Chapter 12

Chen Liuchi didn't expect to meet the other person's eyes when he looked over. He quickly put down the yogurt and greeted politely: "Hello, Auntie, I am..."

His voice paused slightly. Who is he to Cen Zhao?

Friends? More than that.

Lovers? Not yet.

What kind of relationship could imply intimacy without frightening Cen Zhao's mother?

Cen Zhao noticed his hesitation and naturally took over the conversation: "Mom, this is the sinking pond."

Just a simple name, without any special title.

Zeng Qingya was stunned for a moment, then smiled and nodded gently to Chen Liuchi: "Hello, Xiao Shen, I'm Cen Zhao's mother. I brought cherries here, you two can eat together."

She spoke in a soft voice and had a gentle appearance. Chen Liuchi was being stared at by her, but surprisingly he was not very nervous: "Thank you, Auntie. We just came back from the supermarket too. Do you want to -"

Zeng Qingya waved her hands repeatedly, and Cen Zhao smiled: "My mother maintains her figure by only drinking vegetable juice and eating a little carbohydrates at night."

Chen Liuchi spoke frankly: "Auntie is already very thin, and she has taken good care of herself. She looks very young."

Zeng Qingya smiled immediately: "Xiao Shen is handsome and sweet-spoken. Come and play with Xiao Zhao more often in the future."

Cen Zhao leaned to the side with his arms folded, watching the two of them: "Stop complimenting each other, praise me too."

Zeng Qingya clapped her hands and said, "I don't praise you enough. I have to go. Your dad is almost off work and I have to pick him up."

Cen Zhao stood up straighter. "You want to drive yourself? Should I take you there?"

Zeng Qingya didn't let him run again: "You two haven't eaten yet, right? Don't run any more. Your dad and I still have a date and we don't need you as a light bulb."

Cen Zhao shrugged. "Okay, you can send me the bill and I'll reimburse you two."

Zeng Qingya glanced at him with disdain: "With your salary, just keep it for pocket money."

As she spoke, she looked at Chen Liuchi again and nodded goodbye. Her eyes lingered on the raccoon T-shirt on him for a second longer. Just when Chen Liuchi thought she had figured something out, Zeng Qingya just smiled again and said, "Cen Zhao's cooking is delicious. Xiao Shen, don't be polite to him."

Chen Liuchi nodded repeatedly: "I'll take you down."

Even if Zeng Qingya said not to bother, Chen Liuchi couldn't really let her go downstairs by herself. Regardless of whether Zeng Qingya was Cen Zhao's mother or not, it was basic courtesy to see a lady off.

After watching Zeng Qingya's car leave the community, the two turned around and slowly walked upstairs.

"How do you want to eat the cherries? The cherries sent by my uncle are usually very sweet." Cen Zhao still had his apron on and looked very homely.

Chen Liuchi said it was fine. After thinking for a moment, he asked Cen Zhao, "Your mother didn't notice anything, did she?" He pointed at his T-shirt and said, "She seemed to be looking at the raccoon logo just now. Does she know this shirt is yours?"

Cen Zhao was very calm: "She not only knows about clothes, but also my sexual orientation. Don't worry."

Chen Liuchi choked: "Do your parents know?"

Cen Zhao opened the door and motioned for Chen Liuchi to go in first: "I know, they don't care much about this, and you don't have to care either. Just get along with them casually."

Chenliuchi responded, but fell silent.

Shen Maoyuan was the only one who knew that he liked men, and his mother, Zhang Ning, probably had some idea too. But as for his father, Chen Liuchi had absolutely no hope. His father was a typical old-fashioned male chauvinist, and to him, homosexuality was basically a fantasy: non-existent, unacceptable, and impossible.

At this moment, Chen Liuchi suddenly felt some regret that shouldn't have appeared but could not be suppressed. Shouldn't he have expressed his affection for Cen Zhao so quickly? Because even if they were together, he couldn't bring her to his parents and honestly say that she was his lover.

Cen Zhao naturally noticed the change in his mood. He did not continue talking about this topic, but unpacked the cherries that Zeng Qingya brought and washed them in the kitchen sink.

"The reason why my mother remembers this T-shirt is because the little raccoon on it is my brother's masterpiece." Cen Zhao was washing cherries, his voice as gentle as the water.

Chenliuchi's mood naturally changed: "Brother? I haven't heard you mention him before."

Cen Zhao said, "He died ten years ago."

Chen Liuchi paused: "Sorry..."

"No need to apologize. I just wanted to mention him to you." Cen Zhao smiled, his tone not too heavy. "My brother's name is Cen Jin. He suffers from autism spectrum disorder, which is also known as autism in the broad sense. He couldn't speak in complete sentences. Until his death, he could only say three words at most."

