FLME Ch52

“Uncle, it’s okay, it’s okay, it’s just a bit of water, it’s late, no one will see, it doesn’t matter.”

Just now, Yu Wen accidentally spilled some water while washing strawberries. It splashed on his waist, not a large area.

The uncle not only treated him to strawberries but also packed him such a—big bag. Yu Wen felt very embarrassed and wanted to help with some chores, but Xie Jialin said he was a guest and made him sit down. In the process of pushing him down, water got spilled on him.

Xie Jialin touched his bald head, “Wait a moment, I’ll go upstairs and get you a new shirt. My son is a bit taller than you, but it should fit—”

The uncle moved quickly, and Yu Wen had no time to refuse. Xie Jialin took three steps in two and was already upstairs. Yu Wen looked at the other’s agile back and could only sigh that the uncle was still in great shape.

“What style do you like? There’s a sporty one, and then… a style I don’t really understand.”

Xie Jialin stood by the second-floor stairs, holding up a few pieces of clothing for Yu Wen to see.

Yu Wen glanced over them, and his gaze froze on the last piece—a sexy red dress. His pupils shook.

“Uncle… I probably can’t wear your daughter’s dress…” After a long pause, he awkwardly tried to smooth things over.

Xie Jialin was momentarily stunned, then burst into laughter, “This was bought by my sister to tease the taciturn one in our family. There’s a whole bunch of them in the wardrobe. You can come up and pick, he doesn’t wear them anyway.”

Yu Wen let out a sigh of relief, almost thinking he’d stumbled upon some hidden hobby.

He had no choice but to go upstairs and stand at the doorway. Xie Jialin was rummaging through the wardrobe. The room’s design was fully visible, with light gray tones, soft and harmonious, looking neat and organized.

Yu Wen casually glanced around, his peripheral vision catching the framed photo on the bedside table.

He opened his mouth to compliment, “Uncle, your son is really handsome. He looks a bit familiar, kinda like our Teacher Xie, hahaha…”

…?

Wait.

It was their Teacher Xie.

Yu Wen thought he was mistaken.

Xie Jialin was still busy searching for clothes and didn’t respond to him. Yu Wen hesitated for a while but eventually walked in and picked up the photo from the bedside table.

In the photo, Xie Heyu looked younger than he did now, wearing a blue-and-white school uniform. His figure was tall and lean, and his expression indifferent. Just like now, he liked to keep his hands in his pockets. Standing there coldly, the cool-guy vibe was evident.

From the uniform and background, it seemed to be from high school.

After rummaging for a long time, Xie Jialin finally found a wearable short-sleeve shirt among the pile of strange and ridiculous clothes sent by his sisters. It was a lively light yellow, which Xie Heyu couldn’t pull off, but Yu Wen could.

Carrying the shirt, he walked over and saw Yu Wen looking at the photo. He laughed, “That’s my taciturn one. No other virtues, just a good-looking face. He’ll rely on that face to find a partner in the future.”

Yu Wen said, “He does look…”

Xie Jialin proudly added, “Handsome, right? Takes after his mom.”

“Yeah, handsome.” Yu Wen held the photo up to his cheek, smiling awkwardly but politely. “What a coincidence, my manager looks just like this.”

Xie Jialin: “…?”

Ten minutes later, the two of them were sitting on the sofa, exchanging coded information.

Xie Jialin: “What’s your manager’s name?”

Yu Wen: “Xie Heyu.”

Xie Jialin: “What a coincidence! My son’s also called Xie Heyu.”

Yu Wen: “And your brother, who runs the entertainment company, is named?”

Xie Jialin: “Xie Jiamao.”

Yu Wen: “How funny! My boss is also named Xie Jiamao!”

The two looked at each other and couldn’t hold it in anymore, bursting into laughter.

Yu Wen had already changed into the light yellow short-sleeve shirt. When he laughed, he moved around, looking like a small, swaying leek.

