OFTLHFRO C185
by berryChapter 185: Paying Respects to the God of Wealth
After leaving the courtyard, Huo Yan bent down and scooped Luo Mingchen up into a bridal carry.
He had barely taken two steps when Luo Mingchen started struggling.
“Put me down!”
To free himself, he even summoned his water tendrils—carefully avoiding hurting Huo Yan, of course.
After being thoroughly harassed, Huo Yan finally had no choice but to set him down.
The moment his feet touched the ground, Luo Mingchen wobbled unsteadily. His eyes were hazy with drunkenness as he gave an order.
“Squat.”
“Alright.”
Huo Yan obediently crouched in front of him.
Without another word, Luo Mingchen threw himself onto Huo Yan’s back.
“Let’s go.”
Only then did Huo Yan realize Luo Mingchen had wanted a piggyback ride.
Unfortunately, he had been facing him while squatting, so now all he could do was hoist him over his shoulder.
As Luo Mingchen hung there, he mumbled,
“I want to be on top…”
Huo Yan: “……”
After much difficulty, they finally made it back to their room.
Huo Yan laid Luo Mingchen on the bed, lit the oil lamp, removed his outer robe, tucked him under the blankets, then fetched a basin of warm water to wipe his face.
Suddenly, Luo Mingchen grabbed Huo Yan’s hand.
Grinning foolishly, he planted a kiss on it.
“Little brother, whose family do you belong to?”
“Come home with me, okay?”
Both exasperated and amused, Huo Yan pinched his warm cheek.
“I already belong to your family.”
To say Luo Mingchen was drunk…
His speech was surprisingly coherent.
Yet to say he wasn’t…
The silly expression on his face clearly showed his mind wasn’t functioning properly.
“My family?”
Luo Mingchen tilted his head.
Seeing that he’d finally quieted down a little, Huo Yan continued wiping his face, then carefully cleaned his neck as well.
“Then take your clothes off.”
“I want to touch.”
As he spoke, Luo Mingchen reached over and began tugging at Huo Yan’s robes.
Huo Yan watched helplessly, allowing him to pull and yank.
No matter how hard he tried…
He couldn’t undo them.
Perhaps frustrated after failing for so long, Luo Mingchen frowned, grabbed the fabric with both hands—
—and simply ripped it open.
Then he happily rested his head against Huo Yan’s bare chest, giggling to himself.
At that moment, the kettle warming over the brazier began to whistle.
Huo Yan patted Luo Mingchen’s back.
“Be good.”
“I’m going to pour you some water and give you some hangover medicine.”
“If you don’t take it, your head will definitely hurt tomorrow morning.”
Luo Mingchen hummed unhappily.
“I don’t want medicine…”
At the same time, he stubbornly refused to let go.
Left with no alternative, Huo Yan simply picked him up.
The instant Huo Yan stood, Luo Mingchen automatically wrapped both legs around his waist.
As Luo Mingchen liked to say…
Just like a koala.
Although Huo Yan found it rather speechless…
It actually made things much more convenient.
Once the water had cooled enough, Huo Yan took out the hangover pill.
The moment Luo Mingchen spotted the little pill, he looked up at him.
Keeping a perfectly straight face, Huo Yan lied to the drunken fool.
“It’s candy.”
Hearing the word candy, Luo Mingchen obediently opened his mouth.
“Ah…”
Huo Yan popped the pill inside.
Before he could even hand over the cup of water…
Luo Mingchen swallowed it whole with one big gulp.
Then he beamed proudly.
“I ate it all!”
“Not sharing with you!”
“…Come.”
“Drink some water.”
“Oh.”
After Luo Mingchen finished drinking, Huo Yan set the cup aside and carried him back to bed.
Perhaps the medicine had finally taken effect.
Little by little…
Luo Mingchen drifted off to sleep.
Huo Yan, who had been planning to do a little more than simply sleep: “……”
Looking at his husband’s peaceful sleeping face…
All Huo Yan could do was helplessly nibble gently at his lips a couple of times before getting up to bathe.
After returning, he covered Luo Mingchen with the blanket and had only just fallen asleep himself—
When the person who should have been sound asleep suddenly sat bolt upright.
Instantly alert, Huo Yan scanned the room.
Only after confirming there was no danger did he ask,
“What is it?”
Throwing off the blanket, Luo Mingchen declared,
“Kneel.”
“…What?”
Though completely baffled, Huo Yan still knelt on the bed alongside him.
After a moment’s thought, Luo Mingchen added,
“Wrong direction.”
The two of them turned from facing the bedside to facing the headboard.
