During the Spring Festival holiday, Chu Duxiu and Xie Shenci redeemed their company’s annual gala prize. Instead of waiting until New Year’s Eve, they arrived in Wencheng two or three days early.
Before they set out, Chu Duxiu asked Xie Shenci whether he should at least let his family know. After all, it was the time of year for reunions – maybe Chen Jingshu and the others would miss him, and he could at least spend a few days flying back to Yancheng.
But when Xie Shenci called home, he was met with unexpected news.
“They took Grandpa abroad.” Xie Shenci looked at the phone screen. “They just arrived there and told me not to go back to Yancheng.”
“So sudden?” Chu Duxiu exclaimed.
The last time they visited, Xie Shenci’s parents had only mentioned going back to their hometown for a trip. Who would have thought that just a few months later they’d go even farther – taking his grandfather overseas.
“…Not all that sudden, really.”
Xie Shenci had a hunch that Chen Jingshu and Xie Wentao had prepared this long in advance; otherwise, they couldn’t possibly have gotten their visas approved so quickly. But since he had already planned to go to Wencheng this year, his parents’ move was perfectly in line with his own plans – it even made his New Year trip more natural. He ought to be thanking them for it.
With that thought, Xie Shenci put away his phone and glanced up at Chu Duxiu. “So what now?”
His eyes were dark and clear, his expression calm and composed as always. But the faint blink, paired with the soft tone of his question, carried an inexplicable hint of a stray cat’s pitiful look.
Chu Duxiu had been worried his family might be upset, but now all her anxieties evaporated.
She stammered, “Then… just come home with me…”
After all, if no one else wanted him and he was left to wander, it wouldn’t hurt if she took him in, right?
The only thing she wasn’t sure of was how her parents would feel about it.
*
Wencheng, on the eve of Spring Festival, was ablaze with lanterns and festive decorations. The once quiet and peaceful city had grown lively again. Migrant workers returning home finally reunited with their families, and the residential parking lots were crammed full. Even the roadside was packed with private cars, many bearing out-of-town license plates.
Chu Duxiu and Xie Shenci came back early, arriving before Chu Shuangyou, who worked in Nancheng, and thus stayed at home for a few more days, spending more time with her parents.
Compared to the grand first visit, Xie Shenci’s second time stepping through the door carried a very different identity. In the eyes of Chu Lan and Shi Qin, he was no longer merely “their daughter’s boss,” but had become “their daughter’s boyfriend” – and with that, their attitude shifted as well.
The first time Chu Lan met Xie Shenci, he had tried to drown him in drinks at the dinner table. But this time, when Xie Shenci came visiting for the New Year, she greeted him with warmth and friendliness, even suggesting he take in the sights of Wencheng and experience the local social life of mahjong and card games.
Neither Chu Duxiu nor Shi Qin objected, and surprisingly, Chu Lan and Xie Shenci hit it off right away at the card table.
Inside the teahouse, several mahjong tables had already been set up. As soon as one stepped through the door, a crisp clattering rang out – the sound of tiles clicking and sliding against each other. The air was rich with the fragrance of tea, and the room buzzed with cheerful chatter. This was the gathering place for locals, where they played mahjong and cards while sipping tea and trading gossip and stories.
“Oh my, so this is Xiuxiu’s boyfriend? So tall, and such a fine-looking young man!”
“Chu Lan, your family really has an eye for men – he’s as handsome as Shi Qin was in his youth…”
“You’ll have to share your secret with us!”
“Duxiu, did you bring him here just to spend the New Year in Wencheng?”
“Yes…”
Xie Shenci was striking in appearance, and since his face was unfamiliar,
the moment he appeared with Chu Duxiu and her family, he quickly drew the attention of others. Surrounded by curious neighbors chattering nonstop, he looked almost like a giant panda on display.
After exchanging greetings with a few people, Chu Duxiu, worried that Xie Shenci might not be used to it, suggested, “Why don’t we go to a private room instead?”
