Chapter 22

Song Yang’s efficiency was impressive. Overnight, Fan Xing’s information was placed on He Qingmo’s desk.

It was a simple resume, barely filling a single page.

His father unexpectedly passed away, his mother remarried and returned to China, and he stayed abroad with his grandmother.

His grandmother was in poor health, lacked education, and couldn’t find a job. The two of them could only rely on government assistance to get by.

Starting from the age of fourteen, Fan Xing began working diligently while studying. However, his academic performance remained excellent, earning straight A’s every year, and he secured an offer from H University.

During the holidays, his grandmother fell seriously ill and was hospitalized. Two weeks later, he received a call from his mother, Fan Meixi, asking him to return to China for a wedding. The medical expenses owed by his grandmother and her subsequent treatment were taken care of afterward.

He Qingmo leaned back in his chair, looking casual. When he wasn’t smiling, his expression was indifferent and distant.

“Are he and Fan Meixi really mother and son?” he asked.

Song Yang nodded. “Yes. However, they haven’t seen each other much over the years. Neighbors in M country don’t even know that Fan Xing has family in China. They’ve been relying on each other for these years. Besides, Fan Meixi has never disclosed her previous marriage abroad. She’s probably afraid of causing trouble for Gu Yongchang.”

He Qingmo fell silent, his gaze fixed on the information that could be read in a single glance. After a while, he set down the documents and instructed Song Yang, “Keep an eye on the situation with his grandmother.”

But his secretary interrupted with a phone call, saying that Fan Meixi wanted to see him.

Although he had already been preparing to leave, He Qingmo pondered for a moment and sat back down. “Let her in.”

Five minutes later, Fan Meixi walked in with a charming smile. She spoke warmly, “I hope I’m not disturbing you at this hour, Mr. He.”

“Please have a seat. What can I do for you?” He Qingmo remained his usual self, appearing somewhat aloof.

After sitting down, He Qingmo’s secretary brought in coffee and dessert. After taking a sip, Fan Meixi got straight to the point without beating around the bush. “I feel a bit embarrassed to ask for your help again, but now that we’re family, I won’t stand on ceremony with Mr. He. Here’s the thing: Fan Xing’s younger brother, the one you met the other day, Mingyu, has applied to participate in ‘Limitless Youth.’ It seems that this program is sponsored by Guwei Technology. So, I was wondering if Mr. He could speak to the production team. The entertainment industry has too many dark secrets nowadays, and Mingyu has the looks and talent. With his skills, he could win fair and square. I’m just worried that there might be unfairness behind the scenes that could hinder his future. What do you think?”

He Qingmo seemed somewhat interested. “Oh? Is that the child who came to my house the other day?”

He Qingmo had some impression of him, dressed in colorful clothes, standing and sitting without restraint, and constantly playing on his phone.

Fan Meixi nodded repeatedly. “Yes, yes, that’s him. He said he wanted to visit his brother Fan Xing’s new home. Although he didn’t grow up with Fan Xing, he really adores his brother and often talks about him at home. I’ve been holding him back, saying that you newlyweds should not be bothered with frequent visits. Otherwise, he would be going to see Fan Xing every day.”

He Qingmo nodded. “Alright, I’ll talk to them about it.”

“Really?” Fan Meixi couldn’t hide her delighted expression, and her voice became somewhat uncontrollable. “That’s great. No wonder Fan Xing told me that I could come directly to Mr. He with this matter. Mr. He will definitely help. I didn’t expect it to be true. Well then, you’re busy, so I won’t disturb you any longer. Let’s schedule a time for you and Fan Xing to come to my house for dinner. I’ll cook personally.”

She was quite tactful; she achieved her goal and immediately took her leave.

After she left, Song Yang felt He Qingmo’s gaze on him and understood what he wanted to ask. He continued, “Mingyu is Fan Meixi and Gu Yongchang’s son. It seems that Fan Meixi was allowed to enter the family because she was pregnant at the time. However, they haven’t had any more children after their marriage, so the entire Gu family treats Mingyu as a treasure and has spoiled him quite a bit.”

