Cheng Boyan was still chatting with Director Xu. Xiang Xi was anxious to ask about the details, but after waiting a long time without getting a chance, he finally walked over, gave him a push, and mouthed: “Hang up first!”

Cheng Boyan nodded, said a couple more words to Director Xu, and hung up.

“Your mom is coming over? Director Xu is coming too?” As soon as the call ended, Xiang Xi grabbed his arm and asked.

“Yeah, and also my… grandma and my aunt…” Before Cheng Boyan could finish, Xiang Xi had already turned and rushed into the bedroom. Cheng Boyan followed him and saw him yanking open the wardrobe and pulling his clothes out. He froze for a moment. “What are you doing?”

“Your mom is coming! And your grandma! Even your aunt is coming!” Xiang Xi hurriedly tossed clothes onto the bed. “Where’s my bag? How long until they get here?”

“Xiang Xi,” Cheng Boyan grabbed him, “are you trying to run away?”

“What, am I supposed to just stay here?” Xiang Xi looked at him. “Your mom! Director Xu! And Director Xu’s mother and her sister-in-law…”

“And then?” Cheng Boyan still held onto him, using his other hand to pick up the clothes Xiang Xi had thrown on the bed and hang them back one by one.

“I… don’t know,” Xiang Xi frowned. “I just feel like… I… it’s not appropriate for me to stay here, right? Last time Director Xu came, I was scared shitless…”

“What’s inappropriate about it? My mom knows about me, my grandma knows too—my whole family knows,” Cheng Boyan frowned a little when he thought about how they had found out. “What’s inappropriate about us living together?”

“Your family…” Xiang Xi froze, then struggled again to shake off his hand. “Even if they all know, it’s still not okay. How about I go out for a walk first—I just ate too much anyway. Ah! The dishes aren’t even cleaned…”

“Xiang Xi,” Cheng Boyan held his chin and made him look into his eyes, “you don’t need to be this nervous.”

“I’m not nervous!” Xiang Xi stared back at him. “I’m… scared.”

“Scared?” Cheng Boyan smiled. “Just—”

“I need to use the bathroom,” Xiang Xi struggled again. “Let go, let go! I really need to go!”

Cheng Boyan had no choice but to release him. Xiang Xi dashed into the bathroom and shut the door.

Cheng Boyan waited in the living room for several minutes, but Xiang Xi didn’t come out. He walked to the bathroom door and knocked. “Did you get scared so bad you’re shitting yourself?”

“Where did your refined manners go!” Xiang Xi clicked his tongue inside, then sighed. “I was going to pee, but now I can’t…”

“I know what you’re thinking,” Cheng Boyan leaned against the door-frame. “You think my mom and the others won’t like you, right?”

There was silence inside. After a while, Xiang Xi answered softly, “Yeah.”

“I don’t have time right now to talk this through bit by bit,” Cheng Boyan tapped the wall with his fingers. “You—”

“What a great son,” Xiang Xi said, voice low. “Good-looking, great body, excellent student, successful career. Anywhere he stands, he’s the most eye-catching one… and he ends up choosing a… thug with no ID and a bunch of messy problems hanging over him…”

“Former thug,” Cheng Boyan corrected.

“Former thug is still the same. Some things—you and I might think they’re in the past, our friends might think so too…” Xiang Xi’s voice trembled slightly, “but in family’s eyes, they never go away. You get what I mean?”

Cheng Boyan didn’t speak.

“If I were just some random person, I believe Director Xu wouldn’t care about my past—maybe she’d even encourage me to move forward,” Xiang Xi lowered his voice, “but once she knows I’m the… boyfriend her precious son chose, would she still think that? It’s human nature; don’t tell me you’ve never thought about it.”

“So?” Cheng Boyan asked after a moment of silence.

“So what?” Xiang Xi asked, a bit confused.

“Even if everything you said is right and makes sense,” Cheng Boyan said, “so what? You’re going to hide? Fine, let’s say you run off, go take a walk like you want—then what?”

No sound came from the bathroom.

“I’m asking you,” Cheng Boyan knocked on the door, “then what, Mr. Can’t-Shit-It-Out?”

The bathroom door clicked open. Xiang Xi stood there. “I’m not constipated—I just couldn’t pee.”

“Really?” Cheng Boyan whistled. “So? How’d it go?”

Xiang Xi froze. “How’d what go?”

