The loud sound of a kiss instantly startled both of them.
Yan Shengchen finally came to his senses and said awkwardly, “No, no. I, I don’t know why I kissed you, I just felt that you were very sad just now.”
Bai Su touched his forehead, the warmth of the other person’s breath seemed to still linger there. Looking at the clearly not fully understanding young man in front of him, he nodded seriously: “I know, you wanted to comfort me, right?”
Yan Shengchen mumbled an “um” in a low voice, blushing, and suddenly didn’t dare to look at the person beside him.
The youth’s innocence was refreshing. Bai Su patted the boy on the shoulder and said with a smile, “Yan Shengchen, I have to say, I find you quite cute!”
“C-cute?”
Yan Shengchen looked at Bai Su in surprise. No one had said that to him since he was six years old. Besides, with his current tall and strong appearance, how could he be cute?
“One cannot call a macho man cute!” Yan Shengchen emphasized seriously.
“Macho man?”
Bai Su couldn’t help but burst into laughter, the previously gloomy mood was completely swept away. He patted the other several times before he caught his breath.
“Alright, alright, not cute. So, this macho man, would you like to come to my house for hotpot? I haven’t had it in a long time, and there’s nothing a hotpot can’t solve!”
Yan Shengchen nodded vigorously at Bai Su’s invitation, feeling very happy, and a good meal could indeed lift one’s spirits.
It’s just a pity that they were not yet of legal age; otherwise, they could have had a good drink too.
However, Bai Su didn’t like smoking, so if they talked about drinking, would he get angry?
Thinking this, Yan Shengchen didn’t mention it at all, and the two of them went together to a relatively large supermarket near Bai Su’s home. Finally, Bai Su had money to splurge.
Lately, the only good food he could get was the lunch Yan Shengchen brought him. His breakfast and dinner were still not great. Bai Su had long hoped for food freedom and wanted to buy a bit of everything he saw that was delicious.
By the time they were checking out, their shopping cart was almost overflowing. Fortunately, with Yan Shengchen’s help, the two of them together could still manage to carry it all.
Yan Shengchen habitually wanted to pay at the cashier but was refused by Bai Su, who said he wanted to treat him. Yan Shengchen, thinking Bai Su had some money now, didn’t refuse.
But now that Bai Su had money, would he still eat the lunch he brought and be willing to help him with his studies? Yan Shengchen suddenly felt a bit worried.
They carried large bags and deliberately took a taxi, arriving at Bai Su’s doorstep in no time.
This was Yan Shengchen’s first time at Bai Su’s house, so he couldn’t help feeling a bit nervous. Perhaps sensing his emotions, Bai Su reassured him, “Don’t be nervous, I live alone, there’s no one else.”
Only then did Yan Shengchen remember that Bai Su had just taken him to his mother to ask for money, and his father had passed away in an accident long ago.
He had thought that no matter what, there would still be other family members taking care of him. He didn’t expect Bai Su to be living alone, which was no different from being an orphan. Thinking about Bai Su’s current age, he wondered how long he had been living this hard life.
“Not for too long, I used to live with my grandmother. We lived together, but later, my grandmother got old…”
Hearing Bai Su’s answer, Yan Shengchen realized he had accidentally spoken his thoughts out loud. Luckily, Bai Su didn’t mind too much. Observing from outside, he could tell that the house was old and rundown. Yan Shengchen didn’t even know there were houses like this in their city.
But it made sense; this area was quite remote, and there were several similar houses around. He hadn’t even entered yet but had already anticipated the condition of Bai Su’s home.
Once inside, he found it even poorer than he imagined. No wonder Bai Su had to buy even an electric stove and a hotpot at the supermarket. But now, Bai Su’s life would definitely get better. And he would help him too!
Seeing that the boy showed no sign of disdain after entering the house, Bai Su nodded, feeling satisfied. Then the two of them went to the kitchen to prepare the ingredients they had bought. Most of the items were ready-made, only the vegetables needed to be washed and simply cut and prepared.
There was only one chair in Bai Su’s house, and the leg of the chair was not very stable. So they moved the old table to the side of the bed, planning to sit on the bed and eat hot pot directly.
They set up the electric stove and the pot filled with water. Since neither of them was afraid of spicy food, they chose the spicy base and put it in. Once the pot started boiling, they put a large plate of lamb, various meatballs, and vegetables into the pot, filling it to the brim.
