Huo Yunyan was totally used to it by now—Little Feather was just naturally curious and full of random questions. Sometimes, he even managed to leave Huo Yunyan completely stumped.
But out of all the weird and tricky things he’d ever asked, nothing came close to the one he asked today.
And it wasn’t hard to answer because Huo Yunyan didn’t have an answer. Quite the opposite, actually—he didn’t even need to think about it. He’d do anything for this kid.
He looked down into those bright, clever eyes and said, kind of vaguely, “Why would you ask that?”
It wasn’t hard to guess what Little Feather was thinking. It’s not like he actually wanted to get married…
Sure enough, the boy just blurted out, “You just looked so stressed. I figured, if I were a girl, then you wouldn’t have to stay single, right?”
Huo Yunyan: “…”
Well, thanks, kiddo. Always so worried about everything.
Now you’re worried about me dying alone too?
Appreciate it, really.
“Don’t be silly,” Huo Yunyan said, letting out a snort before messing up Shen Jingque’s hair. “Marriage isn’t something you just jump into. It needs a real connection—don’t interrupt me—I mean an emotional connection. The romantic kind.”
Then he turned away, clearly done with the conversation. “Alright, since you want me to go back, I’ll make a quick trip home. But remember, this was your decision. Don’t come crying about it later.”
Standing with his back turned, Huo Yunyan kept packing his suitcase.
Shen Jingque couldn’t tell if he was imagining it, but he felt like Huo Yunyan didn’t even want to talk about the whole marriage thing with him—like he didn’t take him seriously, like he was just some clueless kid who had no business talking about something so important.
But Shen Jingque wasn’t mad. If anything, he felt like Huo Yunyan was the one being silly. After all, it’s not like he’s the one stuck worrying about marriage.
“Just wait and see,” he muttered, then gave up trying to help and grabbed an ice cream instead.
Huo Yunyan glanced over and started nagging again, “It’s freezing out—eating that is just asking for a stomachache tonight.”
Naturally, Shen Jingque ignored him, doing whatever he wanted. He even took a huge, dramatic bite on purpose. “Ah, soooo good.”
Huo Yunyan could already picture how relaxed this little rascal was going to be once he left. “You little menace.”
Then, to stop him from eating more, he leaned over and took two big bites of the ice cream himself—basically eating half of it in one go.
Shen Jingque yelled in protest, “You always do this! You always do this!”
Now that they were both annoyed, Huo Yunyan finally looked satisfied, wearing a smug little grin that just made you want to punch him twice.
Every year, he’d take the kid home for the holidays. But this year, he wasn’t bringing him back, and his family was already starting to miss him. They were worried the staff weren’t taking good enough care of him.
Huo Yunyan thought to himself: He’s almost twenty. What’s there to worry about?
But deep down… that was just him trying to convince himself. Because truth be told, he missed him too.
Being almost twenty didn’t really mean much—Little Feather had been acting like a little prince this whole time, and Huo Yunyan hadn’t made him do a thing. Sure, he was smart and eager to learn, always with a book in hand… but it often felt pointless. Some of the things he asked made Huo Yunyan wonder if they were even from the same planet.
Before he knew it, every quiet moment was filled with thoughts of Little Feather—not the actual fluffy yellow bird, but the one who talked, who held onto his arm, who acted all clingy and cute…
He wasn’t sure when it had started, but somehow, this boy had become the center of his world—the one he’d give everything for.
And now, thinking about him again, Huo Yunyan couldn’t help but ask himself: What exactly is Little Feather to me?
He wasn’t a pet.
Not quite family either.
Definitely not just a friend.
And he didn’t see him as a son or nephew.
None of those labels felt right. They just weren’t… enough.
So he decided to throw the question back at him: [Little Feather, who are you to me?]
The boy hadn’t even messaged him today—was he having too much fun to check in?
Totally unfair. He wasn’t ignoring him on purpose. He just knew Huo Yunyan would be super busy these couple of days and didn’t want to bother him.
Who was he to Huo Yunyan?
In real life, Little Feather joked: “I’m your dad.”
But when he actually typed it out, he behaved: [I’m your sweet little birdie~ chirp~]
Huo Yunyan immediately called, half-laughing, half-scolding: “Sweet? Since when are you sweet?”
Shen Jingque: “When am I not sweet?”
Huo Yunyan: “Oh please. Have you ever thought you might not be sweet at all?”
Shen Jingque: “I went out today, but I came home early.”
Huo Yunyan: “Yeah, the driver told me he was the one who talked you into coming back early.”
Shen Jingque: “That’s just me being good at taking advice.”
Huo Yunyan: “…”
That pointless back-and-forth went on for half an hour before they finally hung up. Shen Jingque blinked, surprised—Wasn’t he supposed to be busy?
