Chapter 194

Chapter 194

When Tian Ruan came downstairs, his face was still slightly flushed. Fortunately, the twilight and the dazzling lights masked it, so everyone simply assumed he was in high spirits, radiant with joy.

A few members of the student council who knew Tian Ruan’s identity had also been invited. Xie Tangyan stepped forward on behalf of the group to present a gift: "Tian Ruan, happy birthday."

"Thank you," Tian Ruan replied, pleasantly surprised. He enjoyed lively but not chaotic gatherings, and their presence was the icing on the cake.

The Yu family’s servants, bodyguards, gardeners, and family doctor all joined the birthday party, offering their blessings in one way or another. Liu Ma had specially bought a jade peace pendant for Tian Ruan and said somewhat sheepishly, "It’s not worth much, Madam. Please don’t mind it. Wishing you peace and abundance every year."

Tian Ruan immediately hung the pendant around his neck and said, "It’s the thought that counts. Thank you, Liu Ma."

Auntie Zhang gifted a sandalwood comb, saying, "May you have good health, happiness, and long life."

Tian Ruan accepted each gift from the servants and bodyguards one by one. Though they were all modest items, they were practical. He smiled and said, "I also wish you all endless luck and success."

As his words faded, the birthday banquet officially began. The hired orchestra played melodious tunes in the courtyard, where pink and yellow flowers and balloons adorned strings of soft, golden lights. The night sky was filled with stars, and candles flickered.

Pathlights, lampposts, and stone lanterns were all lit, illuminating the neatly arranged small round tables draped in pink and white tablecloths. Each table was adorned with fragrant flowers and plenty of drinks and sweets.

Tian Ruan was called aside by Elder Yu for a chat and was praised in front of Du Danren and Madam Du.

Madam Du was barely paying attention, her gaze repeatedly drifting toward the manor gates as she frowned and murmured, "Why isn’t Henbie here yet?"

Dew leaned in and said, "I’ll call the eldest young master."

Madam Du nodded.

Tian Ruan, overhearing, chimed in, "No need to call. Big Brother is definitely tangled up with He Lansi right now—lost in each other, whispering sweet nothings, getting carried away."

Madam Du: "..."

Elder Yu: "..." Was this appropriate for an old man’s ears? Too stimulating.

Madam Du tried to salvage her eldest son’s dignity, chiding lightly, "Oh, hush now, you silly child, what nonsense are you spouting?"

Tian Ruan blinked innocently.

Du Danren added, "He’ll show up when he’s finished. No need to rush."

Madam Du: "...Shut up."

Du Danren looked just as innocent.

After finishing his conversation with Elder Yu, Tian Ruan exchanged pleasantries with Yu Ti’s parents before being pestered by the pushy Yu Fada with questions.

"Xiao Tian, how’s Hai Chao doing at school? He never tells me anything."

Tian Ruan replied dismissively, "Hai Chao does well in school, always in the top ten of his grade."

Yu Fada nodded. "That’s good. It was the right choice to send him to Deyin..."

"Hey! Nan Huaiju, no drinking! You’re still underage!" Tian Ruan dashed over, seizing the chance to escape Yu Fada’s rambling.

Yu Fada looked awkward, while Hai Mingyue rolled her eyes and said, "I told you not to force yourself where you’re not welcome. You never listen."

"I’m just doing this for Hai Chao’s sake," Yu Fada insisted, convinced his fatherly love was as solid as a mountain—though really, it was just hot air.

Meanwhile, Nan Huaiju, who had inexplicably had his wine snatched away, argued, "I’m *eighteen* this year."

"Has your birthday passed yet?"

"...No."

"Then you're not eighteen. You can have a little sip after your birthday." Tian Ruan said as he sipped his red wine, leisurely glancing around. "Where's Hai Chao? Why isn't he watching you?"

Nan Huaiju wasn’t that into alcohol either, picking up a glass of champagne to sip. "He went to the bathroom."

"Then why didn’t you go?"

