Little Meteor Chapter 4
byChapter 4 “Do you have a partner?”
Jiang Chengxuan drove home after work; his mother had been urging him to visit several times.
“Finally decided to come back?”
Both his parents were doctors, too. They had been busy their whole lives, and even after retiring, they didn’t want to be idle, so the College of Medicine rehired them to continue their positions.
Jiang Chengxuan washed his hands and sat at the table, helping his father shell peas. “What do you mean, finally? Didn’t I just come back half a month ago?”
“And you know that was half a month ago?” His mother put the fruit he bought on the way into the fridge. “When you’re busy, remember you have two empty-nest seniors at home.”
Jiang Chengxuan laughed. “It’s not that bad, not that bad.”
Professor Jiang also chuckled. “Exactly. I don’t even admit I’m a senior yet.”
His mother corrected him. “A seasoned veteran, how about that?”
Jiang Chengxuan couldn’t help but yawn. His mother looked at the dark circles under his eyes. “How many days have you gone without sleep?”
“It’s fine. I worked a long night shift yesterday,” Jiang Chengxuan touched his face. “Is it that obvious?”
“You look like a panda.” His mother rubbed his arm. “Go take a nap. I’ll call you when dinner is ready.”
Jiang Chengxuan didn’t insist further. He was genuinely exhausted and too lazy to go to his room—otherwise, his mother would have to clean it later. He lay directly on the sofa and fell asleep in less than two minutes.
He slept for almost an hour before his mother woke him up. Three sets of bowls and chopsticks were already laid out on the dining table. The stir-fried shrimp with green beans was steaming, and next to it was a milky white fish soup—all his favorite dishes.
Professor Jiang came out of the kitchen with the last dish. “Hurry up and wash your hands and eat. Your mother won’t be satisfied until the fish soup has a golden sheen.”
Jiang Chengxuan wiped his face and straightened the blanket on him before getting up. “It smells so good, I’m starving.”
“Then eat two more bowls.” His mother placed a full bowl of rice on the table. “Hospital cafeteria food is nowhere near as nourishing as home-cooked meals.”
The three of them sat down to eat. Before they had taken two bites, his mother asked him, “Anything new happening lately?”
Jiang Chengxuan smiled somewhat helplessly. “Mom.”
His mother said, “Oh,” realizing there was no news. She put a piece of braised pork in his bowl. “Then I won’t ask. Just eat more meat.”
His mother stopped asking, but Professor Jiang started up, sighing. “I can’t count on a girlfriend, and he won’t even bring a boyfriend home for me.”
His mother immediately stuffed a piece of braised pork into Professor Jiang’s mouth. “Eat your food. Is the meat I stewed not tasty?”
His father chewed a few times before swallowing the braised pork. “We’re just chatting casually. You just listen. Being alone is fine, too—it’s freedom.”
“Exactly. Young people nowadays prioritize quality over quantity. A couple must be better off than living alone.”
Jiang Chengxuan was amused by his parents, his eyes filled with a warm smile. “Thank you.”
When Jiang Chengxuan came out to them years ago, they were initially unable to accept it. Although they were doctors, they still held the mindset of the older generation and struggled to accept the fact that they would never have grandchildren. They were estranged from Jiang Chengxuan for a while but gradually came to terms with it.
His parents were quite open-minded, and he considered himself very lucky, though he often still felt he owed them something.
As he was leaving, his parents insisted he take the dumplings they had wrapped the day before—a huge bag full. Jiang Chengxuan said he couldn’t eat that much, so his parents told him to share the leftovers with his colleagues.
Jiang Chengxuan carried the large bag of dumplings back to his apartment. After thinking for a moment, he took out his phone and sent a message to Shen Mu.
Jiang Chengxuan: Want some dumplings? My parents made them. It’s too many, and I can’t finish them.
Shen Mu stared at the message for a long time without replying. It felt inappropriate to take the dumplings, but Jiang Chengxuan had just treated his teeth that morning, and he couldn’t bring himself to refuse. After much internal debate, he finally replied: I’ll take a few.
Jiang Chengxuan: Then come down.
Shen Mu swiftly changed his shoes and went downstairs. From a distance, he saw Jiang Chengxuan standing under the streetlamp, the sleeves of his white shirt rolled up to his elbows. He held a sunflower-patterned plastic storage bag in his left hand and his phone to his ear with his right.
“Please don’t worry. I’ve seen the brain CT results; it’s not a tumor.” Jiang Chengxuan’s voice was very gentle. “Yes, it’s just a common vascular headache… Mm, continue taking the medication, and come back for a follow-up next week.”
Shen Mu unconsciously slowed his pace, waiting for him to finish the call.
“Alright, call me anytime if you feel unwell.” Jiang Chengxuan hung up and waved at Shen Mu.
Shen Mu walked up to him, and Jiang Chengxuan handed him the bag. “Pork and cabbage filling.”
“Thank you.” Shen Mu took the storage bag, opened it, and glanced inside. The dumplings were shaped like ancient gold ingots, each fold meticulously pinched. “Your aunt and uncle are very skilled.”
“Mm,” Jiang Chengxuan smiled. “Get some rest early. Good night.”
