CHAPTER 366: EPISODE 34.6 MISUNDERSTANDINGS, MELTDOWNS, AND FRIED CHICKEN

However, it seemed that Bai Tingfeng’s act of goodwill had backfired in the worst possible way.

Shen Yuan’s face was flushed red, his nostrils flared, and his pregnancy hormones were screaming the most terrible war cry imaginable.

The pregnant celestial fox spirit was livid. Not even the terrified massage therapist could stop him from shooting fire and daggers from his eyes.

"I’m sorry, Yuan. It was an honest mistake," Bai Tingfeng said, raising both hands in surrender.

"Oh, yeah?" Shen Yuan shot him a furious smirk. His eyes widened further with every word he spat. "How impressive! You still managed to make such an ignorant mistake when I practically spelt out that what I wanted was your dick!"

"!" The poor massage therapist didn’t know whether to be terrified or secretly flustered by her enraged client.

An angry S-class awakener was every service worker’s nightmare—especially for someone like her, a mere non-awakener. It was dangerous to even breathe wrong around someone with that much power.

And yet... overhearing the intimate details of this hot, famous couple was like tasting sweet-and-sour candy on her gossip-starved tongue. She had to share this later with her equally nosy friends.

"Yuan!" Bai Tingfeng exclaimed, startled. His eyes darted toward the big-eared therapist. His look was so obvious that the woman instantly realized how inappropriate her presence had become.

She awkwardly stood up, straightened her uniform, and said with regret, "I’ll excuse myself for now, Master Bai, Master Shen."

"No!" Shen Yuan barked—not at her, but at Bai Tingfeng, his dagger-like gaze never leaving the man. "You’re not the only one excusing yourself. Because I’m out of here."

And just like that, Shen Yuan left Bai Tingfeng in the dust. He even beat the poor massage therapist to the door of their honeymoon suite.

Bai Tingfeng was left with no choice but to follow his husband, who was still in his bathrobe.

"Yuan! Wait a minute! You’re not properly dressed yet!" Bai Tingfeng called, taking long strides to catch up. In his hands were the clothes Shen Yuan hadn’t bothered to take when he stormed out.

The celestial fox spirit didn’t even glance at him. He stopped in front of the elevator and jabbed the button as if it were Bai Tingfeng’s eyes.

Bai Tingfeng couldn’t help but shiver at the sight. "I’m sorry for ruining our date..."

"This is hardly a date," Shen Yuan said flatly. "At least, not by my definition."

Bai Tingfeng gulped. "Then what is a date to you?"

Pak! Shen Yuan hit the elevator button harder this time, making Bai Tingfeng flinch.

"For me?!" Shen Yuan’s voice rose. "For me, a date is when a couple spends quality time by themselves! A brief moment in time when they have the world to themselves! You know, talking about intimate stuff and doing kinky stuff!"

He stepped closer, glaring up into Bai Tingfeng’s face. "Forget about sex. Do you think we can talk about our secrets when there’s another person in the room rubbing and kneading my body?"

Ting! The elevator opened. Shen Yuan marched inside, followed closely by Bai Tingfeng.

Pak! Shen Yuan slammed the button for the ground floor.

Silence hung thick for a few moments before the pregnant celestial fox erupted again.

"A massage is a good way to unwind. I agree with that! In fact, if you were the one massaging me, I wouldn’t have any problems even if you didn’t know a single proper technique! You could knead me like dough—like a human! Heck, I’d even scream in pleasure if you pounded me like goddamn mochi!"

Bai Tingfeng choked on his saliva. "Yuan, I don’t think you’re still talking about massage..."

"Hell yeah, I’m not!" Shen Yuan snapped. "That was another innuendo for my frustratingly dense husband!"

"How many times do I have to say it before you understand? I want to spend time with you, okay? While it’s true that I’m bored and missing our son so badly, I wanted to spend time with you—intimately. Just you and me, alone!"

Shen Yuan’s voice trembled with emotion. He was so immersed in his feelings that he ignored everything around him. Bai Tingfeng, too, was lost in his husband’s teary, fiery eyes—so much so that neither of them noticed when the elevator stopped and opened for new passengers.

"You don’t need to pull off a fancy massage session for me. You don’t have to bring me to this expensive hotel to make me happy." Shen Yuan’s voice softened. He looked straight into Bai Tingfeng’s eyes. "We could’ve just stayed in your office, eating takeout, talking about your week. You could cuddle me, tell me about your day—and maybe, while you’re at it, you could snake your hand into my pants and finger me in the ass."

