Early Sunday morning, Shao Wu and Yang Shuyi boarded the high-speed train back to Yongchuan.
Yang Shuyi had gotten a haircut only the day before. His hair was clipped to a short black stubble at the temples, slightly longer and thinned out on top, leaving him looking clean and fresh. At home Shao Wu kept reaching out to stroke the back of his head, where the tiny sharp ends pricked his palm like the fur of a little animal.
On the train, Yang Shuyi used his phone screen as a mirror to straighten his collar. First he unbuttoned the top button of his shirt; after hesitating, he buttoned it again.
“Should I keep this button done up?” he asked quietly. “Does it look too formal?”
“Either way. My mom isn’t that particular.”
“Maybe not.” Yang Shuyi gazed at his reflection in the dark screen for a few seconds, then undid the button again. “This looks more natural.”
Shao Wu studied him silently. Yang Shuyi wore a slate-gray shirt with plain black dress trousers, and he’d even put on his half-rimmed glasses. He looked as formal as a university student going to a job interview. But there was none of a student’s innocence in his face. Although he was nervous, there was an added seriousness about him, restrained almost to the point of asceticism.
Something in Shao Wu’s heart itched. His mind filled with thoughts too embarrassing to say aloud.
If they could get home early enough tonight, he definitely wanted to…
“Why are you blushing?” Yang Shuyi suddenly asked.
“Huh?” Shao Wu touched his face guiltily. “I’m just a little nervous.”
“Don’t be afraid.” Yang Shuyi pressed his shoulder. “I’m here. If Auntie really gets angry, hide behind me, all right?”
“Mm… okay.” Shao Wu answered very seriously, though inwardly he found it funny. Hide behind me? Did Yang Shuyi really think his mom would pick up a stool and start hitting people?
Besides, if she really was going to hit someone, Wang Yujun and his boyfriend would be first in line…
The high-speed train covered the distance from Chongqing to Yongchuan in twelve minutes. They left the station, got in a taxi, and headed straight to Shao Wu’s family home. When they reached the building it was only ten forty. Still early.
“Don’t take the presents out as soon as we get upstairs,” Shao Wu instructed Yang Shuyi. “Wait until my brother and his boyfriend have given theirs, then we’ll give ours.”
“Mm. I know.”
“If they don’t give as much as we brought…”
“Then we’ll wait until they’re not around and give our gifts to Auntie privately?”
“Yes, let’s do that.” Shao Wu nodded. “It’s my brother’s birthday, after all.”
Wang Yujun and his boyfriend had driven back from Chengdu the previous evening and only checked into their hotel after one in the morning. Shao Wu figured they’d sleep in, so he hadn’t contacted Wang Yujun that morning.
As they entered the stairwell, Shao Wu heard Yang Shuyi take a deep breath.
Then Yang Shuyi turned and asked in a low voice, “Check my clothes. Are they neat?”
“Very neat. Relax.” Shao Wu smiled reassuringly. “My mom’s easy to talk to.”
They went upstairs. At the apartment door, Shao Wu knocked.
Yang Shuyi stood silently beside him.
Shao Wu himself was a little nervous. Not for any other reason, but because this was the first time he was bringing Yang Shuyi before his family in this way. Shao Wu had known Grandma and Longlong for years, but Yang Shuyi had never formally met Shao Wu’s family as his partner. Even if two men couldn’t register a marriage or legally marry, surely meeting each other’s families made things different?
It was almost like receiving some form of recognition.
Shao Wu raised his hand and knocked again.
Wang Yujun opened the door.
“Uh, Bro.” Shao Wu froze. “You guys are here already?”
“We’re here.” Wang Yujun glanced at Yang Shuyi and raised an eyebrow. “Quite a crowd today. Should be lively.”
“My youngest is home!” Wu Yan came out to greet them too. Her smile didn’t change when she saw Yang Shuyi. “Xiao Yang’s here too! Come in, come sit down.”
“Hello, Auntie.” Yang Shuyi stepped in with a smile. “Sorry to trouble you.”
“What trouble? I’m happy when you all come home!”
Good. Shao Wu thought. Mom’s in a good mood.
When they entered the living room, a man seated on the sofa stood up.
“You’re Yujun’s younger brother?” he asked warmly.
“Oh, yes.” Shao Wu nodded at once. “You can call me Xiao Shao. And your surname?”
“Zeng, as in the character for ‘once,’” the man said. “Just call me by my full name. Zeng Chong.”
“Ah, Brother Zeng.” Shao Wu turned sideways and glanced at Yang Shuyi. “This is my… friend, Yang Shuyi.”
Zeng Chong seemed to have been prepared. He shook Yang Shuyi’s hand just as warmly. “Hello, hello! Haha, it’s a pleasure!”
