The New Year was approaching, and strings of small lanterns and Chinese knotted decorations had been hung up in major shopping malls for the holiday. Adults on annual leave took their children out to go shopping, and the pedestrian streets were crowded with people. Occasionally, there were one or two young couples holding hands and taking pictures in the falling snow.

Lu Qi and Mu Nanqiao exited a mall. This place was only ten minutes away from the community where they lived, so Mu Nanqiao didn’t drive, and they could walk back slowly while holding hands.

As soon as they walked out of the shopping mall, Mu Nanqiao pulled down the gray wool hat on Lu Qi’s head a couple of times to cover his ears. It was warm, but in this way, a beautiful fashion item turned into the style of a grandpa.

Lu Qi was dissatisfied, but he stayed calm and collected and gestured for Mu Nanqaio to lower his head. Then he stood on tiptoe and lifted the hood on the back of his jacket…..

The big fox smiled sweetly, but before the corners of his lips could even raise, his vision suddenly went dark.

Lu Qi had tugged hard on the drawstring of the hood and tightened it too far, leaving only Mu Nanqiao’s mouth and the tip of his nose exposed.

Having succeeded in his prank, Lu Qi laughed and ran away.

The blindfolded Mu Nanqiao smiled fondly, thinking that he really was spoiled.

They had come out this time to pick out gifts for Father Lu and Mother Lu. In the beginning, Lu Qi feared that rich and overbearing Boss Mu would take him directly into a luxury brand or jewelry store to buy his dad a pigeon egg ring or something, but Mu Nanqiao didn’t pick out these pricey things.

He carefully asked about Father Lu and Mother Lu’s hobbies, and in the end, chose medium to high-end gifts. For Mother Lu, there was a piece of Suzhou embroidery fabric and a colored jade bracelet, and for Father Lu, he chose two tins of tea leaves, as well as a tea pet toad holding tongbao in its mouth.^[1]

They were very thoughtful gifts, which could give people the sense of his feelings without being embarrassed by the price.

When Mu Nanqiao wanted others to like him, his emotional intelligence had always been very high.

The two people walked back through the snow. Mu Nanqiao held the gifts in one hand and Lu Qi’s hand in his pocket to keep him warm. As they walked, he turned his head and asked: “Which outfit do you think is better for me to wear tomorrow? Is a suit too formal? But casual wear…..”

Lu Qi gave him an amused look and shook his hand with curved eyes: “Boss Mu, are you particularly nervous, ah?”

Mu Nanqiao had not experienced this kind of nervousness in many years. These years, whether in his studies or in his career, it seemed that he had done everything with ease. Only this year had he experienced such a thing more often, all because of Lu Qi.

“I’m a little nervous.” He nodded very calmly. Looking down at Lu Qi, he was filled with tenderness. “Your parents are also your favorite people, and I want to gain their approval.”

“Don’t worry.” Lu Qi took his warm hand out of his pocket and held Mu Nanqiao’s face, caressing it. “My mom has accepted that I like boys. How could she not be satisfied with you? In the eyes of most mothers, Boss Mu is the most suitable son-in-law. En…..change the gender, and you would be a perfect match for a daughter-in-law.”

“Perhaps I’m still not good enough quality?” Mu Nanqiao grabbed his hand with a sigh and rubbed it, raising his eyebrows as he joked, “After all, I can’t give birth to children.”

“Wa!” Lu Qi’s eyes went wide in surprise. “Boss Mu still has this ambition. But how will you know if you don’t try? Since you put me on top this morning, maybe Boss Mu will get pregnant! When the time comes, you will have a son. My mom will definitely….ai, ai, ai…..”

He was picked up by Mu Nanqiao. The snowy road was slippery, so he leaned against Mu Nanqiao’s shoulder and didn’t dare to struggle too much. Fortunately, it was getting late now and there were not many people in the community, only a few children building snowmen on the other side of the green belt. When they heard the sound and looked over, Lu Qi quickly picked up his scarf and tightly covered his face.

Ah! Shameful!

Looking back at Mu Nanqiao, there was no superfluous expression on his handsome and flamboyant face. As calmly as if he was carrying a gas canister, he took two long strides up the steps, passed through the entrance lobby, and directly entered the elevator.

This elevator was exclusively for the top floor, so as soon as they got on the elevator, they were in the private area of their own home. Lu Qi pulled down his scarf and took a breath.

