Chapter 47

“Ah…”

The man’s kisses were too intense, and Fan Xing could hardly catch his breath, only managing to emit soft protests from his throat.

To prevent suffocating his little friend, He Qingmo reluctantly moved away from those soft lips. His delicate kisses landed on Fan Xing’s cheeks, ears, and neck, spreading gradually.

Fan Xing’s brain had almost shut down. His senses were completely guided by the man, and his hands gripped the man’s clothes tightly, feeling bewildered.

But when the man’s hands touched him, suddenly Eric’s face flashed in his mind. Eric, injured, looking at him and saying, “I liked you from the first time I saw you…”

His body stiffened for a moment. Hastily, he pushed the man away.

“What’s wrong?” The man’s clothes were a bit disheveled, his voice low and concerned.

Fan Xing’s appearance fueled the imagination. His slightly swollen lips gleamed with moisture, and the fair skin on his neck bore suspicious marks left by the man. This sight made one want to tease him even more.

However, those beautiful eyes were filled with apologies and conflicts.

“Sorry, brother, I… I…”

He didn’t know how to tell He Qingmo, and he wasn’t even sure what he was thinking. He had never imagined that one day both He Qingmo and Eric would confess their feelings to him. This situation caught him off guard.

He Qingmo pinched his little face and said softly, “It’s okay. Speak when you’re ready. For now, go take a bath and sleep.”

He Qingmo didn’t press for details. From Fan Xing’s reaction, he could guess it was about something sensitive. Although he didn’t like Fan Xing being involved with that particular friend too much, at the moment, Fan Xing seemed distressed, and besides, He Qingmo had almost forgotten how long Fan Xing had been without proper rest. The redness on his little face from the recent kisses made the dark circles under his eyes more apparent.

No, nothing was more important than letting the little one get some rest.

So, he said, “Okay, as long as you can wake up tomorrow morning, I’ll make sure to send you to school on time. Deal?”

Fan Xing had no other choice, and the man seemed quite reliable, so he stopped hesitating. After taking a bath, he went to bed, setting an alarm to wake up on time.

Considering he hadn’t slept for almost forty hours, along with the various activities throughout the day, he was indeed tired. After getting into bed, he quickly fell into a deep sleep.

When he woke up, it was already noon the next day. He looked at his phone, slightly disoriented, and instantly became wide awake. He sat up abruptly, flipped off the bed, and then the door opened. He Qingmo walked in.

Fan Xing immediately realized that this man deliberately turned off his alarm.

“You did it on purpose, brother.” Fan Xing sat on the edge of the bed, glaring at the man.

He Qingmo approached, ruffled his hair, and smiled, apologizing, “Okay, I admit it. I won’t do that next time. But today, rest well. I’ll take you to school tonight. Don’t worry; I’ve already informed your counselor about your leave.”

Fan Xing looked at him somewhat absent-mindedly, and after a moment, he nodded gently. “Okay.”

Even though he didn’t want to take a leave, given the circumstances, there was no other choice. Besides, He Qingmo seemed genuinely concerned for him. Skipping one day of classes wouldn’t be a big issue.

“Then let’s have lunch. After sleeping for so long, you must be hungry, right?” The man pinched his little face, pulled him into the bathroom, and went downstairs himself.

Fan Xing stared at himself in the mirror, slightly stunned. The marks on his neck were more pronounced after a night’s sleep. He raised his hand to touch them, recalling He Qingmo’s words from last night. He felt a bit embarrassed and his cheeks blushed, but inside, there was also some confusion.

After a while, he finished washing up and went downstairs. The meal was already on the table.

Approaching the dishes, he was surprised to find two plates that looked… a bit indescribable, with a very dark color. It seemed like too much soy sauce, and there was a plate of shredded potatoes… let’s just call it shredded potatoes, even though it looked almost like French fries, clearly lacking familiarity.

“This…” Fan Xing looked at the man busy in the kitchen, feeling somewhat dazed.

So, did He Qingmo cook this himself?

He Qingmo actually knew how to cook?

He thought it might be Aunt Wu who came to cook lunch or that they ordered takeout. He never expected He Qingmo to cook by himself.

The man came out with bowls and chopsticks, noticing Fan Xing’s bewildered stare. He seemed a bit embarrassed and said, “First attempt, so the presentation is not great. But I tasted it, and it’s okay. If you really can’t eat it, I also ordered takeout, and it should be here soon.” He handed over chopsticks. “Try it?”

