PBTLSI chapter 41

 

This kiss lasted until Qi Xi’s stomach growled. Fu Yanchuan pulled away, his eyes full of laughter. Qi Xi immediately covered Fu Yanchuan’s mouth and said, “You’re not allowed to laugh at me.”

Fu Yanchuan took his hand off Qi Xi’s mouth. “I’m not laughing. I’ll go see what’s in the kitchen.”

Qi Xi grabbed him. “I want to go, too.”

The villa was designed specifically for vacations. The kitchen equipment was incomplete and could only be used to make simple dishes. The resort had also only prepared fairly basic ingredients.

Qi Xi followed closely behind Fu Yanchuan. When he saw eggs in the refrigerator, he said, “I can make omurice! I’m really good at it. Brother Yan, I’ll make it for you!”

Fu Yanchuan was doubtful, but since Qi Xi was so confident, he agreed. After watching Chef Qi busy himself for a long time, the eggs he fried were still half-raw.

“What do we do?”

Chef Qi and Fu Yanchuan stared at each other. Fu Yanchuan comforted him. “It’s fine. Just put them back in the pan and fry them again.”

“Can you do that?”

“Of course you can.”

Fu Yanchuan put the half-cooked eggs back in the pan. Suddenly, he heard the doorbell ring.

Fu Zhenrong’s car was parked on the side of the road outside the villa. The light from inside the house didn’t reach him, so he couldn’t see inside. He sat in the car and smoked half a cigar. His silent anger frightened the driver so much that he was almost frozen like a statue. Only then did he get out of the car and press the doorbell.

At some point, it started to snow. He stood at the door for about a minute before someone came to open it.

He looked inside and saw Fu Yanchuan wearing an apron over his suit and shirt. For a moment, he thought he was seeing things.

“Brother Yan, who is it?”

Qi Xi brought the pan out of the kitchen and ran to Fu Yanchuan’s side. Before he could see Fu Zhenrong clearly, he was pushed back. “Why did you bring the pan out?”

“I was afraid it would burn.”

Fu Yanchuan didn’t know whether to call him clever or not. He took the pan from him. “Be careful not to burn your hands.”

Qi Xi turned his head to look at Fu Zhenrong, but Fu Yanchuan pressed his head down. “Don’t look. Finish it first.”

Fu Zhenrong was left standing at the door. He watched Fu Yanchuan and Qi Xi go back into the kitchen and then heard them discussing how to fry the eggs.

The villa had only one bedroom and two living spaces. From left to right were the bedroom, living room, and dining room. The front door was on the side closer to the dining room. From the doorway, you could see a corner of the open kitchen inside the dining room.

Fu Zhenrong stared straight at that corner, watching Fu Yanchuan and Qi Xi’s four hands busy over a single pan. For a moment, he suspected that the man wasn’t his son. He had seen his son’s hands do many things, but never cook.

In the end, Qi Xi’s omurice turned into egg fried rice. Fu Yanchuan comforted him. “It’s fine. It’s still edible.”

Qi Xi took a bite. It was actually pretty good. He fed a spoonful to Fu Yanchuan.

When Fu Zhenrong saw this, his eyes nearly popped out of his head. However, Fu Yanchuan ate it as if nothing was wrong. He brought the rice to the dining table and pressed Qi Xi into a chair.

“Wait for me a bit.”

Qi Xi saw that Fu Zhenrong was still standing at the door. This time, he finally recognized him as Fu Yanchuan’s father. Remembering last time, he asked worriedly, “Will he hit you?”

Fu Yanchuan had never been hit before. Fu Zhenrong only used methods that made a deeper impression to educate him.

He pinched the side of Qi Xi’s neck reassuringly, then walked back to the door and blocked Fu Zhenrong in the entryway.

Fu Zhenrong’s gaze swept over Qi Xi, then fixed on Fu Yanchuan. After examining him carefully for a long time, he said, “You’ve really grown capable. Raising a little thing and even going into the kitchen for him.”

“He has a name.”

Fu Yanchuan’s eyes sank with anger. Disdainfully, Fu Zhenrong continued, “You had Fu Jinshen speak for you. What conditions did you talk about with him? Do you want to join hands with him to deal with me?”

He didn’t answer. Fu Zhenrong’s voice rose in anger. “Do you think you can beat me with his help? If he really had that ability, he wouldn’t have lost to me back then.”

“I just missed the flight.”

Fu Yanchuan explained. Fu Zhenrong didn’t believe him, but he had never thought of himself as a heartless father. His gaze softened as he asked with a meaningful look, “Yanchuan, after all these years, are you still hating me for what happened to your mother?”

“Should I forget?”

The night wind blew in from the sea, carrying the falling snow onto Fu Zhenrong. Facing Yanchuan’s instantly icy gaze, Zhenrong felt his entire body grow cold.

After a long while, he sighed and replied, “I have nothing to explain to you. Our matters don’t need your interference. You are my only heir. I don’t mind you baring your fangs at me—it’s an opportunity for me to see how capable you are. But, if you want to join forces with Fu Jinshen, be careful not to get burned. As your father, I’ll show you some mercy. But he won’t.”

