Category: My Crush Picked Up My Diary (Page 1 of 5)

This was the first day of Mai Dong and Yan Xuming living together.

Mai Dong’s body was mechanically making the bed, but his thoughts had already crashed. Ten minutes earlier, Yan Xuming had come from the kitchen to the master bedroom and casually said, “Did you bring a four-piece bedding set? Use yours, I’m afraid you won’t get used to sleeping.”

Ten minutes ago, Mai Dong’s brain was still functioning and naturally responded, “Ah, where is yours? I’ll make it for you first.”

Yan Xuming fell into a strange silence for a few seconds before dropping a bomb, “You and I will both sleep here tonight.”

“Huh?”

Yes, Mai Dong hadn’t even considered the question of whether the two of them would sleep together; he was surprisingly innocent. Both of them were well-off, so when renting a place, comfort and aesthetics were the priorities. They rented a two-bedroom apartment with a living room, and the master and secondary bedrooms were almost identical. So, clearly having two bedrooms, wouldn’t it be a waste not to use them!

It wasn’t until Mai Dong finished making the bed that he snapped back to reality, working hard on some mental preparation. Both of them were adults, and they had been dating for nearly six months by now. Sharing a bed wasn’t unreasonable, right? Two little voices in Mai Dong’s head began to debate.

The black one said, “This is human nature. Don’t you want to sleep with him? If you didn’t, why would you have rented a place with him in the first place?”

The white one said, “I admit I want to sleep with him, but this sleeping together is not the same as that sleeping together. Covering up with a quilt and chatting is also sleeping together, isn’t it?”

The black one said, “Stop pretending to be innocent! Don’t you have any heart? If you have thoughts and desires, you should be brave enough to express them. If both of you are willing, why be so shy about it!”

The white one said, “I! I! I! What’s wrong with that! What’s wrong with that! But I’m just shy ah!”

Mai Dong lay on the bed, burying his face deeply into the blanket. He didn’t need to touch his face to feel the heat radiating from it. He admitted he wanted to sleep with Yan Xuming, in every sense of the word, but didn’t it need to be a gradual process? It needed to be, right!

When he came out of the bedroom, Yan Xuming had already tidied up the kitchen.

Neither of them knew how to cook. Yan Xuming had said last time that he could learn, but who knew how his progress was going? When preparing to move in, Mai Dong had been quite enthusiastic, shopping online for a bunch of kitchen utensils, pots, pans, and small appliances.

Yan Xuming tidied up everything meticulously, looking very much like the host. In contrast, Mai Dong, standing still, felt awkward, as if he were a guest who wasn’t very familiar with the host.

“Shall I help you…?” Mai Dong asked.

“Can you help me hang the clothes?” Yan Xuming, sitting on the sofa, was unwrapping a package. It contained various things Mai Dong had bought for baking small bread: molds, brushes, whisks, and other bits and pieces.

Mai Dong took the task and quickly escaped, feeling quite relieved to be able to shut himself alone in the bedroom again.

He had no other intentions; he was simply very shy.

Opening Yan Xuming’s suitcase, he realized that despite having been in a relationship for quite some time and knowing what clothes Yan Xuming had—he had seen most of them—the feeling was very different when taking them out neatly folded from the suitcase compared to seeing them on Yan Xuming. The latter had a very strong… sense of daily life.

Mai Dong held a gray shirt in his hands and secretly pressed his face against it. There was no so-called “Yan Xuming” scent, only a faint smell of laundry detergent, yet it gave Mai Dong a strange sense of peace. It felt like his heart had finally settled down from the excitement, nervousness, and apprehension that came with preparing to live together. He thought, ah, he really was living with Yan Xuming.

They had started moving early in the morning and didn’t finish unpacking until after five in the afternoon.

As two young masters, they had each bought a lot of useful and useless items online when they decided to live together. The two-bedroom, one-living room rental apartment had already taken on the appearance of a home.

Exhausted, they collapsed onto the sofa. Mai Dong’s morning anxiety had long been forgotten due to the day’s fatigue.

Yan Xuming suggested ordering takeout, saying that they were both very tired, so they shouldn’t cook or go out to eat. Mai Dong suddenly sprang up from the sofa, looking eager, “I’ll cook!” Although he was indeed very tired, he had been thinking about this all day and didn’t want to miss the opportunity.

Yan Xuming looked up at him, “Can you cook?”

Mai Dong pulled out his phone, “I’ve saved countless recipes these past few days. I’m really good now.”

Yan Xuming almost laughed, “Really? Then let’s order some ingredients instead of takeout, and we’ll see how Chef Mai’s learning has paid off.”

The nearest supermarket was just outside the community, so the delivery arrived in about ten minutes. Yan Xuming chose the ingredients quite subtly, picking only vegetables that could be cooked just by throwing them into the pot. However, Mai Dong, a complete kitchen novice, didn’t catch this subtle mockery at all. He rolled up his sleeves and headed into the kitchen.

Mai Dong had bought a digital scale, originally for baking bread. From his recent learning, he knew that baking bread, unlike cooking, couldn’t be done with vague measurements like “moderate amount” or “a little.” Baking required precision down to the gram, or it could easily fail. Now, Mai Dong used the digital scale to make the sauce… He measured the salt, sugar, and soy sauce to the gram, convinced that there was no way this could go wrong.

Yan Xuming had been kicked out of the kitchen for the third time. The first reason was, “I don’t need your help, I really can do this.” The second reason was, “Just wait a bit longer, it’ll be ready soon, really soon ah.” This time, the reason was, “No, no, I’m already very nervous. With you next to me, I get even more nervous. You need to go out.”

Chef Mai had been in the kitchen for an hour and a half, and Yan Xuming felt like he had lost several pounds from hunger.

The two finally ate dinner at 8:30 pm.

Mai Dong made three dishes. Besides the freshly stir-fried cauliflower, which was hot, the first two dishes had already gone cold. From the initial enthusiasm when he entered the kitchen to now looking like a nervous and dejected puppy, Mai Dong had tasted the dishes as they were done. He couldn’t understand why, despite following every step of the recipe and measuring everything precisely, the food turned out so mediocre. It wasn’t bad, just edible.

Mai Dong sat across from Yan Xuming, watching him calmly eat without changing expression. After hesitating for a while, Mai Dong finally said, “Shall we order takeout?”

Yan Xuming replied, “Haven’t you tasted it? I think it’s pretty good.”

Mai Dong felt quite defeated, “I have tasted it. It’s quite average, right?”

Yan Xuming smiled, “You have to progress slowly. Being able to cook to this level on your first try is already impressive.”

Mai Dong looked at him, “Really?”

Yan Xuming nodded, “Really. Next time, I’ll cook, and maybe it won’t be as good as yours.”

Mai Dong laughed out, “Then I’ll teach you.”

In reality, Mai Dong was someone who rarely fantasized about the future. While many people start imagining what living together will be like from the first day of a relationship, Mai Dong has never thought about it. He was very content with the present. This lack of anticipation directly resulted in insufficient experience. Not only did he lack practical experience, but he also didn’t have enough mental preparation.

His hair was dripping water because he hadn’t dried it properly. Lately, he had been thinking about furnishing the rented apartment and hadn’t had his hair cut for a while. His hair grew quickly, and a few days ago, Yan Xuming had even asked if he wanted to grow it out.

Mai Dong stood in front of the mirror, pulling at the ends of his hair, trying to imagine what he would look like with slightly longer hair. It was difficult to imagine. Suddenly, he realized that he was also someone who was unwilling to step out of his comfort zone. For example, he had been silently in love with Yan Xuming from high school to college. For example, in the six months of their relationship, he had never taken the initiative to suggest taking it further. For example, even though they were already living together, he was still considering whether tonight would just be about chatting under the quilt.

Mai Dong thought, perhaps his so-called comfort zone was just his imagination. Stepping outside might not mean leaving, because waiting outside was Yan Xuming, who would undoubtedly catch him unconditionally.

Tonight, it was Mai Dong who took the shower first. He made dinner, so naturally, it was Yan Xuming’s turn to clean up the kitchen.

With a towel dr4p3d over his shoulders and wet hair dripping, Mai Dong emerged from the bathroom, while his boyfriend was sitting on the sofa, removing strawberry stems.

“Why don’t you go take a shower?” Mai Dong called to him.

Yan Xuming turned around, pinching a strawberry and offering it to Mai Dong. The burst of icy sweetness in his mouth provided instant relief from the heat of the bathroom. After feeding Mai Dong the strawberry, Yan Xuming stretched his arm to grab the towel dr4p3d over Mai Dong’s shoulders, naturally helping him dry his hair. “Don’t come out without drying your hair. Don’t want you catching a cold.”

Mai Dong’s head was being rubbed. “It’s not like it’s winter.”

Yan Xuming whispered, “You can catch a cold in the summer too.”

Mai Dong stole a glance at him. Yan Xuming was taking the task of drying his hair very seriously.

Reflecting on the time before Yan Xuming found his diary, Mai Dong always felt that Yan Xuming was someone who lived a very different life from his own. This was of course Mai Dong had been following in Yan Xuming’s footsteps since high school. Despite their age difference and different academic paths, Mai Dong would secretly compare their exam scores every time the results were released, always falling short.

When Mai Dong entered Nanjing University, Yan Xuming had already become a well-known senior, as if everyone at Nanjing University knew his name. And Mai Dong? Just another anonymous freshman.

But how did things develop to this point? Now he was actually living together with Yan Xuming, who was earnestly drying his hair for him.

Mai Dong lifted his head, took the towel from Yan Xuming’s hand, and gave him a kiss flavored with strawberries.

Yan Xuming responded with a soft “Hmm?”

Mai Dong chuckled and pushed him gently. “Go take a shower. I’ll dry my hair myself. We’ll go to bed together when you come out.”

Yan Xuming looked at him, “Not shy anymore?”

Mai Dong hesitated. “I… I’m not.”

Yan Xuming laughed, “No?”

Mai Dong’s face turned slightly red again. “Anyway, not anymore. Go.”

Yan Xuming lowered his head, the kiss gentle and slow, leaving behind the words “Wait for me.”

Mai Dong sat on the sofa, watching the closed bathroom door. In his heart, he thought: Just as I suspected, there’s no such thing as the comfort zone I imagined. It’s okay to take a step outside; Yan Xuming will definitely catch me.

It’s really nice.

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Author’s Note:

Slowly updating an extra chapter here, wishing everyone a Happy New Year!

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Jie Jie: I decided to also add the Author’s note :> this was updated around the Chinese New Year.

Anyway, yaaay! Novel is finally completed! Though, I’ll see if the author would suddenly pop another Extra but for now, it’s done! :blobhearteyes:

Thank you for your patience and thanks for reading! If you want to support the author, here’s the official raw link.

February 9, 2024. Sunny

It’s currently half past two in the morning, and I initially didn’t feel like writing today’s diary entry because I have to get up early tomorrow to visit relatives for New Year greetings. I wanted to sleep early. However, after tossing and turning in bed for over ten minutes, I found myself unable to fall asleep, so I decided to get up and write in my diary.

But when I picked up the pen, I didn’t know what words to use to describe my current feelings.

Happiness, excitement, joy, beauty, colorful… like sparklers, like fireworks, like the countless overlapping “Happy New Year” greetings echoing on the streets in the early morning. I’m not someone who’s very ceremonial. Before this, I hardly celebrated any holidays. Back home, my family used to celebrate my birthday for me, and later, in college, I only received a few red envelopes for my birthday.

But now I’m starting to look forward to every holiday!

Christmas this year was very enjoyable, and so was New Year’s. Many memories now have clear time points as clues. It feels like I don’t even need a diary; I can suddenly recall many things all at once. This feeling is quite something.

