Chapter 40
In Old Master He’s room, the recording pen had already finished playing.
Worried that He Zhen might be nervous, Yu Chen had held his hand the entire time, ready to speak up for him at any moment.
A layer of chill covered Old Master He’s weary eyes. “Do you two think the ones directing him from behind the scenes were He Zhen’s two uncles?”
“Yes.” Yu Chen nodded frantically.
He Zhen’s brows drew together slightly, and his expression tightened. “Grandpa, don’t you think it was them?”
Old Master He frowned deeply. “Why couldn’t the people behind it all be your maternal grandfather and grandmother instead?”
“Grandpa and Grandma are both sick to that extent already. How could they possibly send Uncle to drive a wedge between you and Boss?” Yu Chen shot back. “And if they had wanted to do this all along, why wait until now?”
Old Master He fixed his eyes on Yu Chen. “Because not long ago, I publicly announced that once He Zhen grows up, he’ll take over the group in my place. If I die while Xiao Zhen is still young, they could easily control him and manipulate the entire Hefeng Group from behind the scenes.”
Things had veered in a direction they had not anticipated. Yu Chen turned anxiously to look at He Zhen, signaling him to hurry and think of something.
He Zhen said, “Grandpa, before I met with Uncle, I had already called Grandpa and Grandma to verify things. It was precisely because Grandpa and Grandma said you were a fair and upright person that we saw through Uncle’s scheme. If they were on the same side, why would they explain things for you?”
Yu Chen chimed in, “Exactly, exactly. Grandma said you gave the Qin family shares and treated the Qin family very well.”
This time, Old Master He fell back into thought.
In the past two years, with his two useless sons no longer harassing him, his health had improved quite a bit. Though it was difficult for him to move around, he still had the energy to handle major decisions for the group.
He had only just begun to enjoy some peace of mind, and he did not want to believe that his two sons were stirring up trouble again. Especially since, this time, their target was his life.
“Grandpa.” Because he was so anxious to defend He Zhen, a layer of sweat had gathered on Yu Chen’s forehead. “No matter who the real mastermind is, Boss trusted you enough to record all of this and play it for you. So you absolutely mustn’t be angry with him. If that happened, he’d be devastated.”
Old Master He shifted his gaze to He Zhen, emotion hidden deep in his dark eyes. “Xiao Zhen, I want to ask you something.”
The knuckles of He Zhen’s clenched fist turned faintly white. “Please go ahead.”
Old Master He’s voice was calm. “If your maternal grandfather and grandmother had said the same things your uncle did, would you have believed them and poisoned me?”
Sweat dampened He Zhen’s palms. He gently avoided Old Master He’s hawk-sharp gaze.
Yu Chen stepped forward. “Grandpa, Boss—”
“Chencheng, let him speak.” Old Master He kept staring at He Zhen, his voice unreadable. “Say exactly what you were thinking.”
“I admit that when Uncle told me those things, I was furious. I felt an overwhelming sense of betrayal.” He Zhen’s lips were dry, and he fought to steady the chaos in his mind. “The reason I felt so terrible wasn’t only because I was grieving for what happened to my mother. It was also because I was devastated by the collapse of the image I had of you.”
Old Master He stared at him, his brows tightening slightly.
“Before you started taking care of me, I resented you deeply. I thought you didn’t love me at all. I even thought you disliked me, and I’d always been very biased against you.” He Zhen’s voice was soft, his eyes reddening. “But ever since you moved here despite your poor health, the care and companionship you’ve given me finally let me experience what real family affection feels like. So after hearing what Uncle said, I especially didn’t want any of it to be true.”
By the time he finished saying that, the tension in He Zhen’s chest had eased a little.
He had spoken with complete honesty, and with complete sincerity.
“If Grandma’s account had matched Uncle’s, I probably would have believed part of it and continued investigating, or maybe even confronted you directly. But I absolutely would never have drugged you.” He Zhen slowly lowered his eyes. “If I did that, how would I be any different from the kind of people I despise?”
