AMBTMS Chapter 78

After telling Mo Yanzhi about this matter, Li Shu no longer paid attention. In his view, it was just a meeting, it was not like they hadn’t met before, so there was no need for such a big reaction.

But for Mo Yanzhi, it was different. With the loss of memories about Li Shu, his sense of security in this relationship was unprecedentedly low. When the Li Couple said they wanted to meet him, it was a kind of affirmation for him.

He had always been anxious, always feeling like he could lose Li Shu at any moment. He didn’t know where this feeling came from, but he knew it wasn’t just a misconception.

The end of the year was already the busiest time of the year for work, and in addition to work, Mo Yanzhi had another important thing to prepare for: meeting the Li Couple.

For this matter, he even went to ask Shen Yu. Shen Yu was shocked when he heard it, then he burst into laughter. Of course, under Mo Yanzhi’s oppressive gaze, he had to shut his mouth.

After laughing, Shen Yu covered his mouth. “I never thought you’d have such a day. Okay, okay, since Li Shu said his parents accepted you, you don’t need to worry too much.”

Rubbing his brow, Mo Yanzhi expressed his concerns, “What if they’re not satisfied with my performance and regret agreeing to let me be with Shu Shu?”

Shen Yu was speechless. He had never seriously liked anyone, so he couldn’t understand his friend’s mentality. He racked his brains and tried to comfort him a few times, but to no avail, he suggested, “Why don’t you look it up online?”

Mo Yanzhi really took Shen Yu’s advice seriously, searching online for related questions and even writing a plan specifically for this matter, listing various possible problems and solutions.

Li Shu was unaware of all this. He was busy with the gala and hadn’t seen Mo Yanzhi for several days.

Time flew by and the agreed meeting time between Li Shu and his parents was the day before New Year’s Eve. They would stay at Li’s home for one night and leave the next day.

The Li Couple actually wanted their son to stay at home for a few more days, but during the Spring Festival, Li Shu had to go to the TV station to participate in the gala recording. Qin Ran had already given the tickets to Li Shu, so he planned to let his parents go to the scene to watch.

Mo Yanzhi was discharged from the hospital in advance and returned to their residence. Then he continued to be busy, while Li Shu sat on the sofa. He watched him go back and forth and was puzzled: “What are you busy with?”

The company’s affairs should have been settled already. The employees of the Mo Group had already started their annual leave, so Mo Yanzhi had also given the final tasks. He shouldn’t have been so busy.

Moreover, how should he put it? Mo Yanzhi now gave him a very restless feeling.

“I’m going to meet Uncle and Auntie tomorrow,” Mo Yanzhi answered.

Li Shu understood immediately, “Are you still worried about this?”

There was no need for Mo Yanzhi to answer. The answer to this question was very clear.

The next day, Mo Yanzhi got up very early, and Li Shu was awakened by his movements. He asked drowsily, “What time is it?”

“It’s still early. Go back to sleep for a while.” Mo Yanzhi gently kissed his forehead and coaxed him.

Li Shu snuggled under the covers and fell back asleep.

When he woke up again, it was already bright outside. Li Shu sat up and touched his side. Feeling the coldness beside him, he realized that the person sleeping here had been up for a long time.

Slowly putting on the clothes prepared at the bedside, Li Shu rubbed his eyes and opened the door. He was startled by the large and small boxes in the living room. Looking around, he didn’t find anyone.

Suddenly, the stack of gift boxes moved, and Mo Yanzhi’s figure appeared from behind.

“What… are you doing?” Li Shu leaned against the door frame, looking surprised and suspicious.

“These are…” Mo Yanzhi pursed his lips, “gifts prepared for Uncle and Auntie.”

He bought these things according to the online guide. He didn’t know what to give, so he simply bought a bit of everything. Now it seemed like he had bought too much.

Li Shu walked around the boxes of various sizes. There were so many things, but none of them were duplicates. He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, “Why did you buy so many?”

“I didn’t know what Uncle and Auntie liked, so I bought everything.”

Since he had bought them all, Li Shu waved his hand and had these things packed separately into several cars and sent to where the Li Couple currently lived.

The place where the Li Couple lived was not in the downtown area. It was quiet and conducive to Father Li’s recuperation. The place was not too far from where Li Shu and Mo Yanzhi lived, only a two-hour drive away.

