HCILH Ch. 137

Chapter 137: Parents

During the Spring Festival, Sui Houyu still met with Yang Xiangyu.

They agreed to meet at a coffee shop. When Yang Xiangyu arrived, Sui Houyu was still reading a book, absentmindedly twirling a pen in his hand. He noticed her arrival but didn’t even give her a second glance.

Yang Xiangyu sat down, looking around, then said: “Is this your favorite place? I thought we could have a meal together, since it’s the New Year after all.”

Sui Houyu continued reading, casually responding: “Ordering drinks is easier here, and you don’t know what I like to eat, and I don’t know what you like either. Ordering food would only make things awkward, so it’s better if we just have drinks and part ways after.”

Hearing this, her expression gradually became somewhat unnatural.

Indeed, as a mother, she had never really gotten to know him.

They didn’t even have the bond of affection between mother and child. He didn’t know what she liked, and she didn’t know his preferences.

When he was younger, he had tried to please her, hoping she would treat him better. After seeing that the result was always cold, he stopped trying.

The feeling was mutual; he didn’t want to keep foolishly giving and getting nothing in return.

After experiencing enough pain, he became numb.

Now, he was calm and composed, not letting anything affect him.

His indifference was almost heartbreaking.

Yang Xiangyu noticed that he already had his own drink in front of him, so she ordered an iced Americano for herself.

After the coffee was served, she still didn’t know how to break the ice, so she asked: “How’s the preparation for the college entrance exam going?”

Sui Houyu responded in a work-like manner: “Hmm, still studying hard.”

“I heard about what happened with Ran Shu’s father. Did it affect your studies?”

“It did, quite badly.”

Yang Xiangyu took a sip of coffee, though not much went down, and then spoke up: “I’m sorry you got dragged into this because of me.”

“It’s okay, I’m used to it.”

Used to it.

Because of them, he developed his mania.

Because of their disdain, he became who he was today.

They brought him a lot of trouble, every incident making him feel like he couldn’t go on, but in the end, he got used to it and stopped caring.

This conversation atmosphere was hard to maintain, and Yang Xiangyu tried to steady herself, but her emotions were still unsteady.

At this point, she had divorced her second husband.

After the recent events, she had also broken ties with her brother and best friend.

Her parents always told her to support her brother, but when things got too ugly, she fired him and stopped giving him a nominal position in her company. Her parents blamed her for not handling things properly and insisted she buy him a house and a car to make up for it.

It was then that she realized… she had no one left to comfort her.

No love, no friendship, no family.

In the quiet of the night, she often thought back to the past, and it seemed like it was truly her fault that everything turned out this way.

When Sui Houyu was little, although he caused a little trouble, he was very bright and innocent, always following her around saying: “Mom, play with me!”

She was always busy with work, annoyed by the child’s constant pestering, and ignored him, sending him to tutoring classes.

She didn’t know when it started, but her son had grown up. He no longer clung to her, and even started distancing himself from her…

Even his relationship with the tutoring teacher was better than with her.

She had always been strong-willed, wanting her child to be the best.

Not wanting to bother, she enrolled him in many extra classes and tried to keep him under control. Sui Houyu’s life had to go according to her plan.

But by then, she could no longer control her child.

One day, Sui Houyu ran away, and no matter how hysterical she got, he never came back.

Now, sitting face to face, they had nothing left to say.

She had pushed him away with her own hands, and at the wrong time, tried to pull him back and control him.

Every step had been wrong.

Now that she wanted to make amends, her son was already an adult, eighteen years old.

“I’m sorry…” Yang Xiangyu said again, her voice heavy.

Sui Houyu finally put down his book and looked at her: “Actually, there’s no need. You’ll always be my mother.”

Hearing this, her eyes widened, and her heart fluttered with excitement. Maybe there was still a chance for them to reconcile, but she heard Sui Houyu continue: “When you get old and need me to take care of you, I will do my duty. After all, you’ve given me a lot. I’ll repay you.”

“Is that all we can talk about… money?” she asked.

“Is there anything else to talk about?” Sui Houyu seemed confused.

Yang Xiangyu felt as if her chest had been struck hard.

She wasn’t upset because Sui Houyu wanted to draw a clear line with her, but because… he asked so sincerely, as though there was nothing else between them to discuss.

