In that instant, the room fell into a silence so profound it seemed lifeless, where even the faintest sound of a needle dropping could be distinctly heard.
Both Jiang Chi and Chen Mengrou were plunged into deep silence, each hesitating over who should break the slightly awkward stalemate.
“Mom, it’s not what you think…”
Jiang Chi was the first to break the silence, attempting to explain himself.
“It’s fine, it’s fine, A-Chi. You two carry on, carry on. I’m the one interrupting,” Chen Mengrou’s words carried a hint of teasing, yet seemed filled with boundless relief.
“By the way, judging by the voice, that must be your Ji junior, right? I’ll just say one thing—you’re both still young, so take care of your health, alright?”
With those words, Chen Mengrou quickly ended the video call, leaving behind only a meaningful and utterly relieved glance.
Her expression was akin to a farmer watching their piglet finally take the initiative to root around in someone else’s vegetable patch.
Jiang Chi: …
In the mist-filled bathroom, Ji Qingchan sat on the edge of the bathtub, tightly wrapped in a towel, her damp hair casually draped over her shoulders.
Her eyes were filled with confusion and contemplation.
“Why isn’t he coming yet?”
Ji Qingchan wondered to herself.
“Could it be he doesn’t know what underwear looks like?”
“That can’t be. Anyone who’s watched a certain kind of movie should know what underwear is.”
The more she thought about it, the more something felt off.
She had already gone to such lengths to seduce him, yet Jiang Chi still hadn’t entered.
Could he really be a true gentleman?
Could there really be men who aren’t into that?
Wait-maybe Jiang Chi is actually gay!
With a faint creak, the bathroom door was pushed open slightly, and a slender arm reached in, clutching a black lace undergarment.
“Ji junior, your underwear,” Jiang Chi’s voice came from outside the door.
“Senior Jiang, why don’t you come in for a bit? The mist is too thick; I can’t see clearly,” Ji Qingchan deliberately said loudly.
This was, of course, a lie.
Though the bathroom was filled with mist, it wasn’t enough to completely obscure vision.
Moreover, Ji Qingchan was fully wrapped in a towel-she could have walked out without any issue.
After all, Ji Yuenian just wanted to test Jiang Chi’s masculinity and wasn’t actually planning to give herself away for free.
However, as a cold night breeze swept through, Ji Qingchan couldn’t help but shiver, feeling an icy draft below, as if there were a gap letting in the cold.
“Senior Jiang, I’m so cold. Could you come in for a bit?” she urged.
“One should not look upon impropriety,” came the reply from the blue-eyed boy just beyond the bathroom wall.
Ji Qingchan: 6!
I’m seriously done!
Damn, he really is a true gentleman!
How long is this going to take to conquer him?!
* * *
Meanwhile, in a certain five-star hotel in Luanxing City.
Chen Mengrou put down her phone and excitedly hugged the young woman beside her who was wearing a face mask, even rubbing her face vigorously.
“Qingchuan, my A-Chi has finally grown up!”
“He knows how to bring a girl home now!!”
“No, I have to message Aunt Chen and tell her to take a few paid days off, so my A-Chi can have some alone time with her!!”
Chen Mengrou’s excitement was palpable, while Huang Qingchuan pushed her away in annoyance.
“Stop rubbing like that! The mask is going to wrinkle! This is a limited edition, you know!!”
Chen Mengrou smiled sheepishly.
“Bringing a girl home? Is it that Ji Qingchan you mentioned last time?”
Huang Qingchuan adjusted her face mask and asked. Although she hadn’t personally met the girl named Ji Qingchan that Chen Mengrou spoke of, she’d heard from her best friend that the girl bore many similarities to her – so much so that people might mistake her for Huang’s adopted goddaughter.
“That’s right,” Chen Mengrou nodded, then leaned in with a mysterious expression.
“Little Huang, could she actually be your secret goddaughter? Did you send her to seduce my precious A’Chi?”
Huang Qingchuan rolled her eyes at Chen Mengrou – she wasn’t that bored.
