Shi Yuan slept until nearly noon, waking up with a groggy mind.
He felt as if his stomach had caught a chill last night, leaving him with a slight shiver. He looked down to check—the blanket was properly covering him, and his clothes were neatly worn. Nothing seemed amiss.
But after staring at his abdomen for a while, he couldn’t shake the feeling that it looked a little rounder than it had two months ago.
He’d only skipped exercise for a little over a month, and these past few days he’d barely been able to eat, his face already looking thinner. How could his stomach still be growing? Seriously.
It was true—people couldn’t afford to slack off. Exercise couldn’t be skipped even for a day.
Shi Yuan secretly resolved to pick up his fitness routine again.
Thinking of fitness reminded Shi Yuan of Hawthorne. However, the room was empty—Hawthorne had left before dawn.
When the black Range Rover drove out of Cambridge, the sky was still veiled in a thin layer of morning mist.
The further west they went, the emptier the roads became.
Hawthorne’s destination was the Cotswolds.
When he was a child and heavy snow blocked the roads in winter, the old duke would personally take him horseback riding around the hills to return to the estate in the Cotswolds. After the spring thaw, father and son would ride leisurely along the fences.
Here, apart from him and the old duke, no other family members disturbed them.
He spent a brief but rare, peaceful childhood here. Later, he went to Eton, to Cambridge, and attended countless glittering banquets and grand halls on behalf of the old duke…
And this place had become the old duke’s personal utopia—a perfect escape after successfully passing on his responsibilities!
Hawthorne’s slender fingers rested on the steering wheel as the headlights cut through the damp white fog on the narrow country roads of the Cotswolds, slowly entering a discreet estate.
The estate gates were already open. The family crest on the gateposts flashed briefly in the headlights before Hawthorne parked in front of the main house.
The stone walls felt cold after the rain. The old butler, draped in a dark gray morning robe, waited in the entrance hall, seemingly unsurprised by his return, and simply bowed to take his coat.
“Where’s Father?” Hawthorne asked.
“His Grace, the old duke, rose at five this morning,” the butler replied gently. “He should be at the western riding grounds now.”
Hawthorne paused for a moment.
Outside the window, the sky hadn’t fully brightened, with only a faint line of pale gray-blue dawn in the distance.
He sneered.
This old widower had been indulging himself ever since passing the title to him, usually refusing to get up until the sun was high in the sky.
Today, the sun must have risen from the west for him to be out riding so early.
It didn’t take much to guess—he’d probably heard Hawthorne was coming and found an excuse to slip away and avoid him.
Hawthorne changed into a hunting jacket, mounted his horse, and rode westward.
The riding grounds were deep within the estate, the air filled with the scent of wet grass, earth, and cold mist. After crossing a vast expanse of damp grassland, Hawthorne spotted a lantern in the distance.
The old duke, wearing a worn wool coat and scuffed riding boots, was riding a dark brown old horse, slowly pacing along the fence.
Hawthorne reined in his horse outside the fence and remained silent.
The old duke glanced down at him and, after a moment, smiled. “Rare to see you driving through the night. What, missing your old man?”
“Missing your old man,” Hawthorne replied expressionlessly as he dismounted.
Father and son always spoke in Chinese.
Whether in private or in public, whenever they didn’t want others to overhear, they seamlessly switched languages.
In the early days, few people understood Chinese, so this trick worked well. But in recent years, learning Chinese has become a trend in high society, greatly diminishing its secrecy. As a result, the father and son began competing to master Chinese dialects.
Now, both Englishmen are masters of Chinese dialects!
The old duke sighed with emotion. “Since your mother passed away, I only have the chance to speak a few words of Mandarin when talking to you… I suppose it’s the same for you.”
Hawthorn smiled kindly.
The poor widowed empty-nester was still in the dark, unaware that he had the opportunity every single day.
The old duke slowly dismounted from his horse, patted the grass stains off his coat with his gloves. “You’re such a busy man. What brings you here specially? As long as it’s not to bother me about coming out of retirement, we can discuss anything.”
Hawthorn said, “I’ve found someone I love, and I’m going to marry him. I’m here to let you know.”
