After I Died, My Childhood Friend Became Daddy - Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Miniature Locators Why Does It Feel Like Huo Yan Loves to… So Much Now?

Maybe it was because he drank the milk.

Fang Ran indeed slept very well that night, though his dreams were a disorganized mess, featuring scenes of him and Huo Yan from childhood mixed with images of what Huo Yan looked like ten years later.

When he opened his eyes and looked at the ceiling, Fang Ran was still a bit dazed, nearly failing to realize where he was. As his consciousness gradually returned, a knock sounded at the door right on cue.

“Ranran, can I come in?”

Fang Ran rubbed his eyes. “Come in.”

Huo Yan pushed the door open, the light spilling in from outside breaking the dimness of the room. The man walked to the bedside, carrying a glass of honey water. He wrapped one arm around Fang Ran’s waist to support him as he sat up, while simultaneously bringing the glass to Fang Ran’s lips, feeding him the water.

Without even having to move his own hands, Fang Ran tilted his head back and took a few sips. When Fang Ran shook his head to signal he was finished, Huo Yan finally put down the glass and reached out to brush the hair off Fang Ran’s forehead. “Did you sleep well last night?”

Fang Ran was still sleepy; he nodded dizzily and tried to slide back into the covers, only to be caught by Huo Yan’s quick hands. “Don’t sleep yet. Go downstairs and eat something.”

Huo Yan had been like this since they were young, strictly controlling Fang Ran’s three meals a day, never allowing him to miss one—especially breakfast. In high school, there was morning self-study; many students would skip breakfast just to sleep a little longer.

But not Fang Ran. Huo Yan would drag him out of bed every morning and “escort” him to the cafeteria exactly on time.

Who would have thought that now, finally free from morning classes, he would still be hauled out by Huo Yan to eat?

Fang Ran whimpered and acted spoiled, but Huo Yan was deaf to it. After digging the boy out of the covers, he proceeded to change his clothes and put on his socks for him.

Fang Ran didn’t feel particularly awkward about it. The two had grown up together, and Huo Yan had always taken care of him; being dressed wasn’t a big deal.

Until Huo Yan picked him up to carry him to wash up.

Fang Ran woke up a bit more. “What are you doing!”

Huo Yan’s tone was natural. “Wiping your face. You keep sleeping, just open your mouth and I’ll brush your teeth for you.”

“…” Who could sleep through that?

Fang Ran struggled twice. “No need. Put me down. I’m awake, I’ll go wash myself.”

“Alright.” Huo Yan set him down, his tone carrying a hint of regret.

Fang Ran ran into the washroom and exhaled softly.

Why does it feel like Huo Yan likes to hold him so much now?

Is this just what older people are like?

He washed his face to wake himself up, then felt he was making a mountain out of a molehill. What was wrong with a “good brother” giving him a hug?

Stepping out of the washroom, he immediately saw Huo Yan standing by the bed with his back turned, seemingly bowing his head slightly. It was impossible to see exactly what he was doing.

Fang Ran called out to him, “A-Yan?”

Huo Yan turned around, and Fang Ran finally saw that Huo Yan was holding the pajamas he had just changed out of.

He blinked. “What are you doing?”

Huo Yan’s expression was calm, his tone natural. “Just folding the clothes.”

Just folding clothes?

Fang Ran felt like something was slightly off, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. During the few seconds he was puzzled, Huo Yan had already finished folding the clothes and came over to take his hand. “Let’s go eat.”

At the mention of “eating,” Fang Ran instantly threw everything else to the back of his mind and turned into a happy puppy.

Liu Ma had prepared a table full of breakfast both Chinese and Western styles. Her culinary skills finally had a chance to shine, no longer limited to making nothing but a cup of deathly bitter black coffee like before.

Fang Ran showed his appreciation by eating heartily, his mouth stuffed full while still remembering to give Liu Ma a thumbs-up. “This is too delicious, Auntie! A hundred times better than our school cafeteria!”

Liu Ma couldn’t stop smiling. “Oh, if you like it, eat more. I’ll cook for you every day.”

“Swallow before you speak.”

Huo Yan placed a glass of orange juice in Fang Ran’s hand and spoke gently.

Fang Ran was indeed a bit choked; he picked up the glass and took a large gulp. At this moment, Huo Yan leaned back slightly and cast a seemingly casual glance at Liu Ma. He still had the smile from talking to Fang Ran on his face, but his eyes were dark voids, devoid of any warmth.

Liu Ma’s body stiffened. She murmured, “You two eat; I’ll go tidy the kitchen.”

Finishing the orange juice, Fang Ran let out a soft burp and spoke contentedly, “A-Yan, you eat this well every day? You’re too lucky.”

Huo Yan smiled, the previous coldness vanishing instantly. He placed another steamed dumpling on Fang Ran’s plate and said tenderly, “Eat more if you like it.”

