INT CHAPTER 65

In their rush to leave, neither of them had time to eat, so they grabbed two boxed meals on the high-speed train to settle dinner.

 

After getting off the train, Lu Ze didn’t pay much attention to this unfamiliar city where Liang Xiao had grown up. Instead, he followed Liang Xiao straight home.

 

When they arrived at Jiang Qing’s nail salon, Liang Xiao noticed the door was locked and no one was inside. Across the street, Aunt Liu’s supermarket was also closed.

 

Lu Ze glanced around and asked, “Is this Auntie’s shop?”

 

“Yeah, she’s probably gone home,” Liang Xiao replied. “Let’s go. My house is in this neighborhood.”

 

As they walked, Lu Ze observed the area. The neighborhood looked a bit old from the outside, but the buildings were all high-rises. He realized that Liang Xiao’s family was better off than he’d imagined and that their financial struggles likely stemmed from debts.

 

A few children ran past them screaming and laughing. Liang Xiao commented, “There are a lot of elderly people and kids in this neighborhood—it can get a bit noisy sometimes.”

 

“It’s lively,” Lu Ze said with a smile.

 

Liang Xiao chuckled softly. “We’re here.”

 

The building’s entrance wasn’t locked, but when Liang Xiao pressed the elevator button twice, there was no response. He frowned slightly.

 

“Is the elevator broken? Or is there a power outage?” Lu Ze asked.

 

“I’ll call property management to check,” Liang Xiao said as he pulled out his phone.

 

“Wait—you don’t live on the top floor, do you?” Lu Ze asked suspiciously.

 

“No, fifth floor,” Liang Xiao replied.

 

Before he could dial, Lu Ze grabbed his wrist and looked at him in confusion. “The fifth floor isn’t high—why don’t we just take the stairs?”

 

Liang Xiao glanced at their luggage and said, “The suitcases are heavy.”

 

Lu Ze clicked his tongue and snatched Liang Xiao’s phone away. “Do you think I can’t carry them or that you can’t?”

 

Liang Xiao stayed silent, prompting Lu Ze to drawl teasingly, “Ohhh—so you don’t want me to carry them? Fine then, you can carry both suitcases yourself.”

 

Liang Xiao widened his eyes in surprise as Lu Ze struggled to suppress a laugh. That expression—shocked, caught off guard—he hadn’t expected his boyfriend to be so ruthless!

 

Just as Lu Ze’s grin widened, Liang Xiao nodded and said calmly, “Alright.”

 

Lu Ze’s smile froze as he stared at Liang Xiao in disbelief. They locked eyes for a moment before Lu Ze jabbed a finger at his shoulder and demanded, “Alright my ass! What do you mean ‘alright’?”

 

Finally, Liang Xiao smiled faintly and said, “I was joking. You’d never let me carry everything alone.”

 

Lu Ze crossed his arms and stepped aside with mock indignation. “I would! Who says I wouldn’t? Go ahead—carry it all!”

 

Before either of them could move, footsteps approached from behind, followed by someone calling out Liang Xiao’s name.

 

Turning around, they saw a woman in a red dress with long wavy hair standing behind them—a mature and beautiful lady who looked elegant despite having a bandage on her forehead.

 

Lu Ze stared at her in shock, then turned to look at Liang Xiao. Liang Xiao hesitated for a moment before cautiously calling out, “Mom…”

 

Mom?

 

This young, beautiful woman was Liang Xiao’s mother???

 

Still stunned and wide-eyed, Lu Ze watched as Jiang Qing walked briskly up to Liang Xiao. Her commanding presence didn’t match her youthful appearance. “You little brat! Didn’t I tell you not to come back? Didn’t you hear me? Look at me—I’m perfectly fine! What are you doing back here?”

 

Liang Xiao glanced at Lu Ze helplessly and lowered his voice, “My friend is here. Can you tone it down a bit?”

 

Jiang Qing paused, finally noticing the handsome young man she had ignored earlier. Lu Ze immediately stood up straight and flashed a polite smile. “Hello, Auntie! I’m Lu Ze, Liang Xiao’s friend. You can just call me Xiao Lu.”

