NASAY CH 53

Just as Luo Xing was about to get up, Huo Xingzhou pressed down on his shoulder.
“You sit here, I’ll go get the door.”

Luo Xing nodded, sitting up straight nervously as he watched him walk to the entrance.

From where he was sitting, he couldn’t see the person outside clearly, nor could he hear what they were saying. Just as he was about to stand up, he saw Huo Xingzhou close the door, his expression not looking too great.

“Who… who was it?”
Luo Xing couldn’t help but get up.

Huo Xingzhou said,
“Someone selling things.”
Then he reached out and took Luo Xing’s hand, subtly touching his face before smiling and asking,
“Feng Jia and the others will be here in a bit. We’ll probably be up all night, maybe even pull an all-nighter. Can you handle it?”

Luo Xing was startled.
“You guys are going to eat for that long? Are they staying over too?”

If they found out that he was staying at Huo Xingzhou’s place, how was he supposed to explain it?

Huo Xingzhou couldn’t hold back a chuckle.
“We’re playing games. My family has a home theater system—my dad spent a fortune on it. Every time he’s not home, they come over to play and mess around. You should go upstairs and take a nap first. I’ll wake you up when they get here.”

Other than doing homework, Luo Xing had never stayed up all night doing anything before, so he was a little curious and nodded.
“Are you going to sleep too?”

“Oh?”

Huo Xingzhou laughed and stared into his eyes for a long time.

“Is there something on my face?”
Luo Xing asked curiously, touching his face but finding nothing there. When he looked up again, he was suddenly pulled closer.

Huo Xingzhou pressed him toward himself and asked in a low voice,
“Are you inviting me?”

Originally, those words were harmless, but when he said them like that, they suddenly took on a different meaning. Luo Xing hurriedly denied it.
“That’s not what I meant, I—”

“Then what do you mean?”
Huo Xingzhou leaned in closer, his voice teasing.
“Little obedient one.”

The two of them were on the stairs. Luo Xing didn’t dare to struggle too much for fear that they might fall. Because of that, Huo Xingzhou took advantage of the situation, slipping his cold fingers under the hem of Luo Xing’s shirt.

Since he had just washed vegetables, his fingertips were still soaked and freezing. As soon as they touched Luo Xing’s skin, he shivered and let out a low protest. Then, feeling embarrassed, he quickly stifled it.

“If that’s too much for you, we can do something else instead,”
Huo Xingzhou said, holding onto his waist. He clearly felt the warmth of Luo Xing’s soft skin and the small goosebumps rising there. Lowering his head slowly, he deliberately exhaled softly against his face, speaking each word with deliberate slowness.
“Do you want to?”

Luo Xing was so nervous he could barely move. He watched as Huo Xingzhou’s face drew closer, his grip tightening, his eyes slightly closing, long black eyelashes casting shadows over his cheeks. Without realizing it, Luo Xing closed his own eyes as well.

But suddenly, Huo Xingzhou opened his eyes again. Seeing Luo Xing’s slightly upturned face, he didn’t continue. Instead, he reached up and lightly tapped his forehead, laughing.
“Am I supposed to take this posture as you asking me for a kiss?”

!!!

“……”

Luo Xing opened his eyes, seeing Huo Xingzhou smiling at him with obvious amusement. He froze for a second before realizing what had just happened. His face instantly flushed red.

“…No, I—I’m going to sleep.”

Without waiting for a response, he quickly tried to run away, but Huo Xingzhou grabbed his wrist in an instant.

Luo Xing turned his head.

Huo Xingzhou was standing two steps below him. This time, he didn’t hesitate. With a tug, he pulled Luo Xing down toward him, tilting his head up to capture his lips, deepening the kiss, teasing and tempting him to follow.

Luo Xing was startled, lowering his head into the kiss, this time seeming more like he was the one initiating it.

“Mm…”

“Don’t move.”

Huo Xingzhou pulled back slightly, his lips barely separating as he licked at them, whispering,
“Little rabbit, be good. Open your mouth and let me in.”

At first, Luo Xing hesitated, his tongue shrinking back in embarrassment. But Huo Xingzhou only tightened his grip and kissed him harder.

