After about three or four minutes, there was no more sound outside the door.
Wen Yan was planning to sleep but lifted the blanket and sat up.
What if the man got drunk and fell at the door?
It was so late, and there was no servant to care for him…
Various thoughts intertwined in Wen Yan’s mind, and he couldn’t hold back. Wearing slippers, he walked towards the door.
Quietly opening the door, he saw the man rubbing his forehead and turning around as if he was about to return to the neighboring room.
The air carried the fragrance of gardenia flowers from the courtyard, but there was no smell of alcohol.
Wen Yan was somewhat stunned.
Did the man not drink?
Wen Xueli heard the sound, turned to look at him, and slightly surprised, said, “Still not asleep?”
Wen Yan hesitated for a moment and whispered, “Uncle, did you… drink?”
At these words, a faint smile lifted the corners of Wen Xueli’s lips. “What’s the matter? Afraid I’ll get drunk and want to take care of me?”
Being teased by the man, Wen Yan blushed a bit, hesitated, and didn’t speak.
Wen Xueli restrained his smile and said gently, “I haven’t drunk, don’t worry.”
This young man blushed whenever teased; he had to control himself.
To an old fox like him, the young man was like the most transparent jade, depth discernible at a glance.
He wouldn’t dare to scare the young man.
Wen Yan relaxed, but also puzzled. Since the man wasn’t drunk, why did he linger at his door for so long?
As if sensing his thoughts, Wen Xueli explained softly, “I was hesitating whether to knock. I heard Aunt Liang say you brought the puppy back to your room. This little dog is very clingy and must want to climb onto your bed… Did you soften your heart and let it on the bed?”
Surprisingly, the man guessed it right. Wen Yan was speechless and nodded awkwardly.
Wen Xueli shook his head, gazing at him, “Be obedient, put the puppy on the sofa.”
The man’s voice was both deep and gentle, making Wen Yan’s heart beat a bit too fast. He subconsciously agreed.
Wen Xueli smiled, his eyes becoming even gentler, “It’s late, go to sleep.”
Wen Yan: “…Good night.”
“Good night.”
They each returned to their rooms.
Wen Yan closed the door, gently placing his hand on his chest. Only when it returned to its usual calmness did he take a deep breath and walk towards the bed.
The little puppy was sleeping soundly, curled up into a ball, its head buried in its paws, incredibly cute.
The bed was quite large, and the little dog was so small that it wouldn’t bother him at all. But thinking of the man’s words, Wen Yan obediently picked up the little dog.
The puppy whimpered, opened its eyes, and looked at him with round, puzzled eyes as if saying, “Why did you wake me up?”
Wen Yan kissed its forehead, stroked its back, and whispered, “It’s okay, go back to sleep.”
Perhaps comforted by his touch, the little dog closed its eyes again and continued to sleep.
Wen Yan gently placed it on the sofa.
The little puppy, exhausted, buried its face in the cushion and fell asleep instantly.
Wen Yan walked back to the bed, lifted the blanket, closed his eyes, and forced himself to sleep.
Wen Xueli, upon returning to his room, didn’t immediately freshen up. He received a call from a friend who complained about his mid-event departure.
He held the phone between his shoulder and ear, slowly took off his watch, looked at the swaying shadows outside the window, and said, “Let’s meet again next time.”
The friend was the young master of the Tang family in Hongcheng, who had invested in Haicheng ten years earlier. Hearing about Wen Xueli’s cooperation with the government, he hosted a gathering for him.
In today’s gathering, there were various influential figures.
However, Wen Xueli kept his focus on the watch. After 11 o’clock, he immediately excused himself.
His friend tried to persuade him to stay, but he just smiled, saying he needed to go home to put the little one to bed and left directly.
The young master of the Wen family had always come and gone as he pleased. Even the influential figures present tonight didn’t dare to intervene.
Once he left, the gathering naturally dispersed.
Others inquired about the “little one” mentioned by the young master of the Wen family, wondering if it was his lover.
The friend, however, knew the truth.
It was just a distant nephew, and he was unaware when Wen Xueli became so caring, actually going home to put his nephew to sleep.
He heard that the nephew was already over eighteen years old and probably didn’t need coaxing to sleep.
