Month: January 2026

       Jiang Tongyan and Qian Xiaoke truly deserved to be called a match made in heaven; both of them were exceptionally good at ruining the mood.

       Jiang Tongyan had just been genuinely moved, only for Qian Xiaoke’s sudden singing, wildly off-key and soaring straight to the Southern Heavenly Gate, to interrupt him. Before he knew it, he laughed out loud.

       Children who ruined the atmosphere had to be punished, so Qian Xiaoke was hoisted onto Jiang Tongyan’s shoulder and carried back to the bedroom to ‘receive punishment’.

       Because Jiang Tongyan completely failed to behave like a decent human being that night, Qian Xiaoke’s alarm rang five times the next morning before he finally struggled upright in bed, hair sticking up like a chicken’s nest.

       His failure to wake up early completely derailed his plans.

       He had originally intended to perform well, to get up early and prepare a hearty breakfast for Jiang Tongyan’s parents. Instead, the moment he opened his eyes, it was already later than his usual wake-up time, while the lecherous landlord Jiang Tongyan beside him was still sleeping soundly.

       “Hey, stop sleeping,” Qian Xiaoke said, tugging on Jiang Tongyan’s ear. “Get up.”

       No sooner had he said it than Jiang Tongyan pulled him back into his arms.

       “Don’t mess with me,” Qian Xiaoke said. “I need to make breakfast for Mom and Dad!”

       Jiang Tongyan forced his eyes open with effort, looked confused for a moment, then smiled.

       “That was a pretty smooth change of address,” he said, kissing him once.

       “I haven’t brushed my teeth, don’t kiss me!”

       “Oh? Now I’m not even allowed to kiss you if you haven’t brushed your teeth?” Jiang Tongyan pouted. “Funny, considering someone was yelling for his husband to kiss him before his eyes were even open. Love has…fallen apart just like that.”

       Qian Xiaoke was fully awake by now. He laughed, kissed Jiang Tongyan once anyway, then climbed out of bed. “Seriously, get up. Mom and Dad are waiting.”

       “Relax, they won’t wake up until the afternoon,” Jiang Tongyan yawned. “They’re jet-lagged.”

       Qian Xiaoke, who had never been abroad and never experienced jet lag, suddenly understood. Leaning against Jiang Tongyan, he asked, “Then how come you never had jet lag before?”

       Jiang Tongyan thought to himself, because once I got off the plane, certain physical activities took priority, and jet lag had to make way for passion.

       Love really was something.

       “I’ll go to the office with you later,” Jiang Tongyan said. “This afternoon, see if you want to take leave.”

       “Huh? Why take leave?”

       “To take my parents around a bit. But no need to force yourself; if you really feel uncomfortable, I can go with them myself.”

       “No!” Qian Xiaoke said immediately. He did inevitably feel nervous around Jiang Tongyan’s parents, but he genuinely liked them and could feel that Jiang Tongyan’s family members were all kind and gentle people.

       He liked people like that.

       “They don’t come often. Of course I should accompany them.”

       It was already year’s end, and the company’s projects were wrapping up. Everyone was lazily waiting for the New Year to arrive, and even visiting clients were few in number. Qian Xiaoke figured he should at least take half a day off to accompany them; otherwise, it would look like he didn’t value them, which would be rude.

       “This afternoon we’ll take them to eat the snail noodle soup,” Jiang Tongyan stretched and went to wash up with Qian Xiaoke. “Let them broaden their horizons.”

       Qian Xiaoke was brushing his teeth when he heard that and nearly swallowed the toothpaste.

       He stared at him wide-eyed. “Are you crazy?”

       Those were his parents-in-law! Even if they didn’t go to a high-end restaurant, they couldn’t possibly be taken to eat the snail noodle soup!!

       It wasn’t that there was anything wrong with it; it was just that elders might not like it.

       Jiang Tongyan deliberately teased him. “Didn’t you do the same thing to me before?”

       “That’s different!” Qian Xiaoke rinsed his mouth and spat out the foam. “Be serious!”

       The serious Jiang Tongyan obediently did not take his parents to eat snail noodle soup that afternoon, but the four of them did go out for a meal of spicy hot pot.

       Jiang Tongyan’s parents were far more knowledgeable than Qian Xiaoke had imagined. His mother said, “I can even make spicy hot pot myself!”

       Qian Xiaoke immediately perked up and earnestly asked his mother-in-law for tips on how to make it. The two of them grew closer because of it.

