Chapter 92 Uncle [VIP]
Xing Chao gave a vague reply.
The two walked down the road side by side. Qingran asked, "Where are we going?"
The young man replied, "Just wandering around the neighborhood."
Qingran: "Are you alone? Why don't I come with you?"
“No need,” Xing Chao immediately refused, then realized he might be acting guilty and explained, “I meant it just rained, so the roads around here should be quite difficult to navigate.”
Even though it's difficult, you still have to keep going.
Qingran knew this was an excuse, and a somewhat disappointed and dazed expression appeared on her face. However, she quickly composed herself after confirming that the young man had noticed her.
He forced a smile and said, "Then be careful when you go out."
Xing Chao almost softened and told the truth, so he didn't dare look at the face that made him waver, and turned his face away from the side with the earring, saying, "I know."
The earrings were very small, with a star-shaped, cool silver outer ring and a bright white diamond set inside. Wearing them on Xing Chao's already cool and handsome face, they added a touch of roguish charm.
Qingran reached out and touched it lightly; it looked somewhat familiar.
"Is this a gift from me?"
Perhaps it was due to a different mindset, but even the slightest touch on his ear seemed exceptionally noticeable at that moment, and Xing Chao tried hard to suppress the urge to dodge.
"The birthday present you gave me."
Qingran was surprised: "The feeling inside the box is completely different from when you wear it."
He added, "I feel that it looks better on Chaochao."
Xing Chao's normal skin tone turned bright red from the area around his ears.
Qingran chuckled: "Chaochao, why do you blush so easily when you're shy, just like Changqing? Your ears are so red."
Upon hearing these words, Xing Chao's fluctuating emotions instantly calmed down.
"Sister-in-law, I'll be going now if there's nothing else."
Feeling resistance again, Qingran paused for a moment, then nodded with a slight smile, "Okay, be careful on the road."
"I'll go get some water." He said this as if explaining, and then turned and left.
Xing Chao watched his retreating figure, his right hand suddenly clenching into a fist.
He questioned himself: could physical urges be called lust, but what about not being able to bear seeing the other person down and sad?
Xing Chao turned and went out to confess to his brother.
In the back living room, Qingran took a bottle of mineral water from the refrigerator, unscrewed it, and poured it into a glass, filling it about seven-tenths full. She then screwed the cap back on and put the rest back in the refrigerator.
As he picked up his water glass to drink, he suddenly said, "If Xing Chao were here, we wouldn't need to save any."
[Host, do you want to guess where Xing Chao went?]
There is no internet or surveillance in the mountains, so the system determines where Xing Chao went by judging from the direction he left.
Qingran had actually guessed where Xing Chao would go.
There are only so many things to do in the deep mountains to kill time. Did they really believe the other party's suggestion to just wander around?
Although she knew what was going on, she still asked cooperatively, "Where did you go?"
The system reported positively: [Judging from the direction, he's heading to his brother's grave!]
Qingran: [What do you think he's thinking?]
[Huh? Xing Chao?] The system scratched its head. [I don't know either.]
Qingran didn't expect to get an answer from the system; he was asking himself that question more.
After making substantial progress with him, Xing Chao neither avoided nor sought him out. Instead, he went to Xing Wendao's grave first.
Why did Xing Chao go to see his brother? To have a heart-to-heart talk?
It can't be a confession, can it?
The next day was the anniversary of Xing Wendao's death. In the spirit of taking care of people's mental health, Qingran did nothing that night.
At the same time, Xing Chao told himself before going to sleep: Brother, if you object, don't let me dream about you tonight.
The next day, Xing Chao left the bedroom with a faint bluish tinge under his eyes.
It was obvious that he had another dream last night. Unlike sometimes when he remembered his dreams very clearly, this dream was chaotic and disordered.
All I remember is that it's still related to Yun Qingran.
"..."
We went downstairs to the dining room for a meal, where the old man and Qingran were also at the table.
Qingran noticed Xing Chao's unusually tired appearance and asked in surprise, "Didn't Chao Chao sleep well?"
The old man also looked at Xing Chao, noticed the faint blue under his eyes, and tapped the table to ask, "What's wrong?"
Xing Chao replied that he was fine, and after sitting down, he said, "Last night I suddenly remembered something from when my brother and I were kids, and I had a bit of trouble sleeping."
Xing Wendao's early death was a deep pain in the old man's heart, and upon hearing this, he did not ask any further questions.
