After I Died, My Childhood Friend Became Daddy - Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Cooking the Raw Rice into Mature Rice (Making it Official)

For a moment, it seemed as if both of them had held their breath.

Fang Ran felt his heart leap into his throat, thumping so hard it felt like it would jump right out.

Wait…

Did he really have to ask such a question at a time like this?

How awkward.

Fang Ran sat on the bed, legs splayed, bare and exposed, while Huo Yan was still half-kneeling before him.

He swallowed softly, turned his head away awkwardly, and avoided Huo Yan’s gaze.

“You… didn’t you say you wouldn’t let me engage in puppy love?”

Slap.

Another boomerang hit back.

Huo Yan truly felt his vision go dark. “I said that?”

Fang Ran nodded very seriously. “Anyway, I don’t have any plans to date before the Gaokao. I just want to focus on preparing for the exam.”

Huo Yan remained silent for a long time before slowly standing up, actually feeling a bit dizzy and lightheaded for a moment.

Fang Ran asked him with concern, “Is it because I took too long and caused you to experience oxygen deprivation?”

He didn’t forget to subtly talk himself up.

Huo Yan’s tone was very flat. “Don’t worry, you were very fast.”

!!!

Fang Ran was struck by a “minor explosion” of anger. He stood up, huffed, and wiggled his way into the bathroom.

This night had truly been too chaotic.

Fang Ran thought his mind would be too restless to sleep, but before long, he was lying on the bed snoring away.

Instead, it was Huo Yan beside him who suffered from insomnia.

He felt as if his heart were being fried in oil. On one hand, he was secretly delighted: Fang Ran liked boys and could have a reaction to him—did that also mean he had at least a little bit of feeling for him?

But he was also afraid he was overthinking it.

Just like when Fang Ran had first come back.

He was truly afraid that all of this was a dream. If he woke up one day and found that Fang Ran wasn’t lying next to him, that all of this was his own hallucination, and that Fang Ran had never loved him at all…

Huo Yan would probably open the window and jump out immediately.

…

From that day on, Fang Ran seemed to truly live a peaceful student life, with nothing but going to and from school. The only difference was that he actually placed a long bolster in the middle of the bed every night when he slept.

Huo Yan’s expression was very sour. “What is the meaning of this?”

“This is a boundary,” Fang Ran said righteously. “Neither of us can cross this line.”

Huo Yan stared at the bolster with a cold face for a long while without saying a word, then lay down and closed his eyes.

Fang Ran breathed a slight sigh of relief and hurriedly lay down as well.

He lay flat on his back, facing the ceiling, lying perfectly straight with his hands folded over his lower abdomen a living image of a little “lying-down” vampire.

Huo Yan sneered inwardly, waiting to see how long he could last.

Hearing the breathing around him gradually settle, Huo Yan stopped pretending. He directly pulled the bolster out from the middle and tossed it onto the floor. Within minutes, as expected, Fang Ran pressed up against him like a warm puppy.

Huo Yan curled his lips almost imperceptibly while holding the person tight. He lowered his head slightly and kissed Fang Ran’s forehead.

When he woke up the next morning, Fang Ran thought he would be lying properly in his own spot, but as soon as he opened his eyes, he was faced directly with Huo Yan’s face.

Even just after waking up, Huo Yan’s face was still impeccable. Looking at him this way, he had really changed a lot since high school not that he had aged, but his features seemed sharper, the bridge of his nose seemed higher, and his lips…

While Fang Ran was scrutinizing him, Huo Yan suddenly opened his eyes.

In an instant, Fang Ran was so startled he nearly leaped up, scrambling away.

He forced himself to stay calm and struck first. “What’s going on? Didn’t I say we should each sleep in our own space?”

Huo Yan didn’t speak; he just tilted his chin slightly. When Fang Ran turned his head, he saw that his duvet had long since migrated over to Huo Yan’s side, likely brought over when he rolled himself over.

His old face turned red, and he stopped talking, busying himself with getting up to wash.

Dammit!

Even a bolster couldn’t stop him?

He might as well split the bed in half tomorrow!

…

Today was the very last class of high school. The holiday would start tomorrow, and the Gaokao would begin two days later. Today there were no formal classes; it was basically just taking graduation photos, everyone gathering together, and likely hanging out after the activities ended.

Normally, Fang Ran wasn’t someone who loved dressing up much; he basically wore his school uniform every day. If there was a need to go out, it was usually Huo Yan who coordinated his outfits.

Today, Fang Ran ran into the dressing room, rummaging through clothes.

Huo Yan slowly followed behind him.

He watched Fang Ran sticking his butt out while busily searching for clothes. On one hand, he thought: Ah, my baby is so cute; baby is so good and can even find his own clothes. On the other hand, he thought darkly: So disobedient, dressing up all fancy for who to see?

After a while, he walked over, straightened the collar of the clothes Fang Ran was changing into, and then looked down at him, his voice low. “Mm, very good-looking.”

So good-looking he wanted to lock him directly in the house.

Fang Ran’s eyes curved in a smile. “Zhao Yan said he’s bringing a camera; we’re going to take so many photos today.”

Huo Yan frowned.

Truly a mistake.

Such an important event as the baby’s graduation—how had he not arranged it in advance?

Huo Yan immediately whispered, “My fault. I didn’t consider it beforehand. You go to school first, and I’ll contact a photographer to follow you immediately. They’ll spend the whole day specifically taking photos of you.”

Fang Ran’s eyes widened. “No need! Why are you doing that?”

