Contractual Marriage: We’re Meant to Be Together

196. Do You Have Any Money?

Translator: Bryan

Wei Qing instantly unknitted his brows. His face changed slightly as he said, “Why didn’t you invite me to jog with you?”

“I knocked, but you didn’t respond. I thought you were still asleep, and I went alone because I wanted you to have some more sleep.”

Wei Qing quickly released his hold on Yan Chuyang’s wrist and swept him into his embrace. “Sorry. I couldn’t find you when I got up. I thought…”

“I thought you eloped with Song Huaiqi,” he added in his mind.

Nanny Wang was standing aside, watching the two of them hugging tightly.

Having perceived that there was someone on the side, Yan Chuyang flushed scarlet and struggled. Pinching Wei Qing’s waist, he hissed, “Let go of me! Nanny Wang is watching!”

“Okay,” Wei Qing said before he pecked Yan Chuyang’s ear and let go of him.

Head down, Yan Chuyang hurried to the refrigerator, fished out a bottle of water and tilted his head to swig it. Wei Qing looked at Nanny Wang calmly.

He said, “Thank you, Nanny Wang. There’s nothing else I need you to do here. You may get off work now.”

“Oh, okay, okay!” Nanny Wang snapped back to her senses. She quickly took off her apron and turned around to head for the front door. Walking along, she wondered if she had hallucinated just now. The two of them struck her as a married couple.

Yan Chuyang sat on the sofa and turned on the TV to watch morning news.

Wei Qing went to the bathroom and freshened up before cooking breakfast in the kitchen.

Yan Chuyang watched TV for a while. Listening to the sound of cooking in the kitchen, he couldn’t bring himself to sit there anymore.

Having cooked yesterday, he now knew how painstaking cooking was. He had only cooked one meal, and yet his hand had gotten scalded during the process.

Given that Wei Qing had been cooking for him every day, he must be even more tired.

He subdued his urge and remained on the sofa for a little while longer. After hearing the sound of spatula on wok, Yan Chuyang finally failed to restrain himself. He stood up from the sofa, turned off the TV and made his way towards the kitchen.

Wei Qing was stir-frying something when he saw Yan Chuyang coming in. He promptly turned and said, “What are you doing here? Get out!”

Yan Chuyang frowned and, stepping closer, said, “Would you like me to help? I can help you with the seasoning while you do the cooking.”

Wei Qing’s temple twitched. “You seriously think you can season this dish without making it inedible?!”

Yan Chuyang didn’t know what to say. After a moment of silence, he sniffed, “I offered to help you out of kindness. If you don’t want it, you could just say no. There’s no need to dig at me.”

Wei Qing was afraid that the fumes of cooking fire might sting Yan Chuyang’s eyes, so he said with a frown, “Take the soup on the cabinet outside and wait for me at the dining table. Don’t come in.”

Yan Chuyang leaned against the door frame, having no intention to leave.

Wei Qing covered the wok with the lid, turned the heat down and, looking at Yan Chuyang with a frown, said, “You’ve been getting more disobedient by the day. Yan Chuyang, you weren’t always like this.”

Yan Chuyang wrinkled up his nose, stepped to Wei Qing’s side, stood on tiptoe, pecked his lips and asked with a lift of his eyebrows, “What was I like? Come on. Tell me.”

Wei Qing furrowed his brows. “Why are you so disobedient now? You used to be very docile and do whatever you were told.”

“What makes you think I’m disobedient now?” Yan Chuyang snorted twice, put his arms around Wei Qing’s waist, raised his eyes and said seriously, “Previously I didn’t dare tell you I had feelings for you, which was why I was very obedient to you, but now I’ve confessed my feelings for you, and you also let me like you. Why should I still be afraid?”

Wei Qing was momentarily befuddled by Yan Chuyang’s amusing logic. He lowered his head and, rubbing his chin against Yan Chuyang’s pert nose, murmured, “I wish you hadn’t confessed your feelings for me. I prefer the obedient Yan Chuyang.”

“But I’m still obedient to you!” Yan Chuyang said anxiously. “You were unhappy last night. You said you needed some time alone, so I gave you some time alone. You said you didn’t want me to have feelings for you anymore, and I…”

Yan Chuyang left his sentence hanging. Feeling upset, he bowed his head and, rubbing his foot against the floor, mumbled, “I don’t think I’ll be able to stop liking you.”

Wei Qing’s heart melted. He hugged Yan Chuyang tightly, kissed the top of his head and said, “Don’t stop liking me. I want you to always like me.”

“Okay,” Yan Chuyang said. After a moment’s silence, Yan Chuyang added in a low voice, “I was wondering if you could loan me some money.”

Amazed, Wei Qing pushed him away. “Why do you wanna borrow money?”

“Something’s come up, and I need money.”

“How much do you need?”

“A hundred thousand yuan.”

“What do you need it for?”

Yan Chuyang scratched the back of his head. “My mother called me a few days ago. She said her youngest son was sick and needed to be hospitalized. The medical expenses are high. She asked me if I could help.”

Wei Qing frowned. “You’ve still been in touch with your mother?”

“Yeah. We talk on the phone from time to time.”

Wei Qing was ill-disposed towards Yan Chuyang’s mother who abandoned him and married a man when Yan Chuyang was barely five years old.

Therefore, Wei Qing said with a frown, “What does her youngest son’s illness have to do with you? She’s never given you any care ever since you were a child, and now she’s contacting you, but only because she needs money. She knows you’re still a student and don’t have much spare money, and yet she still shamelessly asked you for help. She would never have done such a thing if she had a shred of love for you.”

Yan Chuyang sighed and lowered his head. “Apart from anything else, I’m her son. It’s a natural thing she thinks of me when she’s at the end of her rope.”

Wei Qing snorted, “Did you ask her what kind of illness her son had developed?”

“I think it’s some kind of skin disease. There are white patches on his body, and he needs a skin transplant or something.”

Wei Qing sniffed, “He can’t die from a skin disease. There’s no hurry.”

Yan Chuyang momentarily pressed his lips together and then sighed, “No matter what, I still want to help her. She’s my mother after all. If… If you don’t have any spare money, I’ll go ask Wei Yuan and see if he has any.”

“I’m your husband. You can’t seek help from someone else!” Wei Qing abruptly interrupted him.

Yan Chuyang’s eyes lit up. He lifted his head to look expectantly at Wei Qing and asked tentatively, “Well, hubby, do you have money?”

Wei Qing was turned on by Yan Chuyang’s voice. He asked hoarsely, “How much did you just say you needed?”

Yan Chuyang hurriedly reached out his hands to gesticulate. “100,000 yuan!”

Wei Qing gave a non-committal “Um”, held his fist to his lips, gave a little cough and said, “I’ll loan you 10,000 yuan every time you call me ‘hubby’. Do it right now and I’ll give you the money later.”

Yan Chuyang was astonished. “It’s that simple?”

“Yeah, it’s that simple.”

“Hubby,” Yan Chuyang called without hesitation.