Chapter 13: We Haven’t Been Married Long, Can You Take Me In?

After the flight landed smoothly, Qi Yingzhu initially remembered to contact Chu Fuxuan. But upon exiting the jet bridge, he first received a text from his driver, who had long been waiting outside, rushing to take him to a business engagement.

Collecting his luggage, meeting the driver, getting in the car—during this period, Qi Yingzhu repeatedly unlocked his phone a few times. The screen lingered on Chu Fuxuan’s profile page, and after deliberating for a moment, he still didn’t make the call.

He was naturally solitary and truly had no experience with companionship, finding it difficult to handle this kind of scenario. Even if he called, he wouldn’t know what to say. Although there was a vague awareness in his heart, saying it out loud felt like it would come across as ridiculous.

Moreover, having to share his coordinates every time he went out made him feel constrained, like a rope had been slipped around his neck for no reason.

There was no time to agonize over it, however, as his back-to-back schedule was too packed. By the time Qi Yingzhu looked back to ponder this matter again, several days had already passed.

Thinking about it, Chu Fuxuan hadn’t made any moves recently, so he probably didn’t need his help either. The instruction back then had been mentioned casually; whether or not he made that phone call was actually of little consequence.

However, although Qi Yingzhu was overwhelmingly busy, he hadn’t cast the most important promise to the back of his mind.

He had promised the Chu family elders that he would pay them a visit and planned to make a special trip on the weekend. But before he could confirm whether he could squeeze out the free time, a senior executive suddenly fell ill on Friday, and he needed to step in temporarily to travel out of town for a business exchange.

The event was held in Yongzhou, only a three or four-hour drive from Shanghai. Qi Yingzhu had been working non-stop everywhere recently and hadn’t initially registered that this city sounded somewhat familiar.

During the intermission, he perfunctorily declined a dinner invitation, and only then did he finally recall that the Chu family seemed to be right around here.

Chu Fuxuan had sent him the address before. Qi Yingzhu had hastily glanced at it and didn’t have a deep impression, nor did he ever have the time to look at it closely. Now, he pulled out the chat record to check and discovered it was in the exact same district as the event venue.

So the two sides happened to be close by. He planned to communicate with Chu Fuxuan after the meeting adjourned. However, in the time it took to listen to a report, the other party took the initiative and sent over two messages.

Qi Yingzhu had his phone on silent during the meeting. When he subsequently saw the unread messages, he felt deeply absurd and ground his teeth.

Chu Fuxuan was obviously testing him. In all likelihood, he had run into a tricky situation and needed backup, but was too embarrassed to ask directly, using this roundabout way to assert his presence.

In other words, while eating and drinking well, the other party suddenly realized he was carrying a romantic debt on his back, so he decided to check if his creditor was still alive.

Seeing through it and calling him out on it, Qi Yingzhu guessed: [Your parents were hovering around you these past few days. Have they looked enough and started asking about me now? Or are various relatives bombarding you?]

[I’ll come over in a bit. Is that convenient?]

After an hour passed with no reply, Qi Yingzhu felt it was unbelievable: [Did you finish writing your missing person bounty and go submit it to the newspaper?]

Since Chu Fuxuan remained silent for a long time, Qi Yingzhu contacted his assistant, asking him to use his free time to purchase some things.

The assistant was currently in the car fiercely discussing gossip, refusing to believe that the boss was actually married.

Receiving a message from the boss, he shuddered and immediately asked what they were for.

[Visiting the father-in-law and mother-in-law. No need to consider the budget, buy as you see fit.]

Assistant: ?

For a moment, he didn’t know whether he should be sorrowfully indignant at the phrase “no need to consider the budget,” or astonished that Qi Yingzhu actually had a father-in-law. He dazedly went to run the errand.

When the event ended, the assistant stood by the car holding the gift bags. Seeing Qi Yingzhu thank him and take them, he instantly felt a mix of complex emotions.

On what grounds could the boss, who practically lived in the office all year round, manage to get married? Was the spouse really issued by the Group? Is there no justice in this world?!

He muttered internally about the relevant scandals boiling over in the company, but maintained his professionalism on the surface, preparing to drive for Qi Yingzhu.

But Qi Yingzhu deliberated for a moment. Not wanting to expose traces of Chu Fuxuan, he let the assistant get off work early to rest.

He took a taxi, gave the unfamiliar address, and found his way to the corresponding house number. During this time, he sent Chu Fuxuan a few more messages. The guy seemed to not have his phone on him; he was uncharacteristically quiet and remained unresponsive.

