Chapter 39

Suddenly, a scene from the day in the hallway flashed in Fan Xing’s mind. He had been pressed against the wall by the man.

His face turned bright red in an instant. He unconsciously bit his lip lightly and felt regretful for letting He Qingmo help him.

From this angle, the man couldn’t see Fan Xing’s expression, but the child’s stiff body was quite apparent. The man’s lips curved slightly, and he intentionally leaned closer to whisper in the child’s delicate ear, “Lean back a bit. Your hair was being pulled too tightly.” As he spoke, his tall figure leaned forward and pressed the child firmly against the gate.

While talking, his warm breath enveloped Fan Xing’s earlobe, causing Fan Xing to shiver slightly, and his earlobes turned hot.

Fan Xing’s hands were tense as they pressed against the man’s body. Feeling uncomfortable, he tried to change the awkward situation and softly said, “Brother, should I do it myself?”

However, before he could react, he felt something slide past his ear. It was warm and soft, and it startled him. He let out a soft exclamation. Only then did he realize what the man had done.

But before he could dwell on his embarrassment, the man’s low, husky voice whispered near his ear, a mix of teasing and warning, “Don’t move, or I’ll bite you.”

Fan Xing felt like his whole body was on fire and just wanted to get out of this situation. However, he didn’t dare disobey the man’s warning. He decided to recite the lines from their evening performance silently to distract himself. Still, his hands, pressed against the man’s body, clung tightly to his clothes. His entire body had stiffened like a statue.

Unfortunately, there was no light in this area, and Fan Xing couldn’t see the blush on his face. The man, however, regretted that he couldn’t see it and carefully untangled the hair from the gate. He then released the child and saw that Fan Xing was keeping his eyes tightly shut.

He gently pinched Fan Xing’s cheek, saying, “All done. Still want more?”

Although Fan X Xing had been reciting lines throughout the incident, his nervousness hadn’t dissipated. When he heard the man’s voice, he felt an immense relief. Disregarding any hidden meanings in the man’s words, Fan Xing quickly thanked him. He kept his head down and pulled the man towards the car.

He Qingmo didn’t tease him any further and followed Fan Xing as he led the way.

Once they exited through this discreet gate, they found themselves in an inconspicuous alley. It was quite narrow, without any streetlights, and had seen better days. No cars could enter, and even walking through it was somewhat troublesome.

However, He Qingmo’s car was parked at the entrance of the alley. So, the two of them had to walk carefully through this segment.

When they finally got into the car, Fan Xing’s heart was still irregular, so he stayed silent and didn’t look at the man. He kept his eyes fixed on the window outside.

Suddenly, his gaze was drawn to an inconspicuous street food stall on the side of the road. He turned to He Qingmo and said, “Brother, can we stop for a moment? I want to buy something.”

He Qingmo parked the car by the roadside and asked, “What do you want to buy?”

“Yulan cakes!” Fan Xing’s tone was excited, filled with surprise and anticipation. He pointed outside the window for He Qingmo to see. “It’s right there. Can’t you see it? It’s that little stall in the corner.”

He Qingmo leaned over and looked in the direction Fan Xing had pointed. He saw a rather unassuming stall sandwiched between several other street food stalls, emitting a haze of cooking fumes. There weren’t many customers, making it appear quite deserted.

“Is it delicious?” He Qingmo asked. He had never heard of Yulan cakes, and it looked like just deep-fried dough.

Fan Xing’s expression was full of delight, and he nodded eagerly, “Yes, yes! My grandmother used to teach me how to make them, but I could never get it right. They’re really delicious, Brother; you must try them.”

As Fan Xing was in elaborate Snow White costume, he suddenly realized he might attract attention when he went to the food stall. He was thankful that He Qingmo had prevented him from going there alone.

In any case, with He Qingmo present, they would undoubtedly become the center of attention in the crowded university food street.

However, He Qingmo didn’t seem to mind at all. He got out of the car, and even in the bustling university food street, he stood out due to his nearly 190-centimeter height. Moreover, his natural charisma drew people’s attention regardless of the crowd’s size.

So, his appearance immediately caused a stir among those nearby. Many people discreetly took out their phones to take photos, or huddled in groups, whispering and gossiping.

But the man paid no attention to the onlookers. He went straight to the Yulan cake stall, spoke to the owner, and the owner began frying some freshly prepared cakes.

As they waited, more and more passersby gathered around, and some even mustered the courage to approach, buying Yulan cakes while intentionally getting closer to Fan Xing, secretly taking photos or attempting to take sneaky selfies.

He Qingmo clearly didn’t like such situations, and Fan Xing could feel the man’s displeasure even from across the street.

Fan Xing felt a bit regretful, realizing that he had been somewhat stubborn. He knew that this would happen when He Qingmo joined him, but he insisted on buying the cakes.

