RED Chapter 72

Rong Jin had no idea that he was just a soap bubble away from marrying into a wealthy family and reaching the peak of his life. All it would take was a slight twist or even a breath to burst that bubble, and his dreams would come true.

He believed that his image in Chi Feiran’s family’s eyes must be one of thoughtfulness and reliability. He was inwardly delighted, thinking that all the days spent preparing materials had not been in vain.

Chi Feiran, on the other hand, was reflecting on himself. He thought he should devote more effort to improving himself, as the person he liked was so outstanding. If he didn’t strive to improve, he wouldn’t have the confidence to confess his feelings!

When Xie Man found out that Rong Jin had given her son study materials, she took a sharp breath, thinking that her son’s path would be very difficult…

Edmund’s expression was subtle as he looked at the stack of materials, while Chris felt so conflicted he couldn’t express it, maintaining a cold face. What a situation this was…

Fortunately, Xie Man quickly adjusted her mood. After praising both the gift-giver and the gift, she ordered dishes. While waiting for the food, she started to inquire like any other mother, “Xiao Rong, are you still single?”

Rong Jin reminded himself to stay grounded, then put on an impeccable performance with his best acting skills, politely and appropriately answering, “Yes, still single.”

He added silently to himself, single for twenty-seven years and possibly forever…

Xie Man smiled and asked, “So, Xiao Rong, what kind of partner do you like?”

Alarm bells went off in Rong Jin’s head, thinking this might be a prelude to a matchmaking attempt. He was puzzled whether all mothers liked to introduce potential partners.

He couldn’t say that the person he liked was their son, so he repeated what he had told Chi Feiran before, “Actually, I’m a bit of a soloist. I quite like my current state and want to focus more on my career.”

He did want to change his single status, but unfortunately…

Chang Haoqing, if he were present, would probably have spat out a mouthful of blood. Previously, Rong Jin had spent his limited time on endless games, and recently, he had shifted to endlessly shipping CP, completely obsessed, and had the audacity to claim he was focusing on his career! What a shameless liar!

Xie Man couldn’t help but take another sharp breath. She wasn’t sure if she should be relieved that if Rong Jin really adhered to his soloist philosophy, at least her son wouldn’t have a strong competitor, or if she should be worried that not only was the gender wrong, but the other party was also a soloist, making things doubly difficult…

Xie Man maintained her smile, “Actually, if fate allows, it would be better to have someone to share life with, right? There must be times when being alone feels lonely.”

Rong Jin also smiled, “I used to feel that way, but since I got a cat recently, it’s been perfect.”

Of course, if he could truly end up with the one he loved, that would be the most perfect outcome!

Chi Feiran thought to himself, “…”

He felt like he had dug a hole for himself. It was he who had sparked Rong Jin’s interest in getting a cat! He never expected that Oreo would completely fill the void left by not having a romantic partner.

Xie Man commented, “…A cat and a person are ultimately different.”

Rong Jin smiled and said, “Cats are much simpler than people. Maybe it’s because in our line of work, we interact with so many people that sometimes small animals seem more pure. If they like you, they like you; if they don’t, they don’t. Feiran should understand this.”

He turned his head to look at Chi Feiran sitting beside him and noticed that the young man seemed a bit distracted, so he called out to him softly, “Feiran?”

Chi Feiran nodded slowly, “Yes…”

Xie Man felt that, as a mother, she couldn’t give up so easily. She continued, “Well, Xiao Rong and Ranran should have a lot to talk about then. He likes cats too.”

Hearing this, Rong Jin felt a bit proud. He thought he had made the right choice in getting a cat. Ever since he got Oreo, his WeChat chat history with Chi Feiran had been getting longer and longer!

Rong Jin couldn’t help but smile, “Yes, Feiran and I have a lot to talk about.”

His already gentle demeanor seemed even softer with this smile. Especially when he spoke, he couldn’t help but glance at Chi Feiran beside him, and the hidden gentleness in his eyes seemed to almost overflow.

Edmund, observing for a long time, found this smile interesting. He turned his gaze to his eldest son, who had been playing the role of an ice king, hoping for some confirmation. But all he saw was his son’s cold face, without even a glance his way.

Edmund: “…”

At this moment, the food began to arrive, providing a natural pause in the conversation.

When most of the dishes had been served, Xie Man resumed her motherly chit-chat, talking as if they were just having a casual family conversation. Edmund also joined in, but his questions were more focused on career matters.

During the meal, Xie Man observed Rong Jin’s natural care towards Chi Feiran and felt quite satisfied. He was good to her son, good-looking, came from a good family, had his own career, and was considered top-notch in his industry. He was also serious about relationships. The only pity was that he was a man, and she didn’t know how likely it was that he would bend for her son in the future…

At first, Chi Feiran didn’t talk much because he felt guilty about this one-sided matchmaking attempt with Rong Jin. However, as his mother asked more questions, he learned many things about Rong Jin that he hadn’t known before, and gradually became more engaged in the conversation.

Chris, meanwhile, remained silent the entire time, as if on mute.

