At the moment, Xiao Yu yearned to wash his face and cool off just as Yan Jin had before.
But after giving it more thought, he decided it would be better not to.
After all, Yan Jin seemed to have gone crazy when he came back after washing his face and Xiao Yu did not want to risk having the same reaction.
And all this about his confession. What confession? When had he ever confessed?
Even if he wanted to confess to Yan Jin, he would have waited until he regained his human form first…
Hold on, even if he was human, he still would not confess to Yan Jin. Yan Jin was his worst enemy!
Ok fine, so maybe Yan Jin was not his worst enemy, but he was still an enemy…
Xiao Yu’s thoughts were messier than his knotted up fur.
The only thing he was sure of was
No matter what had happened, there was no way he could possibly confess to Yan Jin, okay?
Lost in his complicated thoughts, Xiao Yu carelessly ruined his image as a mysterious and cold designer.
[Fish and Hamster – You Can’t Have Both]: Yan Jin, please stop joking! When did I ever confess to you?
Luckily, Yan Jin’s thoughts were also a mess and he did not notice anything wrong with Xiao Yu’s response.
[Grey-white SS]: Are you not a man of your word?
[Fish and Hamster – You Can’t Have Both]: Only of words that I’ve actually spoken!
[Grey-white SS]: What if I can prove it?
[Fish and Hamster – You Can’t Have Both]: Hah, show me the proof, then we’ll talk.
[Grey-white SS]: Give me a sec.
Xiao Yu tensely waited for five whole minutes before receiving an image.
This was not another old design of his, right?
Yan Jin’s ability to dig up stuff from his past was a bit scary. Xiao Yu tried to remember if he had ever designed anything strange enough to be considered a confession as he apprehensively clicked on the image.
Xiao Yu was expecting a photo. Instead, it was a screenshot.
……
[Grey-white SS]: Why did you choose YL? There are several other design companies in the circle that are way better than YL.
[Fish and Hamster – You Can’t Have Both]: You promise that’s your only question?
[Grey-white SS]: That’s the question that I want to know the answer to the most.
[Fish and Hamster – You Can’t Have Both]: Okay, since you’re asking so sincerely, I shall answer you truthfully.
[Fish and Hamster – You Can’t Have Both]: Actually, I’m a Philocalist who only serves the beauties of the prosperous era.
[Grey-white SS]: So, you’re referring to, hmm, which person in our company? I could arrange an introduction for you.
[Fish and Hamster – You Can’t Have Both]: Chairman Yan, you’re too humble. Is there anyone else that would fit the description of the ‘Beauty of the Prosperous Era’ better than you?
[Grey-white SS]: You’re a woman?
[Fish and Hamster – You Can’t Have Both]: 100% Male.
[Grey-white SS]: ……
[Grey-white SS]: I’ll make arrangements for the guarantor – I won’t let you be at a disadvantage. As for the other matter… If you can successfully get into the top three for the original design competition, I will consider it.
[Fish and Hamster – You Can’t Have Both]: Alright. Thank you, Chairman Yan.
……
Even after Xiao Yu finished reading the screenshot, he still had no idea what Yan Jin meant.
[Fish and Hamster – You Can’t Have Both]: Uh, isn’t that from a conversation we had earlier?
[Grey-white SS]: Obviously.
[Fish and Hamster – You Can’t Have Both]: And what does it prove?
[Grey-white SS]: I said that I would consider it. Since you were able to obtain top three with your own strength, I will uphold my end of the bargain.
Xiao Yu read through Yan Jin’s response several times before going back to the screenshot and reading the content again.
After studying it for five minutes, he finally understood where Yan Jin was coming from.
Fuck.
His words really could be interpreted that way.
At the time when Yan Jin asked him why he chose YL, he had just randomly made up a reason. Well, maybe his reason was something of an inside joke. At SI’s design department, many knew Chairman Yan as a ‘Beauty of the Prosperous Era’.
Who knew Yan Jin would think he was serious?
Little did he know that not only would Yan Jin think he was serious, but that Yan Jin even thought that the reason Xiao Yu chose YL was because he was interested in him!?
Cold sweat trickled down Xiao Yu’s back.
If he had known that Yan Jin’s reasoning ability would be that extreme, he would not have made such careless remarks.
