Lan Xingchen held him for quite a while before slowly letting go. He looked at Pei Qingjian, a bright smile on his face.
Pei Qingjian’s grin grew even wider under that gaze.
The atmosphere was sweet and intimate. Just as Lan Xingchen leaned in to kiss him, a gentle female voice interrupted: “Xingchen, you’re back.”
Lan Xingchen: !!!
He turned and saw Zhou Man walking out of the kitchen, carrying dishes.
Not her… why was she here?
Pei Qingjian finally realized that Zhou Man was still around. He had meant to tell Lan Xingchen as soon as he saw him, but the surprise hug had made him forget entirely.
Caught in the act, he awkwardly twisted his neck, watching Zhou Man naturally walk into the dining area, nearly wishing he could disappear on the spot.
Had she noticed what just happened? Did she think it was normal? Or had she just spoken casually without realizing?
Pei Qingjian felt like screaming internally: how was he supposed to face Lan Xingchen’s aunt now?
“Why is she here?” Lan Xingchen asked in a low voice.
“She came to see you,” Pei Qingjian replied helplessly. “She’s been here for a while and even made dinner.”
Lan Xingchen: …
Zhou Man had placed the dishes she carried earlier and was heading back to the kitchen to bring more.
Pei Qingjian quickly removed his hands from Lan Xingchen and offered to help. “Aunt, I’ll help you.”
Lan Xingchen: !!! Aunt?!
He just… called her aunt? So casual, with no formality at all!
“Be careful, it’s hot,” Zhou Man warned.
“It’s fine,” Pei Qingjian replied, carrying the dish with her to the table.
Lan Xingchen: …
Watching them, Lan Xingchen couldn’t help but feel a little perplexed.
With Pei Qingjian’s help, Zhou Man quickly carried all the dishes into the dining area.
She glanced back and saw Lan Xingchen entering, looking slightly uneasy.
“My uncle and I were on a business trip abroad and just got back. He bought some things for you, so I helped bring them over,” she explained.
Only now did Lan Xingchen notice the items on the entryway cabinet. At the time he’d entered, his mind had been entirely on the sudden appearance of Pei Qingjian, so he hadn’t paid attention to the packages.
He nodded, giving a neutral, polite response: “Mm.”
Seeing his demeanor, Zhou Man didn’t press further. “Well, enjoy your meal. I’ll be going now.”
Pei Qingjian: ???
Even someone unfamiliar with family dynamics could tell this wasn’t normal.
“Aunt, aren’t you staying for dinner?” he asked. “Come eat with us. There’s so much food—we can’t finish it all ourselves. And you made it… it’s not right to let us eat it alone.”
Zhou Man turned to him and smiled. “These were prepared by you; I just did a bit of cooking. It’s not really me who made it.”
“You two enjoy your meal; I have something to do, so I’ll leave first.”
Ah?
Pei Qingjian felt uneasy. He glanced at Lan Xingchen for help.
Lan Xingchen, a little helpless, slowly said, “Stay until you finish eating.”
Immediately, Pei Qingjian nodded eagerly. “Yes, yes, we’ll eat first.”
He ran to the kitchen to grab three sets of bowls and chopsticks.
Zhou Man looked at Lan Xingchen, who didn’t meet her gaze. He went back to the entrance to change shoes and wash his hands before reappearing at the table.
Pei Qingjian had already enthusiastically helped serve the three of them.
He placed a bowl of rice by Zhou Man’s seat. “Aunt, please sit.”
Finally, Zhou Man took her seat politely.
“Thank you,” she said.
Pei Qingjian shook his head. “It’s nothing. Would you like some soup? I can serve you a bowl.”
Lan Xingchen, about to sit down, froze: …
How could he say those two words so naturally, so familiarly? Didn’t he feel anything was odd?
Lan Xingchen pulled out a chair and sat.
“Been busy lately?” Zhou Man asked during the meal.
“Yes,” he replied softly.
“Any financial needs?”
“No.”
“Anything your uncle can help with?”
“No.”
“Oh,” Zhou Man replied evenly.
With her quiet answer, Lan Xingchen fell silent as well.
The dining room became suddenly still.
