Wang Ziyu was sitting in the living room watching television. When Wang Cheng came through the door, she inevitably saw him, but most of her attention was on the screen, so she did not notice the abnormal flush on his face.
“Second Brother, you’re finally back. Big Brother and Mom and Dad already went out for the ritual. They’ll be back in a while.”
Wang Cheng adjusted his breathing. “I know. Keep watching. I’m going upstairs for a bit. If any strangers come, call me.”
“Okay.” As soon as Wang Cheng finished speaking, he hurried upstairs.
Wang Ziyu did not suspect anything. Her attention returned to the Spring Festival Gala on television. A comedy skit had just reached its funniest part and made her laugh so hard that she immediately forgot everything else.
The moment Wang Cheng got back to his room, he stripped off his clothes, grabbed a fresh pair of trousers, and went into the bathroom. To avoid his parents and eldest brother noticing anything, he deliberately chose a pair similar in color to the ones he had been wearing. As long as nobody looked too closely, they should not realize he had changed.
Scalding water poured over him, finally relaxing his sore muscles. But the fluid leaking from inside him immediately dragged his mind back to what he and Chu Yifeng had done behind the house. That bastard. Wang Cheng had clearly told him not to come inside, yet Chu Yifeng had still emptied himself completely into him.
Wang Cheng wiped his face and, suppressing his embarrassment, cleaned out what Chu Yifeng had left inside. He silently swore that he would never do anything like this again.
It was after eleven when Papa Wang and the others returned.
The couple wore broad smiles. Then Wang Cheng looked at Wang Ning’an’s expressionless face and immediately guessed why.
Taking their eldest son out with them was clearly something that gave his parents enormous face. Wang Ning’an had the kind of presence that naturally inspired trust. Any acquaintances they met would inevitably praise him. No wonder Papa and Mama Wang looked so pleased.
“Why did you change your trousers?” Sharp-eyed Wang Ning’an noticed immediately that they were not the same pair Wang Cheng had been wearing earlier.
Wang Cheng had known this might happen. He answered calmly, “I scraped the other pair on something when I came back, so I changed.”
For once, Wang Ning’an did not seem suspicious. “It’s late. Go to sleep soon.”
“I’ll finish watching the Spring Festival Gala with Xiao Yu first. Big Brother, if you’re tired, you can go to bed.” Wang Cheng sat back down on the sofa.
Wang Ning’an said, “Don’t you have to pick up your biological parents tomorrow morning? If you stay up too late, you won’t be alert tomorrow, and you still have to drive.”
“Exactly, Second Brother. Go sleep early. I don’t need anyone to stay up with me,” Wang Ziyu added.
“All right.” Wang Cheng really was tired. The amount of physical activity that night had been excessive.
Papa and Mama Wang had just finished putting things away. Before going upstairs, they reminded the children to sleep early. Both usually slept soundly. After being up so late, they almost fell asleep the moment their heads touched the pillows.
Wang Cheng was about to return to his room when he heard Wang Ning’an, standing by the balcony door, say something.
“You washed the trousers?”
Wang Cheng jolted, then pretended nothing was wrong. “Yeah. I had nothing else to do. After changing, I washed them while I was at it. Is there a problem?”
“No. Go sleep.”
Wang Cheng closed his bedroom door. His heart was pounding so loudly he could hear it. He kept feeling as though his eldest brother knew something. If not for his ability to improvise on the spot, he really might have given himself away. Before sleeping, he received a text from Chu Yifeng wishing him a happy New Year’s Eve. Wang Cheng originally did not intend to answer, but after thinking about it, he sent back the same four dry words: Happy New Year’s Eve.
Chu Yifeng smiled when he saw the message. Apparently Wang Cheng was still angry.
The next day, Wang Cheng woke up fairly late. Even Wang Ziyu, who had gone to sleep later than him, was already awake. It was the first day of the new year, and every household got up early. After breakfast, people began visiting relatives. Children were the most excited. New Year meant not only new clothes but red envelopes too.
Mama Wang could not stand watching Wang Cheng dawdle and immediately hurried him to wash his face and brush his teeth. Everyone was a little nervous about Father and Mother Zheng’s impending arrival. Fortunately, they had Wang Ning’an, who was accustomed to formal occasions.
