SFBF CH15

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The young man’s warm body almost fell into his arms. Gu Huaiyu subconsciously caught him, then froze hard.

Immediately following—

“Cough, cough, cough!”

A violent coughing fit erupted, sounding as if he were about to cough his lungs out.

But Gu Huaiyu still forced himself to push the person away.

“What are you doing?!”

“Why are you so agitated?”

He had merely given the big boss a simple hug. Shen Qing hadn’t intended to do anything to him and let go perfunctorily.

But seeing Gu Huaiyu cough until his face flushed red, he was also startled: “It was just a hug, do you need me to call a doctor?”

“Cough, cough, cough.”

Gu Huaiyu raised his hand to signal no need, gasping for breath while speaking sternly: “You… no one has ever dared to hug me… you cough cough cough!”

Shen Qing: “Ah?”

What does that mean? The big boss has never hugged anyone?

Not even a simple hug?…

They had held hands before. Gu Huaiyu hadn’t shown any stress then, so it wasn’t a mysophobia issue.

If not mysophobia, then it was just being unsociable.

Shen Qing knew Gu Huaiyu was unsociable and had an eccentric temperament.

But he didn’t expect it to be this eccentric.

Then he…

His gaze couldn’t help but drift downwards, landing on Gu Huaiyu’s thighs and lower abdomen.

Perhaps because he had just had a big argument with Dr. Ling, and the content involved Mr. Gu’s “CPU” (sexual function), it left Shen Qing in suspense.

At this moment, Shen Qing’s first reaction was—

Never hugged anyone? Does that mean the big boss is still a virgin?

This… although I’m a virgin too.

But the big boss is different from me; the big boss is about to kick the bucket!

Thinking about it this way, the big boss is actually a bit pitiful.

Or rather, too pitiful!

Perhaps Shen Qing’s downward glance was too obvious; Gu Huaiyu quickly noticed his gaze.

“……”

His long fingers unconsciously tugged at the blanket on his knees. Gu Huaiyu asked, “What are you looking at?”

His expression and voice became even sharper.

Shen Qing: “…Nothing, I was just thinking about a relatively serious problem, which is… how do you usually bathe?”

Gu Huaiyu: “???”

“Just…” Shen Qing gestured slightly: “Since you can’t accept others hugging you, how do the caregivers take care of you?”

This was a very realistic question!

Although this was a book world, they weren’t literally made of paper.

Not bathing would lead to bad smells!

But Mr. Gu always wore clean and tidy pajamas. In the moment of the hug just now, Shen Qing even smelled a hint of high-end perfume on him, fresh and clean.

So the question arose: how on earth did President Gu in the wheelchair bathe?

Shen Qing was really curious!

Gu Huaiyu: “……”

Gu Huaiyu didn’t speak, just staring straight at Shen Qing.

His previously cold, lifeless gaze now became profound and severe. Shen Qing felt a chill run down his spine from the stare. He couldn’t help but look at the big boss’s face again, feeling that perhaps due to the violent coughing just now, Gu Huaiyu’s pale, bloodless face was much rosier now…

Mm, it must be from coughing.

It certainly couldn’t be from anger caused by me.

Shen Qing restrained himself slightly: “As your partner, I just feel the need to care about you. If you think I’m being too presumptuous, then I won’t ask…”

Gu Huaiyu, gradually regaining his calm, sneered and retorted sharply, “You’re even curious about how I bathe. Do you want to go to my room so I can wash for you to see?”

Shen Qing: “?!”

…No, Big Boss, look at you speaking in anger again!

You are the financial pillar of this family; how can you perform for me!

Shen Qing lowered his head implicitly again: “That’s not appropriate, I can’t just watch… how about I serve you while you wash?”

Gu Huaiyu: “……”

Li Hong at the door: …?!!

No way, did he hear something again?

President Gu and the Madam, when did their relationship develop to the point of taking mandarin duck baths (bathing together)?

Is there something he didn’t know???

Noticing Li Hong’s figure appearing at the door, to prevent himself from actually dying of anger, Gu Huaiyu turned his eyes away and simply diverted attention: “What is it?”

His voice was cold and stern, laced with anger.

Li Hong: “……”

Oops, did my appearance interrupt President Gu and the Madam’s good time?

Li Hong recalled that the last time President Gu spoke with such emotion-filled tones was before he fell ill.

…In these two years, although President Gu still attended to work and life went on as usual aside from the added task of medical treatment, he was essentially waiting for death. He rarely lost his temper anymore.

Perhaps people ready to leave the world at any time stop caring about too much. Li Hong hadn’t experienced what President Gu had and didn’t understand his state of mind. He only knew that visibly, President Gu became more lifeless, the treatment times grew longer, yet his illness grew worse.

—Converting the bedroom directly into a hospital ward, sleeping on a hospital bed, having a medical team stationed at home… this certainly wasn’t something a normal person did.

So now that President Gu had some emotional fluctuations, it was a good thing no matter what!

