SFBF CH43

Stirred up to no end by that watch, Shen Qing decided to crawl out of bed and take a shower first.

But even while showering, he was still so excited.

Mostly because he felt that some of President Gu’s actions were just too cool. Even as a straight man, he was almost swooning from the other’s overwhelmingly domineering aura…

So what if the man’s health was bad? What if he couldn’t stand up?

His husband was the most handsome!

After finishing his shower and changing into his pajamas, Shen Qing, still unable to hide his excitement, flopped onto his bed, pulled out his phone, and started scrolling casually.

…Because of the incident with the livestream at noon, his friends in the entertainment industry on his WeChat contact list had been bombarding him with messages.

Some were trying to dig for information under the guise of caring.

Others were just trying to eat melons [gossip] under the guise of caring.

Of course, maybe some really did care about him. Shen Qing felt he shouldn’t think so darkly of everyone.

Lying on his stomach on the bed, Shen Qing clicked open his unread messages one by one. After reading them, he felt there was nothing really worth replying to, so he mostly just read and closed them.

Until suddenly, someone called him.

It was Aunt Zhang.

?

Aunt Zhang never called him unless there was a reason. And if she did, it meant something was wrong with the cubs.

Shen Qing didn’t have time to overthink it; he answered the phone immediately: “Aunt Zhang?”

“Madam, are you asleep?” Aunt Zhang’s voice sounded a bit urgent.

“Ah, I’m not asleep yet.” Shen Qing abruptly sat up from the bed. Hearing what sounded like Gu Ao making a fuss in the background, he quickly asked, “What’s wrong?”

Aunt Zhang: “It’s the eldest young master. The eldest young master threw up and is running a bit of a fever. Please come take a look quickly.”

“…Okay, I’ll be right there!”

With that, Shen Qing slipped on his slippers and ran out of his room.

In the cubs’ room, a group of doctors was gathered around Gu Duo’s bed, examining him.

A little further away, Gu Huaiyu sat in his wheelchair, his gaze dark and heavy as he looked toward the bed; Aunt Zhang sat on the other side, holding Gu Ao, waiting quietly. Shen Qing stood beside them.

Shen Qing had basically grasped the situation: Aozi had woken up from his nap, realized his brother wasn’t beside him, and gotten up to look for him. When he saw that his brother wasn’t feeling well, he immediately used the small phone in the room to call Aunt Zhang.

And fortunately, because President Gu had been sick for so many years… cough, because President Gu required long-term medical care, the medical team arrived very quickly.

The medical equipment was also extremely comprehensive; they could even draw blood and run tests on the spot.

Although they weren’t pediatricians, everyone on the medical team was an expert. With just a brief look, they reached a preliminary conclusion: the eldest young master likely just had a common cold. The illness wasn’t severe, so there was no need to panic.

Which led to the current situation: everyone had settled down to wait for the doctors’ further examination.

The room was very quiet. Even the usually noisy Aozi didn’t make a sound.

Sitting on Grandma Zhang’s lap, Aozi’s little legs didn’t even swing. He just kept his head down, clutching the toy car Shen Qing had bought him earlier today.

He wasn’t even playing with it, just mindlessly fiddling with it.

The entire cub looked wilted.

With little Aozi keeping his head down, his chubby cheeks looked even bigger. You didn’t even need to see his face to know how unhappy he was.

Shen Qing crouched down and poked the cub’s soft, fleshy cheek. His voice was low and gentle: “Did Aozi get scared? The doctor uncles already said earlier that your brother will be fine.”

Aozi nodded silently.

After Shen Qing touched his cheek, he raised his own little meaty paw and mechanically rubbed the spot, keeping his little head down, looking completely listless.

Aunt Zhang’s heart ached for him, and she said, “The little young master must be sleepy. How about I take him to sleep in the next room first…”

“No.”

The previously silent Aozi suddenly spoke up, finally giving a little kick with his leg. “Aozi wants to… stay with brother!”

Raising his head slightly, Aozi pressed his little lips tightly together, his expression full of grievance.

It looked like he was on the verge of crying.

“Aozi will never leave brother!”

“Okay, okay, okay, you won’t leave.” Shen Qing affectionately rubbed his fuzzy, round head.

When a child who is usually so tough and full of personality suddenly becomes this fragile—looking so pitiful as they hold back tears—it’s impossible for adults not to feel their hearts ache.

Nearby, ever since the commotion started on their side, Gu Huaiyu had turned his head to look over.

Perhaps the concept of “bloodline suppression” was real. Even though Gu Huaiyu hadn’t spoken or done anything, Aozi still sneakily glanced at him from time to time. Those big, round eyes were sizing him up, showing obvious traces of wariness.

