RBNR Ch11: Contact Number

In front of the sink, Qin Bao was battling the blackened pot handle with a brush.

Feng Chengyu hadn’t given him his Dingxun account; instead, he called him directly.

Seeing an unfamiliar number appear on his phone screen, and worrying it might be Mr. Qin calling from a different number, Qin Bao hesitated for a while and didn’t answer. But the caller was persistent and dialed a second time.

Qin Bao haphazardly wiped the suds off his hands and answered suspiciously: “Hello?”

“Is this Qin Bao?”

From the other end came a young male voice, deep and pleasant.

Strangely enough, Qin Bao immediately recognized that the person on the other end was Feng Chengyu. The voice that had commandingly told him to “Open your mouth” at the stadium entrance that day was exactly this one.

His ears grew hot instantly.

Qin Bao: “…”

The other end said, “This is Feng Chengyu.”

Qin Bao had no choice but to reply, “En.” Unsure of what he should say to the other party, he could only report on the disaster scene situation. “Your pot…”

“It doesn’t matter,” Feng Chengyu seemed to understand his apology. “Just leave it, don’t worry about it. I’ll have the housekeeper come over and clean it up.”

Qin Bao uttered another “En”, rubbing his forehead in frustration, but still got the words out: “I’m sorry.”

There was the sound of wind on Feng Chengyu’s end, seemingly from a very high place, but his voice was extremely clear, the beautiful timbre of each word traveling into Qin Bao’s ears.

“I have already told Uncle Qin that you are here. My apologies, I felt obligated to report it,” Feng Chengyu said.

“You can stay here for a while and take your time communicating with them.”

Qin Bao clenched his teeth, a bit annoyed with himself. He knew this situation wasn’t caused by Feng Chengyu. The other party wasn’t Tu Yisen or Feng Chu; he was an uninvited guest, and as an adult, this was the most appropriate solution the other could think of.

After all, Feng Chengyu wasn’t his friend, nor did he owe him anything.

“There’s not much food in the house, what do you like to eat?” Feng Chengyu seemingly began to fulfill his duties as a temporary guardian. “I’ll have someone prepare it.”

Qin Bao didn’t speak.

Feng Chengyu on the other end seemed to chuckle softly. “Angry?”

Qin Bao subconsciously retorted, “Bullshit!”

Such distant people, such a rude phrase.

Both sides fell silent for a moment. Qin Bao was the first to speak: “Um, I mean you shouldn’t blindly guess. I am a little angry, but not because you informed on me. Also, I wanted to clarify with you that when Feng Chu asked me to come over initially, I didn’t know this was your house, so…”

So if I had known earlier, I wouldn’t have come.

Someone was talking to Feng Chengyu on his end. He replied in a low voice, seeming truly busy.

Qin Bao didn’t know if he had actually heard what he said. In short, this situation instead gave Qin Bao a strong feeling: the other party was a self-possessed, capable adult, while he was a capricious, misbehaving child.

Therefore, when Feng Chengyu resumed the call and asked “What were you saying?”, Qin Bao choked for a second, then said coolly, “Nothing, I just wanted to say thank you for helping me last time, and for this time too. I will compensate you for your pot.”

Feng Chengyu was straightforward: “Alright.”

Qin Bao bit his lower lip and added bluntly, “Also, when the housekeeper comes, could you please ask him to buy some gland patches? I only brought suppressants. I’ll settle the bill with you for everything all at once.”

Even if they weren’t in heat, when an Omega stayed in someone else’s private space, to prevent leaving pheromones and disturbing the other party, they would apply a gland patch as a sign of courtesy.

But very few Omegas would be this direct; only kids acted like this.

“It’s fine, the housekeeper is a Beta,” Feng Chengyu said. “Before I return, I’ll have him open the doors and windows to air the place out.”

Qin Bao wasn’t some source of pollution. Hearing this made him even more annoyed.

Air the place out?

He was a bit angry, but he was also the one bringing trouble to the other party.

Who knew Feng Chengyu would follow up by saying, “I heard from Feng Chu that you burned your finger, is it serious? If it’s not serious, there’s burn ointment in my house. The first-aid kit is in the second compartment of the living room cabinet.”

Qin Bao had a red mark burned on his fingertip. To be fair, it did hurt quite a bit.

He wouldn’t make things difficult for himself. He immediately followed the instructions, found the first-aid kit in the cabinet, and opened it. The tube of burn ointment inside was brand new.

Feng Chengyu: “Did you find it? If you can’t find it, I’ll ask the housekeeper to help you apply it when he comes later.”

