TVDC 34: Change

Since Qiu Shuohai started gambling, the Qiu family has not been peaceful. Zhou Mingmei and Qiu Shunming often argued, and Qiu Haiyan stopped coming home, but He Zhiyuan’s life has clearly improved.

Zhou Mingmei neither treated him well nor badly; she basically treated him as if he were invisible. For He Zhiyuan, this was obviously a good thing.

Qiu Xuning told Zhou Mingmei about giving He Zhiyuan pocket money. When she heard this, she surprisingly didn’t shout at him. Instead, she coldly remained silent for a while before saying, “Where in this house is there money to give him? It’s already good enough to provide him with food and shelter, what does he need pocket money for? Does he think this is his own home?”

Qiu Xuning replied, “But he gave us money.”

When Zhou Mingmei mentioned this, she got angry and said, “That idiot of your Dad, at first he lied to me, saying there was only 60,000. He paid 50,000 of Shuohai’s gambling debt, gave me 10,000, and kept 80,000 or 90,000 for himself. He’s really something. If it weren’t for you kids, I would’ve divorced him a long time ago.”

Although she said this, it didn’t seem like she was truly angry. Based on her expression, it seemed that in the end, Qiu Shunming probably handed the money over.

Qiu Xuning felt a bit awkward and said quietly, “But, there should still be some money left. Is it okay to give him a little pocket money?”

Zhou Mingmei replied, “Do you think 80,000 or 90,000 is a lot? It’ll be used up quickly.”

Qiu Xuning was a bit surprised and asked, “Used up on what?”

Zhou Mingmei said, “Your brother is getting older, he needs to find a house. This money can be used for his down payment.”

Qiu Xuning was stunned. Sensing that he might feel uncomfortable, Zhou Mingmei quickly added, “Your brother is already 20. It won’t be convenient for him to live with us once he starts dating. I’ll pay the down payment for him first, then he can work to pay off the mortgage. When the time comes, I’ll buy something for you.”

Qiu Xuning said “Ah” and shook his head, replying, “You don’t need to buy anything for me.” After thinking for a moment, he asked, “What if my brother doesn’t want to work and continues gambling?”

Zhou Mingmei said, “He dares!”

After all this time, Qiu Xuning had started to understand Qiu Shuohai a little. He always felt that Qiu Shuohai would return to gambling. The first time he mentioned it, he said he lost 2,000 yuan. Now it has escalated to 50,000. What if it gets worse in the future? Qiu Xuning was worried about this and couldn’t help but mention it to Zhou Mingmei.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Mingmei’s face grew darker and darker. “He’s been gambling since a month ago?”

Qiu Xuning whispered, “He lost 2,000 yuan back then.”

Zhou Mingmei’s frown deepened. What Qiu Xuning was worried about, she was naturally concerned about as well—especially since when Qiu Shuohai was beaten by Qiu Shunming, he said that if they just gave him a little more money, he could win it back!

Zhou Mingmei did care about Qiu Shuohai. If she didn’t, she wouldn’t have allowed him to stay at home leeching off the family. Yet no matter how much she cared for him, it was still nothing compared to how much she valued Qiu Xuning. Qiu Xuning had such good grades, and it would be a disaster if he got corrupted by Qiu Shuohai, this gambler.

After all, the high school entrance exam was coming up soon.

Zhou Mingmei made up her mind and decided not to buy a house or pay the down payment for Qiu Shuohai anymore. She told Qiu Xuning, “Just focus on your studies, and don’t worry about anything else.”

Qiu Xuning didn’t dare to say too much about Qiu Shuohai, fearing that he might come after him later. “…So, can we give him a little pocket money?”

Zhou Mingmei, feeling a bit impatient, paused to think. After all, they had given the family cash, and that villa they were getting in a year’s time should be a sure thing. How much would it be worth? If they sold it, they could probably buy several properties here. If they rented it out, they would earn monthly rent, which would be more than enough. That way, Qiu Shunming wouldn’t need to work anymore.

Thinking this through, she felt much more at ease, and her tension loosened. “We can give him 100 yuan a month.”

Worried that Qiu Xuning might try to haggle, Zhou Mingmei quickly added, “Do you think food comes for free? He’s benefiting from your success. If it weren’t for your upcoming exams, would the family have so many good dishes? If he thinks it’s too little, fine, I’ll give him 200 yuan but he can stop eating here, and we’ll save on a pair of chopsticks.”

Upon hearing this, Qiu Xuning let out a sigh of relief, his tone light and cheerful. “100 yuan is fine! Thank you, Mom. You’re the best!”

