Chapter 173. Coming Out Of The Closet

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Arc 9: Real World.

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Chen You has no memory of anything before he was three years old. According to his father, when he was born, he looked like a skinny monkey, and he was also dark-skinned and very ugly.

Relatives would talk about it over tea or after meals, saying that so-and-so’s son was too ugly, with such a small face and such big eyes, like a little monster, scary.

Chen You’s Nainai was a well-known matchmaker in the village. She was very quick-witted and could never be at a disadvantage. Anyone who argued with her would be furious, and no matter whether she was right or wrong, she would always be the one to win in the end.

(Nainai= Grandmother)

Such a mean and domineering personality, yet she gave birth to a son like Chen You’s father, who would have to hold back for a long time even if he uttered a single swear word.

The daughter-in-law brought a new life to the Chen family, and her first child was a boy. However, the grandson was not good-looking, which made Chen You’s Nainai feel ashamed. Whenever she heard gossip outside, she wouldn’t just curse at people on the spot, she would also take out her anger on Chen You’s mother when she got home, in a variety of ways.

Basically, I just don’t like you. Even if you don’t say anything, even if you just breathe, I can still find a way to make everything you say sound like complete nonsense, make you feel so ashamed that you won’t want to live anymore, and wish you were dead.

The silent war between mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law has never stopped.

Chen You’s mother had only given birth to Chen You a few days ago when his Nainai made her get out of bed and go to the fields to harvest rice. She couldn’t bend down and ended up kneeling in the fields.

At that time, Chen You’s father was working in another city and didn’t know the situation at home. He only knew that he had a son, a skinny little monkey.

Chen You’s Laolao heard the news from relatives in the town and, unable to bear seeing her daughter being treated that way, took both mother and child back with her.

Who knew that as the skinny monkey grew up day by day, his features matured, the little monster disappeared, and he turned into a handsome little fairy.

Chen You’s Nainai asked Chen You’s father to bring the mother and child back, but failed to do so.

This time, they became a laughing stock in the village again. Chen You’s Nainai went there herself, swallowed her pride, and pleaded with everyone she could before finally getting the mother and child back.

Chen You’s Nainai was overjoyed that her grandson had become so handsome. Everyone who saw him would praise him from head to toe. She took him out every day, rain or shine, to show him off to everyone. Her mouth was always crooked from smiling.

Whether it was the family atmosphere or some other reason, Chen You had always been closer to his Laolao than anyone else in the family. He frequently visited his Laolao’s house. When he was in the second year of junior high school, his Nainai became seriously ill. When she was close to death, she was placed in a large mahogany chair. He stood beside her, his hand held by his Nainai, then released. He knew that his Nainai had passed away, but he did not cry.

But when he saw his father crying, he couldn ‘t help but shed tears as well.

Ultimately, Chen You was not close to his Nainai, and he also had only a so-so relationship with his father’s relatives, Shushu, Bobo, DaGu, Xiong, Mei, cousins etc. At that time, he thought about how his Laolao was still alive.

Laolao had a tragic fate. She was born a maid and was a stunning beauty in her youth. She had a relationship with the young master and they got together.

In a large family, a maid who wants to rise in rank will face nothing but insults, visible and invisible obstacles, and even have her life threatened.
Chen You’s Laolao went through many trials and tribulations, struggling and facing life-or-death situations in the grand mansion before finally being married to the young master. However, her good days didn’t last long. The young master’s family fell into ruin, and she had to go back to a life of hardship.

Even greater misfortune followed. One day, the young master saw a two-headed snake outside and witnessed it molting. He was so terrified that he soon died.

To survive, Chen You’s Laolao had no choice but to marry a bricklayer, who was also Chen You’s LaoYe. Later, his LaoYe fell to his death while working. People said she was cursed to bring misfortune to her husbands, having killed one and then another.

(LaoYe= Maternal Grandfather)

She didn’t care, people can say whatever they want, she couldn’t stop them, she could just live her own life.

Chen You was influenced by his Laolao’s philosophy of life, which is why he is so optimistic and never lets his frustrations linger until the next day.

For his Laolao’s birthday, Chen You asked his father what to buy.

Chen Weidong said there was no need to buy anything, bringing his future daughter-in-law along would be the best birthday gift.

Despite saying that, Chen You still went to the jade shop and picked out a piece of jade for his Laolao. He remembered that his Laolao had a jade bracelet that she treasured. When he was a child, he was very naughty and somehow managed to pull it out of a big box. He was curious and wore it on his wrist to play with it, but he accidentally broke it.