Since he had already arrived, Qi Yingzhu rang the doorbell. At this moment, he saw Chu Fuxuan hurriedly push open the inner door.

The winter garden lacked greenery. Chu Fuxuan shuffled across the yard in his slippers, breathing out a puff of white mist, and approached the intercom with some confusion.

Immediately after, Chu Fuxuan noticed Qi Yingzhu standing outside the gate. He was left speechless for a long moment and then blinked in surprise.

“Why are you here?” He hadn’t recovered from the shock.

Qi Yingzhu said, “I came here on behalf of the Chief Executive for a business exchange. I happened to realize it was on the way to your house.”

Chu Fuxuan opened the courtyard gate for him. Because he was so surprised, he grabbed his coat in a moment of urgency.

Immediately afterward, Chu Fuxuan consciously let go and greeted him, “Please come in quickly, everyone is waiting for your grand appearance. Huh, what did you buy? I told you before there’s really no need to be so polite.”

Qi Yingzhu carried the gifts: “I don’t know, someone else handled it. I can’t come to freeload food and drinks empty-handed.”

The assistant had bought two cashmere scarves. They looked relatively lightweight yet were sufficiently expensive in value. The brand and style had been carefully selected so they didn’t appear ostentatious while still conveying respect.

He followed Chu Fuxuan inside. Father Chu was the first to notice Qi Yingzhu and immediately stood up from the sofa in surprise.

He didn’t ask why Qi Yingzhu had visited so suddenly. Facing his son’s partner, he took the initiative to treat him as family; it was perfectly natural for the other party to come over at any time.

“Yingzhu is here? My son kept you hidden for so long, the two of us can finally speak face-to-face.”

Qi Yingzhu said with natural grace, “It’s my fault for coming too late. Uncle, I apologize, am I disturbing you all?”

Hearing their conversation, Mother Chu hurriedly came out of the kitchen and said with a smile, “Perfect timing, we prepared a lot of dishes today. Now we finally have a full table.”

Subsequently, Qi Yingzhu handed the gifts over. While scolding him for wasting money, they beamed with joy and accepted his thoughtful gesture.

“Fuxuan already gave us gifts on your behalf, why are there more?” Mother Chu said, “Your work is so exhausting, you should take care of yourself more. It’s too embarrassing for us to accept this. Please don’t buy these next time; just come over with Fuxuan for dinner when you’re free.”

Caught in the middle, Chu Fuxuan shot Qi Yingzhu a look. Qi Yingzhu implicitly understood that the other party had previously bought souvenir gifts on his behalf.

When treating elders, one can never be too courteous. Qi Yingzhu said, “What I deliver personally and what is passed on don’t count as the same thing. As long as you like it, that’s what matters.”

Father Chu interjected, “A few days ago, I heard your aunt say she wanted to buy a scarf, and it seemed to have this exact pattern. This gift is too fitting.”

Seeing them so satisfied, Chu Fuxuan couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. The awkwardness of being cornered and interrogated by relatives instantly dissipated, and his hanging heart finally settled.

Beside him, Qi Yingzhu swept a glance over the guests, figuring out that the reason Chu Fuxuan had sent him that nonsensical stuff was highly likely because he had secretly blown a fuse from being interrogated.

Chu Fuxuan had been away from home for too long and rarely interacted with relatives during the holidays. Now, caught off guard and surrounded, he naturally didn’t know how to handle it.

Moreover, since it was rare for him to make an appearance, everyone had accumulated a lot of curiosity about him, practically wishing they could hold a Q&A press conference. This kind of posture would make him even more at a loss for what to do.

“Go say hi to them.” Chu Fuxuan carefully tugged at Qi Yingzhu’s sleeve. “Take off your coat first, I’ll hang it up for you.”

Qi Yingzhu said, “Then will you help introduce me?”

Grasping at this lifeline to share the pressure, Chu Fuxuan immediately nodded obediently, showing no trace of the person who had been clamoring about Qi Yingzhu abandoning his wife and children two hours ago.

He was wearing a white sweater at the moment, which made him look incredibly well-behaved. His tone was restrained, quiet, and reserved as he patiently explained the guests’ backgrounds to Qi Yingzhu.

“Xiao Ya (Little Sprout), it really is different once your partner arrives, your whole person has perked up,” his aunt teased.

Qi Yingzhu seemed to have misheard her term of address and confirmed with Chu Fuxuan in a low voice, “Was what she just said your local dialect?”

