Chapter 43: Brother, please beg me hard

A minimalist yet luxurious restaurant, with a table big enough for ten people but only set for three, with the most common home-cooked dishes.

“I rarely cook, but I can manage a bit. When he was little, Xingran would only eat what I cooked; he wasn’t fond of his mother’s cooking.” Mr. Fu gestured for Su Lixu to try, then chuckled. “I’m not sure if it suits your taste, give it a try.”

“Who likes to eat your cooking?” Fu Xingran chuckled, but his gaze remained fixed on the sweet and sour pork ribs. It seemed like he remembered something, lips pressed tightly, eyes reddening, silently lowering his head with chopsticks in hand.

Su Lixu glanced at Fu Xingran, noticing his fixation on the sweet and sour pork ribs and sensing his mixed emotions. He picked up a piece and placed it in Fu Xingran’s bowl. “Looks delicious.”

“Doctor Su, thank you for accompanying Xingran.” Mr. Fu caught his son’s expression and knew their resentment wouldn’t disappear so quickly. He smiled at Su Lixu. “But I guess I shouldn’t call you Doctor anymore, right?”

Su Lixu hadn’t seen Mr. Fu so amiable and friendly before. He knew this side of him only emerged after the change in identity, so he was still getting used to it. He smiled and nodded. “Just call me Lixu, Mr. Fu.”

“Still calling me Mr. Fu?” Mr. Fu poured wine into Su Lixu’s glass.

Su Lixu seeing the elder pouring him wine, quickly raised his glass. “Thank you, Uncle.”

Fu Xingran watched his father pour wine for Su Lixu, gripping Su Lixu’s arm subconsciously, frowning. “Dad, he can’t drink.”

Mr. Fu, hearing his son, paused. “Oh, Lixu, you can’t drink? Then forget it, forget it.” He reached to take the wine glass from Su Lixu’s hand.

“It’s okay, I can have a little.” Su Lixu glanced at Fu Xingran, as if mildly reproaching him for his impoliteness.

Fu Xingran silently withdrew his hand and lowered his head to eat. “…Go ahead and drink.”

Only then did Su Lixu retract his gaze.

Mr. Fu watched their interaction, seeing his son’s position clearly, not feeling any discomfort. Instead, he felt it was good to have someone looking out for this brat. “Why did Lixu decide to work at a university after returning to the country instead of continuing at the hospital?”

Then, he thought of something he regretted doing in the past. “Is it because of what I did back then—”

“Let bygones be bygones, Uncle, you don’t need to worry about it.” Su Lixu smiled. “While pursuing my Ph.D. abroad, I’ve always been involved in frontline work. After returning, although I’m now a full-time psychologist at the university, my psychology team has been continuously combining clinical experience to gradually improve research on borderline personality disorder in our country. It’s just a change of battlefield, but the nature remains the same, all to help more people with disorders.”

“What about Xingran…” Mr. Fu hesitated.

Fu Xingran’s hand holding the chopsticks tightened.

“When he’s willing to come back home and call you ‘dad’ again, it means he’s starting to reconcile with his past self.” Under the table, Su Lixu held Fu Xingran’s tightly clenched hand, intertwining their fingers. “His mood is getting better with me. I believe he’s learned how to control his emotions, just like now, sitting together at the table for a meal. So, rest assured, I’ll be with him.”

Mr. Fu looked at his son, eyes filled with hope. “Xingran, can you forgive Dad?”

Even though he had brought those ticket tearers to justice years ago, some even faced death or imprisonment, but what could that change? His beloved wife had forever left him, and he dared not imagine how desperate she must have felt before her death.

The overwhelming grief of losing his beloved wife made him neglect his child. When he realized and wanted to make amends, it only led to resentment between him and his child.

But now all he could do was wait and ask repeatedly, waiting for his child to forgive him, asking if the child was willing to come home.

In his fifties, as long as he could obtain his child’s forgiveness before he left, he would not feel regret.

Feeling encouraged by Su Lixu, Fu Xingran looked up from his bowl and glanced at his father. “The sweet and sour pork ribs are too salty. Next time I come back, don’t make them so salty.”

Mr. Fu’s eyes instantly welled up, as if he had been waiting for this day for a long time and finally heard his son say these words. Overjoyed, he nodded vigorously. “Okay, Dad won’t make them so salty next time.” He reached to take away the dish of sweet and sour pork ribs.

Fu Xingran pressed down on the plate.

Mr. Fu: “?”

Seeing his father’s expression, Fu Xingran felt uncomfortable and firmly kept the dish of sweet and sour pork ribs on the table. He then picked up a few more pieces, mixed them with rice, and began to eat with gusto.

It was as if he was saying that while they were a bit salty, eating more rice would balance it out.

Mr. Fu was particularly happy at dinner tonight, drinking several glasses of red wine, with Su Lixu also having two or three glasses.

Knowing he was the designated driver, Fu Xingran naturally abstained from alcohol. He watched as Su Lixu’s fair complexion gradually turned rosy and heard him becoming more talkative, realizing that the man was getting a bit drunk.

Just like last time.

When Mr. Fu felt a bit tipsy towards the end, he announced that he wouldn’t drink anymore and said he wanted to go to bed. The housekeeper quickly came to assist him. “Oh, you haven’t had much to drink.”

“I’m getting old and can’t handle it anymore.” Mr. Fu waved his hand to decline the assistance, then looked at the two of them. “Are you staying or going back?”

“Going back.” Fu Xingran’s gaze fell on his father’s hair, as if noticing the white strands.

Mr. Fu nodded with disappointment. “Okay.”

Su Lixu grabbed the hem of Fu Xingran’s clothes, wanting to suggest staying, but before he could speak, Fu Xingran pressed him back into his seat, telling him, “Sit tight and wait for me.” Then he walked over to Mr. Fu.