Cheng Boyan whistled again. “Can you pee now?”

“…You’re hopeless,” Xiang Xi squeezed past him into the living room. “You’d better try this crazy act in front of Director Xu later too.”

“Not going for a walk anymore?” Cheng Boyan followed him out and sat on the sofa with a smile.

“Not going. But now I’m actually nervous,” Xiang Xi sat next to him and pressed his hand onto Cheng Boyan’s thigh. “Feel that.”

His hand was trembling—badly.

Cheng Boyan grabbed his hand and rubbed it hard. “It is a bit sudden today. It’s fine—if you’re still nervous later, just stay in the bedroom. No one will go in there.”

“Are you nervous?” Xiang Xi turned to look at him. “My ears are buzzing.”

“Me?” Cheng Boyan suddenly laughed, leaning back into the sofa. “The moment my mom said she was coming, I didn’t even ask about my grandma’s hospital situation. My ears started buzzing then and haven’t stopped.”

Xiang Xi laughed too. “Damn, I thought people like you never get nervous.”

“I don’t get nervous about most things,” Cheng Boyan said, hooking a finger at the tear mole under his eye, “but this? Yeah.”

“Xiang Xi, I’m telling you—there’s one thing I won’t force you on, but that habit of yours of saying ‘fuck this, fuck that’, don’t let it slip out in front of my mom.”

“Okay,” Xiang Xi closed his eyes, took two deep breaths, and slowly exhaled. “I won’t talk.”

Both of them were tense. After clearing the dishes, they sat side by side on the sofa, staring wide-eyed at the TV—which wasn’t even turned on.

When Cheng Boyan’s phone rang, Xiang Xi jumped to his feet and stood in the middle of the living room. “Is it Director Xu?!”

“Yeah,” Cheng Boyan picked up the phone. “Mom?”

“Which floor do you live on?” his mother’s voice came through.

In the background, his grandma’s voice could be heard: “What a mother you are—not even knowing which floor your own son lives on…”

“Twelfth,” Cheng Boyan smiled. “You’re here?”

“Yeah, we’re coming up now. Your grandma looks like she wants to fly upstairs,” his mom said.

“Mom,” Cheng Boyan hesitated, then decided to give her a heads-up, “there’s… someone here.”

“A friend?” his mom paused. “Or…?”

“Mm,” Cheng Boyan glanced at Xiang Xi, who was standing stiffly, not moving. “You’ve seen him before.”

There was a short silence before his mom said, “Got it. I don’t remember what he looks like—guess I’ll see when I get there.”

“What did she say?” Xiang Xi asked stiffly, voice tight.

“She said she’ll come up and take a look at you,” Cheng Boyan pulled him into a hug and squeezed him.

“Alright… if I die, I die,” Xiang Xi bit his lip. “I’ll just go all out.”

Cheng Boyan laughed and went to turn on the TV. “It’s not that serious.”

“Hey, turning the TV on is right,” Xiang Xi called out. “I was just thinking something felt off—it was too quiet, made me nervous.”

“Feel better now?” Cheng Boyan asked.

“No. I can only guarantee I won’t swear,” Xiang Xi rubbed his nose.

“Don’t be nervous.” Cheng Boyan leaned in and kissed his forehead hard.

“…You don’t be nervous either,” Xiang Xi touched his forehead. “Your teeth hit me.”

The soundproofing in Cheng Boyan’s apartment was decent—normally you couldn’t hear the hallway—but today, even with the TV on, Xiang Xi still heard the elevator ding.

“They’re here! They’re here!” he pointed at the door.

Cheng Boyan had been a bit uneasy too, but seeing Xiang Xi acting like he was facing a great enemy, he couldn’t help laughing. “Baby, you grew up on the streets—what haven’t you seen…”

“Stop talking!” Xiang Xi hissed. “Go open the door!”

As soon as he said that, the doorbell rang.

“Go!” Xiang Xi pushed Cheng Boyan—too hard from nerves, making him stumble.

Cheng Boyan laughed and went to open the door.

“The air conditioning is set way too low—the temperature difference between inside and outside must be fifteen degrees…” The first to walk in was Director Xu. After saying that, her eyes swept around the room.

Xiang Xi took a step forward, almost wanting to kneel and greet her like an empress. He felt so nervous he was about to walk with the same arm and leg.

“This is Xiang Xi…” Cheng Boyan began introducing.

