Translator: Aafkee
Proofreader: ChaiTea
Seeing how Chen Yifei stayed silent, Yan Yu continued to ask, “What do you think?” Chen Yifei echoed hesitantly, “... Meet your parents?” “Yeah.” Chen Yifei asked softly, “Have you already told them?” Yan Yu touched his own hair, pretending to be unperturbed, “Yeah… It’s fine, my family is pretty open.” He did not want to recall his one-hour long argument on the phone with his parents, either. Chen Yifei could detect a hint of bitterness in Yan Yu’s tone, knowing that he did not feel good either. He had experienced all that himself before so he could completely understand Yan Yu’s parents’ feelings. Chen Yifei replied gently, “This needs time. Besides, I think it is too early for you to tell them now.” Yan Yu protested, “I’m almost thirty.” “I’m not talking about your age.” Chen Yifei paused, but he did not continue after that. Yan Yu flipped over and lay on Chen Yifei’s legs and grumbled, “What? Are you thinking that we’ll not last long?” Chen Yifei did not continue precisely because he knew that Yan Yu would misunderstand. Yan Yu lay back on the bed and continued, “Don’t worry, it’s easy to talk to my family. They want to meet you, too.” Chen Yifei had not considered the problem of meeting his parents yet, but now that it was mentioned, he was temporarily at a loss for what to do, too. Yan Yu leaned on Chen Yifei and smirked cheekily, “Aiyo, is the omnipotent Class President Chen terrified right now? Isn’t it just meeting my parents?” Chen Yifei cast a sidelong glance at him, “Of course I wouldn’t know what to do since I don’t have any experience in this regard.” “You better have no experience, or I’ll be angry.” The conversation about meeting Yan Yu’s parents caused Chen Yifei to suffer from insomnia that night. Although Yan Yu might have only mentioned it in passing, Chen Yifei felt like he should prepare for it anyway. What should he say when he meets them? What can he even say? Should he get himself mentally prepared to receive a good beating from them? Yan Yu did not mention it a second time after that. Chen Yifei did not wish to be the reason for conflict between Yan Yu and his family members. He did not want to be the reason for the estrangement in Yan Yu’s family-- But Chen Yifei would not let others sway his decisions easily, either. If necessary, he had already made up his mind to remain as Yan Yu’s assistant for the rest of his life. A week later, Chen Yifei was scheduled to meet up with the project in charge of a company they were collaborating with alone. The car he usually drove was sent in for maintenance. Yan Yu wanted to let him drive a new car but Chen Yifei found it too troublesome and decided against it. Since the other party’s company was only a few streets away, he decided to take public transport instead. It was already evening when Chen Yifei was taking the public bus back. It just happened to be the peak hours so the bus was completely packed with people. Chen Yifei held onto the handrail as he stood in the carriage when he saw a fifty-something years old auntie carrying a single-shoulder bag, standing a few persons away from him right next to the window. The auntie seemed to be full of vigour. She had a pair of sunglasses resting on the top of her head, her clothes were concise yet not simple. Probably due to her age, her bag was unzipped. A middle-aged man sneakily shifted and positioned himself behind that auntie. Taking advantage of the unsteadiness of the bus, the man slowly reached his hand into the opened bag. The man looked around him, alert. Most people surrounding him have their attention on their phones, no one seemed to have noticed his actions. Just then, the man seemed to have gotten his hand on her wallet. He pinched at the corner of the wallet lightly and tugged, he almost got the wallet-- A hand reached out in a flash and grabbed onto the man’s wrist, giving the man a huge shock. His hand trembled and the wallet fell back into the bag. Chen Yifei did not use too much strength, but just enough to stop him from moving. The auntie only realised it now and quickly checked the contents of her bag. She glared at the man, “Good one, you. How dare you try to steal my things?!” The man glanced at Chen Yifei threateningly, only to see absolutely no hint of fear on his face. Quite the opposite; Chen Yifei was firm. All the eyes in the bus fell onto them. The man did not dare to insist any further and rushed to alight the bus, resentfully. Seeing that the pickpocket was gone, Chen Yifei let out a sigh of relief and looked towards the auntie. He asked, concerned, “Auntie, are you missing anything?” The auntie grabbed Chen Yifei’s arm gratefully, thanking him non-stop and praised, “No, no, all thanks to you. How kindhearted you are, youngster.” The auntie seemed to enjoy conversations as she started chatting away with Chen Yifei. Chen Yifei was quite accurate at judging people with just a look. He could tell that everything the auntie wore was subdued yet high-class, bright and straightforward, yet graceful. She did not seem to be the type of person