“U… Uncle?”
Su Xingchuan’s eyes widened as he stared in shock at Xu Zhengdong.
This time, it was his turn to be stunned.
Xu Zhengdong’s face was full of amusement, his lips curving into a grin as his shoulders shook with laughter. He patted Su Xingchuan on the shoulder and teased, “You’re quick to adjust, huh? But I’ve already hinted at this. Remember when I left you two alone in the restaurant that day?”
Shaking his head and laughing, Xu Zhengdong added, “You look smart, but… what a pity.”
Finally, it all clicked for Su Xingchuan.
No wonder Xu Zhengdong’s attitude seemed so contradictory that day. No wonder Li Xuan didn’t seem guilty about “cheating” at all. No wonder Li Xuan never mentioned his boyfriend. And no wonder when he first met Xu Zhengdong, he felt a sense of familiarity…
So the nephew takes after his uncle?
Su Xingchuan felt like his brain had short-circuited. Just now—what had he called Xu Zhengdong? He had actually called him uncle?
His brain felt like it had turned to mush.
Xu Zhengdong had already left, giving them space, but his laughter still echoed in Su Xingchuan’s ears, making his face flush with embarrassment, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
Li Xuan hadn’t fully grasped what was happening. He tugged at Su Xingchuan’s sweater and asked, “What were you two talking about?”
Su Xingchuan turned around and pulled him into a hug.
Li Xuan asked, “Are you cold?”
He had rushed out without a coat.
But he didn’t feel cold at all. Instead, he was burning up with embarrassment and could only hold Li Xuan tighter, biting his earlobe in frustration.
Li Xuan winced. “What are you doing?”
“I embarrassed myself in front of your uncle.”
Li Xuan, a bit slow to catch on, asked, “Did you… misunderstand my relationship with my uncle?”
“You never said anything.”
“You never asked,” Li Xuan replied innocently.
“That time I saw you get into your uncle’s car, and then your nurse said a handsome man was taking care of you. So I thought you were dating him.”
Li Xuan thought about it for a moment and then realized, “So that time you kissed me—”
“It was out of jealousy,” Su Xingchuan admitted, but quickly added, “I also really wanted to kiss you.”
Li Xuan said, “You’re so dumb, Su Xingchuan.”
But he had been just as foolish yesterday.
Equally embarrassed.
Before Su Xingchuan could say anything, Li Xuan tugged his arm and warned, “Don’t say anything!”
Li Xuan unzipped his down coat, trying to wrap it around Su Xingchuan, but he wasn’t tall enough, and his shoulders weren’t broad enough, so he could only barely cover his arm.
Su Xingchuan bent down slightly to accommodate him, leaning close with a mischievous grin. “Kiss me, and I won’t say anything.”
Li Xuan pouted, reluctant.
Dr. Li was slowly shedding his cold façade, and once again, Su Xingchuan felt his heart flutter uncontrollably. He kissed Li Xuan’s cheek first, then his lips.
As Li Xuan drew closer, he whispered, “You’re just as clueless as me, little cat.”
Li Xuan blushed and turned to leave.
But the elevator doors were closed, leaving him with nowhere to go. Su Xingchuan easily cornered him by the elevator, kissing his cheek repeatedly. “Will you come home with me tonight?”
Li Xuan crossed his arms and huffed in feigned annoyance.
—
Xu Nianzhi managed to get in touch with Su Xingchuan’s mother and went to meet He Ning in person at his family home.
They met at a tea room. Xu Nianzhi arrived early, and shortly after, He Ning entered with a displeased expression.
Xu Nianzhi greeted her with a warm smile. “Hello, Ms. He.”
Skipping the pleasantries, He Ning got straight to the point as soon as she sat down. “I don’t agree—I absolutely do not agree with them being together.”
“I understand how you feel. Twenty years ago, when my younger brother first told me he liked boys, I had a similar reaction. It felt like the sky was falling. I couldn’t understand it. My parents are both well-educated, so how could they have a gay son?”
“Your brother is, too?”
Xu Nianzhi smiled sadly. “Yes, so when my son told me he liked boys, I wasn’t as shocked. I often reflect on myself, wondering where I went wrong. Did something go wrong in our family dynamic, in my relationship with my husband, or in the way we loved our children? But I couldn’t pinpoint anything. Maybe he was influenced by his uncle.”
“Why didn’t you stop it?”
“I tried to stop my brother. It made him so rebellious that even now, he doesn’t have a stable partner. I didn’t want to make the same mistake with my son.”
He Ning, fuming, retorted, “So you just let your son ruin mine?”
Xu Nianzhi remained silent. She knew if the conversation went down this path, it would end poorly. So, she took out her phone and showed He Ning a picture.
It was from the other night when Su Xingchuan took Li Xuan home. Li Xuan refused to go inside, so Su Xingchuan stood at the bottom of the steps, coaxing him. The porch light cast a warm glow over their faces.
Tear tracks were visible on Su Xingchuan’s cheeks, but he smiled happily as he leaned in to touch foreheads with Li Xuan.
He Ning stared at the photo.
“Ms. He, your son is outstanding—I can see that. He’s composed and polite,” Xu Nianzhi paused, “But my son is also wonderful. He’s a good boy too.”
“These past seven years, he went abroad to study on his own, and when he returned, he worked tirelessly at the hospital. He’s always busy, often working night shifts. Honestly, with our family’s situation, he doesn’t even need to work—I could support him for life. But he wanted to keep busy so he wouldn’t think about Xingchuan.”
The rigid expression on He Ning’s face began to soften.
“Ms. He.”
He Ning noticed that Xu Nianzhi hadn’t called her “Mrs. Su” or “Xingchuan’s mom.”
“Ms. He, has Xingchuan been truly happy these past years?”
