FLME Ch52

“Uncle, it’s fine, it’s fine, just a little water. It’s dark, no one will see it, it’s no big deal.”

Just now, while washing the strawberries, Yu Wen accidentally spilled some water on his waist. The wet patch wasn’t large.

The uncle hadn’t just treated him to strawberries; he had packed him such a massive bag to take home. Feeling bad about it, Yu Wen had wanted to help out with some chores. But Xie Jialin insisted he was a guest and told him to sit. In the ensuing gentle push-and-pull, water splashed onto his clothes.

Xie Jialin rubbed his bald head. “Hold on a sec, Uncle will go upstairs and fetch you a fresh shirt. My son is a bit taller than you, it should fit—”

The uncle was a man of swift, decisive action. Before Yu Wen could even utter a refusal, Xie Jialin was already taking the stairs two at a time. Staring at his vigorous, retreating back, Yu Wen could only marvel at how the old blade had lost none of its edge.

“What style do you prefer? There’s sporty, and then… styles I can’t even comprehend.”

Standing by the second-floor railing, Xie Jialin held up several pieces of clothing for Yu Wen to see.

Yu Wen swept a glance over them. His gaze froze on the final item—a sexy, crimson red dress—and his pupils quaked violently.

“Uncle… I probably can’t wear your daughter’s dress…” he stammered, desperately trying to salvage the situation.

Xie Jialin blanked for a second before bursting into roaring laughter. “My sisters bought this to tease my silent gourd at home! There’s a whole pile of them in the closet. Come up and pick whatever you like, it’s not like he wears them anyway.”

Yu Wen breathed a sigh of relief, having nearly thought he’d stumbled upon some hidden fetish.

He had no choice but to go upstairs, standing politely by the door. Xie Jialin rummaged through the walk-in closet. The room’s decor was fully visible—predominantly light gray with soft tones, looking immaculate and perfectly organized.

Yu Wen swept his gaze around casually, catching sight of a framed photo on the nightstand from the corner of his eye.

He immediately laid on the praise: “Uncle, your son is so handsome! He even looks a bit familiar… kind of looks like our Teacher Xie, hahahaha…”

…?

Wait.

That was his Teacher Xie.

Yu Wen thought his eyes were playing tricks on him.

Xie Jialin was too busy digging for clothes to pay attention. After hesitating repeatedly, Yu Wen finally stepped inside and picked up the photo from the nightstand.

The Xie Heyu in the picture looked much greener than he did now, wearing a blue-and-white school uniform. He had a tall, slender build and an aloof expression. Just like now, he liked to keep his hands in his pockets. Simply standing there coldly, he perfectly exuded the aura of an unbothered cool guy.

Judging by the uniform and the background, it seemed to be from his high school days.

After digging around for ages, Xie Jialin finally managed to fish out a wearable short-sleeved shirt from the massive pile of atrocious, bizarre outfits gifted by his sisters. It was a vibrant, youthful pale yellow. Xie Heyu could never pull it off, but Yu Wen definitely could.

Carrying the shirt over, he noticed Yu Wen looking at the photo and laughed. “That’s my silent gourd. No other redeeming qualities besides a good face. He’ll have to rely on it to find a partner in the future.”

Yu Wen: “He looks…”

Xie Jialin said proudly, “Handsome, right? Takes after his mother.”

“Mm, handsome.” Holding the photo up to his cheek, Yu Wen flashed an awkward yet polite smile. “What a coincidence, my manager looks exactly like this too.”

Xie Jialin: “…?”

Ten minutes later, the two sat on the sofa, exchanging secret codes.

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

Yu Wen: “Xie Heyu.”

Xie Jialin: “What a coincidence! My son is also named Xie Heyu.”

Yu Wen: “And the name of your brother who opened an entertainment company?”

Xie Jialin: “Xie Jiamao.”

Yu Wen: “What an absolute coincidence! My boss is also named Xie Jiamao!”