But now that his words led to this tragedy, he had better give Yan Jin a proper explanation.
[Fish and Hamster – You Can’t Have Both]: Chairman Yan, it’s all a misunderstanding.
[Fish and Hamster – You Can’t Have Both]: I-I was only joking. The real reason I chose to work with YL was because of your wisdom and competence. It has always been my dream to work under such a talented boss.
[Fish and Hamster – You Can’t Have Both]: Naturally, I greatly revere you, b-b-but not in the romantic sense…
[Fish and Hamster – You Can’t Have Both]: It’s my fault, I really shouldn’t have made that kind of joke.
Xiao Yu racked his brain trying to explain, sending out this pile of drivel. He almost did not dare to look at Yan Jin’s response.
[Grey-white SS]: That’s to say, you didn’t mean that as a confession?
Seeing that Yan Jin seemed to have understood, Xiao Yu let out a big sigh of relief.
[Fish and Hamster – You Can’t Have Both]: That’s right. I wasn’t confessing to you. It’s all a misunderstanding, a misunderstandingggg.
[Grey-white SS]: Fine, I’ll consider it a misunderstanding on my part.
[Fish and Hamster – You Can’t Have Both]: Yes, yes.
[Grey-white SS]: Are you single at the moment?
Xiao Yu, who had let down his guard, did not notice anything wrong with that question and answered truthfully.
[Fish and Hamster – You Can’t Have Both]: Yes I am.
[Grey-white SS]: Then, do you mind having an online relationship?
[Fish and Hamster – You Can’t Have Both]: Huh? With who?
[Grey-white SS]: Me.
Xiao Yu: ……
Damn, didn’t he just put an end to this?
[Fish and Hamster – You Can’t Have Both]: Please let me off Yan Jin. I already apologized.
[Grey-white SS]: I know. I never said that I wouldn’t forgive you.
[Fish and Hamster – You Can’t Have Both]: Then why are you still messing with me?
[Grey-white SS]: I’m not joking. I am seriously confessing to you.
[Fish and Hamster – You Can’t Have Both]: But you don’t know anything about me. Not my name, my appearance, nor if I’m even male or female. I could be a seventy or eighty year old man for all you knowwww…
It might have just been Xiao Yu’s imagination, but after he sent out that long text, he could have sworn he heard a light laugh.
The sound came from the bedroom.
[Grey-white SS]: I don’t mind.
[Grey-white SS]: You were able to move my heart a long time ago.
[Grey-white SS]: I do not know what inspired you, but at least on my part, I truly love your designs. I also love the you who is able to imbue your designs with a soul.
[Grey-white SS]: Oh, that’s right, should I also feel fortunate that you’re only twenty-five?
Xiao Yu placed both of his paws on top of the iPad, but after hovering over the keyboard for a long time, he was unable to type out anything.
Stunned, he stared at the last three messages Yan Jin had sent, feeling his hamster body burning up.
Yan Jin always liked him?
Starting from…seven years ago?
Just because, just because of a single design? One cheap little bell?
Screech
A sharp claw scratched the screen, leaving behind a shallow mark.
Xiao Yu was already lost in his confusion. His iPad screen was the last thing he needed to worry about.
Xiao Yu craned his neck toward the master bedroom, as if he could somehow see Yan Jin’s expression from where he was sitting.
Unfortunately, even though the door to the master bedroom was open, all he could see was the head of the bed. Although he could see that the bed was still missing a pillow, he was unable to see the desk Yan Jin was sitting at.
However, Xiao Yu knew even without seeing Yan Jin’s expression that he was serious.
Yan Jin was truly confessing to him.
He really liked him.
…My god, Yan Jin was for real!
Xiao Yu tried to suppress his agitated emotions and calmly analyze the situation.
But failed miserably.
In his mind, there was only one sentence that could be heard echoing endlessly
Yan Jin likes him.
The Yan family’s Yan Jin, who was talented, handsome, and wealthy. Who, at the age of twenty-nine, had never married and was never involved in any scandals. His pure and clean image firmly established him as everyone’s ideal Mr. Right. That tyrannical, rude, and gentle Yan Jin, who attracted everyone’s gaze no matter where he went…
Likes him.
