MHWFYYTMDF Chapter48

After hanging up the phone with Mother He, Song Li sat dazed on the bed for a moment. He had initially figured things out and was excitedly planning to call He Muyan to come pick him up and take him home, but then Mother He said those words to him.

Song Li suddenly didn’t know what to do. Should he inform He Muyan in advance? But given He Muyan’s personality, as soon as he heard the news, he would undoubtedly rush over without a second thought.

If he didn’t tell him, He Muyan would come home from work in the evening to an empty house and definitely make a whole fuss about it.

Song Li felt a headache coming on; he shouldn’t have casually agreed to help Mother He with this favor in the first place.

After being indecisive all afternoon, Song Li couldn’t help bringing the matter up to Mother Song at the dinner table that evening. He felt that asking for an elder’s advice on such matters was always a safe bet.

Mother Song scooped a bowl of rice for him, quite surprised to hear this, “Yo, I didn’t expect a wealthy family like your in-laws to still keep these old-generation wedding customs. That’s really quite rare.”

Song Li asked her, “Did you guys really do that back in the day?”

“Of course we did.” Father Song chimed in from the side, “You have no idea back when your mom and I were together, since it was a self-chosen romance, her family kept her hidden away from me like some kind of secret treasure. Later, when we finally began talking seriously about marriage, and the wedding date was drawing closer, your grandmother refused to let me see your mother no matter what. We were head over heels in love back then, so forcing us apart for a month was no different from killing me. I was so anxious, missing your mom like crazy. Then one night I couldn’t take it anymore, so in the middle of the night, I secretly climbed over your grandmother’s wall. And guess what? The moment I jumped down, I saw your grandmother standing right there with a shovel in her hands, beating me mercilessly. Good grief, I still have nightmares about it even now.”

After finishing his story, Father Song seemed to still feel a lingering fear, taking off his glasses to wipe the corner of his eye.

Mother Song smiled at him, “You old rascal, why bring that up in front of the kid?”

Song Li took a sip of soup and shook his head, “It’s fine, I like listening to you talk about when you were young. It’s completely different from our generation, quite interesting actually.”

“Of course, it’s different.” Mother Song sat down, placed a pork rib in his bowl, and said with a smile, “Your generation grew up steeped in sweetness. Never mind the hardships we endured back then, even just a few of the old rules and restrictions would be enough to give your generation a hard time.”

Song Li nodded, “He Muyan’s mother belongs to roughly the same generation as you two, so her views and concepts are probably the same as yours. Mom, do you think it’s really necessary to stick to pre-wedding isolation like she said?”

“How should I put this?” Mother Song tapped her chopsticks against the rim of her bowl and said thoughtfully, “It still depends on the individual. Rich, prominent families like theirs probably place a lot of weight on rules and still preserve many traditional customs and etiquette passed down from their ancestors. We’re just an ordinary family, plain working-class people who are swept along by the gears of time. We adapt to whatever society becomes and doesn’t really have the capital to hold onto too many strict traditions, so it’s hard to compare.”

Song Li felt his mother’s words made a lot of sense. Chewing on his chopsticks, he nodded, “I understand, Mom. I feel that since she brought up this suggestion, I should naturally do my best to cooperate.”

“It’s good that you think that way.” Mother Song looked at him and suddenly let out a sigh, “Xiao Li, in just a few days, once the two of you have your wedding, you’ll officially become a true member of the He family. By then, everyone will know that the young master of the He family married an ordinary, working-class person. With so many people watching, there will definitely be all kinds of looks and gossip. But no matter what, your mom has only one thing to say: don’t wrong yourself. If life doesn’t work out the way you hoped, then just walk away from it all. Worst-case scenario, you just come back home. Never forget that there’s always an old man and an old lady waiting for you at home.”

Song Li was stunned. Looking at Mother Song’s gentle face beneath the light, he realized for the first time that his mother was truly beginning to age. Her skin had lost its firmness, age spots had appeared, and her hair had become noticeably whiter. Yet those eyes looking at her son were still filled to the brim with love.

Song Li sniffled, his smile looking sadder than crying, “Mom, I’m going to get married, not to face an ordeal. Why are you being so emotional? It makes me feel so bittersweet.”

“Exactly, exactly.” Father Song chimed in from the side to lighten the mood before picking up a clean glass and pouring a little wine for Mother Song as well, “Today is a joyful day. Come, come, come, let’s have a toast! Here’s to our son having a full, happy life and a joyful marriage in the future, bearing two children in three years, and giving us plenty of big, chubby grandchildren. Ah, this old man here is dying to hold a grandchild!”

