ASPWWD Chapter 77

When Wen Shanhai first heard his son say he liked men, he couldn’t accept it. He couldn’t understand how his perfectly normal son had ended up liking men. What had gone wrong during his upbringing?

During that time, the father and son had many arguments. But despite the fights, Wen Shanhai couldn’t bring himself to be too harsh; after all, it was the son he had cherished for so many years. In the end, he had to resign himself to the situation—what else could he do but accept it?

He had imagined many times what his attitude should be when his son eventually brought home a boyfriend, but he never expected that when the day came, his son would bring home not a boyfriend, but a husband.

They had skipped a step.

Wen Shanhai busied himself in the kitchen while mentally trying to come to terms with the situation. Lin Fengqi came in halfway to offer help, but Wen Shanhai quickly shooed him out.

“I told you, you’d just get kicked out,” Wen Xia said.

Lin Fengqi returned to the sofa, but he kept glancing toward the kitchen.

“Stop looking,” Wen Xia handed him half of a persimmon. “You’ll figure it out eventually—my dad’s easygoing in his own way.”

It was clear that Wen Xia had inherited this trait from his father.

At least, that’s what Lin Fengqi thought.

They had lunch quite late that day. Before they ate, Wen Shanhai carried a small white bowl with some food upstairs and called the two of them to join him. One of the rooms on the second floor held a photo of Wen Xia’s mother. When they entered the room, Wen Shanhai placed the small bowl in front of the photo, and Wen Xia, familiar with the routine, pulled open the curtains.

The winter light streamed in, illuminating the young woman’s face in the photo.

Wen Shanhai lit three sticks of incense, saying as he did, “Today, I’m here to share some good news with you. Our little Xia has settled down, married to a fine young man, someone truly good. I’ve brought him here to meet you.”

He bowed three times, placed the incense in the holder, and then stepped aside to let Lin Fengqi take his place. “Come on, let your mother-in-law get a good look at you.”

Lin Fengqi hadn’t heard much about Wen Xia’s mother. He knew she had passed away when Wen Xia was very young, and whenever they talked about her, Wen Xia would only share the stories he had heard from Wen Shanhai.

From those stories, Wen Xia’s mother was portrayed as a strong and decisive woman, quite different from Ye Shixue—a woman with a sharp edge rather than a soft touch.

Even though she couldn’t hear him, Lin Fengqi still respectfully called out, “Mom,” as he knelt and bowed with the incense in his hands.

As they left the room, Wen Xia tugged on Lin Fengqi’s sleeve, as if he had something to whisper.

Lin Fengqi leaned in.

“How about we go see your dad sometime?” Wen Xia asked.

Wen Shanhai prepared five dishes: three meat, one vegetable, and a duck blood soup. Wen Xia had already eaten quite a bit before the meal—some oranges, persimmons, and a few snacks—so he didn’t eat much rice, mostly picking at the dishes.

Wen Shanhai, familiar with his son’s habits, couldn’t help but nag, “I told you not to eat so much junk before meals, but you never listen.”

“It’s not like I come here often. What’s wrong with eating a little something?” Wen Xia retorted.

Wen Shanhai huffed, holding his bowl, and observed how Lin Fengqi kept serving Wen Xia more food whenever his bowl was empty, passing him water whenever he reached for it.

What a spoiled brat.

He cleared his throat loudly, successfully drawing their attention. “I remember, you two were high school classmates, right? I saw you at Xia’s parent-teacher meetings.”

Lin Fengqi nodded, “Yes, we were deskmates.”

“Oh, I remember. You were always the top of your class. I used to tell Xia to learn from you,” Wen Shanhai paused before adding, “We’ve met a few times before, but I never got to know you well. You seem to be on good terms with Fang Lianshu?”

Lin Fengqi knew that the Wen and Fang families never got along.

“We’re only acquaintances,” Lin Fengqi replied.

“Is that so?” Wen Shanhai narrowed his eyes. “I remember seeing you with him at the Songye Mountain Villa. You were invited by him, weren’t you?”

Lin Fengqi answered candidly, “Yes.”

