Chapter 46

Chapter 46 (One more)

Due to the unpleasant incident on Little New Year's Day, this year, Fu Yunzheng declined all invitations under the pretext of feeling unwell, and completely shut the doors of Yun Su private residence.

Today is New Year's Eve.

In the afternoon, Fu Yunzheng gave all the staff in the mansion time off, leaving only Fu Yunzheng and Yu He in the vast property.

The mansion was adorned with festive decorations, ready to bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new; flowers were arranged in patches along the corridors and eaves, red lanterns and the character ‘福’ were visible everywhere, creating a strong New Year atmosphere.

Any place would inevitably feel a bit deserted once it is devoid of people.

But neither Fu Yunzheng nor Yu He minded.

Aunt Zhou was extremely worried before she left, preparing quite a few semi-cooked dishes and putting them in the fridge. Her gaze shifted between Fu Yunzheng and Yu He a couple of times, eventually deciding that Fu Yunzheng, who was sitting in the wheelchair, was the more reliable of the two.

She meticulously explained to Fu Yunzheng: "This dish should be steamed directly; I’ve already prepared the water in the steamer. That dish should go straight into the oven; just press the red button. There are dumplings wrapped and ready in the fridge; when boiling them, add cold water after the water boils, repeat this process three times, and they will be cooked."

Yu He listened attentively by the side, but Aunt Zhou found him to be in the way: “Go play over there. There’s dough ready in the kitchen; you can go and play with that.”

Yu He joked, “Do I look like I’m three? Thinking you can keep me busy with a piece of dough.”

Aunt Zhou frowned and knocked on Yu He's head, “You might not be three, but you once put a Coke in the freezer, almost blowing up the fridge.”

Yu He sheepishly responded, “That was so long ago, why are you still bringing it up?”

Speaking of which, one evening, Yu He wanted a cold Coke and put a can in the freezer, only to forget about it later.

Ice has a lower density than water; the Coke, left for a long time in the freezer, expanded in volume as it froze, causing the dissolved carbon dioxide to overflow and the pressure inside the can to increase, eventually causing the can to explode inside the fridge.

There was a loud ‘bang’, and they heard it all the way up on the third floor.

With such a precedent, Aunt Zhou was a hundred times more cautious with Yu He, preferring to entrust tasks involving fire or electricity to Fu Yunzheng rather than risking letting Yu He handle them.

After Aunt Zhou left, Fu Yunzheng found Yu He in the kitchen, frustratedly kneading dough: “You’ve got flour on your face.”

Yu He vehemently declared, while wrestling with the dough beneath his hands: “I can make dumplings, and I’ll make them for you to eat.”

Fu Yunzheng couldn't help but laugh, “It's rare to see our Little Immortal Crane so competitive.”

The dough was a bit tough due to too much flour, so Yu He added some water and continued to knead: “Once you eat my dumplings, you're mine and can’t be good with anyone else.”

“I won't be good with others even without eating your dumplings,” Fu Yunzheng couldn’t resist ruffling Yu He’s hair, “Let me knead the dough.”

Yu He enthusiastically added a bit more flour to the bowl: “How about this? One meal of dumplings will last a year. I’ll make dumplings for you every New Year's Eve, renewing you for another year, how about that?”

Fu Yunzheng added some water to the bowl and joined Yu He in kneading the dough: “I've always said Young Master Yu knows how to strike a bargain; you’ve won me over with just a plate of dumplings.”

Yu He raised his eyebrows: “They say Fu Yunzheng, the head of the Fu family, is profound and unpredictable, never engaging in a losing business. So, about this deal... Boss Fu, are you in or not?”

Fu Yunzheng, now wrestling with the dough, kept his head down and worked hard, “I’m in.”

Yu He’s face was filled with a joyful smile.

He had never felt this content before; his heart brimming with happiness, as if he was standing atop a towering building, able to reach out and pluck the unreachable stars from the sky.

Yu He softly said, “Fu Yunzheng, I really, really like you.”

Fu Yunzheng's hands were covered in flour, with a little bit also dusted on the tip of his nose.

Yu He wanted to wipe the flour off Fu Yunzheng's face, but upon extending his hand, he realized his own was covered in flour as well.

He leaned in slightly and used the tip of his nose to nuzzle away the flour on Fu Yunzheng’s nose, whispering once again, “I really like you.”

Fu Yunzheng, puzzled, asked, “Why are you suddenly speaking so softly?”

Yu He gazed intently at Fu Yunzheng and recited a line from an ancient poem, which he had memorized many years ago yet still remembered vividly, “I dare not speak loudly, for fear of startling the celestial beings above.”

