What Are Your Tastes? chapter 69
I hope we meet again
“We are already together, so we are no longer just ordinary friends.”
As soon as Zhou Yanchuan finished speaking, Wu Lan remained silent, showing no clear emotions.
Communicating with Lu Yunchu’s mother was different from negotiating in the business world, which required careful calculation; and it was different from chatting with familiar friends, where one could relax and speak freely. Zhou Yanchuan felt somewhat uneasy.
He had previously mentioned “taking things slowly” regarding family matters, but he also knew that Wu Lan had blocked Lu Yunchu on WeChat and cut off all communication, completely refusing any contact.
Reflecting on her conversation with another woman earlier, it revealed that her mindset hadn’t changed at all compared to the New Year. If they continued to delay, the relationship between mother and son would only deteriorate further.
Trying to persuade Wu Lan he was just Lu Yunchu’s friend might be an option, but if she found out later, she would feel deceived. He didn’t want to leave Wu Lan with an impression of insincerity, so he decided to be upfront about his relationship with Yunchu and reveal the truth.
Wu Lan knew about Lu Yunchu’s sexual orientation and suspected that her son might already have a boyfriend. What surprised her was that this “boyfriend” was actually Zhou Yanchuan.
“Mr. Zhou,” she quickly composed herself, “forgive me for being blunt, but are you gay?”
Without hesitation, Zhou Yanchuan replied, “I am not innately gay; I have only ever loved one man, Yunchu.”
Saying such heartfelt words in front of the other person’s parent carried an extraordinary level of embarrassment, but he knew it was necessary.
“I see,” Wu Lan’s lips curled into a faint smile as she lowered her eyes. “If you want to be with him, go ahead. I can’t stop you. Just pretend I never had this son. There’s no need for you to treat me like a mother-in-law.”
“Auntie, but Yunchu can’t ignore your existence.”
Wu Lan sneered, “Do you want to play the peacemaker?”
“No, I don’t expect you to change anything,” he sighed lightly, “I just want to tell you about his situation. Although Yunchu has been doing well while we’ve been together, he misses you and has tried to contact you… I’ve seen him stare blankly at his phone several times. He’s not as detached as you think.
“If you think I’m here to make you feel sorry for him, there’s nothing I can do about that. I just think you should know. As for whether to reconcile, I have no right to interfere.”
Wu Lan stared at him for a while, her fingers tapping on the armrest of her chair.
“Mr. Zhou,” she spoke again, “actually, I read about you in a report a few days ago.”
“Ah?” Zhou Yanchuan didn’t understand why her thoughts had jumped, “You mean—”
“Wasn’t Hongchuan built up by you single-handedly?”
“Yes,” he said, slightly embarrassed, “thank you.”
“I think you’re quite outstanding,” Wu Lan said with a hint of emotion, “if I had a daughter and a son-in-law like you, I would be very pleased.”
Hearing compliments about himself, Zhou Yanchuan felt no joy; his smile gradually stiffened.
“But Yunchu is not a girl,” she continued, “I’m very puzzled, why would someone like you choose a man as a partner? You said you’re not innately gay; wouldn’t your parents mind?”
“Auntie,” he said emotionally, “I no longer have any blood relatives in this world. Yunchu is the only person I want to spend the rest of my life with.”
He had also wondered, if his mother Zhang Hong were still alive, how she would view his relationship with a man. After some reasoning, he concluded that she would likely give her blessing.
Zhang Hong had hoped to see him settle down because, after his breakup with Liu Qingru, he had seemed too despondent. She just wanted him to find someone to be happy again.
She had endured the hardships of family life from the previous generation; how could she pass them on to her own child?
“I’m sorry,” Wu Lan realized she had touched on his sorrow and changed her tone, “I didn’t know about your family—”
“It’s okay,” he said, “precisely because my family is no longer around, and I have no chance to repay their kindness, I don’t want to see Yunchu saddened by your situation. His family is, of course, my family.”
Wu Lan seemed to understand his intention, but the resentment and confusion in her heart were not easily dispelled.
“But you have such a good career now; don’t you feel it’s a pity that no one will inherit it in the future?”
“Auntie, thank you for thinking highly of me,” Zhou Yanchuan smiled again, “I had never been a good student, and my thinking is simple. I really don’t have any grand ambitions. At first… it was just for survival. Later, I was lucky to achieve some success, but I still didn’t think much. I just wanted to live well while I was alive, even if I was alone.
“Later, being with Yunchu was much better than being alone; it is very comfortable! As for not having a child… Well, even if I did have a child, they would have their own path. The next generation may not want to inherit my business; they might have their own pursuits.” Lu Yunchu was just like that.
Zhou Yanchuan spoke straightforwardly, but facing Wu Lan’s renewed silence, he became even more nervous, repeatedly wondering if his tone had been too arrogant.
“I never thought,” Wu Lan said, “that I would be receiving parenting advice from someone twenty years my junior.”
“No, Auntie—” he quickly added, “I didn’t mean to lecture you or anything; I just—”
“Alright, I understand,” her tone was calm, “you’ve said everything you wanted to tell me. How I react is up to me, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then let’s end it here,” she raised her wrist and looked at her watch, “my driver is coming to pick me up. Do you need a ride back?”
“No, thank you,” Zhou Yanchuan was embarrassed to trouble Wu Lan, “I’ll call a car myself.”
Wu Lan didn’t insist and stood up gracefully, “Mr. Zhou, I hope we have a chance to meet again.”
“Okay,” he said politely, “Take care on your way.”
After Wu Lan left, Zhou Yanchuan stood dazed in the hotel lobby for a minute or two. He couldn’t figure out her attitude. She didn’t agree to reconcile with Lu Yunchu, but she also didn’t show any annoyance towards him.
And she said, “I hope we meet again”… perhaps that was a sign of goodwill?
Zhou Yanchuan was still thinking about this on his way back to the hotel.
Earlier that afternoon, he had just talked to Lu Yunchu and had no plans to contact him again in the evening. But after taking a shower and browsing the news on his phone, he noticed around eleven that Lu Yunchu had posted two work-related updates on his social media.
Maybe it was because he had met Wu Lan earlier and talked so much about Lu Yunchu that he suddenly wanted to hear his voice. Unable to resist, he dialed his number.
“Still not asleep?”
“Just sending another email,” Lu Yunchu’s voice sounded cheerful, “What made you call again?”
“I…” Zhou Yanchuan hesitated, “Is it wrong to call more often?”
“Of course not,” he said, “I was just worried you might have something else going on.”
Zhou Yanchuan felt a bit awkward bringing up his meeting with Wu Lan.
“Nothing special,” he smiled at his phone, “Just wanted to tell you to get some rest early.”