Han Shao Zhou had rushed out of the closet so quickly that he hadn’t locked the bedroom door. When Han Changzong knocked several times without getting a response, he gently pushed the door open.
“They’re not here?”
He looked around the empty room in confusion, but the next second, he saw Han Shao Zhou emerging from the closet, a hastily put-together smile on his face.
“Grandpa, you’re here,” Han Shao Zhou greeted.
Han Changzong leaned slightly to the side, trying to peer past Han Shao Zhou into the closet, lowering his voice as he asked, “Is he in there?”
Han Shao Zhou nodded, stepping forward to gently guide his grandfather out of the room. “Let’s head downstairs first, Grandpa. He’ll come down once he’s finished getting dressed.”
“Finished getting dressed?” Han Changzong squinted his eyes, and Han Shao Zhou instantly realized the old man had misunderstood. He probably thought they had just been intimate.
Han Shao Zhou was about to explain, but Han Changzong, clearly pleased, nodded in satisfaction. “Good, seems like you two are getting along well.”
Han Shao Zhou: “…”
Outside the room, Han Changzong’s usually stern face was now lit up with a cheerful glow. “So, this is my granddaughter-in-law, right?”
“…Yes.” Han Shao Zhou rubbed his forehead with his fingers. “He’s the one I told you about, Mo Ming…”
“You should’ve told me beforehand! I didn’t even prepare a proper gift for our first meeting.”
“It’s fine. He doesn’t care about that.”
“You can’t be casual about this. Tell me, what does Xiao Mo like? I’ll have someone buy it right away.”
“Grandpa, please don’t. You’ll just make him nervous,” Han Shao Zhou said. “Let’s just have a meal together, and please don’t bombard him with questions at the table. If you have any, ask me afterward.”
Han Changzong chuckled. “You’re already standing up for him, and you’re not even married yet.”
At that moment, the bedroom door behind them opened.
Both grandfather and grandson instinctively turned to look.
Mo Ming stepped out, wearing a meticulously tailored dark gray suit with a subtly patterned tie. His tall, slender figure made his legs look exceptionally long. He approached Han Changzong and politely said, “Hello, Chairman Han. My name is Mo Ming, and I’m Han Ge’s… boyfriend.”
Han Shao Zhou found it nearly impossible to tear his eyes away from Mo Ming, a complex mix of emotions and admiration swirling within him.
Han Changzong’s hands, resting on top of his cane, clenched with excitement as he looked at the refined young man before him. The deep lines on his face seemed to soften into smiles, and he nodded repeatedly. “Good, good. Shao Zhou has mentioned you before, and now we finally meet. Xiao Mo, don’t be a stranger. Since you’re with Shao Zhou, you should call me Grandpa too.”
Mo Ming nodded and obediently said, “Yes, Grandpa.”
Han Changzong beamed, delighted with his new grandson-in-law. He immediately took off a dark red jade ring from his finger and pressed it into Mo Ming’s hand.
In the warm atmosphere, Mo Ming accepted the gift, saying, “Thank you, Grandpa.”
Hearing Mo Ming call him “Grandpa” filled Han Changzong with immense satisfaction, and he couldn’t resist asking, “Have you two decided when to get married? Should I help pick a good date?”
Han Shao Zhou quickly stepped forward, wrapping an arm around his grandfather’s shoulders and guiding him toward the stairs. “Let’s talk about that later, Grandpa. I need to change clothes too. We’ll join you downstairs in a bit.”
In a great mood, Han Changzong agreed and whispered to Han Shao Zhou, “Xiao Mo is really something special…”
He had a gentle and harmless demeanor, but there was a hidden sharpness behind his calm, wise eyes—something that Han Changzong could see at a glance.
After Han Changzong left, Han Shao Zhou returned to Mo Ming’s side.
Mo Ming was still looking down at the jade ring in his hand, a priceless gift from the renowned Han Changzong. It was worth far more than just eight figures.
“With the one from my other grandfather, you’ll have one for each hand,” Han Shao Zhou joked.
“Your grandpa seemed really happy just now…” Mo Ming’s expression was conflicted as he looked up at Han Shao Zhou. “If he finds out this is all just an act, he’ll be very disappointed.”
“What can we do? He’s already met you. Maybe we should make it real?”
Mo Ming’s gaze dropped slightly.
“I’m just kidding. I’ll find someone for real soon enough,” Han Shao Zhou quickly added with a smile. “I don’t doubt I can find someone I like who also likes me back.”
Mo Ming said nothing, just nodded, and then turned back toward the room. “I should change back into my own clothes. This suit feels too formal; it’s not quite right.”
Han Shao Zhou wanted to say more, but the words stuck in his throat. All he could manage was a faint, “Mm.”
At dinner, to Mo Ming’s surprise, Han Shao Zhou’s grandfather didn’t follow the usual routine of asking probing questions about his troubled family or past. Instead, he inquired briefly about his work and then started sharing funny stories from Han Shao Zhou’s childhood, laughing as he recounted various embarrassing and amusing incidents.
Mo Ming couldn’t help but laugh, while Han Shao Zhou listened with a twitching mouth as his grandfather even revealed the time he had a boa constrictor as a pet and ended up wetting his pants after it wrapped around his neck.
Seeing that Mo Ming was genuinely interested and entertained, Han Shao Zhou held back from interrupting.
Just as the atmosphere was at its warmest, Han Changzong suddenly smiled and said, “How about we arrange the engagement first?”
Mo Ming’s smile froze on his face, and he slowly turned to Han Shao Zhou, blinking for help.
Han Shao Zhou was about to speak, but his grandfather continued, “There’s no rush for the wedding. Shao Zhou already told me that you both want to take your time. So, I was thinking, why not get engaged first? After the engagement, you can decide when to get married. Grandpa won’t pressure you. I was thinking of holding the engagement banquet before the end of the year. Once you’re engaged, we’ll truly be family. What do you think, Xiao Mo?”
“We’ll give you an answer once Mo Ming and I have made a decision,” Han Shao Zhou quickly intervened before Mo Ming could respond. “This is his first time meeting you, Grandpa. You’re pushing a bit too hard.”
“You young people nowadays, separating dating from marriage… Fine, I’ll wait for your answer.”
After dinner, Han Changzong decided to spend the night at Xiangbinshan.
To avoid suspicion, Mo Ming had to stay as well, and he handed the two jade rings back to Han Shao Zhou.
“These were given to you,” Han Shao Zhou said, reluctant to take them back.
“They were given to your future spouse,” Mo Ming insisted.
“…”
Han Shao Zhou stood there, not taking them, so Mo Ming simply placed the rings in the bedside drawer.
That night, snow began to fall lightly outside the window.
The bed was spacious, the festive red bedding covering it. The two of them occupied opposite sides, with Han Shao Zhou lying with his back to Mo Ming, staring into the darkness, feeling the bitterness of his unrequited feelings burn through his veins.
He knew that sooner or later, he was going to reach his breaking point…
