Xie Chengnan spent the entire afternoon buried in work. Not wanting to disturb him, Jiang Yuan waited until it was nearly dinner time before heading upstairs to change and driving himself over to the Zhang residence.
Jiang Yuan arrived late. His two maternal uncles and their families were already gathered; about a dozen people filled the living room. The groups were clearly divided: some were debating the current economic climate, others were discussing the latest limited-edition jewelry, and the youngest were engrossed in mobile games.
Old Master Zhang sat with his reading glasses on, holding a tablet and looking at photos. Beside him sat Jiang Yuan’s younger cousin, Zhang Siqi, who was supposed to be studying in the UK. She was animatedly describing the scenery in the photos—where they were and what she had been doing that day—her tone light and engaging.
Only then did Jiang Yuan realize that today’s gathering was a welcome-home banquet for her.
Zhang Siqi was a lively girl. As soon as she saw Jiang Yuan walk through the door, she ran over to grab his arm, complaining, "Why are you so late? I finally managed to find time to come back for a visit."
Jiang Yuan immediately shifted the blame. "Blame Zhang Siyi. He didn't mention you were coming back, otherwise I wouldn't have cut it so close."
Seeing him, Old Master Zhang beckoned. "Ah Yuan is here. Come, sit."
On the other side, Zhang Siyi looked as if he’d been granted a royal pardon. He quickly vacated his seat, saying eagerly, "Brother, sit here!" He had been stuck accompanying the old man through the photo album for ages and was dying for an escape.
"Grandfather," Jiang Yuan greeted him, obediently taking the seat beside the old man.
Zhang Siqi had taken a lot of photos—everything from landscapes and portraits to snapshots of daily life and short videos. Jiang Yuan sat with them for a full ten minutes, and they still hadn't reached the end.
When they flipped to a photo of a tree-lined path covered in fallen leaves, Jiang Yuan’s eyes widened. There, in the frame, was Xie Chengnan. He was wearing a classic Burberry trench coat, left open to reveal a crisp, clean white shirt. He looked handsome and stood tall, walking toward a small building while talking on the phone.
Though it was a profile shot, it was clearly taken with him as the intended subject.
Old Master Zhang’s eyes lit up. "Oho, this young man looks quite impressive."
Zhang Siqi laughed. "Of course he is. He’s my idol."
Jiang Yuan didn't know what expression to make. He could only lower his head and silently sip his tea, thinking to himself how small the world really was.
Amused, Old Master Zhang teased her, "Then why don't you go after him? Our Siqi is so beautiful; are you afraid you can't catch him?"
Zhang Siqi let out a loud sigh. "How could I? With my looks, I’m basically just a face in the crowd compared to the people chasing him. Don't let his youth fool you; he’s already a professor at our university—truly young and promising. That building in the photo is the research institute under his name. They focus on robotics development. I heard he’s already won several professional awards. People are practically breaking their necks trying to get a spot as a researcher under him, just so they can use the prestige to land offers from big companies later. But I heard he resigned recently, so I probably won't run into him again."
Zhang Siyi, who had been playing games nearby, grew curious after hearing his sister’s glowing praise. Wondering if this "idol" had three heads and six arms, he leaned over to take a look. He gasped in surprise. "Isn't this Xie Chengnan?"
Hearing him say the name, Zhang Siqi asked in astonishment, "You know him?"
Before Jiang Yuan could cover Zhang Siyi’s mouth, the younger boy had already excitedly sold his cousin out. "I know him! He’s the little lover my cousin just started keeping."
Zhang Siqi let out a "pssh" of disdain. "If you're going to talk nonsense, at least make it believable. Would a professor from our university go and be someone's kept man? Would someone like him be short of money?"
Indignant, Zhang Siyi tugged on Jiang Yuan’s sleeve. "Tell them yourself. Isn't he your little lover?"
Jiang Yuan rubbed his nose and said with a straight face, "No..."
"See, I told you," Zhang Siqi began, but she was cut off before she could finish.
"Ahem. He’s my boyfriend."
The moment the word "boyfriend" left his lips, the entire living room fell silent.
Jiang Yuan secretly observed his grandfather’s expression. *Hmm, remarkably calm,* he thought, admiring how a man who had weathered great storms could remain unfazed even upon hearing his grandson come out of the closet.
Old Master Zhang asked, "Where is Sister Zhou?"
Auntie Zhou, the housekeeper, heard her name and hurried forward. "Do you have an order, sir?" she asked cautiously.
Old Master Zhang’s face remained wooden. "Bring me my fast-acting heart rescue pills..."
Jiang Yuan jumped in fright and quickly began rubbing the old man’s back to help him breathe. "Don't scare me like that!" he said anxiously.
Old Master Zhang raised a hand as if to strike him, but he couldn't bring himself to do it.
The eldest uncle, Zhang Guohua, hurried over with a cup of tea for the old man. Between sips, he tried to mediate. "Don't be angry, Father. Let's talk this through. Ah Yuan is an adult now; hitting him won't solve anything."