Huo Yunyan had his hands full. There was a ton waiting for him back home. A full 30-minute midday phone call? That was pure luxury.
Being home alone wasn’t boring. Not for Little Feather. He had the home theater, all the snacks he could want. That day, he was watching Rio.
But halfway through the movie, Huo Yunyan’s question popped into his head.
This time, no joking, no flirty nonsense.
Lazing on the couch, Shen Jingque actually started to think: Who am I to Huo Yunyan?
The past few days without him had been a mess. When he got the call that it was time to pick him up, he jumped into the shower and scrubbed up like crazy. He wanted to look fresh and clean.
He even stood there for a minute, staring at the closet, hesitating.
Which outfit should I wear?
He wanted to pick the one that made him look the best.
Staring at his reflection in the mirror, Shen Jingque rested his chin in his hand, frowning in confusion.
Wait… why do I even care whether Huo Yunyan thinks I look good or not?
The more he thought about it, the weirder it felt. In the end, he just threw on a giant puffy coat and left the house.
Whatever. It’s not like he hasn’t seen me looking worse.
Still, after a few days apart, Shen Jingque found himself really missing the guy. Feeling sentimental, he even bought a bouquet of flowers at the airport.
While waiting in the arrivals hall, he kept muttering to himself, “When’s he coming out…”
Then he spotted him.
Tall, handsome, and impossible to miss in a crowd—Huo Yunyan walked out like a scene from a movie.
And it wasn’t just Shen Jingque who noticed. Quite a few strangers turned to stare, clearly impressed.
“Hu—” Shen Jingque had just started to call out when his expression froze.
Because walking right beside Huo Yunyan… was a beautiful woman.
They were chatting and laughing, clearly getting along.
One in black, the other in white—they even looked kind of like a couple.
Who is she?
They looked really close.
All of a sudden, Shen Jingque didn’t feel like calling out anymore. He even raised the bouquet, half tempted to hide behind it so Huo Yunyan wouldn’t see him.
He didn’t know why, but all the excitement he’d felt just moments ago had vanished. Now his chest felt tight and stuffy.
“The passengers are coming out. Let’s see if we can spot Mister Huo,” the driver said cheerfully, standing right beside him—completely oblivious to Shen Jingque’s mood.
Huo Yunyan had no idea Shen Jingque planned to come pick him up. It was early, and he didn’t want to trouble him. What he didn’t know was that Shen Jingque had told the driver not to say anything—he wanted to surprise him.
“Yunyan, I think I see your driver over there,” the woman beside him said casually.
Following her gaze, Huo Yunyan looked up—and the first thing he saw wasn’t the driver, but the person standing next to him.
Even though most of his face was hidden behind a bouquet of flowers, Huo Yunyan recognized him instantly.
His heart did a happy little flip, and he strode over without hesitation, pulling Shen Jingque into a hug.
“What are you doing here?”
Shen Jingque finally lowered the flowers, eyes glancing past him. “If I’d known, I wouldn’t have come.”
Huo Yunyan raised a brow. “What kind of thing is that to say?” You’re already here—can’t you at least act normal?
Shen Jingque ignored him completely.
Just then, the elegant woman walked over and smiled at Shen Jingque, her eyes full of curiosity.
“And who’s this?”
“This is Shen Jingque,” Huo Yunyan said casually. “A family friend’s kid.”
Then to Shen Jingque, he added, “This is my cousin. She’s here on a business trip down south, and decided to come back with me. We’ll drop her at the hotel first.”
“Oh, okay,” Shen Jingque nodded, trying to be polite.
So she was his cousin.
Still, the way they laughed together… it didn’t sit right. He felt kind of down anyway.
Then Huo Yunyan noticed the bouquet.
“Are these for me?”
He reached out to take them, but Shen Jingque pulled them back.
He suddenly didn’t want to give them to him anymore. And honestly, it didn’t feel right now.
“With a pretty lady around, of course they’re for her,” he said. “Why would I give flowers to some guy?”
He handed the bouquet over to the woman instead. “Hope your business trip goes well. Wishing you all the best.”
Huo Yunyan figured Shen Jingque gave the flowers to his cousin to be polite, probably to make her feel comfortable. But honestly, he didn’t think it was necessary—everyone here knew each other.
It was so rare for Little Feather to do something even remotely romantic.
Huo Yunyan’s heart ached just thinking about it. But since Shen Jingque moved fast, he had no choice but to watch the flowers meant for him land in his cousin’s hands.
“Thanks, handsome!” his cousin beamed. “Didn’t expect to get flowers on a business trip. This totally made my day.”
She really was delighted—after all, who wouldn’t like a cute guy handing them flowers?
Her hotel wasn’t far from the airport, so they dropped her off quickly and then headed home.