Old Master He looked at him intently. “About your father—don’t you resent me? He truly wronged your mother, and our He family wronged her too.”
“He wronged you as well. We’re all victims.” He Zhen gave a bitter smile. “After hearing Grandma’s words, I don’t feel anything anymore regarding what he did, because he’s simply that kind of selfish, heartless person. In my heart, he’s no different from being dead.”
Old Master He pondered deeply. “You gave me the recording pen. What do you want me to do?”
He Zhen replied, “I want to stage a play and lure out the person behind the scenes.”
“How do you want to stage it?”
He Zhen said, “We’ll act as if… I really did drug you.”
Old Master He nodded. “Since it was your idea, I’ll leave this matter in your hands.”
“Alright.”
After the two children left, Old Master He sat alone in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, his gaze drifting without focus.
An hour later, He Heng arrived.
After Old Master He explained everything, he laughed bitterly at himself. “If it really was those two, then I’ve truly failed in this life. Out of four children, one son betrayed me, two sons want to harm me, and even the grandson I value most doesn’t have complete trust in me.”
He Heng advised him, “If Young Master Zhen really believed what someone else said, that would still be understandable. First, he’s young. Hearing things about his deceased mother would naturally make him emotional. Second, the reason you’re good to him—isn’t it because he’s a child of the He family? That doesn’t necessarily conflict with treating the Qin family harshly. So the poisonous image of you that Qin Jingqian painted, and the affection you’ve shown Young Master Zhen, can absolutely coexist.”
Old Master He slowly nodded. “Mm. What you’re saying makes sense.”
He Heng said, “The priority now is finding the mastermind as soon as possible. Otherwise, the He family will never know peace.”
“Once we find him, how do you think he should be dealt with?”
He Heng replied, “Since he showed no mercy, there’s no need for you to either. Whatever should be cut off, cut it off.”
Old Master He’s fingers lightly rubbed the cane in his hand. After a long time, he said, “I only hope Xiao Zhen can grow up quickly and mature as soon as possible.”
…
In another room.
He Zhen leaned against the sofa. Yu Chen sat in his arms with a warm little blanket draped around him as the two of them discussed strategy.
“We absolutely have to…”
“Clear Grandpa and Grandma’s name.”
Though they called it a discussion, Yu Chen’s mouth never stopped the entire time. Pecans and pistachios took turns going in; He Zhen was responsible for shelling them, and Yu Chen was responsible for eating.
“I’ll text Uncle tonight and tell him I already put the drug in.”
“Okay.” Yu Chen gave him a meaningful look. “Boss, hurry up a little. My mouth’s empty.”
Looking at the full basket of empty shells, He Zhen said with slight concern, “Yu Chencheng, if you eat this many, won’t you get heaty?”
He still remembered one summer when Yu Chen ate too many longans and got constipated for ages.
“I won’t. I’ll just eat more vegetables afterward to balance it out.”
Resting his head against He Zhen’s chest, Yu Chen’s eyes suddenly flickered. “Boss, do you have chest muscles now?”
“Don’t talk nonsense.” He Zhen’s expression turned a little unnatural. He stuffed a freshly shelled pecan into Yu Chen’s mouth. “Eat your food.”
Yu Chen chewed quickly, but his gaze stayed fixed on the thin layer of fabric in front of him, full of fierce envy.
When would he get chest muscles too?
“Yu Chencheng, do you think Grandpa’s disappointed in me?”
Although Old Master He had not said it, He Zhen could feel it.
“You’re still young. Not thinking everything through is normal.” Yu Chen teased him. “It’s not like you’re a handsome four-year-old hacker. When you care too much, things get messy. Totally normal, totally normal.”
Only then did some calmness return to He Zhen’s expression. “Yu Chencheng, your mouth should be listed as an intangible cultural heritage.”
Yu Chen replied, “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
He Zhen chuckled and fed him a pistachio. “Later I’ll remind Grandpa to start claiming he feels unwell from tomorrow onward, so the act will look more convincing.”
