“Here you are! Come in and have a seat!”
The moment Ms. Tang’s eyes met Yin Chen’s, her demeanor changed instantly!
She enthusiastically reached out, “excavating” Yin Chen from Zong Cheng’s arms, and cheerfully led him inside.
Yin Chen paused for a moment, then curved his lips into a smile.
Naturally, he followed her in, lightly laughing as he called out to Zong Cheng:
“Go grab the stuff from the trunk.”
Bang.
The door closed right in front of Zong Cheng.
He stood outside, dazed.
Wait…
Wasn’t Ms. Tang supposed to have him come in with Yin Chen?
Instead, she’d brought Yin Chen in by herself, and he didn’t need to appear?
Could it really be that way?
The more he thought about it, the more flustered he became, silently returning to the car.
The packages inside were neatly arranged.
He stared for a moment, expressionless, then picked them up.
Ms. Tang was a senior—best not to argue with her.
Inside, Ms. Tang led Yin Chen in and warmly gestured for him to change into slippers.
Yin Chen switched naturally and was then guided to the sofa.
Huh?
Ms. Tang’s eyes immediately scanned the marks on Yin Chen’s neck. Her whole body tensed.
No way!
Had she never seen makeup before?
This was clearly… a concealer!
“You sit for a moment, I’ll make some tea.”
Ms. Tang got up.
Yin Chen immediately stood with a smile.
“I’ll go with you.”
She chuckled warmly.
“Sure, that works too.”
Both moved toward the kitchen, each quietly observing the other.
Yin Chen used his height to reach for tea leaves from the cabinet while taking in the homely details of the room.
Ms. Tang, meanwhile, couldn’t help sneaking glances at Yin Chen.
The more she looked, the more flustered she felt.
Wait…
Yin Chen, if she remembered correctly from Tang Chen’s stories, was the head of some major company, right?
Ms. Tang vaguely recalled seeing him in finance programs years ago, and some business partners had mentioned him too.
So…
Zong Cheng being with Yin Chen, and even benefiting from it?
Ms. Tang’s eyes scanned the clothes on Yin Chen, then froze.
Yet…
She noticed a flash of red around his waist and hurriedly lowered her gaze, pretending to adjust the hot water, hiding her embarrassment.
That color… she knew it!
Wasn’t it the red special item she’d picked out for Zong Cheng’s zodiac year?
How did it end up on Yin Chen?
Her expression turned very complicated.
Then her eyes casually drifted to Yin Chen’s neck again, and she froze once more.
This… this concealer covered so much?!
How… how could Zong Cheng be so aggressive?
Why… not a little more considerate?
Ms. Tang felt as if her heart had stopped.
This kid… how could he be like this?
It’s just cohabitation, right?
Was there really a need to be so… impatient? A little thoughtfulness wouldn’t hurt!
When Yin Chen reached the sofa, holding onto the armrest, Ms. Tang grew even more flustered.
This… how ruthless!
How could this kid behave like this?!
Just then, the door opened. Zong Cheng entered with the neatly packed bags, expressionless.
He quietly set them down and glanced at Ms. Tang.
“These are for you.”
He paused, then added,
“Yin Chen bought them.”
Ms. Tang froze.
Her eyes instinctively swept the piles of packages on the floor.
Goodness.
Every brand she recognized—from skincare to cosmetics—was all there!
Yin Chen clearly thought of everything, such a considerate little one!
But…
Doesn’t this make Zong Cheng even more… reckless?
She grew anxious.
She set the tea she’d prepared in front of Yin Chen and pulled Zong Cheng aside.
“Help me bring these inside.”
She wanted to ask him properly!
Zong Cheng frowned.
Couldn’t it wait until later?
He wanted to help Yin Chen with his sore waist…
Seeing his reluctance, Ms. Tang secretly nudged him twice in the calf, steering him back to the room.
Once inside, she quickly shut the door and spoke urgently:
“Your plan… did it succeed?”
Zong Cheng: “?”
Hadn’t she already asked over the phone?
Still, he nodded.
“Yes.”
As expected.
She had guessed it.
But…
Ms. Tang fixed him with a serious gaze.
“I know you’ve wanted to cohabit with him for a long time. Cohabiting is good, but you mustn’t rush. I think your partner is excellent, with great qualities—you must cherish him, understand?”
Zong Cheng looked confused.
He did cherish him!
He even asked Tang Chen how to apply the hip mask perfectly, studied techniques and skills, and bought all sorts of equipment!
He was completely confident.
“I think I’m cherishing him enough.”
With that?
Still call it cherishing?
Ms. Tang could only sigh.
Then, noticing the marks on Yin Chen’s neck, she wanted to talk to Zong Cheng seriously.
But Zong Cheng suddenly raised his hand, taking off the scarf Yin Chen had wrapped around his neck earlier.
“A bit warm.”
Ms. Tang blinked.
Her eyes swept over the large bite marks on Zong Cheng’s collarbone, and she fell silent.
Zong Cheng, on the other hand, was completely at ease.
He even felt a little smug inside.
This kid… showing off right here?
It took Ms. Tang a moment to register what was happening.