Before, I always felt that life was a very flat thing, and all people in this world were very flat beings. I don’t know how to explain this sentence. It’s like the sun sets in the west and rises in the east every day; it’s like students have to arrive at school on time every day, bring homework home to complete, and then go to bed; adults go to work at the company every day, then return home to do housework and cook.

I never realized before that I was such a blatant pessimist until I wrote this paragraph just now. But things are different now. Life is a maze full of surprises and expectations. Sometimes, even when I find myself in a dead end, there’s still a chance to turn around and find a way out. At the end of the journey awaited someone unknown yet known to me.

I hardly mention his name in the diary, probably because I wanted to conceal my feelings in the past, and later, because I was afraid he might see this diary and feel embarrassed.

Today is different, today is the New Year.

It’s the brand new year of 2024 where Mai Dong and Yan Xuming start a new chapter!

February 9, 2024. Sunny

Confession Bureau: Tonight, I really had the idea of not letting you go home, but I didn’t go through with it in the end because seeing you waving the sparkler around made you look like a child. Don’t blush when you read this and don’t secretly curse at me in your heart. I usually act very gentlemanly in front of you, but you should know that it’s all an act.

Boyfriend, Happy New Year.

I bought those fireworks from several places during the day. The ban on fireworks has been in place for several years now, and it’s not easy to find good fireworks these days. Trying to gather all these varieties is not a simple task. I’m stating these facts plainly. I worked so hard, so I deserve some compensation. You still owe me a Gege. If it’s convenient next time, I’d like Mai Dong to make up for it.

Since it’s the Confessions Bureau, let’s be completely honest this New Year.

You’ve asked me a few times, unintentionally, when I started liking you. Honestly, I’ve thought about answering, but you always quickly change the subject. I know you’re curious to hear it, but you don’t seem to care much. You only care about the result, which makes you a bit too easy to coax.

I’ve never liked anyone else. I didn’t have any thoughts of early romance in high school, and I haven’t met the right person in college. So, I’m not really sure how to define liking someone. I looked through your diary for reference. You believe you started liking me on the day of the sports meet in our sophomore year. If we go by your definition of liking, then I probably started liking you on the day I found out you were also coming to Nanjing University.

My mom and I have talked about the topic of “destiny.” She thinks I’m too young and shouldn’t prematurely label a relationship as destiny. I said I never thought of us as destined. I admit I lied. When I found out you were coming to Nanjing University, I wondered if we were destined to meet. But the moment I saw your diary, I knew we weren’t destined; it was your hard work that made it happen.

Boyfriend, you’ve worked hard for many years. Let me take over from here.

Happy New Year. Perhaps this marks the first official year we’re together.

Let’s slow down and keep our expectations high. Let’s meet again every year from now on.

I love you.

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Author’s Note:

The end! It’s a very small and simple sweet story. Thank you all for accompanying me! Starting a new lily¹Yuri, GL,GxG. I haven’t checked that XD story for some fun, interested readers can poke the author’s head and bookmark it!

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Jie Jie: Finally done with the main text! :blobmelt:

I’ll post the extra chapter later this week, sorry for delaying it! :blobpeek:

Mai Dong’s phone was particularly lively this year.

After attending the class reunion, he took the high school classmates’ group chat out of the cold palace, and now every time a message was sent to the group, Mai Dong’s phone would buzz. As midnight approached, the red envelopes in the group rarely stopped. Mai Dong was actively snatching and sending them. By the end, he checked the accounts and found he was down over 200 yuan.

Mai Dong actually had little concept of money, but this time he became a bit stingy because the money in his WeChat wallet was transferred by Yan Xuming in the afternoon.

The dorm group chat was also bustling.

Wu Zimo, also a second-generation rich kid, probably received quite a bit of New Year’s money in advance. He spent it lavishly in the group, sending two red envelopes of two hundred yuan each. There were four people in the dorm group, and besides Mai Dong, the other two filled the screen with cries of “Dad.”

Mai Dong felt a bit awkward. Although it was perfectly normal for guys to call each other “Dad,” he wasn’t keen on making such jokes. He accepted Wu Zimo’s red envelope and sent a message.

Mai-zi: “I won’t call you that… Should I return the money?”

Wu Zimo: “If you really can’t, just call me Ge?”

Mai-zi: “><”

Mai-zi: “I’ll return it to you!”

Wu Zimo: “I’m just joking with you. There’s no reason to return a red envelope!”

Mai Dong: “I want to send one too, but I’m worried that you guys will call me the same thing.”

Du Chuan: “It’s up to you. You send it, and we’ll just accept it without saying a word. Don’t worry.”

Mai Dong sent a red envelope of two hundred yuan, and sure enough, no one said anything in the group.

Mai Dong: “Wait, why did it suddenly go quiet?”

Liu Hewei: “Didn’t we agree to accept it without saying anything?”

Du Chuan: “I’ve figured it out. No wonder Yan Ge set up a relationship trial period for you ah, Mai-zi. Teasing you is really fun.”

Mai Dong: “…”

Mai Dong rarely had such experiences of mingling with others. When guys played around, there were generally no limits. Even though he couldn’t fully participate yet, being part of it still made him very happy.

While chatting, the corners of his mouth couldn’t be pressed down, and Yan Xuming asked him why he was smiling.

Mai Dong briefly explained everyone’s chat content to Yan Xuming. Yan Xuming, gripping the steering wheel and waiting for the red light ahead, casually remarked, “Oh, a 200 yuan red envelope can get someone to call you Dad. Mai Dong, since you received such a big red envelope from me, how about calling me ‘Ge‘?”

Mai Dong’s eyes widened, clearly not expecting Yan Xuming to say such a thing. “No, I didn’t call them that ya…”

Yan Xuming, with a shameless yet calm demeanor, said, “En, I just want to hear it. 5,000 yuan isn’t enough? Then name your price.”

Mai Dong’s ears turned red at the tips, and he subconsciously gripped his phone tighter. He was willing to return Wu Zimo’s red envelope, but he was a bit reluctant to give back Yan Xuming’s transfer. After a moment of inner conflict, he softly murmured, almost like a mosquito’s buzz, “…Um um.”

Yan Xuming turned his head, “What?”

Mai Dong sat up straight and said, “I called you.”

Yan Xuming nodded, “Really? There are still mosquitoes in the car in winter.”

Mai Dong blushed. Since saying the two-syllable “Gege” was difficult, he opted for the one-syllable version: “Yan Ge.” This time, it was much easier to say, and he said it with a clear and righteous tone.

The red light turned green, and Yan Xuming, somewhat unsatisfied, responded, “Oh, I thought I had already become a leader at such a young age.”

Mai Dong cleared his throat, “Isn’t that what they call you in the student union?”

Yan Xuming asked, “Are you in the student union?”

Mai Dong replied, “No ah.”

Yan Xuming nodded, “Then why do you call me that?”

Mai Dong: “Ah?”

That “Gege” never came out all the way to their destination. Mai Dong, too shy, pretended to be mute the entire trip.

The two of them drove to the outskirts. Today, this place wasn’t too deserted, as quite a few people had come to set off fireworks. Yan Xuming had brought a trunk full of fireworks, ranging from a big box of fireworks to small, oddly shaped ones for children and sparklers. It took them five minutes just to unload everything from the car.

Mai Dong held a sparkler in his hand and asked, “Why did you buy this ah? I haven’t seen anyone choose this for years.”

Yan Xuming took out a windproof lighter he had prepared earlier and helped him light it up. “Don’t you like it?”

The tip of the sparkler instantly ignited, emitting dazzling sparks of bright yellow stars that scattered in all directions. Mai Dong’s eyes reflected the sparkling colors. He smiled happily, waving the sparkler in his hand, and exclaimed, “Like it ya. Actually, I used to love playing with sparklers when I was a child. It’s been a long time since I’ve played with one since I grew up.”

Yan Xuming softly asked him, “If you like it, why don’t you play with it anymore?”

Mai Dong replied, “I guess I’ve never thought about it. Subconsciously, I feel like some things are just left behind as we grow up.”

Yan Xuming handed him another sparkler, his voice gentle, “You don’t have to leave things behind, nor do you have to grow up, Mai Dong.”

As midnight approached, the outskirts unexpectedly became lively.

Several people who came to set off fireworks shouted out one after another, and Mai Dong was no exception. Nervously gripping his phone, he opened the most accurate time display and watched the numbers: 23:58:49. He felt a strange tingling sensation all over his body. His throat was stiff, but he still managed to shout towards Yan Xuming at the center of the square:

“There’s one minute left! I’ll record the last ten seconds of the countdown. Remember to light the fuse and run as soon as possible!”

Mai Dong held two phones in his hand. Yan Xuming’s phone was used to watch the countdown, while his own phone was already recording. He forced himself to take deep breaths, not knowing exactly what he was so nervous about. Looking through the phone screen at Yan Xuming squatting beside the fireworks in the frame, he suddenly felt as if time had slowed down.

When did this happen?

Just last year, he and Yan Xuming were practically complete strangers. Oh, right, last year.

What was Mai Dong doing at this time last year?

Last New Year’s Eve, Mai Dong’s family came out to set off fireworks with his eldest aunt’s family.

The one responsible for lighting the fireworks was his eldest brother. Smoking a cigarette, his eldest brother leisurely held a cigarette between his fingers during the countdown, waiting to use the cigarette butt to ignite the fireworks. His hands were freezing red, and he shivered uncontrollably.

Mai Dong was in charge of the countdown. There were two minutes left until midnight. He stared at the phone screen, unintentionally distracted, thinking about Yan Xuming.

At that time, Yan Xuming was in his sophomore year. During the final exams, Mai Dong found out about Yan Xuming’s exam schedule and knew that he finished exams three days later than himself.

So, Mai Dong quietly stayed in the dormitory for three days, wanting to go home with Yan Xuming. Of course, going home together at that time just meant both returning home on the same day, but he didn’t know which train Yan Xuming booked, so naturally, he didn’t have the chance to travel with him.

Mai Dong wondered if Yan Xuming’s family would come out to set off fireworks, or if they didn’t have this tradition at home. Perhaps Yan Xuming was already asleep by now.

He regretted it a bit. He and Yan Xuming had been schoolmates for three years, in their sophomore and freshman years of high school, plus the first year of university. How many chances did he have to add Yan Xuming on WeChat? If he had Yan Xuming’s WeChat, he could at least say “Happy New Year” to him now.

“Mai-zi, are you watching the countdown? I’ve finished my cigarette, why hasn’t it started yet?” His eldest brother suddenly called him.

Mai Dong snapped back to reality, hastily checking the countdown. He was so startled that he stuttered, “Ah, ah, elder brother! Elder brother, 4! 3! 2! 1!”

23:59:29.

Mai Dong made a concerted effort to push aside his nervousness, his lips curved into a very cute smile. He felt that life had already given him many sweet moments, and this year, he was actually setting off fireworks with Yan Xuming. He called out again:

“There’s less than half a minute left! Get ready to run!”

The recording had started, catching Yan Xuming turning his head and replying, “Okay.” Mai Dong smiled as he stared at Yan Xuming on the screen, only using his peripheral vision to watch the countdown. His heart throbbed wildly at this moment, the beats mingling with the blinking digits of the seconds, creating chaos. Mai Dong took a deep breath.

“Yan Xuming!”

“10!”

“9!”

“I’m a bit nervous. Y-You must remember to run, okay? Be very careful!”

“5!”

“Ah, ah, ah, ah 3!”

“2!”

“1!”

“Happy New Year, Yan Xuming!”

Colorful fireworks burst in the sky, but Mai Dong’s camera didn’t rise with the ascending fireworks. He was too focused on his own desires. He had seen fireworks countless times, but encountering Yan Xuming, who approached him, was a rare sight. Yan Xuming moved closer to the camera, followed by a resigned chuckle captured by the microphone. He reached out and personally adjusted the camera’s position, saying, “You’re filming in the wrong place.”

