Han Yi took out a long, pink, soft, and squishy object from the plastic foam.
Xia Yang caught a glimpse through his fingers and his first thought was… a meat-shaped Ganoderma lucidum.
Whoa, that’s pretty adult-oriented. I bet even the ice sculpture master would be startled if he saw it.
However, when he stole a glance at Han Yi, he found that Han Yi’s expression remained normal, his eyes calm, not even a crease between his brows.
If he didn’t know him, he would think this person was a seasoned pro who had seen all sorts of things.
As he was wondering, he heard Han Yi’s unperturbed voice, “What is this thing?”
Xia Yang saw that Han Yi seemed to have opened his palm.
He swallowed, lowered his head to look closer, and his eyes widened in surprise.
Eh? Why is it a pink cartoon pig?
Wasn’t it supposed to be an adult blind box?
The pink pig was adorably cute, with a round body and an oval-shaped pig nose made into a hand-operated switch. The pig’s bottom was tilted high.
Xia Yang thought he knew a bit about the adult world, but he still couldn’t figure out what was inappropriate about this pig after staring at it for a while.
A harmonious and innocent pig—where’s the adult content?
He could just download an anti-fraud app right now if he wanted!
Han Yi handed the pink pig to him, and he turned it over several times. Only after noticing the “Switch” next to the pig’s nose and the “Flame Outlet” on its bottom did he finally understand.
…The legendary bottom-flame internet celebrity pig lighter?!
Yes, it was just a lighter.
Although this item didn’t quite fit the “18+” label, he had to admit it was somewhat of a relief in a way.
Compared to lubricants, vibrators, and fleshlights… at least unpacking this cartoon pig saved him from awkwardness.
And he no longer had to worry about encountering the knowledge blind spots of the “mountaintop cave people,” nor would he need to play the experienced driver in explaining things.
Thinking of it this way, he felt much more at ease.
“Mr. Han, you’re lucky. You pulled out an internet celebrity lighter right away,” he said with a smile.
Han Yi lowered his eyes, pointed to the “Secret of Love” in the bottom right corner of the box, and asked, “What does the lighter have to do with this?”
“Uh…” Xia Yang hesitated, scratching the back of his head.
If Han Yi hadn’t pointed it out, he wouldn’t have noticed the “Secret of Love” on the box.
It was only someone as perceptive as Han Yi who could spot such details.
As for what the connection was…
Xia Yang accidentally flicked the switch on the pig’s nose, and a blue-purple flame shot out from the pig’s bottom.
It rose quite high, and the flame was different from a normal lighter; it formed a heart shape.
“Aha! I get it now!” Xia Yang had a sudden realization, holding up the lighter and striking a flame twice.
This is the secret of love—lighting a fire together, clapping for love, and igniting the sparks of passionate collisions!
He didn’t expect it to be such an abstract adult blind box.
His mind was racing, but he hesitated to voice it.
Such a raw explanation might not be very appropriate. Would the ice sculpture master think his mind was full of yellow waste?
Thinking about it, he swallowed the “passionate sparks” and crafted a more literary version.
“Mr. Han,” he said, showing the pink pig’s heart-shaped flame, “This is the secret of love… even the flame is in the shape of love~~”
Han Yi:………
The air fell silent for a moment. Their eyes met, and after a few seconds of staring at each other, Xia Yang suddenly exclaimed with a realization.
“Hey? Mr. Han, why do I feel like you seem more interested in the ‘Secret of Love,’ or rather, your interest in it far exceeds that of the adult blind box?”
Han Yi lowered his gaze and pursed his lips slightly, “I’m not interested. I’m just curious.”
Xia Yang:……
He didn’t quite believe it.
The blind box episode ended, and the two of them went downstairs for lunch.
The award-shaped cake, although a bit tacky and cheesy on the outside, tasted quite good. The meat floss was savory and soft, the chocolate rich and intense, and the cream sweet and smooth. It offered a different texture compared to sweet cakes.
Han Yi picked up a piece of cake with his fork and put it in his mouth. His eyes unintentionally brushed over Xia Yang’s face, noticing some velvet meat floss sticking to the corner of his lips, now stretching out in a thread.
Han Yi:……
He closed his eyes and took a while to push the image of the stretching meat floss out of his mind.
After finishing the cake, Xia Yang grabbed a napkin, wiped his mouth, and let out a satisfied burp.
Han Yi sipped his coffee, his eyelashes lowered as if he was deep in thought. After a while, he put down his coffee and suddenly asked, “Why do you want to shoot the cruise ad?”
Xia Yang was taken aback and gave a down-to-earth answer, “Of course, to save money for Mr. Han.”
Han Yi’s fingers held the coffee cup, tapping silently on the rim.
Xia Yang rested his chin on his hand, basking in self-satisfaction, “I saved you 6 million. How’s that, Mr. Han? Isn’t your boss’s wife quite capable?”
“…Hmm,” Han Yi’s tone was flat, “I don’t actually need that 6 million.”
Xia Yang:……
Rich men are truly extravagant, not needing to save money for their wives!
