After Transmigrating into an ABO World with My Rival - Chapter 15

Because he had made a new friend, Chen Yanzhi no longer had to stay home alone when Fu Tingyue was busy. Whenever he had time, he would go hang out with Lin Xubai. He finally got to taste Lin Xubai’s cooking as he had hoped; it was indeed quite good, though Chen Yanzhi felt that Fu Tingyue’s dishes suited his palate better.

At that moment, he had just returned from the Lin residence, carrying a small cake Lin Xubai had made. Chen Yanzhi had specifically brought it back for Fu Tingyue to try, just so the man wouldn’t call him heartless again.

Chen Yanzhi swung the exquisite carrier bag back and forth as he skipped from the entrance into the living room, shouting, “Fu Tingyue, I’m back!”

The rest of the sentence died in his throat. Chen Yanzhi stared blankly at the stranger suddenly appearing in the living room, his eyes searching for Fu Tingyue’s figure in vain.

The young man sitting on the sofa scanned Chen Yanzhi from head to toe. The admiration in his eyes was undisguised, but his opening words were extremely rude: “Who are you?”

Chen Yanzhi’s beautiful brows knit slightly, and a hint of impatience surfaced in his eyes. “And who are you?”

“Are you Fu Tingyue’s boyfriend?” The young man did not answer but stood up and circled Chen Yanzhi twice, tsking. “Are you a Beta?”

As he spoke, he leaned in close. Chen Yanzhi recoiled with a face full of disgust.

A mocking smile played at the corners of the young man’s mouth, and his words were exceptionally blunt. “With pheromones this thick, how long did you two have to roll around together to get covered in them?”

He even reached out, intending to tug at Chen Yanzhi’s collar. Chen Yanzhi took a sharp step back to put distance between them, his handsome face flushing with anger. “If you don’t want those hands anymore, feel free to keep trying.”

“A little spicy one, I see.” Fu Baiyu chuckled, looking at Chen Yanzhi with a burning gaze. “I am Fu Tingyue’s younger brother, Fu Baiyu. Why don’t you follow me instead? I know how to cherish people better than he does. I can give you anything you want.”

Ever since he heard Fu Tingyue had found a Beta, Fu Baiyu had been curious. What kind of person could capture the heart of someone as cold-blooded as Fu Tingyue? Having just returned from abroad, he could not wait to come over, and he had been given a massive surprise.

Aside from being a Beta without pheromones, the youth before him was practically his ideal type; in both personality and looks, he hit every one of his preferences.

He had checked beforehand; Chen Yanzhi was an orphan, and no one knew how he had met Fu Tingyue. But Fu Baiyu had seen many people like this. He did not even need to investigate to know why Chen Yanzhi was with Fu Tingyue; it was undoubtedly for money and power. As long as he offered more than Fu Tingyue, he could take this beautiful Beta for himself.

As for Fu Tingyue, since childhood, whatever Fu Baiyu wanted, Fu Tingyue had to yield it to him. It was just a Beta; he believed Fu Tingyue would surely hand him over generously.

Hearing that the other party was Fu Tingyue’s brother, Chen Yanzhi’s anger surged to the top of his head. Combined with those disrespectful words, he loathed Fu Baiyu to the extreme.

Since he was a child, whenever Chen Yanzhi found someone unpleasant, he dealt with it by punching them, and today was no exception. He directly smashed the cake intended for Fu Tingyue—box and all—into Fu Baiyu’s face. Watching the other man’s stunned expression, Chen Yanzhi swore coldly, “If you don’t have a mirror, you can at least use your own piss to see your reflection. Look at your pale, half-dead face; you really think you’re fit to be compared to Fu Tingyue? You aren’t even worth a single strand of his hair.”

Chen Yanzhi had already lacked any goodwill toward that family after hearing from Fu Tingyue how the parents favored the younger brother. Now that Fu Baiyu had walked right into the line of fire, Chen Yanzhi wasn’t going to be polite.

Fu Baiyu had not fully recovered. He knit his brows and asked, “What did you say?”

Chen Yanzhi looked at him without flinching and repeated himself with great patience: “I said you aren’t even worth a single strand of Fu Tingyue’s hair. Look at how weak you are; you’d be better off lying down and letting someone else take charge.”

