Chapter 54: DID YOU NOT MISS ME?

Li Yan’s cheek was pulled to the side as Hu Bai turned away from the registration office and began walking toward the exit of the administrative hall, dragging him along without giving him much opportunity to resist.

Hu Biyan watched them leave with a faint smile before following behind, while Gu Jun remained beside them and glanced back once at the registrar, who was still hurriedly processing Li Yan’s forms.

Li Yan rubbed his cheek after Hu Bai finally released him and looked at him with some annoyance.

"This was precisely why I did not want you all over my business. I could have handled it myself."

Hu Bai stopped walking and turned around, his gaze finally settling on the young man who had been following them since they left the registration office.

He had noticed Gu Jun earlier but had not bothered asking about him while they were dealing with the registrar, and now that the matter had been settled, there was no reason to continue pretending he had not noticed the extra person accompanying Li Yan.

"Who are you, and what is your business with my little brother?"

Gu Jun immediately understood that Hu Bai was not someone he could afford to treat casually, and he bowed slightly before introducing himself without wasting time.

"Senior Brother, I am Gu Jun, Li Yan’s lackey."

Hu Bai’s expression froze.

Lackey?

His gaze slowly shifted toward Li Yan, and the smile that had been on his face moments earlier disappeared as he looked between the two young men.

"I am gone for a while, and you already have a lackey? I am not happy..."

Hu Bai looked at Gu Jun for another moment before pointing toward the road leading away from the administrative hall.

"Go on. I have something to discuss with my little brother."

Gu Jun glanced at Li Yan, but before he could say anything, Hu Bai snapped his fingers, and the space around them twisted.

In the next instant, Li Yan found himself standing inside Hu Bai’s courtyard.

-_-

How impatient could the man get?

Li Yan had barely recovered from the sudden teleportation when Hu Bai turned toward him with an aggrieved expression that looked entirely out of place on someone who had just dragged another person across space.

"Honey, what is this I am hearing about a lackey? Why did you not tell me sooner? I feel left out."

-_-

Li Yan stared at him.

"That is my business, and I do not need to inform you about everything. You also promised that you would not miss my examination, yet you arrived at the very end. I do not want your lecture."

Xiaoxiao’s laughter immediately sounded inside his mind.

"Ohhh, lover’s quarrel. I need a seat."

Li Yan’s lips twitched. Hu Bai, however, was not offended by his attitude. Instead, the corners of his lips curled upward as he looked at Li Yan, and the annoyance he had been pretending to feel disappeared almost instantly.

His little rabbit had been waiting for him.

"I am very sorry. I should have come sooner, but there were matters tying me down."

Hu Bai’s expression became more sincere as he stepped closer, and he reached out to straighten Li Yan’s clothes as though making up for his absence required something more than an apology.

"To make it up to you, I bought lots of gifts for you. You can also tell me what you thought of the examinations and how you feel about getting first place."

Hu Bai placed the gifts he had brought on the table, and Li Yan’s eyes moved across them as each item caught his attention, with some of the treasures looking considerably more valuable than anything he had ever seen.

He could tell Hu Bai took his time getting the gifts. It was filled with what he liked.

Li Yan accepted every one of them without hesitation because there was no reason to reject good things that had already been offered to him.

Hu Bai watched his reaction with amusement.

"You are not even going to pretend to be modest?"

"There is no point pretending."

Li Yan placed the last gift beside the others before turning his attention back to Hu Bai.

As for the examination, he only gave him a brief account of what had happened, mentioning the mountain, the pressure, the mental trial, and how he had eventually reached the summit with enough time remaining to escape the array.

There was no need to tell Hu Bai about the strange figure he had encountered inside his subconscious or the revelation concerning his bloodline.

Those matters belonged to him.

Hu Bai listened without interrupting, and by the time Li Yan finished, the amusement in his expression had deepened.

"It sounds like you had quite an eventful three days."

Li Yan nodded. "There were some unexpected problems."

Hu Bai smiled as he stretched out his arms.

"You did well, honey. I am very proud of you. All your efforts paid off, and you managed to take first place among thousands of examinees."

Li Yan’s heart warmed when he heard the praise, and despite himself, he felt a quiet sense of appreciation toward Hu Bai.

His gaze soon fell on the man’s open arms, however, and confusion replaced the warmth in his chest.

Why was he standing like that?

Hu Bai noticed his expression and laughed.

"Come on, give me a hug. Did you not miss me?"

-_-

Li Yan immediately stepped backward.

"No."

The answer came so quickly that Hu Bai’s expression became amusingly stunned.

Li Yan folded his arms across his chest.

"I did not miss you. You are too annoying."

Hu Bai placed a hand over his chest as though the words had genuinely wounded him.

"That hurts."

Li Yan ignored his performance.

"I do not want physical touch."

Hu Bai lowered his hand and looked at him for a moment before smiling again.

"I promise you will like it. A hug will make you feel a hundred times better."

Li Yan remained skeptical as he stared at the open arms, and he already knew Hu Bai would keep pressing the matter until he gave in.

He sighed. "Just this once."

Hu Bai immediately smiled and pulled him into his arms, resting his chin gently on top of Li Yan’s head.

"I missed you, my feisty little rabbit. I really did come as fast as I could."

Li Yan stood stiffly at first, but after a moment, he relaxed and wrapped his arms around Hu Bai as well.

He did not want to admit it, but the embrace was surprisingly comfortable, and Hu Bai’s warm voice made the moment even more pleasant.

Perhaps he had missed his company after all.

Li Yan remained in his arms for a while before finally speaking.

"Stop calling me rabbit. I am not an animal. I am a growing adolescent."