Chapter 45: Last Time I Drank, I Ended Up with a Baby
Xiao Fu took Chi Wang to see the room he had prepared for him. It was a large, standard bedroom with a spacious terrace offering an excellent view of the lake.
Pointing in a direction, Xiao Fu said, “When you wake up in the morning, the sun rises from here. You can see the sunrise every day, and the air is exceptionally fresh.”
Chi Wang looked around and noticed some traces of previous occupancy in the room. He asked, “This was originally your bedroom, wasn’t it? You’re giving it to me?”
Being so straightforward, Chi Wang made Xiao Fu laugh instead. “You’re my brother; of course you deserve the best.”
Chi Wang: “…”
He felt a bit uncomfortable. Xiao Fu was accepting their relationship much faster than he was and had already begun treating him genuinely well, while he had nothing to offer in return.
Although Chi Wang had no prior experience interacting with family, from his life experiences, he believed that relationships with family and friends were quite similar—they were based on mutual sincerity.
Now, Xiao Fu’s kindness seemed beyond what he had given in return.
Feeling a bit lost, Chi Wang couldn’t help but say, “It’s not necessary. We’re both adults now; you don’t have to be so good to me.”
The smile on Xiao Fu’s face faded, and he frowned slightly as he looked at him—when he didn’t smile, the fierceness and sharpness in his eyes and bone structure exuded a sense of hostility, making him seem difficult to get along with. “What do you mean by that? You’re my brother; why shouldn’t I treat you well?”
Chi Wang wasn’t intimidated by his scowl. He now understood that Xiao Fu was a paper tiger in front of him. “I’ve seen how other brothers interact; it’s not like this. When they’re young, it’s one thing, but as they get older, they go their separate ways and become relatives who meet once a year.”
Xiao Fu snorted coldly, “What kind of brothers are those? You’re my brother; of course I should treat you well.”
Chi Wang said, “When we each get married, you’ll see—we’ll just become relatives.”
Xiao Fu’s voice turned hard. “No, you are my brother—that fact won’t change. Even if I get married, I’ll find a wife who treats you as well as I do. If she doesn’t, I won’t marry her. No one is more important than you.”
Chi Wang: “…”
He curled his toes in embarrassment and shame.
How could Xiao Fu say such fiery words with such a calm expression?
Chi Wang couldn’t help but tease, “Doesn’t that make you a ‘brother complex’? That’s kind of perverted.”
Xiao Fu became angry. Others could call him perverted, but Chi Wang couldn’t say that. He already had a bad temper, but he softened it considerably in front of Chi Wang. Hearing this, his emotions stirred, but he tried hard to suppress them.
He thought about how Chi Wang was like him. He was lucky—his mother had doted on him for many years. But Chi Wang was different; he hadn’t been loved since he was young, so he wasn’t used to it. He couldn’t be angry with Chi Wang, so he restrained his anger and said, “Perverted or not, there’s nothing wrong with being good to my brother.”
Having mingled in society for so many years, Chi Wang had at least developed the ability to read people. He quickly sensed that Xiao Fu seemed upset, so he paused, softened his tone, and scratched his head. “Sorry, I’m just not used to it.”
Chi Wang felt that he was indeed a bit childish. When faced with unfamiliar situations, he instinctively wanted to push them away, but that was too immature; he shouldn’t act like that.
He admitted his fault: “No one has ever treated me like this, so I’m not used to it. I instinctively wanted to push you away. Don’t be mad, bro.”
Xiao Fu was stunned for a moment, then smiled, pretending to be carefree. “I’m not angry; there’s nothing to be angry about.”
Their first minor conflict was thus resolved. Gradually, Chi Wang felt that having an older brother might really be nice.
At lunch, Xiao Fu had the housekeeper steam some sausages for Chi Wang.
Looking at the sizzling, oil-seeping slices of sausage, Chi Wang hesitated. He slowly picked up a piece and put it in his mouth. As soon as he bit down, the oil burst out, leaving a rich flavor.
