In the hot back-to-school season, military training for freshmen in various universities is in full swing.
Many students complain on social media about the hardships of military training—getting tanned, getting sunburned, dealing with foolish instructors, and various other unfortunate incidents.
An Wuyang’s good friend Xiao Pang, in particular, looked unrecognizable in photos after military training—both blackened and thinner…
However, blackened and thinner? Did he misinterpret it?
An Wuyang was dumbfounded, wondering what Xiao Pang had gone through in just half a month.
—Xiao Pang, did you lose weight?
Xiao Pang, now taller and more handsome after losing weight, quickly replied.
—Yeah…
—Why are you so calm? Aren’t you unhappy about losing weight?
An Wuyang was puzzled. Shouldn’t a thinner Xiao Pang be jumping for joy?
—Don’t want to talk about it. Bro is in a bit of a situation now. I’ll take a nap.
His good friend went silent just like that.
It seemed like there was an issue, perhaps he was in a bad mood.
An Wuyang didn’t disturb him and just replied.
—Sure, if there’s anything I can help with, feel free to tell me.
However, little did he know that even if he could help, Xue JiYang (Xiao Pang’s real name) wouldn’t say anything.
For those things that are hard to talk about, who the hell can bring themselves to share?
Just avoid it in the future, then do whatever needs to be done.
In the days of staying at home, eating, drinking, and relaxing, two weeks passed in the blink of an eye.
After the first extended break following the start of the school year, Ding Wei called the second son of the family and said, “We’re having an extended break starting tomorrow. Should I have your dad come pick you up?”
An Wuyang was stunned for a good three seconds, almost forgetting his student identity. “Sure, have Dad wait for me at the main entrance of Shang University at 5:00 PM tomorrow.”
Ding Wei replied, “Alright, he’ll go pick up your younger brother first. You can discuss the timing yourselves. I’ll have him call you.”
“Okay.” An Wuyang hung up the phone, feeling a bit absent-minded.
He had a strong intuition that Mr. Huo didn’t want him to go back.
However, after a whole month away from home during the summer vacation, not going back this time during the extended break would be quite unreasonable.
Just when An Wuyang was frowning in worry, his phone rang again.
He absentmindedly checked it and found it was from Mrs. Huo.
An Wuyang answered the call and heard an inviting tone with a smile on the other side, “Yang Yang, how about you and Yun Chuan come home for dinner during the National Day?”
This was the first time Zhang Ruoqi invited An Wuyang home, and she was quite afraid of being rejected.
The young boy’s voice sounded apologetic, “But… I just promised to go home.”
Zhang Ruoqi was initially a bit disappointed but then had a thought, “That’s okay. You go home first. Next time, okay?”
Then she heard An Wuyang agreeing wholeheartedly, “Sure, next time we’ll come over again.”
Zhang Ruoqi was growing fonder of this easygoing daughter-in-law. She kept asking about An Wuyang’s recent well-being, sleep, and got detailed answers each time, feeling that she was very sweet.
Compared to her son, who got impatient after three sentences, it was like night and day.
In short, An Wuyang was just too endearing.
At night, she often thought, if the parents knew about the relationship between him and Huo Yun Chuan, it would be difficult.
Huo Yun Chuan went out again today, returned at 4:30 PM, not early nor late.
His stern eyebrows looked as if he was still pondering work-related matters.
This demeanor made An Wuyang a bit apprehensive, hesitating to bring up the topic of going home.
Upon seeing him, Huo Yun Chuan’s expression visibly softened.
“You’re back?” An Wuyang walked over, hesitated for a moment, and boldly pulled at his wrist.
President Huo felt extremely warm. While nodding, he gazed at the proactive young boy approaching him. “Mm.”
Then the young boy shook his hand. “Let me tell you something about the extended break.”
“Oh.” Huo Yun Chuan seemed to already know what he was going to say, as his parents had called in the morning saying, “Go back if you’re happy; I have no objections.”
Whether he went back or not, it was fine with him.
The previously apprehensive little angel suddenly hugged him, “That’s great! I’ll call my dad and have him pick me up at Shang University tomorrow afternoon.”
The older man being hugged by the little angel stiffened, pursing his lips. “What does your dad have to do with it?”
An Wuyang looked thoughtful, lifted his head from Huo Yun Chuan’s embrace, “You’re right. I can tell my dad that I’ll take the bus back, and then you can actually pick me up. That should work.”
He speculated with his toes that Mr. Huo would definitely prefer this arrangement.
