… of everything! That's corporate espionage! That's a breach of privacy! I could have been… I could have been changing my shirt!"
"I know," Chi Cheng said, his smirk turning into something much more predatory as he tracked the flush creeping up Wu Suowei’s neck. "I was hoping you would. But the snake-feeding was a decent consolation prize."
"You creep! You absolute, high-tech voyeur!" Wu Suowei shrieked, clutching Xiao Bao’s tank to his chest as if to protect the snake’s modesty along with his own. "I'm moving back to the hole in my wall! I'm living in the dust! I’m not staying in a house run by a digital stalker!"
"Too late. The gates are locked," Chi Cheng said. He leaned fully over, pinning Wu Suowei against the door with his shadow, his face only inches away from the hyperventilating younger man.
"Welcome home, Da Bao. Don't worry about the cameras here. I don't need them when you’ll sleep right beside me."
The air left Wu Suowei’s lungs. "Beside you? You mean… the room next door?"
"I mean the same mattress," Chi Cheng clarified, his voice a dark, velvety rumble. "Do you really think I’m going to let a hallway come between us now?"
He reached out, his fingers steady as he tucked a stray hair behind Wu Suowei’s still-red ear, then winked.
"Now, let's go inside. Xiao Cubao has been watching the front gate camera for twenty minutes. She’s inherited my impatience for things that belong to us."
Wu Suowei sat frozen for a moment, the weight of Chi Cheng's presence and the realization that he was being ‘live-streamed’ by his own smoke detector crashing down on him. He had moved from an apartment with a hole in the wall to a gilded cage where the Wolf didn't just want to watch—he wanted to be within arm's reach.
"I'm charging you a 'per-view' fee," Wu Suowei muttered, his voice trembling as he finally pushed the door open and stepped out of the car. "And since it's 4K, and includes overnight stays, the subscription cost is going to be astronomical."
He swallowed hard, clutching Xiao Bao’s tank like a lifeline. He realized then that he wasn't just moving houses; he was moving into the very center of the Wolf’s den, and there was nowhere left to hide.
—
The heavy oak doors of the villa swung open, revealing an interior that was less ‘home’ and more ‘modern palace.’ The air was perfectly climate-controlled, smelling faintly of expensive cedar and rain.
"Is that a fountain in the foyer?" Wu Suowei whispered, his voice echoing off the vaulted ceilings. "Why is there running water indoors? Are you trying to attract mosquitoes or just showing off?"
"It’s a humidifier," Chi Cheng replied casually. "The snakes prefer the humidity".
As if on cue, a splash of vibrant color caught Wu Suowei’s eye. Inside a floor-to-ceiling glass atrium filled with lush tropical plants and driftwood, a slender snake was coiled in a perfect, tight spiral around a horizontal branch.
It was the same albino python he had met at the office, the one with the ink-black crown on her head. She was sleek and delicate, draped over her perch with an effortless, regal grace. As they approached, she didn't slither toward them, she simply shifted her coils, her bright, inquisitive eyes tracking Wu Suowei with terrifying intelligence.
"Look at that," Chi Cheng murmured, stepping up behind Wu Suowei and placing a hand on the small of his back. "She recognized her Mom. See how she’s tilting her head? She’s been waiting for you since the office".
"She looks like she’s judging my haircut!" Wu Suowei squeaked, clutching Xiao Bao’s travel tank higher. "And stop with the 'Mom' thing! I am the disciplinarian Dad! Xiao Bao, don't look at her, she’s a bad influence. She looks like she shops at high-end boutiques."
"She’s specialized, Da Bao. She likes the best of everything," Chi Cheng said, his voice dropping into that dark, teasing register. "Just like I have. But the family is complete now. Let’s get the children settled."
He walked over to the enclosure, unlocked it, and reached in. Instead of leaving her there, he let her drape elegantly over his shoulders like a living necklace.
"Hard to forget a snake that looks like a banana with a tattoo," Wu Suowei muttered, though he stepped closer. "She hissed at me last time."
"She was protecting her territory. This is neutral ground," Chi Cheng said. "Bring Xiao Bao out."
Hesitantly, Wu Suowei opened the travel box. Xiao Bao, sensing fresh air, poked his bright yellow head out, his tongue flickering rapidly.
Chi Cheng lowered his shoulder. Xiao Cubao, gripping Chi Cheng’s shirt with her prehensile tail, extended her slender neck down toward Wu Suowei’s hand. She moved with the fluid, gravity-defying grace of a tree dweller, completely different from Xiao Bao’s clumsy enthusiasm.
The two snakes met in the air.
Xiao Cubao, the rare aristocratic beauty, sniffed the tiny yellow interloper. Xiao Bao, possessing zero survival instincts and the confidence of a god, immediately slithered out of the box. Instead of cowering, he climbed directly onto Xiao Cubao’s neck.
