Chapter 56: Driving

Chapter 56 Driving

For the first time, Wen Zhaofu rode in a car driven by Yun Fan, though he regretted that the front passenger seat was occupied by Big Brother.

Yun Fan helped him into the car, carefully securing his wheelchair, then clapped his chest confidently and asked where he wanted to go. After a moment's thought, Wen Zhaofu named a small island.

Yun Fan had heard of the island; he paused, then nodded. It was home to "Home of the Stars," a public welfare organization for children with autism spectrum disorder, founded by Wen Zhaofu's mother.

"Should we let Aunt Shen know in advance?" Yun Fan asked.

Wen Zhaofu gently replied, "No need. I just want to relax on the island without disturbing them."

Yun Fan later learned that most of the expenses for "Home of the Stars," overseen by Shen Yu, were covered by Wen Zhaofu. Shen Yu certainly didn’t need his money, but he insisted on paying from his personal account, treating it as a connection to his mother.

More and more, Yun Fan came to understand that Wen Zhaofu possessed deep and profound thoughts, with an unwavering resolve in certain matters. He valued emotions but rarely expressed them openly. Once he set his mind on something, he would strive to achieve it.

Yun Fan settled into the driver's seat, thinking that since Wen Zhaofu wanted to clear his head, he would give him a truly refreshing outing: "Let's go! Hold on tight, sir!"

Wen Zhaofu and Big Brother were amused by Yun Fan and laughed together. Big Brother remarked, "The young master has been so happy lately."

"Indeed, the weather in Hong Kong is lovely. Seeing blue skies and white clouds every day is truly delightful."

Yun Fan’s heart fluttered; he gripped the steering wheel tightly, struggling to suppress a smile. Wen Zhaofu watched Yun Fan’s expression through the rearview mirror, a contented smile playing on his lips.

At some point, Yun Fan noticed that Wen Zhaofu often enjoyed teasing him with words. What used to be subtle was now completely unrestrained.

With such a perfect face, saying such things—it felt rather cruel to someone who had developed feelings for him.

But Yun Fan was driving and couldn’t dwell on this. He focused on the road, meticulously navigating up hills, down hills, and around curves.

Hong Kong’s roads were anything but flat and even, and people drove fast, making it quite challenging for a beginner. Yet Yun Fan showed remarkable talent, driving steadily and reacting quickly. Big Brother wasn’t the timid type, so he gave Yun Fan the opportunity to try.

"Truly impressive. I don’t feel nauseous at all," Wen Zhaofu praised when the car came to a stop. "I remember a few years ago, whenever I rode with Big Brother, I always had to ask him to slow down, or I’d get dizzy."

"That was when you were still frail, sir," Big Brother said coolly, wearing sunglasses.

Yun Fan walked slowly with Wen Zhaofu along the path; Big Brother didn’t follow. After all these years with Wen Zhaofu, Big Brother had enough sense to give them space.

It was clear that Wen Zhaofu wanted to be alone with Yun Fan.

The setting sun cast its final light over the grass and trees. Yun Fan walked beside Wen Zhaofu, feeling the gentle breeze against his face.

He felt a bit dazed. Not long ago, he had been dancing in a bar in Beijing with Liu Erxing, and now he was strolling in Hong Kong.

There were too many wondrous things, almost too many for Yun Fan to count. After returning, he brought the jade ruyi to Grandma Zhu, who said sympathetically, "You really shouldn’t have gone to such expense."

Yun Fan mentioned he had bought one for Wen Zhaofu too, so Grandma Zhu accepted it, saying it was good that Yun Fan was thinking of Wen Zhaofu.

Those words made Yun Fan realize something. He no longer wanted to be a deserter; he wanted to keep Wen Zhaofu firmly in his heart. If no one else cared for their sir, then Yun Fan would cherish him himself.

"Xiao Yun, do you prefer sunrise or sunset?" Wen Zhaofu asked with a smile.

