Chapter 68 Ring

Chapter 68: The Ring

The dinner party slowly dispersed after nine o'clock.

Guests bid farewell in twos and threes, laughter carried away by the night wind, fading into the crunch of tires over snow.

Xie Fengshi stood beside Kaelen, seeing off the last guest.

An elderly man with snow-white hair held his hand and spoke to him for a long while. Fengshi didn't fully understand what he said—mostly well-wishes, he guessed. The old man patted his hand with wrinkled fingers, his green eyes brimming with warmth and gentle smiles, before being helped into the car by his family.

As the door closed, the house fell completely silent.

Isaac had already gone upstairs. Tonight, he had been seated among several cousins. He hadn't spoken a single word throughout the meal, disappearing after the main course and skipping dessert entirely.

Albert also went upstairs. He had drunk quite a bit tonight, and though it didn't show on his face, his footsteps were unusually heavy. Elena took his arm, and the two vanished around the corner of the staircase.

Fengshi finally unbuttoned his suit, which he had worn all day, and loosened a few buttons on his shirt collar, slowly unwinding from his state of tension.

Kaelen sat beside him, holding two glasses of water. He handed one to Fengshi. "How are you? Holding up okay?"

"I'm fine." Fengshi took the glass and had a sip. "Your mother is amazing. With so many people, she remembered every name, every relationship, what they've been up to lately."

"She prepares in advance every year." Kaelen placed a hand on the back of Fengshi's neck, pressing his fingertips into the stiff muscles. "She notes down who had a new child, whose kid got into which school, who's been through something recently. When she meets them, she mentions it—makes them feel valued."

Fengshi enjoyed the massage, leaning his head toward Kaelen. "Your mother is a very attentive person."

Xiao Jiang rolled over beside them, exposing his furry belly, four paws curled against his chest, the tip of his tail flicking back and forth. Fengshi scratched his stomach, and the furball let out a rumbling purr like a little tractor, eyes still closed.

"He got petted by so many people today. This afternoon a lady wanted to hold him, but he ran away."

"He doesn't let anyone touch him if he doesn't like them. Just like you."

"When have I ever not let anyone touch me?" Fengshi shot him a glare.

Kaelen chuckled softly, leaned in, and gently nibbled his earlobe. "You used to not let me. But now you do."

Fengshi pushed Kaelen's face away, but the man was shameless—he didn't pull back; instead, he grabbed Fengshi's hand. "Go to bed early tonight. No plans tomorrow, you can sleep in."

"Don't you have work tomorrow?"

"Christmas holiday. I'm off."

Fengshi let out an "Oh," his tone rising slightly at the end, unable to hide his delight.

They whispered to each other for a while longer, until Fengshi's eyelids began to droop. Then Kaelen pulled him into his arms and led him upstairs by the hand.

The stairwell lights had been dimmed to a warm yellow night mode. When they reached the bedroom door, Fengshi went in first.

Kaelen was about to follow when a soft voice came from behind him. "Kaelen."

He turned to see Elena standing at the other end of the hallway, still wearing her dinner gown, a cashmere shawl draped over her shoulders. She beckoned him over. Kaelen glanced at Fengshi, who had already walked into the room and didn't notice anything outside.

He gently closed the bedroom door and walked toward Elena.

The door to the master bedroom was half-open. When Kaelen entered, Albert had already changed into loungewear and was leaning back on the sofa reading a book. His silver hair was casually pushed back, revealing a smooth forehead.

Elena was removing her earrings—a pair of emerald drops that had complemented her gown tonight, understated yet luxurious.

She placed the earrings into a jewelry box. "Have a seat."

Kaelen sat down. Elena's blue eyes held a mix of fond exasperation and approval. "You stayed with him all day today. You barely even participated in the trust business."

"It's his first time here. I didn't want him to be alone."

"I know." Elena opened a drawer in her vanity and took out a velvet box, small enough to fit in the palm of her hand. "When you asked me to pick this up last time, I thought you'd use it soon."

Kaelen's gaze fell on the box, but he said nothing. Elena paused, her hand hovering over the lid before she opened it.

The ring lay quietly on the black velvet lining. A platinum band, clean and simple in design, devoid of any extra ornamentation. The band narrowed slightly, glowing with a soft silver-white luster under the light. On the inside of the ring was engraved a line of text—barely visible unless you looked closely.