Xie Jialin said, “We’ve been talking for so long, and it turns out we’re one family. My bad, I haven’t really been keeping up with outside affairs recently.”

As they spoke, Xie Heyu called again. Yu Wen looked at the contact name on the screen, his eyes curving in a smile, “Teacher Xie is coming to pick me up. I’ll send him my location now. When he comes in and realizes it’s his own home, his expression will be priceless…”

But Xie Jialin said, “Why tell him? Don’t say anything. I’ll come up with something fun for a dramatic entrance! Scare him.”

Yu Wen: “Huh? That’s not a good idea…”

“Xiao Xie always has the same expression. Have you ever seen him laugh? Seen him cry?”

Yu Wen thought to himself, I have seen him laugh.

Xie Jialin: “Well, I haven’t.”

Yu Wen: “…”

Xie Jialin: “The last time he cried was fifteen years ago, and anything before the age of five doesn’t count.”

Yu Wen asked with difficulty, “Are you planning to scare him to tears…”

“I don’t have that kind of ability.” Xie Jialin waved it off. “I just want to see how hard it is to fool him now. Have you ever seen him show that ‘you all are idiots’ expression? It’s so interesting, really satisfying.”

Yu Wen got curious, “How satisfying?”

Xie Jialin thought for a moment, “Every time he shows that expression… a lot of guys come over asking for his contact information. They say he’s got… something about tension.”

The memory was a bit fuzzy, and Xie Jialin couldn’t recall all the comments. He only remembered that in the past, when the taciturn one wasn’t so reserved and occasionally showed emotion, he was especially popular with boys. They said it had some kind of tension, very satisfying.

Yu Wen thought about it for a moment, not fully understanding, but he felt a bit excited, curious if the uncle’s “dramatic entrance” could crack Xie Heyu’s calm facade…

—

When Xie Heyu called for the third time, Yu Wen came running out from the park path, wearing a light yellow short-sleeve shirt, bright and eye-catching in the night.

“Teacher Xie!” he shouted energetically.

The moment Xie Heyu saw him, he finally let out a small sigh of relief, subtly examining him from head to toe. His gaze lingered slightly on the T-shirt that had been changed.

“…You changed clothes?”

“Oh, this? My clothes got wet, so the uncle gave me a new one. It’s his son’s. How does it look? Is it a bit too big?” Yu Wen turned around in front of him, feeling a little nervous.

The uncle had said that Teacher Xie wouldn’t remember these clothes, so he probably wouldn’t recognize them…

Xie Heyu took the bag of strawberries from his hand and calmly asked, “How did your clothes get wet out of nowhere?”

“I accidentally spilled water on them…” Yu Wen walked alongside him, secretly glancing at his profile from the corner of his eye. He found the whole situation amusing, so his lips never stopped smiling. As he chuckled, he said, “The uncle has a son about your age. I saw his photo, and he looks just as handsome as you. The uncle said he wants to introduce us.”

Xie Heyu didn’t say a word.

He got it. He completely got it.

They weren’t here to scam money—they were here to scam emotions!

That uncle, up to no good, had meticulously planned to find a partner for his son!

Shameless! The whole family was shameless!

“Oh, is that so?” Xie Heyu said flatly, “Which building does he live in? One of these days, we should pay a visit, bring some fruit, and return the favor.”

Yu Wen almost burst out laughing but remembered the uncle’s plan to “make a grand entrance” and swallowed back his words. “Um… let’s talk about it later. His son isn’t home these days.”

Yu Wen kept mentioning “his son,” which made Xie Heyu feel very uneasy. His grip on the strawberry bag tightened involuntarily.

“Have you met his son?”

Yu Wen glanced at him instinctively and hesitated. “I have.”

I’ve met him many, many times.

Xie Heyu’s breath hitched.

They’ve already met.

Who would believe this wasn’t premeditated?!

Don’t let him catch them!

If he does, those two father and son are definitely in for it!

