To Marry My Little Chestnut - Chapter 17

The man’s tone was light and airy. The ash from the cigarette held between his fingers drifted out through a crack in the car window, scattering into the air just like his words.

The roar of the car slicing through the horizon pierced the eardrums; the sudden weightlessness made the blood in the passenger’s veins freeze. Silence filled the car. Once the piece of chestnut candy in Ning Yuan’s mouth had completely dissolved, the car came to a steady halt.

Zheng Tingyang turned his head to look at him, his eyes like a pool of stagnant water. “Ning Yuan, we are here.”

“Is it sweet?” he asked.

The pressure belonging to a superior spread wordlessly within the narrow cabin. Ning Yuan was certain the man possessed no pheromones, yet this sense of oppression remained lingering and heavy, making it difficult to breathe. The smoke from the cigarette between Zheng Tingyang’s fingers was like silent gunpowder, drifting quietly into his nostrils.

Ning Yuan took a deep breath, unsure of how to respond. Zheng Tingyang let out a light laugh. “It seems it is sweet.”

Ning Yuan said, “Earlier at the flower shop, I only…”

Only what? Wanted to help Brother Yan smell his pheromones?

An Omega’s gland is a very private area. Simply being married should not have been enough to bridge that distance; his behavior had been out of line, and he did have his own selfish motives.

Working at the flower shop for so long, he had even prepared his graduation design to be a sculpture of Yu Yan’s eyes. He had been with Yu Yan at the shop since the start of the pregnancy, watching the Omega’s belly grow little by little, yet he had never seen Yu Yan’s husband. Subconsciously, he perhaps assumed Yu Yan’s marriage was unhappy and expected to one day “rescue” him.

In reality, Zheng Tingyang had appeared modest, yet he was wordlessly crushing him from every angle. The man possessed an all-knowing perspective, mocking his tiny movements of coveting another man’s wife.

Zheng Tingyang’s fingertips tapped rhythmically on the steering wheel, his lips curved into the arc of a victor. “Get out of the car.”

Ning Yuan hardly knew how he managed to exit. In the wind and snow of the night, only Zheng Tingyang’s joking warning echoed in his ears: “If you like the candy, you can eat as much as you want. But this unique taste, you cannot take it away.”

The implication was clear: the person to whom this scent belonged would never be his. The tiny flame of desire was utterly extinguished by the intensifying wind and snow. The chestnut sweetness in his mouth belonged to another man’s wife, leaving him no chance to let any feelings take root.

Yu Yan was fully dressed at the flower shop, waiting for his exclusive driver. Sitting on the soft leather sofa and holding the lunch box he had not finished at noon, he looked like the last child left at a kindergarten waiting for a parent after everyone else had gone home.

Orange remained hidden under the shelves, refusing to come out. Even putting out food mixed with cat treats could not lure him. After being neutered, his temperament had truly changed drastically; Yu Yan could no longer see through him.

“If you are like this, how can I take you home for the New Year?” Yu Yan muttered to the kitten under the shelf. “Are you going to beg for food on the streets? When Tingyang comes back later, rub against him so I can discuss taking you home with him.”

“Meow!” Orange cried lowly, appearing unwilling.

The New Year was only a month away, and the flower shop would have a holiday. He could not let Orange go back to wandering the streets; he wanted to bring him home for the holidays. He just did not know if Tingyang would like kittens. He calculated in his head, thinking about the best way to discuss it, or perhaps he should act first and report later? If Tingyang got angry, how many kisses would it take to make up for it?

What if I am not important enough to Tingyang? What if kissing does not work?

“Meow!”

Just as he was thinking, Zheng Tingyang arrived with a cup of hot milk tea to pick him up.

“Wait a moment before we leave. There is a smell of smoke in the car; let it air out.” He took off his leather gloves and handed over the milk tea with the straw already inserted. “It is seventy percent sugar. Will it be too sweet?”

Yu Yan shook his head. “It is just right.”