“If he’s already bringing a junior girl home to stay overnight, your A’Chi won’t be… doing it tonight, will he? At their age, physical health is most important. They need to learn moderation.”
“A’Chi would never do such things,” Chen Mengrou laughed, though her smile carried a hint of melancholy.
“No one knows a son like his mother. He’s like an iceberg – unable to express emotions or feelings. If the girl becomes too affectionate, it would only make him feel pressured and burdened, even somewhat inferior.”
“And…”
She slowly bent down, bringing her lips close to her best friend’s ear.
“What?!”
Huang Qingchuan covered her mouth in shock.
“Severe mysophobia?!”
“But you said he’s the aloof school heartthrob! When did he develop this condition?!”
“It’s inherited from Yushu,” Chen Mengrou replied with a sigh of resignation.
“From the moment A’Chi became self-aware, he rejected physical contact – even simple hugs. Especially after self-studying biology. To him, hugging, kissing, even making love… it’s all like bacterial infection that he finds utterly repulsive.”
“Because of this condition, he developed an almost inferiority complex since childhood. Don’t let his cold exterior fool you – beneath that iceberg lies a sensitive, fragile heart that struggles with expression.”
“Honestly, I wish my A’Chi could transition from boy to man tonight. That would mean he’s overcome his mysophobia.”
She paused mid-sentence, her eyes dimming slightly:
“He’s been exceptionally intelligent since young. Knowing he couldn’t provide what people call ’emotional value,’ he studied relentlessly, hoping we’d find some satisfaction in his perfect test scores.”
“Yushu and I tried giving him love, but failed every time. Eventually, we started questioning whether we were even qualified as parents.”
Hearing this, Huang Qingchuan gently embraced her best friend, letting Chen’s head rest on her shoulder while soothingly patting her back.
“Don’t be sad, Xiao Rourou. When the time comes, the bridge will appear naturally. Everything will work out.”
Huang’s words seemed to inject calm into Chen Mengrou, whose emotions gradually stabilized as she lifted her head to smile at her friend: “You’re right, Little Huang. My A’Chi is already trying to have a girl stay overnight. I should have faith in him.”
“The power of budding romance is limitless. A’Chi will gradually overcome his psychological barriers through this sweet relationship, just like how Yushu and I did back then.”
Huang Qingchuan wholeheartedly agreed. Stroking her chin, she said: “Hearing you say this reminds me of my own troublesome second son.”
“What’s wrong? Does your Yueyue also have mysophobia?”
“How could that be? He’s always been the school bully, from kindergarten all the way up till now.”
“Except…”
Huang Qingchuan rubbed her chin thoughtfully.
“He’s too domineering. To put it nicely, he’s strong-willed. To put it bluntly, he’s downright tyrannical, with a stubborn streak deep in his bones.
Compared to Tongtong, he’s the one who gives me the most headaches. And his personality is just like mine when I was young- always looking for trouble, or in other words, courting disaster.”
“If there isn’t someone even more domineering and overbearing to keep him in check, Yueyue is bound to crash and burn sooner or later— just like how I was before I met Hong Hong.”
“Right? Who would’ve guessed our little piano prodigy was a red-haired delinquent before her debut?”
Chen Mengrou interjected with a teasing grin.
“Back then, you kept calling him a ‘stinky man,’ but now you’re washing his clothes, cooking his meals, and bearing his children. Tsk tsk tsk.”
“Ahhh! Stop poking at my past!”
Huang Qingchuan playfully shoved her best friend onto the bed, tickling her mercilessly until she burst into giggles.
After a while, the two finally settled down.
“Back to the topic,” Huang Qingchuan cleared her throat.
“For Yueyue’s future wife, I hope she’s the strong, domineering type-preferably a strict wife who can keep him in line.”
“Otherwise, with his personality, he’d definitely drag his troublemaking friends out for foot massages every other day.”
Just then, her phone lit up.
Huang Qingchuan picked it up, her eyes sparkling as she waved it at her friend.
“Look, Yueyue just texted me!”
Chen Mengrou leaned in to read.
“Mom, my girlfriend’s been acting really cold toward me. What should I do? Quick, give me some advice! It’s urgent!”