Ch 40: How To Be A Good Lackey

“Future wife? What does that mean? Is he going to marry Su Yuexiang?”

The thought struck Shao Ye like a blow. Had the two of them just been inside the room discussing exactly that?

The moment that possibility formed, his heart felt like it had dropped into an icy pit, cold to the core.

Seeing the grievance written all over his face, Pei Fangyan asked, “Why do you look like that?”

Shao Ye pulled a long face, clearly unhappy. “Seventh Uncle, I don’t like Su Yuexiang.”

Not liking her was only natural. If he did, that would be the real problem.

“And?” Pei Fangyan prompted.

Shao Ye knew what he was about to ask might be a bit much, but the discomfort in his chest wouldn’t let him keep quiet. Gathering his courage, he said, “So… could you not marry her?”

Pei Fangyan let out a soft laugh. “When did I ever say I was going to marry her?”

“She didn’t agree?” Shao Ye asked. It should have been good news, yet somehow it only made him more annoyed. How could she not agree?

Pei Fangyan sighed lightly and beckoned. “Xiao Ye, come closer.”

Without any guard up, Shao Ye leaned forward, resting on his elbows over the table. Pei Fangyan still found it too far. “Closer.”

So Shao Ye lowered himself even more.

Pei Fangyan lifted his hand and tapped him on the head. “What exactly is going on in that little brain of yours all day?”

Shao Ye let out an “ah,” rubbing the spot that had just been tapped, blinking in confusion. Had he said something wrong? Why was his uncle hitting him again?

Pei Fangyan had thought he’d made things obvious enough. Who would have expected that even after they’d slept in the same bed, this boy still hadn’t figured it out?

So slow, he sighed inwardly. If someone tricked him someday, what then?

As the elder, it was only right for him to teach him properly.

“When you and Su Yuexiang were kidnapped, who did I save?” Pei Fangyan asked.

Shao Ye almost said it hadn’t really come down to a life-or-death choice between the two of them, but then he remembered that after he came back, his uncle hadn’t seemed to care about Su Yuexiang at all.

He really hadn’t… right? Translated on Hololo novels. After all, these past few days Shao Ye had been by his side the whole time and hadn’t heard him mention her once.

Oh. So that meant he chose to save him.

Why not just say that directly? Why say—

Shao Ye suddenly froze, staring at Pei Fangyan. “Seventh Uncle, what you just said…”

His lips parted, then closed again. It felt too embarrassing to say out loud.

But Pei Fangyan had no such hesitation. “What did I say?”

“…save your future wife,” Shao Ye muttered, his voice getting quieter and quieter, his face turning red like a fully ripened apple.

Pei Fangyan looked at his shy expression and thought at least he wasn’t completely hopeless.

He nodded. “Yes. Is there a problem?”

Shao Ye’s mind was in chaos. He’d only given his uncle two options, hadn’t he? And that “future wife” had to be one of those two options.

His uncle saved him, not Su Yuexiang… which meant he was his uncle’s future wife?

He almost blurted it out loud. What a wildly improper thought!

This was his uncle. How could he even think of becoming his own aunt?

If this got out, what would Steward Liu think of him? What would Doctor Zhou think? What would the three dogs in the kennel think?

Rationally, Shao Ye knew something about this was very wrong. Something had definitely gone off track.

But emotionally… why did it feel a little… nice?

Pei Fangyan watched the expressions flicker across his face in just a few seconds and asked, “Figured it out?”

Shao Ye immediately shook his head like a rattle drum, afraid his uncle might see through what he’d just been thinking.

For once, Pei Fangyan showed unusual patience. “What part don’t you understand? Tell me. I’ll explain.”

Shao Ye had a faint feeling that letting his uncle “explain” might not end well, but he still couldn’t help asking, “Seventh Uncle, when you said you’d save your future wife… you were joking, right?”

“No,” Pei Fangyan said.

Shao Ye’s hands clenched into fists on the table. After hearing that answer, he tightened them further, his palms starting to sweat. Looking at Pei Fangyan, he tried to stay calm. “Your future wife… is between, um… me and Su Yuexiang, right?”

Pei Fangyan raised a brow. “What does this ‘um’ mean?”

