Chapter 98 - What is that even
Edited by Noks
After Yi Chen reached the company, the first thing he did was look for those gifts.
His office was always kept neat and tidy, so he could easily find things, even if they were things from a long time ago.
He had placed Yi Ran’s gifts randomly at the bottom cabinet of the bookshelf.
He took out the two gift boxes and opened them up.
Inside were a belt and a tie.
Although neither one of them were expensive, it could be seen from the design of the accessories that the other party had chosen them with heartfelt feelings. They didn’t belong to the style popular with the rotten rich who roamed about the streets; they looked fairly simple and generous, which was the kind of style Yi Chen always liked to wear.
His secretary knocked on the door and entered, “President Yi, the meeting will begin immediately.”
Yi Chen let out an “en,” placed the items into the boxes and put the lid back on them.”Do you have any bags?”
His secretary paused and asked, “Bags?”
“En.” He raised the two gift boxes in his hands as an explanation. “For packing things.”
“Ah, yes we do.” His secretary responded, “I’ll get some for you.”
——
Yu Yan spent a week in Jincheng.
That whole week, he didn’t go anywhere except the nearby supermarket. Yi Chen was busy with work, and they could only spend time together in the evenings. The two of them didn’t even have time to go to a restaurant.
“I only have one meeting this afternoon.” Yi Chen put on his tie, went to his bedside, and kissed the person who was still in bed. “I’ll try to come back as soon as possible.”
Usually, even when he was at home, Yu Yan liked to laze in bed, but these past few days, he had been forced by Yi Chen to go to bed early and then get up early. His bad sleeping habits had now been almost completely corrected.
Him lazing in bed today was because they had gone at it for a long time last night. His feet had been raised up for too long, so everytime he got up or moved, he felt sore.
…… This was the end result for an otaku ah.
Only after Yi Chen put on his suit did Yu Yan sit up slowly.
Yi Chen asked, “Why are you getting up? Sleep some more today.”
“Not sleeping anymore.” Yu Yan went into the bathroom without closing the door. He looked in the mirror and started neatening up the few strands of hair that had forcefully curled up while he was asleep. “I still need to go out and throw the garbage.”
“Auntie will toss it.”
“No way.” Yu Yan squeezed out the toothpaste and said a low voice, “…what do we do if she sees it?”
He was referring to the used condoms in the garbage can.
“If it’s pressed to the bottom, she won’t see it.” Yi Chen said this and looked around to see if there was anything he could use to cover it up with.
“No, I’d still better toss it myself ba. I’ll also be just in time to take a walk outside.”
The pajamas Yu Yan had brought had been tossed into the laundry, so he had slept in Yi Chen’s pajamas last night. The man’s pajamas were a whole size bigger than his, and the shirt’s neckline was particularly large on him. With every two steps that he took, he had to stop to pull up the pajama pants a bit.
So after he washed up, he went to change his clothes before he could go in front of the people in the living room.
Yi Chen fastened his wrist.w.a.tch. When he turned around to say something, he saw Yu Yan standing at the head of the bed with his back facing him. Pulling upwards with both hands, he took off his roomy pajamas.
The young man’s whole back was exposed to the air, and the faint marks he had left last night on the pale skin could still be seen.
Although the heating was on in the house, it would still feel a little cold when abruptly taking clothes off. Yu Yan hurriedly picked up the clothes he had placed beforehand beside him and had just started putting the shirt over his head, when suddenly, two spots of warmth embraced his waist, which startled him into halting his motions.
“These are what I made?” Yi Chen stood behind him and asked as he gently caressed him.
Yu Yan had been feeling itchy for a while and wanted to hide them, but in the end he couldn’t hide them, and now he was even itchier. He quickly pulled his clothes down, but even after getting dressed, all that changed was that Yi Chen’s hands were now under his clothes.
Seeing that he was asking a question for which he already knew the answer, Yu Yan laughed and replied, “No, I got them while b.u.mping into something while sleeping.”
“I’m sorry.” Yi Chen said, “I’ll be lighter next time.”
It was broad daylight, and he was talking about next time.
Yu Yan said, “It’s okay, it doesn’t hurt. I have coa.r.s.e skin and thick flesh.”
Yi Chen looked at his body left and right, but didn’t see where his skin was coa.r.s.e or his flesh was thick.
When Yu Yan tied up the garbage bag, he found that his cuff had some stray thread sticking out of it.
