ABOES 89: Making Amends

Before the private jet took off, Yu Qiu couldn’t stop glancing at Duan Zhiyan, who was seated by the window. Eventually, she couldn’t hold back and asked, “What exactly have you been so busy with these past few days?”

According to Yu Qiu’s original plan, their family should have returned to China a week ago but just before departure, Duan Zhiyan had told them he had unfinished business and needed to stay another week.

She had asked several times what he was up to, but Duan Zhiyan had refused to share a single detail and only said he would explain once they were back home.

Now that the plane was about to take off, she figured it was finally time to ask again.

Hearing her question, even Duan Yu, who had been focused on his laptop, looked up at his son.

At that moment, Duan Zhiyan was sending a message to Chi Yunxing, letting him know he was on his way back.

It was the middle of the night in China so Chi Yunxing was likely already asleep. After sending the message, Duan Zhiyan put his phone away and looked up at the two people in front of him.

After a brief pause, he finally opened his mouth. “Nothing much. I’ve been finalizing the details of a custom engagement ring with the designer,” After another pause, he added, “I also attended an auction and bought a diamond.”

Yu Qiu suddenly recalled some gossip she had heard from her friends a few days ago. Someone had mentioned that a 17-carat blue diamond had been sold at auction for 80 million USD, with the buyer rumored to be a wealthy Chinese national.

She had joked with them at the time that someone might be getting a wedding invitation soon. After all, only a handful of people in China had the wealth to make that kind of purchase, and everyone in those circles knew one another.

Never in a million years did she expect that the buyer would turn out to be her own son.

It was like accidentally eating gossip you’d been watching unfold and realizing it was about your own family. Yu Qiu sat there in stunned silence.

Duan Yu was equally shocked. He looked at Duan Zhiyan and asked, “You’re getting married? When? Why are you only telling us now? And when did you even start dating someone?”

Duan Zhiyan couldn’t help but twitch the corner of his mouth. His dad really didn’t care about his love life at all.

Yu Qiu finally came to her senses. She looked at Duan Zhiyan, a rare trace of nervousness in her voice, “Is it the person you told me about on your birthday?”

Duan Zhiyan’s lips curved slightly. He nodded. “Yeah, it’s him.”

Yu Qiu’s jaw dropped. “You two are moving that fast?”

“Haven’t proposed yet,” Duan Zhiyan said. “Just planning for it.”

“Still sounds fast to me.” Yu Qiu’s expression turned serious. “What about him? Is he okay with it?”

Thinking of Chi Yunxing, a soft light flashed through Duan Zhiyan’s eyes. He replied gently, “He probably won’t say no.”

“Probably?” Yu Qiu shot to her feet. “That’s not a guarantee! What’s his family situation? Whose child is he? Can we meet him over the New Year?”

The plane was about to take off. Seeing Yu Qiu suddenly stand up, a flight attendant rushed over. “Madam, we’re about to depart. Please…”

Duan Yu quickly pulled Yu Qiu back into her seat. “Sit down, don’t get worked up.”

After she sat down, he even buckled her seatbelt for her.

Once the attendant left, Duan Zhiyan finally responded. “His background’s about the same as ours. You’ll see him this year. You two… already know him.”

Yu Qiu’s eyes widened. “We know him?”

“Whose child is it?” Duan Yu asked, unable to hold back.

Duan Zhiyan decided to keep it a secret a little longer. “You’ll find out when you meet him.”

Yu Qiu: “…”

The plane took off.

Yu Qiu exhaled. “No, you need to tell us now! Otherwise I won’t be able to sleep for the next ten hours!”

Duan Yu nodded in agreement. “At least give us a hint so we can be mentally prepared.”

If they were going to visit, they would need to bring gifts. With New Year just around the corner, they’d have to prepare something generous.

Yet no matter how they pressed, Duan Zhiyan wouldn’t budge.

He simply repeated, “You’ll know when you see him.”

Seeing that they wouldn’t let it go, Duan Zhiyan reclined his seat, pulled on a sleep mask and earplugs, then went to sleep.

It had been almost a month since he last saw Yunxing. He planned to go straight to him after landing, so he needed to rest and recharge now.

