Finally Being Snatched Away at My Wedding by My Ex-Boyfriend - Chapter 29.1

Chapter 29.1: Gift of Love

“Can I move in now?”

Su Yuan stood there in a daze for several seconds, clutching a slice of toast. The half-bitten slice fell to the floor with a “splat.” “Ang…”

Pei Xing walked toward him and cleaned up the toast. “‘Ang’—what does that mean? Speak properly.”

Su Yuan, his head still fuzzy, bit off the crust of the toast and spat it into the trash can. Pei Xing withdrew the hand he had extended to catch it and repeated, “Speak properly.”

“Why ask me?” Su Yuan lowered his head, folding the brown paper bag that held the toast. “This was originally your home.”

“If I don’t ask, what if you run away in the middle of the night?”

“I’m not a rabbit…” After saying that, Su Yuan looked up at Pei Xing, then quickly lowered his head again. “I won’t run away again.”

Pei Xing didn’t believe him.

Little Rabbit Su was becoming more and more adept at running away.

Su Yuan turned around. Pei Xing’s voice came from behind him again, echoing slightly in the spacious villa. “Now that you know I don’t have a girlfriend, do you have…”

Su Yuan’s hand gripping the wooden staircase railing instantly tightened, terrified that he would actually ask it.

“Forget it,” Pei Xing said. “Goodnight.”

Su Yuan didn’t even dare to respond to that “goodnight” and padded upstairs, patter-patter.

Pei Xing watched his back, laughed, and lifted Xiao Hua out of his pocket, flicking its little ear. “Your mommy doesn’t want you anymore.”

Patter-patter.

Su Yuan came back downstairs, his head turning as his gaze landed on Pei Xing’s hand. He walked over, bringing a slight breeze; his cool fingertips brushed against Pei Xing briefly as he took the kitten away.

“Goodnight,” Su Yuan said very softly.

“Meow…!” Xiao Hua meowed fiercely.

In the early morning, the two sat at the small square table on the terrace eating breakfast, with Xiao Hua drinking milk nearby.

A cat’s hair drifted down, about to land in Pei Xing’s coffee, but Su Yuan reached out and caught it. “Xiao Hua, come down.”

Su Yuan picked up Xiao Hua and put it on the chair beside him, placing the milk saucer in front of it.

Pei Xing spoke slowly. “If the shedding is this bad, it needs to sleep separately from you. You’re prone to allergies in autumn and winter anyway.”

“It’s still small. It’s a bit scary in a new environment; it’s not suitable for a cat to sleep alone,” Su Yuan said.

“What about you?”

Pei Xing asked casually, “In a new environment, are you afraid of sleeping alone too?”

Su Yuan shook his head. “No.”

He used to be. Whenever they moved, Su Yuan would take a long time to adapt. Pei Xing thought back to the knives and locks in the house Su Yuan had been renting, and his gaze darkened. He had to admit, he didn’t like how Su Yuan was now standing on his own, appearing as if he could handle everything.

He liked it when Su Yuan was a bit more delicate/spoiled.

Su Yuan’s nose was very beautiful, high, straight, and narrow. He would wrinkle it cutely when he smelled something he didn’t like, or when he was dissatisfied; now, Pei Xing hadn’t seen that. He observed Su Yuan, trying to remember his every movement and expression, like grains of sand gathering.

Su Yuan sensed Pei Xing’s gaze; after all, the other person didn’t seem to have any intention of hiding it.

“If you can’t eat it, then don’t,” Pei Xing said.

Su Yuan lowered his eyes, poking at the fried egg on his plate. “I want to eat it,”

“You keep staring at me.”

Pei Xing didn’t argue. He stood up and picked up the cat as a matter of course, letting him eat in peace.

Xiao Hua was held high in Pei Xing’s hands, high enough to reach the tips of the winter sweet tree branches. It quickly grabbed a branch and started biting. Before long, Xiao Hua was perched on a branch, staring at the ground somewhat fearfully.