Only then did Huo Yan notice the portrait pasted above the bed—
The God of Wealth.
Luo Mingchen clasped his hands together with utmost sincerity.
“Bow!”
Huo Yan: “……”
Once they’d finished worshipping the God of Wealth, Luo Mingchen leaned against Huo Yan—
And promptly fell asleep again.
Huo Yan sighed inwardly as he settled him back into bed.
In the middle of the night, Luo Mingchen woke up feeling thirsty.
Still half asleep, he reached over and patted Huo Yan’s shoulder.
Huo Yan immediately poured him a cup of water.
After drinking the slightly cool water, Luo Mingchen became somewhat more awake.
“How long have I been asleep?”
“Two hours.”
“So certain?”
“It’s midnight.”
From somewhere far away came the faint crackling of firecrackers.
“Then it’s New Year already!”
Luo Mingchen perked up excitedly.
“Let’s get up and worship the God of Wealth!”
“…We already did.”
“Did we?”
Hearing that, Huo Yan pulled him into an embrace.
“You’ve already forgotten everything.”
Luo Mingchen searched his memory…
And vaguely remembered.
Before he could speak, Huo Yan pinned him beneath him.
“Do you remember stripping my clothes off while you were drunk?”
Remembering at least that much, Luo Mingchen guiltily looked away.
“I don’t.”
One glance at his face was enough for Huo Yan to know he was lying.
Pinching his chin, Huo Yan made him look directly into his eyes.
The corners of his lips curved upward slightly.
“Need me to help refresh your memory?”
Luo Mingchen grabbed his hand, wearing the expression of a righteous man unmoved by beauty.
“I don’t think that’s necessary.”
“Things you’ve forgotten should stay forgotten.”
Huo Yan answered only with a cold laugh.
“Heh.”
The crackling firecrackers echoed from near and far.
Even though there were no fireworks…
Luo Mingchen somehow felt as though dazzling fireworks were blooming before his eyes.
On the morning of the first day of the New Year…
Luo Mingchen once again got up late.
Feeling rather depressed, he prepared several red envelopes.
He wasn’t sure whether Hu Jing and her two older brothers would come to pay New Year’s greetings, so he prepared three extra red envelopes just in case.
As it turned out…
He had guessed correctly.
Hu Zhongyi arrived with his wife and three children, carrying New Year’s gifts.
As soon as they entered, he said,
“You’re all coming to my place for lunch.”
Luo Mingchen smiled.
“Sure, we’ll head over in a little while.”
Remembering the brick-hard steamed buns he’d eaten at Hu Zhongyi’s house before, Huo Xiang asked nervously,
“Uncle Hu…”
“Are we eating steamed buns again?”
“My teeth only just grew back…”
If those new teeth broke too…
Wouldn’t he have to get gold teeth?
Hu Zhongyi burst into laughter.
“No buns today.”
“We’re having rice.”
“And giant chicken drumsticks.”
Hu Jing’s second brother, Hu Liang, looked puzzled.
“Huo Xiang, don’t you like steamed buns?”
“I like soft ones!”
“Yours are way too hard!”
Luo Mingchen laughed.
“The last time we ate steamed buns there, he lost two teeth.”
Hu Liang stared in shock.
Huo Yuhui couldn’t suppress his laughter.
“He hadn’t finished losing all his baby teeth yet.”
Wrapping an arm around the still slightly traumatized Huo Xiang, Hua Yaoyue said,
“Don’t worry.”
“If your teeth fall out again, I’ll fix them for you.”
“I guarantee nobody will notice.”
The stubborn baby teeth Huo Xiang had lost afterward had all been pulled by Hua Yaoyue.
At first, Huo Xiang had been rather afraid of him.
But after discovering tooth extraction didn’t hurt at all…
He started sticking close to him instead.
Although he couldn’t understand the obscure medical texts…
He still accompanied his older brother while learning how to brew herbal medicine.
After hearing Hua Yaoyue’s reassurance, Huo Xiang finally relaxed.
Smiling brightly, he said,
“That’s good.”
Everyone looked at him, unable to stop smiling.
How could this child be so innocent and adorable?
After Hu Zhongyi’s family left, Luo Mingchen gathered some gifts and headed to their home as well.
A large group of them piled into the carriage together.
It was lively indeed.
Xiao Lin couldn’t help complaining,
“Why do I feel like we’re going there just to freeload?”
Hua Niang rolled her eyes and smacked his arm.
“You should eat more…”
“And talk less.”
The thoroughly despised Xiao Lin: “……”