DASFAM_103

Another half month had passed.

Apart from the cast on Bai Xu's right hand, which still needed to stay fixed in place, his other injuries had all gradually healed, and with the doctor's approval, he had finally completed the discharge process and gone home.

"Careful."

Standing in front of the car door, Shang Yanxiao easily 'scooped' him up into his arms.

Catching sight of Xie Qi and Chen Yufei getting out of the car, Bai Xu immediately said to Shang Yanxiao, uncomfortable, "What are you doing? I can walk on my own!"

Bai Xu's legs also had scrapes and a sprain, but after more than a month of recuperation, there was no longer any serious problem.

Shang Yanxiao stopped him in a low voice, "Don't move around, careful of pulling on your hand."

Xie Qi, unsurprised, along with Chen Yufei, pretended not to have seen anything, as if nothing were happening.

Bai Xu still insisted on muttering, "Shang Yanxiao, put me down quickly, if Grandmother and Little Aunt see this in a moment, will I have any face left at all!"

Watching the main house's door open up ahead, he urged even more insistently, "Hurry up, just support me, that's enough."

Shang Yanxiao had no way to argue with him, and could only carefully set him down, "Careful."

"Mm."

The moment Old Madam Shang stepped outside, she caught sight of Bai Xu's face, flushed an unnaturally deep red, "You're finally discharged and back home. What's going on with Xiao Xu's face? It's not even May yet, is it already this hot?"

Bai Xu shot a covert glare at the true culprit.

Shang Yanxiao's lips curved, deflecting the topic on his behalf, "Grandmother, didn't you say you'd have a lot of good food made to help A' Xu recover?"

Old Madam Shang answered with a beaming smile, "It's long since ready, just waiting on you two, come in quickly."

The layout of the main house remained unchanged.

Shang Keshu and Shang Queyan were already waiting in the small dining room. Hearing the commotion at the door, the latter turned his wheelchair around, "Brother, Bai Xu."

Facing his own younger brother's greeting, Shang Yanxiao nodded calmly.

Bai Xu, on the other hand, looked with concern at his legs, covered by a small blanket, "Queyan, are you feeling any better?"

Ever since Bai Xu had been hospitalized, he hadn't seen Shang Queyan in the hospital room at all, not because Shang Queyan was cold-hearted, but because the conglomerate's affairs had simply piled up too much.

He had only just taken up his position, and needed a great deal of time and energy to deal with it all.

Besides, with Shang Yanxiao personally keeping an eye on matters at the hospital, there was no need for the others to worry too much either.

Through this ordeal, Shang Queyan's brow and eyes now carried a more mature air; in his heart he held gratitude toward Bai Xu, "I'm fine, the wound has already scabbed over, in a while I'll be able to get fitted with a prosthetic and recover as normal, as long as you're alright."

That day in the abandoned factory, if it hadn't been for Shang Yanxiao and Bai Xu protecting him by 'trading two for one,' where would he be today?

Shang Keshu and Old Madam Shang exchanged a glance, and spoke up first, "Alright, let's all sit down and eat as a family!"

"Mm."

Shang Yanxiao led Bai Xu to sit down.

Bai Xu asked casually, "Where is everyone else?"

Shang Keshu said, "Big Sister has already moved out."

After all, with Shang Qishun having stirred up such a huge disaster, Shang Keyi truly didn't know how to face the rest of the family, and could only move out of the estate.

Facing her choice, Old Madam Shang hadn't tried to stop her.

Shang Queyan added, "The conglomerate has always had a branch and operations in the Shanghai circle, the second branch took the initiative to take on the work over there."

Shang Yun, Fang Yuhua, and Shang Songming had just left for there the previous week, and probably wouldn't be back for a year or two. As for the youngest, Shang Le'er, she had returned abroad to continue her studies.

A family that had once been this large had, in the end, still scattered and dispersed.

Old Madam Shang couldn't help feeling a pang of wistfulness inside, but looking around at the four children remaining at the table, she also felt an immense sense of fortune.

"Alright, let's eat. No matter how many people are left in the family, peace and safety are what matter most."

"Mother's right."

Shang Keshu took hold of Old Madam Shang's wrist, shifting the topic, "Why don't we have a simple drink together? Just to celebrate Bai Xu's discharge?"

Shang Yanxiao said without even thinking, "A' Xu can't drink right now."

Bai Xu immediately protested, "I can!"

Shang Yanxiao looked at his lover, who had started acting 'unruly' again, "You can?"

Bai Xu's confidence, for no particular reason, deflated by more than half, "…Just a tiny bit."

He muttered, "It's already been over a month of bland food every day, soup, hot water, medicine, my mouth's gone completely tasteless."

Shang Keshu understood him especially well, responding enthusiastically, "Exactly, the injuries are nearly all healed, what's the harm in a little drink? Auntie will drink with you."

Old Madam Shang looked at her youngest daughter, "As the aunt here, don't go stirring up trouble."

Shang Keshu met Bai Xu's eyes, settling for the next best thing, "How about some fruit wine? It's not very strong at all."

