Chapter 50

Chapter 50

Seeing Fu Yunzhen, Yu He quickly stepped forward, “How come you’re out here?”

Fu Yunzhen looked up at Yu He, “Why, am I not allowed to be out?”

Yu He pushed Fu Yunzhen’s wheelchair, muttering, “What have I done to provoke you? You start with me as soon as you show up.”

Fu Yunzhen’s expression was indifferent as he surveyed the room full of handsome young men, “I wasn’t aware that Young Master Yu had so many young and good-looking friends here at Jinse Tai.”

“Heh,” Yu He squatted down slightly, “Waiting here for me? And I haven’t even started on you yet. My friend was practically drooling at the sight of you, insisting on being your ‘little one.’ See what you’ve done.”

Fu Yunzhen chuckled lightly, clearly not believing him, “Don’t try to fool me.”

Yu He, leaning on the wheelchair’s armrest, insisted, “Really, he even praised you for being handsome.”

Fu Yunzhen glanced sidelong at Yu He, “Why do you look so pleased when someone praises me for being handsome?”

Yu He smiled, his peach blossom eyes curving into crescents, “You are mine, so a compliment to you is a compliment to me.”

Fu Yunzhen smiled insincerely, his voice icy, “Who belongs to whom?”

Yu He, like a small animal encountering its natural enemy, instantly got defensive, “I am yours.”

Fu Yunzhang's eyes were filled with laughter: "Stop squatting down there, everyone is looking at you."

Yu He didn't feel embarrassed at all; he looked up: "Then give me a kiss."

Fu Yunzhang: "......"

In the end, Fu Yun Zheng did not kiss Yu He, and Yu He, feeling numb from squatting, stood up.

Yu He didn’t invite many friends; they could all fit around one table.

Yao Yue Yun and Fu Yao were both kind and gentle people. They did not harbor any prejudice against Xiao En Lan, Qi, and the others from Jin Se Tai.

Jin Se Tai, as the biggest gold mine in Feng City, indeed had a one-in-a-hundred selection process for their staff. Xiao En was handsome, Qi was graceful, and the other few were also exceptionally charming, each outstanding in their own way.

Seeing a room full of young boys, it was as if they had returned to Fu Yao's high school parent-teacher meeting. Xiao En and the others were savvy, calling Yao Yue Yun ‘Sister,’ making her seem twenty years younger.

Fu Yao, suddenly made a generation younger, complained, “Doesn't anyone speak up for me?”

There was no chair at the head of the table, convenient for Fu Yun Zheng to sit directly in his wheelchair. However, Fu Yun Zheng asked a servant to bring over another chair instead.

Everyone was momentarily taken aback.

As the head of the Fu family, Fu Yun Zheng's place at the head of the table was a matter of course. When he offered his seat, it was only logical that an elder should take it.

However, Yao Yue Yun knew that the seat was not being offered to her.

Fu Yun Zheng explained to Yao Yue Yun, "Yu He is also a master of the Fu household. Moreover, it’s his birthday today, making him the host of this gathering. I hope Auntie Yao does not take offense."

Yu Qing Yan looked at Yu He in surprise, only to find that Yu He also seemed a bit astonished. Apart from Fu Yun Zheng, everyone else showed varying degrees of astonishment.

Yao Yue Yun was the first to regain her composure, speaking softly, "Seeing you and Xiao He getting along so well, I am more than happy; why would I take offense?"

Yao Yue Yun reacted swiftly. Seeing Yu He still standing there in a daze, she reached out her hand to bring him to the head of the table, pressing her hands gently on his shoulders.

Naturally, Yu He could not publicly refuse Yao Yue Yun's kindness and could only comply by sitting down, though he shifted uneasily.

Fu Yun Zheng took Yu He's hand and whispered, "It’s okay."

For someone of Fu Yun Zheng’s stature and status to condescend to sit here was already giving Yu He a great deal of face. Who could have anticipated that Fu Yun Zheng would personally acknowledge Yu He as a master of the Fu household?

