That Shouldn't Be

Xu Yanche did not return to the He Household that night. Instead, he went to see his mother.

When Jinshu heard that Xu Yanche would not be going back tonight, her first thought was that the He Household had bullied him.

Seeing that her mother looked ready to go pick a fight, Xu Yanche hurriedly said, "We didn't argue. They treat me very well. I just haven't seen you in a long time, Mom. I missed you."

Xu Yanche clung to her arm and acted cute. Jinshu reached out and poked him on the head, her tone helpless yet indulgent. "You, honestly. I'll go tidy up your room and make the bed for you."

Xu Yanche jumped up from the sofa. "No, no, I can do it myself. Mom, go to sleep already. Early to bed and early to rise is good for your health. I'm not a child anymore. I can handle something this small."

Ever since the renovations were finished, Jinshu had specially arranged Xu Yanche's room.

Everything had been decorated according to Xu Yanche's preferences.

The wardrobe was filled with clothes Jinshu had bought for him.

The desk held books Xu Yanche liked.

There was also a brand-new voice acting setup.

Jinshu cleaned the room once every two days.

It was spotless.

All he had to do was make the bed before sleeping.

Jinshu brought over the air conditioner remote from Xu Yanche's room, turned on the AC, and placed a bowl of washed cherry tomatoes by the bedside.

"Go to sleep early."

Xu Yanche said, "Okay."

To be honest, the past month or so had felt a little unreal to Xu Yanche.

He had gone from a tight life to a wealthy one overnight.

It left him feeling unsettled, afraid that this life would suddenly disappear.

Being by his mother's side made him feel safer.

He slept more soundly too.

Just after he fell asleep, his phone rang.

It was He Qing calling.

He Qing's voice carried a trace of anxiety. "Yanyan, where are you? It's already ten at night. Why haven't you come home yet?"

The still somewhat groggy Xu Yanche instantly woke up.

"Ah, I forgot to tell you. I'm staying at my mom's tonight. Go to sleep early."

He Qing lay drunkenly on the bed, pressing his lips together, clearly unhappy. "Do you not like me anymore?"

Xu Yanche said, "???"

Before he could speak.

The person on the other end started talking again, not giving him a chance to get a word in.

"Are you trying to push me onto Xu Ziyuan?"

"I'm telling you, impossible. Don't even think about it."

Xu Yanche sat up in bed and dug at his ear.

"He Qing, what the hell is wrong with you, not sleeping in the middle of the night? Stop having persecution delusions all day. If you keep this up, we're getting divorced."

He Qing immediately shut up. "Sorry, I didn't mean it that way. I just got worried when I saw you hadn't come home."

Xu Yanche lay back under the covers.

Blowing cool air under the AC while tucked beneath a blanket was a wonderful, comfortable feeling.

Xu Yanche mercifully said, "Seeing as you apologized sincerely, I'll reluctantly forgive you."

He Qing lay on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. "Then when are you coming back?"

Xu Yanche said, "I don't know. I want to stay at my mom's for the next few days and keep her company."

He Qing pursed his lips, then said, "Then I'll move over tomorrow and live with you."

Xu Yanche said, "!"

"Don't, don't. The conditions here aren't as good as they are at home."

He Qing frowned, his tone leaving no room for refusal. "It's decided, then."

After saying that, he hung up.

Xu Yanche said, "..." Fine, fine, fine. He really didn't leave anyone a chance to speak.

Xu Yanche put down his phone and went back to sleep.

Just as he was dozing off, the phone rang again.

The resentment radiating off Xu Yanche surged higher and higher.

His tone turned chilling. "This better be important, or I'll skin you alive."

His voice was sinister enough to be terrifying in the middle of the night.

Zhang Yue shuddered. "Xu Yanche, are you having another episode?"

Xu Yanche said coldly, "Get to the point. What do you want, calling in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?"

Zhang Yue's voice was full of excitement. "Yanyan, Director Chai's assistant just called to let us know that you got the second male lead role! Hurry and pack your things. You'll join the production the day after tomorrow. Director Chai said you need to start learning etiquette and martial arts in advance."

Xu Yanche was a little surprised. "So soon?"

Zhang Yue said, "What else did you expect? Every one of Director Chai's productions becomes a massive hit. Let's get ready to move up in the world."

Zhang Yue excitedly rambled on and on, originally thinking Xu Yanche would be just as thrilled.

But to her surprise, Xu Yanche merely responded indifferently before hanging up.

Zhang Yue stared at the disconnected call. "???" Why had he hung up?

Could he have been too excited after hearing the news?

She thought that was probably it.

After all, countless people fought tooth and nail for a chance to get into Director Chai's productions.

Who knew what kind of dumb luck that kid had stumbled into?

He had actually made it.

It had to be because the Bodhisattva had answered her prayers from last night.

After hanging up, Xu Yanche sent He Qing a message.

A Pool of Clear Water: I'm packing tomorrow and getting ready to join the production. You don't need to come over.

Qingqing Darling: So soon?

A Pool of Clear Water: Yeah.

Qingqing Darling: Then I'll visit you on set when the time comes.

A Pool of Clear Water: Okay.

He Qing looked at Xu Yanche's messages, his brows slightly furrowed.

He felt that Xu Yanche had been acting strange tonight. Usually, when he messaged him, he would send a lot more than this, unlike now, when his replies were just single words.

Something was wrong.

He picked up the coat lying on the bed and put it on.

Then he took his car keys and headed out to find Xu Yanche.

He Jing said, "???" Why was her brother rushing out in such a hurry? Did something suddenly happen at the company?

In any case, it had nothing to do with her. Her top priority now was studying hard.

Next year, she would strive to become the provincial top scorer.

When He Qing drove to Jinshu's house.

The house was dark, with no lights on. The courtyard was quiet, and the only sound was the hum of the air conditioner.

Just as He Qing was hesitating over whether to knock.

Jinshu, who had gotten up in the middle of the night, spotted He Qing.

At first, Jinshu thought he was a bad guy.

She held a kitchen knife in her hand.

And moved toward the door.

Only when she got closer did she realize it was He Qing.

She opened the door. "Little He, is there some urgent matter that brought you here so late at night?"

He Qing obediently greeted her. "Mom, I came to see Yanyan."

Jinshu closed the door and pointed at Xu Yanche's room. "Yanyan is in that room."

Jinshu thought, Newlyweds really are different. They had only been apart for such a short time, and he had already come looking for him.

It seemed the person her son had chosen was pretty decent.

He Qing moved quietly toward Xu Yanche's room.

The room was very dim.

It was hard to see clearly.

Using the faint light from his phone, he saw Xu Yanche lying safely asleep in bed, and only then did he relax.

It was good that he was all right. Good that he was all right.

When Xu Yanche woke up in the morning, he felt as though he was being held by a furnace.

He reached out and pushed at it.

His hand touched a warm body.

Xu Yanche was startled.

When he opened his eyes, he found himself in He Qing's arms, and only then did he relax.

[Wait, when did He Qing come to my house? How did I not know? Oh my god, why are we both completely naked? That shouldn't be right. I clearly remember getting dressed before going to sleep yesterday.]