After I Died, My Childhood Friend Became Daddy - Chapter 27

Chapter 27: The Childhood Friend Always Wants to Eat the Good Stuff

Fang Ran never expected his childhood friend to have such an appetite.

For the entire night, there was almost no rest. At first, Fang Ran thought dizzily, How is this progressing so fast? Having sex right after confessing. Later on, he had no energy left to think about anything else; he felt like a small boat drifting and tossing on the waves of the sea.

In contrast, Huo Yan’s spirit was in a state of high excitement, like a string pulled to its absolute limit.

He had waited so many years to finally hold his Ranran in his arms. He acted as if he could never eat his fill, constantly leaving tooth marks on every inch of Fang Ran’s skin.

Eventually, even the base of his thighs was covered in them, one overlapping another.

Fang Ran usually had such a good temper and never lost it with Huo Yan, but that night he was pushed so far that he raised a foot and kicked Huo Yan in the face, telling him to get lost.

Huo Yan caught his ankle, eagerly placing dense kisses on the arch of Fang Ran’s foot, murmuring indistinctly, “Baby, baby…”

Fang Ran truly wanted to cry but had no tears left. At first, he begged Huo Yan, but Huo Yan didn’t give even half a response, just burying his head in hard work like he was deaf.

Later, Fang Ran started to scold him.

In reality, he didn’t even have the strength to speak loudly; he could only mumble incoherently under his breath. Huo Yan leaned in to hear clearly.

Words like “bastard,” “pervert,” “stinky dog”…

He didn’t even know how to swear properly.

The more Huo Yan listened, the more he found it adorable. He was actually turned on by the scolding and flipped the boy over to go at it again.

It wasn’t until dawn that Huo Yan carried Fang Ran to the bathroom.

Fang Ran had long since fallen into a deep sleep, curled up into a soft ball in Huo Yan’s arms. Huo Yan supported his butt as he held him, first rinsing him off and then applying soap. Seeing the youth’s jade-like skin covered in the deep and shallow tooth marks he had left, he felt a wave of pity and heartache one moment, followed by a surge of possessiveness the next—the pleasure made his scalp tingle.

He lowered his head slightly, pressing the tip of his nose against Fang Ran’s, his voice low: “Baby, stick out the tip of your tongue.”

Fang Ran opened his eyes dizzily, but they quickly drooped again. Like an ignorant little puppy, he obediently stuck out his tongue for Huo Yan to “eat.”

Huo Yan chuckled slowly. “So good.”

In truth, Fang Ran had no conscious memory of any of this. He didn’t know what Huo Yan did while holding him in the bathroom, nor did he know when he was carried back to bed. He only knew that when he opened his eyes, it was already the afternoon of the next day. If he hadn’t been woken up by hunger, there’s no telling how much longer he would have slept.

He struggled to climb out of bed, but his entire body from the waist down was so sore and weak he had no strength at all; in the end, he flopped back onto the bed.

Huo Yan walked in at that moment, initially treading lightly thinking Fang Ran was still asleep. When he looked up and saw Fang Ran staring at him with wide, angry eyes, Huo Yan’s heart melted. He hurried over to help Fang Ran up.

There was honey water nearby that he had brought up earlier; it was just the right temperature now. He supported Fang Ran, feeding him a few sips, and only then did he hear Fang Ran scold him weakly, “Bastard!”

Huo Yan chuckled. “Mm, I’m a bastard.”

Turned into a little cripple in just one night.

Fang Ran turned his head away, not wanting to deal with him, and pulled the covers over himself to sleep more.

But how could Huo Yan let him go?

Huo Yan seemed to have skin hunger; he wished he could be pressed against Fang Ran at all times. He lay down as well, pulling Fang Ran into his arms. Since Fang Ran’s back was to him, he kissed the back of his neck, his hot breath tickling. When Fang Ran turned around, he kissed his forehead, eyes, nose…

Fang Ran was teased so much he couldn’t sleep and finally couldn’t help but glare at him. “Why didn’t you go to work!”

Huo Yan leaned in and kissed his chin. “Don’t want to. I want to stay home with my wife.”

