PTBLSI chapter 77

 

After Qi Xi’s birthday, the studio became busy, but he became free because the original art was almost finished by the mid-to-late stage. However, he was interested in the entire process, so whenever he had free time, he would go to Cheng Shu’s place to learn.

Cheng Shu accepted Fu Yanchuan’s investment. Aside from him, however, no one in the studio knew which company the investment came from or that Fu Yanchuan was the real boss behind it.

Animation is a very time-consuming process with no shortcuts. The more refined you want it, the higher the cost—whether time or money.

His initial funds were already stretched thin. His original plan was to create the first half, then use it to attract more investment. However, the current animated film market carries too much risk. A work that took several years to create might not generate proportional returns. He did look for investors, and there were some who were interested, but they couldn’t support the entire film while maintaining the same standard as the first half. In the end, he turned to Fu Yanchuan.

Fu Yanchuan was generous, but he became the largest investor of the entire animation and held absolute decision-making power. He became even more unrestrained, especially now that he was nearby. Sometimes he even brought his assistant to work at the studio, leading some to believe that it had been acquired.

Qi Xi didn’t think much about it. He thought that Fu Yanchuan had finally become friends with Cheng Shu, which was why Cheng Shu didn’t mention Fu Yanchuan coming over to work.

Qi Xi only drew on paper. The computer equipment was only used for scanning. Now, it was Fu Yanchuan’s desk, and they were each occupying one side, doing their own things, as if they were at home.

Before they knew it, the end of the year had arrived.

Fu Yanchuan deliberately scheduled the annual meeting on an island and planned to bring Qi Xi with him. However, Qi Xi had his own annual meeting and refused to accompany him. Not wanting to be separated from Qi Xi, Fu Yanchuan changed the location to the city. The island hotel that had already been booked was turned into an employee benefit.

Qi Xi’s annual meeting was at a literary-style inn in the suburbs. There was no reporting; everyone just played together for two days.

Fu Yanchuan asked Cheng Shu to count him in, but because he suddenly had to work, Qi Xi told him to handle his work first, so he couldn’t go.

Then, his separation anxiety flared up again. He felt uncomfortable all day. After finally enduring until work ended, he called Qi Xi, but he didn’t pick up.

He couldn’t remember when it started, but he and Qi Xi had almost never been apart for more than a day. Nor had they ever been this far apart. It made him feel as if Qi Xi would never come back. He couldn’t wait even a second. He drove more than three hours overnight to the inn where Qi Xi was holding the annual meeting.

Qi Xi thought that all annual meetings were like those of Fu Yanchuan’s group, where everyone had to perform. He had even prepared a program. Only after he arrived did he realize that annual meetings could be like this, too—with everyone playing games, barbecuing, gossiping, and watching cartoons.

He played happily all day and forgot to answer Fu Yanchuan’s call. When he finally remembered and called back, Fu Yanchuan was already unhappy. He tried to coax him for a long time, but Fu Yanchuan only replied that he was driving.

“Oh, then you drive. I’ll hang up.”

Qi Xi hung up the phone and lay down in the unfamiliar room, alone. He hadn’t noticed it when there were many people around, but now that he was alone, he finally felt lonely. It had been a long time since he had been by himself like this. Even Dasheng wasn’t there.

He tossed and turned on the bed, unable to sleep. He buried his face in the pillow, but he couldn’t smell Fu Yanchuan on it. He instantly became anxious. However, Fu Yanchuan was driving, and Qi Xi was afraid that calling him would distract him.

“Fu Yanchuan, I miss you.”

Qi Xi murmured. After who knows how long, there was suddenly a knock on the door. He popped his head out from under the pillow, and he heard Fu Yanchuan’s voice through the door.

“Xi Xi, open the door.”

