PTBLSI chapter 66

 

The air inside the car seemed to be filled with Fu Yanchuan’s joy. Qi Xi didn’t understand why he was so happy. However, seeing him happy made Qi Xi smile as well.

“Brother Yan, don’t worry. If you don’t have a job, I’ll earn money and let you spend it in the future.”

Hearing this, Fu Yanchuan felt even better. When he saw how serious Qi Xi was, he answered solemnly, “Okay.”

Qi Xi immediately began planning how he would make money. “On weekends, I can take on some commissions. I don’t know how to do that, but Director Cheng must know. I’ll go ask him tomorrow.”

Fu Yanchuan quickly said, “No need to rush. I still have savings for now. Just do what you like.”

“But—”

“All right. Do you want to go see Mom with me?”

Fu Yanchuan abruptly changed the topic. He was afraid that Qi Xi would exhaust himself by drawing just to make money.

Qi Xi’s attention was instantly diverted. At first, he didn’t realize what Fu Yanchuan meant by “Mom,” but once he understood, he nodded. “Is Auntie better now? Are we going right away?”

“Okay.”

Fu Yanchuan answered, but his grip didn’t loosen. Instead, he pulled Qi Xi closer. He kissed Qi Xi’s Adam’s apple, leaving a faint mark, and then moved up to his chin. He pressed his lips against Qi Xi’s. “Xixi, kiss me.”

“Why are you so annoying!”

Qi Xi glanced nervously to both sides outside the car. It was still the afternoon, and it was still work hours, so there weren’t many people around. He cupped Fu Yanchuan’s face and hurriedly kissed him.

After stirring around in Fu Yanchuan’s mouth, he pulled back. Fu Yanchuan held his head and said, “Not like this?”

“Then how do you want it?”

Fu Yanchuan kissed him back, showing Qi Xi exactly how he wanted it.

Qi Xi was kissed until his face was completely red. Then, Fu Yanchuan licked the moisture from his lips and asked, “Shall we go?”

“It was clearly you who started this. You should ask yourself—shall we go?”

Charmed by Qi Xi’s puffed-up, angry look, Fu Yanchuan felt sweetness flood his heart. Qi Xi dissatisfiedly pinched his cheek, and he couldn’t help but laugh. “Let’s go.”

Qi Xi also felt there was no saving himself. Fu Yanchuan’s smile seemed to be getting better and better. He couldn’t resist kissing Fu Yanchuan on the lips. Fu Yanchuan helped him back into the passenger seat.

Lin Xianjing was sitting in a wheelchair in the yard again today, basking in the sun. She didn’t react even when someone came over.

Fu Yanchuan let go of Qi Xi and walked over. He stood in front of Lin Xianjing and softly called, “Mom.”

Lin Xianjing slowly raised her head. The moment she saw him, she became terrified, as if she had seen something frightening.

The doctor hurried over to comfort her and asked Fu Yanchuan to go back inside first.

Once Lin Xianjing had finally calmed down, the doctor went inside and told Fu Yanchuan, “It might be because you resemble that person a bit. Seeing you made her remember some things again.”

Fu Yanchuan looked at Lin Xianjing in the yard through the window. He wanted to tell her that Fu Zhenrong had finally paid the price, but she might not want to hear anything about him. The best thing for her would be if Fu Zhenrong had never appeared in her life.

Suddenly, Qi Xi asked the doctor, “May I go talk to Auntie?”

The doctor wasn’t sure if seeing Qi Xi would trigger any memories for Lin Xianjing, so he looked to Fu Yanchuan for confirmation.

Fu Yanchuan answered, “Go ahead.”

The wintersweet flowers had already withered. Qi Xi found a small wild yellow flower in the grass, picked it, and brought it to Lin Xianjing. “Auntie, would you like my flower?”

Lin Xianjing looked at Qi Xi, who was squatting in front of her wheelchair. After a long while, a trace of movement finally appeared in her eyes. She looked at the small flower he held out to her and said, “Thank you.”

Qi Xi handed her the flower. “My name is Qi Xi. Do you remember? You can call me Xixi. I’m good friends with Yanyan.”

Lin Xianjing seemed to have heard this name before yet also seemed not to have. She asked Qi Xi, “Who is Yanyan?”

“Yanyan is my good friend. We came to see you together last time.”

Lin Xianjing thought for a long time. “Why didn’t he come today?”

“He did come.”

Qi Xi turned back and pointed toward the window. Lin Xianjing followed his gaze and saw Fu Yanchuan. However, it was as if she hadn’t seen him at all. She murmured, “Yanyan isn’t there. He’s gone.”

Qi Xi didn’t understand why Lin Xianjing couldn’t recognize Fu Yanchuan. Because of what the doctor had said, however, he couldn’t force her. After thinking hard for a moment, he said, “If Yanyan didn’t come, then I’ll keep you company! Do you want to chat? Or do you want to do something?”