Wang Ning’an had never spoken with Mother Zheng, but he had seen enough at the banquet that day to know she was a kind, gentle mother. She had defended her son without reservation. How could a woman like that deliberately do something her younger son disliked? All Papa and Mama Wang needed to do was treat them as equals.
Wang Cheng agreed from the side. If one set aside their status as his biological parents, the two of them were actually very easy to get along with.
Close to ten, Wang Cheng drove out. He reached the airport right around eleven, but Father and Mother Zheng’s flight had not landed yet. The airport display showed another ten minutes, so Wang Cheng waited near the arrivals passage. Plenty of other people were waiting too. Some even held boards with names written on them.
Fifteen minutes later, a crowd poured out through the passage. Wang Cheng spotted Father and Mother Zheng immediately. Their bearing made them stand out sharply among the ordinary travelers around them.
“Dad, Mom, over here.” Wang Cheng immediately waved.
“Chengcheng.” Mother Zheng spotted her striking younger son just as quickly. Seeing several young women nearby sneaking looks at him, she could not help feeling a little proud. Wang Cheng took their luggage and asked, “How come Brother and Jingxue aren’t here? Aren’t they coming?”
Mother Zheng linked her arm through his and smiled brightly. “Your brother was called away by your grandfather. Jingxue went to your maternal grandfather’s home. You don’t need to worry about them. Every Spring Festival, those two are even busier than we are. New Year is a perfect time to visit people and maintain relationships.”
Hearing that, Wang Cheng relaxed. He had worried that Father and Mother Zheng coming to see him might mean neglecting his grandfather and other relatives. Apparently the world of wealthy families was even more complicated than he imagined.
At the entrance, Wang Cheng asked them to wait while he went to bring the car around. It took only two or three minutes. But as he drove up, something happened. Mother Zheng suddenly cried out.
Wang Cheng slammed on the brakes and looked up. A man was yanking hard on the handbag Mother Zheng carried. She had been caught off guard, and the bag was ripped from her grasp. Father Zheng quickly steadied her. The thief sprinted directly toward Wang Cheng. Wang Cheng immediately got out of the car. Seeing someone blocking his path, the man pulled out a dagger. People around them screamed and scattered. Helping a stranger was admirable, but not if it meant losing one’s life, especially during New Year when everyone had family waiting at home.
“Chengcheng, get out of the way!” Father and Mother Zheng were terrified. The bag might contain valuables, but nothing inside could compare with their son.
Wang Cheng easily caught the wrist holding the dagger and used the man’s own forward momentum to flip him. The thief slammed onto his back against the hard marble floor. Judging by his scream, every bone in his body probably hurt.
Wang Cheng removed the dagger clenched in the man’s hand and planted one foot firmly on his chest.
Airport security had heard that an armed criminal was present and rushed over. Only when they arrived did they discover the man had already been subdued. Both guards let out a breath of relief. They looked at Wang Cheng with gratitude and surprise. He seemed to have taken down the armed man without the slightest effort.
Father Zheng helped Mother Zheng over. She anxiously touched Wang Cheng’s hand. “Chengcheng, did he hurt you?”
“I’m fine, Mom.” Wang Cheng reassured her. “Your son is very good at fighting. I’ve even taken on two people at once before, and neither of them got the better of me.”
“As long as you’re all right.” Mother Zheng finally relaxed.
A security guard returned the stolen handbag to them and thanked Wang Cheng sincerely. “Sir, thank you so much. If you hadn’t happened to be here, he might have gotten away. This thief is a repeat offender who specifically targets wealthy-looking people. There was already another incident before, but he was too slippery. We only caught him today because of you. Thank you very much.”
“You’re welcome, but we don’t have time to go to the police station to give a statement right now. Our family is waiting for us. Plenty of people saw what happened, so I’ll have to trouble you to handle it.” Incidents like this brought plenty of follow-up trouble. For now, Wang Cheng did not want his family to know.
“Well… all right. But could you leave a phone number?” The guard knew they were obviously hurrying home for New Year. No one had been hurt and nothing had been lost, so there was no need to insist they deal with everything immediately.
Wang Cheng left his number. Because of the incident, they lost some time. By the time they reached Guanjia Village, it was already after noon.
Papa and Mama Wang had been waiting so anxiously they had started wondering whether to call Wang Cheng. Then they turned and finally saw his car.
