RBNR Ch13: Admit It

Custom-made black goods were quite fast; in about a month, Qin Bao got what he wanted.

That day coincided with Ms. Rong’s return to the country, and she arranged to have dinner with her grandparents at a restaurant, so Qin Bao brought the watch to show her.

The mother and son sat in the restaurant, talking together like siblings.

“Not bad,” Ms. Rong said, opening the watch box to admire the exorbitantly priced watch. “Isn’t it a bit too big for you?”

Qin Bao didn’t expect her to be so perceptive and said, “I plan to wear it when I grow up a bit; besides, the strap can be adjusted, can’t it?”

Ms. Rong praised, “It looks very nice, and the blue diamonds on the hands are beautiful.”

Grandma Rong also said Qin Bao made a good choice, “Bao Bao’s skin is fair; this kind of blue suits his complexion well.”

Grandpa Rong, sitting opposite, snorted, “Extravagance.”

Qin Bao initially wanted to show it to him, but upon hearing this, he closed the watch box and pretended not to hear, asking Grandma Rong where they went while they were out.

Before long, Grandpa Rong started coughing. The weather had turned cold, and he had bronchitis, making it easy for him to cough non-stop once he started.

Qin Bao asked, “Grandpa, did you bring a jacket?”

Ms. Rong said he did but left it in the car. Without a word, Qin Bao took the keys and went to the car to get the coat for his grandpa.

After he left, Grandma Rong gently scolded, “Xiao Bao is so filial; as soon as he heard you cough, he rushed to get your coat. And yet you always have prejudice against young people.”

Grandpa Rong said, “I’m not prejudiced against young people. I’m prejudiced against Lao Qin’s way of educating. With such indulgence, what good does it do for the child’s future development?” After saying this, he looked at his daughter, his face darkening. “Since you dared to divorce, why didn’t you dare to take Xiao Bao with you? Can’t you support him? Can’t I, Rong Yun, support him?”

The atmosphere became tense.

Ms. Rong stood up and said, “It’s windy here, Dad; you cough when you’re in the wind. I’ll go see if we can change tables.”

Like hitting cotton with a punch, the old man was so angry that his beard puffed.

Ms. Rong found a waiter and requested to change seats. Just as she was about to return, she heard someone call her as they passed by, “Auntie Rong.”

The young Alpha had a cold and arrogant demeanor and looked somewhat familiar. He politely introduced himself, “I’m Feng Chengyu.”

She was surprised to scrutinize him, then pleasantly exclaimed, “Chengyu, it’s you! How have you grown so much?”

The two families were once close, and Professor Lin had Feng Chengyu early on, but Ms. Rong had no news from her belly for a long time. Old Master Feng was more anxious than Old Master Qin and often had Professor Lin bring the child to the Qin house to play, saying it could bring good luck for a child, a meaning of bringing good fortune.

Feng Chengyu also curved his lips slightly and said, “You still look as young as I remember; you haven’t changed a bit.”

Ms. Rong gently said, “What a joke, Auntie Rong is old now. Long time no see, you must have just come back from studying abroad? Here for dinner today?”

Feng Chengyu, “Yes, I have an appointment. I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“We’re just having a casual meal here,” Ms. Rong replied, then added, “Qin Bao is here too. He went out to get something for his Grandpa. Last time when he ran away from home, sorry for bothering you.”

“No trouble at all, just a small matter, no need to worry.”

With a secretary by his side, it seemed Feng Chengyu was there for business. He glanced at his watch and apologized, “It’s almost the agreed time. I’ll visit you next time.”

Ms. Rong saw the watch but only said calmly, “Go ahead, go ahead.”

After Qin Bao returned, they moved to a different table, and everything was as usual. Only Ms. Rong mentioned to the grandparents, “I just ran into an old acquaintance. Do you remember, the little Alpha who used to stay by my side for a few days?”

Grandma Rong asked, “Which one?”

Ms. Rong said, “The Feng family’s child, Chengyu. Very smart and sensible. You even knitted a sweater for him.”

Qin Bao almost sprayed out a mouthful of tea.

Feng Chengyu?

Grandma Rong immediately remembered, “Oh, that little darling, so handsome. He must be all grown up now, right?”

“He just returned from studying abroad,” Ms. Rong said. “He’s on the political path. I saw him in the local news a few days ago. He seems to be in charge of the ski resort at Chunshan recently.”

Grandpa Rong said, “Chunshan? Building a ski resort there? That’s supposed to be a protected area, already wealthy, and some rogue locals live there, living off the land. Even if the government has plans, I think the chances of it being built are very small.”

Qin Bao suddenly stood up and said, “I need to go to the bathroom.”

Ms. Rong glanced at him and said, “The bathroom is on the second floor.”

Qin Bao responded with an “Oh,” and immediately left the table.

Last time, he had sent a pot to Feng Chengyu through a runner and stuffed a big red envelope inside, which was his New Year’s money. He didn’t count the exact amount, but it was definitely more than enough to repay the favor.

He had written a note: [Returning your takoyaki pan and a few days of living expenses.]

A few days later, he received a same-city delivery.

It was a huge box, almost as tall as a person, and very heavy. Inside, he found neatly packed boxes of toffees.

