PTBLSI chapter 47

 

Qi Xi didn’t think too much about it. Xie Hui said he was free in the evening, so Qi Xi decided to invite him over for dinner tonight. In the afternoon, Fu Yanchuan called the chef to prepare dinner. Qi Xi followed the chef around, asking questions nonstop.

Fu Yanchuan pulled him aside, sat him on the sofa, and asked, “What are you nervous about?”

Qi Xi suddenly laughed. After laughing for quite a while, he said, “Brother Yan, I think this is the first time I’ve invited friends over to eat like I’m the host. Before, Xie Hui never dared to come to my house. Every time he came to find me, he’d wait for me outside. He’s never eaten at my place.”

Xie Hui again. Fu Yanchuan was unhappy, but he pulled the person into his arms and said gently, “From now on, you can invite whoever you want. You are the host.”

“Mm.” Qi Xi responded loudly and leaned over to kiss Fu Yanchuan—even louder this time.

When it got dark, Xie Hui arrived. Qi Xi went outside the complex to greet him. After going upstairs and exiting the elevator, he suddenly remembered Qi Zhounan. He hurried back into the elevator. “Xie Hui, I forgot about Qi Zhounan! I’ll go call him. You go in first.”

Xie Hui glanced toward the door and quickly followed Qi Xi back into the elevator. “I’ll go with you.”

“No need. He’s right downstairs.”

Xie Hui hooked an arm around Qi Xi’s neck and said, “You want me to go in alone? What am I supposed to say when I see Fu Yanchuan? You wild boar! Daring to root up my family’s cabbage! I’ll beat you to death!”

Qi Xi stared at him strangely. “What are you talking about?”

Xie Hui knocked him on the head and let go. Qi Xi immediately complained, “Xie Hui, I must have been beaten stupid by you!”

“Yes, yes. Hurry and press the elevator button. Which floor?”

The elevator went directly to the residence, but the top three floors belonged to Fu Yanchuan, so one card could access multiple floors. Qi Xi had just found that out.

The elevator stopped on the floor below. When the doors opened, Qi Xi saw Qi Zhounan squatting by the door like a stray dog waiting to be adopted. He asked in confusion, “What are you doing?”

When Qi Zhounan saw Qi Xi, he immediately stood up. He was happy for two seconds, then quickly became angry. He complained to Qi Xi in dissatisfaction, “You dumped me here and didn’t care about me! And you still ask what I’m doing!”

“You live in such a big place, and you’re still unhappy?”

Qi Xi couldn’t understand Qi Zhounan. When he had nowhere else to go, being able to live in such a big place made him feel like nothing sad remained in the world.

Qi Zhounan ground his teeth. In the end, though, he forgave his brother. He was the kind of person who could be easily tricked as long as someone treated him a little better—just like Fu Yanchuan.

Thinking of him, Qi Zhounan ran over to hug Qi Xi, but Xie Hui blocked him with one hand.

“Kid, don’t get handsy.”

Xie Hui and Qi Zhounan weren’t really acquainted. They had barely spoken, but they knew of each other. In Xie Hui’s eyes, Qi Zhounan was one of the people responsible for Qi Xi’s misfortune, and he had never had a good impression of him.

Qi Zhounan looked Xie Hui over carefully. Thinking about Qi Xi’s only friend again, he recognized Xie Hui, whom he hadn’t seen for years, and immediately raised his brows.

He also didn’t like Xie Hui. Like Fu Yanchuan, Xie Hui had affected his relationship with his brother.

The two men stared at each other as if they were about to fight. Qi Xi didn’t notice at all and said happily, “You can still recognize each other? That’s amazing.”

“Who wants to!”

“Who wants to!”

Xie Hui and Qi Zhounan spoke in unison. Qi Xi’s eyes became even more admiring. “You even talk the same! So amazing!”

Forget it—Xie Hui and Qi Zhounan sighed and gave up arguing with Qi Xi.

Fu Yanchuan was in the living room, watching the clock. Qi Xi had gone to pick people up, but he still hadn’t returned after five minutes. Fu Yanchuan hadn’t followed because he didn’t want Qi Xi to notice how much he wanted to keep him close—but now he regretted it.

He stood up and walked toward the door. Halfway there, he heard the door open. He quickly returned to the sofa, struck a calm and composed pose, and only glanced toward the door out of the corner of his eye.

“Come in!”

