Chapter 46 – Xing Baichuan 2.2

I really, truly love Jiangluo.

It had been so long since I genuinely loved someone that I had almost forgotten what it felt like to be passionately, sweetly in love.

But when I embrace Jiangluo, that sense of happiness and fulfillment nearly spills out from my pores.

How did I fall in love? I really have no idea.

All I remember was spending day after day together until I grew accustomed to his presence.

He made me feel incredibly comfortable, relaxed, and even those late nights on the balcony, smoking and discussing our troubles, seemed beautiful in retrospect.

I gazed into his eyes, trying to find my reflection within them.

“Your stomach is growling again.” I pressed against him, kneading the rumbling belly with my palm, teasing him with a smile, “You’re quite the mood killer.”

He chuckled, almost as if he were pouting.

“You go freshen up, I’ll make some food.” I rose, pulling him up from the couch as well.

“You came so early.” He stretched, wrapping his arms around me from behind after I turned away.

His heart beat against my back, baring itself to me without reserve.

“I left before dawn.” I covered his hand with mine, “If you move back in, we could be together twenty-four hours a day.”

“But they say distance makes the heart grow fonder.” Jiangluo spoke with amusement, pausing before adding, “Still, we didn’t really need any distance between us anymore; we are perfect just the way we are.”

I found these words unlike Jiangluo, questioning him, “Who did you learn that line from?”

“Eh…” He released me, walking towards the bathroom while explaining, “Yi Li.”

The morning started off cheerfully, and even with the chaos of work and the annoyance of clients, life didn’t seem as unbearable.

I considered moving Jiangluo into my office, considering everyone at the company already knew about our relationship. With him by my side, I could see him anytime, which brought me peace.

“No way.” Jiangluo, sucking on a straw, said seriously, “Work is work. At the company, you’re President Xing and I’m Assistant Li. We can’t do that.”

I laughed at his earnestness, wanting nothing more than to kiss him right there.

However, if I had actually done that, he’d likely have found a crack in the ground to hide in, surrounded by our colleagues.

After lunch, it was still early before the afternoon shift, and things hadn’t been as busy recently. With no rush, we strolled around downstairs.

Strolling naturally led to relaxation, and I naturally reached out to hold his hand.

Initially, he struggled a bit, perhaps truly shy, but seeing there were no acquaintances around, he let me take his hand.

Ever since being with him, I felt like I’d returned to my school days, sometimes acting childishly, not resembling a mature man in his thirties at all.

We wandered around holding hands, occasionally nudging his shoulder playfully.

Jiangluo pretended to be angry, but within seconds, he couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

As it neared time to return to work, we leisurely made our way back to the company.

Unexpectedly, we encountered my mother downstairs.

Our hands were still clasped together, her holding the leash, as Zai Zai barked at us.

Instantly, Jiangluo pulled away his hand, his lips trembling as he met my gaze.

At this point, there was nothing left to hide.

I firmly grasped Jiangluo’s hand again, approaching Mother who was watching us.

Before I could speak, she opened her mouth first.

“The security in your building is outrageous!” She glared at me, “They wouldn’t let Zai Zai inside!”

“…That’s because this is an office building, pets aren’t allowed,” I explained.

She didn’t relent, “What pet! I told them he was your son, and they still wouldn’t let him in!”

Sweat beaded on Jiangluo’s palms, and he remained silent.

“Son…”

Finally, her gaze shifted to our intertwined hands, pursing her lips impatiently, “Do you two have plans this afternoon? If not, why don’t you come with me to chat somewhere.”

The three of us, plus the dog, sat in a coffee shop.

Jiangluo seemed extremely uneasy, hardly speaking at all.

Mother looked at him, then at me, taking a sip of grapefruit tea, “Explain to me, how do you see me?”

I furrowed my brows, secretly patting Jiangluo’s hand.

“We were planning to talk to you about it,” I explained, “We’d just started…”

After I finished this sentence, Mother fell silent, staring at the cup, lost in thought.

Suddenly, Jiangluo grabbed my hand in reverse, slowly raising his head, “Auntie, I’m sorry…”

Hearing his apology, Mother lifted her head, looking at Jiangluo, “Brat, what are you apologizing for?”

I noticed her eyes reddening, suddenly feeling a pang of sorrow in my heart.

Jiangluo did the same, releasing my hand to grasp my mother’s across the table.

“Auntie…” Jiangluo paused, then said, “I’m really sorry, but can you believe me? I truly fell in love… Brother and I are genuinely in love.”

Mother gazed at him, tears streaming down her face.

