NASAY CH 52

Huo Xingzhou and Luo Xing were “talking” silently in the back. Ye Qiaoqiao occasionally glanced back at them before quickly turning away again, which made Lu Chuiye curious.

“Just now… that man at the hospital entrance…”

Lu Chuiye paused, tilting his head slightly and asking Ye Qiaoqiao,

 “Do you know him?”

They had arrived late and hadn’t seen Lin Xicheng trying to hit Ye Qiaoqiao, otherwise, he wouldn’t have asked this question.

Ye Qiaoqiao was momentarily stunned, first shaking her head and then nodding, which made Lu Chuiye laugh in exasperation.

“So do you know him or not?”

Ye Qiaoqiao turned back, secretly glanced at Luo Xing, then lowered her voice and said, “That’s… my biological father’s…”

She hesitated for a moment, struggling with the right words before finally saying, somewhat awkwardly,

“Boyfriend, I guess.”

Lu Chuiye was stunned.

Ye Qiaoqiao didn’t notice his reaction and asked,

“Do you know him?”

When she was little, Ye Qiaoqiao used to call him ‘Dad’ all the time, no matter how often he corrected her and told her to call him ‘Uncle.’ Now that she was older, she had actually become more respectful.

“I met him once,”

Lu Chuiye recalled.

“His name was Lin… something.”

“Lin Xicheng,” Ye Qiaoqiao supplied.

“Right.”

Lu Chuiye glanced at the upcoming highway exit sign, smoothly changed lanes, and then said unhurriedly,

“Back then, he was a psychology professor—oh right, he taught at the same university as your dad.”

“My dad?”

Ye Qiaoqiao was puzzled. Weren’t they supposed to have met him at City No. 1 High School? How…?

“I needed your dad’s help with something at the time, and he introduced me to Lin Xicheng, saying he was quite accomplished in psychology. But he also mentioned that Lin Xicheng was a rather gloomy person. He wasn’t so much a listener as he was a controller. I didn’t like him much, so I only stayed for a short while before leaving.”

Lu Chuiye paused, pressing his fingers lightly against his lips. After a while, he added,

“He… later even called me.”

Ye Qiaoqiao was shocked, her mouth dropping open.

“He called you!?”

Huo Xingzhou and Luo Xing were startled by her reaction, both looking up at her suspiciously. Realizing her outburst, Ye Qiaoqiao hurriedly shut her mouth and coughed.

“Sorry.”

Luo Xing wasn’t particularly interested in the topic, so he just waved it off.

“It’s fine, you guys go on.”

In the back, Huo Xingzhou grinned, pretending to sweep his hand over the ground before ruffling Luo Xing’s hair, muttering playfully,

“Don’t be scared, little one, don’t be scared.”

Lu Chuiye paused for a moment, suppressing a laugh.

“Are kids these days all this good at playing around?”

Ye Qiaoqiao couldn’t bear to look anymore, deciding to change the subject. She lowered her voice again and asked,

“Why did he call you?”

Lu Chuiye hummed in thought, sounding unsure.

“I’m not entirely sure. At the time, my studio had just been trashed, and I was swamped with problems. By the time I saw his message, half a month had already passed. He just asked me if I still remembered him—Lin Xicheng.”

“Could it be…”

Ye Qiaoqiao shuddered, feeling a wave of disgust as goosebumps rose on her skin. She frowned slightly.

“Was he trying to hit on you?”

Lu Chuiye tilted his head, lightly tapping his lips with his fingers. “That’s possible.”

 After a pause, he added,

“But he’s not as good-looking as my wife, so I probably wouldn’t be tempted.”

Ye Qiaoqiao pursed her lips, stifling a laugh.

Lu Chuiye continued, “But he’s someone with an extremely strong need for control. Even through his words, you could tell he had a deep desire to conquer. He looked down on emotions… I never thought that one day, he would kneel down for someone.”

It was hard to tell whether Lu Chuiye was laughing or sighing as he murmured,

“Time really has a way of grinding people down.”

