BYBOTE Chapter 7: Embarrassment

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At night, Huaping Village’s usually peaceful Luo household was so noisy that even the pots and pans seemed to be clattering.

Luo Fei crouched on the ground, holding a pot lid over his head. His handsome face was twisted in distress. “Dad, yes, I bathed at the Xí family’s house, but nobody else knew about it. It was just our family! If you don’t say anything and the others don’t say anything, then no one will ever know! Why are you so angry?”

Luo Tian had rolled up his sleeves almost to his armpits, and he snapped a bamboo whip in half. “You still have the nerve to ask?! Why am I angry, huh?!”

Luo Fei thought to himself, Yeah, I don’t even know why you’re so mad. It was just a bath! What’s the big deal?! No one else even knows about it!

Seeing Luo Fei’s oblivious expression made Luo Tian even more frustrated. “Fine, Erbao! I’m not going to argue with you. I don’t want to hear any more nonsense from you! Just remember this—once your mother and I pick a good date, you must get married! You must! Do you hear me?!”

“No way!” Luo Fei, feeling unusually bold today, suddenly stood up. “If you want someone to get married, you do it yourself!” 

“What did you just say?” Luo Tian hadn’t expected such resistance and was momentarily stunned. But then his expression turned even fiercer. He slammed the broken bamboo whip onto the ground. “You’re saying you won’t marry? If you don’t, I swear I’ll break your legs!”

“Go ahead! You always just talk big anyway!” Luo Fei stretched his legs, shaking off the soreness from crouching. Thank goodness he had used the medicinal powder Xi Yanqing had given him earlier, or he wouldn’t even have the strength to argue. “I just don’t understand—why the rush? What if Xi Yanqing and I aren’t compatible? Are we just supposed to force ourselves into a lifelong marriage? It’s not like the modern era where you can get a divorce anytime. Marriage is for life! What if we end up constantly clashing? Wouldn’t it be better to do as Xi Yanqing suggested and start as friends first?”

“You! You ungrateful brat! Not compatible with the Xi boy? Then find someone you are compatible with! I trusted you when you said you and Zhang Yangfan could be together, so I didn’t stop you. But what happened? You said the Zhang family would propose, but instead, they went to the Bai family! Do you know how embarrassing that was?!” Luo Tian had originally intended to scare Luo Fei into agreeing. He just wanted to use the bath incident as an excuse to push Luo Fei into marrying Xi Yanqing. But he hadn’t expected this level of resistance, and now he was truly angry. “I don’t care if people gossip behind my back—I’ll just beat them up if they do! But you’re my son! Can’t you have a little pride?! Can’t you shut those gossipers up for once?!”

“And just to shut them up, I should marry someone at random? Do I look stupid to you?!” And why was Zhang Yangfan still being brought up?! Luo Fei put the pot lid down, found a chair, and carefully sat down. “Anyway, I’m not marrying Xi Yanqing.”

“You’re not? Fine, Erbao!” BANG! Luo Tian smashed the table into pieces.

“Dad! Honey, please!” Li Yuehua and the other kids were startled. They had always seen Luo Tian as a paper tiger—he looked fierce but was actually soft-hearted. Even if he did hit them, he was always gentle. But this time, he was truly furious.

“Dad, let’s talk this out!” Even Luo Fei panicked. Holy crap, he’s really mad!

“Talk?! My ass!” Luo Tian swung the whip down on Luo Fei’s backside.

“Ahhh!” Luo Fei yelped as the pain shot through him. He was sure his butt was going to be bruised. “Dad, wait! Let’s negotiate! Please don’t actually hit me!”

“Yes, Dad, calm down!” Luo Ru and Luo Yi rushed to intervene, but the room had already turned into complete chaos. Luckily, the Luo house was built against the mountains, with farmland on one side and no immediate neighbors, so no one could hear the commotion outside.

“Get out of my way! Anyone who stops me will get beaten too!” Luo Tian was strong and easily shoved his youngest daughter and son aside. “Luo Erbao, you think I only know how to scold you with words? Let me show you how wrong you are! Do you think I raised you all these years just so you could be bullied and gossiped about? You idiot!”

SMACK! Another strike landed on Luo Fei’s butt. “Tell me, are you marrying into the Xí family or not?! Are you getting married or not?!”

“Yes, yes, yes! Dad—Dad, please! Ow, stop hitting me!” Luo Fei was backed into a corner with nowhere to run. He raised both hands in surrender. “I’ll do it! I’ll get married, okay?!” This was outright abuse!

Fine! If marrying Xi Yanqing was the only way out of this, then he’d do it!

Flushed with frustration, Luo Fei glared at Luo Tian. “You’re really my father, huh?!”

