Edited by Yummers
That time, Fang Shiqing roared his complaints, then left after slamming the door. Yuan Rui felt embarrassed as he asked, “Were we too careless?”
Though Zheng Qiuyang said, “We didn’t do anything. How could we have been careless? Did you forget how he showed off Wang Qi in all shapes and forms back then?”
Yuan Rui didn’t even think for a second when he said, “I do, I envied him a lot back then.”
“……What did you envy him for?”
“I envied that Wang Qi liked him. I liked Wang Qi so much back then, he was both handsome and fit.”
“……”
“Hahaha.”
Zheng Qiuyang’s face was almost blue.
Yuan Rui laughed as he poked the other’s chest. “Don’t be upset, I was only joking. I wasn’t envious that Wang Qi liked him, I was envious that he had someone who liked him. No one liked me back then, I’d even dream about someone liking me. Then you appeared, you’re my big savior!” In order to express the “great”, he drew a big circle with his arms in the air.
Zheng Qiuyang was happy. But he said purposely, “So I was just a replacement savior.”
Yuan Rui was caught off guard. He said sincerely. “No, you’re my most special person. Even if we didn’t end up together, I would still like you.”
Zheng Qiuyang was very surprised.“How am I special?” He asked.
Yuan Rui looked into his eyes. “When you look at me, your eyes are always smiling.”
“……”
Yuan Rui spoke a bit shyly, “Every time you look at me like that, it reminds me of a poem.”
Zheng Qiuyang didn’t know what he was getting excited over, he asked, “What poem?”
Yuan Rui recited the line very slowly, “‘He lifts his eyes, I am beautiful, under his sight.”
Zheng Qiuyang concluded for him, “Hai Zi, ‘Before the North Gate‘.”
Tejc Eel cbvvfv. Lf jrxfv pbsoeiis, “Ljnf sbe gfjv la yfobgf abb? Zs wbw gfjiis ilxfv Ljl Il, rtf gfjv j yecmt bo tlr qbfwr ab wf ktfc P kjr sbecu.”
Zheng Qiuyang was silent for a moment. “Yuan Xiao Rui, I thought…I thought you, you…”
It was a rare occasion for him to find himself stuttering.
This kind of feeling was hard to describe with words. The “special” in Yuan Rui’s eyes had nothing to do with appearance, career, wealth, or talent. He only saw his partner’s heart.
Why would his eyes always be smiling whenever he looked at someone? It was because he loved him.
Yuan Rui was like a very simple-minded kid who didn’t understand anything, but at the same time, he was like a great poetry master who could see through everything.
Yuan Rui was quiet.
Then, he exclaimed shockingly, “Qiuyang? What’s going on? Did I say something wrong? It looks like you’re about to cry…”
Zheng Qiuyang rubbed his eyes, he put on an act as he held the TV controller. “No way. Are you still watching the TV? I’ll close it if you aren’t.”
Yuan Rui quickly replied, “Yes yes, the next episode is where Le Ningyu and I get into a fight.”
He took away the controller. Though he also looked at Zheng Qiuyang suspiciously, Zheng Qiuyang acted as if nothing had happened.
After a while, Yuan Rui and Le Ningyu got into an intense argument on the screen. They were close to getting physical. Yuan Rui sat up straight, not moving his eyes off the screen at all.
Zheng Qiuyang leaned against the sofa, looking at him from the side. Yuan Rui’s hair stuck against the back of his ear softly. His ears were rather small, although the lobe was a little thick with plump flesh. If Zheng Qiuyang were to bite it, Yuan Rui would quiver continuously, that was how sensitive his ears were.
Zheng Qiuyang wondered, he really wondered what great deeds his ancestors had done, making it possible for him to meet Yuan Rui in return.
After he was done watching the episode, Yuan Rui satisfyingly leaned his back against the sofa as well. “Ah, I had all my attention on the TV earlier. Now, let’s continue talking about Fang Shiqing.”
Zheng Qiuyang, “…” Who wants to talk about him?!
Yuan Rui continued by himself, “During that time I even envied how fair his skin was, and how pretty he was.”
Zheng Qiuyang held back his attitude, “What use do those serve? He’s known for digging his own grave.”
“But he treats his friends very well, everyone likes him. He only acts more bratty around Wang Qi.”
He stopped in his tracks for a moment, then added, “His mom cares for him so much, his dad too.”
Zheng Qiuyang didn’t know how he should comfort him, he pulled the other over to give him some kisses.
“How about I call my dad tomorrow, and ask him when he’s free so that I can introduce you two to each other?”
The dad he spoke of was naturally his stepdad, Suo Jianjun.
Zheng Qiuyang complied. “…Okay.”
Am I really about to meet my father-in-law?!
Yuan Rui made his call the next morning.
