Ye Xi held Huo Rulan’s hand and, in a tone that was both helpless and indulgent, said, “Alright, alright, we’ll buy it. We’ll go get it in a bit.”
Huo Rulan returned the squeeze, the corners of his lips lifting slightly as the two of them watched a baby having their hundred-day photo taken.
When the photo shoot ended, the studio owner, holding the camera, said to Huo Rulan, “Mr. Huo, the photos will be ready at the earliest by tomorrow noon.”
Huo Rulan nodded, swiped his card to pay the remaining balance, left the home address, politely said goodbye, and carried the baby out with Ye Xi to buy a phone.
The phone shop was filled with dazzling displays of various brands. Ye Xi didn’t know how to choose, so he simply followed behind Huo Rulan, letting him pick something while planning to pay for it later.
With the confidence of someone used to wealth, Huo Rulan politely told the sales clerk, “I want the latest model, largest storage, a matching couple’s set.”
The sales clerk’s eyes lit up in their smile, a big customer had arrived, which meant their commission was here too. “No problem, sir. Please come with me.”
Pulling Ye Xi along, Huo Rulan asked, “What color do you like?”
Ye Xi glanced over. “White.”
“Alright.” Huo Rulan looked up at the clerk. “Please get me the latest model in white for the couple’s set.”
“Of course, sir.” The clerk quickly brought it over. “You can test the functions first.”
Huo Rulan didn’t care much about the functions, as long as the storage was big enough to take and save countless photos of Ye Xi and their baby, he was satisfied.
Ye Xi tried it and thought it was good. “Let’s take this one. Please wrap it up, thank you.”
After wrapping it, the clerk handed it to Ye Xi and placed the card reader in front of Huo Rulan with a smile. “Sir, the total is XXXXX yuan.”
Huo Rulan tilted his chin toward Ye Xi. “I’m married. He’ll pay.”
The clerk was momentarily surprised, but smoothly shifted the card reader toward Ye Xi. “Sir, the total is XXXXX yuan.”
Ye Xi gave a shy smile, swiped his card, and saw the payment instantly eat up all the money from his last manuscript job, leaving only a small balance. But he didn’t feel bad, spending money on Huo Rulan made him genuinely happy.
Huo Rulan watched him with affection. Ye Xi was usually thrifty, yet didn’t hesitate for a second to buy something for him. Without saying anything, Huo Rulan transferred all the money left in his own account into Ye Xi’s card before leaving the store with him and the baby.
Once they were in the car, he asked softly, “Do you want to have lunch here or go home?”
“If it’s alright… can we have pickled fish?” Ye Xi tugged at his seatbelt, speaking gently as he looked at Huo Rulan with bright eyes.
How could Huo Rulan refuse such a soft, sweet spouse? “Of course we can. We’ll be there soon.” He turned the car toward the mall that had Ye Xi’s favorite pickled fish restaurant.
Inside, the baby was placed safely on the inner side to drink milk. Sitting next to Ye Xi, Huo Rulan was peeling shrimp for him. When he turned to feed him, he noticed Ye Xi’s gaze fixed on something in the distance. Following it, Huo Rulan paused.
Far at the corner stood his assistant Xu Yanting and… Jiang Shuyi, facing each other, seemingly arguing.
Raising an eyebrow, Huo Rulan popped a shrimp into Ye Xi’s mouth, another into his own, and the two of them leaned close together to watch the scene.
Xu Yanting stood there calm and cold, while Jiang Shuyi was visibly furious, speaking rapidly. Then, unexpectedly, Jiang Shuyi grabbed him by the nape and pinned him to the wall for a kiss. Xu Yanting, startled and angry, shoved him away, wiped his mouth, and tried to leave, only to be grabbed hard by the arm and dragged off, stumbling around the corner.
Realizing it wasn’t a fight but a lovers’ quarrel, Huo Rulan relaxed, stayed close to Ye Xi, and continued peeling shrimp.
Ye Xi, worried, nudged him. “Jiang looked really fierce just now. Will Assistant Xu be alright?”
“He should be fine. At worst, he’ll take a few days off.” Huo Rulan put the shrimp into Ye Xi’s bowl, took off his gloves, and gently wiped the baby’s mouth after their feeding.
***
Sure enough, Xu Yanting took a week’s leave and only showed up again on the day of Chen’an and Jing Xing’s hundred-day banquet, looking a bit pale.
Ye Xi poured him a cup of hot water. Xu Yanting accepted it with a faint smile. “Thank you, Mr. Ye.”
Huo Rulan, after dressing the baby, came over and said, “If you’re not feeling well, you can go home and rest.”
Xu Yanting shook his head. “Mr. Huo, please let me stay and help.”
Huo Rulan had helped him a lot, giving him a high-paying job and countless opportunities. He had already taken so many days off; it felt wrong to take more. Huo Rulan didn’t press the issue. The babies in his arms blinked their big eyes at the refined man in gold-rimmed glasses.
When Huo Rulan turned his head to speak to Ye Xi, Xu Yanting quickly reached over to pinch the babies’ soft cheeks. They were so smooth and tender he couldn’t help but smile. The little ones giggled, kicked, and rubbed their cheeks against Huo Rulan’s chest. Calmly, Huo Rulan wiped their drool, pretending not to notice.
