Chapter 38
After the New Year, the temperature dropped again. The northern wind howled outside, and the two of them basically stayed holed up at home, kissing, cuddling, and playing with the cat—living a shamelessly blissful life.
On the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, the neighborhood committee organized another dumpling party. This time, no one gathered around Xiao Yao like before—mostly because Ti Xiao was firmly holding his hand the entire time, clearly staking his claim. The neighbors weren’t too surprised the two were together now, especially Auntie Zhang, who had been a bit of a matchmaker.
“I knew something was going on between you two back then,” she said, grinning. “Turns out I was right, huh? Keep it up, okay? Let Auntie have some wedding wine soon!”
By the ninth day, most professions were back in full swing. Even though Ti Xiao worked from home as an illustrator, his editor was already back at work—meaning the dreaded first deadline chase of the year had officially begun.
Thankfully, Xiao Yao was a teacher, with the glorious gift of long winter and summer breaks. He could stay home and keep Ti Xiao company. If he’d had any other kind of job, they probably wouldn’t even have time to be in love.
“You. Sit. Right here. And peel tangerines for me,” Ti Xiao said while rushing to meet a deadline. When he saw Xiao Yao, he patted the seat beside him with the hand not holding his stylus. “And don’t look at my screen.”
Xiao Yao, obediently carrying a bag of sugar tangerines, sat down and quietly began peeling. Every time he dared to lift his head, he got swatted. He let Ti Xiao bully him without protest.
“Good thing you work from home,” Xiao Yao said, placing a peeled tangerine slice at Ti Xiao’s lips. “But I might get busier next semester—school’s probably going to start weekend classes.”
Then he quickly added, “I’ll still cook though.”
“Mhm, go ahead.” Ti Xiao ate the piece he was fed. “Just make sure you give that Ti Nanyi girl a proper scolding. Her English is terrible.”
Xiao Yao chuckled and went back to peeling more tangerines.
Just then, his phone started ringing with an incoming WeChat video call. He glanced down—it was his grandfather.
“Wanna join?” Xiao Yao held up the phone. “It’s Grandpa and Grandma.”
“Huh?” Ti Xiao paused, setting down his stylus. “Wait—you already told your family about us?”
“Yeah.” Xiao Yao answered the call and handed one earbud to Ti Xiao. “Grandpa’s side is always super loud, so no need to raise your voice when you talk to Grandma.”
“Okay…” Ti Xiao tucked the earbud in, suddenly nervous. Was this considered… meeting the parents?
“Oh, the both of you are here,” said Sheng Xiao on the screen, looking totally unfazed. He and Du Liyue each had an earbud in too—just like Ti Xiao and Xiao Yao on the other end.
“Hello, Teacher. Hello, Madam,” Ti Xiao greeted awkwardly. It wasn’t every day you had to face your mentor after basically stealing away their grandson. He wasn’t sure how Sheng-laoshi felt about all this.
“Hello, Xiao Xiao!” Du Liyue looked slightly surprised but was all smiles. She was full of energy, clearly in great health. “I always said you two looked like a good match. You be good to Xiao Yao, alright?”
Ti Xiao smiled sheepishly. With their blessing, even the tips of his ears turned red.
Since the call was mainly for Xiao Yao, Ti Xiao chatted briefly, then went back to working on his project, giving them some space.
“We ran into a couple from Xuancheng here,” Sheng Xiao said after Du Liyue went to bed—elderly folks always slept early. Now it was just him on screen. “Nice people.”
“That’s great,” Xiao Yao replied, still peeling tangerines like it was second nature. “Are you two enjoying yourselves? If you need money or decide to come back, just let me know. I’ll pick you up from the airport.”
Sheng Xiao said, “Your grandpa’s pension is still enough for us to get by. But Xiao Yao—your father called me a few days ago during the holiday.”
Xiao Yao’s hand paused mid-peel. Sheng Xiao sighed on the other end. “That incident was years ago, Xiao Yao. Even your grandma and I, as his parents, have let it go.”
Xiao Yao lowered his gaze and said nothing.
“We know you’re a good kid, and we respect your choices,” Sheng Xiao continued, his voice full of earnest care. “But listen to me—what’s lost in the past can’t be brought back. And if you lose the family you have now, nothing can replace it either.”