Skipping this easy-to-make people feel envious topic, he paused and then asked, “Speaking of the cruise ad, Mr. Han, why did you help me today? You’re working from home. How did you know about this?”
This question had been swirling in his mind, more intriguing than the adult blind box.
Han Yi looked at him, his lips slightly pressed together, “As long as it happens in the company, I will know.”
“Really?” Xia Yang was a bit skeptical and couldn’t resist deviating from the topic, “Do you know how many couples in your company are having office romances? Do you know how many couples secretly kiss in the hidden corners of the company? Do you know how many couples…”
“I’m not a private investigator.” Han Yi interrupted him, ending the meaningless topic.
Xia Yang choked, put away his argumentative demeanor, and returned to the previous topic, “I’ll stop interrupting. You continue.”
Han Yi pressed his forehead.
“Continue what?” he asked in a deep voice.
“Oh, continue discussing why you chose me so decisively over Jin Yang when we were in a competitive situation.”
“Is it that house flowers are always more beautiful than wild flowers, and wives are always more fragrant than younger brothers?”
Han Yi:……
His fingers at his side twitched. After a moment, he looked up, expressionless, and said, “I chose you for the sake of fairness and justice.”
Pff!
At that moment, Xia Yang felt like the theme song of righteousness was playing in his mind, and Han Yi seemed to be bathed in holy light, his image becoming tall and majestic.
He rubbed his palms together, raised both arms, mimicked placing an air crown on the head of the righteous agent with a sense of ceremony.
“After organizational consideration, Chairman Han is awarded the Nobel Prize for Fairness and Justice.”
“From now on, the fairness and justice of this world will rely on Chairman Han to save!”
He even clapped his hands enthusiastically.
Han Yi glanced at him, his lips moving but not saying anything.
After lunch, when Xia Yang returned to his room and was about to take an afternoon nap, his phone rang. It was a WeChat message from Xiang Tianran.
【Xiang Tianran】: Hello, Mr. Xia, regarding the startup ad, my planning team and I have discussed several times these past few days. We all agree that the previous character script was a bit too ordinary and wasted your looks. Here’s the latest revised story script. Please take a look when you have time.
【Xiang Tianran】: [File]
【Xiang Tianran】: Feel free to reach out if you have any questions~ [Handshake] [Handshake]
Xia Yang was not quite used to such politeness from the chief director, so he replied with a “Received” and opened the new script to read it carefully.
As soon as he turned to the second page and saw the new character setting, he was shocked.
Story Main Character One: Deep-Sea Mermaid.
Actor: Xia Yang
“What, what… am I not a human anymore?!” He rubbed his throbbing temples and quickly sent a voice message to Xiang Tianran.
The chat box quickly popped up with two [Soybean Grinning] jpgs.
【Xiang Tianran】: A mermaid is still a person. This story is definitely suitable for you.
Xia Yang:……
He had never thought of playing a mermaid in an ad. In his impression, such a beautiful and mysterious sea creature was always depicted as a beautiful woman.
Hence the name “mermaid.”
After finishing the conversation, he found himself in a deep dilemma. After much contemplation, he grabbed his phone, opened a certain shopping app, and searched for “mermaid costume.”
Although he wasn’t particularly concerned about his image, he couldn’t accept anything too embarrassing. So, he decided to secretly buy a set to try it on first. If it turned out to be beyond his comfort zone, he could politely refuse.
After all, the director had mentioned that any issues could be discussed, which showed that his opinions were respected.
On the product selection page, there were hundreds of results, but after scrolling through four or five pages, he still couldn’t find a “men’s mermaid swimsuit.”
Damn! Are mermen not worthy of clothing?
Frustrated, he randomly clicked on a shop and consulted customer service.
[td3454W32]: Hello, there! Do you have any men’s mermaid costumes?
[Little Fish]: [laughing emoji] No, we don’t. Is the little brother also into cosplaying as a mermaid?
[td3454W32]: …
[Little Fish]: It’s totally normal. If you like our mermaid costumes, we can offer a custom order—three pieces: a vest, shorts, and a tail. Our mermaid costumes are very well-made and beautifully designed. The sequins on the tail are all hand-sewn.
Seeing there was hope, Xia Yang quickly placed a custom order.
[Little Fish]: Got it [flower emoji]! We’re having a promotion right now. We’ll throw in a pair of flippers for free. With them, you can make the beautiful tail stand upright.
[td3454W32]: OK, can you make it a rush order?
[Little Fish]: Don’t worry, we’ll ship it as soon as possible~
[Little Fish]: By the way, do you want it with or without padding and underwire?
[td3454W32]: ?
[td3454W32]: You called me little brother!
[td3454W32]: Of course, without padding and underwire [sweating emoji].
[Little Fish]: Sorry about that! Some little brothers who come for custom men’s mermaid costumes specifically ask for padding and underwire, so we always check. Please don’t be upset~
[td3454W32]: Alright then [tired emojis].
After completing the order, Xia Yang thought for a moment and added an important note in the remarks: *Please have the courier contact me directly by phone before delivery.*
The mermaid costume was top secret—no one else could know, especially not the old-fashioned person at home.