Fu Yanchuan stared fiercely at Fu Zhenrong. The so-called mercy that Fu Zhenrong spoke of would make him a puppet, completely following his arrangements and becoming a machine whose eyes held only ambition and self-interest.

He said nothing. Suddenly, Fu Zhenrong glanced at Qi Xi again and said, “I taught you before—once a person has a weakness, they lose. You’d better not tell me you’re serious.”

“I am.”

Two calm yet firm words. Fu Zhenrong immediately shouted, “Fu Yanchuan, do you know what you’re saying?”

“I know exactly what I’m saying. I’ve never been this clear about what I want.”

Fu Zhenrong opened his mouth but didn’t say anything. He had never been this angry, either. When Fu Yanchuan went abroad with Qiao Ye, he had only smiled indifferently because he was sure that Fu Yanchuan would come back.

But now, he couldn’t be sure. Maybe Fu Yanchuan was just using Qi Xi to anger him. He hadn’t known that the son he had raised had such a warm and gentle side.

Another cold gust of wind blew by. Fu Zhenrong felt so cold that it was as if the wind had pierced his bones. He coughed hard twice, flicked his hand, turned around, and left.

Fu Yanchuan stood at the doorway. He only closed the door and returned to the dining room after hearing the sound of the car engine.

Qi Xi held his plate and stared at Fu Yanchuan without blinking. He hadn’t understood what Fu Yanchuan and his father had said, but he noticed that Fu Yanchuan seemed unhappy whenever he saw his father.

Fu Yanchuan sat down in the chair next to him and spoke to him in his usual tone. “Why aren’t you eating? Weren’t you hungry?”

Suddenly, Qi Xi put down his plate, turned toward Fu Yanchuan, and asked, “Brother Yan, what do you need to do to be happy?”

Fu Yanchuan froze. Qi Xi grabbed his hand. Because he had been standing at the door, his hands were cold from the windy snow. Qi Xi shivered for a moment, then pulled both of Fu Yanchuan’s hands into his arms. He said, “Do you know that whenever you’re unhappy, you stop talking? But keeping unhappy things bottled up inside only makes you more unhappy.”

Up until now, almost no one had cared whether he was happy or not. Qi Xi looked at him seriously and said, “When I’m unhappy, no one listens to me either. I’ll even talk to Dasheng. But you have me. If you’re unhappy about anything, you can tell me. I’ll never find you annoying. When you’re unhappy, I’ll make you happy!”

Qi Xi suddenly straddled his lap, wrapped his arms around his shoulders, and said, “Brother Yan, as long as you’re happy, I’ll do anything.”

“You don’t need to do anything.”

Fu Yanchuan finally spoke. “My relationship with my dad is somewhat like yours with your dad. When I was a teenager, some things happened. I can’t forgive him—”

He suddenly stopped and leaned closer to Qi Xi saying, “Qi Xi, being with you makes me very happy.”

“Really?”

Qi Xi became pleased. Thinking of his own dad, he said, “I can still make you happy. I can even help you scold him! You’re amazing! You can do everything! You’re outstanding! What right does he have to be so fierce to you? Don’t be afraid of him. You’ll definitely be even more amazing than him!”

Fu Yanchuan looked at him without blinking. Qi Xi didn’t know if Fu Yanchuan was really happy. After pausing to think for a moment, he said, “If you’re still unhappy, I’ll draw him as a villain in a comic so you can beat him up… I can also… kiss you.”

“Qi Xi.”

Fu Yanchuan suddenly called his name in a low voice. He slowly pushed Qi Xi back to the chair beside them and said, “Eat first.”

“Okay.”

Qi Xi was ready to kiss Fu Yanchuan, hoping it would help him forget his worries, just as Fu Yanchuan had kissed him. He felt a little regretful as he started eating the omurice-turned-egg fried rice they had cooked together. It was actually pretty average, but filling.

By the time they came back, it was close to midnight. After eating, it was 1 am. Qi Xi remembered that he wanted to make Fu Yanchuan happy. He grabbed some paper and a pen, lay down on the sofa, and started drawing a comic in which Fu Zhenrong was the villain. After drawing two panels, however, he started yawning.

Fu Yanchuan came over and sat beside him. With his eyes half-closed, Qi Xi said, “Brother Yan, look at what I drew. This bad guy is your dad.”

“Draw it tomorrow. Go to sleep.”

Qi Xi’s hand was taken away and placed on the sofa. Then, Fu Yanchuan scooped him up in one motion. Qi Xi fell against Fu Yanchuan and looked up to meet his scorching gaze. He asked instinctively, “Brother Yan, what’s wrong?”

Fu Yanchuan didn’t answer. He carried Qi Xi horizontally toward the bedroom. Qi Xi quickly wrapped his arms around Fu Yanchuan’s neck, remembering that there was only one bedroom with one bed. His cheeks flushed red all at once.

