Chapter 81
The delighted smile on Duan Cheng’s face instantly vanished.
He stood silently at the door for a moment. The two people inside froze as well. To be honest, none of them had ever experienced anything like this before, and for a moment, no one knew how to react.
After roughly half a minute of blank silence, Duan Cheng lowered his eyes, not daring to look at them, and said numbly, “Sorry. I disturbed you.”
“Please continue.”
After saying that, he buried his head and quickly shut the door. Standing outside the little wooden house, he clutched his head and screamed silently for more than ten seconds, then shot off like an arrow.
What on earth had he just seen?!
Just now, Xiao Yu had been… had been sitting on Brother Fu’s lap, right? The kind where his legs were apart, sitting face-to-face, with an arm around his waist, right?
Can good brothers hug like that? Is that a thing?!
As Duan Cheng ran, he slapped himself across the mouth. They were obviously a couple!
Why had no one told him?!
Did his sister know?
Duan Cheng had never missed his sister as desperately as he did in this moment. Almost without looking back, he sprinted into the restaurant and rushed to the private room to find Duan Yu, who was sitting in front of her computer handling work. He cried out in a heart-rending voice, “Sis! Sis!!!”
Duan Yu was rendered somewhat speechless by his dramatic entrance. If this kid’s voice had not been loud enough for her to hear him shouting from far away, he might have actually frightened her into something serious.
She said helplessly, “What happened? What could make you scream like this? Did someone mutate into a zombie?”
Duan Cheng said, “It’s scarier than that!”
Duan Yu’s expression turned solemn. “The zombies evolved?”
Duan Cheng waved his hands repeatedly. “No, no!” He was panting so hard he could barely speak. “It’s Xiao Yu-ge and Fu, Fu…”
Duan Yu abruptly stood up. “What happened to them? Are they hurt? Or did that guest go looking for trouble with them again?”
As she spoke, she was about to walk outside. “We’re a little far from the hospital. We’ll have to drive. Is your car warmed up?” After taking two steps, she hesitated again. “But that guy probably couldn’t beat Brother Fu alone, right?”
Duan Cheng grabbed her and finally managed to catch his breath. “It’s not that! They didn’t fight! Do you know, Sis? Those two, Xiao Yu-ge and Brother Fu, they’re not brothers!”
“…” Duan Yu’s speechlessness was practically overflowing. She rolled her eyes. “Are you serious? You turned into a screaming chicken all the way from outside to this private room over this?”
He was making such a fuss over nothing.
Only an idiot would think those two were biological brothers. They did not look alike at all, okay?
Duan Cheng shouted in a breathy whisper, as if afraid the people outside would hear, “They’re in that kind of relationship!!”
Duan Yu asked, “What?”
Duan Cheng finally managed to get the words out smoothly. “The kind where they sit on each other’s lap, hug, and kiss!!!”
Shocking, right? Unexpected, right?!
Duan Yu was silent for a few seconds. “Since when did you develop the bad habit of peeping?”
Duan Cheng: Wait, what? I’m saying they’re a couple! Also, I wasn’t peeping! I walked in by accident!
Before he could shout those words out, Duan Cheng finally had a rare moment of intelligence and realized something. His eyes widened as he questioned her. “You already knew??”
Duan Yu calmly sat back down. Her gaze returned to the computer as she said evenly, “You can guess from their little movements and looks at each other. It’s not that hard, little brother.”
Huh?? Duan Cheng pointed at himself. “I didn’t see it at all. Then what am I?”
Duan Yu typed slowly and methodically on the keyboard. “Stupid.”
Meanwhile, on the other side, Jiang Qingyu was also fairly dazed in the face of this sudden situation.
After the door closed again, Duan Cheng’s running footsteps were not quiet. It seemed he had screamed all the way off.
He and Fu Jingqiu looked at each other. “Duan Cheng won’t be unable to accept this, right?”
Did this kid really not have any friends who were attracted to the same sex?
Jiang Qingyu raised a hand and covered his forehead. “I should have locked the door.”
Who could have expected Duan Cheng to just rush in? Their relationship was too good, and he had completely stopped treating them like outsiders.
Fu Jingqiu had already regained his composure. He pinched Jiang Qingyu’s nape, neither lightly nor heavily. “It’s fine. He would have found out sooner or later.”
Jiang Qingyu said with lingering fear, “Good thing we hadn’t kissed yet. Otherwise, if he couldn’t accept it, he might have fainted from fright.”
Sinful, sinful. Respect all sexual orientations.
Before climbing off Fu Jingqiu’s body, he still kissed him once. It was only a light peck, like a dragonfly touching water, and they separated quickly.
They had originally agreed to go see the little horses in the afternoon, but with Duan Cheng like this…
Just as Jiang Qingyu’s thoughts reached that point, there was a knock at the door. He figured it probably would not be Duan Cheng returning. Could it be Duan Yu?
He tentatively asked, “Who is it?”
Duan Cheng’s voice rang out. “Xiao Yu-ge, hello. You can go eat lunch now. After lunch, we’ll go see the little horses.”
Jiang Qingyu: “…”
This mental fortitude was simply invincible.
He got up and opened the door. Duan Cheng was standing outside alone, head lowered, somewhat awkwardly picking at his own hands. “Um, my sister said you can come over for lunch.”
Jiang Qingyu looked at the top of his head. “Did your sister tell you to come call us?”
Duan Cheng shuffled the tip of his shoe against the snow at the doorway, looking a bit bashful. “No. I wanted to come myself.”
Jiang Qingyu raised his brows in slight surprise. “Why?”
Duan Cheng still refused to lift his head. “My reaction just now was just because I was a little shocked. I didn’t expect it. I absolutely didn’t mean to discriminate. Don’t misunderstand.”
