Chapter 36
“He Zhen?” Hearing Xiao Yu’s voice, Yu Chen, who was still on the arcade machine, quickly lowered his head. The moment his gaze landed on He Zhen, his eyes lit up with a bright smile. “Boss! You came to pick me up.”
He Zhen nodded and walked up to the machine, opening his arms toward Yu Chen.
“Excuse me, thanks.” Yu Chen got up from between the two of them and crouched at the edge of the machine. “Boss, catch me.”
He Zhen gave a slight nod. Yu Chen jumped down, and He Zhen caught him firmly in his arms.
As Xiao Sui looked at this so-called brother Yu Chen had been bonded to for three lifetimes, he only felt that the boy looked strangely familiar. Xiao Yu introduced him. “This is He Zhen.”
“He Zhen?” So this was the young master of the He family. Xiao Sui gave a hearty smile and extended his hand in a friendly way. “Hello, I’m Xiao Sui.”
He Zhen was busy helping Yu Chen straighten the collar of his school uniform. He spared Xiao Sui a few seconds of attention and said coolly, “He Zhen.”
Xiao Sui was half a head taller than He Zhen. He had an outgoing personality and was good at socializing, so he took the initiative to say, “Since you’re all Xiao Yu’s classmates, let me treat you to a meal.”
The moment Yu Chen heard the word meal, the graceful ends of his brows lifted at once. But he did not agree on his own. Instead, he looked at He Zhen and waited for him to decide.
He Zhen glanced at Yu Chen and asked, “Do you want to go?”
Yu Chen said softly, “I’m fine either way. It depends on whether you’re tired. You had fencing class for so long. Wasn’t it exhausting?”
A soft glow rippled through He Zhen’s calm eyes. He took Yu Chen’s schoolbag from him. “Then let’s go home and eat.”
“Okay.” Yu Chen nodded readily and waved to Xiao Yu and the others. “Thanks for the invitation. Boss and I are going home to eat first.”
Xiao Yu had long since guessed this would be the result and was no longer surprised. “See you tomorrow.”
Watching the two “brothers” walk away, Xiao Sui asked, “Does Yu Chen have some kind of family relation with He Zhen?”
“Nope. They’re childhood friends.”
“Oh.” Xiao Sui still could not help sighing. “Yu Chen is really cute. Give me his WeChat. We can hang out sometime if there’s a chance.”
“He Zhen won’t agree.” Xiao Yu said frankly, “He Zhen keeps a really close eye on Yu Chen. Most of the time, wherever Yu Chen goes, He Zhen goes too.”
“Fine. Then send your brother his WeChat?”
“Alright.” Xiao Yu was deeply speechless. After forwarding the contact, he went to look for Fang Jingrao. When he saw Fang Jingrao competing with some primary school kid next door and getting completely crushed, he sighed helplessly and went over to save that embarrassment of a teammate.
After walking out of the arcade, the two of them took the escalator downstairs.
There was plenty of good food in the mall, and everything seemed fresh and tempting to Yu Chen. When they passed a burger shop, his footsteps visibly slowed.
“Want to eat?” He Zhen asked.
Although Yu Chen was very tempted, he still said sensibly, “Boss, you’re so tired. Let’s just go home and rest.”
“I’m not tired. I just didn’t want to eat with them,” He Zhen said calmly.
Yu Chen blinked. “Why?”
He Zhen did not hide it. “Because he wanted you to be his little brother.”
At the mention of that, Yu Chen’s dark pupils brightened. “I already turned him down. Did you hear?”
“I did.” He Zhen smiled at him in a rather meaningful way. “But I’m not very satisfied with your answer.”
Yu Chen frowned. “Huh? What part wasn’t satisfactory? I think that answer should’ve been full marks.”
He Zhen led him into the burger shop and said leisurely, “Three lifetimes isn’t enough. You have to be my little brother forever.”
Yu Chen laughed out loud and teased him while ordering. “Boss, don’t you ever get tired of that?”
“No.”