Shen Qing noticed this and wanted to remind the boss to rein in his aura a bit.

But at that moment, Gu Huaiyu suddenly spoke up, asking Aozi, “You said you will never leave your brother?”

Hearing the question, Aozi’s dark, round eyes reflected confusion. He seemed a little uneasy, but he still nodded very obediently, answering in a crisp voice, “Yeah.”

After he answered, it was Gu Huaiyu’s turn to fall silent.

Shen Qing, standing nearby: ?

What’s this about?

Why did the boss ask that question?

A moment later, the doctors finished their examination of Duoduo. Combining their findings with the lab reports that had been sent back, they discussed it and reached a conclusion and treatment plan.

“Young Master Duoduo is overworked and caught a chill. Coupled with some stomach and spleen irregularity, it caused him to throw up and develop a fever,” the oldest and most senior doctor said. “It’s nothing major. He just needs to take some medicine and rest properly for a few days, and he’ll be fine.”

“Alright, thank you, doctor,” Shen Qing said.

However, he sharply caught onto something that didn’t sound right. “You said Duoduo is overworked?”

Instinctively glancing at Duoduo on the bed, Shen Qing pressed further, “How can a little kid be overworked? We went to the amusement park today, but we didn’t really tire ourselves out that much.”

The doctor replied, “Young Master Duoduo probably thinks too much and carries a heavy mental burden. Also, he likely hasn’t been paying attention to getting enough rest normally. Speaking of which, I’m actually quite curious… What time does Young Master Duoduo usually go to sleep?”

Shen Qing said, “Sometimes he studies until almost twelve o’clock. …I understand now.”

So that was why he always said such a young child shouldn’t be studying constantly every day; the body simply couldn’t handle it!

…Knowing that Duoduo liked to study day and night, Shen Qing had been popping out during breaks between his late-night gaming sessions over the past few days to check if the two kids were asleep.

Sometimes, when he found it was eleven or twelve and the light in their room was still on, he would go and urge them to sleep.

But he didn’t dare push too hard.

He was worried that Duoduo wouldn’t understand his intentions, and that pushing him too hard would only make him more insecure and rebellious—like how he used to guard against the original owner… and instead, he might start studying secretly under the covers after turning the main lights off.

That would be putting the cart before the horse.

So, Shen Qing had been very conflicted about how to handle this.

But now…

“Little Duoduo, you heard what the doctor uncle said, right?”

Shen Qing approached Gu Duo’s bedside. “You’re still too small. You need to study hard… Bah, no, I mean you need to rest properly! When you grow up and your constitution is stronger, there will be plenty of time for you to study to your heart’s content, okay?”

Shen Qing felt he was very good at seizing opportunities. He took this chance to establish a new household rule: “So from now on, you and Aozi must go to bed by nine o’clock every night. You must start washing up by eight-thirty at the latest, and absolutely no studying after that! I will come check every night… No objections allowed! And no breaking the rules!”

Gu Duo was still awake. Lying on the bed, he looked very weak—sickly and too lazy to move—but he just kept his eyes fixed on Shen Qing beside the bed.

Meeting his slightly red, feverish eyes, Shen Qing didn’t soften his stance. He said firmly, “If you break the rules, you’ll be punished… Let’s do it this way: we’ll tally it up every week. For every night you go to bed late, you’ll have to study one hour less on the weekend.”

Gu Duo: “…”

Shen Qing: “Also, from now on, you must take at least half a day off every weekend just to play! The kind of playing where you can’t bring any textbooks! Just playing! This is a house rule, understand?”

Having taken advantage of the situation to establish two new house rules, Shen Qing felt like an absolute genius.

The doctors standing nearby were dumbfounded. Whoa, no studying after eight-thirty at night, and forcing him to play for half a day every weekend…

What kind of new-age house rules were these?

You have to understand, in their homes, the rules were exactly the opposite!

…They considered it a blessing if their kids managed to do half a day of homework on the weekends.

And no studying after eight-thirty every day? Their kids would study for five minutes and then sleep straight through to tomorrow!

All the doctors present were top-tier scholars themselves, yet even their own children were like that. Other people’s kids were generally even more lax.

So, Young Master Duoduo… what exactly did he grow up eating?!

What in the world was he doing every day?!

Looking at the textbooks spread open on the young masters’ desks, the oldest doctor couldn’t help coughing twice. “Cough, cough. I didn’t know the little young master’s study intensity was this high… In that case, Young Master Duoduo, you really do need to rest properly.”

“Yes.”

