Three Missing One

Fu Quezhi returned to his apartment and received a call from the Yun family.

Yun Ni: “President Fu, today I’m picking up Xiao Shu to play at the Bai family. Today, Xiao Qu is throwing a tantrum and insists on being with Xiao Shu. I’ll take good care of the two kids, and I hope you can agree to Xiao Shu staying overnight at the Bai family.”

Yun Ni made this call out of helplessness. Ever since Bai Qu returned from school, he hadn’t let go of Qin Shu. Bai Qu is naturally quiet and reserved, not very popular with other kids. Moreover, after his father died in a car accident while taking him to a birthday party, Bai Qu was severely traumatized.

Finally, he managed to latch onto Qin Shu, so Yun Ni thickened her skin to call Fu Quezhi. Watching Bai Qu playing with Lego alongside Qin Shu, her heart ached.

“Mrs. Bai, as long as Shu Shu agrees, it’s fine.” Fu Quezhi knew a bit about the Bai family. Yun Ni was a great person, but he still felt a bit worried. However, Fu Quezhi always respected others’ wishes, even though Qin Shu was only a three-year-old child.

“Okay, I’ll ask Xiao Shu.”

“Xiao Shu, do you want to stay at the Bai family and play with Xiao Qu tonight?” Yun Ni bent down, smiling at Qin Shu.

“I…” Qin Shu hesitated. A three-year-old human cub had never left home before, staying in a stranger’s house. Feeling a tug on his sleeve, Qin Shu looked into Bai Qu’s dark eyes. He stood there silently, but Qin Shu could still feel Bai Qu’s anticipation.

“Then I’ll stay for one night. Aunt Yun, you have to take me to kindergarten tomorrow.” Qin Shu agreed, deciding to accompany Bai Qu.

“Aunt Yun will take good care of you. Now, Xiao Shu, tell your dad.” Yun Ni’s expression was gentle.

After a while, Fu Quezhi heard Qin Shu’s childish voice from the other end: “Dad, I’m staying with Xiao Qu tonight. I’ll be home tomorrow.”

“Alright, remember not to trouble others.” Fu Quezhi responded, reminding Qin Shu.

In this aspect, Qin Shu was very much like Qin Chaochen: “I’m a good baby, and good babies don’t trouble Aunt Yun.”

Very confident.

After Qin Shu went to take the call, Bai Qu stood in place, not playing with Lego, patiently waiting for his little partner to return. Yun Ni watched, almost tearing up.

Fu Quezhi and Yun Ni exchanged a few polite words before ending the call.

Previously, they had sent Qin Shu to the Qin family to play. Now, the Qin parents were traveling abroad and hadn’t returned. Even after Qin Chaochen’s car accident, when the Qin parents planned to return, Qin Chaochen recovered, so they continued their travels.

This was Qin Shu’s first time playing at a classmate’s house and not returning home for the night.

Fu Quezhi felt a subtle and unavoidable sense of loss, a feeling of a father whose child was growing independent.

*

Qin Chaochen found the bed in the master bedroom very soft. As soon as he closed his eyes to feel it, he fell asleep instantly.

“Is Chaochen home?” Fu Quezhi was changing his shoes, entering the apartment, and hanging his coat on the rack.

“Mr. Qin is home.” Li Ma took a bottle of cold water from the fridge and placed it in front of Fu Quezhi.

Fu Quezhi nodded, loosened his tie, and unbuttoned the top button that had been buttoned up in a restrained and cold manner. He walked into the bedroom, planning to change out of his suit.

As he entered the master bedroom, he paused. There was a lump under the thin blanket on the bed.

He walked closer to find Qin Chaochen hugging a random stuffed toy left on the bed. The pillow was sunken, and his long eyelashes cast shadows as he slept soundly, his lips slightly parted, breathing softly. His side profile was handsome and peaceful.

He turned over, the thin blanket slipping off, revealing a smooth muscle line and eight-pack abs. Fu Quezhi’s eyes deepened as he covered Qin Chaochen’s stomach with the blanket.

He got up and went to the bathroom.

Hearing the sound of water, Qin Chaochen’s ears twitched, rubbing against the pillow before reluctantly opening his eyes. He looked up blankly at the ceiling, noticing the pattern was different.

The guest room ceiling was green, perhaps for some special meaning. This ceiling was blue.

“Awake?” Fu Quezhi casually draped a bathrobe over himself, not quite neat but not indecent either. He had washed his hair, and water droplets were still dripping from his black hair.

“Why aren’t you wearing clothes?” Qin Chaochen dared not look, his face burning hot.

“About to put them on.” Fu Quezhi glanced down at his bathrobe: “A bathrobe is also clothing.”

Fu Quezhi opened the wardrobe to find some home clothes. Qin Chaochen noticed various clothes inside, of different sizes, not neatly arranged, giving a lived-in feel.

He sharply noticed Fu Quezhi grabbing long pants and a random gray shirt.

“Are those pants yours?”

Fu Quezhi replied straightforwardly: “No, they’re yours.”

