PE Ch55: Meet the parents

Pan Yinchuan regained his senses from the impact, silently reaching for a cigarette, but couldn’t get it lit.

“Can’t walk?” Huai Yu glanced sideways. “I’ll carry you.”

“It’s not about whether I can walk or not.” Pan Yinchuan turned around and tightly gripped Huai Yu’s fingers, halting his steps. “Mr. Huai, don’t you think this is too fast?”

“I only feel it’s too slow,” Huai Yu calmly replied.

Pan Yinchuan: “…” He felt like he had asked unnecessarily.

“Do you have any other requests? You can bring them up now.” Huai Yu firmly grasped his wrist.

“No one gets married like this directly,” Pan Yinchuan said.

Huai Yu tilted his head slightly as if pondering. Then he said, “Hmm, that makes sense. Before marriage, we should meet each other’s parents first. Can I go to your place now?”

Pan Yinchuan conceded.

Huai Yu placed his hand on his shoulder, drawing closer. “At least give me some pheromonal reassurance.”

Pan Yinchuan thought for a moment, leaned up, and kissed Huai Yu’s chin. “Is this okay?”

“This is a short-term comfort,” Huai Yu said, touching his chin. “I need something more lasting to keep me calm while you’re away in Jiuhe City. It’s not too much to ask, right?” He lowered his head slightly, patiently questioning.

Pan Yinchuan didn’t want to disrupt their current relationship and status; he felt comfortable.

He moved his lips: “Marriage can’t happen now, you have to go to my house, and I have to think about it… Besides, what else do you want?”

Huai Yu looked at him, unmoving.

After a while, just as Pan Yinchuan wondered if he needed a suppressant, Huai Yu whispered softly, “Alright, I heard that nowadays people often officially announce their relationships on social media…”

Oh, that! That’s easy!

Pan Yinchuan took out his phone and began editing his social media post.

Huai Yu interjected, “What picture are you using?”

Picture too? Pan Yinchuan recalled his college classmates’ social media posts. Okay, it seems he needs…

“So, what should we use as the picture?” Pan Yinchuan took the initiative to ask Huai Yu to show his cooperation.

Huai Yu took his phone, switched to camera mode, then held Pan Yinchuan’s shoulder and kissed him.

“Click” two consecutive sounds.

The photo was taken.

Pan Yinchuan stiffened. “Post… this?”

Huai Yu eased his grip slightly. “Is it too much for me?”

Pan Yinchuan sighed, feeling it was indeed a bit too much.

Huai Yu scrolled through the photo album page, paused, and lightly tapped. “Can we post this one?”

Pan Yinchuan looked down.

Hmm?

It wasn’t a photo of them kissing but rather… their shadows reflected on the ground.

Instantly, the embarrassment decreased by half.

And no one could recognize Huai Yu from the shadows!

Since Huai Yu had compromised to this extent, what else was there to say? Pan Yinchuan felt light-hearted.

He edited the post without any burden and sent it.

Only then did he realize that there were indeed two “click” sounds earlier, and Huai Yu had taken two pictures—one of their shadows and one of a genuine selfie.

Pointing at it, Huai Yu said, “I’ll keep this one.”

Was this also a long-term comfort? Pan Yinchuan hesitated for a moment, squeezed Huai Yu’s hand tightly, and replied, “Okay.”

One hour later.

At the military airport, several bodyguards accompanied Pan Yinchuan as he boarded the plane. Just as he stepped onto the gangway, he turned back and hugged Huai Yu.

Huai Yu’s expression softened. “Go.”

Jiuhe City.

Pan Yueshan stared at his son’s social media post for a long time before grabbing his phone and finding Wang Xiu. “He’s safe in Central City, but…”

“But what?”

“Is this what he urgently went to Central City for?” Pan Yueshan handed over his phone, looking somewhat bewildered. “Is he in a rush to fall in love?”

Wang Xiu also froze upon seeing it.

Pan Yinchuan got off the plane, switched to a car, and finally returned to Jiuhe City.

