Inside the room, the TV was on, playing a variety show.
They sat on the sofa, one behind the other. Chen Luzhou sprawled with his legs apart, encircling her in his embrace, his chin resting on her shoulder as he watched her methodically and excitedly open the red envelopes.
The air conditioning was running, and they had both removed their outer jackets, wearing only matching thin sweaters – she in black skinny jeans, he in loose sweatpants. They sat nested together like Russian dolls.
Xu Zhi pulled out a stack of crisp red Mao notes from the envelope and counted them expertly. When finished, she turned her head jealously toward Chen Luzhou, who still had his chin on her shoulder. “That’s so much! Even my dad and Uncle Cai never gave me this much. Feeling good about yourself, Chen Luzhou?”
Chen Luzhou lazily quirked his lips, showing his maturity: “What’s there to feel good about? Are you planning to share any of that with me?”
Xu Zhi contentedly stuffed the money back into the envelope. “Smart answer. You’re keeper boyfriend material.”
“Glad to hear it,” he replied with a distracted smile.
Xu Zhi glanced back at him and noticed his cold gaze fixed on the last red envelope on the coffee table.
She hadn’t planned to open that one since it was from his father. As she started to get up for some water, Chen Luzhou didn’t budge, keeping her trapped between his sprawled legs, his elbows resting on his thighs and hands loosely clasped around her waist. His clean, elegant fingers tapped together slightly as he tilted his chin: “Go ahead, open it. I know you want to.”
Xu Zhi picked up the envelope from the table, but despite her curiosity, she double-checked with him: “Are you sure?”
Chen Luzhou laughed. “Why not? Do we keep secrets from each other?”
Xu Zhi smiled, leaning back against him with her head tucked into his neck. She turned to kiss his cheek, then held the thin red envelope up high, tapping it with her finger. “Alright, I’m opening it then – my boyfriend said I could.”
Chen Luzhou lowered his head to kiss her ear and said with a laugh, “Go ahead. You’ve already unwrapped your boyfriend pretty thoroughly – what’s one more envelope?”
Xu Zhi opened the flap, inexplicably nervous and curious about what Uncle Fu had given him. When she pulled out two items, she looked at Chen Luzhou in confusion: “What are these? Why would he give you these?”
Two boxing gym passes?
“What did you think they’d be?” Chen Luzhou calmly moved his gaze from the passes to her face. Seeing how carefully she had opened the envelope, afraid of tearing it, he knew exactly what she’d been thinking. He teased her ear: “A check? Little money-grabber.”
Xu Zhi sighed, putting the envelope back and turning to cup and squeezing his face. “Well, he should show more sincerity. After neglecting you for so many years, money would be the least he could do.”
“How is he with you?” Chen Luzhou asked.
“Pretty good. Uncle Fu treats me well. I loved playing with him when I was little because he was so witty. So when my dad told me about his past, I couldn’t believe Uncle Fu used to be such a scoundrel.”
“Reformed Playboy? I don’t buy it.” Chen Luzhou snorted coldly, tossing the red envelope into the nearby drawer.
“Did you already open it before?”
Chen Luzhou hummed in agreement, leaning back against the sofa and pulling her closer into his embrace. One hand circled her waist while the other gently stroked her back. “I opened his at the hospital.”
Xu Zhi settled onto his lap, arms around his neck. His caresses along her spine made her tingle, and she laughed into his shoulder, letting out a soft moan. “Chen Luzhou, you’re getting way too good at being shameless.”
He remained silent, feigning innocence. His hand grew bolder, slipping under her shirt to touch her smooth back, casually tracing patterns. His fingers crossed up and down her spine teasingly, his actions provocative yet deliberate. Meanwhile, his voice remained perfectly composed as he analyzed Fu Yuqing’s motives, as if his hands belonged to a different person entirely. “Why do you think he gave two passes?”
Xu Zhi, distracted by his touch, noticed how the instigator maintained a monk-like serenity – except for those wandering fingers, his eyes and lips carried an air of detachment. She thought this dog Chen Luzhou was merely keeping up appearances now.
Unable to resist, Xu Zhi leaned down to bite his lips, sucking from bottom to top, her tongue sliding in to seek his. Her voice was muffled: “Don’t know.”
Chen Luzhou let her kiss him while continuing to caress her waist. Occasionally his tongue would respond, but mostly he let her explore freely, his mind elsewhere.
Great, he had learned the art of multitasking from her.
Xu Zhi silently sighed.
“Chen Luzhou, can you focus?” Xu Zhi complained.
He laughed, pinching her waist in retaliation. “You’re getting impatient? Don’t you remember what you were doing the first time you kissed me? You could set a Guinness World Record for multitasking. Anyway, let’s wrap up – you should head back. We need to pick up your dad from the hospital tomorrow. Give me the car keys.”
