Bai Yu ate with particular relish, while Ye Mingxuan had his mind elsewhere. Still, to ensure the baby in his belly didn’t go hungry, he finished the nutritious meal.
The portion was just right and quite delicious, leaving him about seventy percent full. After eating, Ye Mingxuan sipped his juice slowly.
Before leaving, Bai Yu told Aunt Fu he’d come again next time. Aunt Fu happily saw him out: “Mr. Bai, next time you come, just tell me in advance what you want to eat. I can make anything!”
After seeing the guest off, Aunt Fu returned to the kitchen to wipe down the countertop.
Ye Mingxuan walked over to her: “Aunt Fu, I’m truly sorry. I didn’t mean to keep it from you.”
“It’s nothing,” Aunt Fu said, setting down the cloth and gently guiding Ye Mingxuan to sit at the table. “Mr. Bai already explained everything to me. You don’t need to apologize.”
“I’ve been pregnant myself. Though I’ve never seen a man carry a child, it should be similar in principle.” Aunt Fu sliced an orange. “Rest assured, I know exactly what to do.”
Ye Mingxuan felt a stinging sensation in his eyes.
“Did you enjoy lunch?”
“Mm!”
“I’ll change things up for dinner tonight. I promise you won’t have the same meal twice.”
“Thank you, Aunt Fu.”
Aunt Fu smiled kindly twice. “Mr. Mingxuan, do your parents know you’re pregnant?”
Ye Mingxuan visibly stiffened. Aunt Fu added, “Oh dear, something this big should be shared with your parents. After all, they’re the ones closest to you.”
Ye Mingxuan lowered the glass of juice he was holding.
He hadn’t told his mother yet, but since Zhao Dongxuan knew, his mother would likely find out soon.
He wasn’t worried about how his mother would view him, but rather that Zhao Dongxuan might use this child as leverage to demand favors from his mother.
He should find an opportunity to ask his mother about it.
…
That evening, Tan Sizhe texted he’d be home late. After finishing his part-time job, Ye Mingxuan headed to the study to watch his online classes.
His old phone cost just a few hundred yuan. After over a year of use, it had become sluggish, and the battery drained quickly—it took five minutes to boot up and lasted only half an hour of use.
He chose the cheapest phone plan—1GB of data per month—making it practically indistinguishable from an old-school flip phone. Ye Mingxuan always lagged behind his peers in trends and knew little about the outside world.
But since getting his new phone and tablet, he gradually realized he was still young. He installed games, caught up on TV dramas, and started using social platforms like Weibo.
Recently, Lin Jiale recommended the Bilibili website to him, which surprisingly offered tons of online courses!
He was determined to reclaim all the knowledge he’d missed by sleeping through class!
Without headphones, he cranked up the volume and took notes while watching.
The video contained only one lesson, and the system automatically played the next one.
Before Ye Mingxuan could react, explosive music blared.
“The scumbag colluded with his white moonlight to seize his family’s fortune. Seeking revenge, he tracked down the scumbag’s uncle—that master strategist whose wealth rivaled a nation…”
This plot twist was even more dramatic than the last story about “husband’s career stalling after pregnancy.” Ye Mingxuan was so engrossed in the narrative he didn’t hear the door open behind him.
“To gain the man’s trust, he went to great lengths to make the man fall in love with him.”
Ye Mingxuan nervously bit down on his pen cap.
“When the man learned the truth, he was overcome with grief. Pinning him against the wall by the waist, his eyes reddened as he declared…”
“…just say you love me, and I’ll give you my life.” A familiar, deep voice sounded from behind him.
Ye Mingxuan: !!!
He turned his head. Tan Sizhe’s face was inches away, his breath tickling Ye Mingxuan’s ear as he raised an eyebrow. “So this is what you like?”
Ye Mingxuan’s mouth fell open, the pen cap dropping onto his lap. “No, no…”
Fumbling to exit the website, he retrieved the cap and changed the subject: “Sir, you’re back. Have you eaten dinner yet?”
Tan Sizhe: “Not yet.”
Ye Mingxuan stood up: “I’ll warm up your meal.”
Tan Sizhe held him back: “No need. Aunt Fu put it in the warming cabinet.” “
Ye Mingxuan sat back down: “Oh.”
Tan Sizhe loosened his tie. Ye Mingxuan eagerly reached out to take it. Tan Sizhe paused, then placed the tie in his hands.
Ye Mingxuan neatly folded the tie: “Sir, please go eat.”
Tan Sizhe hummed in acknowledgment and headed downstairs.
Aunt Fu had left three dishes and a soup in the warming cabinet. Tan Sizhe took them out, opening the soup bowl to reveal a fragrant chicken broth.
Chopsticks and a ladle were handed to him from the side. Tan Sizhe turned to see Ye Mingxuan’s face wearing an ingratiating smile as he pressed the chopsticks into his palm.
Tan Sizhe: “…Thanks.” He pulled out a chair and sat down.
He didn’t start eating right away. Looking up, he saw Ye Mingxuan bustling about in the kitchen. Ye Mingxuan poured him a glass of juice and placed it beside his bowl.
“…?” Time and again, Tan Sizhe found it amusing. “What’s going on?”
“You’re not seriously marrying me to get revenge on that jerk like in that show earlier, are you?”
Ye Mingxuan hastily denied it: “No, no, no!”
Tan Sizhe pulled out the chair beside him and patted it. “Sit down.”
Ye Mingxuan obediently sat down. Tan Sizhe stared at him. “Go on. Why are you acting like this?”
“Um…” Ye Mingxuan pinched the fabric on his knee, stammering for a while before bowing his head in apology. “I’m sorry, sir.”
Tan Sizhe: “What?”
