Everyone looked at Chris, and Chi Feiran didn’t know how to respond. Of course, he had thought about it, but Chris’s tone was clearly off…
Edmund was the first to react, subconsciously saying to his eldest son, “Why did you just blurt it out like that!”
Since they had thoughts about it, wouldn’t it be better to handle it quietly? By saying it out loud, Ethan would find out! This wasn’t good at all!
Chi Feiran: “…”
Xie Man: “…”
Unable to bear it any longer, Xie Man whispered to stop them, “Stop making a fuss!”
Could they just casually intervene in this matter!
The head of the Bonnet family and the eldest son both obediently kept quiet, but their eyes met, clearly indicating that they still wanted to meddle.
Seeing this scene through the video call, Chi Feiran couldn’t help but feel amused and exasperated. “Please don’t worry, I’m not afraid, and I don’t need you to intervene. I just wanted to tell you about this myself…”
After hesitating for a moment, Chi Feiran said, “Dad already knows. I thought it would be more appropriate for me to tell you myself than for him to find out from someone else.”
Xie Man fell silent for a moment after hearing this, then took a deep breath and asked, “So, he doesn’t agree, right?”
There was too much suppressed anger in her voice, and even her tone was slightly distorted.
Chi Feiran opened his mouth, then smiled bitterly, “This situation is a bit hard for Dad to accept, he needs some time.”
He didn’t want this matter to cause conflict between his parents, so he shifted the focus to his own thoughts. “Actually… I don’t necessarily have to be with the person I like. I just wanted you to know, so please don’t do anything for my sake.”
As he said the second half of the sentence, Chi Feiran’s gaze mainly rested on his stepfather and brother, both of whom clearly had some thoughts.
Having just experienced coming out to his father, Chi Feiran was already quite exhausted. Fortunately, his mother’s reaction was much better than he had imagined.
Feeling somewhat comforted despite the initial bitterness, Chi Feiran said softly, “Mom, Edmund, Chris, thank you for loving me and caring about me. But my feelings are very personal. Can you understand?”
The three on the other side fell into silence. Of course, they all understood the reasoning, but it was difficult for them to truly let go.
Finally, it was Xie Man who broke the silence. “Okay, Mom understands.”
Chi Feiran breathed a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to say something else, his mother asked, “Can you tell me what kind of person he is?”
Xie Man’s expression had softened gradually, just like any ordinary mother curious about her child’s crush, patiently waiting for her son’s answer.
Chi Feiran didn’t expect the conversation to suddenly turn in this direction and felt a bit embarrassed, but he still said, “He’s a very kind and gentle person who has helped me a lot. He’s also good-looking.”
He emphasized, “Especially good-looking.”
After finishing, Chi Feiran couldn’t help but smile gently before continuing, “He’s very dedicated, cooks well, sings beautifully, and his cat is especially cute. Of course, he has some flaws, like being narcissistic, vain, staying up late online frequently, and not liking to go out… He also scolds me for speeding when I drive…”
As he said this, Chi Feiran couldn’t help but pause. He didn’t know when, but Rong Jin had already left such a deep impression on him.
All of this, combined, made up the person he liked, Rong Jin.
Xie Man watched her son talk about his crush, her eyes shining with a soft light, and her heart softened as well.
She said, “I really want to meet him.”
Chi Feiran blinked and said, “Right now, we can only meet as friends.”
Xie Man smiled gently. “Mom understands.”
She was about to say something else when suddenly Charlie’s voice came through, “Madam, everything’s arranged.”
Xie Man turned to her son directly. “Ranran, is there anything else you want to say? We can talk about it when we meet, okay?”
Chi Feiran wanted to say that there wasn’t really anything else to discuss even if they didn’t meet, but seeing the concerned look in his mother’s eyes, he nodded, “Okay.”
Xie Man whispered softly, “Good night.”
Chi Feiran also said “good night” to her, and even Edmund and Chris didn’t miss it.
However, this was destined to be a night of poor sleep. Chi Feiran tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. If it were any other night, he might have wanted to chat with Chi Jun, but tonight was different. Talking to Rong Jin would only exacerbate his feelings of guilt.
Perhaps it was best to just quietly continue liking him.
He lay in the darkness with his eyes open, lost in thought. Things weren’t any better on Rong Jun’s end.
As dawn approached and he still couldn’t sleep, Chi Feiran stared at the computer screen, reading through page after page of information, his eyes red from fatigue.
He had heard of homosexuality before, but it had always seemed like a curiosity or something to gossip about. He never imagined that his own son would be homosexual.
In his heart, he didn’t want to accept it. At the beginning, he couldn’t help but redirect his anger towards Rong Jin and even Xie Man.
