ABOES 92: You and Your Son

Yu Qiu smiled and nodded, saying nothing more.

It was Duan Yu who couldn’t help but glance over.

That one glance accidentally met Duan Zhiyan’s eyes.

Duan Yu’s heart skipped a beat and he quickly turned his head away.

Duan Zhiyan frowned slightly.

That morning, Duan Zhiyan had been woken up by a call from Duan Yu. When Duan Yu mentioned that the Chi family would be coming over for dinner, Duan Zhiyan was already suspicious.

The Duan family had always had a rule: unless it was an exceptionally important gathering, all meals were hosted at restaurants.

Neither Yu Qiu nor Duan Yu were the type to enjoy cooking. Even when Duan Zhiyan was a child, it was rare for them to cook for him personally. The few times they had, it was always for something very important.

In Duan Zhiyan’s memory, his parents had only ever cooked for the Chi family a few times. One of them was when they were about to leave the country for work and needed to entrust Duan Zhiyan to the Chi family’s care because he had thrown a fit and refused to go abroad.

Now, they suddenly wanted to host a home-cooked meal for the entire Chi family again…

You couldn’t blame Duan Zhiyan for overthinking it.

What he couldn’t figure out was—where did his parents get the confirmation?

Aside from Chi Xiwen, whom he told himself, the only ones in the Chi family who might have figured it out were Grandma Chi and Tan Yao. But neither of them had said anything directly.

Yu Qiu and Duan Yu didn’t live with him and wouldn’t have picked up on anything subtle.

So where did they learn the truth?

The only explanation Duan Zhiyan could think of was that—he had accidentally exposed himself.

The only time he could have slipped up was… yesterday.

Duan Zhiyan arrived at the conclusion: his parents had followed him yesterday.

The thought made his expression darken.

Chi Yunxing immediately sensed his shift in mood and quietly asked, “What’s wrong?”

Duan Zhiyan hesitated for a moment before giving him a small smile. “Nothing,” he paused, “I’ll tell you later.”

Chi Yunxing nodded and didn’t ask further, returning to his food.

At the table, Duan Yu was toasting drinks with Chi Ling. Once Chi Yunxing had finished eating, he was swiftly “handed off” by Duan Zhiyan.

It was a rare day of nice weather. After eating, the warm midday sun made him feel a bit sleepy.

Duan Zhiyan led Chi Yunxing to the greenhouse in the backyard. As soon as they entered, they were met with a rich floral scent. Chi Yunxing’s eyes immediately landed on the roses Duan Zhiyan had given Grandma Chi previously.

“There are so many roses,” Chi Yunxing couldn’t help commenting.

Since they were alone, Duan Zhiyan reached out his hand. “Do you like them?”

Chi Yunxing took his hand and smiled. “They’re really pretty.”

Duan Zhiyan said, “This greenhouse originally only had some roses, but later my mom took a liking to it, so my dad had this entire area turned into a flower house. There are a lot of rare plants here. I don’t know most of them well but I did plant a few myself.”

Chi Yunxing’s eyes lit up. “What did you plant?”

Duan Zhiyan smiled. “Come with me.”

The temperature in the greenhouse was controlled, so even though it was winter outside, the flowers inside were blooming beautifully.

As they walked through the paths surrounded by flowers, their clothes picked up the scent of petals.

Beyond a wall of climbing roses, a burst of gold came into view. Even before they got close, Chi Yunxing could already see the lush, thriving bloom.

His eyes lit up. “Sunflowers?”

Duan Zhiyan was surprised as well. He led Chi Yunxing closer and said, laughing, “The housekeeper told me a week ago that the sunflowers hadn’t bloomed yet. I didn’t expect them to suddenly open up like this.”

The sunflowers in the garden were nearly as tall as a person, their blooms open wide toward the sun.

Chi Yunxing walked a full circle around the flowerbed in awe. “You planted all of these?”

Duan Zhiyan nodded.

Chi Yunxing praised him. “They’re beautiful.”

“You like them?”

“I do.”

Without another word, Duan Zhiyan walked off to the side, and a moment later came back holding a pair of scissors.

Chi Yunxing blinked. “You’re going to cut them?”

Duan Zhiyan shook his head. “No. I’m cutting them to give to you.”

Chi Yunxing’s eyes widened in shock.

Duan Zhiyan chuckled at his reaction and leaned in for a light kiss on the lips. “Why so surprised? I planted them for you in the first place.”

Originally, he’d planned to save them for a future proposal but given how formal today had turned out—more formal than a proposal, honestly—it felt like the right time.

After thinking it over, one word came to Duan Zhiyan’s mind—“betrothal.”

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t quite accurate—a betrothal should take place at Chi Yunxing’s house.

It was close enough.

So Duan Zhiyan decided today, he would give Chi Yunxing the sunflowers he had planted just for him.

He was skilled at arranging flowers. Chi Yunxing watched as he clipped several sunflowers, then selected some matching accent blooms from another bed.

