After a year of being together, Qiao Lu decided to bring Ying Chen to visit his mother and her wife as well as see his baby sister.
When he called his mother saying he would visit and that he was bringing his boyfriend with him, his mother had been very happy to hear that he had gotten a lover, and began to frantically ask him about Ying Chen. When he said that Ying Chen could cook and bake and that the food and desserts he made were delicious, his foodie mother almost cried on the spot.
In the gentlest voice she could muster, she said, "I have been worried all these years that you would only be able to order takeout your entire life, or that you would accidently explode the kitchen when trying to cook for yourself but now I feel reassured. Having someone to care about you and your stomach is a warmth-filled thing."
Qiao Lu, "…"
Sighing gently, he asked, "Is that why you married Auntie Wei? Is it because she's a skilled chef?"
Mother Xu: "…"
Then vaguely through the phone, he could here the gentle and mature voice of his mother's wife, "As they say, the best way to get the person you like's heart is through their stomach."
Qiao Lu and Mother Xu: "…" Why couldn't they deny that?
…
Finally, when Ying Chen and Qiao Lu visited Mother Xu and Auntie Wei, Mother Xu and Qiao Lu were driven away from the kitchen while Ying Chen and Auntie Wei warmly and happily prepared dinner. Mother Xu and Qiao Lu on the other hand could only bitterly wait.
Mother Xu bitterly said, "I want to hug my wife."
Qiao Lu bitterly nodded as he said, "I want to hug my boyfriend."
Silently, they bitterly stared at the entrance to the kitchen, their stomachs growling loudly.
…
After dinner, Mother Xu and Qiao Lu both received the hugs they wanted as they both waved each other goodbye at the door.
Looking at the drive way and the endless but warmly lit road behind it, Qiao Lu suddenly suggested, "Let's take a walk before we go home."
Ying Chen only briefly paused before soothingly rubbing Qiao Lu's head and agreeing in a soft and nasally voice.
Happily, Qiao Lu took Ying Chen's hand and began to walk down the brightly lit road. The orange light that cascaded down bringing with it a warm halo to the already peaceful and harmonious scene.
"Your family…" Qiao Lu whispered.
"They passed away when I was four. I was raised by my grandparents." Ying Chen answered, a nostalgic smile gracing his lips at the mention of his grandparents.
Then, for a moment, silence descended. However it didn't last long as Ying Chen quietly said, "I'll take you to visit their graves later."
"Mh." Qiao Lu soothingly hummed in agreement.
A peaceful and warm silence once again returned as they held hands and walked down the lamp-lit street, their shadows and future intertwining as they continued to move forward forever entangled with each other.
-End-