Extra 2

When the two were forced to come out, they were both thirty-two.

To be honest, the two of them had been pressured by their mothers to go on blind dates countless times over the years, but no matter how much their elders urged them, they just couldn't grasp the concept of love. Ever since Lu Nan graduated with her master's degree, her mother had been constantly introducing her to potential partners. Over the years, Lu Nan had met more girls than could fill a truck, but none of them led to anything.

Lu's mother was puzzled. Her son was good-looking and well-educated, so why couldn't he even find a girlfriend? She asked Lu Nan, who replied, "Why are you asking me? Because the girls don't like me!"

How could Lu's mother dare to ask the girl why? As a result, a series of failed blind dates damaged Lu Nan's reputation. Eventually, no one, whether local or from the same city, dared to introduce their son to anyone. He was too picky! Even the matchmakers couldn't stand it anymore.

Actually, Lu Nan didn't have any good solutions when she was initially forced to go on blind dates, but over time, she figured out various tricks. Of course, in the end, all these tactics boiled down to one ultimate weapon: never say a word.

No matter how beautiful or talented the girl was, she would sit across from him without moving, neither looking at him nor speaking. This attitude was enough to suffocate a living person. It also put Cheng Xiangbei, who was secretly watching over her, at ease.

While Lu Nan was busy with her own affairs, Cheng Xiangbei wasn't letting up either. Cheng's mother, unaware of her son's sexual orientation, was also frantically trying to introduce him to potential partners, just like Lu Nan. But her little rascal wasn't like Lu Nan; if he said he wouldn't go, he simply wouldn't go—even if you hit him with a broom handle, he wouldn't go! Cheng's mother was really hoping her husband and eldest son would put in a good word for her, but the two of them were clearly just watching from the sidelines, even telling their son he was still young and there was no rush.

Cheng's mother thought to herself, "How can I not be anxious! She's in her thirties, what kind of person is she if she's not married!" But she couldn't do anything about her son, so she could only try to persuade him by hitting and pulling him, hoping he would give her face. But her usually filial son was completely unyielding, and nothing she said worked.

The couple's marriage was delayed indefinitely, and the attitudes of their mothers changed repeatedly. Their initial enthusiasm turned into resignation. Furthermore, their standards for a partner kept decreasing; initially, they demanded high moral character and family background, then they said only decent looks were necessary, and finally, they simply required the person to be a woman.

However, neither of them agreed with this point.

With Cheng Xiangdong's second child almost ready to be born, the two of them still haven't shown any signs of pregnancy.

Cheng's mom and Lu's mom were absolutely furious! No matter what, I absolutely have to get married this year!!!

Lu Nan and Cheng Xiangbei exchanged a glance; it seemed that coming out was no longer an option.

That day, Lu Nan and Cheng Xiangbei prepared the scene, prepared the necessary first-aid medicines, and communicated with Cheng's father and brother before inviting the Lu family couple over.

Lu's parents sat down on the sofa and asked Cheng's mother in a low voice, "Tiger's mom, what's wrong?"

Even if you give the kids an ultimatum, you don't have to be so serious! Cheng's mother was also feeling uneasy. Her husband and sons had been acting strangely since this morning, and the atmosphere in the living room was quite tense.

Seeing that all the parents had arrived, Lu Nan and Cheng Xiangbei exchanged a glance, took a deep breath, and knelt down in front of them with a thud.

"Hey? Nan Nan, what are you doing?"

"Tiger? What happened?"

The elders were shocked and rushed to help the two of them.

The two knelt upright, refusing to move.

"What's wrong?" Lu's mother tugged at her son, then at Cheng Xiangbei. "Get up, both of you. What's so serious?"

"Dongdong, quickly pull them both up!" Cheng's mother shouted to her eldest son, who was standing with his hands tucked in his pockets.

Cheng Xiangdong shook his head and said, "Please sit down and listen to what they have to say."

Seeing that their sons wouldn't get up, the elders had no choice but to sit down anxiously. "Just say what's on your mind."

"Dad, Mom, I'm so sorry," Cheng Xiangbei said, taking the lead.

