Ch 42: How To Be A Good Lackey

The moment Shao Ye lifted his head, he saw Pei Fangyan sitting in his wheelchair across the pool. The branches above him were strung with colorful lights, illuminating everything brightly, yet somehow making the man beneath them look a little lonely.

Shao Ye sprang to his feet so suddenly that the people beside him were startled. Just as they were about to ask what he was doing, they saw him stride off toward Pei Fangyan.

The others thought to themselves that what happened earlier in the day couldn’t be blamed entirely on that cousin of his. Didn’t Shao Ye bear some responsibility too, acting this much like a lapdog?

When Pei Fangyan saw him approach, a gentle smile curved his lips. He looked up and asked, “So? Did you have fun?”

“Just okay,” Shao Ye replied. He had thought a pool party would involve racing to see who could swim the fastest, but everyone had just been admiring his muscles. Pretty boring.

The smile on Pei Fangyan’s lips deepened. Just “okay,” yet he looked this happy?

Lying again, was he? Looks like one round of punishment tonight wouldn’t be enough.

Steward Liu stood behind Pei Fangyan. Under the bright glow of the lights overhead, the marks on Shao Ye’s chest were fully exposed to his eyes. For the first time, Steward Liu resented the fact that, even at his age, his eyesight was still this sharp.

Those must have been scratches he made himself in his sleep… right?

And those bite marks… he must have done those himself too… right?

Steward Liu silently withdrew his gaze, unwilling to think further.

Neither of the two noticed his inner turmoil. Pei Fangyan asked, “Do you want to stay here and play a bit longer?”

Shao Ye shook his head. There really wasn’t much to do, aside from enjoying the exaggerated screams of admiration.

Well… maybe just a little.

“Then go change,” Pei Fangyan said, “and come with me to the front. I’ll introduce you to some people.”

Shao Ye agreed immediately and ran off toward the changing room.

Once again, only Steward Liu and Pei Fangyan remained nearby. After hesitating for a long moment, Steward Liu still couldn’t ignore what he had seen. He spoke softly, “Sir…”

“What is it?” Pei Fangyan asked.

“On Shao Ye’s chest… those marks, could they be—” Steward Liu had already prepared a reasonable explanation. Uneven patches like that could look like an allergic reaction.

Before he could finish, Pei Fangyan cut him off and admitted plainly, “I bit them.”

He even looked a little pleased with himself.

Steward Liu: “……”

All of a sudden, he didn’t feel quite so eager to continue being the steward of this household. Couldn’t the master at least give some warning before saying things like this? At his age, his heart really couldn’t take it.

When Shao Ye returned after changing, he saw Steward Liu standing stiffly beneath the tree, looking as if his soul had left his body. He turned to Pei Fangyan and asked, “What’s wrong with Steward Liu?”

Pei Fangyan replied calmly, “His professional ethics and moral principles are probably having an intense internal battle.”

That sounded profound, but Shao Ye didn’t really get it. He asked instinctively, “Is Steward Liu thinking about retiring?”

“No,” Steward Liu suddenly said, “I will continue to shine and contribute to the household.”

Shao Ye: “……”

What did that mean? That professional ethics had won?

Pei Fangyan added, “No need to shine. It’s bright enough already.”

He then brought Shao Ye, now back in his suit and looking like a proper adult, into the banquet hall. Most of the people still there, drinking and chatting, were business partners of the Pei family.

Pei Fangyan introduced Shao Ye to them, saying he was someone he valued highly, and that if they ever encountered him in the future, he hoped they would take good care of him.

Standing behind the wheelchair, Shao Ye simply flashed a standard wide grin, showing a neat row of white teeth whenever he was mentioned.

The guests thought to themselves that Pei Fangyan’s taste was… rather unusual.

Meanwhile, Steward Liu still felt as if he hadn’t quite woken up from a dream, drifting in a daze. But when he lifted his head and saw Pei Tiancheng squeezed to the edge of the crowd, he suddenly felt much better.

After all, why should he, a mere steward, worry so much?

The one who really ought to worry was Pei Tiancheng.

At that moment, Pei Tiancheng was preoccupied with figuring out how to quickly and convincingly establish his identity as Shao Ye’s biological father at this banquet.

All the bosses had gathered around Pei Fangyan, asking about his “son.” Listening from behind, Pei Tiancheng was nearly speechless. Was Pei Fangyan Shao Ye’s father, or was he?

