After Aunt Shen left, Zhou Shiwen explained to him: “It should be that… Mu Penghai, the one who pretended to be you.”
Hearing Shiwen say this, Yang Haoran remembered that Aunt Shen had indeed mentioned finding someone their age to test Shiwen under the guise of dating, but he had never actually met him.
The two of them talked while carrying plates:
“Why is he here? Is Aunt Shen still in contact with him?”
“I don’t know either.”
“What does that guy look like?”
“Shifty-eyed…” Zhou Shiwen initially wanted to badmouth him but then remembered that Haoran would soon see him in person, so he changed his wording: “Probably quite handsome… but… I think he has shifty eyes.”
Handsome? Shifty-eyed? These two words donβt go together at all. Yang Haoran found it both funny and frustrating: “Shiwen, does he have those kinds of feelings for Aunt Shen?”
Even though he had never met the guy, Yang Haoran was well aware that given Aunt Shenβs charm, whether it was grown men or guys their own age, few could resist her allure. Aunt Shen was like a walking hormone, an aphrodisiac, a seductive enchantress who could captivate anyone.
“I havenβt even said anything yet, Haoran, and you already know?” Zhou Shiwen was somewhat surprised. The main reason he felt hostile toward the other guy was that he could tell he had designs on his mother.
“Just guessing. Tell me what you know.”
“Alright, Iβll tell you. From what I know, heβs relatively good-looking, on the thinner side, about 1.7 meters tall, has good grades, comes from a poorer family, and as for his personality…”
Here, Zhou Shiwen paused but still spoke truthfully: “Even though he acted normally when talking to me, he seemed nervous. I could tell. His personality is probably somewhat shy.”
Huh?
Yang Haoran found it strange: “From your description, he doesnβt sound like someone who would have improper intentions toward Aunt Shen?”
“His eyes!”
Zhou Shiwen elaborated: “Haoran, you donβt know this, but when we were eating that day, he often stole glances at my mom. It would be one thing if he was just looking at her face, but his eyes kept wandering to my momβs chest and her ass. Thatβs why I said he has shifty eyes.”
“At the time, I thought he was really my momβs boyfriend, so I didnβt feel I could say much.”
Understandable!
With Aunt Shenβs full, perky breasts, her firm, round peach-like buttocks, and her curvaceous figure, what male could resist stealing a few glances?
If his earlier sneaky looks were somewhat understandable, his coming to visit Aunt Shen now was inexplicable. Yang Haoran was pretty sure what was going onβninety percent sure, at least.
“How does Aunt Shen treat him?” A sense of crisis also rose in Yang Haoranβs heart.
Zhou Shiwen picked up on the worry in Yang Haoranβs words and said, “Haoran, donβt worry. My mom was pretty distant with him that day. There wasnβt even any physical contact. If my mom hadnβt personally said he was her boyfriend, I wouldnβt have believed it at all.”
“Another thing is, I misunderstood at the time. I thought my mom was avoiding being intimate with him because I was there, since heβs around my age. I didnβt suspect anything back then.”
Hearing that Aunt Shen hadnβt been intimate with Mu Penghaiβhadnβt even had any physical contactβYang Haoran secretly breathed a sigh of relief. This was what bothered him the most. In his heart, he saw Aunt Shen as his exclusive property, not to be touched by anyone else.
But thinking about Aunt Shenβs captivating figure and appearance, Yang Haoran still felt uneasy. The reason he had been able to get close to her and have Aunt Shen under him wasnβt because he was exceptionally outstanding, but because Aunt Shen had actively chosen him.
In other words, the initiative in their relationship had always been in Aunt Shenβs hands. This was why he had always felt insecure.
Having a beautiful wife at home means you canβt wander far! That saying perfectly captured the situation.
“Donβt worry, Haoran!” Zhou Shiwen patted Yang Haoranβs shoulder reassuringly. “Iβm on your side. That piece of shit Mu Penghai is just wishfully thinking, a toad lusting after swan meat.”
It wasnβt just because they were childhood friends. Just the fact that Haoran had agreed to let him watch was enough to make him support his mom and Haoran being together with both hands and feet.
“Mm!”
His childhood friendβs support immediately made Yang Haoran feel much more at ease. He then said, “Shiwen, keep an eye on who Aunt Shen interacts with normally. If thereβs any situation, tell me right away.”
Zhou Shiwen understood that Haoran was worried about his mom, and he got it. After all, his mom really was like a femme fatale. Even just standing there, she could attract bees and butterflies.
Back when Zhou Shiwen used to go shopping with Shen Qing, he often ran into all sorts of men hitting on her.
The two reached a consensus: Zhou Shiwen would be responsible for monitoring his mother Shen Qingβs daily activities. If Yang Haoran assigned any training tasks for Shen Qing, Zhou Shiwen would also supervise his mother to ensure she completed Haoranβs tasks.
Shortly after they finished talking, Shen Qing walked into the living room followed by a handsome young man.
With a faint smile on her lips, Shen Qing introduced them: “Haoran, this is a student from No. 7 High School, Mu Penghai.”
“Penghai, this is my son Shiwen. Youβve met, so I wonβt introduce you further. This is Haoran, Auntieβs little boyfriend.”
Hearing Aunt Shenβs introduction, Yang Haoran instantly felt much more comfortable, and a smile appeared on his face. He reached out his hand for a handshake: “Hello!”
When Mu Penghai heard Shen Qingβs introduction, his heart sank. He scrutinized Yang Haoran carefully. His first impression was that he was handsome. So thisειΎδΊΊ (tΓ³nglΓng rΓ©n – person of the same age) was the one Aunt Shen had me pretend to be the boyfriend for?
No wonder she asked me to play the roleβheβs so young. Mu Penghai suppressed the disappointment in his heart and also smiled as he shook Yang Haoranβs hand.
From Shen Qingβs words, Mu Penghai gathered that her son Shiwen seemed to have accepted her having a boyfriend his own age. He couldnβt help but look enviously at the beaming Yang Haoran. His heart felt stifled and heavy, but he still had to force a smile.
“Penghai, Auntieβs family is just having dinner. Why donβt you stay and eat with us before you go?”
Shen Qing skillfully and diplomatically invited him, trying to save the young man from embarrassment.
She hadnβt wanted to be so blunt, but her little Haoran was the jealous type, and she was afraid he might overthink things. She could only wrong this young man somewhat.
Mu Penghaiβs admiration was evident to Shen Qing, but he was merely an outsider.
“No need, Aunt Shen. I just came to thank you for your financial support.” Mu Penghai composed himself and handed the gift in his hand to Shen Qing: “Please accept this bag of fruit. My hometown is in the mountains. This is all fruit grown by my family. My father found out about you funding my studies and specifically sent this bag of fruit. He asked me to come thank you in person.”
As he said this, Mu Penghai looked somewhat apprehensive, afraid that Shen Qing would refuse him. This wasnβt just a token of his familyβs gratitude; it was also a token of his own feelings.
Actually, his family had sent quite a lot of fruit, several sacks full. The fruit in the bag he was holding now were ones he had carefully selected and washed many times.
However, to his disappointment, when Shen Qing heard this, she blinked her expressive peach-blossom eyes and actually turned to look at Yang Haoran, as if seeking his opinion.
Seeing this, Mu Penghai felt a complex mix of emotions. He could tell at a glance that Aunt Shen was a good womanβnot just a good woman, but also a kind-hearted and benevolent person. He really didnβt know how thisειΎδΊΊ (tΓ³nglΓng rΓ©n – person of the same age) named Yang Haoran had managed to win Aunt Shenβs heart.