Only then did Mai Dong obediently aim the camera at the fireworks in the sky, capturing their colorful explosions against the deep black canvas of the night sky.

“Happy New Year.” Mai Dong added this in a whisper.

As soon as the words fell, a hand from behind turned Mai Dong’s head, and before he knew it, he was being kissed. His hands were unsteady, and the camera he was recording with had already tilted in some direction.

“Happy New Year, boyfriend.” Someone responded in his ear.

On New Year’s Eve, Mai Dong was busy as usual. According to tradition, the family gathered at Xianghe Garden for the New Year’s Eve dinner.

All the aunts and uncles were present, with some relatives coming from other provinces or even abroad. This year, there was an “interesting twist” – there was no holiday on New Year’s Eve. The family group chat was lively in the afternoon. Mai Dong’s cousin was lamenting in the group chat. She had planned to take a day off, but her colleagues were more forward-thinking. With only four people left in the project team on New Year’s Eve, her request for leave was denied by the team leader.

Suisui Jie: “I can’t believe this! Who works on New Year’s Eve? Why do they get to have the day off while I’m stuck working!”

Suisui Jie: “Hahaha, don’t mind me, I love working the most! Working is great! I’m the company’s dog!”

Eldest Aunt: “Hahaha, there’s nothing wrong with young people working more.”

Suisui Jie: “Eldest Aunt, don’t you feel sorry for me at all?”

Eldest Brother: “Stop talking about it. I’m working today too. No one is allowed to take leave. Bitter tears.”

Mai Dong: “[Comforting]”

Suisui Jie: “Still, Mai-zi is the best. Going to school is really good, let me go back to university!”

Grandpa: “Everyone’s working, but our Mai-zi is the best in our family. He’s willing to stay with this old man for Chinese New Year.”

Big brother: “Are you trying to force me to give out red envelopes with that remark!”

Mai Dong grabbed his phone and snatched several rounds of red envelopes. His older brothers and sisters all have good jobs, and each red envelope they sent out was the maximum amount of two hundred yuan. Mai Dong seemed to have exceptionally good luck this year. He became the lucky winner several times with the red envelopes, ending up with four or five hundred yuan after multiple rounds.

He smiled with curved eyes and secretly transferred the money he grabbed to Yan Xuming, making it an even amount, totaling 520¹五二零 wǔ èr líng, which sounds very close to the words 我爱你 wǒ ài nǐ. (I love you) yuan.

Yan Xuming declined the transfer and sent a question mark.

Perfect Boyfriend: “?”

Perfect Boyfriend: “Playing the sugar daddy game?”

Mai-zi: “…These are the red envelopes I grabbed today! Sharing them with you!”

A few seconds later, Yan Xuming transferred 5,200 yuan, which made Mai Dong want to laugh.

He declined as well and sent a message to Yan Xuming.

Mai-zi: “You’re so childish.”

Perfect Boyfriend: “Got it, the young master looks down on my little money.”

Mai-zi: “Then you accept my transfer first!”

Perfect boyfriend: “What if you don’t accept it after I do?”

Mai-zi: “Whoever doesn’t accept is the puppy, okay?”

Perfect Boyfriend: “Fine, you first.”

Mai Dong clicked to accept the transfer, and 5,200 yuan was entered into his WeChat balance. The next second, a message from Yan Xuming popped up.

Perfect Boyfriend: “Woof.”

Xianghe Garden was the most expensive restaurant in town, always bustling during festivals, and private rooms needed to be booked well in advance. Around five o’clock, Mai Dong’s family drove to Xianghe Garden. Old Mai was an old friend of the restaurant’s owner, so Mai Dong went with him to greet his uncle first.

The owner’s last name was Zeng, and he had a wild and uninhibited hairstyle, being bald. He wore a string of expensive-looking bracelets on his wrist and a black faux fur coat in the middle of winter, making him look like a real underworld boss. Every time Mai Dong saw him, he felt nervous and dared not say much, only managing a dry “Hello, Uncle Zeng.”

When Mai Dong was younger, Uncle Zeng didn’t pay much attention to his emotional issues. But this year, Mai Dong was probably old enough to start dating, so Uncle Zeng specifically asked if he had a significant other. Mai Dong was stumped by this question and looked to Old Mai for help.

Old Mai snorted and joined in, “Let the young folks figure out their own affairs. What are we living for in this lifetime, you say? It’s all about making the kids happy and healthy growing up. I don’t have too many ideas about it. As long as he’s happy, that’s all that matters.”

Being astute individuals in society, once the conversation reached this point, regardless of what hidden meanings might be behind it, Uncle Zeng knew to drop the topic. He warmly dr4p3d his arm around Old Mai’s shoulder and led him inside. Mai Dong followed behind, feeling warm inside.

This year, Grandpa suggested that Mai Dong be in charge of ordering from the menu, claiming it was to help Mai Dong develop. He said, “Xiao Mai, ordering dishes is also a skill, you know? You have to know what each person at the table likes or dislikes. And in the future, when you go out to order, you have to know what dishes are needed for different occasions, and what dishes must not be ordered. You have to have a good understanding of all this.”

Mai Dong listened nervously. Just as he was about to refuse this task, Grandpa whispered to him, “That’s for them to hear. Don’t listen to that nonsense. You order what you want to eat, regardless of whether they like it or not. Just go.”

Mai Dong inexplicably accepted this good task. He remembered last year when his aunt ordered a dish of spicy pig intestines, which Mai Dong couldn’t eat, and Grandpa scolded him for it. He wasn’t sure if Grandpa letting him order was because of that incident. Could Grandpa really have remembered it for a whole year over such a small matter?

Their family relationships were all good, and the atmosphere at the dinner table was harmonious. With several adults working in different fields and having high levels of education, they discussed recent developments or challenges in their respective fields, offering comments and insights to each other. Before they knew it, time had flown by.

When Mai Dong was younger, he didn’t like eating the New Year’s Eve dinner. Back then, he was too young to understand the adults’ conversations and wasn’t interested in listening. He would fill his stomach early but couldn’t easily leave the table due to politeness. This year, whether it was because he was a few years older or because of a change in mindset, he found himself sitting quietly and listening attentively throughout the meal.

His phone screen lit up several times, revealing messages from Yan Xuming asking if they should set off fireworks together tonight. Mai Dong didn’t reply, feeling conflicted.

Of course, he really wanted to set off fireworks with Yan Xuming, but in previous years, it had always been his family driving to a more secluded location to set them off. Would it be impolite to suggest a solo outing with Yan Xuming this year? But he also didn’t want to refuse Yan Xuming in any way, so caught up in his thoughts that he didn’t even hear his uncle calling his name twice.

It wasn’t until Madam Du patted Mai Dong on the shoulder that he snapped out of it.

His uncle sat on the other side of the table. “What’s wrong? Our Mai-zi has something on his mind.”

Mai Dong shyly shook his head. “Nothing, I just zoned out for a moment.”

His uncle asked, “How’s school lately? You’re in your second year, right?”

Mai Dong nodded. “Yes, just finished the first semester of my sophomore year. Everything’s going well at school.”

His uncle asked a few more routine questions, and after they finished chatting, Madam Dy leaned over and quietly asked Mai Dong, “Is something wrong?”

Mai Dong didn’t know how to respond, hesitating for a moment before saying, “No…”

Madam Du glanced at him. “Do you want to spend tonight with Xiao Yan?”

Mai Dong’s eyes widened in surprise, feeling a bit embarrassed. “…Um, is that okay?”

Madam Du smiled, “Why ask me about your own affairs?”

Mai Dong immediately smiled and affectionately linked arms with Madam Du, “Thanks, Mom!”

Madam Du patted him, “How old are you, ah?.” Then she asked, “Are you coming home tonight?”

Mai Dong hesitated for a moment, his ears turning red uncontrollably. He stuttered, “Of-Of course, we’re just, uh, setting off fireworks together, nothing else!”

Madam Du nodded calmly, “I was just asking, I didn’t say anything else.”

Mai Dong hurriedly shut up, not daring to say anything else.

After a moment, Madam Du added, “It’s fine if you’re not coming home. You’re all grown up now, your dad and I aren’t worried about you.”

Mai Dong simply wanted to crawl under the table in embarrassment. “I’m coming home!!!”

The dinner ended after nine o’clock, and everyone went home to welcome the New Year.

As society advances, the New Year’s atmosphere becomes less intense. Mai Dong’s family doesn’t live in a big city. Although there are regulations regarding fireworks and firecrackers, as long as they are set off away from the downtown area, there’s hardly anyone to enforce them.

Moreover, in the countryside or outskirts, fireworks are allowed. So, if they had time and mood, the family would drive to the outskirts to set off fireworks and welcome the New Year.

Mai Dong still remembered when he was young, around six or seven in the evening on New Year’s Eve, as soon as the dumplings were cooked, the sound of firecrackers filled the air. Firecrackers and fireworks would continue from six or seven in the evening until one in the morning, with children running around with sparklers in every street and alley.

But now, the streets after nine o’clock seemed somewhat deserted.

Yan Xuming arrived after ten o’clock. Mai Dong’s house was in a villa area, and outside vehicles were not allowed in. After giving his boyfriend a call, Yan Xuming waited outside the community. Ten minutes later, two red packets were stuck to the car window.

Yan Xuming smiled as he opened the car door, and those two red packets were handed to him. Mai Dong couldn’t contain his excitement, “Happy New Year, Yan Xuming!”

Yan Xuming looked at the two red packets. “What’s this?”

Mai Dong quickly got into the passenger seat. The car’s heater warmed him up, dispelling the chill from his body. He fastened his seatbelt before answering, “I also have some. This is for you, a New Year’s money!”

Yan Xuming didn’t take it. Instead, he took out another red packet from beside him. “What a coincidence, my parents gave you a red envelope.”

Mai Dong’s eyes widened in surprise. “Ai? Do they know you’re out with me ah?”

Yan Xuming sighed slightly. “Not coming home on New Year’s Eve and staying out all night, isn’t it obvious?”

Mai Dong fell silent for a moment, probably recalling Madam Du’s question about whether he would come home. He cleared his throat awkwardly and shifted his gaze left and right, “Staying out all night…”

Yan Xuming didn’t know if he was teasing him intentionally and explained, “It means staying out past midnight to set off fireworks.”

Mai Dong breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh, oh!”

The destination was an hour’s drive away. Mai Dong sat and opened the red packets, surprised to find some with odd amounts and some with round amounts, totaling 11111 yuan.

Mai Dong asked, “Is there any significance to this?”

Yan Xuming replied, “One in a million.”

Mai Dong’s heart skipped a beat. He remembered the last time Yan Xuming met Old Mai, saying that his family hadn’t fully accepted yet. It had only been a few days, yet he received such a significant red packet. It was evident that Yan Xuming had put in a lot of effort.

Although both families were not lacking in money and this amount wasn’t much and can be easily given away, it was the thought that counted the most.

Mai Dong carefully kept the red packets and held the two red packets he gave Yan Xuming, saying cautiously, “You actually got a bit shortchanged oh. The total here is ten thousand yuan. Let me tell you a secret: Originally, both my parents were going to give you one, but my dad heard that I was going out with you tonight and was upset, so my mom gave double and even specially wrapped two packets, pretending they were from my dad.”

Yan Xuming chuckled, “Thanks to my future in-laws.”

Mai Dong lightly tapped him, “Stop joking around!”

---

Jie Jie: Sorry for the late updates for this week! Missed the whole week sched :blobsweats:

Actually, for the past 2-3 (?) weeks, we’ve been having power outages every night till the wee hours of the night! So, I had so many days where I only had an hour of sleep because I still had work. I did mention before that my laptop broke-to add, it’s specifically the screen- and that I’m only translating on my phone. So, without electricity, I couldn’t connect it to my monitor and couldn’t open it :blobcry:

Anyway, thanks for reading my short rant :blobmelt: hopefully, no more power outages again or I’m gonna die. It’s so hot!! :googlefire:

After three rounds of drinks, the afternoon KTV plan was also canceled.

