After Snagging a Stuffy Giant-Wealthy Daddy - Chapter 18

Li Chu did not know what was wrong with this statement and only felt confused.

He had said that from Wen Sitong’s perspective.

If things were not working out, why not break up? Did she really have to hang herself on the tree of the gambler Ken for the rest of her life?

Shao Tingyue lowered his eyes and remained silent, feeling that he would need to correct this child’s overly carefree view on relationships in the future.

Wen Sitong nodded gratefully. “I know, Little Chu. Thank you. You look really different now. You must cherish this well and listen to Mr. Shao.”

The last sentence made Shao Tingyue’s brow unfurrow slightly.

The two chatted a bit more about their recent lives when Liang Wei suddenly arrived with a group of bodyguards in black suits.

In the middle, the people being held down were the fat man who had bought fake alcohol from Li Chu at the bar and later brought people to cause trouble and try to grab him, along with two other thugs with equally sinister looks.

They had completely lost their previous arrogance and knelt down in front of Li Chu with several thuds.

Li Chu: “?”

Liang Wei threw down several bundles of cash and smiled. “My young master is returning what he owes you a hundred times over. From now on, I advise you all to be smart and walk the other way when you see him in Hong Kong.”

The group stared at the stacks of cold, hard cash, yet none dared to reach out and take them. They looked at Shao Tingyue, who was like a dark-faced King of Hell, and then back at the bewildered Li Chu.

“Young Master Chu! Spare us! We had eyes but failed to recognize Mount Tai! We offended you!” The fat man’s face held no viciousness, only fear and sycophancy. “How could we let you compensate us? We were the ones who didn’t show enough respect! We deserve to be hit! We deserve it!”

As he spoke, he actually raised his hand and slapped himself twice in the face.

The two thugs behind him followed suit, kowtowing repeatedly. “Young Master Chu is a magnanimous person, please don’t hold it against us!”

Li Chu was startled by the scene and could not help but speak up. “Actually, I was at fault too. I apologize to you, and I hope that the alcohol did not cause you any trouble.”

Of course, the fat man was not a good person either, having tried to blackmail him at the time.

As soon as he finished speaking, the fat man and the others became even more terrified and kowtowed even harder. “No, no. It was our fault. How could the alcohol sold by Young Master Chu be fake? It was our own bodies that had issues. We are not worthy of drinking it, and yet we tried to pin the blame on you. From today onwards, you are our boss in Yau Ma Tei! If you have any tasks, just let us know! We will make sure you can walk sideways!”

Li Chu was rendered completely speechless. He turned to look at Shao Tingyue. The man was sitting in his chair with a relaxed posture, not even furrowing a brow, as if he were looking at mere ants.

So, it turns out that rich people really can do whatever they want.

Li Chu did not want to see them anymore and signaled for Liang Wei to let them leave.

“Thank you, Young Master Chu! Thank you for your mercy!” The fat man and the others scrambled up as if granted an amnesty. “We are rolling away now! We are rolling away! We would never dare to dirty your eyes again!”

After saying this, they tucked their tails between their legs and ran far away, disappearing around the street corner in the blink of an eye.

Wen Sitong was already dumbfounded, and her look of awe toward Shao Tingyue deepened.

Seeing it was getting late and not wanting to hold her up any longer, Li Chu prepared to get up and leave.

There was one egg tart left on the table. Li Chu had eaten half and could not finish the rest, but throwing it away felt like a waste.

Shao Tingyue furrowed his brow, afraid Li Chu would overeat and get a stomachache, so he reached out and took the half-eaten egg tart to eat himself.

The pastry crust was flaky and delicate. He ate it in a leisurely manner and picked up a napkin to wipe his lips.

Li Chu froze, his amber eyes wide and round.

Liang Wei stood behind Shao Tingyue, a flash of astonishment in his eyes, though he kept a neutral expression on his face.

It must be the frugal, traditional virtue upheld by the shipping tycoon family.

Shao Tingyue, however, acted as if he had only done something completely ordinary. He looked up at the stunned Li Chu. “Aren’t you leaving?”

“Oh, yes, leaving.” Li Chu came to his senses and nodded hastily, but his earlobes turned red uncontrollably.

That half of the egg tart was one he had already eaten! How could someone with mild mysophobia eat someone else’s saliva?

The two of them got into the car one after the other.

Passing through an area of old tong lau buildings, Li Chu suddenly sat up straight and leaned against the car window to look out.

“Second Uncle, could we stop for a moment?” He pointed to a tong lau building with mottled exterior walls. “The room I used to rent is up there. I left some old things behind. I want to go up and get them.”

Shao Tingyue gave a slight nod, and the car pulled over.

Li Chu opened the door and got out, running into Brother Chang, who was showing the room to someone, at the entrance.

Brother Chang squinted at him, taking a long time to recognize him, and his eyes widened instantly. “Young man? Is it you?”

