monitor

Fang Chuan lay on the hotel bed and turned on the home security camera.

The cat was dozing on the sofa, while the dog was playing with a ball on the floor. Huang Fuda was still awake, wearing the pajamas he had prepared for him, petting the cat and reading a book.

I should have lingered a little longer.

Fang Chuan frowned in annoyance, then looked at the cover; it was a book about market economics.

His boss, Mr. Huang, is really hardworking. He should be busy with the preliminary work for the hotel in a few days. I've temporarily assigned him a few people, but I don't know if that will be enough. However, there are still a few months before the hotel is fully completed, so there's plenty of time.

This hotel was originally intended by Fang Chuan to complement the shopping mall; its star rating and specifications were a level higher than Yundao's, and its cost was more than three times that of Yundao. The reservations manager was replaced, and there were quite a few complaints below, only some of the older, more established staff remained silent, as they were all too familiar with the infamous affair between Fang Chuan and Huang Fuda back then.

After five years of twists and turns, they've come together again. Who knows what the future holds? They might even change owners. How dare they say anything?

Huang Fuda watched on the sofa until almost midnight before stretching his neck, picking up the cat, and kissing it. Fang Chuan, on the other end of the monitor, pursed his lips, turned over, and continued watching.

Watching his boss, Mr. Huang, feed the dog a piece of freeze-dried fruit, pat the dog's head, and then return to his bedroom while supporting his back.

There were no more security cameras in the bedroom. Fang Chuan put down his phone dejectedly and took out his laptop to deal with the pile of work. By the time he finished, it was almost 1 a.m. He picked up his phone again and saw that Huang Fuda had come out of the bedroom and was looking for a drink near his liquor cabinet.

You probably can't sleep yet.

Fang Chuan looked on with heartache. Who was to blame? It was mainly his own fault, but he couldn't do anything to himself, so he could only vent his anger on Lin Fengxiao. He decided to talk to that lawyer again tomorrow.

On the other side of the screen, Huang Fuda sat at the small bar, sipping his drink while playing with a cat on the table with his other hand. Neither the cat nor he slept; the two were quite a perfect match.

They played until even the cat was tired, and Huang Fuda also got sleepy from drinking. He put away the remaining wine, went back to his bedroom, lay down on the bed, and fell asleep in no time, without even closing the bedroom door.

So the next morning, Huang Fuda was woken up by cats and dogs jumping on him.

He glanced at the time; it was only six in the morning. He dragged the two little devils out, closed the door, and went back to sleep. Perhaps the mattress really did help; he slept longer than he had in the past few days.

When Huang Fuda got up to wash, the two dogs stayed at his feet, barking one after another, probably because they were hungry.

Just as they were about to get some food for them, the door to Fang Chuan's house opened, and a very handsome man walked in. The two looked at each other in surprise.

Huang Fuda spoke first: "Who are you?"

"I'm Mr. Fang's personal assistant, here to feed the pets." The assistant extended his hand to Huang Fuda. "My surname is Liu, Liu Qing."

"I am Huang Fuda."

He looked at Liu Qing and asked again, "Didn't he tell you not to come recently?"

Liu Qing's eyes lingered on Huang Fuda's face for a moment before he said, "President Fang didn't say. I'll confirm with him again when I get back."

Seeing someone come to feed him, Huang Fuda also became lazy. He turned up the air conditioner temperature a little and then sat on the sofa thinking about work.

Huang Fuda's gaze fell on the surveillance camera opposite the sofa. He turned his head, wanting to ask Liu Qing a question, but found that Liu Qing was in the pet room. So Huang Fuda walked to the door of the pet room.

Liu Qing was squatting with her back to the door, feeding them. "Xiao Hei, don't be picky about food. Eat the vegetables too."

"Did you choose this name?"

Liu Qing turned around in alarm and said, "It wasn't a name, it just came out of my mouth."

Huang Fuda didn't care about that and asked about the living room surveillance camera.

"That's the one Mr. Fang uses to keep an eye on them. There's another one in the pet room, up there," Liu Qing pointed to the high place.

"Okay, thank you, Assistant Liu."

