Chapter 42 I met my dad's parents, haha...
"Knock knock knock." A knocking sound came from outside the door.
Lin Yi opened his eyes and found that Shen Beidao was not beside him.
A slight noise came from the direction of the kitchen, and the moment his consciousness returned, he smelled the aroma of xiaolongbao (soup dumplings).
"Teacher Chen," Lin Yi called out indistinctly towards the door, "Someone is knocking."
"They're here." Shen Beidao's voice came from the living room, followed by footsteps.
The bedroom door was pushed open a crack, and Shen Beidao poked half his body in. He was wearing close-fitting pajamas, with the sleeves casually rolled up to his elbows, revealing his muscular forearms, and an apron with a cartoon Shiba Inu printed on it was tied around his waist.
Lin Yi rubbed his eyes, his heart racing: Is this considered a married man? What if he took off his clothes and only left his apron...?
"Yiyi, you keep sleeping, I'll go open the door." Shen Beidao spoke very softly, as if afraid of waking him up. "The food is ready, I'll come and call you then."
Lin Yi gave a muffled "hmm" and buried his face back in the pillow. The thought was too shameful; anything could happen in his dreams.
The door opened.
Xie Chun stood at the door.
Wearing a dark gray suit and a black cashmere overcoat, he didn't look like he was visiting his son's home, but rather attending an important business meeting.
At this moment, his sharp eyes were scrutinizing Shen Beidao from head to toe, his brows slightly furrowed, as if he were evaluating a product that did not quite meet his expectations.
Although they were at odds to some extent because of Du Xiaoman's case, this was Xie Chun's first formal meeting with Shen Beidao.
He looked Shen Beidao up and down, "You are..."
Shen Beidao smiled and extended his hand, saying, "Hello, I'm Lin Yi's boyfriend."
Xie Chun's gaze fell on Shen Beidao's outstretched hand. The hand had distinct knuckles, was clean and slender, and the fingertips were slightly damp, as if it had just been touched by water.
His gaze moved upwards, passing over the dark pajamas, the rolled-up sleeves, and finally settling on the cartoon apron.
Xie Chun's lips twitched slightly:
Hmm? My son likes home-style furniture?
He ignored Shen Beidao's outstretched hand and didn't even respond to the smile. He walked past Shen Beidao into the living room, his demeanor one of complete indifference.
Shen Beidao's hand lingered in the air for a moment before naturally retracting.
He closed the door, turned around, and followed him inside.
Xie Chun stood in the center of the living room, his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping across the space filled with traces of life.
Some foreign books were scattered on the coffee table, a gray sweater was draped over the sofa, and a dark travel bag stood in the corner. All of this silently announced the "intrusion" of another person.
"Lin Yi." Xie Chun called out to him in a commanding tone.
Shen Beidao walked quickly to the sofa: "Uncle, Lin Yi is still resting. Please sit down first. I'll go and call him right away."
Xie Chun glanced at him sideways before sitting down on the sofa.
Shen Beidao turned and went to the kitchen, where he quickly brought out a set of white porcelain teaware and a pot of freshly boiled water.
He smoothly scalded the cups, placed the tea leaves, brewed the tea, and gently placed a pot of tea in front of Xie Chun.
"Uncle, please have some tea."
After doing all that, he turned and walked towards the bedroom.
Inside the bedroom, Lin Yi curled up into a ball, the blanket forming a small mound.
Shen Beidao walked over and gently patted the center of the "hill". "Yiyi, wake up, there are guests outside."
A muffled complaint came from under the covers: "Who is it... can't even let people have a moment's peace on a Saturday... could it be Zhang Zexuan again?"
Shen Beidao lifted a corner of the blanket and said affectionately, "It's your dad."
"Xie Chun!" Lin Yi suddenly jumped out of bed. "He rarely comes here, why is he suddenly here?"
This apartment was bought for Lin Yi by Xie Chun when he first entered university.
In previous years, Xie Chun's business was mainly focused overseas. Only in the last year or two has he begun to expand into the domestic market. The father and son have only met a handful of times, and it is even rarer for them to visit each other on their own initiative.
Seeing his panicked expression, Shen Beidao pulled a black cashmere scarf from the closet and handed it to him, glancing at his neck. "Cover this up."
Lin Yi jumped off the bed barefoot and rushed to the dressing mirror. In the mirror, there were several light red marks on the right side of his neck near his ear, which were quite noticeable against his fair skin.
"Oh dear!" Lin Yi blushed and turned around to accuse, "How could you be so barbaric yesterday? You had no sense of chivalry at all!"
