Chapter 69

The next day was New Year’s Eve. Yu Lian got up early to prepare the New Year’s Eve dinner, but she didn’t expect someone to be even earlier than her.

In the kitchen, the person busy tying an apron around their waist first brought out steaming hot soybean milk and buns, then handed over a sticky note with a bright smile:

“Sister, have some breakfast. Take a look at the menu I drafted—how does it look? Eight dishes and a soup for lunch, something richer with ten dishes for dinner, plus a hot pot. That should be about right, yeah?”

Yu Lian ate and drank while looking at the note. The handwriting was exceptionally neat and elegant. The dishes for both meals, along with all the pairings, were listed clearly and comprehensively—chicken, duck, fish, meat, everything was there. The balance of meat and vegetables was reasonable, and it even catered to everyone’s tastes as much as possible. It was clearly the work of someone highly skilled in housework.

Lifting her head, she saw the young man with almond-shaped eyes. His fair skin was flushed from the busyness, and his gaze held a childlike affection and closeness. He looked at her all milky and obedient, waiting for her response. Yu Lian’s defenses completely crumbled.

What a great kid. Aside from the gender not matching what she’d imagined, there wasn’t a single thing about him that wasn’t perfect. She’d slaved away as the family cook for so many years, serving this house full of men. Now, it seemed a helper had finally arrived?

She finally showed a genuine smile and replied, “Yeah, it’s great. Yiyi, your cooking skills must be impressive. The ingredients and sides look so complete—very professional. Check the kitchen inventory, and if anything’s missing, I’ll go out and buy it later.”

Bai Yiyi: “Sure! Then you handle the shopping and restocking today, Sister. I’ll take care of the entire kitchen. Let you all taste my family recipes!”

Seeing him smile until his eyes curved into crescents, Yu Lian couldn’t help but feel her mood lift. But the kid was so oblivious in his busyness—he didn’t even notice the apron strap had slipped off one shoulder. He looked silly yet adorably so. Without thinking, she reached out to fix it for him.

Turning around after, she saw her cousin, who had just gotten up and stepped out of his room, grinning from ear to ear. He’d clearly witnessed the warm interaction and was grinning like an idiot, completely unaware of himself.

She could sincerely accept this kid Yiyi, but she wouldn’t let a certain someone’s deception slide so easily. She shot him a glare and snorted before going about her own business.

Taking advantage of the moment she walked away, Yan Tuo immediately stepped forward and wrapped his arms around his boyfriend, planting a few mindless kisses. “You’re still the best. In less than a day, you’ve completely won her over.”

Bai Yiyi startled and quickly pushed him away, glancing around before relaxing a bit and chiding, “What do you mean best? It’s just treating people sincerely.”

As he was about to get back to work, he suddenly remembered something and took the opportunity to say, “This is me setting a good example for you, right? Your family has all these people, but I only have Mom. Don’t drop the ball when she comes back next month.”

Yan Tuo’s smile vanished instantly. Forget next month—with those words just out of his little boyfriend’s mouth, he was already inexplicably nervous.

The family banquet that day was evidently a resounding success.

Even the usually aloof Yu Jianguo couldn’t help praising it two or three times. The new superfan Li Jue sang nonstop praises, elevating a simple family New Year’s Eve meal to Michelin three-star level.

As the gathering was winding down, Li Zhong was already quite drunk. He draped an arm over Yan Tuo’s shoulder like old bros and raised his glass: “Tuozi, I’ll let you in on a little secret first. Your transfer application? Approved. Good news after the New Year. Sigh, but with you gone, my days ahead won’t be as easy. Come on, brother-in-law—cheers to you. Smooth sailing in your new post!”

Yan Tuo’s eyes lit up: “Really? Awesome. Brother-in-law, you must’ve put in a good word for me. Otherwise, why would Director Xie let me go so readily?”

Li Zhong, face flushed, tongue slightly slurred: “Hey… family doesn’t say those things. Your sister doesn’t know yet, so don’t tell her it was… me who… helped!”

Yan Tuo glanced at his cousin standing right next to Li Zhong, not even 30 centimeters away, staring sternly at her husband pulling his antics. He replied with great sympathy: “Yeah, we won’t tell her. Take care, brother-in-law.”