At the mention of Shi Yuan, Hawthorn’s expression softened unconsciously, his eyes brimming with a tenderness rarely seen.
The old duke was taken aback for a moment before slowly breaking into a smile, sizing him up. “Oh, so the iron tree has finally bloomed? You like him, but does he like you back?”
The older generation never minced their words.
Fortunately, Hawthorn was confident. “Of course.”
Shi Yuan loved him—so much that even after what had happened, he hadn’t said a word. He must have been afraid of burdening him, caring for him, thinking of him.
After all, given his status, if it were someone else, they might have shown up a few months later with a dubious pregnancy test, trying to extort money from him.
He had seen plenty of bizarre things in his circles, which only made Shi Yuan all the more precious.
“As long as you’re sure,” the old duke nodded, clasping his hands behind his back and turning eastward. He gazed at the faint outline of the manor house emerging from the morning mist, his eyes deep and thoughtful. “Since he’s my future daughter-in-law, I should offer something as a gesture. How about gifting this estate as a meeting present?”
A manor worth hundreds of millions, given away just like that, without a hint of reluctance on his face.
Of course the old widower wasn’t reluctant—he was giving away his filial son’s property!
While others relied on their parents, he relied on his child.
Still unsatisfied, the child-reliant old widower continued negotiating. “How about adding a few properties in London? Or why not throw in Buckingham Palace as well?”
That’s right—the land where the royal Buckingham Palace stands is leased from the Hawthorn family!
Such was their immense wealth.
Hawthorn was speechless. “Cheapskate.”
A few properties, and he thought he could win over the person he cherished most.
He had already made up his mind: after they married, he would split all his assets equally with Shi Yuan to make him happy.
As for a prenuptial agreement—that was out of the question. Anything that could infuriate the old-fashioned members of his family, he would gladly do.
Hawthorn retrieved a signet ring engraved with the family crest from the manor and drove back to Cambridge.
When he arrived at the dormitory, Shi Yuan was weighing himself in the living room.
“I really have gained weight!” Shi Yuan exclaimed, staring at the extra 0.5kg on the scale.
Hawthorn paused at the doorway, his gaze involuntarily drifting downward.
Shi Yuan was wearing loose pajamas, and as he bent over, the collar slipped lower, revealing the beautiful lines of his collarbone. Under the warm yellow indoor lighting, his skin looked strikingly fair.
Hearing the noise, Shi Yuan looked up and turned toward the door.
Hawthorne had deliberately taken a shower and changed into clean clothes before returning. Though he had traveled a long way, dusty and weary, he now looked as if he had just come back from the gym.
Shi Yuan’s eyes lit up. “Senior, did you go to the gym?”
Hawthorne was momentarily taken aback. Catching the faint hint of admiration in Shi Yuan’s tone, he quickly weighed his options in his mind for about three seconds before shamelessly nodding. “Mm.”
Damn, this guy really does secretly work out, and he even deliberately hides it from me! What a schemer!
Shi Yuan thought indignantly, his face flushing with anger. With reddened cheeks, he asked, “Then… are you going again this afternoon?”
He had made up his mind—he would stick to Hawthorne and secretly learn his ways.
Whatever Hawthorne trained, he would follow. With the same methodology, he refused to believe he couldn’t match Hawthorne’s results.
Hawthorne stared at the barely concealed expression on Shi Yuan’s face, feeling a subtle ripple of emotion in his heart.
If you want to see my physique, just say it outright. No need to beat around the bush.
So Hawthorne, who hadn’t originally planned to go to the gym, smoothly nodded along. “Do you want to go? How about we go together?”
Shi Yuan had been worrying about finding a suitable excuse, never expecting Hawthorne to be so perceptive and extend the invitation himself.
Suppressing his inner excitement, he stood on his tiptoes and replied in a reserved tone, “Sure, senior. Your muscles are really well-trained. It’ll be a good chance to learn from you.”
In reality, he was forcing himself to swallow his jealousy and offer this grudging praise.
After hearing this, Hawthorne nearly failed to suppress a smile, turning his head aside and coughing lightly.
