Ch45-Xia Wan: "Can I bring my family"
The phone felt slightly warm in his hand, it vibrated softly, causing Xia Wan's palms to feel a bit tingle.
[Huo Yu: I'm pretty busy today. Can't pick you up till later. Can we go to the hospital together afterwards?]
Xia Wan was slightly surprised. Hadn't Huo Yu just finished the Interview? Why was he texting him so quickly?
Unconsciously, he tightly pressed his lips, feeling a subtle and complex emotion stirring inside him.
It was a feeling he had never encountered before, a mix of nervousness, unease, and a hint of both sourness and sweetness.
This sweetness wasn't the same as the one he felt while watching the interview. That had been open and intentional, whereas this felt secretive and hidden.
Xia Wan's palms grew slightly sweaty as he hesitated, hovering her fingertips over the screen before finally tapping out a message:
[Big bowl of sweet tea: Didn't you just finish the interview?]
[Huo Yu: Did you watch it?]
[Big bowl of sweet tea: Yes, I watched it with my roommates.]
After sending this message, there was no immediate response from the other side. As the screen dimmed, Xia Wan took a deep breath, thinking that Huo Yu might not reply. But just as he thought that his phone vibrated again.
[Huo Yu: Really?]
[Big bowl of sweet tea: Yes, everyone is praising you.]
[Huo Yu: Everyone is praising me, but what about you?]
Xia Wan was taken aback, unable to picture Huo Yu's expression while typing this, but based on experience, coaxing was always the way to go.
Quickly, he tapped out his response: Of course, I praised you the most passionately, after all, the eldest master is on an actor-level performance.
He chuckled as he sent the message, thinking Huo Yu would be pleased. However, after a while, he received a casual and indifferent reply: Is that so? Without you, I couldn't "act" like this.
As Xia Wan struggled to coax Huo Yu, Fu Ling and Su Tang joined him once again.
The two openly stared at Xia Wan's phone screen, unfazed by the conversation.
"Role-playing?" Fu Ling's excitement was noticeable. "Is it like dressing up and acting out late night fantasies? How thrilling! I have a role-playing guidebook for late-night
adventures if you're interested."
Xia Wan looked at him with a
mixture of helplessness and amusement, then burst into laughter. "Can't you think about something apart from under the bed?"
"You can also play role-playing first under the bed, and then in bed." Fu Ling said plausibly.
It made sense.
After a brief pause, Xia Wan couldn't resist the temptation and whispered, "Send it to me."
"It's quite useful to have for pratical use, you know" Fu Ling said as he sent his treasure over to Xia Wan.
Su Tang watched for a moment and then chimed in, "Give me one too."
He then turned to Xia Wan with a worried expression. "Go ahead and message him."
Helplessly, the two of them looked on as Xia Wan, determined to display unchecked affection, resisted the sweetness and sent a message:
[Big bowl of sweet tea: Of course, after all, I'm an 'actor' person.]
"Fuck me," Fu Ling worshipfully exclaimed, "Good night, bravo!"
Su Tang enthusiastically nodded in agreement and gave a very solemn thumbs-up.
Lunch was placed on Huo Yu's desk before he had a chance to open it. He spent two minutes looking at the report on his computer screen before shifting his gaze to his phone. When there was no response from the other party for a while, he began to feel a bit anxious.
However, when he saw the word "actor" in the message, his mood immediately lifted. He tried to imagine Xia Wan's mischievous expression when he typed those words. It wasn't serious but more like he was teasing him. Nevertheless, Huo Yu's heart skipped a beat, and a small smile crept onto his face. His emotions were like a roller coaster, from low to high.
After a moment, he composed himself, typed a message, and sent it: "What are you going to have for lunch?"
Xia Wan's reply came quickly:
[Big bowl of sweet tea: Today, I will be treating my roommates at the hot pot restaurant we went to last time.]
[Huo Yu: Sounds good.]
Just as Xia Wan was about to put down the phone, a new message popped up:
[Huo Yu: Don't drink.]
Xia Wan remembered the last time he got drunk and couldn't help but chuckle. He hadn't done anything embarrassing. He just hugged Huo Yu, that's all. He managed to change his clothes and even took a shower. He couldn't understand why Huo Yu was so frightened of him drinking. It's not like he did something extreme. But since Huo Yu sent him a message so quickly to reassure him, Xia Wan replied seriously: "My roommates and I don't drink."