Laolao didn’t say anything harsh. She just picked up the jade bracelet fragments one by one, wrapped them in a handkerchief, put them back in the box, and wiped her eyes several times.

Chen You had no money before, but now that he does, he has to do his best.

The night before the visit, Chen You told his father he was going to stay in the dorms to pack his things, but in reality, he went to Li Yan’s place.  He couldn’t sleep once he got into bed, tossing and turning all night, making Li Yan sweat profusely in the summer heat.

“Do you have bugs on you?”

“It’s in my heart, and it’s making me feel terrible.”

Chen You propped himself up on the bed with one hand, rested his chin on the man’s chest, and rubbed against a well-defined pectoral muscle, “You’d better not go tomorrow.”

Li Yan lifted his eyelids.

Seeing the darkness in the man’s eyes, Chen You swallowed hard, his scalp tingling. He touched the mole on the man’s face and said, “It’s my Laolao’s 90th birthday, and she, an elderly, can’t handle being startled. My dad would be even worse, he really wouldn’t be able to handle it.”

If Chen You were to bring Li Yan there, and introduce him to everyone in the room, saying, Laolao, Dad, 3 Gu, 6 Shen, and 7 DaYi, this is my boyfriend. We’ve been together for a long time and we’re going to get married, the scene would be even more terrifying than a crime scene.

Li Yan said calmly, “If I don’t go, how will you handle things tomorrow?”

Chen You said, “I’ve thought it through. If there’s really no other way, I’ll ask my classmate for help, and I’ll explain it to her. She’ll agree.”

Li Yan’s brows twitched slightly, “You want to have a classmate pretend to be your girlfriend and take her home to meet your relatives?”

Chen You nodded, his tail unconsciously wagging upwards. Not only was he unaware of the danger, but he was also waiting to be praised, acting no differently than an idiot, “What do you think of my idea?”

Li Yan suddenly laughed, “Very good.”

Chen You looked up, fuck, Gege, why is your laugh so creepy? He moved fearfully to the edge of the bed, “Well, I was just thinking casually.”

Li Yan smiled and said, “You can come up with such a good idea just by thinking about it casually. If you think about it seriously, wouldn’t there be even better ones? Hmm?”

Chen You chuckled, “Hehehe, no, my IQ isn’t high enough, so this is as good as it gets.”

Li Yan said gently, “Come here.”

Chen You shifted even faster, without making a sound, but his eyes were very firm, conveying just four words—I don’t want to!

With deep, intense eyes, Li Yan pulled the person into his arms and leaned closer.

More than an hour later, Chen You was panting heavily, his mouth agape. He was completely drained, his brain drained. He was a little more lucid now, and he knew how to get through tomorrow’s ordeal, “What time is it?”

Li Yan checked his phone, “Eleven o’clock.”

Chen You hesitated for a moment. His father should be asleep. He will call him tomorrow morning. He slid into the covers. Kissing could enhance the relationship between two people and was also a basic way to resolve all conflicts.

However, prolonged kissing can lead to oxygen deprivation in the brain, which can indeed affect lifespan.

Chen You then said to the man in a consultative tone, “How about we shorten our kissing time to under ten minutes from now on?”

Li Yan said, “Okay.”

Chen You opened his eyes. Agreed just like that? It felt like a dream, “Really?”

Li Yan hummed in agreement, saying it was true, and then gave him a goodnight kiss, which took nearly fifty minutes.

Okay, it was just a dream.

Chen You couldn’t understand at all. There was only a tongue and saliva in his mouth, nothing else, right? What was so fun about kissing? Why did Li Yan always hold the back of his head and kiss him for so long? Didn’t he find it boring?

Ai, falling in love with a kiss demon is something that can’t be helped.

The next day, the alarm clock rang at six o’clock, and a loud rooster crowed from the bedside table. The man on the bed frowned, while the young man in his arms was completely unaware, sleeping like a log.

The alarm clock went off every ten minutes, and by the third time, Chen You had transformed from a dead-as-a-doornail sleeper to a slightly more awake one. He removed his hand from Li Yan’s body, fumbled around on the bedside table, grabbed the alarm clock, turned it off, and went back to sleep.

A voice came from the side, “It’s almost eight o’clock.”

Chen You suddenly woke up with a start, jolting awake, “Where are my clothes? Where are my clothes? Holy crap, I clearly remember tucking them in at the ankle! Li Yan, can you help me find my pants and socks…?”

Li Yan leaned against the headboard. He had been awake for a while, but there was no trace of sleepiness in his eyes. He watched as the young man hurriedly threw off the blankets and pillows, found a pair of crumpled boxer shorts at the foot of the bed, and hurriedly pulled the shorts onto his legs without even turning the hem up.