Ye Mingxuan: “I always thought you wanted me to terminate the pregnancy because you didn’t like the child. I never imagined it was because of me.”
Tan Sizhe paused, then smiled. “Just because of that?”
Ye Mingxuan: “Yes.”
Tan Sizhe: “Alright, I accept your apology.”
Ye Mingxuan tilted his head back, his eyes sparkling with tiny lights: “Really?”
Tan Sizhe: “As long as you don’t do things like that again.”
Ye Mingxuan: “…”
Tan Sizhe tapped his forehead lightly. “I haven’t lost my hands or feet yet—I don’t need you doing everything for me.”
Ye Mingxuan covered his head, nodding with a look of half-understanding.
Tan Sizhe: “But I’m not exactly the forgiving type either.”
He pinched Ye Mingxuan’s chin, narrowing his eyes. “You still deserve punishment.”
Ye Mingxuan’s heart skipped a beat. He realized he’d misunderstood Tan Sizhe—punishment was indeed warranted. “Sir, what do you need me to do?”
Tan Sizhe released him. “We’ll discuss it tonight. I’m going to eat first.”
Ye Mingxuan: “Oh…”
Tan Sizhe took two sips of chicken soup. “I’ve already arranged things with the school. Starting today, you’re excused from PE class.”
Ye Mingxuan was genuinely surprised: “Really?!”
Tan Sizhe: “Mhm.”
Ye Mingxuan: “But won’t it be troublesome to approach the administration like this? Sir, you’ve already done so much…”
Tan Sizhe: “Not troublesome. Just a word or two.”
Ye Mingxuan’s eyes widened.
Tan Sizhe gave a surprised “Huh?”: “Didn’t I tell you?”
“The lab buildings at your college were funded by my donation.”…
Tan Sizhe’s casual remark sent shockwaves through Ye Mingxuan.
Those newly constructed lab buildings were actually funded by Tan Sizhe!!
He couldn’t even begin to fathom the world of the wealthy!
Ye Mingxuan scratched his head, pushing aside distracting thoughts to focus on his online lectures. The brightly lit study made the entire room as luminous as daytime.
After studying for a while, his phone vibrated twice.
Lin Jiale had forwarded several news articles to him.
【College Student Hooks Up with Rich Man for Luxury Goods, Suffers Humiliation After Wife Discovers!】
【Worldview Shattered! Poor Male Student Poses as Lolita to Chat Naked with 40-Year-Old Man, Scams 300,000!】
【18-Year-Old Male Student Kept as Sugar Baby for 4 Years, Ends Up in Heartbreaking Situation…】
A question mark slowly appeared above Ye Mingxuan’s head: ?
Lin Jiale tapped him: “Ding ding, saw these? The news articles I sent you.”
Ye Mingxuan: “Saw them.”
Lin Jiale: “What do you think?”
Ye Mingxuan: “Hmm… we shouldn’t do these things?”
Lin Jiale: “Exactly! You’re very politically conscious!”
Ye Mingxuan: “Hehe.”
Lin Jiale: “As a red-blooded college student, we absolutely cannot sell our souls or bodies, understand?”
Ye Mingxuan: “Yeah! Got it!”
Lin Jiale rattled off a few more reminders, and Ye Mingxuan nodded in agreement to each one.
Seeing that it was getting late, Ye Mingxuan said goodbye to Lin Jiale, tidied up his things, turned off the lights, and headed back to his bedroom.
Tan Sizhe maintained a very regular schedule, going to bed at 10 PM and waking up at 7 AM every day, unless company matters required his attention.
Ye Mingxuan used to stay up late in high school, but not anymore. He washed up and went to bed around nine every night.
When Ye Mingxuan emerged from the shower without drying his hair, Tan Sizhe frowned, setting his book aside. “Come dry your hair.”
The hair dryer hummed as Ye Mingxuan sat beside Tan Sizhe, letting him blow-dry his hair.
Mr. Tan’s hair dryer was compact and elegant, its hum quiet. Ye Mingxuan’s old one had served him for over a decade, worn and rusty. The plug was corroded, requiring a strong shove to fit into the socket. Its roar was deafening, like a tractor on a highway, and it was unreliable—a burnt smell often lingered.
He’d mentioned buying a new one to Liu Yan, but she’d been reluctant, insisting they wait until it truly broke down.
Thinking of Liu Yan, Ye Mingxuan felt a wave of worry wash over him.
“All done.” Tan Sizhe switched off the dryer. Ye Mingxuan’s hair was now fluffy and soft like a cloud. Tan Sizhe couldn’t resist reaching out to touch it.
Ye Mingxuan: “Thank you, sir.”
His pale, slender feet stepped onto the bed. The gray bedding made his skin tone appear even more vivid. Ye Mingxuan pulled back the covers and sat down inside. Just as he was about to lie down, Tan Sizhe grabbed his wrist.
Ye Mingxuan: “Sir?”
Tan Sizhe released his wrist and instead pinched his slender ankle. “Didn’t I just say? It’s time for punishment.”
Ye Mingxuan gasped as Tan Sizhe pulled him closer.
“Sir!”
“Don’t worry, I won’t do anything else to you.”
Tan Sizhe lowered his head, his fingers tracing the back of Ye Mingxuan’s foot. Pale and slender, yet beautifully shaped, each toe was plump and rounded, tinged with a faint pink, like little glutinous rice balls dotted with blossoms.
The skin on the instep was thin, revealing faint blue veins. The soles were also pinkish. Such pristine jade feet were perfect for being stained with something else.
Tan Sizhe gripped the foot and pressed it onto the moon-shaped tray. His narrow, sharp eyes were swallowed by the darkness as he stared at Ye Mingxuan’s flustered face. Unable to suppress the excitement surging within him, he whispered, “Step on me.”