“Are you going to the company today?” Fang Ran asked casually. “Will you be very busy?”

“It’s fine. I won’t be going over for the next few days; I’ll work from home.”

Fang Ran stared at him with wide eyes. “Is it to stay with me? No need, really. I can be home by myself.”

“I wanted to take a break myself.”

Huo Yan said with a smile, “It’s you staying with me, not me staying with you.”

Hearing him say that, Fang Ran finally felt relieved. “As long as I won’t be a bother.”

“Don’t think like that. You could never be a bother to me.”

Huo Yan said this very seriously, but Fang Ran clearly wasn’t listening, burying his head to bite into a bun. He was burned by the hot soup inside, huffing and sticking out the tip of his tongue.

The man’s gaze lingered on the tender red tip of the tongue for a second before he restrainedly looked away and poured him another glass of water.

…

After the meal, Fang Ran wanted to go for a stroll in the garden downstairs.

Just then, the assistant called. Fang Ran, afraid of interfering with important business, hurried Huo Yan to take the call while he slipped away on his own.

Huo Yan frowned, but ultimately didn’t follow. He went to the third-floor study; from the window there, he could have an unobstructed view of the entire garden.

The man’s gaze followed Fang Ran without missing an inch, moving with his every gesture.

The assistant reported over the phone about the current situation of Old Madam Huo, who was locked in the mental asylum. “She smashed her meal again yesterday, saying she wants to see you, and also said…”

The assistant paused. “Said she has news of young Mr. Fang.”

Having followed Huo Yan for several years, he knew Fang Ran was Huo Yan’s “reverse scale” (touchiest subject). Previously, whenever he was mentioned, the atmosphere around Huo Yan would become incredibly heavy.

Unexpectedly, after a two-second pause, he heard the man’s laughter through the phone.

It was low, carrying a hint of mockery.

The assistant nearly dropped his phone in shock.

“If she won’t eat, then let her starve. Dying from a hunger strike shouldn’t be illegal, right?” The man’s tone was cold. “She no longer has any value. Tell her for me: when she gets to the underworld, please give my regards to my parents.”

Assistant: “…”

“There’s one more thing for you to do. Order a batch of miniature locators.”

“A batch?”

Huo Yan made a rough estimate. “Twenty will do.”

On watches, inside shoes, on brooches, or tie clips… they should be placed on everything Ranran frequently wears.

The assistant didn’t dare ask more and accepted the task.

After hanging up, Huo Yan looked up again and saw Fang Ran sitting by the small fountain in the garden, looking down at the fish.

The man’s lips curled into a faint smile.

So obedient.

Let it be like this, forever and ever he must remain within his line of sight.

Huo Yan turned and began taking his medicine from the nearby cabinet, bottle after bottle, handful after handful.

After finally swallowing them with water, he glanced casually and his body froze.

Where is Ranran?!

The man’s pupils dilated suddenly, blood rushed to his head, and his heart pounded as if it were about to jump out of his throat. He scanned the area rapidly. In just the time it took to take his medicine, the person in the garden had vanished.

He turned and bolted out, panic spreading and paralyzing almost all of his reason. His only thought was to get out and find him. The man walked very fast, his breathing shallow and rapid, his fingers trembling. His steps even faltered on the stairs, nearly causing him to fall.

It wasn’t until Huo Yan reached the first-floor landing that he saw Fang Ran changing his shoes in the foyer.

Hearing the noise, Fang Ran looked up. “Oh, A-Yan, are you done with your call?”

Huo Yan was frozen for a full half-minute before he spoke in a slightly raspy voice, “Why have you come back in?”

“I suddenly remembered doesn’t the fourth floor have a game room?” Fang Ran had no idea what kind of emotional roller coaster Huo Yan had just experienced in those few minutes; he was still cheerful. “Let’s go play games.”

The man paused, then replied, “Okay.”

Fang Ran finished changing his shoes and walked over in a few steps. He wanted to put an arm around Huo Yan’s shoulder like “good bros,” but as he reached out, he realized the height difference between him and Huo Yan was now more than just a little bit. He had to settle for putting his arm around Huo Yan’s lower back.

“A-Yan, I feel like you’re different from before. Your personality has become much more cheerful.”

Huo Yan didn’t care about the awkward posture and walked up side-by-side with Fang Ran. “Oh? Why do you say that?”

“Just now when I was downstairs, I saw you laughing while on the phone. You rarely smile at others.”

Huo Yan was perfect in every way except for his cold temperament; except for when he was with Fang Ran, he rarely showed any expression to anyone else.

Hearing Fang Ran’s words, Huo Yan looked like he had heard a joke. He lowered his eyes, his tone inscrutable.

“That’s right. Ten years have passed; of course I’m different from before.”