Chapter 29 – Red Envelope

On New Year’s Eve morning, when He Rong dragged Xiang Ning out of bed, he was still frowning, wearing a black and white fluffy pajama set that made him look like an angry penguin.

He Rong pinched his nose, exasperated. “Didn’t you tell me to wake you up early to put up the couplets?”

Xiang Ning knew he was right, but he had suddenly gotten an idea last night and had sneaked into the study to work on it until dawn, only getting less than four hours of sleep.

If he told He Rong what he had been doing, he wouldn’t be in a good mood. Xiang Ning was both tired and frustrated, so he just sulked, holding the couplets and lanterns as he followed He Rong, yawning.

Considering Fang Ranran was still in the house, they only put up one layer and stopped. He Rong settled the sleepy Xiang Ning on the sofa and went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

When he turned around, Xiang Ning was predictably asleep.

He Rong covered him with a blanket, scolded him affectionately, and pinched his nose. Xiang Ning usually slept lightly, and he had woken up when He Rong left the room. He had quietly followed him to the study but didn’t disturb him.

As for why he didn’t expose him, He Rong pinched Xiang Ning’s cheek, smiling mischievously. It was fun to see him look so flustered.

By 8:30, Xiang Ning was still sound asleep on the sofa. He Rong quietly went upstairs and opened the guest room door.

Fang Ranran was dressed neatly, sitting on the bed. She turned her head at the sound and smiled at He Rong with her eyes.

He Rong waved at her, leading her downstairs to eat breakfast and waking up the sleeping penguin.

Xiang Ning, with his messy hair, shyly picked up a pillow to cover his face, avoiding Fang Ranran’s curious gaze.

He Rong didn’t help him, instead joining Fang Ranran in teasing him. The three little cats stood at the corner of the sofa, meowing along for no reason.

Xiang Ning glared at He Rong, roughly combed his hair, and led Fang Ranran to the dining table, stomping his foot as he passed the cats.

The three cats scattered, and Xiang Ning chuckled, not noticing that He Rong had stopped walking. He bumped into him solidly.

“What were you thinking about?” He Rong pinched his face and rubbed it, then went to the kitchen to serve the food. Xiang Ning pouted, turned to Fang Ranran, and signed, “Let’s eat.”

Fang Ranran nodded vigorously, struggling to climb onto the chair and sit properly, her hands on her knees, eagerly watching the kitchen.

Today’s breakfast was a savory egg yolk and lean meat porridge. He Rong leisurely fried two eggs and sausages. Fang Ranran’s portion had a smiley face made with ketchup, and Xiang Ning’s had a heart.

Xiang Ning’s ears turned slightly red, and he pursed his lips, not moving.

He Rong smiled and ruffled his hair. “Eat up, little friend.”

The sound of chopsticks tapping on the plates was crisp. Xiang Ning kept his head down, and only his slightly red neck was visible.

——

The weather, which had been overcast in the morning, suddenly cleared up in the afternoon. The three cats sprawled out on the balcony, their whiskers tinged with gold. Fang Ranran was focused on her puzzle, occasionally looking up at Xiang Ning, then slightly pursing her lips in a shy smile.

Even though it was the New Year, the boss never took a day off. He Rong received a call at noon and had to go out. He called back a while later, saying he would be home in the evening.

Zhou Yi called in the afternoon, and it was snowing heavily wherever he was. He was wrapped in a thick scarf, his cheeks and nose red like he had been painted with rouge, excitedly pointing at a distant tower and shouting into the phone, “Ning Ning! Look! That’s an ice sculpture!”

Xiang Ning smiled and watched carefully, nodding as Zhou Yi chattered on.

“It’s so cold here! But it’s beautiful!” Zhou Yi’s breath formed a white mist as he spoke. His messy curly hair was stuffed into a Lei Feng cap, making him look a bit silly.

“Guess where I am?” The camera switched to a snowy landscape, and Zhou Yi waved excitedly at the camera. Before Xiang Ning could answer, Zhou Yi announced, “I’m on a frozen lake!”

“Awesome!” Xiang Ning smiled, his eyes crinkling. He had never seen Zhou Yi so excited. Zhou Yi brought his face close to the camera, then “ahhh” as he slipped, and a hand suddenly appeared, grabbing his arm, and a deep voice said, “Be careful.”