The friend didn’t delve into it, thinking that Wen Xueli simply disliked lively gatherings. He warmly said, “Alright, next time, no leaving early. Many people want to meet you.”
Wen Xueli went to the wardrobe, placed the watch in the jewelry cabinet, and smirked, “A’Ji, how long have you known me?”
The friend on the other end didn’t think much about it, “Twenty years is quite a long time, what’s up?”
Wen Xueli smiled, “You know I’m cooperating with the government this time, involving various interests… Why do those people want to get to know me? You really don’t know?”
Despite the smile, there was an air of impending change in his tone.
His friend was startled, immediately realizing the mistake, “My bad, I didn’t mean it. Don’t take offense.”
Wen Xueli nodded, “Alright, we’ll talk next time.”
He hung up the phone and walked slowly to the bathroom.
As water showered down, the tiles reflected light, and his abdominal muscles seemed to appear and disappear in the play of light and shadow.
The Wen family had stood for centuries, and there was no reason for it to break in his hands.
Maintaining integrity was a tradition of the Wen family.
As for the little one…
A smirk played on his lips. There was no need to coax for sleep, but other aspects required some coaxing.
…
The next day, Wen Yan woke up very early.
School started at eight in the morning, and he usually got up at seven. It had become a habit, even if he had trouble sleeping the night before, he automatically woke up early.
He went downstairs with the little puppy, and the man had already come back from his morning run.
Back in Hongcheng, this was the man’s routine, and Wen Yan wasn’t surprised. He greeted the man with the little dog in his arms.
Wen Xueli saw him in a simple T-shirt and shorts, a few strands of hair slightly raised on his head, resembling the little puppy in his arms. He couldn’t help but smile, “Let’s have breakfast together. Wait for me a moment; I’ll freshen up.”
Wen Yan wasn’t hungry, so he waited in the living room.
In boredom, he opened his phone and came across a friend’s circle post from Ye Ting.
Since being with He Jing, his posts have been all about showing affection.
This time was no exception. He posted a photo with two feet standing on a beach drawn with hearts.
Very cliché.
But you could still feel the overwhelming happiness.
Wen Yan mechanically clicked the like button.
At first, he genuinely expressed his blessings with the likes, but now it was just a perfunctory act.
While Wen Xueli went to freshen up, he saw the young man sitting on the sofa, legs curled up, chin resting on the little puppy, playing with his phone.
Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, bathing half of the young man’s body in orange sunlight, giving him a radiant glow.
Because he kept his head down, only the chin of the young man was visible, making him appear somewhat slender but breathtakingly beautiful.
Wen Xueli’s gaze was deep and serene.
After a moment, he walked over and said in a gentle voice, “Aunt Liang said she made the soup dumplings you like.”
Wen Yan immediately put away his phone and naturally walked side by side with the man toward the kitchen.
He wasn’t particularly fond of noodles but had a special liking for foods like dumplings.
The two of them slowly enjoyed their breakfast.
The little puppy, smelling the meat, circled their legs.
Aunt Liang came in, took the puppy, and said, “It can’t eat oily and salty food. I’ll take it to have dog food.”
Only the uncle and nephew were left in the living room.
Wen Xueli’s dining etiquette was graceful, his slender fingers holding a green porcelain bowl filled with white porridge. Although it was a common action, it looked refreshing and pleasant, almost like an art form.
Wen Yan couldn’t emulate this kind of temperament. When he worked part-time in the past, he even hurriedly devoured his meals to save time.
The man looked at him and said, “Eat slowly.”
Wen Yan then slowed down, nibbling on the soup dumplings.
After finishing a bowl of porridge, Wen Xueli wiped the corners of his mouth with a napkin and asked, “Any plans for today?”
Wen Yan hesitated. If it weren’t for the little puppy at home, he might have used it as an excuse to go back to school today.
Yesterday, Wen Xueli reminded him that puppies need companionship, so he planned to stay during the holiday these days. Other than that, he didn’t have any specific plans.
Wen Yan shook his head.
Wen Xueli said, “I heard there are many quaint and charming small towns around Haicheng. Will you accompany me to visit?”
Wen Yan was quite surprised.
He thought the man would continue working today.
Even though it was the National Day holiday, the man was usually busy, even on weekends, attending social events and meetings.