Xu Zhi clung to him like a puddle of mud, one arm around his neck while the other slowly fished out the car keys from her pocket and tossed them to him. “I was wondering why Dad gave me the keys earlier. Did he ask you to pick him up?”
“Yeah, I’m going at seven to handle the paperwork. Chief Wei probably has the night shift today, and Wei Lin’s about to start school, so your dad doesn’t want to trouble her.”
“Why didn’t Dad tell me? I thought he was being discharged in the afternoon.”
During Mr. Xu’s hospital stay, they had been delivering his meals three times a day. Chen Luzhou usually handled breakfast. After a few times, Old Xu figured out that Xu Zhi was still sleeping and asked Chen Luzhou about it. Chen Luzhou confirmed she was tired from school and he didn’t want to disturb her newly adjusted sleep schedule. Old Xu then casually asked about Xu Zhi’s life at school, which Chen Luzhou answered honestly. Old Xu sighed, saying she took after her mother’s strong personality.
But he was pleased she had such a caring boyfriend. Considering that this excellent young man was also Old Fu’s son made him doubly happy. He had been eyeing Fu’s mountain villa for a while too. He treated Chen Luzhou completely like a future son-in-law, and the two men shared an unspoken understanding about spoiling Xu Zhi. So when Old Xu had morning business, he would call Chen Luzhou directly, though he tried not to impose too much.
Neither man would ever tell her about these arrangements.
“He probably forgot,” Chen Luzhou said. “He doesn’t have much stuff, I can handle picking him up.”
Xu Zhi could sense something between her father and Chen Luzhou like they’d formed some sort of alliance. She tightened her arms around his neck, playfully gloating: “My boyfriend is so smitten with me.”
Chen Luzhou thought for a moment, then smiled and poked her forehead. “Have you considered the possibility that I’m smitten with your dad?”
Xu Zhi burst out laughing. “Chen Luzhou, don’t be a pervert.”
“I’m serious, I like Old Xu,” he said, resting his hand on the sofa back with an oddly flirtatious air, playing both gentleman and rogue. “How about this – I’ll come clean: you love me, I love Old Xu, and Old Xu loves you. We’ll maintain conservation of energy.”
Xu Zhi punched him. “…Are you an idiot?”
“Not as much as you.”
“You’re the idiot.”
“You’re the biggest idiot.”
Xu Zhi clicked her tongue. “Never going to stop, are you?”
Chen Luzhou stood up laughing. “Enough playing around. Time to take you home. Your dad knows you’ve been staying at my place these past few days.”
Xu Zhi jumped up instantly, shocked as she hurriedly straightened her clothes. “How does he know?”
Chen Luzhou bent to pick up the remote from the coffee table, turned off the TV, tossed it on the sofa, and pulled her into his arms as they walked out. “You still won’t admit you’re an idiot? Your dad calls your home landline every night to check if you’re back and what time you got home. Haven’t you received any of those calls?”
Xu Zhi: “…”
Oh no! How could she forget about that?
When Xu Zhi anxiously returned home, feeling like she was carrying a time bomb and unsure when it might explode, she considered calling Old Xu proactively to report that she was home and had not spent the night at Chen Luzhou’s place.
While she was still debating, the landline rang loudly like a police siren—
The sound made her temples throb. Xu Zhi rushed to sit on the sofa, said a quick prayer with her head tilted back in a “life and death are destined, wealth and honor are heaven’s will” manner, then cleared her throat and answered very properly—
“Papa! I was just doing homework.”
There was a long silence on the other end, then finally a familiar low chuckle.
Xu Zhi instantly realized: “Chen Luzhou, you bastard!!”
His laughter couldn’t be contained; he was probably still standing downstairs. Xu Zhi could imagine him shaking with laughter, having dropped even his last pretense of dignity. “I prefer when you call me ‘brother,’ ‘Papa’ is too much. Also, you are an idiot. Hanging up now.”
Xu Zhi: “…”
When did I ever call you ‘brother’?
Oh, right, in bed.
*
Meanwhile, at the hospital.
“Why did you give him boxing passes?” Old Xu asked while peeling an orange and popping a segment into his mouth, puzzled.
Fu Yuqing sat by the hospital bed, unusually fidgety as he tried to snag a piece of orange, only to have his hand smacked away by Old Xu. Fu Yuqing withdrew his hand sheepishly. “No special reason. I figured he probably doesn’t have much to say to me, but maybe throwing a few punches would help him feel better.”
Old Xu snorted, “Don’t underestimate that kid. He’s quite strong. Xu Zhi says he plays basketball every day – he’s in great shape.”
Fu Yuqing sighed: “That’s why I gave two passes. With Xu Zhi there, he’ll hold back at least a little. I’m getting old now, can’t take too many hits.”
Old Xu popped another orange segment in his mouth and said leisurely: “I bet he won’t even bother with you.”
Fu Yuqing said with certainty: “No, he’ll come, and he’ll bring Xu Zhi with him.”