who would take the public bus normally. Unexpectedly, the auntie alighted at the same stop as Chen Yifei. The auntie laughed in surprise, “Youngster, isn’t this fate? How do I address you?” Chen Yifei replied, “My surname is Chen. Are you stopping here on your travels?” “No, I’m here to look for my son. He’s working here.” The auntie rubbed her shoulder, “I’m old now, even taking the bus tires me.” Chen Yifei smiled, “I will help you carry this. Where are you heading?” “Ahh, sorry for troubling you. If only my son is half as quick-witted as you!” The auntie smiled, the wrinkles appearing at the corner of her eyes as she reached out and pointed at an office building not too far away, “I’m just heading there. It’ll only take me a few steps or so, there’s no need to trouble yourself to send me there.” Chen Yifei turned his head and looked; wasn’t that Yan Yu’s office? Chen Yifei replied, “I am an employee there.” The auntie looked at him, surprised. She said half-jokingly, “Really? So many coincidences today! Youngster, seems like I’m your lucky star.” She sounded slightly proud as she continued, “Then, you should know my son, Yan Yu.” Chen Yifei was completely shocked. He remained still on the spot for a while. Seeing Chen Yifei astonishment, Mama Yan asked, “What’s wrong?” She paused and laughed, “It’s fine. I’m just a normal old lady, there’s no need for you to be too overly cautious. Or rather, it must have been hard on you guys, to be working for that troublesome goblin.” Chen Yifei was speechless. Chen Yifei felt as if his brain had short-circuited. How can Mama Yan just come on a whim? He just happened to take the public bus, prompted by a sudden impulse and yet, he ran into Yan Yu’s mother? Why didn’t Yan Yu tell him beforehand? How could he let his mother take the public bus? Chen Yifei smiled stiffly, “Not at all, Yan… Chairman Yan is a good person.” Just then, Yan Yu’s meeting had just ended and he was about to give Chen Yifei a call when he received one from him instead. Chen Yifei said straightforwardly, “Your mother is here, come down quickly.” Yan Yu paused, “Huh?” “Your mother is here, didn’t you know?” Yan Yu was confused and could only reply after being stunned for a while, “My mum? My dad even told me this morning that she was learning how to dance with my aunt next door.” Chen Yifei stated, “She is right in front of me now, walking towards the office.” It gave Yan Yu a pretty big shock since he did not know anything about this! After revealing his relationship and sexual orientation to his mother, they had an argument and had yet to make up yet. He could not believe that she’d just come looking for him without any warning! Yan Yu was flustered as if he were a corrupted official who ran into the discipline committee. He asked to have the whole of his schedule rearranged so that he could make time to accompany his mother. Yan Yu called Mama Yan. The moment the line got through, Yan Yu roared into his phone, “Mum!!” Mama Yan exclaimed, “What are you shouting for? Your mum here is not deaf.” “Why didn’t you say anything before coming?!! I could have come and fetched you if you told me beforehand!!” Mama Yan let out a short laugh, “Hah, Xiao-Chen told you, didn’t he? Why should I tell you? I just want to have an unannounced inspection.” Yan Yu scowled miserably, “Mum… you should at least give me some time to prepare…” “Come down, quickly.” Chen Yifei and Mama Yan went to the office building together. Chen Yifei did not really dare to say anything throughout the short trip. Yan Yu arrived downstairs to welcome them. He first gave his mother a big warm hug and grumbled, “Mum, you can’t scare me like this.” Yan Yu glanced at Chen Yifei, who was standing behind them, and asked carefully, “Mum… How come you’re here with my assistant?” Mama Yan gushed, “I was nearly pickpocketed on the public bus! Thank god Xiao-Chen was courageous enough and helped me out of trouble. Xiao-Chen is your assistant?” Yan Yu said, worried, “See? You nearly had your things stolen. You should have told me beforehand so that I could fetch you.” Mama Yan scoffed, “You should give Xiao-Chen a raise.” Yan Yu muttered quietly, “Might as well let him be the Chairman of the board…” Mama Yan sharply snapped, “What did you say?” “Nothing.” Yan Yu wrapped his arm around his mother’s shoulders, “Let’s go up and continue our conversation sitting down.” When the three arrived at Yan Yu’s office, Chen Yifei immediately went to get a pot of fresh tea the moment Mama Yan was seated. After a thought, he decided not to remain in the room for now and went back to his own office temporarily. The room was only left with the mother and son. Yan Yu was sitting upright and still, his expression slightly nervous. Mama Yan took a sip of tea and said, “Son, I’m here to discuss what you said on the phone.” Yan Yu knew he could no longer avoid this conversation, “Mum, I have made myself very clear on the phone.” “How can you discuss such things on the phone?” Mama Yan said, “First of all, tell me this; have you really thought through it properly? Do you understand the