       Later, Jiang Tongyan complained, “Who would’ve thought the secret to you becoming good friends with my mom was asking her how to make spicy hot pot…”

       Jiang Tongyan’s parents really didn’t stay long. They had come back mainly to visit Jiang Tongyan’s grandparents, and they just visited them by chance.

       Before leaving, they told Qian Xiaoke that when he had time, he should come with Jiang Tongyan to meet the grandparents, saying the two elderly people were really eager to see him.

       Qian Xiaoke obediently agreed, but he had already decided to push the next round of meeting with the elders further into the future. Making him go through this again so soon would be like taking the college entrance exam twice in a row. It was far too tormenting. As a poor student, he truly couldn’t handle it.

       After seeing Jiang Tongyan’s parents off, New Year’s Day was just around the corner.

       After New Year’s Day, Qian Xiaoke would be moving upstairs to work. Before the holiday, with help from his colleagues, he packed his things into cardboard boxes and moved them upstairs.

       Upstairs were all newly established departments. For the time being, there were only a few mid-level managers; most of the staff under them would only report for duty after New Year’s Day.

       Qian Xiaoke carried boxes upstairs together with a colleague. As soon as he came up, he saw Jiang Tongyan holding a damp towel and wiping Qian Xiaoke’s desk.

       A dignified domineering CEO was secretly wiping his own delicate wife’s desk. Such a considerate, perfect man made it impossible not to envy Qian Xiaoke.

       The colleague’s heart practically exploded. Who could have imagined that Chairman Jiang, who was usually stern-faced and rarely chatted with them, turned out behind the scenes to be a full-on wife-doting maniac? This colleague who was helping with the move nearly wanted to drop everything in his hands and run back downstairs immediately to spread the gossip.

       Jiang Tongyan. The good man.

       That label was firmly slapped on him from then on.

       Faced with everyone’s gazes, Jiang Tongyan remained calm and unbothered. Qian Xiaoke, on the other hand, was the one who became embarrassed first.

       “Uh, well…” Flustered, Qian Xiaoke hugged the large box and hurried forward, while saying to the colleague helping him, “You can just put it here, I’ll do it myself…”

       As it happened, the more panicked a person was, the easier it was to make a fool of themselves.

       Qian Xiaoke planned to take a few quick steps forward to set down the box in his arms so he could help with the one the colleague was carrying. In his rush, he tripped over himself, pitched straight forward, and successfully fell into his man’s arms.

       The colleague’s emotions were extremely complicated. On one hand, the gossip material had become even richer; on the other, there was a sour ache in their heart, as if they had turned into a freshly squeezed lemon.

       Why was it that other people could have such sweet love?

       Everyone was working the same job. Qian Xiaoke, this… was being good at acting spoiled made life easier?

       The colleague sighed, set down the things in their hands, then silently retreated, choosing to exit quietly and gracefully, leaving this blissful paradise to the affectionate couple.

       After the colleague left, Qian Xiaoke muttered, “Great, I embarrassed myself again.”

       “Not embarrassing,” Jiang Tongyan said, rubbing his head. “Everyone’s already used to it.”

       With a complicated mood, Qian Xiaoke finished moving his things before getting out of work. He followed Jiang Tongyan on a walk around the empty office area and, in the end, was pulled into Chairman Jiang’s large private office.

       Qian Xiaoke put on a reserved, modest air. “Chairman Jiang, what are you doing?”

       His back was pressed to the wall. He pursed his lips, and when he spoke, his voice was soft and sweet, looking as if he were resisting yet welcoming at the same time.

       Jiang Tongyan looked him over, closed the door properly, and said with a smile, “What do you think I’m doing?”

       “Oh my!” Qian Xiaoke said dramatically, grabbing his own collar. “I’m not that kind of person! I won’t use my body in exchange for a promotion!”

       “…You’re quite principled, little front-desk clerk!”

       “Of course! I’m a front-desk clerk with integrity!”

       “Integrity?” Jiang Tongyan laughed. “Then what are you doing right now?”

       At that moment, the little front-desk clerk surnamed Qian, who was declaring himself full of integrity, already had both arms wrapped around Chairman Jiang’s waist.

       Jiang Tongyan put on a serious expression. “I’m a domineering CEO with integrity.”

       Qian Xiaoke pouted. “What domineering CEO has integrity?”

       He leaned closer. “Domineering CEOs think about nothing all day except using their power to prey on tasty little front-desk clerks.”

       “What kind of novel have you been reading now?”