The other doctors chimed in, “You still have a long future ahead of you. If you exhaust yourself now, that’s completely backward. You’re still young and might not understand, but health is the capital for revolution.”

Shen Qing, standing nearby, nodded vigorously.

Although teaming up with outsiders to lecture a child wasn’t an educational method he typically advocated…

That approach was mostly unsuited for those naughty, incorrigible bratty kids.

For a cub like Duoduo, who had his own strong opinions and willpower stronger than most adults, Shen Qing trying to educate him alone was basically impossible. He could only bring in authority figures to talk to him.

Gu Duo, lying in bed: “…”

Having been earnestly advised by everyone, Duoduo turned his head back, stared silently at the ceiling, and didn’t say a word.

“Cough, cough.”

At that moment, Gu Huaiyu, sitting opposite them, coughed twice.

The doctors, who had just been expressing their views and advising the young masters, immediately fell silent.

Duoduo, on the bed, turned his head again and looked at his little uncle.

Shen Qing also looked at Gu Huaiyu.

He looked as though he was facing a formidable enemy.

…When it comes to ‘rolling’ [hustling/grinding], President Gu is the true definition of ‘grinding oneself to death’!

Remembering the last time he brought up the issue of the two cubs’ education with him, President Gu had looked as if he thought it was completely normal. Shen Qing was genuinely afraid that he would jump in right now and say things like ‘It’s fine for young kids to study hard’ or ‘When I was Duoduo’s age, I had already mastered four languages,’ and so on.

Everyone in the house was afraid of President Gu. The moment Gu Huaiyu spoke, the doctors’ advice from earlier would instantly be overturned…

Thinking of this, Shen Qing’s glare toward President Gu turned a bit fierce.

With his hands planted on his hips, he inadvertently revealed a somewhat threatening posture.

Gu Huaiyu saw it.

“Cough.” Covering his lips with his hand, he coughed again. Then, suppressing his cough, Gu Huaiyu said to Gu Duo on the bed, “Your auntie and the doctor uncles are right. You should listen to them and rest properly.”

Shen Qing: ?!

Gu Duo: …?

The doctors standing nearby: …Oh wow!

President Gu, who normally didn’t agree with them at all when it came to resting and recuperating, and never listened to a word they said—had completely changed his tune today!

This was the first time in their lives they had ever seen President Gu take the lead in telling someone to “rest properly.”

However, out of the corner of their eyes, everyone noticed that after President Gu said this, he immediately looked over at the madam standing by the bed. And the madam, who had previously looked fierce with hands on hips, slowly lowered his hands, his expression shifting to one of satisfaction and praise…

Everyone: We have an immature little observation… Doesn’t it feel like President Gu said that entirely because he was intimidated by Madam’s pressure?

Even though logically and emotionally they knew this was impossible!

No one could force President Gu to change his mind about something he didn’t agree with.

But didn’t this indirectly prove that Madam was the one who had changed President Gu’s mind…

It was already very late. The family doctors gave a few more instructions on what to watch out for and then left.

In the cubs’ room, Gu Ao stood by his brother’s bed, standing on tiptoes to look at him.

Seeing the worry in his eyes, Gu Duo reached out and patted his younger brother’s little head, saying, “Brother is fine. Aozi… why haven’t you gone to sleep yet?”

“Aozi wants to stay with brother!”

Because of the illness, Gu Duo’s usually cold voice had softened, carrying soft trailing notes that sounded a bit childish.

Aozi’s voice remained clear and crisp.

Deliberately widening his eyes as much as possible, Aozi declared: “Aozi isn’t sleepy!”

…However, because he had just suddenly felt the urge to let out a little yawn, which he noticed in time and swallowed back down, his eyes were still red. His white, soft cheeks puffed out slightly, making him look exactly like a sleepy little milk-white bunny.

“It’s okay, brother really is fine.” Gu Duo smiled weakly. “Aozi, go to sleep… Go sleep with Grandma Zhang. Brother might pass the sickness to you.”

Aozi: “I won’t!”

“Be good.”

Gu Duo: “Did you forget the last time I got sick and gave it to you? …If Aozi gets sick, it’ll feel so uncomfortable.”

“I won’t!”

Aozi turned his little head away, shaking it like a rattle-drum. “Aozi isn’t afraid of being uncomfortable! Aozi wants to… stay with brother!”

Shen Qing, standing to the side: “…”

He hadn’t expected Duoduo, at such a young age, to remember that getting sick meant you could infect others… Once again, Shen Qing couldn’t imagine what these two cubs had actually gone through in the past.

He said, “Duoduo just has a common illness. It’s not very contagious.”