But Chi Wang couldn’t handle greasy food. A wave of nausea surged up, and he immediately spat out the sausage, retching a few times.
By now, Chi Wang rarely experienced pregnancy reactions. At Xie’s house, his diet was very refined—mostly steamed and stewed dishes. Old chicken soup and duck soup were skimmed of fat before being served to him. Any fishy or gamey flavors were well-handled, leaving no unpleasant smells, yet the food retained its natural taste.
This made Chi Wang often sigh that moving in with Xie was the right decision—at least he hadn’t suffered.
Seeing Chi Wang retch, Xiao Fu was stunned. He quickly reacted, picking up a piece with his chopsticks and eating it himself. “It’s not spoiled.”
Chi Wang pulled out a tissue, tore it in half to wipe his mouth, stuffed the other half into his pocket, and after wiping, said to Xiao Fu, “No, it’s just too greasy. I’m not used to eating this.”
Xiao Fu was puzzled. “These are sausages; of course they’ll be a bit oily. But even stir-fried dishes aren’t as greasy as this.”
Despite saying that, he still called the housekeeper over and asked her to stir-fry the sausages with vegetables to absorb some of the oil.
The housekeeper took the sliced sausages back to the kitchen and soon returned with a plate of stir-fried garlic sprouts with sausage.
The aroma was overwhelmingly strong but still quite greasy.
Bracing himself, Chi Wang picked up a piece. As soon as he bit into it, oil splattered out again, bringing back the nausea. But he didn’t dare spit it out, maintaining a calm expression as he chewed and swallowed.
It was indeed delicious but hard to handle.
He held his rice bowl to shield himself and struggled to finish the meal.
Xiao Fu asked him, “Are the sausages good?”
Chi Wang smiled and nodded. Xiao Fu decided, “Then take some back with you when you leave and share them with your roommates.”
Chi Wang hadn’t expected him to be so thoughtful and couldn’t help but laugh. “Alright.”
Xiao Fu said, “There’s a banquet tonight. Come with me; I’ll broaden your horizons.”
Chi Wang: “…”
I’m telling you, don’t be so controlling…
Chi Wang said, “I don’t want to go.”
Xiao Fu was perceptive and smoothly changed his approach. “Come with me; I want to tell everyone that I have a younger brother now.”
Chi Wang’s expression softened a bit. That was acceptable. He agreed readily, “Alright, I’ll go with you.”
Xiao Fu became excited and busied himself preparing an evening suit for Chi Wang.
*
Meanwhile, Xie Sichen attended a full-month banquet for his uncle’s granddaughter with Chu Qing and Xie Yunting.
He knew that their visit to see him was just a side trip.
Chu Qing said to him, “You’re still young; sit at that table.”
The 1.93-meter-tall Xie nodded calmly and took a seat in a secluded spot.
Chu Qing said to Xie Yunting, “Look at him, playing on his phone when he’s not with us. Who is he chatting with?”
Following her gaze, Xie Yunting glanced at Xie and said nothing.
Even when I’m not around, he’s on his phone—must be in the genes, Chu Qing thought.
She looked at Xie again. “He changed his clothes but didn’t change his scarf. It’s so warm indoors, and he’s still wearing it. Strange.”
Xie Yunting said nothing.
He’s wearing a scarf too—what’s the big deal?
Chu Qing glared at him. “Say something! Cat got your tongue?”
“…” Xie Yunting calmly replied, “It is a bit strange.”
Chu Qing frowned. “I feel like something’s off with him.”
That’s a mother’s intuition, Xie Yunting thought.
He said, “Yes, something’s off.”
Chu Qing couldn’t pinpoint what was wrong and temporarily let it go.
A friend came over with a smile and said, “Chu Qing, you’re here. Come this way.”
Chu Qing and Xie Yunting followed her. The friend’s daughter-in-law came out holding a chubby baby girl. Chu Qing had seen her when she was just born—her skin was reddish like a little monkey. Now, at one month old, she had grown into her features: fair skin, big eyes, long eyelashes—absolutely adorable.