Yu Chen: “No problem!”
That very night, after receiving He Zhen’s text, Qin Jingqian felt a wave of relief. When he passed the news on to He Jingtai, his fingers trembled uncontrollably.
He had not expected things to go this smoothly.
At first, he had worried that because He Zhen was still young, he would not be able to go through with it. He never imagined he would act so decisively. He had even photographed the poisoned cup and sent it over.
After repeatedly confirming it, He Jingtai transferred half of the 3.5 billion to Qin Jingqian, with the other half to be paid once the job was done.
The moment Qin Jingqian received the money, he hurriedly left Hai City that very night.
From that moment on, he was severing all ties with the Qin family for life.
For the sake of the act, Old Master He deliberately suspended the two children’s winter break classes for the next two days and quietly waited for the culprit to walk into the trap.
Suddenly blessed with a huge amount of carefree free time, Yu Chen’s little days became wonderfully easy and comfortable. Every day he cheerfully bossed He Zhen around, making him massage his shoulders, pound his back, and shell nuts for him.
Under ordinary circumstances, although He Zhen would indulge Yu Chen’s bad habits to some extent, he would still at least give him a little color and never keep his mouth idle.
But over the past two days, Yu Chen had begun to notice that his boss seemed to have changed completely. Not only was he gentle and considerate, he never even complained. He was practically the model boss.
In order to test the limits of He Zhen’s bottom line, Yu Chen even shamelessly laid his smelly foot across He Zhen’s lower stomach and made him knead it.
He Zhen, who had a severe cleanliness obsession, not only did not smack Yu Chen this time, but actually put down the book in his hand and began seriously massaging his foot.
Yu Chen looked utterly bewildered and quickly scooted closer, asking with grave seriousness, “Boss, have you been body-snatched?”
He Zhen blinked. “Body-snatched?”
Yu Chen’s body stiffened. Holding He Zhen’s face in both hands, he carefully checked him over. “Boss, I’m being this annoying, and you’re really not going to hit me?”
He Zhen’s expression turned slightly complicated. “Yu Chencheng. Was I really that bad to you before?”
“No! You were super good to me.” Resting his fair little face on his palm, Yu Chen’s eyes curved into crescents. “But sometimes you’d lecture me a little and tell me not to go too far.”
He Zhen looked at him meaningfully and reached up to pinch his cheek. “From now on, I won’t lecture you anymore.”
“Huh? No, don’t do that!” Yu Chen grabbed He Zhen’s arm and nestled his head into the hollow of his neck in a spoiled way. “If you stop even saying anything to me, I’ll definitely get way too over the line and turn completely lawless.”
He Zhen’s brow twitched slightly. “So?”
Putting on a serious face, Yu Chen said, “You should hit me once in a while. I give you permission.”
He Zhen lifted his arm and took the opportunity to pull Yu Chen into his embrace.
In just two short years, that once-chubby, squishy feel was completely gone. Whenever He Zhen held that slender little body, he would inexplicably feel as though Yu Chen must have been wronged somehow for him to become so thin.
That feeling made him want to be even better to Yu Chen.
Now that the relationship between them had been decided, he ought to let Yu Chen feel his sincerity.
As long as Yu Chen did not go too far, He Zhen intended to indulge him from now on.
“Xiao Zhen!” Li Huan knocked twice before hurrying in. “He Nan came to visit Old Master.”
A faint excitement pulsed beneath the calm on He Zhen’s face. He and Yu Chen exchanged a smile.
“The fish took the bait.”
Inside Old Master He’s bedroom, He Nan was massaging the old man’s legs.
He Nan had not shot up much during puberty. Though he was already in ninth grade, he was still shorter than He Zhen.
“Grandpa, I heard from Dad that you weren’t feeling well, so I hurried over to see you.” He Nan forced a smile onto his face, but the panic and tension in his eyes had already been seen through by Old Master He.
Old Master He closed his eyes wearily.
In truth, the moment He Nan appeared, he already understood most of it.
This matter could not possibly be separated from He Jingtai.
