Shen Zhifei did not come.
He wanted to ask Shen Lingyu why she came alone. What about Feifei? Was he supposed to spend the New Year alone in that empty house?
Seeing his mother's lively and cheerful smile, he choked up when he tried to speak.
He had rarely seen her smile so happily during their numerous video calls over the past two years, so he decided not to ask anymore.
As Lunar New Year's Eve approached, Song Lang's sense of loss became increasingly apparent.
Shen Zhifei went to a new city for university, so her phone number had to be changed. But neither of them had thought of exchanging contact information when they last met, so he couldn't even secretly call Shen Zhifei to say "Happy New Year".
The doorbell rang, and Shen Lingyu poked her head out of the kitchen to ask him to open the door.
Song Lang looked listless as he walked towards the door, saying, "Your husband's forgetfulness is getting worse and worse. He keeps forgetting his keys lately. Is he going through menopause...?"
He suddenly choked up. There was indeed his father standing outside the door, who had forgotten his keys, but behind him was Shen Zhifei, who was smiling gently.
"It's the New Year, the whole family should be together." Song Lifeng patted Song Lang on the shoulder, gesturing for him to step aside, then carried Shen Zhifei's suitcase inside, changed into slippers, and headed towards...
He walked into the kitchen and thought, "What delicious food is the beautiful lady making? I came back just by the smell."
Shen Lingyu's laughing and scolding voice came from the kitchen: "Are you a dog? You're even sniffing the smell."
The playful banter between his parents faded into the background noise in an instant. Song Lang stood dumbfounded in the entryway, watching Shen Zhifei come in and change her shoes, motionless.
Shen Zhifei chuckled and patted his forehead, whispering, "Are you stupid?"
"No, no, this..." Song Lang took his wrist and gripped it tightly, "Dad personally brought you back?"
“Yes, I had some things to do at school and was delayed for half a month, but luckily I managed to get a plane ticket for today.” Shen Zhifei took his hand and walked into the living room. “You won’t be all alone this New Year’s Eve.”
Before he could hear his parents say "I agree" in person, Song Lang didn't dare to do anything excessive at this crucial moment. He could only listen carefully to the sounds coming from the kitchen. When he heard footsteps, he quickly brushed Shen Zhifei's hand away and distanced himself from him even further.
At dinner, the family of four sat around the table, where Shen Lingyu had prepared a feast.
When Song Lifeng picked up his chopsticks to eat, she glanced at him, and he had to put the chopsticks down again.
There's nothing I can do; she's the boss at home.
Shen Lingyu's gaze swept over the two children sitting far away across from her, and she raised her chin to say to Song Lang, "Do you understand what you're doing, trying to cover up the truth?"
Song Lang shook his head, straightening his back even more: "Mom, you... cough, just say what you want to say, okay?"
“Alright, I’ll get straight to the point,” Shen Lingyu took a deep breath, placed her hands on the table, and adopted the serious demeanor she used in company meetings. “You two will always be my sons, and that will never change. As for whether you want to be brothers, or… or lovers, your father and I both hope that this decision can wait until after the college entrance exams next year, okay?”
Song Lang doubted he had heard correctly. He thought he would have to endure hardship until he graduated from university before his mother would relent.
“Sigh…” Shen Lingyu couldn’t hold back anymore, and she was about to cry again as she held her forehead. Song Lifeng rubbed her shoulders and took over the conversation, “Children, don’t blame your parents for being heartless and separating you two for so long. We just don’t want others to gossip about you behind your backs and throw dirty water on you.”
Song Lang sniffed and grabbed Song Lifeng's wrist. "Dad, stop talking. I understand."
"You don't know anything!" Shen Lingyu kicked him lightly under the table, her eyes red as she scolded him, "If you knew anything, why haven't you even looked at your mother once in the past two years during video calls? Aren't you blaming me?"
"Ouch, Mom!" Song Lang clutched his ankle and stepped back. "Be gentle, or you'll break it. That would delay my work."
"What did I do to bother you?! Let me tell you, stay away from Feifei, or I'll catch you sneaking off to see him again..."
"Beautiful lady! Great beauty! Please, don't be angry, okay?" Song Lang jumped over, guiltily cutting off his mother's words, "Kick me if you want, I won't even flinch."
"Get out of here, who wants to kick your chicken neck?"
The sour feeling that had been rising in Shen Lingyu's heart dissipated after he interrupted her like that.
She pushed Song Lang back and let out a short sigh.
“It’s been a year and a half, and I’ve seen the changes in both of you. You’re unhappy and miserable, always burying yourselves in your studies and doing exercises with a gloomy expression. It breaks my heart as your mother. Every year before the college entrance exam, many students jump off buildings because of the pressure and bad mood. I’m especially afraid that one of you will become that headline. So, I’m not stopping you anymore. I can’t stop you anyway. Why should I make you unhappy? In less than half a year, Dalang, you will be taking the college entrance exam. Today, the four of us are sitting together for a family reunion dinner, hoping that you can resolve this knot in your heart.”
Song Lifeng patted Shen Lingyu's hand and continued, "I hope you can take your relationship and future seriously, and be responsible for yourselves and for our family."
“Mom,” Shen Zhifei, who had been silent all along, leaned forward and grasped Shen Lingyu’s hand, “Thank you for your and Dad’s understanding.”
Shen Lingyu, her eyes red, held him tightly, nodded, and said nothing.
Song Lang grabbed his father with his left hand and held Shen Zhifei with his right.
With a trembling voice, she said to Shen Lingyu, "Mom and Dad, don't worry, I will definitely get into a second-tier university next year."
The TV broadcast the host's loud and clear opening greetings, and firecrackers sounded outside the window—the Spring Festival Gala of the new year had begun.
"Let go, let go! I want to eat, I'm starving!" Shen Lingyu sniffed, shook off her husband and son's hands, picked up her chopsticks, and ate while watching the Spring Festival Gala.
Song Lang chuckled and moved a stool toward Shen Zhifei, but his leg was held down.
"Sit here, or you'll block the TV." Song Lang blinked, wanting to say that the TV wasn't as interesting as him, when he heard Shen Zhifei say with a light smile, "The Spring Festival Gala might cover the comprehension and essay topics for the college entrance exam, so watch it carefully."
Song Lang: "...Oh."
Chapter 63
Shen Zhifei tutored Song Lang at home for five days. On the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, one went to school and the other went to the airport.
My senior just started his company at the end of last year, and he had already arranged to intern there, which can be considered as accumulating experience for his future entrepreneurship.
The two of them worked hard for their future, and time flew by in the blink of an eye.
Before Song Lang took the college entrance examination, not only Shen Zhifei and Shen Lingyu rushed to accompany him, but Meng Fanxing, Hao Wei and Zhou Sen also took leave from class to cheer him on.
"Lao Yu, Da Ye, and Brother Xiao Song couldn't come, so this thing was entirely sponsored and made by the three of them, and Xingzi and I are in charge of the presentation."