Cheng's father sat calmly, without saying a word.

Cheng's mother patted his head. "Tiger, tell me slowly."

"I love Nannan, and I want to spend my whole life with him!"

As if to give him strength, Lu Nan gripped his hand tightly, her face resolute.

The adults were all shocked and speechless for a long time. Cheng's father put his arm around his wife's shoulder and remained calm.

"So...you two are..." Lu's mother stared intently at her son, managing to squeeze out a few words. "That kind of relationship?"

Lu Nan nodded emphatically.

*Slap!* A resounding slap landed on Lu Nan's face. Lu Nan's head tilted to the side, and a handprint instantly appeared on his face.

"You! You're going to be the death of me!" Lu's mother clutched her chest with one hand, her other finger trembling as she pointed at Lu Nan. "No way!"

"Why not?!" Lu Nan asked, raising her head.

"You dare ask me why?" Aunt Lu said urgently, "Men just can't be together!"

“You have homosexual students too! How come they can do it but we can’t?” Lu Nan retorted. After retiring, Lu’s mother was rehired by the school, where she not only oversaw teaching but also served as the school’s counselor. She resolved many of the students’ various psychological problems, including, of course, cases of homosexuality.

But the problem was, this was her own son! Caught off guard, Lu's mother was speechless, and tears welled up in her eyes. "Why am I so unlucky! Nan Nan, what's wrong with you...?"

As soon as she cried, everyone panicked. Some tried to comfort her, while others wiped away their own tears. Cheng's mother temporarily forgot about interrogating her son and joined the ranks of those trying to comfort her.

Cheng Xiangbei tenderly stroked Lu Nan's slightly swollen face. "Silly girl, we agreed I'd take the beating!"

Lu Nan forced a smile. "I didn't have time."

Meanwhile, Lu's mother was still crying, and the scene became somewhat tense. Just as Cheng Xiangbei was about to say something, Lu Nan said, "Tiger, pinch me!"

"Huh?" Cheng Xiangbei was stunned. "What?"

"Pinch me! Hurry up!" Lu Nan urged.

Cheng Xiangbei shook his head. "I can't bear to part with it."

"You idiot!" Lu Nan got impatient and twisted her arm hard, then burst into tears.

His crying nearly made Cheng Xiangdong, who was watching the commotion from the side of the living room, burst out laughing. The scene immediately descended into chaos: some were comforting Lu's mother, others Lu Nan, and the mother and daughter were both crying!

Perhaps because Lu's mother was always strong-willed and rarely cried, she stopped crying after a while due to lack of stamina. Lu Nan, who didn't know how many liters of water he had drunk yesterday, found his tears streaming down his face even after his mother's crying had stopped for a while! "Even my mother despises me so much, what's the point of me being alive?!"

"Nannan, don't do this... Be good..." Cheng Xiangbei also saw through Lu Nan's trick and stopped her in a seemingly real but actually fake manner.

"Don't stop me!" Lu Nan struggled and said, "Just let me run over and die!"

"Nannan...how am I supposed to live alone like this!"

"Mom..." Lu Nan cried uncontrollably as he looked at his mother. "Do you still want me or not?"

Startled by his tantrum, Lu's mother nodded repeatedly, saying, "Yes! Yes!"

"Then will you let me be with the tiger?" (Blows nose)

"This..." These are completely different things, okay?

"Tiger, let's meet again in the next life..." Lu Nan began to struggle again. "Let me go! Let me die!"

“Nan Nan…” Cheng Xiangbei’s eyes also reddened, because Lu Nan had pinched him.

"No, no..." Cheng's mother stepped in to stop them. "Let's talk this out."

"Even after all this, my mom still dislikes me!" Lu Nan shouted. "It wasn't easy keeping this from you all these years! I don't care how others discriminate against us, but even my mom doesn't love me!"

"Who said Mom doesn't love you?" Lu's mother retorted. The Lu family only has this one son, who wouldn't love him!

"Then you oppose me and Tiger..." Lu Nan's face was covered in tears and snot, a pitiful sight.

