Pei Huaiye stared at his lips.
They were slightly red and swollen, thin and soft, with a naturally upturned curve that made the sensation of kissing him vividly memorable.
“Where does it hurt?” Pei Huaiye pressed his thumb against Wu Hui’s lower lip. Applying a little pressure made the lip even redder and engorged with blood. “Do you want some ointment?”
Wu Hui parted his lips slightly. “No, Senior, please blow on it for me.”
Pei Huaiye leaned in closer. “Is blowing on it enough?”
Wu Hui’s eyes were bright and clear. “It is not enough. What do you want to do?”
Pei Huaiye caressed his lips and kissed him again.
Whenever he complained of pain, Pei Huaiye would kiss him gently. When that was not enough, he scooped Wu Hui up and placed him on his lap, sitting him down face-to-face. Wrapping his arms around Wu Hui’s waist, he continued to kiss him.
“Mm.”
As the kiss ended, Wu Hui rested his chin on Pei Huaiye’s shoulder. “Are you having an episode again?”
Pei Huaiye replied, “Yes.”
“Liar.” Wu Hui turned his head to bite Pei Huaiye’s ear. “You have not had an episode in a long time. You are just using me as treatment.”
Before Pei Huaiye could speak, Wu Hui pushed him away slightly and said in a soft, whispering tone, “But it does not matter. Whenever you need help, you can come to me. During the contract period, you can do whatever you want.”
After saying this, he lay back down and tucked his feet into the warm quilt.
Pei Huaiye stared at him intently, his eyes dark and gloomy. Wu Hui lay there for a while, and noticing that Pei Huaiye was not moving, he mumbled and patted him. “Go to sleep.”
A moment later, Pei Huaiye lay down as well. Soon, however, Wu Hui was dissatisfied again. “Why are you not holding me anymore? You do not need me, right?”
It was unclear who exactly needed whom. Pei Huaiye used to hold him every night, as it was the only way to suppress the restlessness of his body. Although it always triggered other chain reactions, it was easier to endure than not holding him at all.
He wrapped his arms around him again and let out a deep, heavy sigh. “Go to sleep.”
Wu Hui was satisfied. He found a comfortable position in Pei Huaiye’s arms and slowly drifted off to sleep. Pei Huaiye, however, remained wide awake.
During the rare three-day holiday, the two slept in. Wu Hui mainly stayed because when he woke up in the morning and found Pei Huaiye still asleep, he would just bury himself deeper into his arms and fall back asleep.
Without early morning classes, the air felt incredibly fresh.
After breakfast, Wu Hui looked at the rare sunlight outside and suggested, “The weather is good today. Senior, were you not going to take me to the strawberry garden?”
“Do you not need to study?” Pei Huaiye was busy digging out a calculus textbook for him.
Wu Hui looked serious. “The exam is in two weeks; any day is fine. But today’s strawberries must be picked today.”
Pei Huaiye followed his lead. “Fine.”
Just as they were preparing to leave for the garden, the butler walked over with a solemn expression. “Young Master, the Old Master has arrived.”
The villa belonged to Pei Huaiye, so even if people from the Pei family came, they were not easily let in. The Old Master was Pei Huaiye’s grandfather, the same person who hoped most fervently that Wen Tanyi would marry into the Pei family. His purpose for coming was likely hostile.
Wu Hui had just finished posting on his social feed: [Picking strawberries, come quickly if you want to join.]
He looked up upon hearing the butler. “Does your grandfather want to pick strawberries too?”
Pei Huaiye: “…”
“It is fine,” Wu Hui said understandingly. “We can go together; it will be lively with more people.”
The butler said tactfully, “Young Master Chu, I do not think the Old Master is here to pick strawberries.”
“Does he want to eat them pre-picked?”
“…”
There is no such thing as a free lunch without putting in the work, but Wu Hui considered the fact that the other party was an elderly man and generously suggested they could meet halfway. The Old Master would not have to do any work; they could just eat the strawberries in front of him.
