Chapter 47

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Yao Sen immediately shot up, his eyes boring holes on Shao Han. It was like a string in his head had been stretched taut. A barrage of thoughts poured into his mind: “I’m gonna meet Shao Han’s dad”, “will his dad like me?”, “fuck I’m so nervous”, “can you give me some time to get ready”, “No, Yao Sen, you’re Asia’s champion, you can’t be scared” and so on, turning his expression gravely blank for several seconds.

After what felt like ages, he nervously squeezed out, “…You’re serious?”

Shao Han rarely saw the ever capable and confident Yao Sen showing such a bewildered and anxious appearance. He couldn’t stop the corners of his mouth from rising. “Yeah, my dad just wants to chat with you. He’s actually a pretty friendly person.”

After they got together, Shao Han had told Yao Sen that he’d already come out to his family when he was in high school. He had a great family. His parents were open-minded, and the understanding of his family made it so that he didn’t have to go through the struggles and ordeals he would’ve experienced otherwise.

Shao Han had also informed his parents that he had a boyfriend over the New Year’s holiday. Because his parents had been willing to respect his wishes, he didn’t want Yao Sen to feel any pressure.

Yao Sen felt it necessary to know his father-in-law so he could make proper preparations in advance. “What does Uncle Shao do for a living?”

“He’s a law professor.”

“……”

Yao Sen could feel the pressure on him increase exponentially. His awe of the teaching profession he’d held since he was little slowly molded an image of a strict teacher in his mind—in any case, there was no way the word ‘friendly’ could be applied to such a person.

Yao Sen: “Does he have any requirements for your boyfriend? Do I have to understand the law? Is there still time for me to study?”

Shao Han gave Yao Sen a helpless look. “We’re only having a meal together.”

“I’m worried that my father-in-law won’t like me,” Yao Sen said powerlessly.

*the chinese word yao sen used for father-in-law also means ‘wife’s father’

Upon hearing the word ‘father-in-law’ coming out of Yao Sen’s mouth, Shao Han blanked out for a moment before he slightly pursed his lips, his ears flushing. “I’ve already shown a picture of you to my parents, and I’ve also told them things about us… They’re quite fond of you.”

Yao Sen raised an eyebrow, suddenly intrigued. Smiling, he said, “What did you tell them?”

In truth, the one who’d started talking about him at the time had been Xiao Meng. After Shao Han confessed, Xiao Meng couldn’t no longer hold back from gushing over Yao Sen, a torrent of extravagant praises falling from her mouth. She even talked about Yao Sen’s favourite foods, as if the one Yao Sen was dating was her. Shao Han had somehow even felt a little jealous as he listened.

His parents were also interested, and one by one, they started asking the ins and outs of Shao Han’s relationship. Shao Han, who had always been thin-skinned, was really embarrassed to talk about these things in front of his parents, and he could only answer that Yao Sen was indeed a really good boyfriend with a red face.

When they saw their son blushing from their questioning, the husband and wife looked at each other. They knew all they needed to know, and they stopped asking.

Shao Han: “Nothing…”

“I wanna know how you gushed over me.” Yao Sen shifted closer to Shao Han’s ear and chuckled. “Can’t you satisfy even this little wish of mine?”

“Actually, the one who did the talking was Xiao Meng. I just went along with what she said.” Shao Han paused, then continued, “I’m too embarrassed to say anything in front of my mom and dad… but they can see how much I like you, and they know that you treat me sincerely. That’s enough.”

Yao Sen fell silent for a moment before slowly exhaling. He leaned in and kissed Shao Han’s lips, sighing, “I like you so, so much.”

Such a simple and straightforward declaration of affection could unexpectedly make one flush. Shao Han’s lashes quivered, and his heart betrayed its owner’s desires of wanting to hear those words again. Sometimes, Shao Han would think that he was awfully hypocritical—before dating, he’d frequently catch sight of couples flirting and rationally felt that he’d never act like them.