The night breeze was cool, and cicadas chirped in the bushes. Xie Heyu was walking a little fast, so Yu Wen had to jog a couple of steps to catch up, tugging at the corner of his shirt.

“Teacher Xie, if I were deliberately hiding something from you, like with a little bit of bad intent, would you be mad at me?” He asked, testing the waters.

Noticing the pull on his shirt, Xie Heyu slowed his steps.

“Hm?” He snapped out of his thoughts and looked back in confusion. “What kind of thing?”

“…Nothing.” Yu Wen mumbled, “How could I tell you now? You’ll find out once I succeed…”

Then Yu Wen stopped talking, happily humming a tune while tugging and swaying his grip on the corner of Xie Heyu’s shirt.

But Xie Heyu couldn’t cheer up because he caught two key words: “when I” and “succeed.”

Succeed at what?

What on earth could require our little Teacher Yu to go through so much trouble planning?

Could it be… a confession or something like that…?

Xie Heyu closed his eyes.

A few days ago, he and Teacher Yu had complained together about Xi Su’s lack of discipline, but now he was deeply understanding the breakdown Xi Su must have felt at the time.

Now, all he wanted was to borrow Xi Su’s cannon…

Fire it! Blow them all up!

–

That night, Xie Heyu tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

The next morning, he got up with dark circles under his eyes and saw the leftover strawberries in the kitchen.

Immediately, he thought of that shameless father and son!

Xie Heyu slammed the glass down hard, the bottom clinking loudly against the counter, the sound echoing in the kitchen.

For a few measly strawberries, Teacher Yu would be deceived like this. Clearly, the company’s benefits aren’t good enough… What’s the saying again? Boys raised with plenty won’t be easily tricked by men offering candy…

It’s just strawberries! Who doesn’t have them?!

An hour later, Xie Jialin came downstairs for breakfast, opened the fridge, and found that the strawberries he had opened the day before were all gone.

It was the third time. He could figure out who did it without even thinking.

“Xie Heyu! You ate all my strawberries again! I’m going to beat you, you ungrateful brat!”

Teacher Xie showed up bright and early, carrying half a box of strawberries to knock on Yu Wen’s door, which surprised Yu Wen a bit.

He was in the middle of brushing his teeth, foam in his mouth and his hair all messy. In muffled tones, he said, “Good morning, Teacher Xie…”

Xie Heyu looked at him, reached out, and ruffled his hair. Yu Wen thought he was fixing his hairstyle, so he obediently stood still and let him mess with it.

When Xie Heyu went into the kitchen, Yu Wen checked in the bathroom mirror and saw that, oh, his hair was still a mess.

Forget it, maybe Teacher Xie isn’t good at styling hair.

When he came out of the bathroom, Xie Heyu had already made two yogurt bowls. One of them was topped with a layer of cute strawberry tips.

“Wow, Teacher Xie, did you cut these?” Yu Wen peeked and saw the strawberry bottoms in the other bowl.

“Whose bowl is that?”

Xie Heyu scooped up a bite. “Mine.”

Yu Wen said gratefully, “Teacher Xie, you’re such a good person.”

Although he wasn’t that picky, who wouldn’t prefer the strawberry tips over the bottoms?

Only Teacher Xie would help him eat the things he didn’t like! An agent like this was hard to find, even with a lantern!

Xie Heyu wanted to make two more bowls, but Yu Wen stopped him. “Chu Han has work this morning, so he’s already gone. Xi Su won’t get up until noon and won’t have breakfast.”

Xie Heyu nodded.

Each of them held a yogurt bowl, sitting on the sofa and watching the morning news. Yu Wen asked if there was any work scheduled for such an early visit.

Xie Heyu was silent for several minutes.

Finally, he came up with the perfect excuse: “Tonight is the finale of Immortal Sect. I’ll stay with you to watch and monitor the public reaction.”

Yu Wen: “…”

First of all, the show airs at night, and it’s only 8 a.m. now.