The mood in the car on the way back was… a little off. Mostly because Shen Jingque—usually super chatty—was unusually quiet. It just didn’t feel right.
“You okay? Got up too early and now you’re sleepy?” Huo Yunyan asked, though deep down he doubted that was the reason.
Shen Jingque shifted closer to the window, his eyes dodging, and muttered, “Mm. Sleepy.”
“I’ll grab you a blanket,” Huo Yunyan offered. “Lean on me and take a nap. The window’s uncomfortable.”
He handed him the blanket. Shen Jingque took it—but didn’t lean on him.
“I’m fine like this.”
Huo Yunyan stared at him, confused. He looked like he had something to say, his expression a little tense. But with the driver up front, he stayed quiet.
He could tell—Shen Jingque was upset with him. Why exactly, though? Probably whatever had happened at the airport…
He frowned, studying Little Feather’s side profile as he pretended to nap.
“You should lean on me. Otherwise, you’re gonna—”
Bang!
Before he could even finish the sentence, Shen Jingque slammed right into the window. Loudly.
Normally, he’d be whining and playing it up by now. But today, he stayed totally silent, trying to act all mature.
But that thud? That didn’t just hit Shen Jingque’s forehead—it hit Huo Yunyan straight in the heart. Forget the driver—Huo Yunyan reached over and quickly pulled him into his arms.
“Did it hurt? Let me see.”
Shen Jingque was clearly grimacing but held up a fist like it was nothing.
“It’s not a big deal.”
Huo Yunyan stared at the red mark forming on his forehead, his heart aching—and a little mad at that stubborn little attitude.
“What’s going on with you?”
“I grew up.”
“Pfft—” Huo Yunyan couldn’t hold it in. His whole act of pretending to scold him totally fell apart. He gently wrapped his arms around him and placed a soft kiss right on the red bump.
“Okay, okay, whatever I did wrong, just tell me, I’ll apologize properly. I swear I didn’t mean to upset you… how could I ever want to upset you…”
That last part was barely more than a whisper—just for the two of them.
His voice was so soft, so gentle.
They were so close now, their faces practically touching. Shen Jingque’s ears turned bright red. He quickly pushed Huo Yunyan away and scooted to the other side.
This… this was too weird.
“There’s nothing wrong, really. I just got up too early… I’m grumpy in the mornings!”
There was no way Shen Jingque was going to admit he’d felt super uncomfortable seeing Huo Yunyan standing next to that pretty woman. Even after finding out it was just his cousin, that weird, negative feeling had already stuck in his mind—and deep down, he knew he shouldn’t feel that way.
“Just morning grumpiness?” Huo Yunyan asked.
“Yep.”
Huo Yunyan stared at him for a few seconds but didn’t push it. Honestly, his suspicions weren’t great to begin with—and maybe he was just overthinking things. So he let it slide.
Shen Jingque let out a quiet sigh of relief. Clearly, he’d been nervous that Huo Yunyan would dig deeper.
……
After the New Year, Shen Jingque lost interest in Taekwondo. When his friends invited him to check out some new extracurricular classes, he happily signed up—for two, no less. Suddenly, life got really busy.
Huo Yunyan said, “Since you’ve already signed up for two courses, forget about the private tutor. It’s not like you’re applying to Tsinghua.”
After living with Huo Yunyan for over half a year, Shen Jingque felt like he was finally getting the hang of things. One day, he boldly suggested, “How about I enroll in a technical school? Learn a real skill. That way, I’ll have a better shot at getting a job later. What do you think?”
“Get a job?” Huo Yunyan shot the idea down instantly. “It’s not like the family can’t afford to support you.”
“You’re telling me I go to tech school, come out making 3,500 a month, and that’s not even enough to cover the utility bills at home?”
“Exactly.”
“…Wait, for real? The utilities cost more than that?”
“I’m telling you, managing a household isn’t cheap.”
Shen Jingque fell into deep thought. Then suddenly, he pulled a business card out of his pocket.
“If 3,500 won’t cut it, I’ll just become a celebrity. Celebrities make good money.”
Huo Yunyan took one look and realized it was a talent scout’s business card. He snatched it away immediately.
“No need. We’re not short on money.”
“This isn’t about money!” Shen Jingque slapped the table and declared proudly, “I want to realize my personal value!”
“…Be my secretary, then.”
Shen Jingque gave him a look. “You want me to sit at your desk and snack on sunflower seeds all day?”
“You could supervise my work while you’re at it,” Huo Yunyan grinned. If that meant Little Feather stayed by his side instead of running around outside all day, he’d be thrilled. Even though he had a driver follow him around, Huo Yunyan still worried.
