Chapter 96 Uncle [VIP]
"Who would be knocking at this hour? Could it be the neighbor again? Will they need to borrow soy sauce or vinegar this time?"
Mica muttered to herself in the kitchen.
"I'm telling you, this thing isn't worth much, and it's faster to go downstairs and buy a new bottle than to borrow it."
As she spoke, she was about to take off her apron and come out to open the door.
At the dinner table, Yun's father chimed in, "They're not lazy, they're just stingy. His wife is always trying to take advantage of him. If you ask me, this family is no good, not as good as the old Su family."
The "Old Su Family" he mentioned refers to Su Xiaobai's family.
The Xing family paid a high salary and provided room and board. Su Xiaobai saved a lot of money that year, so the Su family sold the house and bought a place closer to the city center.
This way, it will be convenient for Su Xiaobai to go home during holidays.
"Mom, I'll go," Qingran interjected, overhearing the conversation.
Yunmu stopped: "Alright, Ranran, you go. If someone outside comes to borrow something, just say you don't have anything to borrow."
As Qingran turned to walk towards the door, she took out the rice cooker and bowls and chopsticks and placed them on the table, gesturing to her father, who remained seated.
"Even if your leg is lame, your hands are always good. Let's scoop up the rice and serve the chopsticks."
Yun's father did as he was told without saying a word.
On the other side, the door, which hadn't been opened yet, rang twice more.
Qingran approached and opened the door, revealing a tall young man in a suit and tie standing outside.
The other person had a neat buzz cut, wore diamond earrings given to him, had thick eyebrows and deep-set eyes, and had three-dimensional features. It was none other than Xing Chao.
Qingran then revealed a surprised expression.
Then, remembering what had happened between them, a mix of panic, shame, and embarrassment flashed across his face.
He immediately tried to close the door as if to escape.
Xing Chao gripped the door panel with his right hand, but not with much force; if Qing Ran persisted, she would definitely press down on the back of his hand.
Qingran noticed this and stopped what she was doing in time.
Xing Chao looked at him stubbornly with his dark eyes: "Sister-in-law."
Qingran subconsciously said, "Don't call me that—" because the young man had called him that far too many times last night.
The closer and deeper their bodies became, the more intimate and husky the whispers in their ears grew.
So many times that this body would even develop a conditioned reflex to a simple name...
Xing Chao was reminded of what happened last night by his exaggerated reaction, and his Adam's apple bobbed dryly.
He secretly cursed himself for being a pervert. He had come to apologize, but how could his sister-in-law's casual remark have stirred his emotions and made him sexually frustrated?
The young man pursed his thin lips and said in a low voice, "Sister-in-law, I accept your resentment, your blame, or your desire to hit or punish me, just don't avoid me or ignore me."
The absurd experience left Qingran unsure how to face this person.
He turned his head away from the young man's defiant gaze: "How did you know I was here?"
“I guessed,” Xing Chao replied. “I thought my sister-in-law didn’t have any close friends, and she had nowhere to go if she left the Xing family.”
Thinking about it that way, he seems even more despicable.
"Sister-in-law..."
Qingran interrupted him and said softly, "You should go back. My dad hurt his leg, and I need to stay at home for a while."
Xing Chao's eyes lit up. So his sister-in-law wasn't avoiding him—
I don't want to see you for the time being either.
The young man's eyes dimmed.
"Ranran, who is it!" Yunmu, who hadn't seen him return for a long time, called out, followed by the sound of approaching footsteps.
Qingran panicked: "You should leave quickly."
He was about to close the door when he said that.
Xing Chao panicked for a moment, and while tightening his grip, he cried out, "Auntie, it's me!"
When faced with Qingran's incredulous gaze, he felt uneasy at first, but then he became calm. His sister-in-law's parents would also be his parents in the future, and they would meet them sooner or later.
Ask him to give up? Don't even think about it.
"Who is it?" Yunmu walked suspiciously to the door, unable to recognize the voice.
Upon seeing Xing Chao's face outside the door, he quickly compared it to the appearance of the Xing family members he remembered.
Her son married into the Xing family, and the couple inevitably paid more attention to the Xing family in their daily lives. They were quite familiar with Xing Chao, who had succeeded Xing Wendao as the son-in-law—or rather, the heir to the Xing family.
Moreover, it's rare to see people as handsome as the Xing brothers, each with their own unique charm, except for Ranran.