The sorrow hit her like a thunderclap in the middle of the night, a storm after a long drought, sudden and clear.

She could only force herself to ask: “Is there any chance for us to reconcile?”

“It’s better not to. Living together with you would make me uncomfortable. Also, I’m in my senior year now, so I don’t have time to be with you for long. After the college entrance exam, I’ll go to another city for college, not here.”

“We don’t have to live together. We can call each other once in a while, chat…”

“Oh, okay, I’ll try.”

“Are you still together with An Nanxi?” she asked again.

“Yeah.” When An Nanxi was mentioned, Sui Houyu’s eyes softened, “He’s been accepted into Huazhong University for sure, I need to work harder to catch up with him.”

“Does Sui Lin know?”

“Yeah, you know what Dad is like, he blindly worships Uncle An, so when An Nanxi and I got together, he thought I got a bargain. A few days ago, An Nanxi and I went to see him, and he gave An Nanxi a big red envelope and insisted on taking us to buy a house, mostly to buy one for An Nanxi.”

“It’s rare that he let you go over during the New Year.”

“Now in his heart, An Nanxi is more important than his wife, you should’ve felt that too, right?”

“Yeah…” Brothers are always more important than wives, that’s the kind of scumbag Sui Lin is.

Sui Houyu looked out the window of the café and said: “He’s here.”

She looked up, seeing An Nanxi walking over with something in his hands, heading straight for their table.

When he arrived, An Nanxi smiled and wished Yang Xiangyu a happy New Year before sitting next to Sui Houyu.

Sui Houyu asked: “Did you get everything?”

“Yeah, I also bought a lot of pine nuts.”

Sui Houyu looked at the shopping bag An Nanxi was carrying and asked: “Auntie likes pistachios, didn’t you buy more?”

“One bag is enough, my mom eats very little.”

“Such a cheapskate.”

“Tsk, this is called living with a plan. You’re the spendthrift!”

Sui Houyu didn’t reply but turned to Yang Xiangyu, “We’ll be going now.”

An Nanxi was surprised: “Are you done talking?”

“Yeah.”

Sui Houyu and An Nanxi both stood up, packed their things, and after bidding Yang Xiangyu farewell, they walked out together, seemingly discussing what dishes to cook for the evening.

She just watched them leave, suddenly feeling a little envious.

It seemed that Sui Houyu treated An Nanxi’s mother very well…

And she and Sui Houyu…

She felt like crying.

*

Meanwhile.

Ran Shu took Sang Xian home to meet his parents, and the atmosphere could only be described as a “battlefield.”

Ran Shu’s father had a legendary memory for grudges and was narrow-minded.

Seeing the boy who had once beaten him, Ran Shu’s father naturally couldn’t keep his anger in check. He looked at Sang Xian with a cold gaze, as if he couldn’t find anything right with him.

The last time they met, Ran Shu’s father had been beaten badly and couldn’t even see what Sang Xian looked like or how tall he was.

Now, at 174 cm, Ran Shu’s father opened the door and looked up, only able to make eye contact with Sang Xian after tilting his chin 30 degrees.

Sang Xian didn’t even bother to call him “uncle,” simply saying: “Hello.”

Once inside, he didn’t hold back, found a place to sit, and confidently said: “You don’t need to prepare lunch. I’ll just sit with Ran Shu for a bit, then we’ll leave.”

Ran Shu’s father shouted angrily: “I don’t want to prepare anything for you!”

Ran Shu’s father stood in the living room, taking another look at Sang Xian, then glanced at his own son…

Sang Xian did indeed appear somewhat delicate beside him.

Ran Shu went into the kitchen on his own and then brought out a fruit plate, handing it to Sang Xian, saying: “Eat something, finish eating before you leave.”

Ran Shu’s father immediately shouted: “You stay here!”

Ran Shu waved his hand: “Let’s talk properly, or you’ll end up getting beaten again. Our company’s not in a position to fight another battle, right?”

Ran Shu’s father was instantly livid, his anger palpable.

There wasn’t much to discuss with the parents, and Ran Shu’s father spent the entire time trying to suppress his temper.

Ran Shu didn’t make any attempt to ease the tension either, only feeding Sang Xian some fruit.

