The light in the hallway was broken, and as luck would have it, the light inside the stairwell was broken too.
In the dim environment, things weren’t very clear, but Song Zhiyuan could smell the scent of alcohol, the aroma of tobacco, and a perfume that didn’t belong to Fu Hangnian.
Realizing it wasn’t a random attacker, Song Zhiyuan’s body slowly relaxed. He believed that Fu Hangnian would not harm him. Once the tension passed, he realized how immense Fu Hangnian’s strength was; he was pinned in the man’s arms, unable to break free.
When Fu Hangnian spoke, his hot breath brushed over Song Zhiyuan’s ear and neck. Song Zhiyuan felt a wave of numbness almost instinctively, and his body couldn’t help but go soft.
Fu Hangnian’s right leg forced its way between Song Zhiyuan’s legs, moving slightly in an extremely suggestive gesture. In the darkness, Song Zhiyuan looked up at Fu Hangnian. They stared at one another, sharing a stretch of heated breath.
After a moment, Song Zhiyuan spoke first. “Is Mr. Fu here waiting for someone today? Unfortunately, it seems you’ve found the wrong person.”
Fu Hangnian tightened his grip.
“Song Zhiyuan, is this how you repay me? Not a single phone call for such a long time.”
Song Zhiyuan adopted a deeply aggrieved tone. “Mr. Fu, I did call you, but you said you were busy.”
Fu Hangnian knew Song Zhiyuan would have an answer ready. “And you couldn’t have called me after that?”
Song Zhiyuan acted even more wronged. “But Mr. Fu was the one who said I wasn’t allowed to call you proactively. Mr. Fu, aren’t I being very obedient?”
Previously, those by Fu Hangnian’s side had wanted nothing more than to cling to him every day, finding any excuse to send him messages or pry into his schedule. They all thought they were the “unique” one who could officially become the person by his side. Some even tried to be clever by bribing Chu Wei to get information. Naturally, Fu Hangnian had Chu Wei inform such people that their relationship was over that very day. Those people didn’t even know why they had been dumped.
But Song Zhiyuan was different completely different. He truly never called Fu Hangnian on his own initiative and rarely even sent messages. When he did, it was only to thank Fu Hangnian for a gift. While Song Zhiyuan had been the one to approach Fu Hangnian originally, he kept strictly to his place. He was obedient to a fault, never prying into Fu Hangnian’s affairs or asking Chu Wei questions.
It seemed as though in Song Zhiyuan’s heart, he was prepared at any moment for Fu Hangnian to say the word, and he would leave without a hint of lingering attachment.
Clearly, this was exactly what Fu Hangnian had always wanted, yet because it was Song Zhiyuan, it made him incredibly displeased. He wouldn’t have minded if Song Zhiyuan called or messaged him. Instead, Song Zhiyuan was so “well-behaved” that it made Fu Hangnian grit his teeth.
It had been half a month since they last saw each other at the school gate, and with Fu Hangnian’s week-long business trip before that, they hadn’t met in nearly a month. Even in the darkness, Fu Hangnian could clearly trace the contours of Song Zhiyuan’s stunningly beautiful face. He took a light sniff; the sweet fragrance on Song Zhiyuan seemed even more alluring than before.
The sound of a door opening came from upstairs, and a light turned on. The faint glow diluted the darkness between them, followed by the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs. Fu Hangnian scooped Song Zhiyuan up and walked out.
Song Zhiyuan looped his arms around Fu Hangnian’s neck and teased, “So, did Mr. Fu come here specifically to find me today? You weren’t here to pick up someone else?”
Fu Hangnian truly wanted to handle him right then and there. How could he be so lawless and unrestrained?
“Song Zhiyuan,” Fu Hangnian said, “I told you to call me by my name directly. Why didn’t you listen to that?”
In the flickering light, Song Zhiyuan’s smile was brilliant as he called out in a sweet voice: “Fu Hangnian.” Then he added, “You scared me just now. I dropped my things on the ground.”
Chu Wei, seeing the two emerge, immediately opened the car door. As Fu Hangnian carried Song Zhiyuan into the car, he gestured for Chu Wei to retrieve Song Zhiyuan’s belongings. When Chu Wei went back, he brushed past a neighbor coming downstairs. The neighbor thought it was strange; he had clearly heard a commotion, but there was no one there when he came out.
When Fu Hangnian saw what was inside the bag, he looked at Song Zhiyuan. “Song Zhiyuan, am I letting you starve?”
Inside the bag were several cups of instant noodles.
Song Zhiyuan hadn’t eaten dinner yet. After thinking it over, he had decided to just have instant noodles—simple, convenient, and filling. Looking at them now, he suddenly felt hungry, and his stomach let out a loud growl.
Fu Hangnian checked the time; it was already past 8:00 PM. “Why haven’t you eaten yet?”
“I was busy working all day,” Song Zhiyuan explained. He told him how he had spent the day repairing the damage to his home and cleaning the place top to bottom. He had been so tired he fell asleep on the sofa, and by the time he woke up, it was already late.