He probably felt uncomfortable after putting it on, so he looked down and realized he had put it on inside out. He started cursing and swearing in frustration, looking quite adorable.

Chen You was going crazy with worry. He had set an alarm to wake up early and call his father to tell him what was going on, but he ended up sleeping so late. He complained, “Why didn’t you wake me up when the alarm went off?”

Li Yan said, “Shouted it twice.”

“…” Chen You glared at him fiercely, “If I don’t wake up, can’t you just mess with me?”

Li Yan raised an eyebrow, “I see.”

Chen You shuddered and said in a serious tone, “The person who spoke just now was not me, but another me from a parallel universe.”

Li Yan replied, “Oh.”

Oh my ass! Chen You glanced at the alarm clock. The hour hand was pointing to six, not eight. He rubbed his eyes. It really wasn’t eight. WTF, this is ridiculous!

Grabbing the alarm clock, Chen You angrily questioned the man, “Didn’t you say eight o’clock?”

Li Yan remained calm and composed, “I meant it’s almost eight o’clock.”

The implication is clear. It’s almost eight o’clock, not already eight o’clock. You misunderstood, it has nothing to do with me.

Chen You，“……”

Fine, you’re really something, you’ve got guts! Chen You pounced on Li Yan, biting him several times on the neck before calming down. He then scratched his head and called his father.

Chen Weidong got up early and was making breakfast for Laifu. Since he couldn’t free his hands, he turned on speakerphone, “Youyou, why are you calling me now?”

Chen You said he can’t bring his girlfriend today for three reasons. First, he’s a celebrity now, and his every move is being watched by the media, so he can’t do whatever he wants. Second, if a relative posts the photos online, his girlfriend will feel pressured, which could potentially affect their relationship.

Most importantly, the third point is that the company forbids it.

When Chen You answered the phone yesterday, his mind was blank, and he didn’t think about these things until afterward.

Chen Weidong handed the rice bowl to Laifu. He had been reading the news online, and it was quite alarming. There were all sorts of rumors circulating. Although every circle in society is chaotic these days, the chaos in the entertainment industry is different. Public figures, while receiving attention, also have to bear the corresponding costs.

It wasn’t just flowers and applause, there were also filthy words, malicious speculation, and even personal attacks.

A few years ago, he heard that an actor developed depression because of public opinion. Chen Weidong sighed, his son was already depressed and was still taking medication.

After a moment’s thought, Chen Weidong spoke, his disappointment already concealed, “You’re right, Youyou. Dad didn’t consider this. Oh well, forget it then. You just come over for a meal and leave. It’s Laolao’s birthday, it wouldn’t be right not to go, don’t you think?”

Chen You breathed a sigh of relief, “Okay, I will go. Dad, there will be an opportunity regarding your daughter-in-law.”

Chen Weidong said, “Okay, as long as you understand my intention.”

He was also afraid that the female classmates would be affected by what happened online or gossiped about by people around them, and would not want to be with his son. After all, no one wants to go out for a walk and be talked about by strangers.

After resolving the matter, Chen You happily started humming a song. It wasn’t 《Nunchucks》, but 《The Fireworks of Last Winter》,  which he had been listening to every day recently. His favorite song was showing signs of changing.

Li Yan crossed his arms and watched the young man try on clothes in front of the mirror. He was going to celebrate his Laolao’s birthday. His hair was all waxed and pulled back, revealing his handsome features. The beauty mark at the corner of his eye was even more prominent and alluring.

Chen You was wearing black casual pants, but he was worried about what to wear on top. He suffers from decision paralysis, sometimes it’s okay, but sometimes it’s a nightmare, like now, even though he knows he doesn’t have much time, he’s still dawdling.

After putting on a linen shirt, Chen You turned to the onlooker and asked, “How does it look?”

Li Yan lifted his eyelids slightly, “Not very good.”

Chen You took it off and put on a white shirt, straightened the collar, and unbuttoned the top two buttons. He looked incredibly handsome, with a hint of mischief in his eyes, “What about this one?”

Li Yan said, “So-so.”

Chen You reluctantly changed his shirt, feeling unhappy. He rummaged through the wardrobe, from left to right and then from right to left, but couldn’t find anything more pleasing to the eye than the two he had just worn. So he went to the next room to look at the clothes. All the clothes there were dark in color, all formal attire.

Thinking that his Laolao’s house would have air conditioning, Chen You took out a silver-gray suit, and without even putting on a shirt, he simply slipped on the jacket, “What about this one?”