Neither of them was very particular about eating. Bai Su was eager to enjoy the meal. With the pot full of food, he felt a sense of happiness. Once the food in the pot was cooked, they began eating heartily.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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Seeing Bai Su eat with such relish, Yan Shengchen also felt his appetite increase. Although he usually had all kinds of gourmet food at home, he didn’t think much of it. But now, eating this hot pot with ordinary ingredients and dipping it in two-yuan-a-bag sesame sauce from the supermarket, why did it taste so good?
Having been busy all morning, both of them were hungry, so they devoured the food for a while before finding time to talk.
Yan Shengchen felt he couldn’t just keep eating like this. Now that their relationship was at least that of friends, he should show some concern for his friend’s troubles.
He proactively picked up a piece of lamb and put it in Bai Su’s bowl, saying boldly, “In the future, if you have any problems, just come to me. Don’t worry, your brother Yan has got your back!”
Hearing his friend’s somewhat juvenile words, Bai Su’s eyebrows curved as he smiled, “Alright, alright, I’ll rely on you to take care of me from now on.”
Yan Shengchen, delighted by this response, casually asked, “So, Xiao Bai, where should we meet tomorrow?”
“Hmm?” Bai Su looked up in confusion, and seeing the boy’s troubled expression, he understood.
“Oh, you mean the tutoring? How about coming to my place? There’s no one at home anyway.”
Having gotten the answer he wanted, Yan Shengchen nodded quickly. He was glad Bai Su remembered the tutoring, which meant they could meet again tomorrow!
Feeling happy, the boy became more talkative. Perhaps the atmosphere of the hot pot made them relax, and they chatted idly. Bai Su didn’t say much, but Yan Shengchen, finding a listening ear, talked a lot about his family. These were things he had never mentioned to others before.
Thinking about his cold home and his father, who was often absent, the boy felt a bit desolate. Suddenly, he said, “Sometimes, I really feel like having a father is no different from not having one. My mother passed away shortly after giving birth to me, and my father is always away on business. He doesn’t care about the family or me.
I don’t know whether making money or this family is more important to him. Every time we meet, we argue. He always scolds me about my grades or for fighting at school. I don’t know if he even cares about me as his son. He treats me worse than Aunt Xiao does…”
Seeing the boy’s lonely expression, Bai Su gently placed a hand on his shoulder. He knew that Yan Shengchen was going through a rebellious phase, with many grievances and misunderstandings towards his father built up over the years.
The boy was still inexperienced and too naive to understand how difficult it was to manage a large family business.
When Yan Quan took over the Yan family, there were already many problems, and the situation was precarious. Not long after, his wife passed away, leaving him to raise a young child and fend off the covetous relatives. Those early years must have been very tough for Yan Quan.
He managed to hold on and reformed the Yan family with extraordinary measures, which was no easy feat. In fact, to Yan Quan, Yan Shengchen was very important. But like many fathers, he didn’t know how to express his care and love for his child.
Bai Su didn’t want Yan Shengchen to continue misunderstanding, so he said directly, “But I think your father treats you quite well. At least he’s willing to spend money on you. Look at what you usually eat and use. Not to mention the whole school, but at least in your class, no one can compare to you. You have food and drink, you live comfortably. Isn’t all this provided by your father?”
Seeing that Yan Shengchen was about to speak, Bai Su cut him off, “I know you want to say that’s not what you want. But as parents, they always want to give their children the best. Although my mom isn’t a good one, I won’t deny the care of other parents.
Think about it. Why do you argue? Why does he scold you? Isn’t it because he’s worried about you, afraid you’ll go astray? Isn’t it his way of caring, though he might not know how to show it?
I can’t compare to someone as capable as your father, but I’ve worked to earn money. The adult world is really tough, and people have a lot of obligations. Everything you have now is earned by your father’s hard work. If he didn’t strive for it, are you sure you could maintain your current lifestyle?
You feel he’s not concerned enough about you, but have you ever shown concern for him? Do you know the grievances he faces outside?”
This was the first time Yan Shengchen heard someone say this to him. Looking at Bai Su’s serious expression, he suddenly realized that he had overlooked many things over the years.
He remembered that Yan Quan often came home with a furrowed brow and full of exhaustion. But whenever he saw him, he would always call out to him and try to say something.
Despite being so tired, he still wanted to talk to me…
“Yan Shengchen, I actually envy you. You can still complain to me about how much your father cares for you. Do you know, I really wish I could complain like you. But I lost that opportunity a long time ago…”
Bai Su spoke with a smile, but his eyes were filled with tears. Seeing Bai Su like this, Yan Shengchen suddenly felt his throat choke up, unable to say a word.