It was only now that he realized long-distance relationships shouldn’t be taken lightly.

It was quite a journey!

“Central City hasn’t completely settled down yet. You go upstairs first; we’ll take care of your commute to work every day,” the bodyguard said.

Pan Yinchuan nodded and went upstairs, glancing at his own social media in the meantime.

Before, it was others posting; now, it was his turn.

One post even startled many old classmates, who commented in shock, “Damn, you’re finally in love.”

Now Pan Yinchuan truly felt like he was in a relationship.

Though it was still a bit strange, it felt more natural than he had imagined.

But it didn’t cause any major waves in his life immediately.

“What are you standing outside for? Come in!” Suddenly, Pan Yueshan opened the door.

“Dad? How did you know I was back?”

“I heard the sound upstairs,” Pan Yueshan said, craning his neck to look behind Pan Yinchuan.

“What are you looking at?” Pan Yinchuan pushed his dad aside and squeezed into the house.

Pan Yueshan followed up with another question, “Where’s Xiaolin?”

“He has his own things to do; of course, he’s not following me.”

“Ah? Then who… are you in a relationship with? Weren’t you going to Central City with Xiaolin?” Pan Yinchuan instantly knew they had also seen his social media post.

“Linsuoyan just gave me a ride…” Pan Yinchuan began, meeting his father’s disapproving gaze.

“You let an Omega give you a ride?” 

Um, okay, that sounded quite unexpected.

Pan Yinchuan was pondering what excuse to give when his mother spoke from the sofa, “It wasn’t Linsuoyan, nor Xiaojian, right? It’s that person who never came upstairs before?”

Pan Yinchuan obediently walked over and sat down. “How did you know?”

Wang Xiu’s phone was on the coffee table; she pointed to the picture. “Look at the height.”

“…”

“He also gave you that badge…” Wang Xiu paused and asked, “You’ve never dated before, and now that you finally have, why not bring him home to meet us?”

Pan Yinchuan suddenly realized.

Mr. Huai had quite the twist!

If he didn’t let Huai Yu come home, his parents would make Huai Yu come!

“Um, let’s talk about it later,” Pan Yinchuan tried to evade.

Pan Yueshan felt something was off and spoke up, “What do you mean, later? Before, Xiaolin, Xiaojian, and even Major Yan crowded up here. The neighbors may not say anything, but they have their thoughts. Xiaolin and Xiaojian have been here; if you’re seriously dating someone, why not bring them home? What will they think?”

What will they think? Mr. Huai had already frightened Jian Yan and Lin Suoyan, no need to think about it.

Wang Xiu also said, “Bring him home for a meal.”

Pan Yueshan nodded repeatedly, “You have no experience; your mom and I need to keep an eye on you.”

“Mom happens to have something to confirm,” Wang Xiu added.

“What’s going on?” Pan Yinchuan asked curiously.

Wang Xiu didn’t continue.

“He’s in Central City and a little busy,” Pan Yinchuan explained.

Wang Xiu nodded, “It’s okay, we’ll wait until he’s free.”

Pan Yueshan was more concerned, “He works in Central City?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s a bit troublesome. We don’t even have an airport here; it’s not easy to meet. Over time, it might affect the relationship,” Pan Yueshan sighed.

Pan Yinchuan left his father to his monologue and went into the bedroom to answer the phone.

It was Jian Yan calling.

“I saw your social media post,” Jian Yan’s tone sounded heavy, “Is it Mr. Huai?”

Pan Yinchuan felt a bit embarrassed and softly replied, “Yes.” He asked Jian Yan, “Have you returned to Ros state?”

Jian Yan’s tone was bitter, “You’re already hoping I’ll leave?”

Pan Yinchuan said directly, “Otherwise, you won’t be any happier staying here.”

Jian Yan sighed helplessly, “Your temper is really good, and your words really hit hard. I’ll leave. Let’s think positively; losing to Mr. Huai is quite normal. If I lose to Lin Shaoyan, then I really can’t face it…”

Lin Shaoyan, that damn green tea. Jian Yan still got worked up just thinking about him.

