Chapter 65

Chapter 65

Three days before the New Year, Xie Yezhou finally wrapped up his remaining scenes. He packed up and returned to Qing'an, intending to stay with Ning Yuyi for a few days.

Ning Yuyi had initially thought filming would continue through the holiday season, but the director proved otherwise.

——The potential of humans is boundless.

They truly finished shooting just before New Year's Day. All that remained was the editors, who had to work overtime to complete the edits before the holidays.

When Xie Yiezhou returned, Ning Yuyi was in the home gym with Fan Zhongchuan.

Ning Yuyi sat on the floor, munching on chips and chatting with Fan Zhongchuan, who was doing push-ups.

Wearing only a black tank top that showcased his muscular arms, Fan Zhongchuan nibbled on chips, casting envious glances.

Touching his own trim stomach, Ning Yuyi remembered the feel of Fan Zhongchuan's abs. He was rolling up his sleeves to touch them again when the gym door opened.

Xie Yiezhou, still in his down jacket from outside, paused for a second upon witnessing Ning Yuyi's mischievous intent, then closed the door and left.

He was beginning to seriously question his younger brother's innocent reputation.

Ning Yuyi, who had just transformed from an innocent bunny into a playful tease, looked confused and then embarrassed. Deciding to embrace it, he dove onto Fan Zhongchuan, exclaiming while caressing his abs, "My brother must think I'm a little flirt now!"

Fan Zhongchuan gently tousled Ning Yuyi's hair, "Mhm, my little flirt."

After their affectionate moment in the gym, Fan Zhongchuan headed upstairs to shower and change, while Ning Yuyi went to the living room to find his elder brother.

"Bro."

Xie Yiezhou was recounting the earlier incident to Xie Yienan with a deadpan expression. Hearing Ning Yuyi's call, he put down his messaging app.

As he turned, his gaze landed on the bag of chips in Ning Yuyi's hand.

Frowning, he snatched the chips.

"After sticking to a diet for so long, suddenly indulging in junk food might upset your stomach," Xie Yiezhou stated righteously, even as he expertly grabbed a chip for himself.

Ning Yuyi: ??

"Elder brother, didn't you also have a diet meal while on set?"

"Hmm, all to help out my younger brother."

Ning Yuyi: "Ugh!"

Puffing out his cheeks, Ning Yuyi went upstairs to fetch a pack of squid strips. He then sat downstairs, munching on them with Xie Yiezhou, legs propped up, engrossed in a sword-fighting show.

"Director Zhang truly deserves his awards. That scene was brilliantly executed," Ning Yuyi said, pointing to the TV. A chip appeared by his mouth. After chewing it, he picked up a squid strip and offered it to Xie Yiezhou's lips.

The mutual feeding of the brothers...

When Fan Zhongchuan came downstairs after his shower, this was the animated scene he walked into. His lips tightened, a shadow crossing his eyes.

Ning Yuyi remained oblivious. Just as he reached for another chip from Xie Yiezhou's hand, his nape was pinched.

"Sit still," Fan Zhongchuan's voice was slightly cold.

"Wait for me, I want that chip," Ning Yuyi insisted.

However, Xie Yiezhou, catching the underlying tone in Fan Zhongchuan's voice, chose not to intrude on the couple's moment. Holding his chips, he stood up, "I need to head to the company for a while, to discuss something with the elder brother."

"Ah, are you leaving so soon, second brother?" Ning Yuyi sniffled, clearly reluctant.

Xie Yiezhou was about to pat Ning Yuyi's head but, seeing his hand covered in chip crumbs, refrained.

"Ning Ning, let's have dinner tonight. I'll book a hotpot place," Xie Yiezhou said on his way out.

"Sounds good," Ning Yuyi pondered for a moment. "I'd like to go to that place we ate at last time. They have a branch near Qing'an Company, right?"

"Sure, have Fan Zhongchuan drive you there. It's snowing heavily, don't drive yourself," Xie said, issuing a final piece of advice.