Hearing him say this, Zhou Mingmei’s furrowed brows relaxed slightly, and a faint smile appeared on her face. “You really get along well with him.”

Qiu Xuning pressed his lips together, holding back a smile, then turned around and gave the pocket money Zhou Mingmei had given him to He Zhiyuan.

He Zhiyuan took the money, but the confusion in his eyes deepened. He lowered his gaze, hiding the emotions that flickered beneath.

Qiu Xuning’s lips curled into a pleasant smile, his tone lively, “I got the pocket money for you. You probably didn’t expect it but my Mom agreed right away.”

He Zhiyuan didn’t respond.

Qiu Xuning knew that He Zhiyuan wasn’t one to speak much in these situations. His voice softened, “My Mom won’t say anything about you anymore. But I know you feel uncomfortable, so from now on, I’ll bring you food, okay?”

He Zhiyuan glanced at him and said, “There’s nothing wrong with it.”

Qiu Xuning smiled, his sharp little tiger teeth peeking out. “Then it’s settled.”

He Zhiyuan nodded.

Qiu Xuning looked around at him, as if wanting to say something but hesitating.

He Zhiyuan glanced at him and asked, “What’s the matter now?”

Qiu Xuning whispered, “I don’t know, but I feel like you’re not happy at all.”

He Zhiyuan replied, “Should I be happy?”

When He Zhiyuan asked that, Qiu Xuning was momentarily stunned. He blinked a few times, then smiled again, saying, “How about I treat you to something to eat? Would that make you happy?”

He Zhiyuan looked at his lively face, the corners of his mouth curving up slightly, a smile forming. “Happy.”

Hearing that, Qiu Xuning’s smile grew wider, his little tiger teeth bouncing in He Zhiyuan’s eyes as he grinned. “Then let’s go out now. I’ll take you to eat something delicious.”

He Zhiyuan gave a soft “hmm” and placed his hand on the hem of his sweatshirt, preparing to take it off. Qiu Xuning’s face flushed, and he hurriedly stood up, saying, “Wait until I leave before you change!”

His voice was shaky and panicked, betraying his nerves. He was still too innocent, unaware that the more you care, the more you need to act like you don’t. He couldn’t control his emotions and his concern made the situation feel a bit awkward.

He Zhiyuan’s hand stayed on the edge of his sweatshirt, watching as Qiu Xuning flustered and rushed out of the room, even remembering to close the door behind him. His gaze darkened slightly, and he lowered his eyes.

Qiu Xuning stood outside, facing the wall, his forehead pressed against it as he wore a hat, staring at the tips of his shoes. He waited for quite a while before He Zhiyuan finally came out. He had changed out of the sweatshirt he had been wearing at home and was now dressed in a thick, cozy sweater with a solid-looking jacket on top, looking very put-together.

Qiu Xuning lifted his face to glance at him, then quickly lowered his eyes again and murmured softly, “You… look really handsome in that.”

“Really handsome?” He Zhiyuan asked.

Qiu Xuning’s cheeks flushed slightly, and he lifted his eyes to glare at He Zhiyuan, grumbling, “Fake handsome. Are you satisfied now?”

His glare lacked any real force, instead coming off soft and almost like a pout, making it feel more like he was being cute, which made one’s heart feel a little itchy.

He Zhiyuan smiled faintly. He reached up and placed his hand on Qiu Xuning’s head, patting him through the thin fabric of his hoodie. “What kind of hat are you wearing?”

Qiu Xuning, feeling a bit uncomfortable, moved away from his hand, murmuring, “My ears are cold.”

Suddenly, He Zhiyuan snatched off his hat that revealed his ears, which were slightly red. However, it was clear that they weren’t flushed from the cold but rather from the same blush that had spread across his face.

Qiu Xuning nervously grabbed the hat, trying to put it back on.

He Zhiyuan glanced at him for a moment, and without needing Qiu Xuning to do anything, he simply put the hat back on his head. “Let’s go.”

With the money from He Zhiyuan, the atmosphere at home became a little more relaxed, and Qiu Xuning also received the 100 yuan in pocket money. He could finally take He Zhiyuan out to eat something nice.

However, there wasn’t much in the small county town to choose from. As for the barbecues and such, Qiu Xuning wasn’t really into them anymore. Although he had once really wanted to eat them, years of restraint had dulled his interest. He thought and thought but couldn’t come up with anything that sounded good to eat.

In the end, they ended up at the supermarket, stocking up on some snacks.

Qiu Zhaozhao loved snacks so Qiu Xuning bought her a portion as well.

