Chapter 53

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The 29th Event of Being Gay: Take him to meet your family\nOriginally, Wang Guangning and the others had planned to return on the third night, but as Wang Guangning was bent on going home, he left early on the third morning with a suitcase that was much heavier than when he’d arrived.\n

It happened that he returned on a Sunday. Wang Guangning wanted to surprise Zhang Lingyi, so he didn’t inform him in advance. Arriving home, he used the key to open the door.\n

“I’m back!” Wang Guangning couldn’t hide the joy on his face as he strode in, only to see three people sitting in the living room. Apart from Zhang Lingyi, there was a middle-aged couple who were strangers to him.\n

Wang Guangning: “……” His smile had frozen on his face.\n

“Guangning, why are you back now?” Zhang Lingyi was shocked, and quickly jumped up. He looked rather nervous all of a sudden.\n

Wang Guangning looked at him, baffled.\n

“Let me introduce you all.” Zhang Lingyi looked at the middle-aged couple, then at Wang Guangning. “Guangning, this is my dad and mum. Dad and mum, this is …… Wang Guangning.”\n

Fck, why did Zhang Lingyi’s parents suddenly appear?\n

Does this count as officially meeting the parents?\n

Wang Guangning’s nerves were immediately on edge. His relationship with Zhang Lingyi was already clear, but they hadn’t thought about meeting each other’s parents yet.\n

After all, there weren’t many families in China that would embrace homosexuality.\n

Zhang Lingyi’s parents maintained themselves very well, and only looked around 40. Both exuded dignity and and extraordinary poise, especially his mother — she was even more outstanding and was fashionably dressed. She didn’t look as though she had a child as old as Zhang Lingyi — no wonder Zhang Lingyi had said his mother had been chased by many in her youth.\n

But all this wasn’t important — what was important was that these two people didn’t look as though they were very easy to get along with.\n

Especially since they were now sizing up Wang Guangning — they looked as though they wanted to soak Wang Guangning in chemicals to figure out what he was made of.\n

Wang Guangning had a hand on his luggage, but he was too nervous for his feet to step forward. In his confused state, he unconsciously gave a perfect smile: “Dad, Mum, how are you!”\n

Zhang Lingyi: “……”\n

Daddy Zhang: “……”\n

Mummy Zhang: “……”\n

TT Wang Guangning wanted to go back to a minute ago and deal himself a fatal punch.\n

It’s over — how would Zhang Lingyi’s parents look at him now?\n

In the end, it was Mummy Zhang who regained her senses first. She gave a little smile, stood up, and gestured for Wang Guangning to come to her: “Xiao Wang, why are you still there, come sit and have a chat.” [Xiao = lit. “little”, appended to a name to create a sense of affection. Kind of like adding -ie in Korean, i.e., Wangie.]\n

Wang Guangning put down his luggage, braced himself, and sat between Zhang Lingyi and Mummy Zhang.\n

“That is, Uncle, Auntie, I’m Zhang Lingyi’s flatmate ……” Wang Guangning tried hard to win back some points.\n

He didn’t expect Mummy Zhang to giggle: “You just called us Dad and Mum, so why is it Uncle and Auntie now?”\n

Wang Guangning blushed. He stuttered: “Mis- …… misspoke.”\n

Mummy Zhang smiled: “Doesn’t matter. It’s fine to say Dad and Mum, since it’s only a matter of time.”\n

Wang Guangning: “??????”\n

Mummy Zhang feigned shock: “What, don’t tell me you’re not intending to spend the rest of your life with Lingyi?”\n

Wang Guangning was startled, and looked at Zhang Lingyi.\n

Zhang Lingyi had a slight flush on his face, and scratched his head as he said: “That is, Guangning, my dad and mum already know about our relationship.”\n

Wang Guangning’s heart gave a thump, then settled down. If Zhang Lingyi’s parents already know, then this attitude was now …… tacit approval?\n

A rush of joy overwhelmed him. Wang Guangning couldn’t quite believe it as he looked at Zhang Lingyi, then back at his parents. He didn’t know what to say in that moment.\n

Daddy Zhang was observing from the side all this while, and only then did he softly cough: “Xiao Wang, about you and Lingyi, we already know. To be honest, we didn’t accept it at first ……”\n

“Stop talking rubbish!” Mummy Zhang didn’t wait for Daddy Zhang to finish before giving him a push, forcefully cutting him off. She followed up with an eye-roll. Daddy Zhang fell silent right away.\n

