When Jiang Yuan arrived home, he found that the large cardboard boxes that had been cluttering the living room were gone. The house hadn’t changed much at first glance, but upon closer inspection, the subtle traces of another person’s life had begun to emerge. A pair of men’s slippers sat in the entryway, a mug rested on the coffee table—it was all so quiet and seamless that Jiang Yuan had a momentary, dazed illusion that they had always lived together.
Going up to the second floor, Jiang Yuan discovered that the walk-in closet in the guest room adjacent to the master bedroom was already full. Clothes, shoes, watches, and accessories were neatly organized into categories. Jason was currently steam-ironing a suit jacket with professional poise. Upon seeing them, the robot gave a cheerful greeting.
【Welcome home.】
Jiang Yuan felt his understanding of the world being refreshed once again. "Jason organized all of this?"
"Yes." Xie Chengnan pushed open the door to the other guest room. "Jason’s earliest design direction was as a domestic service robot. Back then, I was too busy with R&D to do housework, and my home was filled with confidential data, making it unsuitable to hire outside help. I had to build a robot to solve the problem."
Looking at the items in this room, Jiang Yuan finally understood what Xie Chengnan meant by "confidential data."
The guest room had been converted into Xie Chengnan’s workshop. A massive workbench sat in the center. On one side was a computer setup of an indistinguishable brand and model; on the other was a pile of strange tools, including a pair of robotic arms. Two-meter-high shelves lined two of the walls, filled with various categorized parts he couldn't name. Beneath the shelves stood a robot that looked different from Jason, currently standing still. That sensation of stepping into a sci-fi movie washed over Jiang Yuan again.
"This is King, an industrial robot," Xie Chengnan introduced. "It has vision and tactile sensors, capable of vision-guided assembly and force-controlled assembly."
Jiang Yuan looked at him blankly, his face practically screaming *'Baby doesn't understand...'*
Xie Chengnan let out a short, low chuckle and ruffled Jiang Yuan’s soft hair. "To put it simply, King can see, find, and pinpoint an exact location on its own, then perform assembly operations with top-tier precision—accurate to about 0.02 millimeters. That’s roughly the smallest gap a human hand can perceive."
Jiang Yuan was speechless. "You developed this?"
Xie Chengnan nodded.
Jiang Yuan gave him a thumbs up. "You’re a badass!"
Jason, having finished his task, happened to pass by the workshop. Seeing his little master praising King, he let out a resentful comment.
【Jason is much smarter than him. He is just a big dummy!】
The expression on his display screen changed to: ><
Jiang Yuan looked at Jason in surprise. "He can get jealous?"
Xie Chengnan also seemed a bit astonished. "This is the first time..." He then turned serious. "Jason, come here. I need to run a diagnostic on your programming."
Jiang Yuan tactfully exited the workshop to give Xie Chengnan some space. Although he didn't think he could understand those messy lines of code anyway, it was only polite not to stay and disturb him.
The bed and daily necessities he had ordered arrived just then. Jiang Yuan stood at the guest room door to personally supervise the work, fearing someone might accidentally wander into Xie Chengnan’s secret base.
As the young master watched the king-size bed take shape, he suddenly dazed off. He wondered if he was being a bit *too* nice to Xie Chengnan. Not only had he tacitly allowed the guy to pat his head multiple times, but now he was even acting as a voluntary gatekeeper for him.
After pondering for a while, Jiang Yuan could only attribute these unusual behaviors to being intimidated by the other man’s "scientific genius" persona. After all, this was his first time having close contact with a god-tier talent who would build a robot just because he didn't have time for chores; the experience was quite unique.
Not long after the installers left, the workshop door opened. Xie Chengnan walked out with Jason in tow. Though his expression was neutral, he seemed to be in a good mood.
"Is Jason okay?" Jiang Yuan looked up from his game, eyeing the robot that was now trotting happily behind its master. "Why does he seem a bit... bouncy?"
Xie Chengnan smiled. "He’s fine. An autonomous learning program I wrote previously has taken effect. Jason compiled a new program for himself to upgrade some of his functions. That reaction earlier was the result of his simulated human emotions."
"I don't really get it, but Jason, you're pretty amazing," the young master said, not stingy with his praise.
Jason’s eyes crinkled into smiles again.
【Thank you for your compliment.】
Seeing the two large bags from the supermarket still sitting in the entryway, Xie Chengnan instructed Jason to categorize and put them away.
Curious about how Jason worked, Jiang Yuan shuffled over in his slippers to watch the show.
Jason’s recognition speed was incredibly fast, and he had a clear plan. He first put away the items that needed refrigeration, then the fresh fruits and vegetables, and finally the daily necessities he had helped Xie Chengnan pick out. However, when a box of Okamotos and a bottle of lubricant were sorted out, both Jiang Yuan and Xie Chengnan froze.
Xie Chengnan was the first to react, saying awkwardly, "I didn't tell him to buy those..."