He stood up and asked, “Does this room have scissors?”
Yi Chen said, “The second drawer of the bedside table.”
As soon as Yu Yan opened the drawer, his eyes were drawn towards a picture frame inside.
In the picture frame was a picture of a family of three. Yi Chen looked like he was still in junior high school, and he was sitting in the middle with a big smile on his face. Behind him was a couple.
It could be clearly seen from their facial features that the two behind him were Yi Chen’s parents.
Inside the drawer were more things than just the picture frame. He could faintly make out a few photographs pressed under the picture frame.
Before he could see them clearly, a big hand obstructed his sight.
At some unknown point, Yi Chen had appeared at his side. He took out the scissors and closed the drawer.
Yi Chen took his hand and cut the loose thread from the cuff for him. His tone was as usual as he said, “Let’s go have breakfast.”
When the two of them came out from the bedroom, they found Yi Ran already sitting in the living room, and the cleaning auntie tidying up the kitchen.
As soon as they sat down, Yi Ran couldn’t help opening his mouth.
He had a strange expression on his face and tried to cover it up with a yawn as he asked, “Xiao Yan, how can you guys get up so early ah?”
Yu Yan looked at the time before replying, “Is it early? Don’t we usually get up at this time?”
—That was during normal times.
Yi Ran looked at his cousin who was br.i.m.m.i.n.g with health and vitality, then at the obviously not-very-energetic Yu Yan, and his heart felt very complicated.
When he had gone to the kitchen to get some water last night, he had heard two faint low cries. He wasn’t a kid anymore, so he knew what it was as soon as he heard it.
And that was at two o’clock in the middle of the night ah!
Xiao Yan had to livestream during the day and then suffer this kind of hardship at night.
It was too pitiful.
Yu Yan took a sip of porridge and felt as though there was an elusive gaze falling upon him, which was coming from his side. He looked up and met Yi Ran’s gaze.
He didn’t know if it was just his misconception, but he kept feeling as if Yi Ran’s eyes were carrying some sympathy in them.
“…What’s the matter?”
Yi Ran immediately returned to his senses, hurriedly picked up his milk, and guzzled down a mouthful before saying, “Nothing, nothing.”
After breakfast, Yi Chen sipped at his coffee, stood up, and told Yu Yan again, “Wait for me in the afternoon.”
Yu Yan replied with an “okay.”
His driver was waiting outside. Ever since the time the boss had carried a piece of bread with him, he didn’t dare to rush into the house anymore.
Yi Chen went to the porch. When he pa.s.sed the kitchen door, he bent down and picked up a black plastic bag on the ground with a slight hook of his finger.
That was the garbage bag Yu Yan had just brought out of the bedroom.
“Boss, wait…” Before Yu Yan could even manage to react, the cleaning auntie ran out of the kitchen first. “This bag is garbage.”
“I know.” Yi Chen said naturally, “I’ll toss it.”
The three people in the room were all stunned.
The cleaning auntie was startled as she said, “Don’t ah, when I walk back later, I can pa.s.s by the garbage truck…”
“It’s alright.” Yi Chen put on his shoes, opened the door without giving anyone a chance for explanation, then turned to Yu Yan and said, “I’m going to work.”
When the door closed, the cleaning auntie’s hands were left raised in the air, as if she had no clue of where to place them. She felt an inexplicable sense of fear of losing her job.
Yi Ran returned to his senses and said, “What’s wrong with my Ge today; that garbage bag was so small, and there seemed to be nothing in it ah. Why was he in such a hurry to toss it?”
Yu Yan’s face had turned red. He buried himself in his breakfast and said in a faltering voice, “Maybe… just doing it randomly ba.”
The two of them were halfway through their meal when Yi Ran’s cellphone suddenly rang.
“So early in the morning, who would call me…” Yi Ran took a look and followed up with a “holy s.h.i.t”.
He stared at Yu Yan and said, “It’s my aunt!”
Yi Ran’s aunt was also Yi Chen’s mother.
Yu Yan was stunned, and unconsciously sat up straighter.
Yi Ran had a youtiao in his hands. He didn’t want to dirty his phone, so he simply put his cellphone on the table and turned on the speakerphone after accepting the call.
Yu Yan held his breath and listened.
Mother Yi’s voice was very soft, and it was easy to tell that she was a gentle person. “Xiao Ran, by calling you so early, I didn’t disturb you ba?”
