After Marrying My Silly Childhood Friend - Chapter 8
Winter mornings bring late sunrises.
It was only 6:30, and the outside was still as dark as night.
Duan Baisui was a light sleeper, and since he hadn’t slept well the previous night, he woke up as soon as Zuo Nian’s finger accidentally brushed against his lips.
Hearing Zuo Nian’s soft and tender “Gege, good morning,” melted his heart.
The Omega, now awake, had completely forgotten the unhappiness of the previous night, leaving all his gentleness for him.
His brain reacted sluggishly for a moment, guessing that Zuo Nian had gotten up so early to make him breakfast.
Otherwise, since his shop didn’t open until 9:30, there was no need for him to get up three hours early.
Duan Baisui opened his eyes, intending to tell him to sleep a bit more, and they could eat out later.
But when he turned his head, he caught sight of a dazzling white figure.
Zuo Nian was likely changing clothes. He had taken off his cartoon-print pajama pants, and as he bent over, his full and round hips were directly facing him.
His slender, long legs were clad in black stockings, with lace trim hanging at his hips.
His skin was already exceptionally fair, and the contrast between the black lace and his complexion made him appear both pure and alluring.
The sight was an overwhelming shock for Duan Baisui.
He had never imagined he would see this side of Zuo Nian.
Perhaps his gaze had been too intense because Zuo Nian suddenly turned his head and locked eyes with him.
Duan Baisui wanted to say something but didn’t know where to begin.
It was Zuo Nian who broke the silence, showing no embarrassment as he smiled with his swollen eyes. “Gege, did I wake you up?”
Duan Baisui snapped out of it and averted his gaze. “No, why are you up so early?”
Zuo Nian answered obediently, “I bought fish fillets yesterday and wanted to make fish congee for you today.”
Just as he had guessed.
Duan Baisui said, “There’s no need to go to so much trouble. Lie down for a bit longer…”
“It’s no trouble.” Zuo Nian couldn’t find his underpants on the bed.
He had remembered what the salesperson said yesterday: that most Alphas would become uncontrollably wild upon seeing this outfit, unable to resist tearing it apart. Persuaded by the salesperson’s eloquence, he had also bought ointment, soothing gel, and prepared an extra pair of underpants by the bedside—just in case Duan Baisui tore them apart, so he’d have something else to wear.
Unexpectedly, the ointment wasn’t needed, and the underpants had disappeared.
It was quite embarrassing to be bare-bottomed early in the morning.
“Fish fillets don’t stay fresh for long. Gege, you sleep. Nian Nian will call you when it’s ready.”
As Zuo Nian spoke, he walked toward the wardrobe, squatting down to rummage through a drawer.
Duan Baisui sat up and rubbed his temples—how could he possibly sleep now?
The moment he closed his eyes, all he could see was Zuo Nian’s pale, bare bottom. It was driving him crazy.
Zuo Nian finally found his boxer briefs, and when he turned around, he saw that Duan Baisui had also gotten up.
The hair that was usually meticulously styled now stood in a messy tangle.
His usually stern face now bore only the languor of someone who had just woken up.
Suddenly, Zuo Nian felt that the man before him overlapped with the adorably fierce little boy from his childhood.
It turned out Gege had never changed—he had simply grown up.
Noticing Zuo Nian’s lingering gaze on him, Duan Baisui asked in confusion, “What are you looking at?”
Zuo Nian’s gaze lingered on a certain spot for a long time before he looked down at himself and sighed, “Gege is really big. Are all Alphas this big?”
It took Duan Baisui a moment to process what he was referring to.
“You…”
“Huh?” Zuo Nian’s expression was pure and innocent.
Duan Baisui’s ears turned red, and he was at a loss for words.
The person in front of him wasn’t trying to flirt or tease; he was simply asking a genuine question, leaving Duan Baisui unable to even scold him.
In the end, Duan Baisui threw out a quick “I’m going to shower” and walked away in embarrassment.
Zuo Nian blinked in confusion and nodded. “Oh.”
The bathroom was designed with a wet and dry separation.
The partition was made of ripple-patterned glass, which let light through but not shadows.
Duan Baisui showered inside while Zuo Nian brushed his teeth and washed his face outside.
Once everything was ready, Zuo Nian left the bedroom, first heading to the baby’s room to feed the kitten, then happily running downstairs to start bustling about in the kitchen.
The fish fillets were marinated, and the rice porridge was put on to cook.
He also planned to steam two braised pork buns.
Zuo Nian hummed a tune as he opened the fridge to take out the buns.
At that moment, Duan Baisui knocked on the kitchen door and asked, “Is there anything I can help with?”
