Chapter 39
Xu’s father looked back and was instantly pleasantly surprised. “Yanyan?”
“Why are you back at this time? Quick, quick, there’s still hot tea on the stove. Yanyan, quickly pour a cup of tea for your Lu-ge.”
Before Xu Qingyan could do anything, Xu’s mother had already handed over two cups of tea and also took out the peanuts, melon seeds, and pastries in the house, and piled them in front of the two of them.
The family was naturally happy to see each other, and there was a lot of endless talk. Lu Ze listened, and whenever the topic fell on him, he would smile and reply.
After three rounds of tea, it was already noon. Xu’s mother was busy preparing food and asked Xu Qingyan to help her. Lu Ze also knew that the mother and son had not seen each other for a long time and must have a lot to say, so he didn’t join in and just talked to Xu’s father in the main room.
He looked at Xu’s father’s legs, which were hidden under the blanket, and asked tentatively, “Uncle, your legs… are they… completely without feeling?”
Xu’s father chuckled and didn’t mind his question. He just patted his own legs and said, “Not all of them. My thighs still have some feeling, but from the knees down, they’re all numb.”
Lu Ze had a rough idea in his heart and didn’t ask anything more.
In the kitchen, Xu’s mother looked at Xu Qingyan and said strangely, “Others who go out to work don’t get fat, but you’ve gained weight.”
Xu Qingyan touched his own face. “Is it that obvious?”
Xu’s mother burst out laughing. “Why don’t you look in the mirror yourself?”
While chopping vegetables, she asked, “It seems that the master chef in the factory’s cafeteria is quite good?”
Xu Qingyan pursed his lips and smiled. “He’s indeed quite good.”
“And… Lu-ge often likes to bring me some things.”
Xu’s mother’s hand paused. “You child…” she said with some reproach. “Your Lu-ge has already taken good care of you. How can you just accept his food?”
“Mom, I know what you’re thinking,” Xu Qingyan said. “But Lu-ge… he’s not the type to mind those things.”
Xu Qingyan thought for a moment. “He just… purely wants to be good to me…” As Xu Qingyan spoke, his face couldn’t help but turn a little red. “And, I feel that always refusing is a bit hurtful.”
Xu’s mother glanced at him and smiled. “You’ve been out for a while, and your skin has gotten thicker.”
“Really,” Xu Qingyan moved closer to her and said, “and this time I got my salary, I also bought him a gift.”
He paused. “I also bought gifts for you and Dad.”
The smile on Xu’s mother’s face deepened, but she still said with reproach, “You just know how to spend money randomly. How much is your salary?”
“It’s not much, so what I bought is not anything good. Just don’t mind it,” Xu Qingyan said with a smile.
“I’m already happy enough.” As the food was put into the pot, Xu’s mother thought for a moment and then sighed, instructing her son, “No matter what, we owe Lu Ze. We can’t repay him now, but you have to remember it well and not forget it.”
Xu Qingyan’s expression became a little more serious. “Don’t worry, Mom. I won’t forget.”
He helped her pick the vegetables. “I remember.”
How could he forget such a good Lu-ge?
Xu’s mother was obviously happy today. She had been busy all morning, and there was fish, chicken, and bone soup, which was even more sumptuous than what an ordinary family would have for the New Year.
The smile on Xu’s father’s face also didn’t stop all morning. He kept telling Lu Ze to eat, and even had Xu’s mother take out the wine he had treasured, and started drinking with Lu Ze.
Xu’s father rarely had such a happy time. Xu’s mother watched from the side and didn’t stop him. It was just that Xu Qingyan said, “Dad, you should drink a little less. Lu-ge and I still have to leave in the afternoon.”
Xu’s father paused. “You’re still leaving?” He thought for a moment. “That’s right, that’s right. You still have to go back to work. Alright, I’ll drink, I’ll drink. Little Lu, you can drink as you please!”
Lu Ze smiled. “Uncle is happy today. It’s fine for me to have a few drinks with you.”
The original host used to often drink and party with his cronies. If nothing else, this body’s alcohol tolerance was not bad.
Xu’s mother also smiled from the side. “That’s right. After dinner, rest for a while. When you go back, let Yanyan carry you. Don’t look at his young age, he’s not weak.”
Lu Ze looked at Xu Qingyan, a smile in his eyes. “That won’t do. If he gets tired and doesn’t grow taller, won’t he blame me?”
Xu’s mother smiled. “What’s there to grow? He’ll be eighteen after the New Year. How can he still grow?”
Xu Qingyan was not convinced. “But some people can still grow a little at thirty.”
Xu’s mother chided him, “Yes, yes, you’ll grow. Try to grow taller than your Lu-ge. It’s best to grow to be a two-meter-tall giant!”