"I..." Lu's mother was speechless. What mother in the world could be happy that her son is gay?

Amidst the commotion, Grandma Cheng emerged, trembling.

"What's going on?" The old man was hard of hearing and had no idea what was happening in the living room.

Everyone froze. Grandpa Lu and Grandma Lu had both passed away, leaving only this precious old lady in both families. The family motto was that no one should do anything to displease Grandma!

But given the current situation... how do I bring this up with the elderly?

"Tiger, why are you kneeling on the ground?" Grandma Cheng, leaning on her cane, slowly walked over. Cheng's parents quickly made way for her and helped the old lady sit down.

Mr. and Mrs. Lu were somewhat embarrassed. Neither family had ever treated them like outsiders, and Grandma Cheng was a caring elder to them, but now this unexpected trouble had arisen. The two sat with their backs slightly bent, neither daring to speak.

Just then, Lu Nan preemptively accused someone. "Grandma, my mom won't let me be with Hu Zi!"

As soon as the words left her mouth, everyone gasped in unison, their reproachful gazes fixed on Lu Nan. How could you tell Grandma such a thing? Grandma Cheng, oblivious to the tension in everyone's eyes, smiled and said, "Nan Nan, what happened? Get up and tell me slowly."

Lu Nan remained kneeling, shouting, "Grandma, my mom won't let me be with Hu Zi!"

"Huh?" Grandma Cheng frowned. "Weren't you always with Hu Zi?"

"Yes! We're perfectly fine, why should we separate?" Lu Nan crawled to Grandma Cheng's side, looking aggrieved. "Grandma, you have to stand up for us!"

"Little Zhong's wife, what's going on?" Grandma Cheng asked Lu's mother.

Mrs. Lu was in a dilemma. How could she reveal Lu Nan and Cheng Xiangbei's affair in front of the elderly couple? They were both too old to handle it, and if she told Grandma Cheng, the consequences... Thinking of this, Mrs. Lu could only lower her head. "Don't listen to Nan Nan's nonsense, it's not true!"

"Mom, did you agree to what I did with Tiger?" Lu Nan pressed on, seizing the opportunity.

"I……"

"Grandma!" He continued to call for reinforcements.

"Yes, yes."

Although on the surface Lu's mother agreed, Cheng Xiangbei and Lu Nan's lives were not easy.

Those little rascals! They kept this from everyone for so many years, and now they're even bringing in Grandma, this great deity, to put on a show. Lu's mother got angrier and angrier, and locked Lu Nan up for a whole month.

Over the past month, Cheng Xiangbei hadn't been idle. First, he knelt before his mother for two days. Finally, after being persuaded by the whole family, Cheng's mother accepted the fact that her son wanted to spend his life with Lu Nan. Then, she fell into a new dilemma. Although Lu Nan had also grown up on her breast milk, how would they get along if her half-son suddenly became her wife?

Cheng's father and Cheng Xiangdong said they were powerless to help, while Cheng Xiangbei laughed for three days straight at his mother's adorable idea.

With things settled with the Cheng family, all that's left is to wait for Cheng Xiangbei to rescue the princess from the tower.

Similar to his long-term stalling tactics, Cheng Xiangbei adopted a more gradual approach this time. He camped out at the Lu family's door every day, seizing every opportunity to fawn over Lu's parents. Lu's father was a little embarrassed, but he had always been laissez-faire when it came to his son's marriage. Even when his son vowed to be with Cheng Xiangbei, he didn't react too strongly. His son had been abandoned and raised by the Cheng family when he was young; how could a parent not feel guilty?

So, as long as his son is happy, that's all that matters. Besides, everyone has seen how Tiger has taken care of his son all these years. Lu's father patted Cheng Xiangbei, who was squatting by the door, and went to buy groceries with a smile.

Cheng Xiangbei entered the house by chance, and Lu's mother was sitting on the sofa with an unfriendly expression. Cheng Xiangbei glanced at her and said, "Mom, are you watching TV?"

Lu's mother almost choked on a segment of orange. "Cough! Cough!"