As they parted ways, the class monitor affectionately put his arm around Mai Dong’s shoulder, speaking drunkenly and nonsensically, “Mai Dong ah, I really have to thank you. I’m actually quite vain. Back when we were in school, I really couldn’t stand you, you know? I couldn’t compete with you academically, so I couldn’t become the class monitor. But the things I desired so much, you just tossed them aside so casually, it felt like I was picking up something you didn’t want. I was immature back then, I thought you were just showing off ah. But it’s different now, Mai Dong. I’ve matured. I know it’s because I couldn’t measure up to you. Only when you give me something do I have the chance to grasp it properly.”

Mai Dong licked his lips and responded haltingly, “Don’t say that. You’ve done well, taking care of everyone and even organizing class reunions after graduation. That’s something I couldn’t do.”

The class monitor shook his head. “To be honest, I don’t know about others, but do you know why I hardly spoke to you during high school?”

Mai Dong let out an “en” and asked, “Why?”

The class monitor chuckled, “Jealousy, of course! Remember back in freshman year? We all thought you were dirt poor. Wasn’t it during that time that everyone suddenly became friendly? Because you always seemed aloof, excelled academically, and didn’t talk much. We envied how you were better than us in every way. Knowing you were poor made us feel better about ourselves. But then, when the misunderstanding cleared up, it felt even more unfair. Why should you still be so well-off ah?”

Mai Dong choked, unsure of what to say.

The class monitor patted his shoulder. “I’ve had a bit too much to drink, my mind’s a bit foggy. But everything I’ve said is from the heart. Being able to talk to you like this shows that we’ve grown up, right? We can talk about those trivial matters from the past because we now realize how childish they were. You’re a good guy, Mai-zi. Let’s keep in touch more often, okay?”

Mai Dong nodded vigorously. “En, let’s keep in touch more often.”

As the group dispersed, Mai Dong stood still for a moment. After bidding farewell to his classmates, he suddenly remembered Yan Xuming. Turning around, he saw Yan Xuming standing quietly behind him. Mai Dong’s heart was filled to the brim, unable to articulate why he was so happy at this moment. He quickened his pace, not caring whether any lingering classmates could see, and dashed into Yan Xuming’s embrace.

Yan Xuming’s voice was hoarse from drinking. “Hmm?”

Mai Dong didn’t speak, only hugging him for a while before remembering, “Oh no, you can’t drive. Forgot about that. I should have stopped you from drinking.”

Yan Xuming chuckled indifferently. “What do you think I’m here for, boyfriend?”

Mai Dong took a moment to react, “Ah, to stop me from drinking ya.”

Yan Xuming responded, “Class reunions are inevitable, I’m afraid you won’t refuse.”

Mai Dong, this person, from childhood to adulthood, had very limited entertainment. Most of his time was spent studying. Though he didn’t particularly enjoy studying, he believed that studying was what students should do. He didn’t have any friends, and of course, he wouldn’t go to the mall, watch movies, or play video games alone. During junior high, almost every boy had a comic book or martial arts novel in hand, but Mai Dong had no interest in them.

So, at a very young age, many people had encountered relatively perfect fictional characters in novels and had repeatedly been disappointed by real human beings. However, Mai Dong didn’t have such an experience. He first glimpsed the reality of human beings in kindergarten, but it wasn’t until university that he encountered Yan Xuming.

What kind of person was Yan Xuming, exactly?

Every word Mai Dong had used to praise Yan Xuming, such as mature, stable, considerate, and so on, felt increasingly inadequate each time it was used.

Yan Xuming didn’t look like he was drunk.

His complexion was slightly redder than usual, just a tiny bit. He stood firmly, walked in a straight line, and conversed with the same clarity as usual.

Mai Dong called for a chauffeur. As they sat in the car waiting for the driver to arrive, Mai Dong unexpectedly felt the difference in Yan Xuming. With his eyes closed, he leaned against the back seat, his right hand intertwined with Mai Dong’s fingers, their thighs pressed tightly together.

Mai Dong felt a surge of warmth in his heart. He discreetly tried to move his left leg a bit to the right, but Yan Xuming quickly moved closer. Glancing at the person resting with closed eyes, whose eyes still hadn’t opened, Mai Dong sat up straight, twisting his left wrist, wanting to end the hand-holding gesture.

Yan Xuming asked hoarsely, “What’s wrong?”

Mai Dong cleared his throat. “Oh, nothing ah. I just wanted to check my phone. Why hasn’t the chauffeur arrived yet?”

Yan Xuming said, “Can’t you use your other hand?”

Mai Dong replied, “Well, it’s inconvenient to hold it with just one hand.”

Yan Xuming: “Then don’t look, wait.”

Mai Dong suppressed a smile and asked, “Yan Xuming, are you a bit drunk?”

Yan Xuming opened his eyes, those eyes like hooks, instantly catching Mai Dong’s attention. “Why would you say that.”

Mai Dong lifted their tightly clasped hands. “You’re being quite clingy.”

Yan Xuming closed his eyes again. “If I’m not drunk, can’t I be clingy to you?”

Mai Dong thought for a moment. “Of course not. It’s just that you don’t usually show it. Are you always holding back?”

Yan Xuming admitted, somewhat unexpectedly straightforward, “En.”

Mai Dong was curious: “Why?”

Yan Xuming remained silent for a moment. “There’s no reason.”

Mai Dong didn’t quite understand. “Then why?”

The person with closed eyes suddenly took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled, as if forcefully suppressing some impulse. He let out a low “Hmm.” Mai Dong was a genius at being clueless in this aspect. He wanted to take advantage of Yan Xuming’s alcohol-induced state to pry further, but before he could speak, his wrist was seized.

Yan Xuming asked him, “How long until the chauffeur arrives?”

Mai Dong unlocked his phone, “About ten minutes.”

Then came the kiss, reeking of strong alcohol. Mai Dong was caught off guard by the kiss, pressed against the right side of the car door, his head against the window. Yan Xuming was not being gentlemanly. With his left hand, he firmly held Mai Dong’s jaw, forcing him to endure the kiss in the most convenient position. Mai Dong was startled and instinctively tried to pull away.

He struggled up and let out a small cry of pain.

Yan Xuming’s actions seemed to flip a switch, suddenly becoming much gentler. He caressed Mai Dong’s lips with his tongue as if soothing, his hand that had been holding Mai Dong’s jaw moved to the back, his palm stroking the nape of Mai Dong’s neck. It was as if he had transformed from a wild animal on the brink of losing control into a domesticated, gentle-natured large dog.

As the kiss ended, Yan Xuming sat upright, returning to his previously serene posture with closed eyes, leaving behind a question, “Do you understand now?”

Mai Dong’s face was so hot it could fry an egg. Afraid of answering too late, he stammered, “Y-yes, I understand.”

The car fell into an uncomfortable silence, Mai Dong alone digesting the somewhat unfamiliar behavior of Yan Xuming.

Once again, he began to ponder the question that currently had no answer: What kind of person was Yan Xuming, exactly?

Before he could come up with an answer, Yan Xuming spoke up. “I’m sorry.”

Mai Dong quickly interjected, “No, don’t apologize. Why are you apologizing?”

Yan Xuming smiled, “Did I scare you?”

Mai Dong hesitated. “Not really. It was just sudden, so it caught me off guard. But it’s not because of… anything else.” He was somewhat surprised, yet not entirely surprised. On the night they first confessed their feelings to each other, Yan Xuming had kissed him once in the restroom of a Western restaurant, which was far from gentle. However, many subsequent encounters had been polite and restrained, almost causing Mai Dong to forget about their first kiss.

In truth, Mai Dong quite liked it, but he was too embarrassed to say so. How does one express such feelings?

Blushing discreetly, he quickly changed the subject. “Um… Why don’t you come home with me? I want to give you the diary.”

Yan Xuming agreed. “Sure.”

It was a little after three in the afternoon when they arrived home. Normally, at this time, there would be no one at home except for the housekeeper.

Mai Dong hurried back to his room, grabbed the notebook, and dashed downstairs. Halfway down, he suddenly saw Madam Du coming out of the kitchen, startling him so much that he nearly jumped on the stairs. Madam Du raised an eyebrow. “What are you up to? You look guilty as if you’ve got something to hide ah.”

Mai Dong’s gaze wandered nervously. “Ah, nothing, ah? Why would I be guilty? I’m not guilty.”

Madam Du almost burst out laughing. Her son was just too cute sometimes. She teased Mai Dong, “Where were you rushing off to just now? I swapped shifts this afternoon to have a break and cook with the housekeeper. Why don’t you come and taste?”

Mai Dong hid the notebook behind his back. “Um… I’m not hungry? I had a classmate gathering today, just had lunch.”

Madam Du stared at him. “Oh, it’s okay. Just have a taste. It’s my first time cooking. Can’t you give me a little face?”

Mai Dong started to feel anxious. “Um, I… I need to step out for a moment. I think I left something outside.”

Madam Du burst into laughter this time. “Left Xiao Yan outside? Invite him in for a while, have some manners! You’re at the doorstep and not letting him in.”

Mai Dong quickly refused on behalf of his boyfriend without a second thought. “It’s not convenient today, forget it. He’s had a bit to drink.”

Madam Du didn’t inquire further, nodding understandingly. “Okay, then. You go ahead. Make sure he gets home safely.”

The afternoon sky began to cloud over as the chauffeur quietly waited for the next leg of the journey to begin.

Mai Dong knocked on the car window. The window rolled down, and he slipped the diary through the crack. Yan Xuming didn’t say anything, but Mai Dong felt his gaze was unusual. He struggled to find an appropriate analogy; it was like… like a hunting dog waiting for its master to take hold of the leash around its neck.

Almost involuntarily, Mai Dong reached out and ruffled Yan Xuming’s hair, then motioned for him to lower the window a bit more. Then, leaning in, Mai Dong gave his intoxicated boyfriend a kiss on the cheek, his face flushed as he said, “Go home, okay? Thank you for being with me today.”

February 3, 2024. Sunny

Today, during a meeting with the head teacher, I found out about a classmate gathering tomorrow. Summoning up courage, I replied in the group, signing up for the gathering. Many classmates expressed surprise that I would attend. The class monitor asked if I was in a relationship and suggested bringing a girlfriend, mentioning that many others were bringing their partners.

This always felt peculiar. I always thought graduation was a line, crossing it meant life would be like crossing a watershed, bidding farewell to past experiences and people. But in reality, I wasn’t close to most of them before, so why now do we talk about relationships as if we were old friends who hadn’t seen each other in years? I don’t understand the dynamics of making friends, and this unknown makes me feel lost and afraid.

I paused for a long time, unsure how to continue.

I find myself constantly rediscovering him, as if he always has qualities I hadn’t noticed before, like an electronic product that’s constantly updating. Each time he appears, it’s in the most perfect state, and just when you think he’s already perfect, he updates with even more virtues.

No one understands how I felt when he spoke those two sentences in front of the head teacher today. It’s like I repeatedly confirm that there’s someone behind me who will always take care of me, as if in a trust fall challenge I once saw online, closing my eyes and falling backward, fully trusting he’ll catch me.

T T Gosh, how did I end up meeting someone like him? Am I the protagonist of this game on Earth, so I’ve been so lucky all along, and he’s the hidden, limited edition character I’ve unlocked, incredibly precious and rare!

Attending the class reunion, Mai Dong was nervous.