Meanwhile, while Duan Zhiyan slept, Yu Qiu and Duan Yu worked together on a spreadsheet, listing every family they knew with eligible children and began eliminating names one by one.

Even with all their effort, they came up empty.

Everyone who fit the profile was either already married or already dating someone. The few who weren’t… had incompatible orientations.

Eventually, Duan Yu couldn’t help but mutter, “Could he be lying?”

Yu Qiu frowned, then shook her head. “No way. Did you notice the watch he’s wearing on his left wrist? Besides, Zhiyan isn’t the type to lie to us.”

Duan Yu agreed but that only made him more confused. “Then who’s our future daughter-in-law? Wait, that doesn’t sound right…” He corrected himself, “Who’s our other son, exactly?”

Yu Qiu had no idea either. She could only shake her head.

Duan Yu asked, “Any recent scandals involving our son?”

Yu Qiu nodded. “One.”

“With who?”

“Yunxing.”

“That can’t be right!” Duan Yu exclaimed. “Didn’t you just tell me he’s been in love with this person for years? Yunxing only came back half a year ago.”

Yu Qiu nodded. “Exactly. That’s why I didn’t think it was Yunxing.”

They fell silent again.

“Forget it,” Duan Yu finally said. “We’ll find out soon enough.”

Yu Qiu sighed. That was all they could do.

—

As soon as the plane landed, Duan Zhiyan turned his phone on and saw several messages from Chi Yunxing.

[Chi Yunxing: !!!]
[Chi Yunxing: What time do you land?]
[Chi Yunxing: Want me to come pick you up?]
[Chi Yunxing: Ah wait, you’re probably already in the air QAQ]
[Chi Yunxing: I’ll head to the Lakeside Villa and wait for you!]

Almost half an hour later, another message came.

[Chi Yunxing: I’m here!]
[Chi Yunxing: My mom asked where I was going—I had to make something up to sneak out.]
[Chi Yunxing: Just come straight here when you land. I’m cooking for you!]

Duan Zhiyan stared at his phone, his eyes full of soft laughter.

[Duan Zhiyan: I just landed. I’m coming now.]

Before Yu Qiu could glance over, he put away his phone and said to them, “I won’t head home with you, I’m going to see someone first.”

Yu Qiu raised an eyebrow. “Him?”

Duan Zhiyan nodded. “Mm.”

Yu Qiu and Duan Yu exchanged a glance but didn’t try to stop him. Once Duan Zhiyan got in the car, they also quickly jumped into theirs and told the driver, “Follow him!”

“We’ll just take a peek,” Yu Qiu added. “No interruptions, I swear!”

Duan Yu nodded. “Right. At least we’ll know who it is and be mentally prepared.”

This wasn’t stalking. Not at all.

—

When Chi Yunxing received Duan Zhiyan’s reply, he had just put the ribs in the pot.

[Chi Yunxing: Are you in the car?]

A second later, a video call popped up.

Without hesitation, Chi Yunxing answered.

The moment Duan Zhiyan’s familiar features appeared on screen, the longing in Chi Yunxing’s eyes was almost tangible.

It had been nearly a month since they last saw each other. Even though they had video calls daily, the time difference limited their chats.

Chi Yunxing truly missed him. The longest they had been apart before this had been a week. This time, he’d counted—twenty-five days. That’s basically a month.

When the video connected, neither of them spoke. They simply stared at each other.

After a long moment, Duan Zhiyan finally said, hoarsely, “Yunxing.”

Chi Yunxing’s reply was soft. “Mm.”

Duan Zhiyan smiled. “I’ll be there in half an hour.”

“Oh,” Chi Yunxing glanced at the rib soup. “The soup will be ready in half an hour too.”

“You made it just for me?” Duan Zhiyan’s eyes were full of warmth.

“Mm. I’ll make two side dishes. We’ll eat when you arrive.”

Then Duan Zhiyan suddenly said, “I don’t want to eat.”

Chi Yunxing blinked. “Jet lag is killing your appetite? I can make porridge instead—something light—”

Duan Zhiyan cut him off, eyes burning. “Yunxing.”

Chi Yunxing looked up and froze. Duan Zhiyan’s gaze was practically scorching. It made his nose break into a sweat.