I moved over to sit beside her, draping my arm around her shoulders to wipe away her tears.

Jiangluo’s eyes also reddened, causing me even more confusion.

“Mother, don’t blame Jiangluo, I…”

“Why would I blame him?” Mother slapped me suddenly, angrily saying, “No, I should blame both of you! You two little bastards, together yet trying to hide it from me!”

Both Jiangluo and I were stunned, only hearing Mother continue, “Xing Baichuan, you sit back down, I have questions to ask you two.”

Obediently, I returned to my seat opposite them, sitting shoulder to shoulder with Jiangluo as we looked at her.

She wiped her tears, seemingly embarrassed, taking a sip of grapefruit tea before saying, “Our family has always been open-minded, no choice, you and Bolin forced us to be this way.”

Recalling the situation at home when we came out, I felt immense guilt.

“So, your father and I never wanted to interfere with your romantic lives. Young people, whether good or bad, it’s your own business. If we meddle, it becomes our business.”

I wanted to explain, to comfort her, but Mother didn’t give me the chance to speak.

“But this time, the circumstances are special, I must ask a few more questions.” She looked at Jiangluo, saying, “Jiangluo, you know how Auntie treats you. After Bolin left, Uncle and I truly treat you like our own child. Without your parents, we became your parents. Losing a son, you became our youngest son.”

I also looked at Jiangluo, knowing he couldn’t bear these words, silently clasping his hand once again.

“In fact, I never expected you to be with Baichuan. How should I put this, there’s no right or wrong, but Baichuan is my child. You must promise me that you like him for who he is, not for anything else.”

Never would I have imagined that after all that buildup, Mother would say something like this.

My emotions transcended mere gratitude, I could only say that regardless of time or circumstance, in this world, mothers were the ones most concerned and worried about their children.

Jiangluo nodded repeatedly, squeezing my hand tightly, “Auntie, rest assured. I’m not the type to treat others as substitutes. Being with Brother was a decision made after much thought.”

“That’s good.” Mother nodded, turning to me, “Baichuan, you know what kind of child you are, and Mom knows best. I won’t say anything else, just one thing, handle it quickly for me.”

My heart hung, and then she said, “This weekend, bring Jiangluo home. A happy family, why live separately!”

Perhaps I was the luckiest person in the world, for not only did I possess the most adorable lover, but also the most adorable family.

On the weekend, despite Jiangluo’s objections, I packed his belongings and brought them home.

Sitting in the passenger seat, he grumbled, “Rent has been paid, might as well stay a little longer.”

“No way.” I hummed a tune happily in my heart, “If you don’t go back, Mother will kill me.”

“I don’t believe Auntie would hit you…”

Jiangluo whispered, then turned to look out the window.

I glanced at him, noticing through the window that he was secretly smiling.

We still resided in the same room, everything restored to its place. Aside from being tidier, it was as if Jiangluo had never left.

The bedroom door was closed, I held him in bed, asking, “When you left, you left a note in the drawer, do you remember?”

Muffled against my chest, he mumbled, “Mm-hmm.”

“Who was that for?” I’d made guesses, but I only wanted to hear him say it himself.

“…” Jiangluo stayed silent for a long time.

Undeterred, I persistently asked, “For whom? Who do you love?”

He softly laughed, lifting his eyes to meet mine, “You.”

Our gazes met, just like every previous time.

In each other’s eyes, there was only the other. I leaned in, kissing him.

I’d said it before, I was probably the luckiest person in the world.

Because this time, when I captured Jiangluo’s lips, he unexpectedly took the initiative.

His tongue parted my teeth, his hand gently caressing my face.

I held him, flipping over, pinning him beneath me.

To be honest, I was still cautious, but I was prepared for him to push me away at any moment.

But he didn’t.

Jiangluo didn’t push me away, even as we kissed breathlessly, he didn’t push me away.

I lifted myself slightly, staring intently at him.

His face flushed red, lightly stroking my lips.

After a long while, Jiangluo said, “Let’s give it a try.”

The bedroom curtains remained open, the midday sun filtering through the window, warming the sheets pleasantly.

The bold little bird perched on the windowsill witnessed my entire process of embracing Jiangluo. I treated him with utmost tenderness, handling him with incredible care.

He sweated profusely, tears streaming from the corners of his eyes.

I asked him, “Is it really okay?”

He replied, “I want to try, how will we know if we don’t try?”

I saw the smile and courage in his eyes, suddenly remembering the first time I met him. Back then, neither of us could have imagined that over two hundred days later, we would become each other’s most beloved persons.