Chapter 127

Chapter 127

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, most of the estate’s servants and bodyguards had gone home or were on leave, leaving only the butler and a few guards behind.

Before leaving, Liu Ma had prepared pork and shepherd’s purse dumplings, as well as three-ingredient wontons that could be cooked straight away.

Tian Ruan slept until noon before getting up to eat the dumplings. Suddenly, he noticed the world outside was covered in snow and exclaimed in delight, “It’s snowing?”

Yu Jingmo: “Yes.”

The butler, standing nearby, smiled and said, “Timely snow promises a good harvest. This will be a good year.”

Tian Ruan suggested, “Mr. Yu, let’s build a snowman.”

After brunch, Tian Ruan put on a scarf and gloves and stepped outside. Except for the cleared path leading to the gate, the rest of the estate was covered in thick, soft snow.

Though Tian Ruan had played in snow ten times deeper in Changbai Mountain, he was still amazed. Snow was rare in Su City—one or two light snowfalls a year if they were lucky. A snowfall this heavy was something that only happened once every ten years.

The sun had come out, yet snowflakes still drifted down intermittently. Tian Ruan looked up to watch the snowflakes floating like willow catkins, catching one on his glove. They were delicate and fragmented, unlike the large, goose-feather-like flakes of Changbai Mountain.

Upon closer inspection, each snowflake resembled a tiny six-petaled flower, perfectly formed.

As Tian Ruan bent down to taste it, Yu Jingmo remarked, “Snow is primarily composed of H₂O, containing trace impurities such as dust, microorganisms, nitrogen compounds, and sulfur compounds from the air.”

Tian Ruan: “….”

How completely unromantic.

Yu Jingmo: “You can play with it, but don’t eat it.”

Tian Ruan rolled a small snowball, grinned at his unromantic companion, and threw it at him.

The snowball burst into powdery fragments, scattering across the ground. Yu Jingmo stood as still as a statue, his gaze fixed on the young man with flushed cheeks whose laughter, framed by the snowy backdrop, was brighter than spring sunshine.

Tian Ruan made two more snowballs and threw them, but Yu Jingmo just watched him. “…Mr. Yu, throw one back. Have you never had a snowball fight before?”

Yu Jingmo: “No.”

For someone like Yu Jingmo, raised with aristocratic discipline, such a rowdy game as a snowball fight was naturally unheard of.

Tian Ruan taught him, “You roll the snow into a ball like this and throw it at the other person. Whoever gets hit loses.”

Yu Jingmo lowered his gaze, rolled a small snowball, and lightly tossed it at the young man’s foot. “Childish.”

“Let’s have a match, then you’ll see if it’s childish or not,” Tian Ruan said confidently. Back in the children’s welfare home, he might not have been good at much, but he was quite skilled at snowball fights in winter.

“Mm.”

Yu Jingmo played along. When a snowball came flying, he sidestepped, letting it sail past. But when aiming at Tian Ruan, he calculated the trajectory and hit him with perfect accuracy.

Once. Twice. Three times—every single time.

Tian Ruan: “….”

Not willing to give up, Tian Ruan found that Yu Jingmo, who should have been an easy target, always just barely dodged. The close calls added up, nearly frustrating Tian Ruan on this New Year’s Day.

As the young man’s cheeks grew round and his face redder, Yu Jingmo finally “missed” and let Tian Ruan hit him.

Tian Ruan: “Score!”

After that, Yu Jingmo "accidentally" missed more often, engaging in a back-and-forth snowball fight with Tian Ruan. Both were soon covered in snow from head to toe, and Tian Ruan, laughing heartily, lunged at Yu Jingmo, tumbling them both into the snow.

Yu Jingmo brushed the snowflakes off Tian Ruan’s head and said, “Now we’ve grown old together.”

Tian Ruan stared unblinkingly at Yu Jingmo—his thick brows dusted with snow crystals, his dark, phoenix-shaped eyes cool and refreshing like a mountain spring, his straight nose casting a sharp divide between light and shadow, his thin lips curved with a hint of spring.

Unable to resist, Tian Ruan pecked him quickly. Contrary to his cold, stern exterior, this decisive and ruthless man had surprisingly soft lips.

Yu Jingmo lowered his thick lashes, his gaze meeting Tian Ruan’s bright, amber-brown eyes. The corner of his lips quirked up. “Like it?”

“Love it.” Tian Ruan hugged Yu Jingmo tightly, burying his face into him like a squirrel clinging to its prized nut.

The manor was quiet, with Yu Shang having gone to pay New Year’s respects to Elder Yu, leaving the couple free to fool around.

