Ch 46

When Lou Cheng arrived, he would be unable to live in Ding Xuerun’s home. He couldn’t sleep in his bed at all. The house’s soundproofing is so poor that whatever he does will be discovered by Ding Zhaowen next door.

Ding Zhaowen, a teacher, is on summer vacation now. He doesn’t have much social interaction and doesn’t like to go out.

Ding Xuerun received the flight information from Lou Cheng early the next morning. Around two o’clock in the afternoon, he arrived at the airport. “I checked, and it takes one and a half hours to drive from the airport to your house?” Lou Cheng said.

“Yes, it’s very far. Let me and my father come to pick you up.”

How dare Lou Cheng: “I’m going to take a taxi. I’m embarrassed to bother my father-in-law on my first visit.”

“When you arrive, find a place to stay. Today I’ll return to my hometown to see my grandmother. I’ll come to you early if I don’t have dinner.”

It also takes some time to get back to his hometown from Ding Zhaowen’s staff dormitory. Ding Xuerun had been thinking about how to settle Lou Cheng. It would be fine if he only stayed for one or two days, but Lou Cheng clearly meant that he would not leave in that meant time.

Ding Zhaowen returned home with a box of walnut milk and two bottles of white wine from the trunk. Ding Xuerun noticed a lot of walnut milk in the trunk.

The father and son went to the third uncle’s house first because grandma lives there.

The third uncle’s family was taken aback when they saw him bring gifts because today is not a holiday.

“Second Brother, you say you will come as soon as you come, why did you bring gifts?”

“We are all one big family. I heard your daughter will be a senior soon. Drink some walnut milk.” Ding Zhaowen said politely, “As for me, I’d like to have a banquet in a few days and invite some relatives and friends.”

The third uncle was even more taken aback, thinking he was going to marry for the second time: “Having a banquet?”

“Yes, it was our Runrun enrollment banquet. He had already been accepted to Renmin University in Beijing!” Ding Zhaowen grinned as he pulled out an invitation.

“Really? It’s not a lie?”

“Where can such a thing be deceived? The notice has arrived. If you don’t believe me, look it up on the Internet. This year, a member of our Chinese national team competed in an international math competition and won the championship! You must attend the Runrun enrollment banquet on August 15th. The inviter’s name, restaurant, and time are all listed on the invitation card.”

Ding Xuerun couldn’t help but notice Ding Zhaowen, who was pleased with himself and smiled in his heart.

Ding Zhaowen later squatted next to his grandmother, who has poor legs and hearing and told her the good news loudly.

The third uncle’s family held the invitation card, which had been beautifully written by Ding Zhaowen with shocked expressions on their face. Especially after searching the news, Ding Xuerun’s name really was there, and it is even more shocking. “Dandan, learn more from your brother,” he advised the family’s daughter.

This is not the end of the visit. There is still the next one after they leave the first one. Ding Xuerun noticed Ding Zhaowen ticking on the printed notice form after getting into the car. He examined the form carefully and noticed that it listed the names of each household, a long list.

Ding Zhaowen was also a little embarrassed: “This is a good thing, we have to celebrate.” 

It costs a lot of money to entertain so many people at once, but Ding Zhaowen’s salary is saved during the week, and Ding Xuerun never asks him for money. He did not want it either and instead gave money to his father.

He went from door to door carrying gifts and sending out invitations.

Before two o’clock in the afternoon, Ding Xuerun received Lou Cheng’s call and said, “Runrun, I’ve gotten off the plane. I’ll take a taxi to the hotel near your house and stay there first.”

Lou Cheng pushed two boxes out of the airport.

Ding Zhaowen asked him: “Classmate?”

Ding Xuerun said, “It’s a classmate. He came to Guilin for a trip and came to play with me.” 

Ding Zhaowen was overjoyed, but he paused and asked, “Is there anything… Uh, a problem with your classmate?”

He doesn’t blame him for asking.

Ding Xuerun was a little withdrawn and didn’t make many friends at school before transferring. On the contrary, he got along well with the students in the special class. Even though the students in the special class have brain defects or are deaf and mute, Ding Xuerun could still make good friends with them.

Ding Xuerun fights with people because one of his classmates has a problem with him, and the other is the worst student in the school and constantly bullies the students in the special class.