Li Yan’s thin lips pursed slightly, almost imperceptibly, “Ugly.”

Chen You rolled his eyes, “You pick one for me.”

Li Yan stepped over and picked out a white t-shirt and a pair of light blue washed jeans from his side. Both pieces were very ordinary and simple.

Chen You looked confused, kidding me.

Li Yan said, “You’re still a student.”

Chen You had nothing more to say.

He silently put on his t-shirt and pants, then caught a glimpse of the man also getting dressed, “Are you going out?”

Li Yan made a surprising statement, “I’ll go with you.”

One of the young man’s flaws is that when faced with a difficult situation, he always thinks about running away and procrastinating. If there isn’t a hand pushing him from behind or leading him forward, he will keep dragging his feet in the same place.

Chen You turned his head sharply, shit, what are you saying? Don’t scare me, I’m easily frightened.

Li Yan buttoned up his dark gray shirt, “Don’t be nervous. I’m going there as your boss to meet your Laolao.”

Chen You’s face was red. Liar! Seeing my Laolao was just a pretense, watching me was the real thing. He said, ”Will it work? What if you slip up? You know, some people have excellent eyesight and are very observant, noticing even the smallest things.”

Li Yan smoothed out his cuffs and walked straight to the door, “If you dawdle any longer, you won’t be there before nine o’clock.”

Chen You quickly fastened his belt and chased after Li Yan, saying, “You can go if you want, but you have to listen to me. You’ll do whatever I tell you to do. Also, you can’t look at me more than five times, you can’t flirt with me, and you’re absolutely forbidden to touch me. Understand?”

“You’re still dreaming, not awake yet.”

“……”

“You have wounds on your body, let it heal before you go.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

Well, going to go anyway, it’s useless to say anything.

Chen You went home to pick up his father, saying that a friend would drive them there.

Chen Weidong understood social etiquette. Knowing that his son had asked a friend to drive them, he politely said, “Then why don’t you ask your friend to stay for a meal? It’s just a matter of having an extra set of chopsticks and a bowl.”

Chen You cheered inwardly, but said aloud, “Let me ask him, he might not be willing.”

Chen Weidong was about to say that if they didn’t want to, then forget it, he was just being polite. But when the conversation reached that point, he didn’t expect his usually lazy son to be so efficient this time. He had already taken out his phone to make a call and said that the other party had agreed.

He coughed twice and said, “That’s it, what else can we do?”

As Chen Weidong went downstairs, he saw the man in the car and recognized him at a glance. The next moment, he looked at his son and gave him a look that said, why don’t you just say it’s your former boss?

Chen You returned a look that said, the boss is also a friend.

The father and son exchanged glances by the car door until Li Yan greeted them, calling out “Chen Shushu,” which changed the situation.

Chen You instinctively went to the passenger seat, but the moment he reached the door, he felt a pair of eyes staring at him from behind. It was his father, so he quickly pulled his hand back and turned to the back seat.

The car left the residential area at a steady, moderate speed.

Chen You slumped in his car seat scrolling through his phone. A bag of potato chips lay open on his stomach, and he would occasionally grab a chip and pop it into his mouth, crunching away. It was a completely natural habit of his, he’d completely forgotten that this behavior was inappropriate in front of his father and would expose him.

Therefore, intellectual disability is incurable.

Throughout the journey, Chen Weidong felt something was strange, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. He didn’t hear what song was playing in the car, but he did hear fireworks.

Upon arriving at their destination, Chen Weidong saw Li Yan go to the back seat, take out the empty bag of potato chips from the seat, and throw it away. In that instant, he suddenly understood.

What’s odd is the atmosphere inside the car, there’s no tension at all, it feels like a family gathering.

Chen Weidong pondered for a moment. His son was usually carefree and didn’t have many complicated thoughts in his mind. He was used to being wild both at home and outside. To put it bluntly, he was simple-minded and stupid.

However, Li Yan was able to tolerate his son’s little habits without showing any sign of anger.

Can former superiors and subordinates become this kind of friends?

Chen You’s heart skipped a beat. Could it be? It’s only been a short car ride, and his father has already noticed something’s wrong?

He brushed the stray hairs from his forehead. The current situation was so much like him and Li Yan had placed a gift in front of his father and were being asked to open it, slowly untying the bow and tearing off the outer wrapping paper to see what was inside.

When his father finished unboxing it, he saw that it was a bomb.

Chen You shivered and silently offered a prayer.