His hands slid up Luo Xing’s back, making him shiver slightly. As if seeking mercy, Luo Xing hesitantly parted his lips just a little. Immediately, Huo Xingzhou took advantage, capturing his tongue and lightly sucking on it.

Luo Xing’s eyes widened in shock. How… how could he…

For a moment, his mind went completely blank. He couldn’t think of any words to describe what was happening, nor did he know how to refuse. He could only instinctively accept this overwhelming invasion.

After a long while, Huo Xingzhou finally let go of the nearly breathless Luo Xing. He reached up to wipe a bit of saliva from the corner of Luo Xing’s lips, his smile deepening.
“Ah, Teacher Luo is too sweet. I couldn’t help myself. Sorry.”

“You…”

Luo Xing took several deep breaths, quickly peeling Huo Xingzhou’s hands off his waist. He blinked a few times, said nothing, and immediately ran upstairs.

“I’m going to sleep.”

Huo Xingzhou watched as Luo Xing ran away faster than a rabbit, looking like he was afraid of getting caught again. He couldn’t help but chuckle before turning to go downstairs and open the door.

Zhao Jiulan had been standing at the door for a while.

It was nearly the New Year, and the weather had turned bitterly cold. She felt as if the wind had almost frozen her face, so she instinctively raised a hand to rub it for warmth.

By chance, she lifted her head and caught sight of her own disheveled reflection in the spotless glass. She abruptly lowered her hand.

Only then did she realize—she was already thirty-seven years old. She was no longer young.

Even though she was dressed impeccably, well-groomed and neat, she had to admit—she was getting older, step by step.

She looked up at the exquisitely luxurious Huo family villa and then thought of her own rundown little courtyard. The resentment in her heart deepened.

Once, she could have had a bright future. She could have lived a life of privilege and ease.

But…

Zhao Jiulan closed her eyes, remembering a man from her past. He had been witty and charming, always dressed in impeccably tailored suits. His features had been refined and gentle.

Now, however, he had become pale and gaunt, like a shriveled apple drying out day by day.

This man—whom she had hated for most of her life—shared strikingly similar features with Luo Xing. The same character, the same mannerisms.

No. She wasn’t sure anymore.

The moment she saw him again, it felt like she no longer recognized him.

Luo Zhiyuan.

Yesterday, he had come to find her. She had stood there, staring at the man in front of her, stunned into silence for a full five minutes.

The quiet stretched between them. Neither spoke first, as if both were waiting for the other, yet neither knew how to break the ice after years of separation.

She stood still for a long time before finally speaking.

“What are you doing here?”
Zhao Jiulan sneered coldly.

Luo Zhiyuan had forced himself to endure the pain in his bones to come. After what Huo Xingzhou had told him, he couldn’t stop thinking about Luo Xing’s ear and his frail, thin body.

He could no longer sit still. He had to find her and get an explanation.

“Where’s Xingxing?”
Luo Zhiyuan still carried some guilt, but seeing her remain so cold and distant, he abandoned any pretense of courtesy and got straight to the point.

“What does that have to do with you?”
Zhao Jiulan sneered without a trace of politeness.
“Is he even related to you?”

Luo Zhiyuan’s legs nearly gave out from the pain. He gripped the doorframe for support and took a strained breath.
“Jiulan, don’t argue with me. He’s your son, but he’s also my son.”

That single phrase shattered Zhao Jiulan’s last bit of restraint.

She suddenly screamed, her shrill voice sharp enough to pierce the eardrums.

Hearing the distressing sound, Grandma Zhou hurried over from next door.

“What’s wrong, dear? What happened?”

Zhao Jiulan forced a stiff smile for the elderly woman.
“It’s nothing, Grandma. You should go back to what you were doing.”

Grandma Zhou looked uneasily at the man leaning against the doorframe, then at Zhao Jiulan’s cold, detached expression. Thinking it was a private family matter, she hesitated before eventually heading back.

Luo Zhiyuan gritted his teeth, suppressing his anger.
“If you didn’t want him, why didn’t you tell me? If you didn’t want to raise him, why did you give birth to him?”

