Cao Fei had spent several days hanging out with Lu Ze and Liang Xiao, and Liang Xiao had lost count of how many times Lu Ze had been amused by Cao Fei’s antics.
That evening, after returning home, Lu Ze was still laughing. “Let’s not go out with him tomorrow. I’m afraid he’ll make me laugh to death.”
Liang Xiao immediately agreed. “Alright, we won’t bring him along.”
After washing his hands, Lu Ze was about to head to the kitchen when Jiang Qing quickly stopped him. “Xiao Lu, don’t bother. Let’s order takeout or eat out instead. You’ve been cooking every day since you arrived.”
Lu Ze smiled. “It’s no trouble, Auntie. I cook at home all the time—it’s easy for me. You need to focus on eating nutritious and light meals right now.”
Jiang Qing looked at him with admiration in her eyes. “You’re such a good kid.”
Feeling a bit embarrassed, Lu Ze waited until Liang Xiao went to shower before softly saying to Jiang Qing, “Auntie, Xiao-ge always thinks about you. As soon as he hears something’s wrong with you, he gets really anxious. But he’s not good with words—unlike me—so sometimes he doesn’t know how to express his concern.”
Leaning against the doorframe with her long hair casually tied up, Jiang Qing looked more mature and striking than usual, exuding a strong presence. She studied Lu Ze for a while until he looked away awkwardly. Then she smiled faintly. “I know. That little rascal Liang Xiao has always been like this.”
Lu Ze froze for a moment before Jiang Qing continued, “I won’t pretend in front of you anymore—you’ve probably already noticed that I’m not exactly a great role model for Liang Xiao. I’m not really a qualified mother.”
Lu Ze quickly responded, “Auntie, it was your first time being a mom, and you were so young back then. You’ve already done an amazing job; otherwise, Xiao-ge wouldn’t care about you so much.”
Jiang Qing let out a soft laugh and scrutinized him again. “Xiao Lu, you and Liang Xiao are very close, aren’t you?”
Lu Ze hesitated briefly before replying, “…Yeah, we’re pretty close.”
“Not just ‘pretty close,’” Jiang Qing said, looking directly into his eyes. “You two are very close—I can tell that Liang Xiao likes you a lot.”
Lu Ze’s heart raced as if it were about to leap out of his chest. Stammering slightly, he said, “R-really? Xiao-ge has always been very kind to me…”
Jiang Qing smiled knowingly. “Why are you so nervous?”
Clearing his throat, Lu Ze tried to act calm. “You brought it up so suddenly—I thought you might be trying to get some information out of me.”
Jiang Qing clicked her tongue lightly. “There’s nothing for me to dig into. Liang Xiao isn’t just like this with me—he’s the type who keeps a lot of things to himself even with friends. But the fact that you understand him so well shows that he really likes and trusts you.”
Lu Ze gave a soft hum in response.
“I’m happy to see him have a friend like you,” Jiang Qing said as her gaze fell on the red cord bracelet on his wrist. “I hope you can be patient with him. If he does something wrong, talk to him directly—try not to let conflicts build up. Being friends with him is worth it.”
Lu Ze felt overwhelmed—he couldn’t shake the feeling that Jiang Qing’s words carried deeper meaning—but he didn’t have time to dwell on it. Smiling quickly, he replied, “I don’t need to be patient with Xiao-ge; it’s always him being patient with me.”
Jiang Qing chuckled softly. “Liang Xiao may not be my biological son, but I know him well enough—you’ve definitely been patient with him more than once.”
“Not really,” Lu Ze said earnestly. “Xiao-ge has always been incredibly… loyal to me.”
He swallowed back the word “good” that almost slipped out of his mouth, making Jiang Qing laugh again. “Alright then—I’ll leave you alone now so you can cook. But can we skip the leafy greens today?”
Caught off guard by how comfortable Jiang Qing had become around him, Lu Ze responded just as casually: “You haven’t even had your stitches removed yet—you need at least two more days of light meals! Besides, there’ll be meat dishes too—I’ll make sure it’s balanced.”
