VFGRC Chapter 52

Yu Bai: …You have thick skin.

“Just having trouble sleeping, wanted to chat with you,” Ji Rongyu lightly tugged at Yu Bai’s wrist and gently swayed it, “Can’t you?”

At this point, Yu Bai wasn’t too tired.

Ji Rongyu’s every move was like that of an obedient and gentle big cat extending its furry paw, beckoning its owner to play with it a little while longer.

Yu Bai, who was easily persuaded, couldn’t find words to refuse.

“We can chat for a little while,” Yu Bai said, “You know. Xing Xing sleeps better when someone is with him. Otherwise, he might wake up halfway through because he’s not sleeping soundly.”

When Xing Xing sleeps, he needs someone to watch over him, or else he might wake up in the middle of his sleep due to restlessness. However, it’s not a big issue if Yu Bai occasionally leaves while Xing Xing is asleep.

Ji Rongyu released Yu Bai’s wrist, his lips curling slightly, saying, “I get it.”

Getting jealous of a little child is really unreasonable.

But, who let Yu Bai be so good to Xing Xing?

When Xing Xing isn’t happy, Yu Bai tries various ways to cheer him up.

If Xing Xing wants to eat something, Yu Bai will prepare it for him the next day.

Even now, as he’s talking to Ji Rongyu, Yu Bai’s mind is filled with thoughts of Xing Xing.

In Ji’s family, though Ji Rongyu is the youngest, his parents have never been as careful and attentive as Yu Bai is with Xing Xing.

When Ji Rongyu was growing up, he would be awakened before dawn by the steward to practice, and then he would study various subjects.

Ji Rongyu didn’t have a carefree childhood like Xing Xing. He only bore the heavy burden of the Ji family’s future.

“When I was his age, I already knew how to sleep on my own,” Ji Rongyu got up and took a sip of water, “He has to grow up eventually. You can’t keep accompanying him to sleep all the time, can you?”

“…I know.”

Yu Bai is a first-time parent, inexperienced, and he loves Xing Xing so much that he can’t bear to let the three-year-old Xing Xing sleep alone.

“Xing Xing just turned three.” After some thought, Yu Bai said, “Let him sleep alone when he’s a little older… at least when he goes to kindergarten.”

“You really spoil him.”

The light in the living room flickered, and Ji Rongyu lowered his head to sip his water. Yu Bai couldn’t see his expression clearly.

Yu Bai didn’t pay too much attention, “Xing Xing is my only child. If I don’t spoil him, who else will I spoil?”

As Ji Rongyu was drinking water, he felt a faint sourness in the liquid, as if it had gone bad.

Really unpleasant.

Ji Rongyu put down the water glass.

The more they talked about this little child, the more Ji Rongyu’s heart felt like it was blocked, stuffy and uncomfortable.

So, Ji Rongyu changed the topic, “About the proposal… How have you been considering it?”

Yu Bai said, “Hmm… I’m planning to give it a try.”

Although Yu Bai’s previous life was short, he had a smooth journey in his culinary career. Just as he was starting out as a chef, he had a mentor who taught him carefully, and later he encountered a boss who appreciated him.

In his previous life, Yu Bai’s boss was also his mentor, and no matter what new dish Yu Bai wanted to try, his boss supported him.

As for the management and promotion of the shop, the boss never made Yu Bai worry about it.

Yu Bai’s life after transmigration, however, was quite challenging – because he had to try everything on his own.

In his previous life, Yu Bai had focused on culinary research, so he had little experience in running a shop.

However, Yu Bai was clever. He had experienced hardships and gained much knowledge.

In a short period of time, Yu Bai managed to establish his street food stall from scratch. He gradually developed a knack for seizing opportunities.

Running his teppanyaki street food stall was not easy. He had to endure wind and sun every day, unlike the stable and comfortable environment of a proper shop.

Furthermore, after his confrontations with “Qiaozi Snacks Store”, Yu Bai had a clear understanding.

“Qiaozi Snacks Store” was a well-known chain both online and in J City.

Yu Bai’s street food stall was just a slightly bustling teppanyaki stall at Sanjiaokou. Even though his snacks were tastier than “Qiaozi Snacks Store”, a bit of targeting from them made Yu Bai’s life difficult.

Moreover, even if this particular “Qiaozi Snacks Store” were to close down, countless other “Qiaozi Snacks Store” would emerge in the future, competing with him at Sanjiaokou.

To avoid being bullied by other shops, he needed to become stronger himself.

In case Assistant Hang’s words were true, and the renowned G Group was willing to invest in him, allowing him to transition from a street food stall… Having the support of a big entity would be a rare opportunity for Yu Bai.

“Before Xing Xing went to sleep, I received a call from Assistant Hang,” Yu Bai said, “This opportunity is truly rare. So, I arranged with Assistant Hang to discuss cooperation in the next few days…”

No matter how hesitant Yu Bai was about contacting this “Assistant Hang,” the contracts that “Assistant Hang” held were always genuine and couldn’t be faked.

