Little Pink Starfish

As soon as he opened his eyes, it was already a vast expanse of white outside the window.

“Ugh.” Zhang Qiu turned over with a groan, his whole body sore. He propped himself up with his arms and casually put on a T-shirt. Then he heard the sound of rapid footsteps running his way. Without even looking, he knew it was Little Jiangshi. Sure enough, Little Jiangshi was holding the little pink egg in his arms, with Little Fei perched on his head, and dashed quickly over, pouncing onto his bed. Behind them came Second Brother’s anxious voice, “Little Jiangshi, don’t run so fast, you’ll fall.”

He was worried the little pink egg would get hurt.

“Little Pink likes playing like this, won’t fall. Has little brother.” Little Jiangshi puffed out his little chest and said. On his head, Little Fei revealed a row of glutinous rice teeth and slowly said, “Won’t fall, Second Uncle.”

Zhang Yushui was still uneasy and reached out to take the little pink egg, but the egg lit up, instantly startling him.

Zhang Qiu was also afraid the little pink egg would get shaken apart by his son, so he leaned in to look. Who knew Little Jiangshi would point at the egg and say, “Little Pink said it’s fun, still wants to continue, Second Uncle.”

After Little Jiangshi finished speaking, the egg flashed again, as if responding to his older brother.

Zhang Yushui turned the egg over and over to check carefully. Finally confirming it was fine, he gave the little pink egg back to Little Jiangshi, “Alright, go play then.”

“Be careful.” Seeing his second brother still uneasy, Zhang Qiu added.

Little Jiangshi hummed in response, held the egg and said, “Little brother, hold tight.” On top of him, Little Fei wrapped himself and his brother in red mist, and Little Jiangshi shot off again like a wild pony. Zhang Yushui lifted his foot to leave, turned back and looked at the bed where Zhang Qiu’s messy hair stuck up like a bird’s nest, and said with a teasing smile, “Must’ve been intense!”

After everyone left, Zhang Qiu looked down—his T-shirt wasn’t low-cut, but the dense red marks extended from his neck down into his clothes. Thinking of how rough Li Shu had been last night—no need for that! Jealous to that degree? Though he complained in his heart, his face was all smiles, clearly enjoying the jealousy. Still, once in a while was fine, too much and his little life might be at risk!

After putting on pants and washing up, he stepped out and bumped into Qin Shihuang. Zhang Qiu got a fright. The other’s appearance had changed; the intricate ancient robe had become modern clothing—a dark grey turtleneck sweater, casual pants, and fuzzy slippers. He looked relaxed and elegant, like a refined nobleman, but no one would dare underestimate him.

The other glanced at him and nodded slightly, counting as a greeting. Zhang Qiu suddenly felt like he was dreaming—Qin Shihuang just nodded at him!

Breakfast was prepared with the help of Second Brother and Pei Qing. Qin Shihuang sat down first. Qi Xi cheerfully reached out and grabbed a soft white bun. Zhang Qiu noticed Qin Shihuang’s eyebrows slightly furrowed, especially after everyone sat together. His brows looked like they could clamp a mosquito to death.

Li Shu pulled Zhang Qiu to sit, handing him a bun. Zhang Qiu, receiving the bun, instantly thought of last night’s madness, and quickly lowered his head to eat, not daring to look at Qin Shihuang again—Li Shu was such a vinegar jar.

During breakfast, King Hui of Xiapi and Qin Shihuang truly demonstrated the style of ancient nobility to the fullest. Zhang Qiu, with oil all over his mouth, felt he was an eyesore, turned his head—and saw his little uncle watching him with a smile, practically nauseatingly sweet.

Happy.

After breakfast, Zhang Qiu received a call from his mom.

“Tomorrow’s New Year’s Eve. Did you prepare the New Year goods? Northerners eat dumplings—can you make them? And what day are you coming home…”

Only then did Zhang Qiu realize the New Year had snuck up on them. They hadn’t prepared anything. Since everyone was free after breakfast, he suggested they all go to the supermarket to shop.

Qi Xi, who loved excitement, immediately agreed. Qi Zhirong didn’t want to go and declined after some hesitation. Bootlicker Qi Xi quickly said he was too popular and might be recognized if they went, causing trouble—they’d better stay behind.

Zhang Qiu understood Qi Xi’s little thoughts at a glance. No need to say anything. When it came to Qin Shihuang, Zhang Qiu thought he would decline too, considering how awkward he looked during breakfast. Unexpectedly, the other nodded readily.

With the Qi brothers staying behind, the rest tidied up and went to the supermarket. Zhang Qiu followed his mom’s list and bought sunflower seeds, peanuts, candy, eight-treasure rice, frozen dumplings…

“Why buy frozen ones? It’s New Year—I’ll make them.” Pei Qing said cheerfully. “I might not be good with other dishes, but I make amazing dumplings.”

“You’re awesome, big bro.” Lingdang was the master cheerleader.

Buying groceries and getting a face full of dog food. Zhang Qiu put down the frozen dumplings. Pei Qing laughed, “Lingdang and I will go get the dumpling ingredients. You guys don’t need to worry. If we don’t catch up, just go ahead—don’t worry, we won’t get lost.”