Their eyes met, and unable to hold it in any longer, they both burst out laughing, “Pfft—hahahaha!”

Yu Wen had already changed into the pale yellow shirt. When he laughed, he rocked back and forth, looking like a little stalk of yellow chives swaying wildly in the wind.

Xie Jialin said, “We chatted for so long only to find out we’re basically family! Blame me, I haven’t been paying much attention to things outside lately.”

As they spoke, Xie Heyu called again. Seeing the caller ID on the screen, Yu Wen’s eyes curved into crescents. “Teacher Xie is coming to pick me up. I’ll send him the location right now. His expression when he walks through the door and realizes it’s his own house is going to be spectacular…”

Xie Jialin, however, stopped him. “Why tell him? Don’t say anything! Let me think of something fun—a grand, flashy entrance! I’ll scare the life out of him.”

Yu Wen: “Uh… is that a good idea?”

“Xiao Xie always wears that same single expression. Have you ever seen him smile? Have you ever seen him cry?”

Yu Wen thought to himself, I actually have seen him smile.

Xie Jialin: “Well, I certainly haven’t.”

Yu Wen: “…”

Xie Jialin: “The last time he cried was fifteen years ago. Anything before he turned five doesn’t count.”

Yu Wen asked with difficulty, “Are you… going to scare him into crying?”

“As if I have that kind of capability.” Xie Jialin waved a hand. “I just want to test how hard he is to fool now. Have you ever seen him make that ‘you are all idiots’ expression? It’s hilarious, super captivating.”

Yu Wen’s curiosity was piqued. “How captivating?”

Xie Jialin thought about it. “Every time he made that expression… a ton of boys would come asking for his contact info. They said it had a lot of… what’s the word… sexual tension.”

It had been a long time, and Xie Jialin couldn’t quite remember the exact evaluations. He only remembered that during the years when the silent gourd’s emotions weren’t entirely locked down and occasionally leaked out, he was incredibly popular among boys. They always said it had some kind of ‘tension’ that was super captivating.

Yu Wen pondered it carefully but couldn’t quite picture it. However, his wicked impulses were definitely stirring; he was highly curious if the uncle’s “flashy entrance” could genuinely crack Xie Heyu’s unflappable composure…

When Xie Heyu called for the third time, Yu Wen came jogging out from the park path. Wearing a pale yellow short-sleeved shirt, he stood out brightly against the night.

“Teacher Xie!” he called out cheerfully.

The moment Xie Heyu saw him, he breathed a slight sigh of relief. He discreetly inspected him from head to toe, his gaze freezing momentarily on the changed T-shirt.

“…You changed your clothes?”

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

The uncle said Teacher Xie doesn’t remember these clothes. He probably won’t recognize it, right…?

Taking the bag of strawberries from his hand, Xie Heyu feigned calm. “How did your clothes get wet for no reason?”

“I just accidentally spilled water on it…” Walking beside him, Yu Wen sneakily observed his profile from the corner of his eye. Perhaps finding the whole situation incredibly amusing, the corners of his lips never fell. Smiling as he spoke, he said, “The uncle has a son about your age. Mm, I saw his photo, he’s just as handsome as you. The uncle said he wants to introduce us.”

Xie Heyu didn’t say a word.

He understood. He understood completely now.

He’s not here to scam money; he’s here to scam feelings!

This indecent uncle schemed meticulously just to find his son a partner!

Indecent! The whole family is indecent!

“Oh, is that so,” Xie Heyu said flatly. “Which building does he live in? We should pay him a formal visit another day, bring some fruit. It’s basic courtesy to return the favor.”

Yu Wen almost couldn’t hold back his laughter. Remembering the uncle’s plan for a “flashy entrance,” he had no choice but to swallow his words back. “Mm… we’ll see. His son isn’t home these next few days anyway.”

