Ye Xi blushed and slowly wrapped his arms around Huo Rulan’s waist, burying his face in his chest and whispering softly, “Only you can rua me.”
Huo Rulan’s heart softened instantly. He couldn’t resist lowering his head to give Ye Xi’s cheek a loud, affectionate kiss, followed by a satisfied sigh.
Then he bent down, cupped Ye Xi’s soft little butt, and lifted him up to carry him into the living room to play with the bubble machine.
Ye Xi sat cross-legged on the sofa, unpacking the bubble machine, and handed it to Huo Rulan, who was watching nearby. Then, with his hands resting shyly on Huo Rulan’s knees, he said, a little embarrassed, “Huo Rulan… I don’t know how to use it. Can you help me set it up?”
Huo Rulan leaned in and kissed the corner of his lips gently. “Of course, baby.”
Ye Xi leaned against Huo Rulan’s arm, watching as he skillfully installed the batteries and poured in the bubble solution. When he finished, he handed it back to Ye Xi, who carefully took it while watching Huo Rulan prep the second bubble machine.
“Come, I’ll teach you,” Huo Rulan said as he hugged Ye Xi from behind, both of them holding up the machines and aiming in the same direction.
“Biu~” Huo Rulan made a playful sound effect.
Ye Xi was tickled by how cute he was, giggling while flipping the switch. Colorful bubbles of all sizes streamed out, instantly transforming the living room into a dreamy bubble wonderland.
Ye Xi turned his head and planted a kiss on Huo Rulan’s chin before joyfully running into the sea of bubbles to play.
Huo Rulan touched the spot Ye Xi kissed, eyes twinkling with laughter, and raised his bubble machine to blow bubbles above Ye Xi’s head.
After playing to his heart’s content, Ye Xi ran back to Huo Rulan, cheeks flushed and warm from the excitement.
Huo Rulan helped him sit down on the sofa. “No more running around—you might upset your stomach.”
Ye Xi nodded obediently. “Okay.”
“I’ll go make something in the kitchen.” Huo Rulan ruffled his hair and left.
Ye Xi leaned back on the sofa and kept playing with the bubble machine. After a while, Huo Rulan still hadn’t come back, so Ye Xi peeked toward the kitchen.
He looked at the bubble machine… then at Huo Rulan.
Huo Rulan was wearing an apron, standing by the stove simmering soup.
A round, soft belly suddenly pressed against his back. Pale arms wrapped around his waist from behind, small hands slipping under his shirt and shamelessly running across his abs—groping them a little too.
Ye Xi poked his head out from the side, took a quick look at Huo Rulan’s face, and then pulled back, rubbing his forehead against his back like a cat.
Huo Rulan chuckled and reached back to wrap both of Ye Xi’s mischievous hands. “Is someone being a little rogue?”
Ye Xi’s ears reddened, and he peeked out again. “Why are you making soup?”
“For you. The doctor said it’ll help your body recover.”
Huo Rulan lowered the heat and let it simmer slowly. Then he took off his apron and led Ye Xi upstairs to shower.
“Let’s bathe first. You can drink it after.”
He placed Ye Xi in the tub, sat on a small stool beside it, grabbed the bath tools, and began washing him.
Ye Xi let him do whatever he wanted—raising his arms, lifting his legs when told. But eventually, curiosity got the better of him.
“Huo Rulan, why do you always help me shower… but never shower with me?”
The towel paused on Ye Xi’s back. He heard a low laugh behind him and then Huo Rulan’s casual, lazy voice:
“Are you sure you want to ask that question?”
Ye Xi didn’t understand why he’d say it like that. He turned around… and met Huo Rulan’s deep, unreadable gaze.
Only then did he realize the implication. His face flushed, and he turned back around, falling silent.
Huo Rulan rubbed his red ears and laughed. “Little Picky Ye, oh Little Picky Ye, asking questions and then going shy, and then giving me the silent treatment.”
