ASPWL Ch102: Calling someone, far away

The brothers’ squabble ended abruptly when Mama Huo pushed open the bedroom door.

“In the middle of the night—don’t you let anyone sleep?!” Mama Huo glared at them.

Huo Jing lowered his sleeves, averting his gaze slightly in discomfort.

Huo Yan adjusted his clothes, pretended not to see her expression, and sat down again.

Huo Ze picked up a pillow, clearing his throat softly.

As for Qin Yao, he hadn’t moved a muscle the entire time the brothers had been squabbling. Now, seeing Ye Leyao sit back down beside him, he picked up a tissue and gently wiped away the fine sweat on Ye Leyao’s forehead.

At this moment, the only person brave enough to face Mama Huo’s anger was Ye Leyao. He pressed down on Qin Yao’s hand and turned to Mama Huo, saying sincerely, “Mama, the sun’s already up—it’s not exactly the middle of the night anymore. Since it’s light out, why don’t we just skip sleep today?”

Mama Huo’s gaze slowly shifted to Ye Leyao.

Ye Leyao blinked at her, immediately putting on a slightly pitiful expression.

Mama Huo could never resist that look from Ye Leyao, and instantly, her heart softened. How could she stay mad at him?

She struggled to keep her face stern, suppressing a smile. “Weren’t you just calling for help? Now you’re trying to defend those three?”

Before Ye Leyao could respond, Huo Ze interjected, “Hey, I’m Ye Leyao’s brother. Of course he should defend me!”

Huo Yan nodded in agreement.

Huo Jing remained noncommittal.

Mama Huo rolled her eyes at her three sons. “Oh, so you all have a point, huh? And because of that, you’re disturbing your dad and me?”

She huffed, turning and leaving.

As she walked away, they barely heard her mutter, “Since you’re all so wide awake, come downstairs. Let’s see if you have anything to confess to your dad and me about this morning!”

Hearing that, they burst into laughter and, without further delay, followed her downstairs.

By then, daylight had fully broken, and the house staff had already started preparing breakfast.

Ye Leyao frowned upon seeing this. “We’re still eating?”

Mama Huo looked puzzled.

The chef chimed in with a laugh, “Last night, I even prepared some barbeque for them.”

Papa Huo huffed and said in mock disapproval, “Sneaking food behind our backs, and now sneaking in conversation too! Unbelievable!” Then he added, “Though I have to admit, I’m really not hungry.”

The midnight spread had been so hearty that not only had Ye Leyao eaten to his heart’s content, but the rest of the household had enjoyed plenty as well.

Mama Huo decided, “Why don’t we skip breakfast and prepare lunch a bit later?”

The chef agreed.

“But skipping breakfast is still not ideal…”

Before she could finish, Qin Yao suddenly got up and walked toward the kitchen.

Ye Leyao’s eyes lit up, realizing what he was doing, and he quickly followed him.

Sure enough, when Qin Yao entered the kitchen, he skillfully brought out the oat milk.

Leaning against the wall, Ye Leyao smiled when he saw Qin Yao preparing enough for several people. “Making that much?”

Just then, Huo Yan came in and remarked, “Well, we can’t let you have all the treats to yourself, can we?”

Ye Leyao glared at him, “It’s you tagging along to share the good stuff with me!”

Qin Yao poured the oatmeal into the blender and nodded in full agreement. “Exactly.”

Huo Yan: “…”

What kind of teamwork was that, teaming up to roast him?

“Fine, I give up! I can’t win with you two!” Huo Yan huffed, turning away and muttering, “I even came in thinking I’d help—fat chance!”

“Well, if you’re not helping, don’t expect to drink any later!” Ye Leyao shouted after him.

Huo Yan let out a heavy huff. “Fine, I won’t! I’ve had enough of it over the past two years; I’m sick of it!”

Ye Leyao hadn’t replied when Mama Huo said, “Who was it that just recently said they missed drinking this?”

Laughter echoed through the room, punctuated by Huo Yan’s embarrassed outburst: “When did I ever say that?! I was just—”

Huo Ze came rushing into the kitchen. “Second Brother doesn’t want his share? I’ll help him drink it!”

So-called “helping” meant standing alongside Ye Leyao.

