Chapter 434 (Combined with Chapter 432)
434:
After delivering brown sugar potstickers to Mu Shaoting and Mu Shaoyan, Qin Cheng accompanied Ye Qingxi back home.
They walked slowly, and under the quiet moonlight, Qin Cheng somewhat wished the road could be longer.
However, even the longest road eventually comes to an end.
Ye Qingxi looked at the gate of her own courtyard, somewhat puzzled. How did she end up back here?
How could it be so fast?
He felt like he hadn't walked that far.
But we can't turn back now and keep going, can we?
Therefore, he said to Qin Cheng, "Then I'll go in."
Qin Cheng nodded, but did not move.
Seeing his reaction, Ye Qingxi had no choice but to turn away.
As she closed the door, Ye Qingxi felt a pang of reluctance.
He leaned against the door and asked the person outside, "Would you like to come in and have a glass of water?"
"Aren't you thirsty after walking for so long?"
Even if Qin Cheng wasn't thirsty before, he must be thirsty now.
He nodded quickly, crossed the courtyard and entered the house, where he stayed with Ye Qingxi for a while longer.
It wasn't until the clock was almost pointing to twelve that Ye Qingxi, remembering that Qin Cheng had to go to work the next day, urged him to go back.
He saw Qin Cheng to the door and out into the courtyard, saying to him, "See you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow," Qin Cheng said.
Seeing that he was just talking but not moving, Ye Qingxi waved her hand, signaling him to turn around.
Qin Cheng: ...
Having no other choice, Qin Cheng turned around and walked back.
He took two steps, then couldn't help but turn back, only to see Ye Qingxi still at the door.
"You should go back now," he said.
Ye Qingxi said "Oh" and slowly closed the courtyard gate.
He walked back to the villa, picked up the brown sugar potsticker that Aunt Zhang had baked, and took a bite.
The outer crust is very crispy, and the brown sugar inside isn't too sweet; it even has a runny center.
Ye Qingxi ate with satisfaction, then couldn't resist going upstairs and walking to the window, wanting to watch Qin Cheng's departing figure.
However, he did not see it.
"Walking so fast?" Ye Qingxi asked in confusion. He only ate two bites of the guokui (a type of flatbread), how come he's already gone?
As he was thinking, his phone rang.
Ye Qingxi looked down; it was Qin Cheng calling.
"Hey!" Ye Qingxi said cheerfully.
Qin Cheng asked him, "Have you gone back to your room?"
"I'm back." Ye Qingxi turned around and walked towards the sofa. "What about you? Are you almost there?"
"Not yet," Qin Cheng replied gently.
He said, "Go to the study on the second floor."
Ye Qingxi: ? ? ?
Ye Qingxi left the room with a puzzled look and went to the study on the second floor.
There was nothing there. He looked around, but then he heard Qin Cheng say, "Go to the window."
Ye Qingxi walked over and saw Qin Cheng standing in front of the tree directly opposite the French windows, holding his phone.
When he saw him coming over, he raised his hand and waved.
Ye Qingxi smiled unconsciously and waved back at him.
Why haven't you gone back yet?
How did we end up here, going in the opposite direction?
"I still miss you a little, so I wanted to see you one more time," Qin Cheng said.
Ye Qingxi felt a sweet warmth in her heart as she listened.
“Now you see it,” he said.
"Mm." Qin Cheng nodded.
He looked at his lover not far away and said, "Then I'm leaving."
"Okay. Drive carefully," Ye Qingxi instructed.
Qin Cheng looked at him, and slowly, very slowly, he walked backwards.
He didn't turn around, but kept looking at Ye Qingxi.
Ye Qingxi watched him until he disappeared from her sight.
"Good night." He heard Qin Cheng's gentle voice.
"Good night." Ye Qingxi's face was beaming with an undisguised smile.
He hung up the phone, but felt an indescribable sweetness and joy.
Driven by these feelings, he didn't hesitate and excitedly sent a message to his childhood friends group: "I've decided! No need to try anymore! From today onwards, my brother and I are officially dating!"
Zhong Yan, who is still awake: ? ? ?
Zhong Yan checked the date. Good grief, has it been half a month since it started?!
Zhong Yan: [Why don't you just go straight to marriage?]
Ye Qingxi: ...
Ye Qingxi felt a little guilty, because they had just discussed where they would live after marriage.
Ye Qingxi: [I'm treating everyone to dinner in a few days to celebrate me no longer being single~~]
Zhong Yan: [What are you inviting? Let Qin Cheng invite!]
Ye Qingxi: [No way, this is to celebrate me getting out of being single, not him. Let him treat his friends later.]
Zhong Yan thought for a moment: "That works too."
When Pei Liang came out of the shower, she saw Zhong Yan sighing helplessly.