Li Zhong didn’t fully grasp the implication, thinking it was just politeness, and returned: “You too… you too take care. Come… back to visit often…”

Before he could finish, his wife dragged him off by the arm to sober up.

Curious, Bai Yiyi asked: “Where are you transferring to?”

Yan Tuo, too excited for the occasion, pecked his boyfriend on the face: “Wherever the chicken goes, the wife follows—transferring with you to H City. Yiyi, the orders will come down after the New Year.”

Stunned by the sudden good news, Bai Yiyi forgot to maintain his image. His arms wrapped around the man’s neck as he pressed: “You’re transferring to H City? To my… my home? Really? Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

Yan Tuo pinched his nose teasingly. “Wasn’t certain yet. What if it fell through and I got your hopes up for nothing? Happy now? Then you gotta…”

Seeing their heads about to bump together, Yu Jianguo couldn’t take it anymore and cleared his throat twice. “Li Jue, ladle me another bowl of soup from your side.”

Bai Yiyi snapped back to reality, immediately letting go and sitting up straight, only daring to beam joy at his boyfriend with his eyes.

Yan Tuo reined himself in a bit too, but not getting his reward for such big news left him far from satisfied. Past midnight, as “Unforgettable Tonight” started on TV, he used sleepiness as an excuse to drag the guy back to the bedroom.

How he claimed his reward afterward wasn’t for outsiders’ ears. But on the first day of the New Year, Yan Tuo handled breakfast. Bai Yiyi didn’t appear until lunchtime, saying he’d twisted his waist going upstairs the night before and needed extra sleep.

Whether anyone believed him didn’t matter to Yan Tuo—he just thought this New Year was perfect.

Three days after the holidays, on the third day back at work, Yan Tuo received his official transfer orders.

He was heading to the H City Municipal Bureau in C Province to serve as Detachment Captain of the Criminal Investigation Division.

The orders came fast, and he packed even faster. That very night, he arrived at Bai Yiyi’s place with all his luggage—Unit 507, Sunshine Palm Garden, Jingshui District, H City.

He planned to turn this “live-in son-in-law” situation into indisputable fact before Ms. Yao Pei returned.

Over the next month or so, Yan Tuo fully experienced the perks of two men dating.

New to his post, unfamiliar with his colleagues and the jurisdiction, he had to put in 200% effort to find his rhythm. He was swamped, inevitably neglecting his boyfriend at times.

But Bai Yiyi never complained. He wasn’t the nagging type anyway, and with his homebody nature, he didn’t care for crowds. He’d lose himself in his artwork, time flying by. He never asked when Yan Tuo would be home—just that he came back was enough.

When he did return, a quick home-cooked meal together, and the days passed quietly yet perfectly in sync.

On March 6th, Ms. Yao Pei, having smoothly wrapped up her project abroad, finally returned home.

That morning at the airport pickup, Bai Yiyi couldn’t hold back: “Mom, this is Yan Tuo. My… my boyfriend.”

The excited Yao Pei froze like a statue for a good while. Until Yan Tuo quietly loaded the luggage into the car and murmured, “Auntie, get in. We’ll talk at home.”

She got in with a stiff face, silent the whole ride. At home, she barely spoke, saying she needed to beat jet lag and they’d discuss everything after she’d slept enough.

This non-reaction reaction had Bai Yiyi and Yan Tuo on pins and needles. That night, they prepared dinner early and waited anxiously for Mom’s arrival.

Yao Pei claimed to be sleeping off jet lag, but how could she sleep?

Her little fool didn’t know how lucky he was. If he’d come out a year or two earlier, his butt would’ve been beaten black and blue.

The buffer now was mostly thanks to her year abroad, where the local project lead Bei Leisheng was gay—happily married to his husband for years. They’d hosted her often, seeming no different from other couples. It had gradually changed Yao Pei’s views on the community.

That day, she’d not only browsed tons of related articles and forums but consulted a psychologist and even told her late husband at his grave.

Now, in her son’s place, seeing traces of their life together everywhere, she stopped dodging. She said she didn’t object to them dating, just one small request:

“Little Yan, I’ve read a lot and know this can’t be changed. But as elders, we can’t help a bit of selfishness. Our Little Pretty’s been afraid of pain since he was little. So, if you two ever… you know… can you let him be on top?”