“No, I was just having breakfast.” Yi Ran asked, “What’s the matter, Aunt? What can I do for you?”
“There is something,” Mother Yi paused and then said, “Aunt wants you to help her with something.”
“Go ahead.”
“Are you still living in Yi Chen’s house right now?”
“Yes.”
Yu Yan’s ears were practically standing straight up.
The other side began to speak, but then hesitated, “…Xiao Chen should be at work now ba?”
“Yes.” Yi Ran lied casually, “Right now I’m at home with the cleaning auntie. Aunt, if you have something, just tell me ba.”
Yu Yan was stunned and instinctively glanced at Yi Ran. The other party immediately looked back at him and signaled him to remain quiet.
“Alright, it’s actually just a small matter.” Mother Yi said, “I want you to help me sound him out a bit and ask him if he has any business socialization meetings during the Spring Festival, and if he will be in Jincheng. You know, the place I am at has a little time difference with him, and it’s not convenient to make a phone call. He also never replied to the message I sent the other day.”
Yi Ran was shocked. “Ah? Aunt, are you guys coming back to Jincheng for the Spring Festival this year?”
“Yes, we have already booked our tickets.” Mother Yi said, “When the time comes, let’s all have a New Year’s Eve dinner together.”
“Okay, then I’ll find a chance to ask my Ge.”
Yi Ran answered with this, and after exchanging a few polite words, the two of them hung up.
Just as he was about to continue eating his breakfast, he met Yu Yan’s gaze, which was filled with disbelief.
“…… What’s the matter?”
“That phone call just now, wasn’t it Yi Chen’s mother?” Yu Yan asked.
Yi Ran answered casually, “Yes ah.”
“Then why…”
Why did she need Yi Ran to go sound out Yi Chen for this kind of a small matter that could be resolved with a simple phone call?
Yi Ran realized what he was asking about and replied, “Oh, my Ge and my aunt aren’t very close. Aunt is probably afraid of calling and disturbing my Ge when he is resting, so it’s inconvenient for her to ask.”
Yu Yan could understand such a thing happening if it were an ordinary family relationship, and they weren’t close to each other.
But this was between a mother and her son.
And not calling because of the time difference… That was too strange.
Seeing his complicated expression, Yi Ran wiped his hands before patting his shoulder. “That’s just what my Ge’s family is like. My Ge moved out as soon as he became an adult, and my uncle and aunt are usually abroad all year round. The number of times they meet up might even be less than the number of times me and my Ge meet up.”
“Abroad all year round?”
“Yes ah. My uncle and aunt are both artists. Artists ma, you know, what they like most is running all over the world. How to say ba, out of the 365 days in a year, they have been abroad or in other provinces in the country for at least 300 days.”
As Yu Yan listened to all this, his eyebrows unconsciously wrinkled.
Yi Ran had never talked about this topic with anyone before, so all of this had been hidden in his heart for a long time already. Now that he had started, he couldn’t stop talking.
“In fact, when my Ge was in school, he had a pretty good relationship with his parents. Later, when my grandfather pa.s.sed away, the greatest number of shares in the company went to my Ge through his will. He became the chairman of the board when he was still quite young. My uncle and aunt advised him to let other people manage the company, but my Ge refused and stubbornly took up the reins of the company.”
“Later, my Ge’s company grew bigger and bigger, and he became pretty busy ba. Many things couldn’t be attended to, and he didn’t live at home, so their relationship gradually drifted further apart.” Upon speaking of this, Yi Ran gripped the water cup in his hand tightly, as if he had thought of something rather unpleasant.
“And our family has a lot of branches, with countless distant relatives. I don’t know which family member started pa.s.sing around that…”
Yu Yan asked, “Pa.s.sing around what?”
“Just pa.s.sing around that…. Saying my Ge only cares about money and even looks down upon his relatives. Anyway, it’s all unpleasant.” Here, Yi Ran clicked his tongue before continuing, “It’s really unfair that those people can say such words carelessly and don’t even bother looking at themselves properly. All day long, all they think about is ways to take advantage of my Ge, and even after taking advantage, they still try to take actions against my Ge in front of my uncle and aunt. What is that even, pei!”
—
Juurensha: Yanyan, hiding the garbage makes it so much more suspicious….I’m sure cleaning auntie has seen worse (although probably not from Yi Chen). Aw, Yanyan, help Yi Chen out with his family issues!
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