Luo Tian threw the stick aside with a bang! “No kidding! If I weren’t your father, I would’ve drowned you in the river when you were born, you little brat!”

Luo Fei had no idea that the day his body was pulled out of the river, Luo Tian’s hands had been shaking. This tough old man, who prided himself on being strong, had felt his mind go blank from fear when he saw his son’s frozen body. He had been torn between rage and anguish, unable to do anything. His son was stubborn, dead set on Zhang Yangfan, which made Luo Tian furious. He had even locked Luo Fei in the woodshed to reflect.

He had hoped that once Luo Fei came to his senses, things would work out. And now, with Xi Yanqing returning at just the right moment, it seemed perfect. Their engagement had already been arranged years ago. Xi Yanqing was a good man, just like his late father, Xí Ping. So why was Luo Fei being so difficult?

Luo Fei huffed, but facing his father’s glare, he had no choice but to shut up. He stood up, hesitated about brushing the dust off his pants—no way, that would hurt too much—so instead, he just walked out while holding his sore backside.

The once chaotic house suddenly fell silent. Everyone watched Luo Fei’s limping exit, and a wave of sympathy washed over them. Li Yuehua, who had restrained herself from interfering, now found herself regretting it.

The child looks deeply aggrieved—could it really be their fault?

Luo Fei was indeed feeling terrible. Xi Yanqing was right; he originally had a family, so of course, he would miss home even more. Just think—coming to this place, getting beaten for the first time in his life, suffering grievances he'd never experienced before, enduring the many disdainful looks he pretended not to see, and eating food far worse than anything he’d ever had. He knew he shouldn’t blame the Luo family here, but he really, really missed home.

Xi Yanqing had come to borrow a plane tool to smooth out some wooden boards. But just as he was approaching the Luo family’s home, he spotted someone squatting at the entrance.

"Luo Fei?" Xi Yanqing asked in confusion as he walked over. "Why are you squatting here?"

"Nothing." Luo Fei quickly turned his face away, wiped his eyes swiftly, and tried to keep his voice steady. "What are you here for?"

"I came to borrow something. Are you okay?" Xi Yanqing squatted down too, studying Luo Fei closely before lowering his voice. "Homesick?"

"Mm." Luo Fei nodded. He had managed to hold back his tears, but with just that one question, the dam broke. Like a child, he buried his head in his arms, making no sound, just rubbing his eyes against his sleeves over and over again.

"What happened?" Xi Yanqing gently nudged Luo Fei. Luo Fei was younger than him—four years younger in their previous life, only eighteen. In this life, he was still eighteen, just two years younger than Xi Yanqing. Although technically an adult, in Xi Yanqing’s eyes, he was still just a half-grown kid.

"…I agreed to my family’s arrangement to marry you," Luo Fei said. "But don’t get the wrong idea—I’m just going to live with you for convenience. You said it yourself, we have common interests."

"Mm, we’ll have more in common than anyone else." Xi Yanqing patted Luo Fei’s shoulder. "Get up, the night air is chilly. I promise, once you come to my place, you’ll live better than you do here."

"Really?"

"Really, more real than a pearl. You're younger than me, and besides, in name at least, you're my fiancée. Of course, I'll treat you well."

"Fiancée, my ass." Luo Fei stood up and rubbed his numb legs. "Damn it, if I had known it would be like this, I would’ve just given in from the start and saved myself a beating. What kind of temper is that? So easy to provoke—like a firecracker ready to explode!"

"You got beaten?!" Xi Yanqing had been happy to hear that Luo Fei agreed to the marriage, but now that he learned Luo Fei had been hit, his happiness instantly vanished.

"Yeah." Luo Fei gently rubbed his sore backside. "Anyway, this should be the last time. Whatever."

"Come on, I’ll help you inside." Xi Yanqing supported Luo Fei, walking slowly and carefully.

Luo Fei looked at him doubtfully. Was it just his imagination, or had Xi Yanqing been treating him very differently since they got here?

In their previous life, they had little interaction. At most, they’d occasionally pass by each other, or Xi Yanqing would come to school events to see Liang Boyuan. Back then, Luo Fei's only impression of Xi Yanqing was—annoying!

Always hanging around his crush, blocking the way! And he wouldn’t even break up with him, leaving Luo Fei with no chance at all!

But now, Xi Yanqing was like a big brother, treating him so well.

They were no longer love rivals—reality had forced them to become partners in the same predicament.

Luo Fei sighed inwardly and went inside without looking up, heading straight to his room.

Luo Tian still felt a bit angry—partly because he was frustrated that Luo Fei wasn’t being obedient, and partly because he was struggling with whether he had done the right thing. But when he saw Xi Yanqing arriving at night, his anger dissipated.