First saying this to reassure Gu Duo, Shen Qing then added, “But Aozi, if you stay here, brother will be worried about infecting you and won’t be able to rest easily. So why don’t you go sleep with Grandma Zhang first, okay?”

With his eyes red and tears hanging from his long lashes, Aozi let out another yawn. He looked up, thought about it, and decided Shen Qing made sense. He couldn’t disturb his brother’s rest.

But he was still worried about leaving.

He had never, ever been separated from his brother before.

Having been standing on his tiptoes the whole time, Aozi was getting tired. He had to use his little hands to grip the edge of the bed for support—he practically wanted to hook his chin over it—just so standing wouldn’t be so exhausting.

But even so, Aozi couldn’t bear to let his brother out of his sight.

Shen Qing remembered a detail: how Aozi used to carry the robot that protected his brother with him everywhere he went.

He realized that in Aozi’s understanding of the world, everything was extremely easy to lose. Only by keeping the things he treasured close by his side, personally guarding them tightly, could he possibly keep them…

Shen Qing scooped up the little Aozi clinging to the edge of the bed. “Your brother won’t leave you. If you don’t believe me, Aozi can go sleep next door for one night, and I promise that when you wake up bright and early tomorrow, Brother Duoduo will still be right here.”

Gu Ao was truly exhausted. He was still too little, and fighting sleep was too hard for him. By now, the cub was so sleepy that tears were flowing freely, and he simply couldn’t keep his eyes open.

His long eyelashes trembled, the tears on them crystal clear. Little Aozi’s voice softened: “Don’t want to…”

“Be good, go to sleep and don’t worry,” Shen Qing said. “Both Aozi and brother are safe here.”

Aozi: “Mmm…”

Before long, he started letting out tiny snores.

Having finally coaxed Aozi to sleep, Shen Qing gently handed him over to Aunt Zhang so she could take him back to her room.

“Sorry to trouble you, Aunt Zhang.” Speaking of this, Shen Qing felt quite embarrassed. Originally, there were two aunties looking after the cubs. Even though they took turns working the night shift, in sudden emergencies like today, having a second auntie around who knew how to care for the kids would make things much easier.

However, Shen Qing had fired the original Auntie Song and hadn’t found a suitable replacement yet, leaving Aunt Zhang to shoulder the burden alone for now.

“Madam, whatever are you saying?” Aunt Zhang didn’t find it troublesome at all. In her previous jobs, even wealthy families usually only hired one nanny; hiring two was rare to begin with.

Aunt Zhang actually found that working with someone else often got in the way.

Not to mention, the two young masters in this house were very capable of taking care of themselves. Her job was incredibly easy to begin with, so stepping up at a time like this was only natural.

Aunt Zhang said, “Then I’ll take the little young master to sleep first. If anything comes up, Madam, please call me.”

“Okay.” Shen Qing thought for a second, then added, “If Aozi wakes up in the middle of the night looking for his brother, just bring him over. I’ll stay here and sleep with Duoduo tonight.”

“Understood, Madam.”

With her strong professional skills, Aunt Zhang carried the sleeping little Aozi away. The only people left in the room were Shen Qing, Duoduo, and Gu Huaiyu.

Gu Duo had just been given his medicine. Shen Qing, moving a bit clumsily, tucked him in under the blanket, then touched the cub’s forehead and asked, “Duoduo, does anywhere else still feel uncomfortable right now?”

Gu Duo shook his head, indicating there wasn’t.

Shen Qing guessed that even if he did feel uncomfortable, he probably wouldn’t say it, so he stopped asking and simply said, “Go to sleep. Rest for a bit. After a good sleep, you’ll be all better tomorrow.”

Clutching his small blanket, Gu Duo asked, “Auntie, are you going to stay here with me?”

Shen Qing replied, “Of course.”

Even adults feel fragile when they’re sick and want someone by their side. Let alone a young child.

Figuring that the usually strong Duoduo must be feeling vulnerable right now, Shen Qing held his hand and immediately made his stance clear: “Don’t worry, I’ll be right here staying with Duoduo tonight!”

However, Gu Duo pulled his hand out of Shen Qing’s grasp, shook his head, and said, “I don’t want Auntie to sleep with me.”

As he spoke, he looked toward his uncle.

Shen Qing: “…?!”

Hold on, I know you and ‘I’ had bad blood before, but Duo-bao, do you really have to hold such a grudge? Does this mean that even when you’re feeling vulnerable, you still don’t want to be alone with me?

You’d rather have your little uncle take care of you?!

To be honest, Shen Qing felt a little hurt.

Unexpectedly, the cub who had been looking at his little uncle suddenly said, “I want Auntie to sleep with little uncle.”

