Chapter 76 – Young Master
“Forgot to bring your card?” Qiao Huaiyao didn’t ask what it was for and handed Bai Jinyan one of his own cards.
Taking the card, Bai Jinyan said, “I left all my cards with you.”
“Huh?” Qiao Huaiyao was puzzled. “When?”
He had no memory of this.
Bai Jinyan explained, “Before we went abroad. I was in a rush and forgot to tell you.”
Voluntarily handing over his pocket money and having it confiscated are two different things, although Qiao Huaiyao would never actually confiscate his money.
Qiao Huaiyao raised an eyebrow, belatedly recalling that he hadn’t received any SMS notifications when he used the card earlier.
Glancing at the card, he realized that he rarely needed to use it himself. He hadn’t paid much attention to the card’s features and, from its appearance, it looked just like his other cards.
Maybe he had grabbed the wrong card while packing.
If Bai Jinyan had left it before their trip, he probably didn’t hide it among Qiao Huaiyao’s other cards but placed it on top.
Qiao Huaiyao also had a similar card and thought the one on top was his own.
“No wonder,” Qiao Huaiyao said helplessly. “I didn’t get any notifications when I used the card. I thought it was because we were abroad.”
He hadn’t paid much attention to the lack of notifications while visiting the laboratory. In hindsight, not receiving any was understandable.
Qiao Huaiyao asked with a smile, “Why didn’t you ask me why I spent so much money?”
Bai Jinyan replied nonchalantly, “What’s there to ask?”
He had indeed received the SMS notifications and saw the expenses.
It was just normal spending. The card was handed over for Qiao Huaiyao to use.
Such small amounts weren’t worth questioning. As long as Qiao Huaiyao liked it, spending money was no issue. He could give him anything he wanted.
Bai Jinyan chuckled, his hand resting casually on Qiao Huaiyao’s shoulder, tapping lightly. “From now on, you’ll manage the household finances. I’ll return the card to you once I pay.”
Qiao Huaiyao said, “You should keep some for yourself. Going abroad without a card is…”
Bai Jinyan responded confidently, “I don’t want any. You keep it. I don’t spend much, just give me some pocket money occasionally.”
Handing over the card meant he had no intention of taking it back.
Before Qiao Huaiyao could say more, Bai Jinyan offered him a plate of green grapes. “Here, have some of these. The grapes look very fresh.”
The person in charge of the afternoon tea had carefully selected the fruits. The grapes were of similar size, carefully picked and washed clean.
Qiao Huaiyao bit into a grape from the fork. “I’ll visit the lab again tomorrow. We haven’t booked the return tickets yet. When are you free to leave?”
If their schedules were only a few days apart, they could coordinate to leave together.
“Not sure yet,” Bai Jinyan thought about the next few days. “I’ll check with Lu Lu when I get back.”
Qiao Huaiyao nodded, “Alright.”
Finding the grapes too sweet, Qiao Huaiyao didn’t eat any more when Bai Jinyan offered them again.
Seeing this, Bai Jinyan brought a small plate of different fruits.
Qiao Huaiyao wasn’t very interested in watching the show. He held his phone, occasionally glancing at the continuously refreshing orders.
Bai Jinyan smirked, wanting to hold him close, but seeing the other attendees not far away, he restrained himself and just let his hand rest on Qiao Huaiyao’s shoulder.
He wasn’t fond of crowded places.
When they were alone in the dormitory, they could hold each other however they liked.
Estimating that enough time had passed, Bai Jinyan whispered, “Let’s leave. I need to go backstage to get something.”
Qiao Huaiyao thought they hadn’t even been there for an hour. Would leaving so early affect the show? But hearing that Bai Jinyan needed to pick something up, he agreed, “Alright.”
The manager, who had been backstage, noticed them getting up and quickly approached the backstage entrance. “Young Master Qiao, Mr. Bai. Is there an issue with the show? Or are the outfits not satisfactory?”
Bai Jinyan said flatly, “I’m here to get the brooch.”
The manager blinked, then quickly replied, “Oh, the brooch! I was planning to send it to the lounge later. I’ll go get it now.”
Items for Bai Jinyan couldn’t be left unattended. The manager wouldn’t feel secure until he personally handed them over.
Since Bai Jinyan wasn’t backstage earlier, it wasn’t appropriate to deliver the item outside, especially with the risk of being photographed and causing unnecessary speculation.
So, he had stored it in a safe.
Hearing it was a brooch, Qiao Huaiyao casually asked, “Is it a gift?”
His brother only wore brooches for photoshoots; he never wore them privately.
If he bought a brooch, it must be for someone else.
Bai Jinyan thought for a moment. It was both true and not entirely, so he just said, “Yes.”