Qingran remained unusually silent for a while, then said softly, "I'll continue to bring you milk tonight."
I didn't deliver it last night.
Just as Xing Chao was about to say no, the old man spoke up at the right moment: "Don't stop sending the milk, keep sending it."
The old man's attitude has softened, partly because Qingran insists on drinking a glass of milk every night, which has alleviated Xingchao's sleep disorder.
Xing Chao had tried this method before, but it didn't work.
Although he didn't know why Yun Qingran's treatment was effective, it was a fact that Xing Chao's symptoms had improved, and although the old man didn't say it, he saw it all clearly.
“Yes, Grandpa,” Qingran said respectfully.
Xing Chao immediately shut up.
After breakfast, the servants over there also prepared the incense, candles, and offerings for the worship and put them in the car.
Xing Chao led the way with Qing Ran in his car, the old man sat alone in the middle, and the offerings were loaded onto the cars behind them. The three cars drove out of the open space in front of the building and headed deeper into the mountains.
The rain that fell just two days ago has washed the lush green mountains and forests clean.
Now that the rain has stopped, the sky is as blue as a mirror, and the sun, hidden behind the floating white clouds, casts a bright and brilliant golden light.
The Xing family ancestral tomb was originally located on a gentle mountainside, surrounded by a flat area with a smooth cement road leading directly to the tomb.
The old man was a traditional person, and the worship process was the old-fashioned one he believed in.
Upon arrival, Qingran and Xingchao worked together to move the offerings to the front of the tomb, lit incense and candles and a brazier, and the paper replicas of gold and silver jewelry, carriages and houses burned brightly in the brazier.
The old man put down his cane and silently squatted in front of the brazier to burn paper money.
Qingran and Xingchao exchanged a glance, then silently walked away, leaving space for the old man and Xing Wendao to talk.
The two stood at the edge of the platform, gazing at the distant scenery for a while. When the murmurs behind them faded away, they returned to the grave. The old man had composed himself and stood up again, leaning on his cane.
The two of them went forward and burned some paper money for a while, then stood up and silently bowed three times to the mountain gate, which had no photos.
As Xing Chao bent down, he silently thought to himself:
Brother, what I said yesterday doesn't count. I've been having a lot of dreams lately, so I'm adjusting the conditions today. If you object, then let me continue dreaming today.
Qingran wondered to herself, was he and Changqing paying respects at his own cenotaph?
That night, Xing Chao had another dream, vaguely remembering that he was adventuring and overcoming obstacles with Yun Qingran.
They were locked in a room and had to meet a certain level of lust/desire to get out.
Although he forgot the specifics as soon as he woke up, Xing Chao still thought: "..."
That's not the point. The point is—is his brother opposing it?
"I'll try again tonight," the young man muttered to himself.
If you object, then don't let him dream about it tonight.
Xing Chao slept soundly that night without any dreams and expressed his opposition.
"..."
If you agree, then don't let him dream tonight.
That evening, Xing Chao again attempted to pass the test, expressing his opposition.
"..."
If you agree, let him continue dreaming tonight.
Xing Chao slept soundly that night without any dreams and expressed his opposition.
Many nights passed, and no matter whether Xing Chao changed the condition to dreaming or not dreaming, the answer was always the same: no.
Early in the morning, the sky outside the window was still a dark, deep blue, and the young man who had woken up early was completely wide awake.
After lying in bed with his eyes open for a while, Xing Chao threw off the covers, got up, and went to the bathroom to take a shower. After showering, he opened the curtains and stood in front of the window to watch the busy scene downstairs.
Today is the day the old man is scheduled to return home.
The early risers and drivers quietly packed their luggage downstairs, their figures resembling ancient shadow puppets in the hazy twilight.
Xing Chao had been watching this scene expressionlessly until he inadvertently saw the tall, elegant person standing under the eaves directing things, and his heart skipped a beat.
Gradually, the orange-red sun rose from the eastern mountains, casting a warm glow on the villa nestled deep in the mountains.
As dawn broke, the old man got up.
Qingran and Xingchao accompanied the old man to breakfast in the dining room, and then saw him off to his car.
The old man sitting in the back seat looked through the lowered car window at the taller young man standing side by side not far away, and spoke after a long while.
"I'll be back in a month at the latest."
This was the last vacation he gave Xing Chao.
Once he returns to the city in a month, Xing Chao should learn to take responsibility and become a qualified successor.
