The Wealthy Old Man’s Palm-Sized Pet - Chapter 16

Fu Can followed his parents to a banquet. Feeling uneasy throughout the event, he sent a message to Song Zhiyuan. Song Zhiyuan replied saying he was doing quite well and told him not to worry, encouraging him to enjoy the food and have a good time at the party.

By the time the banquet ended, it was already past eleven o’clock. Fu Can figured that Song Zhiyuan should be resting by now; going to the hospital to see him at this hour would likely disturb his sleep.

On the way home, Fu Can sent a message to his uncle, Fu Xingnian, inquiring about Song Zhiyuan’s condition.

As usual, his uncle’s reply was brief and to the point, telling him that Song Zhiyuan had fallen asleep.

Fu Can thought this made sense. With his uncle personally overseeing things, Song Zhiyuan would certainly receive the best possible care.

However, Fu Can still asked his uncle whether he or Chu Wei was currently staying at the hospital with Song Zhiyuan. He thought that if it were Chu Wei, he would go to the hospital immediately; he was worried that if his uncle had already left, there would be no one left to look after Song Zhiyuan.

Once his uncle confirmed he was still at the hospital, Fu Can felt relieved. A sick person needs proper nourishment but shouldn’t eat anything too greasy. He planned to ask the family’s maid to wake up early tomorrow morning to brew some nutritious porridge to send over to Song Zhiyuan.

When Song Zhiyuan woke up, Fu Xingnian was still in the hospital room. He asked tentatively, “Mr. Fu, did you sleep here last night?”

After taking his medicine the previous night, Song Zhiyuan had fallen straight asleep. He didn’t know if Fu Xingnian had arrived early this morning or if he had never left.

Fu Xingnian walked over and felt his forehead. Song Zhiyuan’s temperature had returned to normal, though his voice was still thick with nasal congestion.

Looking down to see Song Zhiyuan watching him, Fu Xingnian replied, “What do you think?”

The implication was clear: he had stayed there all night.

Song Zhiyuan gave an “oh” in response. He assumed it was because Fu Xingnian had promised Fu Can; from the looks of it, Fu Xingnian really treated his nephew quite well.

Song Zhiyuan felt a bit dazed. Yesterday, he felt that Fu Xingnian was quite gentle, but today the man seemed to have reverted to his previous cold demeanor. Could the fever last night have caused hallucinations? he wondered.

Fu Xingnian asked, “Does your back still hurt?”

Song Zhiyuan replied, “It doesn’t hurt anymore.”

Fu Xingnian said, “Let me see.”

Song Zhiyuan’s eyes widened instantly. “It’s really fine now!”

It was early in the morning; what if someone suddenly walked in? But Fu Xingnian still looked intent on checking. Fortunately, at that moment, Fu Can arrived carrying a lavish breakfast.

The doctor also came by to give Song Zhiyuan another thorough examination, confirming he could be discharged. However, it would take two or three days for the cold to fully clear up, during which time he just needed to take his cold medicine on schedule.

While Song Zhiyuan and Fu Can ate breakfast together, Chu Wei arrived to pick up Fu Xingnian. Before heading to the company, Fu Xingnian needed to go home to shower and change his clothes.

Consequently, it was Fu Can who drove Song Zhiyuan back to school.

Once Song Zhiyuan’s three roommates learned he was sick, they were very concerned. They helped him by bringing back his breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

When Song Zhiyuan thanked them, all three said it was no trouble. After all, Song Zhiyuan was the youngest of the group, and the “baby” of the dorm deserved to be pampered.

Song Zhiyuan’s constitution had always been strong, and he fully recovered after a few days.

Soon, the National Day holiday (October 1st) arrived.

The holiday lasted seven days. His roommates all had their own plans—some were going traveling, others were going home.

Song Zhiyuan had his own plans as well. He had previously promised his grandmother that he would visit her during the October break.

His grandmother’s health was declining, but since she lived alone, she was always reluctant to spend money and refused to go to the hospital. Song Zhiyuan wanted to use this trip to take her to a major hospital for a check-up.

After booking his flight, Song Zhiyuan exited the app and opened WeChat. When his finger hovered over the chat box with Fu Xingnian, he paused, then closed it.

He hadn’t told Fu Xingnian about this yet. He would be leaving City H for a few days, but he figured his absence wouldn’t make much of a difference.

He hadn’t seen Fu Xingnian since the hospital visit. However, to prevent Fu Xingnian from suddenly looking for him, Song Zhiyuan decided he should give him a heads-up.

This was the first time Song Zhiyuan had taken the initiative to call Fu Xingnian.

Once the call connected, Song Zhiyuan spoke in a sweet voice: “Mr. Fu.”

Fu Xingnian had just stepped off a plane and was about to call Song Zhiyuan himself. He hadn’t expected the boy to call first.

Fu Xingnian gave a hum of acknowledgment. “What is it?”

Sensing that Fu Xingnian seemed to be in a good mood, Song Zhiyuan hurried to explain, “Mr. Fu, I’m going back to visit my grandmother for the National Day holiday. Her health isn’t good, and I want to take her to a big hospital for an exam.”

He thought this request wasn’t unreasonable; surely Fu Xingnian would understand.

Fu Xingnian understood immediately. For Song Zhiyuan to call him voluntarily and act so obediently, something was definitely up. As he suspected, while it seemed like Song Zhiyuan was calling to consult him, the boy had undoubtedly already bought the ticket—acting first and reporting later.

Fu Xingnian asked, “What time is your flight?”

