It was a pity that Pei Xi had no interest in watching movies.

At least, he wasn’t interested right now. But in the blink of an eye, his attention was drawn to the claw machines to the side.

There was a row of new machines, and the stuffed animals inside seemed to have been replaced, full and neat.

It wasn’t time for people to get off work or for school to end, so there weren’t many people around, just a few adults catching stuffed animals with their kindergarten-age children who couldn’t even walk steadily.

He Chuzhou followed Pei Xi over, watching as he stopped in front of one of the machines and carefully observed a pink piglet inside.

It was very pink and tender, with short limbs, round eyes, and an innocent appearance that was very similar to the pink pig he had lost somewhere.

So he raised his hand and poked the glass with the tip of his index finger, pointing at the pig inside with his gaze on He Chuzhou: “Chuzhou, I want this one.”

He Chuzhou spread out his hand. There was already a considerable amount of game coins lying in it. “Want to catch it yourself? Or do you want my help?”

Pei Xi was stunned: “When did you get those?”

“Just now, ah.”

He Chuzhou’s eyebrows rose slightly: “How come I don’t even have this bit of insight into your mind?”

Pei Xi pursed his lips in a smile and grabbed a few from his hand: “I’ll give it a try.”

He had never played this before, and his technique wasn’t good. Either he couldn’t grip it, or the stuffed animal fell as soon as the claw lifted up.

Every time he put in a game coin, the result was negative.

He curled his fingers and silently retracted his hand to his side. He didn’t say anything, but his expectant eyes said it all.

He Chuzhou weighed the game coins and happily took his place: “Wait, I’ll catch it for you.”

He Chuzhou was obviously very familiar with the technique, and also had a strategy for the loose clamps.

After picking one, he began to shake the claw the first two times he grabbed it, making it fall near the exit. Then he let it be naturally shaken off the third time, and the target was successfully shipped out of the warehouse.

The piggy’s eyes were black oval glass balls, sparkling as the light shone on them.

But when Pei Xi took that piggy, his eyes were even brighter.

“Chuzhou, you’re so amazing,” he praised sincerely. “That was a brilliant catch.”

He Chuzhou never thought in his life that catching a stuffed animal would be considered “brilliant,” and was a bit dumbfounded: “You praise me too much, Classmate Xiao Pei. It wasn’t anything impressive.”

“Aiyue loved playing this when she was little, and she would roll around on the ground and refuse to leave until one was caught. If I caught a lot of them for her to coax her, she would naturally come along.”

With that said, he gave his hand over to Pei Xi: “Are you interested in learning? I’ll teach you.”

“No.” Pei Xi shook his head without hesitation. “It’s too troublesome. I have you.”

Seeing that He Chuzhou seemed stunned, he was puzzled: “I only wanted the stuffed animal, not to catch it. No matter what I want in the future, I can just ask you to help me catch it. Why should I learn it myself?”

As his words fell, the corners of He Chuzhou’s eyes moved slightly, and the unreasonable joy in his eyes practically overflowed.

“En, that’s right.”

He plucked the ear of the piglet in Pei Xi’s arms and smiled in agreement: “I’ll help you with whatever you want from now on. You can keep them wherever you want. It’s no problem if they fill an entire room.”

Pei Xi didn’t have such great ambition. He only wanted two for now. One was already in his arms, and as for the second one, he pointed to a large pink pig wearing a peaked cap next door: “I also want this.”

That one was several times bigger than the one in his hands where it hung in the window. The gameplay was to cut the string above it with scissors, and it cost ten coins per try.

He Chuzhou peered through his left eye and then his right to find a good angle, then spent twenty coins to determine the rhythm of the scissors as they stopped and moved. The third time, he made a swift move and successfully harvested the second pig of the day.

When he pulled the pig out of the slot at the bottom, he realized that it was much bigger than it had looked through the window. It was also soft and felt better than the piglet. The hat could be taken off, and the curly tail bounced.

He childishly played with it a couple of times, and just as he was about to speak, a female voice came from the side and asked him politely: “Excuse me, can you sell this one to me?”

He Chuzhou turned his head to see a young mother holding a two or three-year-old girl in her arms.

She had come earlier than them, but gained very little and couldn’t catch what she wanted.

He Chuzhou’s ease of action had drawn her attention, and seeing that he had easily caught the large pig, she couldn’t help but walk up and talk to him.

“My child likes this little pig very much.”

She gestured to the little girl in her arms and said helplessly: “But I tried several times unsuccessfully. I realize this is very presumptuous, but you can name the price. It’s fine if it’s a little more expensive.”

As she spoke, Pei Xi stood beside He Chuzhou and looked at the little girl in her arms.

Her eyes were very big and very pretty. Even though he didn’t like children, he had to admit that she was really cute.

A soft and childish piglet goes well with such a soft and childish girl, he thought.

It would be no good if He Chuzhou refused, and in any case, he still had the small one, and he might be lucky enough to get one next time…..

“Apologies, that won’t work.”

