Chapter 38

Chapter 38

Everything started to fall into place naturally.

Jiang Jining composed himself and trailed nervously behind Fu Yuze down the stairs, only to discover the situation was nothing like he'd expected.

"Mr. and Mrs. Fu said they've headed back first," Uncle Lu and Aunt Tao were standing side by side, making the entire living room feel much warmer. "The chef's tweaking the menu again. Xiao Ning, what would you like to eat?"

Jiang Jining felt much more at ease. "Anything is fine."

"Get the kitchen sorted," Fu Yuze led him to the sofa, popping a perfectly shaped strawberry into his mouth without looking up, watching him take a bite. "I'll be there in a bit."

Uncle Lu quickly said, "I'll let the chef know then."

Aunt Tao went to make tea for the two of them.

Jiang Jining gave Fu Yuze's hand a little shake. "Aren't you going to rest?"

"Just seeing you keeps the sickness at bay." Fu Yuze wasn't intentionally trying to be romantic; it was simply the truth. Still standing, he wrapped an arm around Jiang Jining's shoulder, and asked, "How much weight have you lost over the past month or so?"

Jiang Jining leaned against his side, feeling guilty. "I've never had a big appetite."

*It was time to move in.* Fu Yuze was driven by both selfishness and urgency, wishing he could roll up his sleeves and start stir-frying in the kitchen right away. "Stay with me for a while. Just relax."

*It was best if he didn't leave.*

With lessons learned, Fu Yuze didn't dare say anything reckless now, feeling out their new dynamic.

Jiang Jining happily ate the entire strawberry. "Okay."

"Xiao Ning is moving in?"

Aunt Tao happened to overhear as she brought over the tea tray, her heart leaping with joy. She measured her words to say to Jiang Jining, "Your things from before are still here. Let's see what's missing later, and Uncle Lu and I will prepare it for you."

Jiang Jining smiled and accepted the teacup.

Fu Yuze asked Aunt Tao to stay and chat with him while he went to the kitchen alone to oversee the meal. From Uncle Lu, he learned that his parents had intentionally left to give the two of them space and had taken it upon themselves to head back.

"Mrs. Fu has a very good impression of Xiao Ning."

Uncle Lu deliberately added, "She even asked me about Xiao Ning's tastes and preferences. She said whenever you feel the time is right, you can bring him back."

Fu Yuze knew his mother always doted on him the most. "Got it."

A week earlier, when the Fu family learned that their younger son had been dumped out of the blue, the usual sarcastic remarks were absent, largely thanks to that stunningly beautiful photo. After seeing it, they didn't find it as hard to accept as they had imagined.

Zhou Yeying had come over several times to care for her son living alone.

Fu Sichuan didn't mind taking the initiative to make peace with his sick younger son, but he wasn't entirely without reservations.

The breakup was a turning point.

Jiang Jining's appearance was also a mystery.

Zhou Yeying was determined to get everyone's story straight to find the truth. Somehow, deep down, she didn't quite believe that the child in the photo was insincere or toying with Fu Yuze's feelings.

While his wife analyzed everything logically, Fu Sichuan remained noncommittal. He took his grandson, who had just woken up from a nap, from the nanny's arms. Xingxing nestled in his grandfather's arms and said in a milky voice that he missed his uncle and wanted to see him.

Fu Sichuan gently squeezed the child's soft, boneless little hand and stated his position in a few sentences: "If he likes someone younger, he should have considered this. He's been strong-willed since childhood, with resources and talent far surpassing others. He thought he could grasp all the rules of the world, so suffering a bit in love isn't a bad thing."

His words seemed like a reprimand.

But they also contained dissatisfaction with Jiang Jining.

Zhou Yeying, however, had her own private thoughts. She hadn't seen a child who suited her taste so well in years. The moment she saw Jiang Jining, who looked even more ethereal than in the photo, appear before her, Fu Yuze seemed to have lost his soul, looking like a hopeless romantic...

She didn't know who he took after.

Zhou Yeying didn't like the atmosphere at home to be too tense or hostile. Saying she had an appointment for a facial, she prepared to leave. Fu Sichuan, who had been drinking tea, also put down his cup and stood up. "Let's go."

And so, the two of them left.

Fu Yuze almost immediately guessed it was his mother's subtle maneuvering.

He had heard from several uncles that his father was even colder in his youth, dominating the business world yet elusive. Over the years, many people had flocked to him, and while some got along well, none grew particularly close. To call him scheming was too simplistic and derogatory.