"You are...you must be the second young master of the Xing family." Yunmu was embarrassed. What was this person doing at their house?
"Auntie, you can just call me Xing Chao," Xing Chao said politely. Even his grandfather rarely called him Chao Chao anymore; he only wanted to use that name for his sister-in-law.
Qingran did not want Xingchao to have much contact with his parents.
After all, he had done that with Xing Chaogang, and he really didn't have the confidence to hide his emotions well in front of his parents.
"Mom, he's just passing by and will be right there."
Xing Chao didn't give him a chance to leave. He smelled the aroma of food coming from inside the house and said, "I heard that Uncle hurt his leg, so I came to visit. Are Uncle and Aunt having dinner?"
"Oh, it's time to prepare dinner," Yunmu said.
It's in the nature of Chinese people that when someone asks if you're ready to eat, you should at least invite them to sit down and have a bite. So, you might ask, "Have you had dinner yet? Why don't you come in and have something to eat?"
Xing Chao was waiting for this very sentence, and immediately replied, "Not yet, Auntie, then I will respectfully accept your offer."
So, in the end, besides the Yun family of three, there was also Xing Chao at the dinner table. He was wearing a suit and tie, and was even taller and bigger than the Yun family members, looking completely out of place.
Yun's father picked up some food and winked at Yun's mother: Why is this person here?
Mica replied: How would I know?
Yun's father: I don't know why you invited him?
Mica: I just asked casually. Who knows why they agreed? We can't just kick them out, can we?
"Mom and Dad, please eat more." Qingran put some food into each of their bowls, interrupting their obvious, unspoken exchange of glances.
"Hey, Xing Chao, you'd like to eat too," Yunmu greeted her guest.
Xing Chao seemed oblivious to the exchange of glances just now: "Okay, thank you, Auntie."
Except for Xing Chao, everyone else ate without tasting anything.
After dinner, Yunmu washed a plate of fruit and brought it out. Everyone sat on the sofa chatting. Yunmu asked, "Ranran isn't going home tonight, is she?"
Qingran said, "I will be staying at home for a while recently."
Xing Chao also chimed in, "Does Auntie have any extra rooms at home? I'd like to bother you for a few days, so I can go to work with Qingran on weekdays."
Qingran hadn't had a chance to tell her parents about her job yet.
So Yun's parents inquired with great interest: "Is Ranran at work? Which company, and what does she do?"
Upon learning that he would be working as the general manager's assistant at Xing's headquarters, he nodded in satisfaction.
The Xing family isn't a good in-law family, but the job at Xing's headquarters is still pretty good. After all, being divorced is a minus, but leaving Xing's is a plus.
The couple had a pleasant conversation with Xing Chao and naturally accepted his offer to stay at their home so that he could conveniently pick up and drop off Qingran at get off work.
Not wanting his parents to notice anything amiss, Qingran couldn't explicitly refuse. Otherwise, if his parents or Xing Chao asked why, how would he answer?
Xing Chao noticed his embarrassment and awkwardness, which lessened his fear of losing Qingran.
Judging from her sister-in-law's reaction, it was more that she couldn't accept their change in status than that she disliked or hated him.
That's good.
Later in the conversation, Xing Chao's phone rang and he went outside to answer it. Yun Mu got up to help him tidy up the guest room.
Qingran followed into the room: "Mom, didn't you and Dad always dislike the Xing family? Why did you agree to let Xing Chao stay?"
“He’s a relative, and since they’ve brought it up, we can’t just refuse outright,” Yunmu replied, taking a blanket out of the wardrobe.
On the other hand, her son is determined to stay in the Xing family, what can she and Lao Yun do? If they offend the Xing family, how can Ranran have a good time there?
Qingran stepped forward to help tidy the bed sheets.
Looking at his fair and rosy face, which clearly indicated he was living a very comfortable life, Yunmu couldn't help but ask, "How exactly are you doing in the Xing family?"
Qingran smiled faintly at her: "You chatted with Xing Chao for so long, didn't you figure out what kind of person he is?"
He looks like a rebellious, cool guy, but his personality is actually quite easygoing, Yunmu thought.
"So you really plan to stay in the Xing family for the rest of your life?"
Mica's expression showed disapproval.
"You're not even thirty yet. You've already lost your first one. Even if you like men, you can find another one."
So many years have passed, what is there for her and Lao Yun to hold onto? If they like men, they like men.
