Chapter 55
Jiang Chaochao hadn’t reached the point where he could calmly come out to his mother.
So despite his outward composure, his heart was in turmoil.
“That Mr. Xiang, is he your boyfriend?”
Having reached this point, Jiang Chaochao naturally admitted: “Yes.”
Silence on his mother’s end.
Silence on Jiang Chaochao’s end too.
He turned to look at Xiang Ye, who seemed to sense his nervousness and held his hand tightly.
“No wonder,” his mother said after a few seconds.
Jiang Chaochao asked, “No wonder what?”
Mom: “No wonder he was so wary when we were talking about Tangtang.”
Jiang Chaochao turned to look at Xiang Ye again, but since Xiang Ye couldn’t hear his mother’s voice, his expression was a bit confused.
Jiang Chaochao: “Really?”
Xiang Ye mouthed “What’s wrong?”, and Jiang Chaochao smiled faintly, shaking his head and mouthing back “Nothing.”
Regarding his earlier statement, “I don’t like girls,” Jiang Chaochao had anticipated two possible reactions from his mother: acceptance, or rejection.
He couldn’t imagine his mother not accepting it, or getting angry, or disagreeing, and as expected, reality unfolded as he imagined.
Jiang Chaochao was suddenly amused by the fact that he seemed to understand his mother quite well.
“About Tangtang, it’s like this,” his mother said, “Let me apologize first.”
Jiang Chaochao didn’t really mind: “It’s okay.”
His mother continued, “Tangtang had a boyfriend a while ago, they’ve broken up now, of course. My friend wasn’t very happy with that ex-boyfriend, she thought her daughter had terrible taste. Then we talked about you, and my friend liked you very much.”
Jiang Chaochao understood: “Ah…”
His mother seemed to feel guilty, and she asked, “How about this, let me make it up to you. Is there anything you want recently? I’ll buy it for you.”
Jiang Chaochao: “No need.”
Mom: “I’ll buy you a car.”
Jiang Chaochao changed his mind, “Okay.”
His mother chuckled, “Alright,” she said, “You choose, or me?” Then she added, “You choose, and after you’ve chosen, I’ll have someone arrange it for you.”
Jiang Chaochao: “Okay, thanks, Mom.”
After the call ended, perhaps sensing that Jiang Chaochao’s mood had improved, Xiang Ye asked casually, “So?”
Jiang Chaochao: “She’s going to buy me a car.”
Xiang Ye’s expression clearly showed his confusion. Wasn’t he coming out to his mother? How did it turn into buying a car?
So Jiang Chaochao briefly explained the conversation.
Xiang Ye: “…”
Xiang Ye: “Okay.”
Jiang Chaochao laughed, “Not bad.”
Xiang Ye: “Not bad.”
Jiang Chaochao did need a car recently. He had been taking taxis too often, and he often had to travel to neighboring cities.
Xiang Ye asked again: “She didn’t say anything about your sexual orientation?”
Jiang Chaochao thought about their conversation earlier. That topic barely took up any time: “Not really, she just accepted it.”
Xiang Ye: “That’s good.”
Speaking of which, Jiang Chaochao suddenly remembered something: “When Shici asked if you liked me, did you tell her not to tell your mother?”
Xiang Ye: “Of course.”
Jiang Chaochao: “But your mother already knows.”
Xiang Ye: “I can’t let my mother know I told Shici, I can’t let my mother know Shici’s been looking at those things, and I definitely can’t let my mother know that we both know.”
Jiang Chaochao gave an “ah,” then “I understand.”
Xiang Ye: “My mother is still very traditional.”
Jiang Chaochao became curious: “How did she find out about your sexual orientation?”
Xiang Ye sighed deeply.
Jiang Chaochao laughed, “What’s wrong?”
Xiang Ye: “A bit similar to your situation. She was trying to set me up on a blind date.”
Jiang Chaochao: “You need to be set up?”
Xiang Ye: “Perhaps elders all think their judgment is superior.”
Jiang Chaochao nodded, “I agree.”
Xiang Ye: “I didn’t want to waste time on this, and I didn’t want her to waste time on it either, so I told her.”
Jiang Chaochao was dissatisfied, “Your explanation is too brief.”
Xiang Ye thought for a moment, “But this actually dragged on for a while.”
Jiang Chaochao: “What do you mean?”
Xiang Ye: “I told her on the phone. She didn’t believe me at first, but her son isn’t someone who likes to joke around.”
Jiang Chaochao raised an eyebrow: “Really?”
Xiang Ye: “Not in front of her.”
Jiang Chaochao: “And then?”