If they wanted information about Shao Ye, they should be asking him!

One elderly gentleman, whether from old age or a slip of the tongue, directly referred to Shao Ye as “your son” when speaking to Pei Fangyan. Hearing this, Pei Tiancheng’s face darkened like charcoal. If he had known it would be like this, he would have had a sign made before coming, hanging it around his neck with the words “Shao Ye’s Dad” written in big letters.

The more he thought about it, the less he understood what Pei Fangyan was up to. His son was indeed doing well under him. The “Buddha” he had invited into his temple was certainly effective… just perhaps a little too effective.

And that old steward by Pei Fangyan’s side had been acting strange today too, constantly glancing over with a meaningful smile. Translated on Hololo novels. It sent a chill down Pei Tiancheng’s spine, as if something bad was about to happen.

Maybe when he got home, he should offer a few more prayers to the Buddha.

At that moment, an elderly gentleman in a suit, leaning on a cane, approached Pei Fangyan. After exchanging a few polite words, he suddenly said, “Fangyan, your nephew is quite handsome and impressive. I have a niece in her twenties. How about I introduce them?”

Pei Fangyan declined, “No need. He already has someone.”

The old gentleman asked curiously, “Oh? And which family is the young lady from?”

Pei Tiancheng squeezed back into the crowd from another angle. Hearing their conversation, he was just as eager to know. Which family’s daughter? How had he not heard a single thing about this?

Pei Fangyan had said he would introduce someone to his son, but wasn’t this efficiency a bit too high? He had already settled it this quickly?

“It’s me—” Pei Fangyan opened his mouth, about to publicly announce his new identity as “Shao Ye’s partner.”

Steward Liu, standing nearby, was so startled his limbs went numb. His master truly had no sense of propriety at all!

Fortunately, Shao Ye reacted quickly and covered his uncle’s mouth, saying to the old gentleman, “Confidential. Let’s keep it confidential for now.”

Unable to speak, Pei Fangyan lightly ran his tongue across Shao Ye’s palm twice. Tilting his head up to look at him, the smile in his eyes seemed ready to spill over.

Shao Ye blinked at him frantically. He had already spotted his father coming over, and he absolutely did not want to spend his birthday in the hospital with him.

Pei Fangyan gave a small nod, and only then did Shao Ye slowly withdraw his hand.

The onlookers, watching this exchange, all thought to themselves that the relationship between these two was truly close. Pei Fangyan was indulgent toward this nephew to an almost excessive degree.

Could it be that Shao Ye knew some kind of charm spell?

The old gentleman chuckled. “Alright, young people having a few secrets is normal. Since he already has someone, I won’t mention my niece. But Fangyan, you’re already in your thirties. Shouldn’t you start thinking about settling down?”

Pei Fangyan refused again. “No need. I have someone too.”

“You have someone as well?” the old gentleman asked in surprise.

That was indeed surprising. Several people exchanged glances. Not long ago, Pei Fangyan had been saying he wouldn’t live long and needed to arrange a successor early. Yet now he was saying he had a partner. Then why hadn’t that person shown up today?

Pei Fangyan nodded.

The old gentleman voiced everyone’s question. “Then why hasn’t your partner come?”

“They’re here,” Pei Fangyan said with a smile.

“Where? How come we haven’t seen them?” The crowd looked around, but no one spotted anyone who could possibly be his girlfriend.

Shao Ye stared intently at Pei Fangyan’s mouth, his right hand poised and ready, prepared to cover it again at any moment.

Pei Fangyan glanced up at him, let out a soft sigh, and said somewhat helplessly, “He won’t let me say.”

Still not allowed to say? What kind of mysterious partner was this?

No wonder he got along so well with Shao Ye, they even kept secrets in sync.

Steward Liu, who already knew the truth, stood there watching the confused faces around him, his gaze eventually landing on Pei Tiancheng’s equally bewildered expression.

It wasn’t until the birthday banquet was nearly over that Pei Tiancheng, the actual father, finally found a chance to pull his own son aside for a private word. Tragic. Truly tragic.

He dragged Shao Ye to a quieter corner and said, “Son, I need to ask you something. You have to tell me the truth.”

The seriousness in his father’s tone made Shao Ye’s heart skip a beat. Had his father discovered what was going on between him and his uncle?

He couldn’t help but feel nervous. Then he heard Pei Tiancheng ask, “Do you have a girlfriend?”

