Chapter 40
Xiang Mo’s mother, Xiang Mei, was a freelance writer who lived abroad for most of the time after Xiang Mo came of age. Her personality was confident and bold, living life on her own terms. If Xiang Mo was an unmeltable iceberg, then she was a fiery blaze.
As the saying goes, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. In fact, the younger Xiang Mo was also a firebrand, possessing all the traits of a young artist: audacious, persistent, and passionate about the unknown world.
If he hadn’t faced setbacks in his career and relationships, he might not have enveloped himself in ice. But that didn’t mean the fire in his heart had been extinguished; when glaciers melt, the flames burn even more intensely.
After bidding farewell to the last student, Xiang Mo went to the second-floor kitchen. There, Du Chi and Xiang Mei were sitting face to face at the dining table, chatting and laughing about Xiang Mo’s childhood.
It seemed Xiang Mo had underestimated the socially anxious Du Chi’s adaptability. After the initial shock, he had fully embraced this situation.
“I haven’t seen him wearing a skirt.” Du Chi caught sight of Xiang Mo entering the kitchen and grinned mischievously.
Perhaps Xiang Mei couldn’t sense it, but Xiang Mo knew that this mischievous dog was definitely up to something again.
“I have a photo.” Ignoring Xiang Mo, Xiang Mei directly opened her phone’s photo album. “Take a look, these are artistic photos of him when he was a child.”
Artistic photos from over twenty years ago mostly had a consistent style: a red dot on the forehead and rosy cheeks. Xiang Mo frowned; he didn’t want Du Chi to see his embarrassing past. However, Du Chi didn’t mock him, his eyes glinting with amusement. “He was quite the beauty even as a child.”
After saying that, he lifted his gaze from the screen, looking at Xiang Mei again. “Of course, he also inherited Aunt’s genes.”
Putting away her phone, Xiang Mei’s smile didn’t fade. “How do you know how to speak so well?”
Although Xiang Mei didn’t explicitly say it, Xiang Mo could tell that Du Chi had completely won her favor.
A few days ago, their conversation replayed in his mind:
“Mom, I’m in a relationship.”
While Du Chi was taking a shower, Xiang Mo called his mom. They were both in the same time zone, so time difference wasn’t an issue.
“Really?” Xiang Mei habitually spoke in English due to her life abroad. She switched back to Chinese after a moment. “What’s he like?”
“He’s a year younger than me, a font designer.” Xiang Mo described concisely, “Good-looking and leading a decent life.”
Xiang Mo was being modest; “decent” was an understatement. He and Xiang Mei didn’t shy away from discussing intimate matters. When Xiang Mo was starting to explore his sexuality, Xiang Mei had educated him about how sexual health was essential for mental health.
“Remember to practice safe measures.” Xiang Mei advised, “Do you have photos?”
Xiang Mo suddenly realized that he and Du Chi hadn’t taken any photos together.
Both of them weren’t big fans of selfies. While Du Chi did have photos with friends in his social media, they were from before he met Xiang Mo.
“Come over and see for yourself.” Xiang Mo revealed his true intention for the call. “I want to introduce you to him.”
“Oh?” Xiang Mei’s tone immediately turned curious.
Telling one’s parents about a relationship wasn’t a big deal. But bringing the boyfriend to meet the parents was another story.
“Do you really like him that much?” Xiang Mei now seemed genuinely interested, as if she had only been casually listening before and now was genuinely focused. “If I remember correctly, you used to think being alone was quite good, didn’t you?”
“I like having him around.” Those four simple words encapsulated Xiang Mo’s recent life. “But…”
He paused, deliberately building anticipation.
“But?” Xiang Mei followed up on his words.
“He keeps bullying me.” Xiang Mo’s tone remained matter-of-fact, as if he were reporting to his own mother. It didn’t sound like he was tattling on Du Chi, “He takes advantage of my fondness for him and does whatever he wants.”
Forcing him to call him “husband” in bed was one of those things.
Before, it was about kissing him, and he buried himself in work. Now, it was about hearing him say “husband,” and it was driving him to extremes.
“Understood.” Xiang Mei’s voice turned resolute. “Mom will handle him for you.”
Back to the present.
Xiang Mei looked affectionately at Du Chi, radiating happiness. “Xiao Du, from now on, Auntie will treat you like her own son.”
The bona fide son: “…”
Why did even his own mother betray him?
“Do you have any plans for the next few days, Auntie?” Du Chi asked. “I have some free time; I can accompany you around.”
This mouthy guy was more annoying than a Husky when it wanted attention, yet now he was as attentive as a Golden Retriever.
Xiang Mo looked at Sanmao, squatting at his feet, and conveyed through his eyes: Your owner is a real dog.
“No need.” Xiang Mei waved her hand nonchalantly. “I’m here to see old friends and will be heading to Eastern Europe afterward.”
Du Chi already knew about Xiang Mei’s profession and didn’t find it strange.
Before heading out for dinner, Xiang Mei went to the restroom, asking them to wait downstairs.
Du Chi finally seized the opportunity to have a private conversation with Xiang Mo. As he came downstairs from the upper floor, he abandoned his innocent demeanor and looked at Xiang Mo as if settling an old score, saying, “What’s this? Taking the initiative, huh?”
His regal Doberman barked discontentedly, demanding an explanation from its owner.
“You were going to introduce me to your dad, right?” Xiang Mo continued walking into the courtyard nonchalantly, “I’m introducing you to my mom first.”
