Chapter Thirteen
The New Year for those who got married was as warm and lively as ever.
Cheng Xiangdong was unable to return from abroad, but through the video, he could still feel the warm and harmonious atmosphere at home.
With his older brother absent, Cheng Xiangbei took on the main role of livening up the atmosphere, jumping around and teasing the cats and dogs, making his grandmother and mother laugh from ear to ear. Cheng's father also came home just before the end of the year, went straight to bed, and didn't come downstairs in his slippers until the afternoon of New Year's Eve.
"Dad, you're being way too lazy!" Cheng Xiangbei brought out a basin of flour, and the family gathered around the dining table to make dumplings.
"Go away, go away, don't talk like that!" Cheng's mother pinched him and pulled out a chair for her husband. "You've worked hard all year, let your dad rest."
Cheng's father sat in his chair, smiling, and accepted the hot tea Cheng Xiangbei offered. "It's so comfortable sleeping at home!" he said, stretching lazily without any regard for appearances. Cheng Xiangbei scoffed. His father was a respected figure outside the home, but unfortunately, his image in front of his family was truly appalling. Well, if you put on airs in front of your family, are you still family? Heh heh.
"I wonder if Nan Nan's family has started making dumplings yet." Grandma Cheng sat to the side, slowly wrapping dumplings.
Aunt Li and Aunt Cheng exchanged a smile and said, "Why don't we go over and take a look after we've finished packing?"
Grandma Cheng and Grandma Lu have been neighbors and sisters for many years. Ever since Grandpa Lu passed away, Grandma Lu's son would bring her to the city for holidays. The two elderly women often chatted and played dominoes together; they were rare confidantes.
"No need, Lu Nan's mother is a good worker, I was just asking casually."
Just as she finished speaking, Lu Nan bounced in. "Wow, it's so lively!"
"Nannan's here?" The adults beamed. "Come on over, do you need any help around the house?"
"No need, we've already tidied up our house." It's good that the house is small; with everyone working together, we finished in half a day.
"Tiger, stop meddling here." Seeing Lu Nan also pulling up a chair and rocking back and forth, Cheng's mother said to Cheng Xiangbei, "Help Nan Nan put up the couplets and window decorations, hurry up!"
"Okay!" Cheng Xiangbei grinned and pulled Lu Nan upstairs. "Baby, I missed you so much!" He closed the door and gave her a kiss. Lu Nan bit him. "It's only been a day, why are you so excited!"
"A day apart feels like three autumns!" she wagged her tail affectionately.
Lu Nan rolled her eyes and patted his head dismissively.
After the New Year, a series of gatherings followed.
It was bustling with activity—from junior high, high school, clubs, and close friends.
Lu Nan accompanied Cheng Xiangbei once and then refused to go again. Too many people and too much noise made it better to stay home and read comics or play games! Cheng Xiangbei had always been the leader of the group, so it wouldn't be right for him not to participate. In the end, he had to go out alone.
After eating and drinking, the group moved on to a karaoke room. The large private room was packed. Cheng Xiangbei went up and yelled once before retreating to a corner. Some people laughed, saying their boss wasn't being fair, while others tried to get closer to him. Cheng Xiangbei felt it was too noisy, so he used the excuse of needing to pee to run outside for some fresh air.
Emerging from the restroom, he didn't rush into a private room. Instead, he went upstairs and settled into a corner of the bar to rest. Unlike the hustle and bustle downstairs, the bar was sparsely populated. Cheng Xiangbei sighed contentedly. The hazy sounds of jazz filled the air, a few people whispered at the bar, and the smell of cigarette smoke wafted through the air.
The smell of smoke?! He sniffed, turned his head, and saw a figure leaning against the window, puffing out smoke. Cheng Xiangbei was stunned. This person… wasn't that Zhou Mu?
"Hey! Brother! You didn't even say goodbye when you came back!" Cheng Xiangbei walked over and patted Zhou Mu on the shoulder.
Zhou Mu turned around and saw that it was him smiling. "Long time no see!"
The two sat down, and Cheng Xiangbei laughed, "Why are you pretending to be melancholy all by yourself? Where's Lin Cong?"
Zhou Mu chuckled and said dejectedly, "It's over."
"What did you say?" Cheng Xiangbei picked at his ear, unable to believe it. These two used to be even closer than he and Lu Nan, how could they have broken up? "You must be joking!"
"Tch!" Zhou Mu spat. "What a joke!"
Once in college, pre-existing feelings and values clashed at every turn.
Although they lived in the same city, their respective study and social circles couldn't mesh, and their initial enthusiasm turned into constant conflict. Communication became nothing but arguments, and eventually, fed up with the fights, they didn't even want to speak to each other when they met. When a couple is unwilling to even talk, can they still be called lovers?
And so, they both got tired of each other and broke up.
Of course, this was only Zhou Mu's side of the story, and Cheng Xiangbei didn't want to delve into the truth. He had no right to interfere in other people's relationships, but the breakup between Zhou and Lin was the last thing he wanted to see. In a way, Zhou Mu was also his mentor on his path to homosexuality.
"Is there no possibility of getting back together?" Cheng Xiangbei sighed.
Zhou Mu shook his head. "Too tired."
