Ch19 We should look after each other from head to toe.
The aunt had gone by the time they arrived, and the food on the table was still hot.
They both sat across from each other and ate. Afterward, Xia Wan hurried to clean the dishes.
Now that he was much more proficient, he could decently do housework, so Huo Yu didn't protest with him.
Upon completing the task of washing the dishes, when he stepped out from the kitchen area, he noticed that Huo Yu had already gone up to the upper floor.
Xia Wan settled comfortably on the sofa and was deeply engrossed in reading a book while indulging in snacks.
The first time he laid eyes on the snack rack in the kitchen, he couldn't help but mutter under his breath about Huo Yu's cold temperament, yet he loves snacks.
But now he realizes that Huo Yu truly doesn't enjoy snacks.
However, despite Huo Yu's disinterest in snacks, Auntie continued to insist on preparing them for him. This unexpected situation turned out to be advantageous for Xia Wan.
After reading only a few pages of the book, the doorbell rang.
Xia Wan, wearing slippers, walked to the door, peeked through the peephole, and saw Shen Yan's face.
"Little... sister-in-law," Shen Yan had said, struggling to accept the fact that Huo Yu was truly married, especially to Xia Wan.
Like many others, Shen Yan thought Xia Wan was not suitable for Huo Yu.
Setting aside other factors, Xia Wan couldn't match just based on Huo Yu's family background.
Not forgetting that he had been in a relationship with Huo Lin made things even more complicated.
"Hello," Xia Wan greeted him with a polite smile, then glanced towards the stairs, "Huo Yu is upstairs."
"I'll go up to find him," Shen Yan responded quickly.
Xia Wan nodded in acknowledgment and then went back to the sofa to continue reading. If his guess was correct, Huo Yu should be in the study on the third floor at this moment.
Except for the day he first moved in, when Huo Yu showed him around the house to get familiar with it, Xia Wan never went upstairs to the third floor again.
After all, Huo Yu was very wary, and his (XW) identity was too sensitive and doubtful.
Although the original book didn't specify Huo Yu's source of income, Xia Wan was aware that he likely had his own business.
Otherwise, with just the small allowance from the Huo family, what right did he have to compete with Huo Peixue until the very end?
If Huo Yu did not take the initiative to inform him, Xia Wan felt it would be best to maintain a respectful distance.
While Xia Wan was engrossed in reading, he held the pen and made notes and doodles on a nearby piece of paper, occasionally curling his toes in concentration. Just as he was becoming deeply involved in his task, his phone rang unexpectedly.
Xia Wan was taken aback by the name displayed on the phone screen. It was Xia Yang's mother, Zhao Chengfang.
This woman had never treated the original owner kindly and was responsible for allowing her sister Zhao Chengjiao's son, Zhang Hao to molest the original owner.
Xia Wan furrowed his brow in annoyance at seeing the caller ID but ultimately chose to pick up the phone.
"Auntie," he addressed politely upon answering.
"Wanwan," Zhao Chengfang smiled in an uncharacteristic manner, "you don't have classes tomorrow morning, right?"
This unexpected warmth in Zhao Chengfang's tone surprised Xia Wan. He hesitated for a moment before responding, "Hmm."
"Your father is not in good health. Tomorrow, I will personally cook some soup and come over to see him," Zhao Chengfang informed Xia Wan. "Let Auntie prepare some hearty dishes. Since you don't have classes, come home for lunch. What good can the school restaurant's food do?"
Xia Wan pursed his lips, contemplating Zhao Chengfang's Invitation and the implications of accepting it.
He was reluctant to let people from the Xia family have any more contact with Xia Chengzhang, especially after Xia Yang used Xia Chengzhang's condition to threaten him. This made him realize that people from the Xia family could be as cold and ruthless as venomous snakes. And there was no such thing as a free lunch.