Ye Xi scooped up some bubbles and blew them playfully, cheeks still pink. “I’m not ignoring you…”
Huo Rulan just hummed in amusement but said nothing, leaving Ye Xi unsure if he believed him.
Later, when Huo Rulan helped him get dressed, he suddenly bent down and kissed his lips, softly brushing over them before murmuring, “Your mouth… hard to deal with, but very sweet.”
Ye Xi’s face turned crimson. Once dressed, he stomped off with heavy steps—thud thud thud—like a little child throwing a tantrum.
So cute.
Thinking about how there’d be two little ones like Ye Xi in just a few months made Huo Rulan’s heart melt. He lowered his head and chuckled, eyes full of a father’s anticipation. But when he thought of Ye Xi’s physical condition, a trace of worry crept in again.
He took a deep breath and splashed cold water on his face to regain his composure before stepping out.
When he did, Ye Xi was sitting on the bed, hands on his belly, feeling the babies move. Upon seeing Huo Rulan, he pouted and turned his back.
Huo Rulan crossed his arms and leaned against the bathroom door, watching his sulky little back.
Ye Xi peeked over his shoulder, caught Huo Rulan’s gaze, and quickly turned away again.
Huo Rulan walked over, placed one hand on the bed and the other around Ye Xi’s waist, tilting his head to kiss him.
Ye Xi got kissed all over—forehead, cheek, nose, lips—until he was so embarrassed he dove under the covers.
Huo Rulan was more than satisfied. He gently pulled the blanket down from over Ye Xi’s head and said, “Wait here. I’m going to get the soup.”
As his footsteps faded away, Ye Xi lifted the edge of the blanket and peeked out. Once sure he was gone, he huffed, threw off the blanket, and sat up rubbing his chest.
Muttering angrily, he said, “…Stupid Huo Rulan. Bit me again. So aggressive.”
When Huo Rulan came back upstairs with a bowl of soup and a glass of milk, Ye Xi was still turned away, rubbing his chest.
He sat down, placed the items on the table, wrapped an arm around Ye Xi’s shoulders, and gently placed a hand on his chest to help rub it.
Huo Rulan softly apologized, “I’m sorry. I couldn’t help it just now. Did I bite too hard? Let me rub it… Don’t be mad.”
Ye Xi glared at him. “It’s all your fault.”
Huo Rulan spoke in a soft, coaxing voice, “It’s all my fault, it’s all on me. I couldn’t help being a bit of a perv. Don’t be mad, baby. You smell so good—I couldn’t resist taking a bite. Please forgive me, okay? I’ll be gentler next time.”
The more Ye Xi listened, the more embarrassed he got. He pushed Huo Rulan’s hand away, refusing his help. Huo Rulan shamelessly leaned over and gave Ye Xi’s blushing cheek a lick before finally getting up, satisfied, and bringing over the bowl of soup.
Even though Ye Xi was still annoyed, he obediently drank it anyway. The soup didn’t taste particularly great, but with Huo Rulan feeding him, he managed to drink more than half before stopping. Huo Rulan finished the rest himself.
Ye Xi let out a full little burp—and immediately felt a soft kick from the baby in his belly. He wasn’t sure which of the twins it was, but the gentle little nudge felt almost like it was afraid of hurting their little daddy.
He looked down tenderly and stroked his belly, then reached for Huo Rulan’s hand and placed it over the spot, letting him feel the baby’s greeting.
He didn’t know if it was the other baby or just extra excitement because it was their daddy, but the next kick was a bit stronger. Huo Rulan felt a small bump rise under his palm, then wiggle a bit before settling down.
Delighted, Huo Rulan pressed his cheek to Ye Xi’s belly—and was rewarded with a solid kick.
He looked up at Ye Xi, eyes misty, but his smile was wide as he spoke in a soft voice, “Our babies are so cute… just like you.”
Ye Xi ran his fingers gently across the corners of his eyes. “They’re like you too.”
Huo Rulan buried his face in Ye Xi’s chest again, one hand resting on his belly, but there were no more movements.
