Ch5 Let's get certificate
Huo Yu stayed silent and just looked at Xia Wan, who had a hopeful look on his face.
Xia Wan waited for Huo Yu to say something, but when there was no response, he began to feel uncomfortable. He took Huo Yu's silence as a no and quickly tried to shift the conversation away from the topic. With a nervous smile, he muttered, "Actually, forget about it. The pain is not that bad. It doesn't hurt that much."
He paused for a moment before adding, "And thanks."
When he heard the thanks, Huo Yu's expression grew even darker. He pressed his lips together slightly before speaking in a low voice, "What are you thanking me for? I haven't done anything yet."
"But you took me in," Xia Wan said, his voice full of sincerity. As he spoke, his eyes curved into a gentle smile, showing how truly grateful he was.
At this, Huo Yu's expression seemed to soften a little. After a moment, he gave a very light "Mm."
Suddenly, the pressure on his side lessened, and Xia Wan let out a sigh of relief.
He quietly moved to the corner of the sofa and slowly started drying his wet hair with the hairdryer.
Over the buzzing of the hairdryer, Xia Wan heard a faint clinking sound coming from the kitchen.
Curiously, he turned to look and saw Huo Yu quietly carrying plates of food and setting them on the dining table one by one.
Xia Wan didn't know if it was just in his head, but the delicious aroma in the air suddenly seemed much stronger.
He looked at all the dishes laid out on the table, and before he even noticed, his mouth started to water. The aroma of the food made him feel even hungrier, he quickly increased his pace to dry his hair.
Huo Yu couldn't help but glance in Xia Wan's direction when he heard the sudden increase in the sound of the hair dryer.
Xia Wan was half lying and half sitting on the cozy sofa.
As he moved, his wide sleeves slipped up his arms, revealing a part of his pale, smooth skin, while his arm moved quickly above his head, drying his hair.
What was he rushing for? Huo Yu couldn't understand.
He glanced at the slender, fair arm before turning his gaze away. Subconsciously a small smile tugged at his lips, and, strangely, all the frustration and unhappiness he had been feeling seemed to melt away with the buzzing of the hair dryer.
For the first time in a long time, he felt relaxed and light-hearted.
The sound of the hairdryer quickly stopped, and Xia Wan hopped off the sofa, making his way toward the dining room.
"Can we eat now?" he asked, sitting across from Huo Yu. Using both hands, he removed the foil covering the bowl and gazed at the food inside, his eyes lighting up. "It smells amazing."
"Um," Huo Yu responded flatly, not quite understanding what was so exciting about eating.
For him, meals were just part of the daily routine.
He couldn't understand why Xia Wan looked so happy about something as ordinary as eating.
Xia Wan lowered his head to sip the soup. After just one taste, he looked up with a bright smile and said, "It's really delicious!!"
His eyes sparkled with an unmistakable joy as if all the stars in the sky had suddenly fallen into them, shining brightly and beautifully.
It was clear that his words were genuine and sincere, coming straight from his heart.
Huo Yu looked at him for a moment, and that expression made him wonder if his aunt's cooking skills had improved greatly over the past two years.
He couldn't help but feel curious, so he took a sip himself. For dinner, his aunt had cooked pork belly and chicken soup. While it was rich and tasty, it wasn't as extraordinary as Xia Wan had made it seem.
After taking two more sips, Huo Yu set his spoon down. When he looked up again, he saw Xia Wan savoring the dish with such delight.
As if.....he had never eaten anything more delicious in his life. Each bite seemed filled with so much enthusiasm, as if it was the best meal he had ever had.
Furthermore, his eating style was quite unique. Despite eating neatly without making a mess, he chewed quickly. His rosy red lips opened and closed rapidly, making his cheeks puff up like a small hamster protecting its food.
Kacha Kacha...
"Is it that good?" Huo Yu couldn't help but ask, feeling a bit puzzled, yet his eyes didn't move an inch from the hamster-like cheeks.
"Mm." Xia Wan nodded eagerly, the end of a piece of celery still poking out from between his lips. His eyes were bright and full of excitement as he answered without a moment of doubt.
"This is the second most delicious thing I've ever eaten," he said cheerfully.
Before he transmigrated, Xia Wan often fell ill. Because of his weak health, there were many things he wasn't allowed to eat, and his diet was always very restricted.