“Then I happened to be very busy at the time, and she asked me to come home and talk about it in detail, but I didn’t have time,” Xiang Ye said.
Jiang Chaochao burst out laughing: “You guys are quite interesting.”
Xiang Ye: “I guess the matter was eventually dropped. That detailed conversation she wanted still hasn’t happened.” He thought again, “I forgot how long it was after that, but one time after dinner, she suddenly told me not to tell anyone, just let Mom know.”
Jiang Chaochao: “A final compromise.”
Xiang Ye smiled, “Yes.”
Jiang Chaochao: “Your mom gradually accepted it.”
Xiang Ye: “Yes.”
“This story tells you,” Jiang Chaochao started summarizing, “First, be financially independent.”
After hearing this, Xiang Ye asked Jiang Chaochao, “Would you have dared to tell her earlier?”
Jiang Chaochao honestly shook his head, “No, I was afraid she would stop giving me money.”
Xiang Ye chuckled, “You’re so cute.”
“So,” Jiang Chaochao naturally asked, “Would you have dared to tell her if you were still in school?”
Xiang Ye said: “No, I was afraid she would stop giving me money.”
Jiang Chaochao was amused by Xiang Ye.
And this girl named Tang Yi, a few days after the party, had an interesting follow-up story.
When Tang Yi met with Shici, she complained about her mother, mentioning that she ran into Shici’s uncle at the party that day, and coincidentally, the person her mother tried to set her up with was her uncle’s friend.
At this point, Shici hadn’t realized who her uncle’s “friend” was.
Until Tang Yi said, I think your uncle and his friend look better together.
Shici immediately sat up straight. Was it the friend who was about half a head shorter than my uncle, fair-skinned, and incredibly handsome?
Tang Yi first asked, How did you know?, then, Don’t tell me they’re really a couple?
Shici smiled without saying a word.
Shici was surprised that the person Tang Yi was set up with was Jiang Chaochao. And even more coincidentally, that night, both her uncle and xuechang came home.
The four of them just happened to meet in the living room.
All four were surprised, but they quickly calmed down.
Since she hadn’t seen her uncle at home in a while, Shici naturally asked: “Why are you here? Grandpa and Grandma aren’t home, we’re having dinner by ourselves.”
Xiang Ye said: “We came back because they’re not home.”
Shici was confused at first, then she said, “Grandpa said he’s been missing a lot of alcohol recently, Uncle, don’t tell me it was you?”
Xiang Ye, not afraid at all, took Jiang Chaochao to the wine cabinet and started choosing, “You don’t think he doesn’t know it was me, do you?”
Shici thought about it, “That’s true.”
This was actually a very normal conversation between Xiang Ye and Shici, but Jiang Chaochao took note.
He tugged at Xiang Ye’s hand, “Let’s not take any then.”
Xiang Ye smiled, “Why are you so obedient?”
Not only did he take some, he took three bottles at once and even asked Jiang Chaochao to help.
They really were just there to get alcohol, they left as soon as they got it.
After they closed the door, the two people standing in the living room, seeing them off, exchanged a look.
Tang Yi grabbed Shici’s wrist, “I’m asking you again, are they a couple?”
Shici had initially wanted to protect her uncle and xuechang, but with their intimate actions and words, there was no point pretending.
Shici naturally said, “Your guess is correct.”
Tang Yi screamed excitedly.
This was today’s interlude. And the next day, something else happened.
Shici’s grandparents were back, and her grandfather immediately noticed that three bottles of alcohol were missing from his wine cabinet.
“That Xiang Ye,” Grandpa turned off the cabinet lights and returned to the dining table, “Took my alcohol again.”
Grandma naturally said, “You have so much alcohol, what’s wrong with giving your son a few bottles? Why are you so stingy?”
Grandpa naturally didn’t dare talk back to Grandma, but he could still complain, “Why has he been taking so much alcohol recently? And it’s been so long since he last came home.” Reaching this point, Grandpa suddenly had a thought, “Don’t tell me that boy is in love?”
After Grandpa said this, silence filled the dining table.
Grandma seemed to ignore Grandpa, and Shici also lowered her head.
Time passed until the weekend, and finally, one day, both Xiang Ye and Jiang Chaochao had a day off.
One with a project that just started, the other with a newly opened studio, they were both incredibly busy.
“Xu Hengzhi said we’re a career-focused couple,” Jiang Chaochao said.
Xiang Ye smiled, “Fu Jing said we’re in a local online relationship.”
After saying this, they clinked glasses.
Yes, they were drinking.
Jiang Chaochao said: “I can take two days off.”
Xiang Ye said: “I can take two days and eighteen hours off.”