Fang Ran’s eyes widened, and he was so startled he stuttered, “Don’t… Don’t talk nonsense! What ‘wife’? Who is your wife!”

Huo Yan held him tighter. “You are.”

Fang Ran had only just realized the fact that he was dating Huo Yan; he couldn’t handle such intense stimulation yet. He reached out to push Huo Yan’s chest. “No such thing, don’t just call me that.”

To his surprise, Huo Yan’s expression changed instantly. He grabbed Fang Ran’s wrist. “Baby, what do you mean? You regret it?”

Fang Ran paused, awkwardly looking away. “Well… not exactly.”

Huo Yan breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

He truly couldn’t handle even a shred of provocation. He lowered his head, kissing the back of Fang Ran’s hand, murmuring, “Yesterday was my fault, baby. I was too fierce. I definitely won’t be like that next time.”

Fang Ran was too young, too naive, and had seen too little of the world; otherwise, he would have heard how hypocritical Huo Yan’s words were.

How could one expect a man who just got a taste of meat to follow through on a “next time”?

But Fang Ran simply believed him.

Fang Ran gave a small yawn, shrinking into the blankets. Resting his head on Huo Yan’s shoulder, he mumbled, “You were really over the line yesterday. I said ‘no’ but you kept going, as if you were deaf. My legs are so sore, it’s all your fault…”

Huo Yan gave an “mm.” “My mistake.”

And I’ll do it again next time.

He hoisted Fang Ran up a bit and began to gently massage the base of his thighs with his large hands.

Fang Ran felt comfortable from the massage. Thinking about it, although the scale didn’t match up at first, it was actually quite “refreshing” later on. He said generously, “Forget it, I’ll forgive you just this once.”

Huo Yan smiled.

“Hungry? Auntie Liu made porridge; I’ll bring it up for you.”

!!!

He almost forgot Auntie Liu was still in the house!

Fang Ran’s face flushed instantly, and he struggled to get up. “No, I don’t want to eat in the room. I want to eat downstairs.”

Huo Yan said seriously, “It’ll be even more obvious if you go down limping like that.”

Fang Ran gritted his teeth. “You have the nerve to say that! Whose fault is it!”

Huo Yan coaxed him, “Mine, mine.”

Fang Ran was stubborn and insisted on going downstairs. Huo Yan could only carry him to wash up first and then carry him down.

However, Auntie Liu had already “sensibly” returned to her room by then.

Huo Yan never let go of Fang Ran, holding him and blowing the porridge cool before bringing it to his lips. Since Fang Ran was used to being held by him, he didn’t feel embarrassed; with an empty stomach, he just wanted to drink straight from the bowl.

After a bowl of warm shredded chicken porridge, Fang Ran licked his lips lingeringly. “I kind of want to eat hot and sour rice noodles (Suan La Fen).”

Auntie Liu’s hot and sour noodles were a masterpiece handmade sweet potato starch noodles drizzled with homemade chili oil. It was incredibly fragrant.

“Your back is a bit swollen; eat light for the next two days, be good.”

Huo Yan said this in an entirely natural tone, yet it made Fang Ran’s face turn beet red.

He thought to himself: Huo Yan is truly thick-skinned as he gets older.

Since the Gaokao had just ended, it should have been a time to go out and play recklessly. Instead, Fang Ran could only lie on the bed playing on his phone. When Zhao Yan invited him out, Fang Ran could only make the excuse that he had a headache from drinking last night and didn’t want to move.

Only then did Zhao Yan remember Fang Ran’s “grand plan” and asked hurriedly how it went.

Fang Ran stammered.

It had already progressed to the bed.

Naturally, he was too embarrassed to say that, so he just vaguely said it went quite smoothly.

“I told you so! He liked you long ago, he even secretly kissed…”

Zhao Yan paused, quickly cutting himself off.

Fang Ran perked up instantly, blinking. “Secretly kissed? He secretly kissed me? When?”

Zhao Yan thought that since they were a couple now, it shouldn’t matter if he said it.

“Back when we went to the hot springs. We were grilling meat there, you were drunk, and he carried you away first. I saw it—he secretly kissed you. That’s why I misunderstood and thought you guys were already together!”

