Chapter 75
Crammed inside the narrow space, Yu Chen’s face turned as red as a little tomato. Thinking back on all those inexplicable hints over the past few days, he felt his brain must have been flooded, otherwise how could he have confused this kind of thing with diarrhea?
He Zhen was definitely laughing himself to death at him.
And Xiao Yu too!
He was too embarrassed to go out and face anyone anymore, boohoohoo.
The bed had been specially chosen by He Zhen. It was French light luxury, modeled after a vintage palace style, with a large gap underneath. Even so, there was still plenty of dust under the bed. Worried that Yu Chen might breathe something dirty into his lungs, He Zhen bent down and patiently coaxed him, “Chenchen, come out first, okay? It’s dirty in there.”
Yu Chen’s neck had flushed a deep rosy red, and he had no face to lift his head at all.
He no longer cared whether it was dirty under the bed or not. He Zhen’s housekeeper came every day to clean. How dirty could it really be?
Stubbornly, he lay there and declared, “I’m sleeping here tonight. I’m not going anywhere.”
He Zhen froze for a moment, then gently coaxed him, “Yu Chenchen, are we still being this formal with each other? You just misunderstood, that’s all. Anyway, sooner or later, raw rice becomes cooked rice.”
“Ahhhh!” Yu Chen exploded like a little hamster, covering his ears. “Please, stop talking!”
He Zhen touched the injured part of his waist and back, pondered for two seconds, then slowly crawled in after Yu Chen.
Staring at Yu Chen, who had both hands tightly covering his eyes, he coaxed in a tempting voice, “Chenchen, do you want to know the surprise I prepared for you?”
In the pitch-dark space under the bed, Yu Chen’s fingers parted slightly, leaving a narrow gap.
“It’s dirty here. Why did you crawl in too?”
A wave of indulgence suddenly filled He Zhen’s eyes. “To keep you company. I’m afraid you’ll get scared in here.”
“You’re making me seem so dramatic,” Yu Chen muttered. Like a boneless little snake, he wriggled his body a little. “If people saw you crawling under the bed, they’d definitely laugh at you.”
A smile reached He Zhen’s lips. “So what? Coaxing my boyfriend isn’t embarrassing.”
“Hmph.”
Yu Chen’s eyes sparkled brightly, still carrying some annoyance. “You must have known all along that I misunderstood, and you just deliberately didn’t say anything.”
“When did I? I’m nowhere near as smart as Baby Yu Chen.” Adjusting his long legs uncomfortably, He Zhen braced himself sideways. “Someone knew at age four that getting cake every meal was different from getting cake for just one meal.”
Yu Chen was amused into laughter, his face growing even redder. “What are you even saying? I already forgot all that.”
He Zhen looked at him, the smile in his eyes unmistakable. “Do you remember the surprise I told you about?”
“I remember.” At the mention of this, Yu Chen felt a proud sense of having everything under control, and deliberately asked, “So where’s the surprise?”
He Zhen took his hand. “Come on, let’s go out and I’ll show you.”
He Zhen was taller than him, with a broader frame too, so he looked a little ridiculous crawling under the bed. Yu Chen secretly laughed, then nodded and followed him out.
After the two of them washed their hands and dusted each other off, He Zhen’s eyes searched Yu Chen’s suitcase. “Did you bring the doll I gave you?”
“I did.” Pretending to stay calm on the surface, Yu Chen handed the doll to He Zhen. “So where’s the mysterious surprise?”
He Zhen took out the tiny screwdriver specially meant for the ring from a drawer, then gently unscrewed the cap at the back of the doll. But the moment he saw that the inside was completely empty, he froze for several seconds.
Yu Chen stared at him, lips curling upward. “Is this what you were looking for?”
He took the ring off the necklace he was wearing, his gaze lingering for a long time on He Zhen’s surprised eyes. “I wonder who was the one who hid it in there and then kept quiet for three whole years!”