This personality trait carried over into half of his marriage.

From a young age, Fu Yuze had a vague feeling—his parents' relationship always seemed somewhat distant, yet the family was harmonious. Fu Sichuan and Zhou Yeying never argued or raised their voices at each other, but compared to younger couples, their relationship seemed somewhat bland.

At home, he had never seen any intimate behavior between his parents.

It wasn't until Fu Huaisheng also fell in love and got married, bringing Ji Huan into the family—a completely different kind of passion compared to his parents' marriage—that Fu Yuze suddenly announced one day, "I'm moving out."

Fu Huaisheng truly didn't understand him. Recalling being caught sharing a goodbye kiss with Ji Huan that morning, he chuckled. "What's wrong with hugging your sister-in-law after being away on business for over a week? Haven't you gotten used to Mom and Dad after all these years?"

Fu Yuze glanced at him. "Can I compare to you?"

Fu Huaisheng looked at him as if to say, "Are you joking?"

He made a great effort to understand his younger brother's train of thought and tentatively probed, "...Wait, haven't you noticed that Dad never forgets to take Ms. Zhou with him wherever he goes?"

Fu Yuze failed to recall any memories of his parents being affectionate and frowned unapologetically. "What are you talking about?"

So Fu Huaisheng explained it to him one by one.

When Mom isn't home, Dad speaks two-thirds less.

Dad's study has a recliner for Mom to nap in during her beauty sleep, and his dark, heavy desk always has pink and purple flowers in a vase.

If Mom casually mentions losing a necklace or bracelet, a new one appears around her neck the next day.

If Dad is away on business for more than two days, Mom usually disappears too.

Mom is nearly fifty but looks like she's in her early thirties.

"You don't actually think Mom and Dad have a bad relationship, do you?"

Fu Huaisheng laughed out loud at his suspicious expression. "Then how were you born? Back then, I really wanted a little sister. Who knew the 'sister' would turn out to be you?"

Fu Yuze: "..."

He was starting to get it.

And it felt quite fitting at this moment. After Uncle Lu left the kitchen, Fu Yuze felt a surge of joy while cooking. He knew that if Jiang Jining ever agreed to go home with him, he would likely be treated well.

His mother, Ms. Zhou, had a fervent pursuit of beautiful things and was easy to get along with.

But then he thought of something.

Fu Yuze looked out the window at the courtyard—

The sun hadn’t fully set yet, and Jiang Jining had resumed his old habit of carrying a bucket of fish food to feed the carp. Aunt Tao held an umbrella over him with a smile.

Fu Yuze propped his hands on the kitchen island, watching quietly for a while. After finishing the food preparation, he switched to a flat griddle, turned the heat to high, gave the timer a full twist and set it down.

He believed everything Jiang Jining had said.

And precisely because he believed it, it all lacked a sense of reality.

Fu Yuze washed his hands, picked up his phone from the shelf, and sat down in the dining area. To avoid plunging back into despair, he had to find ways to confirm Jiang Jining’s permanent presence.

After about three seconds of gathering his thoughts, Fu Yuze left a message for Bian Han: “I still have some questions about A Ning. Do you have time?”

Bian Han replied almost instantly: “Today?”

Fu Yuze felt the sooner, the better: “If it’s convenient.”

Bian Han: “Sure.”

Fu Yuze: “Thanks. Preferably after 8:30 p.m.”

Bian Han: “Did Ningning say he’s staying at your place? Let’s talk after he falls asleep.”

Their messages crossed.

Fu Yuze took the opportunity to explain the situation, also as a heads-up.

Bian Han had already replied briskly: “Okay. I still have some work to finish. I’ll contact you later.”

An exceedingly brief exchange.

Fu Yuze received two answers that put his mind at ease.

During dinner, Fu Yuze supervised Jiang Jining eating a full bowl of rice. After the meal, he seized every opportunity to feed him various snacks and vitamins before allowing him half an hour alone in the study.

Night fell—

Jiang Jining appeared fragrantly at the bedroom door.

Fu Yuze almost wondered if he’d been enchanted by some spell.

He noticed at a glance that Jiang Jining was fully dressed. The unique scent of bath salts on him was definitely the bath salts Aunt Tao bought—he had definitely taken a bath. Fu Yuze opened the door first: “Coming in?”

Jiang Jining slowly clung to him.

This should be fine.