consequences? Are you sure you won’t regret it?” Yan Yu replied seriously, “I have thought through it, and I am sure.” Mama Yan sighed lightly, “It is not as if I must have grandchildren, but I’m just worried that you’d be mistreated.” Yan Yu was touched, “Mum! I promise that I won’t let anyone bully me!” Mama Yan stated firmly, “I don’t have high expectations on your partner’s height or appearance. It’s fine as long as you like him. But you’ll probably feel more proud when you go out with him if he’s a tall and good looking one, right? His family shouldn’t be too far off from ours, either. He should have a warm and big heart. A man cannot be narrow-minded and petty.” Yan Yu swallowed, “Mum, he satisfies all the requirements you have listed… Actually, you have already met him…” Mama Yan was surprised, “When?” Yan Yu replied, “He’s Chen Yifei.” Mama Yan was stunned for quite a while as if she could not believe what she had heard. She could only gather herself and ask after a moment, “The person you want to introduce to me, is Xiao-Chen?” Yan Yu nodded, “Actually, I didn’t think of introducing y’all this quickly. Mum, you came to visit too suddenly.” Mama Yan remained silent for a second before she turned her head and called loudly, “Xiao-Chen--” Chen Yifei, who was in his own office, knew that it was time and walked out, slightly embarrassed. He, then, officially greeted her, “Hello, auntie.” Mama Yan stared at Yan Yu for a good while, seemingly in deep thoughts. Those ten plus seconds made Chen Yifei and Yan Yu extremely nervous. Chen Yifei felt that Mama Yan’s impression of him should not be too bad, while Yan Yu felt that whatever requirements his mother had listed were met by Chen Yifei, so she should not feel any dissatisfaction towards him. All of a sudden, Mama Yan stood up, “Let’s go. We’re going to have dinner.” Yan Yu became anxious, “Mum! We have yet to discuss this!” Mama Yan responded with, “There’s nothing much to discuss.” Both Chen Yifei and Yan Yu were flabbergasted. Mama Yan sighed, “From what I’m seeing, you youngsters are just teaming up to dupe this old lady, here. Are you sure that incident on the public bus wasn’t intentional? To make me think that Xiao-Chen is an especially good person so that you can have something good to say about him? You brat, you guys must be taking advantage of how credulous I am… Fine, fine, what else can I say? I like Xiao-Chen a lot, so I’ll leave the rest to you youngsters, alright?” For a moment, Yan Yu could not believe how such a pleasant surprise would just fall from the sky just like that while Chen Yifei was way more quick-witted than he was as he replied immediately, “Auntie, does it mean that you have approved?” Mama Yan held Chen Yifei’s hand and smiled, “Xiao-Chen, you are a good child. It’s my son’s good fortune to have found you.” Chen Yifei felt gratified that Yan Yu did not have to experience what he had to go through with his own family. Mama Yan was very open and she was very understanding of her child’s opinions. Chen Yifei could finally release that breath that had been stuck in his heart for a long while, “Auntie, thank you so much…” Yan Yu finally processed what was going on belatedly and immediately threw himself towards his mother and hugged her, giving her a big kiss. That night, Mama Yan literally revolved around Chen Yifei, asking questions about him from his childhood till now. When she got to know that Chen Yifei was Yan Yu’s classmate during their elementary school years, Mama Yan suddenly realised something, “Right, right…! I remember! There was a very outstanding child in his class when this brat was young!! The teachers were always praising him during the parent-teacher conferences! So that was you, Xiao-Chen!!” Although it was so long ago, Yan Yu still felt a little proud whenever this topic came up. After all, that Class President Chen was working under him now. Yan Yu cleared his schedule for that couple of days to make time for his mother. When they returned home at night, Yan Yu helped his mother settle down before closing the room door lightly and letting out a deep breath. Chen Yifei was standing behind him, “You’re exhausted, aren’t you?” Yan Yu looked back and threw himself onto Chen Yifei and kissed him. Chen Yifei embraced Yan Yu’s waist as he was pushed back by Yan Yu until they fell onto the bed. After a round of kissing, Yan Yu leaned on Chen Yifei’s shoulder and remained still. Chen Yifei asked softly, “What’s wrong?” Yan Yu replied, “I’m happy.” Chen Yifei smiled as he caressed Yan Yu’s hair. Who said Chen Yifei was unperturbed? For the sake of not making Yan Yu even more nervous than he already was, Chen Yifei had spent every single ounce of strength and energy he had to pretend that he was calm the whole day. With that, Yan Yu’s desire rose. He kissed Chen Yifei and wanted to have a round with him with no restraints. Chen Yifei said, “Let’s not do it today. Your mum is next door.” “So?” “It would be good if she heard us.” Yan Yu thought of it for a second and decided against it in the end. He rolled towards Chen Yifei and