Chà Chà Novel

Fu Baihan had teased the kid until his eyes were brimming with tears, then carried him off to bathe, coaxing, “Okay, okay. No more.”

Su Nuo whimpered and nuzzled into his arms. “You’re the worst.”

Fu Baihan pinched the kid’s waist, his tone rising. “Wasn’t it sweetie who started it?”

Su Nuo puffed up his cheeks like a little pufferfish. Fu Baihan gave the side of his face a light nip, and he quickly covered it with his hand. “Gege!”

Nothing above the neck. No marks. Otherwise, how would they explain it to the grown-ups tomorrow?

Sneaking around had its own kind of fun, and Fu Baihan was happy to indulge the kid in this “thrill.”

He carried the kid into the bathtub. Warm water rose around them, skin against skin, inseparable.

If it hadn’t been such bad timing, Fu Baihan would have liked to start round two right there.

The kid pouted. “My legs… my legs hurt.”

He felt like they were rubbed raw!

Fu Baihan rubbed his legs with no ulterior thoughts and kissed his fragile little treasure. “I’ll put some ointment on you in a bit. That was my fault. I won’t do that next time.”

The unusual heat of that skin was a complaint against what had just happened, but Fu Baihan had to admit: the kid had been so sweet and pliant that he’d lost a bit of control.

The tips of Su Nuo’s ears turned red. “It… it doesn’t hurt that much.”

Fu Baihan’s hand stilled, and he looked up at Su Nuo.

Su Nuo gave up and squeezed his eyes shut. “Next time it’s okay to do it like that again…”

Fu Baihan bit his lip lightly, his breathing unsteady. “Sweetie, stop teasing.”

Your brother is not as much of a gentleman as you think.

Making you unable to get out of bed tomorrow — I could easily come up with an excuse for the grown-ups.

Stop it. My heart is about to jump right out of my chest because of you.

Su Nuo was embarrassed too. He leaned on his shoulder, pressed his lips together, and fell silent.

After the bath, he dressed the kid in soft pajamas. Fu Baihan figured that even if he went bankrupt someday, he could probably apply to be a gold-star caregiver. Clothes held out and arms slipped in, food brought and mouth opened — that described his little treasure exactly.

Already drowsy during the bath, Su Nuo barely reacted when he was carried back to bed. He grabbed a pillow and rolled over. “Gege, remember to wake me up tomorrow.”

“Don’t fall asleep yet.” Fu Baihan ruffled his fluffy, silky hair. “It’s almost midnight. Two more minutes.”

Su Nuo struggled to lift his eyelids and whined, “Two minutes is so long…”

He felt like he could fall asleep in ten seconds.

“Sweetie, can you see out the window from the bed? Want to go out on the balcony?” Fu Baihan toyed with the ends of his hair.

“No, I’m cold.” Su Nuo whimpered. “Hurry up and come hold me.”

Stop dawdling. Your little treasure needs you to warm the bed.

Bossy as could be, but unbelievably cute.

Fu Baihan kicked off his shoes, got into bed, and pulled the kid into his arms, laughing softly. “Spoiled baby.”

“I hear them,” Su Nuo said, turning over with his back to him to look out the window.

The curtains were open. With little light pollution, the suburban night was especially dark. Fireworks bloomed across the sky, reflected in their eyes — a celebration of the New Year.

“Happy New Year.” Fu Baihan held his little treasure and watched in silence with him for a while, then bent to kiss his earlobe. “Our sweetie is a year older.”

“So is Gege.” Su Nuo turned back and hugged his waist. “Can we watch the fireworks together every year from now on?”

“Of course.” Fu Baihan patted his back. “As long as sweetie doesn’t think I’m too old by then.”

“By the time you’re old, I’ll be a little old man too. I won’t mind.” Su Nuo clung to him. “Gege, have more confidence. Even when you’re an old man, you’ll be the most handsome one.”

Fu Baihan was in a great mood. “Sweetie won’t become a little old man. With me around, you can stay a kid forever.”

Be willful whenever he wanted, act cute whenever he wanted — Fu Baihan would always be by his side, shielding him from wind and rain.

Su Nuo’s eyelids were already fighting to stay open. He answered drowsily, “Then I want lucky money every year.”

“Little money-grubber.” Fu Baihan coaxed him. “Go to sleep. When you wake up tomorrow, you’ll get lucky money.”

After a night of sweet dreams, Su Nuo was woken up early.

The branch families of the Fu clan would also come to pay New Year’s respects to the old master. The little treasure didn’t want to lose face; he was definitely going to go down and get on their nerves.

Fu Baihan was happy to help him with that wish. Whatever those branch families had done to offend him, what bad intentions could his kid possibly have?

Sitting up in bed, Su Nuo held out his hand. “Gege, Happy New Year! Red envelope!”

Fu Baihan placed the red envelope he’d prepared into his palm. “Happy New Year. I didn’t know what to get you, so take this and buy yourself something.”

“So lazy. Just money, no present…” Su Nuo grumbled as he opened the envelope. Then he saw the amount on the check and was instantly wide awake. “I was wrong, Gege. Please be this lazy with me next year too.”

It was way too much. He couldn’t resist!