Jiang Chengxuan turned to leave, but Shen Mu called out to him. Out of politeness, he asked, “Want to come up and sit for a bit?”
The moment Shen Mu asked, he regretted it. The question had slipped out automatically. He felt it was basic social etiquette—if someone personally delivers something to you, you should invite them in. However, his relationship with Jiang Chengxuan was not one where they could just “come up and sit.” The words were far too suggestive.
Logically, Jiang Chengxuan should have noticed Shen Mu’s awkward expression and provided an easy out—that was the basic understanding between adults. But at that moment, he didn’t feel like offering one. He said softly, “Sure, I’ll come up and sit.”
Shen Mu hadn’t expected him to actually agree. He sighed silently. “Let’s go.”
As Shen Mu led Jiang Chengxuan upstairs, his mind was racing, remembering the clothes he had taken off yesterday were still piled on the living room sofa. It took him two tries to align the key with the lock. When he pushed the door open, he blocked the entrance, hesitating. “Um… I’ve been busy with work lately and haven’t had time to clean up. The place is a bit messy, please don’t mind it.”
There were several unpacked moving boxes stacked in the corner, and two wrinkled shirts draped over the back of the sofa. It wasn’t very messy. Jiang Chengxuan smiled gently. “Actually, my OCD isn’t that severe. Our department’s on-call room is ten times messier than this.”
Shen Mu gave a dry laugh, bent down, and found a pair of slippers for him in the shoe cabinet.
Shen Mu gathered the clothes from the sofa and tossed them into the washing machine. “Have a seat first. I’ll get you a glass of water.”
Jiang Chengxuan accepted the cup. “Thank you.”
Being in the same room with Jiang Chengxuan again after so many years was awkward. Shen Mu didn’t know what to say, so he found a random excuse. “I’ll go to the kitchen and boil some dumplings. You wait here.”
“I’ll do it.” Jiang Chengxuan rolled up his sleeves, revealing his well-defined forearms. “You just moved in, right? Haven’t used the kitchen yet? These old-fashioned gas stoves require a knack.”
Indeed, the stove still had a sticker warning: “Please ventilate before first use.” Shen Mu watched Jiang Chengxuan skillfully turn the valve. When the blue flame shot up, he instinctively took half a step back.
“Afraid of fire?” Jiang Chengxuan turned on the tap to fill the pot with water, the sound of the running water masking the amusement in his voice.
Shen Mu had indeed been in the kitchen only a handful of times and usually didn’t use the gas stove. Jiang Chengxuan’s comment made him feel extremely embarrassed. Unable to find the right words, he remained silent.
White steam gradually filled the kitchen, blurring Jiang Chengxuan’s figure in the hazy heat.
The dumplings bobbed up and down in the pot. Jiang Chengxuan gently stirred them with a wooden spoon. “Do you have vinegar?”
“Ah… yes, I do.”
The kitchen was small; it was difficult for two people to turn around without bumping into each other. As Shen Mu searched for the vinegar, his chest accidentally brushed against Jiang Chengxuan’s back. Jiang Chengxuan paused for a moment, took the vinegar, and thanked him.
“They should be done.” He picked up a dumpling with his chopsticks and gently blew on it. “Want to try?”
Shen Mu snapped out of his thoughts and took a bite. Jiang Chengxuan asked, “How is it?”
“It’s really good.”
Shen Mu praised it sincerely, then ate the other half of the dumpling Jiang Chengxuan was holding.
Shen Mu usually ordered takeout. When he was hungry, he would boil some noodles and eat them with chili sauce. He remembered Jiang Chengxuan didn’t like spicy food, so he didn’t ask if he wanted chili sauce. Before Shen Mu could open it, Jiang Chengxuan naturally took the jar from his hand and looked at it, his expression slightly helpless. “Shen Mu, it’s three months past the expiration date.”
“Huh?” Shen Mu looked confused. “No way. I ate this with noodles yesterday.”
Before Jiang Chengxuan could speak, Shen Mu dismissed it. “It’s fine. Sauces usually don’t spoil that easily. It’s still edible.”
He tried to take it back, but Jiang Chengxuan held the chili sauce higher, his tone unusually firm. “You can’t eat this anymore.”
Shen Mu pursed his lips and didn’t try again.
Jiang Chengxuan moved the jar of chili sauce farther away. “Is this how you usually manage your meals?”
Shen Mu shrugged, trying to sound lighthearted. “Busy with work, you know.”
Jiang Chengxuan looked at him without speaking. Shen Mu felt inexplicably guilty and tried to change the subject. “Your aunt and uncle’s cooking is excellent. Did you go home today?”
“Yes,” Jiang Chengxuan said flatly. “I went home and was pressured to find a partner.”
Shen Mu’s chopsticks paused, then he laughed. “You can tell them that doctors are too busy to find a partner.”
Jiang Chengxuan looked him in the eye. He didn’t want to beat around the bush. “Shen Mu, do you have a partner?”
Shen Mu froze, then lowered his head to eat the dumpling. Jiang Chengxuan asked again, “Do you?”
Shen Mu finally looked up at him. “No.”