Qin Bao inexplicably swallowed back that surge of annoyance. “Found it.” Then awkwardly added, “Thanks.”

“En,” Feng Chengyu said. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll hang up now.”

Qin Bao put down the phone and applied the medicine to himself according to the instructions. The burning sensation immediately subsided significantly. Coming back to his senses, he belatedly realized that as someone living under another’s roof, he had actually been quite impolite just now.

He didn’t know why, but facing Feng Chengyu always brought out this somewhat confrontational emotion in him.

The more emotionally stable the other party was, the more unresigned he felt. He knew in his heart that if it were him being snapped at by an uninvited guest like this, he would have told them to get lost ages ago.

It was just annoying.

How could one manage to be as proper and graceful as the other party?

The housekeeper was a middle-aged man. He arrived very quickly, was amiable and efficient, didn’t talk much, and cleaned up the disaster scene in just a few strokes.

The instigator apologized and waited eagerly by the table for food.

“Hungry?” The housekeeper uncle sped up his movements. “It’ll be ready right away.”

Qin Bao’s stomach was rumbling. Embarrassed to keep watching, he smelled the aroma of the food and pretended to casually wander around the house.

Feng Chengyu’s house wasn’t considered very large, about 140 or 150 square meters. Everywhere was extremely neat and tidy, with no trace of a second person living there. There was also no smell of pheromones; perhaps he really did open the windows to ventilate often.

When a few home-cooked dishes were served, Qin Bao, who hadn’t eaten a proper meal in a long time, nearly shed tears. He vengefully consumed three bowls of carbs, and after the meal, collapsed on the sofa clutching his round belly.

Carbs lead to degeneracy. Amidst the comfort, he even had a thought: if he really stopped modeling and ate whatever he wanted every day, how happy would that be?

Then he abruptly sobered up.

He secretly swore to himself that he would only allow this indulgence this one time.

But the food made by the housekeeper uncle was just too delicious.

When Qin Bao woke up early the next morning, the other party had already arrived. Savory food was laid out on the table, stimulating his appetite so much that he couldn’t refuse at all. This was followed by deliciously varied lunches and dinners.

Amidst inhaling his food like a storm, Qin Bao gave himself a strict order: this is absolutely the last day.

After eating, he requested seriously, “Uncle, please only give me chicken breast, broccoli, eggs, and shrimp tomorrow. And a third of today’s portion will be enough.”

The housekeeper uncle was surprised. “Why?”

Qin Bao told him, “Look, I’m a model. I can’t keep going on like this.”

The housekeeper uncle refused, “You’re a model at such a young age? No wonder… But Mr. Feng ordered me to take good care of you. I have to make you lots of good food; I wouldn’t dare neglect you.”

Hearing this, Qin Bao was stunned for a moment. He wasn’t someone who couldn’t recognize good intentions, so he figured he’d have to call Feng Chengyu himself.

The call connected.

“Hello?”

Feng Chengyu’s voice came through, his tone aloof. “Who is this?”

Qin Bao: “…”

Feng Chengyu hadn’t saved his phone number at all!

His face burning, Qin Bao’s toes curled in embarrassment as he bit the bullet and introduced himself, “I am Qin Bao.”

“It’s you.” Feng Chengyu asked, “What’s the matter?”

Qin Bao explained the situation with the housekeeper’s cooking. “You don’t need to worry about me not eating well; I eat like this at home too.”

The underlying meaning was that there was no need to worry about the elders blaming him, and Feng Chengyu didn’t need to fulfill these obligations.

Feng Chengyu understood and agreed readily, “Alright.”

There was nothing left to say. Qin Bao wanted to hang up, but the other party asked, “How are you doing?” Then, in a tone resembling concern, he added, “If you feel bored, you can use the computer to play games, or read the books on the bookshelf.”

Just like when he went to Mr. Qin’s office as a child to wait for him to get off work, Mr. Qin would also say, “Is Bao Bao bored? If you’re bored, you can watch cartoons on the computer or look at Daddy’s books.”

Qin Bao: “…I don’t want to play games, and I don’t like reading.”

He was this old already, and usually very busy. He really didn’t love playing that much, nor did he have that much free time, okay?

Feng Chengyu then said, “Alright, suit yourself then.”

The call ended.

Qin Bao scrolled to his contacts and deleted Feng Chengyu’s number. If the other person didn’t save his, he wasn’t going to keep it and waste space either.

Anyway, they wouldn’t have much interaction in the future.