Chen Weidong walked up, grabbed his son’s arm, and made him take a few steps back, “Youyou, you’re an artist at that entertainment company now, how come you still have dealings with Li Yan? Wasn’t he the boss of the company where you interned before?”

Chen You said, “Li Yan is a shareholder of that entertainment company.”

Chen Weidong，“……”

Chen You’s eyes darted around, and he gestured towards the back of the man in front of him, “Li Yan’s business is huge, he makes a lot of investments, and I’ve also heard that he has a very good temper and never gets angry. Even the employees in my company respect him.”

“Moreover, people of his caliber are very approachable and down-to-earth, and they don’t act superior to anyone.”

Chen Weidong just mumbled oh, oh, and besides that, he didn’t know what to say for a while. He felt that the person his son described wasn’t the same person he had encountered.

Chen You said, “Hu Wei and Li Yan have known each other for many years and are good friends.”

Chen Weidong’s expression changed, a hint of surprise in his eyes. So those two had this kind of relationship. He didn’t know much about Li Yan, but he had met Hu Wei quite a few times. Hu Wei is a rather steady junior.

Since Li Yan can become friends with Hu Wei, he must be a decent person.

Thinking about it this way only made Chen Weidong more confused. With his son’s IQ, he couldn’t possibly mingle with successful people, he would be crushed. He said earnestly, “Youyou, be careful. Don’t be so casual in other people’s cars. It’s rude and inappropriate.”

Chen You realized he had made a mistake and learned his lesson, “I will definitely be more careful next time.”

Chen Weidong told his son not to follow, and he walked quickly to Li Yan’s side, “Mr. Li, Youyou is not mature yet. Sometimes he doesn’t know the situation and can’t distinguish between what is important and what is not. If he does something wrong, you can say it directly without worrying about his feelings.”

Li Yan said, “He’s still young.”

Chen Weidong stopped in his tracks. Why does his tone sound so strange to me? Am I his father, or are you his father?

Laolao owns a house, a detached three-story villa. She made it clear from the beginning that whoever takes care of her bodily functions would get the house.

Those who cared about their reputation shrank back, and finally the eldest child in the family stepped forward and said some inconsequential things.

Now, they are the ones living in the house and taking care of the elderly, while the other siblings are left with nothing but regret and envy.

Chen You entered the gate, expecting a large crowd to gather around, given the current popularity of 《The Fifth World》 and its potential for even greater heights. However, to his surprise, there was no one there, only his mother’s siblings, each accompanied by two or three family members, greeted him with friendly glances.

There wasn’t a single neighbor among them.

Since Chen Weidong had already made a phone call on the way to inform everyone that his future daughter-in-law could not show up, including that Chen You’s boss would be coming to have dinner, no one asked any questions when they saw Chen You. They just lingered on the distinguished-looking stranger next to him for a while.

Chen You’s DaYi told him that her husband thought he was a public figure and that going home to celebrate his Laolao’s birthday was a commendable act. He should seize this opportunity to do something that would benefit his image, but too many people would be a problem.

DaYi’s husband was in a meeting with several other families last night, and told them not to reveal that Chen You was coming, and that no one was allowed to take photos with their phones on the day of the birthday celebration. Anyone who did so would be hindering Chen You’s acting career and causing trouble, which no one would forgive.

Not only that, DaYi’s husband also hired a professional photographer to take a family photo with everyone standing behind Laolao during the second half of the birthday celebration. Once the photo is posted online, it will definitely receive a lot of support from netizens who will think he is filial.

Chen You listened, speechless. His DaYi’s husband, a long-time unemployed bum, had just accumulated a huge number of brain cells.

Regardless, this is for his own good, Chen You said, DaYi and her husband have worked hard.

DaYi said it wasn’t hard work, and was about to say something more when DaYi’s husband stopped her.

Chen You did some quick calculations and realized his cousin was about to take the college entrance exam. Could it be that he was hoping to get him into the entertainment industry? Ai, he’d think about it later. He couldn’t worry about anything else, he hadn’t even taken care of his own business yet.

Looking to his left, Chen You saw Li Yan standing with his father, chatting with some relatives. Two girls around them were staring straight at him, their gazes hotter than the sun.

Chen You went to the inner room to see his Laolao, took out the jade, and put it on her.

Laolao is ninety years old, with sparse, gray hair. She was dressed in festive traditional Chinese clothing and was in good spirits. When she saw the jade, she said it was expensive and that she was about to be buried and didn’t need to wear such good jade. She then tried to take the jade off and asked Chen You to return it.

Chen You said it couldn’t be returned, and the receipt was lost anyway, “Laolao, just wear it.”