The main hall was full of long-time locals, and their curiosity about Xie Shenci made things a bit too lively. Every time Chu Shuangyou came, she preferred booking a private room, finding it much quieter than outside.
Shi Qin said, “That works.”
Facing his familiar mahjong buddies, Chu Lan waved them off with casual bluntness. “Alright, alright, stop making such a fuss, you’ll scare him.”
Xie Shenci came to the rescue. “It’s fine. You’re all so warm and welcoming. I can really feel the local customs and culture of Wencheng.”
Chu Duxiu: “?”
As soon as he said this, the people around were overjoyed, finding Xie Shenci more and more pleasing to the eye, and they all began chiming in.
“Exactly, exactly – we all watched the two sisters grow up.”
“Chu Lan, take him around, don’t go hiding in some private room,” someone urged. “You can’t really feel the atmosphere of a teahouse cooped up indoors!”
With so much persuasion, Chu Lan was tempted too, wanting to catch up with her card-playing friends. She hesitated, glancing at Xie Shenci. “But maybe he would rather sit in a private room…”
Xie Shenci calmly replied, “I’m fine with anything. The sunlight out here feels nice.”
Chu Lan made the call. “Then let’s sit outside!”
“???”
Chu Duxiu, who had already walked to the door of the private room, turned back in disbelief when the two suddenly changed their minds. She never expected his social skills to be so far beyond what she knew.
It had to be said, Chu Lan and Xie Shenci were truly meeting each other halfway. Chu Lan carried a small sense of pride – wanting to show off her daughter’s success and the handsome son-in-law she brought home – while Xie Shenci, long used to keeping a low profile at work and avoiding public displays of affection, finally had the chance in a family setting to shine. He moved about with Chu Lan from table to table, greeting people without the slightest trace of awkwardness, practically carrying himself as a newly minted member of the Chu family.
The spectacle was even grander than when Chu Shuangyou sat the college entrance exam or when Chu Duxiu won her championship – after all, neither of them had ever been so cooperative as to follow Chu Lan around table by table, giving her so much face the way Xie Shenci did!
Sitting off to the side with Shi Qin, Chu Duxiu watched the scene in a daze and muttered, “…There really are people willing to trail after the parents and make a show of themselves at New Year.”
Should she say that a “social cat” truly lives up to the name?
To be able to rally all the people of Shanle together, he must indeed have a pretty thick skin.
After the cheerful teahouse visit, Chu Lan’s opinion of Xie Shenci shot up. She felt he was obedient, considerate, and knew how to handle himself with just the right balance – far more approachable than his looks alone suggested.
The next morning, Xie Shenci arrived at the house right on time and sat at the table, waiting while Chu Duxiu got ready. Dressed in casual clothes, holding his own water cup, and wearing slippers, he blended seamlessly into the Wencheng household – nothing at all like someone paying only his second visit.
These days, Xie Shenci was still staying at a hotel on the corner of the street, but he always strolled over during the day. By now, he knew his way around the house perfectly; after dinner, he would rest for a bit before heading back, his routine steady and predictable.
When Chu Lan came out of her room and saw him sitting at the table drinking water, she didn’t feel the slightest awkwardness. Perhaps it was the power of habit – like a stray cat that often lingers outside your window; given enough time, people naturally start treating it as a house cat, taking it for granted as part of the family.
“Ah, you’re here. Where are you two headed today?”
Xie Shenci replied, “We thought we’d wander around the city for a bit, then go take a look near the school.”
He and Chu Duxiu had already agreed: today they would stroll through town, try some local snacks, and wander around the places she usually liked to visit.
“Alright,” Chu Lan said casually, waving him on. “There are snacks on the coffee table -help yourself to whatever you like. No need to stand on ceremony.”