Soon, Mama Huo and Papa Huo also joined them. It wasn’t long before Huo Jing and a still-grumbling Huo Yan came in as well.

The whole family crowded into the kitchen, chatting as they watched Qin Yao make the oatmeal milk.

Even though they hadn’t slept all night, none of them felt the slightest bit tired. They even started rehashing conversations they’d had several times before.

When the oat milk was finally ready, everyone took a glass and headed back to the living room.

After two years of not having it, Ye Leyao sipped the oatmeal milk, squinting his eyes in satisfaction. “Delicious!”

Qin Yao’s smile softened, and he quietly took Ye Leyao’s cup to refill it just as it was about to empty.

The family ended up going nowhere. Plans were all pushed back.

The boys each took two days off.

As for Huo Ze, he was already on leave to recover from an injury, and his club coach agreed to let him rest.

Qin Yao also called Qin Hongxi, who immediately agreed and even mentioned that he would visit the Huo family later to check on Ye Leyao.

For the entire day, the family sat together chatting. It seemed they had an endless supply of things to talk about, as if they could make up for the lost two years in one long conversation.

Later in the evening, Qin Hongxi arrived at the Huo family’s home.

Both families gathered together and talked late into the night. When everyone finally started yawning from exhaustion, Mama Huo suggested, “Let’s call it a night and get some rest.”

Papa Huo nodded repeatedly—he’d almost fallen asleep!

The three brothers had no objections. Staying up all night and through the day had finally worn them out.

Qin Hongxi smiled, stood, and said his goodbyes.

Papa Huo tried to insist, “It’s late. Why not stay with us tonight?”

Qin Hongxi chuckled. “No need; home isn’t far from here.” Then he turned to Ye Leyao. “Leyao, I’ll be going now,” he paused, then continued, “also, the Qin family is your home too. Next time you come back, you don’t need to climb through the window.”

Ye Leyao’s face flushed, and he instinctively glanced at Qin Yao.

Qin Yao said nothing, simply squeezing Ye Leyao’s hand.

Ye Leyao’s heart skipped a beat, and he quickly nodded. “Alright!”

Once Qin Hongxi left, the family could finally go upstairs and rest.

Papa Huo and Mama Huo left first, followed by Huo Jing and Huo Ze.

Before heading upstairs, Huo Yan glanced at Qin Yao, as if wanting to say something, but in the end, he didn’t and headed up in silence.

Soon, the large living room was left with only Qin Yao and Ye Leyao.

“Are you tired?” Qin Yao asked, holding Ye Leyao’s hand and gently stroking the back of it with his thumb.

Ye Leyao nodded, then quickly shook his head. “I should say my body’s tired.”

Qin Yao chuckled softly, leaning his head onto Ye Leyao’s shoulder, whispering, “I’m the tired one, Leyao.”

Ye Leyao replied, “Then let’s sleep. My room?”

Qin Yao’s Adam’s apple bobbed slightly as he mumbled, “Mm.”

Ye Leyao helped Qin Yao up, and Qin Yao obediently followed him upstairs.

Two years had passed, but Ye Leyao’s room looked exactly as it had the day he left. Aside from a few potted roses replacing the plants on the balcony, everything else was the same.

Last night, since they’d stayed in the living room, Ye Leyao hadn’t had a chance to look around his room properly.

Opening the closet, Ye Leyao saw that there were even more clothes inside, all ordered for him by Mama Huo over the past two years. One empty cabinet was filled with gift boxes.

Qin Yao walked over, wrapping his arms around Ye Leyao’s waist and whispered, “These are all presents.”

Of course, Ye Leyao knew that. He tilted his head slightly, feeling Qin Yao’s breath on his neck, tickling him, and he asked, “Are yours among them?”

Qin Yao shook his head. “They’re at my place.”

Ye Leyao grinned. “Wouldn’t that fill an entire wardrobe, too?”

Qin Yao thought for a moment. “Of course—it’s more than just one.”

Ye Leyao’s smile widened. “Then I’ll have to go unwrap all of them…”

Before he could finish, he felt Qin Yao’s grip on his waist tighten.

Ye Leyao looked up to see Qin Yao’s slightly resentful gaze.

