Chapter 6: The Sweet Dinner Party

“Ah, right, right, right.” Remembering what was said downstairs, Zhu Zhixi lightly tapped his own mouth. Mom and Dad, Mom and Dad.

Mom, I don’t know if this is good news, but I’m about to have another mom. But this has nothing to do with my dad.

“Don’t blow our cover.” He felt Fu Rangyi squeeze his elbow. He glanced down at the countdown.

[53 days 07 hours 24 minutes 40 seconds]

Suddenly, a doubt arose in Zhu Zhixi. He himself desperately needed this relationship, needed physical contact with Fu Rangyi, so it was natural for him to perform “lovingly” in front of others for a chance to extend his life. But what about Fu Rangyi?

“Wait a second.” He tugged on Fu Rangyi’s hand. When he turned around, he stood on his tiptoes and whispered in his ear, “Do we have to pretend we really like each other?”

“What else?”

“Why? Can’t it be a marriage of convenience with no emotional basis? That would be easier for you, right?”

Fu Rangyi paused for a second, then said in a deep voice, “I have my reasons.”

Alright then. Zhu Zhixi was originally trying to be considerate of him. After all, this person seemed to have a strong sense of personal boundaries and disliked being touched. He didn’t want to force himself on him. Besides, acting estranged is much easier than acting deeply in love. But since the person involved had made his decision, he was happy to go along with it.

Therefore, the moment the door opened, he immediately took Fu Rangyi’s hand and switched on his social smile.

Zhu Zhixi had always been a social butterfly; the more people, the more he thrived. As soon as he entered, he greeted everyone seated with enthusiasm and made introductions, acting generous and lively.

“Xiao Zhu is prettier than any Omega I’ve ever seen!”

“He looks like his mother. Our eldest is more like me.” Zhu Yu beckoned for Zhu Zhixi to come sit next to him.

Listening to the praise from the parental generation, he obediently took his seat. Who would have thought that Zhu Yu, who was just praising him a second ago, would now feign a stern look and pretend to scold him.

“Well, well, getting your marriage certificate without even discussing such a major event, just acting first and reporting later? Zhu Zhixi, you’ve really been running wild these past few years abroad. You don’t even have me, your father, in your heart anymore.”

What are you acting for, Dad? Weren’t you the one who sent me the tear-jerking essay asking me to go on a blind date with the iceberg brother?

At the side, Zhu Zeran held a cup of hot tea, blew on it, and his gaze swept back and forth between the two of them, finally resting on Fu Rangyi’s face.

“Looking at it this way, there is indeed a very good reason to act first and report later,” he said, putting down his cup and teasing with a smile. “However, I seem to remember someone saying: ‘I’d rather die than get married’.”

Brother, the order of that sentence might be reversed. The correct order is: If I get married, I won’t die.

Zhu Zhixi squeezed out a smile and acted spoiled with his father. “Lao Zhu, weren’t you looking forward to me getting married? Stop pretending.”

After speaking, he immediately poured a glass of wine, stood up, and said to the other elders at the table like an old friend, “I’m so sorry, the traffic was terrible, we’re late. I’ll punish myself with a drink first.”

Zhu Zeran, enjoying the drama, pointed him out. “Hey, there’s also the matter of getting your certificate without telling anyone.”

“Fine, I’ll have another one.” He gritted his teeth and poured himself another glass. “I did indeed make a decision on such a big matter on my own. I deserve to be punished.”

“Look at this child.” Mother Fu, seeing the situation, immediately smoothed things over, smiling as she nudged Fu Rangyi’s arm. “Rangyi, how can you let Zhixi drink alone? You don’t know how to dote on people at all. Sigh, this one of ours is also clueless.”

The show was paused. Fu Rangyi had no choice but to pour one for himself. Before he could pick it up, Zhu Zhixi, sitting next to him, snatched the glass and downed it in one gulp.

“I’ll drink for him. He drove over, he can’t drink.”

Fu Rangyi was stunned for a second, watching him return the empty glass and place it back in front of him with a thud.

It’s starting already?

“Oh my, look at that. We didn’t even think of that. Zhixi is so thoughtful, considerate, and so sensible.” Mother Fu’s eyes were filled with satisfaction, and she couldn’t stop smiling. “No wonder Rangyi said he liked him from the first time they met.”