“My feelings about him are none of your concern,”
Zhao Jiulan said through clenched teeth.
“Who do you think you are to interfere in my life?” She sneered.

“What? Did he run to you and complain? How nice—he even managed to find you.”

Luo Zhiyuan shook his head in disappointment.
“Even now, after all these years, you still hate me. Fine. Even if you hate me, why take it out on the child? What did he ever do wrong?”

“What did he do wrong?”
Zhao Jiulan’s eyes turned icy, sharp as daggers as she stepped toward him.
“You ask me what he did wrong? Then tell me—what did I do wrong?”

“Zhao Jiulan!”
Luo Zhiyuan’s voice deepened, his chest rising and falling in agitation, as if the pain in his body was worsening.
“I’ve always taken responsibility for what happened! Yes, I was drunk, but you were the one who took the initiative! I never had to be responsible for you!”

“That’s right.”
Zhao Jiulan tilted her head, her voice calm.
“That’s why I never asked you to take responsibility. I left.”

“You—”
Luo Zhiyuan was momentarily speechless.

Her impenetrable attitude made his blood boil. He clutched his chest, taking deep breaths to steady himself before finally speaking again.

“Fine. Then tell me—if you didn’t want me to be responsible, why did you give him my surname? Why, after all these years, can’t you let go of the past?”

Why couldn’t she let go?

The sudden question seemed to leave her stunned, and in an instant, the tense atmosphere returned to silence.

Zhao Jiulan was dazed for a moment, then heard him speak in a low voice,
“Luo Xing is innocent. Since you gave birth to him, why can’t you give him a little love? You are his mother—you carried him for ten months and brought him into this world.”

“He even told you that?”
Zhao Jiulan’s tone still carried a trace of sarcasm, though it was not as sharp as before. It was unclear what she was thinking about.

Luo Zhiyuan countered,
“If you didn’t want him, why didn’t you let me take him away? Did mistreating him, hitting him until he lost his hearing, bring you happiness? Did it make you hate me any less?”

The momentary calm was shattered as Zhao Jiulan exploded like a firecracker, bristling with hostility.
“What? You and your lover aren’t happy, so you come looking for trouble with me?”

“Can’t you be reasonable for once? Zhao Jiulan, I’m sincerely asking you—if you really don’t love Luo Xing, then please give him to me. I will take good care of him. And if you meet someone you like, stop clinging to this hatred and try to pursue happiness, alright?”

Luo Zhiyuan could no longer stand her temper; every conversation with her turned into an exchange of barbs.

As soon as he said that, Zhao Jiulan’s face turned ashen. She clenched her teeth and, without hesitation, slapped him hard across the face, as if his words were the greatest insult to her.

Luo Zhiyuan couldn’t dodge in time and took the slap head-on.
“You’re insane!”

Zhao Jiulan let out a cold laugh, her hands tightening into fists as she spat,
“Yes, I’m insane. I went crazy the day you and your lover flaunted your relationship in front of me and ruthlessly humiliated me.”

A long silence followed.

“Fine, I’ll tell you why I gave birth to Luo Xing.”

Zhao Jiulan turned around, lifting her head high. Tears slipped down the corners of her eyes, tracing her pale cheeks before disappearing into her hair.

“I hated you. I wanted you to regret it for the rest of your life. You and your lover will never have a biological son, and Luo Xing is your only child.”

She paused, as if something had suddenly struck her. Her throat tightened, and she couldn’t make a sound for a long time.

Luo Zhiyuan fell silent as well. He couldn’t accept such a reason. The girl who had once been so pure and beautiful—how had she turned into this?

“I knew your parents never accepted your relationship. But with a child, they would cherish him and demand that you marry me.”

Zhao Jiulan wiped away her tears, took a deep breath, and turned back with a smile.
“But I regretted it. The day Luo Xing lost his hearing, I regretted it. I want you… and your whole family… to suffer even more pain than I did.”

Luo Zhiyuan was furious. Enraged, he lunged at her, but in the end, he couldn’t bring himself to strike her. His hand stopped just inches away from her face.

He looked at Zhao Jiulan’s reddened eyes, then gritted his teeth and withdrew his hand, his knuckles cracking from the pressure.
“You… You are utterly unreasonable!”