Young people always have such peculiar logic. Fu Yunzheng didn’t understand but decided to play along, asking, “Where?”

Yu He tilted his head as he looked at Fu Yunzheng, “The stars were originally in the sky, but I’ve plucked them down.”

Fu Yunzheng shook his head, finding it somewhat amusing, “So, I'm the celestial being you’re talking about?”

Yu He also shook his head, his voice lowered, making his young love’s words sound even more enchanting than the music of guqins and zithers.

Yu He said, “You are the person in my heart.”

*

When kneading dough, the common knowledge is to add water if there’s too much flour, and add more flour if there’s too much water.

Unfortunately, both Yu He and Fu Yunzheng knew this common knowledge. Even more unfortunate was that this turned into a high-stakes gamble they found hard to back out from.

After using up an entire five-kilogram bag of strong flour, Fu Yunzheng was the first to stop, saying sternly, “We can’t add anymore.”

Yu He looked at the large lump of dough in the bowl, his eyes showing a gambler's crazed determination, “I want to try one more time!”

Fu Yunzheng estimated, “This dough is enough for us to eat for three days. If we open another bag of flour, that would last six days. Do you really want to eat pasta until the fifth day of the New Year?”

Yu He tested the dough’s texture, “But the hardness… um, it seems we’re still a bit off from it being perfect for making dumplings.”

Fu Yunzheng’s arms were sore from kneading. Although he is a perfectionist, a wise man should also know when to cut his losses.

He didn’t try to reason with Yu He; he simply stated, “I don’t want to eat pasta until the sixth day of the New Year.”

Yu He, still wrestling with the dough, responded subconsciously, “Then let's just leave it at that.”

Fu Yunzheng nodded, "Let's start with rolling out the dough; Sister Zhou has already prepared the filling for us."

"I address her as 'Aunt', and you call her 'Sister'. Our generational hierarchy seems to be a bit mixed up here." Yu He, supporting his elbows on his knees, spoke in a carefree manner, resembling a young master of leisure: "According to this, shouldn’t I be calling you 'Uncle'?"

Fu Yunzheng was kneading the dough into a long strip and cutting it into small pieces. He didn’t take the bait, but instead played along: "Well, why don’t you go ahead and call me that?"

Fu Yunzheng had long known that Yu He was a bird of a feather that couldn’t be ruffled against the grain. Therefore, he went along with whatever Yu He suggested.

Especially when it came to these kinds of jokes, he really didn’t take them to heart.

As expected, Yu He’s previous remark was just a lead-in, setting the stage for what was to come: "So, do you want to hear me call you 'Uncle', or..."

Fu Yunzheng was currently locked in a battle with the rolling pin. This was his first time rolling out dough, and the task proved to be much more challenging than he had anticipated.

It truly was a craft that required skill. Fu Yunzheng was serious and focused, as if he had decided that today, either his fingers or the dough would end up as dumpling wrappers.

His entire focus was on the rolling pin, naturally leading to a lapse in his usually meticulous thoughts.

Fu Yunzheng asked, "Or what?"

Yu He responded, "Do you want to hear me call you 'Uncle', or do you want to hear me call you 'Husband'?"

Without giving it much thought, Fu Yunzheng casually replied, “Husband.”

Yu He suddenly sprang up from his chair, bursting into loud laughter.

He had once been coaxed by Fu Yunzheng into calling him 'Husband' twice. This time, he finally managed to outsmart the cunning Fu Yunzheng, eagerly seizing the opportunity to hear Fu Yunzheng call him 'Husband'.

It felt like an auditory hallucination to him. Fu Yunzheng's voice was more melodious than a cello, the two words piercing through the air like an enchanting arrow straight into his chest.

Yu He's heart felt hot, his head was spinning, and his ears were filled with the sound of heavenly music, the drums and gongs making a raucous. He felt as light as if he were floating on rolling clouds, his spirit trembling and close to transcending, as if he could embrace the whole world just by opening his arms, ready to embark on a glorious journey and ascend to the heavens in broad daylight.

Yu He tried to compose himself, feigning a calm demeanor. He suppressed the tsunami in the depths of his soul, and lifted his head nonchalantly, staring straight at Fu Yunzheng, his voice trembling with shock: "What did you just call me?"

Fu Yunzheng was dumbfounded.

After coming back to his senses, he was quite speechless: ".......”

Fu Yunzheng, puzzled, asked: "Are you that happy?"

Happy was an understatement for Yu He; he wished he could perform a few backflips on the spot—

If only he could perform a backflip.