He suddenly couldn’t hold eye contact.

The next second, he heard Duan Zhiyan’s low voice, “Don’t tell me you don’t know what I want to eat.”

His tone was suggestive. The look in his eyes made the meaning unmistakable.

Chi Yunxing’s breath hitched. His ears turned red. “H-How should I know?”

“You really don’t?” Duan Zhiyan asked with a teasing smile.

Chi Yunxing was flustered. “You’re still in the car!”

“I closed the partition. The driver can’t hear a thing.”

Chi Yunxing: “…”

That’s not an excuse to flirt without shame!

Duan Zhiyan wasn’t letting up. “Is it not allowed?”

“What’s not allowed—” Chi Yunxing started, but halfway through, he couldn’t speak anymore. Steam from the pot blurred his vision, and his cheeks flushed a deep red.

Duan Zhiyan’s gaze didn’t leave him for a second, full of unveiled desire.

Chi Yunxing’s heart pounded.

Usually, Duan Zhiyan was restrained around him—always in control.

Even when their misunderstanding cleared and they got together, Duan Zhiyan never indulged his desires recklessly.

This was the first time Chi Yunxing had seen him so openly hungry.

His throat felt dry. He licked his lips and managed to say, “Then… I’ll go shower?”

Duan Zhiyan gave a low chuckle. “Wait for me. Let’s go together.”

Chi Yunxing felt weak in the knees.

“Okay.”

—

Just a few minutes after the call ended, Chi Yunxing heard a car pull up outside.

He turned off the stove, peeked out and saw that familiar car.

He couldn’t hold back his joy any longer. He ran out the door.

“Zhiyan Ge!”

Hearing that familiar voice, Duan Zhiyan turned just in time to be pulled into a tight hug. That familiar scent filled his lungs, and he instinctively tightened his arms around Chi Yunxing.

“Yunxing—mm.”

Just as he leaned back to look at him, warm lips pressed against his.

“Don’t talk,” Chi Yunxing whispered, his breath hot. “Just kiss me, okay?”

Duan Zhiyan’s answer came not in words but in action.

The driver had left early, so the two of them stood there in the villa courtyard, wrapped up in a kiss, completely lost to the world.

What they didn’t know was that not far away, hidden in some bushes, were two very familiar figures.

Yu Qiu was zooming in on her phone.

Duan Yu fidgeted anxiously. “Can you see clearly? Do you recognize him?”

A second later, a loud crack—Yu Qiu’s phone slipped from her hand and shattered on the pavement.

Duan Yu blinked and quickly bent down to retrieve it. “What happened? Why did you drop it?”

When he looked up, he saw Yu Qiu standing frozen, her expression stunned beyond belief.

A chill ran down Duan Yu’s spine.

Wait… was Yu Qiu not satisfied with their future son-in-law?

“Did you see who it was?” he asked, handing her the broken phone. “Don’t worry, we’ll get it replaced.”

Yu Qiu didn’t react.

Now even more curious, Duan Yu asked, “Who is it?”

Yu Qiu finally spoke, her voice low. “See for yourself.”

He pulled out his own phone, zoomed in on the villa entrance—and the two figures kissing passionately.

He dropped his phone too.

It shattered even worse than hers.

Duan Yu drew in a sharp breath. He didn’t even bother picking it up. “Why… why does that person look like the kid from the Chi family? Yunxing, right? You showed me a photo.”

Not only had he seen photos, he had even watched Secret Crush with Yu Qiu when it aired.

Taking a shaky breath, Duan Yu said, “You think… maybe they’re filming?”

After all, in the drama, Duan Zhiyan and Chi Yunxing had kissed like that too. Though the show’s version was much tamer.

Yu Qiu gave him a flat look, but before she could speak, Duan Yu muttered, “No, no way.”

“Dammit. Who films in front of their own house?! Just the two of them, kissing like that. That’s not a drama shoot!”

Yu Qiu thought, Finally, he gets it.

Then Duan Yu muttered darkly, “Well, that’s it. I better bring a switch when I visit Old Chi tomorrow.”

Yu Qiu blinked. “Huh?”

Duan Yu looked grim. “To make amends.”