“Mm. You’re more filial than your father.” Old Master He raised his chin toward Li Huan. “Tell the kitchen to make some of Nan Nan’s favorite dishes.”
Li Huan nodded. “Alright.”
After helping Old Master He massage his legs, He Nan stood up quietly, his nervous gaze constantly darting around the room until it landed on Old Master He’s cup.
“Grandpa, do you want some water?” He Nan’s heart pounded like a drum, but he forced himself to smile calmly. “I’ll pour you a cup of warm water.”
Old Master He looked at him. “Mm.”
With permission granted, He Nan felt a wave of relief and quickly walked over to the cup, turning his back to the other two as he began checking it. Although every muscle in his body was trembling uncontrollably, he still followed their plan step by step.
If the plan succeeded, then in the future he would become the heir to Hefeng Group. None of his friends would ever dare mock him again or whisper in his ear that one day He Zhen would become his boss.
He kept encouraging himself inwardly as he quietly pulled up the photo of the cup that He Jingtai had sent him and compared it carefully.
Sure enough, this was the cup He Zhen had poisoned.
He Jingtai had prepared two separate plans.
If He Nan could not find the poisoned cup, then they would simply invent a reason to have a doctor examine Old Master He and expose the truth that He Zhen had poisoned him. But if He Nan found it, then things would be even easier. He just needed to drink a mouthful, pretend to feel unwell, and then later that evening, He Jingtai could use the excuse to show up with him and expose He Zhen’s scheme face to face.
When he had first heard that He Nan intended to test the poison on himself, his mother had fought bitterly with He Jingtai over it. In the end, it was He Nan himself who decided to do it. His father always said that if you didn’t enter the tiger’s den, you couldn’t catch the tiger cubs. For the future of their whole family, he had to prove himself at least once.
Looking at He Nan’s stiff back, Li Huan silently exchanged a glance with Old Master He.
“Grandpa, let me test the temperature of the water for you first.”
He Nan drank half the cup in one go.
“Huh? There seems to be some white powder at the bottom of your cup.”
He gave an innocent smile. “Could it be some medicine you take?” Inwardly, he mocked He Zhen for failing to mix the powder evenly before poisoning the water. That made things even easier now.
“Probably.” Old Master He’s face had turned ashen, as though enveloped in a layer of cold air. That beast He Jingtai, all for the sake of seizing the family fortune, had actually spared neither his own child nor his own father.
He Nan poured Old Master He another cup of water. “Grandpa, you should drink more water. Winter air is pretty dry.”
Old Master He was so furious his ears rang.
After drinking the water, he weakly waved a hand at He Nan. “Nan Nan, I’m not feeling very well. You should go for now. They can call me again when it’s time for lunch.”
He Nan hesitated, then rubbed at the side of his nose with one finger. “Then I won’t disturb you anymore. Maybe next time we’ll eat together.” He always felt that his grandfather carried that particular old-person smell, so whenever possible, he tried to avoid close contact with him.
A tremor passed through Old Master He’s eyes, and disappointment completely settled over them. “Mm.”
After He Nan left, Li Huan put away the cup and asked, “What are you planning to do next?”
Old Master He’s aged face was full of pain. “Wait for the net to close.”
Li Huan sighed silently and carried the cup away.
Old Master He looked up at the ceiling with bitter self-mockery, his icy hands and feet feeling as though they had been buried under snow.
That night, two little heads suddenly appeared at the door of his bedroom.
He had not been able to fall asleep. He had spent the whole afternoon thinking and was in a very poor state.
“What are you two doing here?”
Old Master He beckoned to them. “Come in.”
Smiling brightly, Yu Chen hugged a magazine and, together with He Zhen, came to Old Master He’s bedside, one on each side.
Seeing that both of them were in pajamas, Old Master He could not help feeling curious. “What’s this about?”
Yu Chen lifted the magazine. “Grandpa, Dad said you couldn’t sleep, and overthinking things can hurt your spirit, so he’s cooking you some calming medicine right now. Boss and I didn’t have anything to do, so we thought we’d come tell you some stories.”
