Chapter 64: Cloud Lighter

"Xiao Yun, I love you. Is that alright?"

Wen Zhaofu pressed his forehead against Yun Fan's and murmured. After a moment, he added, "No need to answer. I just couldn’t hold it in anymore."

Yun Fan held Wen Zhaofu’s wrist, feeling his rapid heartbeat. Unable to bear seeing Wen Zhaofu in such a state, he comforted him, "Zhao Fu, I’m here. I’ve always been here."

"Say my name again," Wen Zhaofu gasped.

"Sir?"

...

"Wen Yaozu?"

...

"Zhao Fu?"

...

"Big brother. Gege."

At that, Wen Zhaofu lifted his head, cupped Yun Fan’s face, and kissed his forehead. Yun Fan looked at him, blushed, dipped his head slightly, and laughed.

Yun Fan couldn’t stand seeing Wen Zhaofu like this any longer, so he simply took his hand and led him away. Yun Fan drove, while Wen Zhaofu sat in the passenger seat, calming his nerves.

Back at their own estate, all the noise faded into the distance. Wen Zhaofu poured two glasses of red wine and slid one over to Yun Fan.

"I’m sorry for pressuring you," Wen Zhaofu apologized first.

Yun Fan looked at Wen Zhaofu and frowned slightly. After a few seconds, he took Wen Zhaofu’s left hand, pulled it to his lips, and kissed the back of it.

The action forced Wen Zhaofu to lean forward. Then, Yun Fan smiled softly and kissed Wen Zhaofu’s hand.

Since Wen Zhaofu didn’t want a verbal response, Yun Fan used actions instead. Such a small matter was no challenge for Butler Yun.

"Ah..." Wen Zhaofu let out a long sigh, then looked at Yun Fan with a smile full of warmth.

Yun Fan moved his chair closer to Wen Zhaofu, held his hand, and asked softly, "Sir, what’s wrong?"

Wen Zhaofu smiled faintly, paused to collect his emotions, and then spoke. He held nothing back from Yun Fan and was willing to share his past with him.

"Here, injury aftermath," Wen Zhaofu patted his leg and gazed into the distance. "I remember it was raining heavily that day. A group of people burst into the house to take me away. Yaozu protected me, and his forehead was cut open."

"I was too young to resist. Later, I was blindfolded and taken to a vast, empty place. My legs were broken. It hurt so much, or maybe it didn't." Wen Zhaofu spoke slowly, his brow furrowed. "Then, I heard gunshots, a dense volley. I thought I was going to die."

"Xiao Yun, I was so scared, so terrified. I hadn’t even been to an amusement park back then. I wanted someone to save me, but who could I turn to?"

"Later, I grew hungry and thirsty and passed out." Wen Zhaofu closed his eyes. "When I woke up, Yaozu told me my legs were ruined."

Without realizing it, Yun Fan had knelt beside Wen Zhaofu’s feet, gripping his hand tightly.

No one could go back to the past to protect the young Wen Zhaofu. Even though the perpetrators had been brought to justice, the harm they inflicted on him could never be undone.

Wen Zhaofu was trembling, though he seemed unaware of it. His voice remained steady, but his grip on Yun Fan’s hand grew tighter.

"Zhao Fu, I’m here. I’m Xiao Yun," Yun Fan said softly. "I’ll stay with you. Let’s work on healing your legs."

"Okay, alright, Xiao Yun," Wen Zhaofu snapped out of his daze and gave Yun Fan a pale smile.

Within the Wen family, this incident was a taboo. Because Yaozu avoided the topic, Wen Zhaofu’s parents held a grudge over it, and no one dared bring it up to upset Wen Zhaofu. Over time, it seemed everyone had forgotten the turmoil.

Only Wen Zhaofu remembered. The memory remained, never fading. He still didn’t fully understand the family conflicts behind it, because the physical and emotional scars ran too deep for him to dwell on anything else.

"Feeling better?" Yun Fan touched Wen Zhaofu’s face and brushed his forehead. "Shall we go for a walk?"

Wen Zhaofu looked at Yun Fan, smiled, and nodded.