“If he’s already gone crying to you, then I won’t bother hiding it anymore. Yes, I hate him. I have never loved him, not even for a single day…”

“It wasn’t him who came to me to complain—I’m dying, so I was the one who sought him out!”

Luo Zhiyuan couldn’t hold back anymore. He hadn’t wanted to say it, but he couldn’t let Luo Xing be misunderstood any further.

That child was incredibly kind. Luo Zhiyuan could see it—despite everything, Luo Xing still loved her, even if that love was buried deep, buried heavy.

Zhao Jiulan was stunned. She stared blankly at Luo Zhiyuan’s haggard appearance.

“What… do you mean?”

Luo Zhiyuan closed his eyes for a moment and said,
“I have leukemia. There hasn’t been a suitable donor match. That’s why Xicheng, after coincidentally meeting Luo Xing, brought him to see me, hoping he could donate bone marrow.”

“……”

Zhao Jiulan remained silent for a long time before suddenly laughing.
“I thought you were at least nobler than me, but it turns out you’re even more shameless.”

—

“Ms. Zhao, what brings you here?”

Huo Xingzhou pulled the door open, ruthlessly dragging her out of her memories.

Zhao Jiulan’s eyes snapped open. She awkwardly averted her gaze before forcing out a dry laugh after a long pause.
“Is Luo Xing home?”

Huo Xingzhou frowned, not giving her any courtesy as he blocked the doorway, crossing his arms as he leaned against the doorframe.
“You want to see him?”

“No…”
Zhao Jiulan hurriedly denied it.
“No, I just need you to relay a message to him, if that’s alright.”

“Hm?”
Huo Xingzhou raised an eyebrow and let out a mocking laugh.
“What? Are you here to cause trouble today? But I’m not your son—you can’t hit me.”

Hearing the undisguised sarcasm and hostility in his voice, Zhao Jiulan clenched her fingers. She glanced past him toward the interior of the house, her gaze growing a little more complicated.
“I just… wanted to ask you if Luo Xing is going to donate his bone marrow.”

Huo Xingzhou’s expression immediately turned cold, but he didn’t respond right away. Instead, he just stared at her face, suppressing the urge to slam the door in her face.

He wanted to hear what this woman had to say.

She wasn’t seriously expecting Luo Xing to donate his bone marrow, was she? He had originally not wanted Luo Xing to have a mother in prison, but if that was the case, she could go ahead and become a lifetime member there.

Zhao Jiulan gritted her teeth and looked up at Huo Xingzhou.
“No, I’m not asking him to donate.”

“Then what are you doing here today?”
Huo Xingzhou lazily lifted his eyelids and smirked.
“Are you here to put on some kind of repentance act in front of me? Forget it. I’m not Luo Xing—I’m not buying it.”

Feeling the growing hostility in his tone, Zhao Jiulan hesitated, unable to say anything more. After a long moment, she just shook her head.
“If it’s confirmed that he hasn’t donated, then that’s all. I’ll be leaving.”

Huo Xingzhou watched as she left in a hurry, and suddenly, he couldn’t understand her.

Did she really come all this way just to ask if Luo Xing had donated bone marrow?

What kind of nonsense was that?

Zhao Jiulan walked a long way before glancing back at Huo Xingzhou. Her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she turned around without speaking.

Just as Huo Xingzhou was about to close the door, he noticed a taxi stopping across the street. Feng Jia and a few others got out and happened to pass by Zhao Jiulan.

The two sides gave each other slight nods as a greeting before Zhao Jiulan got into the taxi and left.

Li Lefan cheerfully ran inside, slipping through the door in a flash. He took off his down jacket, hung it on the coat rack, and rubbed his hands together, cursing the cold.

Feng Jia, for once, walked a little slower. He looked back at Zhao Jiulan several times before finally frowning and asking Huo Xingzhou, “What was she doing at your place?”

“You know her?”

“Of course. She’s a distant relative of mine—same generation as my little uncle.”

Seeing Huo Xingzhou frown slightly, as if he didn’t remember, Feng Jia added,
“Xing Xiuzhu! You know, the one from gaming?”