       “A new work by author Qian Xiaoke, ‘One Thousand and One Nights With the Domineering CEO’.”

       “Where did you publish it? I’ll go give you a tip.”

       Qian Xiaoke leaned against him and grinned foolishly. “I haven’t written it yet. Instead of tipping, you might as well use that effort to kiss me.”

       As he spoke, he rose onto his toes and tilted his head up, moving closer.

       Qian Xiaoke was genuinely a little happy that day. After all, tomorrow was New Year’s Day. Saying farewell to the old and welcoming the new made him feel light and floaty, not to mention that this year’s New Year’s Eve was different from before.

       Ever since he started university, almost every New Year’s Eve had been spent alone.

       Back when he was a student, his roommates were all locals or lived only one or two hours away by car. Before New Year’s Day, they would all go home, leaving the entire dorm with just him, a pitiful little kid. The first year he spent New Year’s alone, Qian Xiaoke cried for more than two hours, pathetically.

       Later, he gradually got used to it. He understood that as an adult, one was destined to learn how to endure loneliness. Still, every year, whenever he had a chance to make a wish, he would hope that the heavens would grant him a boyfriend who could accompany him during the holidays. If that really wasn’t possible, an ordinary friend would do. But the heavens were too busy, with too many people’s wishes to fulfil. He had queued for several years, and this year, it was finally realised.

       This year, Qian Xiaoke finally did not have to spend New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day alone.

       He hugged Jiang Tongyan and took the initiative to ask for a kiss, only to have his mouth covered.

       “So bold, little front-desk clerk!”

       Qian Xiaoke frowned, anxiously demanding a kiss.

       “Kissing is fine,” Jiang Tongyan said, “but this counts as you seducing me. I won’t give you a chance to rise through the ranks.”

       When Qian Xiaoke heard that, he directly bit Jiang Tongyan’s hand. “You’re so annoying!”

       As he said this, Qian Xiaoke pushed Jiang Tongyan to the corner and kissed him forcefully in a very ‘domineering’ way.

       The two of them kissed with intense entanglement. After all, it was the new office’s ‘first kiss’. Their state was excellent, so good that Jiang Tongyan became hard.

       “So shameless,” Qian Xiaoke said, blushing. “You really have no sense of shame!”

       “I can be even more shameless. Want to hear it?” Jiang Tongyan looked at Qian Xiaoke and wickedly raised his eyebrows.

       Qian Xiaoke put on an innocent expression, tilted his head, and asked, “What?”

       Jiang Tongyan pointed at the solid wood executive desk. “See that desk?”

       “I’m not blind.”

       “Prepared for you.”

       “Huh?” Qian Xiaoke was shocked. “You want me to work there?”

       “No, no, no.” Jiang Tongyan leaned close to Qian Xiaoke’s ear and, imitating the classic ‘wicked smile’ from novels, he said, “It was specially prepared for you so that we can do naughty stuff on it.”

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       Qian Xiaoke only ate half full for this meal. He really didn’t dare to eat too much, fearing he would ruin his image in his parents’ hearts.

During that meal, Qian Xiaoke only ate until he was about half full. He really didn’t dare eat too much, afraid of ruining the image he had built in Jiang Tongyan’s parents’ minds.

       He needed to create the image of a delicate, lovable little thing, not the kind of foodie who, once food was served, would ‘sweep through it like the autumn wind scattering fallen leaves’ and wishing he could lick the plates clean.

       No, absolutely not.

       Even though recently, both he and Jiang Tongyan had pretty much become the latter.

       Jiang Tongyan asked him, “You’re done eating?”

       “Mm, I’m full,” Qian Xiaoke said with a well-behaved smile. “It was really delicious. I’m stuffed.”

       Jiang Tongyan hesitated, then suppressed a laugh and said, “Alright, then let’s leave it at that.”

       Jiang Tongyan’s parents had no idea that Qian Xiaoke was putting on an act and said worriedly, “Xiaoke ate so little. Was it not to your taste, or is your stomach uncomfortable?”

       “No, no,” Qian Xiaoke hurriedly waved his hands to explain. “I’ve always had a small appetite.”

       Delicate little cuties like me live off dew, you know!

       Jiang Tongyan, standing to the side, was holding back laughter so hard he was about to injure himself internally. In his head, he was ranting nonstop: Qian Xiaoke! That’s enough already! Don’t you dare cry from hunger in the middle of the night!

       Qian Xiaoke actually still wanted to eat. He really loved today’s dishes. But since he had started acting, he had to carry it through to the end. He could only endure it.