Maintaining a same-sex relationship is much harder than a heterosexual one; it can't be exposed, and you can only endure it. Seeing him interact with women, whether male or female, makes you feel a pang of jealousy, yet you can't show it. Furthermore, Lin Cong is very ambitious, and after entering university, his horizons broaden, and the two of you have very different life plans. Even if feelings still remain, if the conflicts can't be resolved, the problem will always exist.
"Enjoy the moment, brother." Zhou Mu patted his shoulder and walked away.
Cheng Xiangbei stared at his retreating figure, sitting there motionless for a long time.
[Nannan, do you love me?]
In the middle of the night, Lu Nan received a text message from Cheng Xiangbei. Still half asleep, he pressed the button, looking at Cheng Xiangbei's seemingly nonsensical question, and instinctively replied: "[Love, isn't that obvious!]"
[Nan Nan, I'm a little unsure...] Even the strongest person has moments of vulnerability, and it's clear that Zhou Lin's change of heart has dealt a significant blow to Cheng Xiangbei.
Lu Nan rubbed his eyes, sensing that something was off with Cheng Xiangbei. He sat up, clutching his blanket, and dialed the number.
"Hello?" Cheng Xiangbei's voice came through, very low.
"Tiger, what's wrong with you?" Lu Nan was still confused, but he could still sense his lover's emotional changes.
"Nothing much, it's just that it's the middle of the night and I miss you."
"Nonsense!" Lu Nan scoffed. "You're completely stuck in your own little world! Tell me, what happened today?"
"N-nothing's wrong." He sounded guilty.
"If you don't tell me you're going to sleep, then I'm going to! What are you doing making such a fuss in the middle of the night?"
"No, no..." Cheng Xiangbei quickly tried to stop him. "I ran into Zhou Mu today."
"Oh." Lu Nan nodded. "And then?"
"He...he broke up with Lin Cong." I feel a pang of sympathy; even role models have been shattered.
"And then what?" Lu Nan asked impatiently.
No, that's all.
Lu Nan rolled over, still wrapped in the blanket. "What does their breakup have to do with you?" Countless people break up every day; how can you possibly empathize with everyone?
“I…I am…” Cheng Xiangbei was at a loss for words.
"Do you think we should break up too since they broke up?" Lu Nan yawned.
"No, no, no! That's not what I meant!" Cheng Xiangbei exclaimed anxiously.
"Tch, let them break up, what's it to us?" Lu Nan snorted with her eyes half-closed. "Let me tell you, I'm going to spend my whole life with you. If you dare to have any thoughts of wandering off, I'll punish you in the name of the moon!"
"No, I wouldn't dare! I guarantee my utmost loyalty!" He quickly raised his hand to swear.
"I'm going to sleep now, goodnight." He tossed his phone aside and started snoring.
On the other end, Cheng Xiangbei held his phone and chuckled to himself for a long time.
A lifetime, hehe, a lifetime.
The blissful feeling didn't last long before troubles struck.
Lu Nan became obsessed with reading comics and developed a passion for drifting.
After hearing his description, Cheng's father got excited, and the two of them, the old man and the young man, picked up a car and went to a deserted area to practice driving.
"Not bad, not bad, that's really fun!" Cheng's father exclaimed, listening to the squeaking of the tires as they skidded along the pavement. "Nannan, you like drifting, how about Uncle gets you a car?"
"What would I need that for?" Lu Nan shook her head.
"Choose any car you like from the movie!" Cheng's father said magnanimously.
"No, I've already ruined this car badly." The tires have been replaced three times, and my ears have been pinched red by my mother three times.
"Sigh..." Father Cheng sighed, feeling a sense of frustration at being unable to give the children away. To be fair, the children were all very well-mannered—Xiang Dong, Xiang Bei, and even Lu Nan, who could practically be considered half a son—there was nothing to worry about. Good children should be rewarded, but even when he practically offered them a mountain of gold, none of them seemed interested. "If Uncle gives it to you, you'll just take it!"
"Then my mom will eat me alive!" Resist the temptation firmly.
The two of them played with their cars for a while and happily returned to the Cheng family home. Before they even entered, they saw Cheng Xiangbei sitting on a small stool at the door, glaring at them. The father and son exchanged a glance. Oh no, they had been so engrossed in playing today that they had left Tiger at home.
Hehe, hehe. "Tiger, didn't you go out to play?"
Cheng Xiangbei glared at him and snorted, "Of course I didn't go out to 'play'!" He emphasized the last word, clearly holding a grudge.
Cheng's father patted his son's head and laughed, "Tiger, it's just that I didn't take you out, and you're giving your dad the cold shoulder."
"Hmph! You're such a grown-up, yet you're still playing childish games. Aren't you tired?!" The point is, if you're going to play, why did you have to take Lu Nan away with you?
However, Cheng's father was pleased to hear this. His own son was his only son; he must be upset that he only took Lu Nan and not him. "Alright, alright, I'll take you next time," he said, smiling as he went inside.
"A tiger?" Lu Nan, feeling guilty, squatted down and smiled ingratiatingly.
"Hmph!" Looking up at the sky, she was furious! She had only taken a lazy afternoon nap, and when she woke up, Lu Nan was gone. She waited for him for ages, only to find out that he had gone out to play with cars with his father.
"Okay, I'll take you next time." Holding hands, best friends.
"No way!" she continued to sulk.
"Why not?" Lu Nan squinted, there's a limit to throwing a tantrum.
"You can only bring me, but not my dad."
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