Song Li and Mother Song, who had both been feeling quite sentimental, were amused by Father Song’s words again. They both raised their glasses and clinked them gently against his.

Song Li couldn’t drink alcohol, so he substituted it with a beverage.

By the time they finished dinner, it was not even seven-thirty yet; it was far too early as he and He Muyan usually didn’t have dinner until eight.

Speaking of He Muyan, Song Li still hadn’t figured out how to tell him about this, and looking at the time, he would be getting off work soon.

After thinking about it for a long time, he finally decided to just tell the truth. After all, even if he didn’t say anything, Mother He would tell him anyway. There were only a few days left until the wedding; just a few days, and if he closed his eyes and counted, they would pass in no time.

Having thought this through, Song Li felt a lot lighter inside. He looked down and gently patted his belly, “Child, you won’t be able to see Dad for the next few days. If you miss him, just stretch out your tiny fist, and I’ll have Dad talk to you over the phone.”

The child in his belly was completely quiet as if not caring in the least how long he would be separated from his other dad.

Song Li chuckled, then heard Mother Song asking him if he wanted to go downstairs with her to do square dancing.

In just that short while, she had already changed her clothes, wearing velvet bell-bottom pants adorned with sequins while holding a lotus-root-pink lace handkerchief in her hand.

Song Li shivered a bit at the thought of himself dancing with that group of aunties downstairs dressed like that.

He politely declined his mom, “I won’t go. I’ll watch TV at home. You go ahead, Mom.”

“What’s the point of just staying cooped up at home watching TV immediately after a meal?” Mother Song glared at him, insisting on pulling him along, “Didn’t the doctor tell you? You can’t be lazy right now. You need to walk around more and get some exercise, it’s good for the child too.”

Song Li couldn’t win the argument and was ultimately dragged down to the square downstairs.

The square was extremely lively, divided into several distinct group formations. Each group played different music, and everyone danced their own routine without interfering with one another.

Mother Song led him to the formation in the middle. The aunties were all dressed just like Mother Song, swaying and twisting gracefully enough.

Song Li was forced to sway along with them. Before long, he felt his body warm up with subtle signs that he was about to sweat. Truth be told, this really felt much more comfortable than staying in a heated room blowing warm air.

After dancing through four or five songs, Song Li couldn’t hold out any longer. He asked his mom for a break and sat down off to the side while supporting his belly to rest.

Not long after sitting down, he felt a bit chilly from the cold night wind. Song Li tugged his sweater collar higher with no intention of going back to dance and simply got up and headed home.

Father Song seemed to have returned already and is listening to traditional opera in their bedroom. Song Li didn’t go in to disturb him, slipping into his slippers and returning to his own room.

He had left the air conditioner on before going downstairs, so the room was cozy and warm when he walked in, prompting him to take off his down jacket.

Hanging the jacket in the wardrobe, he turned around and spotted his phone lying on the bed.

Song Li froze for a second. He had been so immersed in the square-dancing downstairs earlier that he had completely forgotten about his phone. At this hour, He Muyan must have already gotten off work. Finding an empty house when he returned, he was probably frantically calling him.

Song Li felt a surge of nervousness at the thought and immediately walked over to pick up the phone.

After unlocking the screen, he saw that there were indeed twenty-six missed calls.

Song Li took a deep breath; this man was truly persistent.

Hurriedly opening WeChat, he saw several missed voice calls as well.

Looking at those little red notification dots, Song Li could already picture how anxious and frantic He Muyan must have been while making those calls.

For some reason, Song Li’s heart suddenly began to beat a little faster. Sitting on the bed, he called him back.

The call was connected almost instantly, with a raspy “Hello” coming from the other end.

Song Li swallowed hard and spoke cautiously, “It’s me.”

He Muyan didn’t seem to have checked who was calling when he answered. Recognizing his voice now, he paused for a few seconds. When he spoke again, his tone was much softer than before, “Lili…”

It even carried a hint of a tremble, sounding aggrieved to the extreme.

Song Li couldn’t see what he looked like right now, but hearing a voice like that already made his heart ache, “How are you doing? Are you at home now? Have you had dinner?”

He Muyan gave a vague “en” before adding, “Lili, I miss you so much.”

