Chapter 49: The Little Ghost Gets Used to Cuddling

After Song Huaichuan left, Xie Ningwan turned back and entered the room.

“Has President Song left?” When referring to him in the third person, Song Yaoyao still hadn’t gotten used to changing his words. He sat on the sofa and asked Xie Ningwan.

“He has.” Xie Ningwan said.

Upon hearing this, Song Yaoyao abandoned his previous proper and obedient sitting posture. He flopped onto the sofa, hugged the little bear doll, and rolled around once before clamoring at Xie Ningwan: “I don’t want to drink milk anymore. I want ice cream.”

Xie Ningwan was amused by this routine of his and chuckled softly. He walked over and pinched his cheek: “He’s obedient in front of his brother, but not in front of me.”

Song Yaoyao doubled down and pounced onto him, wrapping his arms around his neck: “I want ice cream.”

“Alright,” Xie Ningwan helped him finish the remaining half cup of hot milk, cleared the cups from the coffee table, and headed to the kitchen fridge. He said, “But only one box, or your stomach will hurt.”

Xie Ningwan took out a box of his favorite chocolate ice cream for him.

Song Yaoyao held the lone box of ice cream and pouted. Back when he was still a little ghost, he could eat eight boxes in one go without any stomachache, but now he couldn’t.

He bit on the ice cream spoon, leaned against the sofa backrest, and leisurely watched cartoons. His calves dangling off the edge of the sofa swayed back and forth.

Xie Ningwan washed the dishes, then sat at the other end of the sofa with his laptop and started handling work. Before long, Song Yaoyao automatically scooted over to his side, changing from leaning on the sofa to leaning on his arm.

The sofa was very wide, yet the two insisted on squeezing together.

Song Yaoyao had formed a habit of sticking close to Xie Ningwan, and Xie Ningwan, with his own intentions, didn’t remind him otherwise and let him lean against himself.

On the laptop screen, besides company matters, there were also detailed investigation materials on this incident sent over by Assistant Lei.

Xie Ningwan’s expression remained normal, but a deeper gloom had gathered in his eyes, like a storm about to break.

Song Yaoyao pillowed himself on Xie Ningwan, his eyes on the TV while his mind pondered.

This time he had been kidnapped, and the mastermind was definitely Third Uncle Xie. They thought he was Xie Ningwan’s little boyfriend and wanted to hurt Xie Ningwan by kidnapping him. But now he had been smoothly and swiftly rescued by Xie Ningwan. Was this plotline over?

Or would they still make a move on Xie Ningwan afterward?

The changes in the plot left Song Yaoyao uncertain.

Moreover, apart from this, the most important plot in the book was the truth about Xie Ningwan’s parents’ deaths coming to light, Xie Ningwan launching a counterattack, and thoroughly crushing the remaining villainous members of the Xie Family.

Xie Ningwan’s parents…

At this thought, Song Yaoyao looked up at Xie Ningwan.

The back of his head rested in the crook of Xie Ningwan’s arm, and with that slight movement, Xie Ningwan noticed and looked down at him.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Song Yaoyao shook his head, rubbed against his arm, and zoned out looking up at his sharp jawline.

The little bear pajamas Song Yaoyao wore today had an attached hood in the shape of a little bear, complete with two round ears. Xie Ningwan looked down at him, suppressing the urge to kiss his forehead, and simply reached out to ruffle his hair.

Song Yaoyao covered his forehead where the hair had been messed up, his round eyes wide in confusion.

“Watch the cartoons.” Xie Ningwan said.

Song Yaoyao adjusted to a more comfortable position on him and refocused on the cartoons.

…

By the time Xie Ningwan finished reviewing the documents, Song Yaoyao had already fallen asleep leaning against his chest.

He set down the laptop, lowered the TV volume, gently got up, supported the back of Song Yaoyao’s head, and placed a throw pillow under it. Then he took out a thin blanket and gently covered him.

Song Yaoyao stirred uncomfortably upon leaving the warm embrace. Xie Ningwan picked up the little bear doll from nearby and placed it in his arms.

Seeing Song Yaoyao settle back into steady sleep, Xie Ningwan straightened up and went outside to make a call.

He dialed the number, but no one picked up. Xie Ningwan unhurriedly dialed again. This time, after a long ring, the other side finally answered.

“Hello, Ningwan?” As soon as the call connected, a relaxed and warm voice came through. “I was in a meeting earlier and couldn’t pick up in time. Calling your Third Uncle out of the blue—what’s up?”

Hearing the feigned warmth on the other end, Xie Ningwan curled his lips into a cold smile: “Nothing much. I just wanted to ask how Third Uncle has been sleeping these past couple of days.”

There was a two-second silence on the other end, then a hearty laugh: “Of course. What’s this, suddenly concerned about your Third Uncle?”

“I should be concerned,” Xie Ningwan’s eyes turned icy as he tore off the mask of pretense. “You probably won’t sleep well from now on.”

“…” Xie Hui paused, then slowly said, “Ningwan, what do you mean by that?”

“You’ll know soon enough, Third Uncle.” Xie Ningwan said.

With things said this far, Xie Hui dropped the pretense and chuckled: “Is this about that little friend of yours?”

Xie Ningwan frowned, feeling disgusted.

“Is there some misunderstanding?” Xie Hui’s laugh carried a hint of helplessness. Suddenly, as if remembering something, he asked, “By the way, your Third Uncle is curious—when did you get involved with the Song Family?”