He Zhen made a note to add extra vegetables to Yu Chen’s burger and swapped the cola in the set meal for pure fruit juice.
He paid quite a bit of attention to healthy eating. Yu Chen was still growing, so He Zhen basically did not let him drink cola anymore.
Seeing what He Zhen was doing, Yu Chen leaned deliberately against the counter and teased him with bright, lively black eyes. “You’ve changed, Boss. Back when I had just finished surgery, you went and bought me cola.”
The moment that memory came up, He Zhen was so annoyed he almost wanted to laugh.
“Who could compare with you? The first thing you said when you saw me wasn’t that you hurt, and it wasn’t that you missed me. Instead, you wanted iced cola?”
Yu Chen giggled. “I just really wanted it at the time.”
“Who’s as greedy as you?” Carrying the tray, He Zhen led Yu Chen to a seat and they began eating. Yu Chen was in the middle of growing, so he had a big appetite and could eat two burgers in one meal. He silently counted in his heart—one full week had passed since the last time he ate a burger. Wanting to treasure this hard-won meal, he chewed each bite especially carefully, reluctant to finish it too soon.
He Zhen picked up a chicken nugget, dipped it in sauce, and held it out to him. “Open your mouth.”
Yu Chen obediently went “ah” and opened wide, chewing the food with bliss written all over his face, as if he had never eaten a burger in his life.
“Yu Chencheng, look at how little ambition you have.” He Zhen fed him another nugget and muttered, “If you were willing to eat beef burgers, I could have the kitchen make them for you every day.”
“I like chicken ones.” Yu Chen chewed indistinctly, but still enunciated each word. “And with extra sauce.”
A smile curved at He Zhen’s lips as he went on feeding him fries. “The first mock exam is coming up soon. Are you confident?”
Yu Chen’s dark eyes flickered slightly. “Mm. I can guarantee I won’t be in the bottom three.”
Their top class was full of geniuses. It was impossible to rank near the top like back in primary school.
“The bottom three?” He Zhen frowned.
“Xiao Yu, Fang Jingrao, and He Zhi’an.” A hint of pride appeared on Yu Chen’s face. He did not even notice the burger sauce smeared on the tip of his nose. “I’ll definitely do better than those three.”
“You’re actually pretty proud of that.” He Zhen saw that Yu Chen had already finished one burger and was now clutching the other one miserably, too unwilling to take the next bite. Suppressing a laugh, he said, “Do you have to look this pitiful?”
“Yes. The next time I get to eat one will be a week from now.” Yu Chen affectionately stroked the burger wrapper and even gave it a melodramatic kiss. “I want to save it for breakfast tomorrow.”
Seeing how pitiful he looked, He Zhen finally gave in. “Hurry up and eat. I’ll order you a burger breakfast tomorrow morning.”
Yu Chen tried his best not to look too happy, so He Zhen would not realize he had been scheming all along.
“Alright then, I’ll eat it.”
He bit into it, but still could not help the sly smile that crept out.
What he did not know was that every bit of his performance had already been taken in by He Zhen.
After the monthly exam ended, National Day was just around the corner. Hearing Xiao Yu and the others chattering about where they planned to travel for the holiday, Yu Chen listened with interest from the side and could not help thinking back. Aside from all the places he had gone when he was little while hiding from debt collectors with Yu Youshan, he had not even left Hai City in years, let alone gone on a proper trip.
“We’re going to Europe this year.” After entering middle school, Xiao Yu had started paying attention to his image. He had straightened his naturally curly little hair and combed it neatly every day. Whenever he put on airs, he looked just like a tiny boss. “But I’m the only kid among the relatives going, so it’s kind of boring.”
Fang Jingrao hurried to share his own plans. “My mom wants to go to Semporna this year to see sea turtles, so I’m going with her.”
“What about you, He Zhi’an?” Suddenly being called on by Xiao Yu, He Zhi’an did not look very energetic. Ever since his fight with the class beauty, he still had not made up with her, and the two of them had not gone out together in quite a while.