“You accepted the invitation just like that?”

Lin Fengqi shook his head and said, “No, I went because Wen Xia was there.”

Wen Shanhai’s expression relaxed as he glanced at his son, who was busy eating, and then asked, “Were you and Xia already together at that time?”

By “together,” did he mean married or simply in a relationship?

Lin Fengqi pondered for a couple of seconds before nodding.

…Well, that’s awkward.

Wen Shanhai cleared his throat awkwardly.

He had been trying to set Wen Xia up on dates back then, and now it turned out that his son was already off the market?

“…Well, since the rice has already been cooked, I won’t say much more,” Wen Shanhai said to Lin Fengqi. “But, what about your family?”

“My father… passed away some time ago. My mother isn’t in good health, so she’s in a nursing home.”

“Does she know about you and Wen Xia?”

“Yes.”

Wen Shanhai nodded, saying, “Oh,” and then asked, “What does she think about the two of you?”

Lin Fengqi answered honestly, “She likes Wen Xia very much.”

Wen Shanhai finally seemed to relax, taking a couple more bites of his meal before sighing lightly. “When it’s convenient, let’s set a time for both families to meet. It’s not right that you’ve been married for two months and the parents haven’t even met yet. We can take care of any formalities that need to be addressed.”

During that meal, Wen Shanhai asked Lin Fengqi a lot of questions, such as whether he and Wen Xia had been close during high school and about his family background.

Lin Fengqi answered everything patiently, without the slightest hint of irritation.

They took their time finishing the meal.

Afterward, Wen Shanhai said, “Why don’t you both stay for dinner?”

Lin Fengqi looked to Wen Xia, who noticed something odd in his father’s expression. “Are you sure you’re up for the trouble?”

“What trouble?” Wen Shanhai waved it off. “If anything, why don’t you and Lin Fengqi cook something nice for me tonight?”

As he spoke, he glanced out the window with a look of eager anticipation. Wen Xia followed his gaze, and sure enough, it was directed at the Fang family’s house across the way.

Fang Lianshu was probably not home at the moment, but would be back by dinner. It seemed Old Wen wanted Lin Fengqi to show off his cooking skills tonight, didn’t he?

Wen Xia agreed, but for now, they put the topic of the house on hold since nothing had been finalized yet.

There was still plenty of time before dinner. After seeing Wen Shanhai off for his nap, Lin Fengqi turned to Wen Xia and said, “Will you come with me to one more place?”

Wen Xia eyed him warily, “Where?”

“Where I grew up.”

Lin Fengqi’s childhood home was in a residential area filled with company housing. Even back then, it was considered an old neighborhood, and now, after nearly two decades, the area had undergone several rounds of renovation, though it still couldn’t hide the age of the buildings. The walls were gray and yellow, some covered in dense ivy, and the building numbers were still hand-painted in oil.

The neighborhood was a mix of tranquility and liveliness. It was far from the city center, almost like a remnant of a bygone era, where even the air seemed to carry a nostalgic warmth. When the weather was nice, it wasn’t uncommon to see small groups of elderly residents chatting, or playing cards at makeshift tables outside.

Lin Fengqi led Wen Xia all the way to the end of the road, stopping in front of Building 45.

Building 45.

They entered through the first unit and climbed to the third floor.

Lin Fengqi unlocked the old iron security door, and a musty smell of a long-sealed room greeted them. Wen Xia, curious, followed him inside. The apartment had good lighting, and even on this overcast, snowy day, the living room was bright when the curtains were drawn.

There wasn’t much furniture inside. Aside from a sofa, coffee table, and TV cabinet, there wasn’t much else.

“I used to live here, all the way until I graduated from high school,” Lin Fengqi said, standing by the window, looking back at Wen Xia.

He was backlit, so his expression wasn’t clear. Wen Xia didn’t like that and walked closer.

As he approached, he saw the nervousness in Lin Fengqi’s eyes—like a child sharing a secret hideout, hoping for approval but fearing rejection.

Wen Xia said, “I really like it here.”

