A faint sense of passion was in the air.
Xie Ning didn’t recover for a long while.
Zhuang Yan seemed to smile and looked towards the bedside table, then asked, “Where did you put the tissues?”
A while later, Xie Ning blinked. “It-it’s on the table.”
Zhuang Yan turned over and got off the bed, then used a tissue to wipe his hands.
Xie Ning lay there for a while, and asked, “Do you...want me to help?”
The look in Zhuang Yan’s eyes was deep, and he smiled. “I recommend that you don’t.”
Xie Ning silently pulled the blanket over him, and buried himself in it.
……
Zhuang Yan’s grandpa picked out Elder Xie’s present. Since he and Elder Xie have known each other for decades, he was more knowledgeable about his preferences than Xie Ning as a grandson.
Zhuang Yan’s grandpa, while picking gifts, asked some questions and prepared a birthday gift for Xie Ning at the end.
Xie Ning felt a little uncomfortable.
Even the currently-abroad Madam Qiao gave him a video call and asked, “I heard Zhuang Yan say that it’s almost your birthday?”
Xie Ning nodded. “Mhm.
“It’s a shame that I’m abroad,” Madam Qiao sighed. “If I knew earlier, then I could have tried to leave later.”
Xie Ning hurriedly responded, “There’s no need to go to so much trouble, as long as...the thought is there.”
Madam Qiao smiled. “Then I’ll wish you an early happy birthday, NingNing.”
Xie Ning sincerely responded, “Thank you.”
“There’s no need to thank me,” Madam Qiao said. “I’ll ship a present over, but it might take some time when going through customs, so it should arrive after your birthday.”
She stared at Zhuang Yan, next to Xie Ning, a little angrily. “The fault lies with him too, for not telling me earlier.”
Zhuang Yan raised his eyebrow slightly. “This is my fault too?”
Xie Ning shook his head. “It’s not his fault, since he hasn’t known for long either.”
Madam Qiao wasn’t going to let him off so easily. “If it’s not your fault, then who’s fault is it? Is it my fault that you didn’t even know your own boyfriend’s birthday?
Xie Ning choked. “He...I…”
Zhuang Yan: “...”
Madam Qiao only realized that she’d exposed herself when she said the words out loud, and covered her mouth with her hand.
Zhuang Yan glanced at her helplessly.
Xie Ning, panicking, asked, “You...you knew already?”
Madam Qiao coughed lightly and comforted him. “Um...Zhuang Yan told me about it already, so don’t worry. His father and I both like you a lot.”
Xie Ning was even more panicked. “Uncle...knows already too?”
Madam Qiao coughed again.
Zhuang Yan rubbed his forehead with his hand and said, “What are you telling him all this for?”
Madam Qiao said, “I just...didn’t pay attention for a bit.”
Xie Ning’s mind, at this moment, was completely blank, and could only stare at Madam Qiao on the screen, not knowing what to say at all.
Madam Qiao thought she’d frightened him, and hurriedly said, “Don’t be afraid, we’re all open-minded people and won’t hamper you two.”
Xie Ning involuntarily replied, “Mmn.”
His hands clutched nervously at the hem of his shirt, and his palms were a bit sweaty.
Madam Qiao said, “It’s a shame that his father isn’t here right now, or I would have him come over and meet with you too.”
Xie Ning dryly replied, “T-there’s no need.”
Madam Qiao smiled. “He should meet you so that he can wish you a happy birthday as well.”
Zhuang Yan, seeing how Xie Ning was way too nervous, turned the camera towards him instead. “You should pay attention to what you’re saying.”
When facing Zhuang Yan, Madam Qiao’s tone wasn’t as gentle. “What should I pay attention to? If it wasn’t for you finally being successful in your pursuit, would I become so excited that I let something slip?”
Before Zhuang Yan could speak, Madam Qiao said, “And you two are formally together. It’s not something shameful, so why shouldn’t I know?”
Zhuang Yan rubbed his forehead again. “You’re scaring him.”
Madam Qiao said, “It seems like to me that he’s just a bit flustered and wasn’t able to react in a timely manner. Besides, it’s a good thing if he knows our attitude towards you two earlier.”
Zhuang Yan thought about it and had no refute.