With Yu Wen frequently bringing up “his son,” Xie Heyu felt an intense sense of foreboding. His grip on the strawberry bag tightened involuntarily.

“Have you… met his son?”

Yu Wen instinctively glanced at him, hesitating. “I have.”

Met him many, many times, in fact.

Xie Heyu’s breath hitched.

They’ve already met.

If this isn’t a long-premeditated scheme, who would believe it?!

He better not let me catch them!

If I do, this father and son will have hell to pay!

The night breeze was cool, and cicadas chirped in the grass. Xie Heyu was walking a bit too fast. After breaking into a small jog, Yu Wen grabbed the hem of his shirt.

“Teacher Xie, if I intentionally hid some things from you—like, out of a bit of mischief—would you be mad?” he probed.

Sensing the tug on his shirt, Xie Heyu slowed his pace.

“Hmm?” He pulled himself out of his thoughts, turning his head in confusion. “What things?”

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

After that, Yu Wen stopped talking, humming a tune in a pleasant mood, swinging the hand gripping the shirt hem back and forth.

Xie Heyu, however, found it very difficult to be happy, because he had caught two key words: wait until I and succeed.

Succeed in what?

What monumental event requires our Teacher Xiao Yu to plot so meticulously?

Could it be… a confession or something…?

Xie Heyu closed his eyes.

Just a few days ago, he had been judging Xi Su for being unhinged alongside Teacher Xiao Yu. But now, he profoundly understood Xi Su’s mental breakdown at the time.

Right now, he only wanted to go back and borrow Teacher Xi Su’s cannon…

Fire! Bomb them all to death!

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

Early the next morning, he got up with dark circles under his eyes, only to see the leftover strawberries in the kitchen.

He instantly thought of that indecent father-and-son duo!

Xie Heyu slammed the glass cup down heavily. The collision between the base and the countertop echoed sharply through the kitchen.

If Teacher Xiao Yu could be lured away by a few strawberries, it meant the company’s usual welfare benefits were still too lacking… What was that saying? A boy raised in wealth won’t be tricked away by a man with a single piece of candy…

It’s just strawberries! As if I don’t have them!

An hour later, Xie Jialin went downstairs for breakfast. Opening the fridge, he discovered that the strawberries he had just opened yesterday were entirely gone—not a single one left.

This was the third time. He didn’t even need to use his brain to know who did it.

“Xie Heyu! My damn strawberries! I’m going to beat you to death, you unfilial brat!”

When Teacher Xie knocked on the door early in the morning carrying half a box of strawberries on his shoulder, Yu Wen was a bit surprised.

He was in the middle of brushing his teeth, his mouth full of foam and his hair a messy bird’s nest. He mumbled indistinctly, “Teacher Xie, good morning…”

Xie Heyu took one look at him, reached out, and ruffled his hair twice. Thinking he was fixing his hairstyle, Yu Wen stood obediently and let him ruffle it.

Once Xie Heyu entered the kitchen, Yu Wen went back to the bathroom to check the mirror. Oh, it’s still messy.

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

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

“Wow, Teacher Xie, you cut them off?” Yu Wen poked his head over and saw that all the strawberry bottoms were in the other bowl.

“Whose bowl is this?”

Xie Heyu took a spoonful. “Mine.”

Yu Wen was deeply moved. “Teacher Xie, you are such a good person.”

While he wasn’t overly fussy, if you could eat the sweet tips, who would want to eat the tart bottoms?

In this world, only Teacher Xie would help him eat the parts he didn’t like! A manager like this was impossible to find even with a lantern!

Xie Heyu wanted to make two more bowls, but Yu Wen stopped him. “Chu Han has a gig this morning and already left. Xi Su will sleep until noon, he won’t eat breakfast.”

Xie Heyu nodded.

The two of them sat on the sofa, each holding a yogurt bowl, watching the morning news. Yu Wen asked if he came over so early because he had work arrangements.

Xie Heyu was silent for several minutes.

