DFYMHGFS Chapter 81

81 – “Then, Shen Ge, let’s be together.”

“Mom, I’m stepping out for a bit. I’ll be back soon.”

In his previous life, An Xing had made this promise to Shen Ying before leaving home.

Back then, the truth about the real and fake young masters had been revealed. Shen Ying, overwhelmed by the sudden revelation, had fallen ill. An Zhaoming was juggling company affairs while managing household matters.

Meanwhile, Ning Rong, swayed by slander, harbored misunderstandings toward them and refused to meet.

So An Xing decided to see Ning Rong himself and have a proper talk.

That day, Uncle Li had already driven An Zhaoming to the company. An Xing worried that if the conversation went badly and Ning Rong bullied him, Shen Ying would be even more upset if she found out, so he called a car after leaving the villa compound.

Then, he was in a car accident.

Dying in a car accident was a low-probability event so there’s no need to be afraid of it. So in this life, though An Xing was initially nervous—he’d check his seatbelt before getting in, insist the driver slow down, and avoid riding with strangers—

But that was all. Especially after his death date from his previous life had passed, he grew even more calm.

His fate had already been altered in this life: he’d found An Rong early, his mother wasn’t sick, his family was harmonious, and Shen Ge was pursuing him. A mere car accident? An Xing wasn’t afraid of that!

Until he saw the scene of that accident.

“Xingxing? It’s okay, don’t think about it, don’t be afraid…”

When An Xing snapped back to reality, he realized traffic had stalled again. The car had come to a stop, and the man in the driver’s seat leaned over, pulling him into an embrace.

The car’s heater was on, and the man’s familiar scent enveloped him completely. Only then did An Xing realize he’d been trembling slightly the whole time.

Lu Tianchen’s strong arms held him tight, one hand patting his back soothingly.

Dazed, he blinked and met the man’s worried gaze.

“Xingxing, are you okay?”

“Brother Chen,” An Xing called out, his voice slightly choked, his eyes instantly reddening.

The boy grabbed the man’s sleeve and shook it, his voice pitifully soft.

“I feel sad.”

Lu Tianchen immediately grew tense.

Having grown up together since childhood, he knew An Xing well. The boy would often act spoiled and clingy, saying he was scared when nothing was wrong, but when something truly happened, he couldn’t bring himself to say anything.

“Did that accident scare you?” The man stroked his head. “It’s okay, don’t be afraid. I was driving slowly. We’ll be fine.”

An Xing couldn’t speak, lowering his eyes. He’d just suddenly remembered that in his previous life, he hadn’t even had time to tell his mother what he was going to do before the accident happened.

He didn’t even get to say goodbye properly.

The teenager’s eyes reddened, his light hazel eyes glistening with tears, wet and somewhat dazed.

Seeing the boy still looking downcast, Lu Tianchen gently touched his forehead and asked softly:

“We won’t go today. Shall we head home now? You can take a hot bath, chat with Uncle An and Aunt Shen tonight, get a good night’s sleep, and you’ll be fine.”

Lu Tianchen assumed An Xing’s reaction stemmed from being shaken by the horrific car accident scene. He didn’t dwell on it, thinking they could postpone the mountain trip if An Xing was too frightened. After all, stargazing could wait for any day. There was no need to push An Xing.

Though his expression remained calm, his gaze was gentle—not a trace of disappointment, only genuine concern and worry.

An Xing sniffed and shook his head.

“It’s nothing. I just… had a nightmare.”

A nightmare? Could it be about the car accident? That’s why he’s so scared?

Lu Tianchen understood completely. He’d once had a nightmare where he confessed to An Xing and got rejected. That’s why, all this time, he hadn’t dared confess—waiting for the little fool to catch on.

He gently rubbed the teenager’s head in comfort.

“Don’t be scared. It’s just a nightmare. You’re safe now.”

“Mm.”

An Xing nodded, still looking a bit downcast but trying to cheer himself up.

“We don’t have to go back. Let’s head to the mountains. Looking at the scenery might lift our spirits.”

The man studied An Xing for a moment. Seeing the boy genuinely had no intention of turning back, he nodded. Just then, the cars ahead began moving slowly. He casually turned on the car stereo.

