After Marrying Bigshot Vegetable Boss - Chapter 59

Liang Zhiyu seemed ready to cause more trouble, but Yu Lan already understood Chu Wang’s intentions.

 

He looked at Liang Zhiyu through the gate, his voice flat, “Instead of wasting time here, you might want to go back and see how much money your family still owes.”

 

The other party seemed unwilling to give up, or perhaps more regretful that she had favored Yu Ling too much and trusted him too much, her expression twisting slightly.

 

“It’s my fault for being deceived by him, but blood is thicker than water, Xiao Lan, can you really bear to…”

 

Yu Lan, who was about to leave with Chu Wang, paused at these words and turned back.

 

He was too lazy to even pretend, looking at her coldly, “I hate hearing those four words the most.”

 

“That’s why I said, even if you had truly chosen between him and me, I could respect you more. But now you want to use those four words to pressure me.”

 

“Funny enough, I’ve never experienced so-called familial care in my life,” Yu Lan said, “When I was abandoned, it was because the family already had their own child. You never made my existence public, so isn’t it fine? He continues being the young master, and I’m happy over here, with no more ties between us, good for everyone.”

 

That’s how he felt, but Liang Zhiyu, desperate, couldn’t care about these things and anxiously said, “It was Mom’s confusion before! I didn’t care about your feelings when you came back. Now, you stay well with Mr. Chu, and we’ll take it slow from here…”

 

But no one wanted to listen anymore. Yu Lan pushed Chu Wang inside, and the butler came over with a stern face to drive her away.

 

Fortunately, dinner wasn’t affected by this interruption.

 

Zhang Yan passed on a message midway, saying Liang Zhiyu had probably gone to the headquarters but was blocked for not having an invitation, failing to use “Yu Lan’s biological mother” as a pass.

 

Hearing this, Yu Lan almost choked on his soup.

 

Chu Wang glanced at him and silently placed a peeled shrimp in his bowl.

 

Yu Lan blinked and said, “I just think it’s funny.”

 

Then he added, “Why don’t you eat it yourself.”

 

Still, he obediently took a bite.

 

Seeing his cheeks puffed up amusingly, or perhaps because Chu Wang was very into these small things that brought him tangible joy since waking up, he casually said, “I’m full,” and picked another shrimp from the plate.

 

“Don’t worry, Liang Zhiyu’s matter doesn’t affect me,” Yu Lan said, looking at Chu Wang, “I’m not familiar with her.”

 

“Mm,” Chu Wang responded.

 

“But what you said earlier makes sense,” Yu Lan said. “I never really celebrated birthdays. The orphanage director said there wasn’t any valuable information on me when I was found, so they could only estimate the month, which is around this time.”

 

“When I was little, Aunt Liu would cook me a good meal in early winter to celebrate,” Yu Lan said with a bit of surprise, “But you’re right, setting a specific date is good!”

 

He seemed to recall something, “Then I can comfortably receive gifts on that day. Yu Ling likes to throw birthday parties at home, but not me; I don’t like too many people.”

 

Yu Lan’s eyes shone with new, expectant light, “So, I’ll be nineteen tomorrow!”

 

Affected by his emotions, Chu Wang couldn’t help but lightly smile, “Mm.”

 

He seemed to want to touch Yu Lan’s hair but thought his fingers might not be clean after peeling shrimp and withdrew his hand.

 

The feeling was peculiar but not unpleasant.

 

Chu Wang thought, quite relaxed.

 

When Yu Lan pushed him back to the room after a bath, he found it somewhat tricky.

 

Technically, it was time to change the treatment bed, but because Chu Wang had recovered quickly and his vital signs were stable, the auxiliary monitoring equipment had been removed before their return.

 

Without those devices, the treatment bed was just a hard, small adjustable bed, making it unnecessary to use.

 

The room only had the treatment bed and Chu Wang’s own large bed that Yu Lan had been occupying alone.

 

Yu Lan frowned, blushing, with no awareness that the bed originally belonged to Chu Wang, hesitating.

 

He should’ve thought twice before agreeing to Xi Yun so quickly.

 

He said, “So, shall we squeeze in?”

 

“You just came up, I can give you a leg massage,” Yu Lan thought it was fine, as he had already done everything he could to help Chu Wang recover faster, “Besides, I don’t think my sleeping posture is too bad,” Yu Lan said boastfully, “It shouldn’t affect you much.”

 

Chu Wang recalled the times he had seen the blanket turned sideways by Yu Lan’s sleeping, “…Mm.”

 

“Very good,” Mr. Chu, who never lied, praised insincerely.

 

Yu Lan, pleased by the insincere praise, smiled with squinting eyes and rubbed against him, saying, “That’s perfect!”

 

Yu Lan’s hair was fluffy and soft against his face.

 

So, Chu Wang was satisfied, having touched it before sleeping.