“Um… it means…” Shao Ye stumbled, unable to say “me” out loud. In the end, he awkwardly lifted a hand and pointed at himself.

Pei Fangyan nodded in understanding. “You mean Xiao Ye yourself.”

Shao Ye: “……”

Wasn’t it enough to just know it in his heart? Did he have to say it out loud? What if the answer wasn’t what he hoped? How embarrassing would that be?

Pei Fangyan picked up his teacup, took a small sip, then continued, “It’s between you two. Anything else you want to ask?”

What else could he ask? Ask if he was going to become his own aunt?

At the thought, Shao Ye’s already flushed face turned even redder.

“No,” he said.

Pei Fangyan asked again, “Are you sure?”

Shao Ye shook his head. He didn’t need his seventh uncle’s help with the rest, he’d just go back and sort it out on his own.

But Pei Fangyan clearly had no intention of letting him off so easily. Rubbing his temple, he said with a hint of troubled softness, “So after hearing my confession, this is all the reaction Xiao Ye has?”

“Con… confession?” If Pei Fangyan hadn’t said it outright, Shao Ye truly wouldn’t have realized.

He lifted his head and met Pei Fangyan’s smiling gaze. Instantly, he didn’t know where to put his hands or feet. His face felt so hot it seemed like it might start steaming, like even his hair might catch fire if it went on any longer.

“Yes,” Pei Fangyan said, thoroughly enjoying Shao Ye’s flustered state. So cute. How could he be this cute?

“H-how could I be Seventh Uncle’s wife?” Shao Ye stammered. If his dad found out about this, he’d probably drop dead on the spot.

“Why not?” Pei Fangyan asked. Setting aside the fact that they weren’t related by blood, even if they were, he wouldn’t care.

Shao Ye opened and closed his mouth. He could think of plenty of reasons, like the fact that they were both men, or that they were uncle and nephew, or that his father would definitely never agree. But right now, he didn’t want to say any of them.

“Xiao Ye doesn’t want to?” Pei Fangyan asked again.

Did he want to, or not?

If he didn’t, then why had he cared so much about Su Yuexiang? Why, when he thought his uncle liked her, had he still not wanted them to get married?

Was it really just because his uncle’s legs had been ruined for her sake, so he disliked her? Then if his uncle were with someone else, would he be able to accept it?

…He couldn’t.

He should have realized long ago that his possessiveness toward Pei Fangyan went far beyond what a normal junior should feel.

Faced with the question, Shao Ye found he simply couldn’t say “no.”

When Pei Fangyan didn’t hear an answer, he pressed a hand to his chest, his voice faintly weakened as he asked, “Does Xiao Ye want me to marry someone else then? Or to live alone for the rest of my life?”

“…No,” Shao Ye said quietly.

Of course he wanted Pei Fangyan to be happy.

“Then how about becoming Seventh Uncle’s wife?” Pei Fangyan asked.

Don’t call yourself Seventh Uncle at a time like this! Shao Ye screamed internally. Didn’t he think this was strange at all?

Not only did Pei Fangyan not find it strange, he found it rather thrilling. “Well? Yes or no? Xiao Ye, say something, alright?”

Couldn’t there be a third option? Like going back to think it over first? This was all too sudden.

Just then, Pei Fangyan suddenly covered his mouth and began coughing violently, several times in a row. Alarmed, Shao Ye hurried around the table to him and patted his back.

Pei Fangyan stopped him. Once the coughing subsided, he said, “Xiao Ye, don’t mind me. If you haven’t figured it out yet, go back and think it over alone. I won’t rush you. Whether you agree or not, I can accept it.”

Shao Ye really did feel like he needed to calm down. With his uncle right in front of him, his thinking kept getting muddled. But seeing him cough like that, he couldn’t bring himself to leave him alone.

Should he call Steward Liu to take care of him? No, no, Steward Liu wasn’t reliable enough for this.

While Shao Ye was still wondering who else might be suitable, Pei Fangyan spoke again. “Xiao Ye, I was too abrupt today. Thinking about it just now, I really shouldn’t have confessed to you. After all, I’m nine years older than you, and your uncle. In the future, whether facing your father or the rest of the Pei family, it would only be awkward.”