Although he had interrupted President Gu and the Madam’s moment and made President Gu angry, seeing that President Gu’s cheeks were rosier than before, thinking this was all thanks to the Madam, Li Hong wasn’t afraid—

Anyway, the Madam is still here. Isn’t it just a bath? You guys can continue later.

Li Hong walked calmly into Gu Huaiyu’s office and handed over an invitation: “The butler just passed up a private banquet invitation. It’s for the Young Master’s classmate’s birthday party.”

“Duo Duo’s classmate’s birthday party?” Hearing this, Shen Qing reached out first to take the invitation to check.

His action was so natural, completely like a parent.

…He didn’t even show the invitation to President Gu first!

Li Hong was very surprised at the Madam’s transformation. After all, in the past, Mr. Shen wouldn’t dare make such moves in front of President Gu… though the Madam wouldn’t have come to the third floor in the past either.

Let alone now, discussing bathing together with President Gu! …

Still feeling astonished, Li Hong didn’t dare show doubt and maintained his professionalism while reporting: “Yes, the situation is a bit special. It’s the Xu family’s Little Young Master’s birthday… The invitation invites Young Master Duo Duo and Young Master Ao to go together.”

Shen Qing: “Hm? How is it special?”

Isn’t a child’s birthday party just inviting familiar kids to play together? Although Ao Zai is three years younger than Duo Duo, he listens to his brother, isn’t mischievous, and is inseparable from Gu Duo. Isn’t it normal to invite them together?

Li Hong said, “Because strictly speaking, the Xu family’s Little Young Master is only Young Master Duo Duo’s preschool classmate. Moreover, before Young Master Duo Duo and Young Master Ao were taken back by President Gu, the Xu family had never invited them.”

Shen Qing: …Oh.

Seem to understand now.

“Is the Xu family a wealthy clan?” He asked casually.

Li Hong nodded: “The Xu Group. The Xu family is very famous in the construction and real estate industry.”

Shen Qing: “Oh.”

Then Shen Qing understood completely.

It was nothing more than Duo Duo and Ao Zai being neglected in the Gu family before. The Xu family knew this situation, so they never invited the two cubs.

But now that Duo Duo and Ao Zai had been taken away by Gu Huaiyu, people in the circle were unclear about the situation, so they invited them to re-evaluate Duo Duo and the others’ value.

Shen Qing felt this was very boring.

Even a child’s birthday party could be used by adults for social networking, not purely for the children’s happiness. How tiring.

He said, “Since that’s the case, let’s not go.”

But Li Hong said, “…Just now when the butler received the invitation, Young Master Duo Duo and the others happened to be there. Young Master Duo Duo said they wanted to go.”

Shen Qing: “? Ah…”

Shen Qing was stunned, but thinking about it, a birthday party might be a complete business social event for adults, but children wouldn’t know that. Maybe Duo Duo and Ao Zai just wanted to go play.

That wasn’t bad either.

Shen Qing smiled and said, “Then let’s go! I’ll accompany them.”

Li Hong confirmed: “Madam wants to take the young masters personally?”

“Yes.” Shen Qing nodded as a matter of course: “A classmate’s birthday party, there should always be a parent taking them.”

…Although he didn’t want to go either.

He was just a little otaku!

But thinking that Duo Duo and Ao Zai needed to play more, interact with other children more, keep a cheerful mood, and with a cheerful mood, they wouldn’t easily turn “black” (become villains) in the future…

Shen Qing felt he still had to go.

He couldn’t let the cubs be mocked as orphans again.

Not only did he have to go, but he had to accompany them openly and uprightly as the children’s guardian.

And since the Xu family looked down on his cubs so much before, Shen Qing felt that not only did he have to be there personally, but he also had to hold the fort!

Ah, he suddenly seemed to understand a bit of the psychology behind parents liking to compete.

Hearing that his own cubs had been ignored and looked down upon before, that feeling really went to his head.

Let alone children, even if it were just raising a pet dog, if someone said your dog wasn’t purebred while walking it and wouldn’t let their dog play with yours… one would be furious!

Hearing that the cubs hadn’t been invited before, Shen Qing entered combat mode directly. He said to Gu Huaiyu, “President Gu, what do you think about this matter?”

Gu Huaiyu’s answer was a glance at Shen Qing.

Then he looked away and said to Li Hong, “Go make preparations.”

Li Hong: “Yes.”

Gu Huaiyu rarely gave extra instructions: “Including gifts for other children, clothes for Gu Duo and Gu Ao to attend the banquet, and… the Madam’s clothes, all must be prepared well.”

“Yes.”

Li Hong agreed again and left the office.

Not far outside the door, Gu Duo’s small figure stood there. His face, still having some baby fat but already full of gravity, showed a clear look of stunned surprise.

Li Hong walked over, bent down, and whispered at close range: “Young Master, you heard it all. Both the Madam and President Gu support you and Young Master Ao going to the banquet. You don’t need to worry about anything.”

Gu Duo: ……

Standing blankly with eyes wide open for a moment, Gu Duo was still somewhat doubtful: “Um, Uncle Shen really allows us to go?”

“Of course, you should have heard it too, the Madam is even going to take you personally!” Li Hong said with a smile.