Mummy Zhang then pulled Wang Guangning’s hand to her and patted it, peering at him closely. She examined him till he was blushing all over, and gently sighed: “Xiao Wang, don’t take Old Zhang’s words to heart. Times are different now. Though you and Lingyi are both men, as long as you’re sincere toward each other, and truly are together in every way, we’ll definitely be supportive of you.”\n

Wang Guangning’s heart softened, and his voice was a little choked: “Auntie ……”\n

“Still Auntie!” Mummy Zhang gave a glare with her gorgeous eyes, somehow conveying the coyness of a young lady. She sighed again: “At first, when Zhang Lingyi told us he’s gay, I and Old Zhang truly got mad for a long while. We only have this one precious son, and he hadn’t made us worry all his life. Who knew that when it came to marriage …… *sigh*. Actually, what we’d been afraid of was him going out and learning all kinds of messed-up things. But now that we’ve seen you, I and Old Zhang are relieved.”\n

Daddy Zhang, having been glared at by his wife, hurried to chime in and redeem himself: “Yes, yes, Lingyi told us he was gay, but he didn’t fool around all these years, and was earnestly waiting for you. We were so puzzled, but it looks like all these years of waiting were worth it!” Saying that, he even laughed heartily.\n

“That’s enough, Dad and Mum, let’s not mention the past anymore.” Zhang Lingyi felt awkward to be talked about like that, and tried to close down the topic: “Let’s tidy up and prepare to go out for dinner.”\n

“What’s wrong with me speaking with my daughter-in-law?” Mummy Zhang rolled her eyes at Zhang Lingyi too: “With the whole family here, why do we need to go out for dinner? You and your dad go and cook. I’ll be chatting with Xiao Wang.” She turned to Daddy Zhang: “Old Zhang, take your son and go cook.”\n

“Yes, right away.” When it’s the wife giving orders, Daddy Zhang didn’t dare to disobey [lit. Chinese verb here is usually in reference to unfilial behaviour, i.e., toward parents]. He immediately pinched Zhang Lingyi’s ear and dragged him to the kitchen.\n

*cough cough* So, it seems that being henpecked is hereditary!\n

“Come, Xiao Wang, let’s chat.” Without those people getting in the way, Mummy Zhang immediately brightened with a smile.\n

When she’d first found out her son was gay, she was furious. She’d been afraid that Zhang Lingyi would start all kinds of messed-up behaviour. But when she was finally able to accept things, she had to witness her son getting older year by year without bringing back a single partner. So, she was dissatisfied again.\n

Whether you’re gay or straight, you’ve got to bring back a partner!\n

And so, it was natural that she would be dissatisfied with the unknown person her son had been waiting for like a lovesick fool.\n

Her own son was so handsome and outstanding; what kind of hotshot could the object of his affections aspire to be?\n

A while ago, a strange man had picked up the phone [see chapter 40], claiming to be a tenant. This led to endless bewilderment — who knew he’d be the one her son was pining for.\n

This time, Mummy Zhang was unrelenting. She made Daddy Zhang settle whatever work he had on hand and find time to hurry back and see their daughter-in-law.\n

And now that they’d seen him — needless to say, he appeared dashing and talented. But that manner, that poise — no losing out to their own son at all.\n

In her heart, Mummy Zhang gave him full marks.\n

If it was a match like this, then her son’s few years of waiting hadn’t been a waste.\n

It was probably a result of how, ever since her son had come out of the closet, her constant worry had been he would bring home some awful people. In the end, it was someone like Wang Guangning — apart from the fact of his gender, it could be said that everything about him surpassed the couple’s expectations. Right there and then, they were overjoyed, and everything about Wang Guangning pleased them.\n

Mummy Zhang hadn’t chatted for long before she started probing into everything to do with Wang Guangning’s family, career, and so on. She became even more satisfied — it seemed like they only needed to push for their wedding ceremony.\n

It was Wang Guangning who still appeared to be hesitant about something. He waited till Mummy Zhang had finally asked everything she wanted, before enquiring carefully: “Auntie, when did you know about us?”\n

Mummy Zhang thought for a while: “It’s been two or three years.”\n

Wang Guangning was suddenly overwhelmed with deep emotions, ones he couldn’t quite describe.\n

