Chapter 76 – Extra: Meeting the Parents

The year was drawing to a close, and Guan Heng’s school had already started its winter break. Ye Zhou’s restaurant would also take a few days off after finishing up its business, just like last year.

Last year had been filled with many events, but fortunately, after experiencing various hardships, his relationship with Guan Heng had entered a very stable state.

Actually, Guan Heng had mentioned taking him home this year, but since he hadn’t brought it up again, Ye Zhou didn’t know what Guan Heng was thinking. He even hesitated to ask, unsure if his feelings should be described as nervous or anxious—it was just a bit complicated. After all, his parents had passed away when he was young, and he had never had experience interacting with relatives. Let alone that they were Guan Heng’s parents. He was afraid he wouldn’t do well, and he was also afraid that Guan Heng’s parents wouldn’t like him.

But what was coming would inevitably come. During dinner, Guan Heng suddenly said, “You promised to go home with me this year, right.”

Ye Zhou’s hand holding the chopsticks trembled slightly. There was no way to feign ignorance now: “Yeah.”

But he was still a little worried. Although his illness had stabilized and wouldn’t suddenly relapse, he still cared about Guan Heng’s parents’ opinions. He didn’t know if Guan Heng had told them about his situation: “Your parents…”

“Hmm?”

“Nothing…” Ye Zhou suddenly broke into a smile. “I was just wondering what gifts to bring. What do your parents like? And your sister, is there also a nephew?”

Ye Zhou always handled people and matters comprehensively, a skill honed from entering society early and gaining experience through various trials. A few considerate actions could easily earn someone’s favor.

Guan Heng, however, said, “No need to bring anything, we’re family now.”

“But that won’t do, it’s my first time visiting…” Ye Zhou couldn’t continue what he was going to say. “I can’t go empty-handed. Hmm? What did you just say?”

Guan Heng watched Ye Zhou’s small gesture of tightening his grip on the chopsticks. Others might not notice, but Guan Heng certainly could. On the surface, Ye Zhou seemed calm, but inside, he was actually quite nervous. In the past, Guan Heng might have soothed his emotions, but such a Ye Zhou was rare, so he added, “I said we’re family now, and you should start calling them Mom and Dad.”

Ye Zhou: “….”

Ye Zhou ate this meal somewhat absentmindedly, and upon closer inspection, his ears seemed a little red.

Guan Heng found teasing Ye Zhou quite enjoyable. Although Ye Zhou was happier and less hesitant, he seemed to have become more prone to wild thoughts, actively listing out a large number of gift ideas.

In the end, Guan Heng helped him pick out a few items, all health foods that were beneficial to the body.

On New Year’s Eve, to avoid traffic congestion, the two set off early in the morning. Ye Zhou didn’t know the way, so Guan Heng drove on the way there, and they would see about the return trip later. If Guan Heng was tired, Ye Zhou could take over.

There were many cars on the highway, all returning home, but the traffic flowed smoothly, only taking half an hour longer than usual to arrive.

Ye Zhou was quite relaxed when he first got in the car, but once they left the highway, he began to get nervous. But he was a restaurant owner, accustomed to dealing with all kinds of people, so it wasn’t noticeable on the outside.

At this moment, Guan Heng said, “Look to the right, that’s the school I used to attend.”

Ye Zhou immediately turned to look. The school built in a remote area wasn’t dilapidated; instead, it blended in with the local characteristics, and the playground was quite large. Ye Zhou couldn’t help but imagine what Guan Heng looked like in his school uniform, and suddenly teased, “You graduated decades ago, right? No, it should be twenty years ago…”

Guan Heng glanced at Ye Zhou and, seeing him relax, smiled. “Yes, I’m old.”

Guan Heng maintained a regular fitness routine and showed no signs of aging. If it weren’t for his dressing style fitting his age, people would believe he was in his twenties. More importantly, a man’s charm increased with the passage of time, and Guan Heng was currently at his best.

Ye Zhou stopped teasing him, his eyes gleaming. “You must have been a top student back then, right? Did many people like you at the time?”

“It was okay.” Guan Heng’s response could have referred to either the previous sentence or the latter, keeping his eyes focused on the road as he drove attentively.

Ye Zhou had no intention of being jealous. After all, so much time had passed, and dwelling on these things was meaningless. He was merely curious about Guan Heng’s past. Most of their classmates around the same age had already gotten married and had children, moving on to the next stage of life. Regardless of whether they had acted impulsively at the time, many things now only evoked nostalgia when recalled.

Although Guan Heng initiated the conversation, it was Ye Zhou who talked the most along the way. When the car finally parked in front of the house, Ye Zhou realized how quickly they had arrived.

Guan Heng pulled the handbrake, turned off the engine, and reached out to hold Ye Zhou’s wrist: “Let’s get out.”