leaned onto Chen Yifei’s arm with a smile almost as if he was a trafficker who had his hands on a child. While Yan Yu felt satisfied on this side, Yu Yue, on the other hand, was trying his best to reduce the distance between him and his dearest police officer. It had been a month or so since Pei Yu had taken the initiative to invite him up to his apartment, but there had been no progress in their relationship since then. Yu Yue would wait for Pei Yu under his apartment building every time he was free and he would invite him out for a meal. Pei Yu seemed to have gotten used to this Chairman’s actions, and he would accept his invitation once in a while, on a whim. One night, Yu Yue had already been waiting for a long while at Pei Yu’s apartment building, but he could not see Pei Yu at all. Yu Yue had already decided not to leave before he saw Pei Yu, and just as he was about to fall asleep, Pei Yu was finally back. Before Yu Yue could even feel excited at seeing Pei Yu’s return, he was already shocked by the scene in front of him. Blood was dripping from Pei Yu’s arm. He did not even have time to change out of his police uniform. His upper arm was stabbed by something sharp. As his clothes were damaged, the injury on display looked a bit terrifying. In comparison, Pei Yu’s expression was calm and indifferent, as if it was nothing out of the ordinary. It was the first time Yu Yue had seen such a scene outside of a movie or television show. It gave him quite a scare, causing him to blank out and be at a loss. Pei Yu seemed to have no time to talk to him as he covered his wound and went upstairs straightaway. Only then did Yu Yue chase after him hurriedly. Yu Yue was extremely anxious, “What happened to your arm?!” Pei Yu replied calmly, “I had an accident during my mission just now.” Yu Yue insisted, “You should go to the hospital immediately!!” “I was injured at the park right across the street from here. It’s a bit far from the hospital here so I need to do some emergency first aid.” Pei Yu continued, “You should go back.” Pei Yu took out his keys with one hand while Yu Yue did not give it a second thought before snatching the key away and opening the door for him, his face flushed with anxiety and worry. Now that Yu Yue had faced such a situation for real, he realised that he did not understand anything at all. Seeing the blood flowing out of Pei Yu’s arm hurt his heart deeply. Pei Yu instructed, “There’s a first aid kit in the toilet.” Yu Yue rushed to retrieve it. He returned and sat on the side as he watched Pei Yu proficiently cutting open his clothes before cleaning his wound. He wanted to help but was scared of causing trouble for Pei Yu. Yu Yue felt so helpless and anxious that he was on the brink of tears. After the emergency first aid, Yu Yue hastily drove Pei Yu to the hospital at a speed that he had never driven before in his life. Pei Yu, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, was not worried about his injury. Instead, he was more worried about the stirred up Yu Yue driving and crashing into something. It was already past eleven at night when they arrived at the hospital. Yu Yue refused to leave no matter what Pei Yu said. He insisted on accompanying Pei Yu as he got his wound cleaned and wrapped. He also bought him some midnight snacks and stayed until past midnight. Yu Yue’s actions did reach Pei Yu’s heart. This was the first time Pei Yu had met someone, other than his own parents, who would care so much about him. Yu Yue sent Pei Yu home afterwards. He was still worried, but he no longer had any reasons to stay longer. Yu Yue did not really dare to ask Pei Yu about how he had gotten his injury. He was already mentally prepared to accept the risks that came with Pei Yu’s job -- He did not want to scare himself any further. Pei Yu looked at Yu Yue’s worried expression and asked, “Can you accept it?” Yu Yue was momentarily stunned, “What?” Pei Yu said plainly, “Me, as a police.” “... It’s not like I can ask you to get another job.” Yu Yue forced out a smile, “Although you may not like me, you’ll definitely get together with someone in the future, right? I only wish that… you would consider your partner’s feelings… and take better care of yourself…” The more he said, the more depressed he sounded until gradually, even his voice died away. Pei Yu remained silent for a moment before the corner of his lips lifted slightly, “Will you still come tomorrow?” “I have a meeting tomorrow afternoon, so maybe not…” Pei Yu said softly, “Oh, really? I was kind of looking forward to having a meal with you.” Yu Yue froze. His eyes slowly brightened as he looked at Pei Yu as if he could not believe what had happened. He was at a loss for words. Seeing Yu Yue’s “I don’t believe such a good thing would happen to me” expression made Pei Yu unable to restrain his smile, but he managed to maintain his strict demeanour with great determination and concentration. Pei Yu leaned onto the door frame, calm and collected, as he tilted his head to look at him, “Does your confession still count? If it does, I’ll accept it.”
