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Fading Ambiguity (Meeting the Parents – Extra Chapter)

As the Lunar New Year approached, I finally got time off work. Shen Xianzhi said he wanted to take me home to meet his parents.

I remained calm the entire ride.

But the moment we parked and I tried to unbuckle my seatbelt, my fingers refused to cooperate, fumbling uselessly over the clasp.

Shen Xianzhi covered my hand with his. “Let me,” he said softly.

He stepped out of the car, circled to my side, and leaned in to release the belt. Watching the focused curve of his profile, the tension I’d carried all day began to ease.

Even enough to joke, “Will your mom be shocked? My own mother says I look nothing like I did as a kid.”

Just as the belt clicked open, he murmured, “You were beautiful then. You’re beautiful now.”

My breath caught. I leaned forward and kissed him.

He held still for a heartbeat, then cradled the back of my neck, deepening the kiss slowly. My eyes shut tight, fingers clutching his shirt until I was lightheaded.

A cold breeze slipped through the car door. When he finally pulled away, his lips brushed my ear, voice ragged. “Tonight, we’ll—”

My face burned.

By the time we reached his family’s doorstep, my mind was still hazy. Shen Xianzhi swiped the keycard and whispered, “Ready?”

The foyer floor had just been mopped—slick under my shoes. I stumbled backward, but his arm locked around me, steady as always.

“Jiajia’s here?” A gentle voice called from ahead.

A woman with Shen Xianzhi’s eyes emerged from the hallway. I straightened and greeted her. “Hello, Auntie.”

Her gaze flickered between us, warm with approval. “Come in, come in!”

She paused mid-step. “Oh, Jiajia—yesterday, you shared that braised fish tail recipe online. I had our cook make it tonight. Hope it suits your taste?”

Shen Xianzhi arched a brow. “Online recipe?”

I froze.

After we started dating, I’d secretly added his mother on social media, peppering her with questions about him.

Avoiding his eyes, I feigned nonchalance. “Problem?”

He chuckled. “None at all.”

In the living room, two men sat on the sofa—one unmistakably Shen Xianzhi’s father, the other…

Lu He.

His head snapped up at our entrance. When our eyes met, he shot to his feet, his expression unreadable.

Shen Xianzhi’s mother explained lightly, “Lu He’s mother sent him over with some gifts. He’ll stay the night and leave tomorrow.”

I glanced at Shen Xianzhi.

He studied Lu He for a beat, then laced our fingers together and led me to the sofa. The weight of Lu He’s stare clung to our joined hands like a brand.

Soon, Shen Xianzhi’s parents excused themselves to check on dinner, leaving us to chat. Unbothered, I began discussing travel plans with Shen Xianzhi.

“Tomorrow, let’s ride the vertical roller coaster,” I suggested.

He stiffened. “You go. I’ll wait below.”

I smirked. “You’re scared of heights, yet you jumped first when we bungee jumped—pale as a ghost, blaming it on the wind. Why the cowardice now?”

Surprise flashed across his face. “How did you— Did my mother tell you?”

I ignored the question. “Don’t do that again.”

His smile softened. “Okay.”

As he handed me an orange slice, Lu He’s icy voice cut in:

“You’ve known each other how long, and you’re already bringing her home?”

Shen Xianzhi didn’t miss a beat. “Not long. Just twenty years or so.”

Lu He’s jaw dropped, but Shen Xianzhi’s mother called us to dinner before he could retort.

At the table, she piled food onto my plate while reminiscing about our childhood.

“Back then, Xianzhi would ‘casually’ finish his homework whenever you visited,” she teased. “Then he’d saunter out like it was coincidence.”

I grinned at Shen Xianzhi. “Really?”

He coughed, avoiding my eyes, and dropped a piece of fish into my bowl. “Eat.”

After dinner, Shen Xianzhi left to run an errand. Lu He followed. Only Shen Xianzhi returned.

“Lu He had urgent work,” he said flatly.

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Later That Night

Back at Shen Xianzhi’s apartment, I towel-dried my hair and found him propped against the headboard, scrolling through his phone.

I crawled into his lap, looping my arms around his neck. “What did you say to Lu He earlier?”

His hands settled on my waist, thumbs tracing circles. “Nothing much.”

I pressed closer, my voice husky. “Liar—”

His mouth sealed over mine.

“Jiajia,” he groaned between kisses, “we had a deal tonight…”

It wasn’t until past midnight that he confessed:

At the store, while buying condoms, Lu He had seen him at the checkout counter.

Lu He’s eyes had reddened. He’d laughed bitterly—as if he’d expected this, yet still couldn’t bear it.

Before leaving, he’d asked Shen Xianzhi to tell me one last thing:

He wouldn’t disturb my life again.

But what did it matter?

I’d already stopped caring long ago.

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