Shen Qing: “?… Cough cough cough???”

What kind of bizarre request is this… Wait a minute, this kid’s fever isn’t even that high, how did he suddenly get so sick?

Shen Qing instinctively reached out to touch his forehead again.

At that moment, Gu Huaiyu had already maneuvered his wheelchair to the side of the bed. Looking at Gu Duo, he suddenly asked, “Duoduo, why do you want the two of us to sleep together?”

Shen Qing glanced at the boss, then at Duoduo, nodding along: Yeah, why suddenly make me sleep with your uncle?

Gu Duo’s little expression became somewhat conflicted. After hesitating for a moment, he said, “Because little uncle sleeps on the third floor, and Auntie sleeps on the second floor.”

Shen Qing: “Uh?”

Duoduo: “I heard Xu Weiming say that his mom and dad sleep in the same room. They don’t sleep apart.”

As he spoke, the cub even darted his eyes back and forth between the two of them. “Aren’t you two husband and wife as well?”

Shen Qing: “…”

Hiss.

My god, what are kids these days chatting about with each other… And are they all this observant of the details?!

…He had to admit, if the cub hadn’t brought it up, Shen Qing would literally have never considered the idea that he should be sharing a room with the boss—his legal husband!

Gu Duo: “So why do you sleep apart?”

Why do we sleep apart… Shen Qing’s brain essentially crashed, and he instinctively looked toward Gu Huaiyu.

When there’s a problem, naturally you toss it to the boss.

But seeing the boss’s handsome, upright face, and his pale, bloodless cheeks, Shen Qing suddenly remembered the reason and hurriedly tried to explain to the cub: “That’s because your little uncle’s health isn’t—”

Before he could finish, Gu Huaiyu cut him off, directly asking Gu Duo, “What exactly is Duoduo trying to say?”

Shen Qing: “…”

Having come to the bedside, Gu Huaiyu’s back remained perfectly straight, though his aura wasn’t as chilling as usual. He looked at Gu Duo. “Why does Duoduo suddenly want me and your auntie to sleep together? Did something happen?”

Shen Qing felt the boss’s question was entirely valid. Duoduo had never cared about where they slept before.

It couldn’t just be because little Xu Weiming said his parents slept in the same room that Duoduo suddenly demanded his guardians do the same. That didn’t match the mature Young Master Duo’s personality at all.

Figuring out exactly why Duoduo, who hadn’t made any other requests while sick, suddenly brought this up was the key.

So Shen Qing nodded in agreement from the side.

Gu Duo had always been a child with deep thoughts; there were some things, some words, he could probably keep bottled up forever.

But sickness truly makes people fragile. The fear of once again becoming an unwanted orphan had always weighed heavily on his heart, and right now, Aozi wasn’t here… If Aozi had been around, Gu Duo wouldn’t have dared to bring these things up either.

He remembered the time before last, when their second uncle fought with their grandfather because he didn’t want to raise him and his brother. He also remembered the time before that, seeing their eldest uncle’s family arguing specifically because of the two brothers. Every time, Aozi had been terrified.

But the terrified Aozi never said he was scared. He never hid behind anyone. Instead, every time, he would run up to hug him and comfort him, even when his own little body was trembling.

Gu Duo knew that even though his younger brother was still small, he understood everything.

Now that Aozi wasn’t here, and the two adults were both gathered around him, Gu Duo couldn’t hold it in anymore, so he finally said it: “I heard that if a married couple doesn’t sleep together and doesn’t see each other often, it means they are going to get a divorce very soon…”

As he spoke, he looked at the person standing beside him wearing only pajamas—the one with the handsome, clean face and warm features: Shen Qing. “I don’t want you to get divorced.”

Shen Qing: “…”

Although he didn’t know why Duoduo was suddenly so concerned about their marriage, in that moment, Shen Qing intuitively felt the cub’s worry and fear.

A child’s world is just like that. There are many adult matters they don’t understand, and things that adults consider minor can be blown out of proportion in their imaginations. They truly aren’t that strong.

Not to mention, Gu Duo had already lived through so many terrible things…

In an instant, Shen Qing once again grabbed Duoduo’s hand. “Little Duoduo, what kind of nonsense are you thinking about? Your little uncle and I, we’re definitely not getting divorced.”

Gu Duo looked back at him. Because he was sick, his voice had gone soft, as if only in this moment was he truly just a child not even seven years old.

He asked Shen Qing, “Really?”

“Really.”

Shen Qing nodded firmly. “Never mind that you won’t allow us to divorce, I won’t allow it either.”

Gu Duo: “…Then, can you… can you guys sleep together from now on?”

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