Xie Ningwan ignored his question and lightly tapped his phone twice with his fingers, as if counting seconds.

Xie Hui continued laughing: “President Song suddenly coming after me has left your Third Uncle quite puzzled. Is there some misunderstanding here too—”

Xie Ningwan let out a scoff, and the next second, chaotic noises erupted in the background on Xie Hui’s end.

“What are you doing? What do you think you’re doing!?” Xie Hui’s tone turned agitated and distorted.

“Xie Ningwan, what have you done?” he suddenly shouted into the phone.

Xie Ningwan chuckled lightly: “Didn’t I tell you, Third Uncle? You’ll know soon enough.”

As his words fell, another burst of piercing clamor came from the other end.

“Xie Ningwan, you brought down Xie Ming, and now you’re coming after me. Do you think you’ll have good days ahead?” Xie Hui had completely shed his earlier affable demeanor and yelled, “Your parents are gone—you’re just all alone from now on!”

“I’m going to make you taste the feeling of losing everyone important around you again! Too bad they didn’t just finish off that kid cleanly back then—”

At this point, he seemed to be restrained by someone and let out a pained cry before the call cut off.

Xie Ningwan tightened his grip on the phone, his eyes showing little satisfaction amid the roiling gloom.

The sky gradually darkened, the evening breeze cool as it brushed his face, but he felt no warmth. Only the warm yellow light from the living room villa behind him filtered through the windows.

Suddenly, a “thud” echoed from the living room. Xie Ningwan snapped out of his heavy mood and hurried back inside.

“Yaoyao?”

“Wu…” In the living room, Song Yaoyao had rolled off the sofa while turning over, tangled in the blanket. He was dazedly clutching his head and whimpering.

“Did you hurt yourself falling?” Xie Ningwan frowned, squatted in front of him, and scooped him up along with the blanket.

Song Yaoyao shook his head and rubbed his eyes: “Where did you go?”

Xie Ningwan: “Outside to take a call. Nothing important.”

The floor was carpeted, so he probably hadn’t hurt himself anywhere. Xie Ningwan placed Song Yaoyao back on the sofa, then squatted by the edge and looked at him: “Want to sleep in bed?”

Song Yaoyao, still groggy from sleep, naturally wrapped his arms around his neck and hung onto him: “Mm.”

Xie Ningwan picked him up and carried him upstairs.

Song Yaoyao’s head rested on his shoulder, his cheek buried in the crook of his neck, warm and soft.

Just before falling asleep earlier, he had thought about Xie Ningwan’s parents and connected it to the home he had just found and was about to return to. Even in his dreams, he continued mulling it over. In his haze, he hugged Xie Ningwan’s neck and suddenly said: “From now on, my home is your home.”

Just like how this villa where Xie Ningwan lived now was also his home.

Xie Ningwan’s steps paused on the stairs as he looked down at him.

Song Yaoyao’s eyes were closed; he was about to fall asleep again, completely unaware of what he had just said. His long lashes brushed against Xie Ningwan’s neck.

It was a bit ticklish.

Xie Ningwan turned his head, nuzzled his sleeping face, and planted a light kiss on his temple.

·

The matter with Third Uncle Xie Hui was something Song Yaoyao saw the next day via a push notification while playing on a tablet in Xie Ningwan’s office.

The news didn’t mention Song Yaoyao or detail the case. It only said that following the second master’s downfall, the third master was now in trouble too, and big changes were coming to the Xie Family.

Song Yaoyao scrolled through the comments, reading the various speculations and evaluations of Xie Ningwan, now in control of the Xie Family. He liked a few that praised how capable Xie Ningwan was.

“President Xie, Young Master Song.” Assistant Lei knocked and entered, carrying a cup of coffee, a cup of juice, and a plate of snacks.

Song Yaoyao set the tablet in front of himself and opened a video app, ready to enjoy the juice and snacks.

Today, Song Yaoyao had come to the company with Xie Ningwan, who watched him closely and wouldn’t let him leave the office alone—let alone go to the break room.

Song Yaoyao ate the snacks and sighed softly. He hadn’t had a chance to share them with Mop Head and Skinny Bamboo Pole, nor to let them know he was safe.

But they probably heard about his return from the staff who went to the bathroom.

Song Yaoyao ate snacks while watching the tablet. After setting down the items, Assistant Lei didn’t leave immediately. Instead, he said: “President Song is here. He’s waiting outside right now.”

“Please invite President Song in.” Xie Ningwan said.

“Yes.” Assistant Lei opened the office door and ushered Song Huaichuan inside.

“…” Upon seeing Song Huaichuan, Song Yaoyao immediately sat up straight and switched the casual short video on his tablet to an online class.

Xie Ningwan had been paying attention to him the whole time and curled his lips in a secret smile.

Song Huaichuan stepped into the office. Seeing Song Yaoyao sitting at the desk eating snacks while “studying,” his gaze softened instantly: “Yaoyao.”

“Brother.” Song Yaoyao said obediently.

Song Huaichuan chatted gently with Song Yaoyao for a bit, then turned to Xie Ningwan. Xie Ningwan stood up appropriately. The two had matters to discuss, said goodbye to Song Yaoyao, and left the office.

“President Xie and President Song have important business. I’ll stay with you.” Assistant Lei remained in the office.

“Okay.” Song Yaoyao nodded.

Song Yaoyao felt completely at ease with Assistant Lei. He swung his legs and reopened the mindless funny short videos while munching on snacks.