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Side Story 7: Visiting New In-Laws (7)

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Since the truth was already exposed to Su Jie, Su Jian also revealed his identity to his parents.

Of course, the Su parents were very shocked. They were also very excited and happy just like Su Jian had expected.

Su Jian repeated what had happened to him after his rebirth to his parents again. Then, he faced his parents’ perplexed looks.

Mother Su looked both surprised and happy as she said, “Previously, you never managed to find a girlfriend so I was very worried that you would be single forever. Although it’s a guy you married, at least someone wants you.”

Su Jian: “……”

On the other hand, father Su kept studying Su Jian, his gaze making Su Jian’s hair stand on end. Mother Su who was by the side laughed, “Actually, your father always wanted to have a girl. When I had Xiao Jie previously, he wanted it to be a daughter. However, it was still a boy. Everyone else was envious of our family for having two sons, but your father was envious of the Li family for having two daughters. To be honest, I would like to have a daughter too. Then, I would be able to doll her up, help her braid her hair and dress her in a skirt. Having a girl feels much more intimate. They say daughters are the apple of a mother’s eye!”

So I was rejected since the very beginning! Su Jian silently cried in his heart.

   ……

The family was definitely happy now that they are together once again. Su Jian voiced out his concerns. The two elders understood the complexity of the issue and felt that this secret should be kept within their family, no one else should know. However, after learning that Su Jian had a child, and an adorable daughter to boot, the elders couldn’t be bothered with their eldest son anymore. They were begging to see their granddaughter soon.^[1]

After getting back together with his family, Su Jian naturally wanted An Yize and his baby to meet his family as well. However, there was currently some issue between him and An Yize. He was feeling very vexed.

Su Jie asked timely, “Brother, did you fight with brother-in-law, um, An Yize? You seemed upset last night.

“No.” Su Jian continued depressedly, “It would have been great if it was a fight. The problem now is I have no idea why is he being so problematic.

“Then, why not you tell me about it? I can think with you.” Su Jie asked.

Su Jian glanced at him doubtfully and questioned, “You don’t even have a husband. What can you think of?”

Su Jie smiled and said, “But I’m a man. Perhaps I can understand what your husband is thinking.”

Su Jian stared at him blankly for a moment before he exclaimed in anger, “You brat, what do you mean? Am I not a man?”

Su Jie sized him up before his eyes landed on Su Jian’s chest. He said, “Brother, you are still a man.” A manly woman. ^[2]

Su Jian narrated An Yize’s recent behavior to Su Jie. After he finished, he sighed, “Speaking of which, I’ve never fought with him before. Every time that fellow is unhappy, he would hide and get angry by himself. How do we even fight?”

Su Jie felt thunderstruck when he imagined the mighty looking An Yize hiding like a young married woman and being angry by himself.

Su Jian asked him, “Have you ever fought with Xiao Rou?”

Su Jie shook his head and answered, “If there’s anything wrong, Xiao Rou would tell me. Even if she didn’t, I would know.”

Su Jian thought sourly in his heart: They both have the same surname An, but why is my uncle An so difficult! Damn it. Even, even if he fell for someone else, he should at least tell me! Then, I can plan how to split the family inheritance!

   ……

Another two days have passed, but An Yize still hasn’t expressed himself. Su Jian couldn’t take it anymore.

Contacting An Yize’s secretary, Su Jian got the address of the place An Yize was staying at. Without telling anyone, Su Jian boarded the plane.

While he was on the plane, An Yize who was on the other side of the earth, called back home as usual.

But this time, after asking about his baby, An Yize hesitated for a moment before he finally asked about Su Jian.

The housekeeper answered truthfully, “The mistress is out. She said she won’t be back home tonight.”

An Yize was silent for a moment before he hung up the phone.

This night, An Yize had a dream.

The dream started from the point when Su Jian woke up in the hospital. The Su Jian in his dream was the same as she was since the beginning, treating him warmly and courteously but also unfamiliarly. He brought her home and they treated each other well. After a year, the contract came to an end and the two of them divorced peacefully.

On the day of divorce, it was a sunny day. Standing before him, she didn’t reject the gift he specially prepared for her. She said politely, “Thank you.” Then, she turned around and left.

As he watched her leaving back view, his heart was calm, with no sense of attachment.

When An Yize woke up, his heart felt empty.

The dream was too clear so it was still fresh in his mind when he woke up. It felt like everything happened in a parallel world.

A thought suddenly popped up in his mind: What if this was actually the reality?

He wasn’t actually with Su Jian. He didn’t love anyone and didn’t have any child. The lively Su Jian from before was actually a dream?

In the quiet night, An Yize felt his whole body turn cold.

