Chapter 121 – Danger Approaches

When the doorbell rang, Xiao Fang shot up like a rabbit. He eagerly grabbed the party poppers and ushered everyone over. The plot might have been cliché, but as long as it was heartwarming, it was enough. After all, this was a feeling Fei Xiangnan had never experienced before.

Seeing that everyone was ready, Xiao Fang opened the door and threw himself at a certain someone. “Big brother, happy birthday!”

Fei Xiangnan was only stunned for a moment before he steadily caught the little cutie who had pounced on him. Then, glitter from the party poppers burst forth, dancing throughout the living room. Behind his little cutie were all the people he had met over the years, or even just this past year. Their faces were brimming with joy as they shouted their birthday wishes in unison.

This was completely different from his past birthdays. It was a boisterousness he wasn’t quite used to, filled with all sorts of heartfelt moments that he found difficult to face with composure. He had never imagined something like this, because for the old him, these things were superfluous and unnecessary. He had never felt such warmth, and over time, he had lost the craving for it.

But at this moment, that unfamiliar feeling returned. The person he loved most was in his arms, having meticulously planned all of this. It easily reminded him of his birthday last year, which had been just as impactful and had moved him so much he didn’t know how to react.

A smile lifted the corners of Fei Xiangnan’s mouth. With both hands, he effortlessly lifted the person in his arms to his eye level and then leaned in for a deep kiss.

Thank you, my baby.

Xiao Fang struggled awkwardly for a moment, but he could feel that Fei Xiangnan was genuinely happy. He also liked it when he was kissed, so it didn’t take long for him to get into it, giving the onlookers no chance to refuse this public display of affection.

Behind them, elders and peers alike turned their heads away. They really couldn’t bear to watch. The only person still looking was already completely petrified.

Wen An’an felt her entire worldview completely shatter in her mind. Seeing everyone else’s calm, face-covering reactions, she knew she was the only one who had been kept in the dark. But that didn’t stop her from seeing the truth behind the mask, and the phrase “on the verge of tears” couldn’t even begin to describe her feelings. She shot her brother a furious glare, the telepathic link between them strong enough for a full conversation through their eyes.

Even you lied to me, big brother!

Wen Qianshi smiled elegantly. This is also a form of training.

What kind of training is this? Wen An’an was practically fuming.

Training your powers of observation.

Wen An’an saw the disdain in her brother’s eyes, but that wasn’t even the most heartbreaking part. Zhang Hang, who was beside him, nudged him with an elbow and whispered, “To be fair, the boss didn’t specifically tell me about this. I figured it out myself. Remember the awards banquet? Hey, weren’t you having a great time shipping them back then?”

Wen An’an looked at these two cunning foxes with an expression of someone who had seen through the vanity of life, then covered her face as if weeping in agony. “I was blind!”

While “weeping,” Wen An’an shamelessly continued to ship her favorite couple. So this was the blissful feeling of seeing your favorite ship become real. Since they hadn’t officially announced it yet, she would be the first to indulge on behalf of all the shipping fans.

With everyone present, Fei Xiangnan couldn’t fully unleash his passion. After a three-minute kiss, he released the blushing Xiao Fang, said a word of thanks to everyone, and then proceeded to entertain his guests with the utmost composure.

As a friend of many years, Zhang Yuanxiao had seen through the man’s tricks completely. He was just using the kiss with Xiao Fang to alleviate his own awkwardness. Zhang Yuanxiao had originally wanted to see him so moved he’d lose his composure, but alas, what a disappointment. The man’s schemes ran too deep; this place really wasn’t for him.

While Fei Xiangnan was surrounded by the elders, Xiao Fang, after settling his friends, slipped into the kitchen to get busy. Countless times, Zhang Hang and Wen An’an tried to come in to “help” (i.e., gossip), but Xiao Fang shooed them out. The nerve of them, did they think he couldn’t see through their little ploys?

Ever since Xiao Fang had officially moved in with Fei Xiangnan, his cooking skills had skyrocketed. He had put in a great deal of effort to cater to the tastes of the two big babies in the house. This was the first time they had so many guests, and Xiao Fang wielded his knife like a god, his movements so skilled he could have run a night market stall. He would undoubtedly be the undisputed prince of the night market.

After teasing her nephew enough, Fei Yishan came over to Xiao Fang. To be honest, there was something about Xiao Fang that drew her in. She couldn’t help it; she always had a soft spot for cute people, and he was small and rather adorable.

“Need any help?”

Xiao Fang was scoring the chicken legs. Fei Yishan wasn’t the gossipy type, and since they were family now, Xiao Fang calmly directed her to wash the radishes in the sink.

“A year ago, I really didn’t expect my cousin to have so many people come to see him for his birthday. I don’t know if he saved you this year, or if you saved him,” Fei Yishan said as she diligently washed the radishes, taking the other vegetables out of the bag to wash as well.

