Guardian®

Returning home, Qin Chaochen still felt dizzy, his eyes were wet.

Qin Shu was already asleep in his small bed. Fu Quezhi gently opened the door to check if his son was sleeping soundly.

He quietly returned to the living room. Qin Chaochen leaned on the sofa, sipped a glass of cold water as if he was feeling hot.

Fu Quezhi sat beside him and suddenly reached out to hug Qin Chaochen, snuggling into his embrace.

The air conditioning was on at home, but the summer heat was still a bit stifling. As soon as Fu Quezhi got home, he took off his suit jacket and snuggled into Qin Chaochen’s arms, burrowing in as much as he could.

His figure was excellent, tall and slender, with a lean waist. Qin Chaochen’s gaze lingered on Fu Quezhi’s head for a few seconds, and he didn’t push him away.

“Hot,” Qin Chaochen coughed lightly.

He felt a hand slip under his shirt, rubbing his abs.

Qin Chaochen instinctively tensed up.

“Want to sleep together tonight?” Fu Quezhi’s low voice carried a hint of pleading.

Their breaths gradually intertwined.

“Let’s wait a bit,” Qin Chaochen’s heart skipped a few beats, almost unable to resist agreeing.

Fu Quezhi’s fingertips still carried a warm touch, and those eight-pack abs were really nice to touch, and he could feel the taut muscles.

Can’t push too hard.

Qin Chaochen returned to the guest room, still feeling Fu Quezhi’s intense gaze on his back.

He quickly rolled around on the bed a few times, then placed his hand on his own abs.

Doesn’t feel that great to touch.

And it didn’t give him the same feeling as when Fu Quezhi touched him.

He received a message from Wang Yan on his phone. As expected of the heir of the Wang family, he quickly sorted out his thoughts and sent a thank-you message.

Wang Yan: [Thank you, little crybaby.]

Qin Chaochen: […]

Even though it used a nickname he didn’t like.

He suddenly remembered a post he had made before, clicked into it, and was shocked by the hundreds of replies.

He skimmed through the later replies, filtering out the unserious messages.

As he read, he fell asleep.

He had a dream.

He dreamed of Fu Quezhi and Fu Zhao.

The whole scene was in gray tones.

“Fu Quezhi, you took away my parents. You’ve lived the life of a young master in the Fu family for so many years, now it’s my turn,” Fu Zhao’s tone carried an unknown emotion.

“…I’ll leave,” Fu Quezhi didn’t take anything with him.

“Even the clothes and shoes were given to you by the Fu family,” Fu Zhao saw Fu Quezhi’s cold appearance, but the silent Fu Quezhi still shone in the night.

“Fu Zhao, you…” Gu Yunzhou felt it was a bit too much and comforted his beloved, “Fu Zhao, he owes you, but he should still leave with some clothes.”

Fu Zhao cried loudly in Gu Yunzhou’s arms, his eyes glaring fiercely at Fu Quezhi, as if with a threat.

Fu Quezhi gritted his teeth.

Fu Quezhi took a deep breath, his fingers trembling as they landed on the buttons. Not only Gu Yunzhou but also the family’s servants were watching him.

He felt embarrassed. In the past, being confined or not allowed to eat in the Fu family never felt this bad.

“Fu Quezhi, I’ve been waiting for you for half a day,” Qin Chaochen couldn’t see the person’s features clearly, but he knew it was himself.

Fu Quezhi looked up at Qin Chaochen with tear-filled eyes, as if a bit of light had leaked from hell, and he seemed unsteady.

“Let’s go.” The man with an unclear face, still wearing a school uniform, stepped forward and held Fu Quezhi’s hand, wanting to take him away from the Fu family.

“You can’t leave!” Fu Zhao stepped forward, “I still recognize Fu Quezhi as my brother, he can stay in the Fu family.”

Fu Zhao’s tone was condescending.

“No need, I spoke with Uncle Fu, Fu Quezhi can leave the Fu family. The rest has nothing to do with Young Master Fu, not everyone clings to the Fu family.”

“Perhaps leaving the Fu family is the better choice.” The man stood in front of Fu Quezhi, his voice firm and powerful.

“Apologies for intruding into the Fu family.” He even maintained the politeness of a wealthy family.

“Of course, if there’s another intrusion, I’ll still come in.”

Qin Chaochen’s gaze followed the unclear man and Fu Quezhi.

Qin Chaochen himself had an apartment, and he took Fu Quezhi there. The two of them started to feel sleepy; the apartment only had one bed, and it seemed like his nineteen-year-old self, still in high school, was wearing a school uniform.

He voluntarily slept on the sofa.

When it was late at night, Qin Chaochen himself was tired, even in his dream, he felt more tired.

The bedroom door opened.

Quietly.

