After Being Reborn as the Chief Eunuch Chapter 90

Chapter 90: Extra 18

When Li Zhan learned at the dinner that Fourth Young Master had returned, he felt uneasy.

His fourth younger brother had always been annoying, especially in the way he liked to tease Ji Qingzhou.

In the past, whenever that brother came home from school, Li Zhan would deliberately take Ji Qingzhou away—either to stay at their house in the suburbs or to stay in a hotel.

Li Zhan himself was not afraid of him; he simply did not want Ji Qingzhou to experience any discomfort because of him.

That annoying little troublemaker was incredibly irritating, and the only way to avoid being bothered was to keep as far away from him as possible.

But this time, his brother had returned suddenly, and Li Zhan had not had time to prepare.

The most troublesome part was that tonight, Ji Qingzhou was home alone.

The thought of Ji Qingzhou having to deal with that pest by himself made Li Zhan even more uneasy.

“Drive faster!” Li Zhan urged the driver repeatedly from the car.

He had just tried calling Ji Qingzhou, yet the person who answered the phone was his fourth brother.

This meant that the brother had gone into Ji Qingzhou’s room and taken his phone…

“Third Young Master, there’s no need to worry too much. Fourth Young Master still knows his limits,” the steward tried to reassure him.

Li Zhan’s gaze turned icy. He looked out at the night outside the window and said coldly, “He better have some sense, or else…”

He did not finish his sentence, but the words left unspoken seemed to fill the car with layers of chill. The driver instinctively pressed the accelerator, afraid that Third Young Master’s anger would somehow fall on him.

The car sped along the road and soon arrived at the Li residence. As soon as it stopped, Li Zhan opened the door and strode toward the hall.

The steward ran quickly to catch up and helped open the door for Li Zhan.

The moment the door opened, a series of wails came from inside.

Li Zhan’s eyes swept across the hall and saw his fourth brother sitting on the sofa, his eyes swollen like walnuts. The cries had come from him. Seeing his brother like this, Li Zhan felt a slight sense of relief—better for this annoying pest to suffer than Ji Qingzhou.

Around Fourth Young Master stood ten family doctors. They were helping rinse his eyes with medicine. His eyes had been poked by Ji Qingzhou earlier, then exposed to bath soap, and now were swollen and painful as if he had been punished.

“Stop it! It hurts too much!” Fourth Young Master shoved the doctor away and grabbed a tissue to rub his eyes.

“Fourth Young Master, bath soap is already irritating to the eyes. If it’s not properly rinsed, it will only feel worse,” the doctor patiently advised.

Li Zhan furrowed his brows, scanning the hall. He did not see Ji Qingzhou anywhere and felt anxious. He needed to see with his own eyes that Ji Qingzhou was alright; otherwise, he could never be completely at ease.

He began heading quickly toward the stairs, intending to go up and check, when the sound of a door behind him announced that his father had returned earlier than expected.

Although anxious, Li Zhan stopped in his tracks.

With his fourth brother’s behavior, if he wasn’t present, there was no telling what mischief would occur.

“Dad, you have to take my side! Someone nearly blinded me!” Fourth Young Master, knowing Li Zhan would always protect Ji Qingzhou, had not even complained when seeing Li Zhan. Now, seeing his father, he rushed forward to cling to him, on the verge of tears.

Father Li saw his eyes red and swollen, his face covered with medicine from rinsing, and instinctively leaned back, asking, “What happened?”

The Li family had many children, and Father Li was partial in his affections. He had never favored his mediocre fourth son, so upon seeing him in such a state, he did not feel pity; instead, he instinctively assumed the brat had done something wrong.

Fourth Young Master was busy playing the victim, speaking incoherently, when one of the nearby doctors interjected, “Fourth Young Master has some bath soap in his eyes. I’ve rinsed it already. We’ll take him to the hospital for a checkup soon. There shouldn’t be any serious problem.”

“Not serious? I almost went blind!” Fourth Young Master protested.

Before his father could ask more, Li Zhan stepped forward and pulled his fourth brother away from him, his voice carrying a reprimand: “You’re a grown man. How can you be so careless as to get soap in your eyes while bathing?”

