Chapter 17: Whatever Emotion it Was, Pester them First then Talk

The two were relatively quiet as they went upstairs to HeJin’s room.

HeJin’s room had one big bed. This was pretty normal as a person who was travelling solo would not get the standard twin room.

"You’re staying here alone?" DuYan looked around and could not see any traces of a second person.

"Otherwise?" HeJin didn’t understand DuYan's implication.

"I saw Fang Xiangxiang at the entrance of the hotel just now."

"Just what are you thinking about!" HeJin frowned again, "I just wanted to find a place to relax, and Nancheng’s scenic spots are in Hudong County.”

"En, so that is why." DuYan nodded.

HeJin felt that he had to make it clear, "It was a coincidence meeting Fang Xiangxiang. This is her hometown, so she took me around. You--you better not be having your dirty adult thoughts.”

DuYan didn’t want to say something like: you’re an adult too, who is dirtier than who? It was too childish to quarrel with a little kid like HeJin. As the super villainous boss, how could he do such a shameful thing.

He walked to one side of the sofa and sat down, “I heard her call Teacher Chen saying that she wanted to change her application to Beicheng University. I had thought that you two had discussed it.”

HeJin was taken aback, "This is her business, I'm not too clear on it."

"Alright." Although DuYan was sure that HeJin’s change in application had something to do with Fang Xiangxiang, he didn’t need HeJin to admit it.

DuYan could feel that the air between them two was a bit awkward, so he was only picking a random topic to ease the atmosphere.

HeJin saw DuYan’s gaze fall on the bed in the center, and then he recalled his uncle’s meticulousness in daily life. He didn’t like anyone being too close, nor did he like other’s entering his room. He was basically a very typical virgo.

"I’ll sleep on the sofa." HeJin said actively.

DuYan looked at the sofa he was sitting on. The conditions of the hotel were pretty good. At first glance, the sofa looked like it could allow a person to sleep on it, but with HeJin’s height, he would have to wrong himself and sleep curled up.

DuYan can't do this kind of turtledove occupying the magpie’s nest action, but he himself was not ready to sleep on the sofa (1). After all, bed sheets could be changed out, but sofas were not as convenient to clean.

As far as his current personality was concerned, if he slept on the sofa, he would definitely not sleep a wink.

DuYan said, "If you don't mind, we can sleep together."

"Sl--sle--sleep together?"

DuYan saw HeJin's eyes widened, with a face as if saying this was unimaginable. He had even thought that this child was being a bit particular, "If you don't want to..."

Before he finished speaking, he was interrupted.

"I didn't disagree!"

DuYan saw that the other party didn't seem to care, so he didn't ask any more. Two adult men were sleeping in one room. It wasn’t like it was a male and a female, so there wasn’t anything they had to pay too much attention to.

After nearly a month of working very hard, DuYan’s body, which was originally already very weak, then drove for more than three hours during the day to rush to Hudong Country, was now feeling very tired.

HeJin still had that troubled expression, but DuYan also didn’t care and didn’t bother the other party.

After washing, he quickly got on the bed to sleep. Surprisingly, he did not have difficulty sleeping due to HeJin's existence.

Maybe it was because the child had shrunk to the far end. The bed was already a two by two meter bed, and the distance between the two could be regarded as the Chu-Han boundary (2).

Maybe it was because DuYan was really tired. In short, he fell asleep quickly.

In the middle of the night, DuYan woke up to drink water, only to find himself alone in bed.

DuYan kneaded his temples, sat up and saw the bathroom light on.

The wall that separated him from the bathroom was of frosted glass. The curtain inside was lowered, but a faint light could still be seen shining out. There was also the sound of water splashing from within.

Why did he get up in the middle of the night to take a bath? DuYan complained in his heart but didn’t think too much. He drank his water, and went back to sleep.

Not long after, HeJin came out of the bathroom and opened the quilt, bringing in the water vapor from the shower.

DuYan is a very sensitive person. He could feel the chill drilling in the moment HeJin lifted the quilt.

Young people are really healthy, even taking a cold shower in the middle of the night. This thought came from DuYan in his daze.

The next day, this very healthy boy had a fever.

DuYan sat by the bed, speechless. What was HeJin doing getting up in the middle of the night taking a cold shower? Now he caught a fever.

Really asking to die (3).

But with DuYan’s indifferent character, he wasn’t so ruthless and unreasonable as to leave his nephew with a high fever.

He took HeJin to a nearby hospital for emergency treatment. The doctor said that HeJin only had a common cold. Since HeJin was a strong young man, there was no need for infusion. As long as he went back to bed to rest and cool down the body.

DuYan could only take HeJin back to the hotel.

HeJin didn't seem to sleep much the night before, and because of the high fever, the whole person was in a daze. DuYan also didn't dare to be careless, for fear that the child would burn silly, so he stayed by the bed for most of the day.

In the afternoon, DuYan couldn't stand it anymore, so he laid down on the bed to sleep for a bit. When he woke up, he found out that his hand had been caught by HeJin.