Whatever Zhao Yan said after that didn’t register in Fang Ran’s mind at all; he kept thinking about Zhao Yan’s words.

Secretly kissed…

So Huo Yan had liked him for that long?!

He had been too nervous on the day of the confession, and then the two of them had quickly rolled into bed. There were many questions Fang Ran hadn’t asked.

Fang Ran lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling in thought.

When exactly did Huo Yan start liking him?

When he first transmigrated back?

It couldn’t have been when Huo Yan helped him masturbate, right?!

Fang Ran was always a blunt person if he had something to say, he said it; if he had a question, he asked it immediately. When Huo Yan returned to the room, he immediately asked him solemnly.

Huo Yan paused, his tone flat. “I don’t remember clearly.”

Feelings are gradual, especially for those who grew up together like him and Fang Ran; it’s hard to pinpoint a specific moment. It might have been when Fang Ran crawled into his covers to sleep in his arms, or when Fang Ran followed behind him acting spoiled.

Fang Ran was dissatisfied with this answer and frowned. “Can you be more serious? You’re not just trying to play with me, are you?”

Huo Yan was amused by those words. He looked up at Fang Ran, his voice dropping low. “Rest assured, I am as serious as can be.”

Serious enough to want to lock you up for a lifetime.

Fang Ran thought for a bit, then suddenly pounced to wrap his arms around Huo Yan’s neck. “I don’t care. If you dare to be half-hearted, I’ll…”

He made a gesture of squeezing and popping something.

Huo Yan laughed, pinning Fang Ran back onto the bed and taking out a tube of ointment. “Fine, whatever you say. But before that, you have to be good and apply the medicine.”

Apply medicine?

Fang Ran didn’t react for a moment.

It wasn’t until his lower half felt cold and Huo Yan directly pulled his pants down that he realized where the medicine was for. By then, it was too late to run.

Huo Yan pressed his waist down. “Don’t move, be obedient.”

“No…” Fang Ran struggled hard. “I really don’t need medicine.”

Huo Yan looked down, shook his head, and said, “It’s a bit swollen; medicine makes it heal faster.”

Fang Ran could only settle for the next best thing. “Then give it to me, I’ll do it myself.”

Huo Yan still refused. “Let me do it; you won’t do it right.”

What could possibly go wrong with applying it…

But before Fang Ran could say anything else, Huo Yan’s fingers were already at work. Perhaps the ointment contained menthol; it felt icy and cool, making it hard for Fang Ran to distinguish between pain and pleasure.

Fang Ran gritted his teeth, not wanting to let out even a shred of sound.

Huo Yan seemed to do it on purpose, moving very slowly, exploring bit by bit.

Too humiliating.

Fang Ran’s ears were so red they looked ready to drip blood.

When it finally ended and Huo Yan withdrew his finger, he looked at Fang Ran and couldn’t help but smile, leaning down to kiss the tip of Fang Ran’s ear.

Fang Ran turned back indignantly, wanting to pull his pants up, but was stopped by Huo Yan. “Let it air out for a bit so the ointment can be absorbed.”

!!!

Little Fang Ran flopped back down in frustration, burying his face in the pillow and screaming silently.

Argh, so embarrassing!

…

Fortunately, Huo Yan still had some conscience and didn’t touch Fang Ran for the next few days, only holding him for “pure” sleep.

Fang Ran slowly let his guard down.

Little did he know, this wolf was just waiting for the prey to recover.

But Huo Yan didn’t break his promise; he cleared nearly half a month to take Fang Ran on a graduation trip.

Where they went was, of course, decided by Fang Ran.

After looking at a world map, Fang Ran finally decided to go to the seaside, choosing Tahiti.

They stayed on an island in an overwater bungalow Huo Yan had booked in advance. The island wasn’t crowded, but the infrastructure was decent, making it convenient for Fang Ran to play.

It was Fang Ran’s first time traveling, and he was so excited he didn’t sleep well the night before. Every two minutes he would turn over to lie on Huo Yan and ask questions. Eventually, he was forced down into Huo Yan’s arms. “Are you going to sleep? If not, we do it.”

