Chapter 43: Wish Fulfilled
Xie Yang finally felt a sense of relief when he saw the official stamp on the documents.
Rong Man looked at the freshly issued property deed with a mix of emotions.
She glanced at Xie Yang standing beside her, who seemed carefree and was smiling, looking visibly more relaxed.
Rong Man couldn’t help but smile as well.
This child.
Qi Xu’s car was parked nearby with the hazard lights on. Seeing the familiar vehicle, Xie Yang waved to Rong Man.
“Mom, shall we give you a ride home?”
Watching Xie Yang get into the passenger seat, Rong Man quickly opened the car door and got in.
The young man in the driver’s seat looked about the same age as Xie Yang. Their eyes met in the rearview mirror.
Qi Xu greeted her calmly, “Hello, Auntie.”
Unlike Qi Xu’s steady and cool demeanor, Rong Man appeared a bit nervous. She smiled awkwardly, “Hello.”
Qi Xu shifted his gaze back and patted Xie Yang’s head, his expression softening from the earlier indifference to one of fondness, “Are you tired?”
Xie Yang fastened his seatbelt and took a few sips from his water bottle before replying.
“Yes, it’s been a busy day, and I’m a bit hungry.”
He glanced at Rong Man, who seemed lost in thought, and called out to her, “Mom, would you like to join us for dinner?”
Rong Man snapped back to reality, saying, “No, you two go ahead. I have plans for the evening.”
Xie Yang said, “Then let us drop you off at home first.”
Rong Man smiled slightly, “Okay, thank you.”
As Xie Yang nibbled on the cookies Qi Xu handed him, he asked, “Don’t you need to go home for dinner?”
Qi Xu replied, “No, what do you want to eat?”
Xie Yang thought for a moment, “I want hotpot, spicy beef, and Hunan cuisine. I want something spicy.”
Qi Xu refused firmly, “Didn’t you say you felt unwell a few days ago?”
Xie Yang protested, “I did not…”
Before he could finish, he remembered what Qi Xu was referring to and, feeling both embarrassed and annoyed, glared at him, “Hey!”
How could he bring that up in front of Mom? Thankfully, she probably didn’t understand their coded language.
Qi Xu asked, “Anything else you’d like to eat?”
Xie Yang said, “Then let’s have Japanese food. I want lots of sashimi.”
Qi Xu laughed, “With your little appetite, how much can you eat?”
Listening to their banter, Rong Man still felt a sense of unreality.
She observed the young man in the driver’s seat through the rearview mirror. Although he appeared young, he exhibited a mature and steady demeanor. Even when he saw her, he didn’t seem nervous or flustered, but rather calm and distant, indicating a naturally reserved nature.
However, his attitude towards Xie Yang was clearly one of genuine care and affection. His eyes didn’t lie, and he wasn’t just playing around.
But seeing the young man driving a luxury car worth millions, dressed in designer clothes, and wearing a watch that undoubtedly cost at least seven figures, Rong Man couldn’t help but worry.
She was acutely aware of the vast class divide in the pricey city of S. Xie Yang’s boyfriend and their family were obviously from different worlds.
She worried that Xie Yang might be bullied or get hurt in this relationship.
However, the young man’s behavior was not condescending, and there was no sense of distance in his interactions with Xie Yang.
From their conversation, Rong Man could sense the affection and sweetness between them.
Moreover, Xie Yang visibly relaxed and seemed genuinely happy and at ease when he was with him.
Rong Man felt a bit emotional. Perhaps this was for the best.
Seeing Xie Yang so much more cheerful, she realized it might be due to his boyfriend.
If Xie Yang was happy, she had no objections. Besides, she had no right to oppose it in the first place.
Seeing Xie Yang happy allowed her to truly relax and feel at ease.
The car stopped at the entrance of the residential area. Before she got out, Xie Yang repeated to her once more, “After the New Year, if my father contacts me, I’ll tell him that I’ve already transferred the house to you.”
Rong Man nodded. “Okay, don’t worry about it. I’ll handle it when the time comes. As for the things back home, if there’s anything you want to keep, you should move them out quickly.”
Xie Yang replied, “Yes, I understand.”
After seeing his mother off, Xie Yang happily said, “Let’s go eat. I have a lot of pocket money now!”
In the end, Rong Man only took the bank card Xie Yang asked her to hand over to Xie Chuan. She left her own card with Xie Yang, insisting that he use it as pocket money and promising to keep depositing money into it until Xie Yang graduated and found a stable job.
Qi Xu, infected by his smile, couldn’t help but smile too. “You’re this happy?”
Xie Yang nodded with a broad smile. This was something he had planned for a long time. Although plans couldn’t keep up with changes, the process was smooth, and the outcome was much better than he had anticipated. Plus, he got rid of a big problem, so of course, he was happy.
Qi Xu sighed softly in his heart. His precious boy was really easy to satisfy and had such a gentle nature. Even if he was wronged, he wouldn’t complain and was especially easy to please.
