Two minutes before the doorbell rang, Pei Xi was still in serious discussion with He Chuzhou about how dinner would go, including what the appropriate eating process should be like.

“So we’ll pretend to be a couple, just like when Wu Qing came over last time?”

This was Pei Xi’s question.

“Theoretically, but in practice, it might be a little different. Wu Qing has a low IQ and is easy to fool, but that’s not the case for my mom. It’s easy for her to spot tricks when there are too many flaws.”

This was He Chuzhou’s answer.

It sounded very troublesome. Pei Xi was bewildered: “Then what should I do?”

He Chuzhou: “Just be natural, don’t be too deliberate. If you really don’t know what to do, you can imagine me as a former love interest of yours.”

Pei Xi: “I can’t imagine it.”

He Chuzhou: “Huh?”

Pei Xi: “I have never been in love.”

The corners of He Chuzhou’s eyes moved a bit when he heard this.

While nodding to express his awareness, his lips curved slightly.

They were very close to each other, and Pei Xi could clearly see his change of expression: “…..Is it funny?”

“No, ah, it’s not funny.”

He Chuzhou did his best to keep the corners of his mouth flat, but couldn’t hide the lilt in his voice: “I just thought it was a coincidence. I’ve also never been in love.”

He Chuzhou thought for a moment: “Then just keep it the same as usual. There’s no need to deliberately put on a show.”

The same as usual?

Pei Xi recalled the relationship the two of them had when he was in his right mind, and hesitated: “Are you sure this will work?”

“I’m sure, ah.” He Chuzhou said clearly and logically: “But it can’t be exactly the same. Um…..it needs to be changed a little bit.”

Pei Xi: “Changed how?”

He Chuzhou: “Don’t be too polite to me.”

Pei Xi: “ ? ”

He Chuzhou raised his eyebrows: “Think about it, who would say ‘thank you’ and ‘you’re welcome’ to his boyfriend? Aren’t they all supposed to be told to do things and ordered around like slaves?”

“So according to this way of thinking, the more natural you are, the less suspicious my mom will be.”

Treating her son like a slave in front of his mother……was this something a normal person would do?

Pei Xi’s expression was complicated: “Are you serious?”

He Chuzhou: “Yep.”

Pei Xi: “But I think—”

He was unable to finish his sentence due to the ringing of the doorbell.

It was accompanied by a series of chaotic knocks, which could be easily attributed to He Aiyue.

“They’re here. I’ll get the door.”

He Chuzhou gave Pei Xi an encouraging pat on the shoulder: “Don’t worry, you won’t go wrong as long as you do what I said. I’m optimistic about you.”

Pei Xi: “…..”

It was only a dozen steps from the living room to the door.

Pei Xi hadn’t decided whether or not to follow along and greet them, but He Chuzhou had already opened the door.

“Ge, ge! Ge?? Who are you, where is my brother? Is my Pei-ge here? Pei-ge, are you here? Your sister is coming—”

He Aiyue rushed inside, and Mrs. Chu immediately grabbed her by the collar and thrust her behind her back.

She wore a black coat with a light-hued woolen shawl, along with an expensive, long-treasured brooch. Her hair was also meticulously done and she stepped steadily in her high heels, lending her an air of elegance and refinement.

Upon entering, she paid little attention to her son and instead looked around the living room, quicking locking onto the young man standing beside the sofa.

Pei Xi was wearing a suit he hadn’t had time to change out of, with a white shirt that wrapped snugly around his tall, slim figure, highlighting his cold and noble temperament to the fullest. Coupled with his uniquely outstanding appearance, he was reserved and quiet. Even standing there and doing nothing, he made Chu Yuelan fall in love with him at first sight.

“Xiao Pei, you’re off work too?”

She softened her voice, and the smile that bloomed on her face was one that He Chuzhou, her biological son, had rarely seen: “Coming here so suddenly, Auntie hasn’t disturbed you, has she?”