He Qingmo’s eyes darkened slightly, but his expression remained unreadable. He picked up his car keys and headed out.

Song Yang accompanied him and couldn’t help but ask, “Are you really planning to help Mingyu?”

He Qingmo glanced at him and said, “Why wouldn’t I help?”

“Really?” Song Yang seemed puzzled. Based on his understanding of He Qingmo, he would never help with something like this, even if it were effortless.

Unless Fan Xing had asked for it. After all, the boss seemed to treat the new CEO’s wife differently recently.

But Song Yang decided not to speculate further. Who knew what kind of person He Qingmo really was?

He Qingmo went straight home after leaving the company. Upon entering, he was greeted by the delightful aroma of various sweet foods.

Changing into his indoor shoes, he walked further into the house and found the kids gathered around an apron-clad figure busy in the kitchen. The dining table was filled with an assortment of desserts and drinks, and there seemed to be some dessert-making in progress in the kitchen.

“What’s going on? Planning to open a dessert shop?” He Qingmo, who didn’t have a sweet tooth, made his way through the dining room and entered the kitchen, standing behind Fan Xing.

Fan Xing was in the final steps of making an avalanche cake when he was startled by He Qingmo’s sudden presence. He trembled and accidentally removed the plastic mold, causing the whipped cream to collapse entirely, losing its intended aesthetic appeal.

He sighed wearily and turned to face the man, his voice soft and plaintive. “Big brother, you startled me. I worked so hard to make it.”

He Qingmo casually reached out and pinched his chubby cheek. “I’ll make it up to you later. What are you doing here?”

Fan Xing gave his cheek a little rub and began cleaning up the fallen whipped cream on the table. “Isn’t Xinxin coming over tomorrow? I thought of making something for her to enjoy. But it’s been a while since I’ve made these, so I’m not sure if they’ll turn out well. Oh, by the way!”

He suddenly remembered something and turned to look at He Qingmo with clear excitement. “Big brother, can you taste-test for me?”

Before He Qingmo could respond, Fan Xing picked up a spoon and scooped a small piece of avalanche cake, extending it toward him with a bright smile. “Give it a try.”

He Qingmo, who didn’t enjoy sweet treats, looked at the expectant child and then at the cake offered to him. With his mouth open, he tasted it.

“How does it taste?” Fan Xing watched him nervously, his eyes filled with anxiety, which was quite entertaining.

He Qingmo indeed didn’t have a sweet tooth, but he had to admit that this particular taste was decent and not overly sweet. However, he still shook his head with a disappointed expression. “Average.”

Fan Xing seemed visibly disappointed for a moment, but quickly adjusted himself. He grabbed He Qingmo’s hand and led him to the dining room. “Well then, let me have you taste these other varieties.”

He Qingmo continued to eat as Fan Xing continued to feed him. He sampled everything.

Until he realized that his throat had become overly sweet and he casually picked up a glass of a clear, peach-scented drink on the table, which looked quite refreshing.

“What’s this?” He looked at the glass with pink peach syrup settled at the bottom, topped with clear soda, which appeared appealing.

Fan Xing, who was a bit downcast due to the previous dessert tasting, perked up. “It’s a drink I made. Do you not like it?”

He Qingmo felt that he had had his fun and wanted to let the child feel better, so he lifted the glass and took a sip. It was cool and had a subtle peach flavor. It was quite enjoyable.

“What is it?” He Qingmo asked.

Fan Xing was surprised by the sudden change in He Qingmo’s attitude and worried that he might not like it. “Is it bad?”

He Qingmo shook his head. “No, it’s not bad. I like this taste.”

“Really?” Fan Xing, now excited, looked at He Qingmo with sparkling eyes.

He Qingmo tousled his hair. “Alright, I don’t like sweets anyway, but Xinxin will definitely like it. Don’t worry!”

Fan Xing was momentarily stunned, then burst into laughter. “Thank you for taste-testing, big brother. Do you like this drink? I can make you another one.” With that, he happily went back to the kitchen.

He Qingmo, lounging lazily at the dining table, observed the cheerful little chef with amusement. He casually asked, “How did you learn to make these?”