The fact that Xie Ning’s parents weren’t able to accept his sexuality was also part of his mental condition and worries.
And as an elder, Madam Qiao’s attitude most likely made him feel more at ease.
The mother-son duo chatted for a little while longer.
Before hanging up the video call, Madam Qiao had Zhuang Yan turn the camera back to Xie Ning and said, “NingNing, if Zhuang Yan ever bullies you in the future, let me know and I’ll get revenge for you.”
Zhuang Yan snickered. “Didn’t you complain all the time before that people would tattle on me all the time?”
Madam Qiao frowned and glanced at him. “Other people are other people, but NingNing is one of our own, so how could it be the same?”
Zhuang Yan: “Alright, then.”
When they hung up, Xie Ning turned his head to look at Zhuang Yan, licked the corner of his lips, and with a trembling voice, asked, “Th-they all know?”
Zhuang Yan nodded, and smiled at him. “...I’ve told them before.”
Xie Ning’s hands clutched his shirt hem even tighter.
After a little while, he asked again, “Then...your grandpa…?”
Zhuang Yan turned his head to the side guiltily.
Xie Ning: “...”
He really didn’t know what to do or how to react now.
When he thought of the gift that Zhuang Yan’s grandpa gave him, his lips moved but he wasn’t able to say anything.
After a while, Xie Ning asked, “They...don’t have any complaints?”
Zhuang Yan raised his eyebrow and asked him in return, “What would they complain about? I found such an outstanding, appropriate boyfriend. They can’t even be happy fast enough.”
Xie Ning said quietly, “You and I...are both men.”
Zhuang Yan laughed. “Darling, are you living in the last century? Same-sex marriage has been legal for so many years now, and only those old, stubborn people will hold onto sexuality issues without letting go. Don’t worry, my family is very open-minded.”
Xie Ning looked at him and said, “Your family...is so nice.”
Zhuang Yan smiled. “Be a little more confident, NingNing. Our relationship is honorable and fair, and nobody can criticize us. You can also loudly introduce me as your boyfriend to anyone you want.”
“We don’t need to hide or worry about others’ gaze. I love you and you love me; we’ll date, marry, live together, and raise a bunch of little rabbits. When we’re old, we’ll still walk on the streets, hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder.”
Xie Ning’s nose started to sting for some reason.
After a long while, he slowly nodded and said, “Okay.”
On the day of his birthday, Xie Ning went to the large compound with Zhuang Yan.
The two of them left early in the morning, and because it was his birthday being celebrated, Xie Ning changed into full white formalwear and tied a bow at his collar.
The him in the mirror was slim, noble, and elegant, looking like he was a little prince that stepped out of a fairytale.
Zhuang Yan couldn’t help but pull him over and give him a few kisses, and picked out a brooch for him to wear.
When he thought about how the outstanding Xie Ning would be seen by more people, Zhuang Yan couldn’t help but feel a tiny bit unhappy.
He really wanted to hide this rabbit in his palm.
Zhuang Yan dressed up a little as well by dressing formally and purposely avoided dressing too nicely for fear of stealing Xie Ning’s spotlight.
But no matter what, his aura was too strong and his charisma too much, so when he and Xie Ning appeared together, he matched Xie Ning so well that others weren’t able to look away.
It was still morning when they arrived at the large compound, so they were the earliest to arrive.
They originally thought that Elder Xie was still sleeping, and didn’t think that they would see Elder Xie sitting in a chair specially prepared for him when they entered the living room. When he saw Xie Ning, his eyes lit up.
“NingNing is here.”
Uncle Zhong, who was next to Elder Xie to take care of him, said, “Young Master is finally here!”
Xie Ning walked over. “Grandpa, you woke up so early today.”
Elder Xie smiled and said, “It’s not early, it’s not early.”
Uncle Zhong smiled too. “Usually, he’s sleeping at this time, but he woke up early today. It must have been because he wanted to see you earlier.”
Elder Xie squinted his eyes. “What nonsense are you talking about.”
As they spoke, both their gazes turned to Zhuang Yan.
“This is…?”
Elder Xie was old, and his memory wasn’t very good. He thought Zhuang Yan looked familiar, but couldn’t think of who he was at the moment.