“Wish you happiness,” Jian Yan said, finishing the standard farewell, and then hung up the phone.

Then he walked briskly towards the bus station.

Oh, he didn’t mention on the phone that he had bought the house opposite Pan’s family. He would be back in a year.

With Mr. Huai’s authoritarianism and extreme possessiveness, if Pan could endure a year, that would be impressive.

There was still hope, mature Jian Yan thought.

As for Lin Shaoyan, who hadn’t even finished school, he hoped he would kick the bucket early in this year.

Pan Yinchuan had no idea what Jian Yan was plotting. Listening to the busy tone on the other end, he breathed a sigh of relief. Thankfully, everyone was very polite.

Then it was back to a very peaceful life!

The next day was a workday.

Pan Yinchuan got up in the morning, and his father hadn’t gone to work yet. He was brushing his teeth, staring at the morning news in surprise, saying, “Are they really going to build an airport here?”

“Huh?” Pan Yinchuan also peeked over for a closer look.

It really was happening.

“After being poor for so many years, the city finally got some investment,” Pan Yueshan sighed, “Before, Central City never cared about us. Now it’s different.”

After saying that, Pan Yueshan started to worry about Central City again, “There have been some recent incidents, right? Some people with the surname Zhuo got into trouble. They say they kidnapped Mr. Huai’s fiancé, which made Mr. Huai sick. Rumors are flying that the fiancé is dead… What are we going to do?”

Pan Yinchuan nearly choked on his water.

Pan Yueshan immediately stopped brushing his teeth, stopped talking about the news, and quickly patted Pan Yinchuan’s back.

“Are you okay?” Pan Yinchuan waved his hand, hurriedly washed his face, brushed his teeth, and left the house, “Mom, Dad, I’m going to work.”

When Pan Yinchuan arrived at his familiar office building, he found it was still surrounded by caution tape.

The security guard asked him, “What are you doing here?”

“Going to work…”

“Work? The company inside has temporarily suspended operations for now.”

Great.

Back home, the company was gone.

Pan Yinchuan called the boss. The boss sounded like he had a cold, his voice hoarse, “It’s okay, the project is still ongoing, everyone is working from home. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

Although Yu Tong and the others had some small thoughts, it’s rare for people to live without making a profit for themselves. At first, when they didn’t know about his connection to Central City, they treated him well, and the overall work atmosphere in the company was good.

Pan Yinchuan asked with concern, “But your voice sounds bad, are you sick?”

“No, no sickness.” The boss was embarrassed to say that he was scared by the scene that day, “Just a little cold.”

Pan Yinchuan remembered his duty, “Should I come over to take care of you?”

The boss nearly scared himself to death, quickly saying, “No need, I’m with my family now, it would be inconvenient for you to come over.”

And with that, he turned down Pan Yinchuan, and finally emphasized, “You’re working from home anyway, the salary will be paid as usual.”

Pan Yinchuan:?

I’m responsible for caregiving, how can I work from home?

Rejected, Pan Yinchuan could only go back home.

Pan Yueshan and Wang Xiu each had work and went to their jobs, leaving just the elderly residents in the building, warmly inviting him, “Xiao Pan, want to play some poker?”

“No, no, Xiao Pan, come play chess with me?”

“You’re terrible at chess! Xiao Pan, want to go to the square?”

“Oh, by the way, what about that Omega?”

“And that handsome Beta?”

“Your dad said you’re in a relationship, who is it with?”

Xiao Pan chose to escape.

He got into the car, accompanied by the bodyguard Huai Yu had assigned to him.

Outside the car, the elderly were still discussing, “Is that Xiao Pan’s family car?”

“I haven’t seen Pan Yueshan buy a car.”

Pan Yinchuan rolled up the car window tightly, blocking out the voices of the elderly. Suddenly, a thought occurred to him: “Let’s go back to Central City now.”