He Zhi’an said, “My mom wants to go manage the garden in Switzerland. It doesn’t really matter whether I go or not.”
Xiao Yu turned his gaze to Yu Chen, who was listening in by the side. “What about you and He Zhen? Any plans?”
Yu Chen analyzed it seriously. “Boss has several kinds of classes during National Day, so he’s only free in the evenings.”
“Ah, that’s such a waste of a golden holiday.” Xiao Yu suddenly had an idea. “Chubby Chencheng, do you want to go to Europe? My aunt is taking me this time. The older brother in her family suddenly has something to do, so there’s no one to keep me company. Why don’t you come with me?”
“Huh? Me, go with you?” Yu Chen thought the idea was a little questionable. “Don’t you need that little booklet to go abroad? I don’t have one, so I definitely can’t go.”
“Passports and visas are easy to get. If you agree, I’ll have my family help you get them right now!” Xiao Yu was itching to try. If Yu Chen could keep him company the whole trip, these few days would definitely be full of fun. “Come on! Europe has tons of really good food. I guarantee you’ll have a great time, and all expenses are covered.”
“I’ll have to ask my dad and my boss first.” Yu Chen actually was quite drawn to Europe. In most of his imagination, Europe was like a fairy-tale kingdom. When he was little, he had read many picture books, and they all painted Europe as incredibly dreamy.
Xiao Yu said, “Okay. I’ll wait for your answer.”
After He Zhen returned from the teachers’ office, Yu Chen told him about Xiao Yu’s proposal.
Carefully studying He Zhen’s expression, he asked, “Boss, can I go?”
He Zhen thought for a moment. Instead of answering directly, he asked, “During National Day, do you mainly just want to go out and have fun?”
“Not exactly.” Yu Chen shook his head hesitantly. Xiao Yu spoke up for him from the side. “Starting from second year, we’ll have extra tutoring even during breaks. This is our last complete holiday. Since Chubby Chencheng is free, let him come with me. I’m not some human trafficker. I’ll take good care of him, so you don’t need to worry.”
After a brief silence, He Zhen said, “I’ll cancel my National Day class schedule and go with you.”
“Ah? No, you can’t.” Yu Chen refused.
Ever since He Zhen entered sixth grade, Old Master He had already told him plainly that he wanted him to become the heir. He Zhen was under a great deal of pressure. Whether it was winter break, summer break, or public holidays, his time was almost entirely filled with one elite class after another, with very little time left to relax.
Fortunately, because Yu Chen was always there with him, He Zhen did not find life too dull.
“If you skip them, Grandpa will definitely be angry.” Now that Yu Chen was older, he understood more and more. He had also fully remembered the original plot of the book. Judging from how things were developing now, as long as He Zhen ignored the relatives’ temptations, refused to get involved in family infighting, and focused on studying hard, the two of them would grow up smoothly without any worries at all.
As far as Yu Chen knew, an important reason He Zhen eventually joined the family power struggle in the original story had to do with his mother.
“Then I just won’t go.” Yu Chen knew He Zhen was worried about him, but he also did not want He Zhen to get scolded because of him. “I can just play at home. The swans in the lake like me a lot.”
“They run away every time they see you. Is that what you call liking you?” He Zhen’s tone lifted slightly. Through the tiny changes in Yu Chen’s expression, he could tell Yu Chen really longed to go abroad and have fun.
So he stopped insisting. “Then go. I’ll have the family bodyguards follow you.”
Xiao Yu immediately felt unhappy and grumbled, “Hey, I’m not some wild beast. Why do you still need bodyguards to follow us?” Pampered from childhood, Young Master Xiao had not yet had the luxury of getting personal bodyguards himself. He had only seen them in TV dramas, and honestly he was a little excited.
“To protect you.” He Zhen straightened the little tuft of hair sticking up on top of Yu Chen’s head. “Abroad isn’t as safe as here. What if you get hurt?”
