Li Chu shook his head vigorously, feeling as though he had seen that scene before. However, the images flashed by so quickly that he could not see anything clearly, and when he tried to think back further, his mind went blank.
Shao Tingyue noticed his movement and asked, “What is wrong?”
Li Chu shook his head. “It is nothing. I might just be a little dizzy from being in the sun for too long.”
Shao Tingyue looked down at his fluttering eyelashes, knowing the child was not telling the truth. He slowly took a few more licks of the ice cream, covering the spots Li Chu had eaten from.
“…”
Li Chu’s face turned bright red, and he forced himself to look away. It was just an ice cream; why did Shao Tingyue look so suggestive while eating it? He felt a strange sensation in his heart, though he could not put his finger on what was wrong.
The man stared at his ears, which had turned a translucent shade of red, a faint smile flashing in his eyes.
Hong Kong’s summer was sweltering. After standing on the street corner for just this long, the ice cream had already melted halfway. Li Chu was wearing a short-sleeved shirt, while Shao Tingyue remained in his suit vest and tie, thanks to the constant 16-20°C temperature maintained in Central. People like him were rarely seen on the street, let alone eating street-stall ice cream.
Consequently, many passersby kept staring at them. Both of them were striking in appearance and well-dressed, leading people to think they were newly debuted movie stars.
Speaking of which, a talent scout had actually given Li Chu a business card, but his first reaction had been to think the man was a scammer. The time Wen Sitong was almost sent to film adult movies gave Li Chu a colored view of film companies, so he had refused without a second thought. As it turned out, the person had kept chasing after him, only to be suppressed by the bodyguards Shao Tingyue had arranged.
Li Chu did not want to film any movies. He intended to study hard and open a software company in the future! Although being transported to the 1980s was a stroke of bad luck, it was not without its benefits. He could seize the initiative and stand at the forefront of the era’s development. Then, he would achieve sudden wealth!
Shao Tingyue finished the remaining ice cream, and Li Chu felt an inexplicable sense of relief.
The ice cream truck uncle hurried over. “Gentlemen, wait! You bought the largest three-scoop cones, so I can give you a small gift. These are limited-edition stickers for our ice cream truck, and kids love them!”
He handed over a stack of pig stickers. The round, chubby little pigs were endearing; some wore chef hats, some hugged ice cream cones, and others were dancing. Li Chu’s eyes lit up, recalling that Judy had been talking about wanting pig stickers for days.
“Thank you, Uncle!”
Li Chu took them happily and said while looking at them, “Perfect! Judy has been wanting these for a long time. I will take them to school to give to her tomorrow. She will be so happy!”
Judy, Judy, it was always Judy.
Shao Tingyue had heard this name several times from Li Chu’s mouth. He pressed his eyebrows down and reached out to take the stickers from his hand.
“These are not allowed.”
Li Chu looked at him in total confusion, trying to reason with him. “Why, Second Uncle? They are just a few inexpensive stickers, and Judy really likes them.”
“I have a use for them.” The man spoke concisely and placed the stickers into his inner suit pocket.
What use could a few stickers for kids have? He could not possibly stick them on company folders. If word got out, people would say the shipping tycoon was childish. Li Chu glanced at his pocket with reluctance and pursed his lips in regret. “Fine, then I will give them to you, Second Uncle.”
Shao Tingyue’s lips curved, feeling a bit more satisfied. “Hmm, let’s go back.”
Not far away, the driver waiting in the car was already stunned. His own Second Young Master, usually in such strict and expensive suits, was actually eating ice cream on the roadside with the Young Master, and they were eating the same one! No one would believe it if he told them! If this scene were captured by a paparazzo, it would absolutely be the front-page headline of tomorrow’s gossip weekly! He had already thought of the title.
No Limits to Pampering His Nephew! The Cold-Faced Shipping Tycoon Shares a Sweet Ice Cream on the Street, Simply Sweeter Than Can Be!
…
After returning, Shao Tingyue took a picture frame, framed the pig stickers, and placed them in his study.
One day, when Liang Wei came to the Shao Mansion to deliver documents, he saw that tiny, out-of-place frame placed next to his boss’s expensive, vintage antique desk lamp. It took twelve thousand percent of his professional ethics to keep his twitching mouth corners under control. Looking at the other decorations in the study, he finally understood. Beside the large desk, a small desk had been placed at some point. There was Little Master Chu’s water cup, an open calligraphy practice book on the table, and a fountain pen identical to the boss’s.
Traces of Li Chu were everywhere in the study. A sense of inappropriate intimacy swept through Liang Wei’s mind. He recalled last month when his boss had called him to purchase a yacht and register it under Li Chu’s name. The Shao family had no shortage of ships. They owned nearly two hundred large container ships and oil tankers, not to mention various small bulk carriers. As for yachts, there were even more. There were so many different brands and models that they were impossible to count, with annual mooring fees alone costing nearly one hundred million Hong Kong dollars. An Azimut he had bought new last year was still sitting at the pier gathering dust.
Shao Tingyue saw Liang Wei daydreaming and raised his eyes coldly. “Is there anything else?”
