Chapter 63

In the blink of an eye, the afternoon arrived. After finishing his class, Mi Zhao handed his drawing board and tools to Yan Qinting to take back to the dorm. Then, he grabbed his backpack and left the campus, taking the subway.

By the time he arrived outside the residential complex where his rental apartment was, it was nearly six o’clock. The sky was already showing signs of darkening.

As he walked into the complex, a few sparse snowflakes unexpectedly drifted down.

Mi Zhao wasn’t wearing a scarf—he had deliberately changed into a white turtleneck sweater. He tugged at the collar and took the elevator upstairs.

He Linfang and Mi Bin had already set the food on the table, waiting for him. When Mi Zhao walked in, Mi Bin rubbed his hands together with a bright smile, but He Linfang didn’t look nearly as pleased.

As Mi Zhao changed into indoor slippers, He Linfang glanced toward the door and asked, “Where’s your boyfriend?”

Bending down to neatly place his shoes, Mi Zhao replied, “He didn’t come.”

Hearing this, He Linfang’s expression darkened even more. “Didn’t you say you were going to tell us about your boyfriend? And now you show up alone?”

Mi Zhao tossed his backpack onto the sofa, washed his hands, and sat down at the dining table.

This place used to be just his, but he rarely came back, so it never really felt like home. It wasn’t quite a rental apartment, nor was it a proper living space—it felt more like a temporary studio.

Now that He Linfang and Mi Bin had been living here for a while, things had changed. He Linfang was a diligent person who liked to keep things tidy. She had organized the place meticulously and added many household essentials. Outside, the winter wind howled, but inside, the warmth of the heater and the soft yellow glow of the lights made this small two-bedroom apartment feel cozy.

Mi Zhao took off his coat and draped it over the chair, resting his hands on his legs as he caught his breath. Then, he got straight to the point. “You already know my boyfriend.”

Seated across from him, He Linfang and Mi Bin were both taken aback.

Mi Bin was the first to react. Scratching his head, he said, “We know your boyfriend? What are you talking about? Your mom and I just got to A City—we don’t know anyone here.”

Mi Zhao’s gaze shifted between them. “You know at least one person.”

“The only people we know are… Mr. Li,” He Linfang corrected herself mid-sentence before continuing, “Don’t tell me Mr. Li is your boyfriend.”

Mi Zhao nodded. “That’s right. It’s him.”

He Linfang: “…”

Mi Bin: “…”

A heavy silence spread through the room, only to be shattered by Mi Bin’s sudden burst of laughter.

“Hahahahaha! Son, do you even hear yourself? Mr. Li is over thirty! He’s practically old enough to be your uncle, and you want to date him?” Mi Bin waved his hand as he laughed. “It’s not just the age difference—his family background is an issue too. Our family isn’t even in the same league as his.”

Mi Zhao: “…”

When he noticed the lack of amusement on Mi Zhao’s face, Mi Bin’s laughter grew awkward. Eventually, he forced out two dry coughs to cover it up.

“Son, your mom and I already figured you and that other guy probably broke up. It’s fine, breakups happen. Now that we’ve accepted that you like men, we won’t pressure you into dating women. Just talk to us about things, okay?” Mi Bin said in a serious tone.

Expressionless, He Linfang picked up a bowl and went to the kitchen to scoop rice.

Once she had returned to the table and sat down, Mi Zhao spoke again. “I’m serious. I’m not lying to you.”

He Linfang looked up at him. “Do you even hear yourself? If you told us you and Mr. Li knew each other, we’d believe that.”

“Exactly, it’s not that we don’t trust you,” Mi Bin added. “It’s just that Mr. Li already has a partner. Also a guy, and also a student at A University…”

As he spoke, Mi Bin suddenly realized something. His expression shifted to one of shock, and he turned to look at He Linfang. Her face mirrored his astonishment.

The couple exchanged glances before simultaneously asking, “You and him are really dating?”

Mi Zhao sighed and reached out toward Mi Bin. “Dad, give me your phone.”

Still stunned, Mi Bin fumbled for his phone and handed it over.

Mi Zhao knew his father’s phone password. He quickly unlocked it and dialed a familiar number.

As the call connected, the number on the screen was instantly replaced with a contact name—“Mr. Li.”

Startled, Mi Bin shot up from his seat, reaching for the phone. “What are you doing? Don’t call Mr. Li!”

Mi Zhao blocked his hand and waited for the call to go through.

The next second, the dial tone was cut off halfway, and a familiar, pleasant voice came through from the other end—

“Mr. Mi.”

Mi Zhao casually put the call on speaker and raised his voice. “Li Sipei.”

The moment those three syllables left his mouth, He Linfang and Mi Bin’s faces changed drastically. It was as if they had just heard something earth-shattering, their nerves stretched to the limit.

On the other end of the call, Li Sipei was unaware of the tension at the dinner table. He responded calmly, “Are you eating now?”

“We’re about to start.” Listening to Li Sipei’s voice, Mi Zhao suddenly felt an itch to see him. He scratched his chin with his fingers, suppressing the restless feeling in his heart, and said, “I told my parents you’re my boyfriend. They don’t believe me.”

