TL: Hua
The moment the front door opened and Yu Qingtang saw his parents’ expressions, he knew the first hurdle had been cleared.
His mother offered tea, and his father peeled an apple, leading them to the sofa and chatting away. Xu Baizhang was generous and composed, effortlessly engaging in all the topics the elderly couple brought up. Yu Qingtang, on the other hand, seemed rather reserved.
Though he was no longer young, bringing a boyfriend home was a first. When his parents occasionally mentioned a few things, Yu Qingtang stammered his answers, with Xu Baizhang always stepping in to smooth things over.
Meeting his parents at home was truly his Achilles’ heel; all his quick wit at work vanished into thin air. Yu Qingtang found an excuse and simply went to the kitchen to wash fruit.
After a long while, he returned with a plate.
Yu Qingtang first picked up two strawberries, popping one into each of his parents’ mouths. He then picked another and naturally offered it to Xu Baizhang.
Just before the strawberry touched his lips, both of them hesitated. Yu Qingtang didn’t push it further, and Xu Baizhang didn’t open his mouth.
“Is it sour?” Xu Baizhang offered a way out.
Yu Qingtang felt guilty. “I haven’t eaten it yet either.”
Mother Yu’s eyes were as sweet as honey. “Xiao Xu, eat it! It’s very sweet!”
The strawberry touched his lips. Xu Baizhang opened his mouth and took the whole thing in. There was a fleeting contact between their lips and fingertips, a sensation warmer and softer than the strawberry itself.
Yu Qingtang rubbed his fingers. “Sweet?”
Xu Baizhang licked his lips. “Mm, very sweet.”
Mother Yu braced herself and stood up. “I’ll go prepare lunch.”
“I told you we should eat out; why bother with all this?” Father Yu, face stern, pulled his wife over, rubbing her lower back back and forth. “She’s been busy since early morning, complaining about back pain for ages before you two arrived.”
“Mom, what’s wrong with your back again?” Yu Qingtang also started rubbing.
“I twisted it a couple of days ago; it’s fine now.” Mother Yu pushed their hands away and glared at her husband. “You, what nonsense are you talking about in front of the children?”
Yu Qingtang: “Why didn’t you tell me your back was twisted?”
Mother Yu: “Why would I tell you?”
Yu Qingtang: “If you tell me, I’d take you to get it checked out.”
“The community hospital is right at the entrance; I’d be done with my visit by the time you arrived.” Mother Yu pressed him onto the sofa. “Alright, you two rest; lunch will be ready soon.”
Yu Qingtang stopped her, “Don’t bother; let’s eat out.”
“How can we? The ingredients are all ready; they’ll go bad if I don’t cook them.”
Yu Qingtang rolled up his sleeves. “I’ll cook.”
“Forget it. Your dad’s cooking is the worst in our family, and you’re tied for first place. It’s Xiao Xu’s first time here; don’t make him laugh at our family.”
His mother was the family’s master chef. Yu Qingtang hadn’t inherited an ounce of her skill; instead, he had “carried forward” his father’s inability to cook.
Xu Baizhang put down the medicated plaster on the coffee table, unbuttoned his shirt, and said, “Uncle, Auntie, I’ll do it.”
It was certainly outrageous to let a guest into the kitchen, but no one stopped him, so Yu Qingtang had no choice but to follow.
Xu Baizhang had taken off his suit, revealing a white, tailored shirt with the hem tucked into his trousers. Black armbands were still wrapped around his arms, highlighting the curves of his muscles.
Yu Qingtang glanced at the armbands several times.
He hadn’t expected him to wear those.
Such items were considered a “little pleasure” in radio dramas and novels. Not only did they imply abstinence, but in Yu Qingtang’s view, they were also very…
Erotic.
Yu Qingtang had planned to help out, but Xu Baizhang was so skilled that he didn’t need any assistance at all.
Having nothing to do, he stood by and watched Xu Baizhang chop vegetables. “Now I finally know why you don’t eat out often. You’re a master chef yourself; why would you long for restaurant food?”
“You’re giving such high praise before even eating. What if you’re disappointed?”
Yu Qingtang was full of confidence. “No way. Just looking at the way you cut the radishes, they’re already in the shape of deliciousness.”
Simple radish with dipping sauce wasn’t uncommon, but Xu Baizhang’s knife skills were unique.
At first glance, they were just long strips, but their size and thickness were perfectly uniform, like something from a factory assembly line. Upon closer inspection, one would also notice that he wasn’t cutting ordinary strips but perfectly regular hexagons.
Xu Baizhang’s fingers were long, with veins taut over his knuckles. His grip on the knife was also very particular, like a surgeon accustomed to handling a scalpel.
Not only was Xu Baizhang good at cutting vegetables, but he also specially prepared the dipping sauce. He added honey, sesame paste, oyster sauce, and some other unknown bottles and jars to the original sauce.
Yu Qingtang: “I’m drooling just watching.”
Xu Baizhang picked up a radish strip, coated the front half with a thin layer of dipping sauce, and brought it to his mouth. “Want to try it first?”