He looked up and down at Li Chu’s clothes, then glanced at Shao Tingyue behind him, whose aura was imposing. He felt the man’s profile looked familiar, but he could not quite remember where he had seen it on TV or in gossip magazines.

He chuckled dryly, his tone involuntarily becoming a bit cautious. “Haven’t seen you in a while. You have made it big? Came back to get things?”

Li Chu nodded. “I accidentally lost my key. Could Brother Chang give me a spare one?”

Brother Chang glanced at the man’s expression and did not dare to refuse, quickly giving him the key.

The hallway was dimly lit, filled with a musty, damp smell and mixed fumes of cooking oil.

Several women dressed in revealing clothes and heavy makeup were leaning against the stairwell, chatting and laughing. Seeing Li Chu and Shao Tingyue, they curiously gathered together and whispered.

Shao Tingyue’s eyes were cold and dark. Although he had some psychological preparation for the environment Li Chu had lived in, he still found it unbearable to see it with his own eyes.

Li Chu walked straight to a door and opened it with the key.

A gust of stale air rushed out.

The room was tiny, holding only a narrow bed and two stools. The window was cramped, and the lighting was extremely poor.

Shao Tingyue stood at the door, his brow furrowing even tighter, his jawline tightening slightly.

Li Chu seemed used to it. He looked around and his gaze landed on the lightbulb in the corner of the ceiling.

He moved two old wooden stools, stacked them together shakily, and carefully stepped onto them.

“What do you need to get? Let me do it.” Shao Tingyue took a step forward.

“No need, no need.” Li Chu stabilized himself, looked down at him, and whispered, “Second Uncle, this stool isn’t sturdy. If you stand on it, it will definitely collapse.”

With that, he stood on tiptoe and groped in the dust-filled groove for a moment before finally hooking out a roll of banknotes.

He carefully took it down and gently blew off the dust. It was the money Shao Tingyue had given him originally.

After paying the rent, he had not spent it recklessly, and the remaining money had been hidden here.

Although Shao Tingyue gave him a full fifty thousand US dollars in pocket money every month now, money is never enough, and even a fly’s leg is meat!

Li Chu stuffed the money into his pocket and prepared to get down.

But looking down from this height, the ground seemed to be getting further away, and the two stools were shaking. He hesitated, suffering from a bit of acrophobia.

Shao Tingyue had been looking up at him the whole time. He stretched out his arms, his voice low and steady. “Come down.”

Li Chu looked at the man’s face, and for some reason, a strange feeling welled up in his heart. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and jumped lightly into his arms.

“Thud.”

He landed accurately in Shao Tingyue’s arms. The man’s arms caught him steadily, even shifting his weight upward out of inertia, holding him in a full embrace.

A scent filled with masculine hormones washed over him.

They held each other like that for a long moment. Li Chu’s cheeks turned slightly red, and his damp eyes met Shao Tingyue’s black ones. “Second Uncle, you can put me down now.”

“Hmm.”

Shao Tingyue set him down as if he were picking up a small toy. Li Chu felt a trace of humiliation.

Damn it, what does he eat to grow this big? His arms are almost as thick as my thighs.

Li Chu grabbed his small backpack, and the two of them walked through the hallway one after the other.

Coming toward them were three or four punks with dyed yellow hair, wearing floral shirts and flip-flops. Their eyes lit up immediately when they saw Li Chu walking in front.

They had noticed him the first day he moved in: slim figure, delicate face, like a small, glowing pearl in the dim environment.

He had just mysteriously disappeared later, and they had not expected to run into him again today.

The lead punk with yellow hair whistled, his gaze looking at Li Chu with malicious intent.

Li Chu’s face turned pale instantly, and he subconsciously hid behind Shao Tingyue.

The man’s tall figure completely shielded Li Chu. He simply stood there with a blank expression, but the invisible pressure was enough to intimidate anyone, not to mention the bodyguards waiting downstairs.

The punks curled their lips in frustration, cursed, and their footsteps quickly disappeared around the corner.

Back in the car, Shao Tingyue asked if he had had any conflicts with that group of people just now.

Li Chu hesitated and told him about how he had almost been spied on while showering in the past.

These old tong lau buildings were notoriously chaotic, and Li Chu, a helpless boy, had done his best to protect himself.

Shao Tingyue did not say anything after listening, but his eyes were dark as he stroked Li Chu’s hair.

Late at night, in a neon-lit back alley in Yau Ma Tei.

Several drunken punks with yellow hair were walking with their arms around each other’s shoulders, telling vulgar jokes.

As they turned into a dim alley, several dark shadows emerged silently. A sack dropped down accurately, covering their heads!

“Who?! Are you looking for death?!”

Muffled thuds of metal pipes hitting flesh rang out quickly, followed by the desperate screams of the punks inside the sacks.

