Husband, Hungry, Eat! Chapter 106 Part 1

Chapter 106

"How long will you be gone?"

Qi Cheng remembered now—his husband was going abroad for serious work, something involving artificial intelligence. He kind of wanted to go, but he was afraid of getting in the way or wasting his husband's time. Besides, what would he even do there?

And what about Fanfan?

He hesitated for a moment.

Bai Zongyin pulled the young man into his arms and gently stroked his hair. "It depends on how smoothly things go. Probably about a week." He noticed right away that Qi Cheng's excited expression had turned hesitant. "I was planning to go alone, get things done as quickly as possible, and come back early. But when I brought it up and heard you wanted to come, I started second-guessing myself."

Qi Cheng perked up.

"We've never been apart, even for a short time," Bai Zongyin said as he held the person he cherished most in the world.

Qi Cheng wrapped his arms around his husband's neck, letting out a couple of playful whines. "I'm going to miss you. Please be safe. Since it's important work, I won't go. Fanfan is home—if we both left, the little goose would cry. He's so silly, not a genius baby at all..."

Bai Zongyin couldn't help but laugh. This was clearly regret over not having run off with a baby, which was why Fanfan turned out so goofy.

Good thing Fanfan wasn't around, or he'd be flapping in indignation.

"Our son isn't silly. He takes after you—smart."

Qi Cheng laughed out loud. "Husband, your rose-colored glasses are way too thick!" He was clearly amused.

A couple of seconds later, he drooped his head, looked up, gave his husband a kiss, and mumbled softly, "I'll really miss you. Please stay safe. Don't push yourself too hard or rush through things. Don't wear yourself out. Eat on time when you're out there—don't get so busy you forget to eat."

A while back, during a really hectic period, his husband would forget to eat whenever Qi Cheng wasn't around. Qi Cheng only found out later from Uncle Quan. He was so upset he cried, stopped going out, and stayed holed up on the second floor with his husband every day—while his husband handled serious work, he'd read novels and comics.

Their schedules actually lined up pretty well: meals, rest, work, and playing with Fanfan.

Bai Zongyin wrapped an arm around the young man's slim waist and answered gently, "Okay." Then he added, "Whatever you say."

"So when are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow," Bai Zongyin said.

And so, for the rest of that day, Qi Cheng became his husband's little koala, following him everywhere. Even Uncle Quan teased him, saying, "Why is Xiao Cheng clingier than Fanfan today?" But once Uncle Quan found out Bai Zongyin was leaving the country tomorrow, he got worried too.

"...It's just business, Uncle Quan. Don't worry—he'll take care of himself," Qi Cheng said, actually comforting Uncle Quan instead.

Uncle Quan didn't know exactly what Bai Zongyin did for work, and though he was concerned, he didn't pry or ask too many questions.

After dinner, Qi Cheng told Auntie Zheng that Fanfan would sleep in their room tonight. He carried the little goose into the master bedroom. When Bai Zongyin saw the young man bustling around packing his luggage, he joked, "We're parting tomorrow—so no action tonight?"

"Are you really in the mood?" Qi Cheng hesitated for a moment, then made up his mind. "To be honest, I want to as well, since we’ll be apart for a week. But I thought about how the little goose won't see you for a week either, so I wanted him to sleep over. But now that you mention it... maybe I should send him back."

He put down the shirt he was folding and went to pick up Fanfan from the bed.

"Ba ba~"

Bai Zongyin stopped him. "I want to sleep with both of you. Come on, stop packing—I'll do it myself later."

"No way!" Qi Cheng said with a serious face. "You're going on a business trip. Of course I have to pack for you."

Bai Zongyin glanced at the suitcase. "With all those wrinkled shirts?" He sighed with a fond smile and kissed the young man. "Let me do it. You just stay a happy little salted fish."

Qi Cheng: Hmph. My husband is clearly judging me.

But when he looked at the suitcase, it really was a messy jumble.

In the end, Bai Zongyin didn't take the big suitcase Qi Cheng had prepared. He only brought a small carry-on and a tiny suitcase that could fit in the overhead bin.

The next day, Qi Cheng went to the airport to see him off. He thought his husband was traveling solo, but when they got there, Lawyer Duan's team and a group of assistants Qi Cheng didn't recognize were waiting.

"Don't worry, Mr. Qi. We'll take good care of the boss," one assistant said.

Qi Cheng acted like a mature adult and said, "Okay, thank you," but his eyes were full of reluctance. Bai Zongyin pulled him into a hug, bent down, and kissed his forehead. "I'll be back as soon as I can. Stay safe on your way home."

"I know," said the little puppy with a whimper.

Bai Zongyin stroked the young man's hair, still uneasy. "Call me if anything comes up, baby." He kissed him again.

The little puppy was too flustered to blush. He just mumbled, "Got it."

And so, with lingering reluctance, the couple parted ways.

Bai Zongyin could walk with the help of a cane, moving at a steady, unhurried pace. Behind him were Lawyer Duan's team and the assistants. Qi Cheng watched his husband from behind all those people.

He's so handsome. I'm so blessed.

Qi Cheng stared at his husband's back with puppy-dog eyes until he disappeared through the gate. Only then did he turn to leave. But he didn't know that, from inside, Bai Zongyin was watching his retreating figure from a distance, through the glass.

"Mr. Bai?"

"Let's go."

As soon as his husband left for the trip, Qi Cheng felt completely drained. He saw Fanfan looking at him and listlessly took the little goose to the playroom, flopping onto the play mat like a useless salted fish. The big salted fish kicked his feet and sighed dramatically. Next to him, the chubby little salted fish kicked his chubby legs and babbled back in response.

