Wang Cheng and Chu Yifeng ate dinner at a restaurant outside, then went straight back to the apartment. Before they entered the residential complex, the security guard stopped them. The clothes they had bought that morning had already been delivered, but the delivery staff could not enter the building, so everything had been left with security.
The two carried a pile of bags of every size. Nearly ninety percent of the clothes belonged to Wang Cheng. The remaining ten percent were Chu Yifeng’s, and even those were only two sets of loungewear.
Wang Cheng took everything into Chu Yifeng’s bedroom. The two were living together now, so naturally they slept in the same room. There was a large wardrobe inside, almost entirely filled with Chu Yifeng’s clothes. Wang Cheng cleared out one-third of the space, removed the tags from his new clothes, and hung them up. The wardrobe on the left held Chu Yifeng’s ties and belts, dozens of each. His socks and underwear were kept in drawers below, all arranged with almost obsessive neatness.
When Wang Cheng came back out, Chu Yifeng was on the phone in the living room.
Seeing that the call was not finished, Wang Cheng went to shower. Halfway through, the bathroom door suddenly opened. He did not need to look to know who it was, even though he clearly remembered locking it.
“Get out. I’m almost done.”
“Let’s shower together.” Chu Yifeng was already behind him, wrapping both arms around his waist. Hot water from the shower soaked them both. Only when their bare skin pressed together did Wang Cheng realize Chu Yifeng had not put on any clothes, and with their bodies so close, he could already feel the man’s erection, hotter than the water.
“You obviously came in here because you wanted to do it in the bathroom.” Wang Cheng’s breathing grew slightly uneven. He braced both hands against the wall, already beaded with moisture from the hot water, while drops ran down his arms. Feeling Chu Yifeng deliberately teasing his body, desire stirred inside him too.
Chu Yifeng brushed his mouth near Wang Cheng’s ear. “You know me well.”
Obviously. The man had practically put his intentions on display. Wang Cheng barely had time to roll his eyes before Chu Yifeng caught his chin and turned his face back. A tongue slipped into his mouth the next second, the kiss going from light to forceful until saliva spilled from the corner of his mouth.
They had sex once in the bathroom. When Wang Cheng felt his strength draining too quickly, he made Chu Yifeng move to the bed, and the two of them went at it again there. The sturdy bed rocked hard enough to give off faint creaks, something it rarely did, and in the middle of it a phone suddenly began ringing.
A burst of the old song “Fly Freely” rang energetically from the bedside.
That was the ringtone Wang Cheng had chosen. He was nostalgic by nature and liked older songs.
The phone lay near the head of the bed. Wang Cheng had just reached it when Chu Yifeng dragged him back. Just as they were about to come, Wang Cheng suddenly caught sight of the caller information on the screen and shuddered. They climaxed together.
Wang Cheng felt uncomfortable beneath him. His whole body was slick with sweat, and the sticky sensation made him want to push Chu Yifeng away, only for the man to hold him tighter so they could linger in the aftermath together.
“Move. And get off me.” The phone kept ringing, urging him to answer, but at that moment he did not dare pick up.
Chu Yifeng did not move at all. Instead, he lowered his head and kissed Wang Cheng, his teeth rubbing against Wang Cheng’s lips.
“Stop messing around. My mom’s calling.” Wang Cheng twisted away from him. The first call had already stopped because he took too long to answer, but he knew Mama Wang would not give up easily. If he did not pick up, she would assume something had happened. Sure enough, the ringtone started a second time.
Wang Cheng checked and saw that it was indeed Mama Wang again. He hurriedly answered. She asked why he had not picked up before. Her voice was unusually calm, almost too calm, and sounded as though she might be angry. Wang Cheng immediately felt uneasy. Mama Wang would not normally get angry merely because he missed one call. Had she discovered something?
“Mom, I was showering just now. I didn’t hear the phone.”
Chu Yifeng pulled back from him, and the sudden sensation caught Wang Cheng off guard enough that he let out a small gasp. Mama Wang noticed immediately.
“What’s wrong?”
Wang Cheng glared at Chu Yifeng, then continued lying. “Nothing. I just came out of the bathroom and it’s a little cold.”
“It’s cold now, so remember to dress warmly. If you get sick, both your dad and I will worry.” Mama Wang’s tone remained unnervingly even.
“Mom, is there something you want to tell me?” Wang Cheng finally asked. Mama Wang did call around this time sometimes, but her voice was usually hearty or cheerful, never this flat. That made it feel far more ominous.
“Come home tomorrow. Mom has something to ask you.”