“Tell me stories?” A trace of amusement flashed through Old Master He’s slightly swollen eyes. “Are you treating me like a little child?”
With grave seriousness, Yu Chen said, “Have you never heard the saying, old child, old child?”
Old Master He laughed hoarsely. “Fine. Since you’re willing, then go ahead.”
Yu Chen directed He Zhen to help tuck the blanket tightly around Old Master He, and then the two of them each settled themselves by one side of the bed, beginning to tell warm and healing stories they had just looked up.
This had been Yu Chen’s idea. While he read the stories aloud to Old Master He, He Zhen silently massaged him on the side to help him relax.
The stories were warm and funny. Old Master He had never heard such absurdly amusing plots before, and he could not help laughing.
“Xiao Zhen, your massage skills are getting better and better.”
For the first time in a long while, Old Master He felt completely relaxed. All the frustrations of the day were temporarily forgotten.
Yu Chen immediately fought for attention. “Grandpa, wasn’t my storytelling good?”
Old Master He chuckled. “Good, good. Very good.”
Yu Chen raised his brows at He Zhen, then used the same tone one would use to coax a child. “You go ahead and sleep first. Once you fall asleep, the two of us will slip into your blanket and sleep with you.”
Old Master He’s eyes lifted slightly. “As long as you don’t mind an old man like me.”
Yu Chen leaned against him and rubbed his cheek there. “I don’t mind.”
And so, inside the bedroom, Yu Chen’s voice reading stories grew softer and softer.
When Li Huan came in, he was startled. Carrying the calming soup, he discovered that Old Master He had already fallen asleep.
“Boss worked really hard—he massaged for a full two hours.” Out in the corridor, Yu Chen held He Zhen’s hand with obvious concern and told Li Huan, “Grandpa’s been soothed now, so don’t worry.”
Li Huan laughed. “You two worked hard too. Hurry up and go rest.”
Yu Chen replied in a bright little milky voice, “Okay.”
At the side, He Zhen could not suppress a smile. “Yu Chencheng, when exactly is your voice going to change?”
Yu Chen glared at him. “Way to rub salt into the wound.”
He Zhen let Yu Chen rub his hands between both of his, his gaze fixed on the person in front of him. “Thank you.”
Yu Chen clicked his tongue. “Don’t change the subject.”
Early the next morning, Yu Chen was woken up by He Zhen while still in the middle of a dream.
“Yu Chencheng, the show’s starting.”
At once, Yu Chen sprang upright like a carp, threw on a coat, and rushed with He Zhen toward the living room.
In the living room, He Jingtai—who had not seen Old Master He in four years—was trembling with rage, his face filled with indignation.
“Dad! Yesterday Nan Nan went home and kept complaining that he was dizzy. I took him to the hospital and had his whole body examined. Guess what I found?”
Old Master He shot him a cold glance. “What did you find?”
He Jingtai handed him the test report. “This special hemostatic chemical agent. Taken in excessive amounts, it can make the blood viscous and trigger a stroke.”
“Really?” Old Master He gave a strange smile. “How would Nan Nan have accidentally ingested something like that?”
He Jingtai put on a false face of concern. “Dad, yesterday Nan Nan didn’t have much appetite. The only thing he drank all day was one cup of water. He said he found white powder in your bedroom cup. And then I suddenly thought—your health hasn’t been great lately either…”
Old Master He lifted a brow. “So?”
He Jingtai said, “I suspect someone has been poisoning you. So I went and investigated.”
“And how did you investigate that?” Old Master He’s tone was sharp with mockery. “When it comes to poisoning, who’s more professional than you?”
He Jingtai’s face immediately became ugly, but he forced a smile. “Dad, I already know I was wrong for what happened in the past. This time, can’t it count as making amends by rendering merit?”
“How do you plan to make amends?” Old Master He asked.
He Jingtai’s gaze fell on He Zhen, who, together with Yu Chen, was leaning over the second-floor railing and watching quietly.
