Husband, Spend Some Gold Coins

After one particularly harsh phone call, Xie Dai hung up on her. Just then, a servant hurried over and said anxiously, “Madam! The school called and said the young master skipped class! They checked the surveillance cameras and saw that the young master left the school grounds. They called to ask if he’s returned home.”

Tao Gaofei’s expression changed. She screamed, “Why are you standing here? Send someone to look for him immediately! Check all the dessert shops and milk tea shops near the school!”

.

Meanwhile, Xie Qi had no classes in the afternoon. After school let out at noon, he went with some members of the cosplay department to the East Gate Bridge to shoot scenes.

Each time he participated, he earned several thousand yuan, which was quite generous. He had heard that famous cosplayers earned two to three thousand yuan, but since he wasn’t famous, the high pay surprised him. Xie Qi saw no reason to turn it down.

He considered this serious income. It felt good to use the money he earned to buy gifts for Qin Yizhi—it made the effort meaningful.

Every time Xie Qi showed up, he was greeted with cheers from a group of girls. When they accidentally discovered he had abdominal muscles, the atmosphere became even more heated.

The other boys in the department didn’t dare show any dissatisfaction. Instead, they were eager to get close to Xie Qi.

Unconsciously, Xie Qi had become the department’s favourite.

However, Xie Qi didn’t let this attention go to his head. He saw no reason to be proud. He simply wanted to finish his work quickly and leave. He even declined the department dinner invitation.

The director of the department was very wealthy. Rumour had it that he spent tens of thousands on the department each year, ensuring good benefits. This attracted many members. While the girls were of high quality, the boys were less impressive, making Xie Qi’s popularity all the more understandable.

After finishing the shoot, Xie Qi received the remaining balance, quickly wiped off his makeup with a remover, and went home.

But when passing by a dessert shop, Xie Qi saw a boy wearing a beautiful and neat woollen vest and a small suit, laying in front of the glass window of the shop, eagerly looking at the food inside.

Xie Qi hadn’t had much of an appetite at first, but seeing the boy’s eager look sparked some hunger. He turned around, entered the dessert shop, bought a bunch of bread and cakes, ordered a cone, and walked out.

When the boy saw his face clearly, he froze for a moment and unconsciously shouted, “Brother!”

Hearing this, Xie Qi thought the child was rather smart. He nodded at him and turned to leave.

Unexpectedly, the boy followed him and called out again, “Brother.”

Xie Qi glanced back at him, said “Hmm,” and replied politely, “Hello.”

After hearing him speak, the boy didn’t leave but continued to follow him closely.

Xie Qi walked for a while and realized the boy was still trailing behind. Feeling slightly speechless, he stopped and said to the boy, “Do you want to eat a cone?”

The boy hesitated for a moment and then nodded.

Xie Qi handed him the cone, and the boy’s eyes lit up. Just as he was about to take it, Xie Qi pulled the cone back and took a bite himself. The cold stung his teeth, but after swallowing, he said somewhat teasingly, “Sorry, I won’t let you eat.”

The boy’s eyes widened, his face flushed, and he stammered, “You… you…” for a long time, unable to form a sentence.

Xie Qi smirked. “If you want to eat, go home and ask your mother for money to buy it.”

Even though Xie Qi had money, he wasn’t about to give food to a strange child, especially one dressed so well.

After saying this, he continued walking forward, but the boy still followed him. This persistence made Xie Qi slightly annoyed. He turned around and asked coldly, “Why are you following me?”

The boy hesitated before saying, “Brother, you are my brother.”

Xie Qi snorted. “I’m your father.”

The boy: “…”

Despite the remark, the boy continued to call him brother and reached out to hold the hem of Xie Qi’s clothes, looking a little pitiful.

But Xie Qi’s heart was as solid as stone, and he remained unmoved. “If you’re lost, go find the police. Don’t pester me,” he said, brushing away the boy’s hand.

This time, Xie Qi took a few steps forward, and the boy didn’t follow him.

Walking a certain distance, Xie Qi felt relieved. However, when he reached the traffic light intersection, he looked back and saw the boy still standing there, staring at him with a pitiful expression.

Xie Qi: “…”

Judging from the boy’s appearance, his family seemed wealthy. Picking someone up off the street to call “brother” could come across as shady.

“Should I do one good deed today?” Xie Qi wondered.

He hesitated. In truth, he wasn’t entirely indifferent. The boy didn’t seem very old—probably about ten years old. But the problem was, he looked like he came from a rich family. Buying something for him might invite trouble, and Xie Qi didn’t want to risk dealing with a furious adult showing up at his doorstep.

Xie Qi had grown up in a wealthy family and was well-acquainted with how arrogant some wealthy people could be. Their sense of superiority and domineering attitudes made dealing with them an unpleasant ordeal. Even with good intentions, he could easily end up suffering for his kindness.

While these thoughts swirled in his mind, his actions were faster than his reasoning. By the time he realized it, he had already turned around and walked several steps toward the boy.

Xie Qi said nothing as he approached. The boy’s face lit up with a smile, and he looked at Xie Qi expectantly.

With a sigh, Xie Qi took a box of small cakes from the bag and handed it to the boy. The boy immediately took it, his eyes shining with gratitude, and said, touched, “Brother, you’re so kind. I haven’t had cakes in a long time.”

Xie Qi took him to an open space, sat down, and asked, “How old are you? Are you lost?”

The boy replied, “I am seven years old.”

He said this while eating most of the cake in one bite.

Xie Qi said, “You…you have such a big mouth.”

The boy smiled shyly at him and finished the large piece of cake in two bites.