Liang Wei collected his thoughts, lowered his eyes, and reported, “Boss, the people from the He Xing Association notified us that Wen Sitong’s boyfriend, Ken, has recently incurred another fifty thousand in gambling debts. They want to see the Shao family’s attitude.”
Greed knows no bounds, especially in the case of an unrepentant gambler.
Shao Tingyue did not even raise his brow. He signed the document neatly with his fountain pen and handed it over. “The Shao family is not a charity. Let the He Xing Association handle such matters themselves.”
This meant he was leaving it alone. Liang Wei took the document and said no more. “Understood.”
He was just about to leave when Shao Tingyue stopped him. The shipping tycoon, with his profound features, leaned back in his boss chair and spoke in a flat tone. “Remember, do not let Chu Zai know.”
Liang Wei felt a chill in his heart and nodded. “Understood.”
…
Li Chu was reading a letter on the lounge chair on the small balcony; it was sent by Shao Mingzhu from far away. She had also called Li Chu on an overseas phone. After Shao Tingyue found out, the servants were severely reprimanded, and any future calls from her would be hung up immediately. Uncle Ming could not bear to do that and quietly saved the letter to give to Li Chu.
The letter was filled with several pages of complaints, venting about the unpalatable food in the UK, the arrogant and stupid white classmates in her class, and how teaming up with them for projects was shortening her life! She also complained that the weather here was making her allergic rhinitis act up endlessly. She should have chosen to study in the US, where there was at least plenty of sunlight!
At the end of the letter, Shao Mingzhu had drawn a big heart with a colored pen: Little Chu bb! Please put in a good word with Second Brother for me and let me return to Hong Kong early. I swear that when I get back, I will definitely follow a vegetarian diet, chant Buddha’s name, cultivate my character, and never go to those chaotic parties again! This time, I have truly turned over a new leaf!
After sitting in the mountain breeze for too long, Li Chu was just about to put the letter away when he could not help but sneeze.
Shao Tingyue pushed the door open and stood there, his coldness visible even in his loungewear. He asked in a low voice, “Do you have a cold?”
Li Chu was so startled that his heart almost jumped out of his throat! He immediately hid the letter behind his back and stammered, “N-no, it was just the wind. S-Second Uncle, why don’t you knock when entering my room?”
Shao Tingyue looked at him calmly, taking in all of his panicked movements. His voice was low, yet carried an invisible pressure. “What are you hiding?”
“N-nothing.” Li Chu subconsciously denied it, thinking that he had been careless. He should have read it secretly under his blanket at night; otherwise, Sister Mingzhu might be in trouble again.
“Do not lie.”
Shao Tingyue did not like Li Chu keeping things from him, so his expression grew colder. “Article 7 of the Shao Family Rules: Everything must be told to others, especially avoiding the deception of one’s elders. Do you need me to make you copy this rule one hundred times and stick it on your headboard?”
“Second Uncle, I…” Li Chu’s face turned pale. He knew Shao Tingyue was serious, and he would really make him copy the house rules.
The child was getting better and better at acting pitiful to plead for mercy. Those beautiful peach-blossom eyes looked at you with moist longing, like a little kitten rubbing against your leg and asking to be petted. Shao Tingyue felt his heart heat up just by looking at him, his gaze landing on the boy’s collar, which had a few unbuttoned buttons. He was tall, and from this angle, he could see two flashes. Small, pink, and pert. Shao Tingyue’s breathing deepened. He was no longer just feeling heat in his heart; his body was heating up too.
“Be good, hand it over and Second Uncle won’t be angry.” The man’s Adam’s apple bobbed, his tone softening significantly.
Li Chu had no defenses against him. After thinking for a moment, he handed it over obediently. “Actually, Sister Mingzhu knows she was wrong. Second Uncle, please don’t blame her anymore, okay?”
Shao Tingyue took the letter and read it one by one, remaining silent. He then led Li Chu back to the bedroom.
Watching him remain silent, Li Chu feared that Shao Mingzhu was about to be scolded, so he carefully said, “Second Uncle, why aren’t you saying anything? You look very scary like this.”
The man’s black eyes lowered, his pupils reflecting Li Chu’s frowning face. He spoke, “Shao Mingzhu asked you to plead with me. Chu Zai, how do you intend to plead?”
Li Chu blinked, rendered speechless. Who asks someone else how they intend to plead for them?
The man was wearing dark loungewear, his posture tall and straight, radiating an oppressive aura even when relaxed. He was the top rich man in Hong Kong. Even if one wanted to plead for mercy, it was difficult to please him, because he lacked nothing in terms of wealth, status, or power.
Li Chu pursed his lips. Just as he was about to speak, Shao Tingyue interrupted him. “There is only a twelve-year difference between us. I do not need you to support me in my old age. You keep your own pocket money; I, Shao Tingyue, never take back what I have given.”
To be honest, Li Chu was a bit reluctant to give up his own small stash of savings. It was mainly because he had been poor for too long; the sense of security money brought him made him feel like a little hamster storing food for winter. He didn’t have to spend it, but he had to have it. He just hadn’t expected that the man who could be called the most excellent in all of Hong Kong would have age anxiety.
