Chapter 35
Bai Qingyu looked up and saw He Renyuan’s expression, deciphering the young master’s micro-expression for the first time, “You really want to drink it?”
There was no soup on the table, only small dishes suitable for Cha Bao to finish in one bite, not enough soup for an adult.
He Renyuan looked at the table and said softly, almost inaudibly, “Yes.”
Bai Qingyu immediately took out the big-bellied cup with Da Hong Pao, poured it into He Renyuan’s glass, and borrowed a little milk from Cha Bao. After mixing it, it became a cup of Da Hong Pao milk tea with the flavor of a two-hundred-year-old tea tree.
Bai Qingyu unscrewed the lid. He Renyuan then noticed the Da Hong Pao – Bai Qingyu had made him a cup with the big-bellied cup before, it was two-year-old tea. As soon as the tea fragrance wafted out, He Renyuan immediately recognized that the age of the tea tree was different, it was Bai Qingyu’s tea!
He couldn’t say whether he wanted to savor the pure aroma of Da Hong Pao or try the milk tea mixed with milk more. His palms were slightly sweaty from nervousness. He wiped them on his bathrobe before taking the milk tea.
The surface of the slightly tea-colored milk tea rippled gently, inadvertently revealing his nervousness.
He had swum in the pool Bai Qingyu swam in, and now he was drinking tea made by Bai Qingyu.
Although mixed with milk, the base flavor of the tea was still as simple and pure as the tea deity himself.
“Uncle Boss, wait a moment.”
Plop, a peeled green grape rolled into the milk tea.
Plop, plop, two large pieces of pudding rolled into the milk tea.
He Renyuan calmly held the cup, watching Cha Bao add toppings, getting further and further away from the pure milk tea he wanted.
“Thank you, Cha Bao.”
Bai Xiaocha, “It’s delicious, Uncle.”
He Renyuan had to use a spoon, “Yes.”
Bai Xiaocha happily took another sip of milk, put a grape in his mouth, let the milk filter through the gap between the grape, shook it, blended it with his own tea flavor, swallowed it, and finally chewed the grape.
Bai Qingyu couldn’t help but ask for feedback, “Is it good?”
He Renyuan, “It’s delicious, the best tea, milk tea, I’ve ever had.” Seeing Cha Bao also looking at him expectantly, he quickly added the word “milk” that Cha Bao contributed.
Bai Qingyu pursed his lips. He Renyuan was so picky, saying it was delicious was a great compliment. The tea deity was willing to reward honest tea lovers, “Then what kind of tea do you like? I’ll make you a different kind next time.”
He Renyuan, “How?”
Bai Qingyu, “It’s hard for me to change my flavor, but Cha Bao can.”
“Cha Bao is young, if he stays on Huangshan for a night and absorbs the rain and dew, his flavor will change, from rock tea to Huangshan Maofeng. If you like Longjing, I can take Cha Bao to Shifeng Mountain in West Lake for two days. If you like black tea, I can take Cha Bao to Qimen County for two days…”
Bai Xiaocha, “Transform into a tea tree with Dad and be rained on!”
He Renyuan blurted out, “You went to Huangshan for me?”
Thinking about it carefully, Bai Qingyu’s trip to Huangshan was very sudden, it was the day after he helped him fight against the extortion. Every time Bai Qingyu thanked him, it was with tea.
Bai Qingyu, “Yes.”
He Renyuan thought, so the father and son had braved the wind and slept outdoors, all for him. Luckily, he caught up with them, otherwise, he would have lost the right to drink tea in this lifetime.
He wasn’t a tea deity, he couldn’t imagine Bai Qingyu and Cha Bao being rained on. He only knew that Huangshan was high and cold at night, even the worst scumbag wouldn’t let his wife and child do this for a mouthful of food.
…Although he was just an uncle, it was even more impossible for him to feel at ease.
President He, who had tasted all kinds of tea, decided to stick to his taste from now on and not let the tea deity brave the wind and rain.
“I only like—” He Renyuan was about to declare righteously when he suddenly remembered Cha Bao, who now had the aura of Huangshan Maofeng. If he said he only liked Da Hong Pao now, he would be the most despicable adult in the world.