But Uncle Zhong still remembered him and reminded, “This is the Zhuang family’s child you praised before.”
“Oh, Zhuang...Zhuang Yan, right? You came during New Year’s. Come here and let me take a look at you…” Elder Xie waved his hand towards him and called him over to his chair. “I haven’t seen him in a while, and he’s become even more exceptional.”
Xie Ning quietly pulled on his hand to make him less nervous.
Zhuang Yan was actually a little nervous on this rare occasion.
He swallowed and smiled. “Elder seems to be getting healthier as well.”
Although it wasn’t his first time seeing Elder Xie, today...he was here with a different status.
In front of Elder Xie, his status changed from a good friend’s grandson to his grandson’s boyfriend. This wasn’t really a known concept.
Although Xie Ning hadn’t introduced him to Elder Xie yet.
Zhuang Yan didn’t think they could hide this matter from Elder Xie. Aside from the question of whether his grandpa accidentally exposed them, just the fact that Xie Ning lived at his house for so long, even Madam Qiao heard about it.
Although Elder Xie was old, but judging from his love for Xie Ning, he’d probably heard of the situation.
Elder Xie‘s attitude towards him was quite intimate, even more enthusiastic than during New Year’s, which made Zhuang Yan feel a little flattered.
The formal dinner starts at night, so there weren’t many people who were already there, only the staff who were preparing for dinner going in and out.
Today’s weather was very good, with the sun out and shining brightly. Xie Ning and Zhuang Yan accompanied Elder Xie to the garden for a walk.
“This yew tree was gifted to me by your grandfather when NingNing’s grandmother and I were getting married.” Elder Xie pointed to a tree and said, “It’s hard to take care of.”
One or two spots of red were faintly discernible on the green leaves, and it was very pleasing to the eye. Zhuang Yan said, “You raised it quite well. My grandpa loves to fiddle around with plants and flowers, but he doesn’t know how to take care of them himself. In the end, he’ll always find someone to take care of them instead.”
Elder Xie smiled and glanced at him. “You can’t let your grandfather hear you say those words, otherwise his temper will surface again.”
As he said this, he started to recall the past. “Your grandfather’s personality is still the same, very self-centered and others must follow his decisions. If he’s unsatisfied with anything, he’ll blow his beard and stare. After so many years, he still hasn’t improved.”
Zhuang Yan held back a smile. “You have a good temper, which is how you can stand him.”
Xie Ning glanced at him and felt like Zhuang Yan’s temper was probably very similar to his grandpa’s.
Elder Xie plucked two red fruits and put one in Xie Ning and Zhuang Yan’s hand each.
Xie Ning wondered, “Is this edible?”
“It’s not.” Elder Xie said, “This fruit is poisonous. It only looks pretty, so I’m giving it to you two to play with.”
Xie Ning said, “Oh.”
Elder Xie said, “There’s a legend about this yew tree. It’s said that a bird named ‘love’ watered this tree. I’m getting up there in age, so I can’t remember what exactly the legend was about.”
Zhuang Yan cupped the fruit in his hm and felt like Elder Xie probably already knew about him and Xie Ning.
After eating lunch, Elder Xie became sleepy so Uncle Zhong moved a recliner over and placed it somewhere where the sun wasn’t too strong for Elder Xie to close his eyes and rest for a bit.
Elder Xie was still thinking about Xie Ning’s birthday celebration in the evening, and reminded Uncle Zhong again and again to wake him up earlier.
When Elder Xie fell asleep, Xie Ning took Zhuang Yan to take a look at his room, mainly because Zhuang Yan wanted to see.
There wasn’t actually anything special about it. Xie Ning only returned to live at the large compound after taking the National College Entrance Examination. He lived in the student dorms when he was in university, and only came back on weekends. When he graduated, his uncle’s family started to make a fuss, and he could only move out.
But the room was still kept for him, and it was regularly cleaned.
Zhuang Yan even found some of Xie Ning’s drawings from a box under the bookshelf. Some were for homework, and some were drafts that were drawn when Xie Ning had inspiration.
Xie Ning blushed and smiled. “My level wasn’t mature enough then, so my art wasn’t that good.”
Zhuang Yan said, “I think it looks pretty good.”