As a result, throughout his childhood, Xia Wan rarely had the chance to enjoy the delicious foods that other children did, especially foods that were too rich, oily, or heavy.
His digestive system had been severely weakened from a young age, and even the slightest bit of greasy food could upset his stomach. To avoid making his condition worse, he had to stay away from many foods, and his meals were always different from what the rest of his family ate.
He never had the chance to enjoy a normal meal in his entire life; the only flavors he was familiar with were bland and tasteless.
For as long as he could remember, Xia Wan thought that was how all food tasted-until his elder brother secretly gave him a portion of braised pork one day out of pity. It was the first time Xia Wan had ever tasted something truly delicious.
He ate so much of it that he made himself sick, ending up back in the hospital. After that, his frightened brother never dared to give him anything else to eat.
After tasting better food, Xia Wan could no longer accept his plain meals. Unable to tolerate his water-like diet any longer, he threw many tantrums and cried until his eyes were puffed up. One time, he even tried standing on a small stool to secretly search for leftovers in the fridge.
In the end, his family had no choice but to eat all their meals at restaurants and make sure there were no leftovers at home.
As for snacks, they were out of the question-he couldn't even think about them, let alone have any.
During the rare times he spent with other children, Xia Wan had watched them happily munch on potato chips, lollipops, candied haws, small cookies, and chocolate...
But he had never gotten the chance to taste any of them-not even once.
Even when his elder brother occasionally had a craving for snacks, he would always finish them outside before coming home.
Still, Xia Wan could always smell that sweet, tempting scent on him.
For others, eating was a pleasure, but for him, it was just a way to stay alive.
Even after all these years, those few pieces of braised pork his brother had given him remained etched in his memory. It was the warmest, sweetest, and most delicious thing he had ever tasted in his twenty years of life.
Huo Yu didn't know the full story, he just thought Xia Wan's tone was exaggerated and little amusing.
But when he thought about how poor and pitiful Xia Wan's life had been he quietly pushed more food over to his side and said softly, "Eat some more."
"Thank you," Xia Wan said vaguely, rolling his eyes as if he could see right through what Huo Yu was thinking, but the slight curve at the corner of his lips made it clear he wasn't really upset.
Because this was the most satisfying meal he had ever eaten in his entire life, including braised pork.
The braised pork he had eaten during his childhood still held a special, irreplaceable place in his heart, however since he had only eaten a few small pieces back then it was not enough for him to feel fully satisfied.
This meal, on the other hand, was different. It was the first time he felt completely full, and the warmth of it lingered in his chest long after he had finished eating.
After putting down his bowl and chopsticks, Xia Wan gently rubbed his stomach, his whole body relaxing in contentment and happiness. It wasn't until Huo Yu put down his utensils that he woke up suddenly from his daydream.
He'd forgotten to bring up his business, and now, looking at the time, it was too late to mention it.
After a moment of thought, Xia Wan pursed his lips and asked softly, "Can I still have breakfast at your place tomorrow?"
Huo Yu had already pulled out a chair and was about to clear the dishes when he paused for a moment at the question.
"Sure," he replied. Even though his tone sounded indifferent, he wasn't refusing.
Xia Wan's eyes sparkled with joy. He quickly reached out and placed his hand on Huo Yu's, who was about to clean the dishes. "I'll do it," he said eagerly, his tone full of excitement.
His hands were no longer as cold as when they were in the hotel. They were warm and soft as they touched his skin.
Huo Yu paused for a moment before silently withdrawing his hands.
Xia Wan carefully placed the two soup bowls on the edge of the table and turned to start clearing the plates.
However, as his elbow brushed against something, a loud clattering noise echoed in the room. Before he could react, the two soup bowls, which had been perfectly fine just moments ago, slipped from the edge and crashed to the floor, shattering into pieces.
Xia Wan: "..."
"This is the first time I've ever broken a dish while washing," Xia Wan murmured, his voice was barely audible.
He was being honest.
Technically, this was his first time washing dishes. The thought of juggling multiple jobs after leaving the Xia family now felt more and more unrealistic.
Xia Wan frowned slightly.
He realized that establishing a mutually beneficial relationship with Huo Yu had become even more important than before.
He bit his lip, his expression tense, and, like a soldier preparing for battle, focused all his energy on the remaining dishes, treating them as if he was facing his biggest enemy.