"Xi Yu, what brings you here?" That old nickname was probably going to take some time to change.

"Uncle Luo, I came to check on Erbao and also to borrow a plane tool." Xi Yanqing glanced at the small room. "Erbao, he…"

"He made a mistake and won’t admit it, just sulking. Ignore him," Luo Tian said. "Sit down and talk. I have two plane tools, a big one and a small one. What are you making?"

"A cabinet." After moving into his new place, Xi Yanqing realized there was too much to tidy up. He couldn’t finish in just a few days, so he focused on the basics—clearing the yard, weeding the vegetable garden, wiping down every corner of the house, and organizing what little furniture he had. But he was still missing a lot, so he had to take things one step at a time.

"If it’s for a cabinet, then take both tools when you leave," Luo Tian said. After thinking for a moment, he added, "Actually, let’s find a good day to go to the mountain and collect some wood. Once it’s dried, we can use it. I need to make a new table too." He pointed to the table he had broken recently.

"You shouldn’t have used so much force!" Li Yuehua looked at the table, distressed. That table had been made when she and Luo Tian got married over twenty years ago. It was old, but it had sentimental value. "At least repurpose it—turn it into a small stool or something, but don’t throw it away."

"Alright, alright, you always have so many ideas!" Luo Tian grumbled, but his heart was warm. He understood why his wife cared about the table—it held their shared memories. Looking at Xi Yanqing, he thought this was the perfect chance to tell him about Luo Fei agreeing to the marriage. But just as he was about to speak, he noticed Xi Yanqing frowning at the door of Luo Fei’s room.

"Xi Yu, what are you thinking about?" Luo Tian asked.

"Nothing." Xi Yanqing smiled. "I was just thinking about Erbao earlier—he looked really pitiful."

"Pfft!" Luo Fei had been drinking water and immediately sprayed it all over Luo Yi’s face. "Cough, cough, cough…!"

"It’s okay, Second Brother. As long as you're not angry, spray away," Luo Yi said with a guilty look. "Do you want another bowl?"

"No, thanks! Just looking at you annoys me. Get lost, and don’t let me see you before morning." Luo Fei waved him away like he was shooing a fly.

"Oh…" Luo Yi, however, noticed a small cloth pouch on the cabinet. Curious, he picked it up. "Second Brother, what’s this?" He opened it before Luo Fei could stop him. That bag—wasn’t that the one their family used to store seeds? Why was it so full now?

"Don’t touch that!" Luo Fei shouted as Luo Yi took out a small porcelain dish.

"Relax, I won’t break it. I’m just looking." Luo Yi examined it from both sides, then sniffed it. "Second Brother, what is this?" He even rubbed it against his cheek. "So smooth and nice!"

"That’s…" Luo Fei facepalmed. How was he supposed to tell his little brother that it was his personal toilet scraper?!

"Brother Xi, do you know what this is?" Luo Yi asked as Xi Yanqing walked in.

"That?" Xi Yanqing glanced at Luo Fei with a mischievous smile. "That’s the 'intimate' token I gave your second brother."

"Intimate token? Then I shouldn’t touch it!" Luo Yi immediately put it back and handed it to Luo Fei. "Here, Second Brother. I’m leaving! I won’t let you see me until tomorrow!"

"Intimate token, my ass!" Luo Fei glared at Xi Yanqing.

"I meant ‘intimate’ as in useful," Xi Yanqing smirked and sat beside him. "Still sore?"

"You wicked man! Sore from what? Don’t overthink things!" Luo Fei glanced at the door, lowered his voice, and scowled. "If they set a wedding date, make sure it’s not too soon!"

"Why?"

"You fool! The longer I stay here, the more food you save over there. If I really move in later, I’ll have to eat at your place. So of course, it’s better to leave as much food here as possible."

Luo Fei looked at Xi Yanqing as if he was an idiot. And he calls himself a top student?

"Got it," Xi Yanqing chuckled. "Don’t worry, I won’t let you starve."

"Really? Okay, you said it! If you ever let me go hungry, I’ll just go home!"

"So ambitious!"

"That’s all I’ve got for ambition. If you have the guts, break off the engagement!"

"Keep dreaming. Go to sleep."

Xi Yanqing poked Luo Fei’s forehead, sending him tumbling onto the heated brick bed (kang).

Luo Fei yelped in pain, "Ouch!" He pounded on the bed furiously, but by the time he wanted to hit Xi Yanqing, the guy had already run off!

"Damn it! You bastard! Just you wait! When I come over, I’ll mess you up!" Luo Fei gritted his teeth.

—

Tl Notes:

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