Hearing this, Zhu Zhixi almost choked on the last sip of wine. He turned his head and stared at Fu Rangyi with wide eyes. Dude, you started the script from frame zero? You could have at least told me it was a love-at-first-sight script. We didn’t even rehearse our lines before going on stage. It’s easy to mess up.

Fu Rangyi was clearly avoiding his gaze, pouring himself a cup of tea.

At the other end of the round table, the big boy sitting next to Mother Fu suddenly spoke, teasing with a smile, “How come my sister-in-law looks so surprised?”

Sister-in-law?

Zhu Zhixi looked over. Judging by his looks, he was also an Alpha. Handsome on his own, for sure, but compared to Fu Rangyi, he was far from being as stunning. His features weren’t as deep, and his temperament was completely different. This person was much more cheerful, unlike Fu Rangyi, who was cold and icy. To put it nicely, he was otherworldly; to put it bluntly, he didn’t seem like a living person.

As if noticing Zhu Zhixi’s gaze, he smiled brightly. “I forgot to introduce myself just now. I’m his younger brother, Fu Liaoxing.”

At this moment, Fu Rangyi suddenly spoke. “He’s just a little embarrassed.”

It took Zhu Zhixi a while to realize he was answering his brother’s previous question.

“Yeah.” He looked at his new husband, smiling on the surface, but under the table, he nudged Fu Rangyi’s knee. “I didn’t even know when you told Mom and Dad all this.”

“Just when you were playing tug-of-war with the kitten,” Fu Rangyi shot back, returning a fake smile.

Zhu Zhixi’s face fell. “Wait, when did I play tug-of-war with a kitten?”

“I have evidence. Want to see the photo?”

For real? Zhu Zhixi quickly shook his head, refusing.

It’s fake. Who would take a picture of you? A waste of storage.

The people at the table suddenly all laughed, making both of them freeze for a moment, thinking they had revealed another flaw and been discovered.

“You two don’t look like you just met at all.”

Father Zhu’s eyes were full of relief, and the others at the table chimed in.

“Right?” Zhu Zhixi shrugged, deliberately trying to annoy him. “Who’s to blame when someone fell in love with me at first sight?”

Seeing Fu Rangyi’s clenched fingers, he became even more smug.

“The food is getting cold.” Fu Rangyi picked up some celery and lily bulb with his chopsticks and placed it in his bowl. “Eat more.”

Zhu Zeran, at his side, suddenly laughed. “Zhu Zhixi, since when did you start liking celery? You used to tell people to take it away if you even smelled it.”

The chopsticks paused. The two of them quickly exchanged a look. This was actually their first meal together. Fu Rangyi had no idea about his dislikes and preferences and had made a mistake right away.

He thought the situation would become awkward, but to his surprise, Zhu Zhixi cheerfully picked up the celery in his bowl and ate it with gusto, like a rabbit munching on hay. He already had two not-so-obvious buck teeth, and because he had just downed three glasses of wine, his eyes were red, making him look even more like one.

“I like it now. I love it.” Zhu Zhixi shook his head smugly at Zhu Zeran and deliberately hooked his arm around Fu Rangyi’s. “Da Zhu, are you trying to find fault with me again? I already said it was love at first sight. Who would reveal a bad habit like being a picky eater on a blind date? You’re not allowed to expose my shortcomings, and you’re not allowed to bully our Professor Fu.”

“Look at him, already siding with outsiders.”

“Dad, look at his worthless appearance.”

“Oh, how sweet.”

In the lively atmosphere, Fu Rangyi’s body stiffened for a moment, a bit dazed. But soon, the very warm hand quietly withdrew.

Amidst the laughter and cheer, he said nothing. His gaze couldn’t help but follow that hand, only to find Zhu Zhixi spreading his left hand open under the table, looking down at something. This seemed to be a habitual action of his. Sometimes after looking, he would clench his fist; sometimes he would pat it excitedly, then look up and let out a long sigh of relief.

Strange fellow.

Exquisite and delicious dishes were served one after another. The two families’ elders chatted enthusiastically. The topic briefly moved away from the two of them, with the Fu family taking the lead to talk about their respective companies’ affairs.