Yes, he already knew that Rong Jin was the person his son liked. That was easy to figure out, given the small circle of acquaintances his son had.
He couldn’t stop thinking that it was Rong Jin’s appearance that had corrupted his son, and Xie Man’s liberal foreign education had influenced him. If his son had grown up by his side, he would never have turned out like this!
After leaving his son’s residence and learning that the person his son liked was Rong Jin, Rong Jun even felt an immediate urge to do something.
If it weren’t for the last shred of sanity within him, he might have acted on it.
His mind was filled with thoughts of doing it for his son’s own good. Being homosexual meant facing so much criticism and contempt from others. Thinking of the disdain and ridicule he had heard from people around him when homosexuality was mentioned, he felt a chill run down his spine.
But every time he tried to steel himself, he couldn’t help but think of his son’s words, his son’s expression at that time, and his son’s final compromise. His heart was in turmoil.
His son simply liked someone, it was just that he couldn’t marry and have children like others…
Chi Jun kept trying to convince himself, but it felt like there was a knot in his heart that he couldn’t untangle.
He repeatedly looked through the information he found, carefully reading the keywords: “not a disease”, “mostly innate”…
Chi Jun covered his face with his hand, asking himself in his heart, why did it have to be his son…
After many years away, Xie Man set foot on Chinese soil once again. Looking around, everything seemed unfamiliar.
Over a decade had passed, and the changes in this country were too numerous to count. The place where she had grown up, City A, was almost unrecognizable.
Meeting her ex-husband again was surprisingly calm and peaceful, even more so than she had imagined.
But Chi Jun seemed tense in the details. He tried to drink tea to conceal his emotions but almost choked on it.
Xie Man sighed and pushed the tissue box on the table towards him.
Chi Jun quickly wiped his mouth with a tissue, and his mood gradually calmed down.
Waiting for him to return to normal, Xie Man said slowly, “I know it’s difficult for you to accept Ranran’s situation.”
Rong Jun took a deep breath, his voice heavy and hoarse, “So you’ve just accepted it like that?”
Xie Man said, “Yes, I have.”
Chi Jun almost laughed coldly at this response, his words laced with sarcasm, “You’re really open-minded!”
Xie Man closed her eyes briefly, maintaining her composure, and continued, “I’m not open-minded. I just know what’s more important.”
Xie Man looked at Chi Jun, the man she remembered, who had changed so much. Time was always the most merciless, erasing all the love and hate that had once existed.
Xie Man said, “Chi Jun, don’t think you’re doing this for the sake of our children. Think about Ranran, think about yourself, think about us. Remember… back then, everything she did was for your sake. But how did it end up?”
Chi Jun’s entire demeanor collapsed. Yes…
How did it end up? His wife left, his son’s estranged, and he didn’t even have the courage to speak loudly to his son.
He slumped back in his chair, his large stature looking hunched.
Xie Man lowered her eyelids and said, “It’s all for the sake of the children. Over the years, I’ve been asking myself, what is truly good for the children…”
She used to think that protecting her son and shielding him from harm was the best thing.
But was it really? Maybe it was, but how long could she keep doing it?
In the end, a person must live their own life.
Xie Man asked softly, “Chi Jun, do you want your son to experience the hardships you’ve endured?”
Chi Jun moved his lips slightly before whispering, “Do you know the situation in China? He’s still a celebrity…”
Xie Man interrupted him, “So, as a father, you can’t understand him? Do you want him to admit that he’s abnormal? Are you forcing him to choose between you and the person he likes?”
Chi Jun instinctively retorted, “No!”
Xie Man stood up, her action drawing Chi Jun’s gaze.
Looking down at him, Xie Man finally said, “Ranran is soft-hearted, just like you. As long as you keep doing what you’re doing, he’ll continue to compromise and ignore those things. Isn’t that good enough?”
Xie Man said “good enough” with her mouth, but her eyes told a different story.
She was, after all, somewhat disappointed.
Xie Man left without looking back.
Chi Jun sat there for a long time without moving.
After Xie Man left, she immediately made plans to meet her son for dinner and expressed her desire to meet Rong Jin again.
Chi Feiran couldn’t help but hesitate. His father hadn’t expressed his stance yet, and here he was inviting Rong Jin and his mother to dinner. If his father found out, how upset would he be…
So, he shook his head and said, “Mom, this is too sudden. Besides, it’s not really appropriate right now. Let’s wait for another opportunity in the future.”
Then, at this critical moment, Chi Feiran’s phone rang.
He picked it up and saw that it was his father calling.
Chi Feiran couldn’t help but feel stunned, his heart beating faster. He took a deep breath before answering the call, “Hello, Dad.”
Chi Jun was still sitting in that private room, his voice hoarse but solemn, “Ranran, go and like whoever you want to like.”