Fan Xing didn’t say anything. He took the chopsticks, picked up some shredded potatoes, tasted it, and then smiled with curved brows and eyes. “Delicious.”

Ignoring the somewhat raw appearance, it was really tasty. Fan Xing thought it was even better than what he could cook himself.

“Really?” The man was a bit uncertain.

Fan Xing nodded. “Really! Actually, brother, you don’t need to order takeout separately. This is delicious. You don’t have to force yourself to do something you’ve never done before just because you missed the meal I cooked for you the day before yesterday. It’s okay; it’s not your fault, and I like cooking. Brother really doesn’t need to go out of your way for this.”

Fan Xing’s words were interrupted by an incoming call. He glanced at it and surprisingly, it was a call from his grandmother.

He quickly answered, “Grandma, what’s wrong? Why haven’t you slept yet?”

“Xiao Xing, has Xiao Ai contacted you?” his grandmother asked.

“What happened to him?” Fan Xing remembered that Eric said he didn’t want his family to know about his whereabouts, so he didn’t directly mention that he was back in the country.

His grandmother sighed and said, “Let Xiao Jie tell you.” Then the person on the other end changed, and the conversation switched to English. “Dana, I’m sorry; it’s all my fault. I happened to pass by Grandma’s hospital the day before yesterday and came in to see her. Coincidentally, there were guests here, so I didn’t go in. Then… accidentally, I overheard their conversation. You know my Chinese is limited, and I couldn’t make heads or tails of it, but I thought you were forced into marriage by an older man. Then, when I was extremely angry, Eric actually called me. He asked if I had recently contacted you, and I told him what I overheard, saying that I thought you were being forced into marriage. After saying that, he hung up.”

It was Fan Xing’s childhood friend, Jacky, who was talking.

Fan Xing was already curious yesterday about why Jacky knew about his marriage and even told Eric. It turned out to be a coincidence.

However, who went to Grandma’s place and told her about his marriage? And since Grandma already knew, why didn’t she call him earlier? It seemed like today’s call wouldn’t have happened if Jacky didn’t want to talk to him.

What exactly happened?

Who were the guests at Grandma’s place?

“I couldn’t resist asking Grandma what was going on. It turns out that I only heard half of it that day, and the situation wasn’t what I told Eric. I wanted to call Eric and tell him, but his phone is unreachable. Instead, their family steward came to the hospital and asked if Grandma and I had seen him, saying he’s been out of contact since the day before yesterday. Dana, you know, although I don’t really get along with him, I don’t want anything to happen to him. Could it be that he couldn’t handle the news of your marriage, and that’s why?” Jacky sounded a bit anxious.

“He has contacted me, and there’s nothing wrong. He should be back in a couple of days. Jacky, give the phone to Grandma.” Fan Xing didn’t tell them Eric’s whereabouts. Firstly, it wasn’t with Eric’s consent, and secondly, he wanted to know what had happened with Grandma.

“Xiao Xing, if Xiao Ai contacts you again, make sure he comes home as soon as possible. I thought he was always sensible; why is he so out of line this time? He…” Grandma suddenly paused, sighed lightly, and didn’t say anything more.

Fan Xing obediently agreed, “Grandma, I understand. Don’t worry; he’ll be fine. Grandma, do you… have anything else to ask me?”

There was a moment of silence on the other end, and Grandma’s tone was a bit stubborn. “Ask what? Even if I ask, will you tell me? You kept such a big thing from me, about getting married, and you still want me to ask something?”

“Grandma, I…” Fan Xing was a bit anxious and hastily explained.

Grandma interrupted him, “Alright, Xiao He already told me. Xiao He?” (Little He in Chinese sounds similar to He Qingmo.)

“Xiao… He?” Fan Xing was surprised and looked at He Qingmo, but he was putting the dishes into the kitchen and didn’t hear what was being said.

“Yes, if it weren’t for him coming to tell me, you probably wouldn’t have told me the truth, would you?” Grandma obviously still minded that Fan Xing had kept such a big thing from her.

Fan Xing apologized sincerely, “I’m sorry, Grandma. I just didn’t want you to worry.”

“You!” Grandma complained on the surface, but deep down, she only felt distressed. How could she not know why Fan Xing hid it from her? Not only to prevent her from worrying but also out of guilt, feeling like a burden. “Forget it, forget it. The matter has come to this, let’s not mention it. Fortunately, Xiao He seems reliable, so you two get along well in your married life.”

