TRMLCM Chapter 53

Chapter 53: It’s Okay

Chapter 53: It’s Okay

His grandfather’s incurable illness was already a heavy mountain weighing on his grandmother’s heart. He couldn’t bring himself to confess his sexuality to her right now, afraid the shock would be too much and hurt his cherished family.

His confessing to Cheng Yi now was a way of asking him to keep this secret from his grandmother.

He knew Cheng Yi wasn’t the type to say something like that, but when he first heard it, before he could react, his heart still skipped a beat.

“Cheng Yi, we need to wait a little longer.”

He said this to his younger lover.

The meaning of this sentence was clear: it wasn’t that he didn’t want to tell, but that he wasn’t ready yet.

Cheng Yi looked at his beloved’s worried little face and chuckled, reaching out to pinch Shen Chang’an’s slightly thinner but still soft cheek, his eyes filled with amusement.

“I’m just teasing you.”

His hand, still damp with water, felt slightly cool against the warm skin of his face. Shen Chang’an leaned back slightly, trying to avoid the annoying hand.

Having gotten his way, Cheng Yi happily let him go, withdrawing his hand and subtly rubbing his fingers together, as if the soft sensation still lingered on his fingertips, refusing to leave.

He straightened his expression, explaining earnestly:

“It’s just that while we were chatting, I noticed Grandma seemed a little tired, so I told her I was coming out to find you and have you show me around the village. So, here I am.”

“Don’t worry about it. We’ll take it slow.”

He wasn’t unaware of how difficult this path would be. He hadn’t even completely sorted things out with his own family yet, so how could he deliberately make things difficult for Shen Chang’an?

Shen Chang’an stared blankly, nodding without a word.

After trimming the roses, he carefully placed them in the water bottle Cheng Yi was holding, arranging them slightly. He pursed his red lips and a faint smile appeared in his clear eyes.

“Okay.”

After carefully arranging the bouquet of vibrant roses, he slowly raised his head, his clear, cool eyes looking directly at Cheng Yi.

He nodded slightly, gently gesturing for him to lower his head and take a look.

Cheng Yi picked up the bottle, now a little heavier with the water, and slowly raised it to his nose, taking a light sniff. The fresh scent of morning dew had long faded with time, leaving only the rich fragrance of the roses.

“Thank you, Mu An, for the flowers.”

His joy was beyond words, and he thanked him repeatedly, trying to express the happiness that filled his heart.

Suddenly remembering something, he looked around, his eyes brightening. He placed the bottle on a relatively clean and tidy spot in the courtyard and, under Shen Chang’an’s slightly puzzled gaze, quickly took out his phone from his pocket, finding the right angle.

Catching the last rays of the setting sun, he took a picture of the roses.

After taking the picture, he looked at it on his phone, his dark eyes full of pleasure. He glanced at Shen Chang’an, then secretly posted it on his WeChat moments.

Looking at Shen Chang’an walking towards him, he held up his phone like a treasure, proudly praising him, “Mu An, your flower arranging skills are amazing! Do you think my photo looks good?”

Although the plastic bottle used as a vase was simple, in the golden sunlight, the faint light shone through the transparent plastic, clearly showing the roots of the roses in the water, while the vibrant flowers above were bright and beautiful, as if quietly emitting their fragrance.

Shen Chang’an looked closely and had to admit that Cheng Yi’s photography skills were quite good. “It looks very nice.”

They took two small stools and sat in the courtyard, basking in the sun, occasionally chatting.

The stools were a bit small for the two tall men. Shen Chang’an was already used to it, and Cheng Yi didn’t seem to mind, showing no signs of being a spoiled young master.

He sat quietly next to Shen Chang’an, holding the vase with great care, completely captivated, as if he couldn’t get enough of looking at it.

The orange-red sunset slowly descended, and a cool evening breeze gently caressed their hair.

“What do you want for dinner?”

“Anything is fine.”