Just that single sentence melted Song Li’s heart completely. All the mental preparation he had built up all day went right out the window. Right now, he wanted nothing more than to fly back immediately, wrap their family’s big dog in his arms, kiss him thoroughly, and soothe his emotions.

With a sigh, he answered softly, “I miss you too.”

He Muyan asked him, “Where are you? At Mom’s place? I’ll come find you right now.”

Song Li almost blurted out an agreement, but remembering what Mother He had instructed, he restrained himself and said, “Not right now. Your mom said we have to endure at least these few days. It’ll pass quickly, the wedding is right around the corner, and you can come pick me up then.”

He Muyan’s breathing grew noticeably heavier, “But I want to see you right now. Lili, I thought about you all day at the office today. I thought I’d be able to hold you tight when I got home. Do you have any idea how awful it felt when I came back to an empty house?”

Song Li knew, of course. He Muyan had become clingy to an unprecedented degree. As long as he was home from work, he wanted nothing more than to stay attached to him at all times. Making him stop it so suddenly like this, especially with such a drastic withdrawal, how could he possibly handle it? It was a miracle he hadn’t gone completely mad.

Song Li tapped the tip of his slipper against the floor, feeling thoroughly distressed by his words, “What should we do then? I already gave your mom my word.”

He Muyan let out a soft sigh, “I didn’t expect her to pull a move like this out of nowhere either. Lili, don’t worry too much about all that. I have an important meeting tomorrow morning, but once it’s over, I’ll go see you.”

Song Li let out an “Ah,” knowing full well that He Muyan was the type to keep his word. He hurriedly tried to dissuade him, “Please don’t… Your mom will be furious if she finds out…”

“I said we’re ignoring her for now,” He Muyan interrupted him. Pausing for a moment, he asked in a low voice, “Does Lili not want to see me?”

Song Li felt as if he had been bewitched by the deep voice trickling into his ear, nodding like a fool, “I do, of course I want to.”

He Muyan chuckled, his tone lightening up considerably, “Then I’ll come find you tomorrow. Good boy.”

Feeling as though he had been coaxed into a trap again, Song Li hung up the phone with a flushed face.

His heart was burning up like wildfire. What should he do? He shouldn’t have made that call in the first place. His resolve had been fairly firm before, but now even he couldn’t help wanting to see him immediately.

Aaaaah, he suddenly seemed to understand the feeling his father had talked about during dinner.

The more they were kept apart, the more they craved to meet.

The more they wanted to meet, the deeper the longing grew.

Song Li felt completely done for, he was so hopelessly in love with He Muyan.

Before long, Mother Song returned from her square dancing, calling out Song Li’s name in the living room, “Xiao Li, have you taken a bath yet?”

Song Li answered loudly, “Not yet, I’m going right now.”

After lingering a bit longer, Song Li finally lifted his face from the pillow, getting up to grab his pajamas and head out for a shower.

After enjoying a comfortable hot bath, Song Li stepped out feeling warm and slightly steaming. He dried his hair with a hair dryer before finally getting into bed.

The quilt was very soft, but not quite as soft as the one at his and He Muyan’s place. As usual, he hugged a pillow to his chest, only to realize that it didn’t carry He Muyan’s scent either.

Song Li thought to himself that he might suffer from insomnia tonight.

With that thought in mind, he tossed and turned in bed yet unexpectedly drifted off to sleep bit by bit.

What’s more, he had a very peculiar dream as well. The scenery in the dream was blurry, with a figure constantly swaying before his eyes. Later, he was embraced by this person with his body swaying along with him.

He felt so hot, with an indescribable sensation of ache in certain places; it was painful, yet strangely enjoyable.

Song Li felt his body rising and falling; that person was very wild with him, but for some reason, he loved it so much that he threw caution to the wind and opened his body up to him in the dream.

Being tossed into bliss time after time, he became intoxicated in his fiery body heat.

Song Li slept extraordinarily heavily through this slumber. When he woke up, he felt as if he had just run an eight-hundred-meter dash.

His entire body was aching.

Dragging his heavy body to the bathroom outside to wash up, he spotted Mother Song preparing breakfast in the kitchen and couldn’t help calling out loudly, “Mom, did you change the mattress on my bed? Why does my whole body ache after sleeping for one night? Everything hurts.”

Mother Song shouted back from the kitchen, “What nonsense are you talking about first thing in the morning? You don’t come back to stay that often, so why would I change the mattress for you? You stinky boy, I think you’ve gotten used to sleeping on the nice bed at your partner’s place and started turning your nose up at our wooden board bed, haven’t you?”