He Zhen paused slightly, and his gentle brows and eyes gradually relaxed.
“When did you find it?”
“The day I came back to China to see you.”
He Zhen smiled in surprise, then from the same box that had held the screwdriver, he took out another identical ring.
The two rings were the same design, one larger and one smaller.
His handsome, refined face carried a faint but deep emotion as he handed the one in his hand to Yu Chen. “On your sixteenth birthday, I originally wanted to confess to you. But Grandpa’s illness came too suddenly. After I left, I was afraid you’d miss me too much and let it affect your studies, so I didn’t tell you.”
Warmth flowed all through Yu Chen’s body. That feeling of being cherished and protected gradually turned into a wave of heat that stung his eyes with tears.
“No matter what, starting a relationship would have affected your mood. I thought it would be better to keep things as they were at the time and wait until after your college entrance exams.”
Yu Chen’s heart surged, and when he spoke, his voice carried a sob. “Weren’t you afraid I might lose the doll?”
“You wouldn’t.” He Zhen removed the ring from around Yu Chen’s neck and helped him put it on. “My chubby baby is smart. How could he possibly lose a gift I gave him?”
Yu Chen’s reddened nose prickled with emotion. Stroking the ring in his palm with his fingertip, he helped put the other ring on He Zhen. “Weren’t you afraid I’d run off with someone else? After all, I’m this outstanding. There are tons of people chasing after me.”
“Of course I was afraid.” He Zhen gazed at the ring on his middle finger, then held Yu Chen’s wrist, the one with the watch on it. “But I know that no one in your heart can compare to me.”
Yu Chen lifted his damp lashes slightly. “Oh? That confident?”
“Mm.” He Zhen murmured, “All those snacks and little cakes weren’t bought for nothing.”
Yu Chen burst out laughing. His eyes curved into crescents, and undisguised joy hung openly on his fair, beautiful face.
“Yu Chen, have I never told you before that I love you?”
He Zhen firmly slipped the ring onto Yu Chen’s hand, his thin lips parting slightly. “I—”
Suddenly, Yu Chen stood on tiptoe and pressed his fingers against He Zhen’s lips.
He Zhen did not understand, and confusion flickered in his dark eyes.
Yu Chen smiled so widely that his neat white teeth showed. His eyes, pure and free of even a trace of impurity, were gentle and moving. “You have. You said it a long time ago.”
He placed his hand over He Zhen’s heart. “It said it.”
He Zhen pulled Yu Chen tightly into his arms and pecked his small ear. “Go shower. You’re as grimy as a little coal ball.”
“Tch, you dislike me.” Yu Chen’s suggestive gaze landed on that box of little things, his meaning unclear. “After I shower, are you showering too?”
He Zhen understood Yu Chen’s hint and lowered his gaze. “I think I should first take you back to pack your things. From now on, just live here.”
“Okay!” Yu Chen’s interest was immediately stirred. He was ready to begin his official cohabitation life with He Zhen.
As for the shameless stuff, it did not have to happen tonight.
He Zhen was definitely even more impatient than he was.
Xiao Yu had said that in love—especially in this kind of thing where lovers clap for love—he needed to keep He Zhen hanging a little and could not just go along with everything. Otherwise, if he spoiled him into bad habits, that would not be good.
That night, the two of them stayed busy until midnight before finally packing and sorting all of Yu Chen’s belongings.
While moving the luggage, Yu Chen asked He Zhen, “When do you think we should come clean to my dad?”
He Zhen gave his plan. “Isn’t Uncle still not back from abroad? When he comes back, I’ll tell him.”
Yu Chen nodded, then remembered how He Zhen had come clean to Old Master He. He asked the question that had been puzzling him. “Boss, why didn’t you just tell Grandpa directly that we were already together? Was it really because you said I hadn’t officially promoted you yet?”
He Zhen responded with a quiet “Mm,” then chuckled. “What else would it be?”
