SGSHE58

Hearing the knock on the door, Xi Xinghe’s first thought was: Could Jing Heguang have come running back?

The live-in bulter and his wife, Jing Yongyan and his wife, lived on the first floor, while Jing Jie lived on the third. At this hour, only Xi Xinghe and Jing Heguang should have been on the second floor.

Glancing at his phone, Xi Xinghe went to open the door with a look of nervous apprehension.

When the door opened, the first thing that came into view was Jing Yongyan’s face.

Xi Xinghe breathed a sigh of relief.

But then, he saw that Jing Yongyan was holding onto someone.

Xi Xinghe was stunned.

Jing Yongyan smiled and said, “Xinghe, dad was just chatting with Heguang and accidentally spilled water on his bedding. It’s late, and it wouldn’t be right to make the housekeeper do extra work, so I thought…why not let him sleep in your room? Is that alright? It’s all my fault for being so clumsy.”

Since the request came from an elder, it was difficult for Xi Xinghe, the younger generation, to refuse.

Yet, the request seemed a bit…unbecoming of an elder?

Xi Xinghe looked up at Jing Heguang, who was standing beside Jing Yongyan.

Jing Heguang smiled back at him, looking somewhat awkward himself.

Xi Xinghe knew right away that this was almost certainly Jing Yongyan’s doing, and quite possibly intentional.

Thinking of the flag he had just inadvertently set for himself, and unable to easily turn down Jing Yongyan, Xi Xinghe hesitated only for a moment before nodding. “Yes.”

Upon hearing his daughter-in-law agree, Jing Yongyan reached out, pulled Jing Heguang forward, and gave him a shove into the room.

After pushing him inside, Jing Yongyan even closed the door for them.

All that remained was the sound of his parting words echoing in the ears of the two people inside the room: “You two get some good rest now. Dad is going to get some rest too.”

***

Jing Heguang, who had been shoved into the room, found himself holding Xi Xinghe, whom he had nearly collided with, and didn’t know what to say.

He felt guilty.

After all, the incident where the duvet got soaked wasn’t actually Jing Yongyan’s doing, it was his own.

Xi Xinghe thought about his Weibo posts. The moment the door closed, his courage vanished, and he felt a wave of anxiety regarding what he had written.

What had he said on Weibo?!

Didn’t they say that flags were meant to be toppled? Why did his turn out differently? It had only been half a month, yet the prediction he’d made was on the verge of coming true!

Catching the scent of Jing Heguang, Xi Xinghe blushed and pointed toward the walk-in closet. “I was just about to take a shower, so…I’ll go do that now.”

Hearing him say he was going to shower, Jing Heguang’s heart began to race!

Was Xi Xinghe really planning to shower? Or was he using showering as a way to drop a hint?

They had already kissed, so they clearly liked each other. Coupled with Xi Xinghe’s previous proactive moves, Jing Heguang naturally interpreted this as another initiative. Xi Xinghe was just too shy to be direct, so he was resorting to hints instead.

Getting a question like this wrong would be absolutely fatal!

Jing Heguang thought confidently: He, Jing Heguang, would certainly not lose the point.

Thus, Jing Heguang went to the walk-in closet, found a matching set of pajamas to the one Xi Xinghe had picked out, and prepared to shower right after him!

***

Meanwhile, inside the bathroom, Xi Xinghe was in a total panic.

@LittleHuaChiFromFlowerPlanet: I’m done for, I’m done for! How did the duvet in his room get soaked with water?!

@GoldenShadedCat: ???

@GoldenShadedCat: Little Huachi, hurry up!

@CatGrass: Meow meow meow! What am I seeing?

@AsparagusFern: Go, go, go! Ruthlessly enjoy his body!! Handsome Hottie Little Huachi, don’t chicken out. Go for it!

@LittleHuaChiFromFlowerPlanet replying to @Asparagus-Fern: But I am chickening out.