Jiang Yuan looked at him suspiciously. *He's your robot. If it wasn't you, then who??*
The man found himself unable to defend his innocence.
Fortunately, Jason spoke up at the right time, sounding like he was fishing for credit.
【Jason searched for content related to 'boyfriend' and 'employment.' Out of safety considerations, it is recommended that you two use auxiliary items to avoid physical injury.】
Xie Chengnan: "..."
Jiang Yuan: "..."
There is nothing more terrifying than a sudden silence in the air...
"Ahem." Xie Chengnan stuffed the items back into the bag, saying with a straight face, "Jason, we don't need these."
Before Xie Chengnan could toss them into the trash, Jiang Yuan intercepted them. He said mischievously, "Keep them. Who knows, they might come in handy one day."
Xie Chengnan looked at him, opening his mouth as if to speak but stopping himself.
Jiang Yuan toyed with the box of Okamotos, acting like a man of the world who had seen it all. But when he noticed the two words indicating the size on the box, he fell into an eerie silence.
After a long moment, he lectured Jason with a wooden face, "These things come in different sizes. Don't buy the wrong one next time."
Jason’s flat, mechanical voice somehow managed to sound confused.
【Based on the data from Nan’s undergarments, Jason did not buy the wrong size.】
Hearing this, the young master couldn't help but steal a glance at a certain area before quickly looking away. Truly... comparisons are odious!
Xie Chengnan was even more embarrassed. But before he could finish being embarrassed, Jiang Yuan’s train of thought veered into an even stranger direction. He snapped irritably, "Wait, why is this for Xie Chengnan? If we're buying them, we should buy my size!"
【Based on an analysis and comparison of your heights, weights, body fat percentages, and other factors, Nan possesses an overwhelming advantage in physical strength. From a scientific perspective, having Nan lead your sexual life will provide a better sexual experience for both of you.】
...
"..." Xie Chengnan rubbed his brow, feeling a headache coming on. The argument between the boy and the machine was drifting toward an increasingly bizarre territory. At this moment, he felt like a parent listening to his two children discuss X-rated topics—both awkward and helpless. He could only retreat to the kitchen to make lunch.
By the time he finished preparing two dishes and a soup, Jiang Yuan had already downed two glasses of ice water in anger, his gaze toward Xie Chengnan radiating murderous intent.
Xie Chengnan blinked: *It's not my fault...*
Jiang Yuan glared: *It is absolutely your fault!*
Xie Chengnan could only lower his gaze and focus on his work, attempting to soothe the bristling brat with food.
Jiang Yuan had a sweet tooth as a child; he used to demand the chef add a handful of sugar even when stir-frying green vegetables. Xie Chengnan didn't know if he had outgrown this habit, so he decided to make Sweet and Sour Lychee Pork and a dish of stir-fried seasonal vegetables, accompanied by a chestnut and pork rib soup. Two sweet dishes and one light one. As he observed, Jiang Yuan indeed preferred the two sweeter dishes. The stir-fried vegetables were ignored after only two bites. Xie Chengnan noted this in his mind and quietly finished the plate of greens himself.
After the meal, Xie Chengnan put the dishes in the dishwasher. Jiang Yuan walked laps around the sofa in the living room to aid digestion, complaining as he walked, "How do you always manage to pick exactly what I like? I’m stuffed to death after these two meals."
Xie Chengnan laughed. "Who told you to stay exactly the same as when you were a kid?"
Jiang Yuan paused and glanced at Xie Chengnan, his emotions becoming complicated. Over the years, his relationship with his family had been strained. After his mother passed away, he had moved out of the Jiang residence to live alone.
Everyone said the young master of the Jiang family had changed. They said he didn't study, that he spent his days drinking, fighting, and playing around with a bad crowd. He committed these absurd acts to spite his father while coldly watching himself sink into the mud, as if carving himself into something unrecognizable was the only way to feel a sliver of bloody catharsis.
He had become cold, accustomed to keeping his distance from others. He no longer easily revealed his true preferences or feelings, forever wearing a mask of laughter and anger, never giving anyone a chance to peer inside or get close.
Xie Chengnan was undoubtedly special. He had missed Jiang Yuan’s most reckless years, yet he remembered his most carefree ones.
The warmth he offered wasn't for the "Young Master of the Jiang Family," but simply for Jiang Yuan—the child from fourteen years ago in his memory. He didn't care what the current Jiang Yuan had become; he only cared about the past and the future. Just as he had said, he wasn't there before, but from now on, he would watch over him in his mother's stead.
It was a strange feeling. Consequently, he seemed to unconsciously let down his guard whenever he was around this man.
But this state of being wasn't actually bad. Jiang Yuan lowered his eyes to look at the exotic patterns on the carpet, walking in circle after circle.
Feeling cared for, feeling remembered... this feeling was truly not bad at all.