 

“Oh, alright,” Jiang Qing said, glaring at Liang Xiao before softening her tone toward Lu Ze. “I’m so sorry for the trouble of making you come all this way with him.”

 

“It’s no trouble at all,” Lu Ze said with a smile. “In fact, I told Xiao-ge I wanted to visit and spend a few days here anyway. This just gave me an earlier chance to meet you. But we came in such a rush that I didn’t have time to get you a gift…”

 

Jiang Qing quickly interrupted him. “What gift? It’s my fault for not having anything good to offer you! Come on, you two head upstairs first—I’ll go to the supermarket to buy some groceries.”

 

Liang Xiao grabbed her arm. “Mom, your head is already like this. Go upstairs and rest—I’ll go buy the groceries.”

 

Jiang Qing avoided Lu Ze’s gaze and pinched Liang Xiao’s arm discreetly. “I’m fine! It’s just a small injury—what do I need rest for? Take Xiao Lu home now.”

 

Lu Ze grabbed Jiang Qing’s other arm and said, “Auntie, there’s no need for that. We’ve already had dinner.”

 

“Well, at least let me buy some fruit…”

 

“We’ll go,” Lu Ze said quickly. “You go home and rest—I’ll have Xiao-ge take me instead. That way, I can explore a bit with him, and he knows what I like to eat.”

 

Finally relenting, Jiang Qing sighed. “Alright then, but take your luggage upstairs first.”

 

“You go up first,” Liang Xiao said to Jiang Qing. “The elevator isn’t working—we’ll have to take the stairs.”

 

“Carrying suitcases up the stairs?” Jiang Qing frowned. “Why not leave them in my shop for now and bring them up later when the power’s back?”

 

“That works too—give me the keys,” Liang Xiao replied.

 

Jiang Qing handed him the keys but added, “Do you need me to go up with you first—”

 

Before she could finish, she smacked him lightly on the back. “I’m fine! What are you accompanying me for? Go take Xiao Lu to buy something nice—and don’t let him spend any money!”

 

Liang Xiao nodded obediently. “Got it. Be careful going upstairs.”

 

Annoyed by his fussing, Jiang Qing pushed him away and headed off.

 

On their way to the nail salon, Lu Ze couldn’t help but marvel aloud, “Auntie is so beautiful and young! Honestly, when I first saw her, I thought she was your sister.”

 

“You figured it out as soon as she started talking though, didn’t you?” Liang Xiao teased with a laugh.

 

Lu Ze chuckled too. “Auntie’s personality doesn’t quite match her looks—but even her voice sounds young.”

 

“She was only 22 when she took me in,” Liang Xiao explained. “She’s just in her early forties now. If it weren’t for all the stress of raising me, she’d probably look even younger.”

 

Lu Ze suddenly turned to Liang Xiao, holding his hand tightly. “I really want to thank Auntie. Thank her for being so brave back then.”

 

But he knew he didn’t have the standing to say it now. Who knows if Auntie would even want his gratitude when the time came?

 

They left their luggage at the shop, and Liang Xiao went to hail a cab. Lu Ze asked, “Is the mall far?”

 

Liang Xiao hesitated for a moment. “…Not far. Let’s walk instead—I won’t call a cab.”

 

Lu Ze sighed.

 

Liang Xiao placed a hand on his shoulder and explained, “There’s no subway here, so I thought about taking a cab…”

 

“I know,” Lu Ze said. “Since it’s not far and we’re empty-handed now, let’s walk over and take a cab back after shopping.”

 

“Alright.”

 

With the camera packed away in the suitcase, Lu Ze could only take pictures with his phone. Liang Xiao commented, “There’s not much scenery worth photographing.”

 

Lu Ze flipped the camera toward him and began walking backward while filming. “I’m not taking pictures of the scenery—I’m capturing the place where my boyfriend grew up.”

 

—

 

At the supermarket, Liang Xiao bought plenty of items—meat, vegetables, fruit, and some snacks.

 

Lu Ze wanted to buy something for Auntie Jiang, but Liang Xiao insisted that anything expensive would be refused and wouldn’t let him pay for food either. After some thought, Lu Ze settled on a delicate brooch that matched Auntie Jiang’s red dress from earlier.