*
He woke up from a long nap to the sound of commotion outside. It turned out Han Yi’s private doctor had come to do a rehabilitation assessment.
Initially, assessments were done every two days, then once a week, and now they were every two weeks.
As Xia Yang opened his bedroom door, he saw Dr. Chen walking towards him from the rehabilitation room.
“Hi, Dr. Chen,” he greeted with a smile.
“Hello, Mr. Xia,” Dr. Chen stopped, “Mr. Han is still in the rehabilitation room. He has about half an hour of exercises left. He doesn’t like people watching him during rehab, so I came out first.”
“Yeah, I know.”
He walked downstairs with Dr. Chen and asked the housekeeper to prepare some tea.
“Dr. Chen, may I ask about my husband’s current condition?”
He knew Han Yi wouldn’t tell him anything, not just him, but also others, including Madam Tang.
Dr. Chen took a sip of tea and set the cup down, “Mr. Han is one of the most determined people I’ve ever met. The rehabilitation plan I initially designed was already challenging for the average person, but Mr. Han pushed himself three times harder.”
“Wow, impressive! He’s really living up to the saying: ‘A real man is tough on himself,’” Xia Yang said, clicking his tongue in admiration.
“Yes, Mr. Han is very tough on himself, which is why his recovery has been going well. This is a great advantage for his second surgery next month,” Dr. Chen continued.
Xia Yang was stunned for a moment and asked in surprise, “Next month’s surgery? It’s already scheduled?”
“Yes, it’s confirmed,” Dr. Chen replied. “This time, a top surgical team from Country D will perform the surgery for Mr. Han. If it’s successful, he’ll be able to get rid of the wheelchair and…”
“Stand up!” Xia Yang cheered, finishing the sentence.
“By the way, Doctor, what are the chances of success for the surgery?”
“30%.”
Xia Yang: “…”
It seemed like his excitement about “standing up” was a bit premature.
Noticing Xia Yang’s sudden shift in mood, Dr. Chen reassured him, “Mr. Xia, we can all see how deep your bond with Mr. Han is, but there’s no need to be overly sad. A 30% success rate still offers a significant amount of hope.”
“Yes, yes, I’m not sad,” Xia Yang clasped his hands together and adopted a more zen attitude. “We’ll do our best and leave the rest to fate. If he can stand up, that’s great. If not, Mr. Han will still be an awesome wheelchair boss.”
Dr. Chen looked at the optimistic young man in front of him with deep admiration.
Who said adult love is only about material things and lacks genuine affection? Just look at this couple—it’s truly moving!
…
Before they knew it, the weekend arrived again. Madam Tang had been staying with Han Yi for three weeks now. Her ankle had mostly healed, and after two check-ups, the doctor confirmed everything was fine.
She had been staying with the young couple during this time, but she planned to return to Xicheng tomorrow to give them back their beautiful world of just the two of them.
After dinner, she returned from a walk in the small garden and received a call from an old friend as soon as she entered the door.
The friend tearfully complained that her son and daughter-in-law were on the brink of divorce, and her hopes of having grandchildren were dashed once again.
“Oh dear, let me tell you, once young people start living apart, divorce is practically inevitable.”
“I just regret not noticing the signs sooner and nipping their divorce thoughts in the bud…”
Her old friend went on and on, sighing deeply, and Madam Tang had to patiently counsel her for quite a while before finally calming her down.
After the call ended, she glanced at the time—it was almost 8 PM, and the health-boosting soup that the nutritionist had prepared for the couple was just ready.
It was said that the soup nourishes the heart, aids sleep, and refreshes the mind. Despite its nourishing properties, it wasn’t so rich as to cause any issues like heatiness.
“Thank you for your hard work. I’ll take the soup to them myself, you can go home now,” Madam Tang said to the nutritionist.
After letting the soup cool slightly, she carried two bowls upstairs, planning to personally deliver the soup to the young couple.
First, she wanted to ensure they drank the nourishing soup, and second, she wanted to inform them that she’d be returning to Xicheng the next morning.
When she reached the second floor, walked down the corridor, and turned the corner, she ran into the butler, Fang Ming.
Butler Fang quickly rushed over, “Madam, how could we let you deliver this yourself? Please, allow me to take it…”
“It’s fine, I’m strengthening my arms,” Madam Tang waved him off, glancing towards the master bedroom. “Xiao Yi and Yangyang are both in, right?”
“They are,” Fang Ming replied, his response both honest and specific, “Mr. Han and Young Master Xia are in their respective bedrooms. They should still be awake at this time…”
“Wait,” Madam Tang interrupted him, “What do you mean by ‘respective bedrooms’? Are they not sleeping in the same bed?”
Author’s Note:
Fang Ming: I’m done for! Someone, please come and shut me up!
Xia Yang: The secret… is finally going to be exposed~
Little Fish = Xiao Yu’er
Keep me fueled with caffeine! Support me on Ko-fi! ★~(◡‿◡✿)
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