“Dad,” Yuan Rui spoke into his phone, “are you going to be free anytime soon? I want to introduce my boyfriend to you.”
Zheng Qiuyang was on the side listening, feeling extremely nervous.
“I have a show recording every Wednesday, I don’t have anything else besides that usually. He can do it anytime.”
Zheng Qiuyang went to open a box of milk, wanting to pour a cup of it.
Yuan Rui finished up the call, “Alright, we’ll talk about it when the time comes.”
Once he hung up, he saw that Zheng Qiuyang’s expression looked as if he was about to face a disaster. He tried to loosen him up, “Don’t be nervous, my dad has a very good temper.”
Zheng Qiuyang pretended to be calm as he poured milk. “I’m not nervous.”
“…You’re pouring the milk into the ashtray.”
“……”
Yuan Rui went to wash the ashtray.
Zheng Qiuyang sat on the side with a dispirited face.
He wanted to grow old together with Yuan Rui, so it was obvious that he also wanted to meet Yuan Rui’s family. However, it was also a very worrisome matter at the same time.
After all, Suo Jianjun and Suo Yue’s views are ought to be different. Suo Yue was the little sister and a young girl, she wouldn’t mind such a matter that much. But in Suo Jianjun’s case, as an elder, it was certainly not going to be the same case.
What was he going to answer if Suo Jianjun asked about his work and family?
Would he say that he’s a lazy good-for-nothing designer? Say that his parents are both healthy but the only problem is that they aren’t even officially married?
Even he could see how much of a mess such things were.
Yuan Rui had been peeking at him from the kitchen all this time. He finally came back with the cleaned ashtray to say, “My dad’s too busy now, his schedule is filled up all the way past New Years Day, so he doesn’t have the time to meet us. We can discuss this again around Lunar New Year.”
Zheng Qiuyang let out a relieved breath. “Okay.”
Yuan Rui poured him a cup of milk, then also spread condensed milk over a slice of toast. He nagged as he handed it to him, “Hurry up and eat so you can go to work, it’s already past eight.”
After Zheng Qiuyang left, Yuan Rui called Suo Jianjun again. “Dad, I think it’s better if we don’t meet this Sunday.”
Suo Jianjun questioned on the other line, “What happened? Did a sudden job come up?”
“No, he might not want to meet yet. It was just me leading the thought.”
“…Why? Aren’t you two’s relationship quite well?”
“He might not be ready yet. Let’s talk about this sometime later. I’m sorry, dad.”
“It’s fine, I didn’t have anything planned for Sunday anyway.”
“Then I’ll come to visit you by myself on Sunday.”
Yuan Rui put away the dishes and utensils, cleaned the house, then bought a wool scarf on Taobao from a local seller. He planned to give it to Suo Jianjun when visiting him on Sunday.
It was almost Winter.
When the scarf order went through, Yuan Rui took out his little accounting book to record down the wool scarf. Then, he used his phone to calculate all his expenses in the recent month.
He just paid bills for the heat and property. He could actually report those fees to the company for them to take care of, but he was too embarrassed to talk about it with Li Lingling. After all, the company apartment rented this apartment for just him, but now Zheng Qiuyang was also living there. Now that he paid the bills himself, he wouldn’t be taking too much advantage of the company either.
That was the largest expense on his list. Adding up the other bigger spendings such as the footbath he had given Zhao Zhengyi, the mopping and sweeping robots, and also the wool scarf he just bought, the total cost was already in the thousands.
Lastly, adding on the electricity bill, water bill, gas bill, food supplies, they were around a thousand altogether.
All his recent paychecks from the shows and commercials were still in the company’s hands. From his shows and all, after tax and the percentage taken by the company, he would probably end up with five hundred thousand. For commercials, he’s only done one skincare commercial. Which was also only a short-term contract for the season, that’d probably only come down to two hundred thousand. Plus, the company’s finance wasn’t the stablest so they would often hold back the money for a rather long time before giving their artists their paycheck.
Yuan Rui was getting a little headache. He hadn’t even made much money and has spent so much recently. When will he save up enough to buy Zheng Qiuyang a studio?
T/N: Ugh YR is so cute, still thinking about ZQY’s studio, also ARRGGHHHH THE NORTH GATE POEM IS SO BEAUTIFUL ASLKDFAJF
like just, able to feel like you’re beautiful all over from someone you love looking at you? Dead.
Of course, I subbed this part from the AD:
“When you look at me, your eyes are always smiling.” GAH!
I needed this fluff just now, thank you! <3
They are so so cute!!
Ah how many times do I have to comment on how precious our Yuan Rui!? He’s just a precious cinnamon roll! 🥰🥰🥰
Thank you for the chapter ❤️
I am so soft for Yuan Rui 🥺🥺🥺
Thank you for the chapter!
Thanks for the chapter! Truly lovely!
thanks for the chapter!