He’d said he didn’t know what to get, but of course Fu Baihan hadn’t forgotten a present for his little treasure. It just wasn’t time yet — Su Nuo would have to wait until the drama finished filming to see it.

A kid who’d received a sports car, a yacht, and a private jet in a single year really didn’t have much left to want.

He hauled the kid up. “Grandpa’s waiting downstairs, and everyone else is here. Hurry and get dressed.”

“Okay.” Su Nuo got out of bed to wash up. After two steps, he turned back and glared at him, half sulking, half angry. “Gege, you said it would be better by this morning!”

Fu Baihan touched the tip of his nose. “Ahem. I don’t have any experience either.”

Next time, a different ointment. It was time to ask a doctor for a professional opinion.

Su Nuo felt awkward. He was sure his walk would give him away, but as someone who’d win Best Actor one day, his first challenge of the New Year was to bluff his way through with his acting.

The old master saw the kid looking perfectly normal, gave him a couple of once-overs, and beckoned. “Nuonuo, come over to Grandpa.”

Su Nuo said brightly, “Grandpa, Happy New Year!”

“Good, good, good.” The old master smiled. “Here, take this. Buy yourself some candy.”

Su Nuo took the red envelope and felt a bank card inside. It probably held enough to buy himself a whole candy factory.

Honestly, the money he made from filming and ads didn’t even add up to what he got in lucky money for one New Year.

This must be the sweet trouble of being a rich family’s young master.

Even after Su Nuo had dealt with them, the younger generation of the branch families still couldn’t stand him. They just couldn’t show it in front of the old master and had to smile along.

Fu Baihan being favored by the elders was no problem — he was the Fu family’s legitimate eldest grandson. But what made Su Nuo so special? Just some little bastard picked up from an orphanage!

Oh wait, supposedly he was the Su family’s lost son.

Then why didn’t he go back to the Su family? Clearly he craved wealth and status and couldn’t bear to leave the Fu family!

In their eyes, Su Nuo’s face was synonymous with scheming. Even when they saw him smile, they thought there was a dagger behind it.

Spoiled like that by the Fu elders — who wouldn’t be jealous!

They didn’t even get the chance to work at the group, while Su Nuo, an outsider with a different surname, already had shares in the Fu Group and could live off them for life.

Su Nuo loved seeing their frustrated faces, red-eyed with envy but able to do nothing but watch. Thinking of what these people had done in his past life, he felt that just annoying them was far too merciful.

He should whisper in Gege’s ear at night! Kick them all out!

Though by now it was almost the same as being kicked out; they never got anything out of coming anyway.

Not wanting to spoil the old master’s mood, Su Nuo simply treated them as props to liven up the atmosphere.

Keeping the old master happy was the only reason they existed.

Compared to the Fu family’s lively celebration, the Su household was much quieter. Su Yujin had snatched the Demon Lord role from Su Nuo and ruined Su Nuo’s collaboration with Zhao Chengye. He was very pleased with himself and dreamed every day of trampling Su Nuo underfoot.

Su Yuchen watched Su Yujin beaming and felt this younger brother was growing more and more like a stranger — and so were his parents.

What right did they have to accuse Su Nuo behind his back of being unfilial? They’d never raised him for a single day, and they’d treated Su Yujin far better than him at home. Wasn’t it perfectly normal that he didn’t come back?

“Mom, Dad, does the Fu family really have to put her in prison?” Su Yujin looked at them pitifully. “No matter what, she’s my birth mother. I feel a little bad… And how will people see me in the future? Online, this will become a scandal against me.”

Mrs. Su comforted him. “How could it? Yujin, we raised you. You’re our child. You have nothing to do with that woman. Her crimes won’t drag you down.”

“But… is there really no way to turn this around? I understand the Fu family wants to avenge Su Nuo, but their methods are a bit too harsh.” Su Yujin sighed.

“What are you all saying?” Su Yuchen frowned. “This isn’t about avenging anyone. She committed a crime, so she belongs in prison.”

Mrs. Su defended Su Yujin and turned on her eldest son, displeased. “Yuchen, your brother is already upset. Don’t provoke him.”

Su Yujin shook his head, his face a little pale. “I’m fine, Mom. Ge has a point.”

Mrs. Su was heartbroken. “Ignore him. Quick, quick, go get the medicine.”

“Enough. What’s all this fighting on New Year’s?” Mr. Su said impatiently.

Mrs. Su burst into tears and held Su Yujin tight. “It’s all because of that child. Fine if he won’t acknowledge us, but now he’s targeting our family…”

Su Yuchen took a deep breath and finally couldn’t hold back. “Mom, you never treated him like your own child. You have no right to guilt-trip him.”

Mrs. Su raised her voice. “Yuchen! What nonsense are you talking! He’s the one who won’t acknowledge us!”

“What did you just tell Yujin? That we raised him and he has nothing to do with that woman. Then the Fu family can just as easily say they raised my brother and he has nothing to do with us!”

Su Yujin’s lips were turning purple. “Ge, please don’t fight with Mom…”

“Yujin, what’s wrong? Is it your heart?” Mrs. Su panicked. “Quick, get Yujin to the hospital!”

Coming out of the hospital room, Su Yuchen went back to his car to smoke, deeply frustrated. He couldn’t understand how a once-happy family had turned into this.