A gentle, soothing piano melody filled the air. The boy curled up in the passenger seat. Though still a bit downcast, his expression gradually brightened.

*

 

Lu Tianchen brought An Xing to a mountain in the south that had been developed into a scenic forest park. Their car drove straight into the park, winding along the mountain road all the way to the hotel at the summit.

The hotel was designed as a stargazing retreat. Needless to say, the standard rooms were reasonably priced, but Lu Tianchen had booked a private suite. After checking in, they followed the housekeeper’s directions and drove directly to the suite.

Their cabin-style house featured a front yard with a hot spring. The interior spanned over a hundred square meters, including a living room, bedroom, bathroom, and a dedicated theater. The backyard housed an outdoor stove that doubled as both a warmer and a grill for cooking.

After explaining how to use all the furnishings, the manager departed, leaving only An Xing and Lu Tianchen in the cabin. Lu Tianchen gently laid the boy on the sofa before returning to the car to fetch their luggage.

As he was organizing items in the trunk, a hand tapped Lu Tianchen.

“Xingxing? Why aren’t you resting properly?”

The man touched the boy’s forehead.

“I’ll help you carry things, Chen Ge.”

An Xing was obedient.

Lu Tianchen smiled. “Alright, let’s do it together.”

The man was tall and sturdy, easily lifting two large bags at once. An Xing could only manage a few snack bags, trailing behind him. They had only planned to stay one night, so there wasn’t much to bring. Two trips were enough to move everything.

By then, darkness had fully settled. With few lights on the mountaintop where they stood, the starry sky seemed close enough to touch.

They gathered some food and drinks, lit a fire at the outdoor grill in the backyard, and began preparing dinner.

Though the car accident had shaken An Xing, the bustle of activity and the cheerful music playing nearby gradually calmed his nerves.

Once they’d prepared the ingredients, they wrapped themselves in thick coats and settled onto the plush sofa. They warmed themselves by the stove while cooking, occasionally glancing up at the starry sky overhead.

The nightmare of his past life no longer seemed so terrifying.

An Xing devoured the lettuce wrap with grilled meat the man handed him, his cheeks puffing out as he chewed. He glanced at the stars, then looked at Lu Tianchen, leaning in like a spoiled child and rubbing his forehead against the man’s shoulder.

Lu Tianchen’s hand trembled, nearly dropping the secret-recipe pork belly onto the ground.

“Meat!”

An Xing’s eyes widened instantly, his voice reproaching.

“Brother Chen, you can’t do that! Keep your hands steady. The pork belly is innocent.”

It seems the little dumpling had fully regained his energy now. Listening to the teenager’s chatter, Lu Tianchen held the pork belly between his chopsticks and contemplated whether to hang this little dumpling up for a good spanking.

He actually called him out for not being able to handle it.

“Brother Chen, are you tired?”

Amidst the man’s silence, An Xing suddenly understood.

“Right! You drove all the way here and packed everything. You must be exhausted too. Just stay put and rest. I’ll handle the grilling!”

Whenever they went out to eat together, it was always the man taking care of him—grilling his meat, peeling his shrimp, never letting him lift a finger. An Xing felt this wasn’t right.

Though he now understood that Lu Tianchen did these things because he cared for him, An Xing felt that precisely because of this, he couldn’t take Brother Chen’s kindness for granted.

The youth reached out his claw, intending to take the tongs from the man’s hand.

“I’m not tired. Don’t move.”

Lu Tianchen pressed down on the outstretched claw with a sigh.

“Didn’t you cut your hand doing crafts the other day? Keep it away from oil if it’s still healing. Protect your hand.”

An Xing withdrew his paw, his eyes sparkling as he looked up at the man.

Damn, his Chen Ge is so kind!

“Oh my, how unfortunate,” the youth said with feigned embarrassment. “I keep troubling you to take care of me…”

“I like taking care of you.”

The man replied calmly.

“Besides, I should thank you for giving me the chance to take care of you.”

Though he was often fed treats, this little fool wouldn’t accept them from just anyone—only those he was close to.

To those who genuinely cared for An Xing, he would return that sincerity.