Shao Ye immediately shook his head. “No.”

“Really?” Pei Tiancheng stared into his eyes suspiciously.

Shao Ye widened his eyes with utmost sincerity. “Really.”

Pei Tiancheng frowned. “Then why did your uncle say you have someone? And what was that about keeping it confidential? What are you keeping secret?”

Shao Ye pressed his lips together, not daring to speak. It was true he didn’t have a girlfriend, but it was also true he did have someone.

That was something he didn’t dare tell his father just yet. He was afraid his father might break his legs in a fit of rage.

His uncle still couldn’t stand. If something happened to his legs too, then between the two of them, they wouldn’t even have a single good pair left.

Shao Ye awkwardly patched things up. “The secret… the secret is that I don’t have a girlfriend.”

Pei Tiancheng frowned. That logic didn’t sound right. Had his son’s brain regressed after spending time with Pei Fangyan?

Forget it. He decided to believe him for now and asked another question. “Then who is your uncle’s girlfriend? You’ve been staying at the old residence for so long, you must have seen her.”

Shao Ye gave a stiff smile. “…My uncle doesn’t have a girlfriend either.”

“What are you two even doing?” Pei Tiancheng asked. Today it was bad enough they were wearing matching suits, now even their “secrets” matched too.

A strong sense of crisis suddenly rose in Pei Tiancheng’s heart. Narrowing his eyes, he interrogated Shao Ye, “You didn’t secretly start calling your Seventh Uncle ‘dad’ behind my back, did you?”

Shao Ye: “……”

He immediately declared his innocence. “No, absolutely not.”

In this regard, he was still quite loyal to his father.

Pei Tiancheng gave an “oh,” then warned him, “And don’t you ever do it in the future, got it?”

Shao Ye nodded frantically.

The grand banquet lasted until nine in the evening. Translated on Hololo novels. Using his poor health as an excuse, Pei Fangyan took Shao Ye back early to rest.

Pei Tiancheng stood in the crowd holding a wine glass, watching their departing figures and grumbling to himself. If Pei Fangyan wasn’t feeling well, he could leave on his own, so why take his son with him?!

Steward Liu walked over, patted his shoulder, and said in a strange tone, “Eat more.”

You might not be able to eat much for quite a while after this.

Pei Tiancheng was full of confusion. What did that mean? Was that a provocation?

In the bedroom, Shao Ye had just finished showering and changed into loose clothes. Sitting by the bed, he was collecting the red envelopes. Pei Fangyan had also showered and was already in bed. After watching him for a while and doing some mental calculations, he asked, “Did you have fun today?”

It was fine, but following his Seventh Uncle around and watching him shut people down felt amazing. Especially seeing his cousins all pulling long faces while still having to obediently call him “Brother Ye,” Shao Ye felt like he was on cloud nine.

“Yeah, I had fun,” Shao Ye gave the birthday banquet high praise.

“That’s good,” Pei Fangyan said, though his tone sounded a bit lacking in energy.

Shao Ye quickly put down his phone and looked up at him. “Seventh Uncle, are you not happy?”

“No,” Pei Fangyan denied.

Obviously he was! Did he think he could fool Shao Ye’s sharp eyes?

“Seventh Uncle, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?” Shao Ye held his hand and asked while staring into his eyes.

Pei Fangyan lowered his gaze slightly and asked softly, “Xiao Ye, being with me… does it feel tiring for you?”

“Tiring? How?” Shao Ye asked. He hadn’t felt that at all.

What was his Seventh Uncle thinking about now?

Pei Fangyan said, “When I saw you playing with them by the pool today, I thought that if you were with them, you’d probably live more easily. My legs can’t walk and have no sensation. It’s already troublesome enough that you have to take care of me in daily life, and even… even in bed, you might have to do everything yourself.”

Although Shao Ye didn’t understand why his Seventh Uncle suddenly brought up bedroom matters, he felt this was the moment to give him a strong reassurance. He immediately said, “It’s fine, Seventh Uncle, I like doing it myself!”

“Really?” Pei Fangyan asked, not entirely convinced.

“Really,” Shao Ye nodded.

Pei Fangyan shook his head. “Forget it. You don’t have to comfort me. I was just a bit emotional seeing you having so much fun at the pool tonight. I’ll be fine tomorrow.”

Shao Ye didn’t believe him at all. He continued reassuring him, “I’m telling the truth! Seventh Uncle, trust me. I really like doing it myself. I work out every day just for that.”

