Uncle’s Fantasies

Su Ran was testing the storyline. The progress bar for new characters had already started to rise.

He Zhiwen was Jiang Yi’s superior, the son of the CEO of the main company. The headquarters were in the super-first-tier city H City, and He Zhiwen had come to explore the Beijing market and conduct some inspections.

However, no one knew exactly what his background was yet. Jiang Yi had a very sharp intuition, and since he couldn’t figure out He Zhiwen’s true intentions, he chose not to get involved in office politics. Instead, he opted to maintain his superior’s favor by taking a more supportive approach.

So now, he had sent Su Ran over to act as a mediator, helping He Zhiwen solve the problem with the child, which had become a troublesome issue for him.

Hearing footsteps, Su Ran looked up and saw the tall man next to Jiang Yi. Dressed in a suit, he exuded a sense of extraordinary quality. His facial features were sharp and defined, his deep-set eyes full of maturity and subtle elegance.

“Su Ran, this is President He,” Jiang Yi introduced.

Su Ran felt a bit nervous, though he couldn’t quite pinpoint why. Even though President He appeared approachable, there was an undeniable aura of authority about him.

Su Ran was about to stand up, but He Zhiwen immediately stopped him, saying, “No need, no need, just stay seated. Mingzhe is letting someone hold him for the first time. You must be very good with kids, Su Ran.”

“Mingzhe is really well-behaved,” Su Ran said, looking down at the child in his arms, who was now shyly covering his face.

He Zhiwen took a deep breath, his heart racing uncontrollably. The more he looked at Su Ran, the more he liked him.

“He really likes you,” He Zhiwen said, sitting beside Su Ran.

Su Ran felt the cushion dip beside him and turned to see He Zhiwen gazing at him intently. His black eyes seemed to be looking at him seriously, yet his eyes also carried a hint of a smile, making Su Ran relax.

When Su Ran smiled back, He Zhiwen noticed a pleasant fragrance coming from him. Su Ran really did smell nice—an unexpectedly sweet and fresh scent that was even more charming than He Zhiwen had imagined.

To avoid losing composure, He Zhiwen quickly turned his gaze away, clearing his throat as a distraction. He poured tea for Su Ran. He had battled billion-dollar projects in business without a hint of nervousness, but now, facing the fragrant Su Ran, he couldn’t help but feel anxious.

“I might need to trouble you a bit in the coming days,” He Zhiwen said, his voice deep and magnetic, deliberately slowing down his tone, making it sound exceptionally gentle. “Feel free to tell me if you need anything. Don’t hesitate.”

“Okay,” Su Ran replied.

He Zhiwen was about to say something else when the secretary came over. “President He, the meeting is about to start.”

He Zhiwen didn’t respond immediately but looked toward Su Ran. Su Ran, focused on Zhao Mingzhe, heard the secretary’s words and stood up, gently placing the child down. “Then I’ll take Mingzhe home first, President He. You can pick him up in the evening.”

He Zhiwen stood up as well, saying, “No need to call me President He. Just call me… Zhiwen. I should be older than you, so you can call me ‘Brother He’ if you want.”

Su Ran opened his mouth, considering the situation. Since He Zhiwen was Jiang Yi’s superior, he hesitated but ultimately said, “Brother He.”

“Then I’ll leave Mingzhe to you. Let’s exchange numbers. If you need anything, just give me a call,” He Zhiwen said.

By now, Su Ran no longer felt constrained in front of the CEO because He Zhiwen genuinely didn’t seem to have any airs about him. They exchanged WeChat and phone numbers.

After Su Ran left with Zhao Mingzhe, He Zhiwen’s gaze lingered on his retreating figure until he couldn’t see him anymore.

Jiang Yi, noticing his gaze, assumed He Zhiwen was simply worried about his nephew. He Zhiwen, however, began praising Su Ran. “Su Ran’s a really good guy. It’s reassuring that you asked him to help.”

Jiang Yi felt He Zhiwen’s joy and was naturally happy as well, though he couldn’t help but feel that He Zhiwen’s attitude toward Su Ran was a bit unusual. Usually, He Zhiwen was more formal and distant in the workplace, rarely showing such a friendly and approachable demeanor.

After thinking it over, Jiang Yi concluded that this had to do with He Zhiwen finally solving the troublesome issue with his nephew. As a result, his attitude toward Su Ran had softened. This move was definitely the right one, so Jiang Yi decided not to dwell on it further.

•

Su Ran took Zhao Mingzhe straight home. The child had a small backpack, which Su Ran had brought back with him, containing his toys.

When they got home, Su Ran laid down a few play mats for Zhao Mingzhe to play on.

“Mingzhe is such a good boy, such a well-behaved little angel,” Su Ran praised gently.

Zhao Mingzhe became even more well-behaved, playing with his toys without needing any supervision. Su Ran kissed his chubby little cheek before leaning back on the sofa, scrolling through his phone.

Ye Qiao had sent him many travel photos, each one showing his smiling face. They had visited a southern city, which was still quite hot, and Ye Qiao was dressed lightly. There were even some photos of him swimming, with droplets of water sliding down his beautiful muscles. The photos were a visual treat.

Another day of envying someone else’s muscles, huh.