“Speak politely, why are you taking liberties?” He smacked Mu Nanqiao’s back and struggled a bit. “Hurry and put me down.”

Mu Nanqiao smacked his butt through his winter pants. It didn’t hurt, but the shame practically had Lu Qi’s head smoking. He exclaimed in a shy voice: “Mu Nanqiao!”

He was obviously heavy! How could this person just pick him up and run off?! Was this the terrifying racial talent of the fighting nation?!

“That’s me.” The big fox was surprisingly thick-skinned. Not only did he not let go, but he even pinched him twice. “I was just thinking, a shotgun wedding is indeed an idea. Honey, let’s go back and give it a try. If you have a little Lu cub, even if Mother-in-law doesn’t like me, she’ll have to let me in the door.”

“You’re dreaming.” Lu Qi scoffed. “If you behave like a scumbag, my dad will break your legs. He would rather raise a grandchild by himself than let his son…..”

Ah, right, he was male.

Lu Qi’s ears felt hot, and he kicked his legs hard twice. “Mu Nanqiao, what are you talking about? I also can’t give birth.”

After all, he was an adult man nearly 1.8 meters tall. He struggled, and Mu Nanqiao finally couldn’t carry him anymore. He bent to put this person down, leaning against the light rose gold wall of the elevator.

“How will you know if you don’t try?” Smiling, he responded with what Lu Qi had said before. Lu Qi was speechless for a moment. Mu Nanqiao pinched his cheek and kissed him over and over, then bit his ear and whispered: “Want to try?”

“No, go away!” Lu Qi pushed him and turned around to get off the elevator first. He swiped his fingerprints angrily to open the door and shut Mu Nanqiao outside with a bang.

The big fox was just talking. He was afraid that Lu Qi would feel uncomfortable afterwards, so he had never done anything like this before. This time, he had really made him angry.

Boss Mu rubbed the tip of his nose, which was nearly smacked. He opened the door dejectedly and went in to coax this person.

. . . . . . .

It was already evening when they arrived in Yuncheng. They left the train station and took a taxi to the house.

There was no elevator in the building, and the environment was a bit like the garden community. Lu Qi led the way, climbing to the third floor. He stopped at the door and looked back at Mu Nanqiao.

Boss Mu was wearing a white turtleneck sweater with a black woolen coat on the outside, not overly serious, but somewhat gentle and reliable. As he stood at the foot of the steps and looked up at him, there was a slight smile on his features.

“What’s wrong?” He asked Lu Qi softly.

“Nothing…..” Lu Qi took a deep breath and whispered: “It’s like a dream come true. The people I love accept my loved one. It’s really the best New Year’s gift.”

Mu Nanqiao walked up two steps and lowered his head to kiss him on the cheek. “Next year’s gift…..”

Click—

The door opened. Along with the aroma of food, Lin Chunhe’s voice was as jubilant as a bell: “What do you two kids want to drink? I’ll bring them from the store…..aiyo!”

He was startled by the two grown men at the door, and his amazement turned to pleasant surprise when he saw his son. Then he clearly saw the intimate posture of the two and his surprise became embarrassment.

Bang—

The door closed, and Lin Chunhe said loudly: “I didn’t see anything!”

Lu Qi: ……

Mu Nanqiao: ……

Inside the house, Lu Fangshu came out of the kitchen wearing an apron and asked: “What didn’t you see?”

“Shhh…..” Lin Chunhe ran over in small steps and approached his wife’s ear furtively: “He really brought back a boy!”

Lu Fangshu’s expression was a bit complicated, but she still asked curiously: “What kind of child is he, ah?”

“I didn’t see clearly…..” Lin Chunhe scratched his head and stretched out his hand to compare: “But he’s extremely tall! Almost a head taller than our baby!”

When he finished speaking, the two of them fell silent together.

In fact, the two of them had seen a photo of Mu Nanqiao during the days when the TV station was repeatedly broadcasting Talia’s interview. The man was more handsome and elegant than a star. But in the photo, he was holding the back of the sofa and leaning over, so it wasn’t apparent that he was that tall.

Lu Fangshu asked: “Is he really as handsome as in the photo?”

Lin Chunhe: “I didn’t see clearly, ah.”

The two exchanged glances, then looked simultaneously at the silent door.

Outside the door, Lu Qi coughed and asked Mu Nanqiao with a blushing face: “Then I’ll knock on the door.”