“It’s not me—it’s Ji… ugh!” Fourth Young Master didn’t finish his sentence. Li Zhan suddenly tightened his grip on his arm. Afraid of his brother’s anger, he dared not argue and fell silent.

The observant steward quickly changed the topic: “It’s not just Fourth Young Master who returned early today. Little Young Master has also come back.”

Li Zhan was startled. He glanced at the steward, somewhat surprised.

The “Little Young Master” the steward mentioned was Li Zhan’s eldest brother’s child, named Li Cong.

Li Zhan’s eldest brother had gone abroad as a child, married, and had a child years ago. Recently, he had been going through a divorce and could not care for the child. Father Li had the child sent back home to spare him the turmoil and distress caused by his parents’ divorce abroad.

None of them had expected the child to arrive so quickly.

And judging from what the steward said, the child had been sent back by someone else.

Li Zhan thought to himself that his eldest brother was truly unreliable. Not only had he mismanaged his marriage, but now he had been careless with his child—he didn’t even personally bring the child back, nor had he properly informed them of the exact date. Otherwise, Li Zhan and Father Li wouldn’t have gone to that dinner tonight.

“Where’s Cong’er?” Father Li asked, a trace of a smile on his face. Clearly, his concern for this grandson far exceeded that for his fourth son.

The steward quickly replied, “I’ll go upstairs and call Little Young Master down right away.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Ji Qingzhou came down the stairs holding Li Cong.

“Grandpa, I missed you so much!” Li Cong stretched his arms out toward his grandfather from a distance. Father Li’s face immediately lit up, and he stepped forward to take Li Cong from Ji Qingzhou.

“Cong’er has grown taller and heavier since the last time we met,” Father Li said with a bright smile. The two had met several times before, but always abroad. This was only Li Cong’s tenth formal visit back to the Li household, so Father Li was very affectionate toward him.

Li Zhan, taking advantage of no one noticing, quickly scanned Ji Qingzhou from head to toe. Seeing him unharmed, he felt slightly relieved. Ji Qingzhou noticed his gaze and smiled at him, signaling that he need not worry.

Meanwhile, Fourth Young Master stood awkwardly, left unattended, while even the doctors busied themselves with the little young master. Fourth Young Master squinted his swollen eyes and, spotting Ji Qingzhou descending the stairs, grew furious. He rushed forward to grab him but was quickly restrained by Li Zhan’s swift reaction.

“Grandpa, I’m scared,” Li Cong exclaimed, terrified by Fourth Young Master’s actions. He clung to Father Li’s neck tremblingly.

“Old Four, what are you doing?” Father Li scolded displeasedly. “Be careful not to frighten Cong’er!”

Fourth Young Master, his eyes already swollen like walnuts, said, “Dad, why don’t you ask me who did this to my eyes?”

As soon as he spoke, Li Zhan’s hand at his side clenched into a fist. Ji Qingzhou, standing behind him, also looked tense.

Today’s incident had been Ji Qingzhou who struck Fourth Young Master.

If Father Li pressed the issue, it would indeed be difficult to explain…

Li Zhan’s father looked at Fourth Young Master, then briefly at Ji Qingzhou, before asking, “Your eyes…”

“Grandpa! Fourth Uncle was holding a snake to scare me, and I was so frightened!” Li Cong suddenly spoke up.

“A snake? There’s a snake in the house?” Father Li glared at Fourth Young Master. “Explain yourself. Why were you using a snake to scare Cong’er?”

Fourth Young Master hurriedly tried to explain, “Dad, listen to me. I wasn’t trying to scare Cong’er. I was trying to scare…”

“Scaring anyone is not allowed! The Feng Shui master specifically said last time that our house must avoid these things. Are you trying to ruin our family’s feng shui?” Li Zhan interrupted him sharply.

Li Zhan’s reminder brought the matter back to Father Li’s mind. His face darkened further.

Having been in business for so many years, Father Li believed in everything and especially respected feng shui.

“You little bastard. When you stay away from home, it’s quiet and peaceful. Come back, and all you know is to cause trouble,” Father Li scolded Fourth Young Master. “If you ruin the house’s feng shui, can you take responsibility?”

