The bedroom door was not tightly closed.

When He Xingxing ran in with his little cartoon bowl clattering in his mouth, Pei Xi was sitting in bed, scrolling through his phone.

He Chuzhou had sent him his return flight number very early, and specifically told him that if he wanted to pick him up at the airport, to contact the driver in advance instead of getting a taxi alone.

The newly-built airport was too big. If one wasn’t familiar with it, it was easy to get lost and be unable to distinguish the entrance.

He was supposed to arrive at four in the afternoon, but it was currently before ten in the morning. There were still more than six hours left, so there was no rush.

Therefore, he sent He Chuzhou a reply, as well as a message to the number stored in his phone, asking the driver to pick him up to go to the airport.

Afterwards, he simply tidied up for a while, changed He Xingxing’s food and water, and went to the kitchen in his house clothes.

After several previous trials and errors, he was able to make presentable-looking cookies. They had tasted good when he tried them last time, and their appearance was just barely acceptable.

The point was that he’d made them with his own hands. He knew that no matter what, He Chuzhou would like them.

In a good mood, he stirred the butter in according to the steps he knew by heart, sifted in the egg yolk powder, mixed it with low-gluten flour and kneaded it into dough, then divided them into small pieces and put them in the oven. He set the time and waited for the timer to sound—

Why didn’t it work?

He looked at the broken, shapeless cookies that exuded a faint burnt smell, wondering which step had gone wrong.

But it wasn’t a big problem. He quickly felt relieved.

He would just do it again.

He Chuzhou’s plane didn’t arrive until four o’clock, so he had plenty of time.

At the same time in a different country, He Chuzhou was counting the gifts and preparing them to be shipped.

He had bought so many that all kinds of bags and packages were piled up in the living room, leaving Yu Ji with almost nowhere to go when he came through the door.

“You prepared so much for someone?”

Yun Ji was dumbfounded: “Did the partners’ staff not think you were troublesome?”

He Chuzhou didn’t lift his head: “Before I left, they said they would be happy to continue offering their services to me next time.”

Yun Ji: “Did you pay them for their hard work?”

He Chuzhou: “En.”

Yun Ji: “How much?”

He Chuzhou thought for a couple of seconds, then said casually: “Around half your monthly salary.”

Yun Ji: “ ? ”

Yun Ji: “ ? ? ? ”

Yun Ji: “ ? ? ? ? ? ”

Yun Ji: “Hello? May I ask how cheap I am as a person?”

“These, these, and these.”

He Chuzhou briefly gestured with the hand holding a pen: “Help me pack these in the white suitcase, and the others in the black and blue ones.”

Yun Ji rolled his eyes: “You help yourself.”

He Chuzhou: “I’ll give you twice the year-end bonus. It’ll come out of my own pocket, not the finance department.”

Yun Ji perked up and said: “You got it, brother! How should I pack them? In different categories according to size?”

Money makes the world go round, and could also make a cousin work hard without complaint.

After transporting the several cases of gifts to the airport and checking them in, Yun Ji clapped his hands and turned to He Chuzhou: “My auntie didn’t make a two-meter-long list for you this time, did she? This is so much.”

He Chuzhou: “It’s not all for your auntie.”

Yun Ji: “Some is for Aiyue?”

He Chuzhou: “En, maybe one or two things.”

Yun Ji: “Just one or two? Then who did you get those one or two cases for? Are you a purchasing agent?”

“Children shouldn’t talk so much about adult matters.”

He Chuzhou had his head lowered to reply to a message. It was unknown who he was chatting with, but his eyebrows were raised and his face was filled with delight.

Yun Ji’s face twisted up in disgust, but he couldn’t help but move closer in curiosity: “So you really have someone, Cousin? Who is it? Is it Pei Xi? Do my auntie and the others know about it too?”

“I told you, kid, don’t ask any more questions.”

He Chuzhou placed his hand on the other’s forehead and ruthlessly pushed him away. He said with a proud air of complacency: “Don’t talk nonsense in front of your auntie, or you won’t get your year-end double hush money.”

There was a question mark above Yun Ji’s head: “Isn’t that my labor fee? How did it become hush money???”

“Same thing.” In a good mood, He Chuzhou put away his phone. “We capitalists simply have the virtue of vampires. Get used to it.”

After nearly six hours of flight time, the moment He Chuzhou took out his luggage, he immediately caught sight of the figure he had longed for so much among the people passing by.

