NASAY CH 63

Wu Suyan cupped her face, looking blissfully content as she daydreamed.
“Ah, everything is perfect now. When you two start university, don’t bother staying in dorms—I’ll buy you an apartment. After graduation, you’ll get married. You should follow Chang’an’s example and have a little one for me to dote on. I’ll retire and take care of my grandchild. Just thinking about it makes me so happy!”

The more Luo Xing listened, the more embarrassed he became. His face was flushed as he took shallow breaths, afraid that if he reacted too strongly, people would notice something was off.

Still, he followed along with Mother Huo’s words and imagined their future together. His fingers unconsciously fiddled with the ring—it all felt so unreal.

Half a year ago, Huo Xingzhou didn’t even know he existed. Back then, Luo Xing had only been secretly watching him from afar, admiring him.

Four months ago, they had just finalized their plans to take the entrance exam for the same university. Huo Xingzhou had been carefully encouraging him, urging him to study hard.

And now, everything had cleared up. They would live together in the future. He had gained the approval of the entire Huo family. And… and they would get married. One day, they might even have a child—someone who would call them “Dad.”

The happiness was overwhelming, almost suffocating.

The more Luo Xing thought about it, the dizzier he felt, as if he might faint. He peeked at the front seat, only to find Wu Suyan still watching him. Startled, he quickly asked,
“Hu- Huo Mom, w-why are you looking at me like that?”

“Hm?”
Wu Suyan raised an eyebrow.

Luo Xing saw her expression change slightly and immediately realized his mistake. In a soft voice, he corrected himself, “Mom.”

Wu Suyan’s smile returned instantly. She had just opened her mouth to speak when Huo Xingzhou suddenly grabbed Luo Xing’s wrist, pulling him into his arms and pressing him down onto his lap.
“Alright, time to sleep. You two sound like a pair of in-laws squabbling. Stop trying to steal my wife.”

Luo Xing’s face burned as he was held in place. At a loss for words, he decided to just pretend to be asleep.

By the time they reached home later that night, Huo Xingzhou carried him out of the car, took him upstairs, and placed him gently on the bed.

Luo Xing rubbed his eyes, still a little dazed.
“Are we… home?”

“Yeah,”
Huo Xingzhou replied. He helped him take off his coat, tucked him under the blanket, then climbed in beside him, wrapping an arm around him. “Are you hungry?”

Luo Xing shook his head. The day had been so chaotic that he hadn’t eaten much, but the emotional ups and downs had left him too restless to feel hunger.

“If you’re not hungry and not sleepy, then let’s talk about something important.”
Huo Xingzhou propped himself up on one arm, gazing at him, his fingers gently pinching Luo Xing’s earlobe.

Luo Xing hesitated before nodding.
“What do you want to talk about?”

Huo Xingzhou’s fingers traced over Luo Xing’s cheek, his tone carrying a hint of pain.
“My parents and grandparents are probably fine with things now. As for my uncle and his family, today basically tore everything apart. We don’t have to deal with them anymore. I’m sorry you had to go through all that.”

Luo Xing pulled his hand down, hugging it to his chest. In a small voice, he said,
“It’s okay. It didn’t really hurt.”

“You have me now. You’re not alone anymore. If you ever feel wronged or upset, you have to tell me. Stop bottling everything up.”

Luo Xing nodded lightly. After a moment of hesitation, he sat up from Huo Xingzhou’s embrace.

Huo Xingzhou looked at him in confusion.
“Do you need something? Do you need to go to the bathroom?”

Luo Xing shook his head. His face burned with embarrassment as he shrank back slightly. His voice was so quiet it was almost inaudible. “I… I want to kiss you.”

Huo Xingzhou froze.

He thought he had misheard. He stared in shock for several seconds before abruptly pulling Luo Xing higher up in his arms. His voice turned husky.
“Baby, what did you just say?”

“N-Nothing!”
Luo Xing quickly denied.

Huo Xingzhou looked at his flushed face, red enough to drip blood. He swallowed hard, forcing down the heat rising inside him. In a low voice, he said,
“Then… can I kiss you instead?”

Luo Xing slowly closed his eyes, shyly moving closer. On instinct, he licked his lips before pressing them against the bruised area on Huo Xingzhou’s face, his tongue lightly grazing over the wound.

Huo Xingzhou’s grip on his hand tightened even more, a fire igniting in his chest, burning away the last remnants of his rationality until nothing was left but ashes scattered by the wind.

Luo Xing shrank back, burying himself in Huo Xingzhou’s embrace, too shy to lift his head. He could feel the heavy rise and fall of Huo Xingzhou’s chest, making him even more embarrassed. In reality, his own heart… was beating even faster.

The two of them held each other in silence for a while.

Luo Xing took a deep breath, then slowly lifted his head from Huo Xingzhou’s arms and whispered,
“What Grandpa said… I’ve thought about it too. I don’t know if I can do well, or if I’ll end up dragging you down. What my mom said—well, I can’t say she was completely wrong either. Some of it must have been true. I just…”

Huo Xingzhou hummed in acknowledgment, continuing for him,
“So if Grandpa really doesn’t allow us to be together, would you actually break up with me?”

Luo Xing lowered his gaze, then shook his head.
“I don’t know either. Just being loved by you already makes me luckier than most people. In life, we can’t have everything we want. I could fight anyone for you, but I can’t fight your family. But as long as you want me, even if one day you don’t… I still wouldn’t be with anyone else. I’m yours.”

Huo Xingzhou was momentarily stunned. He had always been the one reassuring Luo Xing, always giving him certainty. Why was Luo Xing suddenly saying this now?