“Loose ones are more comfortable. You never wore these pants after buying them.”

Qin Chaochen: “…” Unable to argue, were they really that close, even sharing pants?

But did he wear pants that Fu Quezhi had worn? Stop thinking!!!

“I’m leaving first. It’s awkward to change clothes with someone else around.” Qin Chaochen realized he couldn’t stay here and was about to slip away.

“You’re not someone else.” Fu Quezhi’s eyes swept over Qin Chaochen, narrowing like a precious Persian cat, speaking slowly: “At most, you’re family.”

Qin Chaochen’s heart raced uncontrollably. He clutched his chest, anxious inside, daring his heart to jump out of his chest if it had the guts.

His neck turned red as he quickened his pace out of the master bedroom. Once out of Fu Quezhi’s sight, Qin Chaochen dashed back to his guest room, burying his head in the blanket with a thud.

Family? Just thinking of the term made Qin Chaochen want to roll from the head to the foot of the bed. Blushing, he felt both embarrassed and angry.

After Fu Quezhi changed clothes and came out, he said, “Shu Shu went to a classmate’s house to play and won’t be back tonight.”

Qin Chaochen’s heart suddenly felt the same fatherly sentiment as Fu Quezhi, a sense of loss lingering in his heart.

Fu Quezhi went to the kitchen to make watermelon juice, and with nothing else to do, Qin Chaochen went to take a look, feeling his scalp tingle.

The watermelon in front of Fu Quezhi looked like it had gone through eighteen kinds of torture. Fu Quezhi expressionlessly scooped out the watermelon with a spoon.

Qin Chaochen: “…” Indeed, making watermelon juice.

“Tomorrow, I’m inviting He Ze and Yu Cheng over to play.” Qin Chaochen said seriously.

“Yu Cheng?” Fu Quezhi was familiar with He Ze. His eyes narrowed. When did Yu Cheng become friends with Qin Chaochen?

“Yeah, we’re just playing a game.” Qin Chaochen revealed.

Yu Cheng playing games? The games Yu Cheng played were usually not the same kind of games. Fu Quezhi really couldn’t trust Yu Cheng’s character, especially now with his rebellious eighteen-year-old husband.

Fu Quezhi: “What game?”

Qin Chaochen proudly: “KartRider.”

Yu Cheng? KartRider?

What do these two things have in common?

“When are you playing games tomorrow?” Fu Quezhi started making watermelon juice.

“Tomorrow afternoon.” Qin Chaochen was smart: “Who plays games early in the morning? Noon is better, and Shu Shu will be back in the evening.”

“Count me in.” Fu Quezhi still didn’t trust Yu Cheng.

“The more, the merrier.” Qin Chaochen had initially wanted to invite Fu Quezhi, not expecting him to volunteer.

So Fu Quezhi wanted to play games too.

Must be too much work stress.

“What work do I have?” Qin Chaochen planned to work hard to earn money for the family. He looked expectantly at Fu Quezhi, who, as an old… brother, must know his job.

Fu Quezhi sensed Qin Chaochen’s anticipation and thought for a moment, not disappointing: “Do you really want to know?”

Why keep him in suspense? Qin Chaochen was really annoyed: “Of course, I want to know.”

Fu Quezhi chuckled: “Then it might be… counting money.”

Qin Chaochen: “…”

Unwilling to believe, he pressed on: “Am I a bank worker?”

Fu Quezhi: “This counting money is literal, no other meaning.” He emphasized again: “Unrelated to any profession.”

Qin Chaochen’s heart shattered into pieces: “…”

A househusband, it turns out, is him!

Leak!!!

Qin Chaochen was speechless, and Fu Quezhi handed him a glass of watermelon juice to drink.

He sat on the sofa, messaging He Ze and Yu Cheng. He Ze agreed without asking anything, eager to escape the old man’s company. Playing a few rounds of KartRider? He could handle it.

Qin Chaochen kindly reminded: [By the way, there’s also Yu Cheng.]

He Ze’s first reaction was, why is this guy here, what bad luck.

But curiosity killed the cat, so he patted his chest, saying it was no problem.

Qin Chaochen passed the message to Yu Cheng, also mentioning that Fu Quezhi would be playing too.

Yu Cheng’s heart was excited, his hands trembling.

He pretended to decline: [This… might not be good, will Fu Quezhi be angry?]

Qin Chaochen, confused: [Playing games is for fun, why be angry.]

Yu Cheng: [Alright then, this is going to be fun. By the way, what time?]

Qin Chaochen: [Tomorrow afternoon at two.]

Yu Cheng’s heart tightened. Daytime? Are you really ready?

Yu Cheng typed reservedly: [I can bring you joy, no, ecstasy.]

Qin Chaochen was baffled. Does Yu Cheng have a few screws loose?

Or was his eighteen-year-old soul already out of touch with the times?

▍Author’s Note

Qin Chaochen: Is this my fault?

Fu Quezhi: What do these two things have in common?

He Ze: Why is this guy here, what bad luck.