Li Chu thought for a long time but couldn’t find a way. So, he raised his head, looking at Shao Tingyue with clear, cool eyes, and simply gave up. “Then Second Uncle, what do you want? As long as I can do it, I will try my best, okay?”
Shao Tingyue seemed to have been waiting for this sentence. “As long as Chu Zai can do it, anything is fine?”
Since the words were already out, Li Chu could only bite the bullet. “Yes!”
Shao Tingyue watched him tremble slightly from nervousness and smiled very lightly, as if he had been pleased. The distance between the two closed, close enough for Li Chu to see his clear reflection in his eyes.
“Then give me a hug.”
Li Chu froze, his expression blank. A hug? Was it that simple? He suspected he had misheard.
But Shao Tingyue looked down at him, his gaze calm, not as if he were joking.
Although he did not quite understand, Li Chu still opened his arms and wrapped them around Shao Tingyue’s waist. The man had a large frame, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. Li Chu could feel the solid, tough muscles under his clothes, hard, accompanied by a strong, unavoidable masculine scent belonging to a mature man. He felt like a little accessory, completely covered by the man.
Shao Tingyue closed his eyes, and the restless desire in his flesh and blood finally found some relief. He touched Li Chu’s soft hair with his jaw, greedily sniffing the sweet scent on the boy’s body.
Li Chu felt time had slowed down. He could even feel the other person’s steady, powerful heartbeat, tapping against his eardrum through his chest. He could not help but move, his arms tightening and then relaxing. He said in a small voice, “Second Uncle, is that enough? I am a bit out of breath.”
Shao Tingyue gave a “Hmm” and gently released the person in his arms. Li Chu felt Shao Tingyue did not look very well; his thin lips were pressed into a straight line, and his jawline was also very tight, as if he were trying hard to endure something. What was wrong? Wasn’t he the one who wanted the hug?
Li Chu was about to speak when Shao Tingyue turned around abruptly and left the room without a word.
…
Behind the wall.
Shao Tingyue leaned his back against the door panel, and closing his eyes, he saw only Li Chu holding him, kissing him, and opening his mouth to let him take whatever he wanted. He took a deep breath and looked down at a certain spot.
He was hard.
…
The afternoon sun shone through the leaves, casting dappled spots of light. Li Chu sat on the swing, swaying back and forth, holding a frisbee in his hand.
“BOBO, catch!”
“Woof!” The giant Caucasian Shepherd was incredibly excited. It leaped agilely into mid-air, caught the frisbee precisely in its mouth, and then ran back, wagging its tail to claim credit. The big dog’s wet nose rubbed affectionately against Li Chu’s palm, and its big tail swept across the ground.
“Good boy.” Li Chu praised it with a smile, reaching out to rub BOBO’s fluffy big head. It looked fierce and vicious, but its mind was like that of a little baby. Li Chu remembered the first time he met it and was so scared he almost fell down; it was still quite funny to think about.
He continued to play frisbee with BOBO a few more times. Li Chu was a bit tired, but he could not handle the dog chasing him, licking and rubbing against him, its eyes full of longing.
“Last time, okay?” Li Chu scratched its chin and threw the frisbee hard. The frisbee drew an arc in the air.
Li Chu followed the frisbee with his eyes, his thoughts also drifting far away uncontrollably. He always felt Shao Tingyue was strange recently, but could not say where. Sometimes, when their eyes met by accident, there was an inexplicable sense of tension. Was nothing really happening on the night he was drugged?
Li Chu rubbed his head in frustration.
“Ooh!” BOBO gave an unsatisfied whimper. The big dog brought back the frisbee, saw him daydreaming and not looking at him, and became anxious and angry. Its two front paws stepped directly onto Li Chu’s shoulders, wanting to lick his face. BOBO was massive, and standing up, it was almost as tall as Li Chu. The impact of this pounce was not small. Li Chu already had a chaotic mind; being bumped like this, he lost his balance and fell backward!
The back of his head slammed solidly into the tree trunk behind him, making a dull sound.
Li Chu’s vision went black, and he subconsciously covered the back of his head, with physiological tears welling up. BOBO seemed to realize it had caused trouble, whimpering as it lay on the side, carefully touching his leg with its nose, its eyes full of worry.
Li Chu sat up, enduring the pain and dizziness, and some bizarre images flashed into his mind.
A dimly lit bedroom, him hugging Shao Tingyue tightly, looking up to bite his lips.
The wetness of the lips and tongues intertwined, the suffocating feeling of having his breath taken away to the extreme, and the man’s low, magnetic voice, it was simply terrifyingly real!
What was that just now? Was it a hallucination caused by hitting his head? Li Chu sat on the ground blankly, his little pale face disheveled in the wind.
It wasn’t a hallucination. It should be the memory he lost that night. He was in bed with Shao Tingyue, kissing.
Li Chu covered his mouth, and his cheeks burned instantly. “!!!”
How could this be! No, wait, was he the one drugged, or was Shao Tingyue? If he was the one forcing the kiss, didn’t that big man have the strength to push him away?
Wait a minute.
Li Chu suddenly remembered something, and the whole person fell into huge shock. Could Shao Tingyue really be gay?