Inside the house, the doctor told Fu Yanchuan, “This is the first time she’s been able to talk normally with someone during this period. It seems she has a good impression of—”

The doctor paused for two seconds, not knowing how to address Qi Xi. “—of him.”

Fu Yanchuan didn’t answer. Through the window, he couldn’t hear what Lin Xianjing and Qi Xi were talking about. He waited until night fell and Lin Xianjing needed to rest before Qi Xi returned.

“Brother Yan, Auntie is tired. Let’s go home too.”

After speaking with the doctor, he took Qi Xi’s hand and left. When they returned to the car, Qi Xi suddenly rushed over, hugged him, and slammed him against the car door.

“Feeling sad?”

He hugged him back. Qi Xi lifted his face as if he were about to cry, trying to comfort him. “Brother Yan, Auntie will definitely get better. Don’t worry. She’ll remember you again.”

“It might be better if she forgets.”

Fu Yanchuan lowered his head and rested his forehead against Qi Xi’s. Their breaths seemed to intertwine as he continued, his voice low, “I’m fine. If forgetting me is better for her, I hope she never remembers.”

Qi Xi suddenly remembered what Uncle Quan had said and felt even more heartache for Fu Yanchuan. He buried his face in Fu Yanchuan’s chest. Not knowing what to say, he just kept rubbing against him.

The weather had grown hot, and their clothes weren’t as thick anymore. Fu Yanchuan quietly sucked in a breath of cold air and pressed Qi Xi’s head down.

“Xixi, get in the car.”

Qi Xi had no idea that he had stirred him up. He obediently let Fu Yanchuan push him into the car.

Since he no longer needed to go to work, Fu Yanchuan was completely idle. He stuck to Qi Xi at all times, wishing he could hold him in his arms and never let go.

It was one thing at home, but even when he sent Qi Xi to work, he couldn’t bear to let him leave. The first day, after Qi Xi went upstairs, Fu Yanchuan drove around the area for 2 hours and then came back to take him to lunch.

The next day, when Qi Xi was about to leave, he looked as if he were about to be abandoned. He chased after the car, grabbed Qi Xi, and said, “Xixi, I want to go with you.”

Qi Xi had never seen Fu Yanchuan like this before. He didn’t know how he managed to see him as pitiful, but before he could think it through, he had already agreed. “Then don’t disturb other people at work.”

“Mm.”

As a hardcore gossip lover, Huang Shilin had read countless exposés about wealthy families. She had already shifted her impression of Fu Yanchuan from a cold, ruthless top dog to a “good man.”

But when she saw him holding Qi Xi’s hand, coming to work with him and staying in Qi Xi’s studio to squeeze paint and pour water for him, her impression of him collapsed once again.

“Boss, what’s that supposed to mean?”

Huang Shilin slipped over to ask Cheng Shu about it. Cheng Shu looked toward Qi Xi’s studio through the closed glass door. “How would I know? I can’t control it.”

The contract that Qi Xi had signed back then clearly stated that he had the freedom to decide on his own work, including bringing others along with him.

Cheng Shu never expected Fu Yanchuan to add that clause for himself. What Cheng Shu also didn’t expect was that Fu Yanchuan wouldn’t just come today—he would come every day. He came so often that everyone got used to his presence. He blended into their discussion meetings and occasionally offered suggestions as if he were a member of the studio.

After one meeting, someone told Cheng Shu, “President Fu isn’t as scary as the rumors say. He’s pretty easy to get along with. Those things online are just stereotypes, right?”

Cheng Shu thought to himself that they just hadn’t seen Fu Yanchuan when he was scary. However, he couldn’t help but notice that Fu Yanchuan really did seem to have changed.

It wasn’t his outward impression, but rather, it felt like Fu Yanchuan had gone from being a robot to being reloaded with human emotions and becoming more like a real person.

“Director Cheng, what are you thinking about so deeply?”

Qi Xi waved his hand in front of Cheng Shu’s face. Cheng Shu froze as soon as he reached the door of Qi Xi’s studio.

He quickly came back to his senses. “Right, I was looking for you. There’s an industry exchange exhibition next week. Do you want to go?”

“Is it the kind with all the big shots?”

“Not all big shots, but there will definitely be influential people in the industry. It’s for exchanging experience and resources. You can learn a lot there.”

Qi Xi had never felt such a strong desire to learn as he did during this period. He nodded repeatedly. “If I want to go, can I?”

“If you want to go, I’ll take you.”

Fu Yanchuan was sitting motionless on the sofa in Qi Xi’s resting area. When he heard Qi Xi say, “Oh, then I want to go,” he suddenly cut in.

“Xixi, if you go, what am I supposed to do alone?”

Cheng Shu’s eyebrows shot up. What kind of nonsense was that? What would happen to a grown man, nearly thirty years old, if he stayed alone for two days? There was even a hint of coquettish jealousy in his tone. Was this really the same Fu Yanchuan who could scare people to death just by opening his mouth?