What did that mean? Was he going back on his word?

Pei Fangyan sighed heavily and said, “Xiao Ye, why don’t you just pretend Seventh Uncle never said anything?”

So he really was taking it back!

How could he do that!

“No,” Shao Ye refused, his face stiff.

“Why?” Pei Fangyan asked, his tone unmistakably surprised.

“Because I already agreed,” Shao Ye said.

“Agreed to what?” Pei Fangyan asked.

Enough already!

Did he really have to make him say it out loud?

Shao Ye took a deep breath, but lost his nerve halfway through. “I agreed to be, um… um… your wife.”

“Hm?” Pei Fangyan looked at him with innocent confusion. “I didn’t quite catch what Xiao Ye just said.”

“I said I agreed to be Seventh Uncle’s wife!” Shao Ye blurted it all out in one breath, so fast some of the words blurred together.

Pei Fangyan rubbed his ear, apologetic. “Seventh Uncle’s getting old. Seems I still didn’t hear it clearly.”

Shao Ye pressed his lips together tightly, absolutely refusing to say it a third time.

Pei Fangyan found it a bit of a pity, but didn’t tease him further. Instead, he said, “Come here. Lower your head. Let me kiss you.”

His face really changed fast, didn’t it? Just a moment ago he said he regretted it, and now he wanted to kiss him?

Though grumbling inwardly, Shao Ye still obediently lowered his head. Pei Fangyan’s cool hand rested at the back of his neck, pressing him down further before tilting his own head up to kiss his lips.

Pei Fangyan’s lips were thin, cooler than Shao Ye’s, but soft. Not surprising. After all, no one’s lips were hard.

Shao Ye’s lips were soft and plump, like jelly. After kissing him for a while, Pei Fangyan gently bit down on his lip.

Like jelly, but not actually jelly, so why did it feel like he was about to eat him?

Shao Ye’s mind ran wild with random thoughts. Wasn’t this moving a bit too fast? They had only just confirmed their relationship, and now they were already kissing?

He wanted to say something about it, but the moment he opened his mouth, Pei Fangyan’s tongue slipped inside, stirring freely.

For a moment, Shao Ye’s breathing stopped, overwhelmed by the sensation as Pei Fangyan moved inside his mouth.

His other hand slipped under Shao Ye’s shirt, resting against his back.

This was really too fast. Shao Ye felt like he couldn’t keep up at all. Just how long had his Seventh Uncle been holding back? His eyes couldn’t help but sneak a glance downward.

Wow—

After a long while, the kiss ended. Shao Ye felt his tongue go slightly numb as he sat on the desk, breathing lightly. Pei Fangyan’s hand slid down from his waist, undoing his belt.

Shao Ye looked down. His fingers were long and nimble, the kind that seemed perfect for playing the piano.

In a daze, at the peak of that blinding white moment, he almost thought he saw him sitting at a piano, playing with focus.

It’s only polite to reciprocate. Since he had already been taken advantage of, shouldn’t he return the favor?

Coming back to his senses, Shao Ye jumped down from the desk and crouched. He felt pretty confident, thinking his “skills” had improved a lot, though he figured what mattered more was what his Seventh Uncle thought.

Pei Fangyan clearly didn’t notice any improvement, but he wasn’t in a hurry. He even casually picked up a document midway and flipped through a couple of pages.

Looking up at the cover of the document in his hands, Shao Ye felt deeply insulted. Was he really that bad?

After a moment of thought, Shao Ye lowered his head.

Pei Fangyan’s movements froze, and he immediately put down the document. His gaze darkened, burning with intensity.

To be honest, with how clumsy Shao Ye was, letting him do this was a bit risky. But Pei Fangyan had always liked taking risks. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have driven his car into a tree himself.

Still, it was much better than using his own hands, Shao Ye thought proudly.

Afterward, he went to the bathroom to rinse his mouth, then came back and sat directly on the floor, satisfied as he admired the “results” of his work.

Pei Fangyan let him look, and then, right before Shao Ye’s shocked eyes, everything seemed to reset as if what just happened hadn’t mattered.