Yun Fan looked at him and blinked playfully: "I suppose no beast of burden likes the sun rising, but sunset means nightfall, and darkness never feels safe."

"A difficult choice," Wen Zhaofu summarized.

Yun Fan turned the question back: "What about you, sir? Which do you prefer?"

Wen Zhaofu laughed and looked up at the sky: "I like the clouds in the sky. You can see them day or night. The sun won’t always stay with me, but the clouds will."

Here we go again, Yun Fan took a deep breath. He knew what Wen Zhaofu meant to say, but he deliberately avoided it, changing the subject: "Is this a recent hobby of yours, sir?"

Wen Zhaofu immediately shook his head, looking seriously into Yun Fan’s eyes: "It’s always been this way. I watched them alone as a child, and now you watch them with me."

His gentle yet profound gaze made Yun Fan’s heart tremble. Yun Fan pressed his lips together and widened his eyes. Seeing him like this, Wen Zhaofu quickly squeezed his wrist to comfort him.

Wen Zhaofu knew all too well that his love could pressure the other person, so he would never force Yun Fan.

"Sir..." Yun Fan gritted his teeth as he called out.

Wen Zhaofu smiled and coaxed gently: "Sorry, Xiao Yun, my fault. I’ll wait."

Later, Yun Fan and Wen Zhaofu bought two cups of shaved ice desserts to bring back for Big Brother. Watching them enjoy the sweet treat, Wen Zhaofu rarely sounded jealous: "You’re both grown adults, yet you still love this stuff."

"Wow, Mr. Zhaofu, I never thought you’d be one to sour over grapes you can’t have!" Yun Fan’s eyes lit up as if he’d discovered something new.

*

Since Wen Zhaofu and Yun Fan shared that embrace in Beijing, the other three young masters had been remarkably quiet lately.

Yun Fan was more than happy with this. Otherwise, with three mouths each nagging their piece, just listening would be exhausting.

Since coming here, it was rare to have such peaceful days. Even the main couple hadn’t caused much trouble. After Wen Zhaofu dealt with Zhu Zhiqian, he and Zhuo Yan had quieted down a lot. Rumor had it they’d been keeping a low profile on set lately, no longer boasting about their connection to the Wen family.

In the past, they could mention it only because the Wen family allowed it. What wasn’t theirs to begin with could be taken away anytime—no discussion needed.

Yun Fan’s daily work wasn’t complicated either. Lately, he’d been organizing the book collection at Taiping Qingshui Residence, often coming across many ancient old books. He could sit there reading all afternoon.

The old butler complained he was too slow and scolded him several times. Yun Fan replied puzzledly, "Grandma Zhu told me to learn more. I’m not wasting time."

That response made the old butler seem unreasonable; he sucked in a breath.

Grandma Zhu indeed thought this way. She always said Yun Fan had a long road ahead and needed to know a bit of everything. Yun Fan felt she had seen through his intention to slack off and was now pulling him up.

When Yun Fan brought the jade ruyi to Grandma Zhu, she was especially happy and asked if he’d brought gifts for anyone else. He said Wen Zhaofu. Grandma Zhu smiled deeply and encouraged him to grow closer to Wen Zhaofu.

"Well, we’re already quite close," Yun Fan replied somewhat shyly. "Mr. Zhaofu and I talk every day."

Grandma Zhu clapped her hands: "I could tell long ago! He doesn’t even let you call him 'young master'—he treasures you dearly!"

"Grandma Zhu..." Yun Fan pleaded, clinging to the old lady’s arm and acting coy.

Such an adorable young person snuggling up was too much even for the well-experienced Grandma Zhu. She patted Yun Fan’s face and coaxed, "Alright, alright, I won’t say more. As long as you two are happy."

Wen Zhaofu now spent much more time talking with Yun Fan every day. He would call Yun Fan into his bedroom and discuss many topics, not just about daily life but also business matters.

"Don’t be nervous. You can say whatever you want," Wen Zhaofu always spoke gently to Yun Fan. "I just want to hear different opinions. No need to be nervous."