Pei-calico had dressed like a university student today.

Wearing a white sweatshirt, jeans, sneakers, complementing his handsome little face, he stood there like the very best attractive green onion. Anyone passing by would take a second look.

But he was different.

Not only could he look, but he could also take this person home and sleep with him at night.

He felt proud as hell just thinking about it.

He couldn’t wait to go over and give him a comforting hug after such a long separation. Before his brisk steps had covered two meters, he was interrupted by an inopportune sound next to his ear.

“Pei Xi? President Pei? I was right?”

Yun Ji covered his mouth and lowered his voice, a look of gossiping and watching the fun plastered to his face: “He’s here to pick you up, Cousin! You still haven’t admitted it, but you’re having a love affair!”

Yun Ji: “This is great, ah, you’ve actually gotten to this point. Can this be considered an ordinary  guy catching a beauty? It’s so inspirational, even though I don’t understand it. The world joins in jubilation, men silent and women weeping.”

“Tsk, how did I forget you were here?”

He Chuzhou took Yun Ji’s hand and thrust the cart full of luggage into it: “Go load the suitcases into the car with the driver, and tell him to wait for me at the door. You can leave first since you have nothing to do.”

Yun Ji: “ ? ”

Yun Ji: “I just…..”

He Chuzhou: “I’ll triple the amount.”

“……”

“Damn it! I give in, I give in! Why can’t I resist the temptation of money!”

Yun Ji walking out, cursing. As he went, he looked back to sneak a peek—

The hell? Where did they go???

In a corner near a side passage were the missing people. Pei Xi had pulled He Chuzhou over here and hugged him hard.

After a brief separation, the hollowness temporarily filled by longing was made solid and whole. The corners of He Chuzhou’s mouth practically lifted up to the sun.

“Did you miss me, ah?”

He smiled, grasping the back of Pei Xi’s neck. Men sometimes liked to ask questions they already knew the answer to.

Pei Xi answered honestly in his ear: “I missed you. I baked cookies for you. You can eat them when we go back.”

Speaking of baking cookies, a certain person had a small score to settle.

He Chuzhou pulled Pei Xi’s head away from his shoulder and raised his eyebrows: “Aren’t you going to tell me that I disturbed you while you were baking?”

Pei Xi said: “I don’t mind being disturbed.”

He Chuzhou felt sour: “You didn’t like me talking so much and told me not to disturb you.”

Pei Xi said seriously: “But if I didn’t find something to do, I would miss you all the time.”

He Chuzhou’s eyes glimmered.

Pei Xi added: “I didn’t want you to be distracted and worried about me while on your business trip. Always thinking about hurrying back would delay your work.”

Classmate Xiao Pei was so considerate and sensible, so sweet and coaxing. What else could he say?

He couldn’t say that even though he’d ignored him, he was still eager to return home, right?

However, there was one thing that needed correction: “In your eyes, am I someone so obsessed with love that I don’t even care about work?”

“Of course not.”

Pei Xi pursed his lips in a smile. He held He Chuzhou’s face and made him lower his head, nuzzling very slightly against his forehead and the tip of his nose: “You are the most amazing person.”

“Welcome home, Gege.”

It was no exaggeration to say that at this moment, He Chuzhou felt as if ten thousand pop rocks were spinning and jumping on the tip of his heart. They crackled and popped, and even the powdered sugar glowed with all the colors of the rainbow.

He no longer thought about how good it sounded, nor did he think about how to trick this person into calling him that again. He only wanted to bring him home, throw him on the bed, and lick him from top to bottom.

Gift boxes big and small were poured out and piled on the living room carpet, each one with a different colored delicate, romantic ribbon tied in a bow.

Two people sat cross-legged on the floor, knees touching. One was carefully opening gifts, while one was happily eating cookies from a plate.

They were a bit hard.

And a little salty.

But it didn’t matter. They were still delicious.

Every time Pei-calico opened a gift, he would turn his head and give him a kiss on the face. It made him a little, ahem, a little overwhelmed.

It was just that, when he brought these gifts back, he hadn’t expected this kind of thank-you.

