6677 felt that either it had gone crazy, or the master and the male lead had gone crazy—otherwise, how could this porridge taste so strange, when both the master and the male lead had just eaten it so happily?
6677 stared at the bowl of porridge in front of it. The rice grains were soft and fluffy, mixed with golden mung beans, steaming hot, looking incredibly appetizing.
What it tasted earlier was just an illusion. It may have gone too long without eating human food.
Thinking that, 6677 licked its lips again…
"Gagh!"
Impossible. One more lick…
"Gagh!"
Definitely an illusion. One more lick!
"Gagh!"
Saphen, who was washing dishes nearby, could no longer ignore the strange retching sounds echoing nonstop.
He turned around and saw the orange cat sitting in a corner, mouth wide open, gagging repeatedly.
[What's wrong with you?]
Saphen's voice brought 6677's soul back into its body.
It started as Saphen picked up the bowl of porridge, then shouted loudly:
[Master! Did you poison my bowl?!]
Hearing that, Saphen tapped it lightly on the head.
[If you don't want to eat it, fine, but don't talk nonsense.]
6677 felt deeply wronged.
[I'm telling the truth, sir! Try tasting it—it has a peculiar flavor!]
Saphen narrowed his eyes.
[Do I look like someone who would share a bowl of porridge with a cat? Go back.]
6677 immediately retreated, screaming as it vanished:
[But I'm not a cat!]
[Putting a pair of glasses on doesn't make you human.]
Saphen dumped the porridge away.
6677 fumed:
[I swear I was telling the truth… the taste really was weird…]
Then it began wailing dramatically:
[Maybe you don't actually love me… sob sob sob]
Saphen ignored it completely. After tidying up, he went out.
"I'm heading to work. I'll be back by early evening, don't worry."
Cain nodded, but before he could even say goodbye, the door had already closed. It seemed Saphen was in a hurry. Hopefully, he wouldn't be late.
Of course, Cain's hope did not come true.
Saphen lost half an hour's pay. But it didn't bother him much.
What bothered him was Damian, who kept hovering around him. Though he no longer clung to him like before, he kept staring at him constantly.
If earlier he had seemed like a flirt, now he looked like a lovestruck fool who had just fallen headfirst into infatuation.
Still, it was just a minor change and didn't affect Saphen's work.
That evening, Saphen bought several sets of loungewear for Cain, along with two portions of bone broth from a famous shop near his workplace. The soup came in tin containers and wasn't cheap.
6677 exclaimed:
[The male lead will definitely be moved to tears!]
Saphen nodded.
[All for the mission.]
6677 felt utterly blessed—forming a contract with Saphen was truly its life's most incredible stroke of luck.
In the evening, Saphen continued to cook mung bean porridge.
Watching both Saphen and Cain finish their bowls, 6677 began to seriously doubt its own sense of taste. Could it really be a problem with its taste buds…?
"All right, time for a shower."
As soon as dinner was finished, Saphen suddenly spoke, so bluntly that Cain jumped in surprise.
Noticing Cain's reaction, Saphen couldn't help but smile. He propped his chin on his hand, eyes sparkling. "What's the matter? Do you think someone else changed your clothes last night?"
Cain felt that Saphen was shameless. He said thoughtfully, "I can shower by myself now."
Saphen looked at Cain's expression and laughed softly. "Fine, don't worry about the wet bandages—they'll be replaced later. Let's go."
There were only two bathrooms in the house, but only Saphen's room had a shower, so Cain could only follow him.
Saphen's room wasn't huge, just enough space for a large bed, a wardrobe, and a walkway. Everything was minimalistic, neat, and tidy, making it hard to tell what the owner of the room actually liked.
Cain couldn't help but glance at Saphen, only to realize Saphen was already looking at him. "You're slow—go shower."
Cain nodded and quickly went into the bathroom.
Meanwhile, Saphen pulled a notebook from the bedside cabinet and began recording the day's expenses. 6677 couldn't help but ask, suspiciously: [What are you doing?]
Saphen replied naturally, [Recording debt, I told you already.]
6677 felt that the white moonlight shouldn't be money-minded—it should be all about unconditional sacrifice—but since it had promised to trust Saphen, it stayed silent.
At that moment, the sound of running water stopped. A while later, Cain opened the door and stepped out, water still dripping from his hair, running down the sharp, perfect contours of his face.
He was wearing only knee-length shorts; his upper body was bare, the bandages tossed in the trash, revealing flawless muscles.
His wounds had scabbed over and showed no signs of infection. Truly, the male lead—his ability to heal was absurdly perfect.
Cain met Saphen's gaze, feeling a little tense. Instinctively, he looked down at his abs.
Not bad. Saphen's eyes were definitely filled with admiration.
At that moment, a notebook was suddenly pushed in front of him, and Saphen's voice followed: "Take a look and see if anything's wrong. If it's okay, then…"
Cain's hand was suddenly grabbed, his thumb pressed onto a small black ink pad.
Saphen lifted his hand, grinning mischievously like a cat that had just stolen a fish. "If everything looks fine, press your fingerprint. Later, you'll owe me ten times back."
Cain could feel Saphen's hands holding his, noticeably smaller than his own. The tips of Saphen's fingers were slightly cold, with soft, fair skin—utterly different from Cain's somewhat tanned complexion.
Cain was momentarily dazed until Saphen spoke again. "What's the matter? You don't want to?"
Cain looked at Saphen's slightly furrowed brows and immediately nodded. "I won't go back on my word."
He felt there was no problem with it—this was fine. Everything would be accounted for clearly later. Even without his memory, Cain realized he probably wasn't the type to like unnecessary trouble.
Seeing Cain's firm decision, Saphen couldn't help but comment: "Remember, ten times back. But what if you're not rich?"
Cain looked at Saphen, who tilted his head slightly, blinking, his smile completely free of the worry suggested by his tone. "And what if you were rich before but now went bankrupt?"
Cain wasn't flustered by Saphen's teasing. He said thoughtfully, "I'll work to repay you."
He added, "Once my wounds fully heal, I'll start working."
Saphen glanced at Cain's earnest expression, pursing his lips slightly, and said with a hint of boredom, "You're really not interesting."
Cain opened his mouth to say something, but at that moment, Saphen tossed the notebook onto the bed. He took out the prepared medicine and bandages, lifting his chin: "Sit down."
Cain obediently followed the instruction, sitting on the edge of Saphen's bed.
Saphen leaned forward slightly, applying the medicine seriously. His brows were furrowed, lips pressed tight.
Usually, he always wore a smile, which made him look charming—just one smile seemed to tease hearts, giving a sense of approachability that made people brave enough to talk to him. But when he didn't smile, he looked cold in a striking way.
Cain stared at the two beauty marks under Saphen's eyes. His index finger and thumb instinctively rubbed together—he didn't even know why, just a strange itch in his chest.
Saphen wasn't a professional; his bandaging wasn't perfect, but at least it covered the wound.
"All done!"
Saphen straightened up, eyes shining as he looked at his work, then muttered, "I should probably charge for the bandaging too…"
Cain: "…" I'm still sitting here, you know.
Saphen could turn everything into money. Maybe he really liked money, Cain thought.
Suddenly, Cain also wished he had been rich before… plenty of money, just the kind of thing Saphen liked…