The pale-colored cylindrical strip had the distinct smell of radish and the fresh aroma of the dipping sauce. Xu Baizhang’s fingertips, with tiny water droplets, rested near his mouth, and Yu Qingtang thought of himself offering the strawberry.
“Crunch.”
The radish was split in half, and the fresh aroma filled his mouth.
“How is it?” Xu Baizhang held the other half.
“My mom really knows how to buy radishes, and my Dr. Xu really knows how to make sauce,” Yu Qingtang licked the corner of his mouth. “And your knife skills are top-notch.”
“Don’t just focus on eating; didn’t you notice Xiao Xu isn’t wearing an apron?” Mother Yu stood at the doorway, watching Xu Baizhang pop the half-eaten radish, which her son had left, into his own mouth.
She smiled from ear to ear, “Don’t get oil on these nice clothes.”
Yu Qingtang took off the apron and stepped behind Xu Baizhang. The man’s waist was narrow, but his chest was thick and upright. The small apron looked a bit short on him.
His clothes were damp, and getting closer, Yu Qingtang could smell a peculiar scent, like aged medicinal herbs that had been steeped.
Through the thin shirt, Yu Qingtang could discern the contours of his shoulder and back muscles. He released his hands. “All done.”
“Thank you.” Xu Baizhang turned on the range hood. “I’m about to stir-fry; wait for me outside.”
Yu Qingtang leaned his elbow firmly on the counter. “I just like watching handsome men cook.”
Xu Baizhang’s lips curved as he poured oil into the pan.
With a sizzle, the scallions, ginger, and garlic burst into fragrance in the hot oil. Yu Qingtang pointed at the chilies about to go into the pot. “Spicy boiled meat slices?”
Xu Baizhang nodded. This was Yu Qingtang’s favorite dish.
Yu Qingtang: “Is there too little chili?”
When his mom made it, she used twice as much.
Xu Baizhang: “You ate a lot of cold fruit just now.”
They were all fresh from the fridge.
Yu Qingtang: “That’s why I should eat more chili, to neutralize it.”
“Your ‘neutralization’ theory doesn’t hold up, whether from a chemical or traditional Chinese medicine perspective.”
Yu Qingtang was unconvinced. “Spicy boiled meat slices without enough chili have no soul.”
Unable to argue with the ardent fan of spicy boiled meat slices, Xu Baizhang compromised and added another double portion.
Cooked by a master chef, the dishes were quickly served.
They were mostly based on the menu Mother Yu had prepared, perfectly suiting Yu Qingtang’s taste, even understanding his preferences better than his own mother.
Only the soup was made separately by Xu Baizhang. It looked quite healthy, with longan and goji berries. Yu Qingtang took two sips. It tasted good but was very bland. He was more keen on the other, richer-flavored dishes.
His parents also praised Xu Baizhang’s cooking skills endlessly, their eyes and words full of affection.
Xu Baizhang’s strengths weren’t limited to his cooking; he also had a talent for charming parents.
Even though they were from two different generations, he chatted with the elderly couple without any barriers, like old comrades who hadn’t seen each other for years. Yu Qingtang felt like he was the superfluous one.
But chatting wasn’t important; good food was enough. Yu Qingtang picked three more pieces of sliced meat onto his plate to drain the oil.
Just as he ate one piece, his plate was taken away, and a half-bowl of soup was placed in its empty spot. “Drink this; no more meat.”
Yu Qingtang: “I haven’t eaten much yet.”
Xu Baizhang was very serious. “It’s too spicy; it’ll hurt your stomach.”
Yu Qingtang was still craving it, even feeling a little wronged.
Mother Yu also couldn’t bear it. “Still saying you haven’t eaten much? Your mouth hasn’t stopped. Xiao Xu is right; your stomach isn’t good to begin with. That’s enough.”
Yu Qingtang: “…”
It was only their first meeting, and they were already on the same side.
“Alright, Mom and boyfriend are right,” Yu Qingtang put down his chopsticks and smilingly picked up the bowl to drink the soup.
After lunch, Yu Qingtang and Xu Baizhang shared the task of cleaning up.
They had a clear division of labor: Yu Qingtang carried the plates, and Xu Baizhang wiped the table. Xu Baizhang washed the dishes, and Yu Qingtang was responsible for drying them.
Yu Qingtang took the clean dishes. “You’re really good at talking to parents; you always make them happy. Is it a talent?”
Xu Baizhang: “It’s probably an occupational disease.”
Yu Qingtang tilted his head, not quite understanding.
Xu Baizhang: “Most of the middle-aged and elderly people who come to see a traditional Chinese medicine doctor like to chat. They talk about everything under the sun, from big events to trivial daily matters. The more you interact with them, the more you naturally understand their psychology.”
“Do you get annoyed by dealing with elderly people every day?”
Xu Baizhang countered, “When Auntie nags you, do you get annoyed?”
Yu Qingtang honestly replied, “Sometimes I do, but that’s my mom. Her nagging is all about care and love, so subjectively, I don’t resist it.”
Xu Baizhang: “My thoughts are similar to yours. They are all like a family member sharing their lives with me.”