"Hello, Mr. Xue, Mr. Xue?"
The voice on the phone grew more uncertain as Xue Chong stared out the window intently, momentarily forgetting to reply.
Not far away, a young man's eyes sparkled, brighter than the noon sun, with gentle curves in his eyebrows and eyes, reminiscent of a younger Wen Yunzhi.
However, it was much gentler compared to younger self of Wen Yunzhi.
And those amber eyes immediately fixed on him.
In an instant, many memories that he thought he had forgotten suddenly flooded back into his mind.
He remembered a young child smiling at himself, playing with his brother, and hugging him as he begged for a hug, saying he missed his father.
While Wen Yunzhi stared out the window, lost in thought, Xue Chong's emotions surged as he saw Xia Wan again, causing a painful sensation in his chest.
"Wan Wan," Fu Ling tugged at Xia Wan's sleeve as he finished his chat, "Does Huo Yu have any other brothers? Can you introduce them to me?"
Xia Wan remembered something and chuckled, "There is one. It's Huo Lin, are you interested?"
"I'd rather stay single," Fu Ling turned away, disappointed.
"Don't worry; I can introduce my brother to you." Su Tang tapped Fu Ling's shoulder and said, "My brother is a catch-handsome, wealthy, and most importantly, he's completely available. I promise he's dedicated."
Before Fu Ling could say anything, a car horn in the distance sounded, urging them on. It was Shen Xing, waiting in the car. When the three of them got in, Xue Chong lowered the window and leaned out.
"Tang Tang mentioned that Ake invited them for hot pot," Xue Wenzuan understood what his parents were thinking and suggested, "We haven't had hot pot together in a while; why don't we also go and try it?"
"Sounds good," Wen Yunzhi agreed right away. Worried about running into Xia Wan and the others at the restaurant, she took out a mirror from her bag, applied a thin layer of lipstick, and checked her appearance.
Shen Xing drove while Su Tang and Fu Ling sat in the back seat, continuing their conversation.
"By the way," Su Tang said, "My aunt wants to invite everyone to our place this weekend. Are you all available?"
Worried about the weekend's hospital visit, Su Tang glanced at Shen Xing in the front seat.
"What time?" Shen Xing asked.
"It's flexible, whatever works for you," Su Tang replied.
"Sunday," Shen Xing decided after a moment's thought, then turned to Fu Ling, "What do you think?"
"I can make it," Fu Ling said, "I usually spend weekends at my grandparents' place, so nothing special. But Xia Wan, will you be able to come?"
"Yes," Su Tang nodded, feeling a bit anxious as he glanced at Xia Wan.
This gathering was originally planned for Xia Wan, and if he couldn't attend, all the preparations would go to waste.
Xia Wan thought since everyone was going it would be bad for him not to go. Plus, Wen Yunzhi had been very kind to him, so he wanted to go for his sake.
"Is it possible for us to go late in the afternoon?" Xia Wan asked.
Xia Chengzhang was scheduled to be discharged from the hospital on Monday. On Sunday, Xia Wan could arrange for Aunt Zhang to deliver meals in the
early afternoon and stay with Xia Chengzhang until evening. After leaving the Xue family gathering, he could take Aunt Zhang's place. This way, he could complete the
discharge process the next morning and accompany Xia Chengzhang back home.
"No problem at all," Su Tang replied with a wide grin. "I have already asked my aunt to prepare dinner for Sunday, and we can still enjoy drinks and stargazing on the terrace."
Upon hearing Su Tang's words, Xia Wan couldn't help but recall Huo Yu's earlier message about not drinking.
Knowing that Huo Yu had a desire to collaborate with the Xue family, Xia Wan subconsciously wanted to create opportunities for him and asked, "Can I bring my family along?"
"Bring your family?" Su Tang was taken aback.
In Xia Wan's context, "family" clearly referred to Huo Yu.
Su Tang might be an admirer of Huo Yu, but it didn't mean that he or the Xue family were keen on having Huo Yu at such an event. Huo Yu's sharp wit and keen observation skills could easily pick up on subtle clues, making things potentially uncomfortable.