He Chuzhou’s gentle but straightforward refusal killed his thoughts in the cradle: “My family’s child also likes this pig very much.”

Although the fruits of his labor could not be handed over, his labor force could be shared.

Even though the pig was out, He Chuzhou helped her catch a small green dinosaur. Fortunately, the little girl was not too picky and liked whatever was put into her hands.

They gave a simple farewell and departed from the shopping mall to the underground garage. He Chuzhou held the large piglet in one hand and gained a lot of attention along the way.

After locating the car, he opened the backseat door and was about to stuff the piglet in, when there was a tug on his cuff. 

Turning around, he saw Pei Xi, who had been silent the whole way, standing behind him. His eyes were bright, and he looked very happy.

It seemed he was in a better mood.

He leaned against the door and asked with a smile: “What is it?”

Pei Xi didn’t relinquish his grip: “The ‘child’ you mentioned, did you mean me?”

“Is there another child who told me he likes this pig?”

He Chuzhou hissed, feigning confusion: “Why didn’t I know?”

Pei Xi knew he was being teased, and the corners of his pursed lips still curved in a particularly beautiful way: “He Chuzhou, you know I don’t like children.”

He said he didn’t like them, but his expression said the opposite. He Chuzhou didn’t get what he was saying: “So?”

“But with all my heart, I really like this feeling of your favoritism for me.”

Pei Xi whispered word by word in his unique cool voice: “So this is an exception. You can always treat me as a child.”

He Chuzhou lowered his eyes to look at him. His fingertips holding the stuffed animal curled unknowingly as something unfamiliar soared through his heart.

He suddenly felt that the Pei Xi before him looked like a child who had never eaten candy before, and of course, children never found sweets unpleasant to eat.

He happened to give him a piece and Pei Xi ate it, but instead of thinking candy was delicious, he concluded that only the candy he gave was sweet. 

Was this a good thing?

He didn’t know, and only felt a soft current running from the tip of his heart.

He wanted to correct him that in fact, all sugar was sweet, and it was unlikely that everyone would be willing to give him candy unconditionally.

…..Forget it. Exceptions were exceptions.

He couldn’t be certain of others, but he could be certain of himself. He would always give Pei Xi candy, as much as he wanted.

Besides, he quite liked this exception.

“Okay, ah.”

He smiled and pulled off the piglet’s hat, placing it on Pei Xi’s head: “I don’t really like children either, but my family’s is an exception.”

The circumference of the pig’s head was bigger than Pei Xi’s, and the brim of the hat pretty much covered his eyes.

But He Chuzhou thought he looked even cuter: “Sure enough, it looks better on you.”

Pei Xi was quiet for a second or two. He moved the hat back but didn’t take it off, silently condoning He Chuzhou’s childish behavior.

He Chuzhou smiled so hard that his eyes could hardly be seen. He helped him lift the brim of his hat, and was about to say something when there was a faint cry of a child behind them.

It was the mother and daughter from the mall just now. The little girl in her mother’s arms held the little green dinosaur and addressed him as “Gege” in a lispy voice.

Gege?

“I couldn’t.” He turned with a smile and said: “Just call me uncle.”

The little girl changed her words from “gege” to “uncle,” but her voice was still a little hard to understand.

He Chuzhou shook the piglet’s big hooves at her in response. When the child turned around and hid in her mother’s arms, he looked at the mother, only to find that the other’s eyes were currently a bit subtle.

“Your family’s little friend is so lovely.”

The other party turned her head to look at Pei Xi, then at him. As if finally understanding the implications of what he’d said in the mall, she smiled and joked: “Unlike my family’s child, who’s insensible and naughty.”

Her meaning was obvious. He Chuzhou’s eyes couldn’t help but drift to the “little friend” beside him. He immediately coughed as the corners of his mouth lowered, and he didn’t deny it like last time: “Yeah. Your family’s is also cute.”

“No, he and I are just friends.”

Two sentences left two people’s mouths, nearly overlapping.

The little girl’s mother was stupefied.

But He Chuzhou was even more stupefied than her. With a bit of disbelief in his eyes, he asked: “Xinxin?”

“We don’t have the relationship you think we do,” Pei Xi explained again. He turned to He Chuzhou for confirmation: “We’re just ordinary good friends who take care of each other, right?”

He Chuzhou: “……”

He was so stumped that he couldn’t laugh.

He gave a dry nod and continued to push the piglet into the back car seat under the woman’s complicated gaze.

Strange.

He had clearly spoken these words himself in the beginning, so why did they sound so harsh now?

*

*

He Chuzhou received a message from Ms. Chu on the way back, saying that the watch she bought him on her last trip abroad had arrived, and asked him to pick it up himself.

After parking the car at home, He Chuzhou first went to pick up the express delivery package from the mailbox outside. When he turned his head, Pei Xi had followed him at some point in time, holding the big piglet.

“Why aren’t you waiting for me inside?”

He took the stuffed animal from Pei Xi’s hands and saw that there was only one, so he said: “Don’t you want to take the smaller one back?”