Because he used to be indifferent to everyone, but now that time has passed, we haven’t seen each other in almost two years, and it’s time for the whole classmates to be deeply affectionate routine, Mai Dong feels very uncomfortable. He changed several outfits in front of the mirror in the morning. Auntie had to remind him to eat breakfast twice, and he still couldn’t decide what to wear.

The class reunion was obviously at noon, but Mai Dong spent the whole morning fussing at home.

Right before leaving, he video-called his boyfriend who was waiting outside the community, asking him how he looked.

Yan Xuming was a bit helpless, “Young master, are you going on a blind date?”

Mai Dong awkwardly put away the other clothes, quickly ran out of the house, and got into Yan Xuming’s car.

On the way, Mai Dong’s mind didn’t stop, his mouth kept babbling: “Will they not talk to me? After all, we never really talked before, so I’ll just eat my food quietly, and when I’m full, I’ll find an excuse to leave. I heard we’re going to KTV after dinner, I… kind of don’t want to go, but not really don’t want to go, it’s just that if I don’t know anyone, singing feels more awkward than eating.”

Yan Xuming listened quietly.

Mai Dong continued, “Would it be bad if I don’t go? They might think I don’t want to hang out with them. But I heard many people are bringing their boyfriends or girlfriends to introduce them to everyone, there should be a lot of people I don’t know, so it won’t be awkward, right?”

Still, no one responded in the car, and Mai Dong finally realized, whispering, “Am I talking too much?”

Yan Xuming waited until a red light, then pulled out his phone and opened the voice recorder in front of Mai Dong. Mai Dong looked at the recording device that had already started recording, feeling a bit confused, “…What’s going on?”

Yan Xuming said, “When we get to KTV, I’ll put your speech out on the microphone, so they’ll know you’re not being aloof, just nervous.”

Mai Dong reached out and turned off the recorder, took a few deep breaths, reassuring himself, “It’s okay, even though I’m not good at making friends, with you by my side, I’m not that scared.”

The class reunion was scheduled at a restaurant where the average cost per person was 100 yuan. It was a bit far from Mai Dong’s home, and Mai Dong took too long to get ready, causing them to be slightly late.

When they entered the private room, it was almost full of people. Mai Dong stood at the door for several seconds, trying to rehearse an opening line, but ended up not saying anything.

The class monitor was the first to stand up, looking warmly, “Ah, Mai Dong is here! We were just talking about you. No one expected you to come, and we were even wondering if you’d regret coming…” He paused when he saw the man with a polite smile standing behind Mai Dong. After a moment of confusion, he said, “Senior, Senior Yan, is that you? What a coincidence, are you here for dinner too?”

Mai Dong didn’t say a word and was about to quietly take a seat, but Yan Xuming didn’t respond.

There was a moment of silence in the air, and Mai Dong looked over, meeting Yan Xuming’s gaze. His eyes were fixed on Mai Dong, overflowing with encouragement. Mai Dong instantly straightened up and spoke up, “Sorry, I live a bit far away, so I’m late. Yan Xuming came with me. I hope you don’t mind?”

The class president was more than honored, who wouldn’t want to know Yan Xuming ah?

He smiled from ear to ear and hurriedly found seats for Yan Xuming and Maidong together.

Only after Mai Dong introduced Yan Xuming did he say, “Sorry for the disturbance.”

“No disturbance at all, we all know Senior, we’re from the same school, it’s only natural to have a meal together,” someone responded, getting up to pour tea for both of them.

The conversation at the table had probably gone through one round already, and now with newcomers, naturally, the topic shifted towards Mai Dong.

“Xueba, we all thought you wouldn’t come. We’re so glad you did, we thought you didn’t consider us classmates as friends at all.”

To be honest, Mai Dong couldn’t remember the name of the guy speaking. He was sure he knew him from before, being classmates and all, but after graduation, Mai Dong had automatically cleared out those irrelevant memories from before. It had been a year and a half, and he couldn’t recall it all at once.

Mai Dong cleared his throat, “I didn’t see the message in the group earlier, otherwise, I would have signed up sooner. Actually, I’m just not very good at socializing, so…”

A girl laughed and chimed in, “It’s okay, it’s okay, we understand. Social anxiety! Back in high school, we didn’t even have that term. We just thought you were aloof and didn’t like to talk. Then when the term ‘social anxiety’ became popular, it fit you perfectly!”

Mai Dong felt a bit embarrassed.

“Mai Dong, you’re at Nanjing University, right? Oh, it seems like Senior Yan is also at Nanjing University. That’s great, you have someone to look out for each other. Unlike me, flying straight from the south to the north, you have no idea how the first winter froze me ah. I was like a fool, really! I didn’t even have a down jacket before. In the dead of winter, I’d at most wear a pair of long johns. But during my first winter in college, I got so cold that I got a fever overnight and had to rush out to buy cotton pants and a down jacket.”

Laughter filled the table, and Mai Dong laughed along.

The meal lasted much longer than expected, with neither the head teacher nor the class teacher coming over. Everyone was having a great time. Initially, they were quite reserved, sticking to soft drinks, but as the conversation heated up, beer was called for, and a few of the guys and girls who could handle it got a bit tipsy. Mai Dong didn’t dare to drink more beer and obediently held onto his tea cup, drinking one cup after another.

One guy, accompanied by his girlfriend, was told not to drink more after two bottles.

Everyone teased him for being henpecked, and he sheepishly poured himself a glass of water, then cleared his throat and shouted, “No, are you envious that I have a partner?”

Mai Dong secretly glanced at Yan Xuming, who had his arms crossed and leaned back in his chair, looking a bit bored. Mai Dong leaned in close to him and whispered, “Are you getting bored?”

With the surrounding noise, Yan Xuming didn’t quite catch it and leaned forward, asking, “What?”

Mai Dong whispered in his ear, “Are you bored?”

Before Yan Xuming could respond, the class monitor, holding a beer bottle, stumbled over. He seemed a bit tipsy, with an excited flush on his face, and his speech was a bit slurred. He casually dr4p3d his left hand over Mai Dong’s shoulder and leaned in next to them, “What secret are you two whispering about? Why not share it with us? Hey, Lin Shuang, bring two more bottles for Mai-zi and Yan Ge. These two successful individuals are sitting here, why isn’t anyone pouring drinks for them?”

Yan Xuming subtly pulled Mai Dong into his arms, “Sorry, Mai Dong is allergic to alcohol.”

The culture of urging others to drink is difficult to eradicate, partly because people lose a lot of their rationality when they’re drunk. The bottle of alcohol offered by the class monitor remained suspended, as he persisted, “If he doesn’t drink, can’t Yan Ge drink? Since you’re here, Yan Ge, there’s no need to be so reserved.”

Yan Xuming had no choice but to take the beer over and chugged half of it in one go.

Mai Dong hesitated, wanting to intervene but unsure what to say. He secretly squeezed Yan Xuming’s hand under the tablecloth, “Can you… is it okay?

Yan Xuming subtly nodded in response.

A few boys struck up a conversation with Yan Xuming, drinking cup after cup of alcohol. Since the sophomore year, they had always heard teachers talk about Yan Xuming, and by senior year, Yan Xuming had practically become a legend for the college entrance examination. They asked about Yan Xuming’s current major and future career direction, chatting endlessly.

Eventually, the topic naturally shifted to romance. They were all still quite young, just a bunch of kids, so they were quite gossip-hungry when it came to matters of love, especially someone like Yan Xuming. Yan Xuming had never lied about this issue,”I’m not single.”

The class monitor sighed with regret, then joked with a smile, “Not single ah. I thought Yan Ge came here today for someone in our class. I was thinking of playing matchmaker.”

Yan Xuming nodded. “I came here for Mai Dong, to accompany him.”

No one at the table caught the meaning behind Yan Xuming’s words. They were all straight guys, so it was indeed a bit difficult for them to understand the implications.

On Chinese New Year’s Day, Mai Dong and Yan Xuming arranged to meet up to buy a set of clothes together.

Yan Xuming’s cold was just getting better, he still occasionally coughs. The night before, Mai Dong bought fresh pears and Tremella and searched for tutorials on how to make Tremella pear soup. Although the steps were simple, the young master had never been in the kitchen before, so preparing the ingredients took him an hour.

Finally, he put the ingredients into the steaming pot and set the alarm for the next morning. It was already half past nine when he came out of the kitchen.

Madam Du and Old Mai sat on the balcony, creating an ambiance. In their warm home, they sat around a table, heating tea, huddled together in front of a small hot plate, speaking in hushed tones.

Old Mai sighed, “Ai, half of my life has passed, I don’t know how many times I’ve caught a cold, but my son has never made me any pear soup to drink.”

Madam Du took a sip of the hot tea, “Stop being so cryptic, accepting reality earlier will prevent you from being sad later.”

Old Mai covered his heart, “Wife, do you know what the furthest distance in the world is? It’s when my son is right in front of me, but all he can see is another man. This winter is really cold.”

Mai Dong opened his mouth, and then quietly retreated back to the kitchen.

He took out his phone and messaged Yan Xuming.

Mai-zi: “Someone’s jealous!”

Yan Xuming: “?”

Mai-zi: “I was so busy cooking Tremella pear soup for you, I haven’t even cooked for my own parents.”

Yan Xuming: “Such an honor?”

Mai-zi: [Angry.jpg]

Yan Xuming: “Next time I’ll cook with you and make it for Uncle and Aunt.”

Mai-zi: “Can you?”

Yan Xuming: “I can learn.”

Mai-zi: “That means you can’t.”

Yan Xuming: “I’m in the process of learning.”

Xiao Nian shopping mall was already quite festive. Mai Dong glanced at the stall selling candied hawthorns at the entrance of the mall, and his boyfriend treated him to an incredibly long candied haw on a stick.

When he got the candied haw, many children around cast envious glances. The young master felt a bit embarrassed, thinking he looked childish, so he took a bite of two haws, wanting to quickly finish the conspicuous candied haw.

The hawthorns were very sour, so Yan Xuming went to buy milk tea. Mai Dong sat on a chair outside the milk tea shop, waiting for him to come out.

This was the largest mall nearby, and with the Chinese New Year approaching, it was normal to bump into acquaintances.

With his mouth full of haws, Mai Dong saw the head teacher and his wife approaching, carrying big and small bags. Mai Dong quickly stood up, chewing frantically.

Finally managing to swallow what was in his mouth as the head teacher approached, he politely greeted them, “Head Teacher, Teacher’s wife.”

It had been a year and a half since Mai Dong graduated, and this was the head teacher’s first encounter with him. He remembered that Mai Dong was not very talkative and didn’t like making friends. He had never expected Mai Dong to come back to his alma mater after graduation, so he was genuinely happy to see him today.

He smiled broadly, “Mai Dong ah, out shopping for new clothes for the New Year?”

Mai Dong nodded.

The head teacher introduced Mai Dong to his wife, “Do you know Mai Dong? I’ve mentioned him to you before. He was the top student in the senior class two years ago. I remember he went to Nanjing University, right?”

The teacher’s wife smiled kindly, “Hello, Mai Dong. He often talks about you when he’s home.”

The head teacher continued, “Ai, speaking of which, it’s quite a coincidence. You should know Yan Xuming, he was in the year ahead of you, and both of you studied at Nanjing University.”

As he was speaking, Yan Xuming came out carrying two cups of milk tea, coincidentally hearing his name. With a smile in his voice, he interjected into their conversation, “Talking about me?”

The head teacher was truly surprised. In the past few years, his proudest students were Mai Dong and Yan Xuming, and now, here they both were. He glanced at them, “Are you two here together ah? I thought you didn’t know each other.”

Yan Xuming naturally handed the two cups of milk tea to the head teacher and his wife, “Here, no sugar in them.” Then, he slightly turned his head and whispered to Mai Dong in a barely audible voice, “I’ll buy you another one later.”