Pretending not to know what Pei Qing was planning.

Soon, Pei Qing and Lingdang disappeared into the crowd. After a while, Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law also vanished. The group that came was now just their little family of four and Qin Shihuang. From the moment they entered the supermarket, Qin Shihuang had barely spoken, walking behind them in a relaxed posture, without a single word.

Zhang Qiu felt a sense of distance. No matter the situation, no one could summon up pity for him.

…Two small tiger teeth showing, not scary at all, crisply said: “Daddy, this candy looks tasty. Daddy, this one is pretty too. This one’s pink—little brother likes it. This one’s for Little Egg. And Ling—”

…Dong, even Lingdang’s unborn baby had a share.

Zhang Qiu patted his son’s head—this is what New Year’s is like. If your wallet isn’t empty, just keep buying. So he waved his hand—

Little Jiangshi happily started bouncing around. Zhang Qiu shopped with his son and Li Shu. One cart wasn’t enough—they ended up needing two. At checkout, Little Jiangshi still looked unsatisfied. Zhang Qiu realized his son had a very special fondness for this.

“Hey, where’s Qin Shihuang?” After paying, Zhang Qiu realized Qin Shihuang had disappeared.

Li Shu pushed the carts and loaded the bags into the trunk. “Don’t worry about him—he won’t get lost.”

“He doesn’t have a phone and doesn’t know the roads. Let’s look for him. After all, he lent us the elixir of immortality.” Zhang Qiu handed over bags and smiled. “You’re not the petty type, and anyway, there’s nothing between me and Qin Shihuang.”

Li Shu glanced at Zhang Qiu, paused, and said, “Fine.” He then opened the car door and picked up Little Jiangshi. “Daddy’s taking you for juice.”

“Okay! Little brother wants strawberry juice!” Little Jiangshi licked his tiger teeth. Little Fei poked his head out of the soft fuzzy hat and nodded, “Daddy, I want some too.”

The moment Zhang Qiu saw Little Fei, he felt great. He said they’d go find Qin Shihuang later—but first, juice.

The two walked to the café below the supermarket. Little Jiangshi pointed through the glass window and said, “Daddy, it’s the uncle who doesn’t talk much.”

“What do you mean, doesn’t talk mu—” Zhang Qiu looked and saw Qin Shihuang sitting inside! Across from him were two girls, coffee on the table, the girls chatting non-stop while Qin Shihuang said nothing, just listening. He turned to Li Shu, “You knew he was here?”

Li Shu raised an eyebrow, “What do you think?”

Sexy and handsome beyond belief, Zhang Qiu immediately forgot what he was going to say and followed Li Shu inside. Before they got close, they heard the girl opposite Qin Shihuang saying, “…Such a pity, Prince Fusu died just like that. I think Fusu really admired and loved his father.”

“I know it sounds bad, but I think the First Emperor was kind of a jerk—to treat Fusu like that.”

“Didn’t we agree we’re into father-son CP?”

The girl who said that glanced nervously at Qin Shihuang, but seeing no expression on his face, she relaxed and sweetly said, “You’re really curious about Prince Fusu! It’s lunchtime—we can eat and talk more.”

“No need.” Qin Shihuang looked into the distance. “Zhang Qiu, pay for this table.”

Zhang Qiu froze for a second, then nodded. The two girls only realized what was going on when Qin Shihuang appeared in front of them, nodded, and said, “Thank you.” The earlier annoyance of being mistaken for a waiter vanished. But he noticed Qin Shihuang’s face seemed cold—maybe he was angry?

After paying, they got strawberry milk teas for the kids. Little Jiangshi hugged the super-sized cup, held the straw, and first stuffed it into his pocket. Little Fei poked his head out and took a happy sip. Little Jiangshi eagerly asked, “Little brother, is it good?”

Little Fei nodded, his whole expression bubbling with joy. Little Jiangshi looked even happier than if he drank it himself, then took a sip and was so delighted he almost had a little tail wagging behind him.

Li Shu, holding his son, also had a smile in his eyes. Their little family of four stepped out and saw Qin Shihuang waiting at the door. When they got in the car, his voice was a bit hoarse, “Zhang Qiu, help me find Fusu.”

Zhang Qiu looked at Qin Shihuang through the rearview mirror. The other had his eyes closed, face calm and unreadable, but Zhang Qiu instinctively felt those girls must’ve mentioned Fusu’s death. Hearing about his son’s tragic fate must’ve hurt Qin Shihuang deeply.

“I’ll ask Bai Shengsheng when we get back.” As for Heiqian, forget it—that guy was unreliable like his uncle.

Qin Shihuang didn’t respond, but Zhang Qiu could feel his urgency. He really should’ve acted sooner. Back at the villa, Li Shu unpacked. Zhang Qiu burned Bai Shengsheng’s business card. This time Bai himself appeared, walking oddly, with a cut on the corner of his mouth. Seeing Zhang Qiu, he touched his lip and said flatly, “What is it? I’m on vacation—fees are double.”