“A few days ago, someone told me that Yun Qiang’s cousin brother Qin Jingqian had returned to the country. This Qin Jingqian is a man who frequents sensual places. Apparently he once got drunk and openly ranted that our He family owed the Qin family a debt, and that he was going to take revenge on our He family.”
Old Master He looked at He Jingtai without revealing anything.
Seeing that Old Master He seemed partly convinced, He Jingtai continued, “I had people follow Qin Jingqian for a few days. Aside from learning that he met with Xiao Zhen, we didn’t find much. But then yesterday, Nan Nan suddenly got sick, so I carried out a full investigation overnight and discovered that Qin Jingqian had repeatedly purchased prohibited drugs. And this drug is exactly what Nan Nan accidentally ingested yesterday!”
Old Master He smiled faintly. “Go on.”
He Jingtai’s eyes shifted to He Zhen. “To ensure your safety, I’d like to inspect your water cup.”
“Give it to him.” At Old Master He’s command, Li Huan handed the cup to He Jingtai.
Old Master He lifted his chin slightly. “That’s the one Nan Nan used yesterday.”
He Jingtai frowned tightly. “I’ll have them go test it immediately.”
“He Nan only swallowed a little bit of cookie crumbs yesterday. No need to pin it on us, right?” He Zhen suddenly spoke up. Walking down the stairs, he took out the medicine jar Qin Jingqian had given him. “Is this what you’re looking for?”
He Jingtai’s throat tightened. “You—”
“You’re disappointed that I didn’t take it, aren’t you?” Old Master He tapped his cane. Li Huan handed a file to He Jingtai.
“You were clever, but not clever enough. In fact, you were stupid.” There was no longer disappointment on Old Master He’s face—only ridicule. “Seventeen and a half billion for my one life. Was it worth it?”
“What?” Fear instantly flashed across He Jingtai’s face, impossible to hide any longer.
“I have nothing more to say to you. Even a tiger doesn’t eat its own cubs, but for the sake of power, you didn’t spare either your child or your father. You’ve ceased to deserve being called human.” Old Master He tapped the side of his wheelchair, signaling to Li Huan to take him upstairs. “This time I don’t even want to punish you, because there’s no family affection left between us anymore. From now on, let’s just treat each other as strangers.”
“Li Huan, have He Heng reclaim the Hefeng Group shares. From now on, He Jingtai and his family will no longer have any right to use them.”
He Jingtai immediately lurched to his feet. “Dad! Listen to my explanation!”
Before leaving, Old Master He turned his eyes to He Nan. “Nan Nan, if you truly don’t like me as your grandfather, then there’s no need to force yourself. From now on, your family is not to come bother me again. All ties between us are severed.”
The moment He Jingtai heard those words, he collapsed to the floor in despair.
He knew he was completely finished.
That money had all been borrowed from various places. How was he supposed to repay it now?
He Nan began crying in fear and tried to help him up, only to be shoved away violently. “Get away! It’s all because of you that we left clues behind!”
He Jingtai’s mind had already snapped, and his words came out rambling and incoherent.
At a glance from He Zhen, several bodyguards immediately rushed in and threw the father and son out.
Before leaving, He Nan shot He Zhen a vicious glare.
Yu Chen instantly bristled too, baring his teeth and glaring right back at He Nan.
“Don’t mind him.”
Holding Yu Chen’s hand, He Zhen vanished from He Nan’s line of sight.
At that moment, He Jingtai was completely abandoned by the family and left to reap what he had sown.
In the blink of an eye, Lunar New Year was almost here.
Having solved one major problem, Yu Chen and He Zhen wanted to make the house feel lively again and improve Old Master He’s mood. So they specially bought all sorts of New Year decorations and, in their spare time, hung them up themselves.
Sure enough, when Old Master He saw all the bright red lanterns, his mood visibly improved. He even personally wrote a spring couplet with a calligraphy brush and watched the two children paste it at the doorway themselves.