Whether the discussions with Hang Yuanshu were successful and the contract signed, whether the other party genuinely wanted to sign with him or was pretending, it would become clear.

Yu Bai spoke a lot, but Ji Rongyu only heard the first half.

“You were on the phone with Assistant Hang tonight?”

Yu Bai: “Yeah, what’s wrong?”

Ji Rongyu’s narrow eyes squinted slightly, “Nothing.”

When Hang Yuanshu called Yu Bai, it was already nine o’clock. Xing Xing would be going to bed soon.

Why did Hang Yuanshu choose to call when it was almost time for others to sleep? What if Yu Bai went to bed early today and was awakened by his phone ringing?

Yu Bai didn’t understand what Ji Rongyu was thinking at the moment.

Yu Bai stood up, saying, “It’s getting late. I’ll go back to the room first.”

Ji Rongyu furrowed his brow, “It hasn’t been that long…”

Yu Bai: “I’ve been chatting with you for a while. If I stay any longer, Xing Xing might wake up.”

Ji Rongyu looked displeased, but he understood that he couldn’t keep Yu Bai here.

Ji Rongyu mumbled, “Go ahead.”

He leaned back and lay down on the sofa.

Though the sofa was soft, it was quite narrow. Ji Rongyu lying on it felt restricted and uncomfortable.

Yu Bai raised his hand and turned off the living room light.

In the moonlight, Yu Bai bent down, pulled up the thin blanket covering Ji Rongyu, and covered his exposed feet.

It was winter now. Even if the living room had a warm air conditioner on, it was still easy to catch a cold if one wasn’t careful.

In Yu Bai’s heart, although Ji Rongyu appeared stable and mature, his temperament was similar to Xing Xing’s.

Both of them enjoyed being spoiled, occasionally displayed childlike tempers, and expected others to coax them. When they made mistakes, they even acted cutely to make amends…

Even their habit of not properly covering themselves with the blanket when they sleep at night is exactly the same.

Yu Bai stepped forward, about to tuck the corner of the blanket for Ji Rongyu, but Ji Rongyu’s hand once again emerged from under the blanket, grabbing Yu Bai’s wrist.

Ji Rongyu used a bit more force this time, and the bending-over Yu Bai couldn’t maintain his balance.

Despite Yu Bai’s slender frame, he carried quite a weight when he landed on someone.

Ji Rongyu let out a muffled groan of pain.

“Are you okay?” Yu Bai asked quickly.

At this moment, Yu Bai’s upper body was leaning over Ji Rongyu, and they were very close to each other.

When Yu Bai raised his head, their breaths intertwined in sync, each word and each exhale exuding warmth, mingling with Ji Rongyu’s heated exhalation.

In the pitch-black darkness, perhaps illuminated by the moonlight’s brilliance, Ji Rongyu’s narrow eyes seemed even brighter than before.

Ji Rongyu’s strong and sturdy left hand was firmly against Yu Bai’s right wrist.

Yu Bai’s skin was delicate and sensitive, and he could feel that Ji Rongyu’s left hand was as scorching as red-hot iron.

Ji Rongyu’s rough fingertip pressed gently against the skin on Yu Bai’s wrist, seemingly unintentionally making a light stroke.

In that instant, when Ji Rongyu’s fingertip brushed against Yu Bai’s wrist, a tingling, electric-like sensation spread through him, leaving his skin feeling slightly numb and aroused.

Yu Bai’s heart raced uncontrollably, and his breath involuntarily quickened.

Between close friends of the same gender, after spending enough time together, incidental skin contact was normal.

However, in the pitch-black room, the scorching touch, the coarse fingertip, the entangled breaths, the dominating and powerful hands…

Everything about tonight gradually overlapped with the unforgettable night Yu Bai had spent four years trying to forget.

The things that had been done to him that night, the sensations that had made his heart pound and his body shiver with excessive pleasure, were vividly replayed in his mind.

The air conditioning in the living room today seemed to be set too high.

Yu Bai’s cheeks grew warm, and his breath carried a hint of restlessness and impatience.

Yu Bai’s pristine teeth instinctively bit down on his lower lip, as if his subconscious was urging him to wake up quickly.

“It’s fine.” Ji Rongyu released his tight grip on Yu Bai’s hand.

The living room was pitch black, with only the moonlight illuminating a corner of the room.

Only the moonlight couldn’t reveal the blush and the heat radiating from Yu Bai’s face, and naturally, Ji Rongyu didn’t notice Yu Bai’s change of demeanor.

Yu Bai stood up, forgetting to even ask Ji Rongyu why he had inexplicably grabbed his wrist.

Yu Bai hastened his steps, almost as if he were escaping, saying, “I’m going back to my room.”

Ji Rongyu hadn’t spoken yet, only witnessing Yu Bai’s hasty departure.