As soon as Qi Xi entered, he went to get slippers for Xie Hui and Qi Zhounan. He felt that being the host was really great. After getting the slippers, he immediately asked, “Would you like a drink? Do you want fruit? …No, sit down first!”

As he spoke, he ran toward the living room and patted the ten-seat sofa. “Sit here.”

Xie Hui and Qi Zhounan were both stunned; they had never been treated so warmly and considerately by Qi Xi before. At the same time, they thought, “Did the sun rise from the west today?”

Fu Yanchuan looked at Qi Xi. Even when Qi Xi got to his side, he didn’t look at him once. Fu Yanchuan couldn’t help but call out to him, “Qi Xi.”

“Brother Yan?”

Qi Xi seemed to only then notice that Fu Yanchuan was there. He started giving instructions: “Hurry and pour them some drinks.”

Fu Yanchuan froze for a moment. He had never done this kind of thing before. Qi Xi pushed him lightly. “Hurry up!”

Xie Hui noticed Fu Yanchuan the moment he walked in. Seeing him in person made his perfect facial features even more apparent than in photos. Simply by sitting there, Fu Yanchuan exuded an aura that naturally intimidated others.

Xie Hui worried about how Qi Xi could get along with someone like this, wondering if he would have to lower himself every day, enduring grievances just to please Fu Yanchuan. Suddenly, however, Qi Xi started ordering Fu Yanchuan around without any restraint.

Not only did Fu Yanchuan not get angry, but he also stood up and asked, “What would you like to drink?”

Xie Hui froze, suspecting that he was hallucinating. Was this really the ruthless and decisive Fu family heir?

Qi Zhounan thought much more simply. The man who took his brother away—even if he poured drinks for him, he wouldn’t drink them. He walked in rudely, sat down on the sofa, and forced himself to maintain a tough, unyielding posture. Yet, he didn’t dare look at Fu Yanchuan as he answered, “I’m not drinking.”

Xie Hui finally went in as well, carefully observing Fu Yanchuan. He was afraid that drinking something Fu Yanchuan poured would shorten his lifespan, so he said, “I don’t need any either.”

Still, Fu Yanchuan went to the kitchen and brought out freshly squeezed juice. It was what Qi Xi liked. After setting it down, his eyes flicked toward Xie Hui. He then wrapped an arm around Qi Xi, leaned close to his ear, and said softly—but loudly enough for others to hear—“Xi Xi, dinner will be a bit later. Keep the guests company for a while.”

The word “guests” made both Xie Hui and Qi Zhounan uncomfortable, but Qi Xi didn’t sense Fu Yanchuan’s intentions. He was only embarrassed that Fu Yanchuan was doing this in front of people he knew, especially with Xie Hui so close. He tugged at Fu Yanchuan’s hand. “Don’t do this. Move away!”

Fu Yanchuan lightly pinched Qi Xi’s neck before letting his hand fall. He glanced at the two guests and went to the study.

Qi Xi scratched his cheek awkwardly. “He’s so annoying! Come on, let’s drink some juice. The chef made it with a lot of different fruits. It’s really good.”

Suddenly remembering what it was like to be the host, he became very enthusiastic. He poured juice and practically stuffed cups into Xie Hui’s and Qi Zhounan’s hands. Then, he brought over a plate of fruit.

“This fruit is good, too. Brother Yan said it’s called—uh, I forgot. Anyway, it’s really tasty and super hard to buy! Xie Hui, try it!”

With Fu Yanchuan not around, Xie Hui finally relaxed a little. Distracted, he took the fruit that Qi Xi handed him and looked around.

The apartment’s decor was extremely minimalist and cold, with mostly gray tones that created a heavy, dull atmosphere. Yet, bright and vivid decorations abruptly clashed with that style in many places.

For example, the painting on the wall looked very much like something Qi Xi would draw. The cups on the coffee table. There were even two Ultramen standing guard on top of the TV cabinet.

He looked back at Qi Xi. He didn’t seem to have suffered any grievances at all. He was sprawled comfortably on the sofa, eating fruit. Fu Yanchuan really did seem to treat him quite well.

Qi Zhounan wasn’t interested in the apartment, nor did he care much for snacks, but Qi Xi’s curiosity was insatiable—he wanted to try everything. When Qi Zhounan saw things that Qi Xi had never seen before, he would buy them and secretly leave them in Qi Xi’s room.

Seeing the snacks and fruit on the coffee table, he picked them up one by one and handed them to Qi Xi. “Brother, have you eaten this before? Is it good?”