Qi Xi immediately jumped out of bed and opened the door. The moment he saw Fu Yanchuan, it was as if they had been separated for years. Ignoring the chill clinging to his body, he pounced over and wrapped his arms and legs around Fu Yanchuan. His sleeves slid down his arms. In the howling cold wind, he seemed to be impervious to the cold.

“Xi Xi, go inside. It’s cold outside.”

Fu Yanchuan tried to pull Qi Xi’s fallen sleeves back up, but it didn’t help much. Qi Xi clung to him, refusing to let go. He had no choice but to pick him up and close the door with his foot.

The room wasn’t very big. It had antique, solid wood decor in a simple, artsy style, but the floor heating was strong. Once the door was closed, the warmth could be felt instantly.

Fu Yanchuan put Qi Xi on the bed and finally let go. He took off his coat, got onto the bed, and pulled Qi Xi under the blanket, hugging him. Then, he pressed his lips against Qi Xi’s and asked, “Why didn’t you answer my call?”

Qi Xi ignored Fu Yanchuan’s question completely. He lifted his chin slightly and kissed Fu Yanchuan. When Fu Yanchuan tried to kiss him back, Qi Xi pulled away and buried his head in his arms. He complained, “Why did you come so late? I missed you so much. I can’t sleep alone. Do you know how much I miss you, Fu Yanchuan?”

Fu Yanchuan knew Qi Xi hadn’t deliberately ignored his call. It was his uncontrollable desire for control and overthinking.

He pulled the head buried in his arms up and stared at Qi Xi for a long while. Then he said, “Xi Xi, I miss you too.”

“How much?”

Qi Xi asked a question that Fu Yanchuan liked to ask. He found it hard to answer, so he turned over and used passionate kisses to show how much he missed him. In this lifetime, he might never be able to leave Qi Xi. It hadn’t even been a full day, and he already felt like he was going crazy. If Qi Xi were farther away, he might really go crazy.

“Xi Xi—”

He tasted every corner of Qi Xi’s mouth. He pulled away a strand of silver that took a long time to break. Then he stared at Qi Xi for a while before saying, “From now on, don’t go out alone without bringing me along, okay?”

Qi Xi wrapped his arms around him, nodded, and replied, “Mm. You shouldn’t leave me either. I can’t sleep alone. Fu Yanchuan, I really love you!”

The sudden confession seeped into every part of Fu Yanchuan’s body. He pressed tightly against Qi Xi, reaching his hand into his pajamas as he asked, “Xi Xi, can we do it?”

“You’re already touching me.”

Fu Yanchuan smiled slightly, lowered his head, and kissed him again. He sucked Qi Xi’s lips until they looked like dewy red roses. Warm breaths escaped from his mouth and tangled around Qi Xi’s lips as he called his name.

“Fu Yanchuan—”

“Change it.”

Qi Xi didn’t know what to change. Fu Yanchuan said again, “The way you address me.”

He blinked innocently, pressed down on Fu Yanchuan’s neck, and called softly into his ear, “Brother Yan Yan.”

It wasn’t what Fu Yanchuan wanted to hear, but it made him less inclined to be gentle. He restrained himself and continued until he stripped off Qi Xi’s sleep pants. Suddenly, he asked, “Xi Xi, is the soundproofing of this room good?”

Qi Xi hadn’t thought about that and shook his head. Fu Yanchuan squeezed his fingers inside as he whispered in his ear, “Then keep your voice down.”

“…You too, be gentle!”

“I can’t do it.”

Fu Yanchuan replied unreasonably. In fact, given his age, Qi Xi was even less able to endure it. Ever since the first time, he had truly become a pervert, often feeling unbearably embarrassed while also taking the initiative to tease Fu Yanchuan. In the end, he was the one who ended up crying.

The next day, a colleague who staying in the room next door to Qi Xi, told the inn’s staff, “Do you have mice here? I kept hearing creaking sounds inside the wall—creak, creak—all the way until after two in the morning!”