Bai Tingfeng froze, eyes widening.

Shen Yuan thought he was just being thin-skinned again, so he pressed on shamelessly—completely unaware that Bai Tingfeng’s horrified gaze was fixed on something behind him.

"Was that too much to ask?" Shen Yuan continued passionately. "Why can’t we have soul-deep discussion while you are balls-deep inside me? I just want to be with you. I want you in me!"

And that’s when a horrified voice rang out from behind him.

"Yuan!"

Shen Yuan blinked and slowly turned around, only to find his father, Shen Zhaohui, standing at the elevator entrance with his business partners, all wearing the same scandalized blush on their faces.

"What the—" Shen Zhaohui’s words died in his throat when he finally registered his omega son’s current fashion choice.

The son he had raised to be sophisticated and elegant—worthy of his prestigious in-laws’ family—was walking around the hotel in nothing but a bathrobe!

What made it worse were the words he’d overheard the moment the elevator doors opened. Since when had his son become so crass?!

Shen Zhaohui felt his blood pressure skyrocket, as if it might burst straight out through his nose. His knees wobbled, and he pressed a hand to his forehead. "What on earth is going on with you two? What did I just hear? And what is this?"

He jabbed a trembling finger at Shen Yuan’s attire, utterly horrified.

The celestial fox spirit only gave the middle-aged man a stinky face. This man obviously thought that overreacting was a form of art.

On the other hand, Bai Tingfeng’s face twisted with panic, clearly unable to think of a single reasonable excuse for what his father-in-law had just witnessed. "I—I can explain. This!"

~~~

After much anticipation, the first day of school finally ended at exactly four in the afternoon.

One by one, the children began filing out of their classrooms, only after confirming that their guardians were already waiting outside.

Among the little heads curiously peeking through the glass window, one boy stood out: a platinum-blonde child hopping nervously in place.

"Yanyan? Your Daddy and Papa aren’t here yet?" Xiaolun asked his buddy.

With his backpack already slung over his shoulders, Xiaolun was ready to leave; his dad had texted their adviser that he was already in the parking lot.

"You know, you can always hitch a ride with us," he said kindly. "Maybe your parents got caught up in some emergency at work."

"No, my Papa and Daddy made a promise. They’ll pick me up and then we’ll eat out at the restaurant of my choice."

Some of their classmates overheard and immediately crowded around him.

"Really? Your parents are so good to you! What restaurant did you pick?" one classmate asked eagerly.

"Is it traditional cuisine? B. Wong? Li Li’s? There are a lot of five-star restaurants in the city! I’ll ask my parents to go there too!"

"Or maybe it’s international food! Your Daddy used to work overseas, right? I bet he misses Western dishes! You should try Hawthorne—the chef there is the best!"

"Cheater! You’re just trying to get famous S-class awakeners to eat at your family’s restaurant."

"So what? Come here! I’ll teach you a lesson!"

"Go away!" Xiaolun snapped, stepping between the two arguing classmates. Meanwhile, Xiaojun, Tiewa, and Haoran took up protective positions in front of Yanyan like tiny bodyguards.

Shen Yuan and Bai Tingfeng had no idea their son had formed such a loyal little squad.

"So, which one is it?" Tiewa asked, eager to end the suspense.

Yanyan blinked innocently. "JFC."

"JFC?!"

Xiaolun jumped in front of him, wide-eyed. "Wait! You mean the fast-food joint JFC?! The one from the commercial that says their fried chicken is finger-lickin’ delicious?!"

"Yes!" Yanyan nodded earnestly.

A heavy silence fell over the group. The children stared at Yanyan, trying to figure out if he was joking. But when they saw his pure, unbothered expression, they realized he meant it. The golden boy of their year truly wanted to eat at a fast-food place.

"But aren’t fast-food restaurants unhealthy? They serve junk food! My doctor mommy said junk food is called junk for a reason," one of them protested.

Yanyan frowned, deep in thought. "My Daddy said it’s unhealthy to eat oily food like fried chicken from fast-food restaurants. But it’s not that bad if you only eat it sometimes!"

A classmate from a middle-class family nodded in agreement. "Yeah! It’s fine once in a while. Besides, fried chicken is the best-tasting food in the world!"

"But—" another child from an affluent family began, but their teacher’s voice cut through the chatter.

"Bai Shengyan, Wu Ailun, Song Haoran—your parents are already here!"

At that, Yanyan dashed to his desk and grabbed his tiny backpack in one swift motion. "My parents are here! See you tomorrow, guys!"