Ordinarily, they should have gone to Eldest Uncle’s home or to the maternal grandmother’s home for the holiday. But because Father and Mother Zheng were coming, they had deliberately postponed those visits. They had explained the matter to the maternal grandmother. There had been no need to tell Eldest Uncle’s side. That family probably would not welcome them anyway.
A woman whose entire bearing radiated refinement and wealth stepped out of the car. Papa and Mama Wang stared. This was Wang Cheng’s biological mother? She really did look like someone from a great family. Every movement was dignified. They could not help remembering Wang Xiaoyan’s nouveau-riche family. Her mother had once put on airs like some grand lady. With a genuine comparison in front of them today, they realized Madam Wang’s act had been little more than a circus performance.
Mother Zheng warmly took Mama Wang’s hands. “You must be Chengcheng’s mother. My name is Zhou Hui. I’m Chengcheng’s biological mother. I’m so happy to finally meet you. I’m sorry for coming so suddenly and disturbing you. I truly wanted the chance to meet you both.”
Her enthusiasm startled Mama Wang. She had assumed wealthy ladies were usually reserved. Papa Wang nudged her from behind before she recovered and managed a smile. “No, no, you’re not disturbing us. Chengcheng’s father and I are very happy you came.”
“Let’s not stand out here. Come inside and talk,” Papa Wang said as well.
Wang Cheng carried the suitcase and walked beside Father Zheng, who was a few steps behind. “Dad, let’s go in too.”
“All right.” Father Zheng smiled and nodded.
Papa Wang, walking ahead, suddenly turned around. “Chengcheng, were you calling me?”
Wang Cheng realized Papa Wang had misunderstood. Not wanting him to feel awkward, he immediately nodded. “Yes, yes. Let’s all go inside together.”
Then another problem suddenly occurred to him. With two fathers and two mothers in the same place, how exactly was he supposed to address everyone? The imagined scene immediately made Wang Cheng feel conflicted.
Mama Wang had started preparing lunch while Wang Cheng was away at the airport, so the meal was already finished when they arrived. Despite the slight delay, the tableful of dishes was still warm. The couple immediately invited Father and Mother Zheng to sit. Most of the food was ordinary home cooking. Mama Wang had originally wanted to make something more elaborate, but Wang Cheng told her not to go to too much trouble. His biological parents were used to delicacies. These days they actually enjoyed simple home-style food more.
“This is excellent. It tastes even better than what our cook makes.” Mother Zheng tasted some tofu. The mild heat stimulated her appetite.
Mama Wang grew embarrassed by the praise. “It’s just ordinary stir-fried tofu.”
“Little Sister, don’t be modest. Anyone who can make plain tofu taste this good definitely knows how to cook. You may not know this, but I don’t usually like spicy food. Yet this tofu has exactly the right amount of heat. I like it very much.” Mother Zheng praised her without holding back, and she meant every word.
“Then have some more. Try these braised chicken feet too. They aren’t very spicy. I soaked them for three hours this morning. Chengcheng used to especially like this dish.” Mama Wang brightened under the praise. The awkwardness of meeting for the first time had already faded. Through the meal, the two mothers did most of the talking. Once the subject turned to Wang Cheng, they praised him back and forth so enthusiastically that the atmosphere became far more harmonious than anyone had expected.
Father Zheng and Papa Wang were more restrained. Papa Wang might occasionally seem unreliable, but when entertaining guests he carried himself like a proper head of the household. The two men spoke from time to time, just nowhere near as animatedly as Mama Wang and Mother Zheng.
The subject of all that praise silently lowered his head and concentrated on eating. Hearing two mothers praise him from one side and then the other was too much even for someone as thick-skinned as Wang Cheng.
Under the table, Wang Ziyu secretly stepped on his foot. When Wang Cheng turned toward her, she grinned.
“Eat your food,” Wang Cheng mouthed.
Wang Ziyu stuck out her tongue.
Wang Cheng tried to step on her foot in return. Wang Ziyu dodged. When she tried to retaliate, Wang Cheng moved away, and she accidentally kicked the innocent Wang Ning’an instead. Wang Ning’an looked over expressionlessly. Both immediately behaved.
Father Zheng watched the interaction among the three younger siblings and felt deeply reassured. He had always known his younger son had lived well here, but only seeing it with his own eyes allowed him and his wife to truly relax.