*

The estate had few staff. Wen Zhaofu led Yun Fan deep into the woods. Yun Fan glanced around and asked with a smile, "Sir, would you like to try standing and walking?"

Wen Zhaofu froze, puzzled, and looked at Yun Fan. Yun Fan whispered, "We both need to truly move on from the past."

In that instant, Wen Zhaofu realized Yun Fan saw right through him. He had been avoiding surgery, fearing the outcome, thinking it might be better not to take the risk. Everyone believed he had overcome his trauma, but only Yun Fan saw that he was still trapped.

"Whatever happens, I’ll be with you," Yun Fan patted his chest. "I, Yun Fan, keep my word."

"What about when the one-year term ends?" Wen Zhaofu looked at Yun Fan.

Yun Fan tilted his head and declared boldly, "Give me a raise, and I’ll stay!"

Wen Zhaofu took his cane, planted it on the ground, and placed his other hand on Yun Fan’s. He stood up, pulled Yun Fan close by the waist, hugged him tightly, and whispered in his ear, "What’s mine is yours."

His voice was so low and deep that Yun Fan felt dizzy, nearly losing his balance. Wen Zhaofu released him and pinched his cheek.

Yun Fan didn’t let go but held Wen Zhaofu’s arm, accompanying him deeper into the woods. The path here was narrow, overgrown with weeds, as if no one had walked it in a long time.

"Xiao Yun, why don’t you advise me to stay as I am?" Wen Zhaofu asked softly.

Yun Fan smiled. It seemed his reputation as someone who encouraged complacency was well-established. He squeezed Wen Zhaofu’s forearm, noting how firm the muscles were.

"Because I want you to truly get better," Yun Fan replied. "If you’re not well, I won’t be at ease either."

Wen Zhaofu stopped walking and stared intently at Yun Fan. After a long moment, he nodded firmly. At that moment, his life found a new anchor.

After dinner, Cheng Yu and Liu Erxing arrived. Both were flushed with excitement. Seeing Yun Fan and Wen Zhaofu, Liu Erxing eagerly launched into tales of the day’s thrilling hunt.

But no matter how animatedly he gestured or spoke, Yun Fan seemed distracted. His eyes wandered, he occasionally bit his knuckle, and he smiled inexplicably.

Cheng Yu frowned and glanced at Wen Zhaofu, noticing that the usually composed heir of the Wen family also seemed restless. Wen Zhaofu made no effort to hide it, his gaze fixed on Yun Fan, reluctant to look away.

Oh no, something must have happened between these two! Cheng Yu’s alarm bells rang loudly. He tugged at Liu Erxing’s sleeve.

Liu Erxing, the extracurricular drama student, finally stopped his animated storytelling and left with Cheng Yu. Uncharacteristically, Cheng Yu asked Liu Erxing for a cigarette and held it in his hand.

"Are you going to smoke it or not?" Liu Erxing lit a match for the third time, growing impatient.

Cheng Yu shook his head. "I’m restless. I need something to hold."

Liu Erxing shrugged. "Even you get flustered sometimes. Wen Zhaofu must have done something."

"Aren’t you worried?" Cheng Yu frowned. "Whatever you plan, I’m making my move. If I win, don’t forget to congratulate me."

Liu Erxing couldn’t help but laugh. "How do you plan to win? I don’t even see you as competition."

"Butler Yun yearns for freedom," Cheng Yu twirled the cigarette in his hand. "What about you? What’s your plan?"

Seeing Liu Erxing’s nonchalant demeanor, Cheng Yu felt uneasy and blurted out the question without much thought. Liu Erxing shrugged again, his usual indifferent self. "Don’t worry about it. I have my own methods."

*

It was late at night, but neither Yun Fan nor Wen Zhaofu had gone to sleep. They weren’t in Harbor City, so there was no old butler telling everyone to go to bed.

The day had been quite eventful, and Yun Fan wasn’t sleepy, nor did he want to leave Wen Zhaofu’s side. Wen Zhaofu, of course, was happy to go along, so the two sat together in the small garden, gazing at the sky.

It was overcast, with no moon in sight. Everything was gray and hazy, with only the ground lights near them giving off light.

Yun Fan went to get a thin blanket and draped it over Wen Zhaofu. Wen Zhaofu grabbed his wrist, pulling him down to sit, and pulled half of the blanket over him.