Mai Dong blushed secretly. It had been two years since he graduated, and three years for Yan Xuming. In front of the head teacher, there was still a nervous feeling akin to being caught in a youthful romance. Mai Dong cleared his throat but remained silent.

The head teacher kept refusing, “I don’t drink, I don’t drink. This is for you kids to drink. Besides, it’s not right for students to treat their teachers.”

Yan Xuming didn’t insist and shoved the milk tea back into Mai Dong’s hand.

The group chatted for a while, and the head teacher expressed surprise at the fact that they knew each other. Perhaps it was because he was getting older, reminiscing about endless past conversations. The four stood at the door of the milk tea shop, listening to the head teacher talk about Yan Xuming’s time in school.

“I heard you became the president of the Student Union at Nanjing University. Well done ah. You’ve always been a determined kid. When you were in high school, a few of us teachers in the office used to talk about you, saying even if your grades weren’t good, your personality alone would make you successful in society. Speaking of which, I have to say something about Mai Dong too. We used to talk about you often back then. Anyway, we talked about both of you. Both are top of your class, but with completely different personalities. Always quiet and not fond of group activities. That won’t do, Mai Dong. Are you still like that now?”

Mai Dong felt embarrassed. He used to feel uncomfortable when others discussed his personality too much, thinking it didn’t affect anyone. Now, he was much more mature and understood that the teachers’ concerns were for his own good. Mai Dong didn’t know how to respond, so he managed to say, “I’m changing.”

These two words made Yan Xuming laugh, and Mai Dong secretly glared at him.

Yan Xuming sensed his boyfriend’s discontent and smoothed things over for him, “He really is changing. He’s already willing to come out and shop with me, isn’t that right?”

The head teacher nodded with satisfaction, “I really didn’t expect you two to know each other ah. If I had known a few days ago that you both knew each other, I would have invited you to a gathering. Oh… right ah, Mai Dong, there’s a class reunion for your classmates tomorrow ah. The class president even invited me to join. Will you go?”

Mai Dong was genuinely embarrassed this time because he had no idea about the gathering at all.

Yan Xuming once again stepped in for him, “These days have been a bit busy. I’ve tried to make plans with him several times before he could come out with me. Let’s see if he can make it tomorrow.”

The head teacher nodded understandingly, “Young people like you are all so busy, busier than us working adults, but I wonder what you’re busy with. Anyway, I won’t keep you two any longer. If you have the chance, see you at the gathering tomorrow ah. Yan Xuming, if you’re free, why don’t you come along too? Everyone knows you; there’s no one who doesn’t.”

Yan Xuming nodded with a smile, “Sure, since you’ve said it, I have thick skin. If I’m free, I’ll definitely go.”

After the head teacher left, Mai Dong took out his phone and looked through it for a long time before finding the group chat. Only then did he realize there was a notice about the gathering.

It turned out he had set his settings not to receive group messages, so he was completely unaware. Mai Dong felt guilty; he had actually forgotten when he had set this, probably because he found the group chats annoying right after graduation.

Yan Xuming asked, “Are you going?”

Mai Dong looked at the phone screen with distress, “… I don’t know. I’m not familiar with everyone.”

Yan Xuming held his hand and walked forward, “If you want to go, I’ll accompany you.”

Mai Dong thought Yan Xuming’s earlier words were just a casual remark and was somewhat surprised, “Really? You don’t have to do that. Won’t you feel awkward, just to accompany me? You don’t know any of my classmates, so it might be uncomfortable for you.”

Yan Xuming half-jokingly replied, “Didn’t I say it? I have thick skin.”

Mai Don whispered to him, “Thank you.”

Yan Xuming asked, “Hmm? What’s wrong?”

Mai Dong’s voice lowered even more, “Nothing ah, just thank you for helping me out with the head teacher earlier and being willing to accompany me to the class reunion. Thank you.”

Yan Xuming chuckled, “How would you thank me?”

Mai Dong earnestly suggested, “Um… how about treating you to lunch?”

Yan Xuming was silent for a moment, “I know you’re a rich second generation, don’t show off.”

Mai Dong pouted, “Then how should I thank you?”

Yan Xuming spoke up, “How about attending the class reunion? If you want to go by yourself, go ahead, and if you’re worried, let me accompany you. I won’t feel awkward.”

If someone else had said this, Mai Dong would have felt like they were trying to dictate his actions and life, but because it was Yan Xuming who said it, Mai Dong could only feel his genuine care and love.

He knew the head teacher was speaking the truth, and Yan Xuming’s intentions were for his own good. He should establish more connections with others… the kind of connections that should exist between people.

He recalled a diary entry Yan Xuming had written before, expressing his hope that Mai Dong could make more friends.

Mai Dong knew this was the right thing to do, but he still lacked the courage to take that step. Making friends was a difficult task for him, even harder than falling in love.

Mai Dong may be a lovestruck fool, but he didn’t need his partner to constantly prove their “love” to him. As long as he liked them enough, he would wholeheartedly devote himself to loving them.

But friends were different. He would become suspicious and feel that he had to have enough value to be worthy of someone’s friendship. Yet friendships built on this premise made Mai Dong feel that they were not genuine.

Occasionally, Mai Dong would wonder if he was fine the way he was now?

He wasn’t very smart. In fact, he was quite dense, except in terms of academic achievements. In other aspects, Mai Dong was always at a loss. But he was incredibly fortunate to be born into a privileged family, with parents and elders who loved and understood him deeply, and to be in love with a mature and strong partner who protected him well.

The friendships needed during adolescence seemed unnecessary for Mai Dong now.

In the evening, Yan Xuming drove Mai Dong home. After Mai Dong got out of the car with bags in hand, he turned back to wave goodbye to his boyfriend in the car. As the car window rolled down, the street lamp illuminated Yan Xuming’s body, half in warm yellow light and half in cold darkness.

Mai Dong said, “See you tomorrow.”

Yan Xuming smiled, “I’ll pick you up tomorrow.”

Old Mai’s appearance completely overturned Yan Xuming’s imagination.

Previously, although he had heard that Mai Dong’s father dabbled in antiques, combined with the professions of other members of Mai Dong’s family and their family conditions, he imagined that Old Mai should also be neatly dressed. Saying he dabbled in antiques, he might be an elite figure who frequented major auction houses.

After all, there had been a misunderstanding about Mai Dong’s grandfather before. Everyone said Mai Dong’s grandfather collected garbage, but in fact, he was an artist.

Unexpectedly, Old Mai was wearing a tattered black cotton jacket, with a pack of cheap cigarettes in his mouth, and the rough skin on his hands was visible when he lit a cigarette.

Of course, it couldn’t be said to be sloppy; it could only be said that he looked like a very ordinary middle-aged man, probably because Old Mai in Yan Xuming’s imagination was too elite.

Yan Xuming maintained a dignified attitude, “Uncle, I am Yan Xuming, I am Mai Dong’s… classmate.”

Old Mai squinted his eyes and took a puff of smoke, his demeanor and tone resembling that of a ruffian. “Oh, a classmate, huh? Look, isn’t this a misunderstanding? I thought you were Mai-zi’s boyfriend.”

Yan Xuming immediately corrected himself, “Boyfriend.”

Mai Dong was like a timid quail, huddled in the corner without daring to speak.

Old Mai snorted coldly, “So, are you classmates or boyfriends? Have you two discussed it or not ah?”

Yan Xuming was completely unafraid, speaking calmly, “Boyfriends. I was afraid that introducing myself as Mai Dong’s boyfriend right away might offend you.”¹Polite form of you.

Old Mai seemed satisfied. He glared at Mai Dong and muttered softly, “Quite sensible.”

Mai Dong felt secretly proud in his heart, of course!

Old Mai was purely acting; he wasn’t like this usually. He just wanted to assert dominance over Yan Xuming. Seeing that his verbal intimidation didn’t faze the other party, he pushed the tea set in front of him with his cigarette still in his mouth. “Drink tea?”

Yan Xuming silently sat across from Old Mai. “Not much of a tea drinker, but the adults at home occasionally make some.”

Old Mai nodded, “Oh, that means you know a little bit, make a pot?”

Mai Dong couldn’t help but speak up, “Dad, he’s still a student. Why are you doing this ah?”

Old Mai instantly felt displeased. How could his son, who was both a boyfriend and a biological child, side with his boyfriend and not know to side with his own father? Old Mai’s dissatisfaction manifested in his discomfort towards Yan Xuming. He sat there without saying a word, pushing the tea leaves canister towards Yan Xuming again.

Forget about Yan Xuming being just a college student; even if he had been in society for several years, he might not necessarily know how to brew tea.

Yet Yan Xuming smiled. His movements were unhurried. When the tea leaves canister was pushed towards him, he didn’t reach for it but instead stretched his arm to reach for the hot water kettle on the other side, using the boiling water to rinse the tea cups and utensils before opening the tea leaves canister.

He seemed somewhat surprised and offered Old Mai a well-placed compliment, “Uncle, I may not understand tea leaves very well, but judging from the aroma and appearance, they seem quite exquisite. You are quite knowledgeable.”

After saying this, he scooped out three spoonfuls of tea leaves with a small tea spoon, poured hot water into the teapot, and quickly poured out the water used for steeping the tea.

The expression on Old Mai’s face was indescribable, a mix of displeasure and satisfaction. He suddenly reached out and grabbed the teacup, interrupting Yan Xuming’s actions impatiently, “Alright, stop messing around with it, don’t spoil my tea leaves.”

Old Mai took over the tea-steeping task and casually inquired about Yan Xuming’s family background, “What do your parents do ah?”

Yan Xuming replied, “Both of my parents work in the field of chemical materials. My mother teaches, and my father works in a research institute.”

Although Yan Xuming’s words were humble, Old Mai could tell that it meant his mother was a university professor and his father was a researcher. Alright, this aspect should be suitable for Mai Dong. The satisfaction bar in his mind rose a bit higher, but the higher it rose, the more dissatisfied he felt. He had to find something to put this kid in his place.

So, Old Mai launched another attack, “Do your family members know about you and Mai Dong?”

Unexpectedly, Yan Xuming nodded, “They just found out. I haven’t been with Mai Dong for long, I only had the chance to tell my family during winter break.”

Old Mai sadly realized that his level of “satisfaction” had risen a bit again. “What’s their attitude ah?”

Yan Xuming replied, “I dare not lie to you. It will take time for my parents to accept, but I can handle it.”

Old Mai immediately felt a surge of dominance, even straightening his back slightly. “Oh, so your family doesn’t accept it yet? If you can’t even convince your own family, why should we, Mai-zi’s family, accept you?”

Yan Xuming lowered his eyes respectfully. “You’re right, it’s my problem. I will make the utmost effort to resolve this matter. You…”

Old Mai cut off Yan Xuming’s words, waving his hand dismissively. “Men are good at flowery words. I’m a man too. You don’t need to use that on me.”

Mai Dong was getting anxious. He was already worried about what would happen after Yan Xuming talked to his family, but he hadn’t had the chance to ask in detail. He grabbed Yan Xuming’s wrist suddenly, “Are you okay? Was today’s outing about this? Did Aunt scold you? Did she hit you!”

Old Mai’s face really darkened.

He took a deep drag of his cigarette, thinking, this isn’t right, isn’t he the one who gave birth to a son? Why does he feel like he has the mentality of marrying off a daughter? It’s like the feeling of someone stealing your precious cabbage, a feeling that silently pains Old Mai’s heart.

Yan Xuming patted Mai Dong’s hand gently and shook his head lightly.

Mai Dong was anxious, “What? Tell me. Don’t worry about my dad. He’s just trying to scare you. He’s not like this normally. So annoying!”

Yan Xuming couldn’t help but smile but didn’t dare to look at Old Mai’s expression. It was probably even darker than before. He didn’t want Mai Dong to worry, so he spoke truthfully, “It’s nothing. I told you I’ll handle it. My mom is just worried that this path might be difficult, but she doesn’t have any objections towards you. Don’t worry.”