“I think he planned everything down to the last detail, completely banking on Luo Xing’s kindness. He knew that with this kind of moral coercion, Luo Xing wouldn’t be able to refuse donating his bone marrow.” 

Ye Qiaoqiao snorted coldly.

“And he even said he would give everything to Luo Xing, as if anyone actually wants it.”

Lu Chuiye chuckled to himself, thinking how childish she was, but he didn’t say much. Instead, he coughed lightly and asked,

“Luo Xing is still a student, and he’s not even an adult yet. Whether he donates or not isn’t entirely his decision. What about his mother?”

Ye Qiaoqiao shook her head and said softly,

“His mom doesn’t seem to care about him much. I once overheard my dad mention at dinner that Huo Xing seemed to have asked him to investigate Luo Xing’s mother, to see if she could still be sentenced after so many years for abuse leading to disability.”

Lu Chuiye was momentarily stunned. That was when he finally understood why Huo Xingzhou was so desperate to have him drive to Beishi.

In the past, Huo Xingzhou would never have been this reckless.

Lu Chuiye fell silent for a long time before murmuring,

“I see.”

Ye Qiaoqiao nodded and said no more.

Soon, they arrived at the school gate. Lu Chuiye pulled the car over by the side of the road, watching as the three of them walked into the school, chatting and laughing. His gaze lingered on Luo Xing’s thin figure for a while.

Perhaps Luo Xing’s past reminded him of something, and he couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry for him. With a quiet sigh, he muttered,

“Kid, just keep moving forward. There’s nothing worth looking back at.”

—

For the first time, Huo Xingzhou seriously asked Wu Suyan for help.

It wasn’t like when he was a child, making a fuss about wanting her to buy him something, or joking around in a carefree manner. This time, he was truly acting like an adult, sincerely asking his mother for assistance.

Wu Suyan had always been critical of her son, but she was also undeniably proud of him. As long as he was responsible, didn’t mess around, and was committed to his feelings, that was enough for her.

The original meeting was scheduled for two days before the holidays, but because she had arranged an appointment with a top leukemia specialist and needed to fly out a day earlier, the schedule was moved up.

After school, the two of them left the campus together to head to the meeting spot. But instead of waiting outside in the cold for a taxi, Wu Suyan decided to pick them up herself and told them to wait at the school gate.

Luo Xing was a little nervous, gripping Huo Xingzhou’s hand tightly. He had just returned from meeting Luo Zhiyuan not long ago. Even though he had been comforted, he still felt uneasy, afraid that Wu Suyan wouldn’t like him.

“I didn’t prepare a gift for Auntie…”

“When I meet her, what should I say? What topics does she like…?”

“If I—”

Luo Xing’s words were suddenly interrupted by a cool fingertip tapping against his forehead. He pursed his lips anxiously and looked up at Huo Xingzhou, his eyes fixed on him.

Huo Xingzhou chuckled.

 “Don’t be nervous. My mom has a great temper, I promise. You’ll get along just fine with her. Trust me.”

Luo Xing wanted to say that he did trust him, but he was still nervous. Before he could get the words out, he saw someone in the car across the street waving at them.

Huo Xingzhou led him over, opened the back door, and let Luo Xing in first before following suit, bringing the cold air inside with him. He exhaled sharply,

“It’s freezing out there.”

The car’s heater was turned up high. The woman driving wore only a sweater, her coat and bag placed in the passenger seat. Hearing his voice, she turned her head.

Luo Xing met her gaze and, feeling uneasy, nervously pinched his fingers together before softly greeting, “Auntie.”

Wu Suyan, afraid of scaring him by being too enthusiastic, maintained a graceful smile and nodded lightly.

“You must be Luo Xing. I’ve heard Xingzhou mention you often.”

Luo Xing’s nerves tightened. He had no idea how Huo Xingzhou had described him to his family. He instinctively wanted to glance at Huo Xingzhou for reassurance but was also afraid of missing anything Wu Suyan said. The back-and-forth left him even more anxious.

“Don’t call me Auntie.”

Luo Xing froze. Unable to hear the tone of her voice, he couldn’t judge her emotions, and his heart started pounding.

