Meeting the Parents
After leaving the school gates, Qin Mudong held Lu Xingjia’s hand even tighter.
The warmth from their fingertips passed through their skin, and with their fingers interlocked, they could feel each other’s heartbeats.
“Xingxing, you…”
Qin Mudong’s lips moved, but for a moment, he didn’t know what to say.
“Feeling more at ease now?” Lu Xingjia blinked with a smile. “I’m just friends with Qiu Ruifeng. Besides, he already knows I’m yours.”
“Mhm.”
Qin Mudong responded softly, as if his crumpled heart had been plunged into a bubbling hot spring, finally relaxing completely, all discomfort melted away.
He had never expected Lu Xingjia to go this far.
In modern society, same-sex relationships were still not widely accepted. Some people relentlessly preached against them, others distanced themselves with prejudice, and some even publicly denounced and labeled homosexuality as a “sickness.”
Lu Xingjia knew what he was worried about. He gently stroked the sensitive area between Qin Mudong’s thumb and index finger to comfort him. “Don’t worry. Qiu Ruifeng also likes boys. He likes Ji Angran.”
“They’re like us too?” Qin Mudong asked.
“Mhm.” Lu Xingjia nodded, then suddenly smiled. “They’re probably getting together soon too.”
He thought to himself, In my past life, I was a single dog who had to watch Qiu Ruifeng flaunt his relationship all the time. In this life, I helped bring them together without a single complaint. That’s got to count as a shining example of repaying resentment with kindness.
“Oh.”
Qin Mudong responded casually, face expressionless, but deep inside, he quietly let out a sigh of relief.
Now that he knew Qiu Ruifeng wasn’t a romantic rival, he actually found him much more agreeable. He only hoped he’d quickly get together with Ji Angran and stop hanging around his Xingxing.
…….
Over the next fifty days or so, Qin Mudong had to leave the province to participate in a training camp for the national team. Before leaving, at Lu Xingjia’s repeated invitation, he finally went over to his house to have dinner with his family.
It was a Saturday. Lu Xingjia had class in the morning, and He Xi had work, so the meal was set for the evening.
Knowing Qin Mudong was coming, He Xi got off work early to tidy up the house and used her best cooking skills to make a full table of dishes. Just as Lu Xingjia brought Qin Mudong home, she was putting the last dish on the table.
He Xi was a great cook and loved to experiment. Even the most ordinary ingredients turned into culinary masterpieces in her hands—squirrel fish, braised chicken with chestnuts… The steaming dishes filled the air with delicious aromas.
Once everyone was seated, He Xi smiled at Qin Mudong and said, “It’s been a while since you’ve been to our house, hasn’t it? Don’t be shy—eat as much as you like.”
Qin Mudong politely thanked her and took a small bite of rice.
It had been many years, but he still remembered the layout of Lu Xingjia’s home clearly.
It wasn’t a big place—an older house, really—but He Xi kept it tidy. Still, there were signs of use everywhere: the wooden shoe cabinet had faded from years of wear, the glass display case was decorated with puffy gel stickers from the park, and the side of the dining table was covered with stickers Lu Xingjia had slapped on when he was little and didn’t know any better.
Lu Xingjia also recalled the time Qin Mudong had visited his house as a kid. He pointed at a Doraemon sticker on the glass cabinet and said, “We made this one together at the park. I brought it home first, and then I kept forgetting to give it to you.”
“Really?”
Qin Mudong frowned slightly, struggling to remember.
“Yeah!” Lu Xingjia nodded firmly and then pointed at another sticker on the table—faded and half-peeled, but still stuck there. “You put this one on. You didn’t want to at first, so I had to press your hand down to stick it.”
Lu Xingjia went on and on about their childhood, as if listing cherished treasures. He Xi occasionally chimed in with jokes and commentary.
Some of the things they mentioned sparked vague memories for Qin Mudong, but most of them… he had completely forgotten.
Back when he used to visit Lu Xingjia’s house, Qin Mudong always felt envious. That kind of warm, lively, harmonious family—so full of life—had felt like something he could never have.
It was only now that he realized: those beautiful memories he had lost in the flow of time… someone had remembered them all for him. And that someone had cherished every detail, holding onto them like precious treasures deep in their heart.
Under the dining table, Qin Mudong quietly touched Lu Xingjia’s hand. The tender sensation of skin-on-skin made his eyes suddenly sting.
Qin Mudong gently held Lu Xingjia’s fingers, leaned over to his ear, and spoke in a very soft, tender tone:
“Xingxing, thank you.”
Thank you for showing me that I, too, am loved by the world. That I haven’t been abandoned.
Lu Xingjia was momentarily stunned. He didn’t know what Qin Mudong was thinking of, but he could clearly hear the relief in his voice.
It was like a traveler in the desert finally walking into an oasis, or a small boat adrift at sea for years finally reaching land.
So, Lu Xingjia smiled too and hooked his pinky finger with Qin Mudong’s.
Their fingers brushed, and their eyes unintentionally met. Lu Xingjia shyly turned his face away, while the corners of Qin Mudong’s lips curved into a faint smile.
It was a very heartwarming scene. Sitting across from them, He Xi accidentally caught sight of this moment and suddenly felt a jolt in her heart.
She knew that kind of look all too well — it was clearly something only people in love would do!
Later, they chatted about Lu Xingjia’s grades and Qin Mudong’s upcoming training. He Xi half-curiously asked,
“When does Mudong leave for the training camp?”
