Even though he was bundled up like a little dumpling, he still stubbornly stuck out his left hand with his thumb bent down, the sign for “thank you.”
Cheng Shenzhi watched him, feeling a mixture of fond helplessness. “How many times have you thanked me tonight?”
Hiiragi Yu hesitated for a moment before tentatively holding up three fingers.
Cheng Shenzhi chuckled at the boy’s bewildered expression. He wanted nothing more than to reach out and rub his cheek or hair, but he restrained himself, letting his expression settle into something more serious.
Keenly sensing the shift in mood, Hiiragi Yu sat up straighter, looking at Cheng Shenzhi with a trace of unease.
Cheng Shenzhi recalled the scene he had witnessed when he kicked open the door, as well as Pan Youzhi lurking downstairs. He had recently learned that the Pan family’s finances were in trouble, which was likely the root cause of Hiiragi Yu’s recent troubles.
But Hiiragi Yu is only eighteen.
Softening his tone, Cheng Shenzhi asked, “What are your plans now? Are you going back home, or going back with him?”
If Hiiragi Yu chose the former, Cheng Shenzhi would discreetly exert pressure on Pan Youzhi to ensure he never dared pull a stunt like this again. As for Pan Wang… should he be beaten up, or should Pan Youzhi throw him out himself?
Hiiragi Yu immediately understood what he meant. His eyelashes trembled as he lowered his eyes, pointing to Cheng Shenzhi’s phone. He hesitated slightly, a phone was a deeply private object, and the man in front of him seemed to value his privacy immensely.
Before he could overthink it, the unlocked phone was handed over to him.
Hiiragi Yu stole a glance at Cheng Shenzhi’s expression before taking it. He angled his body so Cheng Shenzhi could easily see the screen, then carefully typed out his plans word by word in the memo app.
Cheng Shenzhi looked down, watching him lay out his future in meticulous detail.
I’m going to take a break from school.
The very first sentence caught Cheng Shenzhi off guard. Yet, as he read on, it was clear this was no spur of the moment impulse.
Hiiragi Yu typed quickly and logically. I’m taking my sister with me.
He typed out the name of a city Cheng Shenzhi recognized, a modest southern town. It wasn’t economically developed, but it was affordable and boasted decent educational resources.
I’ve researched it. The climate there is mild, so I won’t fall sick as easily. I’ve worked as a teaching assistant before, if I can’t find a similar job, I can work as a waiter or on a construction site. Between the money my mother left us and the local assistance policies, especially for orphans, we’ll make it work.
Hiiragi Yu paused after typing the last word, his eyes dimming for a brief second. But he quickly rallied himself.
I’m her older brother. I can definitely raise my sister.
Cheng Shenzhi couldn’t bear to keep reading. “What about your uncle?”
Uncle?
Hiiragi Yu hadn’t even considered that option. He paused, typing… I don’t want to trouble him.
Besides, Hiiragi Yu had always known that his uncle didn’t particularly like him. In fact, he seemed to actively dislike his presence. He had no concrete proof, just a vague intuition that had existed from the moment he first met Hiiragi Hanqing.
It was different for his sister, though. He knew Xiaoxiao was young and needed proper care, which was for the best. But he could never leave her behind with Hiiragi Hanqing while he ran away alone.
Hiiragi Yu shook his head and pointed to himself with utmost seriousness. I’m eighteen now. I’ll raise my sister well.
Unable to take it any longer, Cheng Shenzhi reached out and gently lifted Hiiragi Yu’s chin, forcing the boy to look him in the eye. “What about yourself?”
…Me?
Hiiragi Yu blinked blankly.
“What about your studies?” Cheng Shenzhi asked softly. “Don’t you love your current major?”
Given Hiiragi Yu’s financial situation, pharmacy was hardly a practical choice. A six-year combined bachelor’s and master’s program with a modest starting salary wouldn’t solve his immediate hardship. With his outstanding grades, he could easily transfer to almost any major in the city or even nationwide. Cheng Shenzhi could think of several faster, far easier paths.