 

Near the mall exit was a flower shop. Seeing it, Lu Ze stopped to buy a bouquet.

 

As the florist wrapped the flowers, Liang Xiao cleared his throat and teased, “Are those for me?”

 

Lu Ze paused for a moment before laughing. “These are for Auntie. If I were giving them to you, they’d definitely be roses.”

 

Liang Xiao sighed dramatically and said in a slightly forlorn tone, “I’ve never received flowers before.”

 

“Really?” Lu Ze asked in surprise. “No one’s ever given you any?”

 

Liang Xiao shook his head, looking pitiful.

 

Though Lu Ze knew Liang Xiao was exaggerating on purpose, he still felt a pang of guilt. He used to frequently give flowers to his ex-girlfriends but had completely forgotten about it with Liang Xiao—perhaps because he subconsciously thought boyfriends didn’t need flowers.

 

But who says they don’t? It wasn’t about the flowers themselves—it was about the thought behind them.

 

Without hesitation, Lu Ze said, “Boss, add a bouquet of roses too.”

 

Liang Xiao quickly stopped him. “Hey, I was just joking, baby—I don’t actually want them…”

 

“But I really want to give them to you,” Lu Ze said firmly. “I’ve never given you flowers before.”

 

Liang Xiao sighed helplessly. “It’ll be inconvenient to carry them back.”

 

“No problem, just say… the flower shop is running a promotion, buy one get one free.”

 

·

 

When Jiang Qing opened the door and saw Liang Xiao and Lu Ze each holding a bouquet of flowers, she was stunned.

 

Lu Ze handed over his bouquet of lilies. “Auntie, these flowers are for you.”

 

Jiang Qing instinctively accepted them. “Why are you suddenly giving me flowers?”

 

Lu Ze smiled. “I passed by a flower shop, and the flowers were beautiful. I hadn’t prepared a gift for you, so I thought I’d buy some flowers for you.”

 

Liang Xiao handed over his roses as well, holding back a laugh. “The flower shop had a discount—buy one get one free.”

 

Jiang Qing didn’t pay attention to what he said and smiled at Lu Ze. “They’re so pretty. I feel like it’s been ages since I received flowers. Thank you, Xiao Lu.”

 

She placed the flowers on the coffee table and came back to take the bags from them. Lu Ze dodged her hands. “Don’t trouble yourself, Auntie. Xiao Liang and I can handle it. Please sit down.”

 

Jiang Qing clicked her tongue. “Xiao Lu, don’t listen to Liang Xiao’s nonsense. I just accidentally bumped myself; it’s nothing serious. Don’t treat me like a patient.”

 

“You and… Lu Ze should sit,” Liang Xiao said. “I’ll take care of it.”

 

Lu Ze gently guided Jiang Qing to the sofa. “Auntie, I also bought you a brooch. See if you like it.”

 

“This child! Didn’t we agree on no gifts?”

 

Lu Ze interrupted her, “It’s not an expensive gift—just something I thought would go well with that red dress you were wearing earlier.”

 

Looking at the brooch in its box, Jiang Qing clearly liked it but refused to accept it.

 

Lu Ze insisted, “If you don’t accept it, I’ll feel too embarrassed to stay here since I’m already imposing on you by living here.”

 

Jiang Qing looked at him. “Where did Liang Xiao find such a sweet-talking friend? Fine, I’ll accept it! Stay as long as you like.”

 

Lu Ze had always been the type of person elders adored, and since Liang Xiao rarely brought friends home, Jiang Qing relished this opportunity to host her son’s good friend with a constant smile.

 

Meanwhile, Liang Xiao finished putting away their purchases and brought over a fruit platter to place on the coffee table.

 

“Xiao Lu, have some fruit,” Jiang Qing urged.

 

Liang Xiao sat down beside her. “How exactly did you bump your head? Usually, when you and Aunt Liu argue, it’s just verbal—why did it escalate this time?”

 

Jiang Qing glared at him and signaled with her eyes. “We didn’t argue or fight; I just accidentally bumped myself while Aunt Liu happened to be around.”