Pei Qingjian felt the awkwardness stretch endlessly.
Words! Say something! Why is everyone just eating without talking?! This is too awkward!
He glanced at Lan Xingchen, then at Zhou Man, and helplessly decided to take the initiative.
“This tofu is really good,” he said to Zhou Man. “Aunt, how did you make it?”
Hearing her being asked, Zhou Man hurried to explain, “Just lightly fry it before stir-frying—it works perfectly.”
“Fry it?” Pei Qingjian was surprised.
“Of course,” Zhou Man smiled, patiently describing the cooking process.
Pei Qingjian listened with interest and then asked about another dish.
One person knowledgeable about cooking, the other curious and eager to learn—unexpectedly, they began chatting naturally.
“You know so much, Aunt,” Pei Qingjian said, surprised.
Zhou Man smiled warmly. “I worked in a restaurant as an assistant chef when I was in college. Learned a little on the side.”
“Wow,” Pei Qingjian exclaimed. “I never did that—but I did work at a fried chicken shop in college, so I’m really good at making fried chicken.”
“That’s impressive too! When I worked at the fried chicken shop, there weren’t nearly as many around. Otherwise, I’d have worked there too.”
“Well, Aunt, next time you come over, let me know in advance. I’ll make you some fried chicken.”
“Alright,” Zhou Man agreed, pulling out her phone. “Let’s exchange WeChat.”
Of course, Pei Qingjian didn’t refuse an elder’s request and added her immediately.
Lan Xingchen: ???
Lan Xingchen: …
Wait, who exactly is this aunt?
Those who knew, knew she was his aunt; those who didn’t might think she was Pei Qingjian’s.
And yet Pei Qingjian called her “Aunt” naturally, chatting casually as if nothing unusual.
He hadn’t even told Lan Xingchen about working at the fried chicken shop!
Lan Xingchen quietly ate his meal, glancing at Pei Qingjian in disbelief.
After dinner, Zhou Man stood, preparing to wash the dishes.
Pei Qingjian hurried to stop her. “We can handle this, Aunt. You’ve already worked hard cooking; there’s no way you should wash dishes too.”
“No worries,” Zhou Man smiled, carrying the dishes toward the kitchen.
Pei Qingjian quickly followed.
Passing Lan Xingchen, he asked, “Why are you just standing there? Take some plates too.”
Lan Xingchen: …
He silently picked up the remaining plates and followed Pei Qingjian into the kitchen.
Zhou Man didn’t want him washing dishes, so she quickly said, “I’ll do it; you two go about your business.”
“It’s fine,” Lan Xingchen replied calmly.
He moved around her to the sink.
Watching his back, Zhou Man opened her mouth as if to say something, but then stopped herself.
Figuring out how to get close to Lan Xingchen had always been one of Zhou Man’s struggles.
She wanted to care for him, but he consistently kept her at an emotional distance. Over time, her initial confidence and enthusiasm gave way to caution and uncertainty; even a simple sentence required careful thought, lest she damage the fragile bond between them.
She looked at Lan Xingchen, a subtle sadness in her eyes.
Once the kitchen was mostly cleaned up, Zhou Man prepared to leave.
She had come only to check on him and deliver some things. Sharing a meal with him unexpectedly was already a rare delight; anything beyond that she didn’t dare expect.
“I’ll come see you again next time,” she said.
“Mm,” Lan Xingchen responded.
“If you’re not busy, remember to come home sometimes. Your uncle misses you. He just couldn’t come with me this time because of the contract he recently signed—it kept him occupied.”
“Mm,” Lan Xingchen replied again.
“Well, I’ll be going,” Zhou Man said, turning to Pei Qingjian. “See you next time.”
Pei Qingjian nodded, then remembered something. “Aunt, wait a moment.”
He quickly ran to the bedroom.
Zhou Man watched him enter Lan Xingchen’s room, surprised.
Do they really share a bedroom?
She wanted to ask Lan Xingchen but feared it wasn’t her place, so she swallowed her curiosity.
Her mind wandered briefly to the hug she had seen earlier. Lan Xingchen had held him tightly, and for a long time.