"Mom." Qingran's cry was filled with complex emotions. Changqing was gone, but he and Changqing's younger brother...
Yunmu thought he disagreed and thought she was nagging: "Fine, fine, Mom won't say anymore. You have a lot of ideas, your dad and I can't control you."
The two of them worked together to straighten the bed sheet and then lay down the straw mat.
Xing Chao walked in through the door: "Auntie, thank you for your help, I can do it myself."
Upon hearing the voice, Yunmu felt a little guilty.
When did this person arrive? Didn't you hear her advising Ranran to look for someone else? But even if you did hear her, so what? Her brother is gone, so why can't Ranran look for someone else?
Thinking this to myself, I quickly and efficiently spread out the mat, then said with a smile, "It's alright, it's all done. You young people chat, I'll go out and see if Ranran's dad needs any help."
After saying that, he immediately hid away.
Qingran wanted to follow him out, but Xing Chao stepped towards the door to block his way, mouthing the words: "Sister-in-law."
The young man's eyes revealed undisguised affection and an unwavering determination to never turn back.
Qingran had never been looked at with such a direct gaze before.
This gaze wasn't directed at an elder who deserved respect, but rather at someone he had once possessed, someone he loved.
Qingran felt flustered and helpless under his gaze.
Just then, Yunmu's footsteps, which had been walking away, approached again with a loud voice: "Oh, Xing Chao, you went out and bought something? That's too much of a formality!"
Afraid of revealing her secret, Qingran turned her back to the door.
Xing Chao then turned to Yunmu, who was returning, and explained, "I brought some small gifts for Uncle and Aunt. Uncle hurt his leg, so some supplements will be good for his health."
"I was in a rush to make a visit and forgot to bring my things from the car, so I brought them up while I was out answering the phone."
Actually, it was delivered urgently, along with several pairs of underwear.
He remained calm and composed, showing no trace of the arrogance he displayed just a moment ago as he stared at the other man's son with disdain.
Yunmu couldn't refuse, and Xing Chao dismissed her with a few words, leaving in a rather happy mood.
Only the uncle and his sister-in-law remained in the room.
The young man was still blocking the doorway and refused to let him leave easily. Taking advantage of the time they spent talking, Qingran composed herself and took the initiative to start a different topic.
"Did you tell Grandpa you didn't come home for dinner tonight?"
Xing Chao said, "I told you, since my sister-in-law was on sick leave, I had to come and see her. But when I got here, I found out that it was actually my uncle who had broken his leg. I said I would stay at my sister-in-law's house for a couple of days to take care of him, and Grandpa agreed."
In fact, things are far more complicated than he made them out to be.
It's true that Xing Chaolai mentioned Qingran's illness and his visit before he arrived. He also mentioned Yun's father's leg injury when the old man called. There were no problems with him coming here, and the old man didn't object.
It wasn't until Xing Chao suggested that he stay at the Yun family's house for a couple of days that things changed.
The old man confirmed with Xing Chao several times, but Xing Chao did not change his answer. Finally, the old man remained silent for a long time and told Xing Chao to go back and see him.
Xing Chao did not reveal any of this to Qing Ran.
"Sister-in-law..." the young man called out softly, about to say something.
"I'm a little tired, I'll go back to my room to rest first," Qingran said, avoiding eye contact, and stepped in front of the young man. "Make way."
Xing Chao looked at him quietly for a while, then stepped aside to let him leave.
The passing breeze carried a faint, sweet fragrance to Xing Chao's face, making him suddenly recall the chaotic events of the previous night, when his sister-in-law smelled the same as she did now.
The young man stood frozen in place like a statue for a long time before finally closing the door and stepping into the house.
The room wasn't as spacious as the Xing family's, but it was decorated simply and elegantly. On the bed with a straw mat, there was a set of clean clothes. Xing Chao's eyes flickered, and when he walked closer and picked it up, he realized it was just a set of ordinary pajamas.
The young man lowered his eyes, picked up his pajamas, and went to the bathroom outside to take a shower.
After washing and drying myself off, I picked up my pajamas to change, only to find that the pants were too small and the tops were too tight.
I can't fit into any clothes, but I can manage to squeeze into pants, though there's a certain awkward spot.
Xing Chao simply gave up on the idea of wearing pajamas, since he was more used to sleeping naked anyway. He carefully opened the bathroom door and peeked out.
