Ch 35: How To Be A Good Lackey

Seeing Shao Ye put down his knife and fork, Pei Fangyan asked, “Finished eating?”

Shao Ye nodded. “Seventh Uncle, I’ll take you back to the residence to rest.”

“No need,” Pei Fangyan said. “Let’s go check on your father first.”

Shao Ye looked confused. “Why?”

His dad was clearly still in a bad mood—better to stay far away for now, or he’d get sprayed in the face with spit.

It wouldn’t matter if he got yelled at, but what if some of that ended up hitting Seventh Uncle?

“I’m worried your father might have fallen into the water along with his phone,” Pei Fangyan said.

“That seems unlikely,” Shao Ye replied skeptically. Dropping a phone into water was one thing, but falling in with it? Had his dad eaten something strange for lunch?

“That’s not necessarily true,” Pei Fangyan said with a faint smile. “Better to go take a look.”

Shao Ye wanted to say that even if his dad really had fallen in, it might already be too late by the time they got there.

But he was still his father. Hearing this, Shao Ye couldn’t help feeling a bit worried. And now his calls weren’t going through either—he couldn’t reach him. It did seem necessary to go check.

Pei Tiancheng, however, hadn’t fallen into the river. He had simply been startled out of his wits. After dropping his phone into the water, he had crouched by the bank trying to retrieve it for quite a while, only to later realize that even if he got it back, it would be useless.

He drove to the nearest service center, replaced his SIM card, and bought a new phone. He didn’t dare make another video call to Shao Ye—afraid he might see that “vixen” again and have nightmares for days.

After thinking it over, he decided to explain things to the girl first. If she told her big-mouthed father, the entire mahjong circle would know by tonight that his son was gay. How would he face anyone after that?

He sent her a message, explaining that the person she saw at the restaurant was Shao Ye’s Seventh Uncle, not his partner.

The girl replied quickly, asking if they were related by blood.

Pei Tiancheng very much wished they were—but reality said otherwise. He could only answer honestly: no.

Soon after, the girl replied with a “hehe” and a smiling emoji. Seeing this, Pei Tiancheng finally relaxed. She seemed to have a good temper—maybe there was still hope for her and his son.

He lost interest in fishing and drove home. But just as he stepped out of the garage, he saw his “good son” pushing Pei Fangyan’s wheelchair toward the house.

Pei Tiancheng froze mid-step. Pei Fangyan hadn’t visited their home in years—why had he come today? Was he here to cause trouble? He might as well have stayed out fishing!

He quietly tried to retreat back into the garage, but his son spotted him from afar and waved enthusiastically. “Dad, you’re back?”

Pei Tiancheng froze again. This was exactly why he needed a smarter partner for his son!

Reluctantly forcing a smile, he walked over quickly, shot Shao Ye a glare, then turned to Pei Fangyan.

Shao Ye was baffled. Why was he being glared at again?

Pei Tiancheng put on an overjoyed expression. “Little brother, what brings you here in person? If you needed anything, you could’ve just told me—I would’ve gone to the residence. Why trouble yourself to come all this way?”

“I was worried you might have fallen into the water, so I came to check,” Pei Fangyan said mildly.

Pei Tiancheng choked on his words. That was definitely sarcasm. It had to be.

He forced a laugh. “Why would I fall into the water?”

“Didn’t your phone fall in?” Pei Fangyan asked.

And whose fault was that?! Pei Tiancheng felt his smile slipping. Was Pei Fangyan here to send him off to join his drowned phone? What had he done to deserve this?

It must be Shao Ye causing trouble at the residence again, offending this petty man. Pei Tiancheng shot him another glare.

Shao Ye: “…”

He began to suspect something was wrong with his dad’s eyes.

Pei Fangyan continued, “But why did you suddenly arrange a blind date for Xiao Ye?”

What was wrong with a blind date? The third brother’s son already had two kids, and no one said anything about that.

And the second brother’s—he kept breaking up and getting back together with his girlfriend.

