Shoutout to nyanmaru for the commission!
Ye Juan was momentarily stunned, unable to process being called “mother-in-law.” She stood there silently.
Ye Mu bit his lip, quickly trying to think of a way to handle the situation. Finally, he calmed down, his face expressionless as he coldly replied without a trace of emotion, “Your illness isn’t even cured yet. Why did you sneak out of the hospital again?”
Chen Mo’s smile instantly faded, unable to follow his train of thought. “What hospital? I’m not sick.”
Ye Mu looked at him with displeasure, enunciating his words forcefully, “People who are sick usually think they aren’t. It’s understandable that you don’t know.”
Chen Mo’s lips were tightly pressed, and his phoenix eyes narrowed dangerously. Feeling restrained from not losing his temper in front of Ye Juan, he could only grit his teeth and squeeze out, “Where’s the evidence?”
Ye Mu, with his thin eyelids drooping, coldly posed a well-known psychological test question for patients in a certain field: “Let me ask you, if the bathtub is full of water, is it faster to remove the water with a spoon or a basin?”
Chen Mo frowned and answered without hesitation, “A basin.”
Ye Mu calmly nodded, “Good. A normal person would pull the plug out of the bathtub.”
Chen Mo’s straight nose showed some hostility. “What do you mean by that? Are you indirectly calling me abnormal?”
Ye Mu looked at him coldly, “I mean nothing. Just reminding you to see a doctor if you’re unwell and stop disturbing people.”
With that, he didn’t wait for a response and turned to escort his mother towards the safety exit.
Chen Mo was left standing there, his sharp eyes showing a hint of resentment.
Ye Juan, being dragged along, was somewhat puzzled and asked, “The young man looked pretty young. What illness does he have?”
Ye Mu, in no mood for conversation, coldly replied, “Mental illness.”
Ye Juan, sensing something off, said, “He doesn’t look like that. Are you sure you’re not tricking your mom?”
Ye Mu rubbed his forehead in exasperation. To dispel her doubts, he recounted a news story he had seen, “It’s true. Last time, the company organized a collective event to climb fruit trees, and he stayed on the tree, refusing to come down.”
Ye Juan was baffled, “Why didn’t he come down?”
Ye Mu, with his thin eyelids lowered, said expressionlessly, “….He said the fruit wasn’t ripe yet.”
Ye Juan furrowed her brow, “That’s strange. Didn’t you say he’s your company’s boss? Who exactly is that person?”
Ye Mu, biting his lip and clearly frustrated, said, “Mom, please stop asking.”
Ye Juan glared at him and gave him a smack, “You little rascal, are you annoyed with your mom? Tell me, is he someone you’re seeing?”
Ye Mu didn’t reply, simply hailing a taxi, putting the suitcase inside, and opening the car door for her.
Ye Juan got in, still persistent, “I think you two are a good match. Why didn’t you let him come for dinner? It would be nice for your dad to meet him.”
Ye Mu gave the driver an address and then turned to look out the window, remaining silent.
Knowing her son usually didn’t want her involved in his romantic affairs, Ye Juan didn’t press further but continued to advise him, “You’re so stubborn. I don’t know what to say about you.”
Ye Mu rolled down the window, wiped his face, feeling a whirlwind of emotions and unable to calm down.
He remembered how, as a child with poor eyesight, he kicked a yellow bag by the roadside, only to discover it was a guard dog and narrowly escaped being bitten. His current feelings were no different. Chen Mo’s intense and obsessive behavior left him panicked and wanting to escape as far as possible.
Seeing her son still silent, Ye Juan sighed. Her son had always been like this, keeping everything inside and worrying her greatly.
The mother and son didn’t exchange any more words, each lost in their own thoughts. When they finally opened their own door, their expressions remained difficult to read.
Jiang Dongyuan was in the kitchen cooking, just finishing a dish and bringing it out. He looked at the mother and son with puzzled concern, “What’s going on with you two? You look like someone owes you money.”
Ye Juan waved it off, pretending nothing was wrong, and changed the subject, “Are the dishes ready? Do you need any help?”
Jiang Dongyuan, feeling rushed and behind on dinner, ducked back into the kitchen and said, “Sure, there are a few dishes left to cut. You can help with that.”
Ye Juan agreed, made a pot of tea for Ye Mu, and followed him into the kitchen.
Ye Mu, holding a paper bag, wanted to give some candy to his niece. After searching for a while, he found her hiding behind the curtains.
The little girl was sobbing in a corner of the sofa, tears dripping and her eyes swollen.
Ye Mu, puzzled, picked her up and sat her on the sofa. “Chun Chun, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?”
Ye Chun didn’t respond, continuing to cry.