@Lily: Ahhh! I was scared to death when I saw that earlier post, but now I’m amused — it’s like a rollercoaster ride! So thrilling! Give me something even more exciting!

@Hehe: Hehe, you guys actually believe this kind of scripted drama? Next thing you know, they’ll be sleeping together, then pregnant, and the day after that live-streaming selling products!

@MoneyTree replying to @Hehe: Please say the words Handsome hottie three times. Little Huachi doesn’t have that kind of function. Besides, Little Huachi never advertises. With thousands of comments on every post, he could have cashed in ages ago if he wanted to!

@Carrot: MoneyTree, ignore that troll. Let’s go pester Little Huachi! Little Huachi, hurry up! You’ve got two hours, then come back and report the results!

@LittleStrawberry: Is two hours enough? Don’t chicken out, Little Huachi. Go, go, go!

…

Netizens were all urging him to go go go, but Xi Xinghe, despite having finished his shower, didn’t dare step out of the bathroom.

He spent a full half-hour in there before finally emerging, his cheeks flushed pink from the steam.

However, the fact that he’d taken so long only convinced Jing Heguang even more that his guess was right.

Upon seeing him, Jing Heguang complimented him: “That pajama set looks great!”

Xi Xinghe was in a state of heightened sensitivity, so hearing the word pajamas made his brain practically explode.

Why did Jing Heguang have to say the pajamas looked good?

That heartless guy, did he have no idea he shouldn’t casually compliment something so loaded with implications?

Blushing furiously and looking at the pajamas he was wearing, Xi Xinghe gave a stiff, awkward reply: “You have a set too.”

Jing Heguang smiled and said, “Alright, I’m going to take a shower now. I’ll be out soon.”

As Jing Heguang went in to shower, Xi Xinghe rolled around on the bed, scrolling through netizens’ comments and feeling like it was ridiculous to be such a coward.

Therefore, he decided to make a bold declaration.

@LittleHuachiFromFlowerPlanet: I’ve finished my shower, and now he’s gone to take his. I can’t chicken out, I said I was going to enjoy him.

@SucculentPot: First row! Go for it, don’t back down. Let’s go, Brother Hua!

@MoneyTree: Looking at this post suddenly makes me a bit sad. Maybe it’s because I’ve followed Little Huachi for so long. If there’s no way of succeeding…maybe we should just chicken out after all?

@CatGrass: Little Huachi, you just can’t bring yourself to be ‘heartless’, can you? I vote we chicken out too +1!

@Kumquat: Chicken out, then chicken out. Following your intuition is fine too.

@GoldenShadedCat: A man’s intuition? The other guy probably likes Little Huachi too, but I suggest clearing the air first.

@ForgetMeNot: Why is there always a new crisis right after the last one? *Sob* Can’t things just stay sweet?

@Hyacinth: You can just talk it out clearly, Little Huachi! Just ask him, you two should have a good talk…

@LittleHuachi replied: “It’s just…the situation is complicated. It’s not really the right time to talk.”

After posting this reply, Xi Xinghe slumped dejectedly onto the bed.

However, the moment he lay down, the thought hit him. In a moment, the two of them would be sleeping in the same bed!

Xi Xinghe’s mind felt a bit dizzy.

He knew Jing Heguang didn’t actually like him, and he also knew that Jing Heguang was unaware of his own feelings.

He didn’t want to tell Jing Heguang yet, he didn’t want him to find out too.

He really was a petty person!

Upon realizing this, Xi Xinghe was instantly overcome with sadness.

***

In the bathroom, Jing Heguang scrubbed himself thoroughly, making sure not to miss a single spot.

He also quickly washed and blow-dried his hair.

The original owner’s natural curls were subtle, not wild frizzy curls, but just gentle waves at the ends or around the forehead. It actually looked quite good, giving him a unique, stylish vibe.

After drying his hair, Jing Heguang told Little Yellow Peach, “Don’t peek,” and stepped out of the bathroom.