Fourth Young Master hurriedly said, “Dad, I’m sorry! I really didn’t mean it! I just thought it would be fun…”

“Fun, fun, fun! All you ever know is fun. How old are you now?” Father Li grew angrier. “Look at yourself! With a face like that, going out, don’t say you’re my son—you’ll shame the Li family!”

Fourth Young Master’s eyes already hurt, and after this scolding, he looked like a frostbitten eggplant.

After venting his anger, Father Li felt slightly better. He reached out and patted Li Cong’s little head, coaxing him, “Don’t be afraid, Cong’er. Grandpa is here.”

“Dad, stop being angry. Rest early,” Li Zhan said.

Father Li glanced at him and then said, “Let’s move Cong’er to another place to stay tonight. Get rid of all those dirty things, and tomorrow we’ll have a master come and reset the arrangements to avoid bad luck.”

“Dad, what about me if you all leave?” Fourth Young Master asked anxiously.

“You stay here and reflect behind closed doors. If you ever bring those messy things inside again, don’t even think about coming back!” Father Li said and then left the room carrying Li Cong.

Li Zhan shot Fourth Young Master a cold glare before taking Ji Qingzhou with him as they followed.

Fourth Young Master sat on the sofa, feeling utterly hopeless. A doctor beside him held medicine and said, “Fourth Young Master, we still need to rinse your eyes again, otherwise the pain will last through the night.”

“So annoying!” Fourth Young Master wailed, tears welling, and had no choice but to endure the treatment.

“It will probably stay swollen for two or three days,” the doctor said while rinsing.

Hearing this, Fourth Young Master wailed even louder, though by now only the family doctors could hear him…

That night, all of the Li family except Fourth Young Master moved to another house in the suburbs. That house was regularly maintained, with daily necessities and spare clothing ready, so the sudden move caused them no inconvenience.

“Grandpa, can I sleep with Zhouzhou tonight?” Li Cong asked, hugging Father Li’s neck.

“Of course,” Father Li replied. Being older, he could no longer stay up late and was already feeling sleepy, so he was more easygoing than usual.

Li Cong’s face lit up. He kissed Father Li on the cheek and then threw himself into Ji Qingzhou’s arms.

Ji Qingzhou carried Li Cong to the guest room. He first helped the little one take a bath and then blow-dried his hair. After all that fussing, Ji Qingzhou felt a bit tired, but Li Cong seemed full of energy.

“Are you asleep?” Li Zhan’s voice came from outside the door.

Ji Qingzhou quickly got up and opened the door, seeing Li Zhan standing there, holding a toy box.

“Cong’er has jet lag and probably won’t sleep before half past ten, so I brought some toys for him,” Li Zhan said.

Ji Qingzhou reached out to take the box, but Li Zhan didn’t hand it over. Instead, he walked straight into the guest room.

Li Zhan set the toy box down and pulled out the toys. Li Cong sat on the carpet, smiling brightly, occasionally glancing at Ji Qingzhou.

“Stop staring at me—play by yourself,” Li Zhan said. After arranging the toys, he sat cross-legged next to Ji Qingzhou.

Ji Qingzhou turned to glance at him, his eyes flickering with a hint of avoidance.

“Did he scare you?” Li Zhan asked softly.

The two of them had never had the chance to be alone before. Li Zhan had been worried all along and hadn’t even asked.

“No,” Ji Qingzhou said. “I’m not three years old. I can’t just let him bully me all the time, can I?”

“Hmm. Too bad Old Four doesn’t know how capable you are. That eye of his probably won’t heal in two or three days,” Li Zhan said with a smile.

Ji Qingzhou smiled along with him and then asked, “Aren’t you going back to rest?”

“I’m afraid you’ll have nightmares about the snake, so I wanted to stay and sleep with you,” Li Zhan replied.

Ji Qingzhou was momentarily stunned and instinctively glanced at Li Cong.

Li Cong, like a little rascal, winked at Ji Qingzhou but didn’t say anything.

“We used to watch horror movies together, and you’d always sleep with me. Why are you acting shy now?” Li Zhan asked.

“I’m not shy,” Ji Qingzhou lightly cleared his throat. “I’m just worried you won’t sleep well.”

Li Zhan scooted a little closer, resting his head against Ji Qingzhou. “With you here, how could I possibly sleep badly?” he said.