Translator: Aafkee
Proofreader: ChaiTea
Seeing how Chen Yifei stayed silent, Yan Yu continued to ask, “What do you think?” Chen Yifei echoed hesitantly, “... Meet your parents?” “Yeah.” Chen Yifei asked softly, “Have you already told them?” Yan Yu touched his own hair, pretending to be unperturbed, “Yeah… It’s fine, my family is pretty open.” He did not want to recall his one-hour long argument on the phone with his parents, either. Chen Yifei could detect a hint of bitterness in Yan Yu’s tone, knowing that he did not feel good either. He had experienced all that himself before so he could completely understand Yan Yu’s parents’ feelings. Chen Yifei replied gently, “This needs time. Besides, I think it is too early for you to tell them now.” Yan Yu protested, “I’m almost thirty.” “I’m not talking about your age.” Chen Yifei paused, but he did not continue after that. Yan Yu flipped over and lay on Chen Yifei’s legs and grumbled, “What? Are you thinking that we’ll not last long?” Chen Yifei did not continue precisely because he knew that Yan Yu would misunderstand. Yan Yu lay back on the bed and continued, “Don’t worry, it’s easy to talk to my family. They want to meet you, too.” Chen Yifei had not considered the problem of meeting his parents yet, but now that it was mentioned, he was temporarily at a loss for what to do, too. Yan Yu leaned on Chen Yifei and smirked cheekily, “Aiyo, is the omnipotent Class President Chen terrified right now? Isn’t it just meeting my parents?” Chen Yifei cast a sidelong glance at him, “Of course I wouldn’t know what to do since I don’t have any experience in this regard.” “You better have no experience, or I’ll be angry.” The conversation about meeting Yan Yu’s parents caused Chen Yifei to suffer from insomnia that night. Although Yan Yu might have only mentioned it in passing, Chen Yifei felt like he should prepare for it anyway. What should he say when he meets them? What can he even say? Should he get himself mentally prepared to receive a good beating from them? Yan Yu did not mention it a second time after that. Chen Yifei did not wish to be the reason for conflict between Yan Yu and his family members. He did not want to be the reason for the estrangement in Yan Yu’s family-- But Chen Yifei would not let others sway his decisions easily, either. If necessary, he had already made up his mind to remain as Yan Yu’s assistant for the rest of his life. A week later, Chen Yifei was scheduled to meet up with the project in charge of a company they were collaborating with alone. The car he usually drove was sent in for maintenance. Yan Yu wanted to let him drive a new car but Chen Yifei found it too troublesome and decided against it. Since the other party’s company was only a few streets away, he decided to take public transport instead. It was already evening when Chen Yifei was taking the public bus back. It just happened to be the peak hours so the bus was completely packed with people. Chen Yifei held onto the handrail as he stood in the carriage when he saw a fifty-something years old auntie carrying a single-shoulder bag, standing a few persons away from him right next to the window. The auntie seemed to be full of vigour. She had a pair of sunglasses resting on the top of her head, her clothes were concise yet not simple. Probably due to her age, her bag was unzipped. A middle-aged man sneakily shifted and positioned himself behind that auntie. Taking advantage of the unsteadiness of the bus, the man slowly reached his hand into the opened bag. The man looked around him, alert. Most people surrounding him have their attention on their phones, no one seemed to have noticed his actions. Just then, the man seemed to have gotten his hand on her wallet. He pinched at the corner of the wallet lightly and tugged, he almost got the wallet-- A hand reached out in a flash and grabbed onto the man’s wrist, giving the man a huge shock. His hand trembled and the wallet fell back into the bag. Chen Yifei did not use too much strength, but just enough to stop him from moving. The auntie only realised it now and quickly checked the contents of her bag. She glared at the man, “Good one, you. How dare you try to steal my things?!” The man glanced at Chen Yifei threateningly, only to see absolutely no hint of fear on his face. Quite the opposite; Chen Yifei was firm. All the eyes in the bus fell onto them. The man did not dare to insist any further and rushed to alight the bus, resentfully. Seeing that the pickpocket was gone, Chen Yifei let out a sigh of relief and looked towards the auntie. He asked, concerned, “Auntie, are you missing anything?” The auntie grabbed Chen Yifei’s arm gratefully, thanking him non-stop and praised, “No, no, all thanks to you. How kindhearted you are, youngster.” The auntie seemed to enjoy conversations as she started chatting away with Chen Yifei. Chen Yifei was quite accurate at judging people with just a look. He could tell that everything the auntie wore was subdued yet high-class, bright and straightforward, yet graceful. She did not seem to be the type of person