Hearing the door open, Xi Xinghe, who was lying across the bed, didn’t get up. Instead, he buried his face in the quilt.

He was lying sideways, with his bare feet dangling off the edge of the bed.

Jing Heguang walked over and tickled the soles of his feet.

Xi Xinghe shuddered at the sensation. He was the type of person who would burst into laughter when tickled. He immediately curled up his feet to dodge Jing Heguang’s hand.

“Stop tickling me,” Xi Xinghe said, feeling a mix of wanting to cry and wanting to laugh.

He had been feeling so down, and then this happened. Jing Heguang sat down on the bed and teased him with a smile: “Who told you to smother yourself like that? If you end up suffocating or getting sick, who am I supposed to hold responsible?”

Xi Xinghe sat in the middle of the bed, clutching the duvet: “I was just lying on my stomach, I wasn’t going to suffocate.”

As Xi Xinghe sat up, the rosy flush caused by the steam from his shower faded away, and Jing Heguang finally noticed something amiss.

It seemed Xi Xinghe wasn’t as eager as he had imagined, he even seemed a bit apprehensive.

Jing Heguang asked, “Xingxing, are you scared?”

His Xingxing was barely in his early twenties, a little star in every sense of the word, so it was only natural to feel scared.

Jing Heguang said understandingly, “If you’re scared, I can just take a duvet and sleep in the guest room.”

He kept a relaxed smile on his face as he spoke, trying his best to put Xi Xinghe at ease.

But that wasn’t how Xi Xinghe heard it.

Xi Xinghe: ???

We’re already in the room, already on the bed, and you’re still thinking about leaving?!

You just complimented my pajamas! You rushed out of the shower! You liar!

Jing Heguang really doesn’t like me! It makes me so mad!

Xi Xinghe screamed internally: Fine, call me petty if you want, but it’s Jing Heguang’s own actions that are infuriating me.

Then, Xi Xinghe lunged forward, threw his arms around Jing Heguang, and declared fiercely, “If you leave, you aren’t allowed to come back!”

Jing Heguang felt a bit bewildered, perhaps it was a generational gap? How could this little guy go from unhappy to so proactive in the blink of an eye?

Or maybe — his Xingxing was the type to say one thing but mean another. Someone whose words were casual, but whose actions revealed his true feelings?

Jing Heguang held him close and kissed his cheek: “I’m not leaving, I’m not. I only thought about leaving because you looked unhappy earlier.”

Jing Heguang thought to himself: I’m truly being wronged here.

Xi Xinghe held him tight and kissed Jing Heguang fervently.

Amidst the passionate kiss, Jing Heguang heard a mumbled, “You don’t like me.”

Hearing the aggrieved tone in that voice, Jing Heguang couldn’t help but chuckle.

So, while he had been holding back for fear of scaring Xi Xinghe, Xi Xinghe was actually complaining that he wasn’t being proactive enough?

Jing Heguang reached out and gave Xi Xinghe’s backside a light smack: “Let me show you whether I like you or not.”

Jing Heguang pinned him down onto the large bed, using his actions to prove just how much he liked him!

When Xi Xinghe finally got to experience the body of the person he adored, he burst into tears. Clutching Jing Heguang, he whimpered, “Waa…you don’t like me.”

Jing Heguang planted kisses on him: “Alright, alright, I don’t like you. I love you! Is that better, baby?”

Xi Xinghe thought to himself: You have no such thought, you really don’t like me.

Yet, hearing Jing Heguang say he loved him, Xi Xinghe couldn’t help but feel incredibly, uncontrollably happy!

Xi Xinghe said, “You said it yourself, don’t you dare forget!”

“Alright, I won’t forget,” Jing Heguang replied with a smile, wondering where Xi Xinghe got such a sense of insecurity.

Thinking of how Xi Xinghe loved to let his imagination run wild with wealthy family drama tropes, Jing Heguang felt he understood the situation. He said, “How about I hand over all my wallets to you tomorrow? You can give me an allowance.”