This was tantamount to publicly declaring that his relationship with Yu He was not a whim, but something much more serious...

Xiao En secretly clicked his tongue, thinking to himself that he originally believed Yu He was deluded by his sugar daddy's sweet talk, but now it seemed that Fu Yun Zheng was even more smitten than Yu He.

Perhaps even more so.

So in the end, who was really the captivated one in this relationship?

Fu Yao found it unbelievable, staring at Yu He and Fu Yun Zheng throughout the meal, almost suspecting that Yu He had cast some kind of love spell on his cousin from Miaojiang.

His cousin, such a proud and arbitrary person, it's already quite surprising that he would sponsor anyone. What's more, he keeps elevating Yu He again and again.

What does "Yu He is also the master of the Fu residence" mean? This is clearly putting Yu He on an equal footing with Fu Yunzheng himself. If these words reach the ears of the other members of the Fu family, it will definitely cause a huge uproar.

Does Fu Yunzheng really not know how significant his words are?

Of course, he knows.

But Fu Yunzheng doesn't care. He's made up his mind to promote Yu He. What can the other members of the Fu family do when they find out? They can only look up in admiration.

That is truly the most terrifying part.

People always say that Mr. Fu, Fu Yunzheng's grandfather, was uninterested in worldly pleasures throughout his life, but in the end, he was defeated by a woman, unable to resist her charm.

Fu Yunzheng has learned deeply from his grandfather's lesson, leading a clean and unattached life for the first thirty years. But unexpectedly, upon first sight of Yu He, he was completely captivated, eventually falling for him.

Fu Yao had sensed that something was off a long time ago. From the moment he saw that expensive basketball court, he felt that something was wrong. If it was just about sponsoring someone, there would be no need to go to such lengths.

What kind of canary is worth Fu Yunzheng’s painstaking efforts?

People often say that the phoenix nests in the parasol tree, but Fu Yunzheng has done even more; he is using an entire manor to raise a crane!

Now it all makes sense!

Fu Yao understands it all now.

What's most irritating is that if Yu He were a scheming person, it would make sense for Fu Yunzheng to act out of character. But Yu He is completely oblivious.

It's hard to say how much of his cousin's heartfelt intentions this silly crane can understand.

Fu Yao still remembers that two months ago, during Fu Rulan’s birthday banquet, Yu He was so distraught, even complaining that Fu Yunzheng didn’t like him.

Isn’t this affection?

What more does it take to call it liking?

However, Yu He has developed a sense of crisis towards intimate relationships.

The Yu family places too much emphasis on benefits, which has resulted in Yu He growing up in an overly utilitarian environment since birth.

During the formation of his world view, everyone was telling Yu He: be a useful person; the useless are replaceable.

The parent-child bond, whether between father and son or mother and son, is supposed to be the most secure tie in the world. Yu He has always believed that even if he were not ambitious or useful, the bond of family could not be erased. He could maintain a not-so-close father-son relationship with Yu Shiqian. After all, the relationships between all boys and their fathers aren’t great as they grow up. His relationship with Yu Shiqian is even considered not the worst in the circle of wealthy families.

And what about his mother, Zhang Wan? Although picking up Yu He from school wasn’t as important to her as her beauty treatments, Yu He still felt very close to her—at least he thought he was. However, judging by Zhang Wan’s attitude on the day he left the Yu family, it seemed she wasn’t as attached to him as he thought. She was still eager to leave home for her skincare treatments.

In this case, Zhang Wan is closest to her beauty treatments.

In summary, even the identity of her biological son could be replaced; Yu He, of course, would no longer naively believe that any relationship could be eternal and unchanging.

While others were shocked by Fu Yunzheng’s favoritism towards Yu He, Yu He was still worried that he might be replaced one day.

Everything is fine when he is liked, but what if one day he is no longer favored?

Yu He fell into a more negative mood. Every time he thought deeply about his future with Fu Yunzheng, it was hard for Yu He to be optimistic, even though the future was uncertain. Yet, he couldn’t help but think about it.