She glanced at Old Madam Shang, as if speaking deliberately for Shang Yanxiao's benefit, "Your grandmother's sitting right here, no playing those drinking-game tricks, just a little for the gesture of it is enough."

Bai Xu chimed in with her, playing along, "Little Aunt's right."

Shang Queyan smiled, siding with Bai Xu for once, rare as that was, "Brother, just loosen up a little. Better he drinks in front of you than sneaks it behind your back."

"……"

Shang Yanxiao, helpless, "No overindulging."

Bai Xu's brow lifted, swearing solemnly, "I won't, I know my limits."

Seeing this, Old Madam Shang simply went along with the children's wishes, and had a servant bring out a few different flavors of fruit wine.

Shang Keshu looked at Bai Xu, then shifted to bring up another matter, "I heard the Zhang family came looking for you two?"

"……"

Bai Xu paused for a moment, "Little Aunt, how did you know about that?"

Old Madam Shang explained, "Old Madam Zhang and I are on good terms, she came especially the other day to tell me about it. She's getting on in years, and was afraid that showing up suddenly at the hospital might make you uncomfortable."

So the old madam had gone about it in a roundabout way, asking Old Madam Shang about Bai Xu's situation, with no ill intent, of course.

Old Madam Shang likewise hadn't expected things to turn out to be such a coincidence, "Back when the Zhang family lost their child, I worried over it alongside them for quite a while."

"Now that I think of it, if you hadn't been lost back then, you'd have known Yanxiao and his brother from early on."

Bai Xu had no way to explain too much, and could only go along with it, "Fate is determined by heaven. It's not too late for me to know Yanxiao now either. Besides, isn't it a good thing that the Zhang family has gained a Changning?"

"That child Xiao Ning is certainly a good one."

Old Madam Zhang paused, then recalled another matter she didn't understand, "But I heard from Old Madam Zhang that you insisted on having Xiao Ning sever ties with the Zhang family?"

"……"

This was the first Shang Queyan had heard of this, his brow furrowing slightly, "Why?"

Shang Yanxiao spoke in his lover's place, "A' Xu doesn't mean any harm, there are some matters that aren't convenient to explain right now, but even if Changning dissolves the adoption relationship with the Zhang family, that doesn't mean he stops being part of the Zhang family."

Shang Queyan looked thoughtful, but didn't respond further.

The servant brought the wine in, interrupting the topic from continuing further.

Shang Keshu naturally trusted the two younger ones, "Mother, this kind of matter, let's just leave the kids to worry about it themselves."

Old Madam Shang wasn't the type to meddle in others' affairs, and nodded, "Mm."

Days always had to look forward, and people always had to keep moving forward too; no matter what one encountered, in the end the day for an outcome would always come.

The meal was eaten through slowly and unhurriedly, finally clearing away the last of the lingering gloom in the family.

As it neared eight o'clock, Shang Yanxiao was the one to rise first, "Grandmother, Little Aunt, I'd like to take A' Xu back home now, you all should rest early too."

Old Madam Shang nodded, "Alright."

Bai Xu, with Shang Yanxiao's support, rose to his feet, and politely bid Old Madam Shang goodnight.

Having already reached the doorway, only then did Bai Xu notice Shang Queyan hadn't followed along, "Queyan, aren't you coming back too?"

Shang Queyan explained, "I've moved from the villa to the main house, so it's easier to look after Grandmother together with Little Aunt."

The main concern was that after Old Master Shang's passing, Old Madam Shang might not adjust well living alone in such a large main house.

He glanced at his elder brother, "From now on the villa's just for the two of you to live in, I won't be intruding on you and my brother anymore."

"……"

Some images that shouldn't have crossed his mind flickered inexplicably through Bai Xu's head, and he looked away.

Shang Yanxiao, as if sensing his lover's thoughts, suppressed a smile and didn't decline, "Mm, then we'll head off first."

"Alright."

The two of them rode the shuttle back to the villa, and only upon entering did they discover Xie Qi had been sitting on the sofa waiting the whole time, not yet retired to his room to rest.

Xie Qi set down his tablet, rising at once to greet them, "Third Young Master, you're back?"

"Mm."

Shang Yanxiao asked, "Why aren't you resting in your room? Waiting on something from us?"

Xie Qi cut straight to the point, "Young Master Bai, Young Master Ning came by earlier."

Bai Xu was startled, "Looking for me?"

"Mm, I told him you were having dinner at the main house, and was thinking of taking him over there, but he declined."

Xie Qi held out an envelope, handing it directly to Bai Xu, "He asked me to pass this letter on to you."

Bai Xu took the white envelope, "Got it."

Xie Qi, ever perceptive, "I'll head back to my room then."

"Alright."

The moment Xie Qi turned to leave, Bai Xu opened the white envelope under Shang Yanxiao's watchful gaze—

Inside was a handwritten letter, the handwriting particularly elegant, and along with it, an unexpected bank card fell out.

"……"

A look of surprise showed in Bai Xu's eyes, and he quickly read through Zhang Changning's handwritten letter.