Xiao Yu pouted, then asked, “Does this count as agreeing? Chencheng still hasn’t asked his dad.”
“If Boss agrees, Dad probably will too.” Yu Chen could already feel his heart growing weeds with anticipation, imagining all the food he absolutely had to eat once he got to Europe.
That evening when they got home, Li Huan indeed agreed.
Yu Chen and Xiao Yu had been classmates for six years, so their families knew each other’s background fairly well. Not long ago, the Xiao family had even specifically invited He Jinglin to one of their banquets, so the relationship between the families was not bad.
“Dad will transfer you a bit more money. Remember to buy gifts for Xiao Yu and his family, and make sure to treat everyone to something tasty.” Even though the Xiao family said all expenses were covered, they could not be rude and pretend not to understand courtesy. Li Huan did a rough calculation of how much extra it would cost the Xiao family to bring one more child, and told Yu Chen to convert that amount into gifts for the Xiao family members.
As Yu Chen excitedly searched up travel guides for Europe, He Zhen silently helped him organize the daily necessities he would need. Since it was Yu Chen’s first time on a plane, he had no idea what could or could not be brought along.
Li Huan noticed He Zhen’s disappointment and comforted him. “It’s alright. There will be plenty of holidays in the future.”
He Zhen nodded lightly and kept himself busy on his own.
Another week passed, and the National Day holiday arrived as scheduled.
He Zhen and Li Huan personally escorted Yu Chen to Xiao Yu and saw the whole group onto the plane.
After Yu Chen left, Li Huan kept feeling that there were still a thousand things he had not finished reminding him of—be helpful, speak sweetly, don’t cause trouble for everyone, and so on. But then he thought it over. His precious boy had such high emotional intelligence that there surely would be no problem with the way he handled himself around people.
“Xiao Zhen, go back and rest for a while. Didn’t the two of you sleep much last night?” When Li Huan had gone in during the night to check whether the two children had closed the window, he had found them still whispering to each other under the covers.
He Zhen lowered his eyes. “Mm. I was downloading some translation apps for him and setting up a foreign data SIM card he can use overseas.”
Li Huan’s gaze softened. “You always think everything through so carefully.”
He Zhen leaned lightly against the railing and waited until Yu Chen’s plane had taken off before leaving with Li Huan.
When he got home, He Zhen sat alone at his desk doing homework. At dinner, he had little appetite. He casually opened a foreign magazine to read while waiting for Old Master He to finish eating.
Seeing that he looked listless, Old Master He asked with concern, “Is there nothing you like to eat today? I can have the kitchen make something else.”
“No, I’m just not very hungry.” He Zhen stared blankly at the kung pao shrimp balls for a moment. Yu Chen especially liked that dish. If he were here, he could finish the entire plate by himself.
“Xiao Zhen, have you understood Fourier series yet?”
“Mm. I understand it.”
Fourier series was university-level engineering material. Long ago, Old Master He had noticed that He Zhen was interested in mathematics, so in his spare time he had specially hired a tutor just for math.
The tutor constantly praised He Zhen for being incredibly smart, saying he was almost the most gifted of all the rich children he had ever taught. Because of that, Old Master He placed very high hopes on He Zhen and also gave him a great deal of favoritism.
“Xiao Zhen, are you missing Chencheng?” Old Master He coughed twice and laughed hoarsely. “When is he coming back?”
He Zhen answered, “In five days.”
Old Master He nodded, then set down his chopsticks and brought up something he wanted to discuss.
“The third young lady of the Cheng family has also been learning golf lately. Your teacher is very good. How about letting that young lady come study with you?”
“Grandpa, I don’t want that.” He Zhen rejected it very decisively.
Old Master He smiled. “No room for discussion?”
“No.” He Zhen straightened slightly, his expression serious. “I don’t like taking lessons with people I’m not familiar with.”
“Fine, then Grandpa will turn them down.” Old Master He picked up a piece of deboned fish for him and teased, “An’an is dating now. Did you know?”
He Zhen paused. “You know about that?”