Knowing that their son was coming back, the Li Couple got up early and prepared the meal. By the time Li Shu and the others arrived, the meal was ready.

At about the same time, Mother Li went outside to look around, hoping to see her child as soon as possible. Seeing several black luxury cars driving over mightily, Mother Li sighed, withdrew her gaze, and paid no more attention.

If it were usual, Mother Li might pay more attention to these cars, but now all her attention was on her son, who was about to come home. She had no mind to spare for these unrelated things.

Until these cars stopped at their doorstep, and the child she was anxiously waiting for got out of the car.

“This…” Mother Li looked at the row of neatly parked cars, unable to speak.

“Hello Auntie, these are just a little something from Shu Shu and me, I hope you don’t dislike them.”

With his gesture, several strong men in black suits got out of the car. The remaining car doors opened, and strong men skillfully got off one by one, each holding boxes of different sizes.

Mother Li looked bewildered at everything happening before her, and looked at her son for help.

“Mom, these are gifts we bought for you and dad. It’s Yanzhi’s first time doing this, he doesn’t have much experience, so please don’t blame him,” Li Shu explained seriously, unable to hide the amusement in his eyes.

Mo Yanzhi was initially a little annoyed that he seemed to have not done the first thing right, but feeling the joy coming from Li Shu, he felt that it wasn’t a big deal to be embarrassed once.

If he could make Li Shu happy, he was willing to do anything.

Mother Li’s confusion lasted only for a moment. She noticed Mo Yanzhi, who was also equally awkward. For some reason, Mother Li’s uneasiness quickly faded when she saw this situation. She greeted the two children as usual.

“It’s cold outside, come in quickly. You’re back, that’s all that matters. Why did you bring so many things?”

The men in suits came in with the gifts, and Mother Li handed each of them a cup of hot water. She warmly invited them to have a meal together, but the leader refused. Jokes aside, disturb the boss and his wife’s family time, did they not want their wages?

Seeing that she couldn’t keep them, Mother Li didn’t insist. She personally escorted them out and gave each of them some snacks she made.

Mother Li didn’t say much, but her skill was unparalleled. Li Shu had been in this world for so long, and he had never eaten his mother’s cooking. This time, after eating it once, he truly wished he could swallow his tongue.

“Mom, your cooking skills are getting better and better.”

“Right? During this time, I’ve been thinking about helping your dad recover, and I’ve come up with a lot of new dishes. If you praise my cooking, it’s also thanks to your dad’s refinement.” Speaking of this, Mother Li was proud. Cooking was something she took pride in, and she was naturally happy to be recognized by her son.

“Don’t flatter me. I’m not picky when it comes to food.” Father Li picked up a piece of boiled fish with his chopsticks and laughed.

“You’re not picky, you just won’t eat well if the food isn’t good. Who was it that starved himself thin not long ago?” Mother Li smiled and glanced at him.

There was no arguing with this and Father Li fell silent.

Mother Li won this round and personally served some of her best dishes to Mo Yanzhi. “Try it. This is the way we eat in our hometown. Shu Shu said you’re a native the capital, so you probably haven’t eaten this kind of food before.”

Mo Yanzhi stared at the delicacies in the bowl blankly for a moment, not reacting. From childhood to adulthood, apart from Li Shu, she was the first person to put food in his bowl. Fortunately, his daze was only for a moment. Before Mother Li could react, Mo Yanzhi delicately picked up the food from the bowl and put it in his mouth.

Seeing him eat, Mother Li was very happy. “How does it taste?”

“Very good.” Better than any dish he had ever eaten, not just in taste, but also in feeling.

“As long as you like it,” Mother Li then picked up some for Li Shu, “If you like it, eat more. You can come over often in the future.”

“Okay.”

Mo Yanzhi readily agreed. Li Shu glanced at him and saw the relaxed smile in his eyes. He paused for a moment, then picked up a piece of fish from his bowl and said, “We’ll come back often. Dad and Mom, don’t think we’re bothering you.”

Mother Li couldn’t hide her smile, “When you come back, your dad and I are both happy. How could we be bothered? Right, Old Li?”

“Right.”

The family sat together, lively and cheerful. There were no rules about not talking at the dinner table, no probing back and forth, just silent warmth and undisguised care. This dining atmosphere was very relaxed and comfortable. Mo Yanzhi looked at the faces of the Li family, which were steamed by the warmth, and his once cold heart became softer and softer.

