Chapter 4
Thanks to Liang Xusheng, Lu Xun escaped a scolding that evening. However, Lu Zhang and Yang Yue still lectured them both on the importance of marriage. “You have to get married. It’s one thing if you have no support, no house, no car. But you have everything! Why are you learning bad habits from others and staying single? You enjoy your single life, but what about your parents?”
“Yes, yes, yes,” Liang Xusheng responded agreeably. “Lu Xun and I understand. We know.” He followed a simple rule: never argue with elders. It was pointless.
Leaving Lu Xun’s house, Liang Xusheng was parched, guzzling down a bottle of water. “It’s like being single is a crime,” he complained, stepping into the elevator. “Your parents are still okay. You have your own successful business, you’re independent. My parents…” He sighed dramatically. “My liiiife is so haaard.”
Lu Xun looked at him. “Then why do you sabotage your blind dates?”
Liang Xusheng shrugged, grinning. “You know me. If I haven’t met someone I like, why bother? If I find someone I like, I’ll chase after them myself. No need for blind dates.” He abruptly changed the subject. “That new card storyline is definitely not going to work. It’s fine to make the character suffer a bit, but why just torture him? Do you want players to curse us out?”
“The new planner came from ‘Garden,'” Lu Xun explained. “Garden” was the nickname for “Romance in Bloom,” the industry’s leading otome game company. Lu Xun meant that the new planner was experienced.
Liang Xusheng scoffed. “If you don’t believe me, release the card as is. I guarantee we’ll get flamed just like ‘Garden’ does. If you don’t mind the backlash, go ahead and listen to the new planner.”
They continued chatting until they reached the ground floor.
“I’m hungry,” Liang Xusheng said as they stepped outside. “Let’s get some late-night snacks.”
Later that night, back in his studio, Liang Xusheng finished editing the birthday event video and uploaded it to his Douyin account, “Feather’s 2D World.” He watched it a few times to ensure there were no errors, then stretched and went to take a shower.
After his shower, he dried his hair, put on his pajamas, and checked Douyin. Thousands of comments flooded the video:
“Wow, Feather-sensei was at Yuki’s ita-building! Great video!”
“Did Feather-sensei get Yuki’s birthday merch?”
“I thought Feather-sensei didn’t play this game much.”
…
“New follower here. Just curious, is this sensei a guy? Why so many likes and comments? Other videos from the event don’t have this much engagement.”
“Replying to the above: Feather-sensei is a hardcore collector. Check out his pinned videos. He has tons of merchandise, some from over a decade ago. He’s a legend in the community.”
…
“Feather-sensei, can you ask ‘Rewind’ what new cards they’re releasing next month? I’ve saved up a lot of gacha pulls and I’m waiting for the announcement!”
…
Scrolling through the comments, Liang Xusheng felt a sense of satisfaction and joy. His account wasn’t hugely popular, and it didn’t make much money, but doing what he loved and connecting with fellow fans made him happy.
However, his good mood was short-lived. Before bed, his mother sent him a message that dampened his spirits:
Fu Shu: [WeChat Contact Card] [This is a girl a friend introduced. I heard she also likes anime. Add her and chat.] Fu Shu: [Smile.jpg]
Seeing his mother’s smiling emoji, Liang Xusheng sensed a veiled threat. He flopped onto his bed, groaning inwardly. Would this endless string of blind dates ever end?
He picked up his phone and sent a voice message to Lu Xun. “Another one.”
Lu Xun understood instantly and replied: [Your mom introduced one to you, and one to me.]
Liang Xusheng: “…”
Lu Xun also sent a voice message: “Brothers in misery.”
Liang Xusheng replied weakly, “Brothers in misery.”
Within a week, both of them had successfully sabotaged their respective blind dates. Liang Xusheng’s date ended because the girl had a stable job and he didn’t. Lu Xun’s date ended because he wasn’t interested in the girl, even though she was interested in him.