Yu Chen fantasized aloud, “I thought when we came out, it would be something earth-shaking, ghost-crying dramatic. Like in a novel. The two of us kneeling in the rain outside the house at night, desperately begging Grandpa for his approval. Grandpa beating you with his cane, while I throw myself over you and cry my heart out, taking the cane blows for you. In the end, Grandpa softens and agrees.”
The corners of He Zhen’s lips lifted. “My chubby baby is fit to write novels.”
Yu Chen looked smug. “I already thought it through. If Grandpa really hit you, I’d stuff a pillow into my belly and throw myself over you!”
He Zhen laughed. “What, one corpse and three lives?”
Yu Chen raised his brows. “That’s right! I’m already pregnant with your child. If Grandpa wants to hit someone, then let him hit all of us together.”
He Zhen was thoroughly amused. Holding Yu Chen, he sat down on the bed. “Go to sleep already. You still haven’t recovered from the jet lag. There’s just a little left. Once I finish putting away your clothes, I’ll sleep too.”
Yu Chen lay on the bed, propping his chin up in a naive, innocent way. “Boss, you know what? Right now, you especially have that husband vibe.”
He Zhen lowered his brows with a smile. “Is that a compliment?”
Yu Chen nodded. “To me, it is. It means you’ve already been branded by me.”
“Oh?” Folding clothes, He Zhen asked, “And how exactly did you brand me?”
Yu Chen beckoned. “Then come here and let me kiss you.”
Very obediently, He Zhen sat down by the bed and leaned closer to Yu Chen.
Yu Chen stared at He Zhen’s deep, handsome features and kissed him once, his ears reddening.
Afterward, he kept looking at him, his fingertips lightly caressing He Zhen’s brow bone. “Boss, I feel like you’ve changed.”
He Zhen set the clothes aside, his expression serious. “How have I changed?”
Yu Chen carefully searched for the words. “Before you went abroad, you were like a sensitive little hedgehog. Only around me would you put away your sharp spines. Now you’re like a big lion—much more mature and steady. Back then, you used to get jealous so easily, and you were tsundere too. Like that banquet night, when I wouldn’t dance with you, I bet you secretly got mad.”
He Zhen gave him a meaningful smile, and beneath his lashes, his gaze darkened. “Was I really that petty before?”
Yu Chen stressed, “Not petty. Just a little tsundere, and also a little fragile and sensitive.”
Meeting Yu Chen’s bright eyes, He Zhen asked, “Do you like the me I am now?”
Taking advantage of He Zhen’s inattention, Yu Chen quickly pecked him on the lips. Like a cat that had stolen a dried fish snack, his eyes were full of satisfied delight. “I like all of you. No matter what you’re like, I like you. After all, you’re my one and only Boss in this whole world.”
He Zhen looked at the corners of Yu Chen’s upturned lips, leaned in, and placed a lingering kiss there. “Thank you for liking me.”
Two days passed, and Yu Chen was preparing to report to the lab.
He Zhen had been rather busy lately and usually only came home at night. Sometimes Yu Chen cooked for him, sometimes the two of them went out to eat together, and after dinner they would stop by the supermarket to buy little matching couple things for the house.
Hearing that Fang Jingrao would be returning to China in a couple of days, Yu Chen specially arranged a time and invited everyone over to He Zhen’s house for a gathering.
Aside from all that, Yu Chen also made a trip back to White Rose Manor.
Since he had returned from America, he had to go check in with Grandpa no matter what.
He Zhen had already reminded him that he should treat Grandpa exactly the same as before and not burden himself with any extra psychological pressure.
And just as He Zhen said, when Old Master He saw Yu Chen, there was nothing unusual about him at all. Only, there always seemed to be a strange sense of guilt hidden in his eyes.
After helping Old Master He with a massage, Yu Chen stayed to chat with him.
At that moment, Old Master He suddenly grabbed Yu Chen’s hand, his expression complicated. “Chenchen…”
Yu Chen raised a smile. “What is it, Grandpa? Do you want some water?”
