UNCLTRD chapter 44

The two of them disappeared for five days. Even though Chen Qiusu was subtle in expressing it, everyone knew what they were doing. Not bringing it up was fine, but as soon as it was mentioned, Yang Shao’s blood rushed to his head, his face burning so much it felt like an egg could be fried on it. He stubbornly looked at Chen’s mother, who gave him a meaningful smile, as if telling him that the family understood.

Yang Shao put Yang Tao on the ground, feeling his reputation nearly ruined by his son. “Only you have a sharp nose.”

Yang Tao, still cheerful, thought his dad was praising him. He hadn’t seen his dad for so many days and missed him a lot. He wanted his dad to play with him for a while, but then saw his dad yawn.

“Daddy, are you very tired?”

Yang Shao was both sleepy and exhausted, mentally drained. He just wanted to go upstairs, take a shower, and dive into bed, sleeping deeply before Chen Qiusu returned.

It was still Chen’s mother who felt sorry for him. She quickly called Yang Tao over. “Let your dad rest, Grandma will play with you.”

As soon as his dad came home, Yang Tao didn’t care who played with him. He was generous enough to let his dad go upstairs to sleep.

Yang Shao dragged his tired body into the bathroom, took off his clothes, and stood under the shower. The mirror in front of him steamed up, but he could still make out his blurry outline. Aside from his face, there wasn’t a single good spot on his body. He touched the back of his neck—still red, swollen, and sore.

Damn it.

When he came out of the bathroom, he could still smell the scent of cedar. Maybe it was because he had been with Chen Qiusu for so long, or maybe it was the lingering scent of Chen Qiusu’s pheromones on the bed. Either way, it didn’t completely dissipate after the shower.

To be honest, even though Chen Qiusu was annoying, his pheromones gave Yang Shao a sense of security. No wonder Yang Tao always praised how nice his Uncle Chen’s pheromones smelled.

Yang Shao slept soundly through the night. When he woke up, he could see the cloudy sky through the window. He wasn’t sure of the time, but when he checked his phone, it was already the afternoon.

Chen Qiusu had sent him a message a while ago. Yang Shao lazily stretched and replied to Chen Qiusu’s message.

“Just woke up.”

Maybe Chen Qiusu was too busy to reply right away. Yang Shao didn’t bother to wait. He was already hungry, so he got out of bed and went downstairs to look for food.

As soon as he reached the stairs, he heard Yang Tao’s loud voice. “Grandpa, this is for Daddy and Uncle Chen.”

The old man’s voice was much softer than Yang Tao’s, but Yang Shao vaguely heard him say something about how the trees might not survive because of the season, as if he and Yang Tao were planting trees together.

Just as Yang Shao was about to go downstairs, he heard a lazy voice, “Still calling him Uncle Chen? How come you still can’t stop after being with the Chen family for so long?”

He Yudong, the one who hadn’t been able to get any money last time, hadn’t shown up in the Chen family for a while.

Yang Shao remembered what the assistant had said that morning. He Yudong had a lot of gambling debts, and it looked like the situation was urgent, forcing him to show up again, shamelessly asking for help.

“Ah!” Yang Tao cried out in distress.

Then came Chen Shiliang’s scolding voice, “Stop pinching his face!”

“Uncle, I’m just playing with the kid.” He Yudong wasn’t bothered at all. “Yang Tao, aren’t you one of the Chen family’s children? Why don’t you call Chen Qiusu ‘Dad’?”

Yang Shao immediately wanted to interrupt. When he agreed to marry Chen Qiusu, he didn’t tell Yang Tao the truth, only saying it was to help Chen Qiusu. He was afraid that if Yang Tao got upset, he would say something inappropriate.

“Yang Tao.”

Hearing his dad calling him, Yang Tao ran out from behind his grandpa, rushing straight to Yang Shao. He looked at his dad with a pout, his lips pursed high in grievance. Ugh, he really hated this weird uncle the most.

“Dad, Mom, Grandma.” Yang Shao greeted them as he came downstairs, his mind surprisingly sharp after just waking up. “Cousin is here.”

Although the Chen family had some thoughts about Yang Tao still calling Chen Qiusu “Uncle,” Yang Shao had just spent time helping Chen Qiusu through his heat period. Changing the way Yang Tao addressed him could wait.

The housekeeper came out to ask if Yang Shao wanted something to eat, effectively breaking the awkward atmosphere. Yang Shao nodded in response.

He Yudong, however, didn’t leave. Instead, he plopped himself onto the sofa. It wasn’t until Chen Qiusu came home that He Yudong finally got up.

“Qiusu, I’ve got a big business deal to discuss with you.”

Chen Qiusu had long been used to He Yudong’s so-called “big business deals.” Normally, he would ignore him, but this time He Yudong was insistent and insisted on speaking in private. “If you don’t hear me out, you’ll regret it.”

There was a trace of smugness and provocation in He Yudong’s expression. Not knowing what new trouble he had stirred up, Chen Qiusu had no choice but to bring him upstairs to the study.

Once the door was closed, Chen Qiusu took off his jacket and asked impatiently, “What is it?”

“I need money. I owe a few million in gambling debts. You can’t just sit by and watch your cousin sell his house to pay it off, can you?”

He Yudong’s bluntness caught Chen Qiusu off guard. Normally, he would at least try to be subtle when asking for money.