Fu Rangyi had no appetite, but Zhu Zhixi ate heartily. He noticed that this person didn’t follow the rules much. Even when facing his so-called in-laws and elders, he could very comfortably help himself to food. Whatever he wanted to eat, he would just point at it or give a look to his own father or brother. Without him having to speak, they would turn the lazy Susan with a look of resignation and bring the dish he wanted in front of him.

After watching for a while, he got a bit distracted.

“Look, I just realized, these two kids haven’t even prepared wedding rings. How can that be?” Mother Fu, at his side, suddenly spoke, saying to Zhu Zhixi, “Xiao Zhu, which brand do you like? Or do you prefer an independent designer? If there’s one you like, tell me. I’ll have the brand come to our house tomorrow to do a custom design for you.”

“Huh?” Zhu Zhixi subconsciously looked at Fu Rangyi. He had a feeling this person wasn’t too happy, as if he was dissatisfied with his parents’ interference.

The countdown in his palm was still flashing. Zhu Zhixi simply grabbed Fu Rangyi’s hand, pressing his palm against the back of his hand.

“We’ll figure it out ourselves.” He called out “Mom” with some difficulty, then added, “We discussed it before. We’ll go look together when he’s not so busy.”

He could feel Fu Rangyi’s hand stiffen slightly, but he didn’t pull it away.

Fu Rangyi grunted in agreement. “Mom, no need to trouble you. We’ll buy them ourselves.”

“Actually…” Zhu Yu thought of something and looked at his younger son. “The one your mother left behind…”

Before he could finish, Zhu Zhixi smiled and said, “Dad, don’t worry about it. We’ve already picked out the style.”

Fu Rangyi noticed that this was the first time he had interrupted his father. He also noticed Zhu Zeran’s questioning gaze. To dispel the concerns caused by someone’s terrible acting, he pulled his hand out slightly, turned it over, and held Zhu Zhixi’s hand, his grip measured and light.

Zhu Zhixi’s clenched fist also gradually relaxed.

“This certificate was indeed obtained a bit hastily,” Father Fu said, clinking glasses with Zhu Yu. “But many of the follow-up procedures still need to be done, like the wedding. It’s a great joyous occasion for our two families to be united. I think it’s worth having a grand celebration. There will be many guests to invite then, from the business world, the media, and your brother’s side…”

Hearing this, Fu Rangyi, who had always been very mindful of etiquette, directly interrupted, “I don’t think it’s necessary. We don’t need to have one.”

“You child,” Father Fu’s tone was clearly reproachful. “How can you not have one? If you don’t, what will Xiao Zhu think? It’s a once-in-a-lifetime event. You can’t lack a sense of ceremony.”

It might not be just this once. The contract ends in half a year. With the grand scale you’re planning, we might not even be able to have it before we get divorced. We’d send out the invitations and then break up, and our friends and family would attend a divorce banquet together.

Zhu Zhixi grumbled in his heart, but his actions immediately aligned with Fu Rangyi’s. “I also think it’s unnecessary to have one.” He still had a fish ball hidden in his cheek.

“This…”

Zhu Yu smiled magnanimously. “Lao Fu, let’s just see what the kids think. I can understand Rangyi’s thoughts. He’s a university professor, does research, and likes to keep a low profile. Don’t look at our Xiao Xi as if he’s very outgoing. He actually doesn’t like crowds either, especially big scenes. He has almost never shown his face at our company’s annual meetings, cocktail parties, or any public occasions.”

Zhu Zeran, at his side, also chimed in, joking, “Let’s talk about it when they want to have one. Getting the certificate was rushed enough. If they rush into a wedding too, it’s a good thing Zhu Zhixi is a Beta. If he were an O, there would definitely be rumors that they had to get married because of a pregnancy.”

This joke amused Fu Rangyi’s brother.

Zhu Yu, however, glanced at his elder son, clicked his tongue, then turned his face and said to his in-laws with a smile, “Speaking of which, Zeran, we’re actually quite embarrassed too. You see, a talented and promising young man like Xiao Fu should marry an Omega of equal family status and have children. But our Zhixi is a Beta, so in that respect…”

Before he could finish, Father Fu, who had had too much to drink, started waving his hand, his voice rising a few decibels. “Don’t say that! It’s our Rangyi’s blessing to be able to marry Xiao Zhu. We don’t care about that.”