       After dinner, it was already quite late. The family of four sat in the living room chatting. Qian Xiaoke was wound tight with nerves, extremely well-behaved, and tried his best not to interrupt. Only when he was directly asked a question, did he answer seriously, like an elementary school student being called on by the teacher.

       By the end of the evening, Qian Xiaoke was so exhausted that his head felt dizzy. He felt that meeting the parents didn’t just drain mental energy; it also drained physical energy. Right now, he was tired and hungry, and even felt like he had lost several pounds.

       When it was time to rest, Jiang Tongyan took his parents next door to stay. His mother said a bit unhappily, “Can’t you tear down that wall in the middle? Otherwise it feels like a married couple living separately.”

       As soon as Jiang Tongyan heard this, he knew his mother had clearly misunderstood. Whether that wall was torn down or not had long since stopped mattering, because from the very first day he and Qian Xiaoke confirmed their relationship, they had been sleeping in the same bed every night.

       Well, that wasn’t entirely precise. It should be said that, except for when Jiang Tongyan was away on business trips, the two of them slept in the same bed the rest of the time. As for when Jiang Tongyan was on business trips, Qian Xiaoke wasn’t lonely either. Jiang Tongyan’s body was forced to leave, but his soul remained in his little boyfriend’s bed.

       Two utterly hopeless people.

       “This is a rented place. How can we just tear down a wall whenever we want? Please be rational,” Jiang Tongyan said.

       “Then just buy it,” Jiang Tongyan’s mother said casually, clearly not short on money. “It’s just that this place is a bit small. If you two get married, it would be a little shabby as a marital home.”

       When Jiang Tongyan heard this, he laughed to himself and thought that her words absolutely could not be heard by Qian Xiaoke. Otherwise, that guy would start feeling sad again and sigh about the vast gap between the rich and the poor in the world.

       That kid was very sensitive.

       Jiang Tongyan settled his parents in next door, chatted briefly, made plans to accompany them sightseeing the next day, and then jogged back to Qian Xiaoke’s place next door.

       When Jiang Tongyan returned, he didn’t see Qian Xiaoke. He searched around and finally found the guy in the kitchen, sneaking food like a little mouse.

       “Is this really necessary?” Jiang Tongyan laughed at him. “If you weren’t full, you could’ve just kept eating. Why pretend to have a bird’s appetite?”

       “I just want to leave a good impression on your parents.” Qian Xiaoke said while eating. “I was afraid they would think I eat too much and start worrying that I would eat you into poverty.”

       “You’re really overthinking it,” Jiang Tongyan laughed. “My family has plenty of money. Even ten of you couldn’t eat us poor.”

       “Oh wow! Jiang Tongyan, you’re really imagining things nicely, huh!”

       “What am I imagining?”

       “Ten of me all revolving around you. Sounds great, doesn’t it?”

       Jiang Tongyan pictured it in his head and nearly got a nosebleed.

       One Qian Xiaoke pounding his back, one Qian Xiaoke massaging his shoulders, one Qian Xiaoke kneading his legs, one Qian Xiaoke fanning him. Of the remaining four, two were tucked under his arms on each side, and the last two stood to his left and right, praising him wildly. They wouldn’t even need to say much. Just calling him an unparalleled top would be enough.

       Amazing.

       Just thinking about it felt amazing.

       Of course, the even better content wouldn’t pass censorship, so Jiang Tongyan kept it to himself.

       After all, for him, shared joy was never as good as enjoying it alone.

       Late at night, the two of them got clingy again in the kitchen. Qian Xiaoke, who had vowed to lose weight, ate and drank his fill, then rubbed his round belly. “Is this… not very good?”

       Jiang Tongyan had originally wanted to tease him, but then he suddenly remembered how he had upset him at dinner because of this exact issue. Better not bring up a sore spot again.

       He leaned over and touched Qian Xiaoke’s round, puffed-up belly, grinning as he said, “It’s fine. Totally normal. After all, you’re pregnant with twins, a boy and a girl.”

       “Why are you so greedy?” Qian Xiaoke slapped his hand away. “Twins my ass. I’m only pregnant with one, and it’s a monkey!”

       “Wukong?”

       “The Six-Eared Macaque¹Six-Eared Macaque is a major antagonist and one of the most powerful characters in Wu Cheng’en’s fantasy novel Journey to the West, best remembered for closely impersonating Sun Wukong!”