Pei Fangyan quickly coughed, covering his mouth to hide the smile at his lips.

Why was he coughing now? Still didn’t believe him?

After coughing for a while, Pei Fangyan lowered his hand and said seriously, “Alright, alright, I believe you. I know Xiao Ye is very capable.”

But the way he said it clearly meant he still didn’t believe him!

“Seventh Uncle, I really can!” Shao Ye emphasized.

“I know, I know,” Pei Fangyan nodded.

Shao Ye felt like he was just brushing him off. He stared straight into Pei Fangyan’s eyes. Pei Fangyan seemed to instinctively want to avoid his gaze, but Shao Ye reached out and held his face, making him look directly at him.

After a moment, Pei Fangyan sighed softly. “I know Xiao Ye is very capable. It’s just that doing it yourself on top is different from your usual workouts. But it’s okay, being able to last ten minutes is already impressive.”

Ten minutes? Who was he looking down on?!

Tonight, he had to let his Seventh Uncle see just how deadly his waist could be. After thinking for a moment, Shao Ye jumped off the bed and said, “Seventh Uncle, wait for me. I’m going back to grab something.”

“What is it?” Pei Fangyan asked.

“Just… the stuff for going to bed,” Shao Ye said, his face flushed, though it was unclear whether from embarrassment or urgency.

He had secretly looked things up online before. If he didn’t prepare in advance, someone like his Seventh Uncle could really be life-threatening.

“I already said I believe you, you don’t need to go that far,” Pei Fangyan said gently. After a pause, he added, “But what you’re going to get… I have it in the bedside drawer. Take a look.”

Shao Ye: “?”

Something felt off. It was like he had somehow fallen into another trap.

He reached out and opened the drawer. Good lord, it was like a treasure chest. Besides the essentials, there were also many little items Shao Ye couldn’t even figure out how to use.

“Seventh Uncle, when did you prepare all this?” Shao Ye asked.

Pei Fangyan smiled. “I don’t remember. Maybe it’s always been there.”

Always… been there? Shao Ye glanced at the production dates. They were all from this month.

He felt like something wasn’t quite right and needed to go over things again, but Pei Fangyan didn’t give him the chance. “Bring them over. Seventh Uncle will help you.”

Shao Ye turned to look at him. The face that had been full of gloom just moments ago was now bright and lively again. That was way too fast!

⸻

Author’s Note:

【First time watching Neverland’s livestream. May I ask who No. 6 and Seventh Uncle’s partners are?】

: This isn’t your first time watching the stream, this is your first time using the internet, right

: How did you know? Boarding school, just got out today

: Didn’t you check the forum homepage?

: I did, but everyone was talking about fruit, no one mentioned the stream

: What fruit

: Navel oranges. Not sure if some brand is advertising, the whole homepage is praising how good they are

: ……

: Honestly, I don’t want to corrupt such a pure soul, it makes me feel guilty

: Is Seventh Uncle’s partner the female lead? The description says she’s his unforgettable first love

: snort

: Why are you laughing

: Nothing, just thought of something funny. Seventh Uncle and his partner… were “doing oranges”

: ???? Before the scene cut, wasn’t he with No. 6? No. 6 was supposed to massage his legs, where did the oranges come from?

: snort

: Why are you laughing again

: Nothing, I also thought of something funny. No. 6 and his partner… were “doing oranges”

: What do you mean? Are their partners the same person?

: ……

: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

: Stop teasing OP. Actually, Steward Liu went upstairs to deliver oranges to the two of them

: →_→

: Steward Liu was probably terrified, okay

: But the moment he saw Pei Tiancheng, he suddenly felt better

: Pei Tiancheng was hilarious, he was just short of making No. 6 swear not to call Seventh Uncle dad

: He got the numbers right but used the wrong formula

: Seventh Uncle, so this is what you’re like. That mouth of his really wants the whole world to know about his relationship with No. 6

: Clearly, Seventh Uncle has no moral burden left

: No. 6 covered his mouth so fast. If only his brain were half as fast as his reflexes, he wouldn’t get tricked so badly

: Pei Tiancheng is still there laughing like a fool

: Ah, I get it now. So Seventh Uncle and No. 6 are actually father and son, right? That makes everything make sense

: What kind of chaos is this!!!

: You understand nothing! Are you sharing a brain with No. 6?!

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