And yet now, when facing Yao Sen, there were times when Shao Han couldn’t help himself from wanting to be hugged, to be coaxed—but the aloofness and introversion that’s been cultivated in his heart for so many years were a hurdle he still couldn’t leap over. On top of that, what happened with Shen You in the past had served to make him more sensitive to people’s feelings. He would habitually reflect on whether his behaviour brought trouble to others—to his lover most of all.

Once in a while, after being physically intimate with Yao Sen, Shao Han would slightly indulge himself and rely on the other man a little more.

After sending Shao Han back, Yao Sen unlocked his phone and saw that Bai Yue had @-ed him in the group chat a few minutes ago.

Bai Yue: @Yao Sen when are you coming to collect this damn pig Wang Yuxi? He’s fallen asleep at our dorm

Yao Sen: Why don’t you wake him up, Shao Han’s gone

Bai Yue: Thank god, I thought you were leaving him here for the night

Yao Sen: How could I

Yao Sen: The dorm beds are too narrow to start anything

Bai Yue: ……

Bai Yue: A simple ‘no’ would suffice, I didn’t need to know the rest, thanks

A few minutes later, Wang Yuxi returned to their dorm with a yawn. The second he pushed the door open, he was hit by the smell of food and immediately snapped awake. “What did Shao ge bring you?” he blurted.

“Ignore that for now,” Yao Sen said. “I’ll be seeing my father-in-law in two days, help me brainstorm things I need to prepare.”

“……are you two gonna get married next month?” Wang Yuxi gasped, eyes wide. “If Shao ge were a girl, I reckon your second child would already be playing games by now.”

“So what should I prepare?”

“A gift, maybe? And wear something decent and a little formal.” Wang Yuxi also had zero experience in this field, and he could only rely on his imagination from the many years of watching dramas with his mom. “Also, what does Shao ge’s dad do for a living?”

“He’s a law professor.”

“……” Wang Yuxi’s eyes sharpened. “Why don’t you pull a couple of all-nighters to watch the legal channel?”

In the end, he felt that he’d be better off asking Shao Han than follow Wang Yuxi’s blind advice. After hearing that Uncle Shao liked Thai cuisine, Yao Sen immediately looked up Thai restaurants in their vicinity. Since Uncle Shao was an academician, Yao Sen rummaged through his wardrobe for a white button down he hadn’t worn in years and ironed it till it was crisp and wrinkle-free.

On the morning of their meeting with Uncle Shao, Yao Sen dressed up and walked out the door looking like a refined rascal in Wang Yuxi’s eyes.

Shao Han was taken aback the moment he saw him.

Yao Sen was used to dressing in casual tees, but even when he wore shirts, he made them look fashionable and stylish. However, this was Shao Han’s first time seeing Yao Sen dressed so formally.

Yao Sen had always been a walking clothes hanger, and his handsome features were a bonus point. The sudden formal wear made it so that his whole body exuded a rare mature and refined aura. That, along with his usual self-confidence and slightly ruffian charm, it was as if he was the exact definition of the word ‘alluring’.

Shao Han blushed inexplicably. He’d been with Yao Sen for so long and yet sometimes, he was still at the mercy of Yao Sen’s charms.

Although this man was his boyfriend, it was impossible to tag Yao Sen’s charm as exclusively his to enjoy. Everyone around him could feel it. Showing off the people and things that are yours is human nature, but most of the time, Shao Han just felt helpless and distressed.

Suddenly, Shao Han wasn’t too keen on the idea of taking Yao Sen outside. “Why are you dressed so formally?”

“Isn’t it nice to seem a little steady?” Currently, Yao Sen’s head was filled with nothing but the scene of him meeting his father-in-law, and he was very satisfied with his look today. There was no time for him to notice his boyfriend’s thoughts. “Let’s go, don’t make Uncle Shao wait.”

Shao Han could only put on a brave face as he followed Yao Sen out.

They headed straight to the Thai restaurant and waited, and before long, Uncle Shao arrived. Uncle Shao was a scholarly person, was tall, and a shadow of Shao Han’s features and temperament could be seen on him. But compared to his son, Uncle Shao was much more laid-back.