       Jiang Tongyan was so amused he nearly laughed himself to death right there in the kitchen. He wrapped an arm around him and led him outward, gently rubbing his belly as he did. “I’m telling you, you really shouldn’t do this in the future.”

       Qian Xiaoke shot him a sideways glance.

       “I already told you, just be yourself. Whatever you’re like, we all like you,” Jiang Tongyan said. In truth, his heart ached for him.

       Qian Xiaoke usually looked carefree and easygoing, but in reality, he was a very delicate-minded person. So delicate that ever since the two of them got together, whenever Jiang Tongyan went on a business trip, it was always Qian Xiaoke who packed his luggage, arranging everything neatly. And every single time, Qian Xiaoke would randomly slip a small note into the pocket of one piece of clothing. On it, he would write: Miss me!

       Qian Xiaoke was exactly that kind of person, the kind people couldn’t help but dote on.

       Although lately Qian Xiaoke no longer talked about differences between them or anything like that, Jiang Tongyan could still feel the pressure he was under.

       At the company, colleagues wouldn’t say anything directly to him, but when interacting with Qian Xiaoke, there were definitely changes. They even stopped chatting and gossiping with him as much as before.

       No one was deliberately isolating Qian Xiaoke, but after all, Qian Xiaoke was family with Jiang Tongyan. There was always a gap between ordinary employees and management, and being caught in the middle made things very hard for him.

       And that was just the situation at work.

       Qian Xiaoke never complained to him. He was cheerful every day, but the pressure he carried was definitely not small.

       “Baby,” Jiang Tongyan said, “what do I have to do to make you feel at ease?”

       Qian Xiaoke froze for a moment and turned to look at him. “Why are you saying that?”

       Jiang Tongyan pulled him over to the sofa and sat down, letting Qian Xiaoke lie across his lap while he gently massaged his belly.

       “I thought about it seriously,” Jiang Tongyan said. “The reason you’re so worried and so tense is nothing more than the fact that I haven’t given you enough security.”

       “That’s not it…”

       “It is,” Jiang Tongyan sighed. “I should’ve reflected on this a long time ago.”

       Qian Xiaoke frowned and poked his chin. “Don’t be so serious. It’s not your problem, it’s mine.”

       “It is my problem,” Jiang Tongyan said, grabbing his hand and kissing it. “If I could make you feel that no matter what happens, no matter what others say or think, I’ll always stand firmly by your side, then you wouldn’t have all these worries.”

       It was rare for Jiang Tongyan to be this deeply emotional, to the point that Qian Xiaoke didn’t even know what expression he should be wearing.

       Qian Xiaoke sat up, swung a leg over and straddled Jiang Tongyan’s lap, wrapped his arms around his neck, and said in a coaxing, clingy tone, “It really isn’t that. I’m just… I mean…”

       He pressed his lips together, a little embarrassed to say it out loud.

       “You’re my wife.”

       “Hey! That’s not what I meant!” Qian Xiaoke laughed. “What I mean is, I really don’t doubt you at all. You’re already very good to me. I’m serious.”

       Jiang Tongyan curled his lips. “Bullshit.”

       Qian Xiaoke laughed and tugged at his face. “Who despises themselves like that?”

       “Aren’t I standing up for you?”

       “You don’t have to!” Qian Xiaoke hugged him and muttered softly. “Actually, my thinking is really simple. The reason I’m so nervous is that I don’t want to make things hard for you.”

       “Hm? What do you mean?”

       “Hehe.” Qian Xiaoke laughed. “Of course I know you love me and that it has to be me. After all, I’m already pregnant with your twins.”

       Jiang Tongyan laughed and gave his butt a light smack.

       “You can’t abandon the three of us, or I’ll ruin your reputation, so that part I’m not worried about.”

       He really made it sound convincing.

       Jiang Tongyan couldn’t help laughing.

       “And it’s not because I feel inferior. I’m not inferior at all. Someone as lovable as me is something you couldn’t find even with a lantern.”

       “That’s right,” Jiang Tongyan agreed. “I think you’re absolutely right.”

       Having been praised, Qian Xiaoke was delighted. With his ears tinged red, he burrowed into Jiang Tongyan’s arms.

       “Then what is it, exactly?” Jiang Tongyan really couldn’t figure him out. Just now Qian Xiaoke said he didn’t want to make things hard for him, but what hardship was there for him?