who would take the public bus normally. Unexpectedly, the auntie alighted at the same stop as Chen Yifei. The auntie laughed in surprise, “Youngster, isn’t this fate? How do I address you?” Chen Yifei replied, “My surname is Chen. Are you stopping here on your travels?” “No, I’m here to look for my son. He’s working here.” The auntie rubbed her shoulder, “I’m old now, even taking the bus tires me.” Chen Yifei smiled, “I will help you carry this. Where are you heading?” “Ahh, sorry for troubling you. If only my son is half as quick-witted as you!” The auntie smiled, the wrinkles appearing at the corner of her eyes as she reached out and pointed at an office building not too far away, “I’m just heading there. It’ll only take me a few steps or so, there’s no need to trouble yourself to send me there.” Chen Yifei turned his head and looked; wasn’t that Yan Yu’s office? Chen Yifei replied, “I am an employee there.” The auntie looked at him, surprised. She said half-jokingly, “Really? So many coincidences today! Youngster, seems like I’m your lucky star.” She sounded slightly proud as she continued, “Then, you should know my son, Yan Yu.” Chen Yifei was completely shocked. He remained still on the spot for a while. Seeing Chen Yifei astonishment, Mama Yan asked, “What’s wrong?” She paused and laughed, “It’s fine. I’m just a normal old lady, there’s no need for you to be too overly cautious. Or rather, it must have been hard on you guys, to be working for that troublesome goblin.” Chen Yifei was speechless. Chen Yifei felt as if his brain had short-circuited. How can Mama Yan just come on a whim? He just happened to take the public bus, prompted by a sudden impulse and yet, he ran into Yan Yu’s mother? Why didn’t Yan Yu tell him beforehand? How could he let his mother take the public bus? Chen Yifei smiled stiffly, “Not at all, Yan… Chairman Yan is a good person.” Just then, Yan Yu’s meeting had just ended and he was about to give Chen Yifei a call when he received one from him instead. Chen Yifei said straightforwardly, “Your mother is here, come down quickly.” Yan Yu paused, “Huh?” “Your mother is here, didn’t you know?” Yan Yu was confused and could only reply after being stunned for a while, “My mum? My dad even told me this morning that she was learning how to dance with my aunt next door.” Chen Yifei stated, “She is right in front of me now, walking towards the office.” It gave Yan Yu a pretty big shock since he did not know anything about this! After revealing his relationship and sexual orientation to his mother, they had an argument and had yet to make up yet. He could not believe that she’d just come looking for him without any warning! Yan Yu was flustered as if he were a corrupted official who ran into the discipline committee. He asked to have the whole of his schedule rearranged so that he could make time to accompany his mother. Yan Yu called Mama Yan. The moment the line got through, Yan Yu roared into his phone, “Mum!!” Mama Yan exclaimed, “What are you shouting for? Your mum here is not deaf.” “Why didn’t you say anything before coming?!! I could have come and fetched you if you told me beforehand!!” Mama Yan let out a short laugh, “Hah, Xiao-Chen told you, didn’t he? Why should I tell you? I just want to have an unannounced inspection.” Yan Yu scowled miserably, “Mum… you should at least give me some time to prepare…” “Come down, quickly.” Chen Yifei and Mama Yan went to the office building together. Chen Yifei did not really dare to say anything throughout the short trip. Yan Yu arrived downstairs to welcome them. He first gave his mother a big warm hug and grumbled, “Mum, you can’t scare me like this.” Yan Yu glanced at Chen Yifei, who was standing behind them, and asked carefully, “Mum… How come you’re here with my assistant?” Mama Yan gushed, “I was nearly pickpocketed on the public bus! Thank god Xiao-Chen was courageous enough and helped me out of trouble. Xiao-Chen is your assistant?” Yan Yu said, worried, “See? You nearly had your things stolen. You should have told me beforehand so that I could fetch you.” Mama Yan scoffed, “You should give Xiao-Chen a raise.” Yan Yu muttered quietly, “Might as well let him be the Chairman of the board…” Mama Yan sharply snapped, “What did you say?” “Nothing.” Yan Yu wrapped his arm around his mother’s shoulders, “Let’s go up and continue our conversation sitting down.” When the three arrived at Yan Yu’s office, Chen Yifei immediately went to get a pot of fresh tea the moment Mama Yan was seated. After a thought, he decided not to remain in the room for now and went back to his own office temporarily. The room was only left with the mother and son. Yan Yu was sitting upright and still, his expression slightly nervous. Mama Yan took a sip of tea and said, “Son, I’m here to discuss what you said on the phone.” Yan Yu knew he could no longer avoid this conversation, “Mum, I have made myself very clear on the phone.” “How can you discuss such things on the phone?” Mama Yan said, “First of all, tell me this; have you really thought through it properly? Do you understand the