Chapter 16: Conning for Food and Drinks

Title: Baby’s Breath

Translator: System Yaoi

Note: Kindly read this novel at https://secondlifetranslations.com/novel/babys-breath/

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Chapter 16 Conning for Food and Drinks

Xue Youka refused his pocket money.

“Brother, don’t spend money so recklessly. I don’t want your money. Can you buy me…buy me an ice cream cone!” Xue Youka saw a McDonald’s dessert stand with a sign indicating, buying two, second one was half-price.

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What would he do if Cheng Yu asked him to repay the money?

When Xue Youka called Cheng Yu, Cheng Yu was already on the phone.

Zhu Peixin noticed that Cheng Yu’s data was off and first called his grandfather, then called his son, “Xiao Yu, your smart watch detected abnormal heart rate several times these days. What’s going on?”

Cheng Yu said it was nothing. “There’s a problem with the watch.”

“It’s almost August, and it’s your grandfather’s birthday. I’m sending someone to the county to pick you up.”

“Mom…” Cheng Yu didn’t want to go home.

“Can I come to Qingzhou to study?”

Without even thinking, Zhu Peixin refused, “You want to spend the summer there and lose your focus? Why would you want to stay in such a backward place…”

“Well…it’s okay here.” Cheng Yu was somewhat serious about continuing this relationship. Although he hadn’t touched the drums all summer, he unexpectedly felt very happy.

Zhu Peixin never scolded her son, but it was naturally impossible for her to agree to Cheng Yu’s request. Finally, she said, “We’ll discuss it when you come back home. But Cheng Yu, in September, we’ll take you to Switzerland. We’ve found a doctor to help you and perform another examination.”

“But didn’t they say everything was fine?”

“It is fine. Don’t be scared, it’s just a routine check-up.”

Do routine check-ups require going to Switzerland?

After finishing the call with his family, Cheng Yu saw a missed call and called back.

Xue Youka was waiting by the landline and answered as soon as it rang. “Brother!”

“Yeah, what’s up?”

“It’s…we spent a lot of money on food today, right? Um, do you want a hen? I can catch an old hen for you.”

“…What do I need an old hen for?”

“You can make soup with it!”

Cheng Yu declined and then said, “Mimi, I’m going back home in a few weeks. Do you want to go somewhere? I’ll take you.”

When Xue Youka heard him say he was going home, he immediately thought of his own lie and asked, “You’re going home? When will you come back?”

“Probably by the end of the year.” Cheng Yu felt healthy, but after knowing he was going to Switzerland, he couldn’t help but wonder if something was wrong. Maybe he would undergo surgery. He had heard Zhu Peixin talking about matching him with a donor before.

When Xue Youka heard that he would be leaving and not returning until the end of the year, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Cheng Yu said, “Let’s go to Yintan Beach and take a boat ride. Have you been on a boat before?”

Xue Youka said he had.

“How about a yacht?”

“What does a yacht look like?” He had no concept of it.

“It’s like a boat, but there won’t be other people. No need to buy tickets, and there will be lots of delicious food on the boat…” Cheng Yu gave a brief description, drawing a few routes on the map of Beihai. He held the phone between his ear and shoulder. “We can go from Yintan Beach to Weizhou Island, and then I’ll take you back home.”

Yintan Beach was in Beihai¹Beihai is a city located in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of southern China., and his father was also there. Xue Youka agreed.

He wanted to go and see Xue Tianliang, see if he was working or gambling.

***

In the morning when his Aunt’s family was leaving, the whole family came to see them off. They didn’t have much luggage. Aunt held onto He Xiaoyou’s hand and said, “I’ve mailed everything I needed to. If I forgot anything, sister-in-law, I’ll trouble you to send it to me.”

He Xiaoyou nodded. Even if she had strong objections to this family, there was a hint of sadness at this moment.

Fang Liqing warned Xue Youka in a low voice, “While I’m away, you’re not allowed to enter my room, let alone bring your delinquent friends in. If I find out, you’re in big trouble!”

Xue Youka was displeased. “I won’t go into your room…”

“Brother.” Gaogao came out holding a huge hamster, which was about 1.3 metres tall. Gaogao clumsily dragged the little animal out. “This is for you, take care of my hamster.”

Xue Youka couldn’t believe it.

“For me?”

He occasionally stayed overnight at his Aunt’s house and knew that Gaogao slept with the hamster every night. How could he leave without it?

“You must absolutely take good care of it. Give it baths, tell it stories…”

“…Okay.”

Last night, Gaogao wanted to take his hamster with him, but his mom didn’t allow it. Their house in Beijing was small, and Gaogao’s room was even smaller. With such a large hamster on the bed, there would be no place for people to sleep.

