Looking Over at the Guy Across the Way

Chapter 19: Husband and husband returning home together

Chen Xiao had to work until the day before New Year’s eve, Gu MengYang was a little better off, free starting the 28th. The two thought it over and decided to leave together on the same day, in the evening of the 29th.

As it so happened, both Chen Xiao’s and Gu MengYang’s homes were in City A. This came out in the first few days after they met and Chen Xiao nearly cried out in excitement at that time, feeling that there was an extra way to get close to Gu MengYang in the future. But now, hey, the two of them had been together for more than half a year.

On the 29th, Chen Xiao rushed home as soon as he got off work. Gu MengYang had already sorted all their things out, but it was too late for the two of them to eat so they bought some bread during their rush to the bus station.

It was 9 o’clock in the evening when they arrived in City A. They had previously agreed to go to Chen Xiao’s household first, so they got off the bus there and then the two rushed to take a taxi.

“Chen Xiao……Are, are your parents going to be asleep….?” Standing downstairs in the neighborhood, Gu MengYang gulped nervously a few times. Even though it was clearly deep in the winter, there was a layer of sweat on his forehead. He stared at the dark hallway, feeling like he should probably run away. With that thought, another “gulp” sounded from his throat.

“It’s early for them! My dad will be on the computer playing Go all night, my ma watches Korean dramas on TV, so no, they don’t sleep until 11! ……Ah, I say…….how is the sound of your heartbeat so loud……I can totally hear it, don’t let it pop out of your throat…..”

“…..I, I’m a little scared…….”

“Yo, now you’re weak, how do you usually get so wild in bed…… Don’t worry, my parents already know about my sexuality. My ma basically accepted it, but my dad……eh-hem, don’t worry, at worst, he’ll just hit you with a few Go pieces…. Hey, let’s go on up! I’m freezing in this wind!”

“Oh, oh!” As soon as Gu MengYang heard this, he quickly stepped forward, stretching out his free hand to hold Chen Xiao’s and putting it in his pocket by habit.

“By the way, my ma, that person, her mouth is a little strong but her heart is soft. She’s a infamous gossip! When you talk to her alone, you have to hold steady. Don’t let her knock you down!”

“Chen, Chen Xiao….. Stop it….. My knees are going weak…..”

“….Fuck! This is to show off your prospects! Also, to raise the issue of marriage!”

“…….if your parents don’t agree, then I’ll steal you as my bride!”

“Ah, that’s good energy! Come on~, little slag man!”

The two men held hands, muttering the whole way, climbing up one floor at a time with the speed of a tortoise. They were only at the fourth floor and they had been crawling along for more than 10 minutes.

When they finally stood before the door, the two looked at each other, took a deep breath, and prepared to open the door. Then they heard a sudden cry in the house: “Oh, why is my life so hard–”

Both were startled and Chen Xiao thought, it’s New Year’s eve and someone else ran home to cry?! Obviously this sound is not from fucking! Gu MengYang was even more frightened, hesitating to go in, was this a family affair? He listened again, no, why is the voice so familiar?!

“Fuck! Forget it! Going in to talk!” Without waiting for Gu MengYang to stop him, Chen Xiao shoved the key in, turned it, and opened the door.

The people in the house suddenly turned their heads in unison. The five people stared at each other for a moment and Gu MengYang was the first to shout out.

“Ma?! Why are you here?!”

The tears on her face weren’t dry yet; the woman who looked about the same age as Chen Xiao’s ma also shouted: “YangYang? Why are you here?! You, this is……”

“Oh, son, you’re back!” Mama Chen abandoned comforting her friend at the sight of her son, rushing over with a smile.

……

“That’s your ma…..? This is my ma……? Both our mas are good friends….so is this…..?” Chen Xiao looked at Gu MengYang, with a little confusion in his mind. He couldn’t get his thoughts straight for a long time and the other man looked back at him with a dull expression on his face.

What’s this situation?!

The two moms over there were happy to see their sons, one’s mouth was full of the name YangYang, the other’s the name XiaoXiao. In Chen Xiao’s brain, it was a mess.

“Aiya, stop! Stop! First, let us into the house to sit down and talk! My bladder is killing me!”

After they all sat down and smoothed it over for most of an hour, they finally got the situation figured out. It turned out Mama Chen and Mama Gu had been close mom friends for a while. The two had met in a card room years ago and their friendship had continued to this day. A few months ago, Mama Gu’s son suddenly ran home and said he was in love with a man! This devastated her and she went to Mama Chen’s to cry. Mama Chen was quick to work on winning her over because her son also liked men, ah! She planned to say she was going to try to make them a couple so they could be one family, but after one look at this mama who was repulsed by the idea of her son being gay, she dared not to say anything, nope. Then it was almost New Year’s day and Mama Gu found that her son didn’t return home so she came here to cry out her heartache.