There was a notebook next to the drawing notebook. Zhuang Yan thought it was a yearbook or something, but when he opened it to look, he found that it was a photo album.
The floor was covered with soft, clean carpet, so the two of them sat on the carpet and pored over the photo album with their heads leaning in.
“These were all taken in university,” Xie Ning said. “The rest are graduation photos.”
There wasn’t a huge difference between Xie Ning in university and Xie Ning now. He just dressed a bit more minimalistically now, and his personality seemed exactly the same, clean and cold.
Xie Ning’s face wasn’t childish, but for some reason, he always had an aura of being pure and clean, making others feel like he’s forever a student.
Zhuang Yan thought, while flipping through the album, If I didn’t choose to go abroad, I would have met Xie Ning when he was like this.
He was still as good-looking, enough to make Zhuang Yan’s heart move.
After flipping through the album, Zhuang Yan asked, “There aren't any photos of you as a kid?”
Xie Ning bit his lip, and quietly said, “...There aren’t anymore. We were a bit rushed and messy when moving back up north, so we don’t know where we put the albums and didn’t bring them back.”
Zhuang Yan let out an “Oh”, and was a little disappointed.
He was even more curious about what Xie Ning was like when he was a kid.
Was he...even cuter and shyer than he was now?
The two of them chatted for a while longer, and when the sun moved to the west, people started to arrive.
Although Uncle Zhong was the one receiving guests, Xie Ning, as the main character today, couldn’t hide upstairs.
Xia Wan and Xie Jing came a little early.
When Xie Ning saw them, he was taken aback.
A girl came as well, accompanying Xia Wan, like she was brought over.
Xie Ning was familiar with the girl, and Zhuang Yan knew her as well.
It was Song QingQing.
Xia Wan said, “This is a young lady I know. Since it’s your birthday, I brought her over to have a meal with us.”
Xie Ning’s expression immediately became cold.
-------------------------------------------
Author’s Note: Noting down an extra idea: If Zhuang Yan didn’t go abroad, and met Xie Ning in university.
The story isn’t over yet, but the number of extras I want to write continue to increase.
A faint sense of passion was in the air.
Xie Ning didn’t recover for a long while.
Zhuang Yan seemed to smile and looked towards the bedside table, then asked, “Where did you put the tissues?”
A while later, Xie Ning blinked. “It-it’s on the table.”
Zhuang Yan turned over and got off the bed, then used a tissue to wipe his hands.
Xie Ning lay there for a while, and asked, “Do you...want me to help?”
The look in Zhuang Yan’s eyes was deep, and he smiled. “I recommend that you don’t.”
Xie Ning silently pulled the blanket over him, and buried himself in it.
……
Zhuang Yan’s grandpa picked out Elder Xie’s present. Since he and Elder Xie have known each other for decades, he was more knowledgeable about his preferences than Xie Ning as a grandson.
Zhuang Yan’s grandpa, while picking gifts, asked some questions and prepared a birthday gift for Xie Ning at the end.
Xie Ning felt a little uncomfortable.
Even the currently-abroad Madam Qiao gave him a video call and asked, “I heard Zhuang Yan say that it’s almost your birthday?”
Xie Ning nodded. “Mhm.
“It’s a shame that I’m abroad,” Madam Qiao sighed. “If I knew earlier, then I could have tried to leave later.”
Xie Ning hurriedly responded, “There’s no need to go to so much trouble, as long as...the thought is there.”
Madam Qiao smiled. “Then I’ll wish you an early happy birthday, NingNing.”
Xie Ning sincerely responded, “Thank you.”
“There’s no need to thank me,” Madam Qiao said. “I’ll ship a present over, but it might take some time when going through customs, so it should arrive after your birthday.”
She stared at Zhuang Yan, next to Xie Ning, a little angrily. “The fault lies with him too, for not telling me earlier.”
Zhuang Yan raised his eyebrow slightly. “This is my fault too?”
Xie Ning shook his head. “It’s not his fault, since he hasn’t known for long either.”
Madam Qiao wasn’t going to let him off so easily. “If it’s not your fault, then who’s fault is it? Is it my fault that you didn’t even know your own boyfriend’s birthday?