Old Master He hesitated, as if wanting to speak but stopping himself. “If Xiao Zhen gives you any trouble, or makes you uncomfortable, tell me in time. I’ll go teach him a lesson.”
“Ah—” Just as Yu Chen was about to ask why, He Heng knocked on the door. “Chairman He, Xiao Zhen asked me to bring you some supplements. They were flown in from Yunnan.”
Old Master He nodded. “That boy is always using sugar-coated bullets.”
He Heng smiled. “You’re just tough-talking and soft-hearted.”
When he saw Yu Chen, He Heng nodded. “Chenchen’s back.”
“I’m back, Uncle He.” Yu Chen reported to He Heng about Old Master He’s condition that afternoon, then reminded him, “Grandpa ate a little too much staple food at noon, so make something easy to digest tonight.”
He Heng praised him. “Chenchen is so attentive.”
Old Master He squeezed Yu Chen’s hand again, but the guilt in his heart still refused to loosen.
“All right, I’m going to rest now. He Heng, send Chenchen home on your way.”
He Heng replied, “Okay.”
Old Master He added, “The medicine for Xiao Zhen is beside you. Bring it to him.”
He Heng said, “Don’t worry.”
After getting into the car with He Heng, Yu Chen stared at the medicine. “Uncle He Heng, I’ll take it over to Boss for you. What kind of medicine is this?”
He Heng deliberately blurred the matter. “Just some medicine to keep on hand.”
Yu Chen found that strange. He turned around, took the medicine from the back seat, and examined it carefully. “These… are all medicines for treating external injuries?”
He Heng said, “Mm. Just keeping some at home. If you two ever get bumped or bruised, remember to use them.”
“Why suddenly prepare so much of this kind of medicine?” Yu Chen frowned slightly, then suddenly lifted his head to look at He Heng. “Boss got hurt?”
Facing Yu Chen’s gaze, He Heng’s palms were full of sweat. “Did Xiao Zhen get hurt? You’ve been with him the longest. You should know.”
Staring at He Heng’s stiff, nervous expression, Yu Chen suddenly had a bad feeling.
Just now, Old Master He had mentioned that if He Zhen was troubling him…
How could He Zhen possibly trouble him?
Unless—
Suppressing the tremor in his heart, he pressed his lips together. “Take me to the company. I want to see him.”
He Heng grew uneasy. “Chenchen, you—”
“Uncle, I want to see He Zhen.” Yu Chen’s voice was slightly unsteady, and in his dazed eyes, a layer of moisture instantly gathered.
His hands twisted together, his throat feeling as though a knife tip were lodged there—painful and raw—and he could no longer say another word.
That was right. What he feared most was Grandpa being disappointed in him, disappointed in Li Huan.
To keep him from getting hurt, He Zhen must have told some absurd lie, protecting both him and his father.
The guilt in Grandpa’s eyes had not been his imagination. It was real.
Just what exactly had He Zhen said to Grandpa to end up injured like this?
Every minute afterward felt unbearably agonizing to Yu Chen.
It was not until the car stopped at Hefeng’s entrance that he, dazed and distraught, rushed into the elevator. As the numbers kept rising, his heart—cold as though sunk in an ice cellar—began beating faster and faster.
At last, he reached the president’s office and saw the figure he had been longing for inside.
Hearing the disturbance outside, He Zhen lifted his head. The moment he saw Yu Chen’s eyes, red like a little rabbit’s, his heart clenched sharply.
“What’s wrong? Who bullied you?”
Yu Chen did not answer. He quickly lifted He Zhen’s shirt.
He Zhen wanted to stop him, but it was already too late.
When he saw the wide patches of purple-blue bruises, Yu Chen fell completely silent. His eyes, full of tears, looked dazed and lost.
Biting hard on his lip, he slowly bent over, his heart aching so badly he could hardly breathe.