His feelings were especially complex. He had thought Rong Jin was okay before, but once he started considering him as a potential brother-in-law, he found fault with everything. But since Ethan liked Rong Jin, Chris had to think about how to help them get together without making it obvious. This situation was… just thinking about it made him a bit angry.

After the meal, Xie Man felt she had learned enough, so she let her son and his beloved go about their business.

Chi Feiran quickly pulled Rong Jin away. Knowing the truth himself, he felt guilty watching Rong Jin, who was oblivious to it all, answering all his mother’s questions.

Rong Jin, however, felt that he had performed perfectly in front of Chi Feiran’s family and was quite happy. After leaving, he even said, “I really enjoyed chatting with your mom.”

Chi Feiran forced a smile, “As long as you’re happy, Rong ge…”

Meanwhile, Xie Man was analyzing with her husband, “What do you think? Do they have a good chance?”

Edmund shared his opinion, “I think there’s hope. Didn’t you notice how gently Rong looked at Ethan?”

Xie Man’s spirits lifted, and she quickly asked, “When was that?”

Edmund described the moment in detail. Xie Man listened and felt a bit speechless, “Was that look for the cat or the person? Why do I feel like he looked at Ethan the same way Feiran talks about Caesar?”

Edmund immediately turned to their eldest son, hoping he would back him up.

Chris stood up and said, “I think we need to investigate further.”

He felt they should check again. If, after more than ten years, Rong Jin still had no partner, it could be due to being a loner or being very cautious about relationships, which was fine. But what if there was some personal issue?

If there was an issue, was it physical or psychological? He realized they hadn’t thought to look at his medical records before; they should remember to check this time!

Xie Man and Edmund watched their eldest son walk away, exchanging looks of bewilderment.

Edmund insisted, “I’m a man; I can understand that kind of look!”

Xie Man looked at her confident husband and sighed, “Let’s hope that’s the case…”

The parents were worried to death, and Chi Jun wasn’t any better off; he was also distressed.

Chi Jun thought that after he gave his consent, his son would probably fly into someone else’s arms like a little bird. Especially after hearing that they had arranged a meal with Rong Jin and then hearing that his son’s workload had been reduced to the minimum, Chi Jun felt he was about to witness this moment. He couldn’t help but feel heartbroken and sad.

But then…

Chi Jun thought he must have misheard and asked Han Hengliang, “What did you say? Say it again.”

Han Hengliang repeated what he had just said, “The young master has been staying home recently, not going out, and not seeing anyone. I asked Li Yuan, who said he’s been reviewing for the art exam in February.”

Chi Jun: “…”

This was completely different from what he had imagined! He thought his son would dive headfirst into a relationship, but instead, he was seriously focusing on his studies! What was going on!

That evening, Chi Jun, feeling awkward, arranged to have dinner with his son, and Chi Feiran agreed immediately.

Since successfully coming out, more than a week had passed, and the two of them hadn’t seen each other. Chi Feiran wanted to see his father but was afraid he wasn’t ready, so he had Secretary Han look after him more.

When father and son met again, they both felt a bit awkward. After all, they hadn’t spent much time together growing up. The unfamiliar politeness had only recently started to fade, and now, with the coming-out situation, their relationship seemed to have taken a step back.

Fortunately, they both wanted to get closer and were trying to repair their relationship.

Chi Jun cleared his throat lightly and asked his son, “I heard from Xiao Han that you’ve been busy reviewing at home recently?”

Chi Feiran nodded obediently, “Yes, the exam is in February. I need to work hard.”

Chi Jun wanted to ask about Rong Jin and how he planned to handle it. After hesitating for a while, he vaguely asked, “And… him?”

Of course, Chi Feiran knew who “him” referred to. Hearing this, his expression became serious, and he said, “Dad, before I really start pursuing Rong Ge, I want to work on improving myself. He’s a very accomplished senior, and I should hold myself to high standards.”

After saying this, Chi Feiran felt this wasn’t entirely accurate, “Um, it’s not just about being with him that I’m working hard… In short, I’ve realized that at this stage, I should focus on my studies. It will be better to think about other things when I’m more mature.”

Chi Jun: “…That’s, that’s good.”

Chi Jun couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. Logically, his son being motivated to improve himself because of someone he liked, rather than just jumping into their arms, should make him happy.

But…

Chi Jun pondered for a moment and then understood.

He felt that his son could match anyone in the world effortlessly. There was no need to go through so much effort… For love and self-improvement—it made him uncomfortable just thinking about it.

Chi Jun muttered to himself, what was so great about Rong Jin anyway? He just made a few movies and won a few awards. He hadn’t even won an Oscar yet!

His Feiran was different; he excelled in every way and had no flaws!

Well… except for liking men. That was truly…

Chi Feiran didn’t know his dad was silently complaining. He felt that talking about himself would inevitably lead to mentioning Rong Jin, so he proactively asked Chi Jun, “Have you been resting well lately, Dad?”

Chi Jun snapped back to reality, talked about himself, and then reminded Chi Feiran, “Studying is good, but don’t just tell me to rest; you need to rest too…”

Father and son cared for each other, and the dinner atmosphere gradually became warm and cozy.

Author’s note:

Rong Rong: I’m committed to being single!

Feiran: I need to study hard!