Ye Mu took out a few candies from the paper bag and offered them to her, trying to comfort her, “I bought these for you from Walton. Do you want to try them?”
Ye Chun, her tears and snot mixed together, looked at him with a particularly distressed expression. She unwrapped a candy and put it in her mouth, mumbling, “Little Uncle, I… I might not survive the day after tomorrow.”
After saying this, she started crying again, looking very sad.
Ye Mu frowned, kneeling in front of her and using a tissue to wipe her face. “What happened? Tell Uncle.”
Ye Chun buried her head in her lap and refused to speak.
Ye Mu, worried, saw Jiang Dongyuan coming out of the kitchen and asked, “Dad, what’s wrong with Chun Chun?”
Jiang Dongyuan glanced at the child with some frustration, “She’s waiting for her exam results tomorrow.”
Ye Chun pouted and looked very distressed, “Mom said if I score between 30 and 60, I’ll get spanked. I calculated, and I can’t get 61 points on that test.”
Ye Mu smiled, patted her little face, and reassured her, “Don’t think like that. Maybe you could get a 29, and who knows, you might do better.”
Ye Chun stopped crying immediately, stared at him in confusion for a few minutes, then suddenly burst into laughter, “Haha, how come I didn’t think of that? Uncle, you’re so smart.”
Ye Mu affectionately patted her head, then picked her up and moved her to the table full of dishes.
With her worries resolved, Ye Chun’s mood lightened. Seeing the food, she became excited and eagerly picked up her chopsticks.
Jiang Dongyuan shook his head and sighed, “Really can’t do anything with her.”
Ye Mu helped with serving the food, smiling lightly, “Chun Chun isn’t stupid, just playful. Just keep an eye on her before the next exam.”
Ye Juan placed the last dish on the table, looking worried, “Do you think your dad and I didn’t supervise her? If she listened, she wouldn’t fail.”
Ye Mu put a bowl of rice on the table and then took an empty bowl to serve more, “Next time, Mom, just send her to me for review. I can help.”
Ye Juan was glad to hear that, “Okay, she listens to you the most. Maybe having you supervise will make a difference.”
She said this while taking off her apron and sitting down. Jiang Dongyuan also finished his tasks and poured himself a glass of alcohol.
Ye Mu handed the rice to them and then sat down himself. The family gathered around the table, and under the bright lights, it looked somewhat warm and cozy.
Jiang Dongyuan sipped his alcohol contentedly, chatting about trivial family matters. Ye Juan chimed in occasionally, and Ye Mu listened, smiling and laughing from time to time.
He was grateful that his mother didn’t bring up the incident at the airport again. Otherwise, with his father’s temper, it might have led to more questioning and arguments.
After dinner, the atmosphere remained peaceful. Ye Mu stayed until eight, helped with the dishes and tidied up, and then stood up to leave.
“Hey, wait a minute,” Ye Juan suddenly called out to her son.
Ye Mu stopped, his hand on the door handle, and looked at her.
Ye Juan brought out a large box from the inner room, breathing heavily as she walked, “The Yans send expensive supplements every year at the end of the year. I thought they wouldn’t send any this year since you split up, but the delivery came yesterday. I don’t know their address, so since you’re here, take it back to them. We don’t need these things.”
Ye Mu lowered his eyes, walked over, and took it with a calm expression. “Mm, I’ll be meeting him tomorrow, and I’ll give it to him then.”
Ye Juan nodded, hesitating to speak.
Ye Mu looked at her quietly for a moment, his thin lips slightly parted. “Mom, if you want to say something, just say it. It’s okay.”
Ye Juan let out a deep sigh. “Son, I can see that you really like that guy with the surname Yan, but you’ve suffered too much for him over the past eight years. If you can, let’s not look back, okay?”
Ye Mu’s face remained expressionless as he spoke clearly, more like a promise, “There won’t be anything beyond work-related interactions anymore.”
Seeing him say this, Ye Juan felt relieved, but she added, “That young man at the airport today seemed really nice. You and he…”
Ye Mu frowned and interrupted her, “Mom, there’s really nothing between us.”
Ye Juan didn’t believe him, “But earlier, I heard him call me ‘mother-in-law.'”
Ye Mu lowered his eyelids indifferently. “Mom, you misheard. He called you ‘Mother Ye.'”
Hearing this, Ye Juan became unsure. “Oh, then I misunderstood. Don’t be angry. Mom just wants you to find a partner soon.”
Ye Mu pursed his lips and looked at her deeply. “I know.”
Ye Juan patted his shoulder reassuringly. “It’s late. You should head home. Drive carefully.”
Ye Mu nodded, thought for a moment, and then left with the box.
By the time he returned to his own place, it was already ten o’clock at night. As he walked through the alley and up the stairs to his door, his steps involuntarily slowed.