Jiang Qing sighed dramatically. “Fine—you’re stricter than Liang Xiao!”
Lu Ze gently nudged her toward the living room while smiling. “It’s for your recovery! You’re so beautiful—it’d be such a shame if there were scars left behind. Once I get home, I’ll send you some scar cream my mom uses—it works wonders!”
Jiang Qing laughed lightly and waved him off as she left him to cook.
“I’m over forty—what’s there to worry about…”
“You don’t look it at all! When I first saw you, I thought you were Xiao-ge’s sister.”
·
Lu Ze didn’t tell Liang Xiao about his conversation with Jiang Qing. In the following days, Jiang Qing didn’t bring it up again either, making Lu Ze wonder if the earlier moment of being “caught” was just his imagination.
After her stitches were removed, Jiang Qing began urging them to leave, insisting they return to their responsibilities. Now familiar with Lu Ze, she was no longer as polite as before. Despite Lu Ze’s protests, after visiting Grandma Zhang with Liang Xiao, Jiang Qing pushed them to buy high-speed rail tickets back home.
Their train was scheduled for the afternoon. During lunch, Lu Ze reminded Jiang Qing of many things: to keep her meals light on oil, spice, and salt; to eat more fruits and vegetables; and to apply the scar cream daily once it arrived.
“Alright, alright, I got it,” Jiang Qing said impatiently. “Now go check if you’ve forgotten anything and get ready to leave.”
If Liang Xiao had been alone, Jiang Qing would have let him leave on his own. But since Lu Ze was there, she even accompanied them to the train station—with Cao Fei tagging along.
“Come back during your next break,” Cao Fei said.
Lu Ze nodded. “Okay.”
Cao Fei glanced at Jiang Qing chatting with Liang Xiao and whispered to Lu Ze, “Hope you haven’t dumped Liang Xiao by then.”
Lu Ze laughed. “Don’t worry—I won’t. You already said this has to be his first and last relationship. I’ll make sure of it.”
Cao Fei grinned and patted him on the shoulder. “Good—true brotherhood!”
Not far away, Liang Xiao glanced toward Lu Ze before turning back to Jiang Qing. “Alright, Mom—I’m leaving.”
Jiang Qing clicked her tongue. “You’ve been calling me ‘Mom,’ but you still don’t plan on telling me the truth?”
Liang Xiao smiled faintly. “Lu Ze was worried you’d hit me, so I thought I’d wait until we were leaving.”
“When have I ever laid a finger on you, you little brat!” Jiang Qing scolded him in a low voice.
“You already figured it out,” Liang Xiao said seriously. “So I’ll just say it plainly—it’s exactly what you think. We’re dating, and I really like him.”
“Got it,” Jiang Qing replied. “Even though you call me ‘Mom,’ I don’t have the right to interfere in your life. Besides, I like Xiao Lu too. Be smart about this—don’t lose him.”
Liang Xiao said firmly, “I won’t lose him. Next time, I’ll bring him back to see you.”
“Go on now,” Jiang Qing said with a wave of her hand.
As Liang Xiao turned and took two steps toward Lu Ze, Jiang Qing suddenly called out behind him, “Liang Xiao.”
Liang Xiao turned back, and Jiang Qing looked at him for a long time before saying, “I’ve been a pretty failed parent. I didn’t give you much. Don’t worry about me—just look ahead, live well, and focus on your own life.”
Liang Xiao silently looked at Jiang Qing, the person who had been by his side for twenty years. She still looked as beautiful as when she was younger, but upon closer inspection, faint wrinkles had appeared at the corners of her eyes, and her skin wasn’t as smooth as before.
Jiang Qing was aging, while he had grown up, moved on, found someone he loved, and might even have a family of his own in the future. But Jiang Qing would be left alone.
Suddenly, Liang Xiao stepped forward and hugged Jiang Qing tightly. She stood stiffly in place.
In a low voice, Liang Xiao said, “Mom, what are you saying? You gave me a home. Without you, there wouldn’t be the Liang Xiao of today. I will always be grateful to you and will always… love you.”