Huang Fuda turned around, went out to wash an apple, and settled on the sofa to bask in the sun. Once Liu Qing had finished tidying up and reached the door, Huang Fuda spoke again, saying, "You don't need to come in before your boss returns from his business trip; I'll take care of it. He probably forgot to tell you."

Liu Qing turned to look at Huang Fuda and asked, "Have you been here recently?"

"Yes, I was here before he came back, so there's no need for you to make the trip back and forth."

Huang Fuda threw the apple core into the trash can. Seeing that Liu Qing's expression was a bit off, he casually asked, "Didn't he keep anyone at home before?"

“Mr. Huang, this is Mr. Fang’s private matter, I’m not very clear about it.”

Huang Fuda paused for a moment upon hearing this form of address.

"You know me?"

Liu Qing lowered his head and replied, "I don't know you, but I heard that you will be in charge of the hotel from now on."

Relieved, Huang Fuda dismissed the man. Not long after Liu Qing left, Fang Chuan called via video to apologize, saying he had forgotten to instruct his subordinates that no outsiders would be allowed to visit his home anymore.

"...This is your home, you don't need to apologize to me."

Fang Chuan's voice sounded a bit noisy, as if he were outdoors. He continued to explain, "I'm not usually home, so my assistant feeds me. I really forgot this time."

"...It's okay, I'm not blaming you."

Fang Chuan still looked a little nervous. He went over the house key password and other details again, rambling on for a long time before finally hanging up the video call.

He put his phone in his pocket and looked at Chen Qing next to him, who was watching the show with a knowing expression.

"Tsk tsk tsk, they've all stayed home, things are progressing so fast."

"So you need to step up your game. I'm looking forward to a divorce." Fang Chuan sighed and picked up the new pregnancy test report to take a look.

Chen Qing smiled and said, "I don't want to be caught in the middle either. That good-for-nothing probably won't be able to get out. I reckon the old man will give in this time."

"That would be best."

Fang Chuan looked up at the sky; the sun was particularly dazzling. July in Beijing was hot and dry. The two got into the car and headed to the hospital.

Old Chen finally relented, saying that once Chen Qing completed the formalities, the divorce could proceed immediately. Fang Chuan felt a huge sense of relief and began to think about other things, such as when he could confirm his relationship with Huang Fuda and when he could marry him.

He sat on a chair in the hospital corridor, thinking for a while, and then sent a message to his subordinates, asking them to transfer Liu Qing and replace him with a new person.

With everything arranged, he now had the time to spy on Huang Fuda again.

Huang Fuda wasn't visible on the surveillance footage, and Fang Chuan didn't know which room he was in. He pursed his lips and called Huang Fuda again.

"Boss, what are you doing?"

There was the sound of a cashier taking orders over Huang Fuda's side.

"I took them out for a walk and bought some food. Then I saw a plush toy at the supermarket that they seemed to like, so I picked it up."

Fang Chuan laughed out loud, "I'm glad you like it."

"It's what they like."

"Um."

Fang Chuan smelled the hospital and didn't want to stay any longer, but Chen Qing was still in the ward talking to Old Chen, so he couldn't just sneak away. Just then, Huang Fuda spoke again on the phone.

"Your assistant today called them Little Black and Little White. I think those names are fine, don't you think?"

Fang Chuan tightened his grip on his phone, then said, "...I didn't know he even named them. Don't worry about it. You're free to name them. He doesn't know the rules; I'll scold him later."

"Don't do that, I'm not complaining. Don't punish him for this. He looks quite young, and it hasn't been easy for him to get this far."

"……OK."

The three days passed quickly. Fang Chuan stood at his front door, somewhat reluctant to go in, knowing the people inside would leave soon. After hesitating for a long time, he finally gritted his teeth and went in. The people weren't there, nor were the cats and dogs; they must have gone for a walk.

Fang Chuan walked into the bedroom, looked at the bed, and then reached out to touch the indentation of the pillow, feeling a pang of tenderness in his heart.

After changing his clothes, he went into the bathroom and came out. Huang Fuda had already returned. He was overjoyed and quickly approached Huang Fuda, still covered in sweat, and pressed his arm against Huang Fuda's.