Just as Yu Jingmo cupped Tian Ruan’s soft cheeks and leaned in for a kiss, a playful voice interrupted: “Oh my~”

“…”

Yu Ti quickly turned her back. “Don’t mind me, I saw nothing.”

The butler appeared. “Miss Yu Ti, would you like to come inside?”

Yu Ti waved him off, sneaking glances at the couple and giggling. “Uncle and Uncle-in-law are all over each other!”

Tian Ruan wanted to melt into the snow and turn into a snowman, while Yu Jingmo remained unfazed, calmly straightening his clothes and dusting snow off Tian Ruan. Deadpan, he said, “Didn’t Yu Shang deliver your New Year’s money already?”

Yu Ti turned back, grinning ear to ear. “I wanted to wish Uncle a happy New Year in person!”

Had the manor gates not been locked, well-wishers would’ve flooded in—but Yu Ti was the only one who’d climb over the walls, taking the unconventional route.

Yu Ti added, “To make up for interrupting your fun, how about I share some hot gossip? Want to hear?”

Tian Ruan perked up instantly. “What gossip? Let’s build a snowman while you talk.”

As a young lady of privilege, Yu Ti had strict upbringing but few chances for such simple joys. Delighted, she crouched in the snow, shaping snowballs. “Second Grandpa got into another fight at the nursing home, broke his back—probably stuck in a wheelchair forever. Wait, isn’t he already in the second half of his life?”

Tian Ruan: “Good riddance!”

Yu Ti: “Then there’s Uncle Yu Fada’s family. On New Year’s, he secretly gave Yu Jun a red packet, but Hai Mingyue caught them. They had a huge fight. Yu Jun was so furious he refused the money from his cheating dad and punched Uncle Yu Fada straight to the hospital.”

Tian Ruan: “Party time!”

Yu Ti: “Oh, and the big-shot foreign manga artist Sab is coming to China for a signing—day after tomorrow. Wanna go?”

Tian Ruan: “That dumbass?”

Yu Ti: “…It’s Sab. Though it does sound like ‘dumbass.’”

Tian Ruan shook his head. “Not a fan, so no.”

Yu Ti pouted. “Pretty please? If you go, you can get an extra autograph for me. I’m a huge fan!”

Too soft-hearted, Tian Ruan gave in. “Fine, I’ll bring Lu Qiuyan along. That way, you’ll get three autographs.”

“Squee! Uncle-in-law, you’re amazing! Don’t worry, I won’t let you wait in line for free—I’ll buy you milk tea and give you red packets!”

Tian Ruan texted Lu Qiuyan, who agreed without hesitation. Without even bothering to ask what Sab even drew, the plan was set.

The snowman they built stood crooked, as if caught mid-bad joke.

Tian Ruan stuck a carrot in as the snowman's nose and used two cherry tomatoes for eyes, then added a hat and scarf—still looking bizarre.

Yu Jingmo came out and glanced at it. "First time seeing a snowman pushing boundaries."

Yu Ti said coyly, "Making a snowman do that? How cruel."

To restore some dignity, Tian Ruan refused Yu Ti’s help and built another snowman himself, standing tall and imposing behind the lewd one, exuding tough-guy energy and radiating rugged masculinity.

Yu Ti observed, "Even more risqué now."

Tian Ruan: "..."

As it turned out, Yu Ti's surprises were just beginning.

On the third day of the Lunar New Year, Tian Ruan invited Lu Qiuyan to the signing event at a venue often used for various exhibitions.

The place was packed, mostly girls dressed in stylish outfits. The walls, pillars, and hanging screens displayed images of two men cuddling together.

So when two devastatingly handsome young men, seemingly straight out of a manga, appeared in the venue, the girls instantly zeroed in on them like hungry wolves—eyes filled with shock, excitement, and unreadable hunger.

Tian Ruan: "..."

Lu Qiuyan: "Jesus, what the hell? Why is it all girls?"

Tian Ruan understood the moment he saw the ads—this "sab" was a boys' love (BL) manga artist.

Yu Ti said with fake calm, "You two wait in line here. I'll go get milk tea."

"Uh..."

Yu Ti had already dashed off. Being a man of his word, Tian Ruan had no choice but to tough it out amid the den of fangirls. A punk-looking girl approached and asked, "You two friends?"

Lu Qiuyan: "Like hell we are."

"…"

Tian Ruan silently stayed in line.

Another girl piped up, "You two friends?"

Tian Ruan: "Yeah."

