Ji Dongsheng came back laden with bags the day before school started.
Having not seen Ji Dongsheng in so long, An Yubei affectionately threw himself into his arms.
Although he usually took good care of himself, holding such a big darling was still a bit much for his back.
"My darling boy, get down. Your dad's back can't take it!"
An Yubei hurried down and worriedly touched Ji Dongsheng's lower back. "Dad, are you okay?"
An Yubei rubbed Ji Dongsheng's back and helped him over to sit on the sofa.
"What happened? Do you need to go to the hospital?"
He had only been exaggerating, wanting his darling son to fuss over him a little.
Before Ji Dongsheng could say he was fine, Lao Wang, who was tidying up the luggage scattered around the living room, spoke for him. "What else could it be? He wore himself out!"
"Too many beautiful women left you with kidney deficiency, huh?"
Lao Wang's words dripped with sarcasm, sparing Ji Dongsheng no dignity, like a husband left alone at home complaining about his wife fooling around outside.
Ji Dongsheng pressed his lips together. "Lao Wang, that's going too far. Am I that kind of person?"
To maintain a good image in front of his darling son, Ji Dongsheng shot Lao Wang meaningful looks as he spoke.
Even if Lao Wang had guessed everything right, he shouldn't say it out loud. Didn't he have any dignity to preserve?
Ignoring Ji Dongsheng's looks, Lao Wang said sullenly, "Aren't you?"
"Are you getting married again this time? You've been having so much fun out there you forgot all about coming home!"
Lao Wang spared him no dignity at all. Knowing Lao Wang was angry, Ji Dongsheng suddenly had neither an aching back nor sore legs and bounded over.
An Yubei thought Ji Dongsheng was about to start a fight and leaped up from the sofa in fright.
He was just about to stop him when he saw Ji Dongsheng sling an arm around Lao Wang's shoulders with a grin and start coaxing him.
"Look at you. You're like this every time I go away. I really wasn't fooling around this time. I just went shopping."
Still glum and unable to cheer up, Lao Wang said, "I got all the transaction alerts. You certainly bought some nice things."
"A thousand of them. Thanks for all your hard work."
Ji Shang had frozen Ji Dongsheng's bank account. With no money to go out and have fun, Ji Dongsheng had relied on a bank card Lao Wang had given him.
Lao Wang hadn't minded the other purchases. Ji Dongsheng was used to spending lavishly and liked using quality things.
Only the bill for the contraceptive supplies had remained etched in Lao Wang's mind.
A full thousand. Lao Wang felt stifled. Was Ji Dongsheng planning to exhaust himself to death?
Fooling around with women was one thing, but why did he have to use his money?
That was all his marriage fund and retirement money.
Seeing that Lao Wang had misunderstood, Ji Dongsheng hurried to explain. "At my age, how could I have that kind of energy? I got these for Xiao Bei. Isn't he starting university? He'll have a use for them."
"But he doesn't need a thousand!"
"University lasts four years. He'll use them up eventually."
"Do you think everyone's like you?" Lao Wang turned to look at An Yubei, then said, "Mr. Ji won't let him use them."
Mr. Ji would only use them on An Yubei.
With a thousand, his ass would probably hurt to death.
Ji Dongsheng didn't understand why Lao Wang had brought up Ji Shang. "What's it got to do with him?"
Was he going to police other people's love lives on top of everything else?
An Yubei: "...!"
He felt as though he understood, yet hadn't understood anything at all.
What exactly were they talking about?
Ji Dongsheng picked up a designer watch and handed it to Lao Wang. "This is for you. Don't be angry anymore!"
"For me?" Lao Wang took it, unable to suppress the smile tugging at his lips.
Although it had been bought with his money, receiving a gift from Ji Dongsheng still made him happy, and he instantly forgot how fierce he had been just now.
Ji Dongsheng curled his lips into a smile. Men really were easy to coax.
Having dealt with Lao Wang, Ji Dongsheng told the housekeeper to carry all the bags up to An Yubei's room.
Then he started helping An Yubei pack. Sitting on the sofa, An Yubei watched Ji Dongsheng gradually stuff the clothes, ironed free of every last crease, into a jumbled mess.