“Oh.” Fan Xing nodded in agreement. “Grandma, did he… say anything to you?”

Fan Xing was really curious because Grandma unexpectedly accepted the fact that he had already married and even allowed him to live well with He Qingmo, even under forced circumstances. Normally, Grandma, knowing about it, would probably have kicked him out of the hospital and demanded a divorce.

However, not only did she accept it, but she also asked him to live well with He Qingmo.

This was too strange.

“He assured me that he would treat you well for the rest of his life and asked for my approval for your marriage. The first time I saw him, of course, I didn’t believe his words. But Star, I know about your changes. Each time you call me, your mood is better than before. Do you remember a while ago when you went to the Zhu family village and called me to talk about what you saw there? You may not have noticed it yourself, but you mentioned that brother who went with you so many times.”

Fan Xing uncomfortably scratched his head and asked, “Did… I?”

“Yes. At that time, I thought my Xiao Xing was probably in love, and I was guessing who the other person might be. Then he appeared on his own. I don’t really understand him, but for him to come to me to explain and ask for my forgiveness and permission, it shows that he truly cares about you. Star, for the rest of my life, I only hope you can find someone who truly sees your goodness and sincerely cares for you. Understand?”

Fan Xing whispered, “I understand, Grandma. Don’t worry; I’m doing well, and he treats me well.”

Grandma smiled, “That’s good.”

After hanging up Grandma’s call, Fan Xing looked at the figure tidying up in the kitchen, unable to express his emotions.

He never expected that when He Qingmo went abroad for work this time, he would specifically visit Grandma.

He had never even told He Qingmo about Grandma being hospitalized, but He Qingmo knew which hospital Grandma was in.

So, did this person plan to visit Grandma behind his back?

Fan Xing felt overwhelmed with gratitude and joy.

The man turned around and met those clear eyes, causing a ripple in Fan Xing’s heart. He walked over, lowered his head, and lightly bit the lips of the little one, smiling ambiguously, “If you keep looking like this, your husband might not be able to control himself.”

Fan Xing’s face warmed up, and he quickly avoided the man’s gaze, asking, “Why didn’t Brother tell me he was going to see Grandma?”

He Qingmo didn’t hear the recent phone call, so he was surprised. Then he looked a bit disappointed, “Grandma actually betrayed me. She promised not to say anything for now.”

“Why couldn’t you tell me?” Fan Xing glared at him, his cheeks still tinted with a lingering blush, looking particularly enticing.

The man’s Adam’s apple moved, but he didn’t take any action. “I didn’t want you to feel pressured.”

“Ah?” Fan Xing was puzzled for a moment, then realized. He Qingmo wasn’t talking about emotions but money. Although Grandma didn’t say anything, Fan Xing knew that since He Qingmo knew about Grandma’s situation, he would surely take over all the subsequent expenses.

And He Qingmo also knew that Fan Xing wouldn’t accept this money unless he had no other choice.

He didn’t want Fan Xing to feel burdened by this amount, so he kept it a secret.

After understanding, Fan Xing felt even more moved. He cautiously reached out, holding He Qingmo’s hand, and softly said, “Thank you, Brother.”

He Qingmo turned and held his pure hand, giving it a squeeze. He spoke softly, “I don’t need you to thank me. I just want to know, after doing this, do you still feel burdened or owe me in any way?”

Fan Xing looked up at the man. He understood the meaning behind his words. If he still considered their marriage a transaction, something they would eventually divorce over, he would feel like he owed He Qingmo something for this favor. However, if he accepted their marriage as normal, like any other married couple, without anyone helping or owing anyone, then there would be no burden. His grandmother would be He Qingmo’s grandmother too.

Fan Xing bit his lip gently and, after a moment of silence, spoke without answering He Qingmo’s question directly, “Brother, I didn’t actually have any ex-lovers or former boyfriends. But… I used to like someone, and that person confessed to me yesterday.”

He Qingmo’s grip on Fan Xing’s hand tightened slightly, and a hint of nervousness flashed in his deep eyes. “So you…”

“Brother.” Fan Xing interrupted him, his voice almost inaudible. “I am… yours.”

“What?” Fan Xing’s voice was too soft, and the middle two words were spoken especially quickly, making He Qingmo uncertain.

 

<Previous…………………….Next>