TT Chapter 46. Scared?

Pei Yiyao had no intention of coming out to Chen Su in such a rushed situation. In his mind, the conditions for solving this “problem” were still incomplete. Since he was already preparing for it, he believed it should only be done when he had enough capital to back himself. When the time came, he would visit properly and ask for her approval with full sincerity.

So while Chen Su’s unexpected arrival did catch him off guard, he quickly regained his composure and began calmly preparing to return to the city.

Chen Ting stayed curled up in the blanket, saying nothing, just watching him move around the room.

Then, in the middle of packing, Pei Yiyao suddenly put down what he was holding and turned to walk out the door.

“Where are you going?” Chen Ting called after him.

“Buying a chicken,” came Pei Yiyao’s voice from outside. He was already gone.

Chen Ting sat there stunned for a good while before bursting out laughing. Good thing Pei Yiyao had not seen the way he was grinning like a little villain. Otherwise, he probably would have gotten pulled up and smacked on the butt.

In the end, the two of them set off for the city in the afternoon, bringing along one old hen and a basket of eggs. Chen Ting sat in the passenger seat but could not sit still. He kept turning around to chat with the comrade chicken in the backseat. He was starting to think Pei Yiyao might actually be a genius.

Pei Yiyao had no choice but to reach over and grab his chin, turning his head back to face forward. “Focus on the road.”

Chen Ting stopped acting up, worried he might distract the driver, but internally he was still grumbling. So what if your arms are long?

When they arrived at Banshan Villa, it was still early. Ruan Xin had taken Chen Su out for a walk, and they had not yet returned. Pei Yiyao led Chen Ting inside by the hand.

Chen Ting was flustered and quickly let go when they bumped into Pei Anqing, who was just heading out to look for his wife. If Pei Anqing didn’t already know about them, this could turn into a real disaster.

Not long after, Ruan Xin and Chen Su returned. As soon as she spotted him, Chen Su called out, “Ting Ting!”

Chen Ting looked up just in time to see the two of them entering the courtyard arm in arm.

“Mom, Aunt Ruan!” he called, jogging over to meet them.

“Ting Ting was waiting at the door for us?” Ruan Xin said with a teasing smile. “You really are the sweetest. There are three men in this house, and you’re the only one who thought to come out and meet us.”

She spoke so naturally that no trace remained of someone who had recently walked in on her son’s coming out.

Chen Su nodded along, all smiles. In her eyes, her son could do no wrong. Still, she asked casually, “Where’s Yiyao? Why isn’t he with you?”

Chen Ting tensed for no reason at all. “He’s inside talking to Uncle.”

“What kind of conversation has to happen right now?” Ruan Xin said, rolling her eyes. “They’re clearly just bored.” She patted Chen Ting’s shoulder and told him to stay and chat with his mom, then headed inside.

Upstairs in the study, Pei Anqing had a lot to say to his son.

“Why are you still staring at your phone at a time like this?” He had lived more than half his life with a sharp wife and a capable son. Even though he had spent many years away from home, he had never had to worry about his family. But now that his son was grown, he had hit him with a hammer to the head, and a loud one at that.

What really upset him wasn’t the fact that his son was gay. It was that even now, in such a moment, he was still playing with his phone. His attitude was completely wrong. His thinking had problems. How could someone like that take responsibility as a man?

Pei Yiyao looked at his screen.

Donghu Crab King: If things go south, call me. I’ll come save you. 【cool.jpg】

He replied calmly, “Chen Ting said he would come save me, Dad.”

Pei Anqing went quiet. After holding back for several seconds, he finally squeezed out a single line.

“I’m not your dad.”

Just then, the door swung open. Ruan Xin stepped inside and raised her eyebrows. “Who’s not whose dad?”

“Nothing,” Pei Anqing said quickly, putting on a perfectly respectable, gentlemanly expression. He reached out and took his wife’s hand. “I was just having a heart-to-heart with our son. What brings you upstairs?”

“Whatever you’re saying, now’s not the time. Chen Ting and Su Su are downstairs.” Ruan Xin gave him a sharp look, then turned to Pei Yiyao and motioned with her eyes. “Well? Go keep them company. What are you standing around here for?”

Pei Yiyao nodded and headed out of the room.

As he watched his son’s tall, upright figure disappear down the stairs, Pei Anqing sighed and muttered, “I’m not trying to be the bad guy. Can’t I at least say a few words?”

Ruan Xin shook her head. “Alright, this is the only thing you’ve ever had to worry about. From now on, Ting Ting will take care of him, and you won’t need to lift a finger.”

Pei Anqing sighed. He understood it in theory, but the two of them were still so young. What he really worried about was what might happen later on. Even when it came to a man and a woman, marriage could bring all sorts of problems. With two men, it would only be more complicated. And on top of that, he knew exactly how much his wife cared about Chen Su, her dearest friend.

He had always thought his son would be single until at least thirty. Clearly, he had misjudged him.

Was that… bragging just now?

Only now did Pei Anqing realize something about his son had changed. From a young age, he had excelled in everything. He picked up skills effortlessly, always kept his cool, and never spoke unless prompted. Bragging was the last thing he would ever do.

But just now, he had actually bragged?

Pei Anqing found it strangely amusing. When he came downstairs and saw how the three of them were getting along, that feeling grew even stronger.