You really don’t care about that. Fu Rangyi leaned back in his chair, his eyes lowered, staring at the ripples in his tea caused by his father slamming the table. What you care about is the Zhu family’s background, their corporation, and Zhu Zhixi’s uncle who is doing so well in the foreign trade and economic commission. Getting ahold of these resources and connections is like finding a treasure for the Fu family, who are engaged in multinational trade, especially at a time when the company is showing signs of decline.

“What era are we in now? There are plenty of young people who get married and don’t have children,” Mother Fu also said with a smile. “Things like continuing the family line, bloodline… we don’t care about those things. The most important thing is that they live a good life.”

Zhu Zhixi didn’t participate in the topic, but for some reason, he sensed a very subtle emotion from Fu Rangyi beside him. He turned his head and watched quietly.

When these things were being discussed, Fu Rangyi was unusually silent, and his expression was not very good. Is he unhappy? Or does he actually want children?

Zhu Zhixi didn’t want to think about it in detail. He deliberately swung his legs under the table, his knees lightly bumping Fu Rangyi’s several times.

Sure enough, this person finally pulled himself out of it, frowned, and glared at him, mouthing the words, “What are you doing?”

Zhu Zhixi stuck out his tongue and leaned over to whisper, “Sorry, I get really happy when I’m full, and when I’m happy, I can’t help but fidget.”

Fu Rangyi suspected he actually had ADHD. He probably had many hidden illnesses. “Take some medicine.”

“Mmm, I brought some digestive pills.”

“…”

As if to show his sincerity, at the end of the conversation, Father Fu slammed the table again, raised his wine glass, and announced quite grandly, “To celebrate the happy union of the young couple, and to celebrate the union of our two families, I am transferring one of my properties to Xiao Xi and Rangyi. The apartment Rangyi is living in now is not big. Now that you’re married, don’t live there anymore. Just move directly into the marital home.”

Marital home?? This topic was changing too fast. Zhu Zhixi’s chopsticks almost slipped. He glanced at Fu Rangyi. He still had that lifeless look.

“The house is on Qiyin Mountain. I bought it for investment before. The view is great, you can overlook the entire night view of S City, and it’s very private…”

Zhu Zhixi had no interest in mansions in the rich district, and he could even predict that Fu Rangyi would definitely refuse.

“No need.”

Sure enough. Nailed it.

“You child, this won’t do, that won’t do.” Father Fu didn’t seem to want to ask for his opinion. His face was still turned towards Zhu Yu as he continued, “This is just a small gesture from us.”

That location was more than half the city away from S University.

“Um, Uncle…” As soon as it came out, he immediately corrected himself. “Dad, we appreciate Dad’s kind intentions, but the house…”

Hearing the word “Dad,” Zhu Yu was a bit unaccustomed to it, but he was even more unaccustomed to his younger son moving out just like that, having only just returned home from his travels. So he made the decision directly. “The house we’re living in now is quite empty and convenient. Zhixi is already used to it. Why don’t Xiao Fu move in with us too? It’s livelier with more people.”

As soon as he finished, Zhu Zeran at his side couldn’t hold back his laughter.

Zhu Zhixi’s eyes widened. How could his own father be so thoughtless? Turning him into a live-in son-in-law?

At the side, Fu Rangyi, who had been silent for a long time, finally couldn’t stand it anymore. Although he was very reluctant to state his position on this matter, he had to speak up. “Regarding the issue of the marital home, I…”

“No, no, no.” Zhu Zhixi stood up directly and gently tapped his wine glass. “Everyone, please listen to me.”

“Qiyin Mountain is too far from S University, and our home is also very far. It’s very hard for Professor Fu to commute by car every day. His time is very precious and should be used for academic research. We appreciate the elders’ kind intentions. As for the marital home…”

He paused and said with a smile, “I’ll just move into Professor Fu’s current apartment! I quite like it there. It’s very cozy.”

After speaking, Zhu Zhixi sat down, wrapped his arm around Fu Rangyi’s, leaned on his shoulder, and showed a sweet smile. A very smooth little combo.

“We’re newlyweds, still in the honeymoon phase. Just let the two of us have our own little world!”

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Author’s Note:

Actually, Professor Fu fell in love little by little as they spent time together. The details will become more numerous in the coming chapters. In contrast, Xiao Zhu fell for him because of a few specific moments. They are very different in this regard.