By 2 p.m., Huo Chengsong and Rong Lan came upstairs to take the babies downstairs. Huo Rulan lightly wrapped his arm around Ye Xi’s waist, following behind. This was Ye Xi’s first formal appearance in high society, and many guests were eager to see the Huo family’s spouse.
Walking down the stairs beside Huo Rulan, with Huo Chengsong and Rong Lan carrying the babies ahead of them and a crowd of guests waiting with glasses raised, Ye Xi felt nervous. Noticing this, Huo Rulan’s arm tightened, and he leaned down to whisper reassuringly, “Don’t be afraid, I’ll always be by your side.”
Ye Xi looked at him and smiled softly. “Alright.”
As they descended, some guests went to coo over the children, old friends of Huo Chengsong, Rong Lan’s social circle, and prominent society ladies.
“Oh my, these two are adorable! Chen’an, Jing Xing, I’m Grandma Mu!”
“Hahaha, don’t cry, little ones. I’m Grandpa Mu. Oh, so cute!”
“Move aside, Old Mu, you’ll scare them. Babies, I’m Grandpa Jiang, and this is Grandma Jiang. Oh, those big eyes, Grandpa’s heart is melting.”
The babies sat in their grandparents’ arms, staring curiously at the strange elders, rubbing their eyes, lips trembling as if they wanted to cry but didn’t dare. They patted the grandparents’ hands and babbled instead.
“They’re a little shy,” Huo Chengsong said with a laugh, adjusting their hats. “Don’t be afraid, your grandparents are here, and your big daddy and little daddy are right over there.”
The babies cooed and gnawed on their chubby hands, making the elders laugh out loud and shower them with affection.
Next to him, Huo Rulan kept an arm around Ye Xi’s waist and introduced him to his friends.
“This is my beloved, Ye Xi.”
Then he turned to Ye Xi. “These are my friends, this is Song Lezhi, and next to him is Xu Yiqi…”
The young men in front of them grinned and reached out to shake Ye Xi’s hand, greeting him politely:
“Hello, sister-in-law, I’m Li Anzhi.”
“I’m Xu Yiqi, hello, little brother.”
…
Ye Xi returned their handshake with an easy smile. “Hello, I’m Ye Xi.”
After finishing the introductions, Huo Rulan brought over two more people who had arrived late. “On the left is Jiang Shuling, Shuyi’s older brother. On the right is Mu Chengchen, Chengyang’s older brother.”
The tall, cold-looking man holding his nephew reached out to shake Ye Xi’s hand and nodded. “Hello, I’m Mu Chengchen.”
The man beside him, gentle and scholarly with glasses, also extended his hand with a polite smile. “Hello, little brother, I’m Jiang Shuling.”
Ye Xi smiled as he shook hands with them both. “Hello, Brother Mu. Hello, Brother Jiang. I’m Ye Xi.”
After chatting with a few guests for a while, Huo Rulan led Ye Xi to a sofa at the side to rest, giving his shoulder a light squeeze. “Still nervous? If you are, just tell me, I’ll take you upstairs.”
Ye Xi shook his head, took the warm water he poured for him, and sipped it. “Not anymore.”
Huo Rulan’s friends were very respectful, and their conversation was courteous, so Ye Xi didn’t feel uncomfortable.
Huo Rulan was still holding his hand when Mu Chengyang came over with Gu Qing. Ye Xi greeted them, and Mu Chengyang sat beside Huo Rulan, ruffling his hair.
“Old Huo, did your hair turn black again naturally, or did you dye it?”
“Dyed it. It had only grown halfway back to black, so I went to dye it,” Huo Rulan replied, batting away his hand and smoothing his hair. “Why didn’t you two come with Uncle Mu earlier?”
Ye Xi noticed Gu Qing’s ears turn red, and Mu Chengyang stammered. Huo Rulan understood and knowingly changed the subject.
Lu Chuanning also came over with Wen Yu, and the group sat and chatted for a while.
Ye Xi caught sight of Jiang Shuyi tugging Assistant Xu away toward a corner. He tilted his head, wanting to see more, but before he could, Huo Rulan gave his hand a squeeze and murmured something to distract him.
By the afternoon, Chen An and Jing Xing’s hundred-day banquet was about to begin.
The babies were placed in a special crib while Huo Chengsong and Rong Lan dressed them in ceremonial clothes, combing their hair with smiling eyes and speaking auspicious blessings:
“Peace and joy, smooth fortunes. A new beginning, a new spirit. One comb for wisdom, two combs for happiness…”
Then came the blessing-giving. Guests placed gifts into the babies’ crib and touched their foreheads, offering well-wishes:
“May peace and happiness always be with you…”
The gold bracelet and gold lock were given by the Huo family elders. With loving care, they clasped them onto the babies.
“Wear the gold bracelet, wear the gold lock, live a hundred years, safe and sound, healthy and happy, joyful and fulfilled…”
The footprint-and-wine-sealing ceremony was done by Ye Xi and Huo Rulan. They took the babies’ chubby feet, dipped them in red ink, and pressed them onto red paper for sealing onto the wine.