“Tomorrow. I’m taking a 3 p.m. train.”
“I see.” He Xi relaxed a bit and praised him with a smile,
“You’re so hardworking. I’m still worried about Jia Jia’s grades — I don’t even know if he can keep up after coming back from the competition class.”
“I can keep up!” The conversation at the dinner table was so enjoyable that Lu Xingjia got a little carried away. Still chewing rice, he mumbled through his food,
“Besides, he’ll be back at the end of December. He can tutor me then.”
He Xi frowned slightly and hesitated,
“That… doesn’t seem very appropriate, does it?”
“It’s no trouble,” Qin Mudong thought for a moment and added,
“The second round of the national team training is between March and April, and the third is after the college entrance exam. I’ll be free the rest of the time.”
“…Still, it feels like too much trouble for you,” He Xi tried to refuse.
“It’s not trouble at all. I really enjoy spending time with Jia Jia.”
“……”
There was nothing wrong with his words — not even the tiniest flaw — and somehow, He Xi found herself agreeing to let Qin Mudong tutor Lu Xingjia.
After dinner, He Xi invited the two to go to the room to hang out. Then she quickly walked to the balcony, uneasily calling Xiang Yizhi on the phone.
“Hello? Yizhi, are you free right now? Can you come over for a bit?”
……
Back in the room, Lu Xingjia casually turned on the light.
As the light flickered on, a bundled-up quilt on the bed immediately caught the eye.
Lu Xingjia scratched the tip of his nose awkwardly and rushed over to tidy the blanket. But just as he shook it out, Qin Mudong grabbed his wrist and pushed him down onto the bed.
Beside the bed was a kid-sized study desk, cluttered with books. The walls were dotted with 100-day study plans and motivational slogans — all part of Lu Xingjia’s high school journey.
A boy’s room was usually like this: messy, but full of life.
Thinking about how this was where his Xingxing had lived for years, Qin Mudong found himself unable to hold back.
The soft quilt was beneath them, and Qin Mudong braced himself on either side of Lu Xingjia’s shoulders, lowering his head to kiss Lu Xingjia’s slightly parted lips.
Everything dimmed into shadow — Qin Mudong’s kiss burned like fire.
Lu Xingjia suddenly felt like a rabbit under the gaze of a mighty falcon — no escape, no hiding.
Fortunately, he didn’t want to hide.
After a few seconds, Lu Xingjia wrapped his arms around Qin Mudong’s back and returned the kiss.
Young people lacked restraint. After a while, Qin Mudong’s hands began to move to undo Lu Xingjia’s clothes.
Flames of desire crackled in his eyes. His cold fingers brushed Lu Xingjia’s collarbone, and Lu Xingjia suddenly snapped back to reality.
“Gege!” he cried out urgently, the words slipping from his mouth before he could think, “Not now!”
Qin Mudong froze for a moment. The blackness in his eyes faltered slightly.
Panting, Lu Xingjia placed a hand on his shoulder, sat up with effort, and looked into his eyes.
“Just wait a little longer, okay?”
Qin Mudong’s Adam’s apple bobbed. After a long while, the inky darkness in his gaze finally cleared.
“…I’m sorry.” He pressed a hand to his brow and let go of Lu Xingjia.
“It’s not your fault.” Lu Xingjia’s face was still flushed, but he said earnestly,
“Just wait until we graduate high school, and then it’ll be okay.”
“Mm.”
They didn’t linger on the topic. Lu Xingjia quickly and naturally shifted the conversation elsewhere, pulling Qin Mudong over to sit at the desk and look at little trinkets from their childhood.
“Do you remember this?” Lu Xingjia smiled, holding up a round card printed with Ultraman, “You helped me win it from the older boy downstairs.”
“And this,” Lu Xingjia picked up a small toy car with a wheel half broken off, “We saved pocket money for a long time to buy it, but the first time we played with it, it was smashed by another chubby older boy’s car.”
“And—mmph!”
Qin Mudong pulled Lu Xingjia close and gave his lips a light bite. He said in a low voice,
“You’re not allowed to call anyone else gege.”
Lu Xingjia froze, suddenly recalling the gege he’d blurted out in bed earlier.
“Why are you so domineering,” Lu Xingjia complained with a flushed face, yet still allowed Qin Mudong to kiss him.
The two were wrapped up in each other and didn’t notice the sound of approaching footsteps outside the room.
With a soft creak, He Xi gently pushed open the door.
Xiang Yizhi still hadn’t arrived, and He Xi hesitated, wondering if she should remind the two boys that it was getting late and suggest that Qin Mudong head home. But just as she opened the door, she happened to witness Lu Xingjia planting a quick kiss on Qin Mudong’s cheek.
The boy’s face was bright red as he muttered awkwardly, “That should be enough now, right?”
Panic surged in He Xi’s chest. Trying to stay calm, she quickly shut the door and staggered over to the living room couch, collapsing onto it.
Just then, the doorbell finally rang. He Xi rushed over to open it and immediately grabbed Xiang Yizhi’s hand.
“What’s wrong, Xiao Xi? Did something happen?” Xiang Yizhi grasped her hand in return, alarmed.
Still mindful of the two in the room, He Xi lowered her voice, though it trembled as she whispered,
“Jia Jia… Jia Jia seems to be dating a boy!”
Author’s Note:
Don’t be scared! He’s got a loving mom!