Nephew

"Lin Qiong!" Fu Xingyun's face darkened, and his voice was much colder than before.

Lin Qiong made a disgruntled sound, "Hmm?"

Fu Xingyun took a deep breath. "Get up."

The next moment, Lin Qiong closed his eyes, silently raised one hand with all five fingers spread out, resembling a lazy rooster waking up, and said, "Five minutes."

"..."

The man stared blankly and remained lying on the bed for five minutes.

After five minutes, Fu Xingyun said, "Lin Qiong, get up."

"Snooze..."

"..."

Fu Xingyun lifted the hand that wasn't pinned down and attempted to move Lin Qiong off of him. However, he noticed the dark circles under Lin Qiong's eyes and decided to leave him be.

Staring at the person who had been snoring on top of him, Fu Xingyun sighed helplessly, looking up at the ceiling.

It wasn't until around eleven in the morning that Lin Qiong finally woke up.

"Good morning."

Fu Xingyun's face remained cold. "It's not morning anymore."

Lin Qiong puzzledly raised his head and checked the time. "Good afternoon, then."

"..."

Lin Qiong slowly sat up, much like a koala, and then reached out to touch Fu Xingyun's forehead. "No fever anymore. Is your headache gone?"

The morning sunlight illuminated the side of Lin Qiong's face, making his fair skin appear even more translucent.

Fu Xingyun succinctly replied, "No headache."

Lin Qiong breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good. You were delirious from the fever yesterday."

Fu Xingyun glanced at him and asked, "For example?"

Lin Qiong organized his thoughts and said, "You were speaking without thinking."

"So that's your excuse for calling me a relative in the morning?"

Lin Qiong felt a sudden jolt in his mind, and an unfamiliar memory flooded in. He quickly explained, "I was half-asleep."

Fu Xingyun raised an eyebrow. 

Lin Qiong, with a determined face, said, "I was speaking without thinking."

Then Lin Qiong turned the tables. "But you were the one who called me first."

Fu Xingyun retorted, "So why did you go along with it?"

Lin Qiong blushed and lowered his head. "It's like, 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do.'"

"..."

Then he continued with a righteous tone, "But I absolutely didn't mean to take advantage of you."

Fu Xingyun looked at him.

Lin Qiong bashfully lowered his head. "I just wanted to strengthen the bond between us."

Silence.

"I'll go make some food." Lin Qiong swiftly changed the subject and got up, then sneaked out of the bedroom like a mouse that had found some cheese.

Fu Xingyun first took a shower in the bathroom and then got dressed before heading downstairs.

Looking at the vegetable porridge on the dining table, he glanced at Lin Qiong.

Lin Qiong, while plating his own plate, said to him, "You've just recovered from a fever, so it's better to have something light."

Fu Xingyun looked at the food on Lin Qiong's plate and asked, "Then what are you eating?"

Lin Qiong replied, "Steak."

Fu Xingyun asked, "Are you doing this on purpose?"

Lin Qiong looked surprised and said, "Of course not."

Then he put on a sad expression and continued, "I thought of you, but you suspected me."

Fu Xingyun looked at Lin Qiong's expression and was momentarily at a loss for words.

Lin Qiong feigned sadness and said, "I am eating steak, which is rich and meaty, just for you!"

Fu Xingyun asked, "So?"

"So, I'm eating it to make you crave it," Lin Qiong said, stuffing another big bite into his mouth.

"..."

Then, not forgetting to be considerate, Lin Qiong said, "Be sure to blow on your porridge when you eat it to avoid burning yourself."

Lin Qiong flashed a satisfied smile.

He really was considerate.

After lunch, Lin Qiong didn't push Fu Xingyun to go for a walk. Instead, he brought him to the French windows to bask in the sun.

Since Fu Xingyun had just recovered from a cold and autumn was approaching, it wouldn't be good for him to go outside and catch a chill. Lin Qiong brought over a chair for them to sit together.

Thinking of what Fu Xingyun had said to him while holding his hand in the middle of the night, Lin Qiong glanced at Fu Xingyun and lazily asked, "Isn't it comfortable to rest like this?"

He had always enjoyed sunny days like this. In the fall, as soon as the sun came out, he'd cover himself with a small blanket and bask in the sun to keep warm.

Fu Xingyun glanced at Lin Qiong.

Lin Qiong continued, "If you want to rest like this at any time, feel free."

Fu Xingyun looked visibly stunned. He was about to say something, but the next moment, they heard the sound of the doorbell ringing.

Ding dong—

Lin Qiong raised his fluffy head in surprise. "Who is it?"

Usually, nobody came to their house.

Fu Xingyun raised his hand, intending to roll the wheelchair. Lin Qiong got up first. "You keep enjoying the sun; I'll go see who it is."

Lin Qiong walked to the entrance and looked at the monitor displaying the front door. "Who is it?"

There was a sound from outside, and the voice sounded quite arrogant. "It's me."

Lin Qiong was puzzled. "Who are you?"

The person outside sounded impatient and declared, "I'm Fu Jinglin."

"I don't know you."

The person outside took a deep breath and said, "I'm here to see my uncle."

Knowing that there weren't many sane people in this book, Lin Qiong was on guard. "Who is your uncle?"

The person on the other end seemed visibly impatient and gritted their teeth. "Fu Xingyun."

Upon hearing this, Lin Qiong picked up the intercom to communicate with the person outside and craned his neck to shout inside, "Xingyun, someone's looking for you."