Pei Xi had frozen in place the moment she appeared. His mind went blank. Upon hearing her question, he could only give a mechanically “No,” not knowing what to say next.

Chu Yuelan had applied ten layers of filters on him, and her eyes were filled with stars. He Aiyue, who stuck half her head through the door behind her, went stupid and was without words.

He Chuzhou was the only one to immediately notice his unnaturalness. He covered his lips and coughed deliberately, gesturing toward Chu Yuelan where she couldn’t see.

This was a hint that if he didn’t know what to say, he could call her Auntie first and throw the conversation back to her.

Pei Xi’s gaze fell on He Chuzhou. Recalling with difficult what he had just said, and facing the other’s encouraging eyes—

“Why are you winking at me? Why haven’t you gotten water for Auntie and Meimei?”

“……”

“……”

“……Huh?”

“Cough cough, um, Mom.”

He Chuzhou quickly took two steps forward and whispered: “Xinxin may be a little nervous meeting you for the first time. I’ll take him back to the bedroom to change his clothes, you guys sit down for a moment. Whatever you want to drink, it’s in the fridge.”

Without waiting for Chu Yuelan’s reply, he strode over at once to put an arm around Pei Xi’s shoulders, ushering him away from the scene with all due haste.

He Aiyue eagerly followed behind them until they vanished at the top of the stairs. Then she gave a ‘wow’ and cozied up to her mom, saying: “Such love, they still have to go back to their room and whisper~ Mom, how do you feel?”

“I feel splendid.”

Chu Yuelan clasped her hands together. She smiled with unparalleled brilliance, eyes shining with joy: “The energy he uses to order your brother around is very similar to your mom’s in the past. I’m very satisfied.”

As one scene went on in the living room, there was another one in the bedroom.

He Chuzhou closed the door and turned around to see Pei Xi standing there, still unresponsive. He bent down to look directly into the other’s eyes, then reached out to gently hook his chin and make his eyes focus on him.

“Didn’t you perform very well last time? What happened today, Classmate Pei? Is my mom that scary?”

As Pei Xi stared at him, his clogged brain gradually cleared. The blankness on his face receded and was replaced by great regret and frustration: “My apologies. I…..”

He didn’t know what to say.

This was completely different from what he had expected.

Meeting Chu Yuelan as He Chuzhou’s boyfriend and meeting Wu Qing felt completely different.

Only when Chu Yuelan appeared in the villa did he realize there was a matter that had been neglected.

This so-called dinner was actually meeting the parents.

He was meeting the parents as He Chuzhou’s boyfriend.

Meeting the parents.

Meeting the parents.

Meeting the parents.

Once it appeared, this realization lingered in his mind.

Although he clearly knew this was all fake, he still couldn’t control his embarrassment, and his brain short-circuited.

“Oh. I understand,” He Chuzhou suddenly said.

Pei Xi’s heart inexplicably tensed: “What do you understand?”

He Chuzhou evaluated: “Isn’t this called elder phobia? The way it manifests is that whenever you encounter an elder, you fear having your soul dominated.”

Pei Xi: “……”

Pei Xi: “Yeah, you’re right.”

“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

He Chuzhou clicked his tongue, feeling quite sad: “If I had known you were afraid, I would have helped you escape…..”

“You can pretend to be sick and uncomfortable, or that you received a call and need to work overtime or something like that…..”

“No need,” Pei Xi cut in.

He Chuzhou: “It won’t be a short meal. Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I was just unprepared. I’m much better now.”

After Pei Xi finished speaking, he thought of another thing and cast He Chuzhou an uneasy look: “Just now…..did I say the wrong thing? Did I make a bad impression on your mother?”

The corners of his mouth were clamped straight, the emotions in his eyes driven by anxiety. He seemed to really regard this as an important matter.

He Chuzhou saw this and sucked in a breath.

When he met him for the first time, he wished he could stay thousands of miles away from this person who was fighting him to death over a shopping mall project. 

