Yang Haoran listened, his emotions suddenly complex and indescribable. Yes! They had met in the่ๅนป็็ฝ็ป (virtual world of the internet), a space where they couldๆฐๆฐ (precisely) bare their hearts to each other. Was this relationship่ๅนป (illusory)?
Illusory indeed! Like clouds drifting across the sky, carried by the wind, never settling into anything tangible.
Yet, when they met in reality, the่ๅนปๆ (sense of illusion) from the internet found a place to settle andๆ ๆฏ (rest), becoming real and touchable. Unlike making friends online in the usual wayโlayered with masks, harboring various motives, where lies were like time bombs set to explode upon meeting in person.
They had been able to chat freely for so long, even jointly training a piece of work (่ฐๆๅบไธไปถไฝๅ). If they were both men, they might have become great buddies. But withๅผๆง็ธๅธ (opposite sexes attracting) andๅฟๅ้ๅ (shared ideals), could Ji Youxi really have no feelings for him?
As Yang Haoran sank intoๆฒๆ (deep thought), Ji Youxi did not disturb him. When she looked up and saw him gazing at her, she said: “I don’t want to be suppressed by anyone, even if she is your mother. I could get along with your mother the same way I do with my own. You need to think carefully. If we are really together, are you truly going to keep your affairs with your mother hidden from me?”
“Even if you let your mother think I don’t know, how long can you keep hiding it? When we both stand in the sunlight, how should she and I interact?”
Hearing the issues Ji Youxi was considering, Yang Haoran felt ashamed. He genuinely hadn’t thought that far ahead; he had just charged forward recklessly.
“Or perhaps,” Ji Youxi’s gaze fixed on Yang Haoran as she slowly spoke the next words, “you want to be like your mother and put a collar and leash around my neck?”
“In that case, we can part ways right now.”
Faced with Ji Youxi’sๆญฅๆญฅ็ดง้ผ (step-by-step pressing), Yang Haoran understood clearly. With her dominant (S) nature, she would never accept him trying to dominate or train her. Besides, when it came to training, his own skills were amateurish at bestโwhy would he show off his meager skills before an expert (ๅ ณๅ ฌ้ขๅ่ๅคงๅ)?
“Of course,” Ji Youxi’s tone shifted, and she looked at him with a smile, “if you’d let me put a collar on you, that would be fine too. Are you willing?”
Yang Haoran let out a bitter laugh: “Youxi, after you’ve said all that, what else can I do?”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Yang Haoranไธปๅจ (initiatively) took hold of Ji Youxi’s fair, soft, small hand, interlacing their fingers. Ji Youxi glanced down at their joined hands but did not pull away.
“What’s yours is mine, and what’s mine is yours,” Yang Haoran said, holding her hand and staring intently into her beautiful eyes, his expression serious.
“I knew it, you have designs on my mother,” Ji Youxi said, somewhat unable to meet his burning gaze, turning her head slightly aside. Yang Haoran saw the blush rising on her profile like morning clouds and chuckled. “Youxi, your mother’s breasts are so large. How about we have her be our milk cow later?”
“We’d need to find some channels to buy lactation-inducing medicine,” Ji Youxi seemed to ponder it.
“No need… My Auntie Shen should probably be able to get some, and it would be even more effective,” Yang Haoran said mysteriously.
Ji Youxi knew who he was referring to and had met her before. She nodded slightly: “Then leave that to you to handle.”
While the two were chatting, Hao Lei was busy cooking in the kitchen, completely unaware that her daughter had already sold her out.
Yang Haoran and Ji Youxi talked about many things, even casually mentioning that Teacher Gu was a homosexual, etc… Through this exchange, they understood each other more deeply and also discussed some arrangements.
After Hao Lei prepared a table full of dishes, Yang Haoran discovered his mother-in-law’s cooking skills were quite good; the food tasted excellent.
At the dinner table, Yang Haoran also displayed new behavior, presenting at least an image of being polite, knowing his place, and modestly courteous in front of Hao Lei.
