Ren Zexi rubbed his eyes and sat up sluggishly, yawning. For a while, he thought that it was his father who had woken him up. However, when he caught sight of Lu Yizhou's face, he instantly sobered up. The memories poured into his head like tides, making his cheeks redden furiously.
Stupid Ren Zexi! How can you fall asleep just like that in front of a stranger?!
"S—Sorry, Uncle Lu…" He murmured tremblingly, his eyes lowered, unable to muster the courage to look into Lu Yizhou's eyes in case he would find contempt and loathe there just like Uncle Ren.
"Boss?" Ah Shen inquired. "Is there something wrong?"
Lu Yizhou heaved another sigh and got out of the car.
Ren Zexi's head snapped up and he stared at his back, panicked and bewildered. Was this it? Would Lu Yizhou abandon him? Did he not want him anymore?
Contrary to his negative thoughts, Lu Yizhou turned around and offered his hand. "Until when do you plan on sitting there? We have arrived."
Slow as he was, this was the first time Ren Zexi realized that the car had stopped in front of a huge...castle. Yes, castle. Otherwise, how could he describe such a huge, luxurious house? His mouth gaped open and when he came to his senses, his hand had grown a will on its own and placed itself on Lu Yizhou's warm palm.
Once again, he was brought into the man's embrace.
Ren Zexi's lips pressed tight in embarrassment. He was already five, no need to hold him like a toddler… However, for some reasons, he chose to keep mum and silently slung his arm over Lu Yizhou's neck, taking in the surroundings that seemed to come straight out of a fairytale.
"Welcome back, Master." A row of servants bowed simultaneously, their eyes trained to the ground.
"Welcome back, Master. Your lunch is being prepared right as we speak. Do you want to take a bath in the meantime?" The head butler, An Kequ, asked in a polite and courteous tone. He was an elegant middle aged man that still looked quite young and charming.
His eyes then landed on the timid Ren Zexi in Lu Yizhou's embrace. Surprise wasn't even adequate to describe his feelings right now. "This is…"
"Ren Zexi." Lu Yizhou thought for a moment and added. "He will live here with me from now on."
"Oh my…" An Kequ's eyes widened. He looked at Ren Zexi and Lu Yizhou back and forth, taking in how Ren Zexi clung to Lu Yizhou full of trust and dependence and how Lu Yizhou who usually despised people coming five meters around him let Ren Zexi cling on him tightly.
This… Could this be Master Lu's illegitimate child?!
This must be!
"Young Master." Butler An changed his tone instantly, his eyes brimming with smiles. "Let me introduce myself, my humble name is An Kequ, you may call me Butler An. Are you hungry? Do you have anything you wish to eat?"
Ren Zexi blinked, bewildered. Turning to Lu Yizhou, he directed a questioning glance. Young Master…? Did that person refer to him? He was even so kind to ask him what he wanted to eat? "Uncle Lu, I…"
"What's wrong?"
"Can I…?" Ren Zexi's eyes glistened from tears. Ever since he woke up, everything was too beautiful to come true, he was afraid that it was all a dream.
Lu Yizhou recalled the abuse the child had suffered from lately and sighed, softening his tone. "Of course. From today on, this is your home. You can do whatever you want in your own house." He jutted his chin toward the butler. "Ask him for anything if you need help."
Ren Zexi's lips trembled and he buried his head into Lu Yizhou's neck, sniffling. "Uncle Lu...Uncle Lu…" His chest was so full to the point of bursting. He couldn't even form a sentence to deliver his gratitude.
Butler An covered his smile with the back of his hand yet the curve of his eyes had given him away.
Lu Yizhou looked up helplessly. "Such a crybaby."
[How old is he again? Three?]
[666: Host, Ren Zexi is already five! He will have his sixth birthday in autumn so make sure to keep it in mind! You have to throw him a grand party! Oh wait… 666 will just remind you when the time comes.]
[He's already five?] Lu Yizhou measured the child's weight with his arms. Too light. He said to Butler An, "Prepare lunch for two."
Butler An bowed smilingly. "Yes, Master."
"...and give him a bath." He added.
"Master…" Butler An reminded carefully. "It seems like Young Master doesn't want to separate from you yet. How about you take him to bathe with you?"
Lu Yizhou frowned.
"Ah, no… it's alright." Ren Zexi rubbed his face messily. "I can take a bath myself. No—No need to bother Uncle Lu."
Even a blind could see that he didn't mean the words he said. Lu Yizhou was ready to pretend he knew nothing and threw him to the servant when 666 started to complain ceaselessly.
[666: Ruthless, cold-blooded Host! How can you leave a child alone in a foreign place like this? The only person he trusts is you, but you want to throw him away?! What if he grows up crooked in the future due to lack of affection?! A child is vulnerable and sensitive, Host! You're so dense! No wonder you are still single!]
Ren Zexi looked at Lu Yizhou's increasingly somber face and trembled, colors draining from his face. How… How could he forget his place so fast?!
His uncle had repeatedly instilled it in his mind. Now that his parents were no longer here, no one would pamper him anymore so he shouldn't be conceited just because Uncle Lu offered him a tiny bit of kindness! He shouldn't take everything for granted!
"No...I'm sorry Uncle Lu, I—"
"Fine." Lu Yizhou resigned himself to fate. Better safe than sorry, he didn't want to repeat everything again. "Prepare the bath then."
"As you wish, Master." Butler An bowed and excused himself.
"Uncle Lu…?" Ren Zexi looked up at him in shock, not understanding why. The man had clearly looked reluctant so why did he still agree?