Pei Xing stood under the tree. “You’re a kitten. Kittens are supposed to climb trees.”

“Meow meow~”

“Calling for Mommy is useless.”

Just as he finished speaking, Su Yuan walked to Pei Xing’s side, stood on his tiptoes, and took Xiao Hua down. He wrinkled his nose and glared at him. “Kittens don’t start climbing trees from there.”

Xiao Hua was placed at the base of the winter sweet tree. It soon clawed its way up to a fork in the branches, looked back at Pei Xing, and meowed. “Meow~”

Pei Xing hummed a few times in acknowledgment, gave it a thumbs up, and looked at Su Yuan. “Shall we go out and buy some things for Xiao Hua?”

“Is Xiao Hua still missing anything?” Su Yuan was puzzled.

One minute later—

Su Yuan stood on the living room carpet. Pei Xing was squatting in front of the sofa, holding the “feline suspect” and placing its paw on the scratch marks on the sofa for an evidentiary comparison. He turned his head to look at Su Yuan.

“……”

Su Yuan silently picked up his coat and bag.

The two walked side-by-side into a pet store. There were many types of cat stairs—slopes and steps. Su Yuan looked at Pei Xing.

“Let Xiao Hua choose for itself,” Pei Xing said.

Su Yuan nodded and took the dressed-up Xiao Hua out of the bag.

As he squatted down, the shoulder bag slipped down his arm. Pei Xing took it over as a matter of course and held it in his hand.

Xiao Hua, previously a “stray cat of leisure,” wasn’t shy at all. Like a Khan reviewing his troops, it stepped on every single set of stairs.

Pei Xing was about to say “buy them all,” but after a thought, he said, “Just buy one for getting onto the sofa.”

Su Yuan squatted by the stairs, looking at him with wide, round eyes just like the kitten’s. “What about getting onto the bed?”

“It’s growing up. It should have its own space and can’t continue sleeping with you.”

Su Yuan pouted, hugged his knees, and lowered his head without speaking.

Looking at the dejected top of Su Yuan’s head, Pei Xing was just about to soften his stance when Su Yuan looked up at him again, his voice clingy/saccharine: “Buy one more, okay?”

That damnable Su Xin Xin.

The driver carried three different styles of cat stairs and a large pile of cat toys to the trunk.

“Let’s walk,” Pei Xing raised his hand. “The pet park is right next door.”

In late autumn in Huaicheng, ginkgo and plane trees spread along the long streets. The colors were brilliant, as if the entire city had been drenched in a grand rain of gold.

Su Yuan put Xiao Hua on the ground. Pei Xing moved to his left side; the sound of car horns in his ear seemed to weaken.

Su Yuan’s heart stirred slightly.

He stood up and looked at the canvas bag in Pei Xing’s hand; it looked very mismatched with the suit under that black trench coat.

“Thank you,” Su Yuan said softly, taking the bag from Pei Xing’s hand and slinging it over his shoulder.

Pei Xing didn’t say anything, shoved his hands into his suit trouser pockets, and continued walking forward in silence.

They had walked this street countless times before.

When they were together, intimacy came naturally. Even if they weren’t holding hands occasionally, one could glimpse a hint of it in the way their eyes met.

Pei Xing was very tall back then, but he didn’t wear suits, just simple dark hoodies or windbreakers. But holding his hand was very warm; he would never let Su Yuan be hit by the wind. Su Yuan was always the first to wear a scarf, which meant when Pei Xing kissed him, he had to cup Su Yuan’s face and lift it out of the scarf first.

Su Yuan wasn’t wearing a scarf today, and Pei Xing wouldn’t kiss him.

Su Yuan thought.

Walking side-by-side after two years, Su Yuan was feeling sad over the love he had ended with his own hands, lamenting his own hypocrisy, while wondering what Pei Xing was thinking at this moment.

Even to this day, he still didn’t understand why Pei Xing was helping him.