"Why would I?" Nan Huaiju frowned. "I don’t have to pee."

Tian Ruan: "You could’ve gone to watch Hai Chao pee."

Nan Huaiju: "...I’m not some creep. Why would I watch him pee?"

Tian Ruan whispered: "Don’t you wanna know how big he is?"

Nan Huaiju froze: "He’s eighteen."

"Not his age, his size."

"It’s eighteen too."

Tian Ruan’s eyes nearly popped out. "Nan Huaiju, how do you know? You’ve seen it?! Measured it?! With what?!"

Nan Huaiju: "..."

Tian Ruan stared at Nan Huaiju’s butt in astonishment—was it a little rounder now? From a spanking or... something else?

Nan Huaiju’s face flushed crimson, his gaze fierce. "Stop making things up. I just eyeballed it."

"So you *did* see it." Tian Ruan said meaningfully.

"..."

Tian Ruan patted Nan Huaiju’s shoulder solemnly. "We’re both dragon slayers."

"?"

"May you ride the dragon high, stirring up clouds and rain."

This time, Nan Huaiju understood. His ears and neck burned red as he muttered very softly, "...We’ve already kinda rubbed."

Tian Ruan: "Huh? Say that again?"

Nan Huaiju immediately shook his head. "Nothing."

Tian Ruan: "Have you gone all the way yet?"

"...No." Rubbing doesn’t count... right?

Tian Ruan nodded, adopting a lecturing tone. "You’re still young. Starting too young could mess up your growth."

"Mess up my growth?"

"Like your junk staying small." Tian Ruan said with fake sadness.

Nan Huaiju looked like he’d been struck by lightning, his voice shaky. "Seriously?!"

"Really."

Nan Huaiju thought for a moment and nodded, "Got it."

Tian Ruan had no idea that he had inadvertently set off a little firecracker for Hai Chao, one that would go off sporadically over the next year or so.

A low-key yet luxurious Rolls-Royce pulled into the estate gates. From a distance, Tian Ruan spotted it and, on impulse, was about to rush forward when a large hand pulled him back.

"Darling, have you forgotten your husband?" Yu Jingmo's voice was cool, yet inexplicably gentle on this midsummer night.

Tian Ruan took the initiative to loop his arm through Yu Jingmo's, plucking a cherry from the fruit tray and pressing it against Yu Jingmo's finely shaped lips. "I haven't forgotten."

Yu Jingmo opened his mouth to bite into the cherry, chewing slowly. The sweet, floral-tinged fruit burst in his mouth, and the corners of his lips lifted. "Mm."

Tian Ruan gazed at him sweetly, oblivious to everyone else.

It wasn’t until Du Henbie and He Lansi approached, each holding a gift box, that he snapped back to reality. Du Henbie said, "From now on, it’d be best if you two celebrated birthdays alone. The rest of us can just hand over gifts and scram."

Tian Ruan imagined the scene and admitted it sounded kinda nice.

Yu Jingmo said, "Deal."

He Lansi yawned. "Perfect, then we won’t have to come either."

"Yeah, you two can just keep doing... whatever," Tian Ruan said offhandedly.

"..."

Why was it that every time they attended a banquet, He Lansi and Du Henbie always showed up looking like they’d just had a wild brawl? Even He Lansi himself was puzzled—was this just his unique way of making an entrance?

"Happy birthday," Du Henbie said, dumping both his and He Lansi’s gifts into Tian Ruan’s arms all at once.

Tian Ruan nearly dropped them. "Damn, this weighs a ton. Did you give me a lump of gold, Bro?"

Du Henbie: "Open it and see."

Eagerly, Tian Ruan placed the gifts on a small round table, moved the drinks aside, and began unwrapping the boxes. He eagerly opened the first one to find a massive plaster bust inside.

Tian Ruan: "..." The sculpture was of his own face.

Du Henbie: "Art is priceless. Hope you like it."

Tian Ruan forced a smile. "Bro, this isn’t really our thing."