“Did Heiqian bite your lip?” Zhang Qiu teased. The man’s serious face really made people want to bully him, especially since Heiqian wasn’t around—just had to poke fun.

Bai Shengsheng gritted his teeth, looking fierce. “It wasn’t him.”

Wait, really? Zhang Qiu swore, based on the scandalous stuff he and Li Shu did in bed, that wound definitely looked like a result of kissing too hard. Could Bai Shengsheng be with someone else? Zhang Qiu instantly thought of Xiao Lin—wasn’t he brave enough to get himself beat up?

“I bit him,” Bai Shengsheng said fiercely, then grunted, “So what do you want?”

Zhang Qiu gave a thumbs-up. Bai Shengsheng’s expression softened a lot and he gave him a ‘smart guy’ look. His tone eased too.

“Want you to help find someone. Prince Fusu—what’s his situation now?”

Bai Shengsheng frowned, “That’s private info. You people from the living world shouldn’t know. It breaks the rules.” (He came up with those rules himself.)

“Sorry, I did think of finding Heiqian, but figured his business might not match your skill—so I came to you first—” Zhang Qiu hadn’t finished when Bai Shengsheng gave him a proud look and said, “Fine, just this once. Prince Fusu, right? Oh, the one from the Qin Dynasty. Wait.” He pulled out his iPad and began searching.

Qin Shihuang had been standing nearby since Bai Shengsheng appeared, staring at the iPad. Bai Shengsheng’s hand trembled slightly. He looked up at Zhang Qiu, “Is this guy going to steal my iPad? I’m telling you, it’s the newest model from the Underworld—I paid good money—found it.”

“Where is he?” Qin Shihuang’s voice was low and commanding.

“Beijing. Good circumstances this life, rich second generation, currently at Beijing University, sophomore. Here, take a look.” Bai Shengsheng handed over the device, thinking this guy was like the King of Hell—what a presence.

Zhang Qiu glanced—looked just like a résumé, with a photo of a young man with thick eyebrows and big eyes, energetic and handsome. Name: Wen Yu, born August 8th. Address, major, and other info were all detailed. There was also Bai Shengsheng’s personal note: Leo, remind Heiqian to sanitize his sickle before reaping.

o(╯□╰)o

Bai Shengsheng really loved his work. A service provider adjusting methods based on astrological signs—amazing.

“You’re really good at your job.” Zhang Qiu said sincerely.

Bai Shengsheng didn’t react to most praise, except two things: one, saying Heiqian’s business couldn’t match his, and two, praising his professionalism. Zhang Qiu unintentionally hit both points. Right after, Bai Shengsheng enthusiastically shook his hand and said, “Zhang Qiu, from today we’re friends. If you need help, just say so—I’ll give you 40% off.”

Zhang Qiu: ……..

What did he do to make money-obsessed Bai Shengsheng give a 40% discount?!

Anyway, Zhang Qiu gladly accepted the olive branch. After Qin Shihuang finished reading, he returned the tablet. Zhang Qiu, to thank Bai Shengsheng, stuffed him with candy from Little Jiangshi. Halfway through, he paused, “Wait—do I need to burn these for you?” How would he eat them if they were burned?

“No need, just burn money for me.” Bai Shengsheng waved with the candy and quickly left.

Zhang Qiu figured he probably had other business. Then he heard Qin Shihuang say beside him, “I will go to Beijing. Thank you for today.”

“What? I mean, how are you going to fly without an ID? And you know Wen Yu—okay, fine, you know where he lives.” Seeing Qin Shihuang determined, Zhang Qiu didn’t stop him and said, “If anything comes up, come find us.”

Qin Shihuang nodded, looked out, and calmly said, “He is my first son.”

Zhang Qiu instantly thought of Little Jiangshi. No matter how many kids come after, the first always carries the most feelings—all the “first times” were with Little Jiangshi. Suddenly, he understood how Qin Shihuang felt.

No farewells, no dragging it out. With that, Qin Shihuang disappeared.

“Good luck.” Zhang Qiu didn’t know why he was so determined to find Fusu.

Lunch was just the four of them. In the evening, after a day of playing, everyone came back. Zhang Qiu saw Pei Qing empty-handed and asked, “Where are the dumpling ingredients?” After asking, he noticed Lingdang blushing. What was there to blush about asking where the groceries went?

“Forgot, I’ll go buy them first thing tomorrow, don’t worry.” Pei Qing laughed.

Behind them, Qi Xi also came back, glowing red and cheerful. Seeing them, he proudly greeted, “Hey everyone! Little Jiangshi is so handsome today! These kids are just too adorable!”

What had Qi Xi been up to all afternoon?

Zhang Qiu was curious and looked over at Qi Zhirong. His expression was cold—gave nothing away.

Soon Second Brother and Sister-in-law returned too. Second Brother was beaming. His wife had rosy cheeks and a spring in her eyes. One could tell even with their toes what they had been up to. Sure enough—it was New Year, everyone was happy and blissful!

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Stinky Pinky: Shout out to my homie Fisukisuki who is basically my editor at this point. Thanks for reading when I have no will to.