“Sir,” Yun Fan frowned slightly, looking at Wen Zhaofu.

“Stay covered, don’t catch a chill,” Wen Zhaofu said, reaching out to pinch Yun Fan’s cheek.

The touch felt so pleasant that Wen Zhaofu didn’t try to hide it, rubbing his fingers. Yun Fan let out a hiss, looking at Wen Zhaofu with a mix of surprise and amusement.

“I’m only human, after all,” Wen Zhaofu chuckled, tilting his head. “Let me give you something.”

Yun Fan looked over curiously as Wen Zhaofu pulled a cloud-shaped metal object from his pocket. Wen Zhaofu handed it over, and Yun Fan reached out to take it, sliding open the lid.

It was a lighter—a cloud-shaped lighter.

“It’s for you, but you can only use it to light my cigarettes,” Wen Zhaofu said a little possessively, tilting his head back slightly and glancing sideways at Yun Fan.

Yun Fan repeatedly flicked the lid open and closed, watching the flame ignite and extinguish, loving it. After playing with it for a while, he gave Wen Zhaofu a playful smile, his eyes full of excitement. “Want to have a smoke?”

Wen Zhaofu laughed at Yun Fan’s expression, this time with a broader smile that caused crow’s feet—a real happiness. “Sure, Xiao Yun, light it for me.”

The flame came out, and Yun Fan cupped his right hand around it to shield it from the wind as he brought it closer to Wen Zhaofu. Wen Zhaofu glanced at him, smiling as he took out a cigar. He rotated it twice near the flame to warm it up.

Yun Fan carefully brought the lighter closer to the cigar, gently touching the foot of the cigar with the flame while rotating it slowly. When a narrow, fine black edge began to form, Yun Fan moved back and turned off the lighter.

“Did you learn how to do this?” Wen Zhaofu asked, rotating the cigar in his hand as he looked at Yun Fan.

Yun Fan shook his head. “I just watch you.”

“Xiao Yun cares about me,” Wen Zhaofu said, holding Yun Fan’s hand and laughed while looking at the sky.

“You’ve been smiling so much today!” Yun Fan got a little embarrassed.

Wen Zhaofu looked at him and mimicked him. “I’m happy! I’m delighted!”

A moment later, Yun Fan looked at Wen Zhaofu, and the two burst into laughter together. Was Yun Fan happy? Absolutely.

The night grew deeper. Even the small animals had stopped scurrying about, but the two of them weren’t thinking of going to sleep. Wen Zhaofu held Yun Fan’s hand on his stomach as they chatted, occasionally turning to look at him.

It was so comfortable that it made them forget everything else.

Yun Fan’s phone vibrated for a while. When he picked it up, he saw a video call notification from Wen Haochen. Without hesitation, Wen Zhaofu cleared his throat loudly to show he was there. Yun Fan laughed at him and then just turned off his phone.

“Xiao Yun.”

“Yes, sir.”

“I’m so happy.”

“Me too.”

Before bed, Wen Zhaofu took Yun Fan’s hand as they walked back. The manor’s butler had already gone to sleep, and the villa was exceptionally quiet. Yun Fan said goodnight quietly to Wen Zhaofu, but Wen Zhaofu didn’t let go.

“What are you doing?” Yun Fan leaned against the door of Wen Zhaofu’s bedroom, his hands holding onto the hem of Wen Zhaofu’s clothes.

Wen Zhaofu took another step closer, leaned his cane against the wall, and smiled as he held Yun Fan’s face. Yun Fan’s heart raced, his breath mingling with Wen Zhaofu’s.

Gazing into Wen Zhaofu’s eyes—so focused and full of affection—Yun Fan unconsciously leaned in, his hands climbing up to rest on Wen Zhaofu’s shoulders.

“Zhao Fu, Wen Zhaofu,” Yun Fan’s voice was soft and low.

“It’s me, Xiao Yun. I want to kiss you. May I?” Wen Zhaofu held his waist, tightening his grip slightly.

Yun Fan’s breath hitched, and he closed his eyes.

Their lips met gently, their feelings sinking deep into their hearts.