Madam Du walked over and, upon seeing the plaster bust, was just as horrified. "Henbie, why would you give this?"

Du Henbie said, "Hold on. It’s not just a head—there’s something hidden inside. Just crack it open."

Tian Ruan: "You want me to smash my own plaster head?"

"You don’t have to, but the thing inside is worth a few million."

Tian Ruan immediately cracked his knuckles. "Just a plaster head? Watch me—Hyah! Hah!—OW!"

Two punches later, the plaster head remained intact, but Tian Ruan’s knuckles were not—his skin split open slightly, and a trickle of blood appeared.

"Waaah... Mr. Yu..." he whined.

Yu Jingmo caught his hand, frowning. "Who said you could smash plaster with your bare hands?"

Madam Du was heartbroken and said, "Red symbolizes good fortune. Henbie, what kind of gift did you give that made Xiao Ruan's hand bleed? Doctor, doctor!"

The family doctor rushed over with a first aid kit, disinfected Tian Ruan's hand, and took out a band-aid.

Elder Yu shuffled over unsteadily with his cane, "What happened? What happened to my sweet boy? Injured? Who did it!"

News traveled fast, and soon everyone gathered around.

Yu Ti exclaimed, "Oh no! Little Uncle’s hand is bleeding, and he used a band-aid!"

Everyone: "..."

Tian Ruan: "..."

Lu Qiuyan was about to express concern, but his words died on his lips upon hearing this.

Yu Shang, accustomed to such scenes, said calmly, "Normal."

Lu Qiuyan remarked, "You really put up with a lot in this family."

Du Henbie, now under scrutiny, smoothly said to Tian Ruan, "The small hammer is in the box. It was too dark, so you didn’t see it."

Tian Ruan used his band-aid-covered hand to pull out the small hammer and tapped it against the plaster bust.

The plaster shattered instantly, revealing a glittering hoard inside—gold necklaces, bracelets, rings, pendants, chains, and gold-inlaid jade glittering amidst the plaster dust under the light.

"Wow~" Tian Ruan felt the injury was worth it. These treasures made the injury worth it. "Thank you, big brother."

Du Henbie kept a flawless smile. "You're welcome, little brother."

He Lansi's gift was a painting—a strikingly realistic portrait of him and Yu Jingmo, though the pose was only suitable for the bedroom. Tian Ruan glanced at it and quickly covered it, worried others would see.

The birthday party continued. Tian Ruan said, "Enjoy yourselves!" then hurried off to hide his gold, afraid to lose even a speck.

As he was stuffing the gold into a bedside drawer, a sudden burst of fireworks painted his face in color.

Puzzled, he looked out the window to see dazzling fireworks twirling like fireflies across the night sky.

Tian Ruan couldn’t help but step to the window, gazing at the lively courtyard below. Though there were barely a hundred guests, the warmth and joy outshone even his wedding.

This big family—some exasperating, some dignified and gentle, some calm and decisive, others playful and mischievous—was a mix of all kinds. Tian Ruan didn’t think he particularly liked them, but at this moment, he felt they were all just fine.

Everyone was good.

"Did you stash your treasures safely?"

Just as Tian Ruan was searching for Yu Jingmo’s figure, a deep voice murmured behind him.

Tian Ruan turned, his delicate features lit by fireworks, his eyes sparkling in the dim room. "Mr. Yu."

Yu Jingmo stepped inside and said, "I also want to hide my treasure."

"Your treasure?"

Yu Jingmo was already by his side, his phoenix eyes downcast as he kissed Tian Ruan’s forehead. "Yes, my treasure."

Tian Ruan laughed. "Did you hide it safely?"

"Mm."

As the fireworks faded and most of the drinks and desserts were gone, the guests began to disperse one after another, leaving the courtyard silent and empty. The servants cleared away the leftovers while the bodyguards escorted everyone out.

Tian Ruan didn’t dread the inevitable goodbyes—as long as he was by Yu Jingmo’s side, he feared nothing.