Ding Xuerun did not normally make friends, and he abruptly announced that he had classmates visiting Guilin. It’s no surprise that Ding Zhaowen overthinks things.

“He has no problems. He is a normal person and a boy.” Ding Xuerun turned his head to look at Ding Zhaowen, remembering Lou Cheng’s relationship with him. He doesn’t know if homosexuality is regarded as a barrier in Ding Zhaowen’s eyes.

Ding Xuerun wanted to return early today because of Lou Cheng, and Ding Zhaowen did not object. “Your classmates came to play, let him come to our house for a meal today,” said Ding Zhaowen.  “Dad can sleep in your room while you and your classmates sleep in the master bedroom, okay?” he hesitated.

Ding Xuerun shook his head: “No, he already booked a hotel.” 

It’s okay for Lou Cheng to live in his room. After all, Lou Cheng has a habit of cleanliness, but it appears to be insignificant to him. However, if he is forced to sleep in other people’s rooms, it is estimated that Lou Cheng will be unable to sleep at all.

“How many days do your classmates stay here to play?”

“I don’t know.” Ding Xuerun suddenly thought of something as he passed by the window of the car and asked, “Dad, is there anyone living in the old house on the mountain?”

“You mean over there?” Ding Zhaowen knew the one he was referring to. The house is quite old. Ding Xuerun’s grandfather used to have a fruit forest on the mountain and rented a hill. Later, the lease period came, and all of the fruit trees were sold.

However, the wooden house that had been built at the time was still there, but it was very old. It was repaired about seven or eight years ago.

Ding Xuerun nodded: “I went to live there for a summer in junior high school. It was very cool.”

“Do you want to take your classmates there? Isn’t he from the city, and he isn’t used to it?”

He was certain Lou Cheng was not used to it.

Ding Xuerun vaguely remembered that the scenery there was beautiful, with green mountains and clear waters all around.

“If he can’t stay there, we’ll move down the mountain,” he said.

Ding Zhaowen turned his head and said, “You want to stay on the mountain with your classmates? The signal there is not very good, and it hasn’t been lived in for a long time so it’s quite dirty.”

“It doesn’t matter. I’ll clean up in the morning.” The signal isn’t great, but as long as you can make a phone call, and we went there to study.

Ding Xuerun returned home and used Ding Zhaowen’s printer to print out some materials for Lou Cheng to make up lessons before going out to find him.

Ding Xuerun was afraid that Lou Cheng would run around and not be able to find anyone, so he ran to the hotel to find him. Lou Cheng’s minimum standard for booking a hotel is to first search for the location and then find the most expensive hotel nearby.

Although they are an 18th-tier city, they also have five-star hotels.

Lou Cheng reserved a large suite. When Ding Xuerun went to look for him, he discovered a lot of gifts piled up in the living room. Before he could ask a question, Lou Cheng kissed him, hugged him, and said, “Runrun, I miss you so much.” He kissed Ding Xuerun’s lips as he lowered his head.

Ding Xuerun couldn’t refuse, and let him kiss for a while, then tilted his head slightly and said to him: “Don’t be too presumptuous… Lou Cheng, my father will suspicious when he sees my mouth swollen.”

Hearing this, Lou Cheng refrained from kissing too ruthlessly. He was afraid the old man would beat him up. His kiss landed on Ding Xuerun’s ears and quickly moved to his neck, causing Ding Xuerun to tilt his head and his adam apple to tremble sensitively.

Both people’s breathing is erratic, their faces are flushed, and Lou Cheng’s face is even more flushed: “Because you mentioned that your father liked to drink, I brought a few bottles of wine, as well as tea, and health products. This is to protect the liver, this is to protect the heart, and this is to slow down the aging process.”

The wine was initially not permitted to be consigned, but Lou Cheng called the airline’s CEO and got it approved.

Ding Xuerun looked at him and counted: “Didn’t I ask you not to bring too much?”

“I was nervous the first time I saw your dad. Wouldn’t he like me if I gave him more?”

“My dad invited you to our house for dinner— “

Ding Xuerun didn’t finish a sentence, Lou Cheng interrupted happily: “Okay, good!”

“But remember, you can’t talk about us, you can’t call me affectionately, and you can’t call my father dad. It’ll be weird.” No classmates come up to call others out of the blue as if they were relatives.