Lu Yizhou had just wanted to reply when his heart suddenly gave an uncomfortable leap. In just a short moment, he felt out of breath and chills crawled up his fingertips.
[System notification: Warning! The Host's condition is unstable! Please take a rest promptly!]
[666: Aaaaaah!!! Host, what happened to you?!]
[It's difficult to breathe. Is this what it feels like to have a heart disease?]
Lu Yizhou suddenly put him down, making Ren Zexi confused. It wasn't until the man lifted his hand to call the servant did Ren Zexi realize that his complexion didn't look good. Shocked, he grabbed Uncle Lu's pants, his pupils trembled in worry and fear. "Uncle Lu, are you okay…?"
Lu Yizhou swallowed down the pills that were given to him by the servant and shook his head, his breath gradually came out smoother. "You're too heavy. It's so tiring to carry you."
"Master…" The servant said worriedly.
Lu Yizhou waved him off and gave him an eye signal not to say anything unnecessary.
"Oh...is that so?" Ren Zexi was so embarrassed he could die. He wished the ground would open up and swallow him whole! "Sorry, Uncle Lu. You—You don't need to carry me anymore. I will walk by myself…"
Lu Yizhou patted his head. "Good boy."
Ren Zexi's face instantly lit up, beaming from ear to ear. He held onto Lu Yizhou's hand tightly as the man brought him to the elevator and pressed the fifth floor. Ren Zexi was so awed by everything that he had turned numb. He didn't know how long it would take for him to get used to all this luxury.
Back in his old home, he could see the entire space from the hallway. Let alone his room, even his house was smaller than Lu Yizhou's foyer.
"Uncle... where's your family? Should I greet them first?" He was reminded of a problem. What if the rest of Lu Yizhou's family didn't like him? What should he do, then?
"I live alone." The man said. "Plus the servants. But don't worry, they don't live in the same area."
"You live in this huge castle by yourself?!" Ren Zexi blurted out in shock. He couldn't imagine it. Wouldn't Lu Yizhou get lonely amidst this huge space in the middle of the night?!
Castle? The corner of Lu Yizhou's mouth ticked upward but it soon vanished without a trace. "You will get used to it soon."
Ren Zexi shook his head dumbly. There's no way he would be able to. He thought that he had been shocked enough but when they stepped out of the elevator into a long shining hallway and entered Lu Yizhou's room, Ren Zexi couldn't stop himself from hiccuping.
Everywhere was so… amazing!
He was blinded by the smooth ceramic floor, the huge antique canopy bed covered in dark blue mattress and the floor to ceiling window that took over one side of the wall, overlooking the garden filled with green plants and flowers. There was even a lounge bar with a shelf full of bottles of wine he had seen his father drooling over before.
Butler An stepped out of the bathroom and wore his gloves back. "The water is ready, Master, Young Master. The towel and bathrobe have been put in the usual place and I have added Young Master's along."
Lu Yizhou nodded. "Good work."
Butler An bowed. "If you'll excuse me. Please enjoy your bath. Lunch will be served when you come out."
"Come on." Lu Yizhou stepped into the misty bathroom after Butler An closed the door behind him. Ren Zexi snapped out of his senses and trailed after him.
An opaque sliding door separated the outer and inner area of the bathroom. The inner area consisted of a huge jacuzzi tub with white mists puffing out of the creamy water and also a shower room whereas the outer area was where the sink and closet was.
Lu Yizhou slowly took off his watch, tie and jacket. Turning around, he beckoned to Ren Zexi. "You can't take the clothes off yourself?"
"I can!" He started to unbutton his shirt, head hung low and lips pursed in concentration. A huge sigh escaped his lips when he finally succeeded. "Uncle Lu, see—" The words choked up in his throat.
He had seen his father's naked body countless times. So did countless other men when they went to a public bathhouse. So why was everything so different when it came to Lu Yizhou?!
Amidst the white mist that blurred the scene, Lu Yizhou's naked body was exposed thoroughly. His skin was pale all over, compact muscle, broad shoulders, slim waist, long legs...
Beautiful, that was the first thought that crossed Ren Zexi's mind. Even his little brother was so clean and elegant, totally different from father's.
Next, Lu Yizhou held his hand and helped him step into the jacuzzi. The creamy water smelled so fresh and sweet. Oh, and also warm. So comfortable that Ren Zexi couldn't resist sighing.
"Does the water temperature suit you?"
"Yes! It's so nice… Uncle Lu, it's no wonder you have very nice skin." Ren Zexi grinned foolishly.
Lu Yizhou sat opposite him and raked his fingers through his hair. Droplets of water slid down his eyelashes, cheek and lips before making its mark down his prominent collarbone, glistening his skin all over. His silvery eyes reflected the light and the pupils almost turned golden in color. How could someone be so dazzling and sparkling? It was as if he had sucked in all the lights the universe had to offer and made it his own.
In fact, he wasn't feminine at all. There wasn't any aspect about him that was delicate, yet somehow everyone who landed their eyes on him would undoubtedly describe him as beautiful.
Ren Zexi blurted out in daze. "You're so beautiful…"
———
A/N: Sooo, some of you are dubious that Ren Zexi is five yet he already thinks of such thing. Idk if it's just me but I think that it's completely normal *sweat* he's just appreciating a beauty when he sees it and compares it to his own father. There's absolutely nothing sexual, only pure admiration. I'm deeply sorry if my own description passed it off as something sexual :'))