Chapter 13

Chapter 13

You Nan hadn't even sought out Yao Xianqing yet, when the man once again appeared before him.

As You Nan spotted Yao Xianqing, the latter noticed him too.

You Nan offered a smile as a greeting.

Yao Xianqing was speaking to someone beside him. With a slight upward curve of his lips, he said, "Just a moment," then left his companion to approach You Nan.

"Where's Qi Yuwen? Aren't you two heading home together after work?" Yao Xianqing asked directly, his voice unrestrained. It startled You Nan, who widened his eyes and glanced around nervously, fearing someone might overhear.

Fortunately, his other colleagues had moved further away by the time he stopped, otherwise, his and Qi Yuwen's secret would have been exposed.

Yao Xianqing observed You Nan's reaction, making a mental note. Seeming to suspect something, he lowered his voice this time. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," You Nan immediately replied, afraid of arousing suspicion. But the more he acted this way, the more Yao Xianqing felt he was hiding something.

Indeed.

Qi Yuwen and You Nan hadn't invited any friends or relatives to their wedding, and they certainly hadn't told anyone at the company.

Yao Xianqing's gaze fell upon You Nan's bare finger—he wasn't wearing the wedding ring from that day.

Qi Yuwen likely didn't want those around him to know about his marriage to You Nan.

Yao Xianqing's expression darkened. "If he's not leaving with you, I can drive you home." He then explained his presence. "Our company is having a team-building event today, and we chose this place."

You Nan uttered an "oh," not particularly curious about others' affairs.

You Nan declined Yao Xianqing's offer, then mentioned that Qi Yuwen had paid for his driving lessons. "So someone will be here soon to take me home."

Yao Xianqing finally relented.

They stood at the entrance for less than five minutes before a car from a certain driving school pulled up swiftly. The driving instructor, who had apparently seen You Nan's photo, recognized him instantly. As soon as the car stopped, he waved at You Nan. "Hello! I'm from the driving school, here to pick you up for your lesson."

You Nan saw him, hurriedly bid Yao Xianqing goodbye, received a quiet "mm" in response, and got into the driving school car, which then sped away.

After You Nan left, the man who had been with Yao Xianqing walked over, curious. "Who was that? A colleague of Qi Yuwen's?"

Yao Xianqing lowered his eyes. "A friend I recently made."

.

Qi Yuwen didn't finish work until 9:30 p.m. When he checked his phone, he saw a post on Moments from one of Yao Xianqing's employees.

Qi Yuwen knew Yao Xianqing's company was having a team-building event today, but he didn't know they had changed venues from the originally planned restaurant to the hotel where he worked.

Qi Yuwen immediately accelerated, hoping to arrive before Yao Xianqing and his group dispersed so he could meet him.

But his subtle plan didn't materialize. About twenty minutes later, the banquet department in the hotel's work group chat announced they were closing up and going home—clearly, Yao Xianqing's event had ended.

Qi Yuwen's hopes were dashed. He pressed his lips together as he turned the steering wheel, changing lanes toward home.

You Nan sat on the living room sofa with 007, watching a movie. Only a small lamp was on; all other lights were off. The cat and the man were both engrossed in the thriller, watching the protagonist catch the murderer.

Just as they were deeply absorbed, they heard a "click"—the door opened. You Nan and 007 were startled and turned to look at the entrance. The cold, dim light from the TV screen fell on the man's face, making him look almost as grim as the fugitive murderer in the film.

"Meow—"

007 let out a terrified shriek, leaped from You Nan's arms, abandoned his partner, and immediately bolted upstairs.

You Nan wasn't faring much better. He was so frightened by the man that his legs went weak, and he sank into the sofa, unable to stand.

Qi Yuwen flicked the light switch by the door, and bright light flooded every corner of the living room. You Nan shielded his eyes, squinting. The figure at the door wasn't the murderer from the movie—it was his "dear husband" returning home.

You Nan didn't even pause the movie. Gathering strength in his legs, he hurried over.