After Xie Yiezhou left, the villa returned to its tranquil state.

Ning Yuyi, carefree, continued munching on snacks, offering some to Fan Zhongchuan.

Fan Zhongchuan, suppressing a laugh, gazed deeply at Ning Yuyi and nodded.

Ning Yuyi only asked out of courtesy, not expecting Fan Zhongchuan to really want some. He hesitated a moment before handing over his snack bag.

In response, he received a passionate kiss.

Unlike their usual tender kisses, this one was more fervent, with Fan Zhongchuan's tongue prying open Ning Yuyi's mouth, taking everything, leaving Ning Yuyi breathless.

When finally released, Ning Yuyi's mind was in a daze, leaning heavily on Fan Zhongchuan's shoulder.

Burying his neck in Fan Zhongchuan's, it took a while before Ning Yuyi belatedly realized that Fan Zhongchuan might have...

...been jealous.

He poked Fan Zhongchuan's chest, accusingly saying, "You're even jealous of my second brother? Are you the reincarnation of a vinegar jar?"

After that passionate kiss filled with vented emotions, Fan Zhongchuan felt much better. He gently wrapped his arms around Ning Yuyi, both leaning against the sofa.

Hearing that, he raised an eyebrow, "Can't I be jealous over my own boyfriend?"

"..." Ning Yuyi nodded half-heartedly, "Of course, you can."

The two cuddled for a while. Remembering the salty squid strips he had eaten earlier, Ning Yuyi felt the need to drink water, but Fan Zhongchuan held him down.

Setting Ning Yuyi aside, Fan Zhongchuan stood up, "I'll get it."

Ning Yuyi tried to recall his own actions, wondering when he had indicated he wanted to get up.

"Milk or water?" Fan Zhongchuan, standing at the kitchen entrance, inquired.

"Water, of course." Ning Yuyi, watching Fan Zhongchuan return with the water, asked, "How did you know I wanted water?"

Did Fan Zhongchuan have a sixth sense about him?

After drinking, Ning Yuyi felt much better and curiously probed Fan Zhongchuan about his earlier guess.

"The snacks were too salty; don't buy them next time," Fan Zhongchuan responded nonchalantly.

It took Ning Yuyi a moment to connect the dots, and when he recalled their kiss, his face flushed crimson.

Suppressing a chuckle, Fan Zhongchuan pulled Ning Yuyi closer, planting a gentle kiss on the corner of his mouth, "Let's head upstairs for a nap. I'll take you out for dinner later."

Ning Yuyi, still lost in embarrassment, felt as though he could conjure up an entire villa out of sheer mortification.

Without waiting for a reply, Fan Zhongchuan scooped him up, heading for the stairs.

……

Winter nights darken early, but the streetlights shining on the snow make everything faintly luminous.

Ning Yuyi, sensitive to the cold, was bundled up by Fan Zhongchuan, resembling a dumpling, complete with snow boots and a hat.

Heavily layered and shielded from the chill, while waiting for Fan Zhongchuan to drive out of the garage, Ning Yuyi amused himself by stepping on the freshly fallen snow.

As Fan Zhongchuan drove out, Ning Yuyi looked up excitedly, "Fan Zhongchuan, come see this!"

Fan Zhongchuan rolled down the window, observing the patterns Ning Yuyi had made with his footprints in the snow.

The first character was 'Ning' and the last was 'Chuan', with a heart in between.

Getting out of the car, Fan Zhongchuan saw the joy in Ning Yuyi's eyes. He brushed off the snow from Ning's hat, affirming, "Yes, I love you too."

Ning Yuyi giggled, standing on tiptoes to plant a big kiss on Fan Zhongchuan.

Once inside the car, Ning Yuyi took a photo of the snowy imprint from the window, edited it, and shared it on his social circle.

Upon arriving at the restaurant, Ning Yuyi followed the waiter to a private dining room where Xie Yiezhou, Xie Yinan, and Lin Chijing were already seated.