While grumbling, he rummaged through the closet for a turtleneck sweater. Wearing a scarf around his neck at home, not only did Xie Chun suspect something, but he himself felt incredibly silly.
Lin Yi put on two sweaters: a smoky gray cashmere sweater as a base layer and a beige chunky knit sweater on top, piling up the collars to finally cover up the marks.
Suppressing a laugh, Shen Beidao wrapped her arms around his waist from behind, rubbing her chin against his earlobe: "The way we're doing this... doesn't it look like we were just having an affair?"
"Shut up!" Lin Yi nudged him with his elbow. "When my dad asks you something later, just watch my expression."
Taking a deep breath, Lin Yi composed himself and opened the bedroom door.
When I walked into the living room, Xie Chun was still sitting on the sofa, and he had already drunk most of the tea in his cup.
"Why are you only coming out now?" Xie Chun put down his teacup. "I've almost finished this pot of tea."
Lin Yi sat down on the single sofa opposite him, his tone stubborn: "What? Did you eat something too salty this morning? Are you that thirsty?"
Seeing his son's "unfriendly" attitude towards him, and comparing it to the scene earlier when Shen Beidao was busy in the kitchen and was gentle and polite to him, Xie Chun felt a surge of anger inexplicably rise in his heart.
The feeling was like having your own sapling taken away, pot and all, and then being taken care of and grown into a lush tree, only to be ignored by its owner, who was now a father. A mix of emotions overwhelmed you, and even the tea in your hand lost its flavor.
Xie Chun asked in a scrutinizing tone, "When did you two start living together?"
“Yesterday,” Lin Yi replied immediately.
"Who are you trying to fool?" Xie Chun clearly didn't believe her, her gaze sweeping between the two of them. "Where did you find your boyfriend? Has he had a physical exam? Is his background clean?"
Lin Yi was stunned: Has my dad never met Shen Beidao? Because of Du Xiaoman's matter, they haven't met him either?
Thinking about it this way, Xie Chun wasn't that concerned about Du Xiaoman after all!
At this moment, Shen Beidao stepped forward half a step and said respectfully, "Hello, Uncle. I am currently teaching at the School of Foreign Languages of Jiangzhou University. My job is stable and I have no bad habits."
I have a regular annual physical examination, the most recent one being three months ago. The report showed that I am in good health and have no history of infectious or hereditary diseases.
"If you are still concerned, I can have a more detailed physical examination tomorrow and provide you with a complete medical report within a week."
Lin Yi's eyelids twitched as she listened, and she quietly tugged at his sleeve: "Didn't I tell you to follow my lead? Don't be so honest..."
"Are you a teacher?" Xie Chun pondered for a moment, then looked at Lin Yi and asked, "You two are... in a teacher-student relationship?"
“We’re not even from the same school!” Lin Yi retorted immediately. “I’m at the Academy of Fine Arts, and he’s at Jiangda University, which is half a city away!”
Xie Chun ignored him and continued to ask Shen Beidao, "Do your parents know about your relationship with Lin Yi? What is their attitude?"
"Dad!" Lin Yi interrupted, "What brings you here so early in the morning? If there's nothing else, you can go to the company first. I have other plans to make later."
Xie Chun's gaze lingered between the two for a moment. Not wanting to strain his relationship with his only son, he had no choice but to temporarily suppress his questioning.
He added, "Call Zhang Zexuan. He suddenly took leave these past two days and isn't answering his phone. There's an emergency at the company and we can't find him."
Lin Yi was taken aback: "Xuanzi took leave? Isn't he a workaholic lately?"
"...Besides, don't you have other assistants besides him?"
Shen Beidao gently tugged at the hem of his sweater.
Lin Yi immediately understood and reluctantly took out his phone, "Okay, I'll contact them for you."
The call was answered almost immediately.
Lin Yi said a few words and handed the phone to Xie Chun: "He said he wanted me to give you the phone."
Xie Chun took the phone, walked to the balcony, and closed the glass door.
The call was very short, ending in just one or two minutes.
He walked back, returned the phone to Lin Yi, picked up his coat, and prepared to leave.
He stopped at the door and said, "Your mother is flying to Jiangzhou tomorrow. Let's have dinner together tomorrow night. I'll send you the location later. Don't be late."
"Understood." Lin Yi nodded.
The door closed.
The apartment quieted down, with only the faint hum of the steamer in the kitchen.
Shen Beidao walked over and gently put his arm around Lin Yi's shoulder, feeling the tension in his body: "Let's eat first."
Chen Beidao served breakfast: a basket of xiaolongbao (soup dumplings), two bowls of smooth white porridge, a plate of stir-fried shredded potatoes, and two salted duck eggs...