Zhou Yi laughed sheepishly, stood up with the help of the hand, and whispered into the phone, “I’ll hang up now. Happy New Year!”

Xiang Ning waved at the phone and stretched lazily in the sunlight.

He Rong’s day was not very peaceful.

He returned home in the evening, the three cats gathered around the shoe cabinet, following him into the living room. Xiang Ning, with his sleeves rolled up, smiled and mouthed, “Dinner is ready.”

He Rong sat at the dining table and ruffled Fang Ranran’s head.

It seemed like a very ordinary evening, but he suddenly felt a sense of home, reminiscent of many years ago.

Traditionally, they should stay up all night on New Year’s Eve, but both the big and the little one couldn’t stay up late. They were complaining about being sleepy by 11 PM. He Rong and Xiang Ning sent Fang Ranran back to the guest room, and after the child was asleep, Xiang Ning naturally fell into He Rong’s arms.

The faint lemon scent from his body lingered around He Rong’s nose, refusing to dissipate. He lifted his hand and ruffled the soft hair, slowly guiding Xiang Ning to the bedroom.

He then pressed his cool lips to Xiang Ning’s.

The fresh lemon scent mixed with the steady cologne, making Xiang Ning’s head feel like a bowl of paste, dizzily twisting his waist. He Rong didn’t hold back, and as he lowered his waist again, a loud firework burst outside.

“Happy New Year,” he murmured, nuzzling the young man’s nape and gently biting his red earlobe. Their sweat mingled, dripping down Xiang Ning’s slightly indented back.

It was a lazy, sensual moment.

——

Xiang Ning sat up with a flushed face when the sun was high in the sky. He sat for a while to clear his head, then washed up and went downstairs. Fang Ranran was sitting on the sofa, watching an animated show.

He pulled a note from the fridge and smiled.

[Company business, will be back later. Breakfast in the kitchen.]

Xiang Ning folded the note neatly and put it in his pocket, then turned to Fang Ranran. “Ranran, do you want to go out for a walk?”

Fang Ranran looked at him for a moment, then nodded vigorously.

Xiang Ning bundled Fang Ranran up from head to toe, leaving only her eyes exposed. Just as they were about to leave, they were stopped by Lao San (Number Three), who was dragging Xiang Ning’s shoelace and climbing up his pants.

Xiang Ning pulled him down, gently stroking the snagged thread and affectionately patting the cat’s head.

He then took out a leash and put it on Lao San, and showed the other two leashes to Lao Da (Number One) and Lao Er (Number Two). The cats yawned disdainfully and turned their backs on him.

So, Xiang Ning led Fang Ranran, who in turn led the cats, and they went out.

He Rong looked up at the darkening sky, nodded at the person opposite him, and said, “Mr. Zhang, let’s call it a day. We can discuss the specifics another time.”

Mr. Zhang was a kind middle-aged man. He laughed heartily, shook hands with He Rong, and they both went downstairs. While waiting for the driver, Mr. Zhang sighed, “It’s snowing.”

He Rong looked up and responded.

“It’s the New Year tomorrow. How about you and your wife come over for a meal? My wife’s dumplings are quite good,” Mr. Zhang patted He Rong’s shoulder and got into the car.

He Rong smiled slightly and replied, “We’ll definitely bring my partner over another time.”

He exhaled, opened his phone, and saw a message from Xiang Ning. It was a picture.

Red lanterns hung in the sky, and a gaudy Christmas tree stood out of place in the background, probably from a budget-conscious mall. Fang Ranran was in the front, only her bright eyes visible; Xiang Ning was smiling and making a cheesy V sign, with a cat perched on his shoulder, its whiskers looking quite proud.

He Rong smiled, got into the car, and asked, [Where are you?]

After receiving the reply and instructing the driver, he relaxed slightly, rubbing his temples.

——

When the family stood in front of the house, He Rong suddenly remembered something and stopped Fang Ranran.

He first gave a red envelope to Xiang Ning. “I forgot to give it to you this morning. Tell her.”

After coaxing Fang Ranran back to the room, Xiang Ning let out a long breath and turned to see He Rong smiling.

“Why didn’t I get one?” Xiang Ning raised an eyebrow and slapped a note on He Rong’s arm.

“That one was for the little friend,” He Rong slowly took another red envelope from his pocket and said softly, “This one is for my little baby.”

Author’s Note: President He is so sweet, eh—