Chapter 26

In the middle of working, he took two calls.
The first was from Su Wan, asking if he’d sent Miaomiao home. Xi Siyan said Miaomiao had fallen asleep in his dorm room, told her not to worry, and complained she’d been talking nonsense today.
Su Wan snorted. “Did Miaomiao not cry to you? Not cling to you? I know my son best—he’s a little pervert, honestly. You’re happy about it.”
Xi Siyan couldn’t be bothered to argue.
The second call came after ten.
Jing Miao had woken up and called him.
“Gege, I’m awake.”
Jing Miao’s voice right after waking was always soft and sticky with sleepiness. It nearly made Xi Siyan lose control on the spot.
His voice turned gentle instantly.
“Did you get out of bed? Did you wash your face? Gege still has a little while. Do you want to wait for me, or come find me?”
“I’m getting up, gege. I want to come find you.”
“Okay. Good baby, go wash your face. Turn on your phone flashlight when you come—it's dark at night. Can you find the way?”
“I can, gege.”
“Mm. Get dressed properly before you come. Don’t be lazy and skip a layer.”
Jing Miao—who was about to skip a sweater—paused. “Okay…”
And obediently pulled the sweater on.
“Good baby. Then gege will hang up. I’ll wait for you.”
Xi Siyan’s face was full of smiles after he ended the call.
Song Fuxue listened from the side, her romantic heart stirred. “Tsk tsk. Xi Siyan, are you coaxing a wife, or a son?”
Zhong Yuan chimed in on cue. “Told you, Professor Song. Isn’t it disgustingly sweet?”
Song Fuxue nodded gravely. “Next time you two call each other when I’m around, can you put it on speaker?”
Xi Siyan was about to ask what kind of privacy-violating hobby that was, when one of his female students shot her hand up.
“Seconded!!!”
Xi Siyan: “Are you all poisoned?”
Song Fuxue exchanged a look with the girl and instantly understood the shipper’s heart.
“Oh come on, it’s for your own good. Look—one hand typing, one hand on the phone, so tiring.”
Xi Siyan tugged at the corner of his mouth. “No, thanks for your concern.”
Ten minutes later, Jing Miao obediently appeared at the doorway.
The two students who had never met him before nearly choked on a “holy shit,” covering their mouths, eyes full of awe.
He was even cuter and prettier than in photos.
Somehow, despite a face that held little expression, the corners of his eyes and brows seemed to carry a subtle charm—an unexplainable sweetness.
Shimu really was the Materials Institute’s flower.
“Gege.”
Xi Siyan turned and looked at him, all gentleness. “Come in, Miaomiao.”
Normally, with leadership around, they would never bring unrelated people into the section. But there were no leaders tonight; it was all “their own people,” and Xi Siyan wasn’t afraid of gossip. He settled Jing Miao beside him.
“Be good and wait here for a bit, okay? Once I finish checking this set of data, we’ll go home.”
Jing Miao opened his coat and took out a warm canned coffee.
“Gege. For you.”
Xi Siyan took it. It almost felt like Jing Miao’s body heat still clung to the can.
“Where did you buy this? You kept it inside your down jacket?”
“From the vending machine downstairs. I was afraid it would get cold, so I kept it inside,” Jing Miao said, sitting obediently beside him, eyes orbiting Xi Siyan like he was the center of his universe.
Xi Siyan lowered his head and kissed Jing Miao’s forehead.
“Good Miaomiao. Don’t do that next time. It’s lucky it wasn’t too hot—I’d be afraid it would burn you.”
“Mm.” Jing Miao smiled, propped his chin in both hands, and watched Xi Siyan work without moving.
Jing Miao didn’t often accompany Xi Siyan during overtime.
One reason was Xi Siyan avoided overtime whenever he could.
Another was that he felt sorry for Jing Miao, afraid he’d be uncomfortable here.
So even for Zhong Yuan, this scene was rare.
It felt similar to that rainy defense day a year ago—Jing Miao hadn’t changed much. His looks and hairstyle might have shifted, but the way his eyes looked only at Xi Siyan hadn’t changed at all.
Most of the time Jing Miao would greet Zhong Yuan too, but if he was tired or in a bad mood, he would ignore people like this.
Zhong Yuan explained quietly to Song Fuxue that Jing Miao might be a bit introverted. Song Fuxue said she understood.
She understood not only Jing Miao’s personality, but also Xi Siyan’s love.
If someone looked at you with that kind of devotion all the time, even stone would be moved—especially when that person was so obedient and cute.
At 11:30, they finally finished recording data for the sixth experimental report.
Jing Miao lay on the desk, face turned sideways, watching Xi Siyan.
Zhong Yuan stretched. “Finally done. Tomorrow I can finally rest.”
Xi Siyan packed up too, leaned down, and kissed Jing Miao’s lips quickly.
“Baby, tired?”
Jing Miao sat up slowly. “Is gege tired?”
Xi Siyan smiled. “Not tired. I’m fine.”
He was telling the truth. Jing Miao had fueled him at noon, and Jing Miao was here with him at night—Xi Siyan still felt energetic.
Jing Miao pouted. “I’m a little tired. Gege, can you hold me?”
Xi Siyan’s heart melted.
Without another word, he picked him up—koala-style.
Jing Miao automatically clamped his legs around Xi Siyan’s waist and looped arms around his neck.
Xi Siyan held him one-handed as if it were second nature, and used the other hand to grab keys and phone, saying goodbye to everyone.
After they left, the section erupted into late-night wailing—mainly from Song Fuxue and the two students.
“Ahhh, I’m dead!!!”
“Ahhh, I’m dead too!!!”
“One-handed carry is so hot, holy shit—save me, Teacher Xi! I must’ve accumulated massive virtue in a past life to study Materials and end up under Xi Siyan!”
“I’m dying of thirst. Institute Flower is unreal. How does he manage to act spoiled without even realizing it?”
“You haven’t seen Jing Miao come at noon and cry while hugging him—that’s what killed me!”
“Wait, why does shimu cry?”
Zhong Yuan cut them off with no patience:
“Pause. Two things. First, I’m locking up—pack up and clock out now. Second: he cried because he missed Xi Siyan. Xi Siyan’s been working late these days, getting home too late. Now go!”
As expected, Xi Siyan brought Jing Miao for the last two days of work as well. In the daytime, Jing Miao either waited in Xi Siyan’s dorm, or stood in front of the institute’s honor wall.