...
Du Xiaoman's case will go to trial tomorrow morning.
The lawyer repeatedly emphasized that it was imperative to obtain a letter of understanding today, so that they could negotiate a reduced sentence for Du Xiaoman in court.
As for why Xie Chun didn't recognize Shen Beidao?
Because Zhang Zexuan was overly proactive at work when this incident occurred, he gained Xie Chun's trust.
He entrusted the matter to Zhang Zexuan, as he was too busy with business to take care of it himself.
He started the car and drove towards the old town location provided by Zhang Zexuan.
The road narrowed and narrowed until it was finally blocked at the entrance of an alley.
The alley was too narrow, and there were electric tricycles and bicycles parked inside.
Xie Chun frowned and pulled over.
About ten minutes later, a figure emerged from the depths of the alley.
Xie Chun looked through the car window and his forehead twitched.
Zhang Zexuan looked like he had just crawled out of bed, wearing an extremely oversized black bear-themed onesie with an exaggerated bear head hood and two round, drooping ears.
She paired it with ripped jeans that were practically falling apart, and plastic sandals that revealed her red, frozen toes.
With his hair all messy, eyes rubbing, and slippers on, he walked up to the Bugatti and knocked on the window.
Xie Chun rolled down the car window, his face expressionless.
"Mr. Xie, why did you drive this car?" Zhang Zexuan lowered his voice. "It's too conspicuous! Come on, let me take you to the parking lot of the next community. You can't park here."
After he finished speaking, he turned around and walked forward unsteadily in his sandals, the tail of his bear pajamas swaying back and forth.
Xie Chun honked the horn.
The man in front of him, startled by the "bear shadow," nearly jumped up and turned around to reprimand, "Mr. Xie! Honking is prohibited in the city! Violators will be fined two hundred yuan and have three points deducted!"
After issuing his warning, Zhang Zexuan turned around and continued walking, refusing to get into the car, stubbornly rubbing the ground with his slippers.
On the street, I met an older woman carrying a shopping basket: "Hey! Xuanxuan! You're working as a security guard in the next neighborhood? Directing such expensive cars?"
Zhang Zexuan slipped and his face flushed red: "Aunt Zhang! This is my friend! He came to my house to see me about something!"
A hint of pleasure appeared on Xie Chun's silent face.
"Oh, a friend..." Aunt Zhang waved her hand warmly, "You don't need to go, the parking lot in front is full! A self-driving tour group came this morning, and all the cars parked there are from out of town."
"Okay, thank you, Aunt Zhang!" Zhang Zexuan quickly thanked her, muttering under his breath, "It's just that you talk too much..."
Xie Chun's car was still parked where it was. If he didn't get in soon, he would lose face. He jogged back, opened the car door, and sat in the passenger seat.
“Let’s go.” He fastened his seatbelt. “Drive one kilometer ahead, there’s an underground parking lot for a shopping mall.”
After parking the car, the two walked for nearly twenty minutes before returning to Zhang Zexuan's apartment building.
As Xie Chun went upstairs, he checked his watch and realized it was almost ten o'clock.
Zhang Zexuan opened the door, and a warm, fragrant aroma wafted out of the house.
As he changed his shoes, he called into the house, "Mom! My boss from work came to visit! He was passing by and brought you a gift!"
He lied without batting an eye, placing the box of oranges and two boxes of milk that he had dragged Xie Chun downstairs to buy on the shelf.
"Hey? Where's my dad?"
Wearing a floral apron, Zhang's mother came out of the bedroom: "Your father went fishing and won't be back until dark."
Her gaze fell on Xie Chun, and a smile bloomed on her face. "Oh! And who is this?... He's quite the handsome man!"
Zhang Zexuan quickly introduced, "Mom, this is my company boss, President Xie. He just happened to be passing by and wanted to get some documents from me."
Xie Chun nodded slightly to Zhang's mother, forcing a smile.
He really didn't know how to address her; judging by her age, Zhang's mother was at most ten years older than him.
"Oh, boss! Please come in! Xuanxuan, you really are something, not even telling me the boss was coming!"
Zhang's mother quickly took off her apron, "Please sit down, I'll go out to buy groceries right away! Please stay for lunch!"
"No need to trouble yourself, I'll just take the documents and leave," Xie Chun said, trying to keep his voice gentle.
"How can that be! We're already here, there's no reason not to eat! Xuanxuan, make sure you entertain President Xie well! Mom will be back soon!"
Zhang's mother didn't give him a chance to refuse and rushed out the door.
The door slammed shut.