Perhaps, this was the feeling of home.

After the family finished eating and Mother Li went to tidy up the kitchen, Mo Yanzhi accompanied Li Shu to watch TV for a while, then he took the initiative to offer to help in the kitchen.

Father Li was stunned for a moment. “Xiao Shu’s mother is there. Besides, you’re a guest now. How can we let a guest help?”

Li Shu explained, “Dad, don’t worry, he won’t break any dishes.”

They had an automatic dishwasher and an aunt for cleaning, but Mo Yanzhi occasionally did it himself. Li Shu thought Father Li was worried that Mo Yanzhi would become a hindrance instead of helping out, so he explained.

‘Am I worried about this issue?’ Father Li couldn’t laugh or cry. Mo Yanzhi insisted, so he couldn’t say anything more. “If you want to go, go ahead.”

Mo Yanzhi got up and went into the kitchen, while Li Shu slumped on the sofa, there was no sign of getting up at all. Father Li looked at him for a long time and asked, “Aren’t you going to help?”

Li Shu peeled an orange and gave half to his father. “He can handle it.”

Father Li was speechless. He took a bite of the orange, and tentatively asked, “Then when you’re together, does he do all these trivial things?”

Li Shu: “Of course not.”

Father Li breathed a sigh of relief. Of course, Mo Yanzhi looked like the kind of big boss who strategizes in the business world, it was too inconsistent to be associated with such trivial house matters.

But before he could finish breathing, he heard Li Shu’s next words. “Most of the time, it’s the housekeeping aunt who does it. Occasionally, he’ll do it himself.”

“What about you?” Father Li felt like he couldn’t catch his breath, and was choking uncomfortably, “What do you usually do at home?”

Li Shu thought back carefully. Not for anything else, but mainly because he was rarely at home. He had an assistant outside, and when he was at home, Mo Yanzhi had arranged everything, so he didn’t need to worry about anything.

He counted on his fingers one by one, “Read scripts, watch movies, practice singing…”

Hearing his answer, Father Li had a feeling of ‘as expected.’ He sighed in his heart. He had been worried that his son would be wronged being with Mo Yanzhi. From today’s interaction and Li Shu’s words, no matter who was wronged in this world, Mo Yanzhi would never let his son be wronged.

Over here, when Mo Yanzhi came to the kitchen, Mother Li was very surprised and asked, “Are you looking for something?”

Mo Yanzhi shook his head, “No, I’m here to help.”

Mother Li’s reaction was the same as Father Li’s, “I can manage here. You take this out to Shu Shu. He has loved it since he was young. You two can watch TV outside together. It’s oily here, be careful not to dirty your clothes.”

“It’s no problem.” Mo Yanzhi said as he rolled up his sleeves and started working neatly.

Unlike what Mother Li imagined, when Mo Yanzhi did these things, there was no sense of alienation at all, as if he was very adept at this kind of thing.

This shouldn’t be.

After Mo Yanzhi’s confession, Li Shu also told Father Li and Mother Li about Mo Yanzhi’s identity. Although they had already guessed some, hearing the truth from their son’s mouth still made them momentarily stunned. It was enough to make people take notice that Mo Yanzhi had ascended to the position of President of the Mo Group at such a young age.

Naturally, they knew Mo Yanzhi’s identity. Mo Yanzhi was from the Mo family, he grew up in fine clothes and fine food, and it didn’t seem like he could do things like washing dishes and cleaning up the kitchen. Now, the tall man was wearing a blue apron, his sleeves meticulously rolled up to his elbows. He was standing in front of the sink washing dishes, giving people a surreal feeling.

“Auntie, can I ask you a question?”

The sudden voice interrupted Mother Li’s thoughts, pulling her out of that surreal feeling. She calmed down and tried not to reveal any clues in her voice, “What do you want to ask?”

Her mind was filled with all sorts of thoughts—what question Mo Yanzhi would ask? Were the household chores also done by Mo Yanzhi when Li Shu was with him?

It’s not surprising that she would have such thoughts. Compared to Li Shu, Mo Yanzhi was much more familiar with these things. Her son was not good at housework since he was young. When he was asked to wash dishes when he was young, he broke dishes most of the time. After a few times, Mother Li stopped letting him do these things. She didn’t know if it was still the case now.

Thinking of this, Mother Li felt a wave of bitterness in her heart. After that incident, she hadn’t been able to spend time with her son like she used to.