DuYan sat up straight, lowered his eyes and looked at the hands they were holding together. HeJin's hands and fingers were very long, and his skin was wheat-colored. When it overlapped with DuYan’s hands, it looked much more mature.

This child already looks like an adult man, DuYan thought, so he felt that this action was really weird.

He tried to pull his hand out with some force, but he didn’t expect that with that movement, HeJin would grasp it harder and harder.

"Uncle, don't throw me away, okay? I really--really…”

HeJin's whole body was heated up, and his speech was not clear, so DuYan couldn’t catch the next few words clearly. It was probably him acting like a spoiled child.

DuYan looked at HeJin's red burning cheeks, and that hand that looked like it was relying on him, and suddenly felt that couldn’t bear to do it.

This child, although on the surface seemingly indifferent, was still very eager for family affection, even for a completely unqualified uncle.

How did things become like this? In the past three years, he really didn't care about HeJin that much, and their relationship was definitely not very warm.

DuYan didn’t think there were any problems on his part. He was a workaholic who was strict and harsh. While he did have a lot of control over HeJin’s life at home, he didn’t have many mental exchanges with him.

All of these were in accordance with how a dictatorial parent would act in order to bring about resentment. Take HeJin’s rebellious character for example. With HeJin’s unruly character, he shouldn’t be so dependent on such an uncle who was not compatible with his character.

But the facts were in front of him, and HeJin seemed to be sincere towards DuYan. He truly regarded him as his only relative and family in this world. It even turned into a chick story, and he was completely inseparable from his uncle.

In the future, did he really need to implement the plan to completely break the illusion of warmth in HeJin’s heart?

"Your mood is fluctuating very obviously right now,” Xiao Ba suddenly jumped out.

"What mood?”

"Raising a child really did create feelings.”

DuYan refused to admit it, "No, I am an old Taotie without feelings (4).”

"Old Taotie? Taotie? No no no, you are of Boqi bloodline, and it has nothing to do with the Taotie."

DuYan didn't argue with Xiao Ba, but Xiao Ba’s appearance reminded him that HeJin’s relationship with him was too close to go on like this.

DuYan looked at the person who finally fell into a deep sleep on the bed, and took HeJin's phone from the bedside table.

HeJin's password was easy to guess, it’s his own birthday.

DuYan looked at HeJin once more, and made up his mind to make a call with HeJin's phone (5).

Early the next morning, HeJin's fever subsided. He opened his eyes and saw someone sleeping on the sofa with their clothes on.

The curtains in the room were pulled together, and the lighting was not so good. HeJin had just gotten rid of the fever and was still a little confused. He subconsciously called out, “Uncle, why are you sleeping on the sofa?”

That person immediately got up and walked over, but he was not the person HeJin was thinking of.

"HeJin, you’re awake."

Fang Xiangxiang pressed the button, and the electric curtains slowly opened to both sides, and the morning sun gently spilled in.

HeJin narrowed his eyes slightly, and disliked the sudden light, but he still quickly scanned the room, "Where’s my uncle?"

Fang Xiangxiang replied, "Uncle Xie called me yesterday. He said that he still had work to do, so he went back to Nancheng."

Perhaps because he was ill, but HeJin, who usually didn’t care, felt a bit sour. Sure enough, in his uncle’s mind, HeJin was just a relative who wasn’t very important.

Before the age of eighteen, DuYan had strict control over him, and once he became an adult, DuYan immediately drew a line.

Thinking up to here, HeJin felt that he was ridiculous again. That day he had definitely made up his mind to keep a distance from his uncle, but for some reason he changed his decision, and was now depressed again because DuYan was keeping his distance.

It was so laughable. Because of his uncle, HeJin had become so indecisive...

"HeJin, are you still a little uncomfortable?" Fang Xiangxiang's voice rang next to him.

HeJin recovered from his thoughts. He looked up and saw the girl sitting next to him with a concerned look. He suddenly remembered what DuYan said before, "Fang Xiangxiang, did you change your application to Beicheng University?”

Fang Xiangxiang panicked and then immediately calmed down. She had already found an excuse for why she had changed it and had been looking for an opportunity to tell HeJin.

She chose Beicheng University for HeJin, but she knew she couldn’t let HeJin know about it.

Fang Xiangxiang understood HeJin’s character. If he knew that she hadn’t given up, he would probably keep a distance from her even if they entered the same university.

Fang Xiangxiang smiled, "I used to like this older brother in my neighborhood, and he’s now a junior at Beicheng University. I’ve been following in his footsteps since junior high, except I got into Nanwai senior high school. I didn’t do well in the exam this time, but if I give up on Beicheng University without even trying, I feel a little unreconciled.”

Apart from being a little delicate in DuYan's affairs, HeJin had always had thick branches and big leaves (6), so he didn’t notice what was wrong, “Because of him, you’re going to test into Beicheng University?”

"En." Fang Xiangxiang nodded, "Although he may not remember me at all, as long as I can stay with the person I like, maybe one day he will see me. There are some things that need to be put in effort. Who knows how the future will be?”

No matter what, just stay by the other person’s side first. Won’t things turn around one day?

HeJin’s heart moved, and he fell into deep thought.