Before he could finish, Xiang Xi bowed to Director Xu. “Hello, Auntie.”

“Ah, hello. No need to be so polite.” Director Xu opened the shoe cabinet and took out a few pairs of slippers.

Xiang Xi saw that the person following Director Xu into the room was a plump elderly woman, so he quickly bowed again. “Hello, Grandma.”

As soon as he said that greeting, Director Xu froze for a moment and turned to look at him.

“Oh my god!” the plump old lady cried awkwardly. “Is he calling me?”

“This is my aunt,” Cheng Boyan turned back to look at him, the corners of his mouth twitching as he tried to hold back a laugh.

In that instant, Xiang Xi practically wanted to jump out the window.

This… is the aunt?

This plump old lady is the aunt?

The embarrassment and tension made him completely lose his bearings.

Logically, this “aunt” should be younger than Director Xu…

But she really aged fast—and she was fat!

“Serves you right for rushing in to join the fun! Always squeezing to the front!” another elderly voice came from outside the door. “If you squeeze any further, you’ll be a great-grandma already!”

“…Hello, Aunt,” Xiang Xi finally came back to his senses and corrected himself, then stepped forward a bit and called out to the person still outside, “Hello, Grandma.”

“Alright, alright, alright,” Grandma responded, pushing the aunt. “Hurry up and come in.”

“I need to change shoes first,” the aunt said while taking off her shoes, her gaze continuously sweeping up and down over Xiang Xi. “Boyan’s just like my sister-in-law—so particular. I told them not to come, it’s such a hassle.”

“No need to change shoes,” Cheng Boyan said. “I haven’t even mopped these past couple of days.”

Because they had just been eating, the air conditioner was indeed set low, but in just the short time since everyone entered, Xiang Xi was already so nervous that his back had started sweating.

Watching Cheng Boyan help Grandma sit on the sofa, Xiang Xi suddenly remembered himself, rushed into the kitchen, grabbed a set of cups, poured water, and brought them over to Grandma, Director Xu, and that plump old… no, plump aunt.

“This is Boyan’s…” the aunt looked Xiang Xi up and down again, then leaned close to Director Xu and whispered, “boy…”

Director Xu smiled but didn’t say anything, only glanced at Cheng Boyan.

“Grandma went to the hospital for her eyes today?” Cheng Boyan ignored the aunt, patted Xiang Xi’s arm, and sat down beside Grandma.

Xiang Xi quickly followed and sat next to him.

“Mm, your mom insisted on getting them checked and said surgery might be needed, so we went to your hospital,” Grandma said, taking a sip of water, then looking at Xiang Xi. “Is your name Wang Xi?”

“Xiang, Xiang Xi,” Xiang Xi said with a smile.

“Oh, that’s quite appropriate—not ‘going west’ but ‘facing west’,” Grandma laughed, then looked at him again and nudged the aunt. “Such a good-looking kid.”

(NT: Wordplay on wǎng xi (往西) meaning to go West vs Xiang Xi (向西), toward the West/facing West)

“Good-looking,” the aunt nodded, then asked, “You two are living together now?”

She directed this question straight at Xiang Xi. He froze, not knowing how to answer.

The way she said “living together” carried an indescribable tone—this kind of direct question would already feel awkward even among relatives, but her tone had a hint of curiosity and prying.

It made him uncomfortable.

“You went to our hospital for an eye check—why didn’t you tell me?” Cheng Boyan handed Grandma a peeled banana.

“It was just a checkup first. We’ll notify you when it’s time for surgery,” Director Xu said from the side. “Your grandma didn’t want to bother you.”

“You’re so busy—telling you wouldn’t help anyway,” Grandma patted his hand. “I didn’t want to trouble you. It’s not like I can’t walk.”

The aunt’s question was brushed aside just like that. She took a sip of water and started watching TV.

With over a decade of experience reading people’s expressions, Xiang Xi quickly formed a rough judgment of Cheng Boyan’s three family members in just these few minutes.

Grandma was kind and easygoing, and clearly doted on Cheng Boyan.
The aunt… not likeable. The fact that Cheng Boyan directly ignored her and no higher authority objected made that obvious.

The one he couldn’t quite figure out was Director Xu. She hadn’t said much, and it was impossible to tell what she was thinking. Xiang Xi couldn’t even tell whether she still remembered the time he bought food for her.