Coincidentally, Fu Xingyun was pushing the wheelchair toward the entrance. "Who is it?"

Lin Qiong pointed to the intercom. "Fu Jinglin, he says he's your nephew."

Upon hearing his name, Fu Xingyun's brows furrowed. "Tell him I'm not here."

Lin Qiong continued to relay the message. "Your uncle is not here."

Fu Jinglin, who was listening to everything through the intercom: ...

"I heard his voice."

Lin Qiong replied, "Auditory hallucination."

"So who was it that just said to tell me that he's not here?"

"My husband."

Fu Jinglin tentatively asked, "Lin Qiong?"

"That's me."

To Lin Qiong's surprise, Fu Jinglin exclaimed, "You're the one with the attitude!"

Lin Qiong: ???

Lin Qiong raised an eyebrow and looked at Fu Xingyun.

Fu Xingyun's expression soured. "Tell him to apologize."

Lin Qiong, complied, "Apologize!"

Upon hearing this, Fu Jinglin made a disgruntled sound. "What if I don't?"

Lin Qiong, unruffled, responded, "Then don't expect to come in."

"..."

Hearing that he wouldn't be allowed inside, Fu Jinglin got angry. "Why shouldn't I be allowed in?"

Lin Qiong remained composed. "Because this is my home."

The other person fell silent for a while and then forced out an apology, "I'm sorry."

Fu Xingyun heard this and calmly replied, "Open the door."

He then wheeled himself back to the living room. When Lin Qiong opened the door, a tall young man, strong and in his late teens, entered. He gave Lin Qiong a disapproving look and then put on some slippers and walked inside, carrying a large sports bag.

Fu Jinglin, standing in the living room, greeted him, "Uncle."

Fu Xingyun glanced at him and gave him a stern and cold look. He didn't say a word, but it felt as if he had said everything.

Fu Jinglin's expression turned somewhat grim as he sat down on the sofa.

Fu Xingyun asked, "What's the matter this time?"

Fu Jinglin had a deep expression and said, "I had an argument with my mom."

Lin Qiong, catching the scent of drama, grabbed an orange and sat down next to Fu Xingyun.

"What was it about this time?"

The use of the word "again" implied a recurring pattern.

"My mom just doesn't understand me, it's like everything I do is wrong."

Fu Xingyun calmly remarked, "Your mom's understanding is not wrong."

Lin Qiong was puzzled, thinking it might be a parenting issue.

Fu Xingyun continued, "When you returned after wandering off to save the world, your mom should have broken your legs."

Lin Qiong: "..."

Lin Qiong thought to himself, "Teenager rebellion, that's normal."

The book didn't provide much detail about Fu Xingyun's family, but through their conversation, Lin Qiong learned that the young man in front of him was the son of Fu Xingyun's sister. Due to their parents' divorce, he was raised by his mother and took her last name.

Fu Jinglin adjusted his hair in frustration and said, "Uncle, this time it's different!"

Fu Xingyun frowned and cautioned him, "Watch your tone."

Fu Jinglin repeated, "This time, Uncle, it's different."

Lin Qiong: ...

Fu Xingyun asked nonchalantly, "How is it different this time?"

Fu Jinglin began pouring his heart out like a machine gun, without stopping for a moment. Lin Qiong seized the opportunity to eat a piece of orange.

Mmm, it's quite sweet.

Then, Lin Qiong poked Fu Xingyun discreetly and picked up a slice, offering it to him. "Would you like some? It's quite sweet."

Although he asked verbally, his actions left no room for refusal.

Fu Xingyun turned his head away and said, "I can eat by myself."

Lin Qiong retorted, "I had to feed you yesterday."

Observing the orange slice in Lin Qiong's hand, Fu Xingyun accepted it and ate it without further resistance.

"She's just a tyrant, she doesn't understand me, she doesn't know me. I'm too tired. Uncle, isn't my mom too much?"

Fu Jinglin poured out his grievances, and when he looked up, he saw this scene.

Lin Qiong: ...

It was supposed to be a three-person conversation, but he was left as a third wheel.

Fu Xingyun cleared his throat under Lin Qiong's gaze and asked, "So, are you running away from home?"

Fu Jinglin replied, "I'm just giving my mom a little warning. She will definitely regret her actions."

Lin Qiong responded with an "Oh," and asked, "So you were kicked out, right?"

Fu Jinglin: "I'm just leaving to give my mom a little warning. She'll regret her behavior."

Lin Qiong pointed out, "You were kicked out."

Fu Jinglin, who felt Lin Qiong was hitting too close to home, scowled and said, "It's none of your business!"

Fu Jinglin: "Uncle, I'll stay at your place for a few days. I'll go back when my mom realizes her mistake."

Fu Xingyun frowned and asked, "Did you not do anything wrong in this matter?"

Normally, if Fu Jinglin doesn't do anything wrong, Fu Yuan won't get angry and kick him out.

Fu Jinglin fell into silence, as if he didn't want to discuss it further, and Fu Xingyun, sighing, didn't press the issue.

In the evening, Lin Qiong prepared dinner and called the two of them to eat. Then, he busied himself in the kitchen, preparing a special bone broth for Fu Xingyun.

After Fu Jinglin took his seat and saw the delicious soup, he boldly said, "Serve me a bowl."

Fu Xingyun frowned and retorted, "Don't you have hands?"