       “I’m worried that in this whole world, only you and I think I’m a rare and precious little darling, while your parents don’t think so. That after meeting me, they’ll feel we’re not suitable and ask us to break up,” Qian Xiaoke said seriously. “At that point, you definitely wouldn’t agree, and I wouldn’t just take the money and leave either. Between bread and love, I still want to choose love.”

       Qian Xiaoke spoke from the heart, and Jiang Tongyan listened with his heart. Once they were both fully in it, they couldn’t help feeling a little moved.

       “You would definitely end up arguing with your parents because of me,” Qian Xiaoke looked up at him. “That’s what I’m worried about. I don’t want you to have conflicts with your family, so I want to do my best to be good enough, hoping I can make them satisfied. That way, they won’t oppose us being together, and you won’t have to fight with them.”

       Jiang Tongyan raised a hand and covered his face.

       “What’s wrong?” Qian Xiaoke tilted his head and looked at him.

       “What am I supposed to do?”

       “Huh? What do you mean?” Qian Xiaoke was completely confused.

       “My baby is beautiful and kind-hearted, not only loving me but also understanding me and considering me in everything. How did I end up with such good fortune…” Jiang Tongyan fake-cried dramatically. “I’m moved. I want to cry.”

       Qian Xiaoke stared at him. After a few seconds, he started singing to him, “Men cry, cry, cry, it’s not a crime…” and then hiccupped.

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       Although Qian Xiaoke always felt that he was someone who had ‘seen the big world’, he was also very clear that the so-called grand scenes of domineering CEO families, the kind where someone said “Here’s five million, leave my son,” were things he had only ever seen in novels. When he actually had to meet in person parents-in-law who were rich, good-looking, and carried themselves with exceptional grace, his legs started going weak all over.

       Although Jiang Tongyan told Qian Xiaoke not to care so much and that he only needed to be himself, beauty was in the eye of the lover. When your lover thought you were a bit silly, that was called being genuine. When others saw it, that was called being truly… stupid.

       Although Jiang Tongyan’s parents looked very kind and were also especially good-looking, Qian Xiaoke’s mind was still clear. These were his parents-in-law. He absolutely could not slack off. The moment he did, his relationship with Jiang Tongyan, which was already not optimistic in his imagination, might very well collapse on the spot.

       Otherwise, why would one say that Comrade Qian Xiaoke had such a rich inner world? No one had ever told him that their relationship was not favoured, but after years of being steeped in melodramatic novels, he had already constructed an entire saga in his head about the love-hate entanglement between a wealthy elite family and a poor boy.

       That kind of love was tragic and moving. Unfortunately, true love could not overcome capital and power, and in the end, it still met a tragic conclusion.

       This was probably just the fate of a poor boy like him.

       “What are you thinking about?” Jiang Tongyan pinched Qian Xiaoke’s butt. “Did you go out without wearing long johns?”

       “I didn’t,” Qian Xiaoke said. “What kind of seductive bottom wears long johns?”

       “You made me wear them, and you didn’t wear them yourself. Is that appropriate?”

       “I made you wear them because I thought you would be cold,” Qian Xiaoke said righteously. “That’s a manifestation of my love for you.”

       “Cut it. I’ll have to keep an eye on you tomorrow morning.” After saying that, Jiang Tongyan suddenly realised something was off. “Don’t change the subject. What were you thinking about just now?”

       The two of them were getting ready to cook. Recently, Jiang Tongyan and Qian Xiaoke had genuinely been working hard on their cooking skills. Not long ago, Jiang Tongyan had accidentally seen an advertisement and was about to sign them both up for some kind of ‘New Oriental’ cooking class.

       Qian Xiaoke actually could not quite understand why Jiang Tongyan had suddenly become so enthusiastic about cooking.

       Jiang Tongyan’s explanation was that cooking relieved stress.

       For him, cooking really did relieve stress, but it had to be stated beforehand that it only worked when he was cooking for his own family. Outsiders did not count.

       Outsiders wanted to eat food cooked by Chairman Jiang?

       Don’t even think about it.

       He was stingy like that.

       As the highly motivated Jiang Tongyan prepped the ingredients, Qian Xiaoke helped out beside him. When Jiang Tongyan turned his head and glanced over, he saw that this guy had a strange expression, and who knew what he was mulling over again.

       “I’m just worried that what if Uncle and Auntie don’t like me,” Qian Xiaoke said. “Do you think Auntie might give me five million and tell me to leave you?”

       As soon as Jiang Tongyan heard that, he laughed so hard he nearly flung the cleaver out of his hand.

       “Can you stop reading weird novels?”