“That’s not it at all,” Song Li muttered to himself. Supporting his waist, he walked in to brush his teeth. After brushing, he turned on the hot water to wash his face. As he bent down, the collar of his pajamas fell open, revealing several red marks on his normally spotless chest, small and round like insect bites. Even his left nipple looked a bit swollen, no wonder it felt slightly sore whenever his clothes rubbed against it.

Unable to bear it any longer, Song Li shouted again, “Mom, this is bad! There are fleas in my room, they bit me so much that I’m covered in spots all over.”

Mother Song walked out holding a plate of fried eggs while scolding him with a laugh, “Stop talking nonsense. Where would fleas come from in the dead of winter? Hurry up, wash your face, and come out to eat.”

Seeing that she didn’t believe him, and unable to actually pull his clothes open to show her, Song Li could only feel puzzled in his heart. He wiped his face with a towel and walked out.

Noticing there were only two fried eggs on the plate and just two glasses of milk, he couldn’t help asking curiously, “Where’s Dad?”

“He went to another province to attend some academic forum lecture. He’ll be gone for a few days.”

Song Li was surprised, “A business trip at a time like this? Can he still make it back in time to attend my wedding?”

“He can.” Mother Song pulled out a chair, sat down, and said with a smile, “It’s our only darling son’s wedding. How could he possibly not come back?”

Song Li breathed a sigh of relief while scratching the left side of his chest with his fingers.

After breakfast, he went out for a morning walk with Mother Song. The weather was very cold in the morning now, so Song Li was bundled up heavily. He looked completely round all over, making his bump not very noticeable. When meeting neighbors and acquaintances, they only remarked on how he had grown so fat after not seeing him for a while.

After the walk, Mother Song went off to play mahjong, leaving Song Li to return home bored and alone. He watched TV in the living room for a bit, then felt hungry again. He rummaged through the boxes and cabinets in search of something to eat, but in the end, all he could find were some biscuits and chocolate.

It’s better than nothing. Song Li chewed on the small biscuits in his mouth mechanically, when he suddenly heard the doorbell ring outside.

At first, he thought his mom had returned from playing mahjong so quickly, but on second thought, even his mom wouldn’t go out without her keys. He figured it was either a neighbor or one of his mother’s friends.

Song Li didn’t dare to just head out carelessly, so he bundled himself up again in layer after layer before slowly walking over while supporting his belly to open the door.

The person outside was quite patient, surprisingly not having left after all this time.

Song Li first peeked through the peephole but saw no one. Feeling a bit puzzled, he was just about to turn back to the living room when the doorbell rang again.

Song Li’s temper flared. Since there were security cameras all over the hallway anyway, what kind of criminal could it possibly be? It was probably just some neighborhood kid playing a prank.

Annoyed, he opened the door directly, but before he could get a clear look at the person, his body was forcefully pulled forward.

His face bumped into a wall of flesh. Song Li let out a cry of pain yet immediately caught the familiar scent on the person.

Widening his eyes, he looked up to see He Muyan looking down at him with a smile, his voice raspy, “Babe.”

Song Li was so shocked he was speechlessly stunned, “You… how did you actually come here?”

He Muyan lowered his head to kiss him, but Song Li turned his face away in a fright, poking his head out to glance left and right down the hallway. Only after making sure no passersby were around did he breathe a sigh of relief before dragging He Muyan into the house.

He Muyan kicked the door shut with his foot, cupping Song Li’s face and kissing him right away.

Pressed against the shoe rack behind him, Song Li felt a slight ache in his back, yet he still had to tilt his head up to endure He Muyan’s fiery passion.

Only when this rogue had kissed him to his heart’s content was Song Li finally released to catch his breath.

He Muyan rubbed his chin against Song Li’s hair, “Babe, I missed you so much.”

His face still flushed from the lack of oxygen, Song Li reached out to pat his back, “First… loosen up a bit. It’s too tight, you’re squishing my belly.”

Hearing this, He Muyan immediately released his grip, bending over to crouch down. He gently touched Song Li’s belly and planted a kiss on it, “Sorry, child, did I squish you just now?”

Looking down at the top of his head, Song Li let out a sigh, “You still haven’t answered my question. How come you really came? Aren’t you afraid your mom will scold you?”

