Chapter 5: Like a Clumsy, Hesitant Embrace

Chapter 5: Like a Clumsy, Hesitant Embrace

"This apron is truly... an apron," Huo Yanchi's voice faded. He had a hundred ways to praise its beauty, but he couldn't let Xiao Yezi notice—it was an epic challenge.

"Ahem, this apron suddenly feels special. It must have been worn by someone special."

Shen Junlan nodded vigorously in agreement, mumbling something under his breath before the sound of the dishwasher stopping immediately diverted his attention.

Huo Yanchi bent down behind Shen Junlan, wrapping his arms around Shen Junlan's shoulders to operate the machine. From behind, it looked as if Shen Junlan was cradled in Huo Yanchi's embrace.

They were pressed very close, so close that the cool, fresh scent from Huo Yanchi's body persistently wafted into Shen Junlan's nose. He took a couple of discreet sniffs before helping Huo Yanchi tidy up the dishes.

It was a busy yet fulfilling afternoon.

Shen Junlan drifted over to Huo Yanchi's large bed, rolling around, stretching his waist, and burrowing into Huo Yanchi's comforter, rubbing against it without a care that Huo Yanchi was also in the room.

Huo Yanchi noticed Shen Junlan pressing down on the bed several times, specifically choosing the softest spots to lie on, and an idea began to form in his mind.

The phone screen was still lit, displaying an enlarged image of Crocs. Over a dozen pairs had been added to the order, each a different size.

Huo Yanchi smiled wryly. Xiao Yezi wasn't being modest—he genuinely didn't know how to shop. Luckily, Huo Yanchi had enabled one-tap payment; otherwise, he wouldn't have known which shoes Xiao Yezi had picked.

He had previously compared Shen Junlan's foot size to his own and figured two sizes down would be just right. He adjusted all the shoe sizes and urged the seller to ship them as soon as possible.

After reviewing the order, he opened his chat with Zhao Qi.

[Mr. Huo: I recall a company that makes plant food contacted us before. Did we follow up with any collaboration?]

[Zhao Qi: Mr. Huo, that was two years ago. You took a few bags of plant food to test and said the results were decent, but honestly, our company didn’t really have any areas to collaborate with them, so we politely declined.]

[Zhao Qi: But I do have the contact info for one of their vice presidents. We’ve kept in touch during holidays. Are you thinking of collaborating?]

[Mr. Huo: No, I want to commission them to make a few types of plant food. Similar to cat treats—water-soluble plant food, and also plant food treats like cat food and cat snacks. They should be attractive, preferably able to be made into different shapes.]

[Mr. Huo: Canned plant food would work too.]

Zhao Qi struggled to type a few words before deleting them. He felt like Mr. Huo had been possessed in just one day—first cat-themed Crocs, now plant food mimicking all kinds of cat snacks. It was so unlike him.

He knew Huo Yanchi grew flowers—reportedly a very precious Clivia, potted in porcelain worth ¥1.35 million, regularly watered with glacial meltwater shipped from mountain regions, and supplemented with air-freighted plant nutrient solutions. It was the height of extravagance, beyond just "pampered."

Growing flowers was one thing, but treating them like cats was truly unusual.

[Zhao Qi: Mr. Huo, are you sure your account hasn’t been hacked?]

[Mr. Huo: .]

Zhao Qi hissed softly. Usually, when Huo Yanchi replied with just a period, it meant things might be serious. His questioning probably wasn’t that serious... right?

[Zhao Qi: Understood, Mr. Huo. I’ll reach out immediately.]

[Mr. Huo: If possible, I don’t want anyone else to be able to purchase these. Money is not an issue—use my personal account.]

[Zhao Qi: Got it, got it. I’ll handle it right away.]

[Mr. Huo: Also, inform finance that your bonus this month will be tripled.]

[Zhao Qi: Don’t worry, Mr. Huo. I’ll make sure it’s done.]

Huo Yanchi leaned back on the sofa to rest. From very close by, a few strands of Xiao Yezi's hair stuck up. Half of his face was buried in a pillow, his even breathing reached Huo Yanchi's ears. Huo Yanchi blinked, suddenly feeling drowsy himself.

Tsk.

Huo Yanchi rubbed his temples, trying to suppress the constant surge of anxiety. His agitation gradually eased. Perhaps last night’s good sleep wasn’t a fluke—maybe it was thanks to Xiao Yezi.

***

When Shen Junlan opened his eyes again, the moon was already high above the treetops. Drowsily rubbing his eyes, he yawned and slid off the bed, stretching lazily with a soft groan.

"Huh?"

Shen Junlan glanced around casually, and his eyes widened in an instant, his sleepiness mostly gone. Two rows on the shoe rack in the bedroom had been specially cleared, neatly filled with over a dozen pairs of Crocs—all styles available, including the cat-themed ones he had liked.

"The phone listens to me, how nice."

Shen Junlan happily tried on each pair, playing with the cute charms, and finally slipped on a pair with a sassy-looking Ragdoll cat design.