At that moment, Xia Wan found Zhao Chengfang's decision to visit Xia Chengzhang rather suspicious. He struggled to find any other plausible explanation for her sudden interest in his father's well-being unless she had some hidden agenda or ulterior motives driving her actions.
Soon he heard footsteps echoing along with the faint murmurs of conversation as someone ascended the stairs.
Xia Wan didn't dwell on the situation further, not because he wanted to meet them, but because he was concerned about Xia Chengzhang being left alone with those individuals.
Furthermore, Huo Yu's place was conveniently located near his home, making it easy for Xia Wan to visit.
"Okay," Xia Wan agreed, "I'll come back tomorrow."
The sound of footsteps ascending the stairs abruptly ceased. Xia Wan turned his head and found himself locking eyes with Huo Yu, who stood at the end of the stairs. Behind him, Shen Yan followed closely.
Xia Wan smiled, set aside the book, and got ready to head upstairs to sleep.
"Wanwan," Huo Yu called out, "Wait for me, let's go upstairs together."
"Haha..." Shen Yan chuckled, raising his hand to touch his nose in a meaningful gesture. "In that case, I'll head back first and not hold you up. I have some business to attend to."
"Go ahead," Huo Yu said calmly.
After the door closed, Huo Yu approached Xia Wan and asked in a low voice, "Where are you going tomorrow?"
"Going home," Xia Wan replied. "Xia Yang's mother mentioned she's visiting my dad tomorrow. I'm feeling a bit concerned."
Huo Yu had never met Xia Chengzhang, and Xia Wan had never brought up Xia Chengzhang's situation to him.
In Huo Yu's impression, Xia Chengzhang should be at an age where he could handle most things on his own.
"What could a grown man like your dad possibly have to worry about?" Huo Yu questioned. "She requested for you to return home. I can't help but wonder if she has some ulterior motives. Maybe something bad will happen"
"Or maybe something good will happen?" Xia Wan said.
When they reached the second floor, Xia Wan turned around and walked backward before raising his face and giving Huo Yu a naughty smile, "Maybe she will use the money to humiliate me?"
"If that's the case," he said, tilting his head as he leaned against her bedroom door. He pretended to contemplate the future for a moment before declaring, "Then I don't mind humiliating her a few more times."
It was such a horrible way yet Xia Wan seemed unbothered.
Despite the potentially negative situation, Xia Wan addressed it with a nonchalant demeanor, speaking about it in a lighthearted manner as if it were of little concern to him.
However, Huo Yu on the other hand didn't laugh this time. He didn't see anything amusing about it.
Xia Wan wrinkled his brow. turned, and pushed open the door, "Good night, Eldest master." he said to Huo Yu before entering his room.
The next moment, a hand like polished jade pressed against the door, stopping him from closing it.
Xia Wan looked up in surprise through the small gap in the door.
Through the crack in the door, Huo Yu's voice sounded subdued. "I heard that Zhao Chengfang has been gambling with Huo Lin's mother lately and lost a significant amount of money to her. Also, Xia Yang has invested a significant amount of money into Huo Lin's project..."
Finally, Xia Wan realized why Zhao Chengfang had been looking for him. It was probably to do with the Huo family.
"I understand," Xia Wan acknowledged quietly, grasping the implications of Zhao Chengfang's actions.
In the dim light, Huo Yu's eyes seemed very deep and mysterious. After a brief pause, he said, "Good night."
The bed at Huo Yu's was not only large and soft but also much nicer than what Xia Wan was used to at home or school. Huo Yu had thoughtfully provided everything Xia Wan might need, from electronic gadgets to toothpaste and toothbrushes in the room. There was even a treadmill positioned near the window, allowing Xia Wan to enjoy the view while exercising.
Except for the first night, when Xia Wan didn't feel comfortable sleeping there, he was typically a thoughtful person who slept soundly until morning.
When Xia Wan came downstairs early in the morning, Aunt had already prepared breakfast, tidied up the kitchen, and was getting ready to leave.
