Chapter 79 – Daughter-in-law
Compared to Cheng Che’s family, Lin Xingling’s family has a much warmer atmosphere, and his parents are also kind-hearted.
Lin Xingrong is even more enthusiastic, stuffing all kinds of snacks into his hands. In no time, a small mountain of snacks piles up on the coffee table in front of Cheng Che’s sofa.
Cheng Che leisurely sits beside the coffee table, cracking melon seeds, feeling even more comfortable than being at his own home.
“Da Ling, what does the child like to drink?” Mother Lin, who was watching Lin Haiqing cook in the kitchen, casually asked.
“Snow… Pure milk… Hmm.”
Before Lin Xingling could speak, Cheng Che decisively interrupted.
Is it really him? Lin Xingling looked at him with confusion.
…
Tonight, Cheng Che is different from usual. He doesn’t play with his phone or watch TV. He is particularly proactive during dinner, and even after finishing the meal, he helps Lin Xingling’s mother wash the dishes.
“Do you like cilantro?”
“Not… not particularly.”
“That’s great. I don’t eat it either. Cilantro… let Da Ling eat everything at our home.”
“Uh…”
“…”
“When Da Ling was a child, his big face looked like a bun… hehehe~”
The two of them talk and laugh, getting along very well.
…mainly because Cheng Che cooperates.
“…”
Lin Haiqing stands at the kitchen door with her hands behind her back, watching.
“Are you satisfied?” Lin Xingling pats Cheng Che’s shoulder, chuckling softly. “Let’s talk about the matter at hand. My mother is satisfied.”
His father smiles and furrows his brows, asking, “Is this child… too young?”
Lin Xingling shrugs and says, “He can grow up. It’s good to raise him. It’s not like he won’t grow up.”
Let him grow slowly and live a happier life.
Lin Xingrong comes over, thumbs up, and says, “I agree to this engagement.”
“Ah, as a grandfather, I am destined to be irrelevant…” Lin Haiqing sighs and says, “I also agree, but there is one condition.”
“Speak.” Lin Xingling responds readily.
“Since you’ve made a choice, take responsibility.”
Lin Haiqing looks at him heavily and says, “You’re older, you must protect the person you love and not let them suffer any harm, understand?”
Isn’t that the most basic thing… Lin Xingling nods and solemnly replies, “Yes, I understand.”
“By the way, does the child’s family know?” (Qing)
“…Not yet, we’ll tell them when the time is right.” (Xing)
“When will you tell them?” (Qing)
“When the rice is cooked.” (Xing)
“You scoundrel, you’re never serious.” (Qing)
The two fathers bickered, and Lin Xingrong stood by, holding an apple and watching like a spectator.
After a while, he suddenly asks, “Does the child know?”
Lin Xingling: ???
“Hmm?”
“Does he know that we have agreed on your engagement?” Lin Xingrong sighs, “I see him being too reserved with our mother, like a primary school student standing next to the teacher.”
“Him… he doesn’t know.”
In fact, Lin Xingling had already told his family a long time ago. The parents, who expected the Lin family to end with him, were not surprised at all, and were even proud of it.
Parents: We guessed it right, you’re indeed gay.
Bringing Cheng Che this time was a sudden idea, wanting to let the family meet their future Daughter-in-law… and also to give Cheng Che a surprise.
When Lin Haiqing and Cheng Che come out of the kitchen, Lin Xingrong takes the warm milk from the microwave and hands it to Lin Xingling, saying, “Go on, go on.”
Cheng Che looks over and smiles shyly.
Lin Xingling hesitates for a moment, holding the milk, just about to move… but his father takes the lead, pulling Cheng Che to sit with him and having a long conversation about life ideals.
He listens on the side.
Cheng Che gets sleepy as they talk.
“Oh, let’s add each other as friends.”
“Okay…”
They become friends.
[Love and Harmony, a Family]
[Father Zhuzhu invited DCT-Clear to join the group chat.]
Cheng Che suddenly becomes wide awake.
What’s going on? Why did you add your son’s teammate to the family group chat?!!
“Uncle… Did, did you add me to the wrong group?”
“Oh, oops, my hand slipped.”
Lin Haiqing laughs and kicks Lin Xingling out.
Cheng Che: ???