In the bedroom, Fu Yanchuan put Qi Xi on the bed. He leaned over him and propped himself above him. Looking into Qi Xi’s peach-blossom eyes, which were red at the corners, he asked, “Do you want to shower first?”

This time, Qi Xi didn’t act foolishly. Maybe his instincts sensed what Fu Yanchuan meant, but he still asked, “Why shower?”

“Then we’ll shower later.”

He shrank his neck back and answered softly, “Oh.”

Fu Yanchuan leaned down, his weight pressing onto Qi Xi. His fingertips lightly touched Qi Xi’s ear as he asked, “Nervous?”

Qi Xi turned his head to dodge slightly, then turned back to look at him. “Are we going to sleep together?”

He took a sharp breath, gently brushed his lips against Qi Xi’s, and asked in a low voice, “Do you like me, Qi Xi?”

Qi Xi’s lips trembled slightly. After looking back at him for a long time, he answered, “I like you.”

“How much do you like me?”

“A lot.”

Fu Yanchuan paused for half a second. Facing those inescapable eyes, he brushed Qi Xi’s lips with his thumb and suddenly invaded fiercely.

“Bro—”

Qi Xi could only manage to utter one word before Fu Yanchuan completely cut him off. Today, Fu Yanchuan was different—so intense that Qi Xi could only open his mouth and let Fu Yanchuan kiss him deeply.

Fu Yanchuan’s other hand slipped under his sweater and rubbed his skin. Wherever he touched, it felt like it was on fire, burning fiercely. Qi Xi’s chest rose and fell uncontrollably.

“Nervous?”

Fu Yanchuan pulled back for a moment. Qi Xi looked at him for a while, then said, “It’s okay. You can continue.”

The way Qi Xi invited him was far too tempting. Fu Yanchuan pretended not to understand and asked, “Continue where?”

Qi Xi looked away, avoiding his gaze. “… Like just now. Continue like that.”

“Here?”

Fu Yanchuan kissed the corner of Qi Xi’s lips, then moved his other hand. “Or here?”

“Both.”

“Call me.”

Qi Xi called out hoarsely, “Brother Yan.”

Fu Yanchuan suddenly sealed his lips again. Qi Xi wrapped his arms and legs around him. After kissing him enough, Fu Yanchuan moved from his lips to his chin and then down toward his Adam’s apple. He suddenly stopped and looked at Qi Xi for a moment. He pulled the sweater out of the way, leaned down again, and asked, “Qi Xi, can I touch?”

Qi Xi knew what Fu Yanchuan meant. He tensed up nervously, nodding and shaking his head uncontrollably. Fu Yanchuan leaned in to kiss him and comfort him. “Don’t be afraid. If it’s uncomfortable, tell me.”

Qi Xi finally nodded, his gaze fixed on the top of Fu Yanchuan’s head. His hands clenched tightly into the fabric of Fu Yanchuan’s shirt. After a moment, Fu Yanchuan lifted his head and asked, “How does it feel?”

How could he say it? His face was red, and he couldn’t speak. Fu Yanchuan kissed him again and pressed tightly against him, letting him feel his warm. This was the first time he realized that Fu Yanchuan was the same as him.

Fu Yanchuan pulled away and asked, “Is it okay, Qi Xi?”

Qi Xi couldn’t quite keep up. He asked, “What?”

Fu Yanchuan lifted his arm and freed what had been int he way. Qi Xi unconsciously looked over and was instantly frightened. Fu Yanchuan leaned closer, comparing them side by side. The sensation of their bodies brushing against each other overwhelmed him, and he started panting uncontrollably.

“Qi Xi!”

Fu Yanchuan looked up and saw that Qi Xi’s body had stiffened and his breathing had become rapid. He hurriedly covered his mouth and nose with both hands. “Don’t be afraid. I won’t do anything. Don’t be nervous.”

But Qi Xi couldn’t help but be nervous. Fu Yanchuan was still so close, pressed right against his stomach. The harder he tried to ignore it, the more difficult it became.

Fu Yanchuan finally realized the problem. He pulled the blanket over and wrapped Qi Xi in it. Then he covered his mouth and nose again and asked, “Is this better?”

Qi Xi nodded slightly, his eyes fixed on Fu Yanchuan as if something were stretching out from his gaze and entangling them. Qi Xi’s breath was still hot in his palm. Fu Yanchuan couldn’t help but lean closer, gazing at Qi Xi through the distance of his hand. It was as if he were trying to finish what he couldn’t with just his eyes. He did this until Qi Xi’s breathing finally steadied.

“Brother Yan.”

Qi Xi finally pulled Fu Yanchuan’s hand away. Fu Yanchuan brushed away the moisture on his lips and asked, “Does it still feel uncomfortable?”

Suddenly, Qi Xi sniffed, and tears rolled out uncontrollably. “Am I really useless? Don’t hate me. Don’t dislike me!”

“Qi Xi, it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have been in such a hurry.”

Qi Xi nodded with grievance and muttered softly, “It’s partly your fault. But—! It was so scary!”

 

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