Chu Fuxuan really wanted to avoid the topic, but putting on a meticulous front, he whispered softly in his ear.

“It’s my childhood nickname. A long time ago, my grandpa and grandma used to call me that. It’s almost extinct now. Congratulations on excavating a piece of cultural heritage.”

Qi Yingzhu gave a faint “Mm” and played dumb along with Chu Fuxuan, acting very gentlemanly.

Both of them simultaneously endured each other’s hypocrisy. Occasionally, when their gazes collided, Chu Fuxuan couldn’t help but narrow his eyes.

Qi Yingzhu seized the opportunity to stir up bad intentions, deliberately picking a fight with him: “Are your eyes uncomfortable?”

Seeing his feigned concern, Chu Fuxuan felt like he was receiving end-of-life care.

Enduring it, Chu Fuxuan replied with veiled barbs, “No, no, maybe some dirt got in.”

Ultimately, Qi Yingzhu was an unfamiliar face, sharing no emotional ties with anyone present. The relatives mostly exchanged polite pleasantries with him, not as enthusiastically as they were with Chu Fuxuan.

They weren’t subjected to relentless questioning. Chu Fuxuan narrowly escaped a disaster, and just as well, after socializing for half the day, Qi Yingzhu felt his tolerance was reaching its limit.

When dinner started, seven people sat around a round table. Looking at the high-fat, high-calorie dishes among them, Qi Yingzhu thought incredulously, I don’t have to eat this, do I?

For the moment, no one served him food, so he reluctantly put his mind at ease. Then, Chu Fuxuan stepped on his foot under the table.

Qi Yingzhu didn’t understand why and suspected Chu Fuxuan had bumped him accidentally. Immediately after, he was stepped on again.

He turned his head, only to see Chu Fuxuan holding his rice bowl. He first glanced at his younger cousin who was peeling shrimp for his girlfriend, and then stared at Qi Yingzhu with profound meaning.

Qi Yingzhu understood what it meant almost instantly, but he coldly refused to cooperate. Subsequently, Chu Fuxuan used his chopsticks to place a piece of braised pork into his bowl.

“Try some more. There’s sugar in the dish, it’s quite different from your usual taste.” Chu Fuxuan affectionately made things difficult for him.

Receiving the threat, Qi Yingzhu still disagreed with quite a bit of backbone.

But seeing Chu Fuxuan reaching for a piece of deep-fried fish, he endured the humiliation and dutifully picked up the crab in front of him, signaling Chu Fuxuan with his eyes:

You. Just. Wait.

Able to act unrestrained on his home turf, Chu Fuxuan placed the fish piece in his bowl and slightly tilted his head at Qi Yingzhu, meaning, Bring it on if you have the skills.

Qi Yingzhu peeled the crab, dipped it in vinegar sauce, and served it to Chu Fuxuan. Soon, Mother and Father Chu noticed their little interactions and immediately exchanged a gratified look.

“Oh right, Yingzhu, are you staying here tonight?” Father Chu composed himself and said, “I’ll prepare a set of clean clothes for you.”

Their original intention was just to briefly show off their affection. They didn’t expect it would push things in this direction. Qi Yingzhu and Chu Fuxuan raised their heads in tacit unison, their faces coincidentally written full of bewilderment.

“Of course he’s staying here. Going back is too much of a hassle.” A real married couple works together quickly, as Mother Chu chimed in.

Chu Fuxuan gripped his chopsticks, resisting: “Would that… not be very good?”

“He’s already registered his marriage with you, and you’re driving him out?” Father Chu was completely baffled.

He continued, “Your partner put in so much effort to crack open that crab for you. His technique didn’t look proficient either. He spent ten minutes peeling just for that tiny bit of meat, and you finished it in a few bites. He looks exhausted to me.”

“He’s exhausted? He can work overtime for two days and two nights straight, and still clock in to the company on time on the third day.” Chu Fuxuan’s pupils trembled.

After saying this, he turned his head to seek help from Qi Yingzhu. But harboring a grudge, Qi Yingzhu took the opportunity to defect. The already loose alliance dissolved on the spot.

With hindsight, Chu Fuxuan realized that this guy had been perceptive and clear-sighted all along. Going against him and making things difficult right now just meant every sentence was a boomerang.

“Xiao Ya, we haven’t been married long, can you take me in?” While Chu Fuxuan watched the other party put on a sanctimonious act of playing pitiful, he received a returned favor, getting lightly kicked in the calf under the table.