What he took for granted was something others yearned for but couldn’t have.
Carefully wiping away Bai Su’s tears, he wondered why he had been so fixated on believing that his father didn’t care about him or love him.
It seemed that when he was very young, after Aunt Xiao came to stay for a while, she would always regretfully tell him that his father was busy with work and couldn’t come home to spend time with him. She would softly complain, saying that it wasn’t right to only work and not care about his child.
Then there was Brother Xinjue, who often talked about how other fathers treated their children—taking them to amusement parks, dropping them off and picking them up from school, participating in parent-child activities. Every time Brother Xinjue spoke, he would look envious and curiously ask, “Xiao Chen, why doesn’t your father spend time with you even though you have one?”
At that time, he also wondered, why didn’t his father spend time with him even though he had one? He was always busy…
Hearing this kind of talk repeatedly, Yan Shengchen became increasingly disappointed and rebellious towards Yan Quan. Their arguments grew more frequent, forming a vicious cycle.
Seeing Yan Shengchen furrow his brows in deep thought, Bai Su wiped his eyes briefly and continued, “Alright, let’s not talk about this anymore. But there’s something I find quite strange about your family. You say Aunt Xiao treats you well, isn’t that only natural?
You also said that your father kept her around to take care of you. She’s not married to your father, and they’re not in a romantic relationship. At best, she’s a guest in your home; at worst, she’s just a nanny.”
“She eats your family’s food, uses your family’s resources, and her son can afford such expensive tutors—all funded by your family. If it were me, I would treat you well too!”
With Yan Shengchen now completely unguarded, Bai Su had already gotten him to spill details about his family, so he just laid it out directly.
“Moreover, isn’t it strange that they keep telling you you’re smart and don’t need to study? You don’t need to work hard at school, yet they hire expensive tutors for Yan Xinjue? Isn’t that a double standard?”
“But I have a family business to inherit, whereas Brother Xinjue doesn’t.”
Although Yan Shengchen said this, his frown deepened.
“Right, the family business is yours to inherit, but if you know nothing and are illiterate, will you learn on the job? Even if you do, you won’t have the foundational skills. Or will you just be a hands-off boss and let Yan Xinjue run the company for you? That would make things easy for you!”
Bai Su’s seemingly indifferent words carried an obvious tone of sarcasm.
Even an outsider could see through these issues easily. How could Yan Shengchen not sense it? He was just too involved to see clearly.
Bai Su could understand that ever since Xiao Yuzhen had been by his side raising him since he was ten, Yan Shengchen had almost no memory of his mother, who passed away early. Suddenly having a gentle woman treating him well, it was only natural that he transferred his feelings onto her, genuinely treating her as his mother.
Since he had given his true feelings, how could he doubt her? Sometimes, these false emotions were the most deceiving and the most hurtful.
“Alright, don’t think too much. I just felt like we’re friends now and wanted to voice my doubts. But regarding your father, I think you shouldn’t always oppose him. Try talking to him, and you might gain something different.”
Bai Su decided to stop there, having said enough for the day, leaving the rest for Yan Shengchen to ponder.
His words indeed made Yan Shengchen more alert. Perhaps he really should consider the things he had overlooked, including Aunt Xiao and Yan Xinjue. He had always regarded them as family, but Bai Su’s words made him think more critically.
He knew Bai Su said these things purely out of concern for him and didn’t want to let Bai Su’s good intentions go to waste. Thinking of this, he told Bai Su, “I understand. I’ll carefully consider what you said, and I’ll have a good talk with my father.”
“Good student,” Bai Su smiled, placing a shrimp ball in Yan Shengchen’s bowl.
Seeing the boy across from him smile so beautifully, Yan Shengchen felt a stir in his heart. He quietly touched his chest, his ears turning red as he ate the food Bai Su had given him. It was always like this—being with this person made his heart beat irregularly.
After finishing the hot pot, Yan Shengchen volunteered to help Bai Su clean up. As dusk approached, he still hesitated to leave until Bai Su had to push him out, repeatedly emphasizing that they could study together again tomorrow. Only then did Yan Shengchen leave, looking back reluctantly.
“Really clingy!”
Watching the boy’s retreating figure, Bai Su smiled helplessly, stretched, and felt that today had been a good day. With food to eat and money in hand, he would sleep better tonight.