When negative emotions surged, Yu He felt as if he had been thrown into the water. The lively birthday party seemed unrelated to him.

Even though he was the protagonist of the party, surrounded by those who are now closest to him, seated around the dinner table.

Yu He experienced an intense sense of detachment, as if half of his soul was at the banquet, laughing and talking with friends, while the other half was suspended in mid-air, coldly observing everyone, indifferent to joy or sorrow, invisible to all.

The exquisite black swan cake, adorned with lit candles, was pushed in front of Yu He. Xiao Si took the lead in singing the birthday song for him, while Lan Qi even wanted to add a dance, but was rejected by Xiao En, or more precisely, by everyone.

Laughter filled the air, and Yu He smiled along, but his heart wasn’t happy at all.

He used to have many people and friends around him, but he lost them all. After leaving the Yu family, Yu He was always alone until he met Fu Yunzheng.

If one has never possessed something, they wouldn’t feel distressed and troubled over the fear of losing it.

Before the age of nineteen, Yu He had a lot, which made him deeply experience the pain of loss; it was a terrible feeling,

Like a game console unplugged from its socket, music, color, animation, and joy all vanished in the moment the power was cut, eventually succumbing to silence.

The screen was left with nothing but profound darkness.

This game console, named Yu He, from then on lay on the ground, covered in dust. Amidst the hustle and bustle, many people came and went, but no one would stop for a useless game console.

He was supposed to rot in the storm, decay over time, but Fu Yunzheng picked him up. From that moment on, Yu He's collapsed world was rebuilt, and he returned to this noisy world of the living.

The Yu family has always prioritized profit above all else, creating an excessively utilitarian environment for Yu He from the moment he was born.

Throughout the formation of his worldview, everyone kept telling Yu He that he needed to be useful, as those who were useless would be replaced.

The bond between parent and child is supposed to be the strongest in the world. Yu He firmly believed that even if he was not ambitious or useful, the bond of family could never be erased. He was content to maintain a less intimate relationship with his father, Yu Shiquan, as he noticed that all boys grew distant from their fathers as they matured. In fact, his relationship with his father was not the worst among the elite circles.

As for his mother, Zhang Wan, although picking up Yu He from school was less important to her than her beauty treatments, Yu He still felt very close to her—or at least, he thought he did. However, Zhang Wan’s attitude on the day he left the Yu family suggested otherwise, as she was eager to leave home for her skincare appointment.

In this sense, Zhang Wan was closest to her beauty treatments.

In short, if even the status of being her biological son could be replaced, Yu He could no longer naively believe in the permanence of any relationship.

While others were alarmed by Fu Qizheng's favoritism towards Yu He, he himself was worried that one day he might be replaced.

Everything is wonderful when you are favored, but what happens if that favoritism fades one day?

Yu He found himself trapped in a pessimistic mindset, struggling to be optimistic when thinking deeply about his future with Fu Yunzheng, despite the uncertain future.

When negative emotions surged, Yu He felt as if he had been thrown into water, completely disconnected from the lively birthday party happening around him.

Even though he was the star of the party, surrounded by those he was currently closest to.

Yu He experienced an extreme sense of detachment, as if half of his soul was enjoying the feast and laughing with friends, while the other half floated in midair, coldly observing the world, indifferent to joy and sorrow, unseen by others.

The delicate black swan cake was brought to him, candles lit, and Xiao Si started singing the birthday song for him. Lan Qi even wanted to dance, but was rejected by Xiao En, or more accurately, rejected by everyone.

Everyone burst into laughter, and Yu He smiled along, but his heart was not in it.

He used to have a lot of people and friends around him, but he lost them all. Since leaving the Yu family, Yu He had always been alone, until he met Fu Yunzheng.

If one has never possessed, one will not be troubled or distressed by the fear of loss.

Before the age of nineteen, Yu He had a lot, which made the pain of loss all the more profound and unbearable for him, as if a game console had been unplugged, its music, colors, animations, and joy vanishing in an instant, leaving only silence.