Wait… speaking of the second brother, wasn’t Pei Fangyan’s “white moonlight” his ex-girlfriend? Could it be some kind of strange preference that made him so concerned about his son’s dating life?

Of course, Pei Tiancheng only dared think these things—he would never say them aloud. Smiling, he replied, “It wasn’t sudden. I’ve been thinking about it for a while. I just happened to find someone suitable recently, so I had him meet her.”

Pei Fangyan glanced back at Shao Ye and said, “He’s still young. Why the rush?”

“He’s not that young,” Pei Tiancheng said. “At his age, I was already close to divorcing his mother.”

Shao Ye wanted to complain. Even if that was true, did he have to sound so proud about it?

Pei Fangyan smiled. “Big brother, I’d like Xiao Ye to stay by my side for further training. When the time comes, I’ll find him a more suitable partner. What do you think?”

Pei Tiancheng didn’t quite trust that. Could he really be that kind-hearted? It felt more like a weasel paying respects to a chicken. But what could he possibly gain from this? Could it be that his son had some hidden talent he hadn’t noticed, but Pei Fangyan had?

He was reluctant to give up the girl from today’s blind date. She was highly educated and had a good personality. But he didn’t dare oppose Pei Fangyan—even when it concerned his own son’s marriage.

Back then, the fifth brother had resisted Pei Fangyan inheriting the family and went against him. Translated on Hololo novels. In the end, he landed himself in prison and still hadn’t come out. Pei Fangyan claimed it had nothing to do with him, but no one believed that—not even ghosts.

Pei Tiancheng had visited him last year. Remembering the way he had wept in prison, he simply didn’t have the courage to refuse.

So he forced a smile. “That sounds great, of course.”

But this concerned his son’s future happiness. As a father, he had to at least try. Carefully, he added, “Little brother, could you find Xiao Ye someone with a slightly higher level of education?”

Pei Fangyan nodded readily. “Is MIT good enough?”

“Enough, enough!” Pei Tiancheng nodded vigorously. Then he paused, remembering something, and asked, “Wait, little brother, weren’t you also a graduate of that university?”

“I was,” Pei Fangyan admitted openly.

Pei Tiancheng nodded in understanding. Since Pei Fangyan had that connection, his words suddenly seemed a bit more credible.

After meeting with Pei Tiancheng and neatly settling the matter, Pei Fangyan brought Shao Ye back to the old residence with him.

After they left, Pei Tiancheng sat alone on the living room sofa, unable to figure it out no matter how much he thought. Why would Pei Fangyan suddenly want to introduce a partner to his son? Could it be that his idiot son had somehow caught his eye? Impossible. There had to be a scheme behind this—definitely a scheme.

What exactly was Pei Fangyan trying to do?

Ah—Pei Tiancheng scratched the few remaining strands of hair on his head. Too hard to figure out.

After returning to the residence, Shao Ye immediately made sure Pei Fangyan had something to eat, then went to find the steward and, with great seriousness, criticized his work:

“Steward Liu, how could you let Seventh Uncle go out alone? Even if you’re busy, you should arrange for someone to accompany him.”

Steward Liu: “……”

What gave Shao Ye the impression that he had any authority over the master?

Shao Ye continued, “Next time Seventh Uncle goes out, remember to call me. I have time—I can go with him.”

Steward Liu: “……”

Ah, so that was the real point.

Maintaining his usual composure, Steward Liu replied, “You should discuss that with the master yourself. It depends on his approval.”

Half convinced, Shao Ye returned to the rest room. Pei Fangyan had already finished eating and was reclining on the bed, holding a freshly drafted contract while discussing details over the phone with a subordinate.

Shao Ye entered, saw he was working, and quietly sat on the sofa to wait. Only after Pei Fangyan hung up did he speak:

“Seventh Uncle, why are you working again? Didn’t you say you hadn’t rested well?”

Pei Fangyan set down his phone and turned to him. “If I don’t work, how will I give you spending money?”