He didn’t turn his head to look at his own regret, fearing that seeing Pei Xing’s emotionless black eyes would make him look foolish.

Su Yuan quickened his pace to keep up with Xiao Hua, who had run into the park.

Xiao Hua jumped onto the lawn, pouncing on fallen leaves like a rabbit. After crushing them under its feet, it looked at him. “Meow~”

Su Yuan held his hands near his chest and clapped very lightly, pointing to a caramel-colored plane tree leaf. “This one should be even crispier.”

Xiao Hua understood, jumped over, and its back paws slipped on the leaf. The whole cat landed on it, rubbing its back back and forth on the leaf. When it climbed up, tiny leaf fragments were hanging on its clothes.

“Meow~”

“It’s okay,” Su Yuan smiled and waved his hand. “Go play. It’s fine even if you get a bit dirty.”

Xiao Hua jumped away. Su Yuan supported himself on a nearby bench and sat down. Directly across from him, his eyes met Pei Xing’s. Pei Xing seemed to have been standing there watching him for a long time, his gaze as unwavering as his footsteps.

“Are you cold?” Pei Xing suddenly spoke.

Su Yuan shook his head. He was wearing a small white goatskin jacket—purchased for him by Zhou Wei, or more accurately, Pei Xing. The inside had warm cashmere fur, and the collar had a small ring of fur that could be stood up like a scarf.

After a thought, Su Yuan stood the collar up and fastened the buttons; more than half of his face was covered. He shook his head again, as if that made it more convincing.

Pei Xing walked over under his gaze and extended his hand toward Su Yuan’s face.

His fingers touched Su Yuan’s cheek. His warm, thin-calloused fingertips cupped Su Yuan’s face and lifted it slightly, before quickly letting go. “Your nose is covered.”

After saying that, Pei Xing put his hand back into his pocket, squeezed it hard for a second, turned his back, and stopped looking at him.

“I’m going to look at the cat,” Pei Xing said.

Su Yuan sat in place, feeling awkward and flustered because he had just misinterpreted what might happen. He nodded at Pei Xing’s back.

Once it had played enough, Xiao Hua was held in their arms and brought back.

Pei Xing took out a wet wipe to clean Xiao Hua’s face and paws before putting it in Su Yuan’s arms and getting into the car.

The car didn’t head toward the lake area; instead, it went to a shopping mall in the city center.

Su Yuan held Xiao Hua. “Where else are we going?”

“To buy clothes,” Pei Xing said. “If you had entered my bedroom, you would have found that I only brought a few sets of clothes back to the country.”

Su Yuan stared at him, then quickly looked away, as if saying “Who wants to go to your bedroom.”

After getting out of the car, Su Yuan was about to hand Xiao Hua to the driver, but Pei Xing said it was fine. It was a pet-friendly mall, so they could take it in. The newly bought kitten harness came in handy; Xiao Hua was still too small, so it was loose and saggy, but it still marched forward with its head held high.

In the luxury stores, the shop assistants all greeted it friendly.

“They have pet accessories. See what it’s like.”

Su Yuan nodded, watching Pei Xing take off his suit jacket and walk into the changing room. He slowly withdrew his eyes. “Xiao Hua, the Landlord Gentleman is taking you to buy things.”

Not long after, Pei Xing walked out of the dressing room. Su Yuan felt his gaze.

He asked a shop assistant to look after Xiao Hua, who was browsing the jewelry, and walked to Pei Xing’s side, instinctively reaching out to tidy him up.

Pei Xing froze for a second, then softened his voice, fearing he might startle the “little bird” that had finally landed.

“Did Xiao Hua take a fancy to anything?”

“Yes, lots of things.” Su Yuan stood on his tiptoes slightly to tidy the shirt collar, then lowered his head to fasten the cufflinks for him. “But it’s too small; it can’t even fit into the collars.”

Pei Xing took two ties. “It can wear them when it grows up.”

“Forget it… this black silk one. What if it grows up and likes something else?”