“This one’s not good. You should eat this one.”

Qi Xi took another one and handed it to him. After tearing it open, Qi Zhounan passed it back. “Brother, for you.”

Xie Hui suddenly sat down beside Qi Xi and asked, “You’re on break and staying home every day? Then what about him?”

“You mean Brother Yan?” Qi Xi naturally took the snack that Qi Zhounan handed back to him. Xie Hui nodded, and Qi Xi continued, “Yeah. Even when Brother Yan isn’t working, he stays home.”

“What do you do at home?”

Qi Xi thought for a moment. “Not much. I read comics, watch anime, and draw. As for what he’s doing, I can’t really understand it.”

“Nothing else?”

“What else would there be?”

Qi Xi asked innocently. With Qi Zhounan here, Xie Hui couldn’t ask too directly. Unexpectedly, Qi Zhounan took over the conversation. “He’s asking if Fu Yanchuan doesn’t go to work and just stays home doing sexual things with you every day.”

Qi Xi’s face instantly turned red. He glared at Qi Zhounan. “How do you know about that? You’ve learned bad things, too!”

When Qi Zhounan was young, Qi Feng would visit them every few days. Thinking that Qi Zhounan didn’t understand, Qi Feng would kiss his wife right in front of him. Later, when someone scolded him for being the child of a mistress, he understood.

He snorted with an old-fashioned air and said, “Aren’t all men like that?”

“You say it like you really know!” Qi Xi snatched the fruit from Qi Zhounan’s hand. “Kids shouldn’t look at messy stuff. Hurry up and forget it.”

Suddenly, Qi Zhounan hugged Qi Xi’s arm. “Brother, don’t be with him. I’ve saved up thousands in allowance. That’s still not enough to buy a place, but it’s enough to rent for a long time. When I grow up and start working, I’ll earn money and buy you a house. Come live with me, okay?”

“No!”

Qi Xi refused decisively. Qi Zhounan asked in confusion, “Why?”

“How is it fair that you’re only fourteen and can save tens of thousands in allowance? All of my allowances combined aren’t even close to that much. We’re not from the same world.”

Fu Yanchuan leaned against the study door. Although he couldn’t see the living room, he could hear the voices. Qi Xi’s reasoning made him laugh. But when he thought about when he first met Qi Xi, when Qi Xi had injured his hand and didn’t have enough money for a taxi to the hospital, his heart ached.

He started thinking about what he could give Qi Xi. At first, Qi Xi foolishly agreed to be his stand-in yet didn’t know how to spend money. Qi Xi only spent three thousand a month on that card, which Fu Yanchuan said was his salary, and didn’t even finish it. After the money that Brother Zha had cheated him out of was returned, Qi Xi stopped using that card entirely. Getting Qi Xi to spend money wasn’t easy at all.

He returned to the study. The orange cat was lying on his desk, uninterested in the idle chatter outside. He stroked the cat and flipped through his assets when his phone suddenly rang. Seeing that it was Uncle Quan, he answered.

“Sir, the family banquet on the third day of the New Year is set at Yanhui Villa. Don’t forget.”

Fu Yanchuan responded lightly and hung up. Although Fu Zhenrong’s power grab had turned the Fu family upside down, many interests between families were still tightly bound together. No matter how little they normally interacted, during the New Year, they still had to put on a show of harmony and gather together.

Dinner was prepared for 7 o’clock. Qi Xi didn’t know what dishes Fu Yanchuan had ordered. It was only when the table was set that he saw the two-meter-long table was completely filled.

Xie Hui was even more surprised and asked Qi Xi, “Do you usually eat like this?”

Qi Xi replied, “No, this is my first time too.”

Fu Yanchuan walked over and the atmosphere in the dining room cooled instantly. Xie Hui and Qi Zhounan froze in their seats, too afraid to sit down.

Qi Xi, however, noticed nothing at all. He had completely forgotten that he was the host. He sat down and asked curiously, “Brother Yan, what is this? I’ve never seen it.”

Fu Yanchuan was just about to explain when Qi Xi looked at the next dish. “Then what’s that one?”

Fu Yanchuan didn’t know the names of every dish either. Qi Xi wasn’t concerned about the names of the dishes, so he didn’t explain any further. Whatever Qi Xi looked at, he picked some for him. After all, everything had been made according to Qi Xi’s taste.