Fang Ran closed his eyes in a second.

The plane arrived at night. Fang Ran was sleeping soundly in Huo Yan’s arms; he saw nothing and was even carried back to the room by Huo Yan to be washed.

The next morning, when he climbed up and looked at the layout of the room, he was momentarily dazed. Then he scrambled up, ran to the window, and pushed it open. Seeing the turquoise sea and blue sky outside, he was stunned. “Is this heaven?”

Huo Yan was a light sleeper and was naturally woken by him. He stood behind Fang Ran, hugging him from behind. “Do you like it?”

Fang Ran looked back at him and nodded heavily, his eyes sparkling.

Huo Yan smiled and patted his butt. “Go wash up. We’ll have breakfast, then go into the ocean.”

Fang Ran cheered and ran off.

There weren’t many people on the island, and tourists were few. Fang Ran played very freely. On the first day, they didn’t look for an instructor; Huo Yan took Fang Ran swimming by himself, just playing near the shore.

As the snowy white waves lapped at his calves, Fang Ran mused, “It would be great if we could live in a place like this forever.”

Huo Yan nodded. “I’ll keep an eye out for information on island auctions.”

Fang Ran was shocked by the statement. “No, I was just speaking casually.”

“If you like it, we buy it. What’s the big deal?” Huo Yan held his hand. “It doesn’t cost that much money.”

Fang Ran blinked, suddenly feeling a bit dejected.

He lowered his head slightly. “A-Yan, since we started dating, I haven’t bought you anything. The money I spend is actually all yours. I might never be as rich as you in this lifetime…”

Before he could finish, Huo Yan grabbed his shoulders and forced him to look up. “Baby, don’t ever say things like that again. Compared to you, what is money worth? When we get back, I’ll transfer all the assets under my name to you. In the future, I’ll spend your money instead, okay?”

Fang Ran was startled by his words. “No, no need. I can’t manage that much money.”

“I’ll hire professionals to handle it; you just need to sign your name.”

Huo Yan took the opportunity to speak. “I have only one small request—no, a plea. Is that okay?”

Fang Ran kicked the sand under his feet. “With so much money, you could probably buy the moon. What plea could you have?”

“After military training, live at home, okay?”

Fang Ran went silent.

Huo Yan’s heart slowly sank.

He couldn’t stand the thought of Fang Ran living with others, nor could he agree to Fang Ran not coming home for so long.

In truth, making Fang Ran a day student was just a matter of a single sentence from him, but he didn’t want to fight with Fang Ran over it.

After a full minute, he heard Fang Ran speak. “What? You thought I was going to live on campus?”

Huo Yan felt as if he had suddenly broken through a dark mist into the light. He snapped his head up to look at Fang Ran, who was looking back at him with bright eyes.

“We just started dating; I won’t have a long-distance relationship with you.”

Fang Ran patted his chest. “I put my heart into my relationships.”

Proud little puppy.

Huo Yan couldn’t hold back anymore. He pulled the boy into his arms and kissed his lips forcefully.

In this world, there was truly no one better-behaved than Fang Ran.

How could Huo Yan restrain himself? If the time and place hadn’t been wrong, he would have wanted to pin Fang Ran down right then and there.

Fang Ran was a bit shy at first, only relaxing after looking around and confirming no one was there, letting Huo Yan hold and kiss him.

Honestly, Fang Ran thought ruefully.

His childhood friend seemed to have skin hunger; every day he either wanted to kiss or hug.

Oh well, who told him to be his boyfriend?

Fang Ran sighed.

It wasn’t like he could send him to a trade-in shop.

…

Days on the island were peaceful and comfortable.

Sometimes Fang Ran would sunbathe on the beach while drinking lemonade, and Huo Yan would sit beside him applying lotion—pouring it onto his hands and then gently rubbing it over Fang Ran’s body.

This was Huo Yan’s favorite task. Every time, he could use the excuse of “serving” Fang Ran to touch every part of his body.

Sometimes Fang Ran would go into the sea to play, snorkeling and taking photos with manta rays.

More often, they would be in the cabin, catching the sea breeze and having a messy, passionate bout of sex.