As Xia Wan made his way downstairs early in the morning, he heard Huo Yu's voice echoing from a distance.
"Hey, Aunt Qin, let's have breakfast together." Despite its faintness, there was a gentle warmth in Huo Yu's tone as he addressed Aunt Qin, inviting her to join him for breakfast.
Xia Wan stopped mid-way on the stairs. He leaned forward slightly to glance downward.
Huo Yu stood with his side facing the kitchen door, dressed in black jeans that accentuated his slender and straight legs from Xia Wan's viewpoint.
Observing him, Xia Wan couldn't help but admire how personable Huo Yu appeared in that moment, despite his typically reserved demeanor.
"No," Aunt Qin wiped her hands and said with a smile, "The old man is waiting for me, he has already prepared breakfast for me."
Huo Yu didn't insist further. Instead, he handed the package to Auntie.
"Oh," Auntie smiled, "This is too much, Eldest Master."
"Good morning, Aunt Qin," Xia Wan greeted as he hurried downstairs.
"Mr. Xia is awake too," Aunt Qin smiled. "Hurry up and eat breakfast, otherwise it will get cold."
"Thank you, Aunt Qin," Xia Wan said warmly.
Aunt Qin is a great cook, and she prepares dishes that are both delicious and nutritious. There are four dishes and one soup, two meat dishes, and two vegetarian dishes, along with a plate of nuts and a plate of fruit.
However, Xia Wan ended up eating most of the candied nuts and fruits, while Huo Yu hardly touched them.
Within just two weeks of moving In, Xia Wan noticed several inconsistencies.
For example, Huo Yu was typically indifferent to everyone, but he displayed a notable respect for Aunt Qin.
Another example was that Huo Yu seemed to have no interest in candied nuts, but Aunt Qin would consistently include them in every meal, even stocking them in the kitchen's snack rack.
While Huo Yu washed his hands, Xia Wan was already squeezing pecan nuts and biting into them.
He seemed to enjoy the crispy and fragrant ones the most, eating less of the harder ones like pistachios.
Huo Yu casually flicked the table with his finger, "Eating alone?" he asked.
Xia Wan lifted his face, crumbs of nuts still lingering at the corner of his mouth. "You don't eat it," he remarked.
"Who said I don't eat it?" Huo Yu sighed lightly. With a glance, he squeezed a large almond and tossed it into his mouth.
"Hey, Huo Yu," Xia Wan and Huo Yu have been together for a long time, and they have become more comfortable calling each other names, "Is Aunt Qin your relative?"
Huo Yu looked puzzled. "Why do you ask?"
Xia Wan picked up her chopsticks and tasted the liver tip, savoring its salty, sweet, and delicious flavors. "Because she cares about you a lot, more than just a regular worker would," she explained.
"You've only been here a few days, and you can tell who loves me?" Huo Yu inquired with a half-smile.
"Well, she prepares nut and fruit plates for you, as well as snacks," Xia Wan added as if it was a perfectly valid reason.
"Is that why?" Huo Yu glanced at Xia Wan, finding the situation slightly amusing. "You really just care about food," he remarked with a hint of amusement in his tone.
Xia Wan decided he didn't want to pay attention to Huo Yu anymore. He looked away and lowered his eyes, feeling a bit annoyed. To distract himself, he took a small bite of his food, puffing out his cheeks as he chewed slowly.
After a moment passed, Huo Yu spoke softly, surprising Xia Wan: "Aunt Qin used to take care of my parents."
Xia Wan looked up, his chewing slowing down as he listened.
Sensing Huo Yu's sadness and longing, he pursed his lips and lowered his voice as well, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry."
"It's nothing," Huo Yu's expression was very calm as he spoke softly. He was quiet for a while, as if he was recalling the past. "It happened a long time ago. It's been so long that I can't remember many things clearly."