The old residential area was quite a distance from Fu Hangnian’s luxury apartment. In the car, Song Zhiyuan explained the situation at the school gate, not wanting Fu Hangnian to misunderstand. He told him about spraining his foot while playing basketball and how he had almost fallen because of a sudden spike of pain, which was when his classmate—referring to Xu Huai without using his name had supported him.
The more Song Zhiyuan spoke, the more aggrieved he felt. “Fu Hangnian, my foot actually still hurt a bit that day, and you ignored me.”
Chu Wei suddenly understood why Song Zhiyuan had been walking so slowly that evening.
“Did it hurt a lot?” Fu Hangnian asked.
“It hurt for several days, and you weren’t there,” Song Zhiyuan said, his eyes reddening. “I finally got to see you, and it turned out you weren’t even there to pick me up. I was so sad.”
Fu Hangnian pursed his lips.
Song Zhiyuan added, “I suppose you had a pretty happy time that night.”
Fu Hangnian didn’t say anything, but he pulled Song Zhiyuan into his arms. Song Zhiyuan chose that moment to fall silent.
Since Song Zhiyuan hadn’t eaten, Fu Hangnian went into the kitchen to boil some dumplings for him once they got home. These weren’t store-bought; they were handmade by the Fu family’s private chefs and kept frozen in the fridge. Everything from the ingredients to the filling was top-tier.
Before the dumplings were even fully cooked, Song Zhiyuan caught the delicious aroma. His stomach growled even louder as he stared longingly at the pot, wondering why they weren’t done yet.
Under Song Zhiyuan’s expectant gaze, the dumplings were finally served. The plump dumplings smelled wonderful and tasted even better; he didn’t even need any dipping sauce, eating them one after another. After a few dumplings, his stomach felt significantly comforted.
Song Zhiyuan felt a sudden wave of emotion. For the longest time, other than his grandmother, Fu Hangnian was the first person to ever cook for him.
Fu Hangnian looked up and was momentarily stunned. Song Zhiyuan had a genuine, happy smile on his face. He was clearly enjoying the meal, even though it was just simple dumplings. It seemed he really had been starving.
Fu Hangnian walked over and sat beside him. “Is it good?”
“It’s delicious,” Song Zhiyuan said happily. The filling was juicy and tender; he had never tasted dumplings this good. He didn’t hold back, making sure to eat his fill, lest he lack the physical strength for whatever was to come and faint later.
After showering, Song Zhiyuan emerged wearing one of Fu Hangnian’s shirts. Fu Hangnian signaled for him to come over. Song Zhiyuan skillfully sat in his lap. He looked like a lotus flower fresh from the water, stunningly beautiful, with the refreshing scent of body wash clinging to him.
Fu Hangnian held his waist. “Which foot was injured?”
Song Zhiyuan pointed. “The left one.”
A large hand grasped the slender ankle, examining the beautiful left foot. For some reason, when Fu Hangnian held his ankle, Song Zhiyuan felt a strange sensation different from when Xu Huai had held it, which had elicited no feeling at all.
Fu Hangnian lightly caressed the fair instep. “Does it still hurt?”
A lingering itchiness made Song Zhiyuan instinctively curl his toes, making his pale pink nails look even rosier. He was only wearing the oversized shirt with nothing underneath. Fu Hangnian’s hand moved slowly from the ankle up to the calf, and then to the thigh. Song Zhiyuan’s skin was as smooth as silk.
“Did you miss me these past few days?” Fu Hangnian asked.
Song Zhiyuan looped his arms around the man’s neck. “Yes.”
Fu Hangnian gave him a squeeze. “Missed who?”
“Fu Hangnian, I missed you.”
Pleased, Fu Hangnian gave Song Zhiyuan’s shoulder a light bite, and Song Zhiyuan let his body go completely limp.
The next morning, Song Zhiyuan was woken up by his alarm. After it rang for the fourth time, he finally managed to force his eyes open. He had set it because he needed to go buy appliances for his home today. As he struggled to get up, his thighs and lower back still felt a lingering, awkward discomfort.
Just as he rose, Fu Hangnian walked in. “Why are you getting up?”
“I have things to do this morning,” Song Zhiyuan said. He had mentioned the appliances to Fu Hangnian the night before.
Fu Hangnian looked at the red marks on the boy’s shoulders. “Tell me what you need to buy. I’ll have Chu Wei handle it for you. Go back to sleep.”
Lying back down on the soft bed, Song Zhiyuan thought that Fu Hangnian could be quite gentle sometimes.
Song Zhiyuan spent the rest of the weekend at Fu Hangnian’s house. By the time he returned home that evening, he was stunned. Chu Wei’s efficiency was incredible; every appliance in the house had been replaced with a brand-new model. Moreover, the rooms were spotless and neatly organized it seemed Chu Wei and his team had even cleaned the place before leaving.
Song Zhiyuan sent a message to Fu Hangnian.
Song Zhiyuan: 【Thank you.】