Huo Xingzhou nodded.
“Your little uncle’s last name is Jing, but her last name is Zhao. How are you related?”

“Oh, we’re not really related. Just distant.”
Feng Jia gestured vaguely as he thought about how to explain.
“My little uncle is my family’s real uncle, but she was from my grandmother’s generation. Because of some past favor, she was taken in as a goddaughter, and that’s how we became connected. But I think they had a falling-out later.”

Huo Xingzhou frowned slightly as he looked at him but didn’t say anything.

Feng Jia was quiet for a moment before smiling.
“Honestly, it makes sense. A favor should be repaid, but I heard she caused my grandmother to lose a child and never have another. That’s why my little uncle was born so late. Eventually, my grandmother couldn’t stand it anymore and moved away.”

“Your grandmother’s generation moved away, but you still know her?”
Huo Xingzhou scoffed.
“Trying to take advantage of old ties?”

“Pfft!”
Feng Jia snorted.
“Do I look like that kind of person?”

“She’s already long gone, and you’re still looking after her? Get in, or I’m shutting the door.”
Huo Xingzhou, who hadn’t dressed warmly, was already freezing from standing outside for so long. His face darkened as he urged him inside.

“She looks a lot like her mother—her features are about seventy to eighty percent similar.”
Feng Jia hurried inside while taking off his jacket.
“On New Year’s Day, my little uncle came home, and I went to visit him. She happened to come looking for my grandmother for help. But how is she connected to your family?”

Huo Xingzhou glanced upstairs, then finally said,
“…She’s Luo Xing’s mother.”

“Huh?”
Feng Jia was stunned for a few seconds, trying to piece things together in his head. Huo Xingzhou waited, thinking he was about to say something, but after a long time, he still said nothing.

Then, as realization hit him, his eyes widened.
“Wait… so Luo Xing is my distant cousin? Oh my god!”

Huo Xingzhou walked ahead, and Feng Jia quickly caught up, throwing an arm around his shoulder with a teasing grin.
“Brother Zhou, ‘where the husband leads, the wife follows.’ Call me cousin—let me hear it!”

Huo Xingzhou turned his head, smiling at him in a deceptively friendly manner.
“Say that again—what do you want me to call you?”

“Just call me Feng Liver, no need to be formal! Hahaha—cough, cough.”
Feng Jia dodged into the kitchen, rubbing his hands together as he looked at the neatly arranged vegetables and meat on the three-tiered serving cart.
“Hey, where’s my cousin?”

Huo Xingzhou had just reached the stairs, planning to call Luo Xing down, but hearing that, he turned back. Feng Jia immediately changed his wording without missing a beat.
“I mean, where’s my sister-in-law? Why isn’t he coming down to accept our respects?”

“Watch your words. Go back and fix that mess of nonsense,”
Huo Xingzhou warned, shooting him a look before heading upstairs.

He pushed open the door.

Whether it was because of his warning or because Luo Xing was genuinely exhausted, he had already fallen asleep.

His clothes were neatly hung on the coat rack at the end of the bed, his slippers were placed properly beside it, and his entire body was curled up under the thick blankets, with only a small, flushed face exposed.

Huo Xingzhou reached under the blanket and felt a bit of damp warmth. He tugged at the corner of the blanket lightly.

Luo Xing’s eyelashes fluttered slightly, but instead of waking up, he snuggled deeper into the covers.

Catching sight of his phone on the bed, Huo Xingzhou chuckled and picked it up. Just as he was about to press the lock screen, he suddenly froze.

He stared blankly at the screen for a long time, rubbing his eyes hard before realizing it wasn’t an illusion.

The screen displayed a photo.

It was of him sleeping.

Luo Xing, with a nervous furrow between his brows, was leaning in to kiss him. The image was slightly blurred, likely due to trembling hands, with a large residual shadow.

He recognized the clothes he was wearing in the picture—it was from the time he got drunk.

So, this kid had taken care of him that night, but instead of just tucking him into bed, he had secretly kissed him?

Huo Xingzhou couldn’t help but laugh softly, tapping the screen to zoom in. But then, he suddenly recalled something.