Mai Dong finally felt a bit relieved but still felt jittery, unwilling to let go of Yan Xuming’s wrist.

Old Mai had an appointment to pick up some goods in the afternoon, so he had asked Mai Dong to come and watch the store.

He left around three, leaving Yan Xuming and Mai Dong alone in the shop. Yan Xuming only relaxed and leaned back in his chair after he heard the sound of Old Mai’s car starting.

Mai Dong teased, “Are you nervous?”

Yan Xuming sighed, “Can you not be nervous?”

Mai Dong comforted him, “My dad is very pleased with you. The more displeased he looks, the more satisfied he is inside. He’s always been a man of few words but more actions. He’s willing to let you stay with me, which means he’s quite satisfied with you.”

Yan Xuming nodded, “I can see that. Uncle doesn’t seem like the type to make things difficult for others, and his acting skills aren’t that great either.”

Mai Dong realized, “So, you were just playing along with his act earlier ah?”

Yan Xuming thought for a moment, “Yes and no. I was genuinely nervous, but I also wanted to perform well.”

Pride filled Mai Dong’s voice, “You did great, you passed the test with my dad!”

Yan Xuming looked at him, “What about you?”

Mai Dong was momentarily puzzled, “Huh?”

Yan Xuming smiled and asked, “What about you? You’re my examiner here, Teacher Mai Dong. Did I pass?”

With the upcoming New Year, Mai Dong’s family was always busy during this time.

Although Grandma had retired, she had many apprentices. During the New Year, they didn’t dare disturb Grandma, so they came to Mai Dong’s house to bring gifts to Madam Du and buy some nutritional supplements for Grandma through Madam Du.

At first, they insisted not to accept, but they found that these people would just leave the items at the door and run away, or even directly ask the security guard to deliver them to Mai Dong’s house.

Old Mai was getting older, and the antiques market was tricky. He had quite a few proud disciples, including Madam Du, who had many students as well.

These days, Mai Dong had been hiding in his room on the second floor, not daring to step out of his room.

Yesterday, he sneaked out to meet Yan Xuming and got hold of Yan Xuming’s diary for the past few days. Luckily, he had this pastime. Whenever he had spare time, he would open it up and see what his boyfriend had been up to at home.

January 24, 2024. Sunny

Question for Student Mai Dong: Do you know what day it is today? Although we haven’t met much these days, it’s actually the one-month anniversary of our official relationship, which is worth celebrating. But because you went out to the neighboring city for an exhibition today, I didn’t have the chance to invite you for dinner, which is a bit regrettable.

It’s only a little over two weeks until the Chinese New Year. My family mentioned gathering together for a meal during the New Year’s holidays. I think it’s a bit too soon, so I refused without asking for your opinion. Originally, I didn’t plan to tell you, but after some thought, I decided to write it down in the diary.

Let’s wait a bit longer. Personally, I feel that eating together now might make our relationship seem more like friends in their eyes. In another two years, can we formally introduce our families and meet as partners?

The food at home is better than at school. I suspect I’ve gained some weight, so I got a gym membership downstairs this afternoon. I hope that after school starts, I’ll be able to lift you with one hand. This wish should be easy to fulfill.

January 26, 2024. Overcast

Mai Dong, I’m giving you a serious warning. It’s been four days since you last met your boyfriend, and I need a valid reason. Before the winter break, I celebrated for many days, grateful that we wouldn’t end up in a long-distance relationship no matter what. Now I admit I was a bit naive.

At noon, I went out with my family to have Hunan cuisine, which tasted good. Coincidentally, it was just two streets away from your house. I sent you messages while sitting in the private room, asking if you were home. Two hours later, when I returned home, you replied to me.

Words lack tone; I hope you can understand my meaning through my sparse words, Xueba.

I’m a bit grumpy today, I don’t feel like reporting any unnecessary things.

January 28, 2024. Light Rain

When I woke up this morning, my throat was sore, probably from catching a chill coming out of the gym yesterday. I drank a hot cup of cold medicine, and around ten o’clock, I started running a fever. There weren’t many people at home; my mom was busy with her research project and wouldn’t be able to rest much during the Chinese New Year, and my dad was nowhere to be seen.

At noon, Auntie saw me lying in bed looking pitiful, so she made me a bowl of bland clear noodle soup. While eating the noodles, I really missed the Hunan cuisine from the other day, but unfortunately, that day I was too focused on waiting for your reply and didn’t eat much

I took some fever-reducing medicine and slept until evening; when I woke up, the fever had subsided.

I also received four missed calls from my boyfriend. It’s a pity; you said if I didn’t answer one more call, you would come to my house. At that moment, I thought it really wasn’t the right time to wake up. But I was also afraid that if you did come, I might infect you. In the evening, I started to have some appetite, with Hunan cuisine filling my mind. My boyfriend scolded me harshly for half an hour, saying that I had just recovered from the fever and shouldn’t mess around with my body carelessly.

It’s the first time I’ve seen my boyfriend scold someone. Handsome, and cute, it’s likely to increase my frequency of being unreasonable in the future (just kidding).

Alright, goodnight.

Yan Xuming had planned to accompany his mother for shopping today. Since he started university, he has only been home during the winter and summer vacations. There was always too much going on at school, and he could never break free.

Last night, the family had hot pot for dinner. In the first half of the meal, they enjoyed the hotpot, but the second half was filled with questions directed at Yan Xuming.

Are you in a relationship? And is it with a boy?

This was the first time everyone knew that Yan Xueming liked boys.

There weren’t many people at the table—Yan Xuming’s parents, his uncle, and his aunt, along with his aunt’s daughter, who was a sophomore in high school. It wasn’t smooth sailing, with his parents mostly silent while his uncle and aunt bombarded him with questions, trying to ease the tension. By the end, they had gathered enough information about his high school classmates, college friends, and acquaintances of many years.

The professional composition of Yan Xuming’s family was much simpler compared to Mai Dong’s family. His mother, Madam Huang, was a university professor, and his father, Old Yan, was a researcher at the Engineering Institute.

Although neither of them had conservative personalities, their thinking was relatively traditional, and they couldn’t immediately accept their son’s preference for boys.

Returning home last night, the atmosphere was somewhat awkward. The three of them hardly exchanged a few words. Around eleven o’clock, Madam Huang sent Yan Xuming a WeChat message, inviting him to go shopping together the next day. Yan Xuming knew that shopping was just an excuse; the real intention was to have a heart-to-heart conversation.

At nine o’clock the next morning, the two set out. Yan Xuming drove, while Madam Huang sat quietly in the passenger seat.

As they waited at a red light, Yan Xuming’s phone rang. He happened to be wearing headphones and casually answered it. He could immediately sense the hesitation in Mai Dong’s voice and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing, my dad wants to meet you, but if you’re busy, it’s okay! I told them yesterday…”

Yan Xuming stared at the red light ahead, not turning his gaze. “I am indeed busy this morning; I have something to take care of here. Can I come over in the afternoon?”

“It’s okay, you’re busy. We can arrange another time. I told him not to suddenly ask you to come over. Um… your family isn’t giving you a hard time, right?”

Yan Xuming smiled, “No, don’t worry.”

After exchanging a few words, they hung up the phone.

Madam Huang waited for a moment before speaking up, “Mai Dong?”

Yan Xuming didn’t lie either. “Yes.”

Madam Huang asked directly, “Can you two separate?”

Yan Xuming replied firmly, “We can’t.”

The red light didn’t last long, and the car started moving again. Even though it was a workday during winter break, there were still quite a few cars on the road. The slow speed made the silence feel even heavier.

Madam Huang turned her head to look out the window, lost in thought. She remained silent until the next traffic light before speaking again, “Last night, I looked through your childhood photo album. You were really cute when you were young. Do you remember? Others joked that they wanted to arrange a doll marriage with little girls,¹I’m not quite sure what to term this but it means to arrange a marriage between minors. and you said many little girls wanted to be with you.”

Yan Xuming curved his lips, his tone relaxed, “I didn’t know any better back then.”

Madam Huang turned to look at him, “And now? Ming Ming, you’re only twenty-one. You might not actually like boys. It could just be a momentary impulse.”

Madam Huang didn’t expect Yan Xuming to nod in agreement. He said, “I really don’t like boys. I like Mai Dong.”

Madam Huang seized upon his words, “So, does that mean you’ll be with a girl after you and Mai Dong break up?”

This time, Yan Xuming shook his head firmly, “I won’t make such assumptions, Mom. You should know me well. I always do what I set out to do. You guys have given me confidence, but I’ve shaped it for myself. I don’t see that as a flaw.”

Madam Huang used to be proud of this aspect of Yan Xuming’s character, but now she found it somewhat headache-inducing.

Humans always tend to overthink things; it’s probably part of human nature, and even Madam Huang couldn’t escape this flaw.

The first time Madam Huang was stunned by her son was when Yan Xuming was in junior high. She overheard him comforting a friend on the phone, who seemed to be in a bad mood. Yan Xuming said a few comforting words and then, in a carefree tone, said, “Your life is your own. Live it however you want. If you’re afraid of death, then don’t be born.”

Madam Huang found it hard to imagine Yan Xuming saying such words. Indeed, at the time, Yan Xuming was going through a subtle rebellious phase, and his character wasn’t mature enough. But those words gave Madam Huang some insight into the youth’s wildness and the kind of person her son was.

She was proud of this, clearly her son had the courage and confidence to take responsibility for his own life. Yet, she also worried, fearing that one day Yan Xuming would encounter completely uncontrollable negative events, causing his beliefs to crumble. And homosexuality, in Madam Huang’s eyes, was precisely one of those completely uncontrollable negative events.

Madam Huang opened her mouth several times, not knowing what to say.

She turned to look at Yan Xuming and suddenly felt like her son was a stranger.

Yan Xuming obtained his driver’s license after the college entrance examination. Apart from occasions like family gatherings where his parents had to drink and couldn’t drive, he would take on the responsibility of being the designated driver, but other than that, she had never seen him drive. Yet here he was, one hand on the steering wheel, attentively watching the road ahead, his proficient and serious demeanor showing no hint of timidity.

When did he become so much like an adult?

When he was a child, Yan Xuming was indeed adorable. Because his parents were busy with work, Madam Huang was afraid her son wouldn’t get proper nutrition as he grew up. So, she specifically asked a nutritionist to ensure that Yan Xuming had well-balanced meals three times a day. Until he started elementary school, his face was chubby and cute, very appealing to others.

Even in kindergarten, Yan Xuming was very clever and mischievous.

When the teacher taught that one plus one equals two, he had already figured out on his own that one plus two should equal three. The teacher assigned twenty addition and subtraction problems for homework, but he thought they were too simple and didn’t want to waste time doing them. Instead, he played with blocks on his desk. When it was time to hand in the homework, he copied it from his deskmate, only to find out that he got most of the twenty problems wrong.

In elementary school, he became the class monitor, leading all his classmates to skip self-study sessions and play hide and seek. They ended up losing one boy, and the teacher had to call Madam Huang to the school. It was a struggle to find the boy in a tree pit outside the school.

When did Ming Ming, who was once a cheeky and mischievous child, become such a firm and mature adult? Madam Huang had no idea.

She felt a lot of sadness and guilt in her heart, realizing that her son had always been with her but had changed into a different person quietly without her knowledge.

But regardless, should he even be liking a boy? Madam Huang knew about homosexuality, knew there were many homosexuals nowadays, and knew it wasn’t a disease or illegal. But she found it hard to imagine what to do if her son were gay.

A tear fell from Madam Huang’s eye. She rarely cried; exaggeratingly speaking, Yan Xuming, at twenty-one, couldn’t remember ever seeing Madam Huang cry. She quickly wiped the corner of her eyes with a tissue and sniffed.