Subconsciously, he blurted out, “Sorry—”

But before he could finish, his words got stuck in his throat.

Wu Suyan rested her chin in her hands, looking at him with a dreamy expression.

“Sweetheart, don’t be so distant by calling me Auntie. Be good, call me ‘Mom.'”

She paused, leaning against the seat with one hand and suppressing her eagerness. In a coaxing tone, she urged,

“Come on, let me hear it just once.”

Luo Xing couldn’t figure out her intentions. His heart pounded wildly, but he didn’t want to disappoint her. Blushing, he obediently called out, “Mom.”

“Oh my, my dear baby,”

Wu Suyan clutched her chest, feeling like the regret of not hearing this from Huo Xingzhou for the past decade had suddenly been completely filled.

“Too adorable!”

Huo Xingzhou raised his hand and, as if no one else were present, started unwrapping Luo Xing’s scarf and taking off his gloves. Then he rubbed Luo Xing’s hands between his palms, brought them to his mouth, and breathed warm air onto them.

“Are you cold?” he asked.

Luo Xing quickly withdrew his hands and placed them properly on his lap, carefully watching Wu Suyan’s expression. Seeing that she wasn’t angry, he let out a small breath of relief.

Wu Suyan leaned forward, lowering her voice as if sharing a secret. “Little sweetheart, tell Mommy—pah, I mean, tell Auntie Wu—has this shameless brat bullied you? Don’t be scared, just say it boldly!”

Luo Xing hurriedly replied,

“N-no, he hasn’t.”

Huo Xingzhou, unable to bear the awkwardness, covered Luo Xing’s eyes and urged,

“Mom, hurry up and drive, I’m starving.”

Wu Suyan snorted coldly. The warmth she had felt from Luo Xing’s cuteness just moments ago instantly vanished, and she added with disdain,

“Stop talking, you’re ruining the atmosphere. If you say one more word, I’ll make you get out and walk.”

Luo Xing anxiously pulled down his hand, but seeing that Wu Suyan had already started driving, he didn’t say anything further. Still, his heart grew even more nervous.

Should he have introduced himself first just now? But it seemed like she already knew everything about him—Huo Xingzhou must have told her. If he didn’t say anything, would it seem impolite? But if he talked too much, would that be annoying?

With all these thoughts running through his head, Luo Xing kept glancing at Wu Suyan from time to time, his nervous little expression clearly reflected in the rearview mirror.

Wu Suyan calmly observed his anxious fidgeting for a while. The way he hesitated, wanting to reach out but holding back because of her presence, looking both expectant and restrained—it was just too adorable.

Huo Xingzhou had always been domineering and unrestrained, fiercely guarding what was his under his watchful eye, never knowing the meaning of restraint or hesitation.

In contrast, Luo Xing’s cautious testing, his timid yet eager movements, instantly softened her heart.

If only she had a son like this—someone she could pamper, someone she could watch grow up little by little.

Just thinking about it made her happy.

—

Perhaps because the evening rush hour had just passed, the traffic on the road wasn’t too heavy, and they soon arrived at their destination.

Wu Suyan went ahead to park the car, telling the two of them to go inside first.

Luo Xing felt uncomfortable with that arrangement and insisted on waiting at the entrance for her. Huo Xingzhou, happy to let him earn some brownie points with his mom, gladly kept him company in the cold.

Snowflakes were falling again, tiny specks drifting down, illuminated by the warm glow of the streetlights. Luo Xing stood quietly, watching the scene. The world felt like a silent painting, or perhaps a muted play.

Pedestrians walked noiselessly on the snow-covered ground, flakes drifted down without a sound, and the only thing breaking the silence was the steady, rhythmic beating of his own heart.

The hotel’s entrance lights stretched their shadows long across the pavement, with part of them overlapping, making it hard to tell one from the other.

Huo Xingzhou raised his hand, took hold of Luo Xing’s, and tucked it into his own coat pocket. He turned his head slightly, eyes glinting with amusement.

He didn’t say anything.