After dinner, Xie Yang took Qi Xu to the department store.
With a large amount of pocket money, he didn’t hold back while buying New Year’s goods. Since the house was going to be demolished and everyone would move away, severing ties with the neighbors, he bought a lot of gifts, filling up the trunk of Qi Xu’s car.
It was very late by the time they got home.
The main gate of the courtyard had a new lock. Xie Yang went to Aunt Wu’s house to get the key and gave her a big box of strawberries to show his gratitude.
He remembered that Aunt Wu’s daughter especially liked strawberries.
After returning home, Xie Yang watched Qi Xu organize the New Year’s goods. He glanced at the time and, after hesitating for a while, said, “It’s already very late. Why don’t you stay the night and leave tomorrow?”
Qi Xu had driven over early in the morning and had been the driver all day, without much rest. Xie Yang couldn’t bear the thought of him driving back now. But he was worried—wouldn’t Qi Xu’s family be unhappy if he stayed?
After all, Qi Xu had been urged to return home several times during the holiday, and now he’d be gone again the next day.
He couldn’t imagine what Qi Xu’s family would think of him.
Qi Xu was a little surprised. He smiled and said, “I’d love to.”
Xie Yang sat down beside him, nervously asking, “Will your family be okay with it? You just got back, and now you’re leaving again. They might have objections, right?”
Qi Xu gently flicked his forehead and smiled, “Xie Yang, I’m nineteen, not nine. My family doesn’t have so many rules, and they won’t mind at all.”
Xie Yang smiled awkwardly, “Got it. I’ll go get you some toiletries.”
He had only brought back three sets of clothes and hadn’t expected to have Qi Xu stay overnight, so he wasn’t prepared with clothes for him.
It wasn’t hot enough to sweat, but underclothes needed changing.
He searched the wardrobe but couldn’t find anything suitable for Qi Xu.
Besides the height difference, there was also a difference in build. Qi Xu liked working out and had a well-built body, unlike Xie Yang who was thin and wore the smallest sizes.
Xie Yang brought out some old gym pants from high school and the largest clothes he could find, saying regretfully, “The clothing stores in town are probably closed by now, and since this is a rural area, it’s too far to get a delivery. Can you make do with my clothes for now?”
Qi Xu took Xie Yang’s clothes and sniffed them, responding with a soft “mm” as Xie Yang’s face turned increasingly red.
“And?” Qi Xu teased, “Is baby forgetting something?”
Xie Yang’s face grew redder, his gaze shifting nervously as he mumbled, “My size… you can’t wear it.”
Qi Xu replied, “So?”
Xie Yang whispered, “You could also go without.”
Raising an eyebrow, Qi Xu whispered seductively in his ear, “Okay, I’ll do as baby says.”
The shower room in Xie Yang’s house was small but looked well-used and homely.
The sound of water gradually stopped.
When Qi Xu opened the shower room door, Xie Yang looked in his direction and couldn’t help but laugh.
Qi Xu’s face darkened as he scooped up Xie Yang, holding him tightly and giving him a fierce kiss. “You dare laugh at me?”
Xie Yang quickly shook his head, “I didn’t.”
But he couldn’t stop laughing.
Clothes that were oversized on Xie Yang looked snug on Qi Xu, fitting close to his body. The gym pants, on Qi Xu, appeared more like capris, making him look somewhat comical.
Xie Yang dried Qi Xu’s hair with a towel, smoothing it down while coaxing, “The weather isn’t that cold anymore. If you cover up well, you shouldn’t catch a cold. Maybe you should take them off?”
While Qi Xu was showering, Xie Yang had already made the bed. Luckily, he had aired out an extra blanket the day before.
Since there was no heating in the house, he worried Qi Xu might catch a cold.
After drying Qi Xu’s hair, he had him get into bed first.
Qi Xu propped his head up, teasing, “So baby wants me to warm the bed?”
Looking at Qi Xu’s exposed chest muscles, Xie Yang sighed and covered him up again. “Maybe you should put on the sweater, just in case you catch a cold.”
Qi Xu refused, “No.”
Xie Yang had to let him be.
When Xie Yang finished his shower and came out, Qi Xu was already asleep.
Carefully, Xie Yang climbed into bed, only to be pulled into Qi Xu’s embrace as soon as he lay down.
Qi Xu’s warm breath tickled the back of Xie Yang’s neck, his arms wrapped around his waist, and his deep, husky voice murmured in his ear, “Baby, why so slow? I’ve been waiting for ages.”
Xie Yang explained, “I cleaned up the kitchen, so it took a bit longer.”
Qi Xu bit his ear lightly, his kisses trailing down hot and wet.
Xie Yang squirmed in his arms, feeling Qi Xu’s restraint. He shyly refused, “We don’t have any extra sheets.”
Besides, his bed was not very sturdy. He wasn’t sure it could handle their activities.
Qi Xu buried his face in Xie Yang’s neck, inhaling deeply. His voice was low and muffled, “Next time, I’ll bring a few more sets.”