He rushed into his arms, lightly wrapping his arms around Qi Yuwen's neck. "Why didn't you send a message when you were almost home? You scared me and the cat, coming in so suddenly."

You Nan's voice was soft and slightly shy. Qi Yuwen chuckled lightly and naturally raised a hand to pat his back. "My mistake. Next time, I'll definitely message you when I'm almost home."

You Nan nodded in agreement, his face flushed as he stepped back from the embrace. He reached for Qi Yuwen's hand, and the other man didn't refuse.

This made You Nan thrilled. "I didn't know if you'd had dinner before getting off work, so I just made something simple for a late-night snack. Try it and see if it's good."

As You Nan spoke, Qi Yuwen's gaze fixed on the table full of prepared dishes, still steaming hot. His heart felt as if stirred by a gentle breeze, rippling with emotion.

Qi Yuwen didn't know how to describe what he was feeling inside at that moment.

He had been abandoned by his parents when he was very young. Both of them treated him as a burden, and even when he cried and knelt, no one wanted him.

His uncle only took him in because his parents paid 200 yuan a month for his living expenses. At that time, money was worth a lot—the average monthly salary was only around 800 yuan.

How old was he then? Not even ten. Living as a dependent was truly difficult. No one in his uncle's family cared about him; they treated him like a burden but expected him to do everything. Outside, they put on a false kindness, telling everyone about their generosity—how his parents didn't want him, and how his uncle couldn't bear to see it. But they never mentioned the 200 yuan they took and spent every month.

Not a single cent was actually spent on him.

Looking at the dishes You Nan had prepared, Qi Yuwen remembered something.

When he was just ten years old, he went to the mountains after school to pick mushrooms. His uncle's two sons played a prank on him, pushing him into an animal trap pit. He almost broke his leg.

The pit was hard to climb out of—narrow and deep. Every time he tried to climb, he slid back down.

When he finally managed to climb out and return home, no one was waiting for him to eat, no one had come looking for him, and no one showed any concern.

The family was sitting together, chatting and laughing. When they saw him return, they thought it was bad luck and scolded him, demanding to know where he had been so late.

You Nan hadn't heard Qi Yuwen speak for a while. He glanced up at the man and saw that Qi Yuwen's expression was grim, his entire demeanor off.

You Nan's heart jumped into his throat. He quickly pulled out a chair and helped him sit down. "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Should I call a cab and take you to the hospital? Don't scare me!"

You Nan's nervous, slightly tearful voice reached Qi Yuwen's ears. Qi Yuwen's eyelashes fluttered, and his wife's worried tone pulled him back from his past memories.

Qi Yuwen raised his hand and wrapped his arm around You Nan's waist, pressing his face against him, his emotions somewhat uncontrolled.

His wife's waist was slender and narrow, and he carried the lingering scent of cooking—a feeling that brought Qi Yuwen comfort.

You Nan felt a face press against his abdomen. He shuddered but quickly relaxed.

What was going on?

You Nan immediately thought of Yao Xianqing, who had appeared at their hotel that afternoon. He couldn't help but wonder if Qi Yuwen had run into trouble with Yao Xianqing and was feeling emotionally vulnerable.

Suppressing his curiosity, You Nan tentatively raised a hand and placed it on Qi Yuwen's hair. When the other man didn't react, he gently stroked his hair.

"Maybe I should take you to the hospital. You don't look well."

You Nan's soft voice and the familiar yet unfamiliar scent of home-cooked food comforted Qi Yuwen. It took him several seconds to break free from the emotions of his childhood longing.

The man released his hold on You Nan's waist and pulled him to sit beside him. "It's nothing."

He soothed his worried wife, "I'm just a bit tired today; I'll be fine after eating and resting."

His gaze was quite different from before.

This was his wife, his family now.

Much of the resentment Qi Yuwen had felt when he was forced to marry You Nan dissipated. His sincere words of gratitude to You Nan overlapped with the sudden meowing of 007, who had come running downstairs again.

"Thank you, honey."

"Wow! Xiao Nan! Let me see what's going on! The main lead has actually become generous—he gave us fifty energy points!"