The quieted main house seemed even more vast. Tian Ruan held Yu Jingmo’s hand as they headed upstairs, saying, “I didn’t realize our place was this huge.”

Yu Jingmo deliberately lagged a step behind, letting himself be pulled along. “By this time next year, we can fill it up again.”

Tian Ruan shook his head. “We’ll see. I haven’t even thought about how to celebrate my next birthday. By the way, Mr. Yu, your birthday is next month—how do you want to celebrate?”

“Turning thirty-one isn’t worth a party.”

Tian Ruan burst into laughter. “Wait, *Mr. Yu* gets nervous about age?”

Yu Jingmo smiled faintly. “Not anxiety. I just want to freeze time until you’re older.”

“That’ll take ten years.”

“Too long?”

“Ten years will pass in a flash,” Tian Ruan said. “Without the main character, time zooms by like a rocket.”

“Or it might freeze at a certain moment.” Yu Jingmo took three steps in two, matching his pace as they reached the final stair. “If I could, I’d stop time tonight—while I’m deep inside you. That way, we’d never have to part.”

Tian Ruan: “…”

“What do you think?”

“Nope. I’ve got classes, finals, and graduation to deal with.”

That night, though time didn’t stop, Yu Jingmo spent a long, *long* time filling Tian Ruan with his seed.

After thoroughly satisfying him, he scooped him up for a bath.

But that wasn’t the end. Yu Jingmo brought out a box of toys and tried each one on Tian Ruan.

“Where the hell does this even go?” he asked, pinching the hollow little sphere.

Tian Ruan: “Anywhere! Just… not *everywhere* at the same time!”

So Yu Jingmo tied the sphere with silk thread, dangling it from Tian Ruan like a kitten’s collar bell.

With every tremble of Tian Ruan’s body, the steel beads inside the sphere jingled merrily.

The greedy sphere was quickly pawed into a pink glass vial.

Yu Jingmo groped inside, fishing for the sphere. The beads clinked with every shake of the glass, the sound growing louder.

He yanked the silk thread—too slippery to retrieve the sphere, but perfect for teasing.

No matter how he tugged, the sphere stayed put.

Yu Jingmo simply unleashed his dragon to hunt the sphere, hellbent on claiming it.

Yet the slippery little thing refused to surface, until the dragon upended the vial in frustration, stirring up churning waves and gushing rivulets.

The vial shuddered—then a tidal wave spat the sphere loose.

The dragon pounced, snatching the sphere and hauling it, slick and glistening, from the vial’s rim—its beads chiming like a lewd little tambourine.

Tian Ruan leaned against the dragon's lair strewn with jewels, sleeping soundly.

In his dream, there was his glittering gold and a mountain of cash. He swam through a sea of money, snagging a gold chain every time he reached out, laughing heartily.

But as he laughed, he suddenly realized he had turned into a pixiu.

"I don't want to be without a butthole!" Tian Ruan shouted in panic, waking up.

Yu Jingmo was putting on his clothes and looked at the young man in surprise. "What?"

Tian Ruan: "...Huh? What?"

Yu Jingmo knew he must have had another bizarre dream and said, "Sleep a little longer. I'm heading to work."

"What time is it?"

"Quarter past nine in the morning."

"Oh..." Tian Ruan blinked at the ceiling. "Mr. Yu, what would you do if I turned into a pixiu?"

Yu Jingmo's reply had a businessman’s practicality: "The probability of that happening is less than 0.1%. It's not within my consideration."

"Just hypothetically, hypothetically," Tian Ruan pleaded playfully.

Yu Jingmo sighed. "What else could I do? Of course, I'd feed you until you're nice and plump. And maybe add a butthole."

"Mm!" Tian Ruan nodded. "I want to be a pixiu with a butthole. Remember that."

Yu Jingmo had no idea where these wild ideas in his head came from. Buttoning his shirt and tucking it into his pants, his lean waist and broad shoulders looked strikingly powerful. He leaned down to give a morning kiss on the young man's forehead. "Get up and eat something. I'll be back at four in the afternoon."

