When they got back to the apartment, Chen unlocked the door and ushered the girls inside.
Yun Hu immediately slipped from his arms and trotted into the living room like he was welcoming guests into his home.
Rina and Ari followed him without hesitation.
"Ah, so this is where you live," Rina said, looking around curiously.
"It's neat," Ari added, already crouching down as Yun Hu rolled onto the rug.
Chen gave a small, polite smile and headed toward the kitchen.
"Are you okay with tea?" he called out while filling the kettle.
"I would prefer juice!" Ari replied brightly from the living room.
Chen paused for half a second.
"…Okay."
Rina laughed softly. "You're bold."
"He offered," Ari defended shamelessly.
A few minutes later, Chen came back carrying a tray—two glasses of juice, a cup of tea for himself, and some simple snacks arranged neatly on a plate.
He set the tray down on the coffee table and sat across from them.
Rina picked up her glass. "So, Mr. Chen—"
She stopped abruptly.
"…Brother."
Chen lifted a brow at the correction.
Rina coughed lightly. "Brother, would you let us come here often to play with Yun Hu?"
Ari looked up immediately, eyes hopeful. Yun Hu was currently chewing on the string of her hoodie.
Chen leaned back slightly, folding his arms as if considering something serious.
"Oh?" he said lightly. "I thought I wasn't a good person."
Both girls froze.
Ari's expression instantly turned guilty. "Brother, we were just messing with you! Sorry!"
Rina nodded quickly. "Sorry too. We didn't mean it."
Chen held his serious face for a moment longer—
Then he laughed.
"I'm joking," he said. "I know you were."
The tension dissolved at once.
"So that means yes?" Rina asked cautiously.
Chen glanced down at Yun Hu, who had now crawled into Ari's lap without permission.
"You can come," Chen said. "But message me before you do."
"And no feeding him random snacks," he added firmly.
Ari raised her hand. "Understood."
Rina grinned. "We accept the conditions."
Yun Hu purred as if the agreement had been made entirely for his benefit.
Ari was lazily scratching Yun Hu's chin when she suddenly looked around the living room.
"Wait," she said. "Where's Yun Hu's bed?"
Chen opened his mouth to answer—
But the door opened at that exact moment.
Xu Jin stepped inside, having gone downstairs briefly to grab an extra bag he had forgotten in the car.
"In my home," Xu Jin replied naturally, setting the bag down.
The room went silent.
Chen turned slowly.
Rina blinked.
Ari blinked harder.
Chen immediately stood up and walked over to Xu Jin, taking the bag from his hands as if that would somehow reset the atmosphere.
Ari's brain, unfortunately, had already sprinted ahead.
"Wait," she said dumbly, pointing between them. "Aren't you a couple? Why do you live separately?"
Chen choked and nearly dropped the bag.
"What?!"
His face flushed instantly. "Where did that come from?!"
Xu Jin froze.
For one terrifying second, a very dangerous thought crossed his mind—
Am I that obvious?
Rina reacted first.
She smacked Ari on the back of the head. "Use your brain before speaking!"
"Ow!"
Chen waved his hands quickly. "No, no, we are not a couple!"
The denial came out a little too fast.
Ari rubbed her head, still confused. "But he said Yun Hu's bed is at his home—"
Xu Jin finally moved again, regaining his composure. His tone returned to its usual calm sharpness.
"Don't use your little brain, little girl."
Ari gasped in mock offense. "Hey!"
Xu Jin continued smoothly, "Yun Hu stays over sometimes. That doesn't make us married."
Rina was now openly laughing.
Chen rubbed his temples. "You two… what are they teaching you in school these days?"
"Observation skills," Ari muttered.
Xu Jin shot her a flat look.
They played for a while then
Chen stood up again. "I'll get the snacks into plates."
He picked up the bag Xu Jin had brought and disappeared into the kitchen.
The moment he was out of sight—
The atmosphere shifted.
Rina slowly turned toward Xu Jin.
Ari followed.
Xu Jin immediately sensed danger.
"…What?"
Rina leaned closer and elbowed him lightly in the side. "You like Brother Chen, right?"
Xu Jin's expression didn't change.
But his ears did.
Ari covered her mouth with her hand, trying to hold back laughter. "We can see it."
"See what?" Xu Jin said flatly.
"Your ears," Ari whispered dramatically. "They turn pink everywhere."
Xu Jin stiffened.
"Nonsense."
Rina pointed. "Look, Ari. It's happening again."
Xu Jin clicked his tongue. "Should I give you a head smack?"
Ari immediately stepped back half a step, still grinning. "Violence won't hide the truth."
"Use your brains," Xu Jin muttered, trying very hard to appear unaffected.
Unfortunately, the more serious he tried to look, the more obvious it became.
Footsteps approached.
The girls straightened instantly.
Chen walked back into the living room holding a plate of snacks.
"What's happening?"
Xu Jin and the girls answered at the exact same time—
"Nothing, Professor."
Chen paused.
He looked at them.
They looked back innocently.
Yun Hu meowed loudly in the middle of the silence, completely unhelpful.
Chen blinked once, then nodded. "Okay."
He set the snacks down without suspicion.
The girls exchanged a secret glance over Chen's shoulder.
He really believed it.
Rina leaned slightly toward Ari and whispered under her breath, "He's such an innocent angel."
Ari nodded solemnly. "Too pure."
Across from them, Xu Jin glared quietly.
His ears were still slightly pink.