Chapter 47: Being Good to You Doesn’t Need a Reason!
Chu Qing didn’t immediately understand what Chi Wang meant.
Of course, Chu Qing knew Xiao Fu; she was familiar with all the kids in that circle and naturally aware of Xiao Fu’s family situation.
Xiao Fu was an only child. If his father had produced an illegitimate child, Chu Qing doubted Xiao Fu would look upon him kindly—
But perhaps the boy in front of her was different.
Chu Qing could tell at a glance that he was inherently kind. He had helped retrieve her ring from the drain—a task he didn’t have to do. It was tricky and could easily lead to blame if it went wrong, but he still did it. Not many people would go that far.
A good child like this naturally earns affection.
Chu Qing didn’t fully grasp his relationship with Xiao Fu but found herself quite fond of Chi Wang. So she stopped dwelling on his identity and continued to ask, “How old are you? You’re still a student, right?”
Chi Wang was a bit surprised. “You can tell? I thought this outfit made me look mature today.”
Chu Qing laughed. “No matter how mature the clothes, your face gives it away. Of course I can tell.”
“Alright then,” Chi Wang conceded.
He paused before saying to Chu Qing, “Well, I’ll be off now. Goodbye, sister.”
Chu Qing was amused by him calling her “sister.” Her own son was older than him, yet he called her that—a sweet talker indeed. “Goodbye.”
Chi Wang smiled at her, took the coat from her hands without putting it on, draping it over his arm as he walked out.
As Chu Qing wiped her wet ring and put it back on, she was chatting with a waiter when she heard Chi Wang’s clear voice from outside, “Brother.”
Chu Qing paused and stepped out. She soon saw Xiao Fu, who was smiling gently at Chi Wang—a smile she had never seen before. “Were you waiting for me? How long have you been waiting?”
“Not long,” Chi Wang replied.
He glanced behind Xiao Fu. “Where’s Cousin?”
Xiao Fu’s expression darkened. “Don’t call him Cousin anymore. He lacks tact and spews nonsense.”
Chi Wang obediently said, “Oh.” Xiao Fu’s gaze shifted past him and landed on Chu Qing. He forced a smile. “Aunt Chu, you’re here too.”
Chu Qing smiled back. “Just came to have a look.”
Her eyes fell on Chi Wang. Xiao Fu immediately perked up and said to Chu Qing, “Aunt Chu, this is my brother—my biological brother—Chi Wang.”
He pulled Chi Wang over to introduce him. “Baby, say hello to Aunt Chu.”
Chi Wang: “…”
He had just called her “sister,” and now he had to call her “Aunt.” This was a bit awkward.
But since Xiao Fu insisted, he braced himself and said to Chu Qing, “Hello, Auntie.”
Looking at his obedient face, Chu Qing felt a bit surreal. He didn’t resemble Xiao Fu at all, but she didn’t press the issue and simply smiled warmly. “Hello, hello. Your brother is quite a fine young man.”
Chi Wang blushed at the compliment, and Xiao Fu looked proud, a smug smile playing at the corners of his mouth. “He’s a top student at H University—excellent grades, very promising!”
Chu Qing wondered why he was so proud but played along. “That’s impressive. I thought you were a high school student, but you’re already in college? How old are you?”
“I’m 19, counting by Chinese age. I became an adult last summer,” Chi Wang answered.
Chu Qing nodded; it matched her guess.
Having shown off, Xiao Fu was ready to leave.
Chu Qing was kind to everyone, including Xiao Fu, but because of the enmity between him and Xie Sichen, Xiao Fu wasn’t particularly close to her and didn’t wish to chat further.
Understanding his temperament, Chu Qing smiled and watched them leave. She had sharp ears and could hear Chi Wang softly complaining, “Don’t keep calling me ‘Baby.’ I’m a grown man, and when you call me that, it feels like the wine glass in my hand turns into a baby bottle.”
Xiao Fu replied, “But you can’t drink alcohol, can you?”
Chi Wang retorted, “You’re being ridiculous—answering questions I didn’t ask.”
Oh my, how adorable.
Chu Qing sensed a vibrant youthful energy in Chi Wang.
It was something her own son lacked.
If only this child were her son…
Chu Qing dared not indulge in such fanciful thoughts.
As she stood there smiling, watching them leave, a figure emerged from the restroom, limping slightly. In a pitiful voice, he called out, “Auntie Qing.”
Chu Qing turned to see Xiao Chengfeng with a bruised nose and swollen face, his clothes soaking wet—a sorry sight.
Chu Qing: “…”
No need to guess; this was definitely Xiao Fu’s doing.
She asked, “Did you provoke your brother?”
Xiao Chengfeng’s eyes reddened as he choked up. “He beat me up like this for a so-called brother he barely knows, just because I said a few things about Chi Wang.”
Chu Qing looked at him calmly. “What did you say to make him react so strongly?”
Xiao Chengfeng’s gaze shifted, and he mumbled, “I didn’t say much. I was just worried he’d go down the wrong path.”
Despite Xiao Fu’s ruthless beating, Xiao Chengfeng didn’t blame him. If ancient kings could light warning beacons to amuse a beauty, why couldn’t a male temptress deceive his brother completely?
He felt aggrieved but didn’t want Chu Qing to misunderstand his brother.