Considering that Lan Xingchen hadn’t lived with friends over the years but suddenly had a new friend to share a room with, it did seem a little unusual.
Still, Zhou Man quickly pushed those thoughts aside.
She decided not to assume anything beyond what she knew. Pei Qingjian was simply retrieving something from the bedroom; they were good friends. She shouldn’t assign them any other relationship without evidence.
It wouldn’t be fair to either Lan Xingchen or Pei Qingjian.
With that settled in her mind, she waited quietly for Pei Qingjian.
She didn’t wait long. Pei Qingjian reappeared soon after, holding a bag filled with snacks.
“These are local specialties I bought while filming in J City. They’re quite tasty—please don’t mind, Aunt.”
Zhou Man couldn’t possibly mind. She thought Pei Qingjian was warm, polite, cheerful, and endearing. No wonder Lan Xingchen wanted to live with him—if it were her, she’d be just as happy.
“How come?” she smiled as she accepted it. “I was just thinking of buying some of these snacks recently, so now I don’t have to.”
“I didn’t even know you were here this time,” Zhou Man said with some regret. “Next time then. Next time I come to see Xingchen, I’ll bring you a gift.”
“No, no need,” Pei Qingjian quickly waved his hands.
Zhou Man smiled and chatted with him for a few more moments before changing her shoes, taking the specialty gifts he had given her, and leaving.
Lan Xingchen watched Zhou Man go, then turned toward Pei Qingjian, who had just been calling her “Aunt,” and started teasing, “Aunt? You two are really close, huh?”
Pei Qingjian: ???
He thought the comment made no sense. “Then what else am I supposed to call your aunt?”
After saying that, he paused and reflected, “Should I have called her ‘Mrs.’ instead?”
“Ahhh, it really seems like I should’ve said ‘Mrs.’ I called her wrong! Why didn’t you correct me?”
Lan Xingchen: ???
“Do you think I had a chance to correct you?”
Pei Qingjian felt as if he’d been struck by lightning. “Oh no, oh no! Will she think I have no sense of propriety? That I don’t even understand something so basic? That I’m so immature?”
Lan Xingchen: …
“Is it too late if I call her now?”
Lan Xingchen: …
Lan Xingchen turned and walked toward the bedroom.
Pei Qingjian quickly followed. “Why aren’t you saying anything?”
“Do you still need me to talk? Go and tell your aunt.”
Pei Qingjian felt his words were teasing. “But she is your aunt.”
“I didn’t call her ‘Aunt’ once.”
And that, he realized, was exactly the problem!
“Don’t you like her?” Pei Qingjian asked.
Lan Xingchen paused mid-step.
Pei Qingjian looked at him, confused. He already knew something about Lan Xingchen’s family situation: the only family he had now was his uncle, who had essentially been like a father to him for so many years, raising him.
So why didn’t he like his aunt?
“I think she really likes you,” Pei Qingjian said.
He had never met Lan Xingchen’s aunt before; today was the first time. But she had been gentle and kind toward him the whole time—simply because he was Lan Xingchen’s roommate, and she liked Lan Xingchen, so she extended her warmth to his roommate as well.
Lan Xingchen hadn’t expected him to say that. He looked at Pei Qingjian, whose gaze was clear and sincere.
“I don’t dislike her,” Lan Xingchen said. “If my uncle likes her, I wouldn’t dislike her either.”
“But you’re very polite with her.”
Polite to the point of being a little distant.
Lan Xingchen said nothing.
He didn’t know how to explain to Pei Qingjian. He didn’t dislike Zhou Man; he just didn’t know how to face her, how to interact with her.
Social interaction is a complicated science, especially layered with complex issues.
He looked at Pei Qingjian for a long time before finally saying, “Let’s not talk about her. You’re finally back—let’s talk about something happy.”
“For example?” Pei Qingjian asked, puzzled.
Lan Xingchen smiled faintly. “For example…”
He lowered his head and kissed him fiercely on the lips.
Pei Qingjian froze for a moment, and the next second, Lan Xingchen wrapped his arms around his waist, kissing him in an intimate, ambiguous way.
“For example, I’ve been wanting to do this just now.”
As their lips met, he heard Lan Xingchen’s laughing voice.