Xi Xinghe sniffled. “I don’t want your money.” I want your heart.

Jing Heguang spoke in a tone one might use to soothe a child: “You can have whatever you want, don’t be afraid. Everything I have is yours.”

Xi Xinghe retorted, “I’m not afraid.”

I just like you.

And at this moment, Jing Heguang probably liked him a little too, right?

At this thought, Xi Xinghe’s heart softened. He gently bit Jing Heguang’s chin, casting aside his inhibitions and letting his affection flow freely as he responded passionately.

***

Downstairs.

Jing Yongyan returned to his room, took a shower, and climbed into bed.

Seeing that he was in a good mood, Jiang Shi asked, “What did you talk to Heguang about? You seem so happy.”

“Just a casual chat.” Jing Yongyan felt a bit embarrassed to admit what he had actually done. It felt like an old man meddling where he shouldn’t.

Meanwhile, Jiang Shi lay in the room for a while, the hesitation she had felt at the dinner table had long since vanished.

She cast aside her lingering reluctance and resolved to be ruthless. She wasn’t exactly a saint anyway, what did it matter if she became a little worse?

Jiang Shi smiled and said, “Heguang seems much better. How about we have Xinghe try to persuade him to see a psychiatrist?”

“I actually mentioned it when I spoke to him today. I think he’s close to coming to terms with things, he might just bring it up himself one of these days,” Jing Yongyan said.

“How can we just wait for the child to figure things out on his own? What if he gets stuck in a dead-end mindset again?” Jiang Shi put on a stern face and said disapprovingly, “Yongyan, that’s irresponsible of you!”

Jing Yongyan smiled and tried to soothe her: “Just let me finish, I actually did something tonight.”

Jiang Shi raised an eyebrow. “Oh? What did you do?”

Jing Yongyan spoke sheepishly: “I accidentally spilled something and soaked the bedding in Heguang’s guest room, it really was an accident!”

“That’s when it hit me. The reason Heguang has changed so much is surely because he’s started a family and developed a sense of responsibility. Therefore, I knocked on Xinghe’s door and pushed Heguang right inside!”

“Getting a little closer like that is bound to help him open up,” Jing Yongyan said with a hint of pride. “I even waited outside for a while, but Heguang never came out! They were just one step away from finally breaking through that barrier between them, so I gave them a little nudge.”

Jiang Shi was momentarily stunned, thinking to herself: Perhaps it’s fate, fate is pushing me to do these things.

Collecting herself, Jiang Shi asked, “That’s a good thing. Have you made contact with the psychiatrist abroad?”

“Xinghe graduated from Forestry University, so his foreign language skills aren’t great. Heguang is decent at languages, but he’s not very communicative these days. We’ll need to arrange a long-term interpreter for them, as well as someone to look after their daily needs.” Jiang Shi said quite a bit, though in reality, she was asking things she already knew the answers to.

“Sigh, we’re still in talks,” Jing Yongyan said with a sigh. “I want the best care, but the top doctors abroad have fully booked schedules. Doctors overseas don’t quite have the same kind of professional dedication that doctors in our country do.”

“Most of our doctors, at least, are still driven by the desire to heal and save lives. Under our system, people can actually get the medical care they need! The environment abroad is definitely an issue too.”

Jiang Shi asked, “If it’s going to take a while to finalize things with Dr. Guang, why don’t we start treatment here at home first? Heguang seems much better now, so being home in the country would at least give us some peace of mind.”

Jiang Shi made a good point. Jing Yongyan nodded and planted a kiss on her cheek.

“You care about this even more than I do. Heguang is so lucky to have a stepmother like you!”

Jiang Shi smiled and playfully pushed him away. “When did you learn to be such a smooth talker? Go to sleep, we have work tomorrow. And take care of your health. What will you do if you go bald?”

Jing Yongyan chuckled and quickly turned off the light.

He had forgotten to dye his hair. His eldest son had just noticed it, and he certainly didn’t want Jiang Shi to see it and tease him about getting old.