Following their professional responsibility, the staff went to investigate, only to see Qi Xi and Fu Yanchuan come out of the room together.

Everyone instantly understood what was going on. They just didn’t know when Fu Yanchuan had arrived. No one dared to ask more. They hurriedly stopped the staff from going in and casually reminded them that the rooms weren’t very soundproof and the beds weren’t very sturdy.

Qi Xi knew nothing about this and had brought Fu Yanchuan along to attend their annual meeting. Suddenly, Fu Yanchuan started playing “Who Is the Undercover,” and no matter what word he described, he went his own way, becoming a novel kind of joke.

But no one dared laugh at him openly. Qi Xi wrapped an arm around his neck and praised him, saying, “Fu Yanchuan, your descriptions are so special! How are you so amazing!”

The others couldn’t decide if swallowing the dog food or holding back laughter was more painful.

Not long after returning from the annual meeting, it was the New Year. On New Year’s Eve, Fu Yanchuan took Qi Xi to the sanatorium again, but Lin Xianjing’s condition hadn’t improved. No matter how many times they visited her, she still didn’t recognize them the next time they came.

They stayed one night and left only after having breakfast with her the next morning.

The Fu family gathering scheduled for the third day of the New Year was canceled due to group matters. Fu Yanchuan hadn’t wanted to go anyway. After returning from the sanatorium, he had planned to take Qi Xi on vacation. However, Qi Zhounan came again on the night of the first day of the New Year.

Qi Xi let him upstairs. As soon as he entered, he hugged Qi Xi and started complaining, “Brother, Dad is back. The woman he met outside is pregnant again, and he argues with Mom every day. I’m about to go crazy! Can you take me in?”

Qi Xi had almost forgotten that he had a father. Hearing Qi Zhounan talk about it felt like hearing gossip about a neighbor—he felt nothing.

Qi Zhounan stared at him in disbelief. “You have nothing to say? There might soon be someone else coming out to split the inheritance with you. Aren’t you angry?”

“Why should I be angry? He never thought about leaving me any inheritance anyway. Besides, he’s only in his forties. He’ll need at least several more decades before he dies.”

Convinced by this last reason, Qi Zhounan continued crying, “No matter what he’s like, I don’t want to go back to that home anymore. Take me in, brother!”

Qi Xi didn’t want to take Qi Zhounan in. Although his status this year was different from last, having Qi Zhounan here would seriously affect the two-person world between him and Fu Yanchuan. He hesitated about letting Qi Zhounan live downstairs again, but that was Fu Yanchuan’s domain. If Fu Yanchuan didn’t speak up, he couldn’t ask him to let Qi Zhounan stay. So, he turned his head and looked at Fu Yanchuan.

When Qi Zhounan saw Qi Xi looking at Fu Yanchuan, he became upset. “Aren’t you already with him? Doesn’t that mean he’s my sister-in-law? You’re the owner of this home too. I’m your younger brother. Why can’t you take me in?”

Fu Yanchuan had always found Qi Zhounan annoying. Just like Xie Hui, he was always talking nonsense with Qi Xi. He stroked the orange cat while listening to them. Finally, he was pleased by the phrase “He’s my sister-in-law,” so he glanced at Qi Zhounan and said, “Xi Xi, I have something for you.”

“What?”

Qi Xi was immediately hooked by Fu Yanchuan, like a fish seeing bait. Qi Zhounan was left standing at the doorway. He found his own shoes and went inside. After all, this was his brother’s home—why should he care about his sister-in-law’s expression?

Fu Yanchuan didn’t care at all that there was a child nearby. He scooped Qi Xi up and seated him on his lap. When Qi Xi tried to escape, Fu Yanchuan held him tightly. It was as if he hadn’t noticed Qi Zhounan coming over. He stuffed a key into Qi Xi’s hand.

Qi Xi stopped trying to get up and focused on the key. “What key is this?”

“Your maternal grandfather’s house. I’ve returned it to you now.”