"Boss, I'm back."

Huang Fuda pointed to the suitcase and said, "I see it."

Fang Chuan tightened the towel around his waist a little and asked, "How have you been sleeping lately?"

"It's great, I can fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow."

Fang Chuan smiled, walked to the wine cabinet, and said, "Let's open a bottle of wine to celebrate later."

His eyes swept across the liquor cabinet; not a single bottle was missing. "Well, so they've even started falsifying their own accounts." He glanced at Huang Fuda, whose boss remained impeccably composed, lying without batting an eye.

Huang Fuda unconsciously tapped the island counter lightly with his fingers, staring at the bottles above the wine cabinet, and said, "Okay, the expensive ones will be opened."

I guess I've been craving it lately at night, but haven't dared to sneak a drink.

Fang Chuan chuckled, leaning against the island counter and exposing his still-damp upper body to Huang Fuda. He said softly, "I'll do whatever you say, but I can't drink too much."

Huang Fuda looked away and said, "Okay."

After dinner, Huang Fuda packed his things to leave. Fang Chuan tried several times to persuade him to stay, but to no avail, so he had to let him go. He also gave Huang Fuda a cat to take with him.

In the dead of night, Fang Chuan lay on the bed, burying himself in the sheets, inhaling the lingering scent of Huang Fuda deeply. Overwhelmed with emotion, he called Huang Fuda again.

Huang Fuda sat at his desk with a cat on his lap, temporarily shutting down his computer and answering the phone.

"Boss, what are you doing?"

"Office work."

Fang Chuan smiled, then asked, "Where's your son? Has he been bothering you?"

Huang Fuda stroked the cat on his lap and said, "It's sleeping on my lap."

"let me see."

Huang Fuda took a photo and sent it to him.

In the photo, Mr. Huang is wearing a bathrobe, revealing a small section of his knee. A black cat lies in the center, and his left hand is lifting the cat's chin. His palm is large, his fingers are thick, and the calluses along the edges of his knuckles are clearly visible. Fang Chuan looked at the photo, his breathing quickening. He knew what it felt like to have those calloused hands caress his body, and what it would feel like to reach inside.

He sniffed the pillow, swallowed softly, reached behind him, and asked, "How come he's so obedient in your hands? Did you give him some kind of magic potion...?"

Huang Fuda chuckled softly, a laugh that made Fang Chuan's heart tremble. "Maybe he's just free from the annoyance of dogs."

"Try touching his tail and see if he bites you."

Huang Fuda quickly sent another video of him touching the tail, and sure enough, he got bitten. Unconvinced, Huang Fuda continued to try and trick the dog.

"Be good, let me touch you."

Fang Chuan's body suddenly went limp, and he bit his lip, afraid to make a sound. Only his deep and shallow breaths remained.

Huang Fuda was still playing with the cat on the other end of the phone, completely unaware of Fang Chuan's unusual behavior.

Just for a moment.

"Be good, bite gently."

Another string of soft, indulgent laughter followed, "Fang Chuan."

Fang Chuan's body jerked violently, and after a few seconds, he let out a soft "hmm".

"What do you think we should call him?"

“…Let’s just call him Fang Chuan,” Fang Chuan squinted, “call him a few times and see if he responds.”

Huang Fuda laughed again, and after laughing, he started calling Fang Chuan's name repeatedly. Fang Chuan's ears turned bright red, he covered his mouth with his left hand, and lay on the bed trembling uncontrollably, until Huang Fuda began to wonder.

"Fang Chuan, are you asleep?"

"………No……"

"I didn't hear a sound from your end, I thought you were asleep."

Fang Chuan wiped his sweat on the bed and said softly, "I was listening to you tease the cat. Why did you stop?"

"The cat ran away."

"Then tease me... I'm much more fun than a cat."

Huang Fuda smiled gently and scolded softly, "What nonsense are you talking about? Go to sleep, it's almost 11 o'clock."

Fang Chuan looked out the window at the building across the street. "You're not asleep either, your light's still on."

Huang Fuda also looked out the window, then got up, turned off the light, and lay down on the bed.

"Okay, go to sleep now."