The bodyguard was stunned, “Didn’t Mr. Pan just come back?”

“Yeah.” Pan Yinchuan nodded, “So Mr. Huai wouldn’t expect me to return to Central City.”

Pan Yinchuan found it quite interesting.

Suddenly, he wasn’t bored anymore.

—

At 7:15 in the evening, Pan Yinchuan arrived in Central City.

He looked out at the skyscrapers, “Shouldn’t we go straight to Mr. Huai’s house?”

The bodyguard opened the car door for him, “Mr. Huai is very busy. He probably won’t be home these days, so let’s come here first.”

Pan Yinchuan got out of the car and looked up.

The building was named “Clear Sky Building,” a very ordinary name.

The bodyguard escorted him through three layers of security gates. Just as they were about to take the elevator, Pan Yinchuan suddenly remembered, this building also had another name — Central Administrative Hall.

Pan Yinchuan couldn’t retreat now.

The elevator doors suddenly “dinged” open in front of him. Huai Yu was standing there, with several middle-aged men behind him, some in suits and others in military uniforms.

Both sides froze upon seeing each other.

Huai Yu recovered first. His first reaction upon seeing Pan Yinchuan here must be, “What’s wrong?”

It must be something significant.

Huai Yu’s face darkened slightly. The others behind him, affected by the atmosphere, also looked surprised and suspiciously scrutinized Pan Yinchuan.

Pan Yinchuan sighed inwardly.

He had to take responsibility for his impulsive actions.

“What’s going on?” Huai Yu’s expression grew darker. He asked again, his tone complex, and he even scrutinized Pan Yinchuan’s bodyguard, questioning his competence.

Pan Yinchuan faced the multitude of scrutinizing gazes.

It had come to this…

He braced himself and said, “Um, nothing much, just… my parents want to see you.”

Huai Yu’s figure froze in place. His tone was slightly complicated as he asked, “So you came back to Central City again?”

Pan Yinchuan: “Ah.” He couldn’t say in front of so many people, “I just wanted to see your surprised expression, isn’t that fun?”

How did Mr. Huai Yu take him?

There are so many subordinates around.

Huai Yu suddenly turned his head: “Change of plans.”

After saying that, he strode forward, grabbed Pan Yinchuan by the waist, and started walking out: “Alright, let’s go see your parents.”

Everyone behind was dumbfounded.

“This…”

“He…”

“Mr. Huai’s fiancé has been found,” the secretary interjected.

“The Zuo family…”

“I’m afraid they still can’t be released, they’re still suspected of plotting against Mr. Huai.”

“Mr. Huai’s fiancé is that… the previous… that Beta?” They still sounded unsure.

“Yes. You’ll be invited to the wedding.”

Well, now they had nothing more to say. Being able to attend Mr. Huai’s wedding meant they were truly insiders.

After leaving the building, Pan Yinchuan was practically carried down the stairs by Huai Yu.

He felt very embarrassed.

Luckily it was evening, and many people who should have gone off work… otherwise he would have been even more embarrassed.

Huai Yu pushed him into the car and instructed the driver, “To the airport.”

Pan Yinchuan hurriedly advised, “No rest?”

Huai Yu’s eyes twinkled with a smile, glancing at him and saying, “Afraid you’ll regret it.”

Pan Yinchuan cleared his throat lightly and said, “But I just arrived, I need to rest.”

Huai Yu’s eyes flashed, lifting his hand to press Pan Yinchuan down.

“Rest,” Huai Yu patted his head, “Sleep as long as you want, I’ll carry you onto the plane later.”

Huai Yu was in a very good mood, his tone light and completely different from usual.

He had expected that sooner or later Pan Yinchuan would ask him to go home, but he hadn’t expected it to be so soon… nor did he expect Pan Yinchuan to personally inform him of this news.

Pan Yinchuan struggled against Huai Yu’s leg, but couldn’t move.

He feared delaying any longer would only make the situation worse later.