The screen was left in deep, unrelenting darkness.

This game console, named Yu He, should have decayed in the wind and rain, and rotted away with time. Many people came and went, but no one would stop for a useless game console.

He was supposed to disintegrate and decay in the storms of life and the passage of time, but Fu Yunzheng picked him up. From that moment on, Yu He’s collapsed world was rebuilt, and he found himself back in the bustling world of humanity.

It was indeed very strange. In the past, whenever Yu He was caught in a foul mood, only a cigarette could quell his restlessness and gloom.

Nicotine had always been the only antidote to soothe Yu He's troubled emotions.

But not anymore.

His drifting soul found its grounding, and Yu He looked around at the people sitting by the dining table.

He reestablished his connection with this world, no longer alone.

Besides love, he now had friendship and familial affection.

Yu He's gaze fell on Yao Yueyun’s gentle face. With a smile, Yao Yueyun asked, “Xiao He, what’s the matter?”

Yu He’s eyes curved as he smiled.

Yao Yueyun also smiled, using the serving chopsticks to pick up some spicy shrimp for Yu He: “Yao Yao told me you like spicy food and seafood. This is made by your Aunt. Give it a try.”

Yu He felt a warmth in his eyes and said in a deep voice, “Okay.”

Fu Yao, who doesn’t eat spicy food, looked at the dish with envy: “Ah, Yu He, my mom really plays favorites. I’ve been wanting to eat her braised pork for... three years now, and she hasn’t made it for me.”

Xiao En asked, “How come it’s been such a long time?”

Fu Yao explained, “I went to teach in the mountains during my senior year of college. The conditions were really harsh, and I even had to go to a neighboring village just to get a phone signal. Seeing my plight, my mom asked me what I wanted to eat, and I told her braised pork... and then nothing happened.”

Everyone at the table burst into laughter.

It was a merry feast with wine and joyful conversation; everyone had a great time.

Perhaps it was due to Fu Yunzheng’s imposing presence, but after lunch, everyone started to take their leave. The Fu family’s estate was vast, yet it seemed like they weren’t inclined to stay and hang out for longer.

Standing at the villa’s entrance, Yu He personally saw them off until only Yu Qingyan was left.

The cold wind whistled outside. Yu Qingyan, wearing a light beige down jacket, didn’t appear bulky but rather slender and graceful, standing against the cold wind with a toughness that seemed to defy the frost and snow.

Yu He used to be most annoyed by Yu Qingyan’s aloofness, and he still is, but it doesn’t stop him from being friends with Yu Qingyan.

Although Yu He really didn’t like Yu Qingyan, he couldn’t deny that Yu Qingyan had a good character. Others would distance themselves from him upon learning he was kept by someone, but only Yu Qingyan came all the way from Feng City—

Even if Yu Qingyan might have had a bit of a schadenfreude mentality.

But in this world, not kicking someone when they’re down is already commendable. Offering a helping hand, even with a mocking smile, is still a lifesaver.

If Fu Yunzheng had not brought Yu He out of the Jinse Stage, and if Yu He had really fallen into a dangerous situation, then the first one to pull him out would have been Yu Qingyan.

Perhaps growing up means learning to make friends with people you dislike.

Yu He, full of emotions, took a gift box out of his pocket and handed it to Yu Qingyan, raising his eyebrows: "Happy Birthday."

Yu Qingyan was obviously a bit surprised, as if he had not expected Yu He to prepare a gift for him. It took him a long while to reach out and take the gift box, hesitating slightly: "Is this for me?"

Yu He responded indifferently: "Of course."

Yu Qingyan opened the box, and a familiar card caught his eye. He took out the campus ID card from the box, flipped it over, and saw that the handsome young man on the card looked exactly like Yu He standing in front of him.

Yu Qingyan was stunned, raising his voice unconsciously: "How do you have a campus ID card from Fengcheng University, and from the School of Traditional Chinese Medicine?"