Last night, Ye Qiao had sent him a voice message, sounding like he might have been drunk. His voice was incredibly magnetic. “Ran Ran, I miss you so much.”

Su Ran only just saw it and replied, “Have fun, and I’ll make you some delicious food when you’re back.”

Spending the whole day at home wasn’t boring with Zhao Mingzhe around. The little one was well-behaved, not crying or causing trouble. As night fell, he was quickly coaxed to sleep.

Su Ran was in the kitchen preparing dinner when Jiang Yi came home. He unlocked the door and was followed by He Zhiwen.

He Zhiwen stood at the entrance, peering inside and catching sight of Su Ran’s back in the kitchen. The sunlight made his figure appear clean and soft, and the apron tied around his waist accentuated his slender form.

He had once fantasized about coming home after work and seeing such a scene—his wife preparing dinner in the kitchen, waiting for him to return.

“President He, stay for dinner,” Jiang Yi suggested.

He Zhiwen had originally planned to leave after picking up Zhao Mingzhe, but since it was his first time meeting Su Ran, and considering his profession as a nanny, he didn’t want there to be any awkwardness between them. However, Jiang Yi’s suggestion made it hard for him to refuse.

Su Ran, noticing the movement at the door, put down the vegetables and glanced toward it. He lowered his voice slightly. “Mingzhe is sleeping in there. Brother He, come in and eat first.”

“Okay, I won’t be polite,” He Zhiwen replied happily.

After changing into slippers, Jiang Yi had intended to prepare some tea and chat in the living room with He Zhiwen, but he was surprised to see He Zhiwen head straight to the kitchen.

He Zhiwen pointed at the vegetables in the sink. “Do these need to be washed?”

Su Ran immediately responded, “No need, I’ll take care of it.”

“It’s fine, I often do this at home,” He Zhiwen replied.

Su Ran, feeling a bit of pressure with the tall CEO standing beside him in a suit, couldn’t help but think how surreal it was to have such a person, the president of a major company, standing there helping him wash vegetables.

And then…

Su Ran watched as He Zhiwen handed him the vegetables, which were nearly crushed. “Is this what you meant by ‘doing it often’?”

From beginning to end, He Zhiwen stayed in the kitchen, offering his help. Fortunately, Su Ran wasn’t affected and quickly finished preparing the meal.

At the dinner table, they made small talk, and He Zhiwen intentionally steered the conversation toward Su Ran.

“This meal is really delicious. Your future partner will be very lucky,” He Zhiwen said, then paused. “By the way, I don’t know if you have a partner yet.”

Su Ran instinctively glanced at Jiang Yi. Seeing that Jiang Yi was avoiding his gaze, he lowered his head, “Not yet.”

At hearing this, He Zhiwen’s smile deepened. “Don’t worry. You’ll find someone great.”

Su Ran didn’t respond, and He Zhiwen didn’t seem to find the conversation awkward. His eyes remained fixed on Su Ran, and after a pause, he cleared his throat. “Actually, I’ve been single too. Finding someone I like isn’t easy. I’m 29 this year, but I’ve spent most of my energy on my career and haven’t had time for relationships. I’ve always kept myself clean, no bad habits. I’m 189 cm tall, I work out regularly, and I own multiple properties…”

Jiang Yi’s brows furrowed the more he listened. Was this a marriage ad? Or was He Zhiwen really opening up about his frustrations with being single?

He thought about it and then noticed something. “Tsk,” he muttered to himself. Apparently, He Zhiwen was still a virgin. Maybe he had something to be troubled about.

Su Ran, on the other hand, couldn’t help but envy him and mumbled, “You really have everything…”

“He Zhiwen,” Su Ran looked at him, “Why is it so hard to find someone you like?”

He Zhiwen’s gaze was so deep, it felt like there was a lot more to it. Su Ran instinctively looked away, the intensity of his stare making him feel uneasy.

If He Zhiwen was lamenting how hard it was to find a partner, then it seemed like finding someone was indeed difficult.

After dinner, Su Ran led He Zhiwen to his room. Zhao Mingzhe was still sleeping, showing no signs of waking up.

He Zhiwen looked around the room. Though it was small, it felt very cozy. There were a few potted plants on the windowsill, and the room smelled nice, likely from the bed where Zhao Mingzhe was lying.

Su Ran grabbed a thin blanket and carefully lifted Zhao Mingzhe. As soon as he did, the child groggily opened his eyes and wrapped his arms around Su Ran’s neck, murmuring, “Mom… mom…”

He Zhiwen’s heart fluttered at hearing the word “mom.” He looked at the person holding the child, thinking, This is the wife of my dreams. And somehow, despite Su Ran being a man, it felt like he could still be a mother.

“Mingzhe, wake up. Time to go home,” Su Ran gently coaxed.

Zhao Mingzhe clung to him even tighter, eyes still shut, mumbling, “Mom…”

He Zhiwen stretched out his hands to Zhao Mingzhe, “Come to daddy, let me take you home…”

Halfway through his sentence, he noticed the awkward atmosphere and quickly realized what had happened when he met Su Ran’s surprised gaze. “Sorry, I misspoke. Mingzhe, let’s go, time to go home with Uncle.”

If he can’t be your mom, let him be your aunt instead.