consequences? Are you sure you won’t regret it?” Yan Yu replied seriously, “I have thought through it, and I am sure.” Mama Yan sighed lightly, “It is not as if I must have grandchildren, but I’m just worried that you’d be mistreated.” Yan Yu was touched, “Mum! I promise that I won’t let anyone bully me!” Mama Yan stated firmly, “I don’t have high expectations on your partner’s height or appearance. It’s fine as long as you like him. But you’ll probably feel more proud when you go out with him if he’s a tall and good looking one, right? His family shouldn’t be too far off from ours, either. He should have a warm and big heart. A man cannot be narrow-minded and petty.” Yan Yu swallowed, “Mum, he satisfies all the requirements you have listed… Actually, you have already met him…” Mama Yan was surprised, “When?” Yan Yu replied, “He’s Chen Yifei.” Mama Yan was stunned for quite a while as if she could not believe what she had heard. She could only gather herself and ask after a moment, “The person you want to introduce to me, is Xiao-Chen?” Yan Yu nodded, “Actually, I didn’t think of introducing y’all this quickly. Mum, you came to visit too suddenly.” Mama Yan remained silent for a second before she turned her head and called loudly, “Xiao-Chen--” Chen Yifei, who was in his own office, knew that it was time and walked out, slightly embarrassed. He, then, officially greeted her, “Hello, auntie.” Mama Yan stared at Yan Yu for a good while, seemingly in deep thoughts. Those ten plus seconds made Chen Yifei and Yan Yu extremely nervous. Chen Yifei felt that Mama Yan’s impression of him should not be too bad, while Yan Yu felt that whatever requirements his mother had listed were met by Chen Yifei, so she should not feel any dissatisfaction towards him. All of a sudden, Mama Yan stood up, “Let’s go. We’re going to have dinner.” Yan Yu became anxious, “Mum! We have yet to discuss this!” Mama Yan responded with, “There’s nothing much to discuss.” Both Chen Yifei and Yan Yu were flabbergasted. Mama Yan sighed, “From what I’m seeing, you youngsters are just teaming up to dupe this old lady, here. Are you sure that incident on the public bus wasn’t intentional? To make me think that Xiao-Chen is an especially good person so that you can have something good to say about him? You brat, you guys must be taking advantage of how credulous I am… Fine, fine, what else can I say? I like Xiao-Chen a lot, so I’ll leave the rest to you youngsters, alright?” For a moment, Yan Yu could not believe how such a pleasant surprise would just fall from the sky just like that while Chen Yifei was way more quick-witted than he was as he replied immediately, “Auntie, does it mean that you have approved?” Mama Yan held Chen Yifei’s hand and smiled, “Xiao-Chen, you are a good child. It’s my son’s good fortune to have found you.” Chen Yifei felt gratified that Yan Yu did not have to experience what he had to go through with his own family. Mama Yan was very open and she was very understanding of her child’s opinions. Chen Yifei could finally release that breath that had been stuck in his heart for a long while, “Auntie, thank you so much…” Yan Yu finally processed what was going on belatedly and immediately threw himself towards his mother and hugged her, giving her a big kiss. That night, Mama Yan literally revolved around Chen Yifei, asking questions about him from his childhood till now. When she got to know that Chen Yifei was Yan Yu’s classmate during their elementary school years, Mama Yan suddenly realised something, “Right, right…! I remember! There was a very outstanding child in his class when this brat was young!! The teachers were always praising him during the parent-teacher conferences! So that was you, Xiao-Chen!!” Although it was so long ago, Yan Yu still felt a little proud whenever this topic came up. After all, that Class President Chen was working under him now. Yan Yu cleared his schedule for that couple of days to make time for his mother. When they returned home at night, Yan Yu helped his mother settle down before closing the room door lightly and letting out a deep breath. Chen Yifei was standing behind him, “You’re exhausted, aren’t you?” Yan Yu looked back and threw himself onto Chen Yifei and kissed him. Chen Yifei embraced Yan Yu’s waist as he was pushed back by Yan Yu until they fell onto the bed. After a round of kissing, Yan Yu leaned on Chen Yifei’s shoulder and remained still. Chen Yifei asked softly, “What’s wrong?” Yan Yu replied, “I’m happy.” Chen Yifei smiled as he caressed Yan Yu’s hair. Who said Chen Yifei was unperturbed? For the sake of not making Yan Yu even more nervous than he already was, Chen Yifei had spent every single ounce of strength and energy he had to pretend that he was calm the whole day. With that, Yan Yu’s desire rose. He kissed Chen Yifei and wanted to have a round with him with no restraints. Chen Yifei said, “Let’s not do it today. Your mum is next door.” “So?” “It would be good if she heard us.” Yan Yu thought of it for a second and decided against it in the end. He rolled towards Chen Yifei and