The shards of the soup bowl scattered around Huo Yu's feet, and a splash of oily soup landed on the tops of his slippers, leaving dark, greasy stains on the fabric. He lowered his gaze, eyebrows pulling together in a clear frown. His lips pressed into a thin line, and there was a flicker of irritation and annoyance in his eyes.
But when he saw Xia Wan's worried expression, he somehow felt like he was overreacting.
The stains on his slippers weren't a big deal-they could easily be cleaned or replaced.
While he was silently cleaning up the mess and picking up the broken pieces of porcelain from the floor, Xia Wan finally lifted the last plate.
He carefully stacked it on top of the others, but just then, the phone on the corner of the table suddenly buzzed and vibrated against the surface.
Ding-dong-ding-dong-clang!
Startled by the sudden ringing, Xia Wan's hand loosened. For the second time, the greasy plate slipped from his fingers and crashed sharply onto the floor.
Fortunately, he was lucky this time. The plate had only fallen a short distance, so although the noise was loud, it didn't break.
"Amitabha," Xia Wan murmured, patting his chest nervously. Then he pressed his palms together and quietly recited the Buddha's name.
Huo Yu glanced at him with a cool, unreadable expression. But after a moment, the corners of his lips lifted slightly in a faint smile.
"Can you handle it?" he asked, subtly implying: Do you need any help?
"Of course I can," Xia Wan said stubbornly, pressing his lips together.
For the sake of his future, he had to practice this kind of housework. This was his first opportunity.
Seeing his serious expression, Huo Yu chuckled. He then glanced at Xia Wan's phone, where Huo Lin's name was flashing brightly on the screen.
The other person had probably just finished smoothing things over with Qiu Qi and was only now free to call.
Huo Yu's gaze lingered on the phone screen, his eyes darkening slightly, as if deep in thought. His tone was calm but carried a hint of something harder beneath the surface as he asked, "Aren't you going to answer the phone?"
Xia Wan, who was fully focused on carefully handling the dishes as if they were his children didn't even notice the phone vibrating quietly on the table nearby. It wasn't until Huo Yu spoke that he finally pulled his focus away, though a bit reluctantly.
When he glanced at the phone screen, his expression shifted to annoyance as soon as he saw that it was the cheapster Huo Lin calling. Without wasting another second, he ruthlessly pressed the button to decline.
Seeing Xia Wan handle it so casually, Huo Yu's lips curved slightly upward.
He didn't say anything more. Instead, after giving Xia Wan one last glance, he simply said, "Good night," before turning and heading upstairs to rest.
After a long pause, Xia Wan finally responded softly with a "Good night," his voice blending with the quiet rustling of dishes.
Huo Yu climbed the stairs, the clinking noise continue until he reached the entrance of the stairs. He placed his hand on the guardrail, turned his head, and glanced back.
The young man was pressing his hand on his lower back, frowning as if he was in a lot of pain.
Did it really hurt that much?
Huo Yu was a little confused. After a brief moment of hesitation, he still chose to head back to his room.
That night, Xia Wan did not sleep well.
He washed the dishes until they sparkled. Even though it was a simple task, it still took him over an hour to clean just those few plates.
He should have felt proud and satisfied with himself.
But just as he finished, his eyes fell on the kitchen snack rack, which was packed full of snacks.
The temptation of those snacks was very hard to resist, especially now that he wasn't sick anymore and could eat whatever he wanted.
He hadn't expected Huo Yu to actually like snacks so much?
Based on what he knew of Huo Yu's character, he didn't seem like someone who would enjoy them at all.
Yet, as the saying goes, one should never judge a book by its cover.
Looking at the tempting snacks lined up neatly on the shelf, Xia Wan couldn't help but scold himself silently. He stood there hesitating, torn between self-control and temptation. His eyes kept drifting toward the small colorful bags of potato chips. Just by looking at the packaging and Imagining the crisp sound when biting into them, he could almost taste how delicious they would be.
His fingers twitched slightly, wanting to grab a bag of snacks. But, in the end, after remembering his family's teachings - "Taking without asking is stealing" - he painfully withdrew his greedy hand.
No matter how appealing the snacks were, he'd have to wait until morning to ask Huo Yu for permission before eating them.
