Rebirth from the Ashes

Shen Xi bit on the straw of her bubble tea and mumbled under her breath, “It means giving you the heart.”

Li Yuan was delighted to watch his fair lady burying her head and biting on the straw, unable to look him in the eye. He tapped on her drink. “Stop chewing on it.”

Shen Xi cleared her throat before gazing up at him. “So you can’t go gesturing to anyone.”

Li Yuan smiled and nodded. “Got it. I won’t do it to random people.”

‘Only to you.’

Feeling the burn in her cheeks, Shen Xi explained, “It doesn’t really mean much. The gesture expresses gratitude toward those who support and like us. Song Wenye made a heart gesture to thank her fans.”

There was just something thick and sexy about Li Yuan’s laughter. “Sure.”

The pair were enjoying their breakfast in the car.

The lot left at home was still repairing Toffeecito’s cat tree.

Jin Yu sought Fu Qingxuan’s help to move the cat tree to the wide space in the courtyard. Since the cat tree was made of solid wood, it proved a tricky task to carry it in a wheelchair.

Sure, Jin Yu may say this was the reason, but was it necessary? No. There was no hurry to repair as it could be done when Li Yuan and Kun Lun returned.

“Thank you, Young Master Fu.” Jin Yu politely thanked him.

“You’re welcome.” Instead of leaving, Fu Qingxuan picked up a ligule of grass and teased Toffeecito.

Jin Yu gazed at him and said with a smile, “We have canned food, dry food, and Toffeecito’s toys in the house. You’re free to pick one up to play with it.”

The young man was a kid at heart!

“It’s fine.” Fu Qingxuan coughed awkwardly and hurled the grass aside before observing on the sidelines.

Jin Yu picked up a nail and hammer to secure the loosened frame.

Fu Qingxuan watched as Jin Yu held the nail with one hand and the hammer with the other, yet the wooden frame began to wobble without support. It was no one-man job. Pushing his wheelchair forward, Fu Qingxuan cleared his throat. “I’ll hold the nail for you.”

It never occurred to Jin Yu that Fu Qingxuan would lend a hand. He shook his head and grinned. “It’s okay. I don’t want to hammer your hand.”

It was not as though Jin Yu never handled woodwork, but it was rather restricting and cumbersome to do it in a wheelchair.

Without a word, Fu Qingxuan firmly grabbed the nail in his hand and asked, “Should I put it here?”

Not one to put a damper on Fu Qingxuan, Jin Yu urged, “Steady does it. Don’t be shaky now.”

“Oh!” Fu Qingxuan compliantly responded. His mind wandered off following a feeling of deja vu.

He was reminded of Dad. Dad was really into carpentry and most of the furniture at home was made by him.

The toys the Fu brothers played with were his handiworks too; from a rocking horse, Burr puzzle, and puzzle rings, to water-wheels, pistols, and crossbows. All these were kept in good condition to this day.

Shen Xi and Li Yuan walked through the entrance to find the wheelchair-bound duo in the courtyard. They took the repair of Toffeecito’s cat tree seriously.

Fu Qingxuan held the nail.

Jin Yu was hitting the nail with a hammer.

For some reason, Fu Qingxuan’s hand wobbled out of nowhere.

Too late to pull back, Jin Yu’s hammer landed and scraped the back of Fu Qingxuan’s hand.