leaned onto Chen Yifei’s arm with a smile almost as if he was a trafficker who had his hands on a child. While Yan Yu felt satisfied on this side, Yu Yue, on the other hand, was trying his best to reduce the distance between him and his dearest police officer. It had been a month or so since Pei Yu had taken the initiative to invite him up to his apartment, but there had been no progress in their relationship since then. Yu Yue would wait for Pei Yu under his apartment building every time he was free and he would invite him out for a meal. Pei Yu seemed to have gotten used to this Chairman’s actions, and he would accept his invitation once in a while, on a whim. One night, Yu Yue had already been waiting for a long while at Pei Yu’s apartment building, but he could not see Pei Yu at all. Yu Yue had already decided not to leave before he saw Pei Yu, and just as he was about to fall asleep, Pei Yu was finally back. Before Yu Yue could even feel excited at seeing Pei Yu’s return, he was already shocked by the scene in front of him. Blood was dripping from Pei Yu’s arm. He did not even have time to change out of his police uniform. His upper arm was stabbed by something sharp. As his clothes were damaged, the injury on display looked a bit terrifying. In comparison, Pei Yu’s expression was calm and indifferent, as if it was nothing out of the ordinary. It was the first time Yu Yue had seen such a scene outside of a movie or television show. It gave him quite a scare, causing him to blank out and be at a loss. Pei Yu seemed to have no time to talk to him as he covered his wound and went upstairs straightaway. Only then did Yu Yue chase after him hurriedly. Yu Yue was extremely anxious, “What happened to your arm?!” Pei Yu replied calmly, “I had an accident during my mission just now.” Yu Yue insisted, “You should go to the hospital immediately!!” “I was injured at the park right across the street from here. It’s a bit far from the hospital here so I need to do some emergency first aid.” Pei Yu continued, “You should go back.” Pei Yu took out his keys with one hand while Yu Yue did not give it a second thought before snatching the key away and opening the door for him, his face flushed with anxiety and worry. Now that Yu Yue had faced such a situation for real, he realised that he did not understand anything at all. Seeing the blood flowing out of Pei Yu’s arm hurt his heart deeply. Pei Yu instructed, “There’s a first aid kit in the toilet.” Yu Yue rushed to retrieve it. He returned and sat on the side as he watched Pei Yu proficiently cutting open his clothes before cleaning his wound. He wanted to help but was scared of causing trouble for Pei Yu. Yu Yue felt so helpless and anxious that he was on the brink of tears. After the emergency first aid, Yu Yue hastily drove Pei Yu to the hospital at a speed that he had never driven before in his life. Pei Yu, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, was not worried about his injury. Instead, he was more worried about the stirred up Yu Yue driving and crashing into something. It was already past eleven at night when they arrived at the hospital. Yu Yue refused to leave no matter what Pei Yu said. He insisted on accompanying Pei Yu as he got his wound cleaned and wrapped. He also bought him some midnight snacks and stayed until past midnight. Yu Yue’s actions did reach Pei Yu’s heart. This was the first time Pei Yu had met someone, other than his own parents, who would care so much about him. Yu Yue sent Pei Yu home afterwards. He was still worried, but he no longer had any reasons to stay longer. Yu Yue did not really dare to ask Pei Yu about how he had gotten his injury. He was already mentally prepared to accept the risks that came with Pei Yu’s job -- He did not want to scare himself any further. Pei Yu looked at Yu Yue’s worried expression and asked, “Can you accept it?” Yu Yue was momentarily stunned, “What?” Pei Yu said plainly, “Me, as a police.” “... It’s not like I can ask you to get another job.” Yu Yue forced out a smile, “Although you may not like me, you’ll definitely get together with someone in the future, right? I only wish that… you would consider your partner’s feelings… and take better care of yourself…” The more he said, the more depressed he sounded until gradually, even his voice died away. Pei Yu remained silent for a moment before the corner of his lips lifted slightly, “Will you still come tomorrow?” “I have a meeting tomorrow afternoon, so maybe not…” Pei Yu said softly, “Oh, really? I was kind of looking forward to having a meal with you.” Yu Yue froze. His eyes slowly brightened as he looked at Pei Yu as if he could not believe what had happened. He was at a loss for words. Seeing Yu Yue’s “I don’t believe such a good thing would happen to me” expression made Pei Yu unable to restrain his smile, but he managed to maintain his strict demeanour with great determination and concentration. Pei Yu leaned onto the door frame, calm and collected, as he tilted his head to look at him, “Does your confession still count? If it does, I’ll accept it.”