After chatting with Cheng Boyan for a while, Grandma looked at Xiang Xi again. “Wang… Xiang Xi.”

“Just call me Wangxi,” Xiang Xi smiled and leaned a little closer to her. “Grandma.”

“How old are you? Are you still in school?” Grandma asked.

“I’m twenty, not studying anymore,” Xiang Xi said. “I’m learning tea from a master now.”

“Learning tea? Picking tea leaves?” Grandma didn’t quite understand.

Director Xu smiled. “It’s tea ceremony—the thing your eldest son is always into.”

“Oh, I get it,” Grandma nodded. “Holding a teapot and a few cups, pouring water back and forth for fun—people even need to study that? There’s really everything to learn these days…”

“Hey, Boyan, let me see your kitchen,” the aunt couldn’t sit still. She got up and walked to the kitchen doorway to peek inside. “Oh? You don’t even cook, but you’ve got everything set up?”

“It was all installed during renovation,” Cheng Boyan replied.

“What a waste,” the aunt clicked her tongue, then looked toward Xiang Xi again. “So you’re the one who cooks, right?”

Xiang Xi didn’t respond. The aunt kept circling back, trying to find out whether they lived together—if not for basic manners, she probably would’ve gone straight into the bedroom to check the closet.

“Otherwise, you can do it ?” Xiang Xi said.

The aunt froze for a moment, then fanned her face with her hand. “Oh my, this kid speaks pretty sharply.”

“Better than me,” Cheng Boyan smiled.

“You talk too much. If you can’t sit still, go home,” Grandma tapped Cheng Boyan’s shoulder with a mango. “Cut one for your aunt—plug her mouth.”

“I can’t eat a whole one, I’m dieting,” the aunt said.

“Then you and my mom split one,” Cheng Boyan said, glancing at his mother.

“Alright,” his mom nodded.

Cheng Boyan lowered his head and cut the mango, removed the core, and scored the flesh into cubes. Xiang Xi sat beside him, staying silent.

From the way he sat, Cheng Boyan could tell Xiang Xi was tense and uncomfortable. Someone who had never interacted with a “normal” family being suddenly placed into a “meeting the parents” situation…

“Want some?” After handing the mango to his mom and aunt, Cheng Boyan turned and asked him. “You can share one with Grandma.”

“I can’t eat anymore,” Grandma waved her hand quickly. “You two share it. If I eat more, your mom will scold me again.”

“Go ahead and eat,” his mom smiled. “I won’t scold you.”

“I really can’t,” Grandma rolled her eyes at her. “You think I’m afraid of you?”

Cheng Boyan took another mango and slowly started cutting it. Xiang Xi sat beside him, feeling uncomfortable all over.

He had never been good with this kind of situation—sitting in a room full of unfamiliar people. Back when people came to Uncle Ping’s place, he would always avoid them and go outside. Now not only did he have to sit here, he also had to try to act as refined and well-mannered as Cheng Boyan…

It was honestly torture.

He didn’t know what to say.

He didn’t know where to look.

Apart from secretly pinching Cheng Boyan’s butt when he handed him the mango—just to signal how uncomfortable he was—he stayed frozen on the sofa the whole time, sitting bolt upright.

“Xiang Xi.” Director Xu suddenly called out to him from across the room.

“Hey—” Xiang Xi sprang to his feet at once. “Auntie, what is it?”

“…Make me a cup of tea,” Director Xu said, seemingly startled by him, leaning back slightly. “Make it light.”

“Okay.” The moment he heard that, Xiang Xi turned and hurried into the kitchen.

As soon as he stepped inside, he instantly felt himself relax. He braced his hands on the counter, closed his eyes, and let out a long breath before slowly starting to boil water, wash the cups, and add the tea leaves.

“Boyan,” the aunt said while gnawing on a mango, “how long have you two known each other? Why is this kid’s temper so sharp?”

“He’s not like that with me,” Cheng Boyan smiled. “That’s enough.”

“Oh, look at you protecting him,” the aunt sighed. “Just like your grandma.”

“Not everyone is like Boyan,” his mother said. “He’s only twenty, still young. If he has a temper, he can’t hide it. He even almost got into a fight helping someone on the street.”

(NT: Cheng Boyan must be particularly brilliant, because Chinese students get their basic doctor’s degree around 23-24, and are practising doctors at 26-30)

Cheng Boyan froze at that and looked up at his mother.