But Luo Xing felt as though he had spoken a lot—so much that his heart was swelling from it. He let out a small breath and pulled his hand back, whispering,

“You shouldn’t hold my hand in front of Auntie. If she sees…”

“I don’t have to hold your hand.”

Huo Xingzhou chuckled softly and leaned in to whisper in his ear,

 “But can I get an exchange voucher?”

Luo Xing blinked in confusion.

“What voucher?”

Huo Xingzhou, still holding his hand in his pocket, playfully pressed his fingers together, then traced a light touch along the wrist bone before speaking in a husky tone,

“If I don’t hold your hand in front of my mom, you owe me a wish—one per time.”

Looking into his eyes, Luo Xing could tell this was a completely unfair deal. He was about to refuse, but then he saw Wu Suyan already walking toward them. There was no time to think it through, so he instinctively agreed.

Huo Xingzhou let go of his hand with a satisfied smile, adjusted Luo Xing’s scarf for him, and started thinking happily about what wish he should ask for first.

“You two aren’t going inside? Just standing here in the cold?”

Wu Suyan glanced at Luo Xing with a doting look before turning to glare at Huo Xingzhou.

“Don’t you know the way?”

Huo Xingzhou chuckled innocently.

“I could find my way blindfolded. But your little sweetheart insisted on waiting for you before going in.”

Wu Suyan’s heart instantly softened. Her tone changed immediately, and she praised,

“Good boy, knows to wait for Mommy. Not like Huo Xingzhou—heartless little thing.”

During dinner, Wu Suyan kept bringing up different topics to chat about, from celebrity gossip to industry anecdotes, even touching on high school coursework.

She skillfully avoided topics related to family and education, afraid of touching Luo Xing’s wounds.

Luo Xing could tell that she was deliberately finding topics to help him relax. She was nothing like the cold, high-class woman he had imagined. In fact, she was incredibly warm and kind.

One by one, he answered Wu Suyan’s questions.

After some thought, he hesitated, letting the words roll around his tongue before finally opening his mouth to say something nice about Huo Xingzhou.

“Actually… Huo Xingzhou is really a good person. Please don’t… misunderstand him…”

Wu Suyan paused for a moment.

Then she smiled, glancing sideways at Huo Xingzhou. Seeing that he, too, looked a little dumbfounded, she couldn’t help but smile even wider.

Where did he find such a treasure?

The meal ended in laughter, with Wu Suyan playfully teasing and Huo Xingzhou occasionally cracking jokes. Slowly, Luo Xing relaxed. He ate quite a bit.

When it was time to part, Luo Xing hesitated before waving at the car window and saying, “Bye-bye, Huo Mama.”

Huo Xingzhou had been keeping an eye on him throughout dinner, worrying that he might feel uneasy about interacting with older adults, or worse, blame himself for his relationship with Zhao Jiulan.

Seeing him finally relax, he was relieved.

“Oh? Calling her ‘Huo Mama’ so smoothly now?” Huo Xingzhou grinned, grabbing Luo Xing’s hand—this time, openly tucking it into his pocket.

Remembering that Luo Xing was afraid of the dark, he pulled out his phone, turned on the flashlight, and lit the way as they walked toward the dormitory.

Luo Xing felt warm all over.

Hearing Huo Xingzhou tease him, he felt a little embarrassed and asked, “Huo Xingzhou, do you think Auntie has a good impression of me?”

Huo Xingzhou chuckled.

Wu Suyan’s face had practically been glowing with affection, ready to drop the “Huo” and let him call her “Mom” directly—how could Luo Xing still be worried?

But he didn’t answer right away.

Luo Xing grew nervous at his silence.

Huo Xingzhou didn’t want to just spoon-feed him the answer. If he didn’t figure this out himself, he’d never gain confidence.

After thinking for a moment, he turned the question back on him. “What do you think?”

Luo Xing hesitated.

“I… I don’t really know how to get along with adults,” he admitted softly. “But she smiled a lot… so maybe… she’s at least somewhat satisfied?”

“Then that’s good enough,” Huo Xingzhou laughed.

“You know,” he continued, “in life, not everyone has to like you. But look—my mom really likes you, so now you feel at ease, right?”