Li Zhan was taller than Ji Qingzhou, so leaning against him required hunching slightly. It looked uncomfortable, but whether he didn’t feel it or simply liked leaning against him, he stayed in that position for quite a while without moving.

“Then go take a shower first,” Ji Qingzhou said, gently pushing him.

Li Zhan placed his hands on Ji Qingzhou’s knees for support, and obediently got up to go to the bathroom.

Having spent so many years together, they had developed a tacit understanding.

Sometimes they didn’t even need words to sense each other’s emotions.

For example, tonight, Ji Qingzhou could sense Li Zhan was a bit annoyed, probably upset by Fourth Young Master.

Li Zhan, in turn, felt Ji Qingzhou was strangely awkward, a little unnatural when around him.

Ji Qingzhou watched Li Zhan enter the bathroom. Once the door closed, he finally exhaled slightly.

“Are you shy?” Li Cong suddenly asked.

“Shh,” Ji Qingzhou gestured for silence and whispered, “Don’t say anything in front of your uncle.”

Li Cong smiled. “I’m very obedient. I never speak out of turn when I promise someone something.”

“A gentleman keeps his word…” Ji Qingzhou extended his pinky finger. Li Cong hooked his pinky with Ji Qingzhou’s and said, “A promise is not to be broken!”

And so, the little pair quietly made a “secret agreement.”

“I forgot to bring my pajamas,” Li Zhan’s voice came from the bathroom a moment later.

Ji Qingzhou got up to fetch a set of pajamas and brought them to the bathroom door.

“Bring them in. I’m trimming my nails,” Li Zhan said.

Ji Qingzhou hesitated for a moment, then pushed the door open, stepped inside, and placed the pajamas on the shelf.

A moment later, Li Zhan came out of the bathroom wearing only his pajama pants. Ji Qingzhou’s gaze fell on him, and his ears flushed red; he quickly looked away instinctively.

“This guest room is the one you usually stay in, so the pajamas were made to fit your size. Mine are a bit tight,” Li Zhan complained as he walked over and sat down next to Ji Qingzhou.

“I can go next door and get you another set?” Ji Qingzhou offered, standing up.

Before he could move, Li Zhan grabbed his wrist and pulled him back.

Li Zhan hadn’t meant to make things complicated; he could have just worn the tight pajamas. But Ji Qingzhou, already a bit unsettled, lost his balance when Li Zhan tugged him and unexpectedly tumbled forward.

Li Zhan reached out and caught him, holding him squarely in his arms.

The position was naturally intimate, and with Li Zhan’s bare upper body, the atmosphere in the room instantly shifted.

“Wow!” Li Cong clapped his small hands and said, “It’s just like in that movie! Uncle, are you going to kiss? If you’re going to kiss, I’ll close my eyes, okay?”

He held up his tiny hands as if to cover his eyes, but his fingers had gaps through which his wide eyes peeked, watching the two intently.

Ji Qingzhou felt extremely embarrassed and quickly tried to scoot aside, his face already burning bright red.

Li Zhan hadn’t thought much of it initially, but seeing Ji Qingzhou blush instantly made his mind wander, stirring both his body and emotions.

“Go play with your toys properly!” Li Zhan cleared his throat, forcing himself to focus on Li Cong instead.

Li Cong giggled and winked at Ji Qingzhou. “I won’t tell. Why are you shy?”

Li Zhan froze for a moment, puzzled, and looked at Ji Qingzhou. “Are you two hiding something from me?” he asked.

“No,” Ji Qingzhou replied.

“Yes,” Li Cong said.

The two answered almost simultaneously—but their answers were completely different, which immediately piqued Li Zhan’s curiosity.

“You promised me you wouldn’t tell,” Ji Qingzhou said to Li Cong.

“I won’t tell Uncle,” Li Cong explained, “but I can’t lie.”

He meant he could keep Ji Qingzhou’s secret, but he had to let Li Zhan know that there was a secret between them. Ji Qingzhou was exasperated by this logic, but found the child oddly endearing.