As time together grew, Chu Lan had also grown used to having Xie Shenci around the house. She had shed the polite façade of fussing and small talk, treating him much the same way she treated her own daughter. This was her sign of closeness – no twists or turns, just speaking directly.
Sensing the change in Chu Duxiu’s family, Xie Shenci responded naturally, “Got it.”
But while Chu Lan’s attitude had shifted, there was still one other person who hadn’t changed.
A moment later, Shi Qin came over carrying a plate of fruit and dried snacks. He set it down in front of Xie Shenci, then glanced at his cup and asked gently, “Would you like some more water?”
“Thank you.” Xie Shenci straightened his back and politely declined. “It’s fine, I can help myself.”
Seeing this, Shi Qin simply sat down, gave him a once-over, and struck up some casual conversation with a smile. “When you’re not on holiday, you’re busy working. Now that you finally have a break, yet you didn’t go home this year – won’t your parents be missing you?”
“…”
What had to come, had finally come.
Chu Lan had already begun to accept him, but clearly, Shi Qin was not yet won over.
Xie Shenci’s heart gave a jolt, but he kept his expression calm and answered politely, “They arranged a trip for themselves. They even said they’re grateful to you for hosting me during the New Year holiday.”
“There’s no question of ‘hosting.’ I was only worried you might not be used to it, being dragged into card games,” Shi Qin raised his brows, sighing. “I feared you were just pretending to enjoy it when in fact you weren’t interested at all.”
Though he smiled pleasantly, there was a hidden sharpness in his tone, as if his face were silently spelling out: Young man, don’t think I can’t see through you – you’re deliberately trying to win over my wife.
“No, not at all. Auntie is excellent at mahjong, and her friends are very warm. The teahouse really was a lot of fun.” Catching the aroma drifting in from the kitchen, Xie Shenci quickly seized on a new topic, “Are you making soup?”
“Yes, for dinner tonight. I’ve already set it to simmer – would you like to have a look?”
The two of them moved into the kitchen. As the lid of the soup pot was lifted, a wave of hot steam rushed out, carrying with it the rich aroma of bone broth.
Using a long ladle to stir the pot, Shi Qin chuckled and asked, “You must be very busy normally – you probably don’t cook much, do you?”
Xie Shenci quickly replied, “I do. I’ll make dinner in the evenings, and on weekends I go grocery shopping too.”
“Wouldn’t have guessed. That’s impressive.” Shi Qin praised him repeatedly, then sighed and shook his head. “My daughter’s no good at it at all – she hardly ever sets foot in the kitchen.”
Of course, he meant his elder daughter, but under the circumstances, there was no need to specify.
Xie Shenci had once seen Chu Duxiu display her cooking skills at a company gathering for Wang Nali and the others, but he didn’t bring that up now. Instead, he went along with Shi Qin’s words and said, “Not at all. I could never compare to you – I’ll have to learn more from you.”
The two men chatted and laughed together in the kitchen, diving into a discussion about cooking and eating habits.
Wanting to leave a good impression, Xie Shenci politely and modestly asked about Shi Qin’s specialty dishes. Of course, Shi Qin knew perfectly well that he was using this as a way to get closer, but he wasn’t about to be outdone – he even pulled out a cutting board to demonstrate his knife skills and had Xie Shenci try them out for himself.
How could he allow the young man to win favor just by talking?
There had to be some real action behind it.
Fortunately, Xie Shenci did have some cooking experience. He set about learning in earnest, and the slices he produced were only a notch below Shi Qin’s.
The steady thudding of knives echoed from the kitchen, drawing the attention of Chu Duxiu, who had just finished getting ready. Bag in hand, she stepped out of her room and looked in confusion at the two men gathered around the cutting board. “What are you doing?”
Cooking already, at this hour?
Xie Shenci answered, “Getting some cooking tips from your dad.”
She blinked. “Learning to cook now? But aren’t we about to leave?” Weren’t they going out for a walk?