Fu Yuze was so captivated that his thoughts scattered. He subtly created some distance below the waist, afraid of startling the naturally innocent kitten. This couldn’t go on forever, so he decided to give a hint of danger: “Did you put on perfume?”

“…”

Jiang Jining thought he was being a bit of a rogue.

But why was his own heart beating so fast, so wildly…

He softly said he hadn’t worn perfume and finally confessed the truth: “This afternoon, when I was chatting with Aunt Tao, she mentioned you haven’t been sleeping well for a long time… So I thought I’d come keep you company and talk.”

The bedroom had double doors, one of which was permanently locked. Fu Yuze placed his hand on the handle of the other door and asked, “Should I close it, then?”

Jiang Jining worried he’d misunderstood.

After his bath, he had spent some more time in the study.

Reflecting on the methods he’d used to make peace, he felt a twinge of regret.

It wasn’t time yet.

Should he say it directly? Would his monthly cycle be irregular again this time… or maybe not come at all?

A thousand thoughts raced through Jiang Jining’s mind—he wasn’t ready. Quickly, he reached for Fu Yuze’s hand, which was waiting to close the door, and found an excuse: “…I didn’t bring a change of clothes.”

Fu Yuze withdrew his hand to a safe distance and asked, “Just keeping me company for a while?”

Jiang Jining nodded repeatedly.

Fu Yuze smiled, pulled him into an embrace, and closed the door. “Watch your hands.”

They truly just talked.

Mostly, it was Jiang Jining chattering about this and that.

He went from sitting on the edge of the bed to being drowsily pulled under the covers. Belatedly, he realized how soft and sleep-inducing Fu Yuze’s bed was—it felt like his bones were melting. As he grew increasingly sleepy, he pinched his own cheek, looked up, and asked, “How much longer do you want to listen?”

He was already tired.

But Fu Yuze kept prompting him to share stories from his youth.

“Getting sleepy?”

Fu Yuze couldn’t help but feel an endless curiosity about him.

He only wanted to memorize every word Jiang Jining said. When the clock pointed to 8:50 p.m., he remembered his appointment with Bian Han, threw back the covers, and said, “I’ll walk you back to your room.”

Jiang Jining sat on the edge of the bed.

But Fu Yuze picked up his shoes and repeated the same trick he’d used when they first started dating.

Jiang Jining decided to give up resisting and simply surrender. He gently leaned onto Fu Yuze’s back and asked, “Aunt Tao and the others should be asleep by now, right?”

“They will be,” Fu Yuze said.

Seeing his confident and reliable demeanor, Jiang Jining rested his head on Fu Yuze’s shoulder, feeling at ease. His pinkish-white feet swayed slightly, the arches perfectly shaped and lovely.

But as soon as they entered the tea room, they ran straight into Aunt Tao, who had just finished cleaning. “Xiao Ning, what’s this…”

“…”

“His foot injury isn’t fully healed yet.”

Fu Yuze adjusted his grip on Jiang Jining’s buttocks—the man was slim, but this area was surprisingly full, with an addictively pleasant feel. Without changing his expression, he said to the auntie, “Please remind him during the day not to run around.”

Aunt Tao believed him without question: “Of course.”

Fu Yuze took Jiang Jining back to his room but paused at the doorway again. “Can I come in?”

Always teasing him! Jiang Jining thought, his face flushed. They’d already slept together, yet now Fu Yuze was pretending to be all proper—how infuriating. He raised himself slightly, turned his head, and bit Fu Yuze’s ear.

"Hiss—"

He hadn't been that forceful.

Jiang Jining hurriedly let go to give it a soothing rub.

However, the hands holding him were unusually hot, and his fair, jade-like ankles were also grasped.

"Enough fooling around." Fu Yuze placed him on the bed.

Jiang Jining was swiftly bundled up like a silkworm cocoon, his view now limited, staring straight up at the ceiling. Fu Yuze's gaze was unnervingly calm, his pupils dark and deep. Jiang Jining tried to sit up but was pressed back down.

"Sleep," Fu Yuze said.

Jiang Jining blinked rapidly. "...I haven't changed into my pajamas yet."

Out of the corner of his eye, Fu Yuze saw his own arousal was evident.

No matter how much he tried to control his inner composure, it only made things worse. A simple sentence like that could make him even harder, unconsciously taking in the sight of the bright eyes, white teeth, and exposed skin of the person before him.

The snow-white shoulders, neck, and collarbone hidden beneath the dark hair created a stark contrast...

So beautiful it made his heart pound.