“Linlin told me.” Old Master He continued teasing him. “Don’t you have any girl you like? Grandpa doesn’t encourage puppy love, but I wouldn’t strangle it either. Back then, your father and you—”
Halfway through the sentence, Old Master He lowered his eyes silently. “Eat your meal.”
For all these years, He Jingyue had never once contacted Old Master He. It remained a thorn lodged in his heart—leaving it there hurt, but pulling it out would hurt even more. Not long ago, He Zhen had accidentally overheard his aunt say that his father had established a film company in Hollywood and was making a movie for his first love.
“Grandpa, ever since I was four, I’ve already defined myself as a child without parents. I’ve never expected him to return to my side and fulfill his duties as a father.” He Zhen stared at Old Master He’s gradually reddening eyes and said in a low voice, “I know how painful betrayal and abandonment are, so I understand how you feel. As long as I’m here, I will never leave you alone. I’ll keep taking care of you. Whatever you need me to do, I’ll do it.”
Those were words He Zhen had kept buried in his heart for a long time, and things he had always wanted to say.
Old Master He had never expected He Zhen to have thought things through so clearly. He looked deeply comforted, then said jokingly, “I believe in your abilities. What I’m afraid of is that one day you’ll also lose your mind over love and do something irrational and impulsive.”
“Lose my mind over love?” He Zhen sat properly and seemed ready to discuss this question with Old Master He in all seriousness.
“What do you mean by those four words?”
Old Master He said slowly, “It means losing your reason for love and doing absurd, reckless things.”
After thinking for a moment, He Zhen gave his own understanding. “I can promise I won’t be like my father—irresponsible, refusing to support his own father, abandoning his young son. But I can’t promise you that in the future I’ll obey you and marry someone you like.”
“Why are you suddenly saying this?” Old Master He found He Zhen a little strange. Could it be that he had guessed the real intention behind asking the Cheng family’s daughter to take golf lessons with him?
“Because of the golf lessons you just brought up.” He Zhen’s eyes were deep and steady, full of rationality far beyond his years.
Old Master He smiled. “You can marry someone you like. But in order to like someone, you have to interact with them first.”
“If possible, I don’t want to get married.” Sitting very straight, He Zhen said, “I only want to grow up with Yu Chen and work together with him. As long as he’s with me, I don’t feel lonely at all.”
After hearing that, Old Master He could not help bursting into laughter.
Just a moment ago, he had been praising his grandson in his heart for being mature beyond his age. But in the end, he was still just a boy in his early teens—naive and childish.
“You may want to stay with him forever, but he may not necessarily want that too. Chubby Chencheng is so handsome—he might fall in love before you do.” Old Master He shook his head indulgently, finding He Zhen’s childishness rather adorable.
“He does want that.” Since he was not hungry, He Zhen simply began picking apart a crab for Old Master He. “He already promised me.”
Old Master He could not suppress his amusement. “Fine, then do as you like.”
He Zhen took the opportunity to say, “Grandpa, can the classes during winter break be reduced a little? I want to go out and have fun with Yu Chen too.”
“Yes.” Old Master He agreed readily. “If you’re tired, say so. Every now and then, you still need a balance between work and rest.”
“Thank you, Grandpa.” Having gotten his promise, He Zhen finally revealed a faint smile. After shelling two crabs for Old Master He, he massaged his shoulders and neck for a while before returning to his room to connect with his foreign teacher and go over that morning’s analysis of the British weekly magazine.
When Li Huan pushed Old Master He back to his room, Old Master He repeated He Zhen’s words to him. Li Huan smiled and said, “He’s still just a child. Maybe once he grows up a little more, it’ll be better.”
“Yes, I didn’t mean anything else by it. I just wanted Xiao Zhen to get to know a few girls around his own age. That way if he really falls in love in the future, at least we’ll know the person’s background and character. With Xiao Zhen’s personality, he doesn’t like getting close to people. I’m worried he’ll end up a bachelor.”