“It’s fine, no rush.” Shi Qin wiped his hands with a towel, smiling warmly. “You don’t need to worry – there’ll be another chance at New Year’s Eve dinner. I won’t hold back, I’ll teach you everything, just like I’d teach my own child. Every one of my specialties.”
No way was he going to let the young man slip by with smooth talk alone.
Xie Shenci pretended not to catch the hidden meaning in his words and went along smoothly: “Alright, thank you, Dad.”
“…”
The address hit Shi Qin like a jolt. He fell silent for a few seconds, then his brow twitched. Taking the kitchen knife back with a stiff smile, he said, “Alright, just give me the knife. No need for you to bother here – go on, you two can head out.”
It was probably a good thing Xie Shenci had been the one holding the knife just now, or else he might not have resisted the urge to raise it himself.
Xie Shenci washed his hands clean, said his goodbyes to Shi Qin and Chu Lan, and only then followed Chu Duxiu out the door. The two of them stepped into the hallway and waited for the elevator.
Thinking back to the little episode in the kitchen, Chu Duxiu stole a glance at the man beside her and cautiously asked, “Um… you and my dad seem to be… getting along pretty well?”
It was hard for her to describe the atmosphere between Xie Shenci and Shi Qin. To say their relationship was bad wouldn’t be accurate – Shi Qin was considerate and attentive toward Xie Shenci, taking care of everything from food to daily living without overlooking a single detail. But to call it harmonious wasn’t quite right either; just like in the kitchen, there was an undercurrent, and lessons would spring up out of nowhere.
There was no deep enmity between the two men. It was just that, from Shi Qin’s perspective, Xie Shenci was like a thief stealing flowers – enough to cause a faint irritation and the occasional bit of friction.
“Of course,” Xie Shenci shamelessly replied. “He even said I was his own child.”
She retorted, “He clearly said, ‘teach you as if you were his own child.’”
“Exactly – as if I were his own child.”
“…You really are a master of taking words out of context.”
With no one else in the elevator, Chu Duxiu glanced at him from the corner of her eye. Seeing his hands casually tucked into his pockets, looking relaxed and cheerful, she figured he must be doing quite well at her home. Suddenly swept up in his good mood, she tipped her head up and planted a quick kiss on the side of his neck.
Xie Shenci froze, then turned to look at her.
Chu Duxiu laughed. “A little reward – for getting along well with Dad today.”
His gaze flickered, and after a few seconds of silence, he asked, “Just one reward?”
Chu Duxiu: “?”
Xie Shenci said, “I got along with Mom too.”
After all, Chu Lan had sung his praises endlessly at the teahouse.
With a soft ding, the elevator doors slowly slid open. Outside stood a few figures – other residents of the building. Someone recognized Chu Duxiu and greeted them before stepping straight into the elevator.
After exchanging pleasantries with the neighbor, Chu Duxiu felt too embarrassed to kiss Xie Shenci again. She briskly walked out instead, declaring righteously, “That was yesterday’s reward. It can’t be redeemed today – expired rewards are invalid.”
Watching her scurry off in quick little steps, darting ahead until she reached the quieter garden in the residential complex, Xie Shenci followed close behind. “So they can only be redeemed on the same day?”
“Exactly. The final right of interpretation belongs to the organizer.”
“Then I still have one reward left unclaimed today.”
“What?”
In the garden, the trees had shed their leaves, leaving only twisted bare branches. The path was empty of people.
Pulled back by him, Chu Duxiu turned her head in puzzlement.
The next second, her soft scarf was tugged loose, letting in a wisp of winter wind. Before the chill could make her shiver, a warm, damp touch fell against her skin, sweeping away the biting cold.
His scent drew close as he leaned down toward her, his heated breath sliding over her skin like a tingling current, an ambiguous itch that made her shiver.
“I get along well with you too,” Xie Shenci echoed her words, lowering his head as he tugged her scarf aside and pressed a kiss to the side of her neck. “Every single day.”