After a while, when Ran Shu went upstairs to pack his things, Ran Shu’s father followed him, asking: “Are you serious about that kid?”

“Of course. Otherwise, do you think there would have been such a big scene earlier?”

“You’re a damn fool…”

Ran Shu finished packing and was about to leave when Ran Shu’s father asked again: “Where are you going to stay?”

“My mother-in-law gave me a villa. I’ll stay there.”

This was a New Year gift from Sang Xian’s mother. There was an empty villa on their family property, mainly because the house was big, but the family was small, so there were many unoccupied rooms.

Not long ago, this villa was cleaned up and given to Ran Shu.

“Mother-in-law?!” Ran Shu’s father asked in disbelief.

“Yeah, you’ll have to get used to it.” Ran Shu got into character quickly. Unlike Sui Houyu, he had a clear understanding that he couldn’t be a top.

Ran Shu’s father was so angry he could feel his head pounding. The kid downstairs had beaten him up, encouraged his father to attack his company, and now he couldn’t even say anything about it!

He had to watch that kid date his son, and his son was the one being… the one getting dominated!

After thinking for a while, Ran Shu’s father suddenly asked: “Are you familiar with their company?”

Ran Shu shook his head: “Not really. I don’t even know what exactly they do.”

“The female manager in charge of a business we have with their company, her last name is Hou, she’s very fair-skinned… Do you know her? I heard she’s single.”

At first, Ran Shu didn’t pay attention, but then he heard two key words: Hou, fair.

Ran Shu realized something was off and quickly asked: “What’s going on? You’re already thinking about a second spring so soon after the divorce?”

“What are you talking about!” Ran Shu’s father denied. “I just met her a few times at a trade fair. I think she’s quite capable, and I want to recruit her.”

Ran Shu laughed: “So she’s going to leave her thriving company to come work for your company that’s on the verge of collapse? What’s she thinking?”

“How are we going to collapse? Our company is well-known in this industry!”

“Right, right!” Ran Shu sarcastically agreed.

“Look for a chance to ask about it for me.”

Ran Shu shook his head.

Ran Shu’s father asked again: “Why?”

“Di you think I’m going to ask Sang Xian if their manager is switching jobs? Is that even appropriate? Besides, I’m just guessing, but the person you’re eyeing might be the mother of one of my classmates.”

“Your… your classmate’s mother?”

“Yeah, the one who kicked you when we beat you up last time. Think about it, aren’t they both very fair-skinned, and don’t they look alike?”

Ran Shu’s father’s face turned dark in an instant.

Ran Shu cheerfully continued: “My classmate is Sui Houyu’s boyfriend. Manager Hou really likes Sui Houyu, and she went to work at Sang’s company just to help him get back at you. I think… you should give up. It’s completely hopeless. If you keep pushing, you’ll end up getting beaten. If you dare harass that Manager Hou, Sui Houyu won’t give me face anymore, and he’ll come beat you up too. You can imagine how tough he is when he fights.”

Ran Shu secretly relished in his father’s misfortune but still pretended to be serious as he patted his father’s shoulder: “Alright, I’m leaving with my boyfriend now. You should calm down. If you can’t handle it, find a little internet celebrity. You both want something, just don’t expect real feelings. I bet you could fool one into your hands. My only condition is they can’t be younger than me. Good luck!”

“Damn it, little brat!”

Ran Shu’s father was furious and about to take action, but Ran Shu immediately turned around and warned: “You’ll get beaten! If you hit me, the guy downstairs will hit you. In terms of seniority, he’s your grandfather.”

Ran Shu said that with a hum, and then bounced down the stairs.

Ran Shu’s father still asked one last question: “Are you going to repeat the year?”

“Yeah, I’m repeating.”

The art exam had already ended, and Ran Shu didn’t get in.

He had prepared too hastily and had forgotten quite a bit of his basics. Less than two months wasn’t enough for him to get into his dream university. He treated it as a practice run, and next year he would have more experience.

“Alright then, go ahead and make a fuss.” Ran Shu’s father gave up.

Ran Shu eagerly ran downstairs.

Ran Shu’s father thought for a moment, then shouted down the stairs: “Tell me if you run out of money.”

“Aren’t we about to go bankrupt?” Ran Shu asked casually.

“Not yet! It won’t happen! We’re doing fine!”