Ye Zhou was taken aback, as if only now realizing the purpose of Guan Heng’s chat earlier. Besides, it was too late for him to be nervous now—the people inside had already come out to greet them when Guan Heng parked the car.

Ye Zhou couldn’t let elders wait for him, so he immediately got out of the car as well.

He didn’t know how Guan Heng introduced him to his family, but rather than being nervous, it was his long-standing habit of facing strangers that allowed him to quickly calm down. He put on a bright smile: “Uncle, Auntie.”

Ye Zhou was naturally a sunny and handsome type, and this kind of person was deeply loved by most parents. A child who smiled often left an even better impression.

Mother Guan was very enthusiastic, inviting him into the house to sit down. Father Guan appeared indifferent, but he wasn’t cold; he was a bit like Guan Heng’s usual quiet demeanor.

Ye Zhou felt a certain sense of familiarity in the two elderly people, inexplicably easing his tension.

“Sister Guan Yuan won’t be back until the afternoon, their tickets were booked a bit later this time… Oh, Xiao Qi has changed his surname… You haven’t eaten yet, right? Come, eat, I just finished cooking…”

The not-too-big house was filled with Mother Guan’s voice, and Guan Heng occasionally responded a few times. Mother Guan treated Ye Zhou as if he wasn’t an outsider, not avoiding him as she spoke these things.

Ye Zhou couldn’t describe the feeling. It was as if he had become a part of this family. It was unfamiliar, yet it felt warm.

Father Guan and Guan Heng spoke very little, almost all the talking was done by Mother Guan. After Ye Zhou noticed this, he also began to actively engage in conversation. It wasn’t that he deliberately wanted to leave a good impression on Guan Heng’s parents; he just felt that Mother Guan probably liked chatting with people.

Mother Guan was indeed happier as a result, speaking more than usual.

Although Father Guan spoke little, when Ye Zhou spoke, he listened attentively, glancing over from time to time and occasionally making a sound or nodding in acknowledgment.

Guan Heng simply didn’t speak at all, occasionally serving Ye Zhou some dishes.

This meal was eaten in a harmonious atmosphere. Ye Zhou usually had an easy-going personality that allowed him to quickly become familiar with others.

After the meal, Ye Zhou followed Guan Heng to the living room to eat fruit. He wasn’t unaware that Guan Heng’s parents had been observing him, but that observation wasn’t malicious. It was more like they wanted to understand him better: “I think I performed alright, right?”

Guan Heng smiled. “They really like you.”

Like him? It didn’t show.

Father Guan and Mother Guan remained in the dining room. After meeting Ye Zhou, Mother Guan seemed relieved: “He’s a good kid.”

“Yeah.”

Comparing former and current partners was meaningless, each had their own merits. But for most parents, they still hoped that their children could find the best and most suitable partner. Yue Shu wasn’t bad. He was equally polite and courteous to Father Guan and Mother Guan, without any flaws. However, there was a sense of distance, and more often than not, he seemed to be playing the role of Guan Heng’s boyfriend well. But Ye Zhou was different. He genuinely knew how to take care of the moods of those around him. These small details couldn’t be faked; they were habits developed through daily interactions with others.

Although parents wouldn’t inquire excessively about their children’s love lives, they could more or less tell. They had seen Guan Heng act so intimately with someone for the first time, in a relaxed and comfortable state.

Mother Guan sighed at this moment: “Xiao Zhou isn’t like this by choice. He’s had a harder life than others. I’ll say it first, you’re not allowed to object.”

Father Guan laughed at this moment, thinking to himself, ‘You’ve already started calling him Xiao Zhou:’ “I haven’t said anything.”

Around two o’clock in the afternoon, Sister Guan Yuan returned with Guan Qi. Before six-year-old Guan Qi stepped into the house, his voice came first: “Grandpa, Grandma—”

Father Guan and Mother Guan immediately went out smiling to meet their grandson.

It was Ye Zhou’s first time meeting Guan Yuan, and he also called her Sister following Guan Heng.

A few adults stood at the door, exchanging pleasantries with smiles, but they didn’t know how to make Guan Qi address Ye Zhou. Guan Qi called Guan Heng Uncle, but he couldn’t call Ye Zhou Aunt, right?

Ye Zhou also felt a bit awkward, but he still smiled.

But little Guan Qi, indeed, inherited the high IQ of the Guan family, sweetly calling out, “Little Uncle.”

With this call of Little Uncle, the adults all laughed, praising Xiao Qi for being so smart.

Guan Heng and Guan Yuan looked very similar, with clear distinctions between masculine and feminine features. So when Ye Zhou looked at Guan Qi, he always felt like he was looking at a young Guan Heng. Having suffered a lot as a child, he doted on children even more, especially those who looked like Guan Heng. If he didn’t dote on Guan Qi, who else would he dote on?