Back when he was a child, he had once gone with Ye Qiaoqiao to visit Xue Jian. It got late, so they stayed over at his house. The next morning, he had spotted a mulberry tree nearby.

Ye Qiaoqiao wanted some, but Xue Jian refused to climb it. So he climbed up himself and noticed a mute child sitting in a small house nearby.

He didn’t like candy, and the ones Ye Qiaoqiao gave him were getting in the way in his pocket, so he casually tossed one to that mute child.

So…

The man Luo Xing had been looking for all these years…

Was actually him?

Luo Zhiyuan closed his eyes and said,
“I have leukemia and haven’t been able to find a suitable match. So when Xicheng happened to meet Luo Xing, he asked him to come see me, hoping he would donate bone marrow to me.”

“……”
Zhao Jiulan remained silent for a long time before suddenly laughing. “I thought you were nobler than me, but it turns out you’re even more shameless.”

Before she could say anything more, a voice interrupted her.

“Ms. Zhao, what brings you here?”

Huo Xingzhou pulled open the door, jolting her out of her memories.

Zhao Jiulan’s eyes widened as she hurriedly averted her gaze, looking embarrassed. After a long pause, she forced a dry smile and asked,
“Is Luo Xing here?”

Huo Xingzhou frowned slightly, blocking the doorway without any courtesy. He crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe.
“You want to see him?”

“No…”
Zhao Jiulan quickly denied it.
“No, I just wanted to ask you to pass on a message to him. Can you?”

“Hmm?”
Huo Xingzhou raised an eyebrow and chuckled mockingly.
“What? You came here to cause trouble for me today? But I’m not your son—you can’t lay a hand on me.”

Hearing the undisguised sarcasm and hostility in his voice, Zhao Jiulan clenched her fingers tightly. She looked past him toward the house, her gaze becoming complicated.
“I just… wanted to ask if Luo Xing is going to donate his bone marrow.”

Huo Xingzhou’s expression instantly turned cold. He didn’t respond immediately, just stared at her with suppressed anger, resisting the urge to slam the door in her face.

He wanted to hear what this woman had to say.

Could she really be here to ask Luo Xing to donate his bone marrow? He had once refrained from letting Luo Xing have a criminal mother, but if that was her intention, then she might as well go straight to jail.

Zhao Jiulan bit her lip and looked up at Huo Xingzhou.
“No, I’m not asking him to donate.”

“Then why did you come here today?”
Huo Xingzhou’s eyelids lifted slightly as he sneered.
“Trying to put on an act of regret in front of me? Forget it. I’m not Luo Xing—I won’t fall for that.”

Feeling his rising hostility, Zhao Jiulan grew visibly uncomfortable, unable to say anything more. After a long moment, she shook her head.
“Since it’s confirmed that he’s not donating, then I’ll leave.”

Huo Xingzhou watched her flee in embarrassment and suddenly found her actions puzzling.

Did she really come all this way just to ask whether Luo Xing had donated his bone marrow?

Is she crazy?

Zhao Jiulan walked a long distance before turning back to glance at Huo Xingzhou. She moved her lips as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she said nothing and turned back around.

Just as Huo Xingzhou was about to close the door, he noticed a taxi pulling up on the opposite street. Feng Jia and a few others stepped out, brushing past Zhao Jiulan.

They nodded slightly in greeting, and Zhao Jiulan got into the taxi and left.

Li Lefan grinned as he dashed inside, throwing off his down jacket and hanging it on the coat rack before rubbing his hands together.
“Damn, it’s cold.”

For once, Feng Jia walked slower than usual. He glanced back at Zhao Jiulan a few times before frowning and asking Huo Xingzhou,
“What was she doing at your place?”

“You know her?”

“Yeah, she’s a distant aunt of mine, from my little uncle’s generation.”

Seeing that Huo Xingzhou frowned slightly as if he couldn’t recall, Feng Jia added,
“Jing Xiuzhu! The one we play games with!”

Huo Xingzhou nodded.
“Your uncle’s surname is Jing, and hers is Zhao. How are they related?”

“They’re not actually family,”
Feng Jia explained with a hand gesture.
“My uncle is my actual uncle, but she was taken in as a goddaughter by my grandma’s generation due to some past gratitude. That’s how our families got connected, but apparently, they fell out later.”