Which meant Hiiragi Yu hadn’t chosen pharmacy lightly. It was what he truly loved.
The question caused the light in Hiiragi Yu’s eyes to fade slightly. He pursed his lips and shook his head gently. It’s fine.
Cheng Shenzhi gazed at him for a long moment. The young man’s face still retained a hint of boyish innocence, yet he was resolutely preparing to shoulder burdens that most adults would run from.
Cheng Shenzhi stifled a sigh. He stroked the boy’s cheek with his fingertips, it was just as soft as he had imagined. Seeing Hiiragi Yu’s startled, round eyed gaze, he felt a surge of tenderness.
“Will you marry me?” Cheng Shenzhi asked, his voice remarkably calm.
It should have been like this from the very beginning.
Hiiragi Yu froze, wondering if his ears were playing tricks on him. How had the conversation veered so drastically off course? He stared blankly at Cheng Shenzhi, his lips parting, but no sound came out. Slowly, he pointed a bewildered finger back at himself.
Me?
This time, however, Mr. Cheng wasn’t quite as lenient. Ignoring the boy’s shock, he pressed on softly, “Will you, Yuyu?”
It felt almost like gentle coercion.
Hiiragi Yu felt entirely at a loss, oblivious to the fact that the man was casually using his childhood nickname, an intimacy even his father and uncle had rarely used.
With misty eyes, his head a chaotic mess of questions, he forgot all about the horrors of the evening. He pointed at himself, then at Cheng Shenzhi, looking utterly helpless and pitiable.
Cheng Shenzhi stroked his soft hair. “Because from the very first moment I saw you, I liked you.”
He was no saint. While he wouldn’t stand by and let someone be harmed by that scoundrel from the Zhou family, he normally wasn’t the type to personally escort someone to the hospital. Even after mistakenly assuming Hiiragi Yu was an Omega, he had worried about lingering effects and brought him to his own home.
“If none of tonight had happened,” Cheng Shenzhi paused, meeting Hiiragi Yu’s wary, bewildered gaze with a slight smile, “I ought to be formally pursuing you right now.”
He would have taken things step by step, striking up a conversation under the guise of taking his sister to the amusement park on a weekend, or casually crossing paths as an alumnus “visiting his alma mater.”
He certainly wouldn’t have dragged him to bed on their first meeting like a lunatic, scaring him so badly that he fled the hospital, leaving behind his business cards and bank cards just to avoid him ever since.
“So,” Cheng Shenzhi coaxed softly, “let’s start over and get to know each other properly, okay?”
Hiiragi Yu’s mind was reeling. He had no idea how things had reached this point or how to respond, but Mr. Cheng, who had just saved him, was waiting patiently for an answer.
Dizzy and overwhelmed, a realization suddenly struck him. He raised a hand, tracing a vertical line and a semi-circle in the air.
But I’m a Beta.
He didn’t mind being a Beta, in fact, he was glad he possessed no special attraction to Alphas, which spared him endless trouble and the monthly cost of suppressants. But shouldn’t a distinguished Alpha like Mr. Cheng prefer an Omega?
He thought this would serve as a tactful refusal, but Cheng Shenzhi answered without hesitation. “I don’t like Omegas.”
There seemed to be no excuses left.
Tears welled up in Hiiragi Yu’s eyes again, threatening to spill over. Cheng Shenzhi reached out, gently wiping them away as he coaxed, “After we’re married, both you and your sister can continue your studies. Whatever you need, just ask, and I’ll provide a regular allowance. If it makes you feel safer, we can sign a prenuptial agreement.”
After a moment’s thought, Cheng Shenzhi added, “Though… I might need to trouble Yuyu to help me through my sensitive periods. Is that okay?”
Hiiragi Yu looked at him through a blur of tears, his train of thought completely derailed. In the end, he choked back a soft sob and gave a small, quiet nod.