Yun's parents weren't in the living room. Qingran, who went out to check if he had finished showering, noticed the bathroom door was ajar and asked suspiciously, "What are you doing?"
Upon seeing that it was him, Xing Chao naturally relaxed and deliberately pursed his lips to show weakness: "I can't fit into my pajamas."
Qingran thought of the one-size-fits-all pajamas she used to entertain overnight guests at the supermarket. They fit most people, but for Xing Chao's build...
He seemed to be thinking of something, and a blush appeared on his fair cheeks, making the young man who had just finished showering in the bathroom feel parched.
"If I really want to wear it, I can put on the pants, but there's a certain awkward spot."
The young man added this sentence in a low voice, and as soon as he finished speaking, he saw the person opposite him blush even more.
Qingran opened her mouth, then lowered her voice and said, trying to suppress her embarrassment, "If you can't wear it, don't force yourself. Just come out like this."
Xing Chao stared intently at the embarrassed blush on his face. He wasn't mistaken; his sister-in-law was indeed not indifferent to him.
"Wearing only underwear out like this? Isn't that inappropriate? What if your uncle or aunt sees you...?"
Qingran turned her head to face him and said, "There is a bathroom in the master bedroom. My parents usually don't come out at night. If you are really worried, I will go and tell them."
As he spoke, he walked to the door of the master bedroom and asked Yun's parents if they were asleep.
Yunmu replied that he was asleep, and asked if he and Xingchao had slept. Qingran said that Xingchao had just finished taking a shower, and he was also about to go to sleep after he finished showering.
After a brief chat, we returned to the living room. Xing Chao was no longer in the bathroom; he must have gone back to his room while we were talking to his parents.
Qingran glanced back at the half-open door to her bedroom, then walked into the bathroom with her pajamas in her arms.
The used bathroom was filled with damp steam. Qingran looked relaxed and content as she turned on the shower and slowly washed herself.
After showering and tidying up the bathroom, I came out and turned off the lights in the living room and everywhere else before leisurely returning to my room.
The moment he entered, Xing Chao, who was standing against the wall, immediately closed the door and locked it from the inside.
Qingran was startled, but breathed a sigh of relief when she turned around and saw that it was him. Then her brows furrowed again.
What are you doing in my room?
"Come and apologize and explain to your sister-in-law," Xing Chao said, leaning against the door, not giving Qing Ran a chance to drive him away or escape.
His gaze was fixed on Qingran and he couldn't look away.
Qingran's pajamas at home were the ordinary style of a top and pants. The soft gray color made her skin look fair and radiant, and the V-neckline boldly exposed the red marks on her neck, collarbone, and chest that she had concealed during the day.
Those are the traces he left behind.
And there are even more of these unique traces of his beneath the opaque gray fabric.
The young man found a black scarf somewhere and wrapped it around his waist. Fortunately, the room was air-conditioned, so it wasn't hot.
He was shirtless, and his well-defined chest and abdominal muscles bore many faint marks, with the most noticeable teeth marks on his left shoulder.
Unlike Qingran, whose body was covered in kisses, the marks on his body looked more like they were left by someone who couldn't stand being scratched or bitten.
Seeing these marks inevitably brought back memories of last night, and he turned and walked towards the bed.
“You drank too much last night. I understand it was just an accident. There’s no need to apologize or explain.”
"Did your sister-in-law see the message I sent?" Xing Chao asked him, noticing that Qing Ran had suddenly fallen silent.
"It seems they've already seen it."
Qingran turned his back to him and took a deep breath. He decided to let bygones be bygones and didn't want to bring up the mistake again.
"It's already late, and you have to go to work tomorrow—"
Xing Chao stepped forward and hugged him from behind. Qing Ran trembled and immediately tried to struggle.
"Sister-in-law."
Xing Chao leaned close to him and whispered, "Can you feel it? It gets excited when it sees you. How can you expect me to pretend nothing happened?"
Qingran froze.
Xing Chao just wanted him to know that running away wouldn't solve the problem, so he didn't dare to do anything more for the time being.
He affectionately rubbed his cheek against Qingran's earlobe, a gesture they often made in the mountains.
"I like you."
Qingran closed his eyes sadly, not understanding how he and Xingchao had come to this point.
"Chao Chao." He called him by his nickname again, just as he had for the past hundreds of days and nights, with a peaceful, tolerant, and gentle tone.
Xing Chao didn't want to hear a single word that was said.
He said, "We can't be this ridiculous."
