Please come to my house for a meal.

At noon, Zhiwen He said he was going to take him out to eat, but Su Ran knew it was mainly to take his nephew out for a bit of fun.

Zhiwen He sent his driver early to pick them up. The car stopped at the mall entrance, and before Su Ran could open the door, it was already opened from the outside. Zhiwen bent down, smiling as he greeted them.

The weather was getting colder now. He wore a camel-colored wool coat over a black high-neck knit sweater, looking refined and elegant—not like someone who had just come from the office. His hairstyle was different from before, and it didn’t seem like a casual meal; it felt more like a date.

After getting out of the car, Zhiwen asked, “What do you want to eat?”

Before Su Ran could answer, Mingzhe Zhao spoke up, “Uncle, I want ice cream.”

“Not now. You have to wait until after the meal,” Zhiwen said, his lips curving into a smile the whole time. He held one hand of both Su Ran and Mingzhe, making them look like a family.

Su Ran said he was fine with anything, leaving it to Zhiwen’s arrangement. Unexpectedly, Zhiwen took them to a Western restaurant on the top floor of the mall. Su Ran had thought it would be a simple bite, but Zhiwen brought them to such an upscale place.

Fortunately, Zhiwen was someone who could make others relax easily. His humor often made Su Ran laugh.

“Want some red wine?” Zhiwen asked. Seeing hesitation on Su Ran’s face, he added, “Just a little, to relax.”

Su Ran nodded. The next moment, Zhiwen ordered a bottle of red wine costing 120,000 yuan, almost choking Su Ran. How did he know it was so expensive? Because there was a bottle like that on the top shelf of their home wine rack, a cherished collection that Jiang Yi was reluctant to drink.

Zhiwen’s casual attitude showed the carefree happiness of the wealthy. He tasted the wine before Jiang Yi did.

The meal was delightful. Su Ran, knowing the wine was expensive, indulged in a few extra glasses, his cheeks flushed rosy.

Zhiwen, seeing how much he liked it, couldn’t help but poke his cheek with a fingertip. Su Ran, a bit sluggish from the alcohol, stared blankly at him. Zhiwen smiled and said, “So cute.”

Su Ran didn’t like that kind of compliment. Being called cute by a man wasn’t exactly flattering. He didn’t know if Zhiwen meant Mingzhe or him, but he ignored the remark.

Su Ran reached for Mingzhe’s hand. The little guy, sleepy after the meal, opened his arms wide. “Hug.”

Su Ran crouched to pick him up. Zhiwen also squatted down nearby. “Uncle will hold you, let Uncle Su take a rest.”

“No, I want Ran Ran to hold me,” Mingzhe mumbled, clearly feeling upset.

Seeing this, Su Ran feared tears were near and immediately lifted him up.

Zhiwen’s expression turned serious. “Mingzhe, can’t you walk by yourself?”

Su Ran spoiled him greatly. “It’s fine, Mingzhe’s not heavy.”

At the door, Mingzhe finally got the ice cream he’d been longing for.

Zhiwen held Su Ran’s coat, watching Mingzhe stick out his tongue at him. This kid was truly spoiled beyond rules.

They entered the elevator together. The glass walls revealed each floor’s layout; only the two adults and one child were inside.

Su Ran carried a faint scent of alcohol mixed with his own fragrance, which drew Zhiwen closer and closer. He lowered his head slightly, almost wanting to kiss him.

Just then, Mingzhe shifted, and some of his melting ice cream dripped onto Su Ran’s shoulder.

Su Ran gasped. Zhiwen immediately pulled tissues from his bag to help wipe it off. Su Ran wore a wide-neck sweater, and the ice cream melting on his skin trickled down.

Su Ran turned to look but was holding the child and couldn’t do much. “It’s dripping in.”

The vanilla scent filled the air. Zhiwen pulled open Su Ran’s collar to look inside. His hand paused, and suddenly his face flushed. He looked into Su Ran’s eyes.

“What’s wrong?” Su Ran complained, “Wait, or it’ll drip down to my waist.”

Zhiwen’s hand went in to wipe, a reddish-white mixture like fresh, delicious nectar.

He thought to himself, it must be sweet.

* * *

Ye Qiao had returned. Perhaps having been out too long, he stood by the door with a hint of nervousness.

Wondering what Su Ran was doing inside—cooking or resting on the sofa—he pressed the code lock and opened the door. The familiar, slightly sweet scent greeted him as he entered.

A quick glance around made him realize something was off. There were scattered toys on the floor.

Hearing the door open, Su Ran came out of the room. He had just soothed Mingzhe and was a little sleepy, wanting to rest, but hearing the noise, he immediately came out.

Seeing Ye Qiao at the door, he was surprised. “Qiao Qiao? You’re back.”

His gaze swept over him. “Your arm’s healed? No more splint?”

Ye Qiao raised his hand and waved it. “Yeah, didn’t expect to be out so long. When the time was up, they took it off. It’s fine now.”

He changed shoes and looked around at the changes in the home. “Why are there so many kids’ things?”

Su Ran had been taking care of the little one for a while and forgot to mention it. “Forgot to tell you, Jiang Yi’s boss’s nephew had no one to look after him, so he asked me to help for a couple of days.”

Hearing this, Ye Qiao frowned. “They couldn’t find a nanny? They want you to do it?”