In Du Chi’s words, this move was indeed called “seizing the initiative.”
Xiang Mo failed to conceal the smirk at the corner of his mouth, but Du Chi caught it in an instant, pulling him into his embrace.
“Are you a mischievous cat?” Du Chi hugged Xiang Mo from behind, biting his earlobe, “How are you going to compensate my shocked soul?”
“Stop messing around.” Xiang Mo tilted his head, avoiding Du Chi’s lips, “Aren’t you supposed to bring your Maserati over?”
“No.” Du Chi stopped their playful struggle, “I’ve decided to have a drink with my potential mother-in-law.”
It seemed that during the time Du Chi attended Xiang Mo’s classes, he had figured out Xiang Mei’s personality.
But that wasn’t the point. Xiang Mo raised an eyebrow and asked, “Who said she’s your potential mother-in-law?”
“I’m your husband, and she’s not my potential mother-in-law?” Du Chi retorted.
“Did I agree to that?”
As the two of them bantered halfheartedly like any couple, they didn’t notice a figure silently approaching the doorway of the studio, quietly observing them in the courtyard.
Xiang Mo was the first to notice the figure. He stepped out of Du Chi’s embrace and greeted, “Mom.”
“Let’s go.” Xiang Mei swung her handbag forward, her face wearing a relieved smile, “Let’s get going!”
Xiang Mei wore a sleeveless bodysuit and flowing wide-legged pants. She had a wide headband tying her shoulder-length wavy hair. Despite being over fifty years old, there were no visible signs of aging on her.
She linked her right arm with Xiang Mo’s and her left arm with Du Chi’s, the three of them walking through the bustling mall, attracting the attention of passersby.
This time, Du Chi had chosen a Chinese restaurant, which was in line with Xiang Mei’s preference.
Xiang Mo noticed that this smelly dog was truly adept at winning over elders’ affections. No wonder he had so much popularity in the blind date corner of the park.
“So Auntie is also a proponent of being single?”
During the meal, as Xiang Mei and Du Chi chatted and drank beer, they got more and more enthusiastic, even discussing Xiang Mei’s own views on relationships.
“That’s right.” Xiang Mei raised her index finger, “But I practice random singlehood.”
“So, that means,” Xiang Mo interjected, “if someone pursuing her is handsome, she’s not practicing singlehood.”
“It sounds a lot like me.” Du Chi raised his glass, “When I haven’t met someone I like, I also say I’m practicing singlehood.”
“Exactly, we’re alike.” Xiang Mei clinked her glass with Du Chi’s, “No wonder I felt a connection when I first saw you.”
Xiang Mo couldn’t help but curl his lips, “… Both of you are fake proponents of singlehood.”
As the meal was reaching its end, Du Chi volunteered to settle the bill outside, leaving only Xiang Mo and Xiang Mei in the private room.
“Son.” After the drinking, Xiang Mei boldly slung her arm around Xiang Mo’s shoulder, “I think Xiao Du is pretty good.”
“Of course he is.” Xiang Mo responded flatly, “He’s already become your son.”
“I’m being serious.” Leaning on the table with her elbow, Xiang Mei used the back of her hand to support her chin, “Do you know how you’ve made me feel these past few years?”
A thought stirred within Xiang Mo, and he asked calmly, “How have I made you feel?”
“You…” Xiang Mei’s hand briefly left her chin as she pointed at Xiang Mo with her index finger, pondering how to put it into words, “You’ve become ordinary.”
After saying this, she leaned her chin on her hand again, repeating, “You’ve become an ordinary person, my son.”
Most people in this world are ordinary. However, before they are smoothed down by life’s hardships, they don’t realize their own ordinariness.
Xiang Mo picked up the now cold tea and took a sip. “There’s nothing wrong with being ordinary.”
“But not suitable for you.” Xiang Mei tilted her head and looked at Xiang Mo, her lips tainted with the smell of alcohol as she spoke heartfelt words, “You should release yourself without restraint.”
A slight ripple stirred in Xiang Mo’s heart, and he wanted to say something to Xiang Mei, but he couldn’t grasp his thoughts.
“Xiao Du is just fine.” The hand resting on Xiang Mo’s shoulder patted him. “He can ignite you.”
Perhaps. Xiang Mo admitted that his mindset had indeed changed from before.
Xiang Mei had booked a hotel nearby and didn’t stay in the old Western-style house.
Her “level” of singlehood had its own considerations, and the living conditions of the old house couldn’t meet her requirements at all.
After settling Xiang Mei in the hotel, Xiang Mo and Du Chi strolled leisurely towards their home.
“How do you find my mother?” Xiang Mo asked.
In this regard, he was quite confident. Since childhood, his classmates had envied him for having such a beautiful and open-minded mother.
“She’s great.” Du Chi lazily draped his arm around Xiang Mo’s shoulder. “Much easier to get along with than my wife.”
“Du Chi.” Xiang Mo stopped in his tracks, unexpectedly spoke up, “I want to hold an art exhibition.”
They were still in the bustling city center, surrounded by a throng of people, yet the two of them stood facing each other as if everything behind them had turned into an illusion.
Du Chi also found it a bit strange to stand still, but when he heard what Xiang Mo said, the lines on his face softened.
“Oh,” he curved his lips, still in his teasing manner, “Is the erotic artist about to make a comeback?”
Xiang Mo: Waiting online for advice on how to deal with his own mouthy dog.