Ji Rongyu furrowed his brow.

The sofa was indeed too small. Although the bed in Yu Bai and the little one’s bedroom wasn’t large, it would still be more comfortable to squeeze onto it with them than lying alone on the sofa.

Unfortunately, Yu Bai left too quickly, and Ji Rongyu didn’t have a chance to ask him if he could join them.

Never mind.

Ji Rongyu rested his head on his intertwined hands, closed his eyes, and gradually drifted to sleep.

The full moon hung high, and the room fell into silence.

Some were sound asleep, while others struggled to find rest.

It wasn’t until the first rays of morning sunlight streamed into the room that Yu Bai finally succumbed to weariness and fell into a deep slumber.

The next day.

Yu Bai was awakened by a burst of voices.

Having slept late the previous night, Yu Bai felt particularly sluggish today.

Rubbing his forehead, when Yu Bai sat up and opened his eyes, he saw Ji Rongyu sitting beside a table with a laptop in the room.

Unusually, Xing Xing was sitting calmly in Ji Rongyu’s lap, both of them staring fixedly at the laptop screen.

Absorbed in their viewing, neither the adult nor the child noticed Yu Bai waking up, or that he had silently approached them.

It wasn’t until Yu Bai suddenly spoke up, “What are you guys looking at?”

Startled by the voice from behind, both Xing Xing and Ji Rongyu turned their heads. Xing Xing, despite his aversion to Ji Rongyu, immediately clutched Ji Rongyu’s collar with his small hands and buried his head behind Ji Rongyu.

After a moment, Xing Xing timidly lifted his round little head, revealing two beautiful round eyes that sparkled like obsidian.

Xing Xing blinked his eyes and spoke with a soft, tender voice, “So it’s Daddy…”

He nearly scared him to death! He thought there was an intruder in the house!

Ji Rongyu turned his head and saw Yu Bai. His lips curled into a smile. “You’re awake? There’s some breakfast I bought in the living room. It’s a bit cold. I can heat it up for you…”

Yu Bai responded, “I’ll warm it up myself.”

Seeing Ji Rongyu, Yu Bai inexplicably thought again about what happened between them last night before Ji Rongyu went to sleep…

Yu Bai turned his head slightly, deliberately avoiding Ji Rongyu’s gaze.

Yu Bai glanced at the computer screen in front of Ji Rongyu.

“What are you guys looking at?” Yu Bai asked.

Ji Rongyu replied, “The results of the investigation by the food safety regulatory department are out. Xing Xing and I are checking…”

Ji Rongyu and Xing Xing trusted Yu Bai quite a bit. They knew Yu Bai wouldn’t tamper with the ingredients or sauces at the snack stall, nor would he resort to any tricks to attract customers.

However, only after they had seen the investigation results posted online could Ji Rongyu feel more at ease.

Because, just in case someone had a grudge against Yu Bai and decided to meddle at the critical moment when the investigation results were released…

“You guys haven’t seen it yet?” Yu Bai said. “I’ll take a look too.”

Ji Rongyu scrolled the screen slightly, and Yu Bai’s snack stall name appeared promptly.

The food safety regulatory department in City J was conscientious. The investigation results for Yu Bai’s snack stall showed that he hadn’t added anything that violated national regulations, and he passed the inspection.

Yu Bai let out a sigh of relief and a faint smile unconsciously appeared on his face.

Yu Bai understood the principle of being clear if one has a clear conscience. However, during that period, he had listened to idle talk and gossip from online sources and other snack stall owners. How could life have been easy?

But the fact that the food safety regulatory department could give him an unequivocal clearance was even better.

Yu Bai stood up. He was about to turn to the living room to have breakfast when he unintentionally caught sight of the name of a snack stall on Ji Rongyu’s computer screen – “Qiaozi Snacks Store”.

The investigation results from the food safety regulatory department were released uniformly. Coincidentally, the results for “Qiaozi Snacks Store” were just below Yu Bai’s.

With a slight scroll of the mouse, Ji Rongyu displayed the investigation results for “Qiaozi Snacks Store”.

Yu Bai’s footsteps faltered slightly, and his almond-shaped eyes narrowed.

During the past few days, Yu Bai had been focusing on the child, so he hadn’t paid much attention to online matters.

However, during his rest days, when Yu Bai had nothing to do, he would occasionally go online to check Star’s waves and browse through trending topics.

Being online, how could Yu Bai fail to notice that his business had been affected, and that “Qiaozi Snacks Store” was causing trouble behind the scenes?

So, when he saw “Qiaozi Snacks Store”, Yu Bai, who initially had little interest in the investigation results for snack stalls, suddenly became intrigued.

He wanted to know how clean “Qiaozi Snacks Store” could really be, given its efforts to smear him in secret.

Yu Bai lowered his eyelids.

In the column for “Qiaozi Snacks Store”, on the far right side, bright red characters appeared – “Not qualified”.