Spoiled by a paranoid big shot since childhood. - Chapter 5

“Master Xi Bei.”

A gentle, slightly amused voice called out, feigning formality. The butler smiled, crouching down to look Xi Bei in the eye.

Seeing Xi Bei respond with a bewildered, baby-voiced “Mm?”, the butler couldn’t help himself. With Qin Yi’an momentarily away, he reached out to ruffle Xi Bei’s little head.

The touch of the soft hair was exquisite so silky and delicate.

It felt just as lovely as Xi Bei himself.

“The doctor has already examined you,” the butler said gently. “Your wounds will heal quickly. But since you were caught in the rain today, you must not kick off your blankets tonight. You need to stay warm.”

Xi Bei hadn’t developed a fever yet, but there was no telling if he might spike one during the night. The doctor was concerned, so under the butler’s arrangement, he was staying on the first floor, just in case.

Xi Bei nodded obediently. “I understand. Thank you, Uncle.”

The butler glanced at the time. Before taking Xi Bei upstairs to bed, he hesitated for a moment before speaking:

“Master Xi Bei will be sleeping in the same room as the Young Master tonight.”

Xi Bei’s dark, luminous eyes widened, as if he hadn’t quite grasped the situation.

The butler smiled down at him and reached out to straighten Xi Bei’s little robe.

The butler had been with the Qin family for over a decade. He was in his thirties and hadn’t married or had children of his own; he had watched Qin Yi’an grow up and had raised him almost as if he were his own son.

Qin Yi’an was a child who appeared solitary and cold, but was actually quite warm-hearted. However, almost no one ever saw that side of him, and very few children were willing to take the initiative to be close friends with him.

Of course, Qin Yi’an didn’t care; he found those people mundane and boring anyway.

Except for Xi Bei.

The moment Qin Yi’an saw Xi Bei, it was as if he had found the gift he had been dreaming of for years.

This gift, Xi Bei, was the very best friend his mother had told him he would have one day; he was the most adorable, beautiful little angel from a fairy tale, the most delicate and softest flower in the garden… That Xi Bei had come to his side felt like a destiny written in the stars.

The butler was overjoyed to see Qin Yi’an so alive, so willing to show his warm side.

“The Young Master likes you very much. He is very happy to be your best friend,” the butler said tenderly.

“From now on, you are no longer strangers. You are family; you are the most important people to one another.”

That sentence seemed to strike a chord deep within Xi Bei’s heart. He whispered low, “…Most important?”

Xi Bei didn’t dislike Qin Yi’an at all.

He thought Qin Yi’an was wonderful and kind to him. Standing there, the boy seemed to possess a magical pull that drew his gaze. When he comforted him, there was strength in his words that stopped him from crying.

Yet, as he was held tightly by Qin Yi’an, Xi Bei felt a strange, lingering confusion. It wasn’t entirely due to what the servants had said about Qin Yi’an being “difficult to get along with”—Xi Bei didn’t feel that way at all. He just felt a slight sense of dissonance.

He wanted to depend on Qin Yi’an; he wanted to grip Qin Yi’an’s hand tightly and, just as the boy had said, cling to him whenever he missed his parents.

But he didn’t know why he felt allowed to rely on him like that.

Mom and Dad once said that even with good friends, you must maintain a certain distance, and not cross boundaries that might make others feel annoyed.

And so, Xi Bei felt a mix of timidity and a desire to draw closer. But after hearing the butler speak, he finally seemed to understand.

Xi Bei stared up toward the stairs, then turned his head, seemingly enlightened.

“The most important person.”

“Yes,” the butler said warmly. “Although you might not dare to yet, you can try to treat the Young Master as you would treat family.”

Xi Bei’s pink, chubby cheek twitched slightly. He wiped his wet eyelashes with his hand, gave a small, obedient “Mm,” and after a long moment, whispered, “Thank you, Uncle…”

“Alright,” the butler ruffled his head again, accidentally leaving a stray tuft of hair sticking up. “Master Xi Bei, go upstairs to bed and get some rest.”

The two of them seemed to have reached a secret agreement, each carrying this little promise in their hearts. As Xi Bei headed upstairs, the butler smiled at him encouragingly, urging him to gather the courage to open the door to Qin Yi’an’s room.

Click.

The lock turned.

Qin Yi’an’s bedroom door was made of heavy, solid wood, which was a struggle for a child like Xi Bei to manage. After two seconds, he managed to push it open just a crack.

A cautious little head peeked out, emitting a soft sound:

“May I come in?”

“Please, come in.”

Qin Yi’an’s tone carried a hint of joy, quiet but unmistakable.

With permission granted, the heavy door let out a soft creak.

Xi Bei walked in, looking a bit timid. He was dressed neatly in his small silk robe, his soft black hair tousled so that a single strand stuck up, and his pink, tender cheeks were as soft and beautiful as rose petals. With his dark, shining eyes and curled lashes, he looked no different from a doll.