Lou Cheng: “Don’t you tell him?”

“I can’t tell him right now, wait…after the college entrance examination,” Ding Xuerun said, lowering his eyes.

He advised, “If my father knows, he might tell me to go to college this year, Lou Cheng, don’t be stupid,” he said.

When Lou Cheng heard this, he stopped playing and said cautiously, “I promise I won’t say it.”

When Ding Xuerun told him about taking him up to the mountain to stay, Lou Cheng did not object but was ecstatic and his eyes gleaming: “Is that the kind of a wooden house?  bed? Do you have to chop wood and make a fire? Then you catch rabbits and roast them for a meal?”

“Not that kind of wooden house. We have electricity and stoves. What kind of rabbits do they catch with only a half-hour walk down the hill?”

“There are only two of us?”

Ding Xuerun’s response was, “It’s very quiet and ideal for learning. However, the signal is poor and the conditions are deplorable. You must endure little hardship, but the scenery is beautiful.”

“I’m not afraid of suffering when I’m with you.”

Ding Zhaowen called to say the meal was ready, and the two boarded a taxi to return home. Lou Cheng was nervously carrying a large and a small bag and asked, “Do I call your father mister or uncle?”

“Either will do.”

Ding Zhaowen heard a knock at the door. When he opened the door, he was greeted by a handsome boy who stood almost as tall as his front door.

Lou Cheng introduced himself politely: “Hello, Uncle. My name is Lou Cheng, and the word “Cheng” means ‘beautiful jade’.” Lou Cheng’s father-in-law is a Chinese teacher, and his self-introduction has been prepared.

He did a good job of introducing himself, so Ding Zhaowen had a favorable first impression of him and hurriedly invited him in. Seeing how many gifts he had brought, he quickly refused and said that he could not accept them.

“It’s all right, you’re Runrun’s father and my-” Lou Cheng almost said the wrong word, swallowed the word “father” and said, “you are my relative.”

Lou Cheng explained: “You don’t know. I used to have poor grades, thanks to Runrun who gave me tutoring!”

Ding Xuerun added, “Just accept it, Dad. He had brought it all the way here, and he couldn’t bring it back.”

Lou Cheng did not reveal any secrets during dinner. He, on the other hand, had a pleasant conversation with Ding Zhaowen. When Ding Zhaowen asked how tall he was, he replied that he was 1.89 meters tall.

He only measured his height some time ago, and he is one centimeter taller. When he put on his sneakers, it was more than 1.9 meters.

Ding Zhaowen drove the two to the mountain early the next morning, but the mountain road was closed, so they had to get out of the car and walk. Lou Cheng was carrying one of the two boxes containing gifts for Ding Zhaowen, so he carried his suitcase in one hand while also assisting Ding Xuerun in holding the mattress.

According to Ding Xuerun, no one has lived there in a long time. They must bring a mattress because there is a lot of dust and the bed is made of wood.

There was a lot of dust as the items were brought over. They cleaned together as a group. Lou Cheng had never cleaned before, so he rushed to show Ding Zhaowen how tough and strong he was.

Ding Zhaowen secretly asked Ding Xuerun: “Your classmate is very good. Do you charge him money for the make-up lessons?”

Ding Xuerun said no. Ding Zhaowen said: “Just take it.” 

The wooden house is much larger than Lou Cheng had anticipated. The windows are kept clean and tidy after cleaning. 

Ding Xuerun was making the bed, and Ding Zhaowen went down the mountain. Lou Cheng also began to organize his suitcase. After packing the bed, Ding Xuerun came to help him: “Why did you bring so many pairs of sneakers?”

Lou Cheng: “… To looks cool”

“Who do you want to show off to on the mountain?” Ding Xuerun squatted down and helped him in taking out all of his sneakers, but something unexpected came out.

The sign is LV, but…

Lou Cheng saw what he had turned over and dashed over to grab it. Ding Xuerun did not run away. He asked him, “What is that?” after allowing him to pounce and snatch the items.

“…Nothing.”

“Lou Cheng, why are you bringing condoms?” Ding Xuerun asked calmly.

Lou Cheng’s ears turned red, and he hid the items behind his back, saying, “It’s just… cool.”