After a live broadcast where he fell onto the ground while practicing a backflip, Fu Yunzheng put on a stern face for the first time and asked Yu He if he wanted to injure his spine and end up in a wheelchair. Yu He wasn’t afraid of Fu Yunzheng scolding him, but he couldn’t bear to hear Fu Yunzheng call him disabled. So, he never practiced it again.

Today is Chinese New Year, and Yu He finally got his wish to hear the always composed and dignified Fu Yunzheng call him 'husband.' How could he not be overjoyed?

Especially given how cunning Fu Yunzheng is. The first two times Yu He tried to play tricks, he ended up being the one tricked, which makes this time's success all the more precious.

Yu He exclaimed, "I'm ecstatic!"

"Even during the New Year, you can’t hold your tongue," Fu Yunzheng leisurely commented, "So happy, yet you didn't respond in kind?"

The smile on Yu He's face froze.

He had been so busy gloating that he had completely forgotten to respond!

The taste of victory suddenly became less sweet.

No, wait, he hadn’t responded, which meant he hadn't really seized the fruit of victory, right?

Suddenly, all of Yu He's joy disappeared, and he sullenly sat back down, picked up a dumpling wrapper that Fu Yunzheng had just rolled out, scooped some filling into it, and took quite a while to pinch it closed. Then, he held the dumpling in his hand like a treasure, silently staring into space.

Fu Yunzheng, witnessing the whole scene, found himself at a loss for words.

“So dejected just because you didn't get one over on me?” Fu Yunzheng couldn’t help but reach out and tap Yu He’s nose, leaving a smudge of flour. Paired with Yu He's crestfallen expression, he looked pitiful and quite adorable, which made Fu Yunzheng feel a pang of sympathy.

"How can you say I was taking advantage?" Yu He muttered, feeling unjustly treated, "I am your husband, to begin with."

Fu Yunzheng lifted Yu He’s face in his hands: "Since when did you start taking this seriously?"

Yu He looked up at Fu Yunzheng, his exquisite features making him appear as if he had stepped out of a painting. However, unlike a static painting, he had a lively expression, and he boldly directed Fu Yunzheng on what to do: "I'm serious. Call me 'husband' now."

Yu He was truly stunning. His eyes seemed to contain an entire galaxy, shimmering with bright and fluctuating lights upon closer inspection.

If anyone ever spoke of the dazzling stars, they surely had never seen the eyes of Yu He.

His brightness was something even the vast Milky Way couldn’t compare to.

He was so beautiful that it made one have the urge to tease him.

Fu Yunzhen lowered his head to meet Yu He's gaze. The youthful spirit that had long been extinguished in his heart reignited. Today, he decided to be frivolous once again, becoming the man who dared to go against the grain. He was ready to see how Yu He would peck back at him.

Fu Yunzhen's sword-like eyebrows lifted slightly, and his thin lips parted lightly: "I won't call."

Yu He pushed Fu Yunzhen away forcefully: "You did that on purpose!"

“Yes, I did it on purpose.” Fu Yunzhen twirled his fingers gently, uncertain whether he was trying to flick away the flour on his fingertips or wanting to hold onto that lingering warmth.

In terms of cunning, Yu He was no match for Fu Yunzhen. Seeing that Fu Yunzhen was determined to tease him, Yu He didn’t get angry. Instead, a sly twinkle appeared in his clever eyes.

Yu He wickedly thought: There are plenty of days ahead of us, and plenty of opportunities to make you call out.

Fu Yunzhen continued his struggle with the rolling pin, slowly managing to produce a few barely satisfactory dumpling wrappers.

Yu He claimed he knew how to wrap dumplings, but he really only knew how to 'wrap' them.

He couldn't mix the dough or roll out the wrappers, but his dumplings turned out quite beautiful. With his left hand holding a wrapper and his right hand scooping the filling, he put down the spoon, brought his hands together, pressed down with his thumbs, and a plump, gold ingot-shaped dumpling appeared in the palm of his hand. The rough dumpling wrappers couldn’t affect the perfect shape of his dumplings.

Fu Yunzhen sincerely praised him: "You wrap dumplings so beautifully."

Yu He lifted his eyelids and looked at Fu Yunzhen with a smile that was not quite a smile: "For Mr. Fu's dumplings, how can they not be beautiful?"

Fu Yunzhen also smiled: "So, I'm Mr. Fu again now?"

Yu He felt dejected: "I'm not as crafty as you. I can't outsmart you and always end up being teased by you."