"Dad, I'd better pack them myself!"
Ji Dongsheng saw that his packing was a little messy. Piling all the miscellaneous things together really didn't look very good.
So he called for outside assistance. "Lao Wang, Lao Wang, hurry over. I need you."
Lao Wang soon came over, and An Yubei noticed the watch Ji Dongsheng had just given him on his left wrist.
Lao Wang had a knack for packing, sorting the clothes and shoes into categories and sealing them all in bags.
Ji Dongsheng handed everything he had bought while away to Lao Wang. "Pack all these too. I bought them all for my darling boy."
Lao Wang frowned at the sight, silently wondering whether this father and son were trying to fill up the school.
Ji Shang had bought some things according to the list made earlier. With Ji Dongsheng's purchases added in, even ten suitcases wouldn't hold everything.
"There's too much. It really won't fit. The dorm room isn't big, and it's shared by four people. Where would he put it all?"
Ji Dongsheng thought Lao Wang had a point, so he picked through everything and handed over what he considered important.
Lao Wang fell silent at the sight of the cookie box. "Are you sure you want this packed too?"
Lao Wang guessed these were the thousand contraceptives.
Ji Dongsheng liked putting these things in cookie boxes. Boys didn't like sweets, so no one would get suspicious if it was left in the dorm.
But was it really necessary to buy so many?
Ji Dongsheng nodded very seriously. "I'm sure."
Just then, An Yubei leaned his head over. "Are those cookies?"
Ji Dongsheng had been talking to Lao Wang the whole time, and An Yubei hadn't been able to get a word in, so he could only play on his phone nearby.
Seeing how serious Ji Dongsheng was, he grew interested.
Ji Dongsheng blocked An Yubei's curious gaze. "Wait until you get to school to open it. It's a surprise, and a token of your dad's love."
An Yubei smiled. "Thanks, Dad."
He assumed they were just cookies, something Ji Dongsheng had prepared for him out of concern that he might go hungry.
Little did he know that this very box of "cookies" would embarrass him beyond belief.
Ji Dongsheng sent An Yubei away. "Darling boy, go have some fun. Lao Wang and I will pack for you."
Ji Dongsheng was afraid An Yubei would get curious and open it, which was why he wanted to send him away.
An Yubei suspected nothing and went downstairs to take a call.
Once An Yubei had left, Ji Dongsheng furtively took out some more "little toys" and handed them to Lao Wang.
The "little toys" came in all varieties, practically gathering every model on the market with decent functionality.
Lao Wang was very familiar with a few of them. He used them too.
The sight of these things made Lao Wang's ass itch.
Lao Wang paused, hesitating to take them. Those "little toys" really were enough to make someone blush.
"He's still young. He doesn't need these things."
Ji Dongsheng forcefully shoved them into Lao Wang's arms. "Why wouldn't he? They're for when the need arises."
"Keep it secret. Don't let Ji Shang find out. If he does, he'll say I'm corrupting Xiao Bei again."
Lao Wang glanced at the things in his arms and couldn't help imagining Ji Shang seeing them.
He would probably really want to try every one of them on An Yubei.
"Understood." As he spoke, Lao Wang stuffed the things into a sealed bag.
The call An Yubei had taken was from Lu Jinsheng, who mainly wanted to chat with him.
School started tomorrow, and they were attending the same university. Lu Jinsheng asked An Yubei to go register with him.
Lying on his stomach on the sofa with his feet raised, An Yubei said, "My brother and my dad are both taking me to school tomorrow, so I can't go with you."
"Besides, we're in different departments. We probably can't register together anyway!"
An Yubei was studying animal husbandry, while Lu Jinsheng was studying finance.
Lu Jinsheng hesitated, leaving the rest of his words unsaid.
An Yubei said, "My dad and Lao Wang are packing right now. Have you packed your things?"
Lu Jinsheng said listlessly, "I really envy you, having family to get things ready for you. Unlike me, all on my own. I don't even know what to prepare."
An Yubei: "...?"
Why did it feel like Lu Jinsheng had stolen Sister Daiyu's script?