In truth, today’s events had gone smoothly thanks to Li Cong’s quick thinking. Otherwise, with Fourth Young Master’s mischievous nature, he would have tried to stir trouble in front of Father Li. Ji Qingzhou might not have been thrown out, but some minor grievances would have been unavoidable. If Li Zhan got involved, the situation could have been even harder to manage.

Fortunately, Li Cong’s cleverness turned a potential minor crisis into averted trouble.

Ji Qingzhou looked at Li Cong and felt an inexplicable sense of closeness. Although it was only their tenth meeting, he felt as if he had known the child for a long time.

“What exactly is going on?” Li Zhan asked, curiosity clearly piqued by their behavior.

Ji Qingzhou, not wanting to be pressed further, stood up and said, “I’m going to take a shower.”

Before leaving, he gave Li Cong a meaningful look. Seeing Li Cong flash a small “OK” hand gesture, he finally felt reassured.

The bathroom still held lingering steam from Li Zhan’s recent shower.

Ji Qingzhou lingered inside, and his already restless thoughts became even more tangled.

He had always thought he kept his feelings well-hidden, but today, that little rascal Li Cong had pierced through his heart in just a few words…

At a certain age, young people inevitably develop vague, fluttering emotions.

Ji Qingzhou had realized his feelings for Li Zhan the previous winter.

They had grown up together since childhood. When they first met, Ji Qingzhou was only eight years old; now he was eighteen. For years, Ji Qingzhou had considered Li Zhan his closest friend. Outsiders might have assumed, because of Ji Qingzhou’s “study companion” role, that he and Li Zhan were in a master-servant relationship.

But Ji Qingzhou knew that Li Zhan had always disliked such interpretations, and never allowed Ji Qingzhou to think of it that way either.

Ji Qingzhou wasn’t one to dwell on trivial distinctions, and he genuinely preferred the label “friend.” The word encompassed equality, tolerance, care, sharing, protection… almost every quality describing the most beautiful bond between two people.

Until one day, Ji Qingzhou suddenly realized his feelings for Li Zhan were gradually surpassing the bounds of “friendship.”

Interactions that had once been satisfying now felt insufficient. He no longer felt content with merely brushing against Li Zhan by chance; he wanted to hold Li Zhan’s hand, to hug him, and even to be closer in ways that went beyond simple friendship.

He wanted to tell Li Zhan all the things he usually couldn’t voice, wanted to let him know what was in his heart, wanted Li Zhan to understand how much he cared, and also wanted to hear Li Zhan say the same things back.

The emotions of youth were always intense and overflowing. Ji Qingzhou spent every day with Li Zhan and almost felt the urge daily to confess everything to him. But he didn’t dare. He feared that if he took that step and Li Zhan didn’t feel the same way, everything he had now—everything—would be lost.

Ji Qingzhou couldn’t imagine what his life would be like if he could no longer even retain the identity of being Li Zhan’s friend…

So he could only keep telling himself to hide, to endure, not to frighten the other.

But today, while he and that little rascal were hiding in Li Zhan’s room, Ji Qingzhou somehow let down his guard, allowing the child, with just a few words, to completely uncover his heart.

Ji Qingzhou felt both extremely nervous and faintly exhilarated.

Having someone to share those hidden feelings with actually felt quite good…

He felt like every other young person experiencing first love: terrified that someone would discover his heart, yet wishing the whole world could know.

The sound of water from the bathroom seeped faintly through the door crack.

Li Zhan looked up at Li Cong, his voice carrying a note of seriousness. “Tell me, what secret are you hiding from me?”

“Uncle, don’t scare me, or I’ll go cry to Grandpa and tattle!” Li Cong said.

Li Zhan hadn’t expected this little guy to be so clever. Instantly, he changed his expression to a cheerful one and sweetly coaxed, “Cong’er, you and Uncle are best friends. What little secret could you possibly not share with me?”

Li Cong gave him a long look and said, “That’s not fair. You’re tricking a kid into breaking our promise.”

Li Zhan was immediately humbled by his nephew’s scolding and said sincerely, “Uncle was wrong. You’re right; I shouldn’t deceive you. Qingzhou is your good friend, and it’s right for you to keep his secret.”

Hearing this, Li Cong smiled. “Mm, it’s good that you understand.”

