President Shao is so busy, yet he still remembered his birthday, even ordering a cake for him and inviting him over to celebrate… How could someone be so kind? Rich, handsome, and completely unpretentious, so gentle and tolerant towards him, helping him find a teacher, and even picking him up and dropping him off every weekend throughout high school, rain or shine…
Even his own brother wouldn't go to such lengths!
Ye Qi was deeply moved, his eyes welling up, his nose stinging, and looking at the smiling man before him, the usually talkative Ye Qi couldn't utter a complete sentence.
Shao Qingge withdrew his hand from the boy's head and broke the silence: "Haven't had dinner yet?"
Ye Qi snapped out of his reverie and nodded: "Yeah, I moved into the dorm, and I've been packing all day…"
He hadn't brought his sheets, blankets, or toiletries from home; he bought them all at the school supermarket. He was so busy that he hadn't even had lunch, let alone dinner. Ye Qi's stomach was empty, and Shao Qingge's reminder suddenly made her feel very hungry.
It was already six o'clock in the evening. Shao Qingge said, "I've prepared some snacks for you. Have a few to tide you over. I'll go to the kitchen later and cook you something delicious."
Ye Qi looked at him in surprise: "Cook? Don't you have a nanny or maid who cooks? Are you going to cook yourself?"
Shao Qingge said, "Yes, I didn't want too many third wheels at home, so I gave the nanny the day off. For someone important's birthday, of course I should cook myself; it shows more sincerity. You can also try my cooking."
Ye Qi didn't grasp the real point of his words. Instead, she focused on "cooking" and said excitedly, "Mr. Shao can actually cook? I must try it!"
Shao Qingge brought a plate of delicate pastries from the kitchen, gave Ye Qi a few pieces to tide her over, and then went to the Western restaurant to start grilling steak for Ye Qi.
As he skillfully seared the beef, he said, "My Chinese cooking isn't very good, so let's just have steak tonight."
Actually, Ye Qi could cook too. Seeing Shao Qingge preparing Western food, Ye Qi eagerly rolled up his sleeves, "I can cook Chinese food. Do you have any ribs in the fridge? I'll make braised ribs for you, Mr. Shao!"
Shao Qingge looked at him in surprise, "You can cook too?"
Ye Qi replied proudly, "Of course! My cooking skills aren't bad!"
Shao Qingge smiled slightly, "Okay, the fridge is full of ingredients. See what you can make."
Ye Qi searched through the fridge, finding ribs and chicken wings. He boiled a pot of water, drained the ribs to remove the blood, and then marinated the chicken wings in soy sauce…
Shao Qingge watched him bustling around in his apron, looking quite like a "chef."
With one occupying the Chinese restaurant and the other the Western restaurant, they could see each other just by turning around. A strange feeling welled up in Shao Qingge's heart—this was the peaceful, stable life he longed for.
These past few days, some things have happened at the company. Shao Qingge went to great lengths to finally eliminate the two "partners" who later betrayed him and bribed the driver to run him over.
They were friends who started the business together, but over a dispute about profit sharing, they actually plotted to assassinate him. Shao Qingge was deeply disheartened, but his methods were ruthless, leaving them no chance.
After three years of meticulous planning, Shao Qingge now controls the majority of the company's shares, and no one can cause any more trouble. Although the internal purge went smoothly, Shao Qingge's mood wasn't actually good.
Only after seeing Ye Qi today, and seeing Ye Qi's radiant smile, did Shao Qingge finally feel at peace.
Indeed, seeing someone you like can improve your mood.
Shao Qingge's lips curled into a slight smile as he turned to Ye Qi: "Need any help?"
Ye Qi excitedly replied, "No need! This frying pan in your kitchen is great, I'll fry another batch of chicken wings for you!" With
braised pork ribs on one side and cola chicken wings on the other, Ye Qi spun around the kitchen like a little top. Watching this scene, Shao Qingge's smile deepened. He thought that if Ye Qi had time in the future, he would invite him here for some alone time. When Lao Mo was designing and renovating, he deliberately reserved a bedroom for Ye Qi in the apartment opposite his own.