Though Ti Xiao was still working on his draft, he had one earbud in, quietly listening to the conversation. When it suddenly went silent, he couldn’t help but sneak a glance at Xiao Yao.
The phone was already put away. Xiao Yao sat there silently, saying nothing. At some point, their cat Xiao Hulu had wandered over and was rubbing against his hand. Xiao Yao absentmindedly reached out and gently squeezed her little paw pads.
“So… where are your grandparents vacationing?” Ti Xiao noticed his sudden silence and, worried he was feeling down, tried to shift the topic. “We still have a couple weeks left of break. Why don’t we go on a trip too?”
“They went to an island,” Xiao Yao said, pulling his hand back and feeding him another slice of tangerine. “Where do you want to go?”
“My parents went to an island too—they’re still not back yet. Who knows, maybe they’ll bump into each other.” Ti Xiao swallowed the tangerine, then paused, realizing something felt a bit off.
Xiao Yao had already picked up another slice and was nudging it against his lips. When he didn’t open his mouth, Xiao Yao pressed forward a little. “Not eating?”
“Wait—did you even wash your hands after petting Xiao Hulu? She hasn’t had a bath in almost a month…”
“…”
After getting sentenced to go wash his hands, Xiao Yao came back and resumed his job as Official Tangerine Peeler.
Ti Xiao hadn’t streamed in days, hadn’t posted on Weibo, and hadn’t updated Little Cookie, let alone dropped any spicy content. Xiao Yao stuck to him like glue every day—there was no chance to sneak off and “drive a car” (read: draw NSFW). His follower count on Weibo was steadily dropping.
His fans flooded the comments daily, wailing:
“Look at those tangerines—do they look like the ten spicy scenes you owe us?!”
“I’ll stream tomorrow,” Ti Xiao muttered to himself as he posted an update, trying to call back his dwindling fans.
Almost immediately, Pass By gave him a like. Ti Xiao kicked Xiao Yao in the leg. “Unfollow me. I don’t need a fan like you.”
Xiao Yao seemed in better spirits now. He reached over and pinched Ti Xiao’s cheek. “Be good.”
After several days of being bombarded with affectionate teasing and surprise kisses, Ti Xiao had finally built up a bit of immunity. At least he didn’t blush the moment Xiao Yao got too close anymore.
“I’m warning you, don’t pull that sweet-talk crap on me again,” he said, reaching out and pinching Xiao Yao’s cheek in return.
And like that, a playful tugging match turned into a kiss, which turned into rolling around on the carpet, which turned into them accidentally smooshing poor Xiao Hulu beneath them.
“Meow-OWWW!”
(You two shameless humans!)
In just a few days, Xiao Yao’s kissing game had leveled up at an alarming pace. Gone was the awkwardness from before—he kissed with such skill now that Ti Xiao felt dizzy and breathless, half-suspecting the guy had secretly done some research.
But as much as there was heat, what Ti Xiao loved most was when their kisses lingered softly on each other’s lips. The warm, gentle brush of lips on lips was his favorite. It would always turn into a slow, teasing game of “you nibble me, I nibble you.”
The fire between them burned hot in their bellies, but neither dared go further… yet.
Ti Xiao sat on the carpet, catching his breath, a few hickeys now blooming on his skin. Xiao Yao had gone to the bathroom.
Watching his retreating back, Ti Xiao felt like young people really had endless energy. And at the rate they were teasing each other without going all the way, it was only a matter of time before they hit the finish line for real.
His face turned red all over again.
In the chaos, he hadn’t seen the message from Guapi until half an hour later. It was the first workday after the holiday, and Guapi, his editor, was drowning in a mountain of backlog tasks—even after returning home, they were still working.
Editor·Guapi Guapi: The company’s rights department put out new rules. Take another look at that updated e-contract for publication. If you’re good with it, I’ll print and mail it to you. You’ve still got a little time if you want to back out.
Ti Xiao’s new series was finally eligible to publish its first volume. But because of the subject matter, large portions had to be censored or changed, meaning a lot of redrawing. As a solo creator, it would be a massive increase in workload.