Seeing Yu Qingyan's dumbfounded expression, Yu He took back the campus ID card and put it into his coat pocket: "Mr. Fu gave it to me as a birthday gift."

Yu Qingyan was silent for a long while, not asking how Fu Yunzheng managed to get Yu He into Fengcheng University, but instead asking: "So my gift... is just a glimpse of your gift?"

Yu He, with a serious face, replied: "Of course not. Your gift is having me accompany you to school next semester. Are you happy?"

Yu Qingyan: "......"

He closed his eyes, not knowing whether Yu He was intentionally trying to annoy him. After all, Yu He was annoying even when he wasn't trying to be.

This kind of infuriating crane, with every single feather as black as ink, was something only Fu Yunzheng could tolerate. Yu Qingyan couldn't stand him for even a day.

Yu Qingyan threw the gift box back into Yu He's arms: "Boring."

Yu He caught the champagne-colored square box with one hand: "I don't think it's boring at all. I think it's quite interesting."

The square box rose and fell in the palm of Yu He's hand, magically turning into two. The other box was red. Yu He put the champagne-colored square box back into his pocket, and then handed the red box to Yu Qingyan.

"Yes, your young master always acts solely for the fun of it." Yu Qingyan glanced at Yu He, didn't take the gift, but zipped up his down jacket and turned to leave.

Yu He followed behind Yu Qingyan: "Are you angry?"

Yu Qingyan didn't speak, just lowered his head and kept walking.

Yu He continued, "The main gate is two or three kilometers away. It's so cold; let the driver take you."

Yu Qingyan still ignored Yu He. He walked ahead, and after a few steps, Yu He saw Yu Qingyan wipe his eyes with the back of his hand.

Yu He: "......"

This is bad.

He caught up to Yu Qingyan and grabbed his down jacket: "Yu Qingyan......"

Yu Qingyan didn’t stop, continuing forward. He was not as tall as Yu He, nor as strong, and though each step was laborious, he was determined and didn’t stop moving forward, as if he was resolved to leave this place.

Yu He’s voice softened as he and Yu Qingyan walked a few steps while struggling: "Yu Qingyan, Yu Qingyan, I was just joking with you. Don't be mad, okay? Don’t we always bicker?"

Yu Qingyan paused, turned around, and pushed Yu He away: "Who wants to bicker with you?" His voice had a barely perceptible catch: "You never listen to a word I say, and you refuse to make progress. I told you to go study at Fengcheng University, but you wouldn't go. You only listen to Fu Yunzheng. Do you know what kind of rumors are going around outside?"

Yu He had thought that Yu Qingyan was angry because of his teasing, but he didn't expect that Yu Qingyan was actually upset because he wasn’t listening.

"If you're going to cry because I don’t listen, then you’re going to be crying a lot in the future." Yu He walked in front of Yu Qingyan, opened the red box in his hand, revealing a brown wristwatch: "Here, this is your gift. I saw Zhou Wenxiao wearing this model before and bought it especially for you two, so you could have matching couples’ watches. I wish you two a harmonious union for a hundred years."

A harmonious union for a hundred years?

Yu Qingyan looked at the exquisite watch in the box, even more angry: "I told you the first time I came here that I had broken up with Zhou Wenxiao. You..." Yu Qingyan couldn’t hold back his tears: "Did you even listen to what I was saying?"

Yu He: “......”

He pulled out a receipt from his pocket: "Or perhaps you'd prefer to exchange it yourself?"

Yu Qingyan took a deep breath and took the wristwatch out of the box.

Yu He thought that Yu Qingyan was going to hit him with the watch, so he turned his head and closed his eyes. However, Yu Qingyan simply put the watch on his wrist.

Yu Qingyan, eyes reddened, asked, "Can I go now?"

Deep down, Yu He was still a big boy, always responsive to gentleness rather than force.

When he was confronting Yu Qingyan, he was as combative as a rooster, pecking at Yu Qingyan. But as soon as Yu Qingyan showed any weakness, Yu He began to reflect on whether he had gone too far.