Pei-calico’s mouth is so soft…..(chew, chew, chew)

Pei-calico smells so good….. (chew, chew, chew)

His kisses are going to get him hot…..(chew, chew, chew)

Tsk, keep it together, He Chuzhou (chew, chew, chew)

You have to go step by step (chew, chew, chew)

If you can’t keep it together, don’t take advantage, just get out of here (chew, chew, chew)

No way, too tired from the business trip. Must sit down for a little longer (chew, chew, chew)

…..Pei-calico’s mouth is so soft (chew, chew, chew)

He looked at the small pile of unopened gifts in front of Pei Xi and sighed with regret. Setting down the cookies, he took his cell phone and went to the study.

“Mom, did you receive the gift?” The video screen popped up. He opened the study door ajar, walked behind the computer desk, and pulled out the chair.

Mrs. Chu was sitting in a dignified manner on a sofa, wearing a green cheongsam and a white fur shawl as she elegantly unboxed a light-hued, palm-sized gift box. “En.”

He Chuzhou sat down: “How is it?”

From this angle, he could just see the slim figure sitting alone on the living room floor, concentrating on opening gifts.

Such was Pei-calico. Even his back was cute.

Mrs. Chu took out a string of white pearls, round and translucent, from the gift box, looking at them over and over with satisfaction: “Not bad.”

He Chuzhou: “As long as you like it. There should also be a bracelet in a black box.”

Chu Yuelan raised her eyebrows: “There should be? Did you not pick them out yourself?”

He Chuzhou spread his hands helplessly: “When your son heads off, he needs to be led around by someone, and he certainly doesn’t know any local specialties. How can he rely on the local people?”

Chu Yuelan gave it some thought. This was true. She then took a bracelet made of green jade and sandalwood and showed it to the camera: “Your dad bought this for me on our anniversary. What do you think?”

He Chuzhou praised: “Beautiful, ah. The old man is still such a romantic even at this age.”

Chu Yuelan set the bracelet down and commented pertinently: “En, it’s a good thing you didn’t pick things out yourself. Remember to ask the locals next time, okay?”

He Chuzhou: “……”

“Hahahahahahaha!”

The rich laughter of a middle-aged man echoed outside the screen, coming from the old man who’d given her the beaded bracelet.

Soon after, He Aiyue’s head popped over and she blew him a fierce kiss: “Ge, I like the gift you got me so much! Love you, love you, muah, muah muah! I’ve decided that I won’t bad-mouth you to Mom for the next month!”

The corners of He Chuzhou’s mouth twitched speechlessly: “Thank you so much.”

“Aiya, you’re welcome, you’re welcome~”

The young girl happily withdrew and resumed tinkering with her gift.

Chu Yuelan slowly opened the bracelet box, and suddenly remembered something: “By the way, Chuzhou, your dad wants you to send him a couple of books when you have time.”

He Chuzhou: “Books? Aren’t there a lot at home?”

Chu Yuelan glanced fleetingly to the side: “You have a mouth, come say it yourself.”

In the next second, there was another face on the screen.

He Jiangchuan’s temples had gone grey, but he still had a spry temperament, and the brilliance of his youth could be vaguely seen. When such a good-natured person smiled, every wrinkle on his face seemed to be filled with joy.

“I’ve read almost all of the ones we have at home. Last time I went to your place, I saw some interesting books. I don’t remember the titles, but the covers were red and the characters were gilded.”

“I was polite. I saw something interesting and didn’t just take it away.”

He Chuzhou stood up and immediately glanced at the red-covered books on the bookshelf. He took two books and raised them toward the camera: “These ones?”

He Jiangchuan took stock and shook his head: “No, they were thicker than those.”

He Chuzhou stuffed the books back into their original spots and continued to search.

Suddenly, he heard the door click. As soon as he turned around, a figure rushed toward him and hugged his neck. 

Pei Xi wasn’t as tall as him, so he had to stand on his tiptoes as he kissed him loudly on the forehead. In a rare show of emotion, a smile spread across his features.

“I’m done.”

“I like everything very much. Thank you, Gege.”

He Chuzhou’s mind went blank for half a second. He sucked in a deep breath.

Then, not daring to breathe, he turned his head and looked at the cell phone propped up on his desk.

Three faces were squeezed into the small screen, all with varying expressions.

There was a rare crack in Mrs. Chu’s unshakable elegance. Old Man He was profoundly shocked.

He Aiyue’s reaction was the biggest. Her eyes widened like copper bells, her mouth gaping wide enough to hold an egg.

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Chapter 39 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 41