Fu Baiyu looked like a sickly weakling and truly could not compare to Fu Tingyue. They did not even look much alike; Fu Tingyue was much more handsome.

Enraged, Fu Baiyu moved to strike, but before his fist could reach Chen Yanzhi’s face, he took a kick to the stomach. He fell back onto the floor, looking utterly pathetic.

Chen Yanzhi turned back joyfully and saw Fu Tingyue had indeed returned. However, the man’s expression was freezing, and there wasn’t a hint of warmth in his eyes.

Chen Yanzhi shouted happily, “Fu Tingyue, you’re back!”

Fu Tingyue instantly retracted the coldness from his face and looked at Chen Yanzhi gently. “Are you alright?”

Chen Yanzhi shook his head and pointed at the fallen Fu Baiyu. “He’s the one who’s not alright.” If Fu Tingyue hadn’t arrived in time, Fu Baiyu would likely have been beaten unconscious by now.

“Fu Tingyue, you dared to kick me! I’m telling Mom and Dad!”

Before Fu Baiyu could finish his threat, Fu Tingyue grabbed him by the collar with one hand, hoisted him up, and unceremoniously threw him out. He then turned to the butler standing nearby. “You let him in?”

The butler lowered his head, hesitating, his expression full of terror.

“From tomorrow on, you don’t need to come back,” Fu Tingyue said flatly. Then he turned to the nannies. “You too. Pack your things and leave now.”

A flash of surprise crossed the butler’s eyes, and he hurriedly spoke up: “Young Master, we were sent by the Madam…”

Fu Tingyue’s brows knit slightly. He ordered with a cold face, “Go back to whoever sent you. I don’t need you here anymore. Get out now.”

He had tolerated them before because he felt it wasn’t worth the trouble, but today he had only been home a few minutes late and Chen Yanzhi had been bullied. Fu Tingyue did not want to endure it any longer. Even if it meant a complete falling out with the family, he did not care.

Chen Yanzhi was what mattered most.

Seeing them standing still, Fu Tingyue snapped, “Get out!”

It was the first time Chen Yanzhi had seen Fu Tingyue truly lose his temper. Instead of being afraid, he was filled with a sense of novelty.

Fu Baiyu’s curses kept drifting in from the entrance, each one filthier than the last. Chen Yanzhi’s anger flared up; he grabbed a stool and rushed out to finish the job. Terrified, Fu Baiyu scrambled into his car like a beaten dog and told the driver to go, not daring to stay another second.

Chen Yanzhi slammed the stool down in the yard and cursed under his breath, his face red with anger. Seeing this, the servants did not dare linger a moment longer. They scrambled to pack their things and leave, fearing they would be the next ones to get beaten if they delayed.

Chen Yanzhi’s chest heaved. Only after his anger subsided did he realize that he and Fu Tingyue were the only ones left in the house; even the bodyguards were gone. The vast courtyard, reflected in the setting sun, felt a bit lonely.

Chen Yanzhi wiped his face and asked dazed, “Fu Tingyue, is it just the two of us now?”

Fu Tingyue walked to his side and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with him, keeping a small gap between them. He gently squeezed the back of Chen Yanzhi’s neck. “New servants will come tomorrow. Tonight, it is just the two of us. Will you be bored?”

Chen Yanzhi suddenly gave him a wide, beaming smile, his eyes curving into crescents. His soft tongue was visible as he spoke: “How could I be? Just the two of us—it’s great! Finally, we don’t have to be watched.”

Fu Tingyue discreetly looked away, his tone as usual. “That’s good. What do you want to eat tonight?”

“Anything.” Chen Yanzhi suddenly slapped his forehead, his brows knitting in frustration. “Xiaobai had me bring you a little cake. It tasted really good, but I just got so angry I used it to hit Fu Baiyu.”

What a waste on that bastard. His little cake…

Fu Tingyue naturally rested his hand on Chen Yanzhi’s shoulder, pulling him along as they turned to walk into the house. His tone held a hint of lightness. “It’s fine. I don’t like sweets anyway.”