He asked, puzzled, "What's wrong?"
Zhong Yan handed him her phone. "Look at your good friend, he's fallen for her... Qin Cheng really got off easy!"
Pei Liang smiled and said, "That's just how Xiao Xi is. He'll be very nice to whoever he likes. This also shows that he really likes Qin Cheng, which is a good thing."
“That’s true.” Zhong Yan nodded.
It's definitely a good thing when your good friend finds someone they like, and that person is a nice and reliable person.
Zhong Yan: [Let's do it this weekend then, perfect timing, everyone's free.]
Pei Liang picked up her phone and replied: 【Mm.】
"Okay," Ye Qingxi replied. "I'll check with Kang Cong's schedule later. If everything's alright, see you this weekend!"
"No problem." Kang Cong replied as soon as he sent the message.
Kang Cong: [It's scary that I'm the only single person left in the group now, even though I was the first one to start dating!]
Zhong Yan: [Then good luck!]
Ye Qingxi: [Then good luck.]
Pei Liang: [Why don't you go on some blind dates? I'll have my mom introduce you to a few.]
Kang Cong: !!!
Kang Cong declined: "I think I'll stay single. There are advantages to being single, and I'm not in a hurry."
Ye Qingxi: Then you'd better not be in a hurry.
After talking to Pei Liang and the others, Ye Qingxi told Chen Xiang and Huo Zinan about it the next day at noon after she woke up.
He hadn't told Qin Cheng about this when they were dating.
Now that they have officially established their relationship, Ye Qingxi feels it's time to tell them.
After all, they are friends.
Moreover, the two of them didn't have much interaction with their elders.
Ye Qingxi announced the good news in the group chat and tagged Chen Xiang, saying: "Don't tell anyone, especially your dad."
Over the years, due to his relationship with Chen Xiang, Mu Shaowu has also cooperated with the Chen family on many occasions.
At first, Mu Shaowu actually wanted to avoid suspicion, not for any other reason than to fear that if interests were mixed in, the friendship between the two children would not be pure.
But later, Mu Shaowu felt that since it was all a collaboration, and the Chen family was well-known, and Chen's father was a very reliable person, there was no reason why he would be willing to consider Chen Xiang and Ye Qingxi if they didn't have this relationship. Now that the two children had a good relationship, he couldn't consider them. So he went to see Chen's father.
Mr. Chen was a smart man; how could he refuse a business opportunity that was offered to him?
As for his son and Ye Qingxi, he only ever wanted Chen Xiang to study hard with Ye Qingxi and not develop a spoiled and arrogant personality like other rich kids. He never intended to use his son to get anything from Ye Qingxi or the Mu family, so he naturally acted uprightly. Mu Shaowu said he was interested in their company's strength, and their company was indeed strong, so what was there to be unable to cooperate with?
Therefore, Ye Qingxi specifically gave this instruction, fearing that Chen Xiang's father might let something slip during his conversation with his father.
Chen Xiang nodded repeatedly: "Don't worry, your relationship is top secret. It's part of my job. I know exactly what I'm doing, and I definitely won't let anyone else know."
Ye Qingxi then realized that Chen Xiang was his manager, so naturally he should report his relationship to him, and Chen Xiang should naturally help him keep it a secret and even prepare a plan for when the relationship was made public.
However, his main role now is as a director, not an actor, so Ye Qingxi felt that no plan was needed.
Besides, his brother is so handsome, highly educated, and has a good family background. When it's revealed, his fans should be quite satisfied, right?
While he was chatting with Chen Xiang, Huo Zinan was secretly messaging him privately.
Huo Zinan never dreamed that Ye Qingxi would fall in love with Qin Cheng.
He was so surprised that he then remembered that when they were filming the movie, Qin Cheng would pick up Ye Qingxi almost every day and bring her to the set every day.
I remembered the day Ye Qingxi graduated, when Qin Cheng made a special trip back home.
I've got it now, the similar bracelets they were wearing.
Huo Zinan was somewhat worried that Ye Qingxi's relationship would affect his family ties.
Although Mu Shaowu loves him very much, and although Ye Qingxi and Qin Cheng enjoyed the same treatment during Ye Qingxi's upbringing, Qin Cheng is ultimately the Mu family's biological grandson, and currently the only one who has grown up, joined the company, and basically gained a voice.
Huo Zinan didn't have much contact with the other members of the Mu family. The people he had the most contact with were Mu Shaowu and Qin Cheng. He believed that they truly loved him. He also believed that Mu Shaoyan, Ye Qingxi's uncle who had previously stayed with him, and Mu Shaoting, his aunt who had taken young Ye Qingxi to the final stage, truly loved him.
But what about Qin Cheng's father? What about Qin Cheng's father's father?