He had originally intended to sleep with Ye Qi, but the young boy was too naive to accept sleeping together directly. He'd
take it slow; Ye Qi would officially become an adult tonight anyway, and he'd waited three years, so there was no rush.
...
Shao Qingge quickly finished the steak and fruit salad, but Ye Qi's pork ribs and chicken wings took a while. Looking at the table, which was full of meat dishes, Ye Qi stir-fried some snow peas and made a pot of egg drop soup.
The table was laden with dishes, but the arrangement was a bit odd.
Ye Qi couldn't help but laugh: "This meal is a fusion of East and West!"
Shao Qingge had originally planned to cook Western food, which he was more skilled at, but Ye Qi had unexpectedly jumped in and taken the initiative to cook. As a result, the birthday dinner table became a hodgepodge—steak, cutlery, braised pork ribs, and chopsticks were all placed together, with a cake in the middle—it was a complete mishmash.
But Ye Qi was still very happy.
This meal was the result of his and President Shao's joint efforts! It felt like he and President Shao were living a comfortable life together.
Ye Qi casually took a picture to commemorate the occasion before starting to eat.
He was starving. It was already 8 PM, but Ye Qi didn't hold back and devoured the steak in front of him, praising it repeatedly: "Delicious, so delicious! Mr. Shao, the steak you made is the best I've ever had."
Shao Qingge smiled and said, "Your chicken wings were pretty good too."
After they were about 80% full, Shao Qingge lit the number 1 and 8 candles on the birthday cake and said, "Come on, save some room for the birthday cake, and make a wish."
Ye Qi went to the kitchen to wash his hands, returned to the table, and earnestly clasped his hands together to make a wish.
His biggest wish was to win the singing competition and become a professional singer.
But after silently uttering this wish in his heart, Ye Qi suddenly felt he was being too selfish. Mr. Shao had done so much for him and treated him so well; shouldn't his birthday wish include Mr. Shao too?
So he clasped his hands together again and added another wish: "I hope Mr. Shao's wishes come true."
Mr. Shao's heart was set on how to get him. Wishing Mr. Shao's wishes come true—wasn't that digging a hole for himself?
Of course, Ye Qi had no idea what President Shao was thinking. He simply made a sincere wish and blessed Shao Qingge.
After making his wish, Ye Qi blew out the candles in one breath.
He carefully cut the cake, handed one to Shao Qingge first, and looked at him earnestly, saying, "President Shao, I remember all the help you've given me over the years. Thank you so much."
Shao Qingge smiled slightly: "No need for formalities." He casually opened a bottle of his treasured red wine, poured half a glass into a stemmed glass, handed it to Ye Qi, and raised his glass, saying, "Now that you're an adult, you're allowed to drink today. Come on, let's toast to Ye Qi's 18th birthday!"
Ye Qi excitedly raised his glass to meet Shao's, and
drank it down in one gulp, then choked and coughed incessantly.
Seeing his face flushed red from choking, Shao Qingge found Ye Qi even more adorable, making his heart flutter.
After dinner, his parents' birthday wishes and red envelopes arrived promptly. Because Shao Qingge had led the way in sending red envelopes, others in the group also began wishing Ye Qi a happy birthday.
Ye Qi received quite a few red envelopes, and his mood improved more and more... and then he lost track of time.
By the time he realized he was still at President Shao's house, it was already 11 PM. Ye Qi hurriedly stood up and said, "11 PM, I should go back to school. The dorms have a curfew at midnight!"
Shao Qingge said, "Your school hasn't officially started yet, so the dorms shouldn't be too strict, right?"
Ye Qi thought for a moment and nodded, "I almost forgot, school officially starts on September 1st. New students are registering these past few days, and some students haven't even arrived yet, so there's no curfew in the dorms."
He breathed a slight sigh of relief, feeling embarrassed to have Shao Qingge drive him home, and said, "I'll take a taxi back." "Okay."