Zuo Nian tilted his head in thought and said, “Gege, can you wash fruit?”
Duan Baisui: …
“Yes.”
“Then help me wash some. It’ll go well with breakfast, and I want to take some to the shop too.”
“Okay.”
There was plenty of fruit at home. Duan Baisui stood in the kitchen, cutting apples into pieces, peeling pomegranate seeds, and soaking strawberries in saltwater—they would need one more rinse.
The rice porridge started boiling, and Zuo Nian added the marinated fish slices to it.
Duan Baisui casually took Zuo Nian’s small lunchbox from the cupboard and neatly arranged the fruit inside.
Remembering that Zuo Nian had mentioned wanting to lose weight a few days ago, Duan Baisui said, “You can’t just eat this for lunch, you still need to have a proper meal.”
Zuo Nian obediently replied, “Okay~”
His tone was so adorable that Duan Baisui couldn’t help but turn his head to look at him.
Zuo Nian happened to look up at the same time, and their eyes met.
The aroma of steamed braised pork buns filled the air, and the fish porridge emitted a fresh fragrance. Zuo Nian’s eyes curved into a smile.
Yes, it should always be like this.
Even a moment of companionship could bring him so much joy.
It was something so easy to do, why had he been stingy with it?
This was the person he had chosen to spend a lifetime with. From the moment he made that choice, he should have been responsible for him.
Whether materially or emotionally.
After breakfast, Zuo Nian picked up a tie and came to help him put it on.
It was only 8:00, and Duan Baisui needed to head to the office, but Zuo Nian still had plenty of time before he had to go to his shop.
The two parted at the door, with Duan Baisui noticing Zuo Nian standing outside, gazing at him reluctantly.
After a moment of thought, he turned back and, under Zuo Nian’s surprised gaze, asked, “Do you want a hug?”
Zuo Nian’s eyes widened slightly, and after a moment of realization, he opened his arms and threw himself into Duan Baisui’s embrace, saying, “T-then let’s hug.”
Zuo Nian held him tightly, as if afraid he would change his mind.
His dark hair brushed against Duan Baisui’s jaw, tickling him.
After a long while, Zuo Nian was still reluctant to let go. Duan Baisui gently patted his back and said, “Alright, I have to go now.”
Only then did Zuo Nian step back, shyly saying, “I-I’m just too happy.”
“Mm.”
“Will there be another one tomorrow?” Zuo Nian asked.
“Yes.”
“And the day after tomorrow?”
“Yes.”
Zuo Nian smiled again, his eyes sparkling. “Gege, Nian Nian is starting to look forward to every morning.”
With that, he waved at Duan Baisui. “Goodbye, Gege. I hope your work goes well today.”
“Mm.”
After getting in the car, Duan Baisui noticed the corners of his lips lifting involuntarily through the glass window.
It turned out his Little Dad was right. A hug really could make both people happy.
As the end of the year approached, the company had a lot of work piling up.
Duan Baisui spent the entire morning in meetings and reviewing reports.
At four o’clock, Luo Yin came in and handed him the speech draft for the company’s year-end gala tomorrow night.
Duan Baisui skimmed through it briefly before putting it aside and asking, “How is Ju Xiao doing?”
The lawsuit was still in progress. After Rong Jin was taken into custody, Ou Kai and Meng Cheng were also brought in for investigation.
He wasn’t sure if this could be considered justice for Ju Xiao.
No matter what the eventual verdict was for Rong Jin and the other two, they likely wouldn’t be able to make a living in the entertainment industry anymore.
“Mr. Ju is doing much better. He’s also more cheerful than before. He said he plans to attend tomorrow’s gala and wants to thank you in person.” Luo Yin replied.
“Mm.” Duan Baisui nodded.
Ju Xiao hadn’t terminated his contract with the company. After the disbandment of the TR boy band, the company developed a new career plan for him and assigned him a new agent—a resolute and capable female Beta.
She had nurtured many well-known actors, and her professional skills were top-notch.
As a fellow Beta, she could better understand Ju Xiao’s struggles.
Recently, Ju Xiao’s popularity had remained high, and his new agent took the opportunity to secure two endorsement deals and a leading role in a film by a renowned director.
Ju Xiao would soon re-enter the public eye as a solo artist.
Duan Baisui naturally hoped that after escaping his nightmare, Ju Xiao would thrive.
After all, in this industry, most resources were divided between Alphas and Omegas, who had inherent advantages—strength, beauty, and strong learning abilities.
Meanwhile, “ordinary” Betas were often marginalized and overlooked.
He thought that after this incident, more people should start paying attention to the Beta community.
Their hard work shouldn’t be ignored, nor should they be limited by their secondary gender.