Guan Qi also had a good impression of this Little Uncle. Especially since Guan Qi was well-behaved and would proactively reach out for Ye Zhou to hold his hand, pulling him around the courtyard, telling him that he had started school, what happened at school, and how many friends he had made.

Sister Guan Yuan had always wanted to meet Ye Zhou. Now, seeing the faint smile on Guan Heng’s face, she finally felt relieved.

That evening, the six of them sat around a round table for dinner, eating a reunion dinner in harmony. Everyone was stuffed, but none of them left the table, sipping juice or drinks and chatting idly.

This meal lasted for three hours. In the end, Guan Heng and Guan Yuan cleaned up together.

Father Guan played with his grandson in the living room, while Mother Guan called Ye Zhou aside and gave him a red envelope.

Seeing this, Ye Zhou tried to refuse: “Auntie, I…”

Mother Guan smiled. “There’s no money in here, it’s a little token of affection from your uncle and me, feel free to accept it.”

Ye Zhou took it, squeezed the red envelope, and inside was indeed not money, something like a jade pendant. Since it wasn’t too expensive, Ye Zhou accepted it: “Thank you, Auntie.”

“I won’t say anything else. As long as you two are fine, that’s enough. Of course, it would be even better if you’re willing to change your address…”

Ye Zhou met Mother Guan’s earnest gaze, truly feeling warmth in his heart, touched, but suddenly not knowing how to express it. He was hesitating whether to tell Mother Guan about his condition, after all, he didn’t want to selfishly hide it: “Auntie, actually I…”

Mother Guan suddenly patted his hand and laughed. “Don’t worry, it’s not a big deal. Your uncle and I have taught for our whole lives, we’ve seen a lot. The most important thing for two people together is to help and understand each other. Just take good care of your body.”

Ye Zhou suddenly couldn’t speak. It turned out that Father Guan and Mother Guan had known about his illness all along, but they were still willing to accept him like this.

Not knowing what to say, Ye Zhou called out, “Mom.”

Mother Guan was taken aback, then laughed, even the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes looked happy.

Since Ye Zhou had called her “Mom,” he was concerned that Father Guan would feel unbalanced if he knew, and also to express gratitude, he privately called Father Guan “Dad.”

Father Guan’s reaction wasn’t too great, just nodding, but he looked very gratified.

Ye Zhou could say it so openly in front of the two elderly people, but when Guan Heng was around, he couldn’t bring himself to say it. He didn’t know what he was being stubborn about; maybe he was just a bit shy.

But he thought Guan Heng didn’t know, when in fact, Guan Heng knew everything.

The perfect New Year’s Eve passed, and relatives would visit on the first day of the New Year. Father Guan and Mother Guan could tolerate their son’s sexual orientation, but that didn’t mean others could, so they didn’t need to explain too much to their relatives, only saying that Ye Zhou was just visiting.

Guan Heng and Ye Zhou were leaving on the third day of the New Year. This year’s holiday was shorter, and the restaurant would resume work on the fifth day of the New Year.

When bidding farewell at the door, Ye Zhou also called out “Mom” and “Dad” following Guan Heng. No matter what, he wanted Guan Heng to know that their relationship had indeed changed.

But Guan Heng didn’t tease him as usual, just smiling gently and patting his head.

Ye Zhou felt that this hurdle had been crossed, and from now on, they were a family.

On the return trip, Ye Zhou originally wanted to drive, but Guan Heng said it wasn’t necessary. So Ye Zhou sat back in the passenger seat again, and while fastening his seat belt, he felt something in his pocket, remembering the jade pendant Mother Guan had given him. He had kept it in his pocket and forgotten to take it out, not even knowing what the jade pendant looked like.

He immediately took out the red envelope from his pocket and carefully poured the contents into his palm, a white jade dragon and phoenix pendant, intricately carved.

After Guan Heng stole a glance, he suddenly laughed.

Ye Zhou thought the jade pendant was quite beautiful: “What are you laughing at?”

Guan Heng then said, “That’s my mother’s dowry.”

In some places, there was a custom of leaving the dowry to the daughter-in-law. Guan Heng joked again with a smile, “Congratulations on marrying into the Guan family.”

Only now did Ye Zhou realize that the jade pendant Mother Guan had given him had this meaning. But if he had known… he probably couldn’t have refused it either.

Guan Heng didn’t laugh too much, his brows and eyes filled with gentle smiles, and he said, “Let’s go and order a pair of rings another day.”

Ye Zhou was slightly taken aback, looking at him and asking deliberately, “For what purpose?”

“What do you think?”

Ye Zhou also laughed. “Of course, it’s a yes.”