“We saved each other, I guess. He’s a good person.” Xiao Fang couldn’t string together too many pretty words. A year ago, he had been scared to death of Fei Xiangnan. After all, he had watched the man’s entire journey as the main villain and understood his methods thoroughly. But conversely, he had never understood his gentle side.

Fei Yishan didn’t ask any more questions. Seeing Xiao Fang’s current state of happiness, it was just as he said—they had saved each other. It was also because of Xiao Fang’s appearance that the Fei family, which had been fractured for so long, had come together again, allowing her to experience the happiness of a family during her university years.

Fei Yishan was arguably the least like a young mistress of all the young mistresses. While others would create a mess doing chores, she was already very skilled. She had been preparing to be kicked out of the Fei family since she was a child, so her sense of independence was unusually strong. With Fei Yishan’s help, Xiao Fang’s progress sped up considerably.

Just then, Fei Xiangnan broke away from his group of friends, seizing the opportunity to spend time with his wife.

“You’ve been busy for a while. Go keep our great-uncle company. He just got eliminated again,” Fei Xiangnan said, elegantly rolling up his sleeves.

Fei Yishan wiped her hands, and before leaving, she bumped Fei Xiangnan’s shoulder and whispered, “Don’t think I don’t know you’re just trying to get rid of me.”

Fei Xiangnan raised an eyebrow, not denying it. What was there to hide from his own sister?

In Fei Yishan’s eyes, the current Fei Xiangnan was an utterly wife-doting man, the kind who couldn’t be stopped.

“What do you need me to do?”

Xiao Fang had almost everything ready and was now stir-frying the dishes one by one. “Just hand me the seasonings.”

Fei Xiangnan was used to this kind of work, and the two had developed a certain rapport. He never missed a beat, handing over the right ingredient at the right time.

“Fangfang, thank you for preparing this surprise for me.”

Xiao Fang giggled. “From now on, I’ll give you a big surprise for every birthday. Let me tell you, it’s not that Grandpa didn’t want to celebrate your birthday before, it’s that you never gave the old man a chance. You did everything too well and never complained to him about anything. You were too independent, which made him feel lonely. I thought he would refuse when I went to see him this time, but he was only tsundere for a moment before coming over. I saw him smiling as soon as he walked in. You should spend more time with him in the future. He’s just like you, very stubborn,” Xiao Fang rambled on.

But Fei Xiangnan loved this kind of rambling; it was filled with the warmth of home.

“I know. I thought you would invite my parents this time.” The two had never formally discussed this issue. Fei Xiangnan assumed Xiao Fang thought it was a sore spot for him and was unwilling to bring it up, but that wasn’t the case.

“What right do they have?”

Fei Xiangnan froze.

“They gave birth to you but didn’t raise you, all while talking about pursuing art,” Xiao Fang said, taking a deep breath. He had felt it was unfair to Fei Xiangnan from the very beginning. “I’m not some naive saint who’s going to force you to forgive the whole world. They can come or not, I don’t care.”

Fei Xiangnan couldn’t help but chuckle.

Xiao Fang flushed with anger. “What are you laughing at!” He had thought his speech was pretty cool.

Fei Xiangnan turned and gave Xiao Fang a kiss. “I just think you’re right. Having you all is enough. Let them stay in their ocean of art for the rest of their lives. I’ll just be a common man.”

Xiao Fang smiled, and finally, he couldn’t hold it in anymore, his shoulders shaking with laughter. It was the first time he had seen Fei Xiangnan talk so ruthlessly. It was a little heartbreaking, but also a little funny. Fei Xiangnan gently wiped the sweat from his brow, a faint smile always playing on his lips.

At that moment, the idle people outside looked over and were fed another half-kilogram of public affection. They didn’t know what the two were laughing about, but could they please save the lovey-dovey stuff for after dinner? They were completely full now, weren’t they!

That evening, after the group of friends finished dinner in the living room, Xiao Fang bustled back to the kitchen and pushed out the dark chocolate cake he had made. The yellow candlelight flickered in the darkness, faint yet warm.

Fei Xiangnan stood at one end, and Xiao Fang at the other. The distance between them gradually closed. Amidst the singing of the birthday song, Fei Xiangnan felt that this kind of life was more than enough for him.

Before blowing out the candles, Fei Xiangnan made a wish. He wanted to be with Xiao Fang, to be with him for a lifetime, and then to see him off in the gentlest way possible, letting him feel the world’s last bit of tenderness. He would cherish him well and hoped his Fangfang could be happy for a lifetime.

The birthday party ended around midnight. As Xiao Fang was tidying up the living room, Xiao Xu automatically took on the responsibility of a little uncle, bathing his little nephew, dealing with Nuomici’s litter box, and then taking the three little ones to bed.