“I like any good tea, but if you want to take Cha Bao traveling, you must take me with you.”
Bai Qingyu gave a noncommittal reply.
He Renyuan’s teeth itched.
The sun rose above the buildings, shining unobstructed into the office. As soon as Cha Bao was exposed to the sun, his eyelids started to droop.
He Renyuan suggested, “It’s still early before school starts, let Cha Bao sleep here, I’ll send him to school later.”
He realized he had made a mistake. Desensitization required constant contact with the allergen, not isolating himself and yearning all day long.
He saw Bai Qingyu today, and nothing happened, right?
Bai Qingyu agreed to leave Cha Bao here, “Then I’ll trouble you to watch him, I’ll go back first.”
He Renyuan looked at the child, then at Bai Qingyu, who was leaving decisively. He trusted him this much?
Bai Qingyu said, “Were the work uniforms you made for us very expensive?”
“Not really, not expensive.”
He Renyuan had been trying not to focus on the uniform. Hearing this, his gaze involuntarily swept from Bai Qingyu’s shoulders to his heels, feeling the discomfort that desensitization required.
It was as if he had eaten bird’s nest last time, his body covered in red and swollen hives, needing a lot of cold water.
It would be great if he could take antihistamines to alleviate his allergy to Bai Qingyu.
Bai Qingyu, “Hiring a tailor is too expensive, it’s more cost-effective to use the sewing machine myself. I’ll go back and make some summer clothes for Cha Bao.”
He Renyuan, “Okay, I’ll watch the child.”
After Bai Qingyu left, He Renyuan immediately called the housekeeper, “Let everyone relax, there’s no need to wear uniforms specifically.”
The housekeeper, “Understood.” Not really understanding.
He Renyuan hung up the phone, dragged a sofa to the sunniest spot, and carried Cha Bao over to bask in the sun.
Bai Xiaocha sensed the change in the angle of the light and automatically turned over, like a little sunflower.
He Renyuan smiled, picked up the Da Hong Pao tea that Bai Qingyu left, took it to his desk, and started working energetically.
Eating home-cooked meals, seeing his family, drinking tea as he pleased, this was the life a CEO should have.
He held the cute big-bellied cup. Luckily, he didn’t throw it away last time, but washed it and returned it.
After working for an hour, He Renyuan was about to send Cha Bao to kindergarten when his secretary suddenly called to inform him that Chairman He and his wife were coming to inspect the company.
“…” Who leaked the information?
He had forbidden his parents from meeting them before he had properly settled the father and son, but Cha Bao was here, could he still stop the chairman from coming to the company?
He decided to take the blame and let his parents misunderstand, but he had been busy recently and hadn’t figured out how to coordinate his story with Cha Bao.
This was difficult, he had to respect Bai Qingyu’s position.
There were footsteps outside. He Renyuan closed his eyes, he might as well confess.
It was almost time for kindergarten. Cha Bao woke up on time and rubbed his eyes. Whenever the angle of sunlight changed to nine o’clock in the morning, it was the little tea deity’s unique biological clock.
“Cha Bao, Uncle’s dad and mom are here, you can call them Grandpa and Grandma later.”
“It’s the Grandpa He who sent you the Manchu Han Imperial Feast.”
Bai Xiaocha, “Oh, it’s Grandpa He!”
Before leaving, He Wangzhong hesitated for a long time between “chairman attire” and “countryside grandpa attire,” because he heard that Cha Bao’s favorite grandpa was the one from the countryside.
His wife was very smart, “I suggest chef grandpa attire.”
He Wangzhong was tempted, but he also cared about his image at the company, so he wore a suit jacket over his white chef uniform. At first glance, it looked like he was wearing Tai Chi clothes underneath: the chairman came to the company after his morning exercise.
He had been in the business world for decades, and his dignified and elegant demeanor made it so that no one noticed anything wrong from the lobby to his office.
He brought carefully prepared omurice, with cheese and ham, a child’s favorite.
“Good morning, Chairman He.” A senior executive saw the food box in He Wangzhong and his wife’s hands and, thinking of President He working tirelessly for the company and not even going home these past two days, greeted him, “Are you bringing food for President He?”
He Wangzhong, “Him? No.”