Was that obedient, mild-mannered young man really his son?

“Ting Ting, you’ve put on weight again,” Chen Su said as she pinched his increasingly soft and chubby hand. The stab landed with perfect precision.

“Mom, it’s just a little water retention,” Chen Ting protested, struggling to defend himself.

“What’s the big deal? You weren’t even fat to begin with. A little more flesh is good,” Chen Su said cheerfully. She had always hoped her son would fill out a bit more. Even if his hands and face looked round, the rest of his body still barely carried any weight. Being a little sturdier would keep him healthier.

If anyone was qualified to comment on this, it was Pei Yiyao. But he did not dare say a word.

Chen Su turned suddenly to him. “All thanks to you, Yiyao. Every time Ting Ting calls me, he’s always talking about you. How you bring him milk tea and eat together all the time. If it weren’t for you, he wouldn’t have gained those few extra pounds.”

“I gained that weight on my own,” Chen Ting insisted.

“You’re the big brother, and you hogged all the weight for yourself. And you still have the nerve to say that?” Chen Su poked him lightly on the forehead, teasing him. Time had been unusually kind to her. Though there were fine lines at the corners of her eyes, it had not taken away the youthful charm in her smile.

Pei Yiyao nodded along obediently the entire time, rarely saying more than three words at a time. He was used to his mother’s sharpness and precision, but someone like Chen Su left him completely defenseless.

There was a constant sense that she had already seen right through him. But in the next moment, her words would sound like a joke again, and the warmth in her clear, gentle gaze made him feel deeply ashamed.

“Yiyao, come help in the kitchen,” Ruan Xin called from across the room, and Pei Yiyao finally exhaled in relief.

They had guests today, but considering the nature of this particular guest, Ruan Xin had given the housekeeper the day off and decided to cook herself. The Pei family did not have any of the airs of a wealthy household. No matter how powerful Pei Anqing was outside, once he was home, he still had to help Ruan Xin peel potatoes.

Pei Yiyao rarely stepped into the kitchen, but with so many dishes to prepare today, Ruan Xin finally called him in to handle the chicken.

“You’re the one who brought the chicken home, so you kill it,” Ruan Xin said, handing him an apron.

Pei Yiyao looked silently toward his father. His father quickly turned his head away and busied himself with the potatoes, peeling them with such intensity it looked like a performance, terrified he might be the one picked to kill the chicken instead.

But Pei Yiyao had no idea how to kill a chicken.

He suspected his mom didn’t know how either. This was what they called passing the buck.

Where was that so-called assist he had been promised?

Faced with this sudden crisis, Pei Yiyao froze. Thankfully, he had a thoughtful little boyfriend. Chen Ting ran over, snatched the kitchen knife from his hands, and said eagerly, “I’ll do it.”

Chen Su laughed and went to boil some water. Just like that, the whole family got busy together.

Chen Ting dragged his tag-along, Pei Yiyao, out into the courtyard. He found a big basin to put on the ground to keep the mess contained, then told him to fetch a bowl.

“Here, hold this tight. Don’t let it thrash around or you’ll get blood all over you.” Chen Ting grabbed the big hen with one hand and shoved it into Pei Yiyao’s arms, his tone bold and matter-of-fact.

Pei Yiyao looked at his soft, chubby face and that still-adorable, still-innocent expression, and silently tightened his grip on the chicken.

“Hold it steady.” Chen Ting grabbed the chicken’s head with one hand and raised the knife with the other. He pressed the blade to its neck and struck cleanly, then moved fast to catch the blood in the bowl. His movements were practiced and quick, as if he had done this many times before.

Pei Anqing stood at the kitchen window and watched the entire process. Deep down, he thought, there was really nothing to worry about. Ting Ting would have no trouble keeping his son in line. That technique was fast and clean.

After killing the chicken, they had to soak it in hot water and pluck the feathers. Chen Ting was in charge of the killing, not the plucking, so once his mom took the chicken away, he shook the knife in his hand and suddenly fixed Pei Yiyao with a fierce look.

“Scared?”

“Yes,” Pei Yiyao answered.

“Will you behave from now on?”

“I will. I’ll listen to you.”

If he didn’t, he might lose something important. A clean, painless procedure. Very high success rate.

The longer Chen Ting spent with Pei Yiyao, the more he turned into a little crab, waving his claws around and revealing his true colors every now and then. Pei Yiyao only found it adorable. So adorable it scared him. If he ever lost Chen Ting, life would become unbearably dull.

The thought made him reach out and ruffle Chen Ting’s hair again.

Chen Ting didn’t dodge in time. He glanced nervously toward his mom, who wasn’t far away, and whispered, “My mom’s still here.”

Pei Yiyao swore he hadn’t meant to. It just happened.

Dinner that night was warm and cheerful. It was the first time both families had sat down together like this. It wasn’t a holiday, but it felt even better than one.

It didn’t take long for Chen Su to understand exactly how her son had gained weight. All his favorite dishes had been placed right in front of him. After dinner, he kept insisting he was too full and flopped on the couch to watch TV. But by the time she finished chatting with Ruan Xin and turned back around, he was already snacking on fruit again.

He never had the motivation to prepare anything for himself, but he couldn’t resist when everything had been cut up and placed right in front of him. It was practically a trap.