Chapter 104 Ge, I Love You
Tian Yuan found it difficult to eat even a morsel of the scrumptious feast. He couldn't wait to phone Pan Lei and question him about the bizarre situation. He couldn't, however, do so in front of his parents. When it was late at night and his parents were asleep, he would contact Pan Lei and have a "nice" chat.
Father Tian was enjoying his meal. His son appeared to be doing well and had such excellent friends, and the table was full with exotic delicacies. It was difficult to work alone in the field. If you have friends, they can assist you if you run into any problems.
When they got home, it was late. At the front entrance, a car with a military area license plate was parked. A guard exited the vehicle on seeing their arrival. Tian Yuan was familiar with him. He'd noticed the guard around Father Pan while living in the military compound for three days and two nights.
"The dean asked me to give the two elders a gift."
The boxes were piled half a person high, not including the ones the guard was holding. When they arrived at the house, the guard smiled and opened his mouth.
"If you need anything, simply let the dean know. If this isn't enough, she'll send more tomorrow."
Tian Yuan was well aware of who this dean was. It was his mother-in-law. Was his mother-in-law aware of his parents' arrival?
"Return and inform them that I do not require anything. Please ask them not to concern themselves any longer."
Mother Tian took up a box and opened it once the guard had left. Oh! This is incredible. It's a mature ginseng that's over half a meter long. It appears to be Changbai Mountain's wild ginseng. It must be over a hundred years old to have grown to such a large size. There were five or six of these boxes. Mother Tian took out another box. It was a box of blood nests[1], the best bird nests available. Another box included a swatch of exquisite silk. Mother Tian looked at the silk embroidery and wondered, Isn't this Su embroidery[2]? One of the four well-known embroideries? The individual who delivered it stated that the dean bestowed these gifts. What was Tian Yuan's status at the hospital? Why had the dean of their hospital bestowed so many good things?
"All of this was given to you by your dean? Xiao Yuan, you appear to be well-known in your hospital. The dean holds you in high regard."
Regard my a**! These were sent by my mother-in-law, your in-law. My dean is an old miser. How could he possibly gift so many valuable items, ah?! This is unquestionably Pan Lei's "good deed"!
"Huh? Yes."
Tian Yuan had no choice but to respond evasively.
"I cleaned up the guest room, Dad. After you've freshened yourself, you can retire to bed. You'll have to go to the doctor's appointment tomorrow on an empty stomach. After your test, we'll head out to eat."
Father Tian was exhausted after running around all day. He took the towel his son had prepared and went to take a bath. Mother Tian dragged her son onto the sofa. They could sit down and talk now that the situation had calmed down.
"Is your work going well, Xiao Yuan? You're no longer young. Are you in a relationship?"
Tian Yuan rubbed his chin. He wanted to inform his mother that he loved someone and desired to spend the rest of his life with him. He was a decent man, his family had accepted their relationship, and they were madly in love with each other. There was only one issue. His lover was a man.
"No, not yet. I don't have time because I'm too busy at work."
"This child! Take a look around and observe how many people your age are already married. Your cousin[3] is already a parent. I ran into your classmate the last time I went shopping. He's not married but he has a girlfriend. Oh, Xiao Yuan, mom understands how difficult it is for you to make a life here, but you're almost thirty. You should consider these points as well."
"There is no one acceptable in the hospital," Tian Yuan murmured, lowering his head.
Mother Tian wondered if she had dimmed vision. She believed she saw a light pink mark on her son's neck. Is that a mosquito bite? But now that it's autumn, are mosquitoes still as vicious? Something wasn't right, but her thoughts were interrupted by her son's words.
"Every day, you interact with a large number of people, including nurses, doctors, and patients. Do none of these pique your interest?"
There is one. He loved that someone despite himself. That person also loved him and treated him very well. But he didn't dare to say anything at the moment. He was terrified of his parents. It would have been ideal if Pan Lei had been present. He would have assisted him in getting through the crisis.
"They don't. I'm preoccupied."
