Xie Ning was, as expected, scared.
In that moment, his mind went blank and he didn’t even notice the whispers between Zhuang Yan and Madam Qiao. His hands involuntarily twisted his pajamas around.
“I...I’ll go up first and change out of my pajamas.” Xie Ning squeezed out these words after a long while.
Madam Qiao gestured him over to her and said, with a gentle tone that Zhuang Yan barely ever heard, “There’s no need to act like such an outsider at home. Wear whatever is comfortable; after all, there are no outsiders here.”
Hearing her pelt down the words “at home” and “there are no outsiders here” made Xie Ning dumbfounded, and even Zhuang Yan pulled at her sleeve under the table to curb her words a little.
Madam Qiao glanced at zhuang Yan angrily, but seeing how Xie Ning’s face was entirely uncomfortable, she quickly reduced her 12 point enthusiasm back down to 10 points.
“What I meant was…” she explained, “Seeing how your grandfather is friends with our family, our two families are just like one.”
Xie Ning still had doubts in his heart, but he grudgingly accepted the explanation.
Madam Qiao’s surprise attack made him unbearably anxious because he was afraid that she would misunderstand something, but he didn’t know what misunderstanding he was afraid of.
Seeing him stand so awkwardly and afraid that he would be so hungry that it affected his stomach, Zhuang Yan stood up and pulled him to the table. “Eat breakfast first, otherwise you won’t have an appetite during lunch.”
Xie Ning has a small appetite. If he eats breakfast late, he can’t eat anything during lunch. Normally, it’s not a problem when he needs to go to work, but when it’s the weekend, this problem manifests.
Since they ate hot pot last night, Zhuang Yan made a lighter, nutritious breakfast because he didn’t want him to eat things that were too greasy.
As soon as Xie Ning sat down, Madam Qiao grabbed at the opportunity to talk to him about daily life. “I heard from Zhuang Yan that you’re living here recently?”
Xie Ning paused for a moment and turned his head to look at Zhuang Yan. Zhuang Yan gave him a soothing look in response.
Only then did he feel a bit relieved and nodded at Madam Qiao. He said vaguely, “...Mm.”
Before Xie Ning appeared, Madam Qiao had already discussed with Zhuang Yan about what she could say, what she could ask, and what couldn’t be said for fear of frightening him.
If Xie Ning knew that Madam Qiao was already thinking about the wedding, he would probably bury himself in his blankets and not come out for a long while.
After Madam Qiao knew about Zhuang Yan’s intentions, she wanted to make fun of him for not making any progress despite abducting the person into his own home; however, now that she saw it was Xie Ning, she was a little stunned.
But her face was calm and tranquil. “Being here should be like being in your own home; there’s no need to be embarrassed. If Zhuang Yan bullies you, just let me know, and I’ll help you discipline him.”
Zhuang Yan glanced at her, not sure whether to laugh or cry. “Mom, what are you saying?”
Madam Qiao was pretty much finished with her food. She put down her spoon and said slowly, “Did I say anything? Are you not clear about your own temper? You don’t even know how to restrain yourself a little and caused so much trouble for me when you were younger.”
Zhuang Yan: “...”
Xie Ning pressed his lips together and couldn’t help but let out a smile. “He doesn’t bully me.”
Madam Qiao turned her head to look at him, her face full of disbelief. “Really?”
“Really.” Xie Ning nodded and wanted to say a couple of good things in front of Madam Qiao, but he wasn’t really good with words. He finally squeezed out one sentence. “He’s very good to me.”
Madam Qiao’s eyes lit up and she wanted to ask what kind of good it was.
However, Zhuang Yan raised his eyebrows and looked at her from beside her. Madam Qiao was afraid that he would be ashamed into anger, so she finally lightly replied, “Then that’s good.”
When Xie Ning finished eating, he was still a little uncomfortable and rushed upstairs to change his clothes.
Although he wasn’t going outside and it was normal to wear pajamas, he felt like his outfit was not dignified enough in front of Madam Qiao.
Madam Qiao said she didn’t mind, but no matter what she said, she’s still an elder, and Xie Ning felt like he shouldn’t be too casual.
As soon as he left to hurriedly rush up the stairs, Madam Qiao pulled Zhuang Yan to the side to interrogate him. “What’s the situation...between you and NingNing?”
Zhuang Yan smiled. “It’s just like what I told you earlier.”
Madam Qiao rubbed her forehead. “How long have you guys known each other…”
She seemed to remember something. “I felt like something was going on during New Year’s, and I even thought that you had teased him until he’d become anxious.”
