Wang Fang pulled Xiao Wang into the living room: “Xiao Xu, is this tutor a student at A University? A University is a prestigious institution! Must the tutoring fees be quite expensive?”
Wang Xu: “No need to worry. Mr. Tan covers all the costs. You just need to make sure Le Le studies diligently.”
“Mr. Tan paying? How could that be right!” Wang Fang clenched her apron. “Mr. Tan has already helped our family so much—arranging Le Le’s transfer, hiring a lawyer for my divorce case. How can we let him cover tutoring fees too?”
Wang Fang shook her head like a rattle: “No, absolutely not.”
Wang Xu lowered his voice: “Listen to me…”
“What?!” Wang Fang screamed.
Le Le’s voice echoed from the study: “Mom, what’s wrong?!”
Wang Fang shouted: “Nothing, nothing!”
She pulled Xiao Wang onto the balcony: “Mr. Mingxuan is actually Mr. Tan’s wife? Then we absolutely can’t afford this!”
“Sis, didn’t I tell you? You don’t have to pay. Mr. Tan said Mingxuan is just laying the foundation for Le Le.”
“I also told Mr. Tan that if Le Le needs professional tutoring in the future, I’ll cover it myself. No need for his help.”
Xiao Wang patted his chest. “I’m about to become a full-time assistant. My salary will be much higher then. Don’t worry, I’ll help Le Le.”
Wang Fang nodded gratefully and sighed. “Thank goodness for Mr. Tan and you. Otherwise, I really wouldn’t know what to do.”
“By the way, don’t tell Mingxuan about this,” Xiao Wang said seriously. “It’s a secret.”
Wang Fang: “Okay, I understand.”…
The first lesson concluded smoothly. With National Day approaching, Le Le was heading back to her grandmother’s home. Wang Fang discussed with Ye Mingxuan that tutoring would officially begin after the holiday.
Ye Mingxuan nodded, bid them farewell, and gave all the candies and cookies from his bag to Le Le.
Not long after leaving the residential complex, Xiao Wang transferred five hundred yuan to him.
Ye Mingxuan’s eyes instantly lit up. He stared at the five hundred yuan deposited into his bank card, his eyes sparkling. Clutching his phone, he skipped and jumped his way home.
Night fell, streetlights flickered on like scattered stars along the road. The residential complex was heavily guarded; security guards were on high alert, ready to spring at the slightest disturbance. As Ye Mingxuan approached, a guard straightened up.
Seeing Ye Mingxuan swipe his card to open the gate, the guard waved away imaginary mosquitoes and slumped back over his phone.
Ye Mingxuan reached the entrance of his building. Warm yellow light shone through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the penthouse apartment, leaving him momentarily dazed.
Aunt Fu should be home from work by now. Could it be… the Master?
Ye Mingxuan gripped his phone tighter and quickened his pace.
Opening the door, he found Tan Sizhe in casual loungewear, seated at the black-and-gray bar counter. A small lamp above illuminated his face, revealing the man’s exquisitely chiseled features.
“Sir,” Ye Mingxuan called obediently.
Tan Sizhe glanced over. “How’s the part-time job going?”
“Mhm,” Ye Mingxuan hugged his backpack, his gaze fixed on Tan Sizhe’s hands.
The ruby-red Romanée-Conti swayed gently in the glass. Tan Sizhe’s Adam’s apple bobbed twice as the rich aroma of wine spread through his throat. “Care for a glass?”
Ye Mingxuan swallowed hard and shook his head.
Gastroenteritis. Can’t drink. Absolutely can’t drink.
Tan Sizhe set down his glass, stood up, and opened the refrigerator. “Hungry? Want some late-night snacks?”
Ye Mingxuan shook his head. “Sir, are you hungry?”
Tan Sizhe pulled out a packet of noodles. “I haven’t eaten much tonight.”
He turned on the stove, poured water into the pot, and waited for it to boil.
A pale, slender hand pressed against the pot handle. “Sir, let me do it.”
Tan Sizhe looked down. Ye Mingxuan’s bright eyes met his, earnest and sincere. “I can whip up a simple late-night snack. It won’t take long.”
Tan Sizhe stepped aside. “You know how to cook?”
“Yes, I…” Ye Mingxuan paused. “I cook often at home.”
Tan Sizhe lowered his eyelids slightly, noticing the thin calluses on Ye Mingxuan’s hands.
Ye Mingxuan boiled noodles in one pot while frying steak in another. Once the water boiled, he tossed greens and a fried egg into the noodles, simultaneously flipping the steak—all with remarkable efficiency.
The youth stood beneath soft white light, a silvery glow dusting his cheeks. His hair fell smoothly across his forehead, and a fine sheen of sweat glistened on his delicate nose.
Tan Sizhe watched his movements, falling into a long silence.
He shouldn’t be like this, Tan Sizhe thought.
When other children were spoiled rotten in their parents’ arms, never lifting a finger to do anything, Ye Mingxuan shouldn’t have ended up like this.
Soon, the noodles with greens and egg and the steak were ready. Ye Mingxuan carried them to the table.
“Sir, please eat first. I’ll wash the dishes.”
“No need.” Tan Sizhe pressed him down to sit, took an empty bowl, divided the noodles in half, and handed it to him. “I’m looking for a wife, not a maid. Leave the washing for Aunt Fu tomorrow.”
“But…”
“Be a good boy.”
Tan Sizhe pushed all the eggs toward Ye Mingxuan. “Eat up.”
Ye Mingxuan murmured softly and lowered his head to eat.
They sat facing each other, barely exchanging words, only the sound of their eating filling the air.
Tan Sizhe let Ye Mingxuan eat all the steak. Watching him eat until he was full, Tan Sizhe curved his lips slightly. “There’s something for you in the study.”