“What is it?” For some reason, whenever Ye Leyao met Qin Yao’s gaze, he couldn’t help but smile.

Qin Yao sighed softly, sounding a bit wronged. “You’ve already forgotten what I just told you.”

Ye Leyao laughed. “I didn’t forget.”

Qin Yao looked at him intently, his gaze steady.

Ye Leyao turned and suggested, “Why don’t you go take a shower?”

Only then did Qin Yao release his hand and nod. “Alright.”

But even after agreeing, Qin Yao stood there without moving.

“What’s wrong?” Ye Leyao asked, puzzled.

Qin Yao’s eyelashes lowered slightly, almost imperceptibly trembling.

Ye Leyao met his gaze, confusion evident in his eyes. “Hm?”

After a long pause, Qin Yao finally looked away slightly, mumbling, “Clothes.”

Ye Leyao blinked slowly, suddenly realizing that Qin Yao was feeling shy.

In a flash, he remembered something from when he first came to this world.

At that time, Ye Leyao had just used growth serum to mature his human body. Back then, he was still an emotionless system and didn’t understand how his growth would disrupt Qin Yao’s life.

One time, he’d forgotten to knock before entering Qin Yao’s room, only to find Qin Yao in the middle of changing after a shower. Back then, Qin Yao had worn the same shy expression.

Qin Yao’s physique was genuinely impressive.

At that time, as a system, Ye Leyao was curious about everything related to humans. He considered his relationship with Qin Yao very good, so he asked to look at Qin Yao’s physique again.

Only back then, Qin Yao had refused him outright.

And when Ye Leyao mentioned that he’d seen plenty of other people’s physiques, Qin Yao even seemed a little jealous.

Unfortunately, Ye Leyao hadn’t realized this at the time. He’d only thought it was a shame.

But now—

Ye Leyao tried hard to control the corners of his lips, suppressing his laughter as he gazed mischievously at Qin Yao and softly asked, “What’s up?”

Earlier, Ye Leyao had truly not understood, but now he was feigning ignorance, fully aware.

Qin Yao naturally saw through him—after all, the little system he had raised was now teasing him.

Qin Yao felt the warmth on his face increase slightly, but he refused to give in. He wrapped his arm around Ye Leyao’s waist and leaned down just a bit, bringing his lips near Ye Leyao’s ear, his breath brushing against his cool earlobe.

The warm touch made Ye Leyao’s skin turn red almost instantly.

Instinctively, Ye Leyao tried to back away.

Qin Yao tightened his arm, smiling in satisfaction as he softly said, “Yaoyao, could you at least get me a piece of clothing?”

Ye Leyao’s face turned bright red. The next moment, he pushed Qin Yao away and said, “I’ll get it for you!”

Seeing that he’d had his fun, Qin Yao accepted the clothes without another word and quickly entered the bathroom.

Not long after, Ye Leyao heard the faint sound of running water inside.

Only then did Ye Leyao dare to touch his chest—

His heartbeat was way too fast!

With his hand covering his face, Ye Leyao pondered for a while, but he still couldn’t figure it out.

How did Qin Yao improve so much in just two years?

Unable to come to a conclusion, Ye Leyao let it go.

Suddenly, the bathroom door opened.

Thinking Qin Yao had finished showering, Ye Leyao was just about to grab his clothes to take his own turn when he heard Qin Yao say, “Yaoyao, didn’t you forget to give me underwear?”

Ye Leyao: “…”

Ye Leyao rummaged through the closet, found a clean pair of underwear, and made it float by itself to the bathroom door.

Qin Yao seemed to chuckle softly. “Are you shy?”

Ye Leyao’s eyes widened. “Why would I be shy?”

Qin Yao teased, “Then why don’t you personally bring it over?”

Ye Leyao puffed up his cheeks in frustration. “Do you want it or not?”

Finally, Qin Yao responded with a suppressed laugh, “Yes.”

The bathroom door closed again.

Ye Leyao stomped around in frustration for a while before he finally stopped and started pondering.

Could he have actually been shy just now?

Impossible!

He was a system that had seen all sorts of things!

What hadn’t he seen?

How could he possibly… be shy?

If Ye Leyao had a mirror at that moment, he would have seen that his face was flushed, even down to his neck.