Yu Qingtang held the bowl, a warm feeling surging in his chest. “Baizhang, you keep surprising me.”
Xu Baizhang’s lips curved slightly. “Thank you.”
After the kitchen was cleaned, his father was in the bedroom reading the newspaper, and his mother was in the living room, dozing off in front of the TV.
Yu Qingtang led Xu Baizhang to his own bedroom.
His parents had moved into this house over half a year ago. It was quite far from the TV station, so Yu Qingtang rarely stayed here. His room hadn’t changed since before the move; it was almost a one-to-one replica.
The room was livelier than Xu Baizhang had imagined. Of the four walls, one was a window, and of the remaining three, one was a bookshelf overflowing with various types of books. Another wall displayed trophies and medals, mostly for broadcasting and hosting, with a few for math Olympiads and science.
The last wall was covered with monthly exam certificates from high school, from first year to third year, always showing first place in his grade.
Xu Baizhang: “You really have been excellent since childhood.”
Yu Qingtang shrugged, “That’s all in the past.”
When his parents were renovating the house, it was the busiest time at the TV station. Yu Qingtang hired a cleaning company and didn’t have time to help himself. When he returned to see it once it was mostly done, he found that his parents had put the certificates back up. Seeing that the two elders liked it, he didn’t ask them to take it down.
Xu Baizhang looked around, his gaze stopping at a certain spot. “Why is there no certificate for your first monthly exam in the third year of high school?”
Yu Qingtang: “I tore it up.”
Xu Baizhang: “Didn’t do well?”
Yu Qingtang: “Second place.”
Xu Baizhang: “You’re too hard on yourself.”
Yu Qingtang yawned, “Perhaps.”
“Go get some sleep.”
“It’s fine, I’m not sleepy.”
“Go rest, I’ll go check on Auntie’s back.”
Yu Qingtang’s heart squeezed. “Is it serious?”
“Looking at her activity level, it’s not a major issue. A little adjustment to her medication and some massage will help her recover faster.”
Yu Qingtang: “Thank you, I’ve troubled you.”
Xu Baizhang: “Saying that makes it too formal.”
Yu Qingtang’s heart thumped twice, like water bubbling with air. “Okay, I won’t say it anymore.”
Xu Baizhang went back to the traditional Chinese medicine department and adjusted some topical medicine. The patches prescribed by the community hospital were too broad-spectrum; what he prepared was more targeted.
Xu Baizhang carefully massaged her waist, patiently instructing, “Pay attention to keeping warm recently. Before bed, rub it using the method I showed you. Remove the patch after eight hours, and it should get better quickly.”
“Alright, I know.” Mother Yu felt the comfortable pressure on her lower back, her eyes half-closed. “It’s your first time visiting, and you’re already washing dishes, cooking, and even giving me medicine and massaging my back. Xiao Xu, you’ve worked hard.”
“It’s no trouble at all; it’s what I should do.”
“Your uncle and I genuinely like you. We’re a hundred percent satisfied with you. We’re relieved that Xiao Tang could find such a good boyfriend like you.”
Xu Baizhang said, “Qingtang is also very good.”
“Yes, that child is good in every way—kind-hearted, diligent at work, and filial. But he’s too demanding of himself, always wanting to be the best at everything. He also doesn’t take good care of himself; he’s so old, yet he can’t even cook a meal.”
“I can cook, and I can take care of people,” Xu Baizhang said slowly. “He doesn’t need to know these things.”
Mother Yu’s eyes welled up. She glanced towards her son’s bedroom. “Is he asleep?”
“Yes, he’s asleep.”
Mother Yu lowered her voice. “Xiao Xu, Auntie isn’t afraid to tell you, before you came, I thought he had found another friend or colleague to fool me again.”
Xu Baizhang: “We are really dating.”
Mother Yu: “Hmm, I believe it.”
“You must have cooked for him a lot, haven’t you?” Mother Yu couldn’t stop smiling. “I wondered why he never came home and didn’t miss my cooking as much. Turns out he has a master chef at home now.”
“If I didn’t know you two had been dating for three months, I would have thought you’d been together for three years.”
Xu Baizhang continued to press steadily on the acupoint, head bowed, without responding.
Mother Yu sighed, “I can’t blame myself for not believing him; mainly, this child has a history.”
Xu Baizhang’s hand paused.
“He even fabricated a boyfriend studying for his doctorate abroad once and fooled his dad and me for three years.”
Xu Baizhang chuckled. “You actually found out?”
Mother Yu was also stunned. “He told you?”
Xu Baizhang nodded.
“Three years of dating, never met him, no photos, he couldn’t even say a name. How could I believe it?” Mother Yu said, chuckling. “He is a famous speaker and a gold medal anchor in front of outsiders, but in my eyes he is always a child. I know what he is thinking with just one look.”
“Alright, take a break.” Mother Yu sat up and took Xu Baizhang’s hand. “Xiao Xu, I can see that you genuinely care for him. As long as you two live well and are happy, your uncle and I will be content.”
“Please rest assured, I will definitely make him happy.”
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