       “They’re not weird!” Qian Xiaoke said. “This kind of plot is super common!”

       “That’s still a novel,” Jiang Tongyan said solemnly. “And it’s way too unrealistic. How could five million be enough? No matter what, it should be ten million.”

       “Huh?” Qian Xiaoke stared at him in shock, his mouth opening into a perfect circle, big enough to stuff an egg into.

       “If she really does that to you,” Jiang Tongyan said, “you should ask for an outrageous amount. Demand ten million.”

       Qian Xiaoke narrowed his eyes at him. “I smell a conspiracy. Are you planning to wait until I get the money and then elope with me? That way, you get both the person and the money. As expected of you, Jiang Tongyan!”

       Jiang Tongyan looked at him and smiled. “No. I was thinking that if you take the initiative to ask for money, that’s extortion. Extortion is a crime. If you commit a crime, you get arrested. If you get arrested, you go to prison.”

       “…You’re so annoying!” Qian Xiaoke shot him a glare.

       Jiang Tongyan laughed nonstop. “As expected of me, Jiang Tongyan!”

       After joking around for a bit, Qian Xiaoke was not as nervous as before.

       “You really don’t need to be scared,” Jiang Tongyan said after teasing him, adding a few considerate words. “I know my parents. My family knew my sexual orientation eight hundred years ago, and I told them about our relationship on the first day we were together.”

       “The first day?” Qian Xiaoke said. “You sure moved fast.”

       This rotten man, Jiang Tongyan, was actually lying.

       He did not tell them on the first day they were together. He told them before they were even together, saying, “Look, in the future, I’m going to marry him.”

       He was thick-skinned to the extreme.

       “Qian Xiaoke.”

       “Mm?”

       “I know you won’t be able to relax completely no matter how I persuade you, but I hope you understand that my family and I will be happy and blessed that you can join us.” Jiang Tongyan suddenly said sentimentally, “We don’t need you to have any extraordinary family background or cultural education, nor do we need you to have the temperament and height of a supermodel or the delicate face of an actor. All we need is the cute and ordinary Qian Xiaoke.”

       Jiang Tongyan turned around to look at him. When he saw that guy standing there stupidly with a head of Chinese cabbage in his hands, he couldn’t help laughing. “But then again, you’re not ordinary either.”

       “How am I not ordinary…” Qian Xiaoke’s heart was racing. He realised that he was used to Jiang Tongyan’s usual clingy, unserious manner. The moment this man became serious and spoke sincere words of affection, he had no ability to fend it off at all.

       How could he be that handsome?

       “I really am very ordinary,” Qian Xiaoke said. “You don’t need to comfort me.”

       “I wasn’t comforting you. I can’t even be bothered to comfort people,” Jiang Tongyan said. “I was just telling the truth.”

       He put down the cleaver in his hand, took the Chinese cabbage that Qian Xiaoke had almost torn to pieces, and went to wash it.

       “I’ve seen plenty of the world too. I’ve seen all kinds of beautiful men and women, yet I fell so deeply in love with you to death, and you’re telling me you’re ordinary? That’s basically questioning my taste!”

       After hearing this, Qian Xiaoke successfully latched onto the main point. “You fell in love with me to the point dying?”

       The tips of Jiang Tongyan’s ears turned red. He snorted twice through his nose and ignored him.

       Qian Xiaoke laughed and leaned over to wash the cabbage with him, even bumping his arm with his small shoulder. “You fell in love with me to death!”

       Jiang Tongyan rolled his eyes.

       “Chairman Jiang, you’re making me really embarrassed like this!” Qian Xiaoke said smugly, his delight practically making his nonexistent rabbit tail grow longer.

       “Embarrassed? You look pretty pleased with yourself to me.”

       “No, no,” Qian Xiaoke laughed so hard he couldn’t stop. “I’m so shy I can’t even bear to look at you!”

       He said that, but when Jiang Tongyan turned his head to look at him, Qian Xiaoke still quickly stood on tiptoe and planted a kiss on him.

       After all that fooling around in the kitchen, Qian Xiaoke really did gradually relax. It was just that Jiang Tongyan’s parents, who were waiting outside to eat, saw that the kitchen door still hadn’t opened and didn’t dare go in to ask. They could only listen to the alternating chorus of growls from their own stomachs and silently regret having let the two of them cook in the first place.

       Because Qian Xiaoke and Jiang Tongyan kept interacting so frequently in the kitchen, their cooking efficiency was low, and by the time the four of them finally sat down to eat, it was already quite late.