Yan Xuming parked the car in the underground parking lot of the mall and sat silently for a moment before saying, “I’ll go get some coffee. Wait here.”

Ten minutes later, Yan Xuming returned with two steaming cups of coffee.

Madam Huang had already composed herself, returning to being the elegant and intellectual Professor Huang.

Yan Xuming handed her the cup with extra sugar and spoke first, “I only officially started dating him at the end of December. I never planned to hide it from you guys. I could have, but I didn’t because I love him, and I love you, Mom.”

Madam Huang felt like crying again, her voice low, “How old are you? Do you even know what love is?”

Yan Xuming murmured softly, “En,” then asked, “Then teach me, what is love?”

Madam Huang’s thoughts were clear, “Love is an unsolvable problem. I won’t discuss what love is with you. I just want to say, you have experienced too little. You might easily think that a certain moment’s feeling is destined, but that’s not true.”

Yan Xuming replied, “I’ve never thought that Mai Dong and I are destined. We can be together because he works hard enough, and so do I.”

Madam Huang didn’t want to say more. She found it surprising that as a university professor who prided herself on her eloquence, she couldn’t argue with her own son. She didn’t dislike the boy named Mai Dong, and she was willing to believe in her son’s choice. That boy must be someone worth Yan Xuming’s efforts

She swallowed her coffee, surprised to find that the sweetness of this cup was just right for her. Then she spoke up, “But this path is difficult, Ming Ming. It’s very difficult.”

Yan Xuming nodded, “Of course, I know. But I never doubt myself.”

At two in the afternoon, Yan Xuming drove to the antique market. He had never been to a place like this in his first twenty-one years of life.

The market wasn’t very lively; the circle was small, with only a few people dealing with antiques. Most of the people were there just for a stroll, to see what was going on.

Mai Dong stood on the roadside dressed like a cute polar bear, his hands in his pockets. He didn’t recognize Yan Xuming’s car and looked around. Yan Xuming honked the horn, and Mai Dong suddenly turned his head, craning his neck to look for a while before finally confirming that his boyfriend was sitting in the driver’s seat.

The car window rolled down, and Yan Xuming asked, “Where should I park?”

Mai Dong waved his hand, “It’s okay, just park at the entrance.”

Mai Dong seemed even more nervous than Yan Xuming, his words stuttering a bit, “Um, my dad is actually a very nice person, it’s just… sometimes he’s a bit stubborn. Sorry ah for insisting that you come over right away when he heard we were together. Are you busy today?”

Yan Xuming casually ruffled Mai Dong’s hair, “Not busy. I went shopping with my mom in the morning and had lunch together.”

Mai Dong suddenly widened his eyes, “Did I disturb you guys?”

Yan Xuming shook his head, “No, she has something to do in the afternoon, and she wasn’t planning to be with me anyway.”

As the two walked into the store, before they even stepped inside, Yan Xuming heard an extremely sarcastic greeting.

“Aiya, aiya, who do we have gracing us with their presence ah!”

Outside of Xianghe Garden, there is a large open-air garden. In the summer, there’s a fountain in the center pool that flashes with colorful lights. Now that the weather is cold, the fountain has been turned off to prevent the water from freezing.

A mother and her son sat on a bench in the garden. The winter garden seems lonely. The mother said the men inside had started drinking, lacking manners, smoking at the dinner table, creating a haze of smoke, so she came out.

Mai Dong kept his eyes on his nose and his nose on his heart, his mind filled with whether his mother heard him talking on the phone.

Unexpectedly, the topic his mother chatted about was his grandparents.

“I remember clearly, when your father and I were dating, and our parents met for the first time, Grandma cried when she heard I was a doctor. Mai-zi they say mother-in-law relationships are hard to get along with, but I got along well with Grandma. I once asked her what it felt like to be a housewife, and the first word she gave me was ‘happiness,’ and the second word was ‘regret.’”

Mai Dong listened in confusion, “Happiness and regret can be put together?”

The mother nodded, “Perhaps they can. Life always has many regrets, but the best regret is one that can be accompanied by happiness. What do you think?”

Mai Dong, ignorant of worldly affairs and clueless about relationships, nodded with half-understanding, unsure if he truly grasped his mother’s meaning.

The mother wrapped her arm around Mai Dong’s shoulder. “Sometimes, Mom also feels it’s unfair. Why must girls choose between family and career, between emotion and reason, as if they have to pick one as their identity? But time isn’t shaped by one person, nor is it formed in a day. Since we’re living in this era, all we can do is follow our hearts and do things that make us happy. So, Mai-zi, what’s making you happy lately?”

It was then that Mai Dong realized that he had gone around in a big circle to ask himself.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to be honest with his family, he just felt there should be a more appropriate time. It wasn’t a trivial matter, not in any family. He fell silent for a moment. “Mom, I’m in a relationship.”

His mother smiled beautifully, dimples forming on her cheeks. “Oh, let me guess, is it Yan Xuming?”

Mai Dong nodded. “Could you tell?”

When he got home in the evening, Mai Dong leaned on his desk, writing in his diary, feeling like he had a lot to say.

January 18, 2024. Sunny

On the way home, I kept thinking about why Mom said those things to me. It wasn’t until I got home that I understood the significance of the topic of “regret.”

I’m a guy, and so is he. Are we “accepted” by society as homosexuals? There will be many setbacks and strange looks if we want to be together. Perhaps one day, one of us will back down because of this, creating some kind of regret. But the premise of this regret is that we should bravely be together now, so this regret becomes happiness.

I’ve never thought about this question before. Thinking about it now, I realize I’ve been somewhat naive. And maybe I’ve been quite arrogant. Since high school, when I started liking him, I’ve never felt inferior or sensitive because of liking a guy. But Mom is right, even if I don’t care now, someday I will. I should consider this issue in advance because we’re not just playing house together on a whim; we’re really in love, preparing to spend the rest of our lives together.

Does he think the same way?

En! Definitely. He’s always been braver than me. I haven’t dared to tell anyone I’m in a relationship. I’ve lied about it twice, but he’s already told his family about us. But it seems I’ve made a mistake. I hung up on his call and forgot to ask about his family’s attitude. Will they make things difficult for him? Will they scold him? Will they hit him?

Mai Dong, Mai Dong, you’re really a relationship dummy!

On the first day of winter vacation, the relationship dummy Mai Dong went to the antique market with his father.

It was a deal the father and son had already arranged. On Christmas Eve, Mai Dong asked his father for the pile of untouched red wine at home. Old Mai, having dabbled in antiques for the past few years, had become quite shrewd. Even with his own son, he wouldn’t let himself be taken advantage of. He said he could give him the red wine and asked him to help out at the store during the holidays.

Mai Dong’s home was a bit more northern than the school. Wrapped in a white down jacket, scarf, and hat, he stood out in the antique market, clearly not fitting in with the locals.

Old Mai didn’t know about Mai Dong’s relationship. Madam Du, Mai Dong’s mother, had a strong sense of boundaries and discretion. Even though they were family, if Mai Dong confided his secrets to her, she wouldn’t secretly tell her husband. She believed that it should be Mai Dong who spoke about it himself.

Old Mai walked ahead, muttering about Uncle Li’s daughter from the neighboring shop, saying she had started her holiday a week earlier than Mai Dong and had already come to the shop to help out, “She’s two years older than you and she’s so beautiful. How about it, should I introduce you? Your grandfather is right, you’re too introverted. When are you going to find a partner on your own?”

Mai Dong licked his lips; apart from doing business, Old Mai was always absent-minded. Madam Du had long noticed that he liked Yan Xuming, and this time she could tell at a glance that he was with Yan Xuming. Old Mai was still here thinking about “blind dates,” thinking that Mai Dong was a straight guy.

Mai Dong weakly replied, “No need, Dad, I don’t like girls.”

Old Mai continued, “Oh, okay, then I…” Old Mai suddenly stopped, surprised, and turned to look at Mai Dong. Just when Mai Dong thought he was about to get angry, Old Mai then silently turned his head back and muttered softly, “Ai? Don’t like girls? Since when?”

Mai Dong cleared his throat, “High school…”

Old Mai immediately apologized, “Aiya, look at this matter, does your mother know?”

Mai Dong replied, “…Mom knew since high school.”

Old Mai awkwardly smiled, “Look, uh, sorry ha son, Dad really didn’t care about you as much as your Mom did, it’s Dad’s fault. No, why is she like this ah, knowing for so long and not telling me!” He paused awkwardly here and then offered a constructive suggestion, “It’s easier to deal with liking boys ah. It’s more in line with your profession. I don’t know many girls, but I know plenty of boys. Shall Dad find one for you ah?”

Mai Dong’s voice grew even lower, “I’m not single anymore.”

Old Mai was truly stunned this time, “No, didn’t we just discuss it at the dinner table last night?”

Mai Dong felt guilty, “Last night… I didn’t dare to say, I lied.”

Old Mai narrowed his eyes, “Good ah, learning to lie now, huh.”

As they chatted, they walked into the shop and pulled down the rolling shutter. Suddenly, a dusty smell wafted from inside, making Mai Dong almost cough. He waved his hand, dispersing the flying dust in front of him, “Dad, should I help you clean up a bit?”

Old Mai was so frightened that he immediately pressed his son’s hand, “No, don’t. You don’t understand, this is the essence of an antique shop.” He threw the keys on the table, switched on the water dispenser, and knocked on the table, “Where’s your boyfriend? Call him out, let me see.”

Mai Dong was startled, “Why… why are you suddenly calling him out like this?”

Old Mai snorted coldly, “Can’t handle such a small matter? Do you know how difficult it was for me to pursue your mom in the beginning? Your grandmother wasn’t satisfied with my job. I went to their house four or five times in a row and got the cold shoulder every time. I went there every day with gifts, but couldn’t see anyone. I just left the gifts at the door. It even took a week before your grandmother agreed to see me.”

Mai Dong felt he was being unreasonable, “That’s different, we’re in a relationship by choice now, why do you have to make things difficult for him?”

Old Mai didn’t like hearing this, “You’re already protecting him now, huh.”

Mai Dong clutched his phone, he didn’t want to message or call Yan Xuming, while Old Mai sat in front of the old desk at the front counter, tapping the tabletop repeatedly.

This was completely unexpected for Mai Dong. He didn’t expect Old Mai to be angry not because he was gay, or because he lied last night about being in a relationship, but because he didn’t want to call Yan Xuming over now.

He felt touched and anxious, “Can we arrange a time later? I’ll tell him in advance, he should be mentally prepared.”

Old Mai’s tone was firm, “Is there something unseemly about him?”

Old Mai, this person, was stubborn at certain moments, otherwise he wouldn’t have been able to succeed in the antique business.

What he said about pursuing Madam Du was all true. This matter was also a well-known topic of conversation in Mai Dong’s family. At that time, Grandma was dissatisfied with Old Mai’s job, considering it unstable. He held back his frustration, bought a house and a car with his own ability, and then went to propose.

Mai Dong understood Old Mai’s mindset. Liking boys wasn’t easy. Although Old Mai wasn’t good with words, he worried about things that Mom would worry about too. He wanted to know if Yan Xuming was a good person, a suitable person.

In other words, Mai Dong knew he was a child surrounded by love, even though he was already an adult, even twenty years old. In his parents’ eyes, he was still a child. The love his parents gave him was too much, and now there was another person loving him. Old Mai wanted to know if this person’s love was worthy.

Mai Dong compromised and went out with his phone to call Yan Xuming. It was a little after nine in the morning, so according to his biological clock, Yan Xuming should be awake, but he didn’t know if he would sleep in during the holiday.

The call was answered after just a few rings, and Yan Xuming’s voice came through the receiver, “Hmm? Good morning.”

Mai Dong hesitated for a moment, “Good morning, are you… free today ah?”