Shuai Chang felt as if his heart had been struck by a bullet, a piercing pain coursing through him. He lovingly hugged Fan Luojia, saying, “Don’t be afraid, Haidong is here. If they try to hurt you, I will stand in front of you.”
“But I didn’t tell them we were coming today,” Fan Luojia replied. He had asked his parents’ colleagues to find out when they were on leave.
Fan Luojia had lacked parental love since childhood, so it was not easy for him to grow into such an optimistic person. Although Shuai Chang found some aspects of him endearing, it took quite a bit of coaxing for him to finally agree to get out of the car.
They took the elevator up to the ninth floor, but Fan Luojia still seemed listless, hunching down slightly behind Shuai Chang.
Shuai Chang gently patted his soft hair, took a deep breath to adjust his expression, and rang the doorbell.
“Ding-dong!”
The doorbell rang, and soon they heard footsteps from inside along with a voice asking, “Who is it?”
It was a woman’s voice, bright and clear.
Shuai Chang felt Fan Luojia tremble slightly, and he comfortingly patted his increasingly fragile shoulders.
The door opened a crack, and Tan Xiao looked at Shuai Chang with a puzzled expression; she did not recognize him.
“Who are you looking for, young man?” She could be somewhat accommodating towards handsome men.
Shuai Chang displayed an appropriate smile. “Hello, Auntie, I’m Yin Haidong, Luo Jia’s partner. We came today…”
With a loud “bang,” the door was slammed shut.
Shuai Chang touched his nose and turned to look at Fan Luojia. “Auntie indeed has a fiery temper.”
Fan Luojia chuckled at his helpless look. “I told you it’s incredibly scary. I don’t even dare to speak in front of them; becoming an actor was my only act of rebellion… After that, I couldn’t bring myself to go home, and I haven’t even called much in the past two years.” Fan Luojia’s smile faded as sadness filled his eyes.
Shuai Chang could only hold him tightly, just as he was about to say something, the door opened again. Inside stood a man and a woman in bright red sweaters, staring at them in shock.
“Ahem.” Shuai Chang composed himself and released his hold. “Hello, Uncle and Auntie.”
He patted the stiff Fan Luojia beside him, who murmured, “Dad, Mom.”
Fan Xi and Tan Xiao scrutinized them but did not make things difficult. “Come in.”
Once inside, the four sat facing each other in a moment of awkward silence. Shuai Chang felt the need to break the ice and actively spoke up, “Luo Jia mentioned that you’re leaving for work tomorrow, so we came to see you. How have you both been?”
Fan Xi moved his lips as if to say something, but Tan Xiao pressed her hand onto his. She frowned, looking at their interlocked hands. “Didn’t you say you were going to get your marriage certificate?”
Shuai Chang was taken aback but immediately understood what Tan Xiao meant. He calmly corrected himself. “Dad, Mom.”
Both Fan Xi and Tan Xiao smiled slightly.
They were stern individuals in front of their son, but Shuai Chang noticed their smiles.
He felt a sigh of relief in his heart. It seemed that Fan Luojia’s parents did not plan to make things difficult for the two of them.
However, Fan Luojia remained uncomfortable after entering the house.
Tan Xiao stood up, “Xiao Yin, come with me.”
“Okay, Mom.” Shuai Chang stood up, feeling resistance from his right hand as Fan Luojia held onto him, unwilling to let go.
“It’s okay, I promise.” Shuai Chang squeezed his hand and drew shapes on his palm. Fan Luojia, sensitive to the touch, finally released it.
Shuai Chang followed Tan Xiao into the study, where she pointed to the sofa. “Xiao Yin, sit here.”
Tan Xiao expressed her regrets about not spending more time with Fan Luojia, “We’ve been busy with work since he was born. When we first found out he secretly got married, we were furious. But later, we realized he didn’t tell us because he was afraid we wouldn’t agree… He also didn’t care if we approved or not.” Saying this, Tan Xiao let out a bitter smile.
“Xiao Yin, I see you’re a good kid and treat Luo Jia very well. His dad and I wish you both happiness. When the time is right, we’ll meet up with your family and hold a little ceremony for you.”
“…Sure.” It seemed he should quickly take Fan Luojia back to the Yin family.
Among the four in the house, only Fan Luojia could cook, but Tan Xiao was worried he would get tired, so she insisted on ordering takeout.
While eating, Tan Xiao opened the bottle of red wine that Shuai Chang brought. “It’s fine to have a bit of wine; you’ll be at home tonight. I just cleaned Luo Jia’s room yesterday, and the blankets are all new.”
As the last bottle ran out, Fan Xi opened another bottle of white wine, inviting Shuai Chang to drink with him. He showed no signs of being a man who didn’t enjoy alcohol.
Fan Luojia had a tolerance similar to his mother’s; once they felt tipsy, they retreated to their room. Only Shuai Chang and Fan Xi remained.
Relying on his high tolerance for alcohol, Shuai Chang had no fear as he calmly accepted the filled glass from Fan Xi. They clinked glasses and drank it down in one go, the spiciness flowing down his throat into his stomach.
Fan Xi, already slightly intoxicated, leaned in, “Xiao Yin, no need to say much; we’ll be counting on you to take care of Jia Jia in the future. Come, drink!”
Shuai Chang said, “Dad, you don’t need to say that. Jia Jia is wonderful, and I will take care of him for life.”
After finishing one bottle, Fan Xi ended up drinking himself into a stupor.
Shuai Chang, feeling the effects of the alcohol, helped Fan Xi onto the sofa before slowly making his way to Fan Luojia’s room.
He pushed the door open and found Fan Luojia sleeping soundly. A soft lamp on the bedside cast a warm yellow glow over his hair. Shuai Chang approached, took off his clothes, and lay down beside him, wrapping his arms around Fan Luojia. “Baby, good night.” Unable to resist the effects of the alcohol, he fell into a deep sleep.
“I really didn’t expect my parents to accept it so easily. When I was a child, they had such fiery tempers. Although they never hit me, they often fought with each other, sometimes throwing things around the house. I was very scared and always hoped someone would protect me. Haidong, thank you for loving me.” Fan Luojia felt fortunate to have met a man like Yin Haidong.
Shuai Chang kissed his forehead, his eyes, and his nose, before finally engaging in an intimate kiss. “I don’t just love you; I will always love you.”
Fan Luojia felt overwhelmed, helplessly arching his back. “…Mm… If you forget this line, I’ll tie you up and make you love me.”