Cen Zhisen returned on Saturday. Immediately upon landing, he called Ning Zhiyuan.

Ning Zhiyuan was just leaving his house, casually putting on his headphones in the elevator. “You’ve landed so early?”

“Just got out of the airport,” Cen Zhisen asked him over the phone, “Are you free today? Come to my place.”

“No,” Ning Zhiyuan refused directly. “It’s just unfortunate; I’m really busy today.”

Cen Zhisen insisted, “I’ll come to pick you up.”

“Forget it,” Ning Zhiyuan explained helplessly, “I’m really busy. My parents are moving today, and I need to help.”

“Really, moving today?” Cen Zhisen didn’t hesitate much and said, “Then, I’ll come with you. I can lend a hand too.”

“You just came back from a business trip, and now you want to help with moving. Aren’t you tired?” Ning Zhiyuan asked.

“I’m alright,” Cen Zhisen replied.

“Fine, as you wish. See you later.”

If Cen Zhisen insisted on joining, Ning Zhiyuan wouldn’t stop him.

When the car arrived at his parents’ community gate, he soon saw the person he was waiting for.

Ning Zhiyuan honked the horn while sitting in the car, watching the person who hadn’t seen in a few days approach.

They made eye contact through the car window. For some reason, Ning Zhiyuan recalled the first time Cen Zhisen brought him here. The scene today was exactly reversed – back then, Cen Zhisen was in the car, and he was the one reluctant to leave.

Cen Zhisen opened the car door and sat in the passenger seat. Ning Zhiyuan glanced at him. Even after several days of business trip, he still looked spirited, showing no signs of fatigue. No wonder he had the energy to join the moving.

“Waited long?” Ning Zhiyuan asked.

“Just arrived.”

Ning Zhiyuan smiled and didn’t say anything more. He stepped on the gas, driving the car into the community.

“It seems like the first time I entered this place with you,” Cen Zhisen observed the surroundings.

“Are you complaining that I didn’t bring you in before?” Ning Zhiyuan asked him, “Cen Zhisen, why are you being so considerate? Are you trying to please my parents?”

Cen Zhisen didn’t deny it. “Doing my best.”

“Then, impress them well.” Ning Zhiyuan laughed. In fact, he was quite happy.

However, when Mr. and Mrs. Ning saw Cen Zhisen, they were surprised. Sun Xiaoqing had to stop what she was doing, planning to go to the kitchen to boil water and make tea for him. Ning Zhiyuan stopped her, saying, “Mom, don’t bother. He’s here to help, not to cause trouble. Just tell him what work needs to be done.”

Sun Xiaoqing hesitated, “How can that be…”

“It’s okay, Auntie. You’re busy with your work; no need to specially entertain me. I’m here to help,” Cen Zhisen interjected calmly. He had already taken off his suit jacket and rolled up his shirt sleeves, ready to help Ning Zheng move the boxes.

Sun Xiaoqing was momentarily stunned. Although it was reasonable for Cen Zhisen to address her as “Auntie,” given their different statuses, she hadn’t expected him to call her that. Previously, he mostly referred to them as “teachers.”

Ning Zhiyuan immediately understood Cen Zhisen’s subtle intentions, but he didn’t expose him. Suppressing a smile, he reminded Sun Xiaoqing, “Mom, don’t mind him. Let’s go do our work together; there’s so much stuff to pack and move.”

“Right, I haven’t finished packing that box I was working on just now,” Sun Xiaoqing said, regaining her composure. She didn’t waste any more time, continuing with her work.

Ten minutes later, Cen Zhe also arrived. Seeing Cen Zhisen was only slightly surprising to him. After a casual greeting, he didn’t say much and joined them.

For the past six months, only Ning Zheng and Sun Xiaoqing had been living in the Ning family home. Cen Zhe had spent most of his time at school. After completing his doctoral degree, he joined Cen An for work. Cen Shengli gave him a house near the company, and he moved there. Like Ning Zhiyuan, he could only come back to eat on weekends without overtime.

The Nings had saved money for their entire lives, originally planning to buy a new house for their son. However, both Ning Zhiyuan and Cen Zhe didn’t want it. Finally, after much persuasion, they made up their minds and bought a retirement home.

The new house was already decorated and had been vacant for a few months. Today was chosen as a good day to move.

The new house had a good environment. There was a large city lake in front of the house, and the community had plenty of greenery, making it quiet and peaceful. Although Ning Zheng and Sun Xiaoqing would have a longer commute to work, they were close to retirement, so it didn’t matter much.

The house was bought with a loan, but Ning Zhiyuan suggested paying the remaining amount to make it a full payment. His parents refused, insisting on the loan. They even bit the bullet and bought a larger four-bedroom apartment, stating that even after retirement, they would still have a pension and could be rehired. They weren’t short of money and didn’t want their son to spend money on them.

Apart from the master bedroom and study, they left a room for Ning Zhiyuan and Cen Zhe each, allowing them to stay overnight when they came back on weekends.

This had been discussed with Ning Zhiyuan before buying the house. Perhaps they were worried he might have ideas, but Ning Zhiyuan didn’t care. At the Cen family villa, he and Cen Zhe also had their own rooms. It didn’t make sense not to allow Cen Zhe to come back and see his parents.

On the way, Ning Zheng ordered takeout. After arriving at the new home, he no longer busied himself with packing and asked everyone to sit down and have dinner first.

At the dining table, he expressed gratitude to Cen Zhisen, who replied with a smile, saying, “You’re welcome,” and told him not to be so polite.

“After everything is settled in a few days, we will formally invite Mr. Cen to our home for dinner,” Ning Zheng warmly said.

Cen Zhisen agreed, saying, “Uncle and Auntie, you don’t need to address me as Mr. Cen all the time. Just call me by my name. Our families have some connection, and you are all my elders. There’s no need to be so formal.”

Ning Zheng stopped being overly polite, saying, “Sure, from now on, whenever you have time, come for dinner just like Zhiyuan and Xiao Zhe. Auntie’s cooking is excellent.”

Cen Zhisen nodded with a smile, “Okay.”

Beside him, Ning Zhiyuan, who had been silent, was