“You’re both getting older, so drink less. One glass is enough, but you drank a whole bottle,” Fu Xingran supported his father and complained, “You even dragged my boyfriend along. He can’t handle alcohol and gets drunk easily. Let’s avoid these situations in the future. Just focus on eating during meals and have a couple of glasses of juice. Don’t let me catch you drinking tomorrow.”

Upon hearing “coming back tomorrow,” Mr. Fu smiled happily. “Alright, alright.”

Su Lixu leaned back in his chair, watching the father and son go upstairs, feeling somewhat dreamy and slightly emboldened by the alcohol.

He chuckled softly to himself.

If it made his boy happy to have a few drinks, what did it matter? Even better if he got a bit drunk.—

“In the future, no drinking when you’re out. Got it?” Fu Xingran half-carried Su Lixu to the passenger seat, fastened his seatbelt, and was about to stand up when Su Lixu grabbed his collar and bit his lip.

The aroma of wine lingered in the air, and Su Lixu’s slightly tipsy breath seemed to infect him.

“Baby, I’ve had some wine,” Su Lixu lightly laughed, embracing Fu Xingran’s neck, “Just a little bit, enough to get me tipsy.”

The teasing tone in his laughter sent a shiver down Fu Xingran’s spine.

“I know you’re tipsy,” Fu Xingran glanced at Su Lixu, meeting his amber eyes filled with laughter, his throat tightening.

He could feel that Su Lixu was genuinely happy.And that made him happy too.

“Then I’ll be bold,” Su Lixu rubbed Fu Xingran’s earlobe, smiling softly, “You’ll listen to me, understand?”

His slightly tipsy voice was hoarse, but his commanding tone carried a hint of teasing.

“Understood.”

The car swiftly merged into the darkness of the night, heading towards the studio.

Both couldn’t wait, eager to be drenched in passionate love within the studio’s concealed confines.

As the door to the studio swung open, illuminating the vast space with bright lights, Su Lixu was left speechless by the scene before him.

Everywhere he looked, there were portraits of him, hanging on the walls or displayed on easels. In this space of over 200 square meters, among the hundred-plus paintings, every expression, every pose, every set of clothes belonged to him, with no repetition.

The intense, hidden love pouring out from the paintings ignited his heart like a fire. Under the influence of alcohol, he felt an urge to throw himself into it.

“Baby, do you remember the painting of you sitting in a chair wearing a white coat?” Fu Xingran hugged Su Lixu from behind, pointing to a black chair not far away. “I painted that chair, imagining you sitting on it.”

“Do you want to see the real thing?” Su Lixu glanced at Fu Xingran sideways.

Fu Xingran felt his heart pounding. “Can I?”

“Do you want to?” Su Lixu asked.

“I do.”

Su Lixu smiled. “Then I’ll indulge you.”

In front of the canvas, Su Lixu sat astride a black chair, wearing a thin white shirt. One hand was holding onto the chair’s back, while the other supported his head.

His demeanor was cool and restrained, with a hint of tipsiness at the corners of his eyes, spreading a faint blush. His eyelids drooped slightly, his gaze lazy and indifferent, as if disdainful yet alluring.

And his gaze was solely fixed on the person painting.

Fu Xingran, while painting, displayed a focus and charm that were usually unseen. Being scrutinized like this gave a sensation of being ignited by the fire in his eyes.

Fu Xingran’s gaze passed over Su Lixu’s waistline as he leaned sideways, his hand holding the brush moving faster. The bursting inspiration poured onto the paper. It was completely different from imagining Su Lixu; now Su Lixu was sitting in front of him, giving him something to paint.

His muse was right in front of him. How could he not be excited?

“Are you done?” Su Lixu yawned lazily, taking a brush from the side. Seeing Fu Xingran still deeply engrossed in painting, his thoughts became bolder. It was something he wouldn’t dare to think about normally, but fueled by alcohol, he ventured, “Baby, come over here.”

Just as Fu Xingran looked up, Su Lixu gestured with the hand holding the brush.

Fu Xingran had just finished outlining the contours. There was time to finish the rest later, but when he saw Su Lixu’s gesture, he couldn’t resist. He put down the brush and walked over to Su Lixu.

As he stopped in front of the chair, he suddenly felt a nudge at his shoe.

Looking down, Fu Xingran saw Su Lixu’s foot nudging him, and the pale ankle peeking out when Su Lixu lifted his foot. Meeting Su Lixu’s smiling gaze, his eyes suddenly deepened.

Su Lixu smiled, playing with Fu Xingran’s hand with the brush, his amber eyes full of laughter and nearly overflowing with tenderness, carrying an indescribable allure that ensnared him.

“Baby, I just learned 36 terms of endearment for my husband. Would you like to hear them?” Su Lixu’s teasing voice made Fu Xingran envy him completely.

“Of course I do, I’ve been dying to,” he replied.

Su Lixu gestured again, indicating for Fu Xingran to lean down.

Fu Xingran obediently bent down, getting closer.

“Beg me,” Su Lixu whispered softly, a gentle provocation by his ear.

The gentle tease next to his ear undoubtedly made Fu Xingran thoroughly jealous. He tightened the hand on the chair slightly, gazing deeply at Su Lixu. “My baby, I beg you.”

Su Lixu thought, if this guy dared to play with him like this on his birthday, then he would make Fu Xingran taste it too. He reached out, grabbed Fu Xingran’s collar, closing the distance to just an inch, and looked up at him, smiling coldly.

“Little brother, beg nicely.”

As the night deepened and the moon was obscured by clouds, only the surging love was witnessed by the gushing stars.