On the other side, thinking about his time with Bai Su, Yan Shengchen returned home. Before even entering the courtyard, he looked up to see the light still on in his father’s study on the second floor of the villa.
It was already dark outside. Seeing his father still working so late, Bai Su’s words suddenly made him realize how little he had cared about his father.
His father had endured a lot of hardships and pressure without him knowing. Although they often argued, looking back, it was always he who initiated the quarrels.
Yan Shengchen suddenly felt uncomfortable in his heart, and he had an urge to visit the man who was always so stern and busy in his impression.
He remembered how, when he was little, his father would often make him a cup of milk before bed. After entering the house, he went straight to the kitchen, made a cup of milk, and then walked to Yan Quan’s study, knocking gently on the door.
“Come in.”
A deep voice came from inside. Yan Shengchen pushed the door open and saw Yan Quan sitting at his computer, head down, reading some work documents.
The man wore glasses, and his brow showed signs of fatigue. His temples were already graying, something Yan Shengchen hadn’t noticed before.
“Dad.”
Yan Shengchen called out, and Yan Quan immediately looked up, surprised to see his son. “Shengchen, what brings you here?”
Seeing the delight in Yan Quan’s eyes, Yan Shengchen felt a pang of sadness. He walked over, placing the cup of milk beside his father, noticing a cup of cold coffee on the desk. He pursed his lips and softly said, “Don’t drink so much coffee; it’s bad for your health. I made you some milk.”
“Alright, alright.”
Yan Quan quickly agreed.
Yan Shengchen noticed a photo of his mother on Yan Quan’s desk, along with a family photo from when he was born. He froze for a moment.
He didn’t have many memories of his mother, but the photos showed a gentle and beautiful woman.
Following Yan Shengchen’s gaze, Yan Quan looked at the photo, his expression softening, his eyes filled with love.
“Dad, you really loved Mom, didn’t you?”
The young man didn’t know why he suddenly asked this, but he saw Yan Quan smile and nod, his eyes full of reminiscence.
“And Aunt Xiao…”
Yan Quan’s movements paused, his eyes becoming complicated.
When he first met Xiao Yuzhen, he had thought about accepting her, but even after bringing her into their home, he realized he couldn’t. Having experienced such a beautiful love, he couldn’t be with anyone else.
Of course, he was still grateful to Xiao Yuzhen for taking care of the family all these years. As long as she behaved herself, he could ensure that she and her son would be well taken care of.
“Shengchen, you’re still young. Maybe one day, when you meet the right person, you’ll understand. Besides her, being with anyone else would just be settling. So, it’s impossible for me and Aunt Xiao.”
He was like that himself—having known such happiness, he couldn’t settle for anything less…
His fingers gently traced the woman’s face in the photo, as if his beloved was still right before his eyes.
For the first time, Yan Shengchen realized that his mother had been so deeply loved. But then again, he had never talked to his father about this before.
The right person…
Feeling a bit envious, he thought about how his parents were a couple to be envied, both in loving and being loved. Would he be able to meet the right person for himself?
Suddenly, Bai Su’s face flashed through his mind. Yan Shengchen’s eyes flickered, feeling a bit unnatural. Fortunately, Yan Quan was still immersed in his memories and didn’t notice.
“Dad, you work so hard. Take care of your health and go to bed early after drinking the milk.”
Not used to saying such things, Yan Shengchen felt a bit embarrassed, looking aside awkwardly. But this was enough to delight Yan Quan.
He hadn’t felt his son’s concern for him in a long time!
A big smile spread across his face. Yan Quan picked up the milk and drank it all in one go, then stood up, smiling as he said, “Don’t worry, Dad will listen to you and go to bed early.”
Seeing Yan Quan so happy, Yan Shengchen felt even more that he had done too little for his father in the past.
Suppressing the bitterness in his heart, the young man took a deep breath, thinking Bai Su was indeed right. He must care more about his father in the future.
‘Impossible to be with me? Ha…’
Inside the study, father and son shared a tender moment. Outside, a certain woman tightly gripped the tray holding a bowl of soup, her eyes filled with venom.
kinda hate the step “family” i should be more confident and remove the kinda i hate that yan xinjue and nanny lol
+1
Evil woman
Thank you for your translation 💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖
Thank you for the chapter ( ╹▽╹ )
Just wish this father would realize that Xiao what’s her face isn’t content with being a live-in nanny… then again, I guess she never showed her true colors in front of him. Why did such a vile thing take over the og Xiao woman’s body??
Thank you for updating!
Thanks for the chapter 🐱