"Hey, little cousin, over here," Lin Chijing waved at them.

"I thought you went home?" Ning Yuyi remarked, holding Fan Zhongchuan's hand as they settled into the remaining empty seats.

After enduring a two-month silent treatment from his father, both had finally made concessions. A few days ago, having revised all his scripts, Lin Chijing had returned home.

Lin Chijing remarked, "I had some business in Fenghua, and thought I'd join you for a meal."

As they all gathered, the waiter promptly served their dishes, placing three special hotpots in the center of the table.

The meal progressed harmoniously. Lin Chijing chatted animatedly about TV dramas and novels with Ning Yuyi and Xie Yiezhou, while Xie Yinan and Fan Zhongchuan occasionally discussed business matters.

Yet, Fan Zhongchuan's act of serving Ning Yuyi dishes didn't pause for even a second.

By the end of the meal, feeling warm, Ning Yuyi began unzipping his bulky down jacket.

Taking the last sip of his soup, Lin Chijing noticed Ning's action and teased, "You now resemble a dumpling leaking its sesame filling."

Fan Zhongchuan cast a glance and silently agreed.

After dining, the group lingered in the private room. It was only when the snow outside ceased that they decided to leave.

Fan Zhongchuan made sure to zip up Ning Yuyi's jacket.

"I'm hot," Ning Yuyi mumbled in protest.

"You'll feel cold outside," Fan Zhongchuan replied, preventing Ning's attempt to unzip the jacket. Deciding to take control, he held Ning's hand and led him to the parking area.

Lin Chijing had arrived with Xie Yinan and was now planning to ride with Xie Yiezhou for a visit to their uncle and aunt.

Xie Yinan bid his farewells and headed back to Fenghua alone.

In no time, only Ning Yuyi and Fan Zhongchuan remained by the roadside.

Ning Yuyi strolled leisurely towards their car.

Over dinner, a thin layer of snow had blanketed the car.

Ning Yuyi scooped up a handful of snow from the windshield, molding it into a tiny snowball.

The snowball quickly melted in the warmth of his palm, chilling his previously warm hand.

Inside the car, Ning Yuyi settled in the passenger seat. Fan Zhongchuan fastened his seatbelt and then reached out to feel his hands.

Having seen Ning Yuyi playing with the snow, Fan Zhongchuan wasn't surprised at the coldness of his hands.

He clasped both of Ning Yuyi's hands together, warming them.

Ning Yuyi playfully tapped the floorboard with his foot, "Fan Zhongchuan, let's go have some fun outside."

"Where would you like to go?" Fan Zhongchuan's voice was deep and resonant.

"Hmm, let me think," Ning Yuyi tried recalling suitable romantic getaways from the internet, but none seemed quite right.

It wasn't until they arrived back at Qing'an and stopped in front of their mansion that an idea struck him.

"Let's go to the island. When Dad transferred his shares, he put one of the islands under my name. We can visit there."

"Every day at a set time, supplies will be delivered, but otherwise, it'll just be the two of us."

"The weather there is like in Nanhai Province. We can even wear swim trunks."

……

Ji Xiaoning was attending a dinner with company leaders today. As she exited to bid farewell to the guests, she turned to see Ning Yuyi holding hands with someone.

When she caught a glimpse of Fan Zhongchuan's profile, she immediately recognized him as the president of the Fan Corporation, who had previously trended online with Ning Yuyi—Fan Zhongchuan.

Witnessing their close interactions, especially when Fan Zhongchuan bent down to kiss Ning Yuyi's forehead, Ji Xiaoning gasped, hiding behind a tree, shock evident in her eyes.

Only after the two had driven away did she emerge from behind the tree, confiding the incident to her agent.

Gazing in the direction where Ning Yuyi's car had disappeared, Ji Xiaoning's heart was filled with regret and resentment.

Resentful because Ning Yuyi had spurned her advances, yet had chosen a man.

Her regret stemmed from not capturing the moment on camera due to her initial shock and astonishment.