Jiang Qingyu smiled. “I know.”
Fu Jingqiu’s arm reached over from behind him, and he patted Duan Cheng on the shoulder. “Thank you. We’ll come over now.”
After locking the door, the three of them headed to the restaurant to eat in the private room. Walking beside Jiang Qingyu, Duan Cheng could not help sneaking glances at the two of them, trying to find the details he had overlooked before.
His sister had said something about little movements and looks. Weren’t they walking perfectly normally? Where was it? They were not holding hands either.
Jiang Qingyu had no idea what Duan Cheng was thinking at that moment. He was still amazed by Duan Cheng’s adaptability. This was too impressive. Had it even been half an hour? He had actually accepted it so calmly.
And yet he had just been screaming like a shrieking chicken.
When they entered the private room, everything was as usual. Duan Yu seemed completely unaware of what had happened earlier. Duan Cheng, on the other hand, shrank his head and stood there awkwardly, unsure whether he should sit beside Jiang Qingyu.
Leaving the seat empty would make it seem like he was deliberately discriminating! He absolutely did not mean that!
But… sitting next to a couple felt like deliberately being a third wheel. That seemed a bit tactless.
Seeing this, Duan Yu calmly directed her brother. “Sit over there. It’ll be more convenient when the dishes are served later.”
Duan Cheng said “oh” several times and hurriedly sat down. His butt had never felt as heavy as it did now. He wished he could sit down and never stand up again.
Jiang Qingyu took everything in and smiled as he sat down nearby. He did not mention the earlier incident. They finished the meal in great harmony.
Compared to the somewhat constrained Duan Cheng, Duan Yu was much more natural. At the dining table, she mentioned that she had some matters to handle in the afternoon and would let her younger brother accompany them later.
To be honest, they had arranged everything very well. Lodging, food, and entertainment were all covered. Frankly speaking, Jiang Qingyu felt like he had gained far more from making these two friends.
After a short rest, Duan Cheng fulfilled his promise and took them to see the newborn foal at the nearby horse farm.
During lunch, snow had started drifting outside. At first, it was not much, but later it grew heavier and heavier. When they went out, they had to hold umbrellas. Fortunately, there was no wind, and it was quite romantic. The three of them each wore sunglasses. Duan Cheng had one umbrella, while Fu Jingqiu and Jiang Qingyu shared one.
According to Duan Cheng, their family had a horse farm in Shanghai. His sister loved going there to ride, while he himself was not particularly interested. The family had sunk a lot of money into it, mainly to keep his sister happy. Occasionally, they rented it out to some film crews to earn a bit of pocket money. Celebrities had even borrowed the venue to take lessons there.
Although he was not interested, that did not mean he knew nothing about it. When he started introducing things, he was quite clear and organized, leaving Jiang Qingyu listening in a daze.
This was pretty good. He had gotten a free lesson.
The thing Jiang Qingyu had ridden most in the past was a little electric scooter. A lesson from this young master would normally not be something he could get even if he paid for it.
The weather was cold now, and the ground had iced over before it could be cleared. The horses were not easily allowed to run outside. If one fell and broke a leg, that would basically be the end.
Jiang Qingyu’s attention, however, was drawn to the cowshed next door. Inside, a little yellow calf had its head resting on the door as it stared at them. It had a tuft of white fur on its forehead and looked simple, honest, and adorable. He went over and touched the calf’s head. The fine fur was soft.
When the wind began to pick up, they said goodbye in time and gathered their clothes, preparing to return to the homestay. The calf’s owner looked at the weather and said a few words to them. His Mandarin was not very good and carried an accent, but Jiang Qingyu still understood.
He said a snowstorm was coming. They could not come out again.
Whether it was true or not, the current situation was indeed unsuitable for lingering outside. Fu Jingqiu carefully adjusted Jiang Qingyu’s hat and scarf, wrapped an arm around him, pressed his head down slightly, and tilted the umbrella further toward him. Forget snow; even the wind could not blow onto Jiang Qingyu’s face.
Duan Cheng followed behind. He did not walk too laboriously either. After all, the distance was not far, just a short stretch. By the time they reached the place, the wind had become so strong they could barely see the surrounding buildings.
Duan Cheng had played with them for a while and had loosened up a little. His carefree nature resurfaced again, and he grinned as he said he wanted to play games with Jiang Qingyu. Jiang Qingyu agreed, so Duan Cheng followed them back to their little wooden house. Only after stepping through the door did he belatedly remember the faint glance Fu Jingqiu had given him when he said that earlier.
Mm… it felt a little strange.
But it probably was not jealousy.
Duan Cheng guiltily comforted himself. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the two of them taking off their clothes and accessories. The moment they entered, the snow that had fallen on them melted. It was especially obvious on Fu Jingqiu.
But Fu Jingqiu was not in a hurry to deal with himself. Instead, he first helped Jiang Qingyu tidy up, then brought a towel over and carefully wiped his face, eyelashes, and brows. With a faint smile, he said, “It’s frozen here.”
Jiang Qingyu’s face was held in his hands, and he cooperatively leaned forward. “The wind was too strong. It blew into my hat. Is there any more? I keep feeling like my face is cold.”
“No.” Fu Jingqiu brushed the back of his hand against Jiang Qingyu’s cheek. “The snow melted.”
It had to be said, the scene was quite pleasing to the eye. So this was what Brother Fu was like when he was in love. It was… pretty surprising.
Only at this very moment did Duan Cheng finally gain a concrete sense that these two really were a couple.
Wait.
Duan Cheng abruptly snapped back to his senses. I’m still here, aren’t I? Were they always like this before?
Or was it because I caught them, so now that their relationship is out in the open, they’re starting to act recklessly???
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