After picking up the items, Qiu Xuning didn’t mention leaving. Instead, he grabbed He Zhiyuan’s sleeve and led him to the electronics section, where he bought him a hand warmer—just the right size for him to hold both hands on it comfortably.

After receiving the hand warmer that He Zhiyuan had tested, Qiu Xuning held it in his own hands and compared, saying, “Your hands are much bigger than mine.”

As he spoke, Qiu Xuning glanced down at He Zhiyuan’s hand, then extended his own, saying, “Want to compare?”

He Zhiyuan also stretched out his hand and placed it on the back of Qiu Xuning’s. Qiu Xuning froze for a moment, and his cheeks flushed slightly. That wasn’t what he meant.

However, He Zhiyuan didn’t know what he was thinking. He grasped Qiu Xuning’s hand and flipped it over, gently prying apart the slightly curled fingers. With their palms pressed together, he compared their hands.

Perhaps because Qiu Xuning was shorter, or maybe because He Zhiyuan had matured earlier, despite their age difference not being significant, their hands were noticeably different.

He Zhiyuan’s hands were large, with long fingers and defined knuckles. The back of his hand was slightly raised with visible veins, making it look like a man’s hand. On the other hand, Qiu Xuning’s hands were small, smaller than He Zhiyuan’s by a size. His palms and the back of his hands were soft and slightly fleshy, still giving the impression of a youthful and boyish hand. Though his fingers were slender, they didn’t show the protruding knuckles, making his hands appear even more delicate and graceful.

Qiu Xuning’s attention wasn’t on the difference in their hands at all. Rather than focusing on the visual aspect, his focus was entirely on the sensation. The palm of his hand was a particularly sensitive area, and the warmth from He Zhiyuan’s palm kept flowing into his, making him feel an inexplicable sense of shyness. He struggled to hide his discomfort, trying to act calm and indifferent as he said, “Y–your hand, really is a lot bigger than mine.”

He knew his face was probably red again. This trait of his was really troublesome. It had always been this way, and even now, at this moment, nothing has changed. No matter how calm he tried to appear, his easily-flushed cheeks and his slightly flustered expression betrayed him.

He Zhiyuan withdrew his hand first and said quietly, “When you grow taller, your hands will grow too.”

Qiu Xuning didn’t say anything further. Even though he was often slow to realize things, he could feel that his reaction was a bit over the top. Wasn’t this change in him a little too exaggerated?

Why was it that just because He Zhiyuan touched him, his face turned red and his heart started racing?

When Qiu Shuohai touched him, Qiu Xuning had the same reaction.

However, compared to He Zhiyuan, it seemed like he didn’t mind or fear He Zhiyuan’s touch as much.

Qiu Xuning was terrified of developing any feelings for He Zhiyuan. He couldn’t even allow himself to think about it. He had always followed the path planned for him by Mrs. Qiu Yanru, step by step, never straying from it. Even when he realized he liked boys, he didn’t know what to do about it. How could he dare to imagine actually liking a boy, especially when that boy was his current cousin?

Qiu Xuning didn’t dare to think about it. He tried to calm his emotions, and this time, it seemed like he truly could manage to act indifferent. He shifted his focus to the hand warmer, speaking softly, “This hand warmer, when fully charged, can even be put into the blankets, warming them up too.”

He Zhiyuan lowered his gaze to look at him. From his angle, he could only see Qiu Xuning’s lowered eyes, the thin eyelids fluttering slightly, revealing a hint of unease. He Zhiyuan saw it clearly, but he shifted his gaze away too and spoke in a low voice, “Let’s get this one.”

As they left the supermarket, they heard people calling out, and only then did they realize it had started snowing.

Although the weather was cold, it was rare to see snow in this small county town, and yet, it was snowing now.

Qiu Xuning, who had never seen snow in the big city before, now looked up with curiosity, gazing at the sky. He turned to He Zhiyuan and said, “It’s snowing! Did you see it?”

He was so excited that a lively smile spread across his face.

He Zhiyuan also looked up at the sky, watching the snowflakes gently fall, and murmured, “The New Year is coming soon.”

Qiu Xuning quickly corrected him, “It’s still over a month away, it’s not that soon.”

He Zhiyuan looked down at him and smiled faintly.

Qiu Xuning saw him smile and, a little flustered, stammered, “What are you smiling about?”

He Zhiyuan replied, “Happy New Year.”

Qiu Xuning pressed his lips together, turned his head away, and mumbled, “It’s still a bit early, but go ahead and be happy if you want.

He Zhiyuan heard his words but didn’t respond. Instead, he simply said, “Let’s go.”

Qiu Xuning followed him down the steps, walking in the direction of home.