Hu Jiuli: [……]
Xie Xiaobao sent a mischievous emoji, letting him know he was already back.
Hu Jiuli ground his teeth in frustration, cursed the little rascal under his breath, and immediately called him via video.
Xie Xiaobao casually answered while copying the clan rules and talking to him at the same time.
Hu Jiuli grit his teeth and asked, “You come back and don’t even tell me? I had to wait outside He Yu’s building for half the day.”
Xie Xiaobao bit the pen tip, mumbling that he had only just come back this morning.
“How did you get back?” Hu Jiuli, feeling a little better, stopped nagging and instead grew curious.
“I had Big Brother pick me up,” Xie Xiaobao said dejectedly, “I secretly called him.”
Hu Jiuli gave him a sidelong glance.
“Back already and not happy? What are you writing?”
“Happy, of course,” Xie Xiaobao said, sounding very cheerful, “Just have to copy the clan rules twenty times.”
He pointed to the clan rules on the desk, his expression full of resentment.
Hu Jiuli clicked his tongue twice and offered a perfunctory sympathy, “Poor thing.”
Xie Xiaobao huffed, “I don’t want to talk to you anymore.”
Hu Jiuli laughed uncontrollably and continued teasing, “How long will it take you to copy just one time?”
“!!!”
Xie Xiaobao’s eyes widened in anger, speaking each word clearly, “Don’t laugh, or I’ll hang up!”
Hu Jiuli: “Hahaha……Alright, I won’t laugh anymore hahaha……hic.”
Xie Xiaobao, thoroughly ruffled by the laughter, angrily hung up the video call, bit down hard on the pen tip, and buried himself in copying.
Xie Xiaobao’s handwriting was very neat, with perfectly straight strokes and well-formed characters, which naturally made him write slowly.
After a long while, he had only copied five pages.
In the meantime, Hu Jiuli called twice more but was refused by the still annoyed Xie Xiaobao.
After focusing and copying half a book, Xie Xiaobao finally stopped to rub his sore wrist, planning to rest for a bit.
Xie Yan, having finished his work, knocked and entered, looked at the neat clan rules on the notebook, then glanced at the drooping Xie Xiaobao and said, “Cut up some fruit, eat, then keep copying.”
“Okay.” Xie Xiaobao’s eyes lit up, grabbed his tablet, and followed him out.
***
The fruit was cut and neatly plated.
Xie Xiaobao used a small fork to pick up a piece of Hami melon and popped it in his mouth, the sweetness making his eyes squint happily.
Xie Yan watched him eat with satisfaction, then returned to the study to continue working.
Xie Xiaobao turned on the TV, eating and watching at the same time.
The tablet by his side chimed twice. Xie Xiaobao glanced over—it was a message from He Yu.
After picking up Xie Xiaobao, He Yu looked at the cat’s nest and food bowl at home and felt, for the first time, that the house seemed a bit empty.
He was restless doing anything and ended up going to the Company to work overtime.
Only after finishing did he realize Xie Xiaobao had sent him a message.
He Yu: [*Are you done with things at home?*]
Xie Xiaobao replied nervously, [*Done now, at Big Brother’s place.*]
[*Did you see Orange Bao?*] He Yu remembered the chubby, soft-to-the-touch cat and sighed regretfully.
[*Yeah.*]
[*Once the commercial shoot is over, Sister-in-law will take him back to stay for a while.*]
The punishment of copying the clan rules had some effect; Xie Xiaobao finally left himself a way out.
Otherwise, if He Yu came to visit Orange Bao next time, it would be a total giveaway.
He Yu ran his fingers through his hair, smoothing the stray strands back.
Chatting with Xie Xiaobao helped him relax easily.
[*Orange Bao is really cute. After raising him for a few days, I’m a bit unaccustomed to him being gone.*]
He Yu joked, [*I’m even thinking about getting a cat myself now.*]
Xie Xiaobao blushed slightly at the compliment and modestly said, [*Sometimes he’s mischievous, and he’s a bit fat.*]
He Yu chuckled softly, “Chubby is what makes them adorable.”
Xie Xiaobao couldn’t help but giggle.
He was happy for a moment, then remembered he still had to treat He Yu to a meal and asked when he would be free.
He Yu thought for a moment and asked, [*Are you free tonight?*]
Xie Xiaobao was about to agree but recalled Xie Yan’s cold expression and the unfinished clan rules.
Immediately, he got cold feet and hesitated, saying he still had some things to do tonight.
He Yu perceptively sensed something was off and asked if he needed help.
Xie Xiaobao stammered, unwilling to admit he was being punished to copy the clan rules, and only said he had some copying to do at home.
He Yu laughed, [*Copying what? Can I help?*]
He Yu’s offer tempted Xie Xiaobao for a moment, but after thinking it through, he still didn’t dare agree.
If He Yu found out, the trouble would be huge.