After a few seconds of hesitation, he asked, “Um… where do you want to go?”
Although he was from Haicheng, he wasn’t very familiar with the surrounding small towns.
Wen Xueli said, “A friend recommended a place, saying it hasn’t been fully developed, and we can avoid the crowds.”
Wen Yan hesitated a bit.
Wen Xueli looked at him and said, “I’ve invited a few friends to join. We’ll only play for a day and be back tomorrow.”
Hearing that he would bring friends, Wen Yan no longer hesitated and nodded, “Sure.”
If it were just the two of them, he might feel awkward and unsure of how to spend time alone with the man.
With friends, it would be much easier.
Aunt Liang, upon hearing they were going to have fun, was particularly supportive.
She grinned and said to Wen Yan, “Mr. Wen always comes to Haicheng in a hurry. This is the first time he’s going around nearby. You must accompany him well.”
Is it really the first time?
Wen Yan, considering himself a host, thought that he should indeed treat them well, even though he hadn’t been to that small town himself.
Around nine o’clock, five cars entered the villa in a line, Wen Xueli’s friends had arrived.
Early in the morning, Tang Ji received a call from Wen Xueli, saying they were going to a nearby small town to have fun. He had been at a gathering late into the night, hadn’t slept much, and was still nursing a headache. However, since the young master had given the order, he had to get up despite it.
He hadn’t seen Wen Yan before. He imagined the nephew to be a pitiful and destitute figure but was surprised to find Wen Yan refined and scholarly.
While Tang Ji was sizing up Wen Yan, the latter had already gone back to his room, packed a set of clothes and toiletries, and put them in a backpack on his back.
Wen Xueli walked over, took Wen Yan’s backpack, and carried it in his hand, saying, “Let’s go.”
Tang Ji watched silently from the side, feeling that something was off.
Since when did the heir of the Wen family personally carry someone’s bag?
The group set off.
Worried about traffic, Aunt Liang insisted on preparing some common pastries and snacks for them to take.
So, with Wen Xueli holding Wen Yan’s backpack and Wen Yan carrying the food given by Aunt Liang, they walked towards the cars together.
This time, Wen Xueli drove himself, saying it would only be a day, and they didn’t need a driver.
The friends each got into their respective cars. Since Wen Yan only knew Wen Xueli, naturally, he joined him.
However, with this arrangement, there were only the two of them in the car…
Wen Xueli had already gone to the driver’s seat, opened the passenger door, looked at Wen Yan, and said, “Get in.”
With everyone else in the car, and standing alone by the vehicle not being an option, Wen Yan didn’t hesitate for long. He embraced his belongings and sat in the passenger seat.
The man spoke gently, “Put your things on the back seat.”
Wen Yan complied.
Wen Xueli started the car and drove out of the gate. The other cars followed one after another.
The car window was partially open, and a gentle breeze brushed against their faces, quite pleasant.
However, Wen Yan wasn’t in the mood to enjoy it. He had spent time alone with Wen Xueli before, such as when they went to Disneyland with only the two of them. However, the space in the car was small, and they could hear each other’s breathing.
The author has something to say:
My dear readers, I’ve already written 3000 words, but considering the cutoff time at midnight, it’s a bit complicated… um… I’m planning to update again at 10 PM tomorrow, offering 6000-7000 words. You don’t have to wait today, sorry~ muah~
Starting the day after tomorrow, I’ll adhere to daily updates of 3000 words~^_^
Updates will be posted before midnight every night, thanks for your support^_^
Thanks to the little angels who gave me power stones~
Thanks to the little angels who gave me [landmine] stones: Diligent Gemini 2 stones, Where’s the Prosperity & All the Songs 1 stone, Paper Folding Little Box 1 stone
Thanks to the little angels who watered me with nutrient solutions~
Thanks to the nutrient solution angels: Mo Yu 7 bottles, Ruo Meng 5 bottles, Xin 4 bottles, Lemon-colored Early Cherry Blossom 2 bottles, Song Yutingting 1 bottle, Simple 75 1 bottle, Yue Jian Wu Gou 1 bottle, A Smile Forgets Worries 1 bottle, Wei Sheng 1 bottle
Thank you very much for your support, and I will continue to work hard!^_^