Kaelen picked up the ring, holding it between his fingertips. The platinum felt warm against his fingertips. He looked down at the tiny script, his fingers closed around it a bit tighter.

Elena studied her son's expression and asked softly, "When do you plan to give it to him?"

Kaelen placed the ring back into the box. "Not in a hurry."

Elena raised an eyebrow. Kaelen was never one to "not be in a hurry." When he wanted something, he always acted immediately, seized it at once. "What are you afraid of?"

After a moment, Kaelen said, "I'm afraid of scaring him. We haven't been together long. He's happy right now, and I don't want him to feel like I'm pressuring him.

Besides… I've been thinking about it ever since we got together. Back then, I already wanted him to stay with me forever. Don't you think that's kind of terrifying? The moment someone opens up to you, you want to tie them down for life. Anyone would think there's something wrong with you."

Elena listened quietly. "When did you choose the design?"

"Late October," Kaelen said. "I was too busy back then to find the time, so I asked you to help me look after it."

"When you first told me, I thought it was just a whim. Young people fall in love, get caught up in the moment, want to give everything to the other person. But you're different, Kaelen. The fact that you'd act on impulse like this already says a lot."

A slow smile spread across Elena's lips. "You've grown up, sweetheart."

Kaelen looked up at his mother, a hint of confusion in his blue eyes. Elena walked over to him and said, "It's a good thing that you're thinking like this, Kaelen."

She walked over to Albert, who had set down his book at some point. His gray-blue eyes weren't exactly warm, but they were softer than usual.

"Your father agrees with you."

Kaelen instinctively looked at his father. Albert met his son's gaze and said, "No rush."

Elena put the ring box back in the drawer. "I'll keep it safe for you for now. When you're ready, come get it anytime."

"Okay."

…

When Kaelen returned to the room, Fengshi had already taken a shower.

The pajamas they'd laid out for him were a bit too big. Even after rolling up the sleeves twice, they were still a little long. The collar hung loose, revealing a patch of skin flushed pink from the steam.

He was leaning against the headboard, looking at his phone, the screen light casting long shadows from his eyelashes.

Hearing the door open, Fengshi looked up. "Where did you go?"

Kaelen walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Mom wanted to chat with me for a bit."

Fengshi rolled over and burrowed into Kaelen's arms. "What did she say?"

"Just some things about tomorrow. She also asked if I was tired today."

Kaelen leaned back against the headboard and stretched out an arm, pulling Fengshi into his embrace. As Fengshi's back touched his chest, he instinctively adjusted his position, resting the back of his head on Kaelen's shoulder. He curled his legs, his knees pressing against the outside of Kaelen's thighs.

Kaelen nuzzled Xie Fengshi's freshly dried hair—they used the same shampoo, and the scents were impossible to tell apart. His hand roamed back and forth along Xie Fengshi's waist.

Xie Fengshi felt that Kaelen was unusually clingy tonight. It tickled him, so he turned his head, brushing his nose against Kaelen's jaw. "Are you hiding something from me tonight?"

Kaelen kept his hands moving. "Why do you say that?"

"I don't know." Xie Fengshi turned his face back. "I just feel like you're different tonight from usual."

He couldn't quite put his finger on what was different, but one thing was clear—Kaelen had been holding him more than usual tonight, being extra clingy.

Kaelen's fingers wound around a strand of Xie Fengshi's hair, slowly twisting it into a loop. "Maybe it's because I saw you were so busy today."

"Your mom was the busy one. I was just following her around."

The strand of hair curled into a small ring. Kaelen let it go, and it sprang back, only for him to start again. "Being surrounded by so many people, having to remember names—you were busy too."

Xie Fengshi rolled over to face him, and as he moved, his knee slipped between Kaelen's legs. The hem of his pajama pants rode up, leaving his calf bare and pressed against Kaelen. He scooted closer, tucking himself into Kaelen's arms. "You're really acting weird today."

Kaelen tightened his arms. "How am I being weird?"

"I can't explain it."

Kaelen said nothing more. He lowered his head to kiss the top of Xie Fengshi's hair, then his brow, and finally settled on his lips.

Pressing gently, occasionally nuzzling.

Xie Fengshi closed his eyes, feeling the warmth of Kaelen's lips. After a long moment, Kaelen pulled back just a tiny bit. "I love you."