Xie Ning choked. “He...I…”
Zhuang Yan: “...”
Madam Qiao only realized that she’d exposed herself when she said the words out loud, and covered her mouth with her hand.
Zhuang Yan glanced at her helplessly.
Xie Ning, panicking, asked, “You...you knew already?”
Madam Qiao coughed lightly and comforted him. “Um...Zhuang Yan told me about it already, so don’t worry. His father and I both like you a lot.”
Xie Ning was even more panicked. “Uncle...knows already too?”
Madam Qiao coughed again.
Zhuang Yan rubbed his forehead with his hand and said, “What are you telling him all this for?”
Madam Qiao said, “I just...didn’t pay attention for a bit.”
Xie Ning’s mind, at this moment, was completely blank, and could only stare at Madam Qiao on the screen, not knowing what to say at all.
Madam Qiao thought she’d frightened him, and hurriedly said, “Don’t be afraid, we’re all open-minded people and won’t hamper you two.”
Xie Ning involuntarily replied, “Mmn.”
His hands clutched nervously at the hem of his shirt, and his palms were a bit sweaty.
Madam Qiao said, “It’s a shame that his father isn’t here right now, or I would have him come over and meet with you too.”
Xie Ning dryly replied, “T-there’s no need.”
Madam Qiao smiled. “He should meet you so that he can wish you a happy birthday as well.”
Zhuang Yan, seeing how Xie Ning was way too nervous, turned the camera towards him instead. “You should pay attention to what you’re saying.”
When facing Zhuang Yan, Madam Qiao’s tone wasn’t as gentle. “What should I pay attention to? If it wasn’t for you finally being successful in your pursuit, would I become so excited that I let something slip?”
Before Zhuang Yan could speak, Madam Qiao said, “And you two are formally together. It’s not something shameful, so why shouldn’t I know?”
Zhuang Yan rubbed his forehead again. “You’re scaring him.”
Madam Qiao said, “It seems like to me that he’s just a bit flustered and wasn’t able to react in a timely manner. Besides, it’s a good thing if he knows our attitude towards you two earlier.”
Zhuang Yan thought about it and had no refute.
The fact that Xie Ning’s parents weren’t able to accept his sexuality was also part of his mental condition and worries.
And as an elder, Madam Qiao’s attitude most likely made him feel more at ease.
The mother-son duo chatted for a little while longer.
Before hanging up the video call, Madam Qiao had Zhuang Yan turn the camera back to Xie Ning and said, “NingNing, if Zhuang Yan ever bullies you in the future, let me know and I’ll get revenge for you.”
Zhuang Yan snickered. “Didn’t you complain all the time before that people would tattle on me all the time?”
Madam Qiao frowned and glanced at him. “Other people are other people, but NingNing is one of our own, so how could it be the same?”
Zhuang Yan: “Alright, then.”
When they hung up, Xie Ning turned his head to look at Zhuang Yan, licked the corner of his lips, and with a trembling voice, asked, “Th-they all know?”
Zhuang Yan nodded, and smiled at him. “...I’ve told them before.”
Xie Ning’s hands clutched his shirt hem even tighter.
After a little while, he asked again, “Then...your grandpa…?”
Zhuang Yan turned his head to the side guiltily.
Xie Ning: “...”
He really didn’t know what to do or how to react now.
When he thought of the gift that Zhuang Yan’s grandpa gave him, his lips moved but he wasn’t able to say anything.
After a while, Xie Ning asked, “They...don’t have any complaints?”
Zhuang Yan raised his eyebrow and asked him in return, “What would they complain about? I found such an outstanding, appropriate boyfriend. They can’t even be happy fast enough.”
Xie Ning said quietly, “You and I...are both men.”
Zhuang Yan laughed. “Darling, are you living in the last century? Same-sex marriage has been legal for so many years now, and only those old, stubborn people will hold onto sexuality issues without letting go. Don’t worry, my family is very open-minded.”
Xie Ning looked at him and said, “Your family...is so nice.”
Zhuang Yan smiled. “Be a little more confident, NingNing. Our relationship is honorable and fair, and nobody can criticize us. You can also loudly introduce me as your boyfriend to anyone you want.”