The girl grinned. "Do you like sab too? Then we're fans of the same stuff! Wanna swap WeChat IDs?"

Lu Qiuyan: "Not into that crap. Get lost."

The girl raised an eyebrow. "Who pissed in your cereal?"

Lu Qiuyan, looming over her even though she wore high-heeled boots, shot her an icy look. "I said, get lost."

"…"

The girl flounced away. "Psycho."

Tian Ruan gave Lu Qiuyan a puzzled look.

Lu Qiuyan said flatly, "Stay away from sketchy types like that. You’re too much of a goody-two-shoes."

Tian Ruan thought for a moment and said, "I've handled it before. I can protect myself."

As an orphan, he'd naturally been cornered by bullies at school. He wasn't a great fighter, but he knew some basic grappling moves for self-defense.

Lu Qiuyan looked at him. "Your face practically begs people to pick on you."

Tian Ruan: "But I'm not that easy to push around." He made an angry face. "*Do* I look as terrifying as the King of Hell?"

Lu Qiuyan: "*If* the King of Hell was a bunny demon, then yeah—you’d fit."

"…"

Yu Ti came back with sickeningly sweet flattery, holding milk tea and grape tarts. She handed them out. "You guys must be exhausted! Tired? I brought a cushion—we can spread it on the ground and sit."

The line was insane. The three of them had a quick picnic right there, stood up to stretch, and after about half an hour, finally got their turn.

Surprisingly, sab turned out to be a male manga artist—fair-skinned and friendly, wearing a baseball cap, his fingers slender. He signed each book with quick strokes, even adding a little chibi character or flower doodle.

The books had to be bought on-site, one per person. Staff collected payment.

While waiting, Tian Ruan flipped through the book ahead of him—two naked men rolling around in bed, their asses drawn in graphic detail, unlike the online versions where key parts were always covered in white "holy light."

"…"

Lu Qiuyan glanced over. "*That burns my retinas.*"

sab heard him nearby and smiled, replying in broken Chinese, "Thank you! I draw *hot* stuff!"

Girls shot strange looks, but Lu Qiuyan didn’t flinch. He tossed his book onto the table. "Customer’s god. Show some service spirit—sign."

"…"

Silence. No one dared speak.

Yu Ti pretended she didn’t know them, hanging back. When it was her turn, she grinned like a maniac. "*Dumbass*, I love you."

sab smiled warmly. "What did you call me?"

Yu Ti: "...Sab-sensei, I love your manga."

Then it was Tian Ruan’s turn. He stayed quiet, just wanting to get this over with. But sab stared at him and suddenly asked, "Would you be my model? You’re *gorgeous*."

Tian Ruan: "?"

Lu Qiuyan dragged Tian Ruan back, shoved the book into Yu Ti’s arms, and said, "We’re done."

sab watched them leave and chuckled. "*This’ll make great material.*"

Outside, Lu Qiuyan said to Yu Ti, "Pay up."

She sent him a $70 red envelope. "Thanks. Actually, Sab-sensei is a *nice* person."

"*Nice?* Conning kids with ass-out comics—no age rating, no publishing code. Two hundred fifty yuan a book? Treating you all like suckers."

"…"

He turned to Tian Ruan. "You’re her uncle. You need to set her straight."

Tian Ruan hadn’t paid himself. Now, hearing the price, he was floored. "*Is the ink made of gold?* Why so expensive?"

Yu Ti clutched the comic and bolted, "You wouldn't understand! I'm willing!"

Tian Ruan took off after her, "Stop right there, you unfilial daughter!"

A Rolls-Royce slowly pulled over, honking twice. The window rolled down, revealing Du Henbie’s composed face in the back seat. His usually gentle expression now looked stern.

Tian Ruan walked over and asked, "Big brother, what brings you here?"

Du Henbie: "Just passing by. Saw you sprinting—got nothing better to do?"

Tian Ruan: "We were about to go to the amusement park."

Du Henbie: "He Lansi’s grandfather passed away last night."

Tian Ruan froze, "How did it happen?"

"The old man's health was never good. After the bankruptcy, his condition took a sharp turn. Two surgeries later, it still wasn’t enough." Du Henbie let out a frosty breath. "I just don’t know how He Lansi is holding up."

"Didn’t he go back?"

"No. He’s taking care of the arrangements at the hospital."

"You going there now?"

"Yeah. If possible, I’d like you to reach out to Yu Jingmo. He and He Lansi grew up together—maybe he can offer some comfort. He Lansi’s pretty much alone now..."

Tian Ruan nodded, "Got it. Go on ahead. Mr. Yu and I’ll meet you there."