Su Ran didn’t know how to explain and just said, “I’m basically acting as the nanny.”

Ye Qiao looked incredulous. “What?”

Su Ran briefly explained. Ye Qiao stared at him, finding it unbelievable.

That Jiang Yi could be even more despicable. Watching Su Ran lower his head slightly, he looked like the one who had done something wrong, though he was clearly the one being bullied.

His sister-in-law was so easily taken advantage of—weak enough to anger one, but also impossible not to pity.

Ye Qiao opened his arms and embraced Su Ran, his body weight pressing down. “Ran Ran, I really feel sorry for you.”

“It’s nothing. I like kids,” Su Ran said.

Ye Qiao pinched his waist scoldingly, making Su Ran dodge but still held tight.

He inhaled Su Ran’s scent—so fragrant, the smell he missed.

“Ran Ran, don’t you think my brother’s behavior is wrong?” Ye Qiao cautiously asked.

Su Ran, the devoted wife, defended her husband. “He has no choice. The kid doesn’t listen to anyone but me. Plus, your brother’s situation at work isn’t good. He was supposed to be promoted to president but got bypassed. The work environment’s tense; he’s trying to find a way out.”

Ye Qiao gritted his teeth, looking at the innocent face of Su Ran. He was grown up but still so gullible—maybe one day he could trick him to bed just as easily, and then have his way, making him cry and soothing him back.

He inhaled deeply, temples throbbing in frustration. “Did he tell you this?”

Su Ran nodded. He knew Ye Qiao was hinting at something. According to how things were going, it might be the start of sowing discord. He just needed to maintain his devoted wife image.

“It’s fine. Taking care of the kid isn’t tiring,” Su Ran said.

Ye Qiao felt helpless but thought it might be worth trying to lure him to bed.

“Are you hungry? Want me to cook something for you?” Su Ran asked with concern.

Ye Qiao shook his head, looking tired.

“You seem exhausted. How about you rest in the room first? I’ll clean up and we can have ribs for dinner?” Su Ran offered softly, his voice touching Ye Qiao’s heart.

Watching Su Ran’s lips move, Ye Qiao bent slightly, leaning close to feel the warm sweetness of his breath.

“Okay,” Ye Qiao said.

With that, he returned to his room, leaving his backpack and luggage on the floor. He took out a drawing from his bag.

It was the picture of two red beans he had drawn before. The beans were now blurred from frequent touching.

That night after leaving, when they checked into the hotel, he looked at the drawing and a wild thought kept tugging at his mind: to “embrace” Su Ran.

This thought had been tormenting his nerves. The further he was from Su Ran during his travels, the more intense it became. He even extended his trip to savor the delayed gratification, which sparked his creativity and allowed him to pour all his desire onto paper.

The images of how he imagined “embracing” Su Ran were all recreated on sheets of paper, which now piled thick.

Holding these heavy papers, he placed them all into a drawer, covering them with the red bean drawing.

Meanwhile, Su Ran prepared the dinner ingredients and began tidying up, picking up toys from the floor.

Once done, he took some dirty clothes to the balcony and tossed them into the washing machine. Just as he was about to leave, he paused, sniffed his clothes—he had worked up a sweat—and took off his shirt to throw it in as well.

As Su Ran stood to leave the balcony, Ye Qiao emerged from his room. He looked freshly awake, hair tousled, staring intently at Su Ran, startling him.

“Just woke up?” Su Ran asked casually.

Ye Qiao slowly approached. The balcony bathed in sunlight revealed Su Ran’s slender figure—skin stretched smoothly over bones with no excess flesh. His fair skin gleamed brilliantly under the sun, an exquisite beauty. Who would have thought that beneath his usual loose clothes was such a lovely body? Even Ye Qiao’s drawings paled in comparison.

Ye Qiao’s gaze roamed over every inch of Su Ran’s skin, admiringly. “So beautiful.”

Su Ran looked at him, puzzled. “What?”

“Ran Ran, your bone structure is beautiful,” Ye Qiao said seriously.

Now Su Ran understood. Ye Qiao was an artist praising his physique. The compliment made him happy but shy—no one had ever said that before.

“Ran Ran, can I touch it?” Ye Qiao asked.

Su Ran didn’t hesitate. To him, men were common sights, and Ye Qiao’s praise felt sincere.

“Mm,” Su Ran replied.

Ye Qiao’s eyes flickered as his fingers slowly caressed Su Ran’s skin, appreciating this unparalleled work of art.

Though Su Ran agreed readily, when it came to feeling it, his muscles tensed involuntarily.

Ye Qiao noticed and became bolder, almost wrapping himself around Su Ran, sensing the person in his arms was indeed sensitive and fragile.

Was everywhere sensitive? In his mind, he felt like he was defiling art.

Su Ran began to feel uneasy, enveloped by Ye Qiao’s presence.

Just then, he felt something hitting his leg. Looking down, he saw it was a fully awake Mingzhe.

The little boy looked pitiful, about to cry, stretching out his arms. “Ran Ran, hug.”

Su Ran immediately crouched and picked up Mingzhe to soothe him. “Oh baby, you woke up. Are you hungry?”

Ye Qiao stood still, taking a deep breath. He was reacting—he had a physical response!

His gaze shifted to Mingzhe in Su Ran’s arms. “This untimely little brat!”