Jiang Chaochao turned his head, “Okay, you’re competing with me.”
Xiang Ye immediately covered Jiang Chaochao’s mouth, “I’m not competing.”
Even with his mouth covered, Jiang Chaochao still said, “Who was it who was so busy on a business trip, didn’t even have time to say they missed me so much, and even bought me a plane ticket so I could go and accompany them?”
Xiang Ye leaned his forehead against Jiang Chaochao’s shoulder and laughed.
It wasn’t over yet.
Jiang Chaochao continued: “Who was it who went to a meeting but still found time to come to my studio and eat lunch with me?”
And…
Jiang Chaochao: “Who worked until past ten but wouldn’t let me go home even though I was already resting?”
Xiang Ye let go of Jiang Chaochao, “It was me, it was me, it was all me.”
Jiang Chaochao: “Two days and eighteen hours?”
Xiang Ye: “I was wrong.”
Jiang Chaochao: “Half a day more rest than me?”
Xiang Ye: “I’ll come find you and play the day after tomorrow.”
Jiang Chaochao chuckled, “You’re so childish.”
Xiang Ye: “Then should I still come?”
Jiang Chaochao: “Yes.”
They had important business tonight.
Especially this Xiang Ye, was very eager.
What kind of business?
Because they were really too busy, they hadn’t properly spent time together in a while, it was really…
So someone was craving it, craving it badly.
But the craving wasn’t urgent.
Xiang Ye said, let’s play a game.
Nothing special, just something everyone knew how to play, Gomoku.
“Just three rounds?” Jiang Chaochao asked after setting up the board.
Xiang Ye nodded, “Just three rounds.”
Jiang Chaochao: “What’s the punishment?”
Xiang Ye: “The winner decides.”
Jiang Chaochao tilted his head, “Don’t tell me you have some ulterior motive.”
Xiang Ye admitted directly, “I do.” Before Jiang Chaochao could say anything, he continued, “Scared?”
Jiang Chaochao gave a “ha” and placed a black piece on the board: “Bring it on!”
Bring it on!
What…
Jiang Chaochao looked at the five white pieces Xiang Ye had connected on the board.
Wait, where did he go wrong?
“Fine,” Jiang Chaochao conceded, “What’s the punishment?”
Xiang Ye, clearly having planned this, said smoothly: “Take a sip of alcohol.”
Jiang Chaochao was incredulous, “Just that?”
Xiang Ye: “Just that.”
There wasn’t much alcohol left in Jiang Chaochao’s glass, so he just downed it all, buy one sip, get one free!
“Again!”
Again!
What…
Second time’s the charm.
Jiang Chaochao looked at the three white pieces in a row on two different lines and fell into thought.
But he consoled himself, he had improved this time, it took more than ten moves before Xiang Ye won.
“What’s the punishment,” Jiang Chaochao hummed, although he lost, he was still unwilling to accept it, “Tell me!”
Xiang Ye said smoothly, “Kiss me.”
Jiang Chaochao looked at tonight’s bodhisattva in disbelief, “Really?”
Xiang Ye’s response was to lean in slightly.
Jiang Chaochao lightly kissed him.
“Again, again.” For the third round, Jiang Chaochao’s tone softened.
Again, again.
Same old story.
“You’re so good,” Jiang Chaochao said helplessly after losing this round, “I actually lost all three rounds.”
Xiang Ye: “You learn quickly.”
In the last round, the pieces almost covered half the board.
Jiang Chaochao: “No wonder you said three rounds, maybe I’ll win the next one.”
Xiang Ye nodded, “Quit while I’m ahead.”
“Tell me,” Jiang Chaochao leaned against the table, “What’s the punishment this time?”
Xiang Ye: “Choose one of your drawings, and we’ll try it later.”
Jiang Chaochao: “???”
Jiang Chaochao: “???????”
No way?
What did he mean?
What was that?
What did he just hear?
Jiang Chaochao, who was expecting a gentle punishment, slowly uttered an “ah?”
Xiang Ye, amused by Jiang Chaochao’s reaction, picked up his glass and took a sip of alcohol.
Jiang Chaochao: “…You’ve been waiting for this?”
Xiang Ye: “I’ve been waiting for this.”
Fair and square!
Jiang Chaochao opened the hidden album on his phone. All his drawings from over the years were here.
There was no way he was choosing. Opening this album made him blush just looking at it.
Jiang Chaochao thought for a moment, then said to Xiang Ye, “You say stop.”
He started scrolling through the album without looking at the screen.
“Stop.”
Jiang Chaochao randomly clicked on a picture without looking.
He first glanced down.
Holy shit!