“Go back? To your home?” Huo Yun Chuan finally understood what An Wuyang meant, and his expression changed immediately.
“Yeah, you said I could decide for myself.” An Wuyang proactively rubbed against the seemingly displeased Huo Yun Chuan, “I haven’t been home for a while.”
Huo Yun Chuan silently watched him, pulled back his arm after a while, and turned to go to the bedroom, “I’ll change clothes.”
“Did you agree?” An Wuyang caught up with him.
“I’ll take you home on National Day morning and bring you back in the evening. That’s fine.” Huo Yun Chuan took off his shirt, speaking calmly.
“But this time, I want to stay for a whole week.” An Wuyang stood by the bed, his gaze stubborn.
The man in front of him turned to look at him, his eyes sharp and intimidating.
Knowing that what he did was not good, Huo Yun Chuan maintained it for a moment, then turned to look at the wardrobe, avoiding eye contact with the little angel, “Leaving for seven days. Do you think I can endure that?”
This time, An Wuyang fell silent, sitting on the bed without saying a word, head hanging low.
Yes, he knew, Mr. Huo definitely couldn’t endure it.
Huo Yun Chuan, having not heard the voice of the little angel for a long time, turned back in confusion and saw an unhappy figure.
“…,”
What he was thinking now was that An Wuyang could leave without hesitation for seven days.
He took a deep breath, changed his clothes, and walked over, “If you want to go back, go ahead.”
The next afternoon, An Wuyang put on old clothes, carried his accustomed backpack, and was sent downstairs by Huo Yun Chuan to their house.
“We’re here.” President Huo had an overall low mood, and his face, covered with sunglasses, showed no expression.
Since a while ago, it had been like this. An Wuyang had already gotten used to this frozen atmosphere, but it didn’t mean he wasn’t feeling uncomfortable.
“Well, I’ll get off here. Goodbye.” An Wuyang sat in the back seat, said this, and got out of the car.
His movements were a bit slow because he was conflicted about whether to hug Mr. Huo or not.
Then he felt a bit disdainful of himself for having such thoughts at a time like this.
So, he got off the car without a farewell hug or saying anything else.
“When you want to come back, give me a call.” Huo Yun Chuan couldn’t hold back in the end and reminded the carefree teenager.
“Okay, then you go back.” An Wuyang thought about suggesting that he come back home for dinner, but he felt it might be too meddlesome, so he kept quiet.
Huo Dad stayed in the driver’s seat for a few seconds, then impatiently unfastened his seatbelt and got out of the car like a gust of wind, walking to An Wuyang, “I’ll walk you up.”
He held An Wuyang’s hand, strolling through the community of his house like an old hand, “Don’t be angry, okay? I’ll miss you too.”
If the other person didn’t speak, he would rub his cheek against the other’s arm, being very affectionate.
Huo Yun Chuan, who had been feeling uncomfortable all along, suddenly felt his heart boiling, but he maintained a silent expression.
When they entered the elevator, which was empty, An Wuyang felt quite uncomfortable. From the side, he hugged Mr. Huo’s waist.
“I’ll pick you up tonight?” Huo Yun Chuan circled his arm around the little angel’s shoulder, gently rubbing with his thumb.
He felt the arm around his waist from the little angel relax, then push him away and stand properly.
“…” This series of actions made Huo Yu feel suffocated.
“I’ve arrived. We’ll see each other in a week…” An Wuyang’s voice became quieter and quieter, and in the end, he closed his mouth, walked out directly, then turned back to take a look.
He didn’t know what was wrong with him, he just didn’t feel quite cheerful.
But this kind of mood was soon overwhelmed by seeing his parents and little brother.
“Bro?” An Wuji had just returned, still holding his school bag.
“Younger brother.” An Wuyang nodded at him, took off his backpack, and took out what he had bought for his little brother, “Brought you something to eat.”
An Wuji was already used to his older brother doing this, “Thanks, brother.” Then he looked at him with particular confusion, “Huh? Why didn’t you get sunburned during military training like everyone else?”
Not mentioning it was fine, but once it was brought up, his little brother observed him carefully again and found that his older brother not only didn’t get sunburned but also became fairer and chubbier.
“I originally have the type of skin that doesn’t get sunburned…” An Wuyang casually fibbed.
Then he greeted his parents and went back to his room.
At dinner, Ding Wei looked at her second son from head to toe, “It’s been a month since school started, why are you still wearing those few clothes?”