Shao Qingge said, "This is a villa area, and it's hard to get a taxi on the road near the entrance." Before Ye Qi could continue speaking, Shao Qingge suddenly changed the subject: "Stay here tonight."
Ye Qi was stunned: "Stay...stay here?"
Shao Qingge said, "I have a guest room, and I have new clothes and toiletries. It's already 11 p.m., you'll just be sleeping at school anyway, I'll take you back tomorrow morning. I drank some wine earlier, I can't drive."
Although he only drank one glass of red wine, drunk driving is strictly enforced now, and being caught means detention.
Ye Qi frowned and thought about it carefully. Since there was a guest room, sleeping for one night didn't seem like a big deal. Anyway, Mr. Shao's house is so big, one more person wouldn't bother Shao Qingge. Ye Qi quickly agreed: "Okay, then I'll stay here tonight, thank you Mr. Shao."
Shao Qingge smiled slightly: "No trouble at all, I'll take you to take a shower."
He found Ye Qi new pajamas and underwear and led Ye Qi to the second floor.
The guest room prepared for Ye Qi was directly opposite Shao Qingge's master bedroom, and it had a separate bathroom. Mr. Shao was indeed wealthy; the guest room was significantly larger than the master bedroom in most homes, even having a small balcony.
After showering and drying his hair, Ye Qi saw that Mr. Shao's master bedroom door was open, so he went over to say goodnight. However,
upon entering, he saw Shao Qingge emerging from the bathroom.
He was only wearing a towel around his private parts; he was completely naked.
The tall, muscular man, over 1.85 meters tall, displayed his physique flawlessly before Ye Qi, his legs long and straight, and Ye Qi could even clearly see Shao Qingge's abs!
Having just showered, Shao Qingge radiated warmth, his hair falling naturally beside his ears, making him incredibly sexy.
Ye Qi heard his heart pounding wildly.
His face inexplicably flushed, and he quickly averted his gaze as if electrocuted, unsure whether to run away or continue his greeting and goodnight nonchalantly.
Seeing the boy frozen in place, his cheeks flushed, Shao Qingge smiled and walked over: "Finished showering?"
The raw hormones emanating from him made Ye Qi's ears turn red. He softly murmured "Mmm," lowering his head, unable to look at him.
Shao Qingge stopped in front of Ye Qi, his voice low: "Ye Qi, it's just past midnight."
Ye Qi didn't understand what he meant. Then, the next moment, Shao Qingge suddenly lifted Ye Qi's chin, looked into his eyes, and said gently, word by word: "You're an adult now."
Ye Qi nodded subconsciously: "Mmm."
It was past midnight; he was indeed 18, officially an adult. But why was Mr. Shao suddenly emphasizing this?
Shao Qingge's gaze was deep, filled with an indescribable, intense emotion. He suddenly leaned closer to Ye Qi and whispered gently in his ear: "I've waited three years. Today, I can finally tell you my true feelings."
The warmth from the man's shower enveloped Ye Qi, making him feel inexplicably hot all over, his cheeks burning. At such close range, and with Mr. Shao still unclothed, Ye Qi's heart pounded faster and faster, and he frantically tried to back away.
However, the man's strong arms suddenly wrapped around his waist.
Ye Qi's back stiffened, and the next moment he heard Shao Qingge say, "Ye Qi, I like you." "
???" Ye Qi's mind went blank for a moment. Like? He liked Mr. Shao quite a bit too, but was this liking just a simple friendship, or…?
Just as his mind was in turmoil, he heard Shao Qingge continue, "It's the kind of liking that makes me want to keep you by my side forever."
Before Ye Qi could react, Shao Qingge lifted his chin and gently kissed him.
The burning heat on his lips, and the taste of Shao Qingge in his mouth, left Ye Qi's mind blank.
On the moment he turned 18, just past midnight, Shao Qingge gently stole his first kiss…
So, all these years Shao Qingge had been so good to him because of this?