After burning the other guy’s pot, Qin Bao really wasn’t in the mood to play games staying here, but he did actually go look for books on Feng Chengyu’s bookshelf to read.

A person’s aura and conversation are often related to their bookshelf. Qin Bao thought Feng Chengyu’s bookshelf would definitely be filled with professional books or classic literature. The result was that the genres were more diverse and mixed than he imagined, and could be considered interesting. Apart from professional books that Qin Bao couldn’t understand, there were mostly detective novels, some even collected as complete sets and in manga versions. On the bottom shelf was a row of artbooks.

Qin Bao could understand art. His grandfather on his mother’s side was a very famous painter, and his mother, Ms. Rong, also had some fame. When Qin Bao was little, he had touched a paintbrush for a few days, but because he lacked patience, it eventually amounted to nothing.

The more he looked, the more curious he became.

What kind of art would Feng Chengyu like?

Could he be considered to have good taste?

The artbooks were all very good.

But Feng Chengyu himself didn’t seem to draw; he merely collected these artbooks. Qin Bao didn’t see any of his sketches to critique, but he did find a photo album in the same compartment as the artbooks.

The photos were from all over the world, seemingly travel souvenirs from various periods. Some were developed from film and even bore dates. The figures in the photos were mostly a couple who looked very much like Feng Chengyu; they should be his parents. In some photos, the three of them stood together, all smiling, very warm and cozy, making Qin Bao feel quite envious.

Feng Chengyu himself rarely appeared alone in the photos. The him in the photos looked younger than he was now, some about the same age as Qin Bao. Regardless of age, Feng Chengyu was mostly serene yet spirited, possessing a sense of ease like heaven’s favored child. Most were candid shots, and Qin Bao looked at every single one.

Only one was different. Another boy appeared in the photo. The two stood side by side, looking like very good friends. The background of the photo was the campus of a university ranked among the top in the world.

Qin Bao flipped back to a previous photo where Feng Chengyu was wearing a graduation gown, confirming that he was indeed a graduate of that school, outstanding to the point of arousing jealousy.

Not knowing what psychology drove him, he used his phone to take a picture of this photo. Even though there was no one else in the house, he still felt like a thief, so nervous his heart thumped wildly.

What difference was there between this and prying into someone else’s privacy?

But since he’d already taken it, he’d be a thief just this once. Anyway, no one else would ever know.

That night, Tu Yisen brought Qin Bao explosive news: Shan Yiming had run away from home.

“After getting off the phone with your dad, I got a call from his dad! My dad stared me down so hard it was as if I was the main culprit!” Tu Yisen’s spit flew everywhere from the other end of the phone. “I asked what’s wrong with you guys, one after another? Did you plan this? Is running away from home a trending group activity now?”

Qin Bao was surprised. “Why did he run away from home too?”

Tu Yisen: “To be accurate, he severed ties with his family, it’s not just running away from home. He’s going to be a race car driver! This guy is truly ruthless. He returned all his cards and his phone to his parents, didn’t even take a single piece of clothing. I heard from my dad that he even dropped out of school. Dropped out, not suspended! He’s really pulling a big one!”

This serious? No wonder Shan Yiming’s phone couldn’t connect.

Last time, when he said he wanted to compensate Shan Yiming with a car, Shan Yiming had refused and wouldn’t state the reason, even mysteriously saying he’d know in a few days. So this was what it was all about.

“His family has exploded.” Tu Yisen clicked his tongue. “Where there’s high pressure, there must be a rebound. If I can’t take it one day, I’ll run away from home too!”

Qin Bao said, “We do it for our dreams. Do you even have a dream to run away from home for?”

Tu Yisen choked, then said carelessly, “Isn’t it just a dream? You wait, I’ll come up with one for you tonight.”

Hanging up the phone, Qin Bao sent a Dingxun message to Shan Yiming, but it was like a stone dropping into the sea. He also checked Shan Yiming’s social media moments; they hadn’t been updated for days.

It was hard to understand. How could someone run away from home without taking their phone? The phone didn’t do anything wrong!

With Shan Yiming as a negative example, things on Qin Bao’s end actually loosened up.

Perhaps afraid that he would follow suit, the old master unprecedentedly and proactively backed down, saying that as long as Qin Bao was willing to nurse his health back, he would give him one more chance. He even had Mr. Qin come pick him up personally.

Upon picking up his son, Mr. Qin didn’t say any words of reproach. He merely had some complaints about his choice of residence, slightly frowning: “Living here, what does this look like?”

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Author’s Note:

Qin Bao poking the screen: So mad, deleting you.