Mama Wang hung up after saying that, without even wishing him good night. Wang Cheng knew at once that she had to be in a bad mood. He simply could not work out why. Everything had been fine when he left that morning. Had Eldest Aunt or Second Aunt done something to anger her again?
“What did your mom say?” Chu Yifeng came out of the bathroom and found him leaning against the headboard with a solemn expression.
“My mom told me to go home tomorrow. She didn’t explain why, but it feels like something serious happened. She’s never sounded like that before.” Wang Cheng shook his head.
“Want me to go back with you tomorrow?”
“What reason would you have for coming with me? No.” He had a feeling Chu Yifeng coming along would only make things worse.
Chu Yifeng did not insist. “Call me if anything happens.”
The next day, Wang Cheng ate breakfast, said goodbye to Chu Yifeng, and drove back to Guanjia Village. Passing Chengping, he stopped at the jam shop. He had assumed Papa Wang would be there, but only Guan Jiahe and Guan Ying were inside. Guan Ying brightened when she saw him. His cousin, on the other hand, looked at him strangely.
“Cousin, why are you looking at me like that?” Wang Cheng asked.
Guan Jiahe shook his head. “You should hurry home. I heard some things yesterday. Auntie and Uncle probably know too.”
Wang Cheng raised a brow. “What did you hear?”
“I don’t know the details. Go home and ask Auntie.”
With no answer, Wang Cheng returned home carrying a stomach full of questions. Knowing he was coming back today, Mama Wang had stayed away from the workshop and remained home with Papa Wang. She had put some food out for the miniature pig, which was snuffling around the sofa. When they heard a car outside, husband and wife exchanged a look.
Wang Cheng walked in carrying his keys and saw his parents sitting in the living room watching television. Their attention appeared to be on the screen, but both of them had already stolen glances at him the moment he entered. Wang Cheng’s eyesight was too good to miss it. “Dad, Mom, I’m back.”
“Good, you’re back. Have you eaten breakfast?” Papa Wang answered automatically.
“I have.”
Mama Wang’s attention, however, settled on the wool coat he was wearing. She frowned. “Chengcheng, is that coat something you bought yesterday? Did you pay for it yourself? Was it expensive?”
The string of questions immediately told Wang Cheng that whatever had happened was probably related to his clothes. Mama Wang had never asked him like this before, especially the phrase “did you pay for it yourself?” Normally, of course she would assume he had. If she suddenly felt the need to ask, she must have heard some rumor. Wang Cheng immediately thought of meeting Wang Ningkai and his girlfriend at the shoe store. He had no idea what they had said about him, but clearly it had been enough to put Mama Wang in this state.
“Mom, did you hear something?” Wang Cheng decided it was better to speak openly with his parents and put their minds at ease.
Mama Wang’s expression changed, but she could not bring herself to say it. Their son had never had a girlfriend, and they had never thought much of that before. After hearing those rumors, however, she could not stop worrying, terrified that her son might confirm them.
“Your mom did hear some rumors about you yesterday,” Papa Wang said in her place. He did not believe his son was that kind of person.
“What rumors?”
“That… that people in the village were saying you’re being kept by a man. Someone supposedly saw you shopping with another man in the city yesterday and said he paid for everything. Your mom was worried, so she asked you to come home.”
After saying it, the couple stared straight at him.
Wang Cheng gave a cold laugh. “That ‘someone’ was probably Eldest Cousin and his new girlfriend. I really did go to the shopping center with a friend yesterday to buy clothes. You know him. It was Boss Chu. I didn’t have proper winter clothes, so I asked him to come with me. Then we ran into Eldest Cousin and his girlfriend at the shoe store. Eldest Cousin had told her things about our family, and the moment that woman saw me she started insulting me. She even said she didn’t care to have relatives like us. I said a few things back, so she probably held a grudge and made up this story afterward.”
Both parents froze. They had not expected there to be an explanation like that. Their son spoke so openly that they immediately knew they had been deceived.
“I told you Chengcheng couldn’t possibly be that kind of person.” Papa Wang slapped his thigh and laughed happily.
“So the clothes you bought were paid for with your own money?” Mama Wang was not as easily satisfied as Papa Wang. She needed the matter clarified completely before she could relax.
“Of course. Some of the clothes and shoes I bought yesterday are in the trunk of the car now. The receipts are in there too, and I paid for everything myself. This whole kept-man story is nonsense.” There was certainly a gap between his social status and Chu Yifeng’s, but no matter how short of money Wang Cheng might ever become, he would not let Chu support him. Besides, he was hardly poor now.
Mama Wang finally relaxed completely. The next instant, her eyebrows sharpened with anger. One look told Wang Cheng that someone was about to have a very bad day.