Huo Xingzhou frowned slightly and didn’t say anything.

Feng Jia was silent for a moment before laughing.
“It makes sense. A favor should be repaid, but I heard that she caused my grandma to lose a child and never have another, which is why my uncle was born so late. Eventually, my grandma couldn’t tolerate it anymore and moved away.”

“If your grandma’s generation already moved, how do you still know her?”
Huo Xingzhou scoffed.
“Trying to mooch off connections?”

“Hey, do I look like that kind of person?” Feng Jia huffed.

“She’s long gone now, and you’re still staring? Get inside already, or I’m closing the door,”
Huo Xingzhou said impatiently, feeling the cold seeping into his bones from standing outside too long.

“She looks a lot like her mother—her facial features are about seventy to eighty percent similar,”
Feng Jia said as he stepped inside, taking off his jacket.
“During New Year’s, my uncle came home, and I went to visit him. I happened to see her coming to ask my grandma for help. But why is she involved with your family?”

Huo Xingzhou glanced upstairs before replying,
“…Luo Xing’s mother.”

“Huh?”
Feng Jia froze for a few seconds, trying to process it.

Then, as realization hit him, his eyes widened.
“Wait… so Luo Xing is my distant cousin? Oh my god!”

Huo Xingzhou walked ahead, and Feng Jia quickly caught up, throwing an arm around his shoulder with a teasing grin.
“Brother Zhou, ‘where the husband leads, the wife follows.’ Call me cousin—let me hear it!”

Huo Xingzhou turned his head, smiling at him in a deceptively friendly manner.
“Say that again—what do you want me to call you?”

“Just call me Feng Liver, no need to be formal! Hahaha—cough, cough.”
Feng Jia dodged into the kitchen, rubbing his hands together as he looked at the neatly arranged vegetables and meat on the three-tiered serving cart.
“Hey, where’s my cousin?”

Huo Xingzhou had just reached the stairs, planning to call Luo Xing down, but hearing that, he turned back. Feng Jia immediately changed his wording without missing a beat.
“I mean, where’s my sister-in-law? Why isn’t he coming down to accept our respects?”

“Watch your words. Go back and fix that mess of nonsense,”
Huo Xingzhou warned, shooting him a look before heading upstairs.

He pushed open the door.

Whether it was because of his warning or because Luo Xing was genuinely exhausted, he had already fallen asleep.

His clothes were neatly hung on the coat rack at the end of the bed, his slippers were placed properly beside it, and his entire body was curled up under the thick blankets, with only a small, flushed face exposed.

Huo Xingzhou reached under the blanket and felt a bit of damp warmth. He tugged at the corner of the blanket lightly.

Luo Xing’s eyelashes fluttered slightly, but instead of waking up, he snuggled deeper into the covers.

Catching sight of his phone on the bed, Huo Xingzhou chuckled and picked it up. Just as he was about to press the lock screen, he suddenly froze.

He stared blankly at the screen for a long time, rubbing his eyes hard before realizing it wasn’t an illusion.

The screen displayed a photo.

It was of him sleeping.

Luo Xing, with a nervous furrow between his brows, was leaning in to kiss him. The image was slightly blurred, likely due to trembling hands, with a large residual shadow.

He recognized the clothes he was wearing in the picture—it was from the time he got drunk.

So, this kid had taken care of him that night, but instead of just tucking him into bed, he had secretly kissed him?

Huo Xingzhou couldn’t help but laugh softly, tapping the screen to zoom in. But then, he suddenly recalled something.

Back when he was a child, he had once gone with Ye Qiaoqiao to visit Xue Jian. It got late, so they stayed over at his house. The next morning, he had spotted a mulberry tree nearby.

Ye Qiaoqiao wanted some, but Xue Jian refused to climb it. So he climbed up himself and noticed a mute child sitting in a small house nearby.

He didn’t like candy, and the ones Ye Qiaoqiao gave him were getting in the way in his pocket, so he casually tossed one to that mute child.

So…

The man Luo Xing had been looking for all these years…

Was actually him?