“It’s only about five months,” Ye Xi remembered the doctor saying. “The movements won’t be very frequent yet.”
Huo Rulan nodded in his arms. He knew. He was just too happy.
After a long while, he finally pulled away, voice husky. “Want your milk now?”
Ye Xi replied, “Yeah, I’ll drink it before bed.”
“Alright. I’ll go down and keep it warm.”
Huo Rulan left with the bowl and milk. Meanwhile, Ye Xi lay on the bed feeling bored, so he picked up the little pillow he hadn’t finished earlier and continued embroidering.
When Huo Rulan came back upstairs, he saw Ye Xi with his head lowered, working on the lace trim. He didn’t say anything—just turned on all the lights in the room to brighten things up.
While grabbing his pajamas from the wardrobe, he casually asked, “Didn’t you finish that at Xiao Yu’s house this afternoon?”
Ye Xi sounded guilty, his voice quiet. “No… I spent most of the afternoon chatting with Xiao Yu about you.”
“About me?” Huo Rulan turned back with his pajamas in hand. “What about me?”
Thinking about it made Ye Xi burst into giggles. He rolled around on the bed laughing.
Huo Rulan walked over and gently pinched his chin, taking the needle from his hand to prevent accidents.
Even being pinched didn’t stop Ye Xi from laughing. He hugged Huo Rulan’s waist, burying his face in it, shoulders shaking from laughter.
Huo Rulan couldn’t help laughing too. “Come on, what did he say?”
Ye Xi finally said through chuckles, “He said… the first time he met you…”
After hearing what Xiao Yu said, Huo Rulan’s face flushed a little. He turned his head and coughed awkwardly. “I just wasn’t used to it. They didn’t mean anything bad. It’s just that in foreign countries, people are more open. If they like someone, they express it boldly.”
Ye Xi looked up at his handsome, gentle face and those deep, charming eyes. His heart softened.
“I get it,” he said, almost involuntarily. “You really are very attractive.”
That one sentence stunned Huo Rulan. He pressed his lips together, lashes fluttering. Rarely ever flustered, he suddenly looked like a shy teenager with his first crush, breaking into a silly smile.
He lowered his head and kissed Ye Xi’s forehead. “Hearing that from you makes me really happy.”
Even from behind the bathroom door, Ye Xi could hear Huo Rulan humming cheerfully.
Ye Xi lowered his head and kept embroidering, a soft smile at his lips.
When Huo Rulan came out drying his hair, the pillow still wasn’t finished.
He blow-dried his hair, lay down on the bed, and leaned over to kiss the babies. His forehead rested against Ye Xi’s waist as they chatted.
“…We talked about going on a trip before, but we’ll have to wait for now. After the babies are born, we can go anywhere you want. I’ll go with you, alright?”
“Okay.”
Ye Xi finally finished the last stitch and held the small pillow up for Huo Rulan to see. “Look, how’s the pillow I made?”
Huo Rulan sat up and took it, inspecting it carefully. He stole a glance at Ye Xi and smiled. “It’s beautiful. I’m sure the babies will love it.”
He pointed at the trim. “Look at this lace, so nicely done.”
Then he patted the soft little pillow. “Feel this—so squishy. The babies will definitely love it.”
Huo Rulan showered the pillow with praise—just not about how straight the edges were. But Ye Xi, basking in the compliments, didn’t notice that little omission at all.
Ye Xi bit his lip, smiling shyly. “Then I’ll make one for you too.”
“Really?” Huo Rulan looked at him in surprise. When Ye Xi confirmed it, he pulled him into an excited hug, kissing him all over. “Thank you, baby. I love it so much. You worked so hard.”
He didn’t care whether it was perfectly made. What mattered most was that it was something his wife made by hand just for him.
That’s something Mu Chengyang didn’t get to experience.
Once it’s done, he’d take photos and brag about it to make him jealous.
T/N: Daily chapters would be up to ch35 you can support me here
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