She looked at the marks on Zong Cheng’s collarbone, part amused, part exasperated, and then couldn’t help glancing at Zong Cheng’s proud expression.
After a long pause, she said, a bit helplessly:
“You’re hot already? There’s no heating in the house—why are you feeling hot?”
Wasn’t this just an excuse to take off the scarf?
And if he’s showing off, why bother concealing the marks on Yin Chen’s neck?
Ms. Tang had no idea what these young people were thinking.
Zong Cheng’s face heated up, and he forced a casual expression.
“It’s windy outside, no breeze inside—the heat is normal, right?”
Right, right, totally normal.
It was indeed colder outside than inside this spring-winter house, but if someone wanted to pretend they were hot, there was nothing she could do.
Still…
Ms. Tang quietly glanced at Zong Cheng’s collarbone.
How should she put it… yes, men do compare.
Seeing that Zong Cheng had been bitten so thoroughly, she immediately adjusted her mindset.
When she stepped out the door, her smile grew three degrees warmer.
“You’re Yin Chen, right? I heard you two are cohabiting now, and I have a gift for you…”
Before she finished, Yin Chen gave Zong Cheng a half-smile, teasing him slightly.
Just this?
Zong Cheng, is this what you told Ms. Tang?
Why does it feel… off?
Ms. Tang slowly realized something and quietly looked at Zong Cheng.
“You little rascal, is there something you haven’t told your aunt? Did I miss an important piece of news?”
Zong Cheng’s face flushed, and he lightly cleared his throat.
He extended his left hand.
Ms. Tang looked down—and froze.
On his ring finger was a simple, understated ring.
This is…?
Yin Chen slowly stood and reached out his hand.
Naturally, Zong Cheng intertwined their fingers.
The two rings fit together perfectly, just like Yin Chen and Zong Cheng themselves—understated, yet elegant.
Ms. Tang looked, and then looked again.
Then she snapped her gaze at Zong Cheng.
“You proposed? And didn’t tell me?!”
Such a big deal!
This wouldn’t do!
The gift she’d prepared would now be insufficient!
She hurriedly stood up.
“All right, all right, this is good news. Since it’s settled, wait here—I have a gift for you, just a moment!”
She dashed into the room, grabbed a bag, and hurried back out, changing shoes as she spoke:
“See my memory? I ordered something but haven’t brought it yet! Zong Cheng, keep Yin Chen company for a bit! When I return, we’ll have dinner together tonight!”
As she finished speaking, the door closed behind her, and Zong Cheng finally felt the heat rush to his face.
He cleared his throat lightly.
Yin Chen immediately turned to him, teasing:
“Why didn’t you tell Ms. Tang that you proposed?”
Zong Cheng stammered, embarrassed.
“I… I didn’t feel like it was a proposal, so… I was too shy to say.”
That’s not called “not proposing,” you know.
Yin Chen’s smile curved his eyes like crescent moons.
He leaned close to Zong Cheng’s ear, voice playful:
“How can it not be a proposal? Didn’t someone say, since you’ve agreed to live together, it’s basically agreeing to marry? If that’s not a proposal, what is it, hmm?”
Zong Cheng froze.
He stiffened.
A bit petrified, he said, “Y-you… how did you know I said that…”
Then he stopped mid-sentence and looked at Yin Chen accusingly.
“You were pretending to sleep!”
“Pfft.”
Yin Chen couldn’t hold back his laughter.
Between laughing, he pressed a gentle kiss to Zong Cheng’s fingers, still feeling his little grievance.
“If I’d been asleep, wouldn’t I have missed the only proposal of my life? That would be… a shame, right?”
His eyes curved like half-moons, full of warmth.
…
Just that smile alone made Zong Cheng’s grievance melt away.
And with Yin Chen whispering words as sweet as honey, he no longer felt upset. He even felt… a little delighted.
He couldn’t help but lower his head, capturing the lips that always sweetened his heart.
“You just… like teasing me.”
“Hm?”
Yin Chen smiled, gently opening his mouth to welcome Zong Cheng’s warmth and passion.
Zong Cheng wrapped his arm around his waist, his last traces of reluctance dissolving into surrender.
“Can’t help it. I… I’m just that easy to please.”
Indeed, just a few words from Yin Chen, and he surrendered unconditionally.
After all, besides Yin Chen, who else would accept such an unpolished proposal from him?
Clearly, he and Yin Chen were meant to be.
The two exchanged a sweet kiss in the room just as Ms. Tang hurried back from outside.
She pulled two red gift boxes from her bag and handed them to them both.
“Ahem, since you’ve already made it official, this is a small token from your aunt. Accept it, and live happily together.”
Yin Chen was about to thank her when she turned back to them, voice lively:
“Now that the proposal’s done, when are you planning to get married? I’ve been checking dates; there are three good ones this month. Should we arrange it?”
She walked to the calendar and pointed to three dates circled in red.
Yin Chen froze.
He slowly turned to look at Zong Cheng.
Zong Cheng’s eyes went wide, stunned.
Yin Chen pondered for a moment.
Ms. Tang’s decisiveness was awe-inspiring—rain or shine, she made it happen.
Had Zong Cheng… not learned a single thing from her?