…
Perhaps because of the weather, Zuo Nian’s business wasn’t doing well today.
By 5 p.m., there were barely any customers, and he had only made 156 yuan.
He put down the doll costume he was sewing, propped his chin on his hand, and sighed heavily.
At this rate, when would he ever earn back the 13,000 yuan he had spent?
Why had he been so impulsive that day?
At that moment, his phone chimed twice, displaying an unread WeChat message.
Zuo Nian opened the message and saw that it was from the contact labeled “Salesman Mr. 13,000.”
Salesman Mr. 13,000: Dear VIP member Mr. Zuo Nian, thank you for choosing our products. This is a follow-up message. How do you feel after using the products? Is there anything we can improve? We look forward to your feedback.
Zuo Nian held his phone, thought for a long time, and slowly typed: Hello, can I return the items?
The reply came quickly: Mr. Zuo, we’re sorry, but these are private products, and for the safety of our customers, returns are not supported. Was there something unsatisfactory about the products?
Zuo Nian: My husband doesn’t like them.
Salesman Mr. 13,000: Oh, my dear customer, was it a matter of using them incorrectly? Perhaps we can try another approach? You’ve bought so much; surely one of them will suit you. Feel free to consult me anytime during this process. Good luck!
Zuo Nian: …
It seemed that returning the items was impossible.
Zuo Nian stood up, counted the money in the drawer, and carefully placed it into his backpack.
After thinking for a moment, he called Luo Yin, the assistant.
Zuo Nian knew that Duan Baisui was busy with work, so to avoid disturbing him during meetings, he would usually call his assistant instead.
He understood that many people had to make appointments through the assistant to contact Duan Baisui, so he did the same—he didn’t want to cause him any trouble.
“Hello, Mr. Zuo,” the man answered politely after the call connected.
“Hello, Assistant Luo, I just wanted to ask… will my husband be coming home for dinner tonight?”
Zuo Nian only dared to call Duan Baisui “husband” in front of others, he didn’t have the courage to say it directly to him.
He was afraid of seeing Duan Baisui’s surprised and uncomfortable expression.
He thought he needed to give his Alpha more time to gradually accept him.
“Mr. Zuo, Young Chairman Duan has a dinner engagement tonight and most likely won’t be home for dinner. You don’t need to wait for him.” Luo Yin replied.
“Oh, alright. Then please take good care of him and remind him to drive safely tonight. Thank you.”
Zuo Nian politely ended the call and went to the convenience store to buy rice balls.
Whenever Duan Baisui didn’t eat at home, Zuo Nian would make do with something simple.
When he returned home, the large villa was eerily quiet.
Zuo Nian was very afraid of this kind of silence.
He turned on all the lights in the living room to muster some courage.
He went upstairs to feed the cat and clean the litter box, then took out his worn clothes and his Abeibei plush to wash them.
The clothes were hung out on the balcony as the sky gradually darkened.
Zuo Nian brought the well-fed kitten into the living room and sat in front of the TV, waiting for the final episodes of New Bamboo.
Two episodes were airing back-to-back tonight, finishing around 11 p.m.
Zuo Nian was crying heavily, with tears and snot streaming down his face, when Duan Baisui returned home.
The two of them looked at each other, and Duan Baisui asked, “Why are you crying?”
Zuo Nian wiped his nose and said, “I waited so long, and they all died in the end!”
Duan Baisui glanced at the TV screen and said, “That’s just the characters’ fate. Nothing worth crying over.”
Zuo Nian nodded, still sobbing, and asked, “Did Gege eat?”
“Yes, I did.” Duan Baisui casually tossed his coat onto the sofa.
Zuo Nian obediently ran over to help him remove his tie.
Duan Baisui looked down at Zuo Nian’s swollen eyelids, finding him both pitiful and adorable.
He thought, How could someone cry so much just from watching TV?
“Gege, are you laughing at me?” Zuo Nian looked up at him.
Duan Baisui: “No.”
Zuo Nian: “I saw it, you were definitely laughing just now.”
Was he smiling just now? How did he not notice?
“You must’ve seen it wrong.” Duan Baisui said.
After a pause, he added, “Do you want to come with me to the company gala tomorrow night?”
Zuo Nian: “Huh?”
“The lead act
ors of this show will be there. Seeing them alive and well might make you feel better,” Duan Baisui said, nodding toward the TV.
Zuo Nian exclaimed excitedly, “Can Nian Nian really go?”
“Mm.”
“Then can Nian Nian ask the actors he admires for their autographs?” Zuo Nian asked, looking overjoyed.
“Yes,” Duan Baisui replied.
“Thank you, Gege! Gege is the best Alpha in the whole world!”