But stubborn as he was, he wouldn’t look in a mirror. After a moment’s reflection, Ye Leyao decided that this wouldn’t do. He needed to regain his composure.

Without thinking further, Ye Leyao grabbed his clothes and headed straight for the bathroom.

Amid the sound of running water, the door suddenly opened with a creak.

Qin Yao’s pupils shrank, and he turned around in shock. Before he could react, he felt a pair of arms around his neck. The next second, Ye Leyao’s lips pressed firmly against his own in a determined kiss.

Warm water streamed down from the showerhead, soaking Ye Leyao completely.

The little system’s kiss was clumsy, driven by feeling alone, even gently biting Qin Yao’s lips.

Qin Yao’s breathing grew heavy. He gently pushed Ye Leyao away, saying in a slightly muffled voice, “Yaoyao…”

Before he could continue, Ye Leyao’s lips found his again, as if challenging him, determined to come out on top.

Qin Yao’s gaze darkened, his warm hand lifting Ye Leyao’s chin slightly. “Do you really want to keep going?”

Ye Leyao’s gaze was intense; his eyes misted over slightly.

“Yes,” he heard himself say.

The steam in the bathroom thickened.

The sound of running water echoed for who knows how long before Qin Yao finally carried Ye Leyao out.

Lying in the soft, clean bed, Ye Leyao couldn’t resist curling up under the blanket.

But just as he settled into a more comfortable position to sleep, Qin Yao wrapped an arm around him, pulling him close.

Ye Leyao barely remembered what happened next, only recalling that in the dim light, Qin Yao’s dark eyes were intense and penetrating. His forehead pressed against Ye Leyao’s, his voice hoarse. “Say my name, Yaoyao.”

Ye Leyao’s forehead was covered in sweat, and he shook his head helplessly.

But today, Qin Yao was particularly persistent, whispering in his ear repeatedly, “Yaoyao, say my name.”

Growing frustrated by his insistence, Ye Leyao eventually muttered in a half-cry, “President Qin…”

Qin Yao shook his head. “Try again.”

“President Qin…”

“Try again, Yaoyao.”

After a long while, Ye Leyao finally murmured another name, groggy and barely audible. “Qin Yao… Qin Yao…”

The long-awaited kiss finally landed.

Qin Yao responded with a deep hum.

Ye Leyao had no idea when he fell asleep. In a dazed state, he felt himself being embraced in a warm hug.

The room’s air conditioning was turned down low, with a thin blanket covering the two of them.

Ye Leyao didn’t feel hot at all. Instead, he nestled comfortably in Qin Yao’s arms and drifted into a deep sleep.

A night of sweet dreams.

When he woke up again, daylight was already streaming in.

Ye Leyao opened his eyes, still feeling a bit drowsy. Just as he was about to settle in for a bit more rest, he was gently lifted up by strong arms.

Leaning back against the warmth behind him, he sat there, dazed for several seconds before coming to his senses and turning to glare at Qin Yao in annoyance.

Qin Yao smiled faintly, leaning over to plant a soft kiss on Ye Leyao’s lips before saying, “How about a glass of milk before you sleep some more?”

Ye Leyao blinked, accepting.

Reaching over, Qin Yao brought a glass of warm milk to Ye Leyao’s lips, feeding it to him with utmost care. Once Ye Leyao finished, Qin Yao used a tissue to wipe the oats from the corner of his mouth before tucking him back into the cozy blanket.

After lying down, Ye Leyao still felt a bit uncomfortable. He nudged Qin Yao with his foot, his voice hoarse, sounding slightly pitiful: “I feel uncomfortable.”

Qin Yao quickly leaned in, his face full of concern. “Where does it hurt?”

As his hand moved downward, Ye Leyao swiftly caught his hand, a slight blush on his face. “My waist!”

A trace of awkwardness flashed across Qin Yao’s face, and then he motioned for Ye Leyao to lie down on the bed, reaching out to gently massage his waist.

Qin Yao’s pressure was just right, and before long, Ye Leyao felt much more comfortable. His eyelids drooped, and he fell asleep again.

So much so that Ye Leyao didn’t remember he was still the supervisory system. Usually, when his body had any issues, his first reaction was always to go to the points mall and redeem a potion.