"Sigh."

"Ba-ba!"

"Sigh~"

"Ba!"

The two of them did their own thing for a while, neither really understanding the other's mood. Fanfan thought his dad was playing with him, so he was thrilled—grinning with his little teeth showing and waving his arms. Meanwhile, Qi Cheng was starting to regret having the little goose sleep with them last night.

Then he heard Fanfan's happy, silly giggles.

Qi Cheng couldn't hold it in anymore.

Wah!!!

Inside, his little puppy heart was sobbing.

Dang it! I should have just spent the night doing it instead!

"Time to eat, Xiao Cheng." Uncle Quan came to check on them and saw the father-son duo lying there, completely talking past each other. He chuckled. "Our Fanfan needs to eat too. What are you two chattering about? He looks so happy."

Qi Cheng turned his head—and there was Fanfan, showing off his tiny rice-grain teeth and grinning at him like a goof.

Wah!!!

Yep. Without that "running away with a ball," Fanfan was never going to be a genius baby. 

[Running away with a ball: a popular trope in Chinese romance novels and web dramas where the female lead becomes pregnant (ball here is a slang for pregnancy) and flees from the male lead, often raising the child alone; the child frequently turns out to be a "genius baby" who later helps reunite the parents.]

He was just a chubby little baby.

Qi Cheng huffed and hugged the chubby, goofy little goose. "I don't know. He's just happy every single day. Aren't you?"

Here he goes, tricking Fanfan again.

"Yeth." Fanfan nodded happily in his dad's arms.

Hahahaha.

Silly goose.

"Fanfan's in high spirits. Xiao Zheng said he slept with his two dads last night, and he's been cheerful ever since he woke up. Didn't frown once all day. That happy face is such a blessing," Uncle Quan said.

It was hot outside, so Uncle Quan made cold shredded chicken noodles for lunch.

On top, he piled hand-torn chicken, cucumber shreds, carrot shreds, and pickled mustard greens, drizzled with his homemade sauce—a mix of chili and sesame paste. Tossed together, it was refreshing and appetizing.

"Our Fanfan is having noodles too today," Uncle Quan said, serving him chicken broth noodles.

Auntie Zheng put a bib on Fanfan and started feeding him. Qi Cheng ate his own noodles. He'd been in a dramatic, melancholic mood for a while, about to whine that he wasn't hungry, had no appetite, couldn't eat—because he missed his husband so much.

But then he mixed up the noodles.

"!!!"

"So good!" He slurped up a big bite.

It was tangy and spicy, but the heat was mild, not sharp. The sesame paste softened it and left a smooth finish. Qi Cheng took a huge mouthful. The noodles were perfectly chewy, clearly hand-pulled by Uncle Quan.

So delicious!

His eyes lit up again.

Uncle Quan sighed in relief. As long as Xiao Cheng has an appetite, it's fine. 

He was also amused by the sight—and when he looked over at Fanfan, mouth wide open, going "om nom nom" on his noodles, they were clearly father and son.

Qi Cheng turned his sorrow into appetite and devoured a big bowl of cold shredded chicken noodles. After finishing, he thought of his husband—wondering if he'd eaten yet—and then caught a whiff of milky sweetness.

Auntie Zheng had baked milk pudding!

Qi Cheng: ...

Anyway, everyone was clearly trying to keep him from moping over his husband's trip. Qi Cheng figured he was old enough not to make everyone worry, so he perked up, ate happily, and even sent his husband a photo with a message.

Then he got a reply.

???

—Chengcheng is a pig.

—!

—Husband, aren't you on the plane? Didn't it take off yet?

—There's Wi-Fi.

—Don't eat too much, or your stomach will hurt.

Qi Cheng thought, He's underestimating me. But he smiled and sent a voice message: "Mua!"

"I know, husband. I already miss you."

The kiss was loud, and the whine was soft. Bai Zongyin listened with his earbuds in, a smile spreading across his face. He replied: "I miss you too. How about I bring you a gift when I come back?"

"I'm not a kid," Qi Cheng whined playfully. "But... maybe a really pretty ribbon."

He was totally letting himself be treated like Fanfan.

Bai Zongyin chuckled and typed: Okay.

The couple chatted for a bit, then Qi Cheng let his husband get back to work. He wanted him to finish up early and come home soon. After a full meal, he took a short nap.

When he woke up in the afternoon, he grabbed his phone and realized he'd slept a little too long.

They hadn't done it last night, but his husband had held him and talked for hours—telling stories, chatting about everything and nothing—until past one in the morning.

Salted Fish Cheng stared blankly for a while. Fully rested, it was time to play.

He opened his phone and saw a ton of unread messages in the "Happy Working People" WeChat group—the red dot said 99+. He tapped in and saw everyone spamming about how generous Boss Orange was, and something about a million.

A million what? 

Qi Cheng scrolled all the way up. His Weibo post said there was a giveaway—one million...

Wait.

One million!!!

Qi Cheng panicked and opened the calculator. One thousand people times one thousand yuan—

!!!

Boss Orange: What if I said I'm bad at math and meant to say one hundred thousand?

Boss Orange: Crying dog emoji

TT: ???

Lao Ke: ...

Zhuzhu: The comments on your Weibo are already celebrating. If you say it was a mistake now, you might get beaten up.

Assistant: Beaten up might be an understatement. You'll definitely get roasted.

Soon, Lu Yang popped up: "I said it doesn't count."

Qi Cheng: !!!