 

Fortunately, the bed was large enough. Yu Lan helped Chu Wang lie down and then lay beside him, commenting, “Not bad, I’m not taking up much space.”

 

He was pulled by Chu Wang’s big hand and confirmed, “Indeed.”

 

“You haven’t changed much these two months,” Chu Wang said.

 

“Not really, I gained a couple of pounds!” Yu Lan argued, “You see me every day, so you don’t notice the change.”

 

“Is that so,” Chu Wang’s tone was noncommittal, “Maybe I didn’t notice before.”

 

It had taken great effort to hold his hand; he couldn’t care about much else.

 

Chu Wang was self-aware.

 

“Chu Wang,” he nestled against him, curling slightly, “I don’t want to deal with my family’s issues anymore.”

 

“Mm,” the hand holding him lightly patted his back, “Do as you like.”

 

“Do you think I’m cold-hearted?” Yu Lan asked, already knowing the answer but feeling the need to say more, “After all, she said blood is thicker than water…”

 

Hearing that phrase had really angered him, prompting him to go back and say those things to Liang Zhiyu.

 

Chu Wang didn’t immediately answer but asked softly, “When you first left your foster family, did they come looking for you afterward?”

 

Yu Lan was stunned, not expecting Chu Wang to suddenly bring this up. Moreover, he had only mentioned it to him once, and that too had been mixed with half-truths about the original owner’s background.

 

That time, he had subtly mentioned his past life to Chu Wang in the form of a dream, never imagining that the other person would remember it all and even make subtle distinctions.

 

It was as if Chu Wang genuinely believed in the “dream” he had described.

 

“Why bring this up all of a sudden?” Yu Lan’s voice was quieter, but he still responded, “Actually, there is.”

 

As if he had guessed correctly, Chu Wang’s grip on his arm tightened slightly.

 

“In fact, that female guardian was very kind. She came to find me a few days later, saying she genuinely liked me and wanted me to stay with her.”

 

When Yu Lan brought this up, his voice lacked any emotion, as if he were recounting someone else’s story: “She said I was the most pleasing child she had ever seen, and I was also the most sensible.”

 

“At that time, I doubted if I was being unreasonable, deciding on my own to leave without consulting anyone.”

 

“I even went to ask Aunt Liu. She said the lady was sincere and that the conditions there were definitely better than in the orphanage,” Yu Lan said. “But she didn’t particularly persuade me.”

 

“At that time, the adoption procedures hadn’t been fully completed. The lady came to fill out the forms, saying she still wanted to take good care of me and bring me back.”

 

Chu Wang was a good listener. He was when he was a soul, and he still is now.

 

He wouldn’t ask too many questions, but his eyes and expression always conveyed to the speaker that he was indeed listening attentively.

 

Yu Lan didn’t know if he treated others this way, but at least now, it made him feel reassured.

 

Perhaps it was Chu Wang’s gaze that made him more at ease, so Yu Lan continued speaking without much burden: “I felt a bit guilty, thinking that if they really completed the procedures, I would definitely treat them well.”

 

“But this matter seemed to fade away,” Yu Lan’s voice carried no resentment or other emotions. “But a few days later, when I was cleaning up the trash, I saw a form with my name on it, torn to pieces and thrown away.”

 

“Based on what I saw a few days earlier, her husband probably convinced her to go back home. I asked a few kids who were there that day, and it seemed he kept emphasizing ‘blood is thicker than water.’ They had their own children and didn’t need to take on a burden like me.”

 

“But the funny thing is,” Yu Lan seemed to blink and his voice became dry, “just a few years ago, the director ran into that couple while she was out.”

 

“The lady complained that because of their child, they were often on the verge of divorce,” Yu Lan said. “She said more than once, ‘If only we had kept Xiao Yu back then.'”

 

“She said she couldn’t discipline her child, who was unruly and disrespectful from a young age, impossible to teach. Even after being sent to school, he frequently caused trouble, making her husband pick him up from the office often. She complained about her husband interfering with her decision, saying they might have had a more obedient child instead of the current chaos.”

 

“I only heard about this when Aunt Liu passed away,” Yu Lan’s tone finally showed some fluctuation, but it seemed to be only confusion. “But I still believe she loved her child.”

 

“For the first time, I wondered if ‘blood is thicker than water’ really exists. Just because a piece of flesh came from your body, or in her husband’s case, didn’t even endure any pain to have his offspring, can it really change their attitude so quickly, coldly tearing up the form within days?”

 

“Of course, maybe my mind is a bit messy, and I might not be clear,” Yu Lan bit his lip as if he felt foolish. “I know my thoughts might be wrong. I’m not trying to compare myself to them or investigate how their life turned out.”

 

“Maybe because Liang Zhiyu mentioned it today, I just, I just became curious…” Yu Lan looked at him, “Can there really be such a big change?”

 

“Even a little bit,” Yu Lan frowned, his face only showing confusion, “Wouldn’t there be any regret for having chosen me at first?”