Little Pretty choked on his water right then. Who’d have thought the glitch would hit on positions? Mom accepted it too fast—and too bluntly!

And where was “later”? It had already happened!

He replied awkwardly: “Mom, what are you saying? Look at Yan Tuo’s size, then look at me…”

Ms. Yao Pei rolled her eyes ungracefully: “Size? What does that have to do with it? Even a tiny Teddy goes to town day and night. Hasn’t your neighbor’s Alaska gotten done in by a Teddy? Don’t sell yourself short—be resilient in spirit even if not in body.”

Bai Yiyi was utterly defeated by his mom’s vivid analogy. What did she mean comparing her son to a dog?

He wasn’t disabled in body, but his spirit wasn’t firm either. He had no desire to be the Teddy—just too lazy to move, preferred lying back and enjoying.

Fearing Yan Tuo’s embarrassment, he started babbling nonsense: “That’s all your fault. Dad gave me a perfect name—Bai Yi, Bai Yi, such a nice ‘one.’ You had to get romantic and add another one, so one minus one equals zero. I’m a born zero!”

Yan Tuo nearly burst out laughing at his little boyfriend’s words but fought it back, forcing a serious expression as he said frankly, “Auntie, Yiyi and I have never really thought about that. Everything has just happened naturally. Of course, if he ever makes such a request, we can talk it over. I’ll always respect his wishes and make sure he never feels wronged.”

Yao Pei had to give him full marks for that response.

Truth be told, she had no real intention of meddling in the young couple’s bedroom matters. She just wanted to gauge the man’s attitude. When faced with unreasonable demands from a partner’s parents, a man’s response revealed how he truly treated his lover.

If he truly cared, his first instinct— no matter the difficulty— wouldn’t be doubt or scorn. He’d consider every angle to make it work before anything else. That was the mark of a mature man, in how he handled both people and situations.

Fortunately, her Little Pretty had good taste and even better luck. The man he’d found was a keeper.

She didn’t press the topic further and nodded in satisfaction. “Good. That’s just my suggestion, then. You two figure things out together, take care of each other, and as long as you’re happy, that’s what matters.”

Bai Yiyi was on the verge of happy tears. He never imagined the sexual orientation issue that had tormented him for years would pass so easily with his mom. It was almost too straightforward, leaving him to wonder if he was still dreaming.

They finished dinner in high spirits, respectfully seeing his mother off as she returned to the palace. He still felt like he was floating, turning to his boyfriend over and over for reassurance. “Mom’s okay with it, right? I’m not dreaming?”

Yan Tuo’s lips curved into a smile as he pulled him into his arms. “Of course she is. Doubting if it’s a dream? Then let’s do something else to celebrate.”

Bai Yiyi caught on immediately, blushing as he murmured his assent. Seizing the moment while his boyfriend was in a good mood, he voiced the long-buried wish in a tiny voice. “Then… could I make a little request? Could you… change into a… uniform?”

The big bad wolf’s lips were already brushing his ear with soft kisses. He chuckled low at the words. “Want to play? Then we’ll go all the way. I’ll make it happen for you.”

All the way? Bai Yiyi waited in shy anticipation.

Two minutes later, the man in uniform stepped forward, pulling a pair of gleaming handcuffs from behind his back. With a sharp click, he locked them around Bai Yiyi’s wrists.

Before Bai Yiyi could react, the man dropped to one knee and produced a plain silver ring, his voice cold and interrogative. “Suspect Bai Yiyi, you stole the vital organ— the heart— from victim Yan, rendering him incapable of independent life. Under Article 1314 of the criminal code, you are sentenced to life imprisonment with lifelong confinement. Do you plead guilty?”

A chill settled on his wrists, but sudden heat welled in the corners of his eyes. Bai Yiyi held his ground. “Guilty. If you’ve got the guts, lock me up for life.”

A cool touch settled on his right ring finger, swiftly warmed by scorching lips. In the end, a brilliant silver band remained, gleaming with eternal light amid the man’s deep voice.

“Good. Then it’s for life.”