Then he turned fully to face Luo Xing, looking him straight in the eye.

“But think about it—your mom doesn’t like me. Does that affect me in any way?”

His voice was steady.

“I don’t care at all.”

Luo Xing didn’t fully understand what he meant.

He just stared blankly for a moment before nodding.

Huo Xingzhou didn’t expect him to grasp it all at once.

He had rushed to confess before, desperate to hold onto him, but it had only pushed Luo Xing to the edge of breaking down.

Thinking about it now, maybe a slow and steady approach wasn’t so bad after all.
This hurdle should be crossed slowly and completely, leaving no regrets. That’s much better than forcing himself to jump over it recklessly and ending up battered and bruised.

---

On the last day of extra classes, no one was in the mood to study anymore, not even Luo Xing, who was holding his phone and replying to WeChat messages.

Huo Xingzhou found it strange and leaned over to take a look. Right at the top of the contacts list was a name saved as Huo Mama.

His eyes flicked up and down quickly, scanning through the messages. They talked about everything—from historical events that happened on this day to what they had for breakfast—chatting smoothly and comfortably.

It was a picture-perfect scene of a loving mother and child, enough to make anyone jealous.

Luo Xing felt the desk shift slightly. When he turned his head, he saw the slightly displeased expression on Huo Xingzhou’s face and immediately got nervous. “What’s wrong?”

Feng Jia suddenly popped his head out from somewhere, looked at Huo Xingzhou’s sulky expression, and grinned. “Hey, Zhou-ge, are your parents home tonight?”

Huo Xingzhou lifted his gaze and asked impatiently, “Why?”

Feng Jia chuckled. “Well, since it’s the start of the holiday and it’s freezing outside, I don’t really feel like going out. How about we have a barbecue at your place? I remember you have—”

“If you want to come over and play games, just say so. Stop beating around the bush,” Huo Xingzhou scoffed.

“That too, that too! But mainly, I just want to have a barbecue together.” Feng Jia pulled out a chair and knocked on Luo Xing’s desk with a fawning smile. “Right, Luo Xing?”

Luo Xing was confused. “Huh?” He turned to Huo Xingzhou, silently asking for clarification.

Huo Xingzhou tilted his head, looked at him for a moment, and then said, “Feng Jia is asking if we can have dinner at my place tonight. He wants your permission.”

Luo Xing didn’t catch the underlying meaning in his words. Thinking that Huo Xingzhou was the host, and it wasn’t his place to refuse, he quickly said, “I don’t—I don’t mind at all.”

Huo Xingzhou was silent for a moment, then nodded. “Alright then.”

Luo Xing lacked not only family affection but also friendship. Letting him interact more with people like Feng Jia—who was straightforward and lively—would help him realize that he was genuinely liked.

No matter how many times he told Luo Xing that, it would never be as meaningful as a small, unintentional act of kindness from someone else.

---

That afternoon, once they finalized the meeting time, Feng Jia left, saying he had a surprise for them later that night.

Instead of heading straight home, Huo Xingzhou took Luo Xing to the supermarket to buy ingredients for the barbecue.

He tossed both their backpacks into the shopping cart before leisurely leading him through the produce section.

There was already plenty of food at home, but Luo Xing felt that since they were hosting, they should take it seriously.

“This is Feng Jia’s favorite—let’s get some.”

“The class rep seems to really like this. Should we buy a little?”

“This one is…”

Luo Xing walked ahead, muttering to himself as he picked items off the shelves. Huo Xingzhou pushed the cart behind him, watching him carefully select each item. He found it both amusing and heartwarming.

He had only eaten with these people a few times, yet he remembered their preferences so clearly. He returned even the smallest act of kindness with the greatest sincerity.

It was so pure that it hurt to watch.

Checking the store’s security cameras, Huo Xingzhou spotted a blind spot near the rice stacks. A mischievous thought struck him, and he suddenly cornered Luo Xing between himself and the shopping cart, lowering his voice. “You’ve bought so much of their favorite foods, but where’s mine?”