An Wuyang was stunned, lowered his head to look at his clothes, and said, “It’s okay, I don’t lack clothes to wear.”
An Cheng also felt that his second son didn’t know how to dress himself up and looked too sloppy, “Tomorrow, go shopping with Dad. Dad will buy you a couple of decent clothes.”
Moreover, “Nowadays, girls like boys to dress a bit more handsome. If you always wear sportswear, how will any girls like you?”
An Wuyang blushed and said, “Why do I need girls to like me? I already have Mr. Huo.”
“This child,” Ding Wei couldn’t help but feel that her second son was too naive, “When you’re in college, if you don’t find a good match, do you think you’ll have the conditions to find one when you start working?”
Not to mention her words, based on her second son’s conditions and personality, finding a girl who wants to stay in the capital would be considered good enough.
An Wuyang still refused to go buy clothes with his dad, just saying he would go back to school and buy with classmates.
“Mom, do you think my brother has gained weight?” An Wuji suddenly spoke up.
Ding Wei and An Cheng, the couple, immediately used a comparative look to observe the second son and found, “It does seem like it. Looks like he’s living well in college.”
An Wuyang felt nervous and guilty for a moment, quickly lowering his head to eat.
His ‘college life’ was indeed going well, being taken care of meticulously by Mr. Huo every day.
Suddenly thinking of Huo Yun Chuan’s name, the young man’s heart skipped a beat.
When he snapped out of it, he found that his mind was already filled with thoughts of Mr. Huo, and his heart ached faintly, struggling for breath.
As night fell, the surroundings began to quiet down.
An Wuyang sat in the small room with his younger brother, absentmindedly raising his eyebrows.
After hesitating for a short while, he chose to follow his heart and sent a text message to Huo Yun Chuan.
—Good evening.
The other party only replied with a cold ellipsis.
—…
An Wuyang pursed his lips and quickly pressed a few more words.
—I miss you.
Huo Yun Chuan received the message, replied with a cool response.
— I’ll come pick you up.
— How about not going back? Can you come and see me?
An Wuyang sent another message.
Huo Yun Chuan looked up at his empty home. Since An Wuyang left, it had become cold and quiet.
—Okay.
On the first night he returned home, An Wuyang was not used to it, so Huo Yun Chuan went to see him.
After that, as if he had gotten used to it, he never asked someone to come see him again.
Counting down, the baby was already thirteen weeks old. The books said that babies would start showing signs of pregnancy from the twelfth to fifteenth week.
An Wuyang stood in his home bathroom, using his hands to feel the protruding little belly, realizing that it had grown much more in a week.
—Yunchuan, my belly has grown another round.
After taking a shower, An Wuyang resumed his daily routine of harassing Mr. Huo with text messages.
He thought he would receive the cool and concise replies like the previous days.
However, there was not a single word.
Of course, because Huo Yun Chuan directly called, his voice almost pleading like a trapped beast, “Yang Yang, tell your parents you’re going back to school early. I’m coming over now to pick you up.”
He didn’t expect An Wuyang to agree immediately, but if it continued like this, he wouldn’t be able to hold on.
“Okay.” An Wuyang nodded and uttered a simple ‘okay.’
The man alone in the apartment immediately stood up, grabbed his car keys, and headed out.
The hellish extended holiday finally ended prematurely.
With a backpack on his shoulders, An Wuyang waited at the intersection a short distance from his home community.
Seeing Mr. Huo’s familiar sports car approaching, An Wuyang’s heart warmed, and his fingers involuntarily tightened around the straps on his shoulders.
After the other person got out of the car, he immediately walked over and, along with his backpack, plunged into the other’s arms.
“Yunchuan.”
The voice of the young man was soft.
“Your belly grew another round?” Huo Yunchuan tightly embraced his lifeline and reached out to touch the other’s abdomen, saying, “From now on, you’re not allowed to go anywhere unless you want me to die.”
At the raised area in his palm, the cold and reserved man trembled slightly.
“You…” An Wuyang stared.
But as soon as he saw Huo Yunchuan’s face clearly, he closed his mouth in embarrassment.
Huo Yunchuan knew that his haggard appearance might frighten An Wuyang, so he said, “Get in the car.” He moved his eyes, full of bloodshot, and opened the car door for the other to get in.
The first thing upon returning was to have An Wuyang accompany him for a good night’s sleep.
1TL: YSIAD “You can support me if you like my translations by leaving a comment below, or by sending me a Ko-fi. Thank you ❤️”