Xie Hui and Qi Zhounan sat across the table from each other and glanced at Fu Yanchuan at the same time, surprised once again. But Qi Xi’s questions broke the stiff atmosphere. They sat down, and Qi Xi finally started recommending dishes to them.

“Xie Hui, that fish is good! The lamb chops are good, too. Hurry and eat.”

Qi Zhounan asked, “Brother, what about me?”

Without looking at him, Qi Xi replied perfunctorily, “You eat too.”

Fu Yanchuan picked up the decanted red wine on the table and asked Qi Xi, “Want to drink some?”

Qi Xi’s only drinking experience was when he beat up Bai Peiyong. But that time, he drank foreign liquor with a high alcohol content.

Uncertain, he asked Fu Yanchuan, “Will I get drunk?”

“A little is fine.”

“Then I’ll drink!”

Although he felt uncomfortable the next day after getting drunk, Qi Xi felt it was still pretty good at the time.

Fu Yanchuan poured three glasses. Qi Zhounan didn’t receive one and complained, “What about mine?”

Fu Yanchuan gave him a glass of juice instead. Qi Zhounan became even more dissatisfied. “Are you looking down on me?”

Xie Hui cut in: “Why would a minor drink alcohol?”

Qi Zhounan immediately turned hostile toward him. “What does it have to do with you?”

“Then ask your brother!”

Qi Zhounan looked at Qi Xi immediately. Qi Xi had already finished the wine in his glass. With a face that said, “This is good,” he held out the glass to Fu Yanchuan. “I want more.”

Fu Yanchuan poured just a little into the glass. Qi Xi looked at it with disgust. “That’s way too little.”

He grabbed the bottle, poured himself a full glass, raised it, and said, “Brothers, happy New Year! Cheers!”

Xie Hui and Qi Zhounan stood up skillfully and stretched out their glasses to clink them with Qi Xi’s. The glasses made a crisp sound.

Seeing that Fu Yanchuan hadn’t moved, Qi Xi tugged at him. “Brother Yan, come on!”

Fu Yanchuan had never clinked glasses so loudly with anyone before. Looking at Qi Xi, who was still holding his glass up, he stood up and reached over to clink glasses with him once.

The other three said together, “Happy New Year!”

After that drink, Xie Hui and Qi Zhounan weren’t afraid of Fu Yanchuan anymore and relaxed.

Since the table was so big that some dishes couldn’t be reached even when standing, they started walking around the table while eating.

“Brother, this one’s good. Try it.”

“Qi Zhounan, get me one too!”

“Don’t you have hands?”

“Yeah, don’t you have hands?”

“Qiyueqi, you have hands—why are you stealing mine? Give it back!”

“I’m not! Qi Zhounan, hit him!”

“Did you really hit him?”

“My brother thinks highly of you, which is why he’s taking it!”

“Then why are you taking it?”

“To give to my brother.”

Fu Yanchuan sat quietly to the side. He had never experienced such a noisy dining table, nor had he ever allowed people to eat so improperly. Yet, he didn’t find it unbearable. Instead, he felt a kind of realness he had never experienced before.

Eating together can be this relaxed. There’s no need to worry about rules or guess the hidden meanings behind other people’s words. Eating could just be eating.

This meal lasted until 9 o’clock. The table was a complete mess from all the chaos. Qi Xi had drunk several glasses of red wine. Even though the alcohol content wasn’t high, he was a bit drunk.

Fu Yanchuan called someone to send the other two away. Before they left, Xie Hui stood in front of Fu Yanchuan, relying on the alcohol to give him courage, and warned him, “Qi Xi is too pure. If he likes something, he really likes it. He doesn’t understand sweet talk or empty promises. You’d better not lie to him! Even though I don’t have power or influence, if you lie to him, I’ll fight you to the death.”

“I know better than you how precious he is.”

Xie Hui still wanted to say something, but Fu Yanchuan wouldn’t listen. He signaled the driver to take him away.

Qi Zhounan lived downstairs but didn’t want to go down. Fu Yanchuan threw him outside mercilessly.

After finally sending away the unnecessary people, Fu Yanchuan returned to the sofa and helped Qi Xi up. “Sleepy?”

“Brother Yan.”

Qi Xi wasn’t sleepy. He was just a little dizzy from the alcohol. He wrapped his arms around Fu Yanchuan’s neck, leaned in, and kissed him.

“Brother Yan, let’s do something.”

 

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