Watching the man patiently waiting, Fan Xing couldn’t help himself and dialed He Qingmo’s phone number.

The man saw the incoming call on his phone and turned to look in Fan Xing’s direction. He answered the call.

Fan Xing spoke quickly, “Brother, I don’t want it anymore. You can come back.”

The man paused for a moment and then turned towards Fan Xing’s direction. He raised an eyebrow and smiled softly, his voice gentle and amused, “Aren’t you the one who wanted to eat? Just wait patiently.” With that, he hung up the phone.

Coincidentally, the stall owner had just finished preparing the cakes, and He Qingmo turned back to pay. However, the curious onlookers’ eyes were all fixed on Fan Xing’s direction.

Inside the car, Fan Xing was aware that the people outside couldn’t see inside, but he still felt a bit anxious and shrunk down.

He was acting like a fool! He had, knowingly, caused He Qingmo to deal with this situation. Now, He Qingmo was taking pleasure in it. Despite the crowd’s curiosity, no one came too close.

By this time, He Qingmo had returned with the Yulan cakes. He got back in the car and was met with Fan Xing’s resentful gaze. He held the hot Yulan cakes in front of the child and said lightly, “It seems like you don’t want them anymore?”

Fan Xing instantly lost his temper, politely saying, “Thank you, Brother.”

The man couldn’t help but chuckle softly. He handed the Yulan cakes to Fan Xing and lightly pinched his cheek before starting the car.

Fan Xing was apparently used to the man’s tendency to tease and touch him and paid no attention. He focused on the box of Yulan cakes.

With great anticipation, he opened the box. A faintly sweet aroma wafted out as he gazed at the golden Yulan cakes one by one, and a clear smile gradually spread across his face.

He used his fingertip to lightly poke one of the cakes, testing its temperature. It was still a bit hot, but he was too impatient to wait. So he gently blew on it. When it had cooled down, he picked one and offered it to He Qingmo, saying, “Brother, try it. It’s a bit sweet, but it’s really delicious.” His voice was sweet and tender, and his tone held an unmistakable hidden expectation.

He Qingmo didn’t particularly like sweet foods, but the way Fan Xing was offering it… was quite acceptable.

He opened his mouth and took a bite.

Hmmm… It was a bit sweet, and by He Qingmo’s taste, it wasn’t exceptionally delicious. However, Fan Xing’s bright, expectant eyes were focused on him. It was as if he would be disappointed if He Qingmo said it wasn’t delicious. So, he reluctantly praised it, “Not bad.”

Then, Fan Xing, who had been prepared to feed the entire cake to He Qingmo, unexpectedly laughed and said, “Brother, you’re just trying to deceive me. You don’t like sweet things. I just wanted you to taste it.”

The man’s gaze grew heavy, and his throat felt dry. However, Fan Xing didn’t seem to notice and was wholly engrossed in savoring the Yulan cakes, smiling with satisfaction.

“Do you really like it?” He Qingmo asked, clearing his throat.

He was somewhat curious. In his impression, Fan Xing was not a picky eater and didn’t have a particular favorite. It was the first time he had seen Fan Xing show such a satisfied expression over a type of food.

Fan Xing nodded, “Yes. My grandmother makes them really well, but she only makes them on special occasions, like the Chinese New Year back in China. So…” He suddenly felt a little embarrassed and smiled shyly, “I used to look forward to the New Year. But later on, my grandmother’s health declined, and it became too troublesome to make these, so she rarely made them. I tried learning to make them myself, but I wasn’t very good at it.”

He Qingmo glanced at him. This was the first time Fan Xing had mentioned his grandmother.

“Is your grandmother from Jiangnan?” He remembered the stall owner mentioning that Yulan cakes were a snack from Jiangnan, and sometimes he overheard Fan Xing speaking in a Jiangnan dialect when he was on the phone with his grandmother.

Fan Xing nodded, “Yes, she’s from the area around Taihu Lake.”

“Do you want to go visit her?” the man asked.

“Huh?” Fan Xing looked at the man in surprise.

Although he had always planned in his heart to visit his grandmother’s hometown and take some photos to show her, he had never thought about doing it right now.

“It’s not very far. Tomorrow is the weekend, so let’s go tomorrow,” the man suggested.

“Is it too rushed?” Fan Xing asked.

“Not at all. Besides, if we don’t go tomorrow, it’ll be a while. I have to leave for a business trip on Monday, and I won’t be back for at least two weeks. So let’s go tomorrow,” the man decisively settled on the plan.

Fan Xing hesitated, “Brother, you’re going on a business trip for two weeks?”

“Yes,” the man nodded.

“For such a long time?” Fan Xing’s tone showed a hint of sadness.

The man’s smile faded, and he spoke cheerfully, “Are you already missing your husband?”

 

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