The child is on the verge of tears. “Uncle… you, you kicked the wrong person…”
“Don’t you want this son?” Lin Xingrong teases.
Father: “We don’t need this son.”
Mother: “Whether we want this son or not, the decision is in the hands of our Daughter-in-law~”
Daughter-in-law???
Cheng Che looks at them in a daze.
Why does he seem a bit slow… Lin Xingling helplessly ruffles his hair and says, “Bring me back.”
Xingrong: “Oops—”
“Child, in the future, when you marry Da Ling, we’ll all stand by your side.”
These words echoed in Cheng Che’s mind like thunder for a long time. After a while, Cheng Che shook his head.
“Don’t… don’t joke like that…”
Marriage… it’s something so far away… Besides… wait! How does his mother know that they will get married in the future?!
“Auntie… you, you said…”
“Call me mom.”
“The child is dumbfounded, hahaha.”
Lin Xingrong pulls him aside and explains, “We have known for a long time that you two are together. Today, my brother brought you back to let us meet… Well, congratulations, kid. The family is very satisfied with you.”
Satisfied… with me?!!
The amount of information in these words is too much. Cheng Che takes a while to understand clearly, “I… I and Xingling… we…”
“This matter doesn’t require our approval, haha. As long as you two like each other.” Lin Haiqing snaps his fingers and takes a picture with a camera he had brought out without Cheng Che noticing.
…When Cheng Che wasn’t paying attention.
Dazed, it’s so cute.
Happiness comes so suddenly. Cheng Che blinks his eyes and says to Lin Xingling, “Pinch… pinch me…”
“Okay.”
Lin Xingling does as told and pinches his waist hard… afraid that it wouldn’t hurt, he uses a lot of force.
“Ouch…”
It’s not a dream.
Even until late at night when they have to go to sleep, Cheng Che still feels light-headed.
Lin Xingling’s parents have no objections, and even if his own family has any, it doesn’t matter.
It’s equivalent to… being able to marry him in the future…
“Captain, can we… can we get married in the future?”
The other party is too sleepy and makes a vague sound.
After a while, he starts snoring.
He doesn’t usually snore much, only when he’s very tired or in a wrong sleeping position.
Cheng Che nudges his head, helping him adjust his posture.
Then he kisses his mouth… trying to imitate him and kiss deeper, but without success.
Lin Xingling, who was awakened by the commotion, grabs the back of Cheng Che’s collar and pulls him aside. “Behave, stop fooling around.”
“Can we… get married or not?”
“That’s a sure thing, what are you worried about?”
Seeing the subtle expression on Cheng Che’s face after hearing his words, Lin Xingling knows that something is not simple. “What’s going on?”
Cheng Che opens his mouth and says, “I want… I want to make it official with you.”
…
“You said this, no crying allowed.”
Busy for nearly half an hour, Lin Xingling wipes the sweat off Cheng Che’s forehead with a towel and asks, “Is there anything else?”
Cheng Che rolls his eyes and takes the nail from Lin Xingling’s hand. “Who do you think you’re looking down on?”
As he speaks, he hammers the nail into the bed leg.
“Done, no more fooling around, let’s go to sleep.”
Lin Xingling picks up the water glass from the small table and takes a sip of water. There’s a water mark running down from the corner of his mouth to his chin, and then it drips onto his neck.
His swan-like neck is slender, and there’s a small pink birthmark below the Adam’s apple… it looks really sexy.
What’s the point of being a person if you’re not a little lustful? How are you doing?
Cheng Che looks at him and swallows his saliva.
“I want to… do…”
…
“Are you… serious? I feel like, you’re too young… only eighteen…”
Feeling conflicted, Cheng Che is pressed down on the bed by Lin Xingling. He gets up and is grabbed by his belt, and Lin Xingling hits his own forehead, sighing, “Don’t be like this, you’ll regret it.”
“But… everyone… everyone agrees with our relationship…”
Cheng Che stared at him intently and said, “I’ve been thinking, thinking…”
“Don’t think anymore, go to sleep,” Lin Xingling touched his hair.
Cheng Che grumbled, “I’m already an adult.”
“In my eyes, you’re still a kid.”
Emmm…
“Xingling, it’s illegal to go against the will of women and children.”
“Then arrest me tomorrow.”