“But…” Li Zhan put on a distressed expression. “Uncle is Qingzhou’s best friend. I know he has a secret, yet I can’t help him share the burden. It feels really awful.”

Li Cong thought for a moment and then asked, “Uncle, do you like Zhouzhou?”

“Of course I like him! He’s the person I like most,” Li Zhan replied.

Li Cong nodded meaningfully. “Then that’s good.”

“What’s good?” Li Zhan asked, puzzled.

“Don’t try to trick me. I won’t tell you what the secret is,” Li Cong said, raising an eyebrow at Li Zhan with a look that clearly said, “Don’t even try.”

Li Zhan settled for a milder question. “Then at least tell me what the secret is about, right?”

Li Cong thought for a moment. This question hadn’t crossed any real line, so he said, “A boyfriend.”

“What boyfriend?” Li Zhan froze, his expression changing instantly.

“It’s a secret about a boyfriend. You can’t ask any more,” Li Cong added.

Li Zhan turned his gaze toward the bathroom and felt a chill in his chest; his expression immediately darkened.

A secret about a boyfriend…

Could it be that Ji Qingzhou was secretly dating someone behind his back?

No wonder…

No wonder Ji Qingzhou had been acting strangely lately. When they spoke or spent time together, he hadn’t seemed as natural as before. Li Zhan had at first thought he was imagining things, but now he seemed to have an answer: all of Ji Qingzhou’s unusual behavior recently made sense because of this.

Because he had a boyfriend, he needed to maintain distance;

Because he had a boyfriend, he wasn’t as close as before;

Because he had a boyfriend, he often seemed distracted;

Because he had a boyfriend, the way he looked at Li Zhan had changed…

“Uncle, what’s wrong?” Li Cong asked, noticing Li Zhan’s troubled expression.

Li Zhan forced a smile. “Nothing. It’s late, go to sleep.”

Li Cong wasn’t very sleepy, but he was perceptive. He sensed that Li Zhan wasn’t in a good mood and didn’t want to upset him further. Although he didn’t fully understand why his uncle had suddenly become upset…

Li Cong thought that grown-ups’ moods were always inexplicably strange.

Just like Qingzhou—he clearly liked Uncle, yet didn’t dare tell him, making him keep the secret.

And this uncle was even stranger. He had been happy a moment ago, and now suddenly he was sulking.

When Ji Qingzhou came out of the bathroom, Li Cong had already been coaxed to sleep by Li Zhan.

Ji Qingzhou looked around and saw Li Zhan standing on the balcony, lost in thought.

“Why are you out here?” Ji Qingzhou asked quietly, opening the balcony door.

Li Zhan, his back to him, gazed at the night beyond and muttered, “You have a boyfriend?”

Ji Qingzhou’s heart skipped a beat. “N-no… I don’t.”

“Really?” Li Zhan turned to look at him.

“Really, I don’t…” Ji Qingzhou shook his head.

Li Zhan, still doubtful, thought for a moment and then said, “It’s best that you don’t. You’re too naive, easy to be fooled. I’m afraid you’d get hurt. None of those men are any good; every single one of them is as scheming as my Fourth Brother. You… should stay far away from them.”

Ji Qingzhou couldn’t help but smile. “Aren’t you a man too?”

“I’m not like them,” Li Zhan said.

Ji Qingzhou raised an eyebrow. “How… are you not like them?”

Li Zhan looked at Ji Qingzhou, and for a brief moment, a trace of danger flashed in his eyes. Then he turned and went back inside the house.

Ji Qingzhou watched his back as Li Zhan left the guest room without looking back.

Ji Qingzhou: …

Weren’t they supposed to sleep together tonight?

And now he just left?

Just as that thought crossed his mind, the guest room door opened again. Li Zhan came back in and walked straight to the bed, lying down.

But Li Zhan only took one edge of the bed. On the inner side was Li Cong, and the other half of the bed was left mostly empty.

Ji Qingzhou found Li Zhan’s mood strangely unpredictable, yet oddly interesting.

Especially under that mood, there seemed to be something faintly hidden, almost wanting to emerge.

Ji Qingzhou didn’t dare think too deeply, but his uneasy heart felt a little settled.