Xie Fengshi opened his eyes to meet deep blue eyes. He reached up and cupped Kaelen's face. "I love you too."

A slow smile spread across Kaelen's lips, and he kissed Xie Fengshi again, once, then again.

Each kiss landed in a different spot—pressing for two seconds, pulling back, moving to a new place, then pressing again.

Xie Fengshi's heart melted completely. He threaded his fingers through Kaelen's blond hair, gently stroking. "What's going on with you today, hmm? You're as clingy as Xiao Jiang."

Kaelen buried his face in the crook of Xie Fengshi's neck and mumbled something unintelligible. Xie Fengshi didn't catch it, so he leaned down to ask, "What did you say?"

Kaelen lifted his head, his blue eyes locking onto him, and repeated, "I said, I love you so much."

Xie Fengshi stared at Kaelen for a moment, then reached out and pinched him on the nose. "You're definitely hiding something from me today."

Kaelen's voice sounded nasally from having his nose pinched. "I'm not."

Xie Fengshi let go. "Did you mess up some important project?"

"No."

"Then is your dad not satisfied with me?"

"He wouldn't be."

"Then Isaac must've gotten into trouble again."

"Isaac causes trouble every day."

"Yeah, true." Xie Fengshi thought for a moment but couldn't come up with any other reason for Kaelen to be acting so strange. He gave in. "Fine, if you won't tell me, then don't tell me."

Kaelen buried his face back in Xie Fengshi's neck, his lips brushing against the skin just above his collarbone. They parted and closed, as if he were kissing or speaking. Warm breath landed on that sensitive spot, and Xie Fengshi tucked his chin, but Kaelen immediately tightened his arms, not letting him pull away.

Xie Fengshi gave in and rested his chin on Kaelen's head. "I like it when you hold me like this. It makes me feel like you really need me."

Kaelen's arms squeezed even tighter, so tight Xie Fengshi could barely breathe. He gave Kaelen's back a few pats. "Okay, okay, any tighter and you'll choke me."

Only then did Kaelen ease up a little. He kept his face buried in Xie Fengshi's neck, lying on top of him like a big, warm dog, his weight pressing down heavily. Xie Fengshi sank a little deeper into the mattress and reached up to pet the back of Kaelen's head. "You're so heavy."

"Mm."

"Like a really, really heavy blanket."

Kaelen lifted his head, blue eyes filled with exasperation. "Are you calling me a blanket?"

"You're my blanket." Xie Fengshi's eyes curved as he patted Kaelen's cheek. "I can't sleep without you."

Kaelen leaned down and bit Xie Fengshi's lip. "You used to sleep alone before."

"That was then, this is now." Xie Fengshi's lip tingled from the bite, and he stuck out his tongue to lick the spot. "Before, I was alone. Now I have you—of course it's different."

Kaelen's eyes darkened. His hand slid under the hem of the pajama shirt, moving slowly upward along his waist.

Xie Fengshi quickly grabbed his hand. "Don't move."

"I'm not moving."

"That's not moving? Your hand is already inside."

Kaelen looked innocent. "I just wanted to touch you."

Xie Fengshi softened at his gaze and let go, muttering, "Don't wander."

Kaelen said he would, but his hands didn't stop at all. Xie Fengshi was truly tired today. Under the touch, his body gradually relaxed, and his eyelids began to droop.

"You've had a long day," Kaelen said softly.

"It's fine. I just had to keep smiling when there were lots of people. My face is stiff from smiling." Xie Fengshi let out a small yawn.

Kaelen's hand came to rest on the small of Xie Fengshi's back. "Mom told me after we were done that she's really happy with you."

Xie Fengshi froze for a second, then a smile spread across his face that he couldn't hide. "Really?"

"Mm. She said you're even better than she imagined. Lily and Ollie both really like you. Those two kids are picky—they usually ignore people."

Xie Fengshi thought of the two children from the afternoon and smiled. "They're adorable."

"But you didn't agree when Ollie said he wants to be your boyfriend when he grows up."

"How do you still remember that?" Xie Fengshi laughed and leaned over to peck the corner of Kaelen's mouth. "Kaelen, you're twenty-four."

"So what?"

"Twenty-four years old, and you're jealous of a four-year-old. Aren't you embarrassed?"

Turns out, not only was Kaelen not embarrassed, but he would milk this opportunity to keep hearing Xie Fengshi say he loved him.