“Sweetie, our suitcases can’t fit it. When we get to Beijing, Mom will buy you a new one.”

Gaogao cried and said no, “I don’t want a new one. I want this one. I can’t leave it here all alone.”

Xue Youka’s Aunt said, “Let Mimi take care of the hamster for you. When you come home, you can come see it again.”

Gaogao cried himself to sleep that night, but in the end, he gave the hamster to Xue Youka.

Back at home, Xue Youka planned to wash the hamster before putting it on the bed. As he opened the hamster’s bag, he discovered a few treasures inside – Gaogao had hidden some chocolate liqueur candies.

He Xiaoyou threw the hamster bag into the washing machine and began checking her son’s homework.

She didn’t understand these questions herself, but she had the answer key in her hand. Unexpectedly, when she was correcting it, she found that her son’s homework was all correct.

“Mimi, well done. You’ve been studying diligently lately, and all of these are correct.” He Xiaoyou was both surprised and delighted. Then she said, “Your grandmother told me that you’ve been studying with your friends recently?”

Xue Youka nodded, saying that his friend is particularly good at studying. He Xiaoyou didn’t ask which friend and only said, “You should be friends with those who excel in their studies and stay away from troublemakers like Hu Pi!”

“Yeah, yeah, I won’t play with Hu Pi anymore!”

Recently, he had been finishing his homework in Cheng Yu’s room. Cheng Yu would help him with problems he didn’t understand and would even check it for him once he finished writing.

On Monday, He Xiaoyou had to go to work. Xue Youka said he wanted to go to his grandmother’s house. He spent a few days playing at his grandmother’s place and then told her he was going back home.

With this lie in mind, Xue Youka went to find Cheng Yu, carrying his backpack.

“Brother, how do we go to Beihai? Will Uncle drive us?” Xue Youka asked.

“No, we’ll take a taxi,” Cheng Yu replied. He didn’t want Wei Bo²For those of chu who forgot, Uncle Wei’s name is Wei Bo, the third wheel, to tag along.

Once they got in the taxi, Cheng Yu noticed Xue Youka putting his backpack down and asked, “Are you still carrying your backpack? Did you bring your homework?”

Xue Youka opened his backpack to show him. He had brought a cup, an umbrella, and some mosquito repellent.

“Don’t you have water? If you get thirsty, you can drink from mine,” Cheng Yu offered.

Xue Youka shook his head. He wasn’t keen on drinking from someone else’s cup.

Yintan Beach in Beihai was bustling. Under the scorching sun, people in floral shorts and swimsuits walked back and forth on the beach, sheltering themselves under colourful umbrellas. There were various exciting water activities and travel agency staff distributing flyers for “budget tours” and “last-minute deals.”

“Where do we go to take the boat?” Xue Youka asked.

“The pier,” Cheng Yu replied, stopping at a beachside convenience store to buy a bottle of cold water. He also bought an ice cream for Xue Youka. “Do you want anything else to eat?”

The shopkeeper tried to sell their deep-fried fish tofu to the children. “It’s really delicious, and many kids love it.”

Xue Youka looked at Cheng Yu.

Cheng Yu asked if there was any seafood in the fish tofu, and the shopkeeper said, “There’s only freshwater fish in the tofu, no seafood.”

Cheng Yu saw Xue Youka leaning closer to smell it and said, “We’ll have one.” Then he casually grabbed a bunch of snacks to eat later when they boarded the boat.

Carrying the freshly fried fish tofu and a backpack full of snacks, Cheng Yu pointed to the water activities on the beach. “Do you want to try any of them?”

There were parasailing and jet skis on the water, but Xue Youka glanced at them and said, “You should eat this, it’s delicious!”

Xue Youka skewered a piece of fish tofu with a bamboo stick and held it up to Cheng Yu’s mouth.

The warm and fragrant aroma filled the air, but Cheng Yu slightly turned his head back. He didn’t enjoy street food.

“It’s really delicious!” Xue Youka enthusiastically recommended it. “This is the last piece!”

Cheng Yu hesitated for a moment, then opened his mouth and took a bite of the fish tofu.

There was nothing particularly special about it, but it had an unexpectedly delicious taste, a taste of happiness.

“I didn’t lie to you, right? It’s tasty, isn’t it?” Xue Youka’s eyes sparkled, and he smiled sweetly. “Brother Cheng Yu, can you buy me another one?”

Author’s Note:

Cheng Yu (bewitched): Buy

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There will be a time leap in the next two chapters, so please be aware.

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