He was busy and so was his man. Every time he returns home, he is in a rush. Every time he leaves, I get nervous. I didn't get enough tenderness and sweetness from him, but he left again. I think about him every day, all the time. I think about his cooking, about how he relieves loneliness, about how he cuddles me to sleep.
"Yes, I understand. However, you should hurry up and think about it. Every parent hopes to be able to hold their grandson. Your father and I feel envious of how other people cuddle their grandchildren."
"I will absolutely allow you to hold your grandson, Mom."
It was just a matter of waiting a few years. They would adopt one once his and Pan Lei's work was settled and they had free time. His mother-in-law had said it, and now his mother was saying it as well. Didn't they just want to have a grandchild? He and Pan Lei would adopt one; it would undoubtedly fulfill their needs.
Mother Tian smiled contentedly. Her son's words regarding her grandchild had made her feel better.
However, what the two mothers thought was not at all the same.
"Why do you have two razors and two sets of bathing items, Xiao Yuan?"
Father Tian emerged from the bathroom, wiping his hair. In the bathroom, there were two pairs of slippers, two toothbrushes, and two razors. Tian Yuan was a solitary person. Those items should not have been in pairs.
Shoot! Pan Lei owned the Philips razor, as well as the toothbrush and slippers. He had gone around the house, removing any evidence of Pan Lei, to keep his parents from finding out about them, but he had forgotten to check the bathroom.
"Ah? Um, uh, the razor didn't work very well, so I went out and bought another one. I couldn't find my toothbrush, so I went out and bought another one, but when I got the new one, I discovered the lost one in the kitchen." Tian Yuan had reached his wit's end. "As for the slippers, I bought them ahead of time for you. I figured since you and mom were coming over, I'd go out and get them in case you forgot to bring them."
Tian Yuan's explanation was stuttering. He rarely lied, so when he did, he stammered a lot.
Father Tian seemed unconcerned and stated, "The slippers you purchased are too large. Who has such massive feet?"
Father Tian was wearing Pan Lei's slippers and smiled as he thought how his son had purchased the wrong slipper size.
Pan Lei had large feet. His feet were pretty big, most likely in direct proportion to his height. He stood 189[4] cm tall.
"Old man, Xiao Yuan only comes home a few times a year. Is he able to recall your shoe size? You bought slippers for your father, Xiao Yuan, therefore you must have bought a pair for your mother as well, right?"
Tian Yuan's back was covered in cold sweat.
"I, I, I didn’t purchase it. I didn't buy it because I was concerned I'd get the wrong size and you would be uncomfortable wearing them. You can wear my slippers, Mom."
"This child! All you can think about is your father. I've loved you in vain."
Naturally, Mother Tian was cheerfully taunting her son. She didn't seem to mind.
The elderly couple, who felt their son was a good and honest boy, had no idea he was concealing a major secret from them.
Finally, the elderly couple retired to bed. Tian Yuan flexed his muscles to relax them. Exhausted, he took a deep breath. He thought lying was excessively tiring, as well as a technical activity that requires a lot of mental and physical energy.
Tian Yuan climbed onto the bed, wrapped himself in a quilt, and dialed Pan Lei's number after verifying that his parents were sound asleep.
"Are my parents-in-laws asleep, baby?"
Pan Lei spoke in a husky voice.
"I'm sooo tired."
Tian Yuan acted spoiled. He was completely exhausted, not to mention suffering from a severe backache and headache.
"I've let you suffer. When I get back, I'll give you a full-body massage. Did everything go okay today, darling?"
Everyone had received orders from him. Had his instructions been carried out?
"I say, can you please stop causing such a commotion! Zhang Hui's reception style almost scared me to death. He acted as if my parents were Ci Xi[5]! My father slammed the table on the spot. Tell him to stop making such a spectacle. It's really too frightening. Oh! Also, don't let Mom send anything else here. Aren't those supplements all Dad's? What should he do if his warehouse is emptied?"
"It is to show respect to your parents and should be done. You don't care about these things; simply accept them. I'll call Zhang Hui tomorrow and speak with him. They'll be staying for a few days, won't they? Otherwise, I'll return tomorrow."