Su Tang fell into a brief silence, his thoughts drifting to Shen Yan once again. He pondered whether Shen Yan would have associated with him so enthusiastically if he weren't Wen Yunzhi's nephew.
Perhaps, without the project that required the Xue family's investment at the time, they might not have crossed paths at all.
Likewise, even if Xia Wan and Huo Yu were to marry, once Xia Wan's circumstances changed, Huo Yu's feelings might not remain pure. After all, most people couldn't resist the allure of profit.
Seeing Su Tang's hesitation, Xia Wan quickly added, "If it's a problem, it's okay, forget it."
Su Tang replied after some contemplation, "It's not impossible. I just think Huo Yu seems a bit serious and strict. Will you still have fun if he joins us?"
"Huo Yu is strict with me?" Xia Wan was puzzled for a moment and couldn't help but smile. "That's impossible!"
"Come on, don't be silly," Su Tang chided. "Huo Yu isn't just idling around, coming to pick you up three or four times a week. No parent could be that strict."
"Really?" Xia Wan was a bit puzzled.
"Absolutely," Fu Ling confirmed. "Before you got married, you managed everything yourself. You didn't have much experience, right?"
Hearing this, Xia Wan couldn't help but cup his cheeks with his hands and ponder.
The hot pot restaurant wasn't far from the school, and Shen Xing was well-acquainted with the route. He maneuvered the car through the alleyways and parked it in front of the restaurant.
As they got out of the car, the restaurant manager personally welcomed them, addressing Shen Xing with great respect, "Second Master."
Shen Xing nodded, saying, "My classmates have reserved a private room today, please check it for us."
"Hey, Shen Xing," Su Tang seized the moment with a mischievous half-smile, "Aren't you embarrassed to come to your own restaurant for dinner and let your classmates treat you?"
Xia Wan hadn't thought about this at all when he was booking for the room. He only realised it when the clerk greeted Shen Xing just now.
Realizing that the two were about to argue again, he quickly stepped forward to intervene: "Anyway, don't argue. When it comes to eating, it doesn't matter where we eat. Let's keep the peace and avoid unnecessary conflict."
Shen Xing flashed a knowing smile and raised his eyebrows at Su Tang. "See, this one's got some common sense."
"Yes, my common sense is low," Su Tang retorted coolly, "So why did you beg to be transferred to our dormitory?"
"Want to say it again?" Shen Xing casually started recording on his phone.
"Humph!" Su Tang, thinking Shen Xing was provoking him, repeated, "I asked you why you transferred to our dormitory."
"Are you finished asking?" Shen Xing released the recording with a swipe and sent it to Shen Yan.
Su Tang was momentarily surprised and then realized what had happened. He narrowed his eyes dangerously and asked with uncertainty, "Are you trying to provoke me?"
Shen Xing shrugged and chuckled lazily, "Don't you want to know yourself?"
"I'm asking you," Su Tang gritted his teeth, "I'm not asking anyone else."
"My brother arranged it," Shen Xing explained, "But of course, you can ask him yourself."
"You little rascal! Sneaky!" Su Tang was livid and was about to kick Shen Xing when he raised his foot. However, Fu Ling intervened, hugging Su Tang from behind.
"Darling, we don't neet to get along with..." Fu Ling's words halted midway as he suddenly met Shen Xing's gaze, prompting him to retract the term "despicable person" on the tip of his tongue, and instead, he said, "Your brother cares about you."
The manager made an effort to remain composed as he listened to Xia Wan calmly provide reservation information.
"I reserved the private room, under the surname Xia," Xia Wan informed.
"Alright," the manager replied with a smile, signaling a staff member to escort them to their
seats.
"Don't be upset, Tangtang, let's focus on eating delicious food" Xia Wan comforted Su Tang, walking ahead with Fu Ling, leading the way to the
restaurant. They took the lead, while the manager and Shen Xing followed a few steps behind.
"The young master of the Qiu family just arrived," the manager whispered. "Would you like to go say hello?"
"Qiu Qi?" Shen Xing inquired.
"Yes," the manager confirmed, "It seems he's brought a few reporters, perhaps for something Important."
Shen Xing hesitated, recalling his previous interaction with Xia Wan. After a moment, he muttered quietly, "Never mind, we can discuss it later."