“Haoran, since you like Auntie so much,” He Muchen said, “we can try spending time together first to see how it goes.”
Yang Haoran’s eyes lit up, and he pressed eagerly, “Auntie… does that mean… you agree?”
He Muchen gave a slight nod.
Overwhelmed with joy, Yang Haoran couldn’t help but plant a kiss on He Muchen’s cheek.
He Muchen couldn’t avoid blushing deeply.
She thought to herself that, after all, she would be leaving in a month. This child Haoran was utterly sincere toward her, and she found it difficult to dissuade him. It might be better to give him a nominal sweetener, coax him along, and peacefully get through this month.
“Haoran, don’t celebrate just yet,” He Muchen adopted the demeanor of an elder, speaking with gravitas. “If our relationship were to be discovered by Xiaoming, Auntie would be too ashamed to show her face, and our relationship would be over immediately.”
Yang Haoran nodded obediently and submissively, like a quail, making He Muchen feel that this child was so well-behaved and sensible that deceiving him was truly a sin!
She found it hard to maintain a stern expression and softened her tone, saying gently, “Let’s spend time together first and see. Perhaps Auntie isn’t necessarily worthy of your affection. Auntie…”
“That’s not true, Auntie He…” Yang Haoran interrupted her before she could finish. “In my heart, Auntie He has always been my goddess—beautiful, with a gentle and virtuous demeanor, and a great figure. You are my ideal wife.”
“I know I’m younger than you, Auntie, but in my heart, age has never been an issue. It doesn’t bother me, and I hope it doesn’t bother you either, Auntie He.”
“Sincerity” always made the deceptive party feel ashamed. Yang Haoran’s words stirred a sense of guilt in He Muchen, and she found herself unable to refute him. She could only nod with a smile.
Even though she knew that Haoran was still young and might not understand that the obstacles in some matters were not as simple as an age difference.
When she grew old and lost her beauty, would Haoran still maintain his affection for her?
Perhaps the flower was in full bloom now, captivating the child’s eyes, but even the most vibrant flower would eventually wither and fade.
“Haoran, step out for now and let Auntie get dressed.”
He Muchen glanced at the time and realized it was getting late. Worried that her son Xiaoming might be awake, she hurriedly and flusteredly urged Yang Haoran to leave.
Yang Haoran knew exactly what she was worried about, but he was certain that unless he allowed it, Wei Ming would not be able to leave the room.
Nevertheless, Yang Haoran obediently stepped out of the room to wait, not disturbing Auntie He as she dressed. For now, it was best to quit while he was ahead and not push her too hard.
His mentor, Sgirl, had taught him that when dealing with a mature woman like Auntie He, even after intimacy had occurred, it was crucial not to be too forceful initially. Otherwise, she might perceive him as immature, and all efforts would be wasted before they even began.
However, merely being obedient and playing the role of a well-behaved child was not enough. He had to learn to read the situation—knowing when to be assertive and when to be submissive, striking the right balance between tension and relaxation. Only then could he conquer her heart. Among these tactics, being young also had its advantages, the foremost being sincerity!
Even if it was a performed “sincerity,” it could move her more effectively than anything else because his youth made it more deceptive.
That was what Mentor Sgirl had said.
The contact from last night was also essential. It had established a positive image in He Muchen’s mind and built a preliminary foundation of goodwill. Otherwise, this morning’s events would not have gone so smoothly.
Everything was interconnected, and the plan was proceeding exceptionally well, but this was only the beginning.
Yang Haoran did not believe that Auntie He would succumb to him so easily.
After waiting a few minutes, Auntie He emerged fully dressed. He Muchen noticed that her son’s door was still tightly shut and quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
“Haoran, go wake Xiaoming up. Auntie is going to take a shower first.”
He Muchen issued the instruction to Yang Haoran but paused after taking a step. She stopped and turned back, lowering her voice to add, “Be careful not to act suspicious, and keep this a secret from Xiaoming!”
“Okay, Auntie, I understand.”
Yang Haoran nodded, then stepped forward and embraced Auntie He briefly, not giving her a chance to resist.
Seeing that the child was only giving her a simple hug without any further inappropriate actions, He Muchen acquiesced.
After the embrace, He Muchen returned to her room to fetch a change of clothes and headed into the bathroom. Yang Haoran twisted open the lock to Wei Ming’s door and entered, finding that Xiao Mingzi was indeed still asleep, and in a rather indecent posture at that, with a tent pitched in his trousers.
As fellow young men, full of vigor and brimming with hormones, Yang Haoran understood. After all, given the commotion last night, it was impossible for Wei Ming to have been completely unaware.
“Xiao Mingzi… wake up…”
Yang Haoran shook his shoulder. Wei Ming stirred awake, rubbed his eyes, and upon seeing it was Haoran, grumbled discontentedly, “Haoran, couldn’t you have kept it down a bit? The noise was huge.”
Noting Wei Ming’s dark circles and his indignant expression, Yang Haoran chuckled awkwardly. “Alright, alright, my bad. I’ll treat you to a meal later, okay?”
“Make it three meals, or no deal,” Wei Ming said sternly, but then broke into a smile himself and punched Yang Haoran on the shoulder.
Wei Ming was tall and sturdy, and the punch carried some weight, making Yang Haoran’s shoulder ache faintly. But he accepted it willingly—some things were understood without words.
“Give me a cigarette…” Wei Ming took a cigarette pack from the drawer by the bed, put one in his mouth, and tossed another to Yang Haoran.
Yang Haoran picked up the lighter from the bedside table, lit his own cigarette first, and then, under Wei Ming’s surprised gaze, lit the cigarette in Wei Ming’s mouth.
“What’s with the look?” Yang Haoran smirked. “Lighting your cigarette this once means you’ll have to light mine from now on, Xiao Mingzi.”
Wei Ming immediately understood his implied meaning and retorted, “Screw off…”
“Heh…”
The two smoked and chatted. Wei Ming asked, “Where’s my mom? Still lying in bed?”
“No, she’s up and taking a shower. She asked me to come wake you.”
Wei Ming took a deep drag of his cigarette, exhaled slowly to soothe his nerves, and looked at Yang Haoran. “So, how did it go?”
Yang Haoran knew what he was asking and recounted, “Everything’s going according to plan. Your mom agreed to the relationship, but I can tell she hasn’t given up on the idea of going back to marry that Li guy in a month.”
“That Li guy isn’t even worthy… I spit on him…” Wei Ming couldn’t contain his anger. “I’d rather give her to you, Haoran, than to him. He’s dreaming.”
Hearing the resentment in Wei Ming’s tone, Yang Haoran understood his feelings. If Wei Ming hadn’t been pushed to his limits, he would never have tried to set up Yang Haoran with his mother.
Yang Haoran changed the subject. “Has Han Lili contacted you yet?”
“Not yet,” Wei Ming shook his head.
“So what’s your plan? Have you decided? Are you going to try pursuing her yourself, with me creating opportunities for you, or are we sticking to the original plan?” Yang Haoran asked.
If it were before, Wei Ming might have agreed to follow the original plan and just go for Han Lili directly. But now, he felt somewhat hesitant. After all, Haoran’s plan wasn’t exactly aboveboard, and if something went wrong, the situation could spiral out of control.