Pan Lei has just arrived back at the military camp. If he asked for departure right now, the commander in charge of the military region would almost certainly object. The old guy was tepid, and if he refused Pan Lei's leave, his office door would be kicked again.
"They will have a physical examination tomorrow, and the results will be ready the following day. They will return the day after tomorrow. You don't need to return. I'm capable of doing it myself."
"Then we'll go to your hometown to see them the next time I'm on vacation."
"Um, I'm sorry. I didn't dare to tell my parents about you."
Tian Yuan felt terrible about it. Pan Lei introduced him to all of his family members, but he never mentioned him.
"It's not a big deal. If you bring up my name, I'm scared you'll get beaten up. I got smacked and beaten up, but it didn't bother me since I'm rough and tough. But you're so thin. Won't I be worried to death if you get a couple smacks on the face? You're obstinate and won't tell me if you get beaten up. I can't be by your side; I'm afraid you'll become depressed. If you are depressed, you will have difficulties. Don't tell them anything for the time being. Wait for me to return."
He had vowed to protect Tian'er. No one was allowed to hurt him, and no one was allowed to do anything that would harm him. He was not by his baby’s side. Tian Yuan was awkward, and he buried his hurt in his heart. If something went wrong, there would be no one to help him. How could he let it happen? It was fine if Tian'er didn't mention him. He was more concerned about his darling's health than Tian'er talking about him.
Tian Yuan's heart was warmed by Pan Lei's words. How could he not fall in love with such a wonderful man?
"It's getting late, baby. Go to bed early. Don’t think about it. I’ll take care of everything. Baby, give me a kiss."
Tian Yuan remained silent. He felt sweet in his heart as he listened to Pan Lei's coaxing.
"Be good. Come on, give me a kiss."
Tian Yuan remained silent, which amused Pan Lei.
"Why are you so shy, baby? We're married. Just say that you have a toothache. Tsk, tsk, tsk, toothache, booboo toothache. Come on."
Pan Lei waited three seconds, but Tian Yuan remained silent.
"I'm going to kiss you. Listen."
Pan Lei made funny kissing noises with his mouth close to the microphone.
"Come on, follow my lead and kiss me. My baby is the best. You’re ge’s darling. Be good."
Pan Lei, you see, never got angry even when Tian Yuan played tricks, pretended to be spoiled, or purposefully made things difficult. He would continue to coax him.
"Ge."
Tian Yuan finally spoke up, softly saying “ge”, and it was the first time he was entirely in his right mind when he did so. The other occasion was when Pan Lei drove him insane. This time, Tian Yuan's "ge" was a sweet, private, and absolute nickname.
Pan Lei was shocked. He was stunned for a few seconds before agreeing quickly.
"Yes! Yes!"
"Ge, I love you."
Only you. Only you are my ge. Whether it is the “gege” I cry when in that sort of situation, or because I want to call you “ge”, you’re the only one. I love you. I love everything you do for me, I love you as a person, and I’ll love you forever.
Footnotes:
[1] Edible bird’s nests are created by swiftlets using solidified saliva, which are harvested for human consumption. They are particularly prized in Chinese culture due to their rarity, high nutritional value in nutrients such as protein, and rich flavor. It is usually white in color, but there also exists a red version that is sometimes called "blood" nest. According to traditional Chinese medicine, it promotes good health, especially for the skin. Source: Wikipedia.
[2] Su embroidery is one of the oldest embroidery techniques in the world and is the most representative type of art in Chinese embroidery. It has a history of more than 2,000 years and is an important form of handicraft in the history of Chinese art and folk custom, representative of Chinese traditional folk arts. It is famous for its variety of stitches, beautiful patterns, elegant colors, and consummate craftsmanship. Source: Wikipedia.
[3] Tian Yuan’s maternal aunt’s son who is younger than TY to be exact.
[4] 6 feet 2 inches. Average Chinese males are 172 cm tall. I.e. around 5 feet 7-8 inches.
Where can I find a Pan Lei? Please help...anyone?
ReplyDeleteThese chapters just get funnier and funnier. But the ending was so so sweet. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteSo sweet ❤
ReplyDelete