That night’s conversation with Lu Ze had made Liang Xiao realize that some words weren’t as hard to say as he thought. Jiang Qing had raised him and given him so much without asking for anything in return. No matter what, he needed to express his gratitude and love to her directly.
Jiang Qing froze for a while before finally hugging him back and patting his back. “Why are you suddenly… I… I also…”
She stammered for a long time before Liang Xiao chuckled softly. “Forget it—if you can’t say it, don’t force it. I know—you love me too.”
Liang Xiao stepped back. Jiang Qing glared at him, still looking a bit dazed.
He smiled at her. “I’m leaving now. I’ll come back to see you when I have time. If you miss me, you can take the high-speed rail to visit me.”
“Miss you? My life is so peaceful without you around,” Jiang Qing finally retorted.
·
After Jiang Qing and Cao Fei left, Lu Ze immediately asked, “What happened with Auntie? She seemed like she was crying—did something…”
“No, no,” Liang Xiao interrupted as he pulled Lu Ze to sit down beside him. “She was just moved.”
Lu Ze looked surprised. “What did you say to move her like that?”
“I told her that I’m very grateful to her and that I love her.”
Lu Ze gave him a thumbs-up. “My boyfriend is amazing! You’ve finally learned how to be sweet with your words. See? Saying it wasn’t so hard—it didn’t hurt one bit.”
Liang Xiao smiled faintly. “I learned it from my sweet-talking boyfriend. But… even though that’s not why she cried, she does know now.”
On the high-speed rail ride back, Lu Ze repeatedly asked Liang Xiao, “Are you sure Auntie wasn’t upset?” At first, Liang Xiao patiently answered each time, but eventually, he couldn’t take it anymore and looked directly into Lu Ze’s eyes. “Baby, if you ask again, I’ll kiss you.”
Lu Ze glanced around and shamelessly said, “Go ahead—kiss me.”
Liang Xiao clicked his tongue. “Why don’t you ever play by the rules?”
Leaning back against his seat with his arms crossed, Lu Ze tilted his head toward Liang Xiao and said, “If I played by the rules, we wouldn’t even be talking right now. After all, someone once told me there’d be someone better next time…”
Liang Xiao quickly covered Lu Ze’s mouth with his hand and laughed quietly. “I’m sorry, baby—I was an idiot back then. Don’t hold it against me—just forget about it.”
Lu Ze pouted and kissed Liang Xiao’s palm before pulling his hand down onto his leg and stroking it gently as he said with a grin: “Forget it? No way! I need to remember that our sweet love story was something I fought for with strength, courage, wisdom, and determination—it’s worth being proud of for a lifetime.”
Lu Ze was bathed in the golden sunlight streaming through the window. Liang Xiao couldn’t resist and quickly kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you, baby, for being so strong, brave, smart, and wise.”
Lu Ze smiled and said, “I should also thank you, Xiao Xiao, for giving up a high-paying job to bravely pursue love.”
“This is the best decision I’ve ever made in my life,” Liang Xiao replied.
—
After getting off the high-speed train, the two had to go their separate ways. With Xu Jingjing and Lu Jinglang about to fly abroad, Lu Ze stayed home for a couple of days to spend time with Xu Jingjing.
While packing her luggage, Xu Jingjing asked, “I haven’t asked yet—did you have fun?”
Lu Ze hummed in agreement while replying to Liang Xiao’s messages. “Yes, I had fun.”
“You must’ve taken lots of photos. Print them out and put them in the family album,” Xu Jingjing said.
Lu Ze hesitated. “In the family album?”
Xu Jingjing paused for a second before smiling. “Where else would you put them?”
“Nothing,” Lu Ze replied. “Alright, I’ll print them when I have time.”
He planned to print three sets: one for Xu Jingjing, one for Liang Xiao, and one to keep for himself. The set for Liang Xiao could wait until they had enough photos to fill an entire album—he’d gift it along with a birthday present.