Chu Qing exclaimed in delight, “What a beautiful girl! You’re so lucky.”
Her friend beamed, her face like a blooming flower. “Share some of this luck with you. Here, hold her.”
Taking the baby from her daughter-in-law, she handed her to Chu Qing. Chu Qing quickly reached out, cradling the baby in her arms, her face glowing with joy. “Oh, baby, such a beautiful baby girl.”
She was reluctant to let go. She adored children. When she had given birth to Xie, she had wanted another, but Xie Yunting couldn’t bear to see her go through it again and had a vasectomy. Xie had his father’s temperament—not talkative, independent from a young age, rarely acting spoiled, always addressing her formally. She hadn’t experienced much of the emotional joy that comes from having a child.
As a result, she transferred her affections to her friends’ children, loving every lively child she met.
She was entranced holding the baby, gazing at the fair little face, never getting enough.
Her friend knew her well and said nothing, but the daughter-in-law grew a bit anxious and stepped forward to retrieve the baby, only to be stopped by her mother’s glance.
Meanwhile, Xie Yunting stood by like a prop. He liked children too, but at his age, his heart had grown cold; he wasn’t interested in other people’s kids.
After some time, the baby seemed to grow impatient, her little nose twitching—a sign she was about to cry. Only then did Chu Qing reluctantly hand her back. Her friend asked the daughter-in-law to take the baby inside; the little one was still young and couldn’t be exposed to the wind.
She said to Chu Qing, “Don’t be envious. Your Sichen isn’t that young anymore. In a few years, you’ll have your own grandchildren. Your own are always better.”
Chu Qing smiled, “It’s still early. He doesn’t even have a partner yet; perhaps he hasn’t opened his heart.”
Her friend said, “If he hasn’t, then help him. Have you met Jiang Guangbai’s daughter? She’s truly beautiful—tall, fair-skinned. I’ve never seen such a fair girl. They’ve raised her well. Let them meet. With Sichen’s looks, he’s outstanding anywhere. The girl will surely like him.”
Chu Qing smiled, “He’s not interested right now, and I can’t force him. Young people today prefer free love. Many don’t marry and have kids until they’re thirty. I can wait, so it’s okay.”
Her friend said, “Don’t wait until my granddaughter is in elementary school and your Sichen still hasn’t settled down.”
Chu Qing just smiled.
After sitting down with Xie Yunting, Chu Qing grabbed his hand and said, “Look at her, nose in the air. I’m so jealous. Her granddaughter is so beautiful, and she’s not mine! If I’d had a daughter back then, maybe she’d look like me. Don’t they say sons resemble their mothers and daughters their fathers? But he doesn’t look like me at all. Why is it the opposite for me?”
I’m used to it, Xie Yunting thought.
Chu Qing asked, “Did you see? Such long eyelashes! Big eyes! She’s going to be a great beauty.”
Xie Yunting: “Didn’t notice.”
Chu Qing withdrew her hand sadly. “Oh, when will Sichen get married? I want to hold a baby.”
Xie Yunting: “Then urge him.”
Chu Qing glared at him, “I’ve subtly hinted, but he’s not interested. What can I do?”
Xie said, “Try pushing harder.”
Chu Qing said irritably, “It’s none of your business. Go play.”
Xie Yunting sat up straight and resumed being a background figure.
All the while, Xie Sichen, who Chu Qing kept thinking about, was still holding his phone, eyes lowered, gazing intently at the screen.
On his phone was a chat with Chi Wang, who had told him about attending a certain banquet that evening.
Coincidentally, he was also supposed to accompany his parents to that banquet tonight.
But since Chi Wang was going with Xiao Fu, he decided not to go.
Xie’s fingers slowly moved as he typed: “Don’t drink alcohol.”
Chi Wang replied: “I know. I’m just going to broaden my horizons; I won’t drink. Last time I had some fruit wine, and now I have a baby in my belly. Once bitten, twice shy.”
Xie: “…”
He didn’t dare respond.
Thank you for translating!