Zhuang Yan added, “Actually, we knew each other before New Year’s.”
Madam Qiao glanced at him. “No wonder you were rushing at the opportunity to give Elder Xie gifts. I thought you’d grown up and become sensible, but turns out there were hidden intentions in your heart.”
Zhuang Yan said, “You can’t say it like that. I still made the trip with my own legs.”
Madam Qiao smiled. “The Xie family...originally, your grandfather’s generation had a deeper friendship, but there’s not much interaction now. Looks like I’ll have to go to the large compound some more these days.”
Zhuang Yan asked, “Xie Ning’s parents...are they easy to get along with?” He took the opportunity to get some information out of Madam Qiao.
“I’m not very familiar with them,” Madam Qiao answered honestly. “Your father and his father probably played together when they were young, but when they settled down, their friendship faded. Only during the New Year or other holidays will your grandfather send some gifts to Elder Xie.”
Zhuang Yan was a little disappointed. “So it’s like that.”
Madam Qiao replied a little vexedly, “If we did have any sort of friendship, would you and Xie Ning have met so late?”
Zhuang Yan pretended to sigh. “I thought there would be some sort of betrothal before we were born. Don’t the TV series all do it like that?”
Madam Qiao was speechless for a while.
But she slowly recalled for a while, and seemed to remember something.
“There’s nothing like a betrothal before birth, but you and Xie Ning should have seen each other when you two were very young.” Madam Qiao said, unsure.
Zhuang Yan was curious. “When?”
Madam Qiao thought about it. “When Xie Ning was only a couple of months old, your grandfather took us to see the Xie family.”
Zhuang Yan earnestly tried to remember, but in the end, couldn’t remember a single thing. “I don’t have any impression of it at all.”
“You were only so young at the time.” Madam Qiao glanced at him, amused. “You barely even knew how to walk, so how could you remember anything?”
Zhuang Yan is two years older than Xie Ning, so he wasn’t even at the age to remember things when Xie Ning was born.
Zhuang Yan sighed. “Then I missed out.”
Madam Qiao said, “NingNing was cute when he was young, unlike you, who was so naughty.”
Zhuang Yan raised his eyebrow. “You still remember what he looked like as a child?”
She obviously didn’t remember something from 20 years ago. It took her a long while before she even remembered that they’d gone to the Xie family’s residence, so how would she remember what he looked like as a child?
But this didn’t prevent Madam Qiao from making fun of Zhuang Yan. “Yes, I was so jealous and wanted him to be my son.”
Zhuang Yan calmly said, “Well, you won’t be missing out now. This is called...giving birth to one and getting another for free?”
Madam Qiao snickered. “You have to first successfully pursue said person before you can talk about missing out. When the time comes, I’ll treat him as my son, and you can stay away.”
Zhuang Yan’s heart settled, and he knew that Madam Qiao had sincerely accepted Xie Ning.
He wasn’t surprised, since she already liked Xie Ning before.
Madam Qiao left after eating lunch. Zhuang Yan was also the one who made lunch, so Madam Qiao took the opportunity to chat with Xie Ning for a little.
Without Zhuang Yan staring at her from the side, Madam Qiao managed to find out a lot of things from him seamlessly.
For example, they didn’t live in the same room, and Zhuang Yan was usually the one who cooked.
She just gossiped ordinarily about her everyday life to him, and Xie Ning didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary, so he very quickly and clearly sold his and Zhuang Yan’s daily life to her.
In the end, Madam Qiao didn’t know whether to be indignant at her son for being too gentlemanly, or at Xie Ning for being too innocent.
When they were saying goodbye, Xie Ning wondered why Madam Qiao left so early.
Zhuang Yan coolly replied, “She got two free meals from me.”
Madam Qiao looked at him with an inexplicable expression.
The car was parked at the entrance, and Xie Ning only accompanied her to the door of the villa before Madam Qiao and Zhuang Yan shooed him back, saying that the wind outside was too strong and that he didn’t need to send her any further out.
Zhuang Yan was the one who accompanied her to the car.
When she got into the car, Madam Qiao reached into her purse, pulled out two tickets, and handed it to Zhuang Yan.
Zhuang Yan raised his eyebrows, “What is this?”
“The photographer that I like a lot, AJ, is having an exhibition in China these days,” Madam Qiao chuckled. “Originally I planned to go with your father, but now I’m giving it to you, although a bit undeserved.”