“We don’t need to hide or worry about others’ gaze. I love you and you love me; we’ll date, marry, live together, and raise a bunch of little rabbits. When we’re old, we’ll still walk on the streets, hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder.”
Xie Ning’s nose started to sting for some reason.
After a long while, he slowly nodded and said, “Okay.”
On the day of his birthday, Xie Ning went to the large compound with Zhuang Yan.
The two of them left early in the morning, and because it was his birthday being celebrated, Xie Ning changed into full white formalwear and tied a bow at his collar.
The him in the mirror was slim, noble, and elegant, looking like he was a little prince that stepped out of a fairytale.
Zhuang Yan couldn’t help but pull him over and give him a few kisses, and picked out a brooch for him to wear.
When he thought about how the outstanding Xie Ning would be seen by more people, Zhuang Yan couldn’t help but feel a tiny bit unhappy.
He really wanted to hide this rabbit in his palm.
Zhuang Yan dressed up a little as well by dressing formally and purposely avoided dressing too nicely for fear of stealing Xie Ning’s spotlight.
But no matter what, his aura was too strong and his charisma too much, so when he and Xie Ning appeared together, he matched Xie Ning so well that others weren’t able to look away.
It was still morning when they arrived at the large compound, so they were the earliest to arrive.
They originally thought that Elder Xie was still sleeping, and didn’t think that they would see Elder Xie sitting in a chair specially prepared for him when they entered the living room. When he saw Xie Ning, his eyes lit up.
“NingNing is here.”
Uncle Zhong, who was next to Elder Xie to take care of him, said, “Young Master is finally here!”
Xie Ning walked over. “Grandpa, you woke up so early today.”
Elder Xie smiled and said, “It’s not early, it’s not early.”
Uncle Zhong smiled too. “Usually, he’s sleeping at this time, but he woke up early today. It must have been because he wanted to see you earlier.”
Elder Xie squinted his eyes. “What nonsense are you talking about.”
As they spoke, both their gazes turned to Zhuang Yan.
“This is…?”
Elder Xie was old, and his memory wasn’t very good. He thought Zhuang Yan looked familiar, but couldn’t think of who he was at the moment.
But Uncle Zhong still remembered him and reminded, “This is the Zhuang family’s child you praised before.”
“Oh, Zhuang...Zhuang Yan, right? You came during New Year’s. Come here and let me take a look at you…” Elder Xie waved his hand towards him and called him over to his chair. “I haven’t seen him in a while, and he’s become even more exceptional.”
Xie Ning quietly pulled on his hand to make him less nervous.
Zhuang Yan was actually a little nervous on this rare occasion.
He swallowed and smiled. “Elder seems to be getting healthier as well.”
Although it wasn’t his first time seeing Elder Xie, today...he was here with a different status.
In front of Elder Xie, his status changed from a good friend’s grandson to his grandson’s boyfriend. This wasn’t really a known concept.
Although Xie Ning hadn’t introduced him to Elder Xie yet.
Zhuang Yan didn’t think they could hide this matter from Elder Xie. Aside from the question of whether his grandpa accidentally exposed them, just the fact that Xie Ning lived at his house for so long, even Madam Qiao heard about it.
Although Elder Xie was old, but judging from his love for Xie Ning, he’d probably heard of the situation.
Elder Xie‘s attitude towards him was quite intimate, even more enthusiastic than during New Year’s, which made Zhuang Yan feel a little flattered.
The formal dinner starts at night, so there weren’t many people who were already there, only the staff who were preparing for dinner going in and out.
Today’s weather was very good, with the sun out and shining brightly. Xie Ning and Zhuang Yan accompanied Elder Xie to the garden for a walk.
“This yew tree was gifted to me by your grandfather when NingNing’s grandmother and I were getting married.” Elder Xie pointed to a tree and said, “It’s hard to take care of.”
One or two spots of red were faintly discernible on the green leaves, and it was very pleasing to the eye. Zhuang Yan said, “You raised it quite well. My grandpa loves to fiddle around with plants and flowers, but he doesn’t know how to take care of them himself. In the end, he’ll always find someone to take care of them instead.”
Elder Xie smiled and glanced at him. “You can’t let your grandfather hear you say those words, otherwise his temper will surface again.”
