Chapter 72: Surprised, Unexpected

Chapter 72: Surprise, Surprise

Brother Yan, brother.

Both were a bit embarrassing to say.

Du Yang silently said these two titles to himself in his heart, then raised his eyes to look at Chen Miao, who was driving.

The latter, as if reading his mind, raised the middle partition—probably finding it embarrassing too.

“Are there any other options?” Du Yang pinched the fabric of his trousers, wanting a title he could actually use out loud.

“Other…” Fu Yan’s fingertips, resting on his knee, lightly rubbed together. There was one title.

A title he could call him for a lifetime.

“You can just call me by my name.” Fu Yan’s voice was cooler than usual but with added tenderness, his tone earnest.

“Fu Yan.” Du Yang leaned back in his seat, his gaze soft, a hint of lingering tenderness in his clear voice as he naturally called out Fu Yan’s name.

In his past life, during the days he stayed by Fu Yan’s side after death, he had called his name many times.

A sudden tingle shot through Fu Yan’s heart, and his folded hands unconsciously tightened.

He wanted so badly to hold his kid in his arms.

“I haven’t figured out how to address you properly yet. I’ll improvise!” Du Yang added.

Given his current relationship with Fu Yan, calling him by his name directly felt a bit disrespectful.

“Alright, improvise.” Fu Yan’s voice carried a hint of helpless affection. He took an orange-flavored lollipop from his coat pocket, unwrapped it, and placed it by Du Yang’s lips.

Du Yang didn’t hold back; he opened his mouth and took the lollipop, his mouth instantly filled with the sweet, citrusy fragrance. His eyes curved slightly with a hint of a smile.

“Thanks, brother.” Du Yang said naturally.

Fu Yan suddenly crumpled the candy wrapper in his hand. His heart itched with unbearable longing, and he reached out to gently stroke the boy’s soft hair.

After a brief silence, Du Yang spoke again, “Chairman Fu, how did you know I was in danger?”

Fu Yan’s gaze fell on the side of the boy’s cheek, bulging slightly from the lollipop, making a little bulge. He heard the question and looked away.

“I was worried Du Debao would cause you trouble, so I had someone watching you. He stayed hidden well, so it’s normal you didn’t notice.” Fu Yan omitted Grandma Lu’s call, as she had specifically asked him not to tell Du Yang she was the source.

Though he still hadn’t figured out why Grandma Lu cared so much about Du Yang, his instincts told him there was a deeper connection among Du Yang, Du Debao, and the Lu family.

If not for the fact that the Lu family’s youngest son, Lu Yang, had died over a decade ago, he would have suspected Du Yang was that son.

Earlier, when he saw the video of Du Debao and Qin Yue cheating, he briefly considered whether Du Yang could be Qin Yue’s son, but he quickly dismissed that idea.

He had found out that nineteen years ago, Qin Yue had only given birth to one child—Du Debao’s—and Du Yang was not Du Debao’s biological child.

It would take a bit more time to uncover Du Yang’s background.

“Chairman Fu, you’re such a good person.” Du Yang stared at the man blankly, a wave of gratitude rising in his heart.

Chairman Fu again. Fu Yan raised his eyes, his voice steady. “Call me something else, and I’d be happier.”

“Brother Yan, you’re such a good person!” The boy smiled, his eyes crinkling like crescent moons, the lollipop in his hand having just left his mouth. He popped it back in after speaking.

A subtle atmosphere lingered in the back seat. Fu Yan felt as if the connection between him and the kid had returned to what it was before, and his heart was genuinely pleased by Du Yang.

The car stopped in front of the apartment. Fu Yan got out with Du Yang and naturally walked toward the building entrance.

“I can go up alone.” Du Yang didn’t want to take up Fu Yan’s time; it was Monday, and he was so busy.

“I need to go upstairs and grab something.” Fu Yan kept walking. He just couldn’t rest easy until he saw Du Yang safely home.

“Lu Jin’an came to apologize the day before yesterday,” Fu Yan changed the subject. “But I chased him away.”

“Ah.” Du Yang was taken aback for a moment, then said, “Good. I didn’t want to see him anyway.”

The elevator doors opened, and they stepped inside.

Although he didn’t say much, Fu Yan could see the disappointment in Du Yang’s eyes. That night was nothing but an unpleasant memory.

“Grandma Lu really cares about you. That night, when she found out Lu Jin’an had said something nasty, she gave him a real scolding.” Fu Yan paused, a hint of schadenfreude in his voice. “He got chewed out badly.”

Du Yang’s lips curled into a genuine smile. “Serves him right.”

Grandma had always liked him, no matter what. He couldn’t wait to reunite with her.

“Last night…” Fu Yan turned to look at Du Yang. “You had a nightmare. While I was soothing you, I told you about these things. Do you remember?”

Fu Yan’s gaze held a hint of anticipation. He had confessed to the kid last night. If he remembered all of that, then surely he remembered the confession.

A spark of hope flickered in Du Yang’s heart. Maybe Fu Yan didn’t just think of him as a bedmate.

He had indeed had a nightmare last night. Almost every night, he had fragments of nightmares from his past life. He didn’t want these nightmares, but he couldn’t control his dreams.

As for anything else—no memory at all.

“I don’t remember.” Du Yang shook his head, looking blank. “So you stayed with me just to comfort me?”

Before Fu Yan could answer, the elevator arrived. As the doors opened, his face instantly darkened several notches.

“Surprise! Surprise!”

Ji Zichu struck a flamboyant pose, his almond-shaped eyes smiling, one hand leaning against the wall, right leg bent behind his left, toes tapping the floor, facing the elevator. A red rose was tucked behind his ear.

When he saw that besides Du Yang, Fu Yan also stepped out of the elevator, Ji Zichu’s smile froze. He dropped his arm, stood up straight, all traces of joy gone.

“What are you doing here?”

Ji Zichu’s soul-searching question was met with the exact same question from the other two.

Du Yang and Fu Yan spoke in unison, “What are you doing here?”

They exchanged a knowing glance, then turned to look at Ji Zichu together.

“I… I just moved in across the hall!” Ji Zichu strolled over to the opposite door and opened it. “Du Yang, from now on, I’m your neighbor! Aren’t you happy!”

Du Yang glanced inside the apartment—it was neat and tidy.

Why did this guy move here?

Other than F, he didn’t want any private dealings with any of the top patrons on the leaderboard.

"Well, that's a surprise." Du Yang's lips twitched, without a hint of delight.

"Big bro's got your back from now on!" Ji Zichu plucked the rose from behind his ear and presented it to Du Yang with a gallant flourish.

Du Yang had no intention of taking it, but Fu Yan spoke up first, "A rose that's been in your ear?"

Ji Zichu's gentlemanly smile cracked, his hand frozen in midair before he reluctantly pulled it back.

Why does this guy always say the most unpleasant things?

"Bro, what are you doing here? Du Yang doesn't work part-time for you anymore."

Fu Yan's tone was calm, but his words were anything but, "Who says Du Yang isn't still working part-time at my company?"

Du Yang: "?"

Isn't that the case?

Ji Zichu wasn't convinced at all—he had looked it up, Du Yang had quit last Friday and hadn't shown up for work since.

"Du Yang has school to attend, when would he find time to work part-time for you? Your company doesn't even work on weekends!"

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