Luo Xing paused, then tightened his grip on Huo Xingzhou’s hand, holding it close to his chest.
“I have a lot of flaws, but I will become better—so much better. No matter how hard things get, I’ll endure them with you. I want to be someone you can rely on too. But until then… you can’t leave me.”

Huo Xingzhou felt a jolt in his heart. Now he understood.

“What Grandpa worries about has never been something I worry about. You’ve always been good, from the very beginning,”
Huo Xingzhou let out a breath, smiling helplessly.

Grandpa’s question today had tested them both. Huo Xingzhou had to be responsible for Luo Xing, and at the same time, Luo Xing had to be responsible for his own choices.

Perhaps, because of his own family and parents, Luo Xing had been reflecting on this again, wanting to reaffirm their relationship.

Silly boy.

“You can’t choose your parents, but you can choose your boyfriend. Since you picked me out of a vast sea of people, then I’m yours now,”
Huo Xingzhou said, before deliberately adding in a fierce tone,
“If you dare abandon me, I’ll just die right in front of you.”

Luo Xing was amused and chuckled.
“I would never.”

Huo Xingzhou burst into laughter and pulled him into a tight hug, patting his back soothingly.
“Alright, sleep now.”

The Seventh Day After the New Year – The First Day of School

Huo Yansheng had a flexible job and was still at home, while Wu Suyan had been running around busily since the third day of the new year, sending countless messages to remind them what to eat each day.

Luo Xing and Huo Xingzhou packed up their winter holiday homework and school bags. When they came downstairs, Huo Yansheng was carrying a tray of porridge out of the kitchen. He glanced up and said,
“Wash your hands and come eat. I’ll drive you to school later.”

Huo Xingzhou scoffed.
“Don’t you have work today? Since when do you have time to take us to school? You didn’t even drive me to elementary school, but now that you have a son-in-law, things are different, huh? Personally driving us there—is it really worth it?”

“Watch your mouth,”
Huo Yansheng shot him a sideways glance as he removed his apron.
“I’m going to the school to discuss a contract with your principal. If you don’t want to ride with me, take a cab yourself.”

“…”

Huo Xingzhou was silent for a long moment before muttering, “I choose to shut up.”

Luo Xing watched their playful banter with a warm feeling in his heart. He didn’t join in, simply smiling as he quietly served food for the three of them.

Just as he was about to sit down, his phone vibrated. He looked down, still smiling, but the moment he saw the message, his expression froze.

Luo Zhiyuan had sent a photo of himself just before entering the operating room.

@BuYuanXing: Xingxing, thank you. But where did you get the money for my surgery?

Luo Xing furrowed his brows and instinctively glanced at Huo Yansheng, who was still in the kitchen, and Huo Xingzhou, who was washing his hands. He bit his lip unconsciously and replied:

—Focus on your surgery. Wishing you a smooth recovery.

Almost immediately, another message arrived.

@BuYuanXing: Be honest with me. Did you… do something? I’m not worth it. If you don’t tell me the truth, I won’t go through with the surgery. I can’t let you ruin both the first half and the second half of your life because of me.

Luo Xing didn’t react at first. He read the message over and over again, dissecting every word, trying to understand what he meant.

Does he always assume the worst about people?

If I don’t tell him the truth, he won’t do the surgery?

First, he tricked me into going to Beishi to donate. Now he thinks he has the right to threaten me again?

All his words, all his actions—everything was decided by him.

Luo Xing’s hand trembled as he gripped his phone. Every fiber of his being, every cell in his body, burned with frustration. He wanted to smash his phone, to erase those messages from existence.

Even someone with the best temper would be furious. He couldn’t hold back his ridicule anymore.

—Do you think money can only be earned by selling something? First of all, you’re right. You’re not worth it. I would never sell myself for you.

—Second, do you really think finding a matching donor, covering your surgery expenses, post-operative care, and flight tickets could be done with just money? You’ve lived this long, and you’re still this naive?

—Don’t use your own twisted mindset to assume others have fallen. Let me ask you bluntly—what compensation do you think you can offer me? Money? Or the so-called fatherly love that never existed? Don’t you find it laughable to even say those words?

—I already have a father, and he is ten thousand times better than you. If you recover, please do me a favor—just like before, act as if I don’t exist in this world. Thank you.

Luo Xing typed out the message at lightning speed, not giving the other party any chance to respond before blocking him outright. This was the first time he had ever spoken so harshly to someone, and it brought him a sense of vindictive satisfaction.

He had never lashed out at anyone like this before, yet saying these words filled him with an unexpected sense of relief. He no longer cared about the consequences. He just didn’t want to have anything to do with that man anymore.

Whether Luo Zhiyuan was healthy or happy had nothing to do with him in the past, and it wouldn’t in the future either.

As for his so-called “compensation,” he could give it to whoever he pleased.

Luo Xing… from this moment on, he had a father now.

His name was Huo Yansheng.

A truly good and kind father.

Though he wasn’t like Wu Suyan, who meticulously cared for him with gentle words and affectionate gestures, Huo Yansheng treated him in a way that felt natural—talking to him, acting around him as if he had always been his son.

Luo Xing was content. He no longer longed for something that had never existed and had never been perfect.

“Eat your food. Stop playing with your phone,”
Huo Yansheng called out as he walked out of the kitchen, glancing at him lightly. Then, as if remembering something, he added,
“The finalized cover for Blood in the Wind is ready. I’ll send it to you after breakfast. They said your handwriting is really beautiful.”

“R-Really?”
Luo Xing’s gloom instantly vanished as he looked at Huo Yansheng with surprise and joy.

“Mhmm. Now hurry up and eat.”