"I have several Ralph Lauren T-shirts with the polo logo, but for some reason he really didn't like the logo, so he took a pair of scissors and cut them all off."

"My mother thought it was not nice for him to do that. Even a patient shouldn't damage other people's things. So she bought some Velcro online and asked my brother to fix my clothes."

It was also because of this opportunity that the Cen family unexpectedly discovered that their little son who suffered from autism was unexpectedly good at sewing and embroidery. Cen Zhao's parents had a three-meter-long butterfly cross-stitch set, which was his work.

"When he's sewing, he's very quiet and serious. He can go a whole day without looking up. He gets angry when you ask him to eat or drink."

Cen Zhao smiled briefly, but it was a fleeting smile. "When he was fourteen, I was a senior in college, doing an internship at the hospital with my teacher. He rarely came out to see me and brought me a T-shirt he had sewn."

"But he was so excited and ran so fast that my mom didn't catch him."

Cen Jin doesn't look at traffic lights, and Cen Jin doesn't listen to other people's screams and warnings. Cen Jin's world only consists of himself and the new T-shirt he wanted to show to Cen Zhao that day.

"He had a car accident at the hospital entrance, and I personally carried him onto a stretcher and pushed him into the emergency room."

Cen Zhao slowed down his hands as he washed the cherries. He lowered his head, as if he was lost in some emotion. The sound of running water was like crying, stronger than silence.

"After this incident, my parents and I have changed to some extent."

After a moment, Cen Zhao spoke, "I read in a book before that people usually change silently, but I don't think that's right. When the changes happened to our family of three, the sound was deafening."

Chen Liuchi looked at him and felt that breathing was difficult. He was not good at comforting people, so he could only hold Cen Zhao's wrist and feel the cold water and the surging pulse under his skin.

"I'm not saying this to seek comfort."

After a while, Cen Zhao turned off the faucet and looked towards Shen Liuchi. His gaze was deep, but his voice was soft and gentle, landing gently beside Shen Liuchi's ear: "I just want to say, don't worry. Everyone will change. Some will require a price, while others don't. We can't interfere, we can only choose to wait."

Chenliuchi understood his implication almost instantly and couldn't help but speak up, making a cruel assumption: "What if this change takes a very long time to happen?"

Cen Zhao's eyes remained calm. He held Chen Liuchi's hand with his backhand, and the two hands, which were not warm at all, intertwined together: "I believe we have enough time."

Chenliuchi's heart skipped a beat.

He opened his mouth but couldn't utter a single syllable. He could only feel the violent throbbing under his fingers, like a burning spark, making him boil through his skin.

There are many important moments in life that appear in ways that Chen Liuchi never expected. At this moment, he became shocked and at a loss, and could only nod awkwardly and say yes in a mute voice.

Seeing this, Cen Zhao smiled, a smile that was hard to describe. He put the washed cherries on a plate and pushed the sink out of the kitchen. "Wait for dinner. You can watch TV if you're bored."

Chen Liuchi had no interest in watching TV. He tasted a cherry; it was indeed sweet. Cen Zhao's figure was obscured by the oil-sand glass door, making it hard to see clearly. Chen Liuchi stared at the blurry outline, lost in thought. He began to imagine what Cen Zhao had been like before the deafening change. Was he as calm and gentle as he was now, or was he more angular?

Just as he was lost in thought, the kitchen door suddenly opened and Cen Zhao came out with a plate in his hand. His expression was no different from usual: "Come over and mix some cold dishes."

Chen Liuchi responded and stood up. Before he could even touch the chopsticks, Cen Zhao held the spoon to his lips and said, "Taste the sauce. Is it sweet and sour enough?"

Chen Liuchi took a sip obediently: "Okay."

"Okay." Cen Zhao handed him the spoon and the bowl of sauce. "Pour it on and mix it." He then looked into the living room and asked, "Why don't you turn on the TV?"

Chen Liuchi asked, "Do you usually cook with the TV on at home?"

Cen Zhao hummed, "It feels more lively when listening to the noise."

Chen Liuchi went over and turned on the TV. It was past seven o'clock and most of the channels were broadcasting the news. Chen Liuchi watched the international situation for half a minute and couldn't help but look back at the kitchen.

Perhaps in order to hear the sound, the kitchen door was not completely closed this time, and Cen Zhao's figure could be seen walking back and forth in the crack of the door, appearing and disappearing.

Chenliuchi stared at the gap for a long time, then stood up, took a few cherries and opened the kitchen door.

"What's wrong?" Cen Zhao was stunned for a moment, then saw the cherries in his hand and thought they were rotten. "The trash can is here. There's also one in the living room. It should be under the coffee table."

“It’s not broken.”

Chenliuchi brought the cherry to his mouth: "I want to make the kitchen more lively."