Xu’s father laughed heartily from the side. Xu Qingyan’s face was red and he didn’t speak, just ate his food with his head lowered.
The fish was placed in front of Lu Ze. While drinking with Xu’s father, he picked up a piece of fish and put it in his bowl. After picking out the bones, he naturally put it in Xu Qingyan’s bowl.
Xu Qingyan was stunned for a moment and looked up. Lu Ze didn’t seem to mind at all and was still talking and laughing with Xu’s father.
His eyelashes lowered, and he picked up the piece of boneless fish and ate it with great peace of mind.
After this happened several times, even Xu’s mother noticed and couldn’t help but frown. “Little Lu, you eat yourself. He’s such a big person, and you still have to help him pick out the bones?”
Lu Ze smiled at her. “It’s okay. I’m almost done eating. I’m just idle anyway.”
Xu’s mother said, “Then you don’t have to take care of him like a child, do you?” She poked Xu Qingyan again. “You too, do you usually order your Lu-ge around like this?”
Xu Qingyan blinked. He wanted to say that they didn’t eat fish often in the cafeteria, but when he saw his mother’s gaze, he wisely didn’t speak. Instead, he picked up a piece of fish himself, picked out the bones, and put it in his mother’s bowl. “Mom, you eat.”
Xu’s mother was at a loss for whether to laugh or cry for a moment. “You child…”
She looked at Lu Ze again. “You shouldn’t always spoil him like this. You’ll spoil him rotten.”
Lu Ze just smiled without speaking.
After the meal, Xu’s mother thought that he had been drinking, so she let him lie down in Xu Qingyan’s room to rest. This kind of thing was originally very common, but when Xu Qingyan thought that the person sleeping in his bed was Lu Ze, he couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable.
The bedding on the bed had just been taken out to dry in the sun at noon, and it still had the smell of the sun. Lu Ze took off his outer clothes and got into the bed. Seeing that Xu Qingyan wanted to go out, he held his hand and said, “Sleep with me for a while?”
How could Xu Qingyan be so shameless? He just said, “No, I still want to talk to my parents. I have to leave again in the afternoon.”
Hearing this, Lu Ze seemed to want to say something, but he paused and, in the end, didn’t open his mouth. He just patted his hand and said, “Go on.”
Xu Qingyan’s face was red. He only felt that Lu Ze was becoming more and more fond of touching him.
By the time he woke up, it was already past three in the afternoon. The sun had not yet set, and the air was still warm, which was a good time to set off.
Lu Ze packed his things and saw Xu’s mother tying large and small bags to the bicycle. When she saw him, she said, “I know you usually eat in the cafeteria, but these are all things that can be stored. If the cafeteria doesn’t suit your taste one day, or if you want to improve your meals, you can eat the things inside. Some sauces, pickled vegetables, and two ducks, fat ones. I’ve pickled them for you, so you don’t have to worry about them going bad. You can either cook them or make soup with them then.”
Lu Ze took a step forward. “Thank you for your trouble, Auntie.”
“What’s the trouble? You two children are outside.” Xu’s mother smiled. “Alright, I won’t keep you. It’s still warm on the road if you go back early.”
She turned sideways and watched the two children push their bikes out. Her face was a little reluctant, but she still said, “You don’t have to come back usually. It’s uncomfortable to go back and forth in this cold weather. You have to come to our house for the New Year, little Lu, okay?”
Lu Ze turned back and smiled at her. “I know, Auntie. I won’t be polite with you.”
Xu Qingyan said a few more words to his mother, then got on the back seat of the car and waved at his mother.
Xu’s mother took two steps forward and added, “It’s quite tiring to carry so many things. Little Lu, you shouldn’t spoil him. Let him ride. He can ride!”
Lu Ze just smiled and said okay. As for whether he would listen, that was another matter.
As soon as the car started, the distance between the two of them slowly increased. Because there were many things in the back, Xu Qingyan put his arms around his waist, and their bodies were inevitably very close.
Xu Qingyan was a little uncomfortable and wanted to lean back a little several times, but the road in the countryside was not smooth, and there were occasional potholes and the like, so he always couldn’t help but press forward.
He pursed his lips and pulled away again. Lu Ze suddenly reached out, held his waist, and pressed him closer. “Why are you moving around?”
Xu Qingyan’s face was red, and he said in a small voice, “I won’t move anymore.”
His two hands were tightly wrapped around his waist, and he didn’t move anymore.
By the time they got back, it was not yet dark. Xu Qingyan volunteered to let him go into the house to rest first, and he went to the kitchen to boil some hot water. There was still some chicken soup left from yesterday, so he heated it up and also heated up two steamed buns that Xu’s mother had asked him to bring. The dinner was also very satisfying.