“Of course, except for your family’s Chencheng.”
Li Huan held back a laugh. “It won’t come to that. Maybe things will change once he’s in high school.”
“Hopefully.” Old Master He muttered on and on. “If only your Chubby Chencheng were a girl. Then I’d already know his personality and character, and the two children get along so well.”
Li Huan said nothing. He had his own views on the matter.
If Yu Chen really were a girl, then the two children probably would not be this close at all.
A day later, Yu Chen landed safely.
This time, the one bringing them on the trip was Xiao Yu’s aunt, whose name was Chen Roujia. As soon as they got off the plane, Yu Chen sent a message to Li Huan and He Zhen to report that he had arrived safely, then hurried after Xiao Yu to collect the checked luggage.
His aunt was wearing a fishtail dress today, and pushing a luggage trolley was not very convenient. Yu Chen jogged up to her and took over her trolley. “Auntie, let me push it for you.”
The assistant who had come to pick them up was waiting outside the airport, so inside it was only the three of them. Under normal circumstances, when had Chen Roujia ever needed to push her own luggage trolley? Today, with her long dress and high heels, it really was inconvenient.
“Auntie can do it herself.” Chen Roujia felt embarrassed to let a child help her and said gently, “You and Xiao Yu just take care of yourselves.”
“No need. You’re wearing high heels, so they might get stuck on the escalator.” Yu Chen smiled faintly, dimples blooming on both sides of his face. “You just need to be the princess.”
“Oh my, baby, how are you so good at talking?” Chen Roujia rubbed his head. “What a little gentleman.”
Yu Chen was already adorable to begin with, and that sincere praise from the heart just now had been especially genuine. It did not sound like deliberate flattery at all. It simply made him seem obedient and sweet-mouthed.
Besides, during the flight, even though it was Yu Chen’s first time on a plane, he had thoughtfully helped everyone ask the attendants for small blankets to cover their legs, and had even explained the trick to keep your ears from hurting during takeoff. Ye Chengjin had never met such a considerate child before.
Seeing Yu Chen being praised, Xiao Yu felt a little unconvinced. But he could not imitate Yu Chen’s style at all, so he only frowned resentfully and made up his mind to win the spotlight back somehow.
They had come to Croatia. After being picked up by the Xiao family’s driver, Yu Chen immediately pressed himself to the car window and eagerly admired the scenery outside. Red rooftops rose and fell at different heights, the sea was a deep quiet blue, and the long sunlight blanketed the entire city so that any random snapshot would look like a work of art full of atmosphere.
Yu Chen took out the camera he had prepared in advance and recorded the beautiful scenery all along the way, planning to share it with Dad and He Zhen once he got home.
The warm breeze stirred the fine soft strands of Yu Chen’s hair. Turning back toward Xiao Yu and Chen Roujia, he said gratefully, “Thank you for being willing to bring me to such a beautiful place.”
Chen Roujia smiled. “Chencheng, you don’t need to be so polite. Xiao Yu didn’t have anyone to keep him company. With you here to keep him company, we should be the ones thanking you.”
Yu Chen’s smile was especially bright. He was so excited that he did not even notice his phone buzzing away inside his schoolbag.
On the other side, He Zhen was entertaining relatives together with Old Master He, but his expression was full of worry, and he remained absent-minded the whole time.
Every major holiday, the He family relatives gathered together for a meal. This year, He Jinglin had gone on vacation, and Old Master He had barred his two useless sons from entering, so it felt somewhat quieter than before.
However, compared with past years, there was also a subtle change. Although Old Master He still refused to let He Jingtai and He Jingcheng visit, He Nan and He Ling had come.
Those relatives always said that children were innocent.
He Jingtai and He Jingcheng truly were terrible, but He Nan and He Ling were still Old Master He’s biological grandsons after all. After avoiding them for four or five years, Old Master He had ultimately softened.
He Congxing had come too. He had grown a lot taller than he was a few years ago, but still liked the most handsome older brother, He Zhen, just as much as he had when he was little.