“I want you to teach me how to cook. I don’t know…” Mo Yanzhi dried the clean dishes, stacking them up one by one.

“Cooking?” Mother Li interrupted Mo Yanzhi’s words, curious, “Why do you want to learn to cook?”

Mo Yanzhi rubbed his ears a little uncomfortably, “I see Shu Shu likes the dishes you make, so I want to cook for him at home in the future. Of course, if it’s not convenient, you can just forget about what I said.”

Mo Yanzhi would never use the tactics of the business world on the Li Couple.

After hearing these words, Mother Li took a deep breath, and asked uncertainly, “Are you saying you want to learn to cook for Shu Shu?”

Thinking she was unwilling, Mo Yanzhi was slightly disappointed, but he didn’t show it on his face, “Yes, I only know how to make a few simple dishes. If I make them too often, Shu Shu might get tired of them, so I want to learn more. It’s okay if you don’t want to.”

“Who said I don’t want to? It’s a good thing that you have this intention. As long as you want to learn, I can teach you all the dishes I know.” After the shock, Mother Li looked at Mo Yanzhi with more satisfaction.

“If you have time, you can come find me anytime. Leaving other things aside, I’m quite confident in my cooking skills.”

“Thank you, Auntie.” With his wish fulfilled, Mo Yanzhi’s eyes and brows were tinged with a smile. His appearance was usually cold and stern, but when he smiled, it was as if ice and snow were melting, reducing a bit of the aloofness.

“As a family, there’s no need for thank yous. It’s enough that you treat Shu Shu like this. As parents, we’re just happy.”

At this moment, Mother Li completely accepted Mo Yanzhi as Li Shu’s male partner, and any gender grudges in her heart disappeared.

When he returned to the living room, Mo Yanzhi was holding a plate of fried shrimp. Mother Li was walking behind him, holding a plate of fried snacks.

“We made this together with Xiao Mo. You two should try it.”

Father Li immediately noticed the change in Mother Li’s address to Mo Yanzhi. Li Shu didn’t pay attention to these small details. He was fully focused on the rich aroma now.

Mo Yanzhi placed the porcelain plate on the coffee table and picked up a golden fried shrimp with chopsticks to feed Li Shu. Li Shu was used to being fed by him and opened his mouth to take a bite.

With the two of them, one feeding and the other eating, most of the plate of shrimp ended up in Li Shu’s stomach. Mother Li originally wanted to say something, but seeing the two of them so happy—one feeding, one eating—she silently swallowed her words.

Forget it, as long as they’re happy.

That night, Li Shu and Mo Yanzhi stayed overnight. This had been agreed upon early on. Mother Li had already prepared the rooms for the children. She originally prepared two rooms, but at the last moment, she changed her mind and led them to a single room.

“President Mo, it seems my mother has a very good impression of you~” Li Shu leaned on Mo Yanzhi’s shoulder, his voice soft, like a satisfied cat, “What did you say to my mom in the kitchen to make her attitude change so much towards you?”

“It’s nothing,” Mo Yanzhi held Li Shu’s waist to prevent him from accidentally falling, “I asked Auntie how to cook, and she agreed. I’ll cook whatever you want to eat in the future.”

Li Shu was stunned. He originally thought Mo Yanzhi had made some promises to Mother Li, but he didn’t expect it to be like this.

He clung to the man, moving from behind to the front. Mo Yanzhi followed his movements and embraced him.

Li Shu gazed into the man’s eyes. The man’s eyes were very deep, like the vast universe, enveloping Li Shu with affection. Li Shu lowered his head slightly and uttered softly, “You are truly…”

The rest of the words disappeared as their lips met.

On the other side, Father Li lay on the bed, discussing the same topic with Mother Li.

Mother Li recounted everything that happened in the kitchen, and Father Li listened in silence. After a long while, he sighed, “I thought our son’s position in this relationship was submissive, but now it seems that Xiao Shu is the one leading this relationship.”

It wasn’t surprising that Father Li would think this way, because Mo Yanzhi was a complete superior in every aspect. A person’s demeanor couldn’t deceive others; Mo Yanzhi was the kind of person who was accustomed to taking the lead and giving orders. So they couldn’t help but worry when they learned that their son was in a relationship with such a person.

They were afraid Li Shu might suffer a loss, but judging from the situation after meeting today, it was clear they had overthought it.