He looked around but didn’t see Huo Yanchi anywhere. He had wanted to show off to him right away.

"Master—"

Shen Junlan froze mid-shout. Unnoticed, another person had entered the room, sitting across from Huo Yanchi on the sofa without speaking. The atmosphere felt unsettling.

Huo Yanchi's tense expression softened. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Shen Junlan and immediately saw the Crocs on his feet. Combined with his expression...

He probably wanted to show off.

Shen Junlan lingered as he hid behind Huo Yanchi. He caught a whiff of antiseptic scent—every time Dr. Zhou visited, this smell followed.

The air carried an undercurrent of bitterness. Whenever Dr. Zhou came, Shen Junlan knew Huo Yanchi’s condition had worsened.

Huo Yanchi was unhappy, Dr. Zhou was unhappy, and now that Shen Junlan thought about it carefully, he was unhappy too.

Shen Junlan tentatively placed his palm on Huo Yanchi's shoulder, leaning down until he was nestled against Huo Yanchi's neck. The tip of his ear brushed against Huo Yanchi's hair, like a clumsy, hesitant embrace.

The words Huo Yanchi wanted to say stuck in his throat. His fingers clenched tightly, and he didn’t even hear what Dr. Zhou asked.

Pressed so close, Shen Junlan's breath brushed against his collarbone, tickling slightly. Huo Yanchi couldn’t help it—his throat moved twice.

"Phone, phone, can you buy Master some candy? Dr. Zhou is here to see him, Master's having a hard time, he needs something sweet to make it better."

The soft, worried tone was spoken right against Huo Yanchi's shoulder. Shen Junlan draped himself limply over Huo Yanchi's back, poking repeatedly at the phone in Huo Yanchi's pocket.

"Phone, why aren’t you answering me? You kept ringing this afternoon—every time you rang, I got shoes. Ring once, give Master some candy."

Huo Yanchi's heart melted. He had paid extra for express shipping for all the shoes, returned a few pairs from distant sellers, and found the nearest brick-and-mortar store—they arrived at the house in just a few hours.

His Xiao Yezi was adorably gullible, thinking that talking to the phone could get him whatever he wanted.

Buying him candy... He couldn’t even remember the last time someone bought him candy.

"Mr. Huo, Mr. Huo, are you listening to me?"

Huo Yanchi lifted his eyelids slightly and murmured in response.

Dr. Zhou offered a strained smile. Huo Yanchi wasn’t listening at all—his mind had wandered.

"Mr. Huo, based on our conversation, I think your concerns about hallucinations are doubtful—it’s not that serious. Don’t put unnecessary pressure on yourself. You’re quite hea—well, anyway, it’s not hallucinations."

Dr. Zhou really couldn’t bring himself to say "healthy" to someone who had to take three psych meds at a time. Although he was at a breaking point, hallucinations really weren’t the issue.

"No, Dr. Zhou, I am sick. It really is hallucinations."

Huo Yanchi said firmly, his eyes fixed intently on Dr. Zhou, emphasizing the severity of the situation with his gaze.

"Is that... really true?" Dr. Zhou hesitated.

If hallucinations had truly begun, it would be best to hospitalize him for intervention—meds weren't the best option anymore.

"Yes, I'm already experiencing severe hallucinations. I often forget what I'm doing or what I've done. I'm not even sure if things at home are missing or new things have appeared."

"Dr. Zhou, it's really serious. Sometimes I even wonder if there's someone else in the house."

Huo Yanchi calmly recounted these crazy words, his tone flat and unfluctuating, as calm and detached as an observer.

He felt the weight on his shoulder lighten—his Xiao Yezi shrank back guiltily, trying to make himself less noticeable, almost as if writing "can't see me, can't see me" across his face.

"Um, Mr. Huo, you should check into the hospital."

Dr. Zhou thought to himself, He's not hallucinating—it's schizophrenia.

Tch, those people had too much influence. Just one meeting, and it brought on schizophrenia in a day or two.

"Dr. Zhou, I didn't mean it."

The more he said this, the more Dr. Zhou felt Huo Yanchi was seriously ill, already rambling. He was such a serious person—he never joked around.

Shen Junlan sighed in relief, cleared his throat, walked up to Huo Yanchi, and looked him straight in the eye. He waved his hand a few times in front of him and, seeing no reaction from Huo Yanchi, finally felt relieved.

Sigh, Master seems really sick.

Shen Junlan wasn't exactly happy. It was good that Huo Yanchi couldn't see him and didn't notice the strange things happening at home, but he didn’t want Huo Yanchi to remain like this forever.

The drawers were full of the meds Huo Yanchi had to take. Every time he took it, the room smelled sour and bitter—Huo Yanchi's usual sharp scent had changed, and he could sense it.

"Master, are you really okay? Are you sure?"

Xiao Yezi was very worried about him. Huo Yanchi lowered his gaze. If it won't kill him, it's fine.