“I used to work at a dessert shop. The pastry chef there really liked me. He even secretly told me that if I couldn’t get into college, I should learn from him. He’d teach me all his secret recipes, and then I could open my own dessert shop in the future,” Fan Xing explained with a hint of pride. “But I later didn’t have time and quit that job, so I didn’t learn the secret recipes. What I’m making now is just the basic method, and it’s been a while, so I’m not very confident.”

He Qingmo casually picked up the glass of the peach drink and drank half of it. It was indeed good. “Not bad. I like this taste.”

As they chatted, Fan Xing prepared breakfast for the next day when Xinxin would be coming over. When he returned from the market with fresh ingredients, He Qingmo had already finished his breakfast and was sitting in the dining room.

Fan Xing had been struggling since last night. Whenever he faced He Qingmo, that soft, moist feeling kept popping up in his mind, making it impossible for him to speak properly.

As soon as he saw He Qingmo, he quickly and obediently called out, “Big brother,” before slipping into the kitchen, burying himself in food preparation.

He Qingmo enjoyed his delicious breakfast and watched the child pretending to be busy. He hesitated for a moment, considering whether to tease him a bit. However, he decided against it; he didn’t want to risk upsetting the child.

So, the two of them peacefully coexisted that morning.

Around ten in the morning, Lin Lin arrived with Xinxin.

Ever since their last meeting, Xinxin had grown fond of Fan Xing and couldn’t stop talking about him at home. She had been counting the days until she could visit Fan Xing again. Lin Lin jokingly said that He Qingchen was starting to hold a grudge against Fan Xing due to all the chatter. If he had a schedule today, he would have followed along to ensure Xinxin wouldn’t be kidnapped by Fan Xing.

Xinxin’s affection for Fan Xing was justified. Fan Xing not only prepared delicious treats for her but also dedicated time to play various games that might seem boring to adults but were immensely enjoyable for her.

Lin Lin enjoyed her leisure time and, after having lunch, sat comfortably on the sofa, sipping coffee and munching on sunflower seeds as she chatted with He Qingmo. “Old Third, do you know that today Gu Yongchang and Fan Meixi are visiting their parents?”

He Qingmo was somewhat surprised. “What for?”

Lin Lin shook her head. “I don’t know. I heard it from Mom when I called her this morning. But I guess they want both sets of parents to meet each other, right? You married Fan Xing with just a certificate, and they probably think it’s not right. They most likely want to discuss and arrange a proper wedding banquet.”

He Qingmo remained silent, his expression indifferent, and it was unclear what he was thinking.

Glancing toward the staircase and seeing no sign of anyone coming down, Lin Lin scooted a bit closer to He Qingmo and lowered her voice. “Hey, Old Third, I think Fan Xing is really good. The more I look at him, the more I like him. He’s handsome, has a good temperament, and he’s an excellent cook. He’s like a little angel. Have you ever considered making it real instead of pretending?”

“Do Mom and Dad also think so?” He Qingmo asked.

“As for Dad, I don’t know, but I secretly asked Mom. She’s quite satisfied with Fan Xing now, especially after he visited our home last time. She told me that it would be fine if you settled down like this. Since Mom is already satisfied, Dad will probably be satisfied eventually. Why don’t you just go along with it? Stop the charade!” Lin Lin suggested.

He Qingmo’s lips curved into a smile. “That’s not possible. I started this as a joke, and I’ll eventually get a divorce.”

“Is it because of you… and Fan Xing?” Lin Lin wanted to persuade him further but suddenly noticed Fan Xing standing at the staircase. Feeling a bit embarrassed, she stood up and forced a laugh. “When did you come down? We were just chatting. I have a friend who got married not long ago, and it’s been quite a scene. Old Third said that they’ll probably end up divorcing sooner or later. Uh… Where’s Xinxin?”

“She’s asleep, probably tired from playing,” Fan Xing replied with a gentle smile.

“I’ll go check on her, then,” Lin Lin said hastily, using it as an excuse to leave the room.

 

<Previous.........................Next>