Chu Qing was good-natured but not naive. She knew exactly what Xiao Chengfeng was insinuating. She smiled faintly and said, “Trouble comes from the mouth. Your brother is doing this for your own good. You’re old enough to know better, yet he’s still willing to teach you how to behave.”
With that, she adjusted her shawl and turned to leave, not wanting to engage further.
Xiao Chengfeng’s eyes widened, feeling as if he had just been reprimanded.
*
This banquet was essentially a networking event, happening once or twice a month—Xiao Fu was tired of them.
Only heaven knew how exhausting it was for him to maintain a pleasant demeanor while chatting with these people—all for the sake of work.
Recently, he had lost tens of millions in his rivalry with Xie Sichen. It wasn’t a small amount, and the board had significant concerns. Xiao Fu had no choice but to double down on his efforts.
Though he was in a foul mood, he felt rejuvenated by recent happy events. Now that he had a family, he felt responsible for supporting it and needed to earn more money.
He owned several properties, but none were particularly valuable—mostly second-hand homes he’d bought because they were cheaper.
He could live in second-hand houses, but Chi Wang shouldn’t have to.
He wanted to build a solid foundation for Chi Wang; he deserved the best.
Thinking of these things, Xiao Fu felt genuinely happy, as if his life finally had purpose.
Truly joyful.
Chi Wang glanced at Xiao Fu and, seeing the smile on his face, felt a bit uneasy. Breaking the silence, he asked, “Brother, why do you have a hole near the corner of your mouth?”
Xiao Fu snapped back to reality and touched the spot. “It’s from a lip piercing.”
Chi Wang asked, “Doesn’t water leak out when you hold it in your mouth?”
Xiao Fu: “…”
He picked up a bottle of mineral water from under the car seat and demonstrated by taking a mouthful—no leakage.
Watching him, Chi Wang said seriously, “Could you maybe stop piercing your face? It must hurt, and when the wind blows, doesn’t your mouth get cold?”
Xiao Fu’s eyes softened, his heart warming. “Alright, I won’t pierce anything else.”
Being cared for felt really good.
He stuck out his tongue to show Chi Wang his tongue piercing. “It doesn’t hurt on my face, but the one on my tongue did.”
Chi Wang stared at the round silver stud on his tongue, his eyes wide. “…”
You’re quite the rebel, aren’t you?
Chi Wang said, “Could you stop wearing it? You should take better care of yourself. There’s wisdom in ‘Your body is a gift from your parents.’ Seeing all these piercings makes me worry.”
Xiao Fu laughed. “Okay, I won’t wear them anymore. They’re annoying anyway. The one on my tongue always feels like a mild electric shock. I’ll take it out when we get back.”
Feeling a bit embarrassed, Chi Wang said, “It does look cool, but it seems really painful. I hope you’ll be kinder to yourself.”
Chi Wang felt that he and Xiao Fu were fundamentally different in some ways. Xiao Fu seemed to have a self-destructive streak. Most people wouldn’t have the courage to pierce themselves so much; it was terrifying.
Moved by Chi Wang’s concern, Xiao Fu readily agreed.
That night, sleeping in the bedroom Xiao Fu had prepared for him, Chi Wang felt an indescribable emotion.
Although Xiao Fu treated him well, he still preferred being at Xie’s place.
Could he be attached to a particular bed? That didn’t seem right.
Maybe it was because they hadn’t spent enough time together. He hadn’t slept well the first time he stayed at Xie’s place either.
Plus, the bedroom was too big and empty, which made him feel unsettled.
He took out his phone, his fingers instinctively opening his chat with Xie.
Xie had been quiet all evening, not saying a word.
Chi Wang slowly typed, asking Xie, [Is everything okay at home? Cat peeking emoji]
Seeing Chi Wang’s message, the coldness in Xie’s eyes melted away. He quickly typed back, [Everything’s fine.]
Chi Wang asked, [Do you believe in Buddhism?]
Xie replied, [No.]
Chi Wang was puzzled. [Then why is your phone wallpaper a Buddhist scripture?]
Xie: “…”
[That’s a random wallpaper.]
[Oh, I thought you were a Buddhist and was planning to make you a prayer bead bracelet,] Chi Wang said.
“…” Xie reconsidered. [I occasionally believe.]
Chi Wang was skeptical. [Is that even a thing—believing occasionally?]
After a moment of silence, Xie admitted, [I want the prayer bead bracelet you’re making.]
Chi Wang chuckled. [Alright then, I’ll make one for you. Trust me; I’m quite the craftsman.]
Xie asked, [Why did you suddenly think of giving me one?]
Chi Wang couldn’t tell him the truth—that Xiao Fu was superstitious and wore a prayer bead bracelet. He had thought of making one for Xiao Fu to reciprocate the gift of the suit.
Even though they were brothers, Chi Wang didn’t want to accept things from Xiao Fu without giving back.
He wanted to contribute, even if it wasn’t equal.
When he had this thought, he remembered Xie’s phone wallpaper featuring Buddhist scriptures. Given Xie’s cool demeanor, it matched the online stereotype of a ‘Buddhist youth from Beijing.’ So he casually asked.
But he decided not to reveal all that.
So Chi Wang said confidently, [I just felt like giving you something. Do I need a reason? Being good to someone doesn’t require a reason! ?(° . °)]
Xie: “…”
Xie replied, [Thank you.]
Chi Wang said, [No need to thank me, oh enlightened one from Beijing.]
Xie: [?]