The manager returned quickly, seemingly running both ways. Handing over a slightly larger box, he tried to steady his breath and said calmly, “It’s all here. Please check it.”
Bai Jinyan replied, “No need.”
“Alright then. If there’s any issue, contact me later.” The manager smiled. “Are you two planning to leave now? Do you need me to arrange a car?”
“My assistant is outside.”
The manager nodded. “Got it. Follow me, then. There’s a lot of people in front. I’ll take you through the side. It’s a short walk.”
With fewer people and dimmer lighting in the back, Bai Jinyan held Qiao Huaiyao’s hand, shielding him slightly.
Seeing something on the ground, he softly warned, “Watch your step.”
The backstage was cluttered and busy, and even with people assigned to clean, there were inevitable oversights.
Qiao Huaiyao replied, “Okay.”
As they spoke, the manager escorted them to the exit and watched them get into the car. Closing the door, the manager waved and said, “Young Master Qiao, come visit again when you have time.”
With the car door closed, the sound was muted. The manager smiled, watching the car drive away before heading back inside.
The local restaurants didn’t cater well to Qiao Huaiyao’s tastes.
There was a lot of meat, few stir-fried dishes, and the cooking styles differed, making the same ingredient taste different.
Bai Jinyan had ordered takeout from a branch of a domestic restaurant that had opened there, delivered to the hotel.
Considering the differences between domestic and international cuisine, some dishes might still vary from those back home. So, he had both the takeout and the hotel’s dinner prepared as a backup.
This was arranged early in the day.
By the time they returned to the hotel, the scheduled delivery had already been placed in the thermal box at the door.
Bai Jinyan brought out two large bags.
Qiao Huaiyao reached out to help carry one, “Why did you buy so much?”
Judging by the number of boxes, there were probably more than ten dishes.
Bai Jinyan avoided his hand and said, “The portions are small, but there’s a variety. You go open the door. These are all light; I can handle them.”
With a fingerprint lock, he needed both hands free to unlock it.
Even with the dishes adjusted to Qiao Huaiyao’s taste, they might still be different from what he was used to back home.
So, he ordered a variety of dishes, adjusted the portions, and ensured there wouldn’t be too much left over.
Qiao Huaiyao went in to clear the table and noticed that a few dishes had already been prepared and placed there.
He removed the lids and pushed the dishes aside to make room for the takeout.
Bai Jinyan unpacked and arranged the food, saying, “Pick what you like. I’ll eat the rest.”
Qiao Huaiyao poured him a glass of lemon water, “Next time, you don’t need to buy so much. I’m fine with just a little.”
“Anything?” Bai Jinyan raised an eyebrow and laughed, “When you come across something you don’t like, you take one bite and then stop eating.”
Sometimes, he would rather go hungry than eat.
Qiao Huaiyao blinked, sipping his lemon water, “Maybe I wasn’t hungry.”
Bai Jinyan ruffled his hair, then sat beside him and started serving him food, “Eat first.”
“Brother, why aren’t you eating?” Qiao Huaiyao noticed that Bai Jinyan was only putting food on his plate and not eating any himself.
Bai Jinyan’s gaze was filled with amusement as he looked at Qiao Huaiyao. He said meaningfully, “I’m not hungry. I’ll eat after you finish.”
His tone and expression were too suggestive.
Qiao Huaiyao paused, slowly chewing on the greens, as if pondering the meaning behind Bai Jinyan’s words.
He pressed his lips together, “I was talking about eating.”
Bai Jinyan, unfazed, nodded, “Yes, so was I.”
After saying this, he couldn’t help but smile, leaning closer to Qiao Huaiyao, “What were you thinking?”
“I…” Qiao Huaiyao’s eyes widened, and his ears quickly turned red, “I was thinking exactly what you said.”
Bai Jinyan chuckled, kissing his earlobe, and tightened his arm around Qiao Huaiyao’s waist, “But what I’m thinking is different from what you said.”
“Brother!”
Watching the blush spread from Qiao Huaiyao’s ears to his cheeks, Bai Jinyan gently pinched his earlobe and kissed him. His tone was tender but filled with amusement, “I won’t tease you anymore. Let’s eat.”
Qiao Huaiyao cleared his throat, picking up his lemon water. Though it wasn’t cold, it helped cool the warmth spreading across his face.
As they were eating, a notification came from their group chat with the lead teacher.
Teacher Peng: [There is a change in tomorrow’s plan to visit the international lab. For unknown reasons, the international lab will not be accessible in the morning. Your senior mentioned that there’s an experimental project needing joint completion, so it will likely open in the afternoon.]
[The specific visiting time will be announced later. When not visiting the international lab, please stay in your rooms or nearby the dormitory. Do not wander too far, to ensure you can return promptly if we need to gather suddenly.]
[Keep your phones on and stay in touch with the teachers. Stay safe.]