Chapter 37: It’s a Boy

Xie Xiaobao was pleased by the compliment and couldn’t help but laugh.

He picked up a pair of chopsticks and served him a piece of vegetable first.  

“You just got off work; eat your vegetables first.”  

He Yu looked at him deeply, then picked up his chopsticks and served him a piece of spare rib.

“Here, you eat some too.”  

Xie Xiaobao put the spare rib into his mouth, his cheeks puffing out as he chewed.

When he bit into the crunchy bone, there was a faint crackling sound.

Even so, He Yu thought no one could be cuter than Xie Xiaobao.  

The two quietly ate their meal.

After gnawing on two spare ribs, Xie Xiaobao would glance at He Yu, and the dimples on his cheeks deepened.  

He Yu noticed his little habit but didn’t say anything.

Instead, he occasionally picked some of Xie Xiaobao’s favorite dishes and gave them to him.

Watching him eat like a little animal with cheeks puffed out made He Yu unable to suppress a smile.  

The meal ended in this strange, ambiguous atmosphere.

Xie Xiaobao wiped his mouth and rubbed his belly contentedly.

“Their food is still so delicious.”  

“The flavor is really good.”  

He Yu subconsciously touched the wooden beads on his hand.

The smooth texture felt pleasant to hold.

He thought about how Xie Xiaobao had polished each bead little by little, and his heart warmed.  

“Have you made these before? I can see the polishing marks are very delicate, not worse than the ones from the store.”  

Xie Xiaobao swayed his face, propping it up with both hands.

“No… but I’ve made a lot of other little things. It’s mostly the same process.”  

“Making a lot of things is kind of universal—if your hands are steady and you have patience, you can do it.”  

Xie Xiaobao spoke casually, but He Yu’s gaze grew serious.

He naturally reached out and took his hand.

“I remember when you were a kid, you were always clumsy—even folding a paper rabbit looked strange…”  

“I could do it.”  

“I didn’t expect your hands to be so skillful now.”  

Xie Xiaobao mumbled and tried to pull his hand back, a faint blush still coloring his cheeks.

“That was a long time ago. Now I can make anything.”  

He Yu recalled the chubby kid who used to tug at his clothes and call him ‘brother.’

He released his hand and smiled, “You’ve really grown up.”  

Xie Xiaobao hummed softly, then asked the waiter to bring back the cake they had cleared away.  

He personally cut a piece and handed it to He Yu with a cheerful, somewhat proud smile.

“I made the cake too.”  

The cream had softened slightly, emitting a pleasant sweet fragrance.

Yellow fruit bits oozed out from the cut and fell onto the white cake plate.  

He Yu took the plate, forked a small piece, and put it in his mouth.

The cake was soft and fluffy; the cream was sweet but not greasy, and the fruit in the center was refreshingly sweet.

For the first time, He Yu didn’t find it cloying.

He seriously finished the whole slice, unabashedly praising Xie Xiaobao, “This is the best cake I’ve ever had.”  

“You are.”  

Though he knew it was a polite phrase, Xie Xiaobao couldn’t help but feel happy.

He exclaimed excitedly, “Glad you like it! Then the rest of the cake is all yours.”  

The cake wasn’t large, but the two of them had just finished dinner and definitely couldn’t finish it all.

To avoid wasting it, they packed up the remaining cake to take home.  

He Yu didn’t mind at all—since Xie Xiaobao had made it himself, not finishing it would mean wasting his effort.  

After finishing the cake, they chatted for quite a while.

Xie Xiaobao was actually quite quiet, but after getting close to He Yu, he unconsciously became unusually talkative.  

Every time he talked with He Yu, he could chatter endlessly, from one topic to another without stopping.  

When Xie Xiaobao got thirsty from talking, he gulped down half a glass of water and shyly said, “I feel like I talk a lot whenever I chat with you.”  

“Really?” He Yu raised an eyebrow.  

Xie Xiaobao nodded firmly, “Definitely because you have such a good temper. I don’t even realize I’ve said so much.”  

It was the first time He Yu had been told his temper was good.

His brows twitched, and he chuckled, “Now you’re not afraid of me anymore? You think my temper has improved?”  

Xie Xiaobao suddenly remembered how he used to get scared whenever he saw He Yu, laughed awkwardly twice, and quickly changed the subject, saying it was time to go home.  