Cen Zhao was stunned for a moment, then smiled. He opened his mouth to take the cherry, restraining himself from touching Chen Liuchi's fingertips. "Then you wash the vegetables." He pointed to the sink. "I'll stew the chicken and then stir-fry the vegetables."

Chen Liuchi agreed and reached out to take the cherry pit. Cen Zhao dodged and held his wrist, "Boss Shen, there's no need to be so considerate."

Chen Liuchi had no choice but to take out a piece of paper and put it on his palm: "Is this okay?"

Cen Zhao smiled helplessly, picked up the paper and wiped the water stains on Chen Liuchi's arm, then turned around to find a trash can. "No need to be like this. I'm happier just having you here with me than if I had eaten a hundred cherries."

Chen Liuchi snorted and laughed: "You're lying. How can you be happy after eating a hundred cherries? You'll just get diarrhea."

"So Boss Shen is still the best." Cen Zhao hooked his finger on his wrist and said leisurely, "It's both healthy and makes people happy."

Chen Liuchi thought to himself what was this, but he couldn't help laughing. He simply didn't leave and just followed Cen Zhao, washing and cutting vegetables and handing him some oil, salt, sauce and vinegar.

When two people are together, they always feel that time is not passing quickly. When Chen Liuchi brought the potato chicken into the restaurant, he found that the news broadcast had already ended. At this time, the TV was playing the prime time 8 o'clock drama, and the shrill crying was annoying.

"How strange."

Cen Zhao followed him out, wiped his hands, and turned off the TV: "I actually think the TV is a bit too loud now. I can't hear you clearly."

Chen Liuchi suppressed his laughter and imitated him, pretending to be ignorant while knowing the truth: "That may be because your volume is set too high."

Upon hearing this, Cen Zhao didn't turn off the TV. Instead, he turned down the volume and pretended to listen for a few seconds. Then he turned to look at the sinking pond, looking very depressed. "I still can't hear you clearly. What did you just say?"

Chen Liuchi suddenly laughed, turned off the TV, and pushed Cen Zhao to the restaurant. He deliberately raised his voice and said, "You can't hear clearly now. Will you need hearing aids when you get older?"

Cen Zhao's ears were buzzing from his shouting, but he looked cheerful and happy. He sat down and helped Chen Liuchi pick up a piece of chicken thigh with his chopsticks. "Then I'll have to rely on Boss Shen from now on."

The aroma filled his nose, and Chen Liuchi no longer cared about joking with Cen Zhao, and concentrated on eating the spicy fried potato chicken he had been craving.

Cen Zhao is really good at cooking. Although the taste is not as strong as that in the restaurant, it is still appetizing enough. When the soft potatoes are mixed with the spicy soup and added to the rice, Chen Liuchi feels like his soul is sublimating.

Cen Zhao didn't rush to pick up his chopsticks. He propped up his chin and watched Chen Liuchi eat. He felt more satisfied than if he were eating himself. "Has anyone ever told you that you enjoy eating?"

Chen Liuchi nodded and swallowed the rice before speaking: "My mother always says this. My brother and I are not picky about food, but he seems to have no appetite no matter what he eats. He eats just to survive."

Upon hearing this, Cen Zhao recalled Shen Maoyuan, whom he had only met once. The two brothers of the Shen family looked about 40% similar. Shen Maoyuan was more fierce than Chen Liuchi. The superior had a strong aura, and probably people in high positions would not waste time on eating and drinking.

The two chatted idly while finishing a plate of potato chicken. After dinner, Chen Liuchi helped clean up the dishes. Cen Zhao didn't want him to do anything, but Chen Liuchi insisted, "Housework needs to be distributed reasonably to maintain family harmony. In our family, even my dad has to sweep the floor and wipe the table after dinner."

Seeing this, Cen Zhao stopped refusing, but still didn't let him wash the dishes. He just gave him a clean rag and said, "Go wipe the table, family member."

Chen Liuchi tutted his words and was about to say something when his phone rang in the living room. Cen Zhao immediately took the opportunity to push him out of the kitchen: "It's just right to answer the phone and wipe the table."

The phone in the living room kept ringing. Chen Liuchi took a rag and went over to take a look. He thought something was wrong. The caller was Shen Maoyuan, whom he had just complained about for having no appetite.

Chen Liuchi picked up the phone reluctantly: "Brother..."

"Where are you? It took you so long to answer the phone." Shen Maoyuan was very quiet, probably in the car. "The lights in the apartment are off. Where have you been?"

Chen Liuchi had no choice but to say, "At a friend's house..."

Shen Maoyuan's tone was slightly serious when he heard this: "It's already past nine o'clock, why haven't you come back yet? Which friend's house are you at?"