***

Early the next morning.

Jing Heguang got up, quietly tidied up the messy pile of things on the floor, washed up, and left the room.

In the kitchen.

The housekeeper, who was busy preparing breakfast, spotted Jing Heguang and greeted him with a smile: “Heguang, why are you up so early today?”

The housekeeper had worked for the Jing family for many years and felt deeply for Heguang. It was heartbreaking that someone so young had lost the ability to distinguish colors.

It seemed even more tragic given that Heguang was an artist. Because she understood his situation, she always greeted him with a warm smile, even though his expression was usually aloof. Jing Heguang spoke up somewhat sheepishly, “Auntie Wang, could you make some porridge this morning?”

Auntie Wang replied kindly, “Porridge? What kind would you like? I can start cooking it now so it will be ready later.”

“I’m not sure,” Jing Heguang said after a moment’s thought. “He likes it sweet, and it needs to be easy to digest.”

As Jing Heguang spoke, auntie Wang’s eyes caught sight of his chin.

There was a reddish mark there, it looked like a fading tooth mark.

Auntie Wang understood immediately. “So it’s for Xinghe! I get it now. I’ll make him black rice and red date porridge. That’s perfect for him.”

Jing Heguang didn’t know much about it, but he trusted the expert’s judgment, so he nodded. “Thank you. I’ll let you get to it, then.”

Jing Heguang walked away, leaving Auntie Wang to bustle about the kitchen, looking delighted.

Having stayed up late the night before, Jing Heguang was still a bit sleepy. After giving his instructions to auntie Wang, he headed back upstairs.

As he walked, he took out his phone and looked up black rice and red date porridge.

The information online stated: Black rice and red date porridge nourishes yin and tonifies the kidneys.

Jing Heguang thought to himself: That last part is certainly fitting.

***

When Xi Xinghe woke up, he realized he had hogged most of the bed, squeezing Jing Heguang into a tiny corner.

Feeling a twinge of guilt, he shifted slightly only to discover that his lower back and entire body were aching!

Deciding against moving any further, Xi Xinghe sprawled right in the middle of the bed like a total bully.

He yawned and reached under his pillow for his phone, but couldn’t find it.

Xi Xinghe usually kept his phone tucked under the outer edge of his pillow, but last night, Jing Heguang had moved it to the nightstand.

He tilted his body, shimmied over a bit, and finally managed to grab the phone.

After unlocking it, he glanced at Jing Heguang and snapped a photo of the hand resting outside the duvet.

@LittleHuaChiFromFlowerPlanet: I can’t get out of bed, so here’s a look at that ‘bad guy.’ [Image.jpg]

Netizens were clamoring to see what Little Huachi’s wealthy husband looked like, only to scroll down and find nothing but a single hand.

Sure, the hand was beautiful, but did he have to be so perfunctory about it?

@Datura: That’s it???

@MoneyTree: Little Huachi, you’re ruthless. You really went through with it!

@CatGrass: You’re wrong, MoneyTree. Look at Little Huachi, does he look like a 1 to you? He’s definitely a 0! I’d bet fifty cents on it.

@Baby’sBreath: I’m late. I missed the earlier livestream. That hand is gorgeous, though, isn’t it? Long, slender, fair fingers, he could practically be a hand model!

@GoldenShadedCat: And that red duvet…the color really gives off newlywed vibes, doesn’t it?

@HeHe: Hehe, such a tacky duvet and they claim to be wealthy? The charade is falling apart, isn’t it?

@GoldenShadedCat replies to @HeHe: Turn your phone brightness all the way up, you’ll see a subtle pattern on the quilt in the photo, then try searching for it.

@CatGrass: Ahhh! Jinjin(golden), what is that subtle pattern on the quilt?? Oh snap, talk about a slap in the face?!

@PothosCutie: Little Huachi has no reason to lie to us. He doesn’t make money off us! Besides, you guys are focusing on the wrong thing, you should be asking why Little Huachi can’t get out of bed!