This first meeting was so unexpected that even the calm and thick-skinned Boss Mu blushed a little. He coughed awkwardly and gave a solemn nod: “Knock on the door.”

After two knocks, the door opened. Lin Chunhe opened it with a smile, as if he was just meeting the two people at the door, and greeted them with kind politeness: “Xiao Mu is here. Haha, come in quickly.”

Mu Nanqiao called him ‘Uncle’ and went inside the house to change his shoes. Once he put on his slippers, Lu Fangshu also took off her apron and walked over. The room had enough light for the couple to finally get a clear view of Mu Nanqiao’s face.

When he looked at the photo before, Lin Chunhe had wondered if it had been retouched. How could anyone be so handsome? Lu Fangshu had seen the elegant Talia and the cultured Mu Chuanbai, and felt that it was not excessive for this young man to look like the one in the photo.

When the real person stood in front of her, only then did she realize that the photo actually didn’t do him justice.

“Aiyo, what a big child…..” Lin Chunhe was smiling so hard that he couldn’t even close his mouth. “But he’s so handsome. You’re here for the first time, why did you bring gifts?”

Lu Fangshu also came up to greet him, smiling warmly. “Put your things down quickly, come in and wash your hands and eat. I cooked all homemade dishes, you see if you like them.”

Mu Nanqiao stayed calm and collected, and breathed a sigh of relief. “We’ll trouble you, Auntie. I’ll eat more later.”

It was only at this moment, when he looked at the warm smile on his mom’s face, that Lu Qi finally realized that he had really brought his boyfriend home to show his family.

He squeezed out from behind Mu Nanqiao and said coquettishly: “Dad, Mom, do you think he’s more handsome than me, ah? You haven’t looked at me since I walked in.”

They didn’t know how long it had been since they had heard their son talk to them in such a natural tone. Finally, the situation between mother and son was no longer tense. Lu Fangshu’s eyes reddened. She grabbed Lu Qi and lightly smacked him on the shoulder. 

“You still have the nerve to talk…..” She whispered softly: “Heartless little brat…..”

Raising her hand to pinch her son’s face, she said, “You’ve gained a lot of weight. It’s better to be fatter.”

Lu Qi blinked his eyes, leaning down to let his mom knead him. He didn’t forget to say good things for Mu Nanqiao: “You don’t know, Mom, but his cooking is delicious, and he also drags me to run and box. I’m not puffy now, I have muscles!”

As he spoke, he took off his coat and lifted up his sweater. He patted his belly, inhaled, and revealed the outline of a 4-pack.

“Aiyo, do you want to die? Be careful not to catch a cold.” Lu Fangshu patted his belly and pulled down his clothes, turning to look at Mu Nanqiao. “Okay, Xiao Mu, stop standing at the door, let’s go in to eat and talk.”

She could see that her son was well taken care of, and the small knot in her heart also lifted. During the meal, she frequently served Mu Nanqiao food. Thinking about what it would be like to have a daughter-in-law come to the house, it wasn’t awkward to do so.

After dinner, Mu Nanqiao and Lu Qi washed dishes together while Lu Fangshu and Lin Chunhe watched TV outside.

Lu Qi was in a very good mood, and the smile in his eyes never faded from beginning to end. They were ostensibly washing dishes together, but he barely moved a hand as he hugged Mu Nanqiao from behind like a little koala.

On the other hand, Mu Nanqiao restrained himself a lot in someone else’s home, and even asked in a whisper: “Baby, won’t it be bad if Uncle and Auntie see you?”

“You can actually be embarrassed…..” Lu Qi smiled evilly. He knew the structure of the house, and after making sure his parents couldn’t see them, he stood on tiptoe and kissed Mu Nanqiao on the cheek. “You really know how to be serious, ah, Boss Mu.”

Mu Nanqiao gave him a deep look, but held back and continued to wash the dishes.

Lu Qi thought, his parents were home, and his bedroom was so close to theirs. Mu Nanqiao must be too embarrassed to do anything. Thus, he smiled and reached out to poke Boss Mu’s pert buttocks several times.

Mu Nanqiao: ……

He secretly grinded his back teeth, already thinking about how to deal with Lu Qi when they went back.

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[1] Tea pets (茶宠) are ceramic figures kept on a tea tray for good luck. You pour tea over them, and over time, they change color and gain the scent of tea. ⮐

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Chapter Fifty-Three << Table of Contents >> Chapter Fifty-Five