He Muyan stood up, wrapping an arm around him as they walked further inside, “Lili, you didn’t actually think I would listen to their old feudal ideas, did you?”

Song Li let out a sigh, “To us, it does seem a bit like old-fashioned superstition, but that’s not how the older generation views it. I think we should still respect their perspective.”

He Muyan guided him to sit down on the sofa, looking up at him, “There are still four days left until the wedding. Can you really bear four whole days without seeing me, Lili?”

Song Li remained silent, saying nothing.

He Muyan suddenly let out a soft sigh, casting his eyes downward as if deeply hurt, “So, it makes no difference to Lili whether you see me every day or not. Unlike me, who can’t stand being apart from you for even a moment. Lili, do I have some kind of illness?”

Song Li looked at him helplessly, “Don’t talk nonsense. If you want to see me, just come over. Don’t go overthinking things.”

He Muyan pulled him into an embrace, “So, Lili won’t chase me away then?”

Song Li smiled, “You’ve already put it that way. Wouldn’t it be too heartless of me if I still chased you out? How about this: I won’t tell Mom, and I won’t go back to your place these few days either. You can come over whenever you want, but don’t make it too obvious so Mom’s side finds out. How does that sound?”

He Muyan nuzzled his neck with the tip of his nose, “Lili is the best.”

And so, He Muyan stayed at home with Song Li, not stepping foot out the door for half a day. When Mother Song came back to cook lunch and saw him there, she was startled, turning around to wink and signal at Song Li.

Song Li shook his head, indicating he was powerless to stop it as well.

Mother Song chuckled knowingly, secretly giving him a thumb-up.

He Muyan, on the other hand, greeted her openly and naturally, calling her “Mom” left and right until Mother Song was brimming with delight.

After lunch, the three of them gathered together to play Fight the Landlord. Before long, Mother Song grew sleepy and returned to her room to take an afternoon nap.

Song Li stretched his arms while casting a glance at the man next to him who was watching TV.

“Aren’t you leaving yet?”

He Muyan glanced up at him, “Where to go?”

“Anywhere, really. Go home or go to the office to work.”

“There was only one fairly important meeting today, and I came over right after it finished.”

Meaning he didn’t need to head back to the office anymore. Song Li uttered an “Oh,” and seeing that he really had no intention of leaving, didn’t say anything further.

And so it went until evening, when they sat together once again for dinner.

Song Li discovered that He Muyan was exceptionally good at winning over elders of Mother Song’s type, often coaxing her into hearty laughter with just a few sentences. Song Li could only feel like he, the biological son, was entirely superfluous standing by the side.

After dinner, the three of them sat together watching television with nuts and snacks arranged on the coffee table. Eating and chatting made time fly by quickly.

Growing thirsty from talking, Mother Song got up to go to the kitchen to prepare a fruit platter. As soon as Song Li saw her leave, he immediately turned to look at the man beside him, calling out in a low voice, “He Muyan.”

He Muyan sat with his legs crossed, shelling melon seeds, and handed a small handful of peeled seeds to Song Li, “Eating them like this is much more satisfying, Babe.”

Song Li pushed his hand away, “Enough of that. Didn’t we agree you’d leave after dinner? What time is it already? You’re not seriously planning to stay here and not leave, are you?”

Seeing that he wouldn’t eat them, He Muyan pulled his hand back, the light in his dark, bright eyes dimming slightly, “Is it time for me to go so soon?”

Song Li warned himself in his heart not to soften up, saying firmly, “You need to leave now. Letting you stay here today has already gone against our agreement. If your mom finds out that you stayed here overnight too, she’ll definitely be furious.”

He Muyan uttered an “Oh,” tossed that small handful of melon seed kernels into his own mouth, and chewed until his mouth was filled with fragrance, “Then I’m leaving.”

With that, he leaned over and kissed Song Li on the cheek, “Goodnight, Babe.”

He then lowered his head to kiss his belly, “Goodnight to you too, child.”

Song Li watched as he stood up, grabbed his overcoat from the side to put on, and turned to walk out.

Only when he heard the sound of the front door closing did Song Li let out a sigh of relief, rubbing his belly as he leaned back against the sofa.

Mother Song walked out with the sliced fruit platter. Seeing only Song Li in the living room, she remarked in surprise, “Where did my big son-in-law go?”

Song Li took the fruit platter from her hands, poked a piece of honeydew melon with a toothpick, and said indistinctly, “He flew away.”