When Huo Peifeng and Yanwel's accident happened, Huo Yu was just five years old and attending kindergarten in the middle class.
After saying goodbye to them that day, the next thing he knew was seeing two black and white portraits of them. He was led by the adults to kneel on the ground and kowtow to the portraits.
From then on, his life seemed to turn into black and white, devoid of the vibrant colors and joys he once knew.
For many years afterward, he struggled to recall the occasional happy memories and bright colors from before he turned five. But as time went on, no matter how hard he tried to remember, those memories seemed to slip further and further away from him.
Now, all that remained was Aunt Qin and this old house.
Aunt Qin was also old, almost sixty years old. Fortunately, she was in good health.
Huo Yu wanted to let her enjoy her old age in peace, but Aunt Qin was worried. As long as he was in the country those years, the elderly would take care of him.
Nuts and snacks were what he used to love eating as a child. He stopped eating them later on, but Aunt Qin still insists on preparing them for him.
Xia Wan observed Huo Yu as he ate, noticing how he kept his eyes lowered and the corners of his eyes were slightly raised. His usual sharp facial features now seemed to carry a hint of loneliness, which he could see clearly.
He raised his chin and realized that the food on the table didn't taste good to him anymore.
"You still have your uncle. When he comes over from then on, you will have relatives by your side," Xia Wan said, gently placing his hands around the soup bowl and letting it spin silently in his grasp.
Huo Yu raised his eyes and glanced at him with an uncertain expression.
Huo Yu never brought up Yan Rui's situation with him. It wasn't until he saw the official transfer order for Yan Rui that he finally felt relieved, knowing that everything was settled and there was no need to worry anymore.
He hesitated to bring it up at first, but with the upcoming Huo family's banquet in the evening, he couldn't avoid acknowledging such a matter.
"I heard that your uncle was going to be transferred here to work," Xia Wan said calmly as he slowly took a sip of the soup.
Huo Yu's expression shifted slightly, and he looked at Xia Wan with a sharp gaze. "Who told you that?" he asked, his tone carrying a hint of suspicion.
"Su Tang," Xia Wan replied without hesitation, shifting the focus away from himself. Then he asked directly, "Is it true?"
Huo Yu lowered his eyes, pondering for a moment.
Sometimes he found Xia Wan to be innocent and straightforward, yet at other times, he sensed a depth to him that was hard to grasp.
This feeling was both amusing and astonishing to him.
"You do care about me," Huo Yu said after a while, his voice soft yet filled with certainty,
Xia Wan perceived a hint of sarcasm in his words, sensing that they came from a place of insincerity.
"Of course, I should care about you," he continued, like it was a very common thing to do. "After all, we're husband and wife, so we should look after each other from head to toe." He absentmindedly turned the soup bowl in his hand as he spoke.
Huo Yu gazed at him quietly for a moment, and then a small smile formed at the corners of his mouth. As he smiled, the creases of loneliness and wariness between his eyebrows gradually disappeared, replaced by a sense of ease and comfort.
Putting down the tableware, he leaned back and looked at Xia Wan with a half-smile on his face.
He knew that he should explain the Yan Rui matter to Xia Wan. If Xia Wan remained unaware of it, their relationship might appear suspicious to others.
The reason he didn't say anything until the transfer order was issued was that he wanted to see when Xia Wan would lose composure.
In Huo Yu's perspective, Xia Wan's words in the hot pot restaurant that day seemed too coincidental to ignore.
Even though he knew Xia Wan meant no harm, his wariness towards him never diminished after that incident.
"If we don't talk things out," Xia Wan said, covering half of his face with a soup bowl, "it might be awkward if we act differently at your uncle's house tonight."
"Well," Huo Yu said, lifting the
corners of his lips and raising his eyebrows at Xia Wan. He gestured with his fingers and said, "Come on, let's exchange information."
"Exchange everything from head to toe," Huo Yu added with a grin.