As for Pink-Hair, before Falling in Love, He Insisted That He Wasn't the Possessive Type - Chapter 14

Yu Qingdu looked at the message from Shang Qingye, feeling somewhat perplexed. He sent a question mark in response. Shang Qingye, busy with whatever he was doing, did not reply immediately.

Yu Qingdu did not wait. He placed the dishes from the table into the dishwasher and wiped down the surface.

Ding-dong.

Having just washed his hands, Yu Qingdu raised an eyebrow at the sound of his phone ringing on the table. He walked over leisurely and checked the screen. It was a message from Shang Qingye containing a picture and a voice note.

The picture showed several small, raw dumplings arranged in neat rows on a wooden board. Yu Qingdu clicked on the voice note. The background noise was a bit chaotic, but after two seconds, Shang Qingye’s low, magnetic voice rang out.

“Are you going to eat? My grandmother made them.”

The voice echoed through the empty room, carrying its usual trace of unbridled energy. Yu Qingdu paused. He was not entirely sure why Shang Qingye wanted to treat him to dumplings, but he declined anyway.

“Thank you, but there is no need.”

This time, Shang Qingye’s reply came quickly. It was another voice note. Yu Qingdu played it, only to hear:

“What? You really want to eat them? Fine. Grandma! Did you hear that? He really wants them. Oh, okay, I will bring them over to him in a bit.”

In the recording, Shang Qingye first muttered to himself before talking to his grandmother. Her voice was not audible; there was only Shang Qingye’s exaggerated performance.

Shang Qingye sent another text: “Wait at home. I am coming over to deliver the dumplings soon.”

Yu Qingdu looked at the clock on the wall. It was 12:10 AM. He remained silent for a moment before typing:

“Do you know what time it is?”

Shang Qingye had likely gone back to being busy, as he did not reply again. Yu Qingdu sat back on the sofa. The television was still playing the Spring Festival Gala, but he watched it with a sense of boredom, feeling that the holiday spirit was fading. Eventually, he picked up his tablet and began working on his design drafts, sketching and writing.

After an unknown amount of time, Yu Qingdu’s phone rang. It was the security post downstairs. He answered, and after hearing what they had to say, he gave a quiet “Mhm” and added, “Yes, have the butler bring him up.”

Only after hanging up did he notice two messages from Shang Qingye sent over an hour ago.

“I know what time it is. I will be a little late. If you are really sleepy, let me know. I can deliver them during the day just the same.”

Nearly half an hour later, another message had followed: “No reply? I will take that as a silent agreement that you want to eat. I am on my way.”

Because Yu Qingdu had been so focused on his designs, he had not heard the notifications and missed the messages. He looked at them in silence. He did not understand why Shang Qingye’s personality had become so aggressive over the past few days. Previously, Shang Qingye had been a passive recipient of his teasing.

Soon, the doorbell rang. Yu Qingdu went to open the door to find a man in a suit smiling at him. “Mr. Yu, your friend has arrived.”

Shang Qingye stood beside him. Seeing Yu Qingdu look his way, Shang Qingye gave a slight tug at the corner of his mouth. “Happy New Year.”

Yu Qingdu nodded. “Thank you for your hard work,” he said politely to the butler.

The butler bowed. “You are very kind. I will not disturb you further. I wish you a happy New Year.”

Yu Qingdu nodded and welcomed Shang Qingye inside. Once the door was closed, Yu Qingdu took a pair of new slippers from the shoe cabinet. “Put these on.”

After changing his shoes, Shang Qingye followed Yu Qingdu into the living room. Seeing the vast space that lacked even a hint of holiday warmth, he understood the situation perfectly.

He took the dumplings out of the thermal container. “Eat quickly while they are still hot.” He handed the chopsticks to Yu Qingdu.

Noticing Yu Qingdu staring at the container, Shang Qingye explained, “This is not the one my grandmother uses.”

Yu Qingdu saw the misunderstanding but did not explain. He simply looked up at him. “What made you think of bringing me dumplings?” he asked with a faint smile.

Shang Qingye spread his hands nonchalantly. “Grandma wanted to send them to you.”

“Was it Grandma, or was it you?” Yu Qingdu leaned toward Shang Qingye, closing the distance instantly. A few strands of Yu Qingdu’s hair fell onto Shang Qingye’s shoulder as he looked up at him.

“It was Grandma. Stop talking nonsense and just eat.” Shang Qingye pushed Yu Qingdu back, urging him to eat.

“Where is Grandma?” Yu Qingdu stopped teasing and asked about her.

“Grandma is asleep. She went to bed right after eating her dumplings.”

Yu Qingdu said nothing more. He picked up a dumpling, inspected it, and popped it into his mouth. It had a pork filling and was quite delicious.

“How is it?” Shang Qingye watched him.

“Delicious. Thank you.”

Shang Qingye smiled, a flash of cunning crossing his eyes. “If it is delicious, finish them all quickly so I can report back to Grandma.”

Yu Qingdu watched him for a few seconds before lowering his head to eat another. Unexpectedly, upon biting into the second one, he felt a different texture. He had bitten into something hard. Looking closer, he found a coin.

“Your luck is quite good. You found a coin in only the second dumpling.” A look of relief flickered in Shang Qingye’s eyes.

Yu Qingdu held his chopsticks and looked at Shang Qingye speechlessly.

“Do not look at me like that. Grandma packed them. She does it every year. She says whoever eats one will have good luck.” Shang Qingye had a roguish smile on his face. “Do not worry, I disinfected that coin.”

Yu Qingdu nodded without speaking. He picked out the coin and finished the rest of the dumplings in silence.

He wiped his mouth with a tissue and threw it into the trash. Then, he turned to look at Shang Qingye, who was sitting with his legs apart, and pulled the man toward him. He looked directly into Shang Qingye’s eyes and let out a sudden chuckle, calling his name.

“Shang Qingye.”

“Mhm?” Shang Qingye did not seem annoyed at being pulled over.

“Are you pitying me?” Yu Qingdu asked, staring into his eyes.

Shang Qingye froze. He had not expected such a question from Yu Qingdu.

“Is that it? So you came to show me some concern?” Yu Qingdu’s lips curled, but the emotion in his eyes was neither a smile nor anger.

Looking at Yu Qingdu, Shang Qingye recovered. He met Yu Qingdu’s gaze and explained seriously, word for word.

“I am not pitying you.” Shang Qingye’s lips curved, but there was no smile in his eyes. “Because I have no right to pity you.”

What he felt was empathy; he simply saw a version of himself who did not have a grandmother.

After that day, the two had very little communication. Soon, the studio reopened.

“Happy New Year, Du!” Jiang Zhiyan came into the office and greeted Yu Qingdu, snatching a red envelope from him in the process.

Not long after Jiang Zhiyan left, Xu Yue and Qin Zhiyan also entered. “Happy New Year.”

In truth, everyone had already sent messages to each other on New Year’s Day. Saying it again today was simply to share in the festive spirit.