       Still, the fact that Jiang Tongyan could make braised pork with glass noodles, chicken stewed with mushrooms, sauerkraut ribs, and three earthly delicacies¹a classic, savory Northeastern Chinese home-style dish made from three common underground vegetables: eggplant, potato, and green pepper, stir-fried together, often after being briefly deep-fried, creating a dish that’s rich, flavorful, and a super popular side for rice surprised his parents greatly.

       “All Northeastern dishes,” Jiang Tongyan’s father said. “Not bad, not bad. They’re done pretty well.”

       “More than pretty well,” Jiang Tongyan bragged smugly. “Otherwise, how could I have fed Xiaoke into getting this chubby?”

       Qian Xiaoke, who had been eating with his head down, froze on the spot. His eyes almost teared up, his chopsticks nearly clattering onto the floor.

       Jiang Tongyan had meant it as a joke, and also as a roundabout way to show that the two of them were living well together. He just hadn’t expected Qian Xiaoke to take it so much to heart.

       For someone who was a ‘seductive bottom’, gaining weight was practically the destruction of his ‘career’. It was deadly serious.

       Qian Xiaoke couldn’t help pursing his lips.

       “What nonsense are you talking about?” Jiang Tongyan’s mother shot a glare at her son for speaking improperly. “Xiaoke looks great. Where is he fat?”

       Qian Xiaoke looked at Jiang Tongyan’s mother with a heart full of gratitude.

       Mama Jiang continued scolding her son. “What fat or not fat? Health is what matters most. If you like it, then eat. Being able to eat is a blessing in itself!”

       “Yes, yes, you’re absolutely right,” Jiang Tongyan replied obediently.

       “Xiaoke, don’t listen to him,” Mama Jiang said after finishing her lecture of her tactless son, then turned to comfort the clearly somewhat hurt Qian Xiaoke. “You’re not fat at all. You’re adorable. Auntie just likes kids like you!”

       Qian Xiaoke became embarrassed, truly embarrassed this time.

       He felt that he shouldn’t have had a little sulk at the dinner table. If Jiang Tongyan had annoyed him, the two of them could talk about it later after they got home. He hadn’t expected Mama Jiang to comfort him like this.

       Jiang Tongyan looked at Qian Xiaoke, then at his own mother, and suddenly felt a sense of crisis. He felt that his position as the top one in Qian Xiaoke’s heart was in grave danger.

       “Baby,” Jiang Tongyan hurried to make amends, “I shouldn’t have made that kind of joke that made you uncomfortable just now. I’m sorry, okay?”

       Once he said that, Qian Xiaoke felt even more awkward.

       The whole family was coaxing him, making him seem small-minded instead.

       Qian Xiaoke hurried to explain, “It’s fine, it’s fine. I really am fine, I…”

       He suddenly felt that he was terrible with words and didn’t know how to defuse the awkwardness at all.

       Flustered, he looked at Jiang Tongyan and suddenly realised that in moments like this, he always subconsciously sought help from him. Was this what people called love?

       Because of love, no matter what happened, the first thing he wanted to do was rely on the other person?

       Jiang Tongyan smiled and raised his hand to rub Qian Xiaoke’s soft hair. “You’re the cutest.”

       Qian Xiaoke pressed his lips together, his heart feeling both sour and warm.

       “How about I eat more too? I’ll eat myself into a big fatty and let you poke my belly every day, okay?”

       Qian Xiaoke finally couldn’t hold it in and burst out laughing. “Hey, don’t be like that!”

       He laughed, and Jiang Tongyan’s parents, sitting across from them, laughed as well. Watching the two kids be so cute even when having a little spat, the couple felt comforted too.

       “Alright, eat properly now,” Mama Jiang said when she saw that the two of them had shown enough affection. She took the initiative to steer things back on track. She said, “So you see, even in an intimate relationship, you need to pay attention to your wording and sense of proportion, and also be mindful of the other person’s feelings. Mom hopes that when you run into problems in the future, you’ll be able to resolve them like this. It’s not just about who gives in a step, but more about understanding each other.”

       Jiang Tongyan and Qian Xiaoke nodded obediently, silently conveying: Mom, we’ve learned.

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T/N:
Happy New year all~
This series will also come to an end soon around.. hmm? 6 chaps more?
I’ll upload everything by this month tho, so dw
After this I will able to take one more series and there’s one series that I’ve been thinking to take either that or I’ll make the server mod create a request series channel~

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