Who says Chinese people are reserved? Clearly, they can be as flirtatious as little temptresses.
Shi Yuan pulled out a loose sweatshirt and put it on. He had a bit of a belly now and needed to hide it. He could no longer proudly show off his once-prized but barely visible six-pack abs—what a shame.
The two of them arrived at the gym together. Shi Yuan rolled up his sleeves, filled with determination, ready to give it his all. But as soon as he pushed open the door, the overwhelming smell nearly knocked him out.
The people in the gym were quite considerate—those who needed to had sprayed on perfume. But Shi Yuan’s sense of smell had recently become unusually sharp, like a dog’s, allowing him to detect distinct scents amidst the myriad of perfumes!
Shi Yuan felt completely off, quietly inching closer to Hawthorne and pressing himself against him, just in case he couldn’t hold back the urge to vomit later.
Hawthorne glanced down at Shi Yuan, who kept fidgeting, and took a deep breath.
Shi Yuan, who had been brimming with confidence, lasted less than two minutes in that overpowering smell. His determination completely evaporated as he plopped down in the nearby rest area, looking up at Hawthorne and saying, “Senior, you go ahead and train. I’ll just sit here for a bit.”
He silently praised his own emotional intelligence—truly touching.
He was the one who suggested coming to the gym, and now that he wasn’t training himself, he couldn’t just leave Hawthorne alone and walk away.
Completely unaware that he was sitting in the family rest area…
Hawthorne stared at Shi Yuan, who looked like a newlywed bride, his expression growing inscrutable.
Steadying himself, he couldn’t resist reaching out to ruffle Shi Yuan’s soft black hair, saying gently, “Be good and wait for me to come back.”
Shi Yuan nearly exploded!
Immediately afterward, he felt a wave of fear. Hawthorne’s sudden gentleness must be because he had given up on competing and stopped training.
What a petty man.
Good thing he gave up quickly, or his life might have been in danger.
Shi Yuan patted his chest, then naturally reached out and took Hawthorne’s jacket. “Hurry up, senior. I’ll keep an eye on your things.”
Hawthorne’s jacket carried his scent, inexplicably bringing Shi Yuan a sense of comfort. He hugged it tightly to his chest, feeling his body relax considerably.
Unbeknownst to him, in Hawthorne’s eyes, this behavior was no different from that of a real couple.
Hawthorne forced himself to steady his mind, secretly deciding to go through every exercise in the gym.
Since Shi Yuan wanted to watch, he might as well let him watch to his heart’s content.
As soon as Hawthorne left, Shi Yuan immediately opened his bag and pulled out the snacks he had prepared earlier.
Thanks to Hawthorne, once the worst of his discomfort had passed, his appetite became surprisingly good.
Shi Yuan took out bananas, energy bars, yogurt, and small cakes. He would take a whiff of Hawthorne’s jacket, then take a bite of a snack to replenish his energy… Repeating this process, he contentedly polished off most of the bag of snacks.
When Hawthorne finished his workout and returned to the rest area, Shi Yuan was still chewing with his cheeks puffed up. Seeing Hawthorne approach, he swung his legs slightly, casually picked up a remaining small cake, and naturally offered it to him: “Senior, do you want some?”
Hawthorne felt his heart melt at the sight. He leaned down, half-crouching in front of Shi Yuan, and directly bit the cake from his hand, accidentally nipping Shi Yuan’s fingertip in the process.
Shi Yuan’s fair, slender fingers brushed against Hawthorne’s lips—just for a moment, but it felt as if something had stung him, leaving a tingling, burning sensation. He quickly retracted his hand, his eyes widening slightly, a sentence stuck in his throat: “Senior, you…”
Hawthorne was amused by his reaction.
Fresh from his workout, Hawthorne’s hair was damp with a light sheen of sweat. His wheat-colored skin glowed healthily under the lights, and the athletic shorts couldn’t hide the well-defined muscles of his thighs. His ankles and feet were wrapped in sports tape, leaving a series of strikingly beautiful arch prints on the gym floor.
For some reason, Shi Yuan’s heart raced. He hurriedly averted his gaze, his face burning bright red.
The atmosphere felt a little too intimate!