“A fight?” the aunt perked up immediately. “Sister-in-law, what happened? You saw it?”

“He was standing up for me,” his mother said. “We ran into someone cutting in line and being unreasonable, started arguing, and he came over to help me.”

“Oh, I thought it was something serious,” the aunt immediately lost interest and leaned back on the sofa. Then she added quietly, “So… you’re quite satisfied with him?”

“Whether I’m satisfied or not doesn’t decide anything,” his mother glanced at her and smiled. “And what you think matters even less.”

“Exactly,” Grandma said from the side. “Stop worrying about things that aren’t your business and prying into everything. Even if you find out, no one’s going to listen to you anyway.”

Xiang Xi had stood up for his mother on the street?

Cheng Boyan glanced toward the kitchen. Xiang Xi had never mentioned this before.

His mother didn’t continue the topic and went back to chatting with Grandma, so he couldn’t ask more in front of the aunt, but he kept thinking about it.

He could more or less imagine what it looked like—maybe Xiang Xi rolled up his sleeves and went in with a “damn it,” ready to throw hands…

What kind of impression that left on his mother was hard to say.

Xiang Xi brought out the brewed tea and placed it in front of his mother. “Auntie, your tea. It’s a bit hot.”

“Thank you,” she smiled. “What kind of tea is this?”

“My master gave it to me—this year’s new tea from the Tea Research Institute. It’s quite good.”

“Alright, I’ll try it.” She nodded and took a small sip. “I don’t really know how to appreciate tea, though. Feels like a bit of a waste.”

“It’s not a waste,” Xiang Xi sat back down beside Cheng Boyan. “Drinking tea is like reading or listening to music—if you’ve heard it, seen it, drunk it… it’s all the same.”

Cheng Boyan glanced at him. Hearing something that philosophical come out of Xiang Xi—especially in such a tense situation—was unexpected.

His mother also seemed a bit surprised and didn’t speak after taking another sip.

“Yeah, as long as it goes into your stomach, it’s not wasted,” the aunt chimed in.

“That’s not… what I meant,” Xiang Xi said helplessly, trying to explain. “I…”

“I understand,” the mother smiled.

After chatting for a while, Grandma got up and slowly walked around the apartment, inspecting Cheng Boyan’s living situation—whether he was eating well, sleeping well, whether keeping the place this tidy every day was tiring…

“Don’t worry,” Cheng Boyan followed her. “I’m a grown man.”

“You two,” Grandma pulled him into the bedroom and asked quietly, “are you sure about this?”

“Sure?” Cheng Boyan wasn’t entirely certain what she meant, but answered based on his own understanding. “Yes, I am.”

“No matter what your aunt says,” Grandma said, “I think this kid is quite good—good-looking and well-behaved.”

“Mm.” Cheng Boyan smiled and nodded.

Well-behaved?

Xiang Xi… well, at least today he was.

After staying for over half an hour, Grandma waved her hand. “Alright, we’re leaving.”

Xiang Xi immediately stood up. “Grandma, you’re leaving already?”

“I’ll walk you downstairs,” Cheng Boyan said.

“No need,” his mother said. “The car’s right downstairs. It takes less than a minute by elevator. You stay and tidy up.”

Xiang Xi looked at the table—just a few cups left, and the fruit peels had already been thrown away. He had no idea what else needed tidying. This level of neatness really must be inherited from Director Xu…

He followed Cheng Boyan to the elevator, saw them off, bowed goodbye to each of them, and only after the elevator doors closed did he finally stretch out his voice and shout, “Hey—!”

Cheng Boyan pointed at the floor indicator and laughed. “The elevator hasn’t even gone down yet. You shouting that loud—afraid they won’t hear you?”

“Oh shit—!” Xiang Xi jumped, covered his face, and dashed back inside.

“How was it?” Cheng Boyan came in and closed the door. “Tired?”

“Exhausted,” Xiang Xi flopped onto the sofa. “My face hurts from smiling, my waist aches, my back’s sore…”

“Lie down,” Cheng Boyan crouched beside the sofa. “I’ll give you a massage.”

“Such attentive service?” Xiang Xi immediately flipped over and lay flat.

“Yeah. You performed pretty well in front of your mother-in-law today,” Cheng Boyan said, gently kneading his back. “Except for calling the wrong person…”

“My mother-in-law?” Xiang Xi turned his head and raised an eyebrow.

 

Translator : DarNan