Fu Yunzhen didn’t hesitate: "You don’t need to be crafty."

Yu He drooped his eyelids, realizing that Fu Yunzhen was deliberately teasing him. Knowing he couldn't outsmart him, he decided not to continue the conversation to avoid being teased further.

He picked up the wrapped dumplings and placed them on a bamboo plate dusted with flour: "I'm going to cook the dumplings for you, you big bully."

Seeing that Yu He had lost his fighting spirit, Fu Yunzhen thought: Well, it's the New Year, why make the kid unhappy?

Fu Yunzhen picked up a dumpling that had been hidden behind the bowl of filling and handed it to Yu He, saying naturally: "You missed one, hubby."

Yu He turned his head sharply, looking at Fu Yunzhen in disbelief.

Fu Yunzhen tossed the dumpling casually, and it landed right in the middle of the bamboo plate. His eyebrows and eyes conveyed an intensity as he looked at Yu He.

Yu He, who was still thinking about boiling dumplings, was now completely distracted.

Yu He put down the bamboo tray, seized Fu Yunzheng's chin, and forced him to look up, "You did that on purpose."

Fu Yunzheng gripped Yu He's hand that was holding his chin, "Yes, I did it on purpose. I just love teasing you."

Yu He leaned in, his breathing slightly hurried as it fluttered across Fu Yunzheng’s face, while Fu Yunzheng himself breathed steadily, neither too fast nor too slow.

Yu He gritted his teeth, "You don’t just like bullying me; you enjoy playing with me, watching me get anxious at your every word, and then happy at your next. You’re just a manipulative fox..." He leaned in a bit more, his lips pausing near Fu Yunzheng’s ear, whispering softly, “Such a cunning fox should be captured, put in a cage, stripped of its fur to reveal its soft belly, completely at the mercy of others. Let's see how you manipulate hearts then."

Fu Yunzheng tilted his head back, exposing his throat completely to Yu He, and lightly flicked Yu He’s hand. Yu He, following Fu Yunzheng’s motion, slid his hand down to Fu Yunzheng's neck, his thumb just above the carotid artery, clearly feeling the pulsating rhythm of Fu Yunzheng’s heartbeat.

His palm was pressing against Fu Yunzheng’s vital point. At this moment, he held Fu Yunzheng's life in his hands.

Fu Yunzheng, calm and collected, said softly, "You’ve caught me."

Yu He's breath hitched, and he fiercely kissed Fu Yunzheng’s lips. He kissed hard, like a wild beast tearing at its prey.

Fu Yunzheng’s lips were a bit cold, and his mouth tasted of the familiar herbs to Yu He. Yu He captured Fu Yunzheng’s lips, wanting to bite down hard to vent his frustrations but ultimately not having the heart to do so. He could only suck hard instead.

“Ouch,” Fu Yunzheng dodged back a bit, “Be gentle, I’m not a puppy.”

Yu He’s eyes were aflame, his gaze scorching hot, "Then don’t tease me like you would tease a dog. I’ve told you before, I can’t handle being teased.”

Fu Yunzheng’s gaze shifted past Yu He, looking at the dumplings near the stove, “So we’re not eating the dumplings?”

“Husband, I’ll feed you something else first,” Yu He carried Fu Yunzheng to the living room, placing him on the sofa with a domineering presence, “It has a higher protein content than dumplings.”

Fiery kisses landed on Fu Yunzheng’s face, as Yu He's lips traveled from cheek to mouth, then to the neck. His fingers lightly flicked, unbuttoning Fu Yunzheng’s shirt at the collar.

Fu Yunzheng pushed against Yu He’s chest, “Wait... Let me go to the restroom first.”

Yu He’s kisses continued incessantly as he mumbled, “What’s wrong?”

Fu Yunzheng pressed against Yu He’s lips, whispering something in his ear.

A hint of concern flashed in Yu He's eyes, “I’ll go with you.”

Fu Yunzheng kissed Yu He's eyes gently, "What's the use of you accompanying me? Can you pee for me? Get my wheelchair.”

Yu He put his arm around Fu Yunzheng’s shoulder, “I can whistle for you.”

About ten or so minutes later, Yu He and Fu Yun Zheng left the restroom together.

Perhaps because the weather had turned cooler and the nervous system was less sensitive, Fu Yun Zheng was again having difficulty urinating. However, thankfully, it was only occasional and the condition was mild. He was still able to urinate on his own, though it took a longer time to start. Symptoms related to spinal damage can be recurrent, so this situation did not necessarily indicate a worsening of his condition. Nevertheless, Yu He was very worried that it might get worse.