 

Liang Xiao found it amusing but decided not to press further since Jiang Qing was adamant about maintaining her gentle image in front of Lu Ze. He simply said, “Be more careful next time.”

 

Lu Ze seized an opportunity to exchange glances with Liang Xiao and winked subtly while mouthing: *Auntie likes me.*

 

Liang Xiao chuckled inwardly and thought: *It’s hard for anyone not to like you, darling.*

 

Jiang Qing and Lu Ze chatted while eating fruit. When she learned that Lu Ze was only a junior in college, she was surprised. “How did you and Liang Xiao meet? This kid is not sociable. He barely has two close classmates, and I can count his lifelong friends on one hand.”

 

Lu Ze glanced quickly at Liang Xiao, feeling a bit guilty. “I… we…”

 

“At a bar,” Liang Xiao interrupted with half the truth. “He had just broken up and went drinking. He got drunk, so I took him home.”

 

Lu Ze’s eyes widened slightly—why mention the bar?! Liang Xiao reassured him with a look: *Don’t worry, my mom doesn’t mind.*

 

Sure enough, Jiang Qing didn’t focus on the bar. “So, Xiao Lu, do you have a girlfriend now?”

 

“I…” Lu Ze hesitated briefly. “I have someone.”

 

“Both of you have girlfriends? Why didn’t you bring them along?”

 

Lu Ze raised an eyebrow at Liang Xiao—*Oh, so you have a girlfriend too?*

 

Liang Xiao coughed twice. “She’s working and doesn’t have time.”

 

Before Jiang Qing could ask more, he quickly changed the subject. “Lu Ze will be staying with me for a few days. Do we have new pillows and blankets at home?”

 

Jiang Qing stood up. “Yes, I’ll go find them. Xiao Lu, you must be tired. Go take a shower first; if you’re unsure about anything, let Liang Xiao teach you.”

 

“Alright.” Lu Ze agreed but leaned over to whisper to Liang Xiao, “Is it okay for us to stay together at your house?”

 

Liang Xiao whispered back, “What’s wrong with that? She doesn’t know.”

 

“But if Auntie finds out, won’t she…”

 

The two exchanged looks, but Liang Xiao didn’t catch on to Lu Ze’s hint.

 

“Won’t what?”

 

Lu Ze clicked his tongue and lowered his voice further. “I mean… won’t it be… awkward? You know what I mean.”

 

Liang Xiao chuckled softly. “I don’t quite get it—how would it be awkward? Even if she finds out later, does it make a difference if we’re not sharing a room?”

 

“True…”

 

Liang Xiao patted Lu Ze on the back. “Don’t overthink it now. We’ll deal with it when the time comes. Besides, she probably won’t react too strongly.”

 

“Really?” Lu Ze was skeptical. From their brief interaction, he could tell Jiang Qing cared deeply for Liang Xiao—like her own son.

 

Liang Xiao gently patted him twice. “Really. Don’t stress about it; she’ll definitely like you.”

 

Lu Ze nodded but still felt nervous—it was coming out after all. Even if Liang Xiao said there wouldn’t be much of a reaction, it couldn’t be entirely minor.

 

In the bathroom, Liang Xiao showed him where the shampoo and body wash were and how to adjust the water temperature.

 

Lu Ze wasn’t paying attention at all and softly said to Liang Xiao, “Quick, kiss me.”

 

Liang Xiao froze for a moment but quickly obliged before asking, “What’s wrong, baby?”

 

“Kiss me again,” Lu Ze said.

 

Liang Xiao kissed his other cheek as well.

 

Lu Ze let out a breath of relief. “Alright, I’m not nervous anymore.”

 

Hearing this, Liang Xiao cupped his face and kissed him on the nose. “Is this enough? If not, there’s more…”

 

Lu Ze, feeling Liang Xiao’s boldness, whispered, “Enough, enough,” before quickly pushing him out of the bathroom. If he didn’t, he feared Liang Xiao might suggest showering together.

 

While showering, Lu Ze reflected. Was it just his imagination, or had Liang Xiao become even more uninhibited around him than before?

 

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