(The Gift and the Farewell)
Hu Xiaoyu refused to get out of bed that morning.
He was curled up under the blanket like a shrimp, lashes trembling against his cheeks, so soundly asleep that even his breathing carried a soft rhythm.
He did, however, remember it was Saturday—no work, no schedule.
So when Yu Tan came to wake him, he turned his back toward the man and let out the tiniest imitation of a snore, the kind of "I'm totally asleep" noise a guilty child makes.
Yu Tan, fully dressed and having spent the whole morning working in the study, sighed helplessly.
"… Lazy little thing."
It wasn't that he begrudged him a little extra sleep. But skipping breakfast and lunch soon as well? Even a saint would rot in bed that way.
He shook the folder in his hand. "If you get up within three minutes, you'll get a gift."
The faint, even breathing paused instantly.
Hu Xiaoyu rolled over, eyes hazy with sleep, blinking like a kitten in the light. "A… gift?"
Yu Tan tugged off his blanket, patted his leg, and herded him toward the bathroom. "Wash up and get dressed. You'll get it downstairs."
He didn't follow. If he went in there, he doubted either of them would come out again anytime soon.
Truthfully, he wanted to. But after last night's intensity, he wasn't sure his little fox could survive another round. Better to go downstairs before temptation won.
Inside the bathroom, Hu Xiaoyu leaned against the wall and closed his eyes for another minute.
A bath? Out of the question.
Instead, he used a cleansing spell, dampened a towel, rubbed it over his hair until it looked artfully half-dry—just the right kind of "I totally took a shower" mess.
By the time he finished, he was wide awake.
He bounded downstairs, circling Yu Tan immediately. "Where's my gift?"
Yu Tan set the folder on the table and handed him a pen. "This," he said. "Sign it, and the nursing home will be yours. Whoever stays there, whoever doesn't—it's up to you."
Hu Xiaoyu blinked. The words sank in slowly.
At Liu Luanzhou's birthday banquet, Madam Hu had once used the nursing home—where Grandma Cui lived—to threaten him.
Not long after, Yu Tan had quietly bought it.
No one was allowed to threaten him—or the people beside him.
He hadn't planned to tell Hu Xiaoyu about it; it was such a small thing in his eyes. But people were complicated, and today he found himself wanting to see the boy's face light up.
Hu Xiaoyu was happy—but also a little nervous.
His gaze flicked to the faint bite mark on Yu Tan's jaw. He'd bitten too hard last night. Maybe he should've been gentler.
"I don't want it," he said suddenly. "You should sell it."
Yu Tan was used to his nonsense by now. Patiently, he asked, "Why?"
Hu Xiaoyu wrapped his arms around Yu Tan's waist. "You're out of money, aren't you? Was it because you bought this?"
After that birthday banquet, he had called Madam Hu himself and made it clear: if she didn't recognize Grandma Cui—the woman who'd raised her son—he would sever ties with the Hu family completely.
Madam Hu had been furious at first, but perhaps her fear of Yu Tan's influence—and a sliver of guilt—had made her back down. She'd promised not to bring up Grandma Cui again.
Yu Tan blinked, then laughed quietly. There was pride in that laugh. "I could buy a hundred of them and still not run out of money."
So that's what this was. His silly little fox was still worried about that joke he'd made last night—when he'd teased him about being poor.
The boy had actually taken it to heart.
Hu Xiaoyu, who had been ready to shoulder the burden of "supporting the family," froze. "… Oh."
Feeling oddly betrayed, he picked up his bowl and moved to another chair, determined to eat far away from him.
Yu Tan caught him before he could escape, lifting him easily back into place. "If you don't want the nursing home," he murmured, "how about an ad shoot?"
The boy's pout faltered. "…"
Moments later, he was diligently picking out fish bones and peeling shrimp for Yu Tan, as if the small argument had never happened.
Two days later, Hu Xiaoyu stood at the doors of Starlight Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Shi Group.
Yu Tan's car pulled up in front. "Go on," he said simply. "I'll pick you up tonight."
He didn't say much else—Hu Xiaoyu never needed lectures. He just turned to his assistant before driving away. "If anything goes wrong, call me."
Xin Shibai, one of his most capable aides, nodded sharply. "Yes, President Yu."
Expression blank, heart in turmoil.
Thirteen sentences. Four smiles. And the boss held his hand the entire drive.
Truly, love could transform a man.
The cold, ruthless CEO was gone—replaced by someone who looked one apology away from braiding flowers into his lover's hair.
Conclusion: Please the young master, and a promotion might not be far off.
Before heading inside, Hu Xiaoyu hugged Yu Tan tightly through the window. "Eat more for lunch, okay? And… send me a photo."
Yu Tan stared at him for two seconds. "… Alright. Go."
He wasn't used to being treated like a kid in public, but the look in Hu Xiaoyu's eyes made resistance pointless. "Fine," he said at last. "I'll send one."
The car drove off. The boy stood there for a moment, watching it disappear, before finally turning toward the building—smiling like he carried sunlight in his pocket.
End of Part I.