Second… Do we really need to monitor public reaction? What if the ending is too sad, and we get bashed?

To make it sound more convincing, Xie Heyu added, “Xi Su and Chu Han are going to watch too. Xie Jiamao said so.”

Fine, it’s a company event.

Yu Wen had no choice but to swallow his words of resistance.

“What?! I have to watch the finale of Immortal Sect?! Why? I already know the ending, why do I have to watch it?!” At noon, Xi Su got out of bed, and upon hearing the bad news, he erupted in violent protest. “I’m not watching it! I’d rather die today than watch even a second!”

What a joke! Knowing it’s a massive tragedy, who would willingly subject themselves to that kind of pain?

Xie Heyu said, “Xie Jiamao wants you to write a review of about 1,000 words afterward to help Teacher Yu Wen with the recap. After all, this is Teacher Yu’s debut work, and there’s a lot of room for analysis.”

Xi Su: “I’m quitting the industry—”

Xie Heyu: “There’s a bonus.”

“…”

After a moment of silence, Xi Su asked how much the bonus was, and Xie Heyu held up a number with his fingers.

Xi Su grinned mischievously.

“I can write 8,000 words.” He held up eight fingers confidently. “Can the bonus multiply by eight?”

“What?! I have to watch the finale of Immortal Sect?! Why? My ship already sank, am I crazy?!” That afternoon, Chu Han came home and, upon hearing the bad news, swore to resist. “I’m not watching! As long as I don’t watch the finale, my ship will still be happily living on Yunxiao Mountain!”

Xie Heyu: “I asked the director, and there’s a sweet moment for your ship in the final episode.”

Chu Han: “Even if there’s sweetness, I—”

Xie Heyu: “Lots of sweetness.”

Chu Han: “…”

After a long pause, he calmed down and said, “As long as there’s even a bit of sugar amidst the shards of glass, tonight will be worth it. So what if the ship sinks, I’ll watch.”

Successfully calming down both Chu Han and Xi Su, Xie Heyu glanced at Yu Wen, who was sitting beside him. Seeing that he didn’t seem to have any plans to go out for his night run, he relaxed a little.

But what he didn’t know was that Yu Wen was currently chatting away with Xie Jialin on his phone.

Xie Jialin: [Yu Bao, Yu Bao, calling Yu Bao.]

Yu Wen: [Yu Bao here, Third Uncle, go ahead.]

Xie Jialin: [Were you exposed?]

Yu Wen: [Don’t worry, Third Uncle, I’m a professional. After multiple tests, Teacher Xie’s mood is good, and he’s not the least bit suspicious. First phase of the mission: success!]

Xie Jialin: [Thank you for your hard work, comrade! Now leave the rest to Lao Xie! Just wait and watch Lao Xie make his grand entrance!]

Yu Wen: [Applause.jpg]

“Who are you chatting with?” Xie Heyu’s voice suddenly sounded in his ear, startling Yu Wen. He quickly shifted away a bit, turning off his phone screen and tucking it under a soft cushion.

“A-a group chat.” Perhaps out of guilt, he inexplicably started stammering.

“Hmm.”

Fortunately, Xie Heyu didn’t grow suspicious. He just nodded slightly and gestured for Yu Wen to watch TV. “The opening is almost over.”

The TV was mirroring the screen, showing Xi Su and Chu Han sitting properly in front of the camera, each with a box of tissues in front of them, clearly prepared for a tearful experience.

Only after Xie Heyu turned his gaze away did Yu Wen dare to retrieve his phone from beneath the cushion.

He patted his chest, thinking how lucky he was to have hidden it quickly.

What he didn’t know was that Xie Heyu had already caught a glimpse of the contact name in the chat window.

“Uncle.”

Heh.

Daring to send messages to his Yu Wen, huh? Clearly still harboring ulterior motives.

Did they think Teacher Yu Wen didn’t have a guardian?!

Sooner or later, he’d drag them all out!