Now, he saw him standing in front of him, surprisingly well-behaved and full of trust as he asked him anxiously if he hadn’t performed well enough in front of his mother.

Unfamiliar emotions surged through his chest. His heart felt like a puddle of sugar water, and every time it beat, it squeezed out tenderness to every part of his body.

It was killing him.

How the hell could he be so cute?

Why did he like him so much?

Why did it all stab his heart from the inside out!

The need to hold him reached its peak at this moment.

So he did just that.

His long arms wrapped around Pei Xi’s waist, and with a little force from his palms, he pulled him into a hug that required extreme restraint to remain in the range of comfort.

“That isn’t so, you performed very well. My mom’s eyes practically glowed when she looked at you.”

“You don’t need to worry about Aiyue. She saw you long ago and had already started to praise you in front of me when we weren’t familiar with one another.”

“It’s normal to be nervous when meeting an elder. I was also nervous during the New Year when my mom ordered me to stand at the door and greet all of the elders in the living room. Even more nervous than you are now.”

“If you really don’t know what to do, just leave it all to me. You don’t have to say or do anything, just nod and shake your head and I’ll take care of the rest.”

*

*

There was heavy traffic in the peak hours after the workday, and restaurants were full. Considering the issue with parking, He and Pei Xi didn’t take a vehicle alone, but instead rode in Mrs. Chu’s car.

“Don’t worry.” He Aiyue turned around and said from the passenger seat: “The restaurant Mom reserved is really close. Even if you guys don’t take a taxi on the way back, it’s only a half hour walk.”

He Chuzhou gave a perfunctory hum. From somewhere in the back seat, he took out a dolphin figurine and waved it in front of Pei Xi.

Pei Xi reached out and took it. He Chuzhou pushed something when he let go, and the dolphin issued the sound of waves as its body made stretching and swimming movements.

Pei Xi spread out his palm and let it swim.

He Chuzhou tilted his head and looked at him with a smile: “It’s funny. There was originally a shark, but it was unfortunately lost by someone who didn’t know how to take care of it.”

He Aiyue: “……”

She wanted to seek her mother as an impartial third party and saw that from time to time, Chu Yuelan glanced at the rearview mirror at the two big boys in matching couples clothing and smiled so hard that the crow’s feet at the corners of her eyes couldn’t be hidden.

He Aiyue: “……”

OK.

FINE.

She clicked into her circle of friends and posted angrily: 

[The person who gave me something to coax me doesn’t hesitate to step on me! Some people! You’ve acted the same way all your life! (Please note: this post is only for a certain person and not for others.)]

A minute later, a certain person replied to the post: 

[/Ruthless.jpg]

Chuyue Landing, a high-end restaurant with purely Chinese decorations.

There were dedicated personnel to guide them from the entrance through the lobby and patio garden, then along an arching path to a private room in the back courtyard.

Each private room had a name corresponding to each of the restaurant’s house-developed dishes, most of them using words taken from poetry. Their meanings were unclear, yet graceful.

When the menu was brought, He Chuzhou ignored He Aiyue’s eagerly-extended hand and handed it straight to Pei Xi.

“Xiao Pei, order whatever you want. It doesn’t matter if you don’t understand the names. There are pictures.”

Pei Xi declined: “No need. Auntie, you just pick something.”

Chu Yuelan elegantly clasped her hands when offered the menu, her eyes curving in a smile: “We’re family. There’s no need to be polite to Auntie.”

Pei Xi: “……”

He looked at the hot potato in front of him and silently turned to He Chuzhou for help.

The latter understood tacitly and took the menu from him in a natural movement: “Mom, don’t embarrass Xinxin. It’s his first time here and he hasn’t tasted anything yet. Why make him order?”

Chu Yuelan came to a sudden realization: “Oh, right. Apologies, ah, Xiao Pei. Auntie is so happy today that she didn’t consider this.”