Li Sipei was silent for a moment before asking, “Are they with you now?”

Mi Zhao answered, “They’re both here. I put you on speaker—they can hear you.”

“Mr. Mi, Mrs. He.” Through the phone, Li Sipei’s voice was slightly distorted, deeper and huskier than usual. It carried a rich, slightly hoarse texture—damnably sexy.

He Linfang and Mi Bin were already sitting stiffly, their bodies tense with nervousness. At this moment, they had no energy to admire Li Sipei’s voice.

Only Mi Zhao, with his chin resting on his hands, leaned forward on the dining table, trying his best to suppress the giddy joy bubbling inside him. But no matter how much he tried, the feeling kept rising, like effervescent bubbles in a soda.

There was no candy in his mouth, yet he could taste the sweetness.

After a brief pause, Li Sipei spoke again over the phone. “Mi Zhao wasn’t lying to you. He and I are indeed in a relationship. It was wrong of us to hide it from you that day. Things were chaotic, and we didn’t have a chance to explain.”

He Linfang and Mi Bin’s minds went blank, as if someone had struck them hard with a hammer.

They had known their son had a boyfriend. They had also known that Mr. Li had a boyfriend. But they had never thought to connect the two—because, deep down, they had assumed that Mr. Li wouldn’t be interested in someone from their family.

Yet their son and Mr. Li had been together all along?

This revelation was simply too shocking.

The couple was so stunned that, for a long moment, they completely lost their sense of place.

Meanwhile, on the other end of the call, Li Sipei continued speaking. “I’d like to visit sometime if there’s an opportunity—”

“Alright, alright.” Noticing his parents’ dazed expressions, Mi Zhao quickly interrupted. “We’re going to eat now. We’ll talk about the visit another time.”

Hanging up, he handed the phone back to Mi Bin.

Mi Bin didn’t react.

Seeing that, Mi Zhao had no choice but to place the phone on the edge of the dining table. He picked up his chopsticks and started eating. It wasn’t until his parents had fully processed the situation that they silently joined him.

As they were finishing their meal, Mi Zhao sent a message to Li Sipei.

[mrz: You did well. I’ll let my parents digest the rest on their own.]

[mrz: Thumbs up.]

The reply came instantly.

[Xiao Li: Have you finished eating?]

Mi Zhao quickly finished the last few bites, set down his chopsticks, and focused on his phone.

[mrz: Done.]

[Xiao Li: Come downstairs.]

[mrz: ?]

[Xiao Li: I’m outside the main entrance of your apartment complex.]

The moment he read this, Mi Zhao’s heart skipped a beat. Before his brain could even process it, his body had already sprung into action.

He Linfang and Mi Bin looked at him in confusion as he grabbed his coat and backpack.

“Where are you going?”

“Dad, Mom, I’m heading out. I’ll come back after class tomorrow.” Mi Zhao waved and happily dashed away.

The couple listened to the sound of the door closing and shook their heads helplessly.

Panting slightly, Mi Zhao ran out of the complex. As soon as he reached the road, he spotted a tall figure standing by the curb. Instantly, he couldn’t hold back the smile tugging at his lips.

As he got closer, he noticed a familiar white cashmere scarf wrapped around Li Sipei’s neck. It matched his own—they were a couple’s set. He had packed it in a gift bag and taken it to Li Sipei’s place the day before.

He had thought Li Sipei would just ignore it.

Blinking rapidly, Mi Zhao forced back the heat gathering in his eyes. He walked up and carefully hugged Li Sipei. “Why are you here?”

Li Sipei was very tall. When he was in a wheelchair, it wasn’t obvious, but when he used a cane, it became more apparent. Now, standing straight, his full height was on display.

Mi Zhao had to tilt his head up just to meet his gaze.

Under the streetlights, tiny snowflakes drifted down, landing on Li Sipei’s shoulders, his hair, and his long, thick eyelashes. Beneath them, his dark eyes were like an ocean, carrying warmth and deep affection.

Reaching out, Li Sipei gently ruffled Mi Zhao’s hair. “I was worried your parents would scold you, so I came to check on you.”

“When did you get here?”

“Right after you called.”

“You walked here?” Mi Zhao knew that Li Sipei could walk, but this was the first time he’d seen him outside without a wheelchair or cane.

Li Sipei’s hand moved from ruffling his hair to threading through his locks. “I flew here.”

“Bullshit.”

That crude word successfully triggered Li Sipei. His brows furrowed slightly, just as he was about to speak—

Mi Zhao suddenly tugged at his scarf, pulling him down.

Lifting his head, Mi Zhao kissed him on the lips, then blinked up at him with big, watery eyes. Pressing close to his ear, he whispered, both shy and expectant, “Let’s not go home tonight. How about a hotel?”

Li Sipei: “…”

His little boyfriend was perfect in every way—except for the excessive amount of naughty thoughts in his head.

Still, after a moment of silence, he sighed and said, “Alright.”