Chapter 54 part 1
The villa district faced the river, and a cool breeze carried the scent of fresh grass.
It wasn’t far from the city center and was full of lush greenery that hadn’t withered, even in winter. This was partly due to the plants being winter-hardy varieties, but also a result of meticulous care.
As they came up from the underground garage, Bai He held the bouquet of flowers. Qin Yao carried the tea brick and wine box in one hand, and the large doll for Qin Diandian in the other.
The doll was huge, and Qin Yao could barely cradle it in the crook of his right arm. He had also insisted on carrying the red roses Bai He had given him. With every step, the small bell tied to the flowers let out a clear jingle.
An older man in a tracksuit jogged past them, then looped back, falling into a light jog beside Qin Yao. “Little Qin? I haven’t seen you in ages. I heard from Old Qin that you’re starting your own business out there?”
“Long time no see, Grandpa Feng,” Qin Yao nodded to the man. “It’s not really my own business. I’m just helping CEO Qin manage a branch company.”
“Following in his father’s footsteps, that’s impressive! My kid just knows how to fool around! He’s nothing but trouble!” The man, Grandpa Feng, shifted his gaze to Bai He. “And this is?”
“This is Bai He, my boyfriend.” Qin Yao then turned to Bai He. “This is Grandpa Feng, he lives nearby.”
“Hello,” Bai He said politely, greeting Feng Kunming.
The old man, who already looked to be in high spirits, brightened even more upon hearing Bai He was Qin Yao’s boyfriend. His face glowed, his surprise genuine. “Hello, hello.”
Feng Kunming smiled and nodded at Bai He, then patted Qin Yao’s shoulder. “You’re one lucky kid!”
He then looked at Bai He with a kindly expression. “I watched Qin Yao grow up. This kid has a wonderful personality! I wish you two a long and happy life together!”
“Thank you,” Bai He replied, a little embarrassed.
Qin Yao chatted with Feng Kunming for a few more moments before they said goodbye. Once the old man was out of sight, Qin Yao spoke to Bai He. “You should know him.”
Bai He didn’t respond, just looked at him, puzzled.
Qin Yao smiled. “A few months ago, you went on a blind date with Zhou Sheng.”
The air instantly froze.
Bai He squinted, a glimmer of understanding in his eyes. Sure enough, he heard Qin Yao continue in a sour tone.
“That alpha who supposedly fell in love with you at first sight.”
Bai He stopped walking and looked up at Qin Yao. “Are you jealous?”
“Yes.”
Qin Yao smiled, looking right at Bai He.
Bai He couldn’t help but let out a small laugh and countered, “Isn’t he also your friend?”
“A friend is a friend,” Qin Yao said, leaning in. “The person I like is the person I like. You can’t mix the two.”
Bai He smiled. “Then what would it take for you to not be jealous?”
He was asking the obvious. Bai He wanted to tease the cat again. He suddenly wished he had a cat teaser wand.
Qin Yao knew it was a hook but took the bait anyway. “My hands are full. Give me a kiss.”
Bai He’s smile vanished. He reached up and patted Qin Yao’s head. “In your dreams.”
He didn’t get the kiss, but Qin Yao didn’t feel like he’d lost. Grinning, he walked beside Bai He. “Grandpa Feng is Zhou Sheng’s beta grandfather. Zhou Sheng and I grew up together; we’re pretty good friends.”
“Zhang Wenyi too?” Bai He asked.
“Zhang Wenyi was my high school and university classmate. We’re tight. He helped me a lot after I took over FREE.”
“You have a lot of friends,” Bai He remarked.
Qin Yao looked at the back of Bai He’s head. Bai He had somehow gotten a step ahead of him. From Qin Yao’s angle, Bai He’s head was slightly bowed.
“Little Bai He, my friends are your friends too.” Qin Yao hurried to get in front of Bai He, then crouched down to look up into his eyes. “Baby, don’t be down. Smile.”
Bai He was amused and let out a soft laugh.