Alright, since he was here…

He closed his eyes, raised his hand, and said, “There’s something…”

“What?” Huai Yu asked.

The bodyguard immediately handed over a paper bag, saying, “Mr. Pan bought this locally in Jiuhe City.”

Huai Yu was somewhat incredulous, his tone subtle, “For me?”

Pan Yinchuan nodded weakly.

Huai Yu swiftly opened the paper bag.

Inside were two boxes of local specialty pastries.

Huai Yu didn’t quite understand.

But Pan Yinchuan whispered, “Isn’t this what you do in a long-distance relationship? When you visit the other person’s city, you bring some food…” and flowers too. He had learned this from a college friend who had relevant experience. However, flowers seemed too troublesome and awkward, so he didn’t buy any.

Even so, it was more than enough for Huai Yu.

Huai Yu immediately opened one and took a bite.

The bodyguard was startled. “Shouldn’t you try it first…”

“No need,” Huai Yu waved his hand.

With his other hand pressing against Pan Yinchuan’s collarbone, Huai Yu rubbed the Beta’s chin. It lacked any erotic connotation and instead carried warmth.

“Is this all Pan Yinchuan brought me… How could there be enough to share for others to try?” Huai Yu murmured softly.

Pan Yinchuan blushed slightly, embarrassed. “I have more for next time,” as if he had emptied the skies just for Huai Yu.

Huai Yu looked down at him. “Is there more?”

“Yeah.”

“…Then I won’t be willing to share it with anyone else.”

Huai Yu’s openness made Pan Yinchuan’s ears turn red. “There’s plenty more, Mr. Huai. Are you satisfied? Next time, maybe we should check for poison first. I’m afraid you might start bleeding in front of me again.”

Huai Yu patted his head lightly. “As long as you don’t want to kill me, I think I’ll live a long time.”

Adjusting the soundproofing partition, Alpha then helped Pan Yinchuan sit properly.

With a strong and powerful grip on Pan Yinchuan’s waist, followed by a kiss that pried open lips and entwined tightly.

The confined space of the car seemed to naturally alter the taste of their kiss.

Pan Yinchuan heard Huai Yu ask, “Can we skip the restraint today?” Beneath his deliberate tone lay a surprising desire.

Meeting Huai Yu’s gaze, Pan Yinchuan faintly sensed Huai Yu’s implication — look, I’m entrusting this freedom to you.

Pan Yinchuan rested against his shoulder, firmly stating, “No.”

Huai Yu’s eyes flickered. Suppressing his urge to kiss him again, he managed, “Do you want my parents to see me limping back with you?”

Huai Yu wanted to say “I’ll be gentle,” but the words turned in his mouth and he swallowed them back.

Just as he had left not long ago, Pan Yinchuan had returned.

Coming to see him here and bringing pastries, Pan Yinchuan was earnestly demonstrating how long-distance relationships should be.

Pan Yinchuan, who had already relaxed and allowed him to go home.

Hmm, no matter which angle you looked at it from, it made one have the urge to take him hard.

Huai Yu exhaled slowly. Sitting up straight, he said, “Okay, I’ll listen to you.”

Pan Yinchuan coming to see Huai Yu was very sudden.

The sudden decision to take Huai Yu home to meet his parents was even more sudden.

And for Pan Yinchuan’s parents, Pan Yue Shan and his wife, who received a sudden call saying to bring his partner home immediately, it was the most sudden of all!

“Weren’t we supposed to wait a while because he’s busy?” Pan Yue Shan was a bit nervous. “I haven’t had time to buy new clothes.”

“Don’t worry about it, Yue Shan. This one is definitely more outstanding than the others. Shouldn’t we prepare well at home and save Yinchuan some face?” Pan Yue Shan was so anxious he started pacing in circles.

“While the supermarket is still open, hurry and buy some fruit. Don’t worry about the price, pick some good ones. Later, I’ll call the restaurant to deliver a few dishes…” Wang Xiu calmly instructed, though she was actually quite tense inside.