After dinner, the two of them stayed in the west room as usual, one studying and one working.
Xu Qingyan took out his English exercise book. After finishing a test paper, he frequently looked in Lu Ze’s direction.
The young man didn’t know what he was dealing with, and his expression was focused and serious. The white light from the ceiling shone down, covering his entire person with a bright glow. His superior and straight nose cast a shadow on his lips, making his features even more three-dimensional and deep.
As Xu Qingyan looked, he couldn’t help but be lost in thought.
It wasn’t until Lu Ze looked up and called him that he came back to his senses.
“Huh?” He blinked in a daze. Lu Ze smiled. “Why are you staring at me in a daze?”
Xu Qingyan stammered, “I just… wanted to ask you a question. I don’t know if you have time?”
“I do,” Lu Ze said lazily. He dragged a chair and sat down beside him, glanced at the question, and then looked at him with a smile. “But you haven’t answered me yet. What were you in a daze about?”
Xu Qingyan pursed his lips and didn’t speak.
Lu Ze also didn’t speak and just looked at him leisurely.
After a long time, Xu Qingyan finally couldn’t stand it anymore and said shyly and angrily, “Is it okay that you’re too good-looking?”
He paused, then said with some righteousness, “It’s true. You’re a big man. Who let you be so good-looking? I don’t know how many little girls you’ve attracted.”
Lu Ze couldn’t help but laugh. “Yes, my fault.”
Xu Qingyan turned his head away, his face flushed, and he also felt that he was simply being unreasonable.
But Lu Ze slowly said in his ear, “But there really are no little girls, hmm… there is a little boy.”
Xu Qingyan turned his head and glared at him. Lu Ze casually ruffled his hair, and his whole hair instantly became messy, looking even more like a cat with its fur standing on end.
Before Xu Qingyan could get angry, he had already very naturally pulled over the book and asked him, “Where don’t you understand?”
Xu Qingyan looked at him, his face full of frustration as he pointed to a question.
Lu Ze had drunk today, and although a lot of it had dissipated, there was still a faint smell of alcohol on his clothes.
Xu Qingyan had smelled it when he was sitting on the back of his bike, and now that he was so close to him, there was a faint smell of alcohol at the tip of his nose.
He didn’t know why, but his Adam’s apple couldn’t help but bob up and down.
Half of his mind was on Lu Ze’s deep voice, and the other half was in a daze.
“Yanyan.” It wasn’t until Lu Ze suddenly called him that he looked up in a daze. “What?”
He took a moment to react. “What did you call me?”
“Yanyan?” Lu Ze tilted his head and repeated, “It sounds nice when your uncle and aunt call you that.”
Xu Qingyan didn’t know what to say for a moment. Lu Ze looked down at him and asked, “Can’t I call you that?”
The two were a little close, so close that Xu Qingyan could clearly feel the faint warmth of alcohol on his body, with a not-so-scorching temperature, which made Xu Qingyan’s head a little dizzy.
“No…” He looked down at the exercise book and said, “You can…”
There’s nothing you can’t call me…
Lu Ze then called out “Yanyan” in his ear again. The more he called, the redder Xu Qingyan’s ears became. In the end, his earlobes were almost dripping with blood. Lu Ze seemed to find it interesting, raised his hand and touched his earlobe, and said, “Why are your ears so red?” He said with a smile, “Is it from the stove again?”
Xu Qingyan was startled and almost jumped up. He glared at him and accused, “What are you touching randomly?!”
Lu Ze blinked, very innocently.
Xu Qingyan’s heart was beating so fast that his breathing was a little chaotic. He said fiercely but with a weak heart, “Don’t touch me anymore!”
A smile flashed in Lu Ze’s eyes, but his face was serious. “Okay, I won’t touch you anymore.”
Only then did Xu Qingyan sit down and swallow.
But with someone by his side, he was a little restless. This time, his mind was one hundred percent not on his studies.
He began to tidy up his desk. “I-I understand everything.” He stood up and said, “I’m a little sleepy. I’m going to get some water to wash up.”
As he spoke, before Lu Ze could open his mouth, he rushed out.
Later, when he was washing his feet, he was extremely well-behaved and didn’t dare to move at all. After washing, he got up and went to bed by himself.
Lu Ze was also afraid that he would really annoy him, so he restrained himself a lot.
When he was lying on the bed, Xu Qingyan felt that something was wrong with him, but he couldn’t say exactly what was wrong. He just buried his entire face in the bedding, leaving only his eyes exposed, looking at the dark ceiling, and forcing himself to fall asleep.
The moon was high in the sky, and the night was deep and quiet. Xu Qingyan’s breathing gradually became rapid. He suddenly opened his eyes, sat up straight, and felt the wetness underneath him. His face turned red and then white.
