Chapter 8: My Person, I'll Manage Him Myself

Lying on the plush, spacious bed next to a quietly sleeping Christian, Evan found himself thoroughly awake despite the late hour.

He lay far from Christian, huddled practically against the edge of the mattress, his body curled inward to face the floor-to-ceiling windows draped in heavy curtains.

The thick fabric blocked out all light, leaving Evan unable to guess how long it would be until dawn.

Holding one posture for too long made his neck and arms ache. Just as he was about to shift slightly, a warm hand lightly rested over the small of his waist.

The hand hovered loosely above his lower back, and then the mattress sank slightly as a warm body pressed close behind him.

"...You're so pretty..."

Christian's sudden, nonsensical murmur echoed softly right by his ear. Evan turned his head in shock, only to find Christian's eyes still tightly shut; the words seemed to have been nothing more than sleep-talk.

Truth be told, Evan rather disliked being told he was "pretty." Back at the orphanage, prospective adoptive parents would always praise his appearance when they first saw him—yet after learning about his body's flaw, not a single one ever spoke to him again.

People always shrank back from anything out of the ordinary.

Not that he blamed them, though. Evan gently moved Christian's hand aside, shifted into a more comfortable position, and resumed staring blankly at the ceiling.

It wasn't just others who despised this body; even Evan himself felt a surge of deep disgust whenever he caught sight of that extra feature below during showers.

When he was little, he had even entertained the wild thought of taking a needle to sew that pale trace shut.

*Once I finish helping Mr. Christian, I'll take the money and get the surgery,* Evan suddenly realized. Under Julian's threats in his past life, he had never dared to go to a hospital for an examination, thus missing the optimal window for treatment. But things were different now; he finally held the power to make his own choices.

---

Evan kept his eyes open until dawn broke, when Christian's phone on the nightstand began to ring. Hearing the rustle of fabric behind him, Evan hastily closed his eyes and pretended to sleep.

"Evan."

Christian called his name softly. Seeing no response, he headed into the bathroom alone.

Only after listening intently and hearing the bathroom door click shut did Evan let out a complete breath of relief. He rotated his stiff, aching neck and gently stretched his muscles.

He knew that today was bound to be a hard-fought battle.

When Christian stepped out of the bathroom with only a bath towel wrapped around his waist, his gaze landed on Evan wrapped in the duvet, a pale, slender calf dangling carelessly over the edge of the bed. Christian felt a sudden tightness in his throat and hastily averted his eyes.

Completely oblivious, the culprit continued to swing his bare foot lightly. Catching sight of Christian walking over, Evan's eyes lit up as he raised his voice, "Mr. Christian, it seems you put on the wrong bathrobe earlier."

Christian's footsteps froze. The faint stir of emotion that had just flickered in his chest vanished instantly, leaving him somewhat speechless—he had thought Evan was acting so attentive because he had a request to make, only for it to be over a bathrobe.

"Ah, and the slippers seem to be mixed up too. Even though they're both one-size-fits-all, mine have a little red flower on them."

Christian pinched the bridge of his nose, knitting his brows in exasperation. He couldn't fathom why Evan paid such intense attention to slippers and bathrobes.

Noticing Christian's shift in mood, Evan paused, shifting his gaze down to his neatly trimmed toes, curling his lips into a bitter smile.

"Things I've used... other people won't touch them anymore. They think it's unclean," Evan paused, looking up. "I know Mr. Christian didn't mean anything by it, but to avoid conflicts down the road, it's better to be mindful."

Evan vividly remembered back in college when a classmate used his belongings without a word, only to unleash a torrent of vile insults upon discovering his body's flaw.

To prevent such friction from ever happening again, he chose to wall himself off first.

Looking at Evan's despondent figure, Christian offered no reply, stepping into the walk-in closet to change directly into sportswear.

He went out for a morning run every day, and today was no exception. But as he reached the bedroom door and prepared to open it, something crossed his mind. Halting his steps, he turned back slightly. "Mom and Serena both love Yangchun noodles. You could give it a try."

Making noodles was Evan's specialty, and Yangchun noodles were an absolute piece of cake for him. Evan nodded, looking up at Christian. "Thank you."

---

By the time Evan walked downstairs, no one else had woken up yet. He checked the wall clock—there was still more than half an hour before the usual breakfast time Christian had mentioned.

He headed into the first-floor kitchen, where early-rising cooks were already preparing char siu. Seeing Evan enter, they greeted him warmly.

When Evan explained his intention, several kitchen maids gathered around enthusiastically to offer help, even bringing over a pot of rich bone broth brewed early that morning.

He fried the scallion oil using red onions, beat eggs evenly to fry into thin sheets before slicing them into delicate ribbons to top the boiled noodles, and finally poured the steaming broth into the bowls. An intoxicating aroma immediately filled the kitchen.

Serena was the very first to rush downstairs, guided entirely by her nose. Leaning against the doorframe with disheveled hair, she took a deep breath of the savory air, her stomach letting out a loud rumble right on cue.

"Did you make this?"

Realizing something might be amiss, Evan took a cautious step backward.

"Uh... yes."

Before he could turn and flee, Serena scooped him up under her arm, ruffling his soft, smooth hair into a complete mess.

"Evan, you know me way too well! I'm telling you, this is my absolute favorite! Having you around gives me such a sense of security! I promise I'll eat breakfast properly from now on..."