The dinner question he was worried about finally came.

Shen Chang’an frowned slightly at the answer. He got up and took the stools into the house, casually turning on the living room light. Seeing that no one was downstairs, he figured his grandmother was still sleeping upstairs.

Cheng Yi followed closely behind him, carrying the flowers in one hand and the stool in the other. After putting down the stool and flowers, he walked over to Shen Chang’an, who was standing in front of the refrigerator, rummaging through it. His strong, tall frame seemed slightly taller than the 187cm Shen Chang’an.

His grandparents didn’t really like using the seasonings sold in stores, so they only had simple salt, MSG, soy sauce, and vinegar.

Shen Chang’an was a decent cook, having slowly developed his skills during his years living alone in City S. However, even the best cook would have trouble facing a kitchen with only simple seasonings.

Well, he gave up.

Shen Chang’an grabbed a bag of frozen dumplings he had bought earlier and walked to the kitchen.

Cheng Yi, like a little shadow, followed behind him into the kitchen, his eyes showing a hint of surprise as he looked at the unfamiliar stove, so different from gas and electric stoves.

“Mu An, let me do it.”

When Shen Chang’an lit the stove with dry pieces of wood, Cheng Yi’s eyes widened slightly, filled with eagerness to try.

Seeing that the fire was burning steadily and that Cheng Yi really wanted to try, Shen Chang’an got up and gave him his spot.

Cheng Yi’s dark eyes reflected the flames. He mimicked Shen Chang’an’s actions, picking up a large piece of wood and putting it in, shaking it casually. As a result, the fire grew smaller.

“Mu An!”

He called out excitedly, “The fire’s going out!”

Shen Chang’an helplessly walked over to him, squatted down, and moved the large piece of wood, and the fire slowly recovered.

“Don’t rush. Wait until this one burns out before adding another,” Shen Chang’an said patiently.

Perhaps Cheng Yi was naturally gifted, or perhaps the task was just too simple. Although Cheng Yi was still a bit clumsy, he already knew how to assess the situation and handle it.

However, frozen dumplings cooked quickly anyway. Before Cheng Yi could have his fun, Shen Chang’an told him to put out the fire.

Shen Chang’an went upstairs to wake up his grandmother, added cat food to Berber’s bowl, and then helped his grandmother downstairs.

When they returned to the kitchen, the sight that greeted them startled both Shen Chang’an and his grandmother.

Shen Chang’an quickly rushed over, scooping a ladle of water from the water tank and throwing it towards the corner of the wall that was on fire.

The burning wood was immediately extinguished, emitting a choking white smoke.

“I didn’t do it on purpose.”

Cheng Yi said softly, looking at Shen Chang’an’s calm face.

He had just taken the unextinguished wood out of the stove to look at it curiously, not expecting it to slip out of his hand and fall to the ground. He was stunned for a moment and before he could react, Shen Chang’an came in.

Shen Chang’an pulled him away from the stove, examining his slightly pale face, “Are you hurt?”

Grandma also slowly walked over and checked Cheng Yi over. Seeing that he was okay, she breathed a sigh of relief.

This child didn’t look like he came from an ordinary family. If he had been injured in their house, how would they explain it to his parents?

Cheng Yi, who was clearly taller than him, lowered his head slightly, like a child who had made a mistake. He shook his head, “I’m okay, that…”

He really didn’t do it on purpose.

“It’s okay as long as you’re not hurt.”

Shen Chang’an reached out and cupped his firm chin, using a little force to make him lift his head. Meeting his gaze, Cheng Yi could clearly see that his clear, cool eyes were calm, without a hint of anger.

Cheng Yi was slightly stunned, his fingers curling slightly, the naked love in his dark eyes faintly showing.

With his grandmother still nearby, Shen Chang’an didn’t say anything. He let go of his hand, ruffled Cheng Yi’s hair, and pulled him away.

“Let’s go eat.”