 

“My fault.” Chu Wang lowered his eyes and gently touched the tip of Yu Lan’s nose. “I shouldn’t have asked this.”

 

Yu Lan shook his head, “I didn’t mean that…”

 

Chu Wang moved closer to him slightly. His legs still hurt, and any movement strained his still-recovering nerves and muscles.

 

But he gritted his teeth without showing it, straightening up so Yu Lan could lean on him more comfortably.

 

He hadn’t intended to bring this up actively, but hearing Yu Lan mention those things suddenly reminded him of the past he had mentioned so lightly, how he packed his bags and left the adoptive family decisively.

 

He felt heartbroken when he first heard it, and even more so now that he could touch him, not knowing how to protect him better. Every time he thought of Yu Lan’s experiences, it felt like a small stone continuously grinding in his heart, seeping out a bit of sourness.

 

Such a small child, how much determination did it take to make such a quick decision and leave without looking back?

 

“I just thought, you’re so good, how could they bear not to come back for you?” Chu Wang said.

 

“That’s right.” Yu Lan finally agreed with him, pursing his lips and saying, “No matter what, I was the best-looking and most obedient one there.”

 

“Yeah, so I’m lucky, I found you.” Chu Wang spoke in a rare coaxing tone. It wasn’t very practiced and sounded a bit awkward, but it still conveyed warmth.

 

“They didn’t choose me, thinking I wasn’t good enough. That’s their lack of vision.” Yu Lan lowered his eyes and buried his head into Chu Wang’s chest, speaking almost willfully, “I’ve done my best, and they still said it wouldn’t be close if raised from a young age.”

 

“Then why regret later? I didn’t go anywhere in the end, and I got through.”

 

His voice didn’t carry resentment or the urge to cry, but it felt like on the long road he had walked alone, a tree had suddenly grown, offering a chair where he could sit and talk.

 

Yu Lan was born in autumn and winter, coming into the world without blessings or attention. He walked a long way, and the tree reached out its branches, gently brushing his shoulder, telling him.

 

“You are unique, unparalleled in the world.”

 

There was no need to anxiously wait to be chosen, nor to always act likable. Just by standing there, the leaves would gently fall on him.

 

“I’m not crying, and it doesn’t hurt to remember.” Yu Lan’s muffled voice came from within Chu Wang’s robe. “You said last time that I won’t cry in the future.”

 

Chu Wang couldn’t find other words, so he held him, patting him gently and saying, “Okay,” and “It’s alright.”

 

Sometimes, he seemed clumsy in comforting, but he was always sincere.

 

Yet, sometimes, when he said heartfelt words, it seemed he was incredibly good at it, almost instinctive.

 

Chu Wang lowered his head, feeling Yu Lan’s nose gently nudge up.

 

The other person was warm, thin, and small, like a pitiful little animal in his arms.

 

His heart felt a soft ache, but also an immense sense of luck.

 

Thankfully, Yu Lan had come to him and not ended up elsewhere.

 

If he had gone elsewhere, would he have been left battered and bruised?

 

Yu Lan didn’t know what he was thinking, tugging at his collar and taking several deep breaths.

 

Then he said, “Seriously, how did we get so off track?”

 

He pursed his lips and rudely concluded, “It’s so annoying, all because of Liang Zhiyu. If she hadn’t come to find me, none of this would have happened.”

 

Chu Wang, like an emperor dismissing his advisors, naturally said, “Yes, it’s her fault.”

 

Hearing this, Yu Lan chuckled, and the remaining bit of frustration from the evening completely dissipated.

 

He said, “Why are you agreeing with me?”

 

His smile was lively, so Chu Wang naturally responded, “Couldn’t help it.”

 

“You talk like this when you’re in a relationship,” Yu Lan said with curved eyes. But then, not knowing how to describe it, he yawned and burrowed into Chu Wang’s arms.

 

Chu Wang held him without moving, feeling his actions. His deep voice came through, asking, “Sleepy?”

 

Yu Lan nodded slightly, finding the current position comfortable and warm. He closed his eyes and moved closer, saying to him, “Good night.”

 

It felt like someone touched his hair, or maybe not.

 

Yu Lan, feeling drowsy, couldn’t keep his eyes open. Still, he slightly tilted his head towards where Chu Wang was and murmured, “Kiss.”

 

Soon, a soft touch landed on his eyelid, then his nose tip, and finally on his lips.

 

It was a gentle, desire-free kiss, mostly just an affectionate touch without any further action.

 

Yu Lan, feeling comfortable, squinted his eyes and mumbled a few more times.

 

Perhaps as he fell asleep at midnight, whether in a dream or reality, he heard a low blessing.

 

It was Chu Wang’s voice, seriously telling him,

 

“——Happy birthday.”

 

AN – There might be more later! Recovering from a cold (lying down).