A moment later, the shadows dispersed, leaving the yellow-haired punks curled up in the sacks, bruised and unconscious.

Victoria Peak, Shao Mansion.

Li Chu tossed and turned in bed, his nose itching, and he could not help but sneeze. He had felt uncomfortable since returning in the evening, and his head felt even more dizzy after the shower.

“Knock, knock.” The door was knocked gently.

“Please come in.”

Li Chu sat up, clutching the quilt. The door was pushed open, and Shao Tingyue walked in. He had changed into dark silk pajamas and was holding a cup of warm milk.

“Uncle Ming heated up some milk, and I brought it up on my way.” He walked to the bed and handed the cup to Li Chu.

“Thank you, Second Uncle.” Li Chu took it and sipped the milk in small mouthfuls.

With a little honey added, it tasted sweet.

The milk he drank now was lactose-hydrolyzed, perfectly solving his lactose intolerance, but for some reason, he felt a bit nauseous this time.

Shao Tingyue’s gaze fell on the lamp on Li Chu’s bedside table, where two cute little pig dolls were hanging.

One was wearing denim overalls, and the other was wearing a small black suit; the two were leaning against each other intimately.

The bedroom was filled with Li Chu’s scent: scattered books, a jacket hung up casually, and a life-sized human-shaped body pillow on the bed.

Shao Tingyue’s black eyes lowered, and the corners of his lips curved into a very faint arc.

Li Chu did not want to drink anymore after half a cup, but afraid of Shao Tingyue’s scolding, he forced himself to finish it and then put the cup down, looking listless and feeling like he wanted to vomit.

Shao Tingyue lowered his eyes to look at him, soon capturing a hint of something wrong, and furrowed his brow. “What is it?”

Li Chu felt as if there were a little boat capsizing in his stomach. He looked up at Shao Tingyue and pursed his lips. Before he could speak, he ran to the bathroom and vomited everything.

Footsteps followed closely behind. Li Chu felt cold all over, and his vision was a bit blurry.

Shao Tingyue gripped his jaw, his fingertips rubbing for a moment, and his expression changed. “Chu Zai, you have a fever.”

Li Chu’s eyes were unfocused, staring blankly at him, his reaction a beat slow. “No wonder. I am dizzy, and I want to vomit.”

Shao Tingyue frowned, sweeping him up into his arms. “I will carry you back to bed.”

He originally thought Li Chu would struggle, but he did not expect the boy’s hands to wrap familiarly around his neck, looking very dependent. His heart could not help but soften for a moment.

The Shao family’s private doctor was named Chen. After examining Li Chu and prescribing fever-reducing medicine, he gave some instructions and left.

Hearing that he did not need an injection, Li Chu breathed a sigh of relief. Turning his face to see Shao Tingyue holding warm water and pills, his little face immediately collapsed.

A sick child is even more delicate than usual. He looked at the man with watery, pitiful eyes, his lips pursed gently, and his face full of resistance.

“Be good, you can only sleep after taking your medicine.” Shao Tingyue’s voice was rarely gentle.

Li Chu built up his psychological resolve for a long time before swallowing all the pills with his hand, gulping down several mouthfuls of water, his entire face scrunched up from the bitterness.

The medicine soon took effect, and Li Chu fell asleep. He did not sleep peacefully, swinging between hot and cold.

In his groggy state, he felt someone gently wiping his sweat with a warm towel, and a dry, warm palm occasionally covering his forehead to test his temperature.

When he opened his eyes again, the sky was already dawning.

Li Chu blinked his sore eyes and found Shao Tingyue sitting by the bed.

There were faint dark circles under the man’s eyes, and there was a bit of stubble on his chin. He was using a cotton swab dipped in warm water to carefully moisten Li Chu’s lips bit by bit.

Seeing him wake up, Shao Tingyue paused and asked in a low voice, “Feeling better?”

Li Chu blinked, and his heart suddenly felt sour and bloated, as if it had been filled with something.

He whispered, “Second Uncle.”

“Hmm?”

“Are you tired?” Li Chu’s voice was still raspy from the illness.

Shao Tingyue threw the used cotton swab into the trash can, looked at him with dark eyes, and said calmly, “I am alright.”

Li Chu pursed his lips, suddenly lifted a corner of the quilt, moved over to make a small space, and looked at him with watery eyes. “Second Uncle, why don’t you take a rest in my bed? Your stubble has grown out.”

He reached out and touched Shao Tingyue’s chin with his fingertips; the sensation was a bit prickly.

After a moment of silence, Shao Tingyue gave a “Hmm,” and then lay down beside Li Chu fully clothed.

Li Chu was reserved for a while, but could not help nestling into his arms, then yawned. “Second Uncle, you are so good to me. In the future, I will treat you like my Daddy, earn lots and lots of money, and support you in your old age.”

Shao Tingyue’s hand, which was stroking the boy’s back, paused, and his expression turned very ugly.