Two or three years ago — he was still in Taiwan, and didn’t have a thing to do with Zhang Lingyi.\n

Yet, Zhang Lingyi had actually paved the way with his family — had he been so sure they would end up together?\n

Even though Daddy Zhang and Mummy Zhang looked at peace now, and could even be said to be delighted, Wang Guangning knew that when Zhang Lingyi first came out of the closet, it couldn’t have been an easy thing.\n

As they chatted, Daddy Zhang brought out the feast that his son had prepared.\n

“Mum, Guangning, time to eat.” Zhang Lingyi hollered toward the living room as he ladled for everyone the tomato, potato and spareribs soup that had been stewed to tender perfection.\n

“Let’s go eat.” Mummy Zhang said, and pulled Wang Guangning along to the dining hall.\n

It was probably because it was his first time eating with his daughter-in-law that Daddy Zhang decided to show off and prepare some of his specialities.\n

After chatting with Mummy Zhang, Wang Guangning had loosened up a lot. The four of them crowded round the table.\n

“Come, Xiao Wang, have the roasted sparerib. Old Zhang does this well.” As Mummy Zhang said this, she placed a sparerib in Wang Guangning’s bowl.\n

“Thank you.” Wang Guangning hurriedly brought his bowl close to receive it.\n

“Wonder what Xiao Wang’s best dishes are?” Daddy Zhang suddenly spouted this line.\n

Wang Guangning froze.\n

Oil-splattered kitchen …… Zhang Lingyi silently replied.\n

Mummy Zhang pushed a piece of salted-fish eggplant into Daddy Zhang’s bowl: “The daughter-in-law of our family just needs to know how to eat. Why would he need to know how to cook!”\n

Daring to expect Xiao Wang to cook — doesn’t this imply he’s challenging his wife’s authority!”\n

It’s son-in-law, thank you!\n

Wang Guangning retorted internally, even as he looked sorry on the outside.\n

Daddy Zhang looked sorrowfully at the eggplant in his bowl.\n

Wifey, I’m sorry. Could you please not have me eat what I hate most — salted-fish eggplant!\n

At bedtime, Daddy Zhang and Mummy Zhang slept in the master bedroom, and Zhang Lingyi in his own room, while Wang Guangning didn’t feel he could share the room with him with his parents here. So, he insisted on going to his original, small room.\n

Zhang Lingyi couldn’t change his mind, and could only let him go. In the end, he waited till Daddy Zhang and Mummy Zhang had gone to bed before sneaking to Wang Guangning’s room.\n

“Shoushou.” Zhang Lingyi stealthily opened the door, lifted Wang Guangning’s blanket, and slipped in.\n

“What are you doing.” Wang Guangning wasn’t asleep yet. Seeing Zhang Lingyi had come in, he got nervous and pushed him out at once: “Go back to your room quickly.”\n

“Not gonna.” Zhang Lingyi clung like a koala to Wang Guangning: “We haven’t seen each other for two days, and you won’t let me hug you? That’s just inhuman!”\n

“Your dad and mum are next door!” Wang Guangning was slightly annoyed.\n

“They don’t have the time to bother with us; goodness knows what they’re up to right now!” Zhang Lingyi leaned close and blew against Wang Guangning’s ear, sounding indecent.\n

Wang Guangning naturally thought in that direction, and blushed. Luckily, Zhang Lingyi’s home had good soundproofing, so he couldn’t hear anything to do with that.\n

“I missed you.” Zhang Lingyi rubbed against Wang Guangning, his voice bearing a touch of grievance.\n

Wang Guangning melted, and hugged him back: “When you came out to your family, you suffered, didn’t you?”\n

“Not at all.” Zhang Lingyi rubbed against him: “My dad and mum are really good-natured.”\n

Wang Guangning sighed, and didn’t say a word.\n

Zhang Lingyi fell silent for a while, then said: “To be with you, this was a barrier that had to be passed. After graduation, my dad and mum kept wanting to matchmake me. I felt it was bothersome, so I just came out of the closet.”\n

Wang Guangning traced his brow bone: “Uncle and Auntie didn’t drive you out of the house?”\n

“Almost.” Zhang Lingyi laughed: “It’s nothing. After bitter suffering, comes sweet happiness, right?”\n

Wang Guangning kissed his cheek.\n

Zhang Lingyi kissed him back. After entangling for a while, he said: “Shoushou, I want.”\nLike this:Like Loading...\n \n