So Yun Fan started speaking up. It was a rare opportunity to share thoughts without worrying about the boss's feelings.

Wen Zhaofu was an excellent listener. He would nod or smile when Yun Fan looked his way and summarize what he’d heard during pauses, giving responses.

Yun Fan couldn’t help but marvel: in this day and age, a boss who responds to everything you say was truly precious!

While Wen Zhaofu, usually strategic and calculating, was a bit impatient in matters of love, in other areas he wasn’t as rushed as Grandma Zhu.

Of course, he saw Yun Fan’s brilliance, but he respected Yun Fan’s wishes. If Yun Fan wanted to step into the world, he would provide the best opportunities. If not, he would simply play along with Yun Fan.

Wen Zhaofu wanted to become Yun Fan’s support system.

*

On the weekend, Wen Zhaofu had no official duties and accompanied Yun Fan to Taiping Qingshui Residence. The old butler watched their intimate backs, his heart burning with anxiety.

The old butler had gotten over his fear of Yun Fan replacing him; instead, he realized Yun Fan had all by himself gotten into the deepest, most hidden part of Wen Zhaofu's heart—a place no one had ever reached before.

That part had always been deeply concealed, but because of Yun Fan, it was now put on display for everyone.

If things continued like this, Langyuntai was really in for a shake-up!

Uncle Man glanced at the old butler, adding fuel to the fire: "Cheng-ge, you never said an employer couldn't fall in love with the butler."

The old butler shot him a resentful look, but it had no bite to it. He sighed and went off to polish the silver.

Yun Fan and Wen Zhaofu walked along the path, chatting and laughing. Yun Fan got so carried away that his way of addressing Wen Zhaofu changed—starting with "Mr. Zhaofu," then shifting to "Zhaofu," and before he knew it, he even blurted out, "Zhaofu-ge."

At that, Wen Zhaofu's wheelchair came to a halt. He fixed Yun Fan with an intense stare, whose back was turned, until Yun Fan turned around with a puzzled look.

"Come here," Wen Zhaofu beckoned.

Yun Fan walked back and bent down a little to look at Wen Zhaofu. Thinking Wen Zhaofu might be uncomfortable or had remembered something urgent, he watched him seriously.

"Say it again," Wen Zhaofu's tone had a note of insistence.

"Huh?" Yun Fan didn't catch on at first.

In the past, Wen Zhaofu might have let it go, but today he persisted, "Call me 'ge' again. I've never heard you say it before, and I want to hear it."

Yun Fan chuckled inwardly, thinking that there were plenty of people in the Wen Yanlan residence who called Wen Zhaofu "ge," so why was he so fixated on hearing it now? But when he met Wen Zhaofu's earnest gaze, his smile faded.

Wen Zhaofu pushed further, taking Yun Fan's hand and tracing circles on his palm with his thumb, determined to make Yun Fan lose his composure.

Sure enough, Yun Fan couldn't take it and blurted out, "Ge, Zhaofu-ge, Zhaofu gege!"

Wen Zhaofu tightened his grip, enveloping Yun Fan's hand entirely in his own. He had to admit—it gave him a real thrill.

That thrill shot from his chest to the crown of his head, nearly overwhelming his rationality.

It turned out that falling in love could bring so many ways to feel joy. Wen Zhaofu couldn't help but grow greedy—he wanted more.

But before anything else, he wanted Yun Fan to be happy too.

After obediently calling him "ge," Yun Fan's face flushed bright red. He lowered his gaze, unwilling to look at Wen Zhaofu, but he didn't pull his hand back.

Fine, if that's what he wants to hear, then I'll just go along with it, Yun Fan resignedly thought.

"Ah! Butler Yun, I was just looking for you!"

"Ah! Big brother, why are you holding Butler Yun's hand!"

Wen Zhaofu still didn't let go. He and Yun Fan turned to look—it was Wen Haochen and An Liwen, the brother-sister pair.