They had been staying in the countryside house for several days because Father Li remained uneasy. Several groups of people had come and gone, checking everything, worried that the snakes brought by his Fourth Brother earlier might have ruined the Feng Shui and brought bad luck.

During this time in the countryside house, Ji Qingzhou celebrated his eighteenth birthday.

Ji Qingzhou generally got along well with others, and he received many gifts on his birthday.

Li Zhan spent almost half a day helping him unwrap the presents, his expression never really cheerful.

Especially when Ji Qingzhou unwrapped a gift he liked, he would always ask, “Who gave this?”

Sometimes the answer would make Li Zhan relax, other times it made him inexplicably nervous.

That day, by nightfall, Ji Qingzhou still hadn’t received a gift from Li Zhan.

Li Zhan didn’t know whether he had forgotten to prepare it or what the reason was, but he hadn’t proactively mentioned it either.

“Where’s your gift?” Ji Qingzhou asked from the balcony in the night.

Li Zhan stared at him for a moment and said, “I’ll fulfill ten of your wishes, anything I can do.”

Ji Qingzhou smiled. “Did you just think of this on the spot?”

“I’ve celebrated ten birthdays with you. Have I ever forgotten?” Li Zhan said.

Ji Qingzhou thought for a moment and said, “Then celebrate another ten birthdays with me.”

“That’s too easy,” Li Zhan chuckled. “A little wasteful.”

Ji Qingzhou smiled, thinking that this wish was far from simple.

Ten years later, when he turned twenty-eight, Li Zhan would already be in his thirties.

If Li Zhan agreed to this wish, it would mean that for the next ten years, Li Zhan wouldn’t leave his side. For him, that wasn’t a simple wish—it carried too many little intentions of his own.

“Do you agree?” Ji Qingzhou asked.

Li Zhan nodded. “I agree. Happy birthday, Qingzhou.”

The young “emperor” of the house stepped out holding ten colorful candles, standing between them. He looked up at Ji Qingzhou. “Zhouzhou, make a wish and blow out the candles!”

Ji Qingzhou looked at Li Zhan through the flickering candlelight, feeling a sudden uncontrollable impulse. Li Zhan also stared at him, his gaze strangely enticing, which only fueled Ji Qingzhou’s reckless thought.

So Ji Qingzhou gently covered Li Cong’s eyes, hiding the little boy’s view, then leaned slightly forward and pressed ten soft kisses on Li Zhan’s lips.

Ji Qingzhou’s lips were slightly cool, but against Li Zhan’s, they gave a scorching illusion.

Li Zhan took a step back, then turned and hurried into the room, leaving Ji Qingzhou on the balcony.

Ji Qingzhou’s heart surged and fell, and he bitterly smiled at the night, trying to pretend that nothing had happened.

But somewhere in his heart, with each step Li Zhan took away, it sank a little.

He thought to himself: I shouldn’t be so reckless.

How could I act on such a whim and test him like that?

“Qingzhou?” Ji Qingzhou released Li Cong’s hands from his eyes. Li Cong looked up at him, confused, and asked, “Where’s Uncle?”

Ji Qingzhou smiled wryly, unsure how to answer, when he heard footsteps again. Li Zhan returned like a gust of wind. The little boy’s eyes, just “freed,” were immediately covered again—this time by his uncle’s hand.

The night wind surged, shaking the candles violently, almost extinguishing them.

But the flame’s life was strong. It dimmed only briefly, then flared up brighter than before.

Before Ji Qingzhou could react, ten strong hands held the back of his neck. Li Zhan’s lips pressed against his, leaving no room for resistance. This kiss wasn’t the light, fleeting touch from before; it carried raw desire, openly seeking and claiming.

“Uncle?” Li Cong’s slightly annoyed voice sounded.

Li Zhan finally paused, then bent down, picked up Li Cong, and walked outside.

A moment later, the sound of the door closing echoed.

Li Zhan quickly returned, pressed Ji Qingzhou against the balcony glass, and kissed him again…

Outside, Li Cong held the candle, his face a mixture of bewilderment and curiosity.

After a moment, he took a deep breath and “pff” blew out the candle.

“Wishing Zhouzhou and my uncle… a hundred years of happiness and early children,” Li Cong said earnestly.

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