CHAPTER 250: 229: IT’S TOO COLD IN WINTER, I LIKE YOU HOLDING ME.

Habit, such a terrifying word.

He couldn’t imagine how many such habits existed before he showed up, or to what extent they had developed.

His anxiety was too intense, as though if he loosened his grip even slightly, the person before him would slip away from him.

"Shi Wei..." Yu Zhi called his name softly.

Her lips trembled twice, suddenly unsure of what she should say, or perhaps, in such a situation, no explanation could truly soothe his emotions.

Yu Zhi lowered her head slightly and placed a kiss on his eyelids. Her clear voice was full of softness: "I’m yours."

The feather-light gesture made Shi Wei’s lashes quiver as he murmured, "Always?"

"Mmm, always."

There will be no one else, and I won’t fall for anyone else.

Shi Wei responded softly, and after receiving her promise, his heart settled down significantly. However...

He lifted his gaze and glanced toward the kitchen, an inscrutable look passing through the depths of his dark eyes.

"Zhizhi, does Wen Renche’s crush live in Australia?" His voice was much calmer, his tone sounding casual, as if asking without much thought.

"Yes, she’s studying there."

"I see."

Shi Wei raised an eyebrow but didn’t pursue the topic further.

Though he had some suspicions, it was better and more reassuring to confirm them through investigation.

"Master Shi, do you seriously have skin hunger syndrome?" Xu Linchuan walked over leisurely from the garden.

He casually picked up the beer on the table, pulled the tab with a sharp hiss, and took a big gulp.

Shi Wei raised his head, his gaze as cold as a blade, and looked over at him with a faint smile: "Oh? Want me to give you a closer look?"

"Cough, cough, cough!" Xu Linchuan choked on his drink.

He quickly sat upright, dropping the nonchalant act, and gave the man an intense look as if trying to bore a hole through him.

"Don’t you want your eyes anymore?"

"No, no, no, I was just thinking you look especially handsome today."

From this brief exchange, Xu Linchuan already knew Shi Wei wasn’t in a good mood today, so naturally, he didn’t dare provoke him further.

For a moment, the atmosphere froze.

Shi Wei’s aloofness made Xu Linchuan sit uncomfortably, squirming in his seat.

He clicked his tongue and silently drank his beer.

Feeling bored, his gaze caught sight of a grinning, childlike figure emerging from the kitchen, and he quickly waved at him.

"What is it?" Jin Yunzhi, carrying a small porcelain bowl in both hands, trotted over eagerly.

"What are you holding?"

"Some brown sugar rice cakes my brother gave me. They’re so tasty."

Jin Yunzhi proudly showed him the rice cakes in his bowl, then picked up his chopsticks and continued eating.

The soft, sweet flavor filled his mouth, making him squint in satisfaction, his lips faintly glistening with sugar.

"Give me a taste." Xu Linchuan swallowed hard, stretching his neck and counting how many pieces of rice cake were left in the bowl.

"No."

"Just one piece."

"Not happening; my brother gave these to me." Jin Yunzhi shifted away, clutching the bowl tightly to protect his food.

His constant nibbling resembled a little squirrel.

Though adorable, it was undeniably infuriating to Xu Linchuan.

He set down his no-longer-appetizing beer and slung an arm around the younger boy’s shoulder, giving it a hearty pat: "Yunzhi, don’t be so stingy."

"No—"

Before he could finish speaking, the bowl in his hands disappeared.

Jin Yunzhi widened his eyes in stunned disbelief, staring at the person beside him greedily devouring the rice cakes.

It took a while for him to react.

Wearing a pitiful expression, he drooped his eyelids and curled into a ball like a discarded puppy, without warning starting to fake-cry.

The sobbing sound grew louder and quickly drew the attention of those playing cards in the adjacent room.

Especially Xu Fan, who, in just seconds, rushed into the living room in a panicked hurry.

"What’s wrong?" Xu Fan pulled the boy into his arms.

He lightly pinched his chin, trying to coax him to lift his head, but the more he tried, the harder he resisted.

Despite repeated attempts to comfort or ask questions, Yunzhi refused to give him even a glance.

Xu Fan, struggling for a solution, furrowed his brows and sent an imploring look at Shi Wei, seated across from him.

Instinctively, he overlooked the true culprit standing nearby.

"Ask Xu Linchuan." Shi Wei tilted his chin slightly, openly relishing the opportunity to watch the drama unfold.

He casually rested his hand on the side, pulling Yu Zhi toward him with an arm wrapped around her waist, reclining back as if waiting for chaos to break loose.

And sure enough...

"Bro!"

"You actually kicked me!" Xu Linchuan clutched his thigh, his face wrinkled in pain.

He glared at the two nestled together as though looking at a pair of traitors, then scoffed: "Xu Fan, so you don’t love me anymore?"

The still-fake-crying Jin Yunzhi: "..."

Unable to resist, Yunzhi raised his head, casting a disdainful look at him as though he had encountered a virus, quickly shrinking back even further.

Xu Fan couldn’t be bothered with Xu Linchuan at this moment, focused entirely on the boy in his arms.

His finger brushed the corner of Yunzhi’s eye, intending to wipe away the tears, only to find no trace of moisture anywhere.

"Yunzhi, you lied to me?"

His tone was calm, devoid of emotion, yet it made Jin Yunzhi’s spine stiffen. Nervously, he lowered his head: "I didn’t, I’ve already cried it all out."

"Mmm." Xu Fan responded indifferently and let his hand, which had been resting on Yunzhi’s, slowly loosen.

It felt as if, despite being cherished deeply, he had abruptly grown tired and wanted to discard it.

"Brother Fan, I’m sorry!" Jin Yunzhi swiftly grasped his hand, looking up with watery, puppy-like eyes full of pitiful appeal.

Faced with such a gaze, who could resist?

"Will you lie to me again?" Xu Fan fought hard to suppress the urge to kiss him but firmly decided to teach him a lesson.

He couldn’t allow him to form a habit of using fake tears to achieve his goals.

"No, definitely not."

"And if it happens again?"

"If it happens again, then... punish me by not letting me sleep in your bed for three days."

Xu Fan’s lips twitched—what kind of punishment was that? Wasn’t the one being punished actually him?

"Not acceptable, pick another." If being banned from the bed meant not cuddling the soft boy, he couldn’t bear sleepless nights in the chill of winter.

"Then no kissing for three days?"

"..."

Listening to their ’interesting’ negotiation, Yu Zhi couldn’t help but giggle softly. She tugged at the man’s sleeve and whispered, "Xu Fan is so pitiful."

A supposed punishment, yet he seemed to bear the brunt instead.

With such an adorable partner, it seems there will be no shortage of joy ahead.

"He is pitiful." Shi Wei teased the young woman’s waist lightly, his cool lips pressing against her rosy cheek as he murmured, "Zhizhi, don’t you dare copy him."

Yu Zhi shook her head seriously and said, "Winter is too cold—I prefer you holding me."