Pei Huaiye’s expression remained indifferent. “Ignore him. Pretend no one is here.”
They had only returned last night, and already someone had received news and arrived. The butler agreed, but suddenly receiving another message, he said with difficulty, “However, Young Master Chu just posted on his social feed, and Miss Wen liked the post.”
Pei Huaiye immediately interrogated him, “When did you add Wen Tanyi?”
Wu Hui was busy replying to comments; everyone was energetic on days without early classes. “Oh, yesterday. What is wrong?”
The butler sighed, “Miss Wen came with the Old Master.”
It seemed this meeting was unavoidable.
Since his parents passed away, Pei Huaiye had not lived in the Pei family estate. He had moved out alone, rarely returned, and even more rarely interacted with the Pei family members, especially his biological grandfather.
Wu Hui could tell Pei Huaiye did not want to see them, but at that moment, Pei Huaiye was distracted by something else.
“Why did you add Wen Tanyi? You never add strangers. You only met once yesterday, and you added each other. Was it her idea or yours?”
Wu Hui was stunned by the barrage of questions. “If I remember correctly, she is your childhood sweetheart, not mine?”
Pei Huaiye denied it. “She is not.”
Just because they had met in childhood did not make them childhood sweethearts. That was just a title spread by outsiders.
Wu Hui understood. “Oh, I just felt we had a connection.”
Pei Huaiye did not have the chance to ask what kind of connection, as the butler had already brought them in.
The seventy-year-old Pei Old Master was still full of vigor. Leaning on his cane with a stern expression, he was accompanied by Wen Tanyi, who wore a black coat and high heels. As soon as the Old Master entered, his majestic gaze landed on Wu Hui, and he spoke coldly.
“The rumors outside about you raising a male university student turned out to be true.”
Wen Tanyi had her hands in her coat pockets, her red lips looking cold and noble. She remained aloof and indifferent.
As soon as Wu Hui saw this situation, he felt a familiar sensation from the depths of his soul. Was the next scene going to be—
“Tell me, how much money do you want to leave him?”
Jianqiu: [Woke up too early, forgot to bring sunflower seeds. Should I put on a movie for background music?]
Wu Hui: [If you dare play a movie in my head, you are done for.]
Jianqiu: [Great art; humans really do not know how to appreciate it.]
Pei Huaiye stood in front of Wu Hui, blocking the Old Master’s uncomfortable, appraising gaze. His expression was detached and cold, with a hidden warning. “If you are here to say these things, you can leave.”
The Old Master tapped his cane on the floor. He seemed ready to fly into a rage but restrained himself for some reason. “You can play with a handsome man like this privately all you want, but,” he pointed at Wen Tanyi, “the person you marry must be Tanyi.”
Pei Huaiye did not even glance at Wen Tanyi. “Butler, show them out.”
The Old Master was so angered by his stubbornness that he began to cough. “What is so good about this man? Can he give you children?”
Pei Huaiye snatched the hand warmer from Wu Hui’s hand. “Here, he gave birth to this; it is my son.”
Old Master: “?”
Wu Hui: “??”
Wen Tanyi raised an eyebrow.
Wu Hui silently snatched his hand warmer back. He had been preparing to stuff it into his clothes before he went out.
“Do not be shy,” Pei Huaiye whispered comfortingly. “Did you not admit it?”
Wu Hui remained clear-headed. “I can distinguish between losing face in front of one person and losing face in front of a whole group.”
The Old Master asked, “Have you gone mad?” He muttered, “As expected, the son of a madman is also a madman.”
Hearing this, Pei Huaiye remained emotionless. He simply looked at him with calm, dead eyes, exuding a sense of calm madness.
“You do not believe me?”
Pei Huaiye sat next to Wu Hui, one arm draped around him while the other hand stroked his stomach, as if it contained the crystallization of their love.
“The whole school saw it. He gave birth to my child. Do you want to ask them?”