He did not dislike the smell of smoke. Having grown up in an environment that allowed him to distinguish various cigars and fine tobaccos, he understood that Zheng Tingyang had high work pressure and needed to smoke to relieve it. “It is not far anyway. Shall we walk back?”

“It is snowing and cold,” Zheng Tingyang said, tying Yu Yan’s scarf snugly. He leaned down and moved a large potted plant near the checkout counter further away, fearing Yu Yan might trip over it. “Ning Yuan is quite careless, leaving this in your way.”

The car’s heater and ventilation were running. Yu Yan looked at the heavy snow outside. “Am I really that silly? I would see a plant and not trip.”

Zheng Tingyang examined the plant. “Is there a discount for family members?”

“Eh?” Yu Yan, who was busily sipping his milk tea, leaned over to look at the plant with him. “Do you recognize this one?”

Besides Money Trees and orchids, the new arrivals were mostly large, waist-high green plants that could be grown in water or soil. Yu Yan had spent the whole afternoon just learning the different types of orchids and did not know what this kind was called. Zheng Tingyang had his eye on the largest one.

Zheng Tingyang leaned down to inspect the leaves. “This is called a Strelitzia reginae. In common terms, it is a Bird of Paradise. It symbolizes happiness and joy.”

Yu Yan said with a smile, “If you like it, I will buy it for you. I have a lot of wages that I have not spent for months.”

He took out his phone and skillfully operated the computer, muttering, “There is no family discount, but there is a twenty percent employee card. It is basically buying at cost. We will take this one back, and I will buy a new one for myself next time they restock.”

Ding! Payment successful.

Yu Yan held his phone with a sense of secret satisfaction. A strange feeling of pride welled up within him; spending money on Zheng Tingyang made him truly happy. “Thank you for the milk tea! Bird of Paradise, it is a very beautiful name.”

Zheng Tingyang appreciated his pride. He walked over and pinched Yu Yan’s face. “Thank you.”

After putting the plant in the trunk, the two of them happily drove home. Once in the garage, Zheng Tingyang held Yu Yan’s hand with one hand and the plant with the other. Seeing that Yu Yan liked the snow, he accompanied him to grab a small snowball in the hallway, making a tiny snowman to bring home and freeze in the refrigerator.

Zheng Tingyang placed the Bird of Paradise in the study. His study faced north and usually received little sunlight. Yu Yan worried that the lack of sun might hinder its growth, but he had never really entered the study. He had only occasionally caught a glimpse when the door was open; it was filled with folders and several external screens, looking like a serious workspace. He sensibly never stepped inside.

Zheng Tingyang, however, said that this type of plant did not need much sunlight. Yu Yan nodded and said, “Okay,” then went to change into his pajamas for dinner.

The Bird of Paradise does indeed symbolize happiness, but there is another interpretation: unrequited love. Bitterly longing until finally achieving happiness like heaven. If the love remains one-sided, the sunlight will make its leaves wither and turn yellow.

Dinner was a simple meal of three dishes and a soup. Zheng Tingyang knew Yu Yan liked spicy food, so he had learned how to make Hula Soup online and added some chili to stimulate his appetite. He never believed in old wives’ tales; making Yu Yan happy was more important than anything.

However, after a few bites, Yu Yan said he had no appetite, having sneaked too many snacks at the flower shop. After clearing the dishes, Zheng Tingyang still had work to handle and stayed in the study.

The secretary reported on the company’s recent overseas stocks. The international market was currently poor; whether playing as the dealer or the player, the risk was high and returns were low. He planned to cash out and stop, pulling out a large amount of liquid capital to settle the land deal in a week. Secretary Lin and several traders and actuaries needed to work overtime, and he had to monitor the night market for a day.

When frustrated, he took out two pieces of chestnut candy from his drawer. The hard candy had a very soft center, dense and sweet. Since when did I start craving sweets? He probably did not quite remember himself.