Shang Yanxiao stood quietly by, keeping him company, patiently waiting a moment before asking, "What did Changning say?"

Bai Xu's brow knitted, "Changning said the savings on this card are the allowance and lucky money the Zhang family and relatives gave him over the years, plus a bit of money he earned himself from scholarships and holding exhibitions."

Zhang Changning had known since childhood that he had only been able to have such a stable, happy life by taking the place of the 'Young Master Zhang'.

But he kept in mind where he'd come from, and even his 'willfulness' had its limits—

Though on the surface he seemed like a spoiled, indulged young master from a wealthy family, in reality he hadn't spent a single cent he shouldn't have, yet when it came to the scholarships he was due during his school years, he hadn't taken a single cent less either.

Now, the money he'd saved up had been put, more or less all of it, into this one card, and handed over to Bai Xu, who truly deserved it.

"Changning also said in the letter that he's already dissolved the adoption relationship with the Zhang family in name, and if I'm willing, I can go back anytime."

Shang Yanxiao had a fairly good sense of Zhang Changning's character, "Where is he now?"

Bai Xu shook his head, "Said he was going out to 'clear his head,' and told us not to look for him."

He'd probably hidden this not just from the two of them, but from the rest of the Zhang family as well.

The bank card in Bai Xu's hand only felt all the heavier for it, "I won't take this money, but I'm worried about Changning, could he…"

Shang Yanxiao's brow furrowed slightly, "I'll give Changxu a call later. This is something the two of them should settle between themselves, it wouldn't do us any good to get too involved."

"Besides, from what I know of Changxu, he'd already taken your words to heart that day, he must have some thoughts and ideas of his own by now."

Zhang Changxu had always been someone whose actions spoke louder than words.

As long as he still regarded Zhang Changning as his 'biological younger brother,' then no matter how firmly the Zhang couple and Zhang Changning insisted, he would find some way to stop the dissolution of the adoption relationship.

"It's possible something has already happened between the two of them, or they've already talked it through, and we simply don't know about it."

Bai Xu still hesitated a little, "So we just let them sort it out themselves?"

Shang Yanxiao nodded, "You've already done everything you reasonably could as matchmaker. If they can't work through their feelings on their own, how can we force it?"

Bai Xu sighed, "I suppose so. Next time we meet, I'll give this card back to Changning."

"Mm."

Shang Yanxiao, out of habit, brushed his thumb lightly over the small mole at the back of his lover's neck, "Tired?"

"Not too bad, but I want to soak in a bath." Bai Xu looked at his right hand, still in its cast, "As long as it doesn't get wet, it should be fine."

Shang Yanxiao nodded, "Mm, I'll go up and run the water first, I'll help you in a bit."

…

Steam filled the bathroom.

Bai Xu carefully eased himself into the bathtub, letting the comfortably warm water envelop his whole body, before finally letting out a comfortable sigh, "This is so nice~ Just this alone, and I feel like I've come back to life."

Although the upgraded hospital room had its own bathroom, it still wasn't nearly as convenient as being at home.

Shang Yanxiao, bare-chested, sat at the edge of the bathtub keeping him company.

Back in his own familiar surroundings, Bai Xu's mood had lifted to an almost ridiculous degree. He glanced over at Shang Yanxiao out of the corner of his eye, and, overtaken by a playful urge, splashed a bit of water at him.

The warm water dampened the front of Shang Yanxiao's trousers, "Young Master Bai, having fun? Even with just one good hand, still can't behave?"

Bai Xu hummed, "Well, since it's already wet, you might as well come in and soak with me, the tub's plenty big anyway."

A faint glimmer stirred in the depths of Shang Yanxiao's eyes, and he simply, decisively, did as his lover instructed. He moved around behind Bai Xu and settled in, holding him close, still carefully mindful of the other's right hand.

"Careful, don't move around too much, let me wash you with the body wash."

"……"

Bai Xu turned to meet his gaze, smiling, "Then you'd better do it properly, don't try anything funny."

Shang Yanxiao let out a soft laugh, kissing the side of his ear, "Who's trying anything? The guilty one cries thief first?"

Bai Xu hummed, owning up to it frankly, "No, I'm just worried about my own self-control, is that not allowed?"

Shang Yanxiao didn't answer, only responding with a kiss instead.

Mist swirled through the water, and between their tangled breaths bloomed an utmost tenderness.

The warm water in the tub spilled over again and again, and it was hard to say how much time had passed before Bai Xu's ragged breathing finally eased along with the surface of the water.

His skin all over was tinged with a flush, a damp redness gathering at the corners of his eyes too, "…You don't want to?"

Shang Yanxiao reached his hand out of the tub, cupping his chin and kissing him once more, his voice hoarse with restraint, "Young Master Bai's right hand still isn't healed, I won't trouble you tonight."

Bai Xu let out a muffled hum, but had no intention of letting things end there.

He kissed his lover's seductive Adam's apple, faint as a breath, "...Yanxiao."

Shang Yanxiao's breathing deepened, "Mm?"

Bai Xu turned to face him, beckoning enticingly, "Sit up on the edge of the tub, I'll help you."

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