That person… is a big shot in Central City.

Different from Pan Yue Shan’s concerns.

Pan Yue Shan doesn’t want his son to mess around in relationships.

But she, urging her son to bring someone home, is testing what that person sees in her son—is he just a plaything or a serious partner?

Whether that person agrees to come is the indicator.

Now, that person is already on the way.

What kind of attitude should she adopt afterward to ensure her son doesn’t get hurt in this relationship? In any case, there are many questions…

The atmosphere in the Pan family is tense.

Yet Pan Yinchuan felt numb when it came down to it.

Returning to the home building, it was already late at night.

Huai Yu was now a bit calmer and considered, “This isn’t very formal. It would be more appropriate to visit in the morning.”

Pan Yinchuan was more proactive, “There’s nothing inappropriate about it. Let’s go.”

Huai Yu squinted, “Is it to avoid the neighbors’ scrutiny?”

Avoiding his gaze, Pan Yinchuan pointed at the security window, “I didn’t make you climb through that, which is already good.”

A certain memory suddenly surfaced, leaving Huai Yu unable to retort.

He got out of the car, had the bodyguard bring up the gifts, and then firmly took Pan Yinchuan’s hand without giving him a chance to refuse.

Pan Yinchuan struggled a bit.

Imagine showing up with Huai Yu in front of his parents… Pan Yinchuan felt a bit embarrassed.

Huai Yu reassured him in a low voice, “At least it doesn’t look like I’m abducting you to confront you at their door.”

Pan Yinchuan thought about it… yeah. With someone like Huai Yu appearing alongside him, it didn’t look like bringing a partner home but more like getting into serious trouble.

Holding hands might reduce his parents’… um, panic a bit?

When the doorbell rang at the Pan residence.

Everyone was on edge.

Huai Yu, neat and composed, adopted a posture more cautious than when speaking at global conferences. After all, he had hosted many global conferences but meeting his partner’s parents was a first.

“Creak—” The door opened.

The interior lights mixed with the dim lights in the hallway.

Pan Yue Shan extended his hand, “Hello, hello.” Because Huai Yu was tall, he couldn’t immediately see Huai Yu’s face clearly. He just felt that the person standing before him was a very tall, imposing Alpha.

Wang Xiu stood behind him, but she saw more clearly.

Her breath caught, her mind buzzing. But she managed to stand there as calmly as possible.

“Hello, I’m Huai Yu,” Huai Yu’s voice rang out. He slightly bowed, finally allowing Pan Yue Shan to see his face clearly.

Pan Yue Shan was about to greet them and invite them in when his words got stuck in his throat.

Huai… Yu?

That’s right.

The same face as on television.

“I’m sorry to disturb you so late,” Huai Yu said politely.

That voice, free from the distortion of television signals, gradually overlapped with the voice in Wang Xiu’s memory. Except back then, Wang Xiu’s memory of it was more naive.

“N-No…” Pan Yue Shan squeezed out two words, then completely lost his words.

Pan Yinchuan turned his head away and closed his eyes.

He knew it would be like this!

Ignoring what Dad might say, he pulled Huai Yu inside, the bodyguard following closely behind, filling the not-so-large living room in an instant.

Pan Yue Shan looked at this scene and confirmed without a doubt that this wasn’t someone pretending.

Yes, it was Huai Yu.

“Uncle, Auntie,” Huai Yu greeted, noticing they were all standing, “Please have a seat.”

Pan Yue Shan immediately sat down obediently, sitting like a primary school student.

Wherever he went.

Huai Yu always exuded an absolute dominance and leadership.

At this moment… it inexplicably turned into this.

For a moment, the atmosphere fell silent.

Huai Yu didn’t know how to change this situation.

Or maybe Wang Xiu would “take the initiative.” She sat down slowly, trying to speak as calmly as if chatting at home: “What a coincidence, Mr. Huai once saved me.”

Pan Yinchuan was bewildered, “Huh?”