Finally, he came up with a brilliant excuse: “Tonight is the grand finale of Immortal Sect. I’m going to camp here and watch it with you, and monitor the public sentiment while I’m at it.”

Yu Wen: “…”

First of all, the drama updates at night, and it’s currently 8:00 AM.

Second of all… does he really need to monitor public sentiment? What if it’s too angsty and he gets scolded?

To make it sound more credible, Xie Heyu added, “Xi Su and Chu Han have to watch it too. Xie Jiamao’s orders.”

Great, a company mandated activity.

Yu Wen had no choice but to swallow his protests.

“What?! I have to watch the grand finale of Immortal Sect?! Why?! I already know the ending, why do I have to watch it?!” At noon, Xi Su woke up, heard the tragic news, and erupted in violent protest. “I refuse! Even if I die today, I won’t look at it for a single second!”

What a joke. Knowing full well it’s a massive tragedy, who would willingly subject themselves to such torture?!

Xie Heyu said, “Xie Jiamao’s exact words were that he hopes you guys can provide a 1,000-word review. It’ll make it easier for Teacher Xiao Yu to do a post-mortem analysis. Since it’s Teacher Xiao Yu’s debut work, there’s a lot of room for reflection.”

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. Xie Heyu held up a number.

Xi Su flashed a wicked, domineering CEO smirk.

“I can write 8,000 words.” He held up an ‘eight’ with his fingers and said confidently, “Can the bonus be multiplied by eight?”

“What?! You want me to watch the grand finale of Immortal Sect?! Why?! My CP is already dead, am I sick in the head?!” In the afternoon, Chu Han returned home, heard the tragic news, and swore to resist to the death. “I won’t watch it! As long as I don’t watch the finale, my CP is still living happily on Mount Yunxiao!”

Xie Heyu: “I asked the director. There are sweet moments for your CP in the final episode.”

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

Xie Heyu: “A lot of it.”

Chu Han: “…”

After a long while, he said calmly, “As long as there’s a single bite of sweetness hidden in the glass shards, tonight will be worth it. It’s just a bad ending, I’ll watch it.”

Having successfully pacified both Chu Han and Xi Su, Xie Heyu glanced at Yu Wen beside him. Seeing that he had no intention of going out for a night run, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Little did he know, Yu Wen was currently chatting passionately with Xie Jialin on his phone.

Xie Jialin: [Yu-bao, Yu-bao, calling Yu-bao.]

Yu Wen: [Yu-bao receiving, please speak, Uncle San.]

Xie Jialin: [Have we been exposed?]

Yu Wen: [Rest assured, Uncle San, I am a professional. After multiple probes, Teacher Xie’s mood is stable and he suspects nothing. Initial operation: Success!]

Xie Jialin: [Good work, comrade! Leave the rest to Old Xie! Just wait for Old Xie’s flashy entrance!]

Yu Wen: [Applause.jpg]

“Who are you chatting with?” Xie Heyu’s voice suddenly fell by his ear. Startled, Yu Wen hastily scooted away, locking his phone screen and shoving it under a throw pillow.

“A-A group chat.” Perhaps out of guilt, he began stuttering inexplicably.

“Mm.”

Fortunately, Xie Heyu didn’t suspect anything. He merely gave a faint nod, signaling him to look at the TV. “The opening credits are almost over.”

The TV was screen-mirroring the broadcast. Xi Su and Chu Han were sitting bolt upright, each with a box of tissues placed in front of them, clearly fully prepared to weep bitterly.

Only after Xie Heyu looked away did Yu Wen pull his phone back out from under the pillow.

He patted his chest, thinking to himself that it was a good thing he hid it quickly.

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

Uncle.

Heh.

Still daring to text his Teacher Xiao Yu? Looks like his thieving heart hasn’t died yet.

Does he think Teacher Xiao Yu doesn’t have a guardian?!

Sooner or later, I’ll drag you both out into the light!