Thinking about the birthday gift made Lu Ze feel troubled. It would be his first time celebrating Liang Xiao’s birthday, so he wanted to give him something special—something unforgettable.
“Mom,” Lu Ze put down his phone and crouched beside Xu Jingjing, asking earnestly, “What are you planning to give Dad for his birthday this year?”
“His birthday is still far away,” Xu Jingjing said, surprised by the question. “Why are you thinking about it so early?”
Lu Ze clicked his tongue. “It’s about creating a sense of occasion. Last year, he started preparing for your birthday six months in advance.”
Xu Jingjing tucked her hair behind her ear with a smile. “Oh, he always comes up with these fancy ideas… I’ll see if there’s something he wants. If not, I’ll just get him a new watch—the one he has now is a bit old.”
A watch? That would make a decent birthday gift but wasn’t unique enough to be remembered forever.
Lu Ze sighed internally but ended up sighing aloud as well. Xu Jingjing glanced at him. “What’s wrong? Why are you sighing like that?”
“I can’t think of a suitable birthday gift,” Lu Ze said as he plopped onto the floor. “I’m so stressed!”
Xu Jingjing laughed at his dramatic reaction. “Who’s it for? Xiao Xiao?”
Lu Ze raised an eyebrow. “You guessed that?”
“It wasn’t hard to guess,” Xu Jingjing said as she ruffled his hair affectionately. “You’ve been spending a lot of time with Xiao Xiao lately and seemed really happy after your trip with him. I haven’t seen you talking much with Xiao Jie.”
Since the start of their break, Lu Ze hadn’t seen Jiang Yijie at all—not even at their class reunion, which Jiang Yijie skipped without sending any messages. This was unprecedented but didn’t bother Lu Ze much since his days were now filled with love and happiness from his relationship with Liang Xiao.
In his heart, Lu Ze apologized to Jiang Yijie and wondered if not seeing him every day might actually be better for him. He still hoped they could go back to being friends someday.
“He’s busy with some social practice work,” Lu Ze lied casually. “No time.”
Xu Jingjing didn’t seem convinced but didn’t press further and changed the subject instead. “Why don’t you just ask Xiao Xiao directly if there’s something he needs?”
“Tsk—that would ruin the surprise.”
“Xiao Xiao seems like such a cool guy—does he even like surprises?” Xu Jingjing teased.
He does! He even liked the roses I gave him.
Thinking of this, Lu Ze immediately ordered another bouquet of roses online and had them delivered to Liang Xiao’s home.
“Whether he likes surprises or not is his business—whether I give them or not is mine,” Lu Ze said confidently.
Xu Jingjing looked at him for a moment before nodding. “Fair enough. Think carefully then.”
Lu Ze stood up and patted off his pants but turned back at the door. “By the way, Mom, do you still have that scar cream you mentioned worked really well?”
“I think so.”
“Can you give me a tube? I need it.”
“Sure—I’ll find it for you later.”
“Great.”
—
Not long after that, Liang Xiao sent Lu Ze a message: [Photo]
Liang Xiao: [Baby, did you order these roses?]
Lu Ze sat cross-legged on the sofa and smiled at the card bearing the bold name “Xiao Xiao.” [Yes! Do you like them?]
Liang Xiao: [I like them.]
Liang Xiao: [But next time can you use a different name? The delivery guy was confused about why they were for a man and kept confirming several times that I was ‘Xiao Xiao.’]
Lu Ze burst into laughter on the sofa: [Nope! Not changing it! In fact, I’ll send roses every few days until he gets used to it.]
Liang Xiao: […Fine.]
Lu Ze could imagine Liang Xiao’s helpless yet indulgent expression on the other end of the conversation. He quickly typed: [Xiao Xiao Xiao Xiao—I miss you.]
Liang Xiao: [Baby Baby Baby Baby—I miss you too.]
Lu Ze: [My parents are leaving tomorrow. After seeing them off, I’ll come find you.]
Liang Xiao: [Alright.]
Lu Ze: [Oh! And I’m stealing one of my mom’s little vases for your roses.]