Father Li told Mother Li about the conversation in the living room, and they looked at each other, both seeing a smile in each other’s eyes.

“Although the genders don’t match, there’s really nothing to say about Xiao Mo’s feelings for Xiao Shu,” Father Li nodded in agreement with Mother Li’s view.

Mo Yanzhi’s meeting with Li Shu’s parents went smoothly. During this period, Shen Yu worriedly sent a message asking how Mo Yanzhi’s progress was. Mo Yanzhi replied with a picture, showing a table full of delicious food that was obviously appetizing.

Shen Yu felt a surge of cravings and shook his head with a smile. It seemed that his friend was getting along well with the Li family, so he felt relieved.

Having accepted Mo Yanzhi, the unconventional “daughter-in-law”, Mother Li proactively asked about the couple’s future plans: “Xiao Mo, now that you two are together, have you thought about having a banquet or something? How does your family feel about it? Do you want to arrange a meeting?”

There is no same-sex marriage law in the country for now, so the two couldn’t obtain a certificate. However, in the eyes of the older generation, hosting a banquet and gathering family and friends would be a clear step forward. Mother Li felt that since they were together, giving each other a status was only natural.

Mo Yanzhi was slicing apples for Li Shu when he heard Mother Li’s words and almost cut himself.

“I’m available anytime. It depends on Xiao Shu’s schedule. My family has no objections either. As for meeting, you can set a time,” he said.

Of course, there were no objections. Anyone who did have objections had been sent abroad to open up wastelands.

Mother Li smiled happily, obviously satisfied with Mo Yanzhi’s response. “Xiao Shu, what do you think?”

Li Shu said, “Once I establish myself in this circle a bit more, we can make it public. For now, we can gather relatives and friends, or we can have a big banquet after it’s public.”

“You two can discuss these matters yourselves. Your mother and I won’t interfere. If you need any help, just let us know,” Father Li said, taking over the conversation after sipping his tea.

The tea was one of the gifts Mo Yanzhi brought, and Father Li liked it very much. Other items they unwrapped were practical, without any unnecessary extravagance. Both Father Li and Mother Li were very satisfied.

Especially Mother Li. The life of two men living together was different from an ordinary couple. Although their two children were excellent at making money, making money didn’t mean they knew how to live. She had been worried that her son would live a messy life, but with Mo Yanzhi around, she felt much more at ease.

Their time at the Li home was short, and the next afternoon, the two left. Before leaving, Li Shu handed the tickets for the evening party to Father Li and Mother Li. “If you want to go, someone will come to pick you up.”

After returning home, Li Shu entered the final nerve-wracking rehearsal before the live performance. After that, it would be the actual performance. The evening party was held at the broadcast hall. At this moment, all the guests were ready, and the host was already on stage, starting the opening remarks.

Li Shu’s performance was scheduled for an early slot. About an hour into the evening, it was his turn to take the stage. Li Shu was currently very popular, so when he appeared on stage, the cheers from the audience surged higher and higher.

Mo Yanzhi also came to the venue. Due to his status, he sat very close to the front. Shen Yu sat beside him, and around them were some big shots from the business world.

“How’s this angle?” Shen Yu asked softly, using a glass to cover his mouth.

Mo Yanzhi glanced at him in silence, then quickly shifted his gaze back to the stage.

Shen Yu took a sip of his wine and laughed to himself—must be asking for trouble, Mo Yanzhi was completely focused on the person on stage and had no mind to talk to him.

They were seated in one of the best viewing positions. They were close to the stage, and could clearly see the performers on stage. Similarly, they could also appreciate the charm of the performers more profoundly.

Mo Yanzhi had never seen Li Shu from this angle before, it was a novel experience. Throughout the performance, his gaze remained on Li Shu. Under the stage lights, the young man exuded a magical charm that captivated everyone’s attention.

After the performance, Li Shu returned to the backstage area. There were many people backstage, some preparing to go on stage, while others, like Li Shu, were either touching up their makeup or removing it.

Finding it noisy, Li Shu found a spot with fewer people and stood there alone. His assistant went to get something, leaving him alone. Leaning against the wall, he took a sip of water, then suddenly stopped and looked towards a dark corner.

At the same time, a figure rushed out of the corner, holding a bottle in hand, and headed straight for Li Shu.

“Go to hell—”