He curled his tiny tail around her slender body and settled his head right on top of hers, covering her black mark with his own yellow chin.
Wu Suowei blinked. "Is he… is he using her as a perch?"
"He’s dominating her," Chi Cheng observed, looking delighted. "He’s claiming the high ground. Aggressive. I like it."
Xiao Cubao seemed unbothered by the fashion accessory. She simply flicked her tongue and coiled tighter around Chi Cheng’s arm, taking the Xiao Bao with her.
"See?" Chi Cheng said, stroking Xiao Cubao’s back. "They get along. Just like their fathers."
—
Chi Cheng led the way up the floating marble staircase, the two snakes still intertwined on his arm like a living, golden cufflink. Wu Suowei followed closely, his eyes darting between the sleek architecture of the villa and the ‘aggressive’ display of dominance Xiao Bao was currently performing on Xiao Cubao.
They reached the top floor, and Chi Cheng pushed open the double doors to the master suite. Wu Suowei’s breath hitched. The room was a vast expanse of dark wood and floor-to-ceiling glass. Far on the horizon, the skyline pierced the sky like a dark needle, but the peace out here in the suburbs was absolute.
Wu Suowei’s eyes immediately locked onto the bed—a massive, custom-built landing strip draped in charcoal silk.
"Wait," Wu Suowei said, holding up a hand. "Before we discuss the… lack of partitions… we need to talk about the children. Xiao Bao is used to a very specific humidity and a quiet environment. He can't just be 'roommates' with a high-maintenance python without a formal agreement."
Chi Cheng walked toward the window, where a state-of-the-art, built-in enclosure stood. It was lined with lush moss and perfect climbing branches. "I’ve already handled the logistics, Dad. This unit has dual-zone climate control. Xiao Cubao stays on the high branches, and your 'yellow worm' can have the heated floor."
"He is not a worm! He’s a specialized logistics consultant!" Wu Suowei countered, stepping closer to inspect the tank. "And I don't like the idea of them being in here. What if Xiao Cubao gets hungry? You said yourself, she’s calm until she’s hungry. I won't have our children—I mean, my snake—turned into a midnight snack."
"She wouldn't dream of it," Chi Cheng murmured, leaning over to gently uncoil the pair from his arm and place them onto a sturdy branch inside the new nursery. "She’s already accepted him. Look."
Inside the tank, Xiao Bao remained firmly draped over Xiao Cubao’s head.
"He’s still using her as a pillow," Wu Suowei noted, a bit of pride swelling in his chest. "Fine. They can share. But only if there’s a clear boundary. I’ll draft a co-parenting schedule by morning."
"I look forward to the spreadsheets," Chi Cheng said, his voice dropping an octave as he turned away from the snakes and toward Wu Suowei. He stepped into Wu Suowei's personal space, his shadow swallowing the shorter man. "But now that the kids are settled, we need to negotiate our own 'sleeping arrangements'."
Wu Suowei looked at the massive bed and then back at the man who had secretly filmed him through a smoke detector just to watch him feed their child.
Wu Suowei looked at the massive bed and then back at the man who had secretly filmed him through a smoke detector just to watch him feed their child.
Wait, what? Our child?
The thought hit Wu Suowei like a physical weight. He glanced back at the two snakes intertwined in a way that looked suspiciously like a family portrait. Well, we did say 'I love you' to each other. The memory of that declaration, shouted over the roar of the traffic and confirmed with the weight of Chi Cheng’s gaze, felt like a binding contract. If they were both ‘Dads,’ and they were in love, then this wasn't just a business merger or a temporary living arrangement. This was a household.
The realization made his pulse jump frantically. He was a parent in a den of predators.
"I'm serious about the fee, Chi Cheng," Wu Suowei whispered, his heart hammering against his ribs, just as it had in the elevator at Chi Holdings. "Daily Wagyu. No cameras in the bathroom—I mean it, I'll find them. And I get the left side of the bed."
"You can have whatever you want, Da Bao," Chi Cheng replied, his fingers trailing down the lapel of Wu Suowei’s suit—one remarkably similar to the navy blue one he’d worn to impress him during their first contract negotiation.
Chi Cheng stepped even closer, until the scent of his expensive cologne completely enveloped Wu Suowei. He leaned down, his lips ghosting over the ear he had nipped earlier, asserting his dominance just as Xiao Bao was doing to Xiao Cubao.
"As long as you realize that in this house, there’s no such thing as a 'restraining order' between fathers. You're signed, sealed, and delivered, Da Bao. There’s no backing out of this shipment."
Wu Suowei looked at the charcoal silk sheets and felt a shiver that was half-terror, half-anticipation. "I haven't signed the house rules yet," he managed to choke out.
"The rules are simple," Chi Cheng smiled, a look of pure, predatory satisfaction. "I provide the villa, and you provide the service. Everything else is negotiable… except for where you sleep."