Fu Yun Zheng didn't show any abnormality in his emotions, and his expression was very calm when he talked about this issue with Yu He.

Yu He rested his forehead against Fu Yun Zheng's, "After the New Year, I'll go take classes on Traditional Chinese Medicine. Master Meng said that for chronic diseases like this, TCM provides the best care."

Fu Yunzhen tilted his head slightly and kissed the corner of Yu He's lips, "You really have unwavering faith in Master Meng. With the things he sells... well, suit yourself."

Yu He’s lips sought his again, planting a gentle kiss on Fu Yunzhen’s lips: "You never used to kiss me first. Today, you've kissed me twice."

Fu Yunzhen chuckled lightly, "I used to be your boss... I had to maintain a level of professionalism and couldn’t just harass my employees at will."

"I welcome the harassment; I can't wait." Yu He wrapped his arms around Fu Yunzhen’s waist, pulling him closer, and sketched the contours of Fu Yunzhen's stern eyebrows in the air, "With looks as handsome as yours, it doesn't count as harassment."

Fu Yunzhen asked, "What does it count as?"

Yu He’s eyes twinkled like stars, unable to hide the love and desire within. His affectionate gaze was even more intoxicating than the spring breeze, "It’s called ‘a perfect match, with mutual consent.’"

There was also a warm and rippling smile in Fu Yunzhen's eyes, and his voice was low and resonant, filled with a magnetic charm.

Fu Yunzhen spoke slowly, "Really? I thought it was more like ‘forcing the good into prostitution, stealing jade... and stealing fragrances.'"

The more cunning a fox becomes, the better it is at seduction. Fu Yunzhen used to flirt with Yu He, saying flirtatious things or making subtle moves, but they were all very cryptic, like looking at flowers through the fog, ambiguous, and keeping a distance.

Perhaps because there was no one else in the villa today, the old fox suddenly lifted that foggy veil, revealing his seductive side, and almost driving Yu He crazy.

Yu He ran his fingertips along the corners of Fu Yunzhen's eyes, "Old fox, stop flirting with me. Do you still want to eat dumplings or not?"

Fu Yunzhen pushed Yu He away, gracefully buttoned up his collar, and carried himself with a clear and scholarly demeanor. Who could imagine that just moments ago, Fu Yunzhen had been pinned on the sofa, being kissed by Yu He? He didn’t seem like the one on the bottom at all, but rather like a boss who had just spoiled his little lover.

The boss spoke, "Go cook the dumplings, I’m hungry."

Yu He watched, itching with curiosity. No one else had ever seen Fu Yunzhen like that; only he had.

Everything seemed interesting when the two of them were together.

Yu He came to Yun Su in the deep summer, and in the blink of an eye, it was another new spring. More than half a year had passed, and Yu He spent most of his time in the villa with Fu Yunzhen, yet he didn’t find it dull or boring at all.

Time passed quickly.

Plump dumplings tumbled around in the pot, and with a sprinkle of cold water, they soon resumed their lively dance, bobbing up and down in the boiling water.

Lunch consisted solely of dumplings.

Specifically, dumplings with a rather tough and thick skin.

There were no exquisite or luxurious dishes, nor were there any servants waiting on them hand and foot; life was simple.

Yet, they both found it quite delightful.

In the afternoon, Yu He nestled beside the fireplace, tossing sweet potatoes in to roast.

Fu Yunzhen was engrossed in his book.

By evening, the sweet potatoes in the fireplace had turned to charcoal.

Yu He silently mourned the three pieces of charcoal that still retained the shape of sweet potatoes for half a second, then turned to Fu Yunzhen and said, “Our New Year's Eve dinner is short of one dish.”

Fu Yunzhen looked up, uttering two words with insincere regret: "What a shame."

He had no expectations for Yu He’s culinary skills and kindly suggested, "The private kitchen we tried last time offers delivery; it’s not too late to order now."

Yu He, recalling the garden-like courtyard of that place, couldn't believe such a high-end place would offer delivery: "Delivery from a private kitchen?"

Fu Yunzhen turned a page in his book, responding indifferently: "It depends on who’s ordering."

Yu He rolled his eyes and imitated Fu Yunzhen’s tone: "Depends on who’s ordering." He glanced at Fu Yunzhen and added, "Look at you, so aloof and noble, as if you're above the mundane world."

Outside, the sky had darkened, but the manor was lit up, with purple-blue fairy lights twined around the bare branches of the maple trees, creating a sparkling, festive atmosphere.

Another spring was approaching, bringing with it a world filled with fireworks and festivity.