After the pleasantries, everyone finally sat down.
Shao Wu had taken a good look at Zeng Chong while they shook hands.
The man had gone even further than Yang Shuyi. He’d shown up in a full black suit, and his hair had obviously been styled on purpose. Up close Shao Wu had even caught the faintest hint of cologne.
As for his face, his thick eyebrows, big eyes, and regular features made him quite handsome. Not as handsome as Yang Shuyi, of course.
Shao Wu glanced at the coffee table, and when he looked up, he met Wu Yan’s eyes.
“Hungry?” Wu Yan asked. “I ordered food from a restaurant. It’ll be delivered at eleven. Have some fruit first.”
“Mm, okay.” Shao Wu obediently took an orange from the fruit bowl.
He wasn’t hungry at all. He’d only been looking at the coffee table for presents.
The presents Wang Yujun and his boyfriend had brought for Mom.
Logically, if Mom had received gifts, she’d just leave them on the coffee table, wouldn’t she? They were family. There was no reason to hide things away. But all the table held was a fruit bowl and a tissue box.
He looked down too, but couldn’t see any gift bags on the floor.
Had they not brought anything? Surely not.
“Bro, did you just get here?” Shao Wu asked Wang Yujun.
“We’ve been here a while.” Wang Yujun grinned. “Zeng Chong’s such a pest. He woke me at the crack of dawn and nagged me to bring him over so Mom could try on the bracelet.”
Shao Wu: “Try on what?”
“This.” Wu Yan rolled up her right sleeve with a fond, scolding tone. “You children! No sense of proportion when you spend money!”
“You’re too kind, Auntie,” Zeng Chong said briskly. “It’s the least we should do. Besides, money’s meant to be spent after you earn it. What’s important is that you like it.”
Shao Wu stared at Wu Yan’s wrist.
What a thick… what an incredibly thick jadeite bangle.
It was dark green, with a fine, translucent texture. Was this what they called ‘icy’ jadeite?
Against Wu Yan’s wrist, the jadeite made her skin look white as snow, giving her an extraordinarily elegant air.
Shao Wu looked around and saw Yang Shuyi staring at the bangle too, equally stunned.
“Brother Zeng,” Shao Wu ventured, “that bracelet… must have cost a lot, right?”
“Not much, not much!” Zeng Chong shook his head repeatedly. “Honestly, it wasn’t expensive.”
“Really,” Wang Yujun added, “Mom, just wear it for fun.”
Shao Wu: “…”
The five of them chatted pleasantly, though mostly it was Wu Yan and Zeng Chong talking while the other three listened.
It turned out Zeng Chong had been Wang Yujun’s high-school classmate. Unfortunately, Wang Yujun had dropped out halfway through, while Zeng Chong had gotten into the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China in Chengdu. After graduating, he’d started his own business and was now the boss of a software company.
“Goodness,” Wu Yan exclaimed. “You manage such a big company all by yourself?”
Zeng Chong replied modestly, “Only about two hundred employees. Hardly a big company, haha.”
Shao Wu and Yang Shuyi exchanged a glance.
Their looks were rather complicated.
Time passed quickly as they chatted. Before long the restaurant called to say the delivery had arrived downstairs and asked someone to come collect it.
“Shuyi and I will go,” Shao Wu said. “You all keep chatting.”
“Hey, I’ll come too.” Zeng Chong stood up. “There’s something in the car I forgot to bring up.”
And so Zeng Chong went downstairs with Shao Wu and Yang Shuyi.
After collecting the food, Shao Wu and Yang Shuyi each carried a bag and watched dumbfounded as Zeng Chong opened the door of a black Land Rover just a few steps away.
First Zeng Chong slipped something into his pocket, too quickly for Shao Wu to see. Then he took a gift box in each hand and walked over, looking delighted.
“Xiao Shao, I’m honestly not sure what Auntie thinks of me,” he said, sounding anxious despite his booming voice. “When the time comes, put in a good word for me, all right?”
“Of course, of course.” Shao Wu didn’t quite understand but nodded anyway. “Uh, what are those?”
Hadn’t he already given her the jadeite bangle?!
Why was there more?!
“These…” Zeng Chong’s mouth curled into a smile, and he lowered his voice. “The betrothal gifts I’m bringing your family.”
Shao Wu: “…”
Yang Shuyi: “…”
Yang Shuyi asked calmly, “Brother Zeng, how much are you giving? I’d like something to go by.”
“Oh.” Zeng Chong lifted his chin. “Not much. Just a few gold bars.”
Yang Shuyi: “Gold bars?”
“Mm.” Zeng Chong started toward the stairwell as he spoke. “Gold bars.”