Pei Xi: “I forgot. I’ll get it next time.”

That was fine. Anyway, it wouldn’t get lost in the car.

He Chuzhou took Pei Xi inside and tossed the pig on the sofa, then casually took a utility knife from the shelf to open his express delivery.

The packaging was very exquisite, but a bit complicated, not to his taste as someone who found even separately packaged cookies troublesome.

But the watch was still pretty good.

Hand-made by a world-famous master, the dial size was just right. It was low-key and elegant, let luxurious, and the details were exquisite.

He took it out and looked around. Seeing that Pei Xi was watching him with interest, he held the watch out and shook it: “Does it look good?”

Pei Xi nodded: “Looks good.”

He Chuzhou set down the box: “Hold out your hand.”

Pei Xi stretched out his left hand and felt a cold sensation on his wrist. With a click, the watch was put on his hand.

Pei Xi raised his hand to look at it, asking him: “Is this for me?”

His wrist was slim and white, with beautiful bone structure. When paired with the expensive watch, it looked even better. 

He Chuzhou was extremely satisfied: “Yes, I’m giving it to you. Wear it and play with it.”

Putting the utility knife back in place, he went to the balcony to return Ms. Chu’s call. When he returned, the TV was already on.

Pei Xi was reclined with his pig on the left side of the sofa, while He Xinxing took up the right. While watching TV, Pei Xi would raise his wrist to look at it from time to time in a movement that was somewhat childish. It seemed he really liked it.

His lips curved, and once again sent Ms Chu the feedback that “The gift is really good.” As he did so, he processed a few simple emails on his phone. When he saw that it was almost time, he put his phone down and went to the kitchen to make dinner.

He didn’t really like having other people in his home, so he never hired a live-in housekeeper.

Someone had come to clean various areas during the day, and all kinds of supplies and ingredients in the refrigerator had been replenished. There was no need to prepare anything, and he could get started right away.

Pei Xi was in a good mood today, both because of the gift and because of the piglets.

He Chuzhou made the food and put it on the table. Pei Xi was no longer looking at his watch frequently. Instead, he held the piglet head and dedicated himself to figuring out how to put the hat on it again.

A pink rubber pig, a small pig plushie, and a large pig plushie.

He wanted to ask Pei Xi why he liked pigs so much, but when the words came to his lips, he remembered the answer he received when he asked this question one day in the past and immediately swallowed them back. 

Forget it, he didn’t really want to know the answer.

After dinner, Pei Xi volunteered to walk the dog. He Chuzhou was very comfortable with the security in the community, so he put a leash on He Xingxing and handed it to him, then went to take a bath.

After spending so many days together, the relationship between Pei Xi and He Xingxing had become very harmonious. Even aside from having to get up early, he found the dog  quite interesting. 

He Xinxing liked the stray little cow-spotted cat in the neighborhood. Every time, he had to crouch by the flower bed and wait for the little cow cat to come out and play, and today was no exception.

Pei Xi waited patiently with him, checking the time every minute.

Not for the sake of looking at the time, but for the sake of looking at the watch.

Watching the time pass by on the gift He Chuzhou had given him made him incredibly pleased.

When they returned home, he removed the leash from He Xingxing’s neck. As soon as he opened the bedroom door, he heard the sound of the bathroom door closing.

He raised his head and saw that the light in the bathroom was still on, with steam filling the air. “Chuzhou?”

There was a faint response from inside.

Pei Xi asked: “Did you forget something?”

It immediately went quiet inside.

He Chuzhou looked at the soaked underwear he had accidentally dropped on the floor and felt an oncoming headache.

He had intended to go out and get another pair, but who would have thought that by some coincidence, Pei-calico would come back just then.

There was no other way: “Xinxin, help me grab a pair of, cough…..underwear from the bottom left drawer of the wardrobe.”

The sound of footsteps went from near to far outside, then from far to near. There was a knock on the door: “Chuzhou, open the door.”

He Chuzhou opened the door and stretched out a hand.

He got the underwear, but the problem was that the other party didn’t let go.

He Chuzhou: “ ? ”

He stuck out half of his head awkwardly: “What’s wrong?”

Standing at the door, Pei Xi’s gaze fell on his face first, then his neck, his distinct shoulders, and side muscles. Any further down…..was blocked by the door.

With a little disappointment in his eyes, he asked: “We really can’t bathe together?”

He Chuzhou felt ill-at-ease under his gaze. Before neatly closing the door, he didn’t forget to grab the underwear and push the other’s hand out safely. “Be good. We can do that next time.”

He thought this would make him give up, but in the next second, there was another knock on the bathroom door.

He Chuzhou took the pajamas hanging to the side and asked helplessly: “What’s wrong now?”

Pei Xi’s calm voice sounded through the door: “Can you stop putting on your clothes when you come out?”

He Chuzhou paused as he was putting on his clothes: “…..What?”

“We haven’t done it in so long that I’ve forgotten what your abs look like.”

Pei Xi frowned, saying seriously: “I want to touch them, okay?”

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Chapter 26 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 28