"It's okay," Huo Yanchi replied softly.

A few seconds later, Huo Yanchi uttered three more words: "Dr. Zhou."

"Mr. Huo, if you feel unwell, contact me anytime. The dosage really is at its limit—you can’t risk your life."

"Mm."

Huo Yanchi walked Dr. Zhou out, then picked up his phone and opened a food delivery app. After tinkering with the order, he finally typed three words: Purple Candy.

Purple Candy as a reward for Xiao Yezi. He couldn’t eat it himself now, so he’d have to eat it for him.

"Master, your phone is ringing."

Huo Yanchi deliberately showed the order summary screen and muttered, "How did the phone place an order by itself?"

"Silly Master. The phone can buy things on its own. What is Purple Candy? Does it have a purple wrapper?"

"Is there Green Candy? Green is pretty too."

Huo Yanchi nodded in agreement—his Xiao Yezi was indeed beautiful.

Ding-dong, ding-dong.

Huo Yanchi brought the delivery inside—two large bags of candy. He calmly unwrapped one, making Shen Junlan's mouth water.

"So sweet candy."

It was like a gift from Xiao Yezi—a childhood flavor he hadn't tasted in ages.

Ever since his younger brother was born, he had become a complete outsider in the Huo family. Everyone’s attention was focused on that person. Even though he was still a child himself, just three years older, he was expected to act like an adult.

No one cared what he liked, let alone what he wanted.

Purple Candy was originally meant to cheer him up when he was unhappy, but later it was used as a weapon against him, each word like a knife scraping his flesh, as if they wanted to kill him.

They protected that person too well—so well that even after living under the same roof for four years, he didn’t know that person was allergic to peanuts.

It was a rare moment of time together. Huo Yanchi gently held his younger brother’s small hand and gave him all the Purple Candy he had saved for so long, unable to bring himself to eat it.

During those few years of peaceful coexistence, his younger brother always called him "brother."

The peanut pieces in the Purple Candy caused a disaster—his younger brother was allergic and hospitalized for several days. Huo Yanchi asked several times to visit, but was met with suspicion, curses, and beatings.

"Xiao Chi, when did you become like this? We know you don’t like your brother, but no matter what, you can’t want to take his life."

"You know your brother has poor health. He spent over twenty days in an incubator after birth—his life was barely saved. How could you deliberately give him peanuts?"

"Mom, it wasn’t on purpose. I didn’t know—I really didn’t know he was allergic to peanuts."

Huo Yanchi explained with a choked voice. He rarely cried, but that day, pushed to the ground by his beloved mother, with her long nails scratching his face, she didn’t care at all.

She just kept accusing him of trying to kill his brother and steal their attention. Huo Yanchi cried bitterly, tears streaming down. He ran after his mother a few steps, only to have handfuls of Purple Candy thrown at him.

Through tear-blurred eyes, Huo Yanchi looked in the direction the candy came from—it was his dad, the dad who used to carry him on his shoulders and play horse for him.

"Cry, cry, all you do is cry. Your brother is so uncomfortable he can’t even speak, and he keeps asking for his brother, wondering why you haven’t visited him. He’s only four and already making excuses for you, but you’re seven and only think about yourself."

"Here, eat. If you don’t finish all of these today, see if I don’t hit you."

Huo Yanchi unwrapped another candy and put it in his mouth. He probably finished them all back then—bitter to the extreme, not even daring to shed tears.

Sharp, piercing voices began to emerge again. Huo Yanchi’s vision blurred as he mechanically stuffed candy into his mouth. Would he have to finish the whole bag for those voices to disappear?

A rustling sound came from the packaging.

Huo Yanchi’s hand suddenly felt empty—the bag of Purple Candy had been moved. He watched as Shen Junlan took the bag and placed it on the highest shelf of the storage rack, a spot he could only reach by standing on a stool.

"Master, you’ve eaten too much candy. Your teeth will rot."

"Even if it’s bitter, you shouldn’t eat too much. I’ve heard that extreme sweetness turns bitter. Just a little is enough."

Shen Junlan didn’t understand why Huo Yanchi had suddenly become like that—eyes bloodred, filled with violent emotions. When he leaned in, he was afraid of being hurt by Huo Yanchi’s rage.

"Are you really suffering?"

Shen Junlan knelt on the sofa, half a person’s distance from Huo Yanchi. Just as he raised his hand toward Huo Yanchi’s forehead, Huo Yanchi leaned back and pulled away.

"Master, what are you dodging for? I wasn’t going to flick your forehead."

Huo Yanchi knew Shen Junlan wasn’t trying to flick his forehead—he wanted to make him feel better, but by hurting himself instead.

Huo Yanchi couldn’t bear it.

Whatever happened, as long as Xiao Yezi was okay, that was enough. After all these years, he had already grown used to it.

Author's Note:

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Happy Children’s Day to all the grown-ups! May every little angel be happy and joyful. [Orange Candy][Purple Candy][Orange Candy][Ingot][Ingot][Ingot]