In the steaming heat, Fang Ran couldn’t tell if there were more tears or sweat. Finally, he buried his head and bit down on Huo Yan’s shoulder.

Huo Yan didn’t dodge; instead, he coaxed him to use more force—the deeper the tooth mark, the better, so it would stay longer.

Fang Ran thought:

He would always remember this hot summer, filled with the salty scent of the sea and pure pleasure.

…

A few days after returning home, the Gaokao results were released.

That day, Fang Ran was playing games in the lounge of Huo Yan’s company.

Zhao Yan suddenly sent him a link.

Before this, he hadn’t received any notice that results were coming out, so he was completely unprepared. He thought Zhao Yan was playing a prank. After entering his admission ticket number and logging in, a transcript suddenly flashed on the screen.

Fang Ran was caught off guard. Seeing the leading digit ‘6’, he was stunned.

You should know that even during the mock exams, his highest score was only around 580. He almost thought he had misread it. He checked it twice with trembling eyes and then ran out with a cheer.

“A-Yan, my results are out!! A-Yan!!!”

He ran out like a little “choo-choo” train, and only then realized there were several people standing in the office.

He had almost forgotten why he was in the lounge.

Some senior executives were there to report to Huo Yan.

Fang Ran was dizzy with joy and had forgotten everything. Once he sobered up slightly, he stood there awkwardly.

Huo Yan reacted first. He waved his hand for the others to leave and then walked over to hug Fang Ran. “Results are out today?”

“I just saw them.” Fang Ran was incredibly happy, holding up his phone for Huo Yan to see. “I over-performed! I can definitely get into S University.”

Huo Yan didn’t actually care much about the grades, but seeing Fang Ran so happy, his mood lifted and he smiled along. “We’ll go out for dinner tonight to celebrate.”

He picked Fang Ran up and kissed his cheek. “How is our baby so amazing?”

Fang Ran’s eyes curved in a smile.

He took the opportunity to wrap his arms around Huo Yan’s neck, leaning in close. “Then promise me you’ll go for a check-up as soon as possible, and I’ll go with you.”

He had been nagging Huo Yan to go for a re-examination for more than a day or two.

Huo Yan only agreed verbally every time but made no move, dragging it out again and again.

Huo Yan sighed. “I’m really better now; there’s actually no need for a check-up.”

Fang Ran frowned in disapproval. “You’re not a doctor; how can you diagnose yourself?”

Huo Yan could only temporarily agree. “The company has been too busy lately. As soon as I have a gap, I’ll go.”

Fang Ran blinked and then asked, “Are you still taking medication lately?”

Huo Yan replied vaguely, “Very occasionally.”

Fang Ran frowned. Sometimes he would wake up in the middle of the night and instinctively crawl up to check on Huo Yan, but every time Huo Yan was sleeping soundly, so Fang Ran had relaxed.

He wanted to continue asking if Huo Yan had any discomfort, but Huo Yan casually diverted the topic. “Hot pot tonight? You’ve been mentioning it for several days.”

Because Fang Ran had a bad stomach, Huo Yan usually didn’t let him eat anything too spicy. Hearing Huo Yan say this, Fang Ran was instantly distracted, nearly shouting for joy.

Little did they know, because of this hot pot meal, Fang Ran nearly ended up in the hospital.

Since Huo Yan had finally relented, Fang Ran boldly ordered an “extra spicy” base. Huo Yan naturally frowned and was about to speak, but seeing Fang Ran’s eager gaze, his heart softened.

Oh well, just once in a while.

When the pot base was served, the spice was so strong the smell alone tickled the throat. Huo Yan couldn’t help but say, “Eat a bit less.”

It would be a miracle if Fang Ran could listen right now. He buried his head and ate happily. “Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, next time for sure.”

Huo Yan: “…” That sounds a bit familiar.

Huo Yan poured him a glass of juice. “Careful of a stomachache.”

“I won’t, I won’t.” Fang Ran spoke dismissively.

After finishing the extra spicy hot pot, when they went out, Fang Ran joined a queue of kids to get an ice cream. Huo Yan truly had no way to deal with him.