No—there was a difference, of course.

Qin Yi’an straightened his back, pressed his lips together, and walked over to Xi Bei.

“You didn’t eat today,” Qin Yi’an said. “You are hungry; you must eat.”

Xi Bei was far more exquisite than any doll. Dolls were, by comparison, “dead,” but Xi Bei was alive. He would get hungry, get thirsty, feel sad, and feel hurt. Though raising Xi Bei would surely be harder than raising a doll, Qin Yi’an felt no fear at all.

Xi Bei looked startled by his words.

The tension he had felt earlier seemed to dissipate, replaced by a strange, tingling sensation.

Thinking he had said the right thing, Qin Yi’an pressed on, taking Xi Bei’s wrist and leading him hurriedly to a small sofa by the fireplace.

“Tuantuan,” Qin Yi’an said, “what would you like to eat? Why don’t you have some milk first?”

Only then did Xi Bei notice that the small table in front of the sofa was piled high with exquisite food—”Western cuisine” he had never seen before.

Cookies with the rich aroma of butter, garlic-scented steak, warm, creamy mushroom soup…

Beside Qin Yi’an was a large, round cup with intricate patterns. As he spoke, he went to work, pouring the rich, warm milk from the cup into a small, chubby mug.

The mug was pushed toward Xi Bei’s hand.

Sitting beside the warm fireplace, Xi Bei felt himself relax completely. He subconsciously swung his little legs and obediently picked up the mug.

“Thank you…”

Uncle Butler was right.

Qin Yi’an likes me very much.

“Take a sip.”

Qin Yi’an’s eyes were full of anticipation.

Xi Bei nodded. The taste of the milk was different from anything he had ever had, but it wasn’t unpleasant. He took two large gulps, leaving a ring of white milk around his lips like a tiny mustache.

Xi Bei said softly, “It’s delicious!”

As if a heavy weight had finally been lifted, the tight, handsome little face of Qin Yi’an finally relaxed. He leaned in closer and naturally wiped the milk from Xi Bei’s lip.

Xi Bei, realizing what had happened, whispered a shy “Thank you” in his sweet, baby voice.

Qin Yi’an, even more satisfied, brought over the creamy mushroom soup to feed him. To prevent it from being too hot, he blew on it first, acting like a little adult before bringing the spoon to Xi Bei’s lips.

The mashed potatoes were mixed with rich cheese, stretching into long strings. Qin Yi’an rolled them up with the spoon and, confirming the temperature was just right, let Xi Bei take a bite.

After tasting the appetizers, Qin Yi’an cut a piece of steak for him.

Xi Bei’s eyes widened as he looked at the pink meat, and he asked cautiously:

“…This meat isn’t cooked. My mom and dad told me I shouldn’t eat meat that isn’t cooked.”

High-quality steak couldn’t really be compared to ordinary chicken or pork, but Xi Bei didn’t know that. Seeing the myoglobin under the steak, he mistook it for blood.

“It, it’s bleeding,” Xi Bei said, his brows knitting together in confusion.

Qin Yi’an fell into deep thought, considering how to explain this to Xi Bei.

“Tuantuan, it is okay to eat beef that isn’t cooked all the way through,” he said. “It isn’t bleeding; this is just the juice of the meat.”

Xi Bei blinked his curled lashes, licking his little lips—he clearly still didn’t quite understand.

The air suddenly went quiet, save for the occasional crackle of the fire in the fireplace.

Xi Bei was startled, his gaze fixed back on Qin Yi’an.

If it had been anyone else, Qin Yi’an would have calmly and coldly told them to search for the answer themselves. But the person in front of him was Xi Bei.

So, after a pause, Qin Yi’an simply picked up a small piece of the steak and ate it, quite naturally.

“……!”

Xi Bei, who had been swinging his feet, stopped in his tracks, his mind momentarily blank before he finally gasped, “Ah!”

“Your mom and dad were right some meat really should not be eaten raw,” Qin Yi’an said seriously. “But this kind of beef is different; it is okay to eat it this way.”

Scenes flashed through Xi Bei’s mind.

In one, his father and mother were earnestly reminding him to be mindful of hygiene and safety; they told him to listen to them because they were a family.

In another, Qin Yi’an was holding his hand tightly, promising to stay by his side from now on.

In the final scene, the butler was smiling gently, telling him that from now on, Qin Yi’an was his family.

It was as if Xi Bei had made up his mind.

He didn’t speak. He simply lowered his head and, mimicking Qin Yi’an’s earlier actions, ate a small piece of the pink meat.

“I believe you. I believe in you,” Xi Bei said, enunciating every word solemnly. “Just like I believed in Mom and Dad.”

“Because Brother Yi’an is now my most important person.”