Luo Xing was startled and tried to move back, only to realize he was completely trapped. He nervously pushed against Huo Xingzhou’s chest, stammering, “I—I bought it! I did!”

“If I say you didn’t, then you didn’t.” Huo Xingzhou’s tone was firm. His gaze locked onto Luo Xing’s wide, startled eyes, and in their reflection, he saw himself.

Then, he laughed.

“What are you laughing at?” Luo Xing, still flustered, quickly slipped out from the gap between the cart and Huo Xingzhou. He hurriedly adjusted his collar and took a deep breath, trying to steady himself.

“You’re blushing.”

Before Huo Xingzhou could finish his sentence, Luo Xing instantly covered his face with both hands. He could feel the heat radiating from his palms. Seeing Huo Xingzhou laugh so freely, he grew even more embarrassed. “Stop laughing!”

“Alright, alright, I’ll stop.” Huo Xingzhou grabbed his wrist, pulling him forward. “That’s enough shopping. Let’s check out.”

They had bought quite a lot, mostly vegetables and meat, so the bags were heavy.

Huo Xingzhou flexed his wrist a few times before unlocking the door with his fingerprint and letting Luo Xing enter first.

Stepping inside for the third time, Luo Xing felt different from before. He wasn’t as anxious or uneasy anymore.

Maybe warmth was contagious. Huo Dad and Huo Mama were such good people.

He watched as Huo Xingzhou carried the groceries into the kitchen, and for some reason, everything felt unreal.

“What are you thinking about?”

Huo Xingzhou saw him spacing out the moment he walked in. He reached out and knocked on his forehead lightly. “Isn’t that heavy? Why are you just standing there holding it?”

Snapping out of his daze, Luo Xing quickly said, “It’s not heavy.”

Huo Xingzhou took the bag from him—it really wasn’t heavy. He had already carried the heaviest ones himself.

“Let’s go upstairs and change first. We still have three hours before they arrive. If you’re tired, you can take a nap.”

Luo Xing shook his head. “I’m not sleepy.”

Huo Xingzhou hummed in response and urged him to change clothes. Last time, Luo Xing had left quite a few outfits here, all hanging neatly in the wardrobe—one side his, the other side Luo Xing’s, placed side by side.

Luo Xing’s face heated up for no reason, and he quickly averted his eyes. But the moment he looked away, they landed on the bed instead.

Huo Xingzhou rummaged through the wardrobe, realizing that none of Luo Xing’s clothes were quite suitable—some too thin, others too warm. In the end, he simply handed over one of his own light woolen cardigans. “Wear this. If it gets too hot while we’re eating, just unbutton it. It’s easy to take off.”

Luo Xing was about to say something, but before he could, Huo Xingzhou had already turned his back to look for something else.

Swallowing his words, Luo Xing glanced down at the soft gray cardigan. He tried to picture how Huo Xingzhou looked wearing it.

His cold, indifferent eyes. A slightly mocking expression. Looking down from above…

A strange warmth spread through his chest. Feeling both numb and itchy, Luo Xing quickly blinked a few times and took a deep breath to calm himself.

When Huo Xingzhou finished picking out his own clothes and looked up, Luo Xing was still in a daze. “Why haven’t you changed?”

Snapping back to reality, Luo Xing coughed nervously. “I—I’m changing now!”

Fumbling slightly, he started unbuttoning his shirt, feeling as if there were needles pricking his back. It took him a long time to take it off.

Underneath, he wore a simple cotton shirt. He slipped the cardigan on, but the sleeves were too long, making him look like a child playing dress-up.

Huo Xingzhou couldn’t help but laugh, rolling up the sleeves for him before stepping back to take a look. “Not bad. Looks good.”

Luo Xing hadn’t thought much about it before, but after hearing that, he suddenly got curious about how he looked. As they went downstairs, he glanced at the mirrored wall in passing.

The cardigan suited him, but it made him look too thin. It was also a bit small, making him seem like a kid stealing an adult’s clothes—loose and ill-fitting.

…How was this good-looking?

Just as they finished prepping, the doorbell rang.