This time, both mothers joined forces to scold them. Neither could rely on the other for rescue, and they endured a barrage of criticism from Yang Yue and Fu Shu.
“If you do this again,” Fu Shu threatened, “I’m taking back the studio!”
“Since you’re so independent,” Yang Yue added, “don’t bother coming home! Don’t call me Mom!”
Liang Xusheng: “…”
Lu Xun: “…”
“Mom, please don’t say that,” Liang Xusheng pleaded.
Lu Xun remained silent and expressionless.
“Don’t say what? What else can I do? Should I beg you on my knees?” Fu Shu cried.
Yang Yue also broke down. Lu Xun had always been distant, and now he refused to even respond to her.
Fu Shu started crying, and Yang Yue joined in. Fu Shu clutched her chest, lamenting her fate, while Yang Yue sobbed on the armrest of the sofa.
Liang Xusheng: “…”
Lu Xun: “…”
In the end, Liang Xusheng comforted Yang Yue, and Lu Xun consoled Fu Shu.
“If only Lu Xun were half as close to me as you are,” Yang Yue said to Liang Xusheng.
“If only Xusheng were half as capable as you,” Fu Shu said to Lu Xun, “I wouldn’t care if he didn’t get married.”
Leaving the house, Lu Xun sighed deeply, and Liang Xusheng sighed inwardly.
They looked at each other.
“Let’s find a place to drink,” Liang Xusheng said. “I’m going to explode.”
“Mm,” Lu Xun agreed.
They found a stall at a night market, ordered food, and Liang Xusheng ordered half a case of beer. Neither of them were heavy drinkers, but they needed a release.
They skipped the glasses, each grabbing a bottle. They clinked bottles, drank, and talked.
“If I had actually met someone I liked, I would have given in to my mom’s nagging,” Liang Xusheng admitted.
“Giving in wouldn’t solve anything,” Lu Xun replied.
Liang Xusheng sighed. “I know. Getting married doesn’t magically solve everything. You still have to live your life. You can’t just meet a few people and decide to get married. It’s not that simple.”
Lu Xun took a swig of beer, his expression resolute. “I’m not getting married.”
Liang Xusheng couldn’t be so defiant. He clinked bottles with Lu Xun and sighed again. “It’s my fault. I’m not successful enough, so my mom worries about me.”
“Did you tell your mom about your dividends from the company?” Lu Xun asked. He was referring to his own company. When he had started his card-based mobile game company, Liang Xusheng, though not officially involved, had offered valuable advice. Lu Xun had given him some initial shares with dividend rights. The initial amount wasn’t much, but with the company’s growth, Liang Xusheng now received a substantial monthly dividend.
Liang Xusheng shook his head. “No.” He explained, “I wanted to, but then I thought she’d just say it’s because of you, not my own accomplishment. So I decided not to tell her yet. Maybe later.”
Lu Xun simply said, “Mm.”
They continued drinking and talking, the atmosphere unusually somber. As they drank, Liang Xusheng’s face flushed. He was getting drunk.
Suddenly, he slammed his hand on the table. “Screw it! Screw blind dates! Screw marriage! I’m not dating! I’m not getting married! What are they going to do about it?!” He then slumped onto the table, muttering, “Why? Why? What’s wrong with not dating or getting married? It’s not illegal! Can’t I choose who I want to be with? Isn’t it about fate?”
Lu Xun took Liang Xusheng’s beer bottle and placed it on the ground. “Stop drinking. You’re drunk.”
Liang Xusheng sat up abruptly, staring intently at Lu Xun, his face red. He spoke slowly and deliberately. “Your mom’s hounding you to get married, my mom’s hounding me to get married. Your mom wants you to find someone from a similar background, my mom wants me to find someone no worse off than our family. Our moms are best friends, and we’re practically childhood sweethearts. Why bother looking elsewhere? Let’s just get married!”
Lu Xun: “…”
He had been about to say “You’re drunk,” but after a few seconds of silence, perhaps influenced by the alcohol himself, he said, “Okay, let’s get married.”