“You, this child, how could you lose it?” Laolao held her grandson’s hand, “Your dad said you were dating someone, is that true?”

Chen You also said that there’s discussion, “He’s a very nice person, and he’s good to me too.”

Laolao was relieved. She felt under her pillow with her withered hands and pulled out a handkerchief. She took out a pair of gold rings wrapped inside, and her wrinkled face radiated affection, “These were made by Laolao and LaoYe when they were young. They’re real gold, unlike the ones we have now. Keep them safe and don’t let anyone see them.”

Chen You was taken aback, “Laolao, I can’t take this.”

Laolao said this thing is useless even if you put it in the coffin. “If you don’t want it, then Laolao will throw it away.”

Chen You，“……”

Honestly, the tricks his mother used to threaten him were learned from Laolao, they’re exactly the same.

Laolao sighed as she placed the gold ring in her grandson’s hand, “Ah You, your partner didn’t come today. Who knows if Laolao will have another chance to see them.”

Chen You’s throat tightened slightly, and he almost said that person had arrived. If he were to reveal his relationship with Li Yan, Laolao’s birthday celebration would be ruined, and he would truly become a villain.

An elder’s birthday is an important festival. A picture of the Eight Immortals celebrating longevity is hung on the wall of the main room, and a gift table is placed in the center, on which are longevity peaches, pastries, and fruits.

A large red prayer mat was laid out in front of the ceremonial table. After Laolao sat down, the younger generation took turns to bow and offer their birthday wishes, which were nothing more than old-fashioned phrases like “May your happiness be as vast as the Eastern Sea and your longevity as enduring as the Southern Mountains.” Although the words were old-fashioned, they were always appropriate.

The meal was held in the courtyard, with several tables set up. Chen You’s DaBo had found a chef, and the food was delicious and visually appealing.

Li Yan was called to the table of middle-aged people by Chen Weidong, “Boss Li, let’s eat here. We won’t hang out with the young people.”

Chen You, who was at the next table, heard his father’s words and his lips twitched. He felt sorry for his family’s man who was clearly young and not old at all. He picked up a candied sweet potato with his chopsticks and found it tasted good.

As soon as Chen You picked up his chopsticks, the others at the table also started eating, not missing the chance to observe.

Celebrities, whether famous or not, are shrouded in mystery, and even their daily lives, like eating, drinking, and using the toilet, receive a hundred times more attention than ordinary people.

While chatting and laughing with everyone, Chen You kept an eye on Li Yan’s table, worried that someone might not be sharp enough and something might happen.

Li Yan’s wristwatch was quite valuable, not to mention his clothes, but the ring on his hand was silver, which was out of place with his temperament and naturally aroused the curiosity of others.

Before long, someone couldn’t help but ask, “Mr. Li got married?”

Li Yan ate his food and said, “Mmm.”

Some are sad, some are happy.

The former is a single girl, and the latter is Chen Weidong, who felt inexplicably relieved after learning that Li Yan had started a family.

When Chen You heard his father say, “Mr. Li, I’ll call you Di from now on,” he almost spat out the food in his mouth and couldn’t bear to look at Li Yan’s face.

As the banquet was drawing to a close, Chen You secretly texted Li Yan, arranging to meet him in the restroom, “My dad calls you Di, so what should I call you? Shushu?”

Li Yan grabbed the talkative young man, pressed his lips against his, and ate a mouthful of oil.

Chen You showed the gold ring to Li Yan, grinning from ear to ear, “Laolao gave it to me, one for you and one for me.”

Li Yan kissed the tip of his nose, “Make it a family heirloom.”

“That’s what I think too.”

Chen You remembered something his Laolao had said, so he led Li Yan into the inner room, “Laolao, this is my friend.” Boyfriend.

Laolao said the lad was really handsome.

Chen You then gave Li Yan a meaningful look, signaling him to quickly call out Laolao. Li Yan called out.

Grandma sighed. She was getting old and got tired after staying in the main room for a short while, so she wanted to lie down on the bed.

When Chen You was about to leave with Li Yan, Laolao suddenly called his name, leaving him behind alone, and said something very abruptly, “Your dad is stubborn, he takes a long time to make up his mind about something. Don’t rush him, just take your time.”

Once outside the inner room, Chen You wondered to himself, could Laolao know something? Is she even more perceptive than his father? That shouldn’t be the case, he only exchanged a glance with Li Yan, nothing more.

After the birthday banquet ended, Li Yan sent Chen You and Chen Weidong back home, and then left without staying long.

Li Yan wanted to confront Chen Weidong directly and discuss the matter face-to-face, so they wouldn’t have to act secretly anymore.