These two people Huo Zinan couldn't contact or see, although Huo Zinan believed that they also liked Ye Qingxi, he couldn't help but worry: Could their affection for him outweigh the consequences of Ye Qingxi being with their only son and grandson?
The Mu family originally consisted of only two branches: Mu Shaoting and Qin Cheng's father.
Now, another branch is about to be cut off, and it's because of Ye Qingxi, whom they raised themselves.
Although Mu Shaowu said on a variety show that Ye Qingxi was the grandson of his father's friend, did his father kindly bring the child back to raise him and provide him with a life of luxury so that Ye Qingxi would eventually be with his own grandson, thus causing his eldest son to never have a grandson again?
Huo Zinan had experienced the pain of broken family ties himself, so he didn't want Ye Qingxi to suffer the same fate, especially since Ye Qingxi cared so much about his family.
He asked cautiously, "Does your father... know about this?"
Ye Qingxi replied to him: 【Of course I don't know.】
Huo Zinan: [What about your grandfather? And Qin Cheng's father?]
Ye Qingxi: [They don't know.]
Huo Zinan carefully considered her words, deleting and rewriting sentences repeatedly before finally sending the message: "When they find out, will they blame you? Will they be angry with you?"
Ye Qingxi could tell what he was worried about just by looking at his words.
"No," he replied. "My dad and grandpa love me very much, and my uncle probably wouldn't either."
Ye Qingxi said confidently, "He also loves me very much."
Huo Zinan: [But Qin Cheng is the Mu family's grandson. Although his surname is Qin, he could also take the surname Mu.]
"I know," Ye Qingxi replied. "But I'm sure it won't happen."
Ye Qingxi never worried about this matter.
He had been raised by Mu Feng and Mu Shaowu since he was a child. If he still had to worry about this kind of thing now, and wonder if Mu Shaowu and Mu Feng would blame him, then he felt that he was simply underestimating the love his father and grandfather had for him.
Ye Qingxi said confidently, "Don't worry, my grandfather loves me very much. Between me and Qin Cheng, he has always chosen me and loved me more, so he won't blame me."
He would only blame himself, and might blame Qin Cheng, but he would never blame him.
Huo Zinan hadn't expected him to be so resolute and so decisive, as if he had never been adopted, but was a true member of the Mu family.
Is it really possible for an elderly person to love another grandchild more than their own? Huo Zinan found it hard to believe.
But he also genuinely felt that Ye Qingxi had indeed grown up in love, not a shallow or thin love, but a rich, surging, and magnificent love. That's why he could be so calm, so certain, and so confident in saying such things about this matter.
He was never one to misjudge people and things; he was very intelligent, so he never spoke recklessly.
Huo Zinan couldn't help but feel a little envious, and at the same time, she sincerely hoped that he could be happy.
"That's good." He said, "It's good that I don't blame you."
Huo Zinan: [Then I wish you two a long and happy life together, and that your days will only get sweeter and sweeter!]
He had previously thought about what kind of person could be worthy of someone like Ye Qingxi.
Huo Zinan didn't figure it out at that time.
In his eyes, Ye Qingxi was already perfect. He couldn't think of anyone who could be worthy of him. He even felt that Ye Qingxi shouldn't be chasing after someone, but rather that the other person should be chasing after him.
Now, Qin Cheng is his boyfriend.
Huo Zinan felt that, in a sense, it was quite appropriate.
After all, he was always by Ye Qingxi's side as she grew up.
After all, Qin Cheng had always cared about him and loved him very much.
He shouldn't let Ye Qingxi suffer any injustice; his own qualities are more than enough to match hers.
Huo Zinan smiled, feeling that he was now enjoying success in both his career and love life.
Ye Qingxi: [I'll treat you to dinner another day.]
"Okay," Huo Zinan replied.
After informing her friends, Ye Qingxi and Qin Cheng went to invite Pei Liang and the others over the weekend.
We were all old acquaintances, so there were no formalities and we started chatting right away.
Looking at the couples, Kang Cong felt that he, a straight man, was standing out too much among them.
“I’m really afraid that if your relationship is exposed, my grandfather will think that I also like men.”
“No, that won’t happen,” Ye Qingxi said. “You’ve had girlfriends before, but neither of us has, so you must be straight.”
“Or it might be a pair,” Zhong Yan said.
Kang Cong: !!!
"Who's the twin?! I'm definitely not!"
"Why don't you go on a blind date?" Pei Liang suggested. "Believe it or not, your mother's side definitely has a lot of resources."
Kang Cong believed it, but he refused, saying, "What kind of relationship is a blind date? Real relationships start from unexpected encounters. Blind dates, with their obvious motives, are too utilitarian."
"Then you'll just have to stay single," Ye Qingxi said.