“Then I’ll just spend less,” Shao Ye said. But even if he spent less, it wouldn’t make much difference. His eyes rolled, and he suggested, “Seventh Uncle, how about cutting off everyone else’s share from the Pei family?”

Pei Fangyan laughed. “Including your father’s?”

Shao Ye hesitated. That was his biological father after all… he needed to think—no, wait, wrong script. “Don’t cut it all. Leave the old man a little.”

Pei Fangyan chuckled softly. “It’s fine. I couldn’t sleep anyway—might as well stay busy.”

“Then I’ll give you a massage,” Shao Ye said, getting up and walking over.

Pei Fangyan gave a slight nod.

Standing by the bed, Shao Ye took a deep breath. He hadn’t given Pei Fangyan a massage for three full days, so he worked especially hard today. Before long, he was drenched in sweat. Used to it by now, he simply took off his shirt.

Pei Fangyan lifted his gaze slightly, his eyes sweeping unabashedly over Shao Ye’s chest again and again. He imagined the feeling of dragging his fingers across it—or biting down hard, leaving a deep mark that would remain whenever Shao Ye took off his clothes.

So slow, he thought helplessly. How could he still not have noticed after all this time? Did he really have to say it himself?

Pei Fangyan’s thoughts simmered quietly, but Shao Ye remained completely unaware—if anything, he was enthusiastically adding fuel to the fire.

“Seventh Uncle, who do you think gives better massages—me or Dr. Zhou?” Shao Ye asked eagerly.

“You,” Pei Fangyan answered without hesitation.

Shao Ye turned his head sharply, looking at him in surprise. “Seventh Uncle, can you feel it now?”

“No,” Pei Fangyan said. “You look better.”

He looked even better that day in the bathroom without clothes—but unfortunately, Shao Ye failed to grasp the deeper meaning behind his words.

He simply gave an “oh.” Being praised for his looks made him happy, but he would have preferred to win by skill.

He refocused and continued honing his technique.

Wait… Seventh Uncle wasn’t using a blanket today. Was the room temperature more comfortable?

Wait—wait—what is that?!

Shao Ye didn’t dare turn his head directly. Instead, he kept glancing sideways with his eyes.

Whoa—

Was it what he thought?

He pressed his lips together, wanting to pretend he hadn’t noticed—but it was too obvious. After a while, his gaze kept drifting back there on its own.

How could it be so…

He swallowed. As a nephew, witnessing something like this was honestly awkward. Translated on Hololo novels. But didn’t Seventh Uncle feel anything? It didn’t look like he felt nothing at all!

Shao Ye tried to keep his focus on his hands, but the image lingered in his mind. He couldn’t concentrate on the massage at all. Thinking about it made his hands feel weak.

In the end, he couldn’t hold back and called out, “Seventh Uncle…”

“Hm?” Pei Fangyan looked at him. “What is it?”

“That… over there…” Shao Ye couldn’t say it outright, so he tried to hint with his eyes.

Pei Fangyan understood immediately, but his reaction was calm. “No need to worry about it.”

Really no need? It looked like it definitely needed some attention!

Shao Ye knew it wasn’t appropriate for him to ask, but sometimes not asking was unbearable—just as uncomfortable as the problem itself. He couldn’t help asking, “Seventh Uncle, doesn’t it bother you?”

“It’s fine,” Pei Fangyan replied, picking up the remote and lowering the room temperature slightly.

To Shao Ye, this just looked like stubborn denial—clearly trying to solve the problem with physical cooling.

“Seventh Uncle, how about I go make you some tea?” Shao Ye suggested, hoping to give him some privacy to deal with it.

“No need,” Pei Fangyan said lightly. “Too much trouble. I’ll just leave it like this.”

He can’t even be bothered to move?!

Shao Ye couldn’t understand it. When his Seventh Uncle had nothing to do, he would still read contracts, yet now he was too lazy to move. What kind of terrifying level of self-restraint was this?!