In the center of the garden, there was a small resting area. Duan Zhiyan fetched a stack of wrapping paper, chose the soft-toned one Chi Yunxing liked, and with practiced hands, assembled a bouquet as if by magic.

Chi Yunxing stood there frozen, watching the whole thing. It wasn’t until Duan Zhiyan handed him the finished bouquet that he snapped out of it.

“F-For me?” Chi Yunxing held the bouquet, suddenly unsure what to do with his hands.

Duan Zhiyan laughed. “If not for you, then who? Your brother?”

At the mention of Chi Xiwen, Chi Yunxing burst into laughter too.

“You like it?” Duan Zhiyan asked again, still smiling.

Chi Yunxing’s eyes curved with his smile as he nodded. “I do!”

To be honest, as a guy, he had never felt strongly about flowers.

When Duan Zhiyan had asked earlier if he liked sunflowers, he had said yes mainly because he knew Duan Zhiyan had planted them himself.

And now, Zhiyan had not only planted them—he’d handpicked and wrapped them into a bouquet for him.

This time, Chi Yunxing’s answer came from the heart.

His chest felt like it might burst with joy. He couldn’t stop smiling.

Duan Zhiyan took his other hand and said with a warm smile, “I’m glad you like them.”

Chi Yunxing held the bouquet close as they slowly walked out of the greenhouse. That was when he remembered something.

“By the way, Zhiyan Ge,” he said, “what happened at the table earlier? You said you’d tell me later.”

Hearing that, Duan Zhiyan turned to glance at him.

Chi Yunxing was caught off guard by the eye contact and stopped walking. “W-What?”

Duan Zhiyan finally said quietly, “Yunxing, I was followed yesterday.”

Chi Yunxing’s heart skipped a beat. “You were followed? By paparazzi? Did they get photos of us? Should we go public now?” He instinctively gripped the bouquet tighter.

Duan Zhiyan smiled. “Not by paparazzi. My parents followed me.”

Chi Yunxing relaxed a little. “Uncle Duan and Aunt Yu? Oh, that’s not so—wait,” His expression shifted. “Uncle Duan and Aunt Yu?! When? Yesterday? When you came to see me?”

Duan Zhiyan nodded. “Yeah. I haven’t checked the security footage yet, but I’m pretty sure.”

Chi Yunxing froze in place.

Then, after a moment, a certain memory surfaced—something Chi Ling had said last night: ‘They even said Yu Qiu and Duan Yu would personally cook to show how much they care…’

Chi Yunxing blinked and asked with the tiniest shred of hope, “So… your parents inviting my family over today—is that because…”

Duan Zhiyan nodded firmly. “Most likely to discuss our marriage with Aunt Tan and Uncle Chi.”

Chi Yunxing: “……”

His brain was in total disarray.

Marriage? Already?

He and Duan Zhiyan hadn’t been together that long.

Wait—his parents didn’t even know they were dating. How would this even work?

It was like Duan Zhiyan could read his mind. “By the way, Aunt Tan and Grandma already know about us. Right now, the only one who doesn’t is Uncle Chi.”

A cold wind blew through the yard, and Chi Yunxing stood there, stunned.

Duan Zhiyan saw his reaction, and his own brow creased slightly. His lips pressed into a tight line.

Too early, he thought.

Originally, he had planned for the end of next year—he would’ve had everything ready by then, including the ring. He had even planned to casually ask Yunxing’s opinion on marriage during their everyday moments.

He’d never intended to throw it on him like this.

Marriage was still too soon for Chi Yunxing.

He was much younger and hadn’t even graduated college. At that age, marriage probably felt like a cage.

He couldn’t make Yunxing feel pressured.

Duan Zhiyan lowered his eyes, already deciding what he needed to do.

Yet even knowing what was right, he couldn’t help the slight ache in his heart. He took a deep breath, adjusted his expression, and smiled.

“Yunxing, don’t worry. I can go talk to my parents rig—”

“Zhiyan Ge!” Chi Yunxing suddenly looked up, cutting him off. His eyes were bright with a watery shine. The sunlight hit his face, casting a soft shadow beneath his curled lashes. “D-Do you think my parents would agree?”

If you listened closely, there was a hint of worry in his voice.

Duan Zhiyan froze.

Yunxing…

A smile slowly bloomed across his face.

So all that worrying earlier had been for nothing.

Standing right in front of him was someone who felt the same way.

From the moment they got together, they’d already included each other in their future plans.

Duan Zhiyan’s chest filled with heat, his heart surging with emotion.

“I don’t know either,” he said gently, eyes full of warmth.

Chi Yunxing looked anxious. “Then… when do you think Uncle Duan is going to bring it up?”

Duan Zhiyan glanced back toward the house. “Probably soon. Want to go check?”

Chi Yunxing nodded and tugged at his hand. “Let’s go, let’s go. If things get out of hand, I can still…”

But before he could finish that sentence—

They heard Chi Ling’s voice echo from the house, laughing.

“Shares? Why would you give me company shares? What—did Xiwen finally get together with your son or something?”

Chi Yunxing froze mid-step. “?”

Duan Zhiyan: “……”

Together, my ass!