"Mom, you have to be careful!" Cheng Xiangbei hurriedly went over and patted her back obsequiously.

"Who's your mother?" Lu's mother said unhappily.

"You're Lu Nan's mother, so of course you're my mother too!"

"I don't admit it!" This kid has such a thick skin!

"Mom, you won't go back on your word, will you? You made it clear to Grandma the other day, why don't we go over there and settle this?"

Lu's mother was speechless. Who would dare to go over and make the old lady uncomfortable?

"Mom, where's Nan Nan?" Cheng Xiangbei kept peeking into Lu Nan's room. Lu's mother was very protective, so he could only catch a glimpse of his beloved's face from under Lu Nan's window. The longing was unbearable!

“I locked him in the room,” said Lu’s mother coldly.

Cheng Xiangbei gritted his teeth and forced a fawning smile. "You did a good job locking him up. Nannan's attitude towards you that day was wrong; he needs to reflect on his actions..."

"Hmph!" Aunt Lu snorted coldly and said, "Stop looking, it's visiting time today."

Cheng Xiangbei got up as instructed and walked out reluctantly.

Unable to break through Madam Lu's defenses, it seems the only option is to risk staging a meeting at the pavilion.

That evening, Cheng Xiangbei brought a ladder and borrowed a safety rope. With his brother's help, they climbed up step by step.

"Be careful!" Lu Nan said, looking at him worriedly with the window wide open.

"Don't worry!" Cheng Xiangbei gave a thumbs up. "I'm knowingly walking into danger!"

"Nonsense, what are you talking about?" Lu Nan spat.

"Ah, I apologize, I misspoke." Cheng Xiangbei swung the rope and hooked it onto Lu Nan's windowsill. "This is what they call 'no pain, no gain!'"

"Stop talking, hold on tight!" Lu Nan's heart was in her throat.

Cheng Xiangbei focused intently on climbing upwards, while Cheng Xiangdong below held his breath in suspense. He was already in his thirties, still engaging in such dangerous activities.

"Nannan, what are you doing in the house?" Aunt Lu knocked on the door.

"Huh?" Lu Nan hurriedly said, "It's okay! I was listening to music!" She quickly ran over and turned up the volume.

The sudden burst of rock music from inside drowned out Cheng Xiangbei's labored climb. Lu's mother listened intently; the blaring music nearly deafened her. "Keep it down! The neighbors are about to knock!"

"Okay!" Lu Nan pressed his ear to the door to make sure his mother was far away before running to the window with peace of mind. As soon as he got there, he saw Cheng Xiangbei's big head pop out from under the window.

"Nannan!" She smiled brightly.

Lu Nan hurriedly pulled him into the house, and the two hugged each other excitedly.

Suddenly, a pebble hit the glass. The two looked down at each other. Cheng Xiangdong was gesturing for them to throw the rope down. Cheng Xiangbei slapped his forehead, too busy celebrating to clean up the scene.

After throwing the rope down, Cheng Xiangdong hurriedly gathered up the ladder and rope, then drove away.

The two looked at each other, rolled onto the bed, kissed each other, and poked each other, feeling so happy their hearts were melting.

The next day, Lu's mother came to call Lu Nan for breakfast.

As soon as she pushed open the door, she saw two figures sleeping soundly in each other's arms under the quilt. Her own son was fast asleep in Cheng Xiangbei's shoulder. Lu's mother was stunned and stood there, her hand on the doorknob, unsure of what to do.

Seeing her unusual expression, Mr. Lu slowly walked over to look at her. After a while, he patted his wife's shoulder. "Let's go."

Lu's mother stared at her husband with a complicated expression.

Lu's father put his arm around her shoulder and comforted her, saying, "Children and grandchildren have their own blessings."

"But……"

"We can't help them for a lifetime."

As soon as the door closed, Cheng Xiangbei immediately opened his eyes.

The room was very quiet; if you listened carefully, you could hear the sound of a spoon hitting the edge of a pot.

Lu Nan was still asleep. He lowered his head and reverently placed a kiss on Lu Nan's forehead.

From now on, only happiness awaits them.