My sister-in-law summed up their possibility of being together as absurd?
Xing Chao swallowed the bitterness in his heart: "Where is this absurdity?"
"Changqing..."
Before Qingran could finish speaking, Xing Chao interrupted her decisively: "My brother said before he died that he wouldn't mind if you were with other people."
"That can't be you."
Why can't it be me?
“You are Changqing’s younger brother, yet you still call me sister-in-law.”
“Not to mention that foreign marriage certificates have no legal effect in China, even if they did, your marriage was automatically dissolved from the moment my brother passed away.”
"You can be my sister-in-law, but you can't just be my sister-in-law."
A sharp, stabbing pain shot through his heart. Xing Chao tightened his arms, gesturing for him to look at the shadow on the window.
Qingran looked in that direction.
The silhouettes of the two embracing were vaguely reflected on the window. He was completely embedded in the young man's broad chest, pressed tightly together, without the slightest resistance.
A voice, filled with suppressed pain, reached my ears.
"Sister-in-law, your body is more honest than your heart."
A note from the author:
This world is nearing its end; there are probably three or four more chapters left, then I'll write the "what if" scenario.
Thanks for the lightning strike, thanks for the watering, chirp!
No nickname yet, threw 1 landmine.
No nickname yet. Threw 1 grenade.
Reader has "no special skills", watering with nutrient solution +1
The reader "another week has passed" and added 5 units of nutrient solution to the water.
Reader "momo" added 8 units of nutrient solution to the water.
Reader "Wang Guagua" irrigated with nutrient solution +15
Reader "Little Leaf" watered with nutrient solution +49
Readers "steal a half-day of leisure" and water the plants with nutrient solution +1.
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Reader "Starting from Zero" waters with nutrient solution +20
Reader "Fei Du's Little Princess" watered with nutrient solution +20
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Reader "鑫鑫子呀" added 1 unit of nutrient solution to the water.
Reader "Mugencha" watered the plant with nutrient solution +10
Reader "Taifeng" added 1 unit of nutrient solution to the water.
Reader "Nuo" added 1 unit of nutrient solution to the irrigation solution.
Reader "紫冰晓晓" watered with nutrient solution +2
Reader "Taro paste is super delicious" watered the plant with +10 nutrient solution.
Reader "Eeya" watered the plants with nutrient solution +1
Reader "Qilin Yuanen" added 5 units of nutrient solution to the water.
Reader "Determined to embrace all wives (*￣︶￣*)" watered the page with +1 nutrient solution.
Reader "Su Lin Zhao" added 1 unit of nutrient solution to the water.
Reader "Hansu" watered the page with 2 nutrient solutions.
Reader "Taifeng" added 1 unit of nutrient solution to the water.
Reader "cy" added 1 unit of nutrient solution to the irrigation solution.
Reader "Shi Xixue~" added 1 unit of nutrient solution to the water.
Reader "Qiran" added 1 nutrient solution to the water.
Readers "steal a half-day of leisure" and water the plants with nutrient solution +2.
Reader "I can't learn anything, but I'll keep trying," added 56 units of nutrient solution.
Reader has "no special skills", watering with nutrient solution +1
Reader "Alcohol Hydrocarbon 4546" irrigated with nutrient solution +2
Reader "Feifafa" added 1 unit of nutrient solution to the water.
Reader "Slightly Sleepy or Not" watered the page with +10 nutrient solution.
Reader "Gu Nanyi" added 1 unit of nutrient solution to the water.
Reader "Dean of the Mental Hospital" added 1 unit of nutrient solution to the water.
Reader "May you have peace and safety every year" watered the plants with +10 nutrient solution.
Reader "Love's Minus Seventh Chord" added 1 nutrient solution to their water supply.
Reader "Mingyue Mingming" added 1 unit of nutrient solution to the water.
Reader "Lanshan Hegu" watered the page with +1 nutrient solution.
Reader "Green Tea Sheep" added 1 unit of nutrient solution to the water.
Reader "Year After Year" waters the plants with nutrient solution +10
Reader "Mugencha" irrigated with nutrient solution +32
Reader "Cang Shibu" added 41 units of nutrient solution to the water.
Reader "Nuo" added 1 unit of nutrient solution to the irrigation solution.
Reader "Always Wants to Sleep" watered the page with +20 nutrient solution.
Reader "Peace and Safety Every Year" watered the plants with +1 nutrient solution.
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