Over the phone, Song Zhiyuan gave a sweet laugh. “Mr. Fu, you really are amazing. I wanted to let you guess which day I bought the ticket for, but you already knew.”

Song Zhiyuan had booked a midday flight. He had timed the call perfectly so that even if Fu Xingnian disagreed, he would already be in the air by the time the man tried to find him. At least he could say he had informed him.

But clearly, Fu Xingnian had anticipated his move and predicted his every thought.

Fu Xingnian repeated, “What time is your flight?”

Song Zhiyuan replied, “1:30 PM.”

Fifteen minutes later, a black sedan appeared in front of Song Zhiyuan. The man inside commanded, “Get in.”

Song Zhiyuan climbed in with his backpack. “Mr. Fu, are you taking me to the airport?”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Song Zhiyuan was pressed into the seat, his legs forced apart, and his belt was skillfully unbuckled. The man’s movements were somewhat rough.

It took an hour to get to the airport, and there were still three hours until Song Zhiyuan’s boarding time.

Fu Xingnian gripped his waist, gritting his teeth as he said, “Song Zhiyuan, you planned this departure long ago, didn’t you? You were going to leave even if I didn’t allow it, weren’t you?”

Song Zhiyuan couldn’t form a coherent sentence now: “No… yes… Mr. Fu… it’s just… because… today… happened to have… ah… a ticket…”

Fu Xingnian knew that even if he forbade it, the boy would find all sorts of ways and excuses to leave.

Song Zhiyuan gripped the seat tightly. His hands were beautiful, his fingertips turning pink, and the sounds escaping his lips filled the entire cabin.

This body was beautiful and sweet addictive with every step.

Fu Xingnian asked, “Song Zhiyuan, what if I don’t agree to let you go?”

Song Zhiyuan sat astride his lap, his voice soft and pleading, “Mr. Fu is the best.”

Song Zhiyuan had long legs, a thin waist, and was incredibly flexible; the two of them fit together seamlessly. Song Zhiyuan whispered a sentence into Fu Xingnian’s ear.

The space inside the car wasn’t small, yet at this moment, it felt suddenly crowded.

Song Zhiyuan could feel that Fu Xingnian had come to “catch” him with a temper today, but he had been psychologically prepared for this.

Forty minutes before boarding, Song Zhiyuan arrived at the airport.

As he walked toward the gate, his tailbone felt both sore and numb. If one looked closely, they could see he was limping slightly. As he walked, he cursed Fu Xingnian in his heart—the man hadn’t let him go until five minutes before he had to get out of the car.

After passing security, Song Zhiyuan headed straight for the restroom to clean up briefly and change into clean trousers.

As he sat on the plane and it took off, Song Zhiyuan felt happy. He was finally going to see his grandmother.

In less than two hours, the plane landed safely.

To surprise her, Song Zhiyuan hadn’t told his grandmother he was coming home today.

His grandmother lived in a small Southern town surrounded by mountains and rivers. The scenery was exceptionally beautiful, resembling a hidden paradise; Song Zhiyuan loved it there.

When he reached her house, he saw a lychee tree in the courtyard. This tree had been massive even when Song Zhiyuan was very small. Back then, he loved climbing it to play while his grandmother stood beneath it feeding the chickens, constantly telling him to be careful not to fall.

Now, his grandmother was beneath that same tree feeding the chickens. Her back looked much older than before, but she remained just as kind and gentle.

Song Zhiyuan’s eyes grew moist. He went up and hugged her. “Grandma, I’m back.”

Seeing her beloved grandson suddenly appear before her, she was very excited. “Yuanyuan! Why are you back? Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”

Song Zhiyuan acted like a spoiled child. “Grandma, I missed you, so I came to see you. I want to spend the next few days with you.”

His grandmother hugged him happily, saying “Good, good” repeatedly.

The room Song Zhiyuan stayed in was always kept clean. His grandmother cleaned it regularly, hoping for the day he would return.

When he opened the window, a river lay outside. The water was a lush green, like a piece of emerald stretching across the town. In recent years, the town had begun to develop its tourism industry, and the beautiful scenery attracted many visitors. One popular activity was bamboo rafting down the river.

As Song Zhiyuan opened the window, a bamboo raft happened to pass by on the water.

Happy that her grandson was home, Grandma cooked his favorite dishes: White Cut Chicken and Braised Fish.

The White Cut Chicken was made from their own home-raised poultry; the meat was tender and flavorful. Authentic White Cut Chicken is cooked until just done, with a hint of pinkness near the bone; dipped in sauce, it is a heavenly delicacy.

The Braised Fish was also a favorite. The fish were wild-caught from the local river, their meat sweet and fresh a taste Song Zhiyuan often reminisced about.

His grandmother’s favorite thing was watching him eat. If he was happy, she was happy.

During dinner, Song Zhiyuan told her he wanted her to accompany him to the city tomorrow for a stroll.

His grandmother had been frugal all her life. If he told her the truth—that he was taking her for a hospital check-up—she would definitely refuse. But when he asked her to accompany him to the city, she agreed immediately.

It took two hours to get from the town to the city. Since his grandmother was elderly, Song Zhiyuan didn’t want her to endure the hassle of a long bus ride. He pre-booked a private car to take them directly from their doorstep to the hospital.

After showering and lying in bed, Song Zhiyuan realized he had forgotten to message Fu Xingnian.

In the middle of the night, several hours later than intended, the “safe arrival” message was finally sent.

Song Zhiyuan: Mr. Fu, I have arrived at my grandmother’s house.