@Kumquat: I finally saw something that matches my color, but surely it won’t end in a BE!! Waaah, I’m so scared. Little Huachi, please win over your hubby! Feed me more sweet candy, I could eat two tons of it!

……

Xi Xinghe couldn’t reply to these netizens, who seemed to be practically living right there on Weibo with them, because Jing Heguang had woken up, and he was trying to surreptitiously hide his phone.

Jing Heguang smiled and looked at him: “What are you looking at?”

Xi Xinghe shook his head: “Nothing, nothing.”

Jing Heguang climbed up and sat down next to Xi Xinghe.

Xi Xinghe started making things up: “I was looking at…looking at Taobao.”

“What do you want to buy?” Jing Heguang asked as he lay down beside Xi Xinghe, tilting his head toward him. “Let me take a look.”

Xi Xinghe clutched his phone tightly, embarrassed: “I was asking netizens…asking what to do about a sore back.”

As he said this, Xi Xinghe gave Jing Heguang a push with his weak, limp hands: “You practically wore me out until I fell apart.”

“My fault, baby. Let me rub it for you.” Jing Heguang quickly admitted his mistake and then dutifully massaged Xi Xinghe’s body.

He has to admit, Jing Heguang’s massage actually felt pretty good. Xi Xinghe hummed contentedly, “Mmm…that feels great. You’ve really got a knack for this, don’t you?”

Jing Heguang lowered his head and planted a kiss on the side of Xi Xinghe’s face as he turned toward him. “Don’t accuse me wrongly again. For the first twenty-eight years of my life, the only thing I knew was oil painting.”

Xi Xinghe, considering himself a reasonable person, retorted, “When did I ever accuse you wrongly?”

What he had meant earlier was simply to praise Jing Heguang’s skill. After all, massage is a technique one might well use on elders, too.

Xi Xinghe added, “I know how to give foot massages, I’ll give you one sometime.”

Only then did Jing Heguang realize he had misunderstood. However, he didn’t bring up the earlier misunderstanding, after all, he had certainly gotten his own back later on.

He planted another kiss on Xi Xinghe’s cheek. “I’ll be looking forward to it, then. Just don’t go tickling me on purpose.”

Recalling how Jing Heguang had tickled the soles of his feet the night before, Xi Xinghe felt a mix of embarrassment and mortification, his face flushing red.

Jing Heguang didn’t dare tease him further and soothed him, saying, “I had auntie Wang make some porridge for you. Do you want to have it up here or downstairs?”

Having felt much better after the massage, Xi Xinghe struggled to sit up and said, “I’ll go downstairs for it.”

Otherwise, it would be too embarrassing.

Jing Heguang replied, “Alright, then.”

***

Xi Xinghe never imagined that Jing Heguang would end up carrying him downstairs! He was absolutely mortified.

Although the stairs were the real culprit, it wasn’t as if Jing Heguang had insisted on carrying him. Xi Xinghe still held a grudge against him, deciding not to let him have a single sip of the sweet porridge.

When they went down for breakfast, they happened to run into Jiang Shi.

True to her nature, Jiang Shi smiled in a friendly manner, her eyes sweeping over the affectionate pair with a look of amusement.

Xi Xinghe instantly shifted from embarrassed annoyance to bashful shyness. He couldn’t let his carefully maintained persona slip. Halfway through breakfast, an idea struck Xi Xinghe. He said to Jiang Shi, looking a bit shy, “Auntie, Heguang has agreed to see a doctor. Let’s take him to see one tomorrow!”

Jiang Shi’s eyes widened in momentary shock, then she looked at Jing Heguang with delight. “Heguang, did you really agree?!”

Jing Heguang nodded. “I’ll listen to Xinghe.”

The good news came so suddenly that Jiang Shi didn’t even need to feign happiness, her face lit up with genuine joy. “That’s wonderful! I’ll book the appointment for tomorrow right away.”