Looking at Fang Ran happily licking the cone, Huo Yan narrowed his eyes and suddenly said, “Give me a bite.”

Fang Ran generously held it over.

Huo Yan leaned down and directly took a massive bite. These free cones were small to begin with; with one “mouth of blood,” only the cone itself was left.

Fang Ran was stunned.

He glared at Huo Yan. “You… how can you eat so much!”

It was the first time in his life Huo Yan had snatched food from Fang Ran. His tongue was numb from the cold, but he forced a calm expression. “Isn’t there a bit left?”

It was only to make Fang Ran eat less.

Fang Ran was so angry he was almost in tears. Finally, he pitiably ate the remaining bits in tiny bites.

…

Everything was fine at first when they got home.

Huo Yan went to the study to finish some work, and Fang Ran went to the game room.

But as he played, his movements suddenly slowed down.

The character on the screen was defeated and fell. Fang Ran hunched over slightly, curling into a ball on the beanbag.

His stomach suddenly flared with a burning pain. He gritted his teeth, exhaling and inhaling softly, thinking it would help, but the pain only intensified. Finally, unable to bear it, he clutched his stomach and stumbled toward the study.

Huo Yan had just finished a video conference. He set down his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. Hearing a faint sound outside the door, he frowned and stood up to walk over.

He never expected that upon opening the door, he would see Fang Ran crouching on the floor with a deathly pale face.

Fang Ran didn’t remember much of what happened after that; his consciousness was already a bit blurred.

He only vaguely recalled Huo Yan picking him up; he could feel Huo Yan’s panicked anxiety and his raspy voice telling Auntie Liu to call the doctor.

Huo Yan was truly terrified of Fang Ran getting sick.

In fact, rather than saying he feared Fang Ran getting sick, it was more that he feared Fang Ran leaving him.

After a bout of chaos, the family doctor arrived in the middle of the night. Fortunately, it was just acute gastritis not very serious, but it required an IV drip.

Huo Yan stayed by the bedside the entire time. Finally, he let out a sigh, leaned down, and kissed Fang Ran’s forehead.

In that instant, he seemed to return to when they were children.

Fang Ran had actually been sick often as a child.

He was a bit clumsy; who knows how he had grown up in the orphanage. He could trip on flat ground and catch a cold from a gust of wind. He didn’t seem like a pebble grown in an orphanage but rather a pearl that should be hidden in a shell.

Huo Yan had been extremely careful back then, wishing he could carry Fang Ran in his pocket every day.

But Fang Ran still got sick every other day.

Late at night, carrying Fang Ran to the infirmary was a common occurrence. Many times, while Fang Ran was on a drip sleeping soundly, Huo Yan couldn’t sleep and watched him closely.

He only hoped Fang Ran’s health would get better, just a bit better, so at least he wouldn’t have to lie pitiably on a hospital bed with an IV like this.

He began learning how to take care of Fang Ran.

He watched over Fang Ran to make sure he ate well, watched over him to make sure he added clothes when it was cold, and watched over him to make sure he didn’t run around recklessly.

Fortunately, Fang Ran was very good and listened to him.

Bit by bit, everyone in the orphanage came to know: Fang Ran belonged to Huo Yan’s care.

…

Fang Ran woke up the next morning. Huo Yan was actually asleep, leaning on the chair nearby—or perhaps he wasn’t asleep, because as soon as Fang Ran moved, he opened his eyes and looked over.

The IV drip had long since finished; Huo Yan had even pulled the needle out during the night.

He helped Fang Ran sit up and fed him half a cup of warm water before asking in a low voice, “Does your stomach still feel uncomfortable?”

Fang Ran felt for a moment and shook his head.

He looked at Huo Yan with round eyes, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he said nothing.

Huo Yan thought for a moment. “Hungry? I’ll bring breakfast up.”

Fang Ran shook his head. He reached out, using his pinky to hook Huo Yan’s finger, and whispered, “I’m sorry. You can scold me.”

Huo Yan was both annoyed and amused. But seeing Fang Ran’s weak state, he couldn’t help but coax him in a low voice, “Our baby is in so much pain; how bad would I have to be to scold you?”