Since his Seventh Uncle said not to worry about it, it would seem a bit strange if he kept pressing the matter.

But wouldn’t holding it in cause problems?

Shao Ye absentmindedly pressed his legs a couple of times, then finally gathered the courage and said, “Seventh Uncle, how about I help you?”

“How would you help?” Pei Fangyan asked, still looking rather uninterested.

Shao Ye paused, then said uncertainly, “…with my hands?”

Pei Fangyan refused outright. “No need. I’m your Seventh Uncle. What would it look like for you to do that?”

That made sense, but then again, he had already massaged his legs. Massaging a bit more somewhere else shouldn’t be a big deal, right?

Thinking this way, Shao Ye felt even more that it was his duty, especially since for something like this, who else in the old residence could help relieve Seventh Uncle’s burden? Translated on Hololo novels. He said to Pei Fangyan, “Seventh Uncle, don’t be embarrassed. I won’t tell anyone. This will stay between the two of us.”

Pei Fangyan: “……”

“No need,” he still refused. Picking up the remote, he added, “I’ll turn the temperature down. It’ll be fine in a bit. Put your clothes on.”

Shao Ye quickly reached out and snatched the remote from his hand, saying unhappily, “Seventh Uncle, don’t you know your health isn’t great? What if you catch a cold?”

Pei Fangyan let him take the remote and said, “I’ll be fine. I know my limits.”

What limits!

“Seventh Uncle, are you thinking about Su Yuexiang again?” Shao Ye narrowed his eyes slightly, scrutinizing him.

Pei Fangyan didn’t know why he suddenly brought up Su Yuexiang. If Shao Ye hadn’t mentioned her, he would have almost forgotten there was such a person in the old residence.

“It has nothing to do with her,” Pei Fangyan said.

Shao Ye pressed on, “Then do you dislike me?”

“No.”

Shao Ye stared at him without speaking, his expression clearly saying: you do.

Pei Fangyan sighed, as if pushed into a corner.

“Fine, go ahead,” he finally said helplessly with a sigh.

Author’s Note:

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【Who do you think will end up with the most inheritance in this instance? I finally saved up 5,000 points and don’t know who to bet on】

: Bet on No. 6. Our No. 6 has been clever since he was young.

: Yeah, so clever he gave football tickets to a disabled man.

: What’s wrong with football tickets! What’s wrong with football tickets! Seventh Uncle loves them!

: Listen to me, bet on No. 3. I think No. 3’s scheming can rival He Jiahuai’s.

: What if No. 3 loses?

: Then pretend I didn’t say anything.

: …

: Aren’t you considering No. 1? He’s already gotten several patents.

: This is about choosing an heir, not an inventor.

: But the title is asking which volunteer gets the most inheritance, right? It must be someone other than the heir, otherwise how could they beat the NPCs?

: Definitely our No. 6. The spouse is the first in line to inherit!

: If Seventh Uncle wanted No. 6 dead, he could just hand the Pei family over to him.

: Honestly, I think Seventh Uncle is quite healthy. Feels like he could live for decades. No need to make a will at all. I even have screenshots as proof.

: Show us the screenshots.

: Please enjoy: No. 6 swallowing.gif

: ???

: Did you upload the wrong image?

: No, this is the proof.

: What did he see to react like that?

: No idea. The next shot just cut to koi.

: Oh, then I think I know.

: He must have seen the koi were too fat, right! Definitely!

: Looks like Seventh Uncle’s body is indeed quite… solid and big.

: …please talk normally, stop making it weird

: By “hype to kill,” do you mean lifting him onto the bed and then killing him?

: Yeah, I don’t really get it either. Can you explain?

: At this point, what is there left to explain?

: Explain how exactly he’d “kill” him on the bed

: How else? If it were the president, you could at least argue whether it’s from above or below. With Seventh Uncle, is there even room for debate?

: Seventh Uncle: Do you have any manners?

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