His attitude satisfied Hao Lei greatly, and she unconsciously became more็ญๆ (warm/enthusiastic) towards him.
After eating and drinking their fill, Yang Haoran sat and watched TV with Ji Youxi for a while. Around two o’clock, they walked hand-in-hand to school.
It wasn’t until they were near the school campus that Yang Haoran let go, but he still walked side-by-side with Ji Youxi, chatting as they went.
After school ended in the afternoon, Yang Haoran saw Ji Youxi onto the bus before finally returning to his own home.
“Don’t just stand there. If you have nothing to do, come help me out,” his mother said.
“Sigh… Can’t I just watch you cook quietly?” he replied.
“You have hands and feet. If you’re not going to help, then get out. Don’t bother me.”
Sensing his mother’s displeasure, Yang Haoran, who had been leaning against the kitchen door frame, took one last reluctant look at the graceful curves of his mother’s back and herๆตๅ (perfectly round) buttocks beneath as she cooked. He then stepped forward to help her by carrying the basket of vegetables ready for preparation to the sink to wash them. The sound of rushing water accompanied his muttering.
“Your Majesty Mother, dad has been coming home later and later recently. Do you think he stops by Auntie Zhuang’s house after work first?”
“What are you trying to stir up? Don’t you already know the situation? Aren’t you satisfied with how things are now?” Liu Ruoxi poured a bit of oyster sauce into the wok. The sizzle of oil and the spreading aroma filled the air, but she didn’t even glance at her son beside her.
Yang Haoran had just returned home to find his mother cooking in the kitchen. His father wasn’t home yet, and Yaoyao was upstairs again, so he naturally seized the chance to be alone with her.
“What I mean is… Mom,” Yang Haoran paused in his vegetable washing, speaking casually, “why not just let Auntie Zhuang move in and live on the first floor with dad, so he doesn’t have to run between two places?”
Upon hearing this, Liu Ruoxi’s face darkened. Her son’s lewd words from that day echoed in her mind again. An icy tone sounded in Yang Haoran’s ear: “Get out. I don’t need your help.”
…
“Fine, if it’s not okay, it’s not okay. No need to be so fierce…” muttered Yang Haoran after being kicked out, feeling apprehensive. Was he deluding himself? How could his mother possibly agree to such a suggestion? His petty scheme had clearly made his mother recall his filthy thoughts.
Returning upstairs, Yaoyao noticed he was back and pestered him again about what happened after the homeroom teacher called him away. Heๆท่ก (perfunctorilyๆท่ก) answered with a few words, then said some sweet nothings toๅ (ๅ coax) Yaoyao away before returning to his own room.
Lying on the bed with his legs crossed, looking at his phone’s SMS spending alerts, Yang Haoran felt a sense of urgency. His little secret stash was about to run dry. Having just established a relationship with Ji Youxi, his dating funds were severely insufficient.
Moreover, he was still supporting Xiao Shaowan. Calculating the time, it was about time to give his “daughter” her living expenses again.
Auntie Shen’s gorgeous face flashed through his mind. She was generous with money, a veritable wealthy woman. Wouldn’t it be somewhatไธข่ธ (losing face) to ask her for money? Yang Haoran even felt his face grow hot; it was็ฎ็ด็พไบๅฏ้ฝฟ (simply too embarrassing to bring up). Should he ask his dad for money instead?
This time, Yang Haoran hesitated. Before, he would have felt perfectly justified.
But now, he hadไปๅ ฅ (intervened inไปๅ ฅ) his parents’ marriage, becoming aๅ้ (despicableๅ้) third party. Asking his dad for money now made him feel suddenly guilty, even giving him a sense ofๅฏ้ฃ้พๅฎ (unease that disrupts sleep and meals).
“Find a part-time job? That’s… a bit absurd.” The idea of self-reliance surfaced in Yang Haoran’s mind, but he quickly dismissed it. He wasn’t an adult yet, still had to go to school. Self-reliance wasn’t something he should be thinking about at his age.