So it wasn’t his imagination. Fu Yanchuan hadn’t just gained emotions; he’d become the love-struck type.

But Qi Xi didn’t understand any of that. He only thought about how sad and upset Brother Yan would be if he stayed home alone.

He asked Cheng Shu, “Director Cheng, can I bring someone with me?”

Cheng Shu had nothing to say to these lovebirds and replied impatiently, “Whatever. But if they’re not from our studio, they have to pay for their own food and lodging.”

“Thank you, Director Cheng.”

Qi Xi bowed deeply in an exaggerated way. As soon as Cheng Shu left, Qi Xi closed the door and rushed toward Fu Yanchuan on the sofa.

During this period, he had doted on Fu Yanchuan especially. He felt that Fu Yanchuan had lost his job, that his father treated him badly, that his mother was sick and had forgotten him, and that he had lived a pitiful childhood. He must have been pretending to be happy on the outside so that Qi Xi wouldn’t worry. Inside, he must have been fragile and unbearably sad. Only he could be good to Brother Yan.

The sofa was a small, two-seater. Fu Yanchuan took up most of it while sitting there. Once Qi Xi climbed on, they were completely squeezed together.

Fu Yanchuan simply pulled him over. Qi Xi lay in his arms, comforting him. “Brother Yan, don’t worry. I won’t leave you alone.”

“Okay.”

He didn’t know what Qi Xi was thinking, but he loved the indulgent, doting way Qi Xi looked at him so much that he couldn’t help but roll over and press Qi Xi down onto the sofa.

Qi Xi hurriedly said, “Brother Yan, not here.”

“Aren’t you locking the door?”

“But people can hear sounds.”

Fu Yanchuan chuckled softly. Suddenly, he pulled Qi Xi tightly against him and said seriously, “I just want to kiss you. What sounds would there be?”

Qi Xi pushed the comic scenes out of his head. His face turned bright red, and he didn’t answer. Fu Yanchuan lightly kissed his lips and asked, “Xixi, are you a little pervert?”

“No.”

“Then why did you secretly touch my abs just a few days after we met?”

Qi Xi answered seriously, “Because they’re perfect.”

“And? Don’t you like them?”

“I like them.”

…

The exchange exhibition started in the morning and lasted two days. Since it was held in another city, they had to leave a day early.

Fu Yanchuan hadn’t planned to stay at the organizer’s hotel anyway. When he arrived with Qi Xi, he booked a top-tier, five-star suite nearby.

Qi Xi remembered the last time he stayed at a hotel with Fu Yanchuan, but this hotel was much higher-end. There was even a small pool in the room.

It was his first time staying in a room like this, so he looked around curiously. After finishing, he suddenly froze.

Fu Yanchuan went over and found Qi Xi standing dazed by the pool. He hugged Qi Xi from behind and asked, “Xixi, what are you thinking about?”

Qi Xi kicked the pool water and replied anxiously, “If your savings run out, the money I earn won’t be enough to afford a hotel like this every time.”

Fu Yanchuan didn’t deny his own nastiness. Even without the Fu family shares, his investments over the years would allow him to splurge until his death, as long as nothing unexpected happened.

But he just didn’t want to tell Qi Xi—at least not now. The way Qi Xi wholeheartedly thought about him was far too moving. It was as if all his efforts were for loving him and filling the once-hollow place in his heart with an indescribable sense of satisfaction.

He kissed Qi Xi’s neck and whispered in his ear, “As long as Xixi stays with me, anything is fine.”

“That won’t do.”

Qi Xi shouted decisively. People online said that finding a boyfriend would improve one’s life. How could he let Brother Yan’s quality of life drop?

He pushed Fu Yanchuan’s hand away, turned around, and said seriously, “I’ll work hard to make money so you can always stay in hotels like this! Director Cheng said that if our animation is a box-office hit, I can earn a lot of money. I’ll give it all to you—”

Fu Yanchuan watched as Qi Xi’s voice grew quieter, his face turning redder and redder. “Xixi? What’s wrong?”

Qi Xi’s head was buzzing. He had naturally begun to treat himself as Fu Yanchuan’s boyfriend. When he looked at Fu Yanchuan, he was too embarrassed to say what was wrong. Suddenly, he hugged Fu Yanchuan’s waist, hid his face under his chin, lightly bit his Adam’s apple, and confessed out of the blue.

“Brother Yan, I really like you. What should I do?”

Suddenly, Fu Yanchuan tightened his grip on Qi Xi’s head and tilted his neck, holding his Adam’s apple. His voice hoarsened as he said, “Whatever you want to do is fine, okay?”

Qi Xi couldn’t respond. He stood on tiptoe to meet Fu Yanchuan’s gaze. Fu Yanchuan rested his forehead against Qi Xi’s, then brushed a light kiss against his lips. “Xixi, shall I teach you how to swim again?” he asked.

Before Qi Xi could respond, Fu Yanchuan took him by the hand and jumped into the pool beside them.

 

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