Pei Xi was relieved that the problem was solved, and shook his head to indicate that it didn’t matter.

Chu Yuelan turned to He Chuzhou: “Don’t just focus on your own tastes. Order more of what Xiao Pei likes to eat.”

He Aiyue craned her neck: “Right, right, right. Don’t just prioritize your own tastes, order some of my favorites too.”

He Chuzhou tapped the menu: “Come take a look for yourself.”

“Aiya, okay!” He Aiyue grinned, raised her butt, and moved next to her brother to pick out food.

Chu Yuelan stared at Pei Xi. The more she looked at him, the more satisfied she became. The more she looked at him, the more she liked him. “I heard Chuzhou call you Xinxin. Is that your nickname?”

Pei Xi nodded in affirmation.

Chu Yuelan’s eyes were so straightforwardly enthusiastic as she gazed at him that Pei Xi didn’t know where to look.

Chu Yuelan: “Then is it okay for Auntie to call you Xinxin?”

Pei Xi  unconsciously raised his eyes.. His heart moved slightly.

It was strange. When this name came from Chu Yuelan’s mouth, it felt completely different from when He Chuzhou did it.

He couldn’t tell specifically why, which immediately put him at somewhat of a loss.

“It’s okay,” he replied stiffly.

He immediately heard Chu Yuelan use the newly-approved title as she addressed him in a friendly lilting tone: “Xinxin.”

It was like a box that had been sealed for a long time had opened, the dust blown away from its corners.

He was helpless against the way his breathing slowed, and curled his fingertips to test whether he still had control of his body.

Chu Yuelan asked him many questions while helping him pick out food.

She asked him if he was a local. Wancheng was humid and cold after autumn. Was he accustomed to covering himself with down or cotton quilts at home? Would he be bothered by the cold?

She asked him if work had been busy lately. He looked so thin. Did he forget to eat on time when he was busy?

She asked him what he liked to eat, sweet or salty, heavy or light, whether he liked soup, or coriander, onion, ginger, and garlic.

It was very everyday. Very trivial.

But Pei Xi wasn’t annoyed at all, and answered each of Chu Yuelan’s questions very earnestly.

Even the initial nervousness disappeared without him noticing, and his mood grew extremely relaxed.

Different from the calm, cool expression on his face, his eyes shone with a faint light that even he was unaware of.

He Chuzhou, who had been paying close attention to his condition and was ready to rescue him at any time: ?

Did this mean he wasn’t needed at all?

Facts proved that it was impossible for him to be completely unneeded.

After all, apart from one elder, there was still someone younger than him right at his side.

Before the meal was over, He Aiyue, who had been ordered to eat more and talk less while eating, finally couldn’t hold it in any longer.

“Pei-ge, Pei-ge. It’s okay for me to call you Pei-ge, right? It feels too weird to call you Sister-in-law.”

“I heard from my cousin that you didn’t like my brother very much before. How did you get together after that, ah?”

“Is it because my brother has an unrequited love for you and shamelessly stalked you, and you were so annoyed that you couldn’t bear it, so you reluctantly agreed?”

“Can you tell me specifically what it’s like to be stalked? In return, I can write down your love story and give it to you!”

“Although for the sake of popularity, there may be some literary and artistic handling. A story needs to have ups and downs to be interesting.”

“Pei-ge, Pei-ge, what do you think about a car accident and amnesia? It’s dramatic and really popular!”

“……”

Pei Xi clenched his chopsticks and took a silent breath.

He Chuzhou wore a smile that wasn’t a smile: “You must want me to bring up the fact that you got 79 points on your midterm math test and didn’t dare go home, so you secretly went to Yun Ji’s house and got Auntie to sign off on it for you.”

Chu Yuelan: “ ? ? ? ”

He Aiyue: “ ? ? ? ? ? ? ”

He Aiyue: “Ahhhhhhhhhhh Boss He, how dare you ! ! ! ”

---

Chapter 43 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 45