But he hadn’t really done anything wrong, had he?

Even when Yu Qingyan was driven out of the Yu family, he hadn't cried.

Forget it, he wouldn’t hold it against Yu Qingyan. Letting others see that he had made Yu Qingyan cry would just make it seem like he was the one bullying.

Yu He sincerely apologized, taking the wristwatch off Yu Qingyan's wrist: "I'm sorry. I thought you and Zhou Wenxiao were just having a spat and had already made up. How about we don’t keep this watch, and I’ll go with you to buy a new one right now?"

Yu Qingyan looked up at Yu He, his eyes wide like a cat's. He said angrily, "Why would I make up with Zhou Wenxiao after all he has done to you?"

Yu He retorted, slightly annoyed, “You haven’t exactly been playing fair with me either.”

Yu Qingyan glared at Yu He, his eyes brimming with tears, as if he was ready to burst into tears if Yu He said one more thing he didn’t want to hear.

Yu He looked up in exasperation: "Alright, alright, you’ve never played any tricks on me. Let’s go buy the watch now and forget about the past, okay?"

He had never coaxed Fu Yunzheng like this, but then Fu Yunzheng wouldn’t act like Yu Qingyan either.

Yu Qingyan scrutinized Yu He silently, seemingly trying to discern whether Yu He was sincere in his ‘let’s forget about it.’ After a long while, Yu Qingyan finally gave a slight nod, “Will you listen to me from now on?”

Yu He, at a loss for words, responded, “You’re not my significant other, why should I listen to you?”

Yu Qingyan declared, “I’m your brother.”

Yu He rolled his eyes skyward.

Yu Qingyan was a typical good student, perfectly suited for scientific research—serious, obstinate, and stubbornly rational. From the very first time he met Yu He, he was determined to be his older brother, firmly believing that he must have been born first in the hospital all those years ago.

The wind outside was quite strong. Yu He, standing against the wind, couldn't keep his eyes open. He turned around and put on his hat, muttering, “I always thought I was your older brother.”

Yu Qingyan fixed his gaze on Yu He and countered, “Do you act like an older brother at all?”

Yu He lowered his head to put the wristwatch back in its box, then came up with a brilliant idea: “How about we each get to be the older brother for a day? I’ll start today, so call me ‘brother’.”

Yu Qingyan replied, “......That’s boring.”

He didn’t play along with Yu He, instead taking the watch box back from him, “You should go back now, Mr. Fu is waiting for you.”

Yu He asked, “So we’re not exchanging the watch?”

Yu Qingyan shook his head, “This is the first birthday gift I’ve ever received. I’m really happy. Thank you, Yu He.”

Yu He was somewhat surprised. He received gifts every year on his birthday when he was at the Yu family, and Yu Shiqian and Zhang Wan treated Yu Qingyan like a treasured child. How could they not prepare a birthday gift for him?

Yu Qingyan seemed to see through what Yu He was thinking and covered it up, saying, “It’s okay, I’m used to it.”

Understanding, Yu He responded, “They forgot? Sigh, I start reminding people about my birthday from the beginning of the year, and it still doesn’t help. Sometimes they only remember when they see the birthday cake the maid has prepared on the day itself. You should remind them in advance next time, don’t be embarrassed. They’ll probably forget soon enough anyway......”

Yu Qingyan seemed to be not listening to Yu He at all, yet at the same time, it was as if he had heard every word.

His head was lowered, his eyes fixated on the watch box beside him throughout.

The gilded four-leaf clover icon shimmered and flowed under the sunlight.

Yu Qingyan suddenly interrupted Yu He: "This isn’t the first gift I received this year. When I was very young, my parents lost a lot of money in the stock market. We owed a tremendous amount of debt and had to move frequently to avoid creditors. I never had any birthday gifts. My mom told me that family members need to support each other. So I learned from a young age that if I wanted something, I couldn’t just ask for it; I had to strive for it myself.”