“I understand, thank you, Grandpa,” Xing Chao said.
The old man nodded, glanced at Qingran beside him, and then instructed the driver, "Drive."
The car windows slowly rolled up, and the two cars drove off one after the other, disappearing into the winding road.
With the old man's departure, the driver and servants who had accompanied him also left, leaving only Qingran, Xingchao, and a cook in the villa.
As the two turned back, they ran into Uncle Fang, the chef, who was carrying a basket and preparing to leave.
"Where is Uncle Fang going?" Qingran asked.
Uncle Fang had worked for the Xing family for many years and was quite comfortable talking to them. Upon hearing this, he replied, "Brother Wu said that a lot of mushrooms have appeared in the mountains after the rain. I'm going to pick some to cook."
The "Brother Wu" he mentioned was the old driver who always followed the old man around. Qingran and Xing Chao usually addressed him as Uncle Wu.
The mountains are very humid, and it rained a little last night. When Uncle Wu went out to check the road conditions this morning, he found mushrooms growing in the forest. He casually mentioned it when he came back, and Chef Fang remembered it.
Chef Fang has high standards for his cooking skills. This place is remote, and there aren't many kinds of vegetables in the town. If you want to eat something fresh, you have to use your brain and rely on the local resources.
Picking mushrooms is something I'm quite used to.
He looked somewhat tempted, but before he could speak, Xing Chao, who had noticed him, preemptively suggested, "Uncle Fang, I'll go with my sister-in-law. We're just sitting at home doing nothing anyway."
"Can you distinguish between poisonous mushrooms?" Chef Fang hesitated, then convinced himself.
"Okay, you can pick whatever you want. I'll send you some pictures of common edible wild mushrooms later, and I'll sort them out again after you've picked them."
"Then I'll leave it to you?" he confirmed.
Xing Chao looked at the blue dye.
Qingran nodded.
He took the basket, waited for Xing Chao to receive the pictures on his phone, and then strode ahead into the mountains.
Today he was wearing a very thin white silk shirt. The sun was high in the sky, and the bright sunlight shone through the thin fabric, making his slender, flesh-colored silhouette faintly visible.
If this garment gets wet, besides the curves, the color will also become more transparent, right?
Xing Chao's eyes darkened, and his gaze drifted to the overgrown weeds beside him, but soon he couldn't help but return to the figure in front of him.
"Chao Chao, there's a bunch of mushrooms here. See if you can eat them."
"Hmm." The young man responded in a deep voice, then opened the picture on his phone to compare.
The two searched and compared pictures, and apart from the occasional discussion about mushrooms, they didn't have much else to talk about.
Xing Chao quickly realized something was wrong. After thinking about it carefully, he wondered if it was because his tone when he asked his brother to repent last time was too harsh and that his sister-in-law had harbored resentment.
He immediately wanted to explain.
Just then, Qingran, who was walking ahead, stepped on a slippery, wet leaf. Her spiritual energy surged, and suddenly her foot slipped—
"Sister-in-law!" Xing Chao instinctively reached out to grab him, but was pulled down by the inertia of the slippery surface.
In the rush, he only had time to put his hand behind Qingran's head before the two of them fell to the ground with a thud, unable to struggle.
Fortunately, there wasn't much else on the ground except for fallen leaves, or perhaps there was some spiritual power at play, so Xing Chao, who was cushioning the fall, didn't feel much pain.
He didn't even bother to check himself; his first question was to the person lying on his arm: "Are you hurt?"
Qingran was still somewhat shaken. She rolled over, braced herself against the young man's chest, and shook her head: "You shouldn't have stood under me. It was too dangerous."
"We can't just watch my sister-in-law get hurt," Xing Chao said.
"Anyway, I'm so grateful to you just now," Qingran said, making a move to get up.
His hand was pressed against the young man's left atrium, and the strong, regular heartbeat was almost touching his palm.
"Sister-in-law."
A hand suddenly reached out and pressed down on his lower back, preventing him from getting up.
Qingran looked up in confusion and saw the young man staring intently into her dark eyes, saying, "I didn't mean to distance myself from you before, sister-in-law, please don't be so cold to me."
Qingran was speechless.
"I……"
Xing Chao didn't need his explanation; instead, he defended himself: "My previous refusal to let my sister-in-law accompany me wasn't because I wanted to distance myself from her, but because I was a little worried."
Qingran seemed to be led astray by his thoughts: "What are you worried about?"