While Xiao Yu was hesitating, Yan Jin was becoming impatient.
[Grey-white SS]: Why aren’t you responding =_=?
[Grey-white SS]: The only response I will accept is a yes. If you don’t agree, I will have someone track down your IP and get your current address.
……
The ember of affection that had started to awaken was instantly extinguished.
The only response Xiao Yu could think of right now was a string of curses that he did not know whether he should type out or not.
This was no longer a confession, but a threat; a bare, naked threat.
However, Xiao Yu did not dare to ignore this threat.
Although he knew that Yan Jin was not an evil person, after living with him for so long, Yan Jin was still a powerful person. If he really wanted to investigate someone, Xiao Yu believed that it was within his power to do so.
Of course, if Xiao Yu was still a human, he wouldn’t be afraid of Yan Jin’s investigation. It was not like his boss at SI was a pushover, and considering their relationship (a company’s CEO and their rival company’s chief designer), he bet that Yan Jin would not dare to go overboard. This situation was not beneficial to YL. No matter how great Yan Jin was, could he buyout SI?
Not to mention, Xiao Yu could chose to retreat. Just deactivate his account, toss the iPad into the garbage truck, and find another apartment to rent. From now on, he just wouldn’t contact Yan Jin ever again.
The problem was, he was no longer a human, but a hamster.
His own power was very weak and puny in the face of such a threat coming from the top power holder of society.
Even if he was merely going against an ordinary person instead of Yan Jin, the current him would still have no way of resisting.
And if Yan Jin really wanted to investigate someone, he could receive the report within a few minutes, right?
At this moment, Xiao Yu was finally able to connect the two puzzling events together.
No doubt, the reason Yan Jin came back today was because he wanted to know the true identity of Fish and Hamster – You Can’t Have Both
.
Yan Jin even considered his next move in case Fish and Hamster – You Can’t Have Both
refused to cooperate.
This so-called confession was merely bait to see if Xiao Yu could be reeled in gently or if he required a stronger form of persuasion. Yan Jin never planned to allow him to escape.
He was Yan Jin, and this was his way of courting someone.
So straightforward and forceful that it was impossible to avoid.
Once Xiao Yu thought this through, he only felt scared at the close-call.
Xiao Yu was not clear on how long it would take to investigate a person, but he was sure that it would not take long at all. All Yan Jin had to do was dial a few numbers on his phone and all of Xiao Yu’s information would be dug up.
Xiao Yu had forgotten to contact Yan Jin all morning. Luckily, he remembered to do so now. If he was late by another one or two hours…
He didn’t dare to imagine what would have happened to him.
Fine, now that the things were laid out in the open, he had to find a way to resolve this.
It seemed like Yan Jin was serious about wanting a romantic relationship with him.
Wait, forget the ‘seemed’. It should be: Yan Jin insisted on being in a romantic relationship with him. And if Xiao Yu refused, Yan Jin would invade his privacy to confront him in person.
Right now, Xiao Yu’s only option was to calm Yan Jin down.
[Fish and Hamster – You Can’t Have Both]: If I were to agree with you, can you swear that you will never investigate me?
[Grey-white SS]: You agree to be in a relationship with me?
[Fish and Hamster – You Can’t Have Both]: …Can we start out as friends?
[Grey-white SS]: Of course. But in order to ensure that my ‘friend’ doesn’t flirt with others, I will need to monitor your movements.
Fuck.
Thwarted, Xiao Yu sent an emoji with a shaking paw.
[Fish and Hamster – You Can’t Have Both]: hopelessness.jpg
[Fish and Hamster – You Can’t Have Both]: Fine, I agree. Going out with Chairman Yan is something others could only wish for.
[Grey-white SS]: lightsmile.jpg
[Fish and Hamster – You Can’t Have Both]: Now can you leave my privacy alone?
[Grey-white SS]: That will depend on your performance.
Xiao Yu: …Is it too late to break up?
Translator’s (iamfeiii) note:
BTW, we got an assistant translator on board for RIAH!!! Please welcome Twin.Fishes
!!! <3 She’ll be helping out for RIAH and start on a new novel some time later! Be kind to her!!! As always, thank you all for your love and support!