A figure slowly approached the sofa, Fu Quezhi used the moonlight to look at Qin Chaochen’s face, Qin Chaochen’s features were handsome, and he slept peacefully.

Fu Quezhi hurriedly averted his gaze, quietly watching Qin Chaochen on the sofa.

Suddenly, he crouched down and gently kissed Qin Chaochen’s lips.

Then he looked for a while longer before returning to the bedroom and closing the door.

Qin Chaochen, watching from a god’s perspective, felt his face flush and his heart race.

No way! Why is his heart beating so fast!

Qin Chaochen was shocked.

The figure on the sofa moved slightly, the heartbeat becoming more pronounced.

Qin Chaochen realized he could see his nineteen-year-old face, a bit young and tender, his dark eyes looking towards the bedroom, sighing and turning over to sleep.

But the heartbeat was still very noticeable.

What a little liar.

…

“Why do you look like you didn’t sleep well last night?” He Ze asked, seeing the listless Qin Chaochen.

“I had a dream last night,” Qin Chaochen indeed didn’t sleep well.

“A nightmare?”

“No.”

Qin Chaochen hid some details, just saying he dreamed of going to the Fu family and bringing Fu Quezhi back to the apartment.

He Ze slapped his thigh, “This dream completely matches reality.”

“Didn’t you leave the Qin family, claiming you needed to tutor Fu Quezhi during the crucial time of high school, living together every day?”

“Maybe your memory is coming back.” He Ze concluded.

“Me and Fu Quezhi…” Qin Chaochen didn’t know where to start.

“Yeah, one day during evening self-study, Old Hu, a big mouth, mentioned Uncle Fu brought someone back, someone who looked a lot like Uncle Fu, and Fu Quezhi from the next class was also called away.”

“I casually mentioned, could it be Uncle Fu’s illegitimate child, and you suddenly stood up and rushed out.” He Ze complained, “Luckily, I was considerate and calmed down the class monitor, or else you’d be waiting for a call to your parents.”

“And then the next day, you two came to school together, it shocked me so much, I always remembered this.”

“You gave me the feeling like you should know some inside story, we didn’t know about the real and fake young master thing back then.”

He Ze took a sip of coffee, “But when you heard me say Uncle Fu’s illegitimate child, you looked very shocked, hahaha.”

How could he not be shocked? Qin Chaochen didn’t know about the real and fake young master, he didn’t even know he was in a book.

After all, there were so many books, who could remember them all?

Qin Chaochen received a text message, it was from the person in his dream last night.

*

In the evening, Fu Quezhi returned home but didn’t see Qin Chaochen. Qin Chaochen had also taken a leave from the company today, he had delegated his responsibilities thoroughly, but Fu Quezhi had to keep an eye on the technical side.

And with the new technology launching, he had been very busy these days.

He should be back before ten.

Qin Chaochen walked into a bar, the dance floor was crowded with people dancing, colorful lights shone on Qin Chaochen’s face. He remembered the private room number Fu Zhao gave him, rejecting many people’s advances.

Someone even tried to take advantage of the chaos to touch Qin Chaochen’s butt, Qin Chaochen’s face turned green, and he instinctively flipped the man over his shoulder, making him eat dirt.

“Not interested,” Qin Chaochen said.

He entered the private room, Fu Zhao was already sitting inside, with several bottles of alcohol on the table.

“You’re here, Chaochen.” Fu Zhao poured a drink into the glass opposite him.

Qin Chaochen didn’t touch the drink.

He remained highly vigilant.

“What do you want from me?” Qin Chaochen looked at Fu Zhao, wondering why he wasn’t with Gu Yunzhou and instead asked him out.

Could it be some bad idea, wanting to take revenge on him?

This was also a major reason Qin Chaochen came, he wanted to see what Fu Zhao was up to.

“Just wanted to chat with you,” Fu Zhao said warmly.

“…?” Qin Chaochen was speechless.

“I’m going to be with Gu Yunzhou.”

“Then… congratulations.” You two troublemakers are finally together.

“But the person I like is clearly you.” Fu Zhao’s face, with a hint of drunkenness, looked very attractive, his gaze at Qin Chaochen was enough to evoke pity.

But Qin Chaochen wasn’t an ordinary person.

“Voice recorder warning,” Qin Chaochen said righteously.

“You…” Fu Zhao’s expression changed, clearly not wanting his confession to Qin Chaochen to be recorded.

He couldn’t give up on Gu Yunzhou as a backup plan yet.

“Say something serious,” Qin Chaochen kindly reminded.

Fu Zhao: “…” He called Qin Chaochen here just to flirt, what serious talk could he have?

“You once saved me.” Fu Zhao ignored Qin Chaochen’s displeased expression and continued, “I was working as a waiter in this hotel, being harassed by a guest, and you helped me.”