As he said this, he started to recall the past. “Your grandfather’s personality is still the same, very self-centered and others must follow his decisions. If he’s unsatisfied with anything, he’ll blow his beard and stare. After so many years, he still hasn’t improved.”
Zhuang Yan held back a smile. “You have a good temper, which is how you can stand him.”
Xie Ning glanced at him and felt like Zhuang Yan’s temper was probably very similar to his grandpa’s.
Elder Xie plucked two red fruits and put one in Xie Ning and Zhuang Yan’s hand each.
Xie Ning wondered, “Is this edible?”
“It’s not.” Elder Xie said, “This fruit is poisonous. It only looks pretty, so I’m giving it to you two to play with.”
Xie Ning said, “Oh.”
Elder Xie said, “There’s a legend about this yew tree. It’s said that a bird named ‘love’ watered this tree. I’m getting up there in age, so I can’t remember what exactly the legend was about.”
Zhuang Yan cupped the fruit in his hm and felt like Elder Xie probably already knew about him and Xie Ning.
After eating lunch, Elder Xie became sleepy so Uncle Zhong moved a recliner over and placed it somewhere where the sun wasn’t too strong for Elder Xie to close his eyes and rest for a bit.
Elder Xie was still thinking about Xie Ning’s birthday celebration in the evening, and reminded Uncle Zhong again and again to wake him up earlier.
When Elder Xie fell asleep, Xie Ning took Zhuang Yan to take a look at his room, mainly because Zhuang Yan wanted to see.
There wasn’t actually anything special about it. Xie Ning only returned to live at the large compound after taking the National College Entrance Examination. He lived in the student dorms when he was in university, and only came back on weekends. When he graduated, his uncle’s family started to make a fuss, and he could only move out.
But the room was still kept for him, and it was regularly cleaned.
Zhuang Yan even found some of Xie Ning’s drawings from a box under the bookshelf. Some were for homework, and some were drafts that were drawn when Xie Ning had inspiration.
Xie Ning blushed and smiled. “My level wasn’t mature enough then, so my art wasn’t that good.”
Zhuang Yan said, “I think it looks pretty good.”
There was a notebook next to the drawing notebook. Zhuang Yan thought it was a yearbook or something, but when he opened it to look, he found that it was a photo album.
The floor was covered with soft, clean carpet, so the two of them sat on the carpet and pored over the photo album with their heads leaning in.
“These were all taken in university,” Xie Ning said. “The rest are graduation photos.”
There wasn’t a huge difference between Xie Ning in university and Xie Ning now. He just dressed a bit more minimalistically now, and his personality seemed exactly the same, clean and cold.
Xie Ning’s face wasn’t childish, but for some reason, he always had an aura of being pure and clean, making others feel like he’s forever a student.
Zhuang Yan thought, while flipping through the album, If I didn’t choose to go abroad, I would have met Xie Ning when he was like this.
He was still as good-looking, enough to make Zhuang Yan’s heart move.
After flipping through the album, Zhuang Yan asked, “There aren't any photos of you as a kid?”
Xie Ning bit his lip, and quietly said, “...There aren’t anymore. We were a bit rushed and messy when moving back up north, so we don’t know where we put the albums and didn’t bring them back.”
Zhuang Yan let out an “Oh”, and was a little disappointed.
He was even more curious about what Xie Ning was like when he was a kid.
Was he...even cuter and shyer than he was now?
The two of them chatted for a while longer, and when the sun moved to the west, people started to arrive.
Although Uncle Zhong was the one receiving guests, Xie Ning, as the main character today, couldn’t hide upstairs.
Xia Wan and Xie Jing came a little early.
When Xie Ning saw them, he was taken aback.
A girl came as well, accompanying Xia Wan, like she was brought over.
Xie Ning was familiar with the girl, and Zhuang Yan knew her as well.
It was Song QingQing.
Xia Wan said, “This is a young lady I know. Since it’s your birthday, I brought her over to have a meal with us.”
Xie Ning’s expression immediately became cold.
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Author’s Note: Noting down an extra idea: If Zhuang Yan didn’t go abroad, and met Xie Ning in university.
The story isn’t over yet, but the number of extras I want to write continue to increase.