By the time Xiao Fang was almost done, Fei Xiangnan had also nearly finished his work. Just then, the doorbell rang. Fei Xiangnan was about to get it, but Xiao Fang put down his broom and beat him to it.

“A delivery? So late.” Xiao Fang opened the door. It was indeed a delivery. He casually grabbed a utility knife from the entryway to open it.

On the surface, it looked like an ordinary cardboard box with not much written on it. Xiao Fang never bothered to check tracking numbers and just tore it open. The first thing he saw was a fluffy item with a pink plastic tip. Xiao Fang pulled it out with a blank expression. Inside, there was also a pair of cat paws and cat ears. The gloomy aura around Xiao Fang intensified severalfold. They really knew how to pick their moments.

Xiao Fang shot up and quickly started to walk away, but after just three steps, Fei Xiangnan wrapped his arms around his waist and lifted him up.

“It’s my birthday today.”

“It’s one in the morning now, it’s over!”

“I don’t care. You haven’t officially given me my birthday present yet. It’s only once a year, and I’ve been holding back all day because they were here.” When being firm didn’t work, Fei Xiangnan resorted to being soft. Xiao Fang’s biggest weakness was that he was a softie, especially when it came to Fei Xiangnan.

“N-no, that’s not happening. I’m not used to it. It’s too embarrassing,” Xiao Fang struggled.

“It’s fine. This is made from imported materials. Everyone who’s used it says it’s great,” Fei Xiangnan continued to tempt him.

To hell with your ‘everyone who’s used it says it’s great’! But at that moment, Xiao Fang seemed to have forgotten his predicament. He was already in Fei Xiangnan’s grasp, so where was the possibility of escape? And so, this night was destined to be one where Xiao Fang lost all his dignity. Afterward, a certain someone even took many photos with a particularly wicked sense of fun, so he could admire them from time to time. Every time Xiao Fang saw them, he couldn’t help but clutch his chest, hating the version of himself who had enjoyed it so much. Where was his basic sense of shame? How could he have let him get away with it?

***

The next day was Xiao Fang’s last day with that film crew. Everyone gave him small gifts, confirming his status as the crew’s beloved pet.

Even the director reluctantly held Xiao Fang’s hand. “Without you, I’ll never again feel the thrill of getting a shot in one take. I’ll have to drink two extra bottles of water every day.”

The lead actor, Zhang Hang, twitched his eyebrows. Could this fatso not praise Xiao Fang in front of him? Wasn’t this just a blatant dig at him? Xiao Fang had no choice but to patiently console him for a long time. The director declared that little angels like him were a rare breed, and he should be protected like an endangered species.

After bidding farewell to everyone, Xiao Fang made plans with the few people he got along well with to meet up again when they were free. Since Zhang Hang still had scenes to film, he couldn’t go back with him. Boys were more open-minded and accepting, so they handled temporary partings relatively well.

After packing his things, Xiao Fang waited for Ma Rui to come pick him up. But unusually, he waited for over ten minutes and still didn’t see him. Xiao Fang looked at the time and was about to contact Ma Rui when a message came in from him:

Brother Xiao, the car suddenly has a flat tire. I’m calling someone to come fix it.

Xiao Fang frowned. Should I come over? Is it the same place as before?

No, no, it’s a bit of a hassle here. I’ve contacted the bodyguard. Just get in the black Cayenne you see later.

Xiao Fang frowned. Ma Rui wasn’t being clingy this time, which was a bit strange. Just as Xiao Fang was feeling puzzled, a Cayenne pulled up in front of him, and the back door slowly opened.

Xiao Fang was still carrying a bag and really didn’t want to stand in the sun anymore. He put the bag inside and got in himself.

“Thank you for the trouble, bodyguard.” Xiao Fang politely thanked him as soon as he got in.

The person in the front seat didn’t speak. After the car started and had driven a long distance, a voice finally came from the front.

“How is Xiao Fang’s life now? Feeling pretty pleased with yourself?”

It was a voice Xiao Fang would never mistake. It was Xiao Qi.

Xiao Fang immediately realized he had been set up. “What do you want?”

As he spoke, Xiao Fang quietly took out his phone, preparing to dial.

Xiao Qi looked at the surveillance feed on his phone and sneered, “If you dare call for help, this car will explode immediately. And everyone who passes by our car will suffer too.”

“Don’t forget, you’re in the car too,” Xiao Fang said calmly.

But times had changed. This time, he wasn’t facing just anyone, but a madman.

“I stopped caring a long time ago. What’s the point of living? It’s just suffering. All my efforts were for nothing. I might as well die. And if I can drag you down with me, I’ll die happy. Xiao Fang, oh, Xiao Fang, you have no idea how much I want you to die.” A crazed, gleeful light flashed in Xiao Qi’s eyes. He didn’t care, not one bit. Dying now wasn’t so bad, because he had already lost everything.