The executive shook his head. Such a stubborn father.
At the door of He Renyuan’s office, He Wangzhong took off his jacket, revealing his high-end chef uniform, and carried the food box inside. As soon as he entered, he saw a delicate little grandson on the sofa, looking even more like his grandson than in the photo.
He Renyuan glanced sideways without looking up, “Wrong door.”
“Not the wrong door, I’m your dad.”
Cha Bao’s eyes lit up, “Chef Grandpa!”
This was what the chef uncles looked like on the cooking competition shows that Grandpa Deng often watched.
Hearing this address, He Wangzhong knew that today’s strategy was correct. His wife’s wisdom made him and his grandson instantly familiar with each other.
“Cha Bao, I’m Grandpa, come, this is the cheese and ham omurice Grandpa made today.”
He Renyuan glanced and sneered. His dad’s participation was zero. He touched Cha Bao’s head, “You can eat this for free.”
Bai Xiaocha took out a suitable spoon from his backpack, held it, and dug a big spoonful of omurice.
“Uncle Boss, this has both salty and sweet flavors.”
He Renyuan, “Yes, you can also mix and match a small amount.”
He Wangzhong frowned and poked He Renyuan’s shoulder. How did you regress from uncle to Uncle Boss?
He Renyuan was about to confess that this was just a friend’s son when his father couldn’t wait to ask Cha Bao, “Cha Bao, don’t you call him Uncle?”
Bai Xiaocha was busy eating, caught the keyword “uncle,” and answered like an AI baby, “Dad said Uncle is a type of dad.”
He Wangzhong and his wife looked at each other: His grandson admitted it himself! What paternity test was needed? Nothing was more valuable than this sentence!
He Renyuan, you were afraid of being exposed, so you didn’t even let him call you Uncle. Poor Cha Bao, when mentioning He Renyuan, he still subconsciously said “Dad said,” Dad said Uncle is Dad.
Shu Mei walked to the other side and saw a clear five-finger print on Cha Bao’s left cheek in disbelief.
“He Renyuan, did you hit the child?”
He Wangzhong immediately took a closer look and exploded, “You brat, you hit my grandson? I’m going to disinherit you!”
He Renyuan extended his hand and compared it to Cha Bao’s cheek.
He Wangzhong quickly protected his grandson, “You still want to hit him?”
Bai Xiaocha’s eating movements wavered slightly, but he unwaveringly put the spoon in his mouth, not dropping a single grain of rice, his attention completely focused.
He Renyuan said speechlessly, “My hand can cover his whole face, could such a small five-finger print be from me?”
He Wangzhong was suspicious, “Then who hit him?”
He Renyuan, “Cha Bao pressed his face against his hand while sleeping. Anyone who has taken care of children knows this, don’t you two know?”
He Wangzhong and Shu Mei immediately quieted down.
After a while, Shu Mei said, “Your dad and I weren’t home often, but every time we heard you call us Dad and Mom on the phone, he would secretly wipe his tears at night.”
He Wangzhong insisted, “That’s not true.”
He Renyuan was stunned. He stood up and patted his father’s shoulder, “Dad.”
He Wangzhong, “Can you say it again?”
He Renyuan, “Dad.” Ever since he had the idea of being a dad to Cha Bao, he could understand his father. Now, standing in this expensive place, being able to support two tea deities, it was all thanks to his parents’ hard work.
Even he himself, after learning about the tea deity’s identity, his first thought was to work harder to support his family, so that Cha Bao could play with a three-million-yuan spoon. But during the two days he slept in the office, he missed Bai Qingyu and Cha Bao terribly. This must be the contradiction of being a parent.
He Wangzhong, “Say it again.”
He Renyuan, “Addicted?”
He Wangzhong said meaningfully, “You don’t understand, Cha Bao doesn’t call you Dad.”
He Renyuan: “…”
He Wangzhong used a provocative method, “Do you know how touched I was when my son called me Dad?”
He Renyuan: “…” Don’t say anymore.
Shu Mei chimed in, “You’re not planning to get married, what do you need that reputation for?”
He Renyuan retorted, “Who said I’m not planning to?”
Shu Mei, “With whom? Cha Bao’s mom?”
He Renyuan: “…” No one.