The walk from the garage to the house wasn’t far, but the two of them had taken a very long time. They took so long that Old Mr. Qin, who was watching from the garden with his arms crossed, looked at his grandson circling Bai He with a complicated expression, a look of disdain finally creeping onto his face.
“Tell me, who does he take after?” Qin Sui frowned, directing his question at Qin Wei, who was sitting nearby looking at a tablet.
Nan Yu, holding Diandian and eating fruit, couldn’t help but laugh when he heard this.
Old Mr. Qin often asked and answered his own questions, and he was at it again.
“He’s not like you, and not like Nan Yu. And if you say he’s just a mix of you two, that doesn’t seem right either.” Qin Sui shook his head, unable to reconcile the word “fawning” with his grandson. He resigned himself to his own amusement. “But, he’s capable. He brought the person back, just as we’d hoped. In that, at least, he’s stronger than you!”
He aimed that last part at Qin Wei. Faced with his father’s words, Qin Wei remained unfazed, merely lifting his eyelids to glance at the giggling Nan Yu.
“Dad, Wei-ge is going to shut down,” Nan Yu joked.
“Let him!” Qin Sui huffed. “This sullen ox, with his cold personality… who did he even inherit that from?”
Qin Wei squinted at Nan Yu, who was shaking with laughter. He got up and walked over to stand beside him.
Nan Yu was sitting in the chair, holding Qin Diandian. From where Qin Wei stood, he could see the various marks inside Nan Yu’s high collar, left there from the night before.
Qin Wei’s mood improved. He leaned down to pick up Qin Diandian, taking the opportunity to give Nan Yu’s waist a squeeze. Nan Yu shrank away, and Qin Wei was rewarded with a coy, annoyed look.
He put Qin Diandian down to stand on her own, and the four of them finally went to greet their guests.
The moment Bai He stepped through the main gate, Qin Diandian launched herself at him, hugging his leg.
“Xiang Xiang wife, I missed you!!”
Before Bai He could react, Qin Yao came up from behind, shoved the large doll into Qin Diandian’s arms, and flicked her forehead with his free hand.
“What ‘Xiang Xiang wife’? This is your brother’s wife. Call him Brother Bai He.”
Qin Diandian, who was smaller than the doll she was now holding, stumbled back a few steps, her face peeking out over the top. Her eyes were wide with shock as she looked at Bai He. “Xiang Xiang wife, why did you have a lapse in judgment and get with Qin Yao?! This is like a beautiful flower stuck in—”
Qin Yao clamped his hand over Qin Diandian’s mouth, his smile not reaching his eyes. He let go and pinched the little girl’s chubby cheek. “What are they teaching you in kindergarten? Are you calling your brother cow dung??”
Qin Diandian blinked, immediately firing back, “You used to brag that you were worth billions.”
Qin Yao’s eyebrow twitched.
“And teacher said we should treat money like cow dung.” Qin Diandian explained with perfect seriousness. “So, I can treat you like cow dung.”
“…” Qin Yao looked up at Nan Yu. “Dad, we need to change her kindergarten.”
Nan Yu laughed. “You know Diandian has already transferred twice. This one is a good fit.”
Why did she transfer? Qin Yao cried internally. His little sister had been kicked out of her first two kindergartens for beating the strongest kid in class until they were black and blue. She was a terror.
Qin Yao patted Qin Diandian’s face. “This doll is a gift from Brother Bai He. Greet him properly.”
Qin Diandian clutched the doll and struggled to stand at attention, looking up at Bai He. “Thank you, Brother Bai He! Brother Bai He, you’re my brother now. But I’m a little sad. If you ever decide to dump my brother, you’ll still be my Xiang—mmmph…”
“Kids say the darndest things.” This time, it was Nan Yu who covered her mouth. He quickly scooped her up and passed her to Qin Wei, then turned to take both of Bai He’s hands, pulling him inside. “We’ve been waiting for you. Come in, quickly.”
Bai He paused, letting Nan Yu lead him. He was nervous but didn’t forget his manners. “Hello, Mr. Nan.”
“Hm?” Nan Yu looked back, a warm smile on his face.
“…” Bai He stalled, then corrected himself. “Brother Nan.”
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