"It's alright," Kang Cong said calmly. "Anyway, in the public eye, you're both single now."
Ye Qingxi: ...That's true.
“Speaking of which,” Pei Liang looked at Ye Qingxi, “I have a really wicked idea.”
"How immoral is that?" Ye Qingxi wondered.
"Extremely unethical."
"for example?"
“For example, when are you and Qin Cheng planning to come out?” Pei Liang said. “As long as Xiao Yan and I come out after you, with the shock of you and your brother before us, I feel that my grandfather and Grandpa Zhong shouldn’t be too surprised.”
Ye Qingxi: !!!
You're really shameless!
Pei Liang chuckled as she ate a skewer of grilled meat. "That's why it's such a despicable idea, isn't it?"
“Of course,” Pei Liang added, “if you need, Xiao Yan and I can also go before you.”
"Let's take the brunt of the fire first. When your grandfather finds out, he might feel a little better thinking about the two of us."
Zhong Yan thought it was a good idea.
The main reason is Qin Cheng and Ye Qingxi. Although the whole world knows that one of them is the grandson of the Mu family and the other is the grandson of the Ye family, they are actually not related by blood and are not on the same household registration. However, Ye Qingxi has grown up in the Mu family for many years and calls Qin Cheng "brother", so they are still different from ordinary friends.
This is far more serious than what happened between him and Pei Liang.
“Let Pei Liang and I go first to set the stage for you,” Zhong Yan said.
Ye Qingxi was somewhat touched. It's true what they say, you have to rely on your friends when you're out and about. His friends were indeed very reliable.
but……
"No need," Ye Qingxi said. "You guys do things your own way, don't worry about us."
"As for the two of us," Ye Qingxi smiled, "I have my own plans."
"What are your plans?" Kang Cong asked.
Qin Cheng looked at him curiously as well.
Ye Qingxi said, "Within three years, at most three years, I should tell my grandfather and the others about this."
He and Qin Cheng had only just started dating. Although Ye Qingxi felt that they would definitely not break up and would continue to walk happily side by side with each other, he still hoped to wait until their relationship was more stable and had a little more time before telling his grandfather.
But it can't be too long either.
His great-grandfather was already ninety-four years old, and Ye Qingxi dared not delay any longer at that age.
Three years was the longest timeframe he gave himself, the ideal timeframe for the transition from love to marriage.
But if one day his great-grandfather suddenly couldn't take it anymore, he would tell him without hesitation so that his grandfather could rest assured.
Ye Qingxi had always been well aware that Grandpa Feng was quite curious about his love life.
He's already twenty-two; it's the age for him to be in a relationship.
Especially at his age, he was afraid that he wouldn't see the people who would accompany him day and night before he passed away.
However, he never showed any interest in this, so the old man didn't ask any further questions, afraid of putting pressure on himself.
“So you don’t need to consider me,” Ye Qingxi said. “Of course, if you can hold back, you can talk about it three years from now. With my brother and I leading the way, your problem really isn’t a big deal.”
Zhong Yan: ...
Zhong Yan felt she probably couldn't hold back.
Pei Liang thought so too.
Three years. If Zhong Yan could hold back for that long, then she wouldn't be Zhong Yan.
Of course, he didn't want to hold it in for so long.
"Let me, your brother, test the waters on you first," Pei Liang said.
Zhong Yan nodded, "Anyway, my grandpa won't beat me to death."
I don't think I'll get so angry that I'll die, right?
"Do you think your grandfather could try to talk some sense into my grandfather?" Zhong Yan looked at Ye Qingxi and said with wishful thinking, "He has already accepted two gay couples, so he should be quite experienced."
Ye Qingxi: ? ? ?
Ye Qingxi thought he was really overthinking things.
"He'll just join your grandpa's camp and tell them, 'Boys should be with girls, and friends should be friends, not boyfriends!'"
Zhong Yan sighed, "Now they'll have even more to talk about."
Pei Liang: "The Elderly Anti-Gay Alliance has been officially established."
Kang Cong: ? ? ?
“That shouldn’t be my grandfather’s business,” he said. “I don’t associate with the same sex.”
Ye Qingxi: "It's over, the old F4 has officially broken up and become the old Three Musketeers."
Pei Liang: "Maybe the Three Musketeers will break up from within?"
Ye Qingxi: ? ? ?
“If Grandpa Zhong thinks that I kidnapped his grandson and gets angry and cuts ties with my grandfather, then he and your grandfather will become twin stars, and my grandfather will be kicked out of the three musketeers.”
“Then your grandfather can come and team up with my grandfather, forming a twin star team,” Kang Cong suggested.
Ye Qingxi: ...
Well, when we were young, we were a blazing fire, but now that we're old, we're almost scattered like stars.
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