AJ is a world-class photographer. Zhuang Yan had learned some photography before so he’d definitely heard of him, but AJ mainly shoots still-life, which Madam Qiao likes.
Zhuang Yan took the tickets and asked, “Then you guys won’t go?”
“We won’t.” Madam Qiao closed the car door and lowered the window. “I’ll have a candlelit dinner with your father in the evening, in our romantic couple’s world.”
Zhuang Yan snickered. “How old are you, to still be playing this?”
Madam Qiao replied indifferently, “I think you’ve stayed abroad for nothing these past couple of years, to forget what today’s date is.”
Zhuang Yan lowered his head and glanced at the date on the ticket.
February 14th, Valentine’s Day.
“I’ve never had the habit of celebrating Valentine’s day while I was abroad.” He couldn’t help but defend himself. “But you guys always plan something so romantic every year, as if you’re still 18 this year.”
Madam Qiao said, “Romance doesn’t fade with age. The same for love.”
Zhuang Yan: “...You seem more like a literature and art film director than I do.”
Madam Qiao smiled. “You’re only artful on the surface. You haven’t even been in a relationship before, otherwise, why haven’t you already pursued Xie Ning successfully for me yet?”
The corner of Zhuang Yan’s lips went up, and he asked, “Then how long did you pursue my father for, back then?”
“Talk less nonsense,” Madam Qiao glanced at him. “Back then, your father pursued me.”
After she finished speaking, she didn’t wait for Zhuang Yan to say anything before she gave the driver a look, and drove away.
Zhuang Yan looked at the car that was speeding away, and thanked Madam Qiao in his heart for her kindness.
It was truly a little boring for the two of them to be shut up at home on the weekend, and it was also such a special day.
When he chatted with Ji WenBin the day before, Ji WenBin had said he wished Xie Ning could interact with the crowd outside if there was an opportunity to do so.
His life was too closed. It was okay if it was for a little while, but years of isolation would only make a person more withdrawn.
It’s not a good thing for Xie Ning’s current mental state.
The tickets that Madam Qiao gave him weren’t for a solo exhibition, but a comprehensive art exhibition that was quite large. Zhuang Yan had heard people mention it before.
Since those invited to participate were all masters in various art industries and the exhibition was only going to be held for two days, it was insanely difficult for an outsider to get a ticket.
These two thin tickets’ price had been increased many times by ticket scalpers, and he didn’t know how Madam Qiao acquired them.
Xie Ning, after hearing about this, widened his eyes excitedly. “Is it the art exhibition that’s being held in the Convention Center?”
Zhuang Yan lowered his head and looked at the address on the ticket, then nodded.
Xie Ning’s eyes continued to light up. “I heard this art exhibition is quite large, and many people were invited.”
Zhuang Yan curled the corner of his lip and asked, “Do you want to go?”
Xie Ning nodded his head without hesitation. “I do.”
Zhuang Yan held the tickets in his fingers and waved it in front of his eyes. “I have tickets here, but...what will you give me in return?”
Xie Ning said quietly, “...I can buy them from you?”
Zhuang Yan laughed. “Do I lack that bit of money?”
Xie Ning looked carefully at Zhuang Yan’s expression. Zhuang Yan noticed his gaze, and boldly raised his eyebrows to stare back at him.
After confirming that Zhuang Yan meant what Xie Ning was thinking, he said softly, after a long while, “Can I kiss you on the face?”
Zhuang Yan smiled. “What do you think?”
Xie Ning: “...”
So could he or could he not! Could he make things more clear!
Zhuang Yan was calm and composed, as if he didn’t know what Xie Ning was struggling with in his heart.
After a long while, when Xie Ning had probably finished making his mental preparations, puckered up and said to Zhuang Yan, “...then lower your head.”
His voice was light and soft, and Zhuang Yan felt like there was something scratching at his heart when he heard it. He paused for a moment before he lowered his head to look at Xie Ning.
Xie Ning was seriously afraid of Zhuang Yan’s “give an inch, want a mile” temperament and was afraid that he wouldn’t be satisfied with a kiss on the face. He gritted his teeth, raised his head, and kissed him on the lips.
Zhuang Yan had originally only been ready for a kiss on the face, and when he felt the gentle touch on his lips, he was overwhelmed by Xie Ning’s rare surprise attack.
After a while, noticing that Xie Ning seemed to want to retreat, he pressed his head against his and satisfactorily deepened the kiss.
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Author’s Note: The NingNing who sold himself again, sigh.
Twitter: @jiyangtrans