Chapter 101: Uncle Is on a Blind Date

Zhou Yili had lost his mind.

At that night's celebration banquet, he accepted every drink offered, going so far as to flaunt his contempt for everyone present.

His slender fingers tapped the table with casual indifference. "Come on, fill my glass."

"…"

"Hey~" Even Sheng Que, who slipped by, couldn't bear to watch.

He walked directly over and took a seat beside Shen Jixing, feeling that their relationship had grown significantly since the fairy tale incident.

"Zhou Yili must be crazy. Does he think this is his wedding banquet?"

Shen Jixing said nothing, scanning the wild, unruly man.

Zhou Yili had claimed he couldn't soothe people; Shen Jixing had followed suit, saying a few words Zhou would like, just to prove a point.

Who would have thought—

Perhaps he'd gone too far.

The languid, elegant man lifted his wine glass, his bone structure sharp and sensual as he tilted his head back. The way he faced others was different, enveloped in an aura of noble danger that made him difficult to approach.

Such Zhou Yili actually made Shen Jixing feel… nervous.

His long, delicate lashes fluttered; he wasn't sure what he was tense or resistant about.

He couldn't shake the sense that the little lion was somewhat frightening.

"Brother Shen, are you listening to me?" Sheng Que's voice pulled him back from his thoughts. Shen Jixing glanced sideways. "What did you say?"

Sheng Que let out a pained howl, pressing his head against the table.

His unhappy voice came muffled from beneath, "You got it wrong. Uncle doesn’t like me at all."

"I'm not his first choice, either."

After a full day of crying and fussing, Sheng Que felt as though he'd grown up.

Shen Jixing asked, "Why do you say that?"

He understood Fu Chen and could roughly guess his thoughts.

Sheng Que lay across the table, no longer daring to drink recklessly, staring instead at the blue-purple fruit wine. "Uncle is going on blind dates."

Shen Jixing paused.

The words 'blind date' paired with Fu Chen seemed like a fairy tale.

But perhaps, it wasn't impossible.

"You weren't entirely wrong, Brother Shen."

After learning the truth, Sheng Que was unexpectedly calm, his eyes hazy with mist. "Uncle might not be angry with me. Maybe he just wants to get married…"

In his memory, Fu Chen's mind had always been consumed by work. Now, everything in his life had settled, and it seemed he should try to experience what love felt like.

Sheng Que felt he shouldn't stand in his way.

Uncle had always lived too bitterly, never considering himself.

Because of his mother's kindness, he'd had to always look after the unruly little Sheng Que.

"Now Uncle wants a family of his own."

Sheng Que murmured softly, "That’s actually pretty good."

Shen Jixing was silent for a long time. Eventually, he leaned over the table to look past Sheng Que, addressing the person behind him: "Sit."

Sheng Que was stunned.

The chair beside him was pulled out, someone with a chill of winter wind took a seat by his side. He glanced sideways into a pair of serene, cold eyes.

"Uncle?!"

Fu Chen had moved out yesterday morning. They hadn't seen each other for two days and one night.

"Why are you staring at me?"

Fu Chen had intended a simple reply, but caught Sheng Que's unwavering gaze out of the corner of his eye. Those round eyes were moist, impossible to ignore.

Sheng Que rested his chin on the blue-purple wine glass. "I missed you. We've never gone this long without seeing each other…"

Fu Chen: "…"

Two days and one night.

But it was true; even when busy, Fu Chen would always reach out.

To ask what trouble his little mischief-maker had gotten into.

"How are the blind dates going?" Sheng Que leaned in to ask.

His softly curled chestnut hair was fluffy and gentle. That delicate, refined face was close, the arch of his lashes long and sincere as he looked at Fu Chen.

"Not bad," Fu Chen replied coolly.

"Oh." Sheng Que knew he disliked having his private life probed. After all, it was awkward to discuss these things, and Uncle had no obligation to take care of him forever.

Sheng Que drew back, blinking slowly.

His tears threatened to fall again.

At that moment, someone reached out to ruffle his hair. Sheng Que calmed, a bit moved, "I wasn’t…"

He looked up into a pair of sharp, disdainful eyes.

Zhou Yili withdrew his hand with cold indifference, looking down at him from above.

"Get up, you're sitting in your dad's seat."

"…"

…

Grumbling, Sheng Que carried his fruit wine and rolled up his blanket to the dark little corner at the end of the long table.

To be a gloomy little Que.

Anyway, he would never be happy again :-(

Shen Jixing couldn't bear to see the cheerful youth turn gloomy. He looked past Zhou Yili towards Fu Chen. "You…"

Before he could finish, Fu Chen was gone from sight.

Zhou Yili leaned back, blocking him thoroughly.

Shen Jixing shifted, trying another angle; Zhou Yili continued to block his view.

Fu Chen calmly picked up his wine glass. "Next year, the Fu Group plans to invest in an amusement park project. You two can be the giant pendulum."

"…"

Fu Chen stood, cast a glance at the person slumped in the corner, and carried his wine to the balcony.

Everyone around had moved on.

Shen Jixing’s gaze finally settled on Zhou Yili. "Drunk again?"

"No." Zhou Yili propped his head with one hand, looking at him. "If I get too drunk, I'll black out. This time, I want to remember…"

Shen Jixing raised his eyes and gave him a cold look.

Zhou Yili laughed quietly, leaning on his shoulder, the soft little lion ears pressed against him. "Let’s go. The celebration banquet is boring. I didn't even want to come tonight."

Shen Jixing frowned slightly, his chin brushing the plush ear tip.

"Didn't you used to attend every celebration banquet?"

Back then, Zhou Yili was acting out. Based on his understanding of Zhou’s past, Shen Jixing had guessed he would want to be there.

"That was before."

Zhou Yili lifted his eyes to look at him, emotions drunken yet clear. "I was alone at home—coming back or not made no difference."

But now, things were different.

Shen Jixing said nothing, his heart jolted gently; now, they were each other's home.

Zhou Yili suddenly laughed, his tousled head raised almost to Shen Jixing’s ear.

"You investigated me, didn't you?"

"…"

Shen Jixing was silent for a moment, then tugged the little lion ear and stood up. "Let’s go."

Zhou Yili hadn’t expected him to leave midway.

Shen Jixing was always precise and proper, cool yet soft-hearted. This wasn’t his usual style.

But Zhou Yili realized that even when Shen Jixing suddenly walked out, no one seemed surprised.

"I have a habit that’s never been made public, but everyone knows."

Zhou Yili’s gaze burned as he watched him.

He had a vague idea.

Until the apartment door opened, the sofa draped with a gray blanket, the coffee table scattered with snacks he’d prepared, the piano outside in the garden flowing with starlight.

The presence of a life they’d shared surged forth.

Shen Jixing snapped the silver sensor onto Zhou Yili’s pulse. "I never attend celebration banquets."