But, when Mama Gu found out Chen Xiao was the man her son liked, her heart was conflicted. On the one hand, her mind was still fixated on her son’s sexuality, but what could she do? When her son came home before, he knelt down and refused to turn back from his ways. On the other hand, her heart calmed down; after all, this was the son of an old friend.

She froze for a while and then whined and began to cry: “Lao Chen, ah, did you already know and you were just hiding it from me?! Just watching me and laughing?!”

Mama Chen was wronged. Her son had never mentioned such a thing, ah! She wished she had known so she could have mentally prepared Mama Gu a long time ago! Was it necessary to raise such a fuss over a mishap? She turned her head and gave Chen Xiao a hard look, making him really worried he was being scolded in her heart!

“Aiya, take care what you say, we’re going to be one family later! You should be happy, why are you crying……. Let the kids see some laughter!”

“Who agreed to be a family with you! You haven’t paid me back the 10 yuan you lost the last time we gambled!”

“……” At this point, Mama Chen’s strength disappeared.

Gu MengYang finally pulled his mom out. Before he left, he shot a bitter look at Chen Xiao but Chen Xiao make a phone gesture at him as he was pulled into his household by his mom.

“Ma……”

“You know how to call your ma?! Didn’t you promise me at the beginning, if you had a partner, you’d tell me right away?! You should have told me earlier! Do I still have to pay that 10 yuan?”

“……you have the wrong focus, don’t you…… I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to bring this one home again!”

“Okay, okay, this ma is asking you, does that kid match well with you?”

With red face, Chen Xiao nodded and said: “He’s pretty good. But I’m better for him, heehee.”

“…..cheeky! That…..you live together?”

“Yes…..”

“Eh, yo, what a sin. If you were a daughter, I’d kill you. By the way, don’t tell your dad or he’ll be angry again! Oh, my son…….so do you guys have a harmonious life?”

“…….Ma……don’t think I don’t know what you’re thinking! You’re going to gossip about your own son too?!”

Mama Chen pouted, unhappy: “Stinky boy, then I’ll talk to YangYang tomorrow.”

“…….you’re quick to change your tune……How’s it going with Dad? Did you guys resolve your argument?” Chen Xiao’s dad was always very concerned over it but, every time he came home, the old man didn’t say a thing, which was much better than being beaten by him with a stick as in the beginning.

“Don’t worry, long ago I said all my complaints. Because of your father’s temper, you actually don’t know how much he misses you! Alright, alright, go to bed early, get up tomorrow morning, and go see your Auntie Gu.”

“Oh, ma, you’re so understanding, you’re brilliant! That’s my ma!” Chen Xiao smiled and put his arms around his mom’s neck, kissing her hard, his eyes almost squinted into a line.

“Damned boy!”

When he got back to his room, Chen Xiao called Gu MengYang. The situation on the other side was also good. At least, Mama Gu didn’t object, though she was tugging at her son’s hand and crying as if she were marrying off a daughter. The two men laughed and chatted for a while before hanging up the phone. Chen Xiao lay under the covers, tossing and turning vigorously while giggling. He felt like the golden path to happiness was open before him!

Early the next morning, Chen Xiao was called to wake up early, so, carrying pickled duck and bacon, he took himself to Gu MengYang’s household. He thought a little bitterly, how did this become stopping by his house to propose marriage?!

When he reached Gu MengYang’s household, before the pair could touch hands, they were separated by a cough from both parents. Chen Xiao’s heart was itching, ah, today Gu MengYang is wearing that “couple” sweater. Just this morning, he had probably had his hair cut, it was a little shorter and looked very refreshing. He could still smell the shampoo when the man walked by, making him want to pounce on him and hold him tight.

So he gave Gu MengYang a wink, trying to get him to sneak over. Who knew the other person would read it so wrong? With a red face, he sprung up and walked up to the Chen couple, bowing: “Un-uncle and auntie……I, I’ll treat Chen Xiao well for the rest of my life, you can give him over to me with ease!” With that, he shot Chen Xiao a sneaky glance.

*Boom*

The elderly parents, over half a century old, were blushing, not to mention both halves of the couple. The two families sat on the couches, listening to the clock ticking in the house.

….I-idiot!! Who told you to, to say something like that!

Chen Xiao was blushing to the point of bleeding, but his heart was “thump thump” racing non-stop. He didn’t dare to raise his head for a long time.

The two sets of parents stared at each other for a while and eventually laughed. And, ignoring the two, started to chat on their own.

So…..does that mean you agree?

Chen Xiao glanced at Gu MengYang. The other was also blushing and looking at him. The eyes of both men were smiling, as bright as the sun outside the window.