Lin Fengqi led him into the master bedroom, where photos of his father and four grandparents were placed.

Since going to college, Lin Fengqi hadn’t lived here much. Even during the holidays, he rarely returned. After graduating and starting his business, this place was too far from his company, so he mostly slept at the office. When he could afford it, he rented a place closer to work and eventually bought the home they lived in now.

Ye Shixue had suggested many times that he rent out this old apartment to earn some extra income, but Lin Fengqi had stubbornly refused, preserving this place as a home for his deceased relatives. He would return during the holidays to burn incense.

Wen Xia didn’t expect Lin Fengqi to introduce him to so many people so soon.

Lin Fengqi held Wen Xia’s hand and led him to his father’s photo. The man in the photo had the same stern, steady gaze that Wen Xia remembered—a distant, imposing presence.

Lin Fengqi tightly interlaced their fingers, his voice soft and slow, “Dad, if you were still here, you might be angry, but I still want to tell you—I have someone I love. His name is Wen Xia.”

Wen Xia turned to look at his profile. His ears were red.

“I really like him,” Lin Fengqi continued, his face flushing slightly, “I like him so much that I can’t imagine being with anyone else in this life.”

He paused, then quickly added, “Or the next.”

Not satisfied, he added, “And the one after that.”

Seeing that he was about to keep going, Wen Xia turned away and suppressed a laugh behind his fist.

Sensing Wen Xia’s amusement, Lin Fengqi swallowed the rest of his words and murmured, “Anyway, I really like him.”

Wen Xia, lips curved into a smile, lightly brushed his thumb over the cool metal of Lin Fengqi’s wedding ring.

Looking at the man in the black-and-white photo with his stern expression, Wen Xia said, “I really like Lin Fengqi, too. I like him very much—so much that I can’t imagine being with anyone else in this life.”

After saying that, he felt a heated gaze on him.

He turned his head and met Lin Fengqi’s deep eyes. They were similar to the man’s in the photo, yet different—warm, fiery, and slightly damp.

The air, having been stagnant for so long, was warmer and more oppressive than the chill outside.

Wen Xia couldn’t remember how he finished burning the incense. They didn’t stay long and left in a hurry. Outside, the snow had started to fall again. They returned to the car, and before the warmth of the heater could reach them, they were already caught up in each other’s heated breaths.

Beneath the blanket of snow, their kisses were like golden drops of midsummer.

Before they completely lost control, Wen Xia used his last shred of reason to push Lin Fengqi away, his voice hoarse beyond recognition, “Let’s go home first.”

Lin Fengqi buried his head in Wen Xia’s neck, struggling to regain his composure and breath.

Like a taut string on the verge of snapping, tension slightly loosened but still nearly breaking.

When they finally got home, their cat and dog greeted them as usual, but the two had no time for them. Without hesitation, they shut both animals outside the room.

Ah Mou whimpered and scratched at the door, but inside, Wen Xia was already pressed against the door by Lin Fengqi, his kisses heavy and urgent.

…

Wen Xia leaned against the headboard, clutching the sheets tightly. After a moment, he let out a heavy breath, regaining a bit of clarity, and leaned forward, pushing Lin Fengqi, “That’s enough, stop…”

Before he could finish speaking, his body stiffened, and even his stifled moans carried a hint of desire.

Lin Fengqi finally leaned over him, pressing their foreheads together, his deep eyes filled with the damp gleam of moisture, flashing with both allure and possession.

He swallowed hard, his fingertips brushing over the cool metal of Wen Xia’s wedding ring.

“Wen Xia…” For some reason, just saying his name brought an unexpected wave of emotion, as if he were a teenager again, with the person he loved standing right before him, yet still feeling like it was all too good to be true, like a fleeting dream.

Wen Xia tilted his head to kiss his eyes, then whispered something into his ear, his face flushed.

…

The sky was still light outside, the faint snowflakes falling quietly. A single snowflake landed on the window, gradually melting into a droplet under the warmth inside, only to freeze back into a crystal under the chill of the wind.

Unnoticed, the snow had started falling harder.

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