Zhang Zexuan touched his nose, a hint of smugness on his lips: "Well... you see, it's not my fault, it's my mom who insisted on keeping you here."
"How about... we give my mom some face? She's a pretty good cook."
Xie Chun looked at his subordinate dressed in a bear costume, and then at the small but warm room, and inexplicably felt the warmth of "home".
He was silent for a few seconds, his brows relaxed a little, and he softly hummed in agreement.
Zhang Zexuan blinked: So... you agreed?
"Then please sit down." Zhang Zexuan's attitude suddenly became very gentle. He pointed to the fabric sofa and said, "I'll go make you a pot of tea."
Xie Chun sat down; the sofa was softer than he had imagined.
He looked around. Photos of Zhang Zexuan from childhood to adulthood hung on the walls, a potted plant sat on the TV cabinet, and faded paper-cut window decorations adorned the windows...
While boiling water, Zhang Zexuan said, "Don't be shy! Make yourself at home."
“My house isn’t that small,” Xie Chun said, oblivious to the romantic sentiment.
Zhang Zexuan was rummaging through tea leaves when he heard this and pulled out the tea bag. "Oh ho! President Xie, don't look down on your little employee!"
“My house is in a top-tier school district! The location is unbeatable! Look out the window.” He pointed towards the balcony, “Jiangzhou’s landmark building, see it? It’s right across from us!”
"There's a 5A-level tourist attraction just three kilometers ahead! It's only a ten-minute walk, with beautiful scenery right outside the window and the park just inside the door! It's much better than your empty villa!"
Zhang Zexuan was full of confidence on his own turf.
Xie Chun glanced out the window in the direction he pointed and didn't argue further; it was indeed close enough to the city center.
However, he thought that Zhang Zexuan had enjoyed such high-quality educational resources, so he should have been raised to be a gentle and refined intellectual young man. How could he be so... in a way that left him speechless?
With a "Duang" sound, the teapot was placed in front of Xie Chun.
"My grandfather grows Longjing tea, and he roasts it himself! It's all-natural and pollution-free! It costs a thousand yuan per kilogram!"
Zhang Zexuan casually poured him a cup, pushing the clear, emerald-green tea towards Xie Chun, "Drink up!"
"Longjing tea should be picked around Qingming Festival to taste its best. Now it's almost the end of the year, and it's been sitting for so long..."
Xie Chun took a sip; the tea was slightly astringent at first, but then turned sweet, with a lingering aroma and a long aftertaste.
"Not bad." He put down his teacup.
Zhang Zexuan's eyes lit up: "You like it?"
He leaned closer. "My grandpa's tea plantation is right next to the scenic area, the scenery is amazing! Or... after we finish eating, I'll take you for a walk?"
"Anyway, it's Saturday today, you don't have anything else urgent, right?"
His last sentence was tentative, and he looked at Xie Chun expectantly.
Xie Chun remained silent, his gaze falling on Zhang Zexuan once again.
The ridiculous bear pajamas, the messy hair, the cheeks slightly flushed with excitement, and those clear eyes that were now looking at him.
An employee dressed in pajamas and slippers, inviting the boss to tour his own tea plantation—this is unprecedented.
"Shopping is fine." Xie Chun's voice was flat, but his eyes were full of disdain. "But could you please change into something decent before you go out? Young people, how can you be so... sloppy?"
Zhang Zexuan paused for a moment, looked down at himself, and then seemed to understand something: "Oh~~ So Mr. Xie, you like... the refined pig boy type?"
"You should have said so earlier!" He leaned closer mysteriously and said in a drawn-out tone, "Tonight, I'll shave all the chicken feathers off, so I'll be clean and tidy when I see you today!"
Xie Chun gritted his teeth: …………
commit a sin.
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Author's Note: My little darlings!! Happy New Year's Eve!
Happy New Year 2026! Yay! The New Year is here!
Wishing everyone a healthy and happy new year, may you pass all your exams, have a smooth career, and have all your wishes come true!
Some personal thoughts about this article: Actually, Longjing tea priced over 500 yuan per jin (500g) is really delicious. I've actually tried it; it was a gift from the shop owner [rainbow fart]. Humans really can't write stories beyond their understanding; I'm such a country bumpkin [glasses].
You can probably guess the background, right? Actually, this article describes the seasonal changes, environment, local customs, and so on in Hangzhou. Maybe only I know about it, and not many people have read it.
Zhang Zexuan's residence is set in the city center of the West Lake scenic area. People who live in this place can really enjoy excellent educational resources, because my colleague told me this [glasses emoji]. (This is just a reference location; the author's creation does not involve any specific city. *sigh emoji*)
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