Big Sneeze the Brave and Wise: I’m really reluctant to cut so much…
Editor·Guapi Guapi: I don’t want to either, but there’s nothing we can do—unless it’s the traditional Chinese version, like Little Wolfdog. That one didn’t need edits.
Ti Xiao checked the comic platform. Many fans were already unhappy about the news of story edits. Honestly, he wasn’t feeling great about it either.
Big Sneeze the Brave and Wise: Let me think it over some more.
The next day’s livestream was his first drawing stream since the New Year. Sure enough, fans flooded the chat with questions, especially about the bet he’d mentioned with his brother Ti Jiji before the holidays.
[Did you win the bet with your brother?]
[Are you officially in a relationship now? You stopped drawing Long-Legged Cookie’s back view—where’s the update?]
[Caaaaar caaaaar caaaar—take us to the city limits!]
Ti Xiao laughed and shook his head, quietly setting down his stylus before answering each comment.
“I did win the bet. Forgot to tell you guys—yeah, I’m taken now.”
He casually ignored the “car” questions. If he even tried to draw a spicy scene now, Xiao Yao might just give him the real-life version. No way—he wasn’t risking that.
His screen exploded with messages of
“Congrats!”
“Wishing you many babies!”
Among them, a few serious questions popped up too, and Ti Xiao answered them all patiently.
【Do you love him more than anyone in the whole universe?】
“Of course I do,” Ti Xiao replied proudly.
【Is he the best person in the whole universe?】
“That’s a given.” Ti Xiao looked like his tail was about to wag right off.
【Then can you give him a kiss?】
“Huh…” Ti Xiao hesitated. Even if I did kiss him, you guys wouldn’t know anyway.
【Can you give him a hug?】
【Can you stop biting him in the future?】
【Can you stop staying up so late? He worries about you.】
The questions were getting more and more off-topic. Ti Xiao switched over to his drawing interface, only to notice that all of those weirdly specific messages were from the same user: “pass by.”
The culprit was sitting right behind him, giggling as he scrolled on his phone.
“Xiao. Yao.” Ti Xiao growled, gritting his teeth. He tossed his headphones aside and lunged, “I’m gonna bite you!”
And he did—right on the mouth.
Smooth moves, fierce like a tiger—but Ti Xiao had totally forgotten to mute the mic. The condenser mic that Xiao Yao bought him was top-tier… so their entire scuffle, every word, every sound, got broadcast live to all the viewers.
【…Did I just get force-fed a massive bite of relationship fluff?!】
【I’m scared this stream is gonna get taken down but also—hehehe】
【Shhh don’t tell him, just act cool—hehehe】
【Expose the ex-love streamer turned romance guy 818】
When Ti Xiao finally sat back down, rubbing his now-messy hair, he saw the barrage of comments on screen and nearly slammed his head into the wall. To make it worse, there was now a warning message in his stream dashboard from the platform moderator.
What even is my life right now…
Later…
Li Yi: I’m just saying, Xiao Yao—you got a boyfriend and forgot all about your bros, huh? Not even a New Year’s message or red envelope from you this year!
Wen Yan: Guapi, you’ve got no room to talk. I didn’t get any Christmas message from you either!
Wen Chuan: Tsk.
Xiao Yao: Fine, hang on. I’ll send you each a 250 yuan red envelope.
Wen Yan: Awwww I want one too!
This group chat was with Xiao Yao’s long-time friends. These were the same guys he drank with before confessing to Ti Xiao. They’d grown up eating at the same dinner tables—lifelong buddies. Guapi had stayed in the country, Xiao Yao had just come back this year, and the other two would soon head overseas again.
He chose to return to the country this year for a reason.
Wen Yan: Awww Xiao Yao, you got yourself a boyfriend and didn’t even treat us to dinner. Don’t you remember what we all promised back in the day?
Xiao Yao glanced at Ti Xiao, who was quietly drawing. Thinking back, it did sound familiar—they’d promised that whoever got into a relationship first would treat the others to a big meal.
Wen Yan and Wen Chuan, the twin brothers, were only staying in the country until early March. After that, they’d be heading abroad again.
Li Yi: How about the day after tomorrow? Bring your little shorty with you.