Soon afterwards, he lifted his hand to rub the bridge of his nose and he laughed wryly. He hadn’t been sleeping well for the past few days. He was probably too busy with work and too tired for him to have such wild imagination.

He got off the bed and poured himself a cup of water. An Yize checked his country’s timezone and finally gave Su Jian a call.

However, what sounded in the phone was the notification of Su Jian’s phone being switched off.

An Yize eyes darkened and he called again.

Naturally, the phone was still switched off.

An Yize stood quietly in the dark. A sense of panic spread out in his heart.

At this moment, the doorbell suddenly rang.

   ……

An Yize furrowed his brows. However, when he realized who was outside, he was stunned still.

Outside the door, the tired looking Su Jian looked at him with bright eyes but spoke embarrassedly, “Um, I came to find you.”

An Yize stared at him focusedly and replied with a “Hm”.

What does “Hm” mean? Seeing An Yize’s face which doesn’t seem pleasantly surprised at all, Su Jian felt embarrassment and disappointment. Without thinking, he blurted, “Dear, do you not love me anymore?”

An Yize: “……”

Su Jian was disappointed. I already took so much initiative and was so romantic. Why was there no reaction from An Yize at all?

As for An Yize, Su Jian staring at him pitifully with his teary eyes was like a flame burning all of the gloominess in his heart.

Hence, the corner of his lips raised higher and higher.

Now it was Su Jian’s turn to be stunned. Why is this fellow smiling so happily?

Su Jian watch as happiness overflowed from An Yize’s eyes. The man before him was was unexpectedly so expressive. It was as if his cold behavior these days were just an expression seizure. Su Jian was also infected by An Yize’s happiness and cheered up instantly. He thought in his heart: My man looks so good when he smile!

Therefore, Su Jian who was fascinated by this beautiful sight spread his arms and hugged An Yize.

The next moment, he felt An Yize hugging him back. Feeling the warm body and the gradual tightening hug, he didn’t feel like arguing with An Yize about his previous dissatisfaction anymore.

He leaned in An Yize’s embrace and thought in his heart: It’s more than enough having one person with uncle An’s awkward and quiet personality at home. I’m destined to be more magnanimous!

Thus, he said what he was thinking magnanimously, “Yize, I missed you very much.”

An Yize closed his eyes and smiled as he replied, “Hm.”

“I missed you so much, so I came to find you.”

“Hm.”

Su Jian felt a little frustrated. Why are you still so awkward? Looks like I’m destined to be more magnanimous!

Su Jian pushed himself out of An Yize’s embrace. Staring at An Yize, he said seriously, “Hubby, let’s do it!”

An Yize: “……”

   ……

The two of them didn’t do it, in the end.

An Yize helped prepare the bath. While Su Jian was bathing, he prepared some food.

Su Jian looked at him with a smile. An Yize smiled and asked, “Why are you smiling?”

Su Jian patted his shoulder and said with a wide smile, “I knew you would still love me!”

As usual, An Yize replied, “Hm.”

After they finished their meal, Su Jian laid on the bed and let An Yize hug him.

“Do you really not want to?” Su Jian lightly jabbed An Yize’s chest and sighed, “Didn’t you say you love me? I thought you would do me.”

An Yize kissed his forehead and said, “You’re too tired. Be obedient and sleep.”

The corner of Su Jian’s mouth raised.

He came here straight without stopping and was indeed tired, so he soon felt sleepy. However, before he fell into slumber, he asked dazedly, “Yize… when will you… open up… your…”

Although his muttering was unclear due to his sleepiness, An Yize still heard it clearly. An Yize knew that Su Jian probably wanted to ask him why he wouldn’t open up his heart to Su Jian.

Nevertheless, Su Jian was too sleepy. Coupled with his memories of the things that happened, the “heart” he wanted to say became something else.

Su Jian: “Open up your… underwear…”

An Yize: “……”

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Footnotes:

[1]Granddaughter – In chinese, the granddaughter of the paternal side and maternal side are called slightly differently. The Su parents used the paternal form of granddaughter initially but changed to maternal form because Su Jian is now a female. However, it doesn’t go well in an english sentence which just uses granddaughter for both cases.

[2]Su Jie used the word 汉子 when he spoke, which means man. By adding the word 女, which means girl, in front of 汉子, the word becomes 女汉子 which means manly woman, a Chinese slang. Quoting directly from the site below, it refers to “women who look feminine on the outside but are ‘pure men’ on the inside.” These women are characterized by not being particular about manners or bearing; they are cheerful, candid, optimistic, “capable of bearing responsibility”, and have a “strong heart”. Their “aura” is relatively stronger and thereby are more likely to influence others. http://www.chinesetimeschool.com/en-us/articles/popular-chinese-internet-slang-10/

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