Both were wearing matching dark blue silk pajamas, with long sleeves and long pants, making their exposed collarbones and wrists appear extraordinarily white.
Pei Rong and Lu Qin were in bed, one under the covers, the other without, while half a meter away, a child was sound asleep under a small shark blanket. The scene looked very cozy, like a typical morning routine for a family of three.
Of course, if their conversation wasn’t about “natural reactions,” the atmosphere would be simpler and not as dense as honey dripping from a golden honeycomb, where the rose honey flows down one’s fingers without any effort, making everything gleam.
Lu Qin calmly asked Pei Rong, “Don’t you have it?”
Pei Rong raised an eyebrow slightly. As a healthy young man, whether he had a reaction or not... what business was it of Lu Qin?
He shook his hand as if trying to shake off honey stuck to it. His slender, beautiful fingers, with neatly trimmed nails, led up to white wrists and snow-like collarbones and jawline. His lips were so red they seemed almost defiant.
Lu Qin emphasized, “It’s no big deal. It will naturally subside.”
“Oh?” Pei Rong glanced sideways with his inky eyelashes, unconsciously tapping the sheet with his fingers.
The ice-blue silk sheet rippled like a lake disturbed by restless fish.
Lu Qin felt a slight breeze from Pei Rong’s gaze and fingertips, stirring the sheet and intensifying his emotions.
Approaching the final stage, just as the fish was about to be caught in the net and dragged to bed, the last step was to wait for the right moment.
All current progress proved his strategy effective.
It had to be fully implemented.
But with the dry autumn air, any breeze from Pei Rong extinguished any chance of natural subsidence.
Lu Qin gritted his teeth and headed to the bathroom: “I’ll wash up first, make yourself at home.”
A triumphant smile flashed in Pei Rong’s eyes as he leaned over to flip Pei Dundun and pinched his cheek.
Pei Dundun, already an early riser, woke up from Pei Rong’s touch.
When he stayed with Pei Rong, he usually played by himself for a while after waking up. It was different with Daddy Lu, who always woke up earlier than him.
Pei Dundun opened his eyes and saw his awake father, in disbelief at first, then rolled into his arms: “Good morning, Daddy.”
Pei Rong said, “Good morning, baby. Get dressed now that you’re awake.”
With a few quick moves, he helped Dundun dress and took him for a walk around the villa.
Everything was good. Dundun seemed well-adjusted here.
Pei Rong felt completely at ease, just like some parents who, even though they already knew the dormitory conditions when sending their kids to school, still needed to see for themselves to be reassured.
The housekeeper was watering flowers outside, with dew on the blooming roses.
Pei Rong heated a piece of bread and sat on the swing outside the villa, tearing and eating it together with Pei Dundun.
The housekeeper couldn’t resist taking a photo and sending it to President Lu’s phone.
Pei Dundun was drinking milk and nibbling on a corner of the bread, leaving most of it for his dad because Daddy Lu would make breakfast later.
“Dad, aren’t you waiting for Daddy Lu to make breakfast?” Pei Dundun noticed Pei Rong putting on sneakers, knowing his dad was about to leave, as he usually wore slippers at home.
“There will be fried eggs for breakfast!” Pei Dundun swallowed his saliva. Daddy Lu’s fried eggs were really delicious, with crispy edges and fragrant yolks.
The toast in Pei Rong’s hand suddenly lost its flavor. He said, “There’s no time. I have to go back to take care of Grandma Zhao. She’s not feeling well, so I’ll be busier than before.”
He had deliberately made Lu Qin “unavailable” for a while, unexpectedly achieving great results.
After finishing his toast, Uncle Zhang sent a message saying he was waiting at the entrance of the community.
Pei Rong got off the swing and said to the housekeeper, “Please look after Dundun for a while. President Lu should be down soon.”
Housekeeper: “Aren’t you going to wait for President Lu?”
Pei Rong waved to Dundun, “No need.”
The housekeeper watched Pei Rong leave the gate, feeling anxious, wondering what President Lu was doing upstairs as Mr. Pei was about to leave.
When President Lu came down, he could only see a photo of Pei Rong and the child on the swing. Pei Rong was nowhere to be seen, and he had to comfort the child who missed his dad.
He took a deep breath, realizing that abstinence was indeed necessary.
“If we don’t see each other for a long, long time, will I still be Dad’s precious?” Pei Dundun asked Lu Qin.
This “Dad” clearly referred to Pei Rong.
Lu Qin: “Of course. I didn’t see your dad for three years, and he was still my precious. I didn’t meet you until you were a year and a half old, and you are also my precious.”
“No matter when we meet or how long it takes, you will always be our precious.”
Pei Dundun was satisfied with this answer and happily took a big sip of milk.
Lu Qin asked, “What’s your dad busy with lately?”
After getting familiar with Lu Qin, Pei Dundun found it easy to talk. He clearly stated, “Grandma Zhao is sick, and Dad needs to take care of her.”
“Who is Grandma Zhao?”
For Pei Rong to take care of her personally, they must be very close.
Pei Dundun: “Grandma Zhao has always lived with us. She cooks delicious food and tells stories.”
Pei Ge couldn’t answer anything more.
Lu Qin: “Do you know which hospital she’s in?”
According to Dundun, Grandma Zhao must have taken care of Pei Rong throughout his pregnancy and childbirth, filling in for his absence. Reasonably, he should visit and lend a hand to Pei Rong.
Pei Dundun shook his head: “She’s not in a hospital, and Dundun doesn’t know where she is either.”
Lu Qin regretted acting like a “gentleman” and not having bodyguards follow Pei Rong from the door.
He was afraid that once he knew Pei Rong’s address, he wouldn’t be able to resist showing up at his door with the child every day. He preferred to find out later, allowing Pei Rong to let his guard down.
Lu Qin suddenly understood why Pei Rong had sent Dundun to him—Grandma Zhao’s condition must be serious.
Pei Rong raised Dundun when he was young and took care of Grandma Zhao in her old age. How could Lu Qin be absent for both?
If he couldn’t be there for Pei Rong in critical times to provide help, what good was he? When Pei Rong eventually came to take Dundun back, what face would he have to ask him to stay?
Lu Qin, with a deep gaze, called Secretary Gao: “Check the surveillance around the neighborhood from this morning. Find the car Pei Rong got into and trace his address.”
He expected results within two days.
By then, he would need a legitimate reason to show up.
Perhaps an accidental encounter?