Shen Jingque couldn’t be bothered to argue. Just then, someone from his interest class called and invited him out. He told Huo Yunyan where he was going and asked the driver to drop him off.
He didn’t get home until pretty late. Huo Yunyan wanted to scold him, but he held back—he just couldn’t bring himself to. When Shen Jingque went to shower, Huo Yunyan headed to the dressing room to help tidy up all the clothes he’d thrown off.
Honestly, the way he was spoiling that kid—sigh. Maybe he really did owe this little bird something from a past life.
As he shook out the jacket, a pink envelope fluttered to the floor. Huo Yunyan bent down to pick it up. Neatly written across the front was Shen Jingque’s name—in delicate, girly handwriting. Definitely a heartfelt gesture from some classmate.
He stood there, just holding the envelope. When he happened to glance at his reflection in the mirror, he realized he’d been standing there for quite a while. Almost like snapping out of a daze, he tucked the envelope back into Shen Jingque’s pocket.
A pink love letter at this age? Totally normal. Huo Yunyan had gotten his fair share back in the day. He always knew Jingque would have to deal with this kind of attention sooner or later. What he really wanted to know was—how would Shen Jingque handle it?
Not long after, Shen Jingque came out of the shower. Huo Yunyan, after thinking it over, brought it up gently. “Hey, Little Feather. I was tidying up your jacket just now and found a letter in the pocket. Can we talk about it for a sec?”
“Huh?” Shen Jingque blinked, clearly clueless. “What letter?”
“Looks like one of your classmates has a crush on you,” Huo Yunyan said frankly. “I just wanna say—I don’t want you getting involved with anyone else. And I don’t mean it like I’m jealous or anything. It’s just… for your safety. We can’t afford for your situation to get out.”
Even now, every time Jingque went out, a driver followed to make sure things didn’t go sideways. But if he started dating? That would be a whole different mess.
Huo Yunyan couldn’t even picture it—Jingque being with someone else. Emotionally, logically—he just couldn’t accept it.
Shen Jingque grabbed his jacket, pulled out the envelope. No sender name, no clues about what was inside. But whatever it said, what really mattered was the way Huo Yunyan was acting—so tense.
Just like how he had been back at the airport.
He smiled slowly.
“What’s with that grin?” Huo Yunyan’s stomach sank. That smile stung. “I used to get tons of those letters too, but I never smiled like that.”
Shen Jingque’s grin widened. Seeing Huo Yunyan so rattled? Made it even more fun. “Isn’t falling in love kind of… normal?”
“That’s for normal people,” Huo Yunyan snapped. “Someone like you? Don’t go ruining someone else’s life.”
“Oh please,” Shen Jingque snorted, towel-drying his hair. “I was scouted, thank you very much. A hidden gem! There’s gotta be someone out there who’s willing to give up a little normalcy for a legendary, cross-species romance.”
“Cross-species romance, seriously?” Huo Yunyan muttered, face darkening. “Don’t be so naive. You have no idea how dangerous the world is. What if someone finds out and ships you off to a lab? Don’t expect me to come save you.”
Wanting to date and still expecting him to clean up the mess. Typical.
“I’d do it for love,” Shen Jingque replied without hesitation—not because he knew what love was, but because he knew how to be annoying.
“That’s assuming I let you.” Huo Yunyan switched to CEO mode. “Tomorrow, return that letter. Be honest with the person. And from now on, keep your distance from any girls. You’ll give them the wrong idea.”
“How do you know it’s from a girl?” Shen Jingque countered. “I haven’t been getting too close to any girls.”
Oh, so it might be a guy? Huo Yunyan’s irritation doubled. He forced a calm tone. “Then that’s even more reason to set boundaries. Don’t give people the wrong idea. Be careful how you act.”
When he didn’t hear a reply, Huo Yunyan’s voice dropped. “Did you hear me?”
Shen Jingque saw how serious he was and smiled sweetly. “So you do get upset when you see me with someone else?”
If that was the case, then he didn’t have to feel guilty anymore. Totally normal.
“Hmm? What do you mean ‘also’ upset?” Huo Yunyan didn’t deny it—but something about that choice of words bugged him.
Shen Jingque kindly explained, “Back at the airport, when I saw you walking with that pretty lady, it really hurt. I didn’t even wanna talk to you after.”
Huo Yunyan went quiet. Of course he remembered that day—it was one of the rare times Shen Jingque had gotten genuinely moody. Normally, if he was upset, he’d make a fuss on the spot. He wasn’t the type to bottle things up.
So that’s what had happened…
He had felt hurt, just from seeing him with someone else?
That made sense, he supposed. People got possessive. They didn’t like sharing someone important to them.
That’s what Huo Yunyan told himself. But he couldn’t stop staring at that bright, youthful face, full of life and laughter—and for some reason, he couldn’t look away.
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