“Leave your mark and grow up in peace and safety.”
They brought out a fine red wine, exchanged a glance, eyes slightly misty, and with a shared smile pressed the red paper onto the bottle, speaking their wish for the children:
“One hundred days sealed in wine, a life free of illness and worry…”
Their children had always been deeply loved.
***
After the banquet, Huo Rulan had to go back to work.
Caring for the children was troublesome, and not wanting Ye Xi to be worn out, he planned to take them to the company himself, but Ye Xi refused.
Hugging Huo Rulan from behind as they walked around, Ye Xi pouted, “They’ll be too much work. I can take care of them, Huo Rulan~”
“They’re no trouble, they’re very well-behaved.” Huo Rulan moved forward slowly with a bottle of milk in hand, a “tail” of a person clinging behind him.
Ye Xi bumped his forehead lightly against his back. “And… and…”
“Hm?” Huo Rulan set one baby, who was chewing on his hand, on the big bed propped against pillows and placed the bottle into his little hands. “What is it?”
Watching the babies’ cheeks puff in and out as they drank, making soft little noises, Huo Rulan smiled and touched their plump faces.
Ye Xi leaned forward from behind him to squeeze a cheek as well, then hugged him again as they walked. “Wu… Huo Rulan, I’ll miss you so much, so, so much. Just thinking about waking up and not seeing you… I won’t even have the heart to eat breakfast…”
At that, Huo Rulan couldn’t hold back his laughter. “Really?”
Ye Xi straightened up, ducked his head under Huo Rulan’s arm to meet his eyes, his mouth turned down, eyes shimmering with tears. “Stinky Huo Rulan, you don’t believe me?”
Pulling him forward, Huo Rulan lifted him up by the waist, kissed the corner of his eye, and said with gentle amusement, “I believe you, I believe you, baby.”
Messing up his hair, Ye Xi leaned into his neck. “I’ll miss you.”
Huo Rulan’s heart went soft and achy. Holding him close, he paced the room with his cheek against Ye Xi’s hair, reluctant to let go. “I’ll miss you too.”
Ye Xi gave a muffled little sound against his neck, then burst out laughing. “Anyone listening would think you were going on a business trip, but you’re just going to work.”
Huo Rulan laughed as well, kissing his forehead. “Why don’t you just come with me? If you get tired, you and the babies can nap in the lounge.”
Ye Xi hesitated. “Then… what time would we have to get up?”
“…Six in the morning, at the office by eight,” Huo Rulan replied evenly.
Ye Xi looked at him, then silently slid off his lap, picked up his pajamas, and went to the bathroom.
Standing there, Huo Rulan wondered how, in his wife’s eyes, he had apparently lost out to sleeping in. Just moments ago he’d said he would miss him…
He put the babies into their crib, telling them to finish their milk and play for a while because “Big Daddy will be back soon,” then went into the bathroom with his own pajamas to “reason” with Ye Xi.
“Ye Xi, I’m so hurt. I’m worth less than a sleep-in, huh?”
“I… I didn’t mean it like that…”
“Then what did you mean? Hm?”
“…Wu, Huo Rulan, don’t pinch me…”
…
The bathroom filled with playful bickering, while in the crib, Chen’an spat out his pacifier, sighed, and glanced at his little brother happily kicking his feet and drinking milk. With a chubby hand wearing a gold bracelet, he picked up his own bottle and started drinking again.
The next morning, when Ye Xi woke, Huo Rulan had already gone to work with one baby in tow. On the nightstand was a note:
[Breakfast is in the warmer. Don’t forget to drink your milk. Love you. — Huo Rulan]
Ye Xi read it over and over before smiling faintly and tucking it into the bottom drawer of the cabinet with the other things Huo Rulan had given him.
After sending a few messages to Huo Rulan, he got up. Slippers were placed by the bed; in the bathroom, the toothpaste was already on the brush, and the towel was within easy reach.
Downstairs, the warmer had another sticky note warning him to be careful because it was hot. On the fridge was another:
[There’s washed fruit in the living room. The chilled fruit and desserts in the fridge are very cold, let them warm up a bit before eating. Be good. — Huo Rulan]
With Huo Rulan, actions always outweighed words.
Ye Xi carefully peeled off the note, kissed it, and tucked it into his pocket to store in the drawer later.
After breakfast and milk, he took the fruit upstairs, put the note away, picked up his tablet and laptop, and went to the study Huo Rulan had set up for him to attend class.
Meanwhile, in the office, Huo Rulan worked at his desk with a baby crib beside him. One baby slept soundly inside.
His phone lit up on the desk. Putting down his pen, he rubbed his temples, glanced at the message, and smiled before replying:
[I miss you too. I’ll be home for lunch. Anything you want to eat? I can buy groceries after work.]
No reply came, Ye Xi was probably in class. After waiting a bit, he set the phone down and went back to work.
Assistant Qin came in quietly with some documents, handed them over, and began reporting work in a low voice, though her eyes couldn’t help but glance at the chubby little dumpling in the crib.
Oh where’s the other baby??