Ye Mingxuan let out a cute burp: “Something?”
Tan Sizhe folded his arms: “Yeah, go check it out.”
Ye Mingxuan nodded and got up to go upstairs.
After a quick shower, Ye Mingxuan changed into pajamas and headed to the study. The moment he opened the door, he was stunned.
Four or five exquisitely wrapped gift boxes occupied a large portion of his desk, impossible to ignore.
A cough sounded behind him. Ye Mingxuan turned to find Tan Sizhe standing in the doorway, hands in his pockets. “Gifts from my parents for you. Open them.”
Gifts?
Ye Mingxuan felt flustered. “Sir, these are gifts from your parents? I can’t possibly…”
“If they’re for you, they’re yours. Open them.”
Ye Mingxuan pressed his lips together, nervously opening one of the boxes. A dazzling golden glow instantly blinded him.
Ye Mingxuan was so stunned he nearly lost his voice: “This is…”
Tan Sizhe leaned lazily against the doorframe, boneless like a cat, his thin lips parting slightly: “It’s our custom. When getting married, the in-laws must present nine gold pieces.”
Ye Mingxuan opened all the boxes. Inside lay gold ornaments, each exuding an opulent grandeur. They needed no artificial light to illuminate their brilliance—their own radiance was enough to light up the entire room.
The last large box contained a phoenix crown.
Intricately ornate and lavish, it hung with golden tassels that swayed gently in the breeze.
Ye Mingxuan took two steps back, looking at him with certainty. “No, sir, this is too valuable. I can’t accept it! Can… can I return it…”
Tan Sizhe chuckled. “How would you return it?”
“I…”
“It’s their heartfelt gift. Accept it.”
“But…”
Tan Sizhe straightened up and stepped before him. “Mingxuan, them giving you these things means they consider you family. Do you understand?”
Ye Mingxuan blinked. “Uncle and Aunt…”
Tan Sizhe gripped his shoulders, turning him to face the gold. “These are their welcome gifts for you. If you don’t accept them, it’ll break the elders’ hearts.”
Ye Mingxuan bit his lip, wrestling with the decision before nodding obediently.
“Good boy.” Tan Sizhe leaned against his shoulder. “The day after tomorrow is a holiday. Come with me back to the ancestral home.”
“Wh-what?” Ye Mingxuan nearly bit his tongue. “Go where?”
“The ancestral home,” Tan Sizhe murmured against his ear. “My grandfather wants to meet you.”
Ye Mingxuan’s brain short-circuited before he could process Tan Sizhe’s words. Suddenly, his butt was pressed against something. !!
Ye Mingxuan bristled like a cat. “Sir!”
“Don’t move. Once we get there, I’ll have to hold back for a while,” Tan Sizhe pressed against Ye Mingxuan, his tone suggestive. “Help me.”
Ye Mingxuan twisted his waist, utterly unprepared for this sudden turn of events. A blush spread across his cheeks. “Sir… no, no…”
Tan Sizhe wasn’t one to listen to such protests. He scooped Ye Mingxuan up horizontally. The younger man let out a short gasp before being placed onto the desk, his professional books forming a makeshift surface below.
“Sir! Not here…”
Ye Mingxuan’s knees dug into Tan Sizhe’s waist as his hands gripped the man’s shoulders, crumpling the fabric of his shirt.
Tan Sizhe watched his little wife’s head rest against his shoulder, his gaze darkening. “Is this not good?”
Truth be told, he’d longed to explore other places. From the moment Ye Mingxuan first appeared here, he’d wanted every corner of this house to carry his scent.
Ye Mingxuan shook his head frantically, his voice trembling with tension: “Books… books…”
Tan Sizhe silenced him with a kiss, his tongue probing inside. He made muffled sounds, the air filled with soft, wet noises. When he gasped for air, Tan Sizhe murmured against his lips, “If it gets dirty, we’ll buy a new one.”
Professional books are so expensive…
Ye Mingxuan shook his head, tears welling in his eyes: “Sir—mmph!”
The hand resting on the man’s shoulder was forcibly yanked away.
The curtains closed automatically, blocking the moon outside the window.
Ye Mingxuan bit his lower lip, clutching it in shame.
…
Tan Sizhe let out a muffled groan, his eyes dark and bottomless.
The water glass on the table was accidentally knocked over. Clatter! Tea soaked through the pages.
Ye Mingxuan slid off the table, reaching for the textbook: “The book…”
Tan Sizhe wrapped his arms around Ye Mingxuan’s shoulders and fished out the book. The pages were already soaked through, droplets rolling off the pages onto the floor.
Ye Mingxuan felt like crying but had no tears left.
Tan Sizhe tossed aside his book. “Forget it.”
He reached out to touch Ye Mingxuan’s stomach. “Seems a bit rounder than before.”
At the mention of weight gain, Ye Mingxuan shivered and clutched his abdomen.
“But it’s actually nice—feels comfortable to the touch.”
Tan Sizhe carried the exhausted Ye Mingxuan back to the bedroom, wiped him down, and changed him into clean clothes.
Ye Mingxuan had fallen asleep, his skin as smooth as a freshly peeled egg, a faint blush still lingering on his cheeks. Tan Sizhe couldn’t resist and kissed him again, nearly waking him up.
Satisfied, he returned to the study to clean up the mess.
The table had shaken violently earlier, displacing all the gift boxes. Tan Sizhe gathered everything and stored it in the cabinet.
He picked up the books scattered across the desk and floor. Several were already soaked beyond reading.
Tan Sizhe flipped through a couple casually. These books were brand new. Ye Mingxuan hadn’t taken many notes, but Tan Sizhe found several doodles inside—actually quite well drawn.
He closed the book with a faint sigh.
Better buy new ones.