Yu Chen could not read calligraphy at all, but he kept praising it anyway, exclaiming how wonderful it was. He praised Old Master He as someone who trampled Wang Xizhi underfoot and stood shoulder to shoulder with Zhao Mengfu, which made Old Master He burst into laughter and give him an especially thick New Year red envelope in advance.
Yu Chen was thrilled to get the red envelope. Sneakily, he hid it in his little treasure chest on purpose while avoiding He Zhen’s sight.
He Zhen found Yu Chen’s greedy little money-lover look very cute and deliberately dangled temptation in front of him. “If you behave well, all my New Year money this year can go to you.”
“Really really?” Yu Chen’s eyes sparkled suspiciously bright. After all, He Zhen’s New Year money was always a huge sum. Yu Chen would never even dare dream of taking that much.
“Of course it’s real.” He Zhen raised his hand and wiped away the ink Yu Chen had accidentally smeared on himself while grinding the inkstick. “Won’t all my things be yours sooner or later anyway?”
The smile in Yu Chen’s eyes and brows deepened. “Boss, you’re so good.”
Lately, the two of them had been busy building their future, to the point that they had both basically vanished from their friends’ sight. Xiao Yu missed having Yu Chen around to quarrel with and felt terribly lonely, so taking advantage of the fireworks show, he finally succeeded in asking these two busy people out to gather together.
This winter was particularly cold.
Ever since Yu Chen had slimmed down, he had become much more sensitive to the cold. He wore two layers of down jackets to the meetup and was mocked by Xiao Yu for quite a while—until He Zhen’s expression turned displeased, at which point Xiao Yu finally shut his mouth.
He Zhen tightened Yu Chen’s scarf and led the group toward the fireworks show at Changqing Riverside.
Ever since the place had been turned into a commercial street, there was a lot of food there.
Yu Chen had always loved this sort of thing. The moment they passed a stall selling starchy sausages, his feet seemed nailed to the ground, and he could not move.
He Zhen deliberately ignored the longing in his eyes and pulled him onward.
Seeing that Yu Chen wanted to eat them, Fang Jingrao asked timidly, “Chencheng, I’ll buy you some starchy sausages.”
Yu Chen looked as though he had just seen a savior and nodded frantically like a pecking chick. “Okay! I want two.”
Fang Jingrao glanced at He Zhen and quietly prepared to go buy them.
“Fang Jingrao, he ate until he threw up last night, so don’t buy him any yet.” He Zhen reached out and pinched Yu Chen’s ear, his tone softening. “Wait until you’re better.”
“Huh? He threw up from eating?” Xiao Yu asked in disbelief. “What was he eating?”
Yu Chen, having had his embarrassing secret exposed, looked like he was about to lose his temper from shame. “I didn’t throw up from eating. I just ate too much.”
Xiao Yu replied, “What’s the difference?”
“There is a difference.”
He Zhi’an laughed at him. “Chubby Chencheng, after eating so many delicious things your whole life, you still managed to eat yourself sick?”
Yu Chen’s face flushed red, and he finally gave up pretending. “I don’t care. I want starchy sausage right now!”
A tiny curve rose at He Zhen’s lips, but he did not answer.
“Boss! Boss! Boss!”
Yu Chen tugged pitifully at He Zhen’s arm and begged.
Seeing this, Xiao Yu quietly pulled Yu Chen aside and showed him a funny short video.
The content was simple. Two boys were good brothers. One of them wanted cake and kept asking the other to buy it. He said if the other refused, he’d start calling him “Husband.” Sure enough, the boy got too embarrassed in the end and bought the little cake.
“Try it?” Xiao Yu urged him on. “He Zhen’s skin is thin. He’ll definitely fall for that.”
Determined to win back his dignity, Yu Chen gathered his courage and walked up to He Zhen.
He Zhen looked at him standing there all bold and self-righteous and lifted a brow. “Mm?”
Yu Chen deliberately twisted his body like a lively little snake and sidled up beside He Zhen, rubbing against him. “Husband~ I want starchy sausage~”