There was an advantage to Chen Yanzhi being dense; for instance, when Fu Tingyue initiated more intimate gestures, he did not feel repulsed. He even felt it was only natural, because they had grown up together, and Chen Yanzhi trusted Fu Tingyue deeply in his subconscious.

Chen Yanzhi sighed, his shoulders slumping. He pouted and said, “But I like them. I was thinking that if you didn’t eat it, I’d eat the whole thing myself.”

He truly did like them. Little cakes were arguably the best thing Lin Xubai made, and Chen Yanzhi loved them most. To have brought it all the way back only to use it to hit someone—the more Chen Yanzhi thought about it, the angrier he got. He wished he could give Fu Baiyu a thorough beating to avenge his little cake.

Fu Tingyue naturally pinched Chen Yanzhi’s soft earlobe, his voice full of amusement. “I’ll make it for you.”

It was a good thing it was smashed. He’d rather it be smashed.

Lately, Chen Yanzhi had been chirping in his ear about how delicious Lin Xubai’s food was. Fu Tingyue was genuinely worried his “little glutton” would be lured away. He had even made sure to carve out time to cook several meals for Chen Yanzhi, only feeling slightly relieved when Chen Yanzhi said his cooking was better.

Chen Yanzhi paused and looked up at Fu Tingyue in surprise. “You can make desserts too?”

Fu Tingyue led Chen Yanzhi to the sofa and sat down, his hand still resting on the youth’s shoulder. He let out a helpless sigh. “I’ve made them for you before. You forgot again.”

“Huh?”

Chen Yanzhi racked his brain but could not remember when Fu Tingyue had ever made him desserts. His large, beautiful eyes darted toward Fu Tingyue. “My memory really isn’t great. Are you angry?”

Fu Tingyue leaned back against the sofa, a faint smile touching his lips. “No. I’m used to it.”

He was used to being ignored by Chen Yanzhi, and used to silently doing many things for him. As long as Chen Yanzhi was by his side, it was enough; whether he remembered was secondary. He didn’t want to fight for just a tiny bit of attention—he wanted much more.

“I’ll remember from now on.” Chen Yanzhi leaned pleasingly against Fu Tingyue’s shoulder, holding up his slender fingers and counting them off. “You can make desserts, and your best dishes are Braised Lion’s Head, Oil-Braised Prawns, Sweet and Sour Pork, and many, many more.”

As for what “many” meant, Chen Yanzhi could not remember. But he failed to notice that all of Fu Tingyue’s specialties were his favorites. Even his favorite dessert was something Fu Tingyue could make, and make well.

Fu Tingyue smiled and rubbed his head. His Adam’s apple bobbed as his deep, gentle voice drifted into Chen Yanzhi’s ear amidst the sunset. “It’s okay if you can’t remember. Don’t force yourself. You’ve always had a poor memory.”

He didn’t care about these small things. If he didn’t remember, he’d just make them a few more times. Even if Chen Yanzhi didn’t remember the act, he would always think of him when he tasted the dish again, perhaps even comparing others’ cooking to his and drawing a conclusion in his heart. That was enough.

Chen Yanzhi had nothing to say in his defense regarding his poor memory. He curled his hands into fists and looked at Fu Tingyue’s striking profile with concern. “I hit Fu Baiyu. Will his parents come looking for trouble?”

Fu Tingyue looked down at him, his eyes full of Chen Yanzhi’s reflection. “Don’t worry. As long as I am here, no one can bully you.”

Chen Yanzhi sighed and said worryingly, “I’m worried about you being bullied. If they come looking for us again and I can’t stop myself from hitting them, what then?”

He didn’t care about others, but he could not stand hearing someone belittle or insult Fu Tingyue. He’d had this “flaw” since childhood; even when his relationship with Fu Tingyue was just average, he would get angry and start a fight if someone spoke ill of him. In Chen Yanzhi’s heart, only he could criticize Fu Tingyue; no one else had that right.

Fu Tingyue could not stand seeing Chen Yanzhi make that expression. He pinched Chen Yanzhi’s cheek and told him, “Just don’t hurt yourself. Your happiness is what’s most important. If you cause trouble, I’ll take care of it.”

Chen Yanzhi impatiently swatted his hand away, knitting his brows. “Can you handle it?”

Fu Tingyue promised, “I can.”

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