With this thought, Xia Wan went back to the sofa and wrapped himself up in the blanket that was there.
Despite his attempts to reason with himself, logic was one thing, and instinct was another.
All night long, in his dreams, Xia Wan went back and forth between washing dishes and desperately chasing potato chips around in the air. It wasn't until the sunlight started streaming through the window that he finally fell into a deep sleep.
Huo Yu's first thought when he came downstairs in the morning was: Xia Wan must be a restless sleeper.
He looked at the blanket that had been kicked off, then at Xia Wan, who was curled up like a shrimp, with his round butt sticking out, pitifully nestled in a corner of the sofa.
Huo Yu hesitated for a moment, then walked over and gently lifted the hem of Xia Wan's shirt.
His fair, delicate skin was now covered in deep purple bruises, with small red spots scattered across it. It was as if someone had beaten him badly. It looked particularly shocking.
Huo Yu stared at the bruises for a moment before picking up the blanket and gently covering Xia Wan again. After a brief pause, he bent down and carefully tucked the corners of the blanket around him.
Perhaps sensing the warmth, Xia Wan let out a soft, contented hum, then pulled the blanket up over his head, leaving only a few tufts of messy hair sticking out as he drifted back into a peaceful, sound sleep.
Although Xia Wan was still tired and sleep-deprived, the aroma of delicious food still woke him up.
He slowly opened his eyes and saw a tall figure quietly moving around the dining table in the morning light.
"Good morning," he said as he sat up, his voice sounding a bit hoarse.
"Did I wake you?" Huo Yu's voice came from a distance. His expression was hard to make out due to the bright light.
"No," Xia Wan shook his head and looked over at the table, where he saw a set of clothes. When he unfolded them, they appeared to be about his size. They looked new, yet somehow not quite.
Noticing Xia Wan's confusion, Huo Yu walked over and explained, "Those are clothes I wore when I was a teenager."
Xia Wan blinked. Be stared blankly at the clothes, then back at Huo Yu, "..."
Who was he trying to insult?
He was at least 179 cm tall! Okay, that wasn't short by any standard!
Seeing the displeasure on Xia Wan's face, Huo Yu couldn't help but smirk. He leaned in slightly and said, "I made this for you. Turn around I will rub it on your back."
It was only then that Xia Wan noticed Huo Yu was holding a deep brown bottle in his hand. It was probably some kind of medicinal oil.
"Turns out you know how to do this," Xia Wan said, his tone obedient yet a bit surprised. Still, he then turned around, resting his forehead on the back of the sofa and bending his neck as he knelt, positioning his back towards Huo Yu.
This posture made his round butt stick out ver noticeably. Giving it a particularly perky appearance.
Huo Yu paused for a moment, wondering if he should ask Xia Wan to change his position. But after thinking it over, he decided to stay quiet.
He poured the medicinal oil into his palm and rubbed it between his hands to warm it up. Then, he half-kneeled on one leg and carefully applied the oil to the bruises on Xia Wan's back.
The posture felt too intimate; it was almost like Huo Yu was hugging Xia Wan from behind.
For a moment, the room stayed completely quiet aside from the two soft groans Xia Wan let out when the massage first hurt him, neither of them made a sound.
"Say when it hurts. I'll try to be gentle." Huo Yu said, but the pressure of his hands didn't ease a bit.
When Xia Wan heard this, he slowly turned his head, biting down hard on his soft, rosy lips. His eyes were glassy and damp, as if the pain was almost too much to bear, silently begging him to stop.
Huo Yu's gaze lingered on Xia Wan's face for a moment before he calmly looked away. "Once it's rubbed through, it'll be fine,"
Huo Yu's palm was steady and warm, and soon Xia Wan felt a tingling, itchy sensation at the site of the injury, but the sharp pain had eased considerably.
"Alright, all done," Huo Yu said as he withdrew his hand and stood up straight. "Change your clothes and come here to eat," he instructed.
Okay," Xia Wan said. His legs were numb from kneeling for so long. Instead of going to another room, he decided to change right there. Slowly, he turned around and reached up to undo the buttons of his pajama top.
However, before he could unbutton one, he was stopped by Huo Yu.
"Go to the bathroom to change!" Huo Yu's voice, which had been gentle before, became unexpectedly cold.