Pei Xing put on the tie Su Yuan mentioned and tied a crooked Windsor knot. “Who says it won’t like it later?”

Su Yuan tilted his head, staring at Pei Xing’s shirt for a while.

“You can’t be wasteful. You work so hard at your job… this tie is relatively narrow; a Half-Windsor knot would be more suitable.” He looked at a shop assistant nearby. “Please bring another tie suitable for wide-collared shirts in black.”

Pei Xing lowered his eyes, looking at the nimble, slender fingers against the black tie; they looked even fairer, intimately familiar.

Unexpectedly, he thought of the past again.

The first time he wore a suit, Su Yuan had tidied his shirt and tied his tie just like this. An interviewer had teased them, thinking he was there to apply for an executive position. They were so happy after he got the job; he had held Su Yuan’s hand and ran through the rainy streets; they didn’t need an umbrella; even the entire neon city in the rain was just their backdrop.

Su Yuan seemed to have thought of something too; his fingers slowly let go of the tie, leaving the rest of the work to Pei Xing and the shop assistant.

He picked up Xiao Hua, who was trying on accessories; a hint of a reddened earlobe showed through his hair.

He remembered the night Pei Xing wore a suit for the first time.

They were soaked by the rain, but he was unwilling to let Pei Xing take off that white shirt and black tie that made him look even more handsome. His sweat, saliva, and… were all left on that white shirt and that conspicuous black tie……

Su Yuan raised his hand, pressing the cold back of his hand against his face.

Xiao Hua looked at him puzzled and meowed. Its white paw scratched at a catalog featuring a pink diamond bracelet. “Meow meow~”

“Don’t scratch the catalog.”

The shop assistant smiled. “It’s okay. Mr. Su, would you like to see this bracelet? It’s also very suitable as a necklace for a kitten.”

“No need…”

“Take it out so we can look,” Pei Xing said.

Su Yuan glanced at the approaching Pei Xing. The images in his mind from a moment ago hadn’t completely disappeared. Feeling a bit guilty, he lowered his voice. “No, how can a kitten wear jewelry?”

Pei Xing didn’t speak; he stroked Xiao Hua’s head.

Xiao Hua immediately lay down, exposing its belly to him, holding Pei Xing’s finger and nibbling gently.

Hmph, exactly like your mommy.

The shop assistant brought out the bracelet and introduced: “This bracelet is from our Italian Garden geometric visual High Jewelry collection. It features a 3.07-carat oval-cut pink diamond as the center stone, surrounded by rose-lace style tsavorites. The clash between pink and verdant green is very eye-catching.”

Pei Xing nodded. “Try it on.”

Knowing he couldn’t win the argument, Su Yuan pursed his lips and stopped speaking, picking up Xiao Hua and handing it over. The next second, that bracelet was placed on his wrist.

“Mr. Su’s hands are truly beautiful,” the shop assistant praised. “It suits you very well.”

Su Yuan: “Ah?”

Xiao Hua: “Meow?”

Pei Xing raised his hand. “It does look good. Get a similar one for this cat.”

Faced with Su Yuan’s questioning gaze, Pei Xing was utterly candid. “I know what you want to say, but don’t say it yet.”

Su Yuan: “……”

“It’s a late birthday gift for this year, though it is quite cliché.” Pei Xing’s tone was calm. “If you don’t like it, you can return it at any time, or resell it.”

Su Yuan shook his head. “I know it’s not much to you now. But you’ve already helped me a lot; a birthday gift is even more unnecessary.”

“Mhm. But you could sell this and then move out on your own to take care of your father, without having to stay with me anymore.”

Hearing this, Su Yuan looked up.

The smile in Pei Xing’s eyes vanished, and his expression instantly darkened. “Su Xin Xin, you really dare to think that?”

Su Yuan lowered his head and retorted in a small voice, “Clearly you were the one who told me to think about it.”

So angry his head hurt.