The market close tonight was very tight. President Pei from the headquarters called for a short discussion and approved his plan. It was not until twelve thirty AM that he became free. Over the phone, President Pei was also tapping on a keyboard. “I heard that President Zheng rarely works overtime lately.”

Zheng Tingyang replied, “It does not interfere with work, do not worry.”

Pei Changji was not worried about that, but he gave a light laugh over the phone. “Coming to Beijing next week? Are you bringing him? I will be the host.”

Zheng Tingyang said, “Yes, but he does not like strangers. Dinner will not be necessary.”

Pei Changji clicked his tongue. “Fine. Let me know if anything comes up. Once you are settled, consider transferring back to Beijing. Half a year ago, you insisted on going to Haicheng. You were truly blinded by love.”

Zheng Tingyang bit into the chestnut candy in his mouth, savoring the lingering sweetness on his tongue. He curled his lips lazily. “You are the same.”

His study led directly to the bedroom through a hidden wall door. He pushed it open and returned to the bedroom to take a shower. By this time, the little person in the next room should have been unable to stay awake and gone to sleep. After showering, Zheng Tingyang checked the computer. The scene that should have appeared on the screen was not there, and the person who was supposed to be there was absent.

Frowning in confusion, he opened the study door. The only light in the living room was a dim yellow glow from the light strip around the television wall. Yu Yan was wearing a pair of two-piece pajamas today with a large puppy pattern on the front. He was holding a Pochacco plushie and had fallen asleep on the sofa, curling up his little belly like a small shrimp, his eyelashes trembling and his mouth slightly open.

“Why are you sleeping here?” He knelt down to take Yu Yan’s hand, slowly waking him up.

In his dream, Yu Yan was foolishly dazed. Being woken up caused the plushie in his arms to roll onto the floor. “Mm.”

His head flopped onto Zheng Tingyang’s shoulder, his voice soft and muddled. “Tingyang? You are finished? You worked so hard. It is so late. Is the sun about to come up?”

“It is still early.” His Adam’s apple rolled twice. He held Yu Yan’s head, his voice a bit low. “What is it? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?”

Yu Yan’s warm breath puffed against his neck and shoulder. He woke up a little more, resting his chin on Zheng Tingyang’s. “No, the baby is being very good.”

He gave a hummed laugh, his voice slurred, and rubbed his palm against his belly. “He just keeps kicking me. Feel it.”

“He should be asleep now, too. Let us not disturb him.” Zheng Tingyang’s palm rested on Yu Yan’s abdomen along with his own.

Yu Yan loved it when Zheng Tingyang touched his pregnant belly. He wanted more interaction between Zheng Tingyang and the little one inside, and he could not help but press his belly against the man’s palm. “Then wake him up to say hello to you.”

“The little guy kicks so hard, you have no idea.”

Zheng Tingyang said apologetically, “I have been too busy. I will carry you back to the bedroom and read you a story. Would you like to hear one?”

Hearing this, Yu Yan’s beautiful, crescent-moon eyes looked a bit hurt. He hesitantly gripped the tip of Zheng Tingyang’s pinky finger and said softly, “I thought.”

“Thought what?” Zheng Tingyang murmured, leaning in to check the temperature of Yu Yan’s face, thinking he was unwell.

Yu Yan puffed out his cheeks in disappointment and pushed the pillow behind his lower back further in. “Did you not say that you wanted goodnight kisses and to live together in the future? Did I understand correctly? I am sorry.”

Zheng Tingyang noticed his movement of hiding the item. In an instant, a smile grew in his dark eyes. Leaning his kneeling body forward slightly, he asked, “So you brought your pillow?”

Yu Yan was flustered, feeling a sense of being tricked. He softly grumbled, “I did not.”

“Little Fish,” Zheng Tingyang could not help himself. He cupped Yu Yan’s face and lifted his chin, gradually moving toward his lips. “Why are you so cute?”

As he spoke, his breath moistened Yu Yan’s thin lips, as if bringing a wave of sweet warmth.

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