“I’ve told you countless times not to gamble anymore. Come work at the company.”

He Yudong dismissed the idea with his usual twisted reasoning. “Rich people own businesses, broke people run market stalls, and only aimless people work jobs. Even if I worked now, it wouldn’t pay off my debts.”

“That’s your fault for bringing this on yourself. The family has bailed you out enough times. If you’re planning to keep loafing around, don’t even think about getting another dime from the Chen family.”

But Chen Qiusu’s words failed to deter He Dongyu, who wore an expression of smug triumph. “I have a friend who works as a nurse at that private hospital you frequent.”

Chen Qiusu’s face remained impassive, signaling him to continue.

“I don’t know much, but the fact that you’ve continued going there for treatments even after marrying Yang Shao? Uncle and Auntie don’t know about that, do they? And just a few days ago, you went to get suppressant shots. Is your marriage with Yang Shao fake?”

There truly are no secrets that won’t come to light. Thankfully, Yang Shao was already his. They’d even been through a heat period together. But He Yudong’s next words made him clench his fists.

“Yang Tao isn’t your biological child, is he?”

Chen Qiusu’s gaze turned icy. “Cousin, words have consequences.”

The Chen family relatives had long harbored doubts about Yang Tao’s parentage. Out of respect for Qiusu, no one had said anything outright. But without a DNA test, it was hard for anyone to feel reassured about the Chen family’s inheritance possibly going to Yang Tao, especially if it threatened their own interests.

“I don’t know if you and Yang Shao are fooling everyone together or if Yang Shao has fooled you. I don’t care to know. As long as you pay up to shut me up, I promise I won’t bring this up in front of the relatives.”

Paying him off would only confirm guilt. Negotiating with someone like He Yudong was pointless. Qiusu kept a calm expression and said, “Yang Tao is my biological son. Anyone with doubts about his identity can come talk to me directly. Whatever the issue, I’ll handle it. Don’t think you can use this to blackmail me.”

Angry, He Yudong stormed out of the study. He bumped shoulders with Yang Shao on the way, clearly doing it on purpose, and left him with a snide “Just wait and see.”

Yang Shao stumbled but was quickly steadied by Qiusu, who had followed him out. “What’s his problem? Couldn’t close the deal with you, so he’s taking it out on me?”

“Don’t mind him,” Qiusu said with a frown. He debated whether to share what had happened with Yang Shao but decided against it, not wanting to burden him unnecessarily. Still, since He Yudong was already suspicious, Qiusu knew he’d need to take precautions to avoid any future complications.

Noticing Qiusu’s serious expression, Yang Shao tilted his head to look at him. “What’s on your mind now?”

“Nothing.” Qiusu softened his expression and changed the subject. “The assistant has arranged everything. The day after tomorrow, we can take Yang Tao out for a two-day trip. The timing is perfect.”

True to his efficient style, Qiusu wasted no time. Yang Shao gave him a once-over and clicked his tongue in admiration.

“What’s that for?” Qiusu asked, puzzled.

“Sometimes, your stubbornness is irritating. Irritating, but impressive. Yang Tao will probably worship you like a god when he finds out about the trip.”

“Where are we going?” A child’s eager voice chimed in before Qiusu could respond. Yang Tao had rushed upstairs after the weird uncle finally left, thrilled to hear about an outing. His excitement seemed to make up for the earlier pinch to his cheek.

Leaning casually against the wall, Yang Shao replied, “Weren’t you nagging about seeing snow?”

Overwhelmed with joy, Yang Tao threw his arms around Qiusu’s leg, his face glowing with admiration. “Uncle Chen, you’re the best!”

Even though the “Uncle” still felt a bit distant, Chen Qiusu couldn’t help but feel flattered. He lifted Yang Tao into his arms.

Yang Tao, ever the charmer, clung to his neck. “Uncle Chen, I missed you and Daddy so much while you were gone.”

Chen Qiusu, as usual, melted at his words, carrying Yang Tao toward his room while reassuring him. Left behind, Yang Shao leaned against the wall, wondering how to subtly encourage Yang Tao to change what he called Chen Qiusu.

That night, Yang Tao, having missed his dad and uncle so much, insisted on sleeping between them. Before falling asleep, he repeatedly made them promise not to move him back to his own room. Chen Qiusu agreed, and only then did he settle down.

But having a little one sandwiched between them was less than convenient. Yang Shao noticed Chen Qiusu holding back, trying not to disturb Yang Tao, and suggested, “Just carry him to his own room.”

Chen Qiusu held firm. “I promised him he could sleep here.”

“You can just coax him tomorrow. You’re already taking him to see snow. He should cut you some slack. Besides, kids forget things once they wake up. He won’t even remember what he said.”

If it weren’t for seeing how much Chen Qiusu was struggling to hold back, Yang Shao wouldn’t have bothered with him.

For the first time, Chen Qiusu broke his agreement with Yang Tao and carried the child back to the neighboring room. As soon as he returned to the bedroom, he impatiently embraced Yang Shao.

Even half a day apart felt more unbearable than his previous heat cycle. Chen Qiusu buried his face near Yang Shao’s neck, greedily inhaling his scent. “I kept wanting to call you today, just so I could come back earlier.”

“Mm, you’re just like Yang Tao—so clingy.”

Chen Qiusu chuckled softly, neither denying nor confirming, taking it as a compliment.