Just like now, even though he was grilling meat, the boy kept giving him water, rolling up meat to feed him and even thoughtfully handed him tissues to wipe his sweat. Such a goofball.

After they’d eaten their fill, the boy had already snuggled up close beside the man. The two of them huddled together, gazing up at the stars.

“Are you still scared?”

Lu Tianchen asked.

The winter sky was somewhat dim, but the weather was clear tonight, and with careful observation, you can still see the stars. Under such a beautiful night sky, thoughts seemed to soar high, and as if drawn by the stars it slowed down considerably.

An Xing stared blankly for a moment before realizing the man was asking if he was still scared because of the car accident scene earlier.

“Not scared. Just feeling a bit emotional.”

An Xing shook his head, gazed at the stars for another moment, then suddenly turned his head, leaning back against the sofa to look at the man beside him.

If this life changed the fate of everyone, then among that “everyone,” Lu Tianchen was undoubtedly included.

If there was anything in this life he couldn’t change, it was the death of his biological parents, the unwavering love and trust of his adoptive parents.

Perhaps also Lu Tianchen’s affection for him.

“What is it?”

Noticing the youth’s gaze, the man tilted his head slightly, meeting the boy’s eyes mere inches away.

Even before Lu Tianchen saw him, merely sensing his gaze caused the man’s narrow, piercing eyes to soften involuntarily.

All these changes were seen by An Xing, who felt his heartbeat suddenly grow frantic.

“Brother Chen, when did you start liking me? Three years ago?”

The man froze, seemingly caught off guard by the sudden question. He shifted uncomfortably, unaccustomed to such direct statements of affection from the youth.

But perhaps it was the breathtaking stars, the biting mountain wind, or the warmth radiating from the youth that made him linger, unable to tear his gaze away from the hopeful light in those almond-shaped eyes.

“…I’ve liked you since childhood. It was only later that I realized what kind of liking it was.”

Though Lu Tianchen was five years older than An Xing and had matured early, he wasn’t a pervert. When he lived with the An family as a child, he simply adored this sweet, well-behaved little creature, seeing him as the ideal younger brother.

As they grew older, he continued to see An Xing as a close next-door younger brother, with just a hint of possessiveness—he’d watched this little bundle grow up, always trailing behind him like a little tail. As the saying goes, friendship between two people leaves no room for a third. It wasn’t strange that he enjoyed An Xing’s clinginess.

Until he reached adulthood, and the little bundle gradually blossomed into a handsome young man.

The man uttered only one sentence before falling silent, his gaze locked on the youth before him. Though he hadn’t heard a word, An Xing somehow understood Lu Tianchen’s meaning.

Half of his face was buried in the thick coat, yet the exposed half was already flushed crimson, a blush impossible to conceal.

“Then… if I hadn’t been switched at birth, would you still like me?”

The moment the words left his mouth, An Xing felt foolish. Asking about something that never happened—what was the point of such a hypothetical question?

Damn it, why did he suddenly go dumb!

“…Yes.”

An Xing froze.

“Just looking at An Rong, it’s clear your birth parents must have been people of exceptional upbringing and refinement. If they could raise someone like An Rong, they could have raised someone just as outstanding as you.”

“You might not have grown up in luxury like you have now, but I believe you’d still be you. Even if your appearance, personality, abilities, and interests were different, your core essence wouldn’t change.”

Watching the stunned youth, Lu Tianchen offered a rare smile, gently ruffling the boy’s hair.

“The An family merely brought us together, but it wasn’t the An family that made me fall for you. There are many reasons one person falls for another. I don’t deny external attraction, but what truly matters is what lies within.”

“So no matter where you grew up, I would still love you.”

The man spoke slowly, yet every word rang with sincerity. He seldom voiced his feelings like this—a bit hesitant, his words carefully considered.

Yet it was strangely captivating, making one’s heart race.

An Xing felt this was the most beautiful confession he’d ever heard.

He also heard himself say:

“Then, Shen Ge, let’s be together.”

TRANSLATOR’S CORNER:

I am not a native speaker of either Chinese or English. I basically MTL and edit the text, sometimes I also use some sites for reference. I can’t guarantee that everything here is accurate, but I try to stick to the author’s work as much as possible. Please feel to comment any mistakes🙂🤗.