Pei Xing was silent for a moment, then changed his reason. “Then treat it as compensation.”

Su Yuan looked at him, puzzled.

The lights in luxury stores can make everything look expensive. Shining on Pei Xing’s face, they added a hint of loneliness; his deep gaze seemed to be looking at somewhere far away.

“When we were dating, I never bought you a decent gift,” Pei Xing’s gaze fell on him. “Treat this as compensation.”

Su Yuan’s heart was suddenly pricked.

He didn’t need Pei Xing’s “compensation,” nor did he agree with Pei Xing belittling those past gifts. Pei Xing had always given him the best within his capability. He liked the gifts Pei Xing used to give him very much.

The precious bracelet on his wrist became scalding, faintly stinging his skin.

However, he accepted it.

Perhaps this was the reason Pei Xing was helping him with compensation. The object of compensation was him, but also the Pei Xing of the past.

Pei Xing’s grand ambitions and ideals had once been looked down upon; Pei Xing’s ability and efforts had once been lightly brushed aside as “Su Yuan’s boyfriend”; everything Pei Xing gave in the relationship had once been erased by Su Yuan with the two words “just playing.”

Whether it was anger or resentment, Pei Xing would always internalize it as fuel. After achieving success and fame, he would “compensate” his past self, using such a method to bid a dignified farewell. It was beyond reproach.

Su Yuan understood, so he accepted.

At night, the bracelet was placed on the nightstand by Su Yuan, like a piece of evidence proving that he and Pei Xing had completely ended. It lay there quietly, shining on its own.

Su Yuan sat on the floor. Before him was the lake under the moonlight; beside his hand was the medicine he had just finished taking.

The panic that had originally surged and attacked receded slowly like a tide under the effect of the anti-anxiety sedative. Su Yuan slowly lay down, enjoying the finally attained peace.

Xiao Hua jumped off him, fiddling with the medicine bottle, rolling it all the way under the bed. A dark shadow stopped outside the door caught its attention. “Meow meow~”

Xiao Hua is called Su Yuan. Seeing that he remained motionless on the ground, it reached out its paws and scratched at the door.

The person outside the door heard the kitten’s permission and pushed it open gently. A beam of light from the corridor slowly hit the bedroom floor. Pei Xing’s tall shadow fell beside Su Yuan’s hand.

Pei Xing wanted to give Su Yuan everything he had.

Whether it was six years ago or now. A villa or a bracelet wasn’t enough to express his feelings; he wanted even more to make up for the time missed during those two years, as if they had merely had a two-year long-distance relationship.

But Su Yuan, who received the bracelet, wasn’t that happy. Even though Pei Xing had looked for every reason, it only resulted in Su Yuan’s gaze becoming more and more evasive.

Every night before sleeping, Su Yuan would slip into the kitchen to find toast to eat; Melanie had told him this before.

He waited in the sunroom like a hunter waiting for a rabbit, prepared to catch the rabbit just like last time. But as time ticked away, Su Yuan didn’t come downstairs.

Pushing open the door, Su Yuan lying on the floor almost shocked his heart right out of his chest.

“Su Yuan!”

The ceiling before Su Yuan’s eyes was replaced by a nervous Pei Xing. He looked at Pei Xing and smiled inexplicably. “I didn’t faint, you know.”

The sense of touch in his body had also become dull. He didn’t feel much when he was picked up, unable to distinguish the difference between the floor and the bedding. He lay on the pillow, watching Pei Xing checking his hands and feet with both composure and haste.

“What are you doing lying on the floor?” Pei Xing stood by the bed. “You like lying there but refuse to let me buy a carpet.”

Hearing this, Su Yuan turned over somewhat unhappily, his back to him.

“I don’t want it,” Su Yuan’s voice was muffled. “I don’t know what kind of carpet you and your girlfriend like.”

The person by the bed froze for a second, walked around to the other side, squatted down, and looked at him. “Su Xin Xin, are you a fish? I don’t have a girlfriend.”