Pei Fangyan didn’t seem too concerned. “By the way, Xiao Ye, your birthday is coming up soon, right?”

“Is it?” Shao Ye hadn’t really paid attention. His birthday was at the end of August, and he had never liked celebrating it much. After all, once his birthday passed, school would start again, and he wouldn’t even receive gifts from classmates, while having given out so many himself.

He pulled out his phone and checked the date. It really was in two weeks.

Pei Fangyan lowered his head and asked, “What do you want for your birthday?”

Shao Ye lacked nothing. Pei Fangyan had even given him a secondary card. Just a few days ago, he spent five million to pay off a debt, only to realize that the remaining balance was still an absurdly long string of numbers. That five million was barely anything.

After thinking seriously for a moment, he scooted closer and lay on Pei Fangyan’s knees, asking, “Seventh Uncle, anything is okay?”

“Anything,” Pei Fangyan nodded, placing his hand on Shao Ye’s head. His hair was short, a little prickly to the touch.

Rubbing his hands together excitedly, Shao Ye said, “Seventh Uncle, then let’s go watch a football match together!”

Pei Fangyan: “……”

How had he still not let that go?

He raised his other hand and rubbed his temple. “Xiao Ye, I think my mindset has improved a lot recently. I don’t need that kind of match to motivate myself anymore.”

“Really?” Shao Ye thought so too. Translated on Hololo novels. Compared to when he first returned to the country and saw him in the hospital, he did seem much better now. “Then let’s watch a normal football match?”

Pei Fangyan fell silent for a moment, then said, “Forget it. Let’s just watch the disabled one. At least it’s more interesting.”

---

Author’s Note:

【Can Seventh Uncle fans stop clinging on? Let the female lead stand on her own】

Stop forcing pairings all the time. Our female lead really doesn’t want to be tied to a gay man.

: Lmao, never thought I’d see the day when Seventh Uncle and the female lead would be considered a forced pairing. Times really have changed

: What happened? Weren’t they supposed to be the official couple?

: Please, look at the popularity rankings. Who’s riding whose coattails here?

: And where do you think Seventh Uncle’s popularity came from? You know exactly why

: Where did it come from? Obviously from our hard work voting

: Your hard work? Do uncle-nephew fans even acknowledge that?

: Seventh Uncle had the highest popularity from the start, before uncle-nephew CP even existed

: Ha, and why was it high? Don’t act like you don’t know. Female lead fans helped boost that too

: Have some shame. Why don’t you say we helped your female lead too? And why call Seventh Uncle gay?

: They’ve already kissed, and he’s still not? Don’t tell me you’re going with the old “he’s not into men, he just happens to like someone who’s a man” excuse

: It’s only like this in No. 6’s stream. Obviously No. 6 is cheating

: Here we go again, the cheating theory never fails to show up

: Only in No. 6’s stream? Maybe open your eyes and check the others

: (⊙o⊙)

: What about the other streams? Seventh Uncle has always been devoted to the female lead

: Devoted? You fans really dare say that with a straight face. Devoted how? In Stream 2, when he couldn’t sleep and went to chat with dogs? Or in Stream 4, when he built a gym in the old residence?

: That just shows he likes animals and wants to exercise

: Really? Likes animals so much he asked a dog if it needed a father?

: What exactly is he training? What can he even train?

: And in Stream 1, he was sketching a vase, but ended up drawing a faceless muscular man, while the female lead was still kidnapped. So devoted, huh

: (⊙o⊙)

: Maybe he was drawing what the kidnapper looked like

: The kidnapper’s appearance?

: That’s some stubborn denial

: And in Stream 3, when he went out to eat with the female lead, right after she said she didn’t like sweets, he ordered mango pudding. Everyone knows who in Neverland likes mango pudding

: (⊙o⊙)

: This is great, keep going, make it louder!

: Wait, you solo fans have been hiding all this good stuff and not sharing it with us? That’s unfair. uncle-nephew CP fans always tag you the moment something happens. Did you see Seventh Uncle confessing to No. 6 today? What do you think?

: Especially that OP who said “wife” might mean the female lead, are you still here? Say something

: Get lost!

≽^•⩊•^≼

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