“…”
In the end, unable to resist Cheng Che’s eager gaze, Lin Xingling took care of him in the bathroom, then carried him to the bathtub for a bath when he was exhausted.
“Xingling, um… do you want to use my hand?”
“I have a competition in a few days…”
Lin Xingling handed him the showerhead, guessing what Cheng Che had in mind, and dismissed his thoughts before he could speak, “Legs won’t do either. If I go back tomorrow and Liang Feng finds out, he’ll beat me.”
“Oh.”
Cheng Che said, “You’re pitiful.”
Lin Xingling placed him on the bed and handed him a glass of milk.
Cheng Che turned his face, “I’m pitiful.”
“Drinking some is good for your health. It’ll help you grow taller.”
…
Before he went to the bathroom, Cheng Che called out to him.
Cheng Che said, “I want to see.”
Lin Xingling: ???
“Is that something an eighteen-year-old should say?”
I’m not even eighteen… Cheng Che pursed his lips, had a bright idea, and said, “How about this, I have a perfect solution.”
What devious plan has he come up with again? Lin Xingling thought to himself, then responded, “Tell me.”
“I’ll help you cool down…”
Cheng Che pointed to his own mouth, with a serious expression, and said, “As a… well, mutual assistance. You help me by drinking the milk, okay?”
I see, just go drink your milk in a corner, you little brat.
Lin Xingling ignored him and went to the bathroom, locking the door with a click.
Cheng Che pressed against the glass door from the outside but couldn’t see anything inside.
“Tsk…”
It was really annoying.
When Lin Xingling came out of the bathroom looking neat and tidy, Cheng Che was sitting on the edge of the bed, playing with his phone with his legs crossed.
His left hand still held the open box of milk.
“Time for bed.”
Cheng Che acted as if he didn’t hear and gulped down the milk.
Lin Xingling said, “Hurry up, I’ll count to… Mmm…”
The room’s light was switched off with a snap, and a kiss with a strong milk fragrance landed on his lips.
In the commotion, Lin Xingling bumped into a small table… the glass fell and shattered on the floor, making a loud noise.
Cheng Che was momentarily stunned.
“Hey…”
He turned on the light and grabbed Cheng Che, shoving him under the covers. Lin Xingling locked his legs to prevent him from moving.
He reached for the light switch, perfectly executed.
Goodnight~
Cheng Che started to fidget again.
Lin Xingling held him down.
They tossed and turned, causing the bed to creak. Finally, tired out, they lay together and laughed foolishly.
“I… never thought that one day I would actually… actually sleep in your bedroom, on your bed.”
Cheng Che sighed, “I really want to stay here forever.”
Lin Xingling’s room was very tidy, with neatly arranged books on the shelf and clothes and shoes in the wardrobe. There were no miscellaneous items… everything was meticulous, just like him.
Seemingly without any hobbies.
“If you want to sleep here… I’ll bring you with me when I come back in the future.”
“Okay!!!”
…
The next day, after sending their son and daughter-in-law off to the training base, the Lin family switched to gossip mode.
“Da Ling is really fierce.”
Lin Haiqing looked at his wife with confusion, “What happened?”
“You were fast asleep last night and didn’t know. The kids’ bed was shaking so much that it knocked the water glass off the table and broke it.”
Lin Haiqing:…
[Lovey-dovey family]
[Father Zhuzhu: @Daling, you animal!]
[Da Ling: ???]
[Mother Zhuzhu: [You wicked creature, show your true form · JPG]]
[Xiaorong: LOL]
[Da Ling: You all…]
[Xiaorong: Brother, you’re nothing but a wolf in sheep’s clothing!]
[Mother Zhuzhu: Worse than a beast!]
[Father Zhuzhu: You two… that’s going too far…]
These two people are too much in sync.
Lin Xingling didn’t mind, closed his phone, and ignored them.
Cheng Che asked, “Is your nickname really Zhuzhu?”
An odd focus of attention.
“Shouldn’t you ask me why I got scolded?” (Xing)
“Oh… then why were you… scolded?” (Che)
“I don’t know either…” (Xing)
Cheng Che: Your answer is pointless.
“Well, about the nickname…”
“Just by looking at the group name tags, you should know that neither I nor Xiaorong is Zhuzhu.” Lin Xingling preemptively denied him without waiting for his response. “You’ll meet Zhuzhu after the winner’s bracket finals.”