Chen You refused adamantly, saying they should wait a little longer, until his father’s health improved further. He was worried that something dangerous might happen otherwise.

Li Yan had no choice but to comply.

Less than a week after that, something else happened.

Chen Weidong went to the supermarket to buy things. On the way, he saw Pang Yilong with his hand on a boy’s waist and even reaching under the boy’s clothes.

He thought it was just boys playing around, but the next moment he saw the boy kiss Pang Yilong’s cheek.

His gaze, which had casually swept across, caught sight of a figure, and Pang Yilong’s expression froze, but he quickly regained his composure, removed his hand from the boy’s waist, and politely greeted, “Chen Shushu.”

Chen Weidong, carrying a shopping bag, looked utterly shocked and incredulous, “Yilong, you, you and this classmate, what… what are you doing?”

Pang Yilong rubbed the ground with the tip of his shoe, not answering immediately. He had locked himself at home after the New Year, and recently he couldn’t stand those perverted thoughts anymore, so he went to a bar to try and find someone, but it didn’t work out. He wasn’t gay, he just liked Chen You.

These are two completely different things, but the latter is more terrifying than the former. He would rather be the former, so that he wouldn’t be in such a state of collapse.

For a brief moment, a wicked thought arose in Pang Yilong’s mind, Chen You, if I tell your father about you being with a man, you’ll be in the same pain as me, right?

His lips moved, but he ultimately didn’t utter a sound, not wanting to upset his XiongDi.

Seeing that Pang Yilong remained silent, Chen Weidong turned and left without saying a word.

The boy smirked, “Are you still going to do it or not?”

“Doing my ass!”

Pang Yilong lit a cigarette, rummaged in his pocket, but couldn’t find the lighter.

The boy gave him a lighter knowingly, saying, “I quite like your type. Why don’t you give it a try? It’s my first time too, so you won’t lose out.”

Pang Yilong lit a cigarette with a snap, took a drag, stared at the boy’s lips, and after a few seconds leaned in close. As soon as his lips touched the boy’s, he turned his head away in disgust and gagged.

“Fuck off!”

The boy walked away with a pale face.

Pang Yilong ran his fingers through his hair. Youzi, you’ve really ruined my life.

He squatted by the roadside smoking, finished the cigarette, and then, as if making a firm decision, made a phone call, “Youzi, it’s me.”

Chen You was playing with Laifu and Xiaojin when he heard the voice on the phone. Startled, he stood up from the sofa and exclaimed, “You said you’re going abroad?”

Pang Yilong hummed in agreement and chuckled nonchalantly, “I want to go out and see if the sky abroad is as big as the sky in China, and if the breasts of foreign girls are as soft as those of domestic girls.”

Chen You sat back down on the sofa, “When are you leaving?”

Pang Yilong said, “Next month.”

Chen You exclaimed in surprise, “So soon? Aren’t we even having a farewell dinner?”

Pang Yilong joked, his voice slightly hoarse, “What do you mean by farewell? We’re XiongDi for life, we’ll never fall apart.”

Chen You pursed his lips, “Have a safe journey.”

Pang Yilong said with a smile, “Chen You, come to the airport to see me off that day.”

Chen You said okay, “Send me the time later.”

He had just finished his call with Pang Yilong when he heard the sound of keys turning at the door. His father had returned from the supermarket.

Chen Weidong stood in the entryway, neither changing his shoes nor making any other movements, as if he were thinking about something.

Chen You put Laifu down on the ground and went over to ask, “Dad, what’s wrong?” He wanted to go to the supermarket with his father, but his father wouldn’t let him, saying he wasn’t old enough to need someone to accompany him. Seeing that they might start arguing if they continued talking, he let the other person have his way.

“Are you feeling unwell? “

Chen Weidong snapped out of his daze and answered irrelevantly, “Youyou, Dad saw Yilong.”

Chen You’s eyelids twitched, he had a bad feeling.

Chen Weidong put the shopping bag on top of the shoe cabinet, “Yilong was hugging and kissing a male classmate.”

Chen You’s heart skipped a beat. Damn, he actually guessed it right! What a coincidence! His father just went out to buy something and he ran into them.

Old Pang’s phone call means he’s figured it out, that’s good. He licked his dry lips, “Maybe he was just playing.”

Chen Weidong said, “Dad’s eyes are fine. Yilong touched the male classmate’s waist, and the male classmate kissed his face. If this was just playing, then it’s gone too far.”