“Oh, then transfer me five million first!”

“Why do you need so much?”

“To pay back money.”

“…” Ran Shu’s father slapped his forehead in frustration but finally agreed.

*

Later that evening, Sui Houyu sat in the living room, holding Da Ge while watching a Korean drama.

Hou Mo specifically walked out from the kitchen and placed a new pack of tissues in front of him.

He was annoyed; the drama they were watching was supposed to be a comedy, but it wasn’t even funny.

In the kitchen and dining area, Hou Mo and his mom were preparing dinner, gradually bringing out a table full of dishes.

When it was time to eat, Hou Mo’s mom called Sui Houyu over, and as he sat down, she pushed a plate of dumplings toward him: “Look, I made little bunny dumplings just for you.”

Sui Houyu glanced down and praised: “They’re quite cute.”

Actually, they were pretty average. Sui Houyu could have made bunnies that were much cuter—after all, he was a felt master, quite skilled at making these things.

How come Hou Mo and his mom, both so intelligent, were so bad at drawing and crafts?

But seeing that Hou Mo was eating regular dumplings, Sui Houyu felt better; the dumplings he was eating were far cuter.

The three of them sat at the table, chatting and laughing.

Da Ge was wandering around, seemingly wanting to grab some fish, but was eventually cruelly carried away by Sui Houyu.

After dinner, Hou Mo’s mom mysteriously brought out two red envelopes and handed them to them: “This year, I’ve got money, so the red envelopes are bigger.”

Both of them waved their hands.

Sui Houyu said: “I don’t need money.”

Hou Mo’s answer was even more infuriating: “I earn more than you.”

Last time, Hou Mo got third place in the world, winning a $100,000 prize. Plus, his earnings from other competitions and a few advertisements this year, his income had already surpassed a million.

Hou Mo’s mom was now an executive at a company, but since it was a mess, the profits weren’t much yet. She only had a fixed income plus some extra bonuses from Uncle Sang. Adding it all up, her annual income was around 500,000.

But next year, Hou Mo would surpass her, as his mother was extremely capable and would likely rise up soon.

Redeeming their family’s central city penthouse was just around the corner.

Huo Mo’s mom immediately got upset: “You still have to take them!”

The two could only obediently take the envelopes.

She then brought out another bag: “I bought new clothes for both of you.”

Hou Mo instantly felt desperate: “There’s really no need!”

Sui Houyu, however, kept his head low, too uninterested in the clothes to say anything.

Finally, she gave them the clothes: “I already bought them, just try them on.”

Sui Houyu put the clothes on and tried them in front of the mirror.

The coat had a fluffy collar and sleeves, and the rest was denim with a layer of cotton lining. Overall, the coat didn’t look too bad, but the pocket on the chest had an embroidered little flower, which made the coat look a bit… feminine.

Hou Mo’s coat was the same style, but the fluffy collar was a mix of colors, while Sui Houyu’s was white.

Hou Mo put it on, looked in the mirror, and said: “It looks great! I look like a nouveau riche in it!”

Sui Houyu, gritting his teeth, said: “It looks great.”

Hou Mo’s mom was very happy. “I could tell you liked blue! When I saw it at first glance, I immediately chose it. Doesn’t it look great?”

“Mm-hmm.” Both of them nodded at the same time.

Hou Mo’s mom was very satisfied, and she took a photo of them with her phone, then immediately posted it to her social media.

That night, Sui Houyu lay in bed looking at the photo, feeling a bit melancholic.

He and Hou Mo looked like a pair of energetic young men heading back to the village to work on the farm…

Hou Mo grinned and whispered in his ear: “Brother Yu… You’re really not feminine at all.”

“Okay…”

“Brother Yu…”

“If you have something to say, just say it.”

“Let’s kick off the New Year with a bang.”

“……”

*

The next day, Hou Mo was going with his mom to pay New Year’s visits.

When Hou Mo’s mom saw him, she was shocked. How did her son turn into a panda overnight?

“What time did you guys go to bed last night?” Hou Mo’s mother asked.

“Ah…”

“What time?”

“We didn’t sleep…”

“……”

Hou Mo awkwardly laughed, looking at the porridge his mom was holding, and said to her: “Go ahead and bring it up, Brother Yu is catching up on sleep. We’ll go ahead.”