The younger uncle, Zhang Xinhua, looked like he had a toothache. Just a few days ago, he had forced his own son to break up with a man; he hadn't expected his nephew to come out today as well. He wondered if the younger generation was just too restless, or if there was something wrong with the Zhang family's *feng shui*.
It took Zhang Siqi a long time to recover. "Ah Yuan, you're joking, right?"
Jiang Yuan didn't know how to respond. He was terrified that saying he wasn't joking would make the old man ill, but he also didn't dare admit it was all an act.
Zhang Siyi was a simple-minded blabbermouth. Jiang Yuan had barely managed to fool him the other day; if he told the truth now, the entire social circle would likely know by tomorrow that Xie Chengnan was a fake boyfriend. If that happened, how could he carry out his plan to spite his father?
Caught in this dilemma, Jiang Yuan’s expression became one of visible struggle.
Seeing this, Old Master Zhang actually began to feel sorry for him. He thought about how his daughter had been gone for years and how his precious grandson had been living all alone. Now that he had a companion—even if it was a man—at least someone was there for him. Moreover, this man sounded excellent, which was certainly better than some random, questionable person.
Once he reached this conclusion, Old Master Zhang stopped agonizing. Instead, he asked with concern, "I’ve heard long-distance relationships are unstable. If you want, should Grandfather send you abroad to study?"
Jiang Yuan hadn't expected his grandfather to cave so quickly. He was so surprised he started to stammer. "No... no need. He, uh, he moved back to China. He’s in Nancheng right now..."
Zhang Siqi’s mouth hung open wide enough to fit an egg. Her ladylike poise vanished as she exclaimed excitedly, "You actually landed Professor Xie? Wait, I have to post this on Facebook! This is enough for me to brag to my classmates for a whole year!"
She pulled out her phone and began boasting, her face full of reflected glory.
Although the elders still found it difficult to accept, their affection for Jiang Yuan prevented them from being too resistant.
Zhang Guohua said hesitantly, "Since he’s in Nancheng, why not invite him over for dinner tonight? We’re all family; it’s a good chance to get to know him."
Old Master Zhang nodded, clearly in agreement.
Under the watchful, caring eyes of his elders, Jiang Yuan had no choice but to take out his phone and call Xie Chengnan. He was even forced to put it on speaker.
The call was answered quickly. Jiang Yuan had intended to call him by name, but he suddenly realized that didn't sound very much like a couple. His tongue took a turn. "Xie... Ge."
Xie Chengnan seemed to pause for a moment before answering warmly, "I'm here."
Jiang Yuan said, "Um, are you free right now?"
The faint sound of metal clinking came from the other end. Jiang Yuan guessed he was probably still in the workshop. He added, "Are you still busy? Have you eaten yet?"
Xie Chengnan gave a soft laugh. "Not yet. I’m just finishing up a bit of work. Have you eaten?"
"Not yet either."
Seeing Jiang Yuan hesitate to get to the point, Old Master Zhang grew impatient. He spoke up directly, "Xiao Xie, Ah Yuan has told the family about your relationship. Would you like to come over for dinner and meet the relatives?"
The other end of the line went quiet. After a long pause, his hesitant voice came through. "Is this... Grandpa Zhang?"
Old Master Zhang said amiably, "It's me."
Xie Chengnan’s tone became much more formal. "Hello, Grandpa Zhang. My apologies, I didn't realize you were there just now."
"It's fine, it's fine." Old Master Zhang waved a hand dismissively. Without even waiting for Xie Chengnan to agree, he continued, "Then it's settled. I'll have the driver pick you up."
"There's no need to trouble you," Xie Chengnan said with a hint of a smile in his voice. "I'll just take a taxi."
"Good, good, good." Old Master Zhang was satisfied.
Jiang Yuan hung up and sent Xie Chengnan his location.
On the other side, Old Master Zhang was already urging Sister Zhou to set an extra place at the table. After that, he suddenly sighed with emotion. "Speaking of which, that kid from the Xie family your mother used to bring over all the time seemed to have the same name. I haven't seen him in over a decade; I wonder how he's doing now."
Jiang Yuan looked speechless. He replied mechanically, "He's doing quite well. I heard he became a professor and won a lot of awards."
Old Master Zhang was surprised. "You two are still in touch? You were so small when he left." Then, realizing something was off, he paused. "Wait..."
Jiang Yuan smirked. "He *is* that kid from the Xie family."
Old Master Zhang was shocked. "Back then, I thought your mother was going to give me a god-grandson. How did he end up becoming my grandson-in-law?!"
"How do you know he's the grandson-in-law and not the grandson's wife?" Jiang Yuan gritted his teeth.
Old Master Zhang gave him a look that said *Are you kidding me?* and fell silent.
To the side, Zhang Siyi was green with envy. He had hoped his cousin would draw some of the fire away from him, but instead, the boyfriend was being officially welcomed into the home. The difference in treatment was staggering.
Unable to help himself, he complained to his father, "Why is it okay for my cousin but not for me..."
Zhang Xinhua glared at him, frustrated by his son's lack of potential. "If you could find a man like that, I’d accept it too! Look at the riff-raff you bring home. You have the nerve to speak!"
Zhang Siyi fell silent, becoming as meek as a little quail.
***