Fang Ran blinked.

Huo Yan raised a hand to ruffle his hair. “You’ve learned your lesson this time, right? Not letting you eat spicy food doesn’t hurt you.”

Fang Ran nodded obediently.

Huo Yan smiled. “Alright, I’ll carry you downstairs for breakfast.”

Fang Ran was like a soft koala, supported by his butt as Huo Yan carried him downstairs.

Auntie Liu was bringing breakfast to the table.

Fang Ran felt that he looked a bit embarrassing like this and was a bit shy.

But Auntie Liu didn’t think much of it; since Fang Ran was sick, she only felt heartache.

She had been up early simmering soup in a clay pot; it was ready to drink now. “Oh, you poor thing, you’ve suffered. Hurry and have some soup; it’s good for the stomach.”

Fang Ran was very well-behaved today, doing whatever he was told. He held the bowl and drank it all down.

Huo Yan patted his back, softly instructing, “Drink slowly, don’t choke.”

After accompanying Fang Ran for breakfast, Huo Yan didn’t eat much himself. Today was a day off and Huo Yan didn’t have to go to work. Fang Ran looked at him and couldn’t help saying, “Why don’t you go sleep for a bit? Your face looks worse than mine.”

Huo Yan didn’t refuse this time and nodded. “Be good then. No snacks or ice cream for the next couple of days.”

Fang Ran nodded quickly. “I’ll definitely be good.”

Huo Yan returned to the bedroom.

The moment he closed the door behind him, the calm mask on his face shattered. The man was deathly pale, gasping for breath, his temples throbbing as if they were about to explode.

Because Fang Ran had suddenly fallen ill last night, the shock to Huo Yan had been too much. He already suffered from tension headaches, and they had now fully erupted.

Like a string pulled to the limit, it had suddenly slackened after seeing Fang Ran recover today.

He stumbled to the shelf, opened a drawer to take out some medicine, and stuffed a handful into his mouth. His hands were shaking so violently he nearly couldn’t hold the bottle steady.

After finally taking the medicine, Huo Yan lay on the bed.

He was exhausted and wanted to sleep, but his head hurt too much—it felt like someone was pounding his skull with a hammer; every nerve was dancing and jumping around chaotically.

Just as Huo Yan was considering whether to increase the dosage, the bedroom door was pushed open.

Fang Ran poked his head in and smiled apologetically. “Not asleep yet?”

Huo Yan didn’t speak.

Fang Ran closed the door, ran over, kicked off his shoes, got onto the bed, and lay down obediently next to Huo Yan. After a thought, he directly shrank into Huo Yan’s arms, and the two pressed close together.

Huo Yan asked him in a raspy voice what he was doing.

Fang Ran whispered, “You looked so pale just now. I was afraid you wouldn’t sleep well, so I wanted to come and sleep with you.”

Adam’s apple bobbed up and down; he couldn’t say another word.

“A-Yan, I’m glad I had you last night.”

Huo Yan closed his eyes slightly, held Fang Ran tight, and let out a breath.

“Baby, I’m the one who should say that.”

“I’m glad I have you.”

…

For the next few days, Fang Ran lived a life of nursing his stomach at home. All milk tea, snacks, and hot pot were cut off; he could only eat three meals a day on schedule.

Fang Ran knew Huo Yan was doing it for his own good, but sometimes he truly couldn’t help himself. In his only moment of boldness, while Huo Yan was at the company, he snuck a bag of Latiao (spicy strips).

But bad luck strikes when one does bad things.

Huo Yan happened to come back to get a document and caught Fang Ran red-handed.

The outcome was tragic.

He got a spanking and was pinned to a chair to write a self-reflection. Fang Ran’s eyes were red; while saying “I was wrong,” he thought, “I’m so unlucky.

Huo Yan didn’t listen to his nonsense. He glanced at the reflection and pointed to the last line. “Write it clearly: what happens if you sneak food again?”

Fang Ran remained silent.

Huo Yan pointed to the bed, looking like he was about to roll up his sleeves for another round. Startled, Fang Ran hurriedly said, “If I eat again, I will get a spanking.”