Last year, Old Master He had publicly announced He Zhen as the designated heir. Because of that, many of the relatives had begun going out of their way to flatter He Zhen. Those people who once looked down on him as an abandoned child had become more fawning than anyone.
Unable to get through to Yu Chen on the phone, He Zhen was in an awful mood. He Congxing asked tentatively, “Brother Zhen, what’s wrong? Did someone make you unhappy?”
Sitting alone in the corner, He Zhen replied flatly, “No. Yu Chen went to Croatia, and he isn’t answering my video calls.”
“Are you worried something dangerous happened to him?”
“Not exactly…”
He Zhen did not admit it, but he simply missed Yu Chen. Including the time on the plane, they had already been apart for two whole days.
He Congxing tried to comfort him. “Brother Zhen, go eat first. Chubby Chencheng loves to play. He probably just didn’t notice the phone.”
He Zhen said, “Mm. Probably.”
Even after the relatives gradually left that evening, He Zhen still had not received a single video call from Yu Chen.
Before leaving, He Nan and He Ling passed by him. He Nan already knew that He Zhen had become the heir to the group. His father had redirected all his anger over the matter onto He Nan, hitting and scolding him at the slightest thing.
Compared to three years ago, He Nan’s eyes now carried a few more shades of gloominess.
He glared at He Zhen with intense resentment, feeling utterly unbalanced inside.
After seeing everyone out, He Zhen pushed Old Master He back to his bedroom. As he walked down the corridor toward his own room, his heart felt restless and uneasy.
He had also messaged Xiao Yu on WeChat, but Xiao Yu had not replied either.
Could something really have happened?
He Congxing was staying the night here. As a master of snacks, he had brought He Zhen a lot of novel treats. After settling He Congxing in, He Zhen sat in front of that pile of snacks and stared into space for a long time. If Yu Chen were here, he would definitely have been delighted to see all of them. He probably would even have secretly stolen some to eat before bed behind He Zhen’s back.
Just as He Zhen lifted his hand, his phone suddenly rang.
He answered at once, full of urgency. On the screen, starlight spilled over Yu Chen’s shoulders, and beneath his bright smile stretched the breathtakingly romantic night scenery of Croatia.
He Zhen’s heart began pounding fast.
He saw stars in Yu Chen’s eyes.
“Boss, did you miss me?”
Looking at how carefree and heartless Yu Chen seemed, He Zhen thought of how distracted and worried he had been the whole day. There was not the slightest smile in his deep handsome features. “Yu Chencheng, why didn’t you answer my calls? Didn’t you touch your phone at all the whole day?”
Yu Chen explained in a small voice, “This place is too fun. I forgot to bring my phone.”
He Zhen quietly breathed out in relief. When he said nothing, the darkness in his deep black gaze seemed bottomless.
For the entire day, Yu Chen had tugged constantly at his heart.
He had been so afraid something might happen to him.
Even though they had been apart for less than two days.
To He Zhen, it had felt as though time itself had slowed down.
Just then—
On the screen, the corners of Yu Chen’s eyes suddenly turned a little red. He stared at him anxiously, his damp eyes darting left and right as if afraid He Zhen might be angry.
Was Yu Chen scared that he was angry?
He Zhen deliberately controlled his expression and immediately regretted having sounded so harsh just now.
All he had wanted was to remind Yu Chen to keep in touch with him more often.
Lightly clenching his fist, he was just about to comfort him when Yu Chen suddenly said weakly from the screen, “Boss, where did those snacks come from? I’ve never eaten any of those before. Remember to leave me at least one bite.”
All the blood in He Zhen’s body rushed to his forehead in an instant, as if someone had suddenly hit him over the head with a blunt stick.
Especially when he looked at Yu Chen’s longing gaze, he had to struggle with all his self-control.
In order not to die of anger on the spot, He Zhen coldly cut off the video call.
The screen went black all at once.
Yu Chen panicked.
His boss seemed to have gotten angry.