The more Huo Yan thought about it, the more necessary it seemed. Fang Ran had dressed up specifically today; such a cute baby truly deserved to have hundreds of photos archived for him to appreciate at any time.

But Fang Ran absolutely refused.

Just thinking about it was agonizing everyone happily taking graduation photos while he has a photographer following him, snapping photos frantically.

No matter how he thought about it, it was too humiliating.

With Fang Ran’s firm stance, Huo Yan had no choice but to let it go regretfully.

He didn’t use a driver and personally drove Fang Ran to the school gate. Handing the backpack to Fang Ran, he even gave a lingering instruction: “Call me when school is over; I’ll come pick you up.”

He looked exactly like a lonely old father.

Fang Ran waved a hand at him and entered the school without looking back.

…

The classroom was very lively today, having been decorated in advance. As soon as Fang Ran stepped in, he was grabbed by several people to take group photos.

Although he was a late addition to this class, the classmates had treated him exceptionally well, and Fang Ran truly felt a bit reluctant to leave.

Finally, after taking many photos, he returned to his seat, let out a breath, and grabbed Zhao Yan with a serious expression. “I have something very important to discuss with you today.”

Zhao Yan had a bitter face. “Brother—I’ll call you ‘brother’—how about you don’t discuss it with me, and just tell me in a dream instead?”

Every time it was something heart-stopping.

Was this the feeling of “accompanying the Crown Prince in his studies”?

Fang Ran said very seriously, “Really, Zhao Yan, this matter is especially urgent.”

“Fine, fine, go ahead.”

Fang Ran took a deep breath. “I… I might like Huo Yan.”

After those words were said, Zhao Yan looked at him quietly, without any reaction at all.

Fang Ran’s eyes widened. “Please, aren’t you shocked?”

Uh, where exactly am I supposed to start being shocked?

Zhao Yan could only cooperate and say, “Wow! If you hadn’t said it, I wouldn’t have noticed at all! You gave me a fright!”

Such clumsy acting. Like coaxing a child.

But Fang Ran didn’t pick up on it at all. His eyes were still shining. “Do you think I should confess first, or ‘cook the raw rice into mature rice’ (sleep with him) first?”

Zhao Yan was actually stunned this time and began to cough violently. “Cook… cook the rice? How are you going to cook it?”

He looked at Fang Ran in surprise. He truly hadn’t expected that Fang Ran, who looked so well-behaved and sweet, actually had such big guts.

The most crucial thing was…

Zhao Yan pondered. So right now… the two of them aren’t “cooked rice” yet?

Fang Ran’s face was a bit red. “I was thinking, if I strike first and just sleep with him, then confess to him, he won’t be able to refuse me. After all, Huo Yan has a very soft temper; last time when I forcibly kissed him, he didn’t say anything and kept comforting me.”

Hahahaha, Huo Yan has a soft temper?

This was definitely the funniest joke Zhao Yan had heard in 2026.

Wait…

What did Fang Ran say?

Who forcibly kissed whom?

Zhao Yan had a complicated expression. “You? You forcibly kissed… Huo Yan?”

Oops!

Slipped up!

Fang Ran covered his mouth, blinking his eyes as he looked at Zhao Yan, then gave up resisting. He sighed and whispered, “I didn’t do it on purpose. I drank too much that day, my memory was completely gone. I only found out the next day when A-Yan told me.”

Zhao Yan: “…”

Poor kid, you’ve been tricked so hard you’ve lost your underwear and you’re still happy about it.

Zhao Yan had at least a shred of conscience left and truly couldn’t stand to see his brother walk into the wolf’s mouth. He advised euphemistically, “Why don’t you just confess directly? Actually, you don’t even need to confess just mention it slightly, and it’ll probably work out.”

After all, President Huo’s eyes were probably turning green from waiting.

Fang Ran hesitated. “Really? What if Huo Yan is straight and doesn’t like me?”

Straight, my ass.

The kind of “straight” where you sleep in one duvet?

Zhao Yan waved a hand. “You absolutely don’t need to have that concern.”

But seeing that Fang Ran still looked conflicted, Zhao Yan could only offer a suggestion. “Otherwise, get him drunk. Mention it when he’s tipsy.”

“No, no, my alcohol tolerance is too poor.”

“Who told you to drink? I’m saying you get him drunk. You drink water. I don’t believe Huo Yan could force you.”

It made sense when put that way.

Zhao Yan patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry, alcohol is a truth serum. No problem.”

Most importantly, he knew that after drinking too much, one “couldn’t get it up,” which protected his brother from another angle!

Fang Ran clenched his fists. “Okay. Let’s do it that way.”

…

After the activities ended, Huo Yan came to pick him up. The man brought a bouquet of flowers and picked Fang Ran up directly upon seeing him. “Happy graduation, baby.”

There were other students at the school gate; Fang Ran’s face turned red, and he kicked his legs for Huo Yan to put him down.

Zhao Yan walked out and just happened to see this scene. He went silent.

Who in this scene is actually straight?

Although Fang Ran was a bit shy, he was very happy to receive the flowers and didn’t notice the issue with Huo Yan’s term of endearment. He looked up and smiled at him. “A-Yan, after I finish the Gaokao, I’ll treat you to dinner, okay?”

Huo Yan raised an eyebrow. “You’re treating me?”

Fang Ran nodded heavily. “I’ll buy the ingredients, and I’ll cook.”

Huo Yan couldn’t bear to let Fang Ran into the kitchen, but he wouldn’t dampen the baby’s enthusiasm. He nodded. “Sure.”

Fang Ran curled his lips. He was a bit nervous and licked his lips before speaking.

“At that time, I have something I want to tell you.”