Tian Ruan chirped, "Goodbye, Mr. Yu."

Knowing Yu Jingmo never had time for a real breakfast—just a black coffee and a sandwich would suffice—he added, "Eat well at lunch."

"Mm." Yu Jingmo left, gently closing the door behind him.

Tian Ruan scrolled on his phone in bed, casually studying some vocab, and before he knew it, two hours had passed. The butler knocked on the door, reminding him, "Ma’am, it's noon."

"I'm getting up now." Tian Ruan hurriedly bolted out of bed, dressed and washed up in fifteen minutes, then went downstairs for brunch.

As expected, Yu Shang wasn’t there either—probably out buying a gift for Lu Qiuyan.

Tian Ruan had already prepared his gift for Lu Qiuyan. He had to laugh at his son’s insistence on buying a gift on the actual birthday. If he ended up gifting Lu Qiuyan five credit points, it’d be hilarious.

What had Yu Shang given Lu Qiuyan in the original novel?

Drinking his bird's nest soup, Tian Ruan recalled—ah, a complete set of *Three Years of Gaokao, Five Years of Simulations*.

"...Very much Yu Shang’s style."

Liu Ma placed a small box in front of Tian Ruan and said, "Madam, I won’t be able to attend Young Master Lu’s birthday. This is a little something from me—could you pass it along for me?"

"Of course." Tian Ruan nodded.

"Madam can take a look. It’s also a peace pendant, made of East Sea crystal—something called ‘green phantom.’"

Tian Ruan opened the box. The rich green color was indeed lively and vivid. He smiled. "Green crystal brings wealth and good fortune—perfect for Lu Qiuyan. Liu Ma, he’ll love it."

Liu Ma beamed. "That’s good to hear. Young Master Lu is such a kind boy. When I cut my hand with a knife, he was the only one who noticed and made sure I put ointment on it."

Tian Ruan exclaimed in surprise, "Liu Ma, your hand is injured too? We're truly in the same boat."

"They say small troubles prevent bigger ones. Sometimes a small injury can be a blessing," Liu Ma said with experience.

"Really? So when I sprained my ankle and fell before, those were minor misfortunes blocking bigger ones?"

"Exactly. There's an idiom about how after extreme adversity comes prosperity..."

"Every cloud has a silver lining?"

"Yes, yes, that's it—every cloud has a silver lining. Ma'am, your good days are still long ahead. These little trials are just building your character."

Tian Ruan nodded, suddenly realizing that Lu Qiuyan's life was the same—struggled through hardship as a youth, wounded and adrift after retiring in his prime, until reuniting with Yu Shang when his fortunes gradually improved, and he built a career and pursued his dreams.

Thinking of this, Tian Ruan decided to add a gold bracelet to the gift he had prepared. Lu Qiuyan was struggling so much now—every little bit helps.

With such a rare chance to give a gift, surely Lu Qiuyan wouldn't refuse this time?

Tian Ruan had made up his mind: if Lu Qiuyan refused his big gold bracelet, he would throw a fit and force him to accept it.

"Son, where are you?" Tian Ruan called.

Yu Shang: "At the mall."

"Let me tell you, apart from liking money, Lu Qiuyan also likes money."

"...Tell me something I don't know." Yu Shang couldn't just give cash—he knew Lu Qiuyan wouldn't accept it.

"You're clueless," Tian Ruan said.

"..."

Thunder rumbled ominously overhead.

Tian Ruan immediately backtracked, "You're so smart, a total genius! You even know Lu Qiuyan likes stuffed animals—such a secret! Truly clever, that's my boy!"

Yu Shang: "? Got it."

Tian Ruan sighed in relief. Being a dad wasn't easy—one critical word about his son and he'd get zapped.

After packing up, Tian Ruan set off with his gifts to find Lu Qiuyan.

As usual, Lu Qiuyan was working at Macchiato International Garden Hotel. Today, instead of valeting, he was working the busy holiday shift as a waiter to earn extra.