He Ning’s gaze wavered.
Xu Nianzhi continued, “They’re only twenty-seven; there’s still a long life ahead. Why don’t we wait for two more years and see if they’re truly happy together? Can we do that?”
He Ning looked at Xu Nianzhi, whose delicate features still hinted at her youthful beauty despite her age. But it was her words, more powerful than her looks, that struck He Ning’s heart as a fellow mother. He Ning had been frantic and unreasonable these past few days, and she felt exhausted. Xu Nianzhi’s words felt like a gentle breeze, offering a different perspective.
What if they really were happy?
She had never considered that possibility.
Seven years had passed. Despite her prodding, her hints, and even trying to set him up with women, Xingchuan remained indifferent, living alone in Jiangcheng. Everything seemed fine—his income grew every year, his gifts became more expensive, and he even replaced the old furniture at home. The neighbors all envied them. But deep down, she knew her son wasn’t happy.
If Li Xuan could bring back his happiness—
He Ning said nothing.
She neither agreed nor disagreed.
She simply sighed and left.
Xu Nianzhi watched her walk out of the tea room.
—
That evening, Su Xingchuan invited Xie Liang and Xue Ningzi for dinner.
For the first time in seven years, he formally introduced Li Xuan to his friends.
During the meal, Xie Liang, emboldened by alcohol, kept teasing Li Xuan until Li Xuan kicked Su Xingchuan’s leg under the table in frustration.
Smiling, Su Xingchuan quickly steered the conversation away.
Xue Ningzi, who had been observing Li Xuan, whispered to Su Xingchuan after dinner, “I can tell he really likes you. He was looking at you the whole time you spoke.”
When Su Xingchuan turned around, he saw Li Xuan standing on the steps, hands in his pockets, deliberately turning away.
It reminded him of when Li Xuan used to get upset seeing him talk to Yu Qinglan. Suppressing a laugh, he thought: He’s made a lot of progress—he doesn’t rush up to throw a fit anymore.
Proudly, he told Xue Ningzi, “He doesn’t just like me; he’s also quite jealous.”
Half-drunk, Xie Liang couldn’t resist teasing. “Dr. Li, you know, he asked me to catch you in the act that day. I tailed your car all the way to Zhongjin—”
Before he could finish, Xue Ningzi pushed him away.
Li Xuan hesitated, looking like he wanted to say something.
He wanted to say goodbye or offer congratulations on their upcoming marriage.
But he missed the opportunity.
Su Xingchuan walked over. “Let’s go home.”
He held out his hand, and Li Xuan took it.
Since he’d had a few drinks, they didn’t drive. Checking the map on his phone, he saw that the restaurant was less than
two kilometers from Xincheng Residence.
“Should we get a cab?”
Li Xuan shook his head. “Let’s walk.”
Hand in hand, they strolled back.
On the way, Su Xingchuan shared stories from after graduation. Halfway through, noticing Li Xuan’s silence, he asked softly, “What about you?”
“Nothing much to say.”
“How could that be?”
“I’m not a very interesting person. I don’t have many friends. Most of the time, it was just my uncle keeping me company.”
It sounded like he was fishing for sympathy, but that was exactly the sort of thing that worked on Su Xingchuan.
Seeing the flicker of sympathy in his eyes, Su Xingchuan interlocked their fingers and promised, “From now on, I’ll keep you company.”
Li Xuan’s eyes blinked, and a smile appeared on his face.
Worried that Li Xuan might be cold, Su Xingchuan zipped his down jacket up all the way, folded his sweater collar up, and secured the hood tightly. “Why aren’t you wearing a scarf?”
Li Xuan looked up at him, ignoring the question, and suddenly said, “Su Xingchuan, I missed you so much.”
Su Xingchuan froze, noticing the tears glistening in Li Xuan’s eyes.
He pulled Li Xuan into his embrace.
“If you treated me badly, I wouldn’t care. But you were so good to me. When we broke up, it hurt so much. I didn’t want to say those things. I just wanted to be with you.”
Swallowing the lump in his throat, Su Xingchuan whispered, “I know.”
“I hurt my hand during my internship. It was worse than last time—a cut on my palm. But you weren’t there.”
Li Xuan buried his face in Su Xingchuan’s shoulder.
“Makes me so mad at you.”
Imagining how Li Xuan, his fragile crybaby, had managed without his care for all these years broke Su Xingchuan’s heart. He held Li Xuan tightly and softly promised, “I won’t leave again, baby.”
They returned to Su Xingchuan’s apartment.
As soon as he shut the door, he pushed Li Xuan against the wall.
Li Xuan let out a small whimper, igniting a fire in Su Xingchuan. All sense of restraint and rationality vanished.
Winter wasn’t the best season for passion. It took him ages to peel off Li Xuan’s down coat. He tossed it onto a nearby chair, then pulled Li Xuan close, kissing him deeply. Li Xuan wrapped his arms around Su Xingchuan’s neck, and sparks flew.
His hands trailed along Li Xuan’s waist, pressing him closer. Their longing for each other was almost unbearable. As his breath grew heavy, he suddenly stopped.
He gasped, pulling away from Li Xuan’s lips.
Li Xuan’s eyes were misty, looking both innocent and sweet. “What’s wrong?” he asked, confused.
Leaning against Li Xuan, he groaned, “Dr. Li, you’ll have to take responsibility for me for life.”
Li Xuan caught on. “Still hurts?”
No response.
After thinking for a moment, Li Xuan offered kindly, “It’s okay. Even if you’re not up to it now, you were before.”
“…”
Feeling that his sincerity wasn’t quite enough, Li Xuan added, “Men naturally start declining after twenty-five—”
Before he could finish, Su Xingchuan silenced him with a kiss.
Hahahaha but I still hate his mother hmp!