Xing Chao: "Since my brother passed away, I seem to have become closer and more dependent on my sister-in-law. I'm worried that she might find it annoying."
Why do I feel annoyed?
The young man with refined features frowned slightly, his expression revealing a pure and genuine confusion and bewilderment.
"Don't you ever get bored? Don't you feel like it's too intimate?"
"Of course not," Qingran said helplessly. "Why would you suddenly think that? Did someone whisper something in your ear?"
Xing Chao: "No, it's just that I'm about to officially join Xing's, and I'm afraid my sister-in-law will think I should be more independent."
Qingran's gaze softened, and she reached out to touch the young man's exceptionally defined and striking features, saying, "It's okay for Chaochao not to be so independent in front of me."
The hand that landed on his brow was soft and cool. Xing Chao closed his eyes and could clearly hear his own heartbeat.
"Alright, get up. Aren't you cold lying on the ground?" Qingran patted his chest, signaling him to let go of him.
Xing Chao: "It's not cold." But he obediently let go of her hand.
They got up and brushed the fallen leaves off their clothes, which were so dirty they were unrecognizable.
The basket containing the mushrooms had also been knocked off when they fell, scattering all sorts of mushrooms all over the ground. Fortunately, these things are lightweight and won't break if dropped. The two of them picked them up one by one and put them back in, and the basket was almost full again.
Qingran: "That should be enough. Let's go back. Take a shower and I'll check if your back is injured."
Xing Chao wanted to say he wasn't injured, but then remembered something and swallowed his words back.
Back at the mountain villa, Chef Fang, who was left to watch the dogs, was shocked to see the two men's disheveled appearance: "What happened? Did you fall into a ditch?"
Qingran simply explained, "The mountain path was slippery, and I accidentally slipped and fell, but I'm not seriously injured."
Xing Chao took the initiative and handed the basket out: "Uncle Fang, please check if there are any poisonous mushrooms. My sister-in-law and I are going upstairs to take a bath."
At the same time, stop the black whirlwind from lunging at you and order it to play downstairs.
Chef Fang took the basket and nodded: "Okay, you guys go take a shower. I'll make a mushroom and old hen soup. We'll be downstairs for dinner in about two hours."
Hearing that there was something delicious, Black Whirlwind ran around Chef Fang again.
Chef Fang chuckled and said to the dog in front of him, which he had watched grow up and become more and more intelligent, "Alright, alright, Black Whirlwind will get a share too."
"Woof!" Black Whirlwind barked happily.
Qingran and Xingchao noted down the meal time and went upstairs to their respective rooms to take showers.
Qingran said she would check Xingchao's back for injuries, and after washing up, she put on her bathrobe and left the room.
The door to Xing Chao's bedroom across the hall was open. He paused for a moment and went straight in.
In the room, Xing Chao, who had just finished showering and changed his clothes, was sitting on the sofa, absentmindedly playing on his phone.
"Why didn't you come and wait after you finished washing?" Qingran asked.
Xing Chao looked up when he heard the sound, and what he saw was a dazzling red. Her fair, jade-like skin was faintly visible under the rich, wine-red color, making her look like a red rose in human form.
"...I'm worried it might be inconvenient for my sister-in-law." The young man's voice lowered.
“There’s nothing inconvenient about it,” Qingran said. “Next time you need anything, you can just come to my room and wait for me.”
He approached and gestured for Xing Chao to turn his back to him and take off his shirt.
Xing Chao did as instructed.
After carefully examining the young man's muscular back, Qingran said, "Thankfully, he's not injured."
Xing Chao already knew this, so he didn't show any surprise after hearing this.
He stood with his back to Qingran by the bed, his gaze falling upon a patch of lustrous white and rich red.
His heart was racing involuntarily. The young man took a deep breath silently, and when he spoke again, his voice was unusually low and hoarse.
He said, "Did your sister-in-law hurt her back in the fall? Let me take a look."
The countless hypothetical scenarios only helped Xing Chao see himself more clearly.
Even if his brother disagrees—
However, since anyone else can do it, brother, as your younger brother, I should be able to as well.
A note from the author:
There probably won't be a list in the next chapter either; it will be postponed to the chapter after that. Thank you all for your support! Sending love!
Thanks for the lightning strike, thanks for the watering, chirp!
Ling threw a landmine
Ling threw a landmine
In the middle of the night, the Koi Fairy threw a landmine.
Mugencha threw a grenade
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