Laifu ran over carrying Xiaojin, rubbing against Chen You’s trouser leg. Chen You searched for his voice, “The times are different now. There’s no gender discrimination anymore. As long as you truly like someone…”

Chen Weidong had just picked up a cup of tea when he heard his son’s words. He slammed the teacup down on the coffee table, spilling a lot of tea, “Two men, what kind of love could that be? It’s just nonsense.”

Chen You’s face paled slightly, “No, Dad, you can’t say that. That’s prejudice. Why can’t two men like each other? I think as long as they don’t bother others, they shouldn’t be excluded.”

Chen Weidong sneered, “Why not take the right path instead of the crooked one? Regardless of how the parents feel, whether they face criticism from those around them, or whether it ruins two families, doesn’t this still harm others? That’s selfishness!”

Chen You’s face turned even paler.

Chen Weidong glanced at his son and noticed his unusual behavior, “Youyou, did you already know that Yilong had inappropriate interactions with a male classmates?”

Chen You said he didn’t know.

Chen Weidong frowned, “Yi Long has had several girlfriends, how could he have turned out like that…”

What’s wrong with liking men, Dad? Why are you talking like that? It’s like you’re infected with the plague! Chen You unconsciously scratched at the sofa with his hand. He had a stomach ache, and after drinking half a glass of water, he went to his room.

Because of this incident, Chen You didn’t dare to call Li Yan or go over for several days. He was so nervous and uneasy that even Laifu and Xiaojin could sense it and stopped playing with him as usual.

Chen You secretly increased his medication dosage without telling his father and Li Yan. He acted like a normal person outside, laughing and being quiet as usual. However, when he was alone, he would talk nonsense and have hallucinations.

He knew it was because he was too anxious.

On two separate occasions, Chen You deliberately held up his phone on the table and watched videos, even showing them to his father. One video showed a boy proposing to another boy.

Chen Weidong told Chen You to turn off the video, “Why watch that kind of nonsense while eating? It will ruin your appetite.”

Ai, Dad, you’re being too blunt. How do you think that makes me feel, as a gay man? Chen You swallowed hard, “Dad, many countries allow same-sex marriage.”

Chen Weidong changed the subject, asking when he would submit his graduation thesis.

Chen You, “…” Why bring that up? Thesis shouldn’t exist in the wonderful life of university.

He brought the topic back to the question, “Dad, the most important thing in life is to be happy. Do you agree with that?”

Chen Weidong said, “Agreed.”

Chen You then asked, “So, do you want your son to be happy?”

Chen Weidong said, Isn’t that obvious? “Of course, that’s what Dad hopes for.”

Before Chen You could speak, he said, “Dad hopes you find a girl you love, get married soon, live the life your parents have, and have one or two more children. That would be even better.”

Chen You didn’t want to say anything more. He decided to go back and take his medicine, that would work.

Why is coming out of the closet so difficult? Isn’t it said that life is full of hurdles, and you can overcome them all?

He doesn’t even believe he can get through this now.

If, after the graduation thesis is over and he completely left university life behind, and his father is still so resistant to this idea, then he will have to leave it to Li Yan to figure something out.

Sometimes, things will inevitably happen, no matter how hard you try to stop them. Fate can be quite mischievous and will want to see you break down, leaving you completely helpless.

That day, Chen You was filming an advertisement when Hu Wei told him that Li Yan had arrived, so he went to Hu Wei’s office.

At first glance, it looked like there were three people inside, but actually Chen You and Li Yan went to the small lounge, while Hu Wei was outside drinking tea, smoking, and reading magazines.

There was someone outside the door, and Chen You didn’t dare to shout, so he grabbed Li Yan’s shoulder and had sex with him in the lounge. This sex turned out to be a disaster. He could have endured it before, but after the sex, he couldn’t help but feel longing for him.

Li Yan’s car was parked at the back gate of the community as usual. Chen You secretly went to find him, but was caught red-handed by Chen Weidong who was following behind.

At that moment, the car window rolled down, and Chen You and Li Yan kissed, while Chen Weidong watched from a short distance away.

Long afterward, Chen You could never forget that scene, the look in his father’s eyes. At that moment, he felt like a disobedient and depraved child.

Chen Weidong collapsed and was rushed to the emergency room for treatment.

The outcome he least wanted to face still happened, completely catching him off guard.

Chen You locked himself in the bathroom, repeatedly banging his head against the wall. Blood was flowing more and more from his forehead, but he was oblivious, only muttering repeatedly, “What to do… what to do…”

Li Yan contacted a neurosurgeon, and from surveillance footage, knew the young man was in the bathroom, and immediately kicked the door open.

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