He Yu didn’t call him out and packed up the cake to go out with him.

He first saw Xie Xiaobao home, then drove back to Jade Garden.  

Usually, He Yu had a place near his company and only returned to Jade Garden on weekends or holidays.  

Today was his birthday.

Early in the morning, He Mother had called to ask when he would be back.  

He Yu had invited Xie Xiaobao but wasn’t sure about the timing, so he said he would only return on the weekend.

Thus, his sudden arrival surprised both He Father and He Mother.  

“Didn’t you say you weren’t coming back?” He Mother’s sharp eyes immediately spotted the cake box in his hand.

She exchanged a glance with He Father and smiled as she took the box from He Yu.

“Why do you still have cake? I thought you didn’t like sweets?”  

He Yu handed over the cake calmly and replied, “A friend made it. It tastes better than those from outside. I ate two pieces during dinner. You can try some—just leave me one piece.”  

He Mother and He Father exchanged looks and efficiently opened the cake box.

Half the cake was missing, but the orange cat in the center was still intact, looking lively and cute.  

Definitely made by a little girl.

The craftsmanship seemed good, so when she visits next time, they’ll surely have something to talk about.  

He Mother was satisfied as she looked at the cake.

She cut a piece for He Father and teased, “Old He, try this. The little girl’s skills are really good.”  

He Yu, about to head back to his room, paused.

He explained lightly, “It’s a boy.”  

He Mother’s hand trembled, almost dropping the cake.

She wanted to ask more, but He Yu had already returned to his room.  

“This… what does this mean?” He Mother looked shocked and confused, unsure if He Yu meant what she thought.  

He Father was also uncertain.

He Yu had been single for so many years, and no one had ever seen him with a partner or fooling around.

He pinched his eyebrows, “I don’t know either… let’s wait and see?”  

He Mother looked down at the cake in her hands and murmured, “How could it just be a boy?”  

Back in his room, He Yu didn’t need to guess his parents’ reactions.

But orientation was something that couldn’t be changed.

He had known about his difference for a long time.

There was never anyone worth caring about before.

Whether male or female made no difference to him.  

Loosening his tie, He Yu sank into the sofa and thought of Xie Xiaobao’s sparkling eyes under the warm light.

His heart softened uncontrollably.  

Feeling a rising heat through his body, He Yu covered his eyes and chuckled softly.  

He had truly fallen for this little rascal.  

After calming down on the sofa, just as he was about to get up and shower, his phone suddenly rang.  

He Yu took out his phone.

The caller was Du Ziwen.

He swiped the screen, and Du Ziwen’s slightly hoarse voice came through.  

“Ah Yu, happy birthday.”  

Background noise was loud and unclear, but it was obvious he was in some club.  

“Thanks. Are you still out?”  

Du Ziwen sounded drunk, his voice wavering in and out.

“Yeah, I’m at the Huangting Club. Are you coming? I’ve got something to tell you.”  

He Yu had never liked places like that.

He frowned, “It’s late. Let’s talk another day. You should get home early.”  

“Ah Yu!” Du Ziwen’s voice suddenly grew louder.  

“Hmm?” He Yu responded and sensed something was off.

“Are you drunk?”  

There was a pause, during which heavy breathing was clearly heard on the other end.

He Yu waited a moment but when there was no response, he was about to hang up when Du Ziwen suddenly laughed hoarsely.  

“Forget it, let’s talk another day. I drank too much today.”  

He Yu had guessed as much.

Du Ziwen was always carefree.

He didn’t bother to advise him further and habitually told him to get home early before hanging up.  

He threw his phone onto the sofa and went to take a shower.

After coming back, he picked up his phone again.  

The indicator light was flashing—it was a message from Xie Xiaobao.  

[*Look, these are photos I took today.*]  

Xie Xiaobao sent pictures taken in the afternoon.  

In the hazy light, He Yu rested his chin on one hand, the sleeves of his white shirt rolled up, exposing strong forearms.

On his well-defined wrist was a strand of dark brown wooden beads, emanating a calm and reassuring aura just like him.  

[*When did you take these?*]  

Xie Xiaobao sent a playful tongue-out emoji.

[*I sneaked a photo while you weren’t paying attention.*]  

He Yu chuckled, “That’s not fair.”  

[*Send me one of your photos.*]  

Xie Xiaobao hesitated, reluctant.

He always felt this kind of request was a little strange.