“Shows I’m a decent person,” Qin Chaochen didn’t find it surprising.

“So I wanted to repay you, but then…” Fu Zhao looked at Qin Chaochen with deep affection, “I didn’t expect to gradually be attracted to you, to fall in love with you.”

“I have a question.” Qin Chaochen raised his hand to speak.

“Ask away,” Fu Zhao said warmly.

“Would you like your savior if he were a middle-aged man? Besides, we really haven’t had much interaction.” Qin Chaochen thought for a moment, “Maybe you like the idealized young master of the Qin family.”

“Your hypothesis doesn’t hold, the savior and you can’t be separated.” Fu Zhao paused, a bit stubbornly.

“…Alright, Schrödinger’s gratitude.” Qin Chaochen indeed had little interaction with Fu Zhao, and his twenty-three-year-old self would likely have even less.

“I…” Fu Zhao tried to get closer to Qin Chaochen.

Qin Chaochen stood up, “Young Master Fu, it’s almost ten.”

Fu Zhao was slightly puzzled, “?”

“I should be going back,” Qin Chaochen kindly reminded, “I’m a married man.”

“Qin Chaochen! Don’t you feel even a little moved by me?” Fu Zhao shouted, his gaze obsessively fixed on Qin Chaochen.

“Is it appropriate to ask a married man that?” Even a pig would shake its head.

“If you insist on an answer, no.” Qin Chaochen didn’t hesitate, “Absolutely no chance.”

“Then how can Fu Quezhi be okay? You’re so good to him, you got kicked out of the Qin family for him, don’t you hate him?! What can Fu Quezhi give you?! I can give you the Fu family!”

Kicked out of the Qin family? Qin Chaochen suddenly felt a pain in his shoulder.

The man standing by the door had a tall and slender figure, standing there with a certain grace.

Fu Zhao, panting, shouted these words, looking expectantly at Qin Chaochen.

“It was my own choice, what I did has nothing to do with Fu Quezhi.” Qin Chaochen paused, the flickering lights casting shadows on his face, his features strong and defined.

“As for hate? Completely impossible, it’s just nonsense. If a relationship means letting the other person bear all the responsibilities, then what’s the point of being in a relationship?”

“I don’t have such great ambitions, nor do I want to fight for the position of the Qin family heir, I’m just a quiet salted fish.” Qin Chaochen lowered his gaze, not knowing how gentle his expression was.

“To have a love. To be able to protect it.”

“I think I would be very happy.”

The door was gently closed, leaving only Fu Zhao in the private room.

Fu Zhao was in a daze, his thoughts suddenly returning to a few years ago.

After Qin Chaochen took Fu Quezhi away, one day he suddenly returned to the Qin family. At that time, he was so happy he ran to the Qin family gate, which was left open in a hurry or for some other reason.

He heard the sound of a stick hitting a body.

Father Qin: “Will you change!!”

“No.”

“Will you change!!!”

Fu Zhao’s heart raced, he tiptoed and saw Father Qin holding a stick, hitting Qin Chaochen hard on the body, Qin Chaochen’s shoulder was already bleeding.

Mother Qin cried, trying to grab the stick from Father Qin: “Stop it! Stop it! Our son is bleeding!”

For the Qin family, being gay seemed to be a rebellious thing.

“Thud thud thud!!!” The sound of the stick falling on Qin Chaochen’s shoulder, he knelt on the ground, seemingly unable to hold on.

He had heard of Qin Chaochen’s reputation, he seemed to cry a lot, very delicate. But Fu Zhao looked at the floor, there were no tears, only large beads of sweat dripping from his chin.

“Stop it! Stop it!!! If you don’t care about our son, I do!!” Mother Qin snatched the stick from Father Qin’s hand and threw it into the garden outside.

Father Qin was furious, “Will you change!!! If you change, you’re still the young master of the Qin family.”

Fu Zhao thought, change, change, what’s the big deal, you can date secretly, no need to go against your parents.

“…I’m sorry.” Qin Chaochen, in pain, was a bit delirious, his eyes seeing double, he knelt on the ground without getting up, his shoulder a bloody mess, Qin Chaochen was indeed in pain, so much he wanted to cry, but he had to endure.

He wanted to be with Fu Quezhi.

Openly be together.

And not some relationship without any guarantee, not even a title.

As a boyfriend, this was the basic respect he should give Fu Quezhi.

At that moment, Fu Zhao fled in panic. His ears still echoed with Mother Qin’s cries, and the sound of Father Qin swinging the stick.

More so, it was Qin Chaochen’s appearance and his words.

He covered his mouth, gasping for breath, even though he wasn’t the one being beaten, his back felt a chill. He looked back at the Qin family villa one more time.