In the dim light, he saw a tall, athletic man leaning against the doorframe, playing on his phone. Beside him were several large bags and a black dog.
Ye Mu approached, his expression sour, and spat out, “What the h*ll are you doing here?”
Chen Mo’s thin lips curved into a handsome smile, and a sly look flashed in his eyes. “I’ve already met your parents, so it wouldn’t make sense not to live together, right?”
“Woof!” The dog wagged its tail and barked, as if agreeing.
Ye Mu gritted his teeth, his face filled with anger. He pulled out his key and unlocked the door, trying to shut him out, but Chen Mo quickly blocked it.
“Older Brother, my lease is up, and I have nowhere to go. Could you be kind enough to let me stay for a while?”
Ye Mu tried to push his arm off the doorframe. “Get lost! I’d rather you sleep on the street than dirty my place!”
Chen Mo slipped through the gap in the door and, before Ye Mu could react, he grabbed him by the waist and pressed him against the door, giving him a forceful kiss. “You have a place, so just let me stay for a while. We’re close, aren’t we?”
Ye Mu bit his lip, drawing blood. “Enough. Listen, what happened in London was an accident. Now that we’re back, we’re done.”
Chen Mo leaned in and licked the corner of his lips playfully, grinding his hips against him. “Don’t be so cold. Since we both feel something, let’s live together. I already called your mom ‘mother-in-law’; you wouldn’t want me to get nothing in return, would you?”
Ye Mu let out a cold laugh, his face indifferent. “If you want, I can call you ‘grandfather’ in return.”
Chen Mo’s thin lips curved into a teasing smile, his sharp profile handsome and young. His Adam’s apple moved as he chuckled softly. “No need for ‘grandfather.’ How about you call me ‘husband’ instead?”
Ye Mu’s eyelids twitched. He wanted to strangle the little brat in front of him and raised his fist to hit him, but before he could, Chen Mo had already pinned his arms to the door.
Chen Mo leaned in, his lips softly touching Ye Mu’s cheek as he licked and kissed the soft pink lips. His lower abdomen pressed closer, his voice low and magnetic, with a hint of amusement. “Older Brother, I want you.”
Even through layers of fabric, Ye Mu could feel the hard, hot object pressing against him, and a surge of anger flared up in his chest. “Did you take something dirty again? Six times the day before yesterday, once yesterday, and you still want more today? Be careful, or you’ll damage your kidneys!”
Chen Mo kissed the bridge of his nose affectionately, his profile showing a mix of teasing and roguishness. “You said it yourself, yesterday was only once, so today we need to do it a few more times.”
Ye Mu was about to explode, his scalp tingling as he struggled desperately, but he couldn’t overpower Chen Mo. His voice was shaky with frustration. “Chen Mo, let me go, or I’ll charge you with r*pe!”
Before he could finish his sentence, Chen Mo sealed his lips with a deep kiss. His long, slender fingers skillfully caressed every sensitive spot, teasing and provoking, as he sought to dominate Ye Mu completely.
Ye Mu was burning up inside, feeling terrified by his lack of control. If the previous times had been accidents fueled by a soft heart, this time he was fully surrendering to the terrible yet irresistible temptation, no longer running away.
He wanted more touches, more intimacy, even though he resisted it in his heart. He had to admit that he and Chen Mo had an incredible chemistry in bed, a connection that no one else could give him. Every cell in his body was screaming for it; he wanted to be with this person, to the point of madness.
Chen Mo, already lost in his desire, held him tightly as they entered the room. Ye Mu bit his lip, finally giving up his inner struggle and wrapping his arms around Chen Mo. They undressed each other on their way to the bed, like two trapped beasts entangled in each other, unwilling to part.
The room’s heater wasn’t on, and it should have been cold, but they clung to each other, sharing body heat, feeling nothing but the burning intensity between them. Neither wanted to leave the other’s side to turn on the heater. The bed sheets were a mess, the floor even more so, but they were entirely absorbed in each other, unbothered by the chaos. Their passion was wild, addictive, impossible to resist.
Chen Mo, eyes closed, was completely immersed in the moment. His sharp profile, youthful face, and expression revealed a deep infatuation and intoxication. He couldn’t tell if he liked Ye Mu or just the act of being together, but all he wanted was to indulge in it endlessly.
*****
*Mini Theater*
Ye Mu: Next time you meet my mom, you have to act like you have a mental illness.
Chen Mo: How do I do that?
Ye Mu: Just imagine you have delusions and describe your symptoms to me as if I’m a doctor.
Chen Mo: Oh… Doctor, I always feel like I’m a bird.
Ye Mu: Oh, that’s serious. When did it start?
Chen Mo: Since I was a little bird.
Ye Mu: Good, just like that.
Chen Mo: →_→