Huo Yan nodded. “Write it down.”

Too embarrassing.

Fang Ran was almost moved to tears by the shame.

Finally, Huo Yan warned him that if he did it again, the reflection would be taped to the headboard so he could see it every day.

Fang Ran could only curse Huo Yan in his heart as an “old pervert” and “old bastard,” yet he didn’t notice: why was it such a coincidence that Huo Yan came back exactly when he was sneaking the Latiao? Was he really just unlucky?

When Fang Ran’s stomach had mostly recovered, the school term began.

When applying for universities, Huo Yan hadn’t interfered with Fang Ran’s choice of major, letting him follow his own interests. In the end, after some hesitation, Fang Ran chose Physics; it was one of the few things he truly liked.

The first order of business for the term was still military training.

Even if he was to be a day student, it would be after military training; he would have to live on campus during the training period.

Fortunately, it was only half a month; Huo Yan could barely endure it.

He personally packed Fang Ran’s suitcases—three large ones filled with food, drink, entertainment, and daily necessities. Even then he felt it wasn’t enough, looking like he wanted to move the entire house there.

Fang Ran couldn’t take it anymore. Finally, he repacked them himself, condensing everything into one suitcase.

Huo Yan still wasn’t satisfied. “Where are your pillow and duvet?”

“The dorm has them.”

“How can you sleep on those? Take the ones from home.”

“I really don’t need to; I’m not that delicate.”

Huo Yan didn’t agree. Fang Ran should be a bit delicate; he should be held in the palm of his hand.

Sometimes he felt Fang Ran was too well-behaved and wished Fang Ran would be more demanding.

Fang Ran couldn’t win against Huo Yan, so he simply plopped down on the man’s lap and looked at him seriously. “A-Yan, I’m going to live on campus tomorrow. It’s the last night; are you going to cherish the time and do it with me?”

Huo Yan indeed shut up.

Soon after, Fang Ran regretted saying those words.

Huo Yan nearly drained him dry.

Finally, in the bathroom, Fang Ran spoke weakly, “I’m going to military training, not dying. You don’t have to be like this.”

Huo Yan lowered his head to kiss him, blocking his mouth.

He couldn’t stand hearing Fang Ran talk about dying.

In the end, Huo Yan even used that excuse to pin Fang Ran down in the bathroom for one more round.

That was quite over the line.

It directly resulted in Fang Ran nearly being late for school the next day.

Fang Ran reporting to school was, of course, the biggest event for the household. Huo Yan pushed back his morning meetings to personally take Fang Ran to the school.

The two suitcases Fang Ran had rejected were brought along by Huo Yan anyway. Fang Ran had no choice but to pretend he hadn’t seen them.

There were four people to a dorm. The environment was decent, but Huo Yan was dissatisfied with everything he saw. After helping Fang Ran make the bed and organizing everything, Huo Yan still felt deep heartache. Grabbing Fang Ran’s hand, he said, “Baby, why don’t you just live at home?”

Fang Ran refused. “No, military training starts too early; living at home isn’t convenient.”

Huo Yan was about to say more when Fang Ran pushed him toward the exit. “Go get the military training uniform, and then I’ll change into it for you to see, okay?”

President Huo stopped talking then.

Fang Ran gave his daily sigh.

His childhood friend was good in every way, he was just too “greedy” and always wanted to eat the good stuff.

Today was just for reporting; after getting the uniform, Huo Yan drove Fang Ran home first, intending to bring him back in the evening.

Fang Ran didn’t mind the extra effort. He knew Huo Yan couldn’t bear to let him go, and he felt the same.

After returning home, Fang Ran obediently changed into the military uniform for Huo Yan. In truth, the quality of the clothes wasn’t great, but Fang Ran was truly exceptional; the camouflage uniform only made his posture look more upright. With the belt buckled, his waist looked incredibly thin.

Huo Yan swallowed softly and pulled the boy into his arms, having Fang Ran sit on his lap face-to-face, pecking at Fang Ran’s lips over and over.

“Baby, let’s make a deal.”

“After military training ends, don’t throw the clothes away.”

They still had a use.