“The day after tomorrow, you got anything going on?” Xiao Yao immediately turned to Ti Xiao. “My friends wanna meet you. Thought we could grab dinner together.”
“Hold on, let me check.” Ti Xiao flipped through the notes on his phone. “Can’t do it. My parents are coming back from the islands. I need to pick them up from the airport and have dinner with them.”
Xiao Yao: Can’t make it the day after tomorrow—he’s got plans.
Xu Wenchuan: Tsk, classic—got a man and forgot the boys.
Xiao Yao smiled and started typing again.
Xiao Yao: I’m meeting the parents.
—
The day Ti Xiao’s parents flew back, Xiao Yao drove him to the airport. Usually people are a nervous wreck when meeting the in-laws for the first time. Even just thinking about how he was basically “stealing” his mentor’s grandson had Ti Xiao anxious—never mind the actual meeting.
But not Xiao Yao. He was pumped. Eager to meet his future mother-in-law, he even shaved, got a fresh haircut, and bought a new outfit.
The haircut was clean and short, giving him a sharper, fresher look. He wore a plain white hoodie with a minimalist design, slim black jeans that hugged his long legs just right, and a pair of sneakers. He looked vibrant, youthful, and confident.
Ti Xiao had also gotten a haircut—his bangs no longer covered his eyes. They even wore matching outfits, bought on purpose.
If it weren’t for Xiao Yao’s taller build and more mature face, anyone seeing them would think they were just two high school boys dating.
“Don’t be nervous,” Ti Xiao said, tugging at his hand. “My parents are easy to get along with—especially my mom.”
“My dad’s quiet, but he’s nice too. Really, don’t stress. Hic.”
“If there’s time, I’ll introduce you to my brother too. Hic. He used to mess with me all the time when I was a kid.”
Ti Xiao kept chattering nervously, even though it was technically Xiao Yao’s parent-meeting moment. Still, he was the one jittery enough to start hiccupping.
“Relax,” Xiao Yao chuckled, pinching his cheek. “You’re hiccupping already.”
“Hic.” Ti Xiao stared nervously at the arrival exit.
Then his mom called: “Is my new son-in-law’s car big enough?”
“Totally. More than enough space for the two of you.” Hearing his mom’s voice instantly calmed Ti Xiao down.
After he started dating Xiao Yao, his mom had messaged him privately and asked a lot of questions—like her son was still ten years old.
Ti Xiao answered honestly, detailing every way Xiao Yao treated him well. Knowing full well how lazy her son could be, she found herself liking Xiao Yao more and more, and promised that once they were back in Xuancheng, she’d absolutely have to meet her “new son.”
Ti Xiao tried to correct her—“you mean son-in-law.” But his mom just laughed.
“You think I don’t know my own kid?”
One by one, travelers with suitcases hurried out of the terminal. In the crowd, Ti Xiao spotted his parents walking leisurely, chatting like they were out for a stroll.
He waved at them to catch their attention—and only then did he realize what his mom’s earlier comment had really meant.
Standing beside his parents…
Were his professor and professor’s wife.
Oh crap. Here comes the hiccup again.
One airport pickup. Four parents.
He and Xiao Yao exchanged a look. The world, the earth… why are you so freaking small?
“I honestly didn’t expect you two to be Xiao Xiao’s college professors,” Ti Xiao’s mom said, looking slightly more serious than usual now that she knew who the couple was.
The older woman gave a soft, graceful smile. Even now, her poise and beauty still shone through. “And we didn’t expect you two to be Ti Xiao’s parents.”
As she chatted with Ti Xiao’s mom, she angled her face slightly toward the boys.
Ti Xiao looked at her profile, so familiar—the woman from the oil painting, from the photo on Xiao Yao’s phone… those long, delicate eyelashes. The resemblance was uncanny.
Next to him, Xiao Yao casually played with his fingers like they were some sort of fidget toy.
Ti Xiao was lost in thought when he suddenly heard Sheng Xiao say, “No, we won’t be joining you in a few days—we’re going to visit our daughter.”
The finger-pinching stopped.
“Come with me,” Xiao Yao leaned down and whispered. “It’s just for a few days.”
This year, the Lunar New Year came late. It was already the end of February. In just a few more days, it would be March—and spring was nearly here.