“Really?!”

In his excitement, Qi Xi moved suddenly and bumped into Fu Yanchuan’s chin. He leaned over hurriedly and blew on it. “Sorry, does it hurt?”

Qi Zhounan ground his teeth as he watched. He knew Fu Yanchuan did this on purpose, to show him that Qi Xi cared more about him than his own younger brother.

Unwillingly, he thought that if he weren’t younger than Qi Xi—if he were Qi Xi’s older brother—he definitely wouldn’t let Qi Xi be with Fu Yanchuan.

After comforting Fu Yanchuan, Qi Xi asked, “How did you get the house back?”

“Your uncle returned it to you.”

Qi Xi doubted it for a moment but then thought that the house was originally left to him by his maternal grandfather. His uncle returning it was only natural, so he didn’t think further about it. Forgetting that Qi Zhounan was still there, he snuggled into Fu Yanchuan’s arms and acted spoiled. “Fu Yanchuan, you’re so good! How should I thank you?”

Fu Yanchuan didn’t tell Qi Xi that he had bought the house himself. It had been in his hands for more than half a year. He was afraid that Qi Xi would move out once he got the house, so he hadn’t given it to him.

But now, he was confident. Glancing at Qi Zhounan, he said, “I don’t know what the house looked like originally, so I renovated it. You can move in directly. Let him go live there.”

Qi Xi turned around and saw Qi Zhounan behind him. He thought Fu Yanchuan was incredibly thoughtful. He jumped down immediately, handed the key to Qi Zhounan, and asked, “Do you know where it is? You can stay as long as you want. Don’t be polite.”

—Who wants to be polite with you!

Qi Zhounan was furious. He had considered living there before, but only on the condition that he live with Qi Xi. Now that he wasn’t going, what was the point of him living there alone?

He glared at Fu Yanchuan, clenched the key, and said through gritted teeth, “I’ll come back tomorrow to eat!”

“Why?”

Qi Xi really couldn’t understand. Qi Zhounan answered righteously, “It’s the New Year. Can’t I come pay my brother New Year’s greetings? Have you found a boyfriend and stopped wanting me as your younger brother?”

Qi Xi understood even less and replied bluntly, “I never wanted you in the first place. I’m not from the same family as you!”

Qi Zhounan was hit at his sore spot. When he was young, he didn’t understand, but now he understood very clearly. His existence itself was a kind of harm to Qi Xi. If it were someone else, not bullying him would already be the greatest kindness, let alone treating him like Qi Xi did.

But the more Qi Xi treated him this way, the more he wanted to get close to him, to get close to the only beam of light in his gloomy life.

He jumped over again and hugged Qi Xi, stubbornly saying, “No matter what, I’ll leave first today and come again tomorrow.”

Qi Xi didn’t know what Qi Zhounan was thinking. He pushed him away, saying, “Why are you getting more and more annoying? Hurry up and leave!”

Qi Zhounan left. He felt that if he didn’t leave now, he might end up fighting Fu Yanchuan.

Fu Yanchuan didn’t know what had happened between them, but he could guess Qi Zhounan’s thoughts.

After the person left, Fu Yanchuan pulled Qi Xi over, pressed him into the corner of the sofa, leaned in, and asked, “Are you that close with him?”

Qi Xi was very good at coaxing Fu Yanchuan, especially when he was jealous. He kissed Fu Yanchuan on the lips and said, “My relationship with you is the best.”

Fu Yanchuan lost his temper. He pressed Qi Xi down and kissed him, turning his obsessive emotions into a possessive desire and conveying it all to Qi Xi.

Sunk into the sofa, Qi Xi breathed lightly and said, “Fu Yanchuan, thank you.”

“Thank me for what?”

Qi Xi lightly brushed his fingertips over Fu Yanchuan’s saliva-stained lips. Smiling, he said, “Meeting you is the luckiest thing in my life.”

 

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