Serena's deafening "declaration" was almost too much for Evan to handle. He offered agreeable nods while trying to wriggle free from her grip, only to be dragged into taking a selfie together in front of the noodles.

It wasn't until the elders heard the commotion and came downstairs that Evan finally caught a breath.

Returning from his morning run, Christian passed by the dining room. Hearing the warm laughter echoing from within, he paused to take a distant glance, then reined in the emotions in his eyes and walked toward the elevator.

---

When the sound of a car engine dying echoed outside the entrance, Evan was currently in the Christian family's backyard garden searching for his phone.

The pond in the courtyard wasn't deep, but it was filled with dense water lilies. Blooming vibrantly in this season, Evan pushed aside the disk-like lily pads, reaching his hand into the water to feel around, yet touched nothing.

Hearing the news that Young Master Julian had arrived with his fiancée for a visit, Evan stood with half his arm still submerged in the water. Letting out a soft sigh, he gave up on finding the phone.

Stepping off the small wooden bridge, Evan immediately caught sight of Christian standing by the screen partition, gazing quietly at him.

"Julian is here. If you want to decide whether to face him or not, it's still not too late."

Evan lowered his eyes, his expression dimming. Water droplets on his arm slid downward before he could wipe them away; seeing this, Christian grabbed his hand and led him into the washroom.

The bathroom mirror reflected both their figures. Looking at his obedient reflection as Christian dried his arms with a clean towel, Evan's expression softened considerably.

*Even if it's just a transaction...*

Evan bit his lip, taking the towel from Christian's hands.

By the time the two stepped out of the washroom, the color on Evan's face had restored significantly. Holding Christian's hand, he walked through the winding corridors and straight into the living room.

For those few short steps, Evan almost wished he could walk alongside Christian for a lifetime.

Yet at the end of the corridor stood Julian. The moment that radiant, glowing man caught sight of Evan, his smile instantly turned icy and sinister, his eyes brimming with dark malice—so much so that even the sunlight spilling onto Evan's back felt a few degrees colder.

"Evan? What are you doing here?"

The old master of the Christian family set down his teacup. "Young Julian, you know Evan?"

"More than just know—"

"This must be sister-in-law. We met briefly at the engagement banquet and felt a sense of familiarity," Christian cut in smoothly with a light laugh. "Does sister-in-law often travel abroad for Fashion Week?"

Surprised at being suddenly mentioned by Christian, the woman's eyes flashed with a hint of fluster. She offered an awkward smile, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"Your sister-in-law just loves a good bustle! It's perfectly normal if you've seen her abroad..." Interrupted by Christian, Julian let out a loud laugh, making no attempt to hide the doting tone in his voice. "Knowing Miss Serena is also a regular at fashion shows, Valerie has been wanting to come pay a visit for a while."

Hearing that Valerie frequently flew abroad for fashion shows, Serena warmly invited her up to her second-floor studio for a look.

Valerie gladly accepted the invitation. Watching the two ladies walk into the elevator, Evan didn't even have time to relax his tense nerves before Julian's tight-jawed interrogation echoed in his ears: "Christian, what exactly is your relationship with Evan..."

Silence fell over the living room for a few seconds. Evan's fingers holding the teacup trembled slightly. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, Christian's left hand rested over his wrist, offering him a reassuring glance.

"Evan and I are currently in a romantic relationship. We'll be getting married before long."

"PFT—" The tea Julian had just taken a sip of burst straight out of his mouth. As if hearing the biggest joke in the world, he grinned and laughed in total loss of composure, "Him? Hahaha... Christian, are you serious?!"

Evan's fingers clenched tighter and tighter. Keeping his head down, he bit his lower lip hard, not daring to look up at Julian's cold mockery, nor at the Christian family's reaction.

"Yes," Christian's fingers brushed across Evan's wrist, intertwining their fingers together. He offered a faint smile, raising an eyebrow casually. "Him."

The laugh on Julian's face froze instantly. He stared at the two in sheer disbelief, his chest heaving violently.

His relationship with Christian wasn't close enough to crack jokes casually in front of family, and looking at Christian's demeanor, it didn't seem like a joke at all.

"Good, very good," Julian repeated in quick succession before sneering sneeringly, "Evan is quite a famous beauty, after all... plenty of eyes are fixed on him..."

Christian let out a soft chuckle, leaning slightly closer toward Evan's shoulder. "Young Master Julian doesn't need to worry. My person, I'll manage him myself."

Julian's gaze fixed on Evan was practically shooting flames. Furious to the point of laughing, he gritted his teeth and nodded. "Better be."

When the heir of the Julian family visited with his fiancée, there was no reason not to host them for lunch. Christian's mother, who enjoyed cooking personally, hurried off to the kitchen to inspect the dishes. The old master, getting up in age and prone to fatigue, was escorted upstairs by Christian's father, leaving only Julian and Christian in the living room.

Chapter 9: The Furious Scumbag Julian

*Clack.* Julian lit the cigar held between his fingers with a sharp snap, took a deep drag, exhaled a plume of thick smoke, and turned his head toward Christian.

"Say, did that kid pull the wool over your eyes? He's nothing but a persistent leech—once he stick

Chapter 10: Putting on the Dress Again

Night was always the hardest time for Evan, as memories of the past invariably swarmed back to haunt him.

They were all small, trivial matters, yet accumulated one by one, they became the final straw that broke the camel's back.

"Evan, could you help me try