When Tian Ruan arrived, the restaurant was packed—prime time to hand over gifts.

As Lu Qiuyan delivered drinks to a table and happened to spot Tian Ruan, he ignored him, lowering his eyes to ask the guests if they wanted their wine poured.

When they said yes, he pulled a bottle from the ice bucket, gave it a gentle shake, and slowly twisted the corkscrew until the cork popped free. Then he poured the wine steadily into the decanter.

His movements were practiced, as if done a hundred times before.

A female guest tipped him generously, a generous tip for the eye candy.

As soon as Lu Qiuyan was done with this table, Tian Ruan hurried over with his gifts. "Lu Qiuyan, happy birthday!"

The restaurant's quiet ambiance made his voice carry.

A diner cheered, "Happy birthday!"

One after another, strangers kept offering their blessings.

Lu Qiuyan had mixed feelings and said, "Let's talk in the back."

Tian Ruan: "Here, take the gift and open it first."

Lu Qiuyan had no choice but to open the gift box. Inside, apart from a watch, there was also a large, shiny gold bracelet. "...I can't wear something like this."

Tian Ruan immediately took out the bracelet and tried to slip it onto his hand. "Sure you can, just try it on."

Lu Qiuyan pushed his hand away. "I can't. You wear it yourself."

"You can, just try it."

"No, really..."

"Lu Qiuyan, this is for your birthday."

"It's way too much. I can't accept this."

"You really don't want it?"

"Yeah." Lu Qiuyan was still thinking of excuses when he suddenly saw the person in front of him plop to the ground and start rolling around.

Tian Ruan rolled while shouting, "You don’t want my big gold bracelet, you don’t love me anymore, waaaah..."

Lu Qiuyan: "..."

"Are we still friends? A big gold bracelet means nothing compared to our friendship, yet you won’t even take dirt! What good is this worthless thing anyway? I should just chuck it!" Tian Ruan pretended to toss the bracelet.

Lu Qiuyan stood frozen.

"? Lu Qiuyan, I’m really going to throw the big gold bracelet away now."

Lu Qiuyan turned his face away and said to the dozens of eyes watching them, "I've never seen this guy before."

"…………"

This act wasn't working. Tian Ruan was stunned.

While he was still frozen, Lu Qiuyan yanked him up by the collar with one hand and dragged him toward the restaurant entrance.

Tian Ruan, a complete mess, came face-to-face with Yu Jingmo, who had just entered.

"Mr. Yu?"

Yu Jingmo looked down with his phoenix eyes, scrutinizing the two, especially the collar of Tian Ruan’s shirt gripped by Lu Qiuyan.

Lu Qiuyan abruptly let go. "Uncle, this isn't what it looks like."

Yu Jingmo gave no response, his gaze lingering on Tian Ruan’s dirty clothes, messy hair, and the big gold bracelet in his hand. "Explain."

Tian Ruan: "...I—I was forcing Lu Qiuyan to accept a bribe."

"Caught with the evidence." Yu Jingmo took the big gold bracelet and tossed it into Lu Qiuyan’s arms. "Consider this payment."

Lu Qiuyan sighed: "..."

With Yu Jingmo saying so, Lu Qiuyan couldn't refuse. He reluctantly accepted the "'ill-gotten gains'."

Tian Ruan felt somewhat uneasy. It was one thing to embarrass himself in front of others—he could just pretend it never happened—but being seen by Yu Jingmo was entirely different. His once-glorious wholesome high school boy image was now gone forever.

Yu Jingmo gazed at the young man’s crown of his hair, a single one nestled obediently in the center of his head, hiding countless whimsical thoughts. "Go wash up."

He took the young man’s hand, hauling this grimy little stray home.

Seeing that Yu Jingmo wasn’t scolding him, Tian Ruan immediately bounced back and went in for a hug. "Mr. Yu~"

Yu Jingmo pushed his face away. "Not until you’re clean. No touching."

Tian Ruan: "..."