Uncle Shao was nothing like the strict university professor Yao Sen had imagined. He had an easy-going and open smile, and the atmosphere around him didn’t make others tense up.

Seeing Yao Sen getting up to greet him, Uncle Shao smiled and said, “Sit down, sit down, there’s no need to be so polite.”

Even though he was nervous, Yao Sen’s temperament was calm and confident. From greeting his father-in-law to taking their seats to ordering his food, his polite and cordial speech and behaviour was all natural, and he was extremely considerate in every aspect.

Uncle Shao was a talkative person, and in a short while, his conversation with Yao Sen flowed freely. When they really got talking, Yao Sen felt that, while Uncle Shao had an easygoing personality, the way he talked gave him the impression of someone who was extremely steadfast and astute. He wasn’t the least bit surprised that Uncle Shao could raise such a delightful and charming darling as Shao Han.

Seeing that things between Yao Sen and his dad were going well, Shao Han sat at the side without interfering, but from time to time, he’d furtively observe the two men. When the waiter came with their soup, the phone in Shao Han’s pocket vibrated. It was a message from his dad.

Shao Han’s heart thudded in his chest, and he inwardly thought, here it comes.

Dad: Go to the toilet in ten minutes, I want to have a little one-on-one chat with your boyfriend

Shao Han: Dad… Can’t I stay?

Dad: Nope. Don’t worry, I won’t give him a hard

Shao Han looked up. Papa Shao was smiling his way, the imposing and indisputable aura that wasn’t visible to outsiders showing through his amiable countenance. Shao Han had no choice but to give a small nod, excusing himself and heading to the bathroom after ten minutes as per his dad’s request.

The instant Shao Han got up, Yao Sen knew what was likely in store for him.

Uncle Shao put down his chopsticks. “You’ve met Mengmeng, right?” he said, sounding as gentle as before.

Yao Sen nodded.

“Sometimes their mom and I wish that these siblings could be a little more alike. Mengmeng is such a chatterbox, but Hanhan is relatively reserved for the most part.” Uncle Shao chuckled, “When Hanhan was little, my wife and I were quite strict with him. Hanhan was already so sensible from a young age, and now I think that perhaps we were a little too strict back then.”

“Once, little Hanhan accidentally broke my clay teapot. It wracked that child with guilt! He sat at his desk in the middle of the night and wrote me a self-reflection essay, and at the end of the year, he even took the initiative to give me all his New Year’s money.” As he spoke of Shao Han’s childhood, Uncle Shao seemed both vexed and amused. “I didn’t know whether to feel distressed or laugh.”

“From a young age, Hanhan knew that he mustn’t trouble other people. After we had Mengmeng, he became even more considerate to his little sister. When he was old enough, he came forward and told me that he had two requests. One was that he wanted to be a professional esports athlete,” Uncle Shao smiled, “and two, he told his mother and I that, when he gets into a relationship, he hoped we’d approve.”

“Hanhan’s situation is different from other people’s. My wife and I were constantly worrying about him. We were so happy that he could open up to us. I’m here today because I simply want to talk to you. You two haven’t been together long. You don’t need to worry, take your time, and don’t fuss about what other people might think. All in all, this is Hanhan’s first relationship. My wife and I would like to get to know you a little more, we hope you can understand.”

After listening to Uncle Shao’s words, Yao Sen’s mind was flooded with the image of little Shao Han who was only as tall as an adult’s waist, his nose red as he wrote a self-reflection essay—this little sweetheart had slowly grown up, and now he had become the person Yao Sen liked the most, the person he most wanted to dote on.

Yao Sen couldn’t help thinking back on all the little details of his day-to-day interaction with Shao Han. All of a sudden, he felt that, for all he believed he’d been attentive, there were still a great deal of things he’d overlooked.

☆ ☆ ☆

t/n – thank you to anon and diabolomenth for the kofis!

Chapter 46 | TOC | Chapter 48

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