Hearing this, Xia Wan flinched, his hands trembling as he was caught off guard by the sudden shift in tone.
The warmth and gratitude he had felt earlier, when Huo Yu had helped him with the medicine, quickly faded away. Leaving him with just confusion and unease.
Xia Wan couldn't help but wonder why Huo Yu had reacted so strongly. After all, they were both boys. But still, he didn't question it. He simply took his clothes and went into the bathroom to change.
When he returned, Huo Yu was already sitting at the dining table, staring intently at his tablet.
On the table was fried dough sticks, soy milk, some steamed buns, and two small plates of side dishes. It was just a regular homemade breakfast-simple, but it looked warm and inviting.
"I'm afraid it would affect your rest," Huo Yu said as he put down the tablet. "So I didn't let my aunt come over to cook."
"Oh," Xia Wan's voice carried a hint of regret.
But as soon as he took his first bite, his eyes brightened with delight. He picked up a fried dough stick, and after a few bites, he couldn't help but smile and praise, "It's so delicious!!!"
His expression was almost identical to the one he had when eating pork belly and chicken soup last night. It was full of pure joy and enjoyment, as if it were the most delicious thing he had ever tasted.
Huo Yu: "..."
Yesterday's pork belly and chicken soup had had taken a lot of time, effort, and skill to prepare it, so it made sense that Xia Wan had liked it that much.
But today, it was just plain fried dough sticks and soy milk...
Huo Yu slowly took a bite, and after confirming that it was nothing special and tasted just like any other fried dough stick, he paused for a moment, then fell silent.
After a brief silence, Xia Wan who was still chewing on his food, looked up at Huo Yu. His cheeks were puffed as he mumbled, trying to shift the conversation to something more serious, "By the way, thank you."
"Thanks for what?" Huo Yu asked quietly, without raising his eyes from his tablet.
"Thank you for breakfast, and..." Xia Wan began, but just then, his phone vibrated again and Huo Lin's name flashed on the screen.
Huo Yu glanced at the name on the screen. His finger that had silver-gray ring subconsciously tapped on the dining table as he stared at the phone.
Based on everything from yesterday to today, he was sure that Huo Lin still had strong feelings for Xia Wan.
But when he saw Xia Wan decline the call again, he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow in surprise.
"Then how do you plan to thank me?" Huo Yu asked calmly, looking straight at Xia Wan
before he could say anything.
"If there's ever a chance," Xia Wan continued to look at him earnestly, "I'll help you too."
"And what could you possibly help me with?" Huo Yu asked with a faint smile on his face that didn't quite reach his eyes.
In terms of background, status, and even life experience, Xia Wan could hardly be of any help to him.
But Xia Wan didn't think so.
There was a lot he could do. In the future, Huo Yu would face some tough situations, and he knew exactly what they would be.
The only difficulty in this matter was that he can't tell the truth without revealing much about his transmigration.
But this didn't bother him.
Thinking about the part in the book where Huo Peixue would force Huo Yu into an arranged marriage, Xia Wan said, "Your family might ask you to go on a blind date in the future. If you meet someone you don't like, I... I can pretend to be your lover for free and help you block bad peach blossoms."
"What if my family doesn't arrange a blind date for me?" Huo Yu asked in an ambiguous tone.
"Of course they will," Xia Wan said with confidence while he continued to make stories up. "I heard Huo Lin mention it many times."
Indeed, Huo Peixue would never leave his marriage go unchecked. Sooner or later, the other party would intervene, and when that happened, he would need a convincing façade to shut the matter down for good.
Thinking of this, Xia Wan really would be a fitting choice for the role.
"In that case," Huo Yu looked at Xia Wan with a slight smile in his eyes, "Why don't we go and get the certificate after dinner, this way the matter will be closed once and for all?"
Xia Wan was caught off guard. He had just opened his mouth and was about to take another bite of the bun when Huo Yu's suggestion caught him off guard. Startled by the unexpected proposal, he bite down his own tongue accidentally.
The pressure was enough to cause a sharp pain, and he immediately tasted blood.
His eyes turned red from the pain, and tears welled up, stinging as they threatened to fall.
This guy was really a wolf!!
He had just given him an inch, and now he was taking whole mile!!!
The author has something to say:
Xia Wan (panicking): Ugh, I forgot, villains don't play by the rules! Help! SOS!!!