There was also a note inside: [Can’t break the change, so enjoy the candy.]

The handwriting was flamboyant.

It was from Feng Chengyu!

Qin Bao understood everything. That day, when he had low blood sugar, he had asked Chengyu to feed him some toffee. This was Chengyu’s way of settling the score, tit for tat.

On closer inspection, there was a hint of mockery.

That huge box of toffees sat in the living room. Even without cavities, one could eat several. Grandpa Qinwas furious when he saw it, almost taking out his cane to pound the floor. Only when he heard it was from Feng Chengyu did he calm down.

There was so much candy that it was impossible to finish. Mr. Qin gave a lot to friends and servants.

For the next few days, Grandpa Qin often had a toffee in his mouth, smiling; the taste of toffee was evident in his voice as he played chess and scolded people.

Running up to the second floor, Qin Bao came back to his senses from his frustration. He didn’t actually need to go to the bathroom.

Looking up, he saw a silhouette not far away.

The second floor was spacious, with screens dividing the tables.

Under the carved wooden pillars of the open-air area, Feng Chengyu was shaking hands with someone, speaking softly. Unlike the last time they met, when he was only wearing a white shirt, he was now in a long black trench coat, without a tie, looking casual yet maintaining a sense of distance due to his demeanor.

Someone beside him handed a document to the other party and said something.

They seemed to be discussing serious matters. Qin Bao knew it was not appropriate to approach now.

He thought about letting it go and talking next time, but his feet were inexplicably rooted to the spot.

He saw Feng Chengyu take out a cigarette, light it, and gently exhale a puff of smoke.

That posture was inexplicably captivating.

His heart suddenly pounded a few times, and he fled in panic.

Walking downstairs, he felt uneasy all the way and grabbed a waiter at random and asked, “Do you have sweet soups here?”

Waiter: “Yes.”

“Which one is the sweetest?”

The waiter was puzzled but answered honestly, “Sweet soup made with roasted sugarcane.”

Qin Bao nodded, “Please add ten times the sugar and send it to Mr. Feng’s table upstairs. Tell him it’s my return gift.”

The waiter refused, “That’s not appropriate. We might get complaints.”

Qin Bao said, “He loves sweet things. If there’s any issue, put it under my name.”

The waiter then agreed, “And you are?”

Without changing his name or surname, he answered, “Qin Bao.”

Shu Helan was the last to arrive. When he arrived, the waiter was just bringing a bowl of sweet soup. He was surprised, “I’m only a few minutes late. You’re not starting on desserts already, are you?”

Everyone was puzzled, “No, no.”

The waiter explained, “A guest named Qin Bao ordered it. It’s already paid for and was requested as a return gift for Mr. Feng.”

Hearing it was for Feng Chengyu, everyone was curious, including the secretary, who stared at Feng Chengyu.

The latter was also a bit surprised. He took the sweet soup and said, “Thank you.”

Only Shu Helan smiled. Unable to comment due to the professional setting, he cleared his throat and said, “Time is tight, so let’s talk while we eat. Chengyu, my colleague should have introduced you to the procedural part.”

“Mm.” Feng Chengyu took a sip of the sweet soup, was about to say something, then suddenly frowned and set the bowl aside.

Shu Helan asked, “What’s wrong? Is there poison in the soup?”

The soup was overly sweet, and Feng Chengyu lightly spat it onto a napkin, then took a sip of tea, “Pretty much.”

The secretary, Lin Zi, an Alpha who had just graduated from college, was much more inexperienced than Feng Chengyu. Hearing this, he took it seriously and immediately stood up in a panic, “Mr. Feng, I’ll go check the kitchen.”

Feng Chengyu tapped the table and said, “Sit down. It’s just a joke.”

Seeing he was fine, Shu Helan’s colleagues also joked, “Did the chef fall asleep today, or has Mr. Feng been pranked?”

Feng Chengyu said, “A kid I know is mischievous.”

Shu Helan chuckled quietly, probably holding back laughter, “He was being kind. It’s a gesture of goodwill. Why not drink it all?”

Feng Chengyu even smiled, “It seems I treated you too generously last time.”

After finishing the meal, nearly an hour later, they went downstairs and happened to see Qin Bao and his group. Shu Helan saw them first, patted Feng Chengyu on the back, and signaled him, “Hey.”

Downstairs, Qin Bao was wearing a black hoodie and loose, long pants. The tall, thin figure walked at the end of the group, hands in pockets. Even in casual attire, he looked stylish and expensive.

From a short distance, they could see the young man’s sharp, angular profile, his fair skin, and a few silver earrings on his ears.

As if sensing something, Qin Bao suddenly turned around and walked backwards, looking up at the floor above.

There, in the glaring light, Feng Chengyu’s gaze met his.

An elderly person seemed to have called Qin Bao’s name. He turned back, and the group quickly walked into the downstairs corridor and disappeared.

Shu Helan didn’t drive and followed Feng Chengyu’s car.

Once only the two of them were left in the back seat, Shu Helan made a pointed comment, “He looks better than that billboard.”

Without naming names, Feng Chengyu glanced at him.

Shu Helan continued, “Admit it, he’s your type.”

Feng Chengyu did not deny it.