Shi Lei’s mom left that morning and it meant Jin Yu Zhen was finally returning back to his room. A month ago She Lei would have been jubilant at the news, but now there was a gnawing in his heart. He hoped the things could just stay the way they were. He liked listening to his housemate falling asleep, his breath gradually becoming very quiet and steady, and got worried to no end when the latter had nightmares. He liked seeing Jin Yu Zhen’s face the first thing in the morning with his usually sleek and neat hair dishevelled over his forehead. It took him quite a while to understand and to confess to himself but he was hopelessly in love and had absolutely no idea what to do with that feeling. His mom told him he had to be selfish for once, but how? The only thing he knew: he liked their accidental and sometimes not that accidental touches and interaction and that he felt warm and excited when he managed to make Yu Zhen smile or when he could help him with anything. Sometimes he thought Yu Zhen liked him as well because when they were alone his eyes would often linger on Shi Lei’s lips and eyes and made him confused and fluttered. He would also look at him with those starry and smiling eyes at breakfast that instantly made Shi Lei break into a foolish smile. But then as any person being in love Shi Lei started doubting his observations and finding a million of proofs it was just a result of his vivid imagination. Jin Yu Zhen was the one who introduced the ‘Single Rule’ forbidding any romance in the office. And it was impossible for their boss to break his own rules. No, no way! He is a rules freak.

"I think I can go back to my room already", these words caught Shi Lei off guard and interrupted the flow of his thoughts. All his hopes crumbled away in an instant. If Yu Zhen liked him he would have stayed. But he was leaving, just like that. 

"Oh", Shi Lei didn’t recognise his own voice: it was blank and distant. He didn’t know why but he added "Remember to tear up the rules." Probably he hoped Yu Zhen would say that they didn’t need those rules anymore and it would mean he might one day cancel the Dating rule in the office as well.

"I’ll post them on the fridge again." He doesn’t sound even a mite upset. And I’ve been thinking he felt something for me. An idiot. Shi Lei looked both disappointed and hostile. He was holding his phone before his eyes, but was staring at Yu Zhen instead still trying to discern any signs of hesitation in him. "Do whatever you want", sulking he lay down and turned his face to the wall making it clear he had no intention to speak anymore.

"Why aren’t you sleeping on the bed?" Why? Don’t you really get it? Because I desperately want you to stay, and I though that, may be, if I sleep on the floor, you could just forget in some miraculous way that you have your own room and are supposed to come back there tonight. But Shi Lei answered only, "I want to sleep on the floor for one last night."

You don’t even realise how cute you are, Shi Lei. Sounds a little bit like you want me to stay. Even though every time they were alone Yu Zhen’s hands would itch to reach out and touch Shi Lei’s hair or pull him in a hug, he would restrain himself still unsure he was liked back. But the younger’s recent behaviour gave him hope. All those awkward looks and smiles that Yu Zhen might have noticed much earlier if he hadn’t been so busy being awkward and fluttered himself. "Okay, then I’ll help you turn off the light."

Shi Lei only hummed in response in quite a sulky way. Once the lights were off Jin Yu Zhen was about to take his bedding, but then suddenly stopped and broke into a smile.

***

Shi Lei had already resigned to the fact that Yu Zhen, obviously, didn’t feel the same way and was simply leaving without any regret or hesitation. He even had a plan for the evening already: to analyse all the looks and phrases he had got from his boss that day. Much to his own shame he had read almost all the articles online he could find on «how to understand he likes you» and just couldn’t stop comparing everything he noticed in Yu Zhen’s behaviour to those cliche texts. And before he would think that those were written only for naive teenagers. May be he just was one. It was kind of a guilty pleasure that could give him hope and instantly take it away, but he was thankful even for that. So he was patiently waiting now for the door to click behind his housemate so that he could plunge into his daily investigation. But then suddenly he felt Yu Zhen gingerly crawling to lie down beside him and slipping his right arm over the blanket and around his waist. The younger guy caught his breath and could only utter in a barely audible voice, "Jin Yu Zhen." He was startled and his heart was pounding like crazy. 

"I also want to experience sleeping on the floor", responded Yu Zhen softly, almost in a whisper, his breath tickling Shi Lei’s neck. 

Shi Lei slowly covered Jin Yu Zhen’s hand with his and pulled it up his own chest so that it rested now where his heart was. He didn’t worry anymore that his heartbeat could give his feelings away and only smiled happily as he felt Yu Zhen nuzzling his neck. He wished he could just melt into the warmth of this gentle hug, but also couldn’t stop worrying about the person beside him. "You’ll get cold", he mumbled, "get under the blanket." Yu Zhen only shook his head and snuggled up closer to Shi Lei.

 "You’re being an irresponsible boss again, think about your employees, what will we do if you catch a cold?" 

Yu Zhen rose himself on his left elbow and was now hovering over his housemate looking into his face. Shi Lei gulped and froze staring into his boss’s laughing eyes, that looked even more charming in the semi-darkness of the room. 

"I think if Shi Laoshi himself says so, I should follow his advice", finally answered Yu Zhen widely grinning and being dangerously close to Shi Lei’s face. He definitely liked teasing him. When Shi Lei thought his heart was about to jump out from his chest, Yu Zhen just slipped under Shi Lei’s blanket and pulled him into a tight hug.

"Thank you. Thank you for caring about me, Shi Lei", he whispered and ran his fingers through the younger's hair, Shi Lei awkwardly smiling back at him.