The potions from the points mall could instantly cure ailments, restoring vitality in a second.

As for why he hadn’t redeemed one today, perhaps only Ye Leyao could answer that question. Whether or not he chose to answer, that was up to him.

…

Ye Leyao ended up sleeping all the way until noon.

Only when he felt hungry did he slowly get up from the bed.

Just as he finished getting dressed and was about to go downstairs, Ye Leyao suddenly realized something.

Wait a minute. He hadn’t gotten up all morning, so his parents…

Ye Leyao covered his face with his hands. Why did he have to tease Qin Yao last night?

With his face flushed, Ye Leyao walked to the balcony, opened the floor-to-ceiling window, and even began to consider whether he should just make a run for it.

At that moment, the bedroom door was pushed open by Qin Yao from the outside. “Yaoyao? What are you doing?”

Ye Leyao took a deep breath and replied seriously, “Thinking about whether or not I should return to the main system.”

Qin Yao’s pupils shrank sharply, and he froze on the spot.

When Ye Leyao hadn’t heard Qin Yao’s response for a while, he sensed something was wrong and turned around, only to meet Qin Yao’s slightly red eyes.

Ye Leyao’s heart skipped a beat. “What’s wrong?”

The next moment, he suddenly realized that he’d said the wrong thing.

“No, I just…” Ye Leyao hurried forward to explain as he looked into Qin Yao’s eyes. “I just felt… a little… well, it’s not that I actually want to leave…”

Afraid Qin Yao wouldn’t believe him, Ye Leyao quickly hugged him and earnestly said, “Really, I wasn’t lying to you…”

Qin Yao took a deep breath, pressing down the surge of emotions in his heart. He hugged Ye Leyao and gently replied, “Mm.”

Of course, he knew Ye Leyao wasn’t lying to him, but the two years of separation had left Qin Yao plagued by insecurity. So when he heard Ye Leyao mention leaving, he reacted so strongly.

Now, Qin Yao understood that Ye Leyao didn’t actually want to leave; he was just feeling shy and wanted a place to hide.

After collecting himself, Qin Yao finally said, “You don’t need to worry.”

“Hm?” Ye Leyao asked, puzzled.

Qin Yao pinched Ye Leyao’s chin and gave him a kiss on the lips, then said softly, “Uncle and Aunt haven’t stayed up late in ages; they just got up too.”

Ye Leyao’s eyes lit up. “Really?”

With his lips slightly parted, it gave Qin Yao an opportunity to deepen the kiss.

Ye Leyao tried to pull back, but Qin Yao’s kiss only became more intense.

Between muffled breaths, Ye Leyao finally heard Qin Yao say, “Really.”

Not only Papa and Mama, but even Huo family’s three brothers had gotten up especially late today. Qin Yao hadn’t even seen Huo Yan downstairs a moment ago.

Feeling at ease, Ye Leyao responded by deepening the kiss.

In the distance, Huo Jing’s voice suddenly rang out, “Let’s head downstairs. When they’re awake, they’ll come down on their own.”

“How could we do that?” Huo Yan replied. “The whole family should eat together. Ye Leyao—”

The bedroom door wasn’t fully closed. As Huo Yan pushed it open, he was greeted by the sight of Ye Leyao hastily pushing Qin Yao away, turning around quickly.

With his keen eyes, Huo Yan immediately noticed the blush on Ye Leyao’s face and the shimmer on his lips.

Huo Yan: “?”

Following closely, Huo Ze hadn’t seen anything but sensed something was off in the atmosphere, so he asked, “Hm? You two are up? Perfect timing, come down for lunch.”

But no one responded.

Huo Ze found it odd.

Just then, Huo Jing came over, asking, “What’s wrong?”

What’s wrong?

Of course, there was trouble!

Ye Leyao wished he could fly away on the spot. But he couldn’t do that, so he quickly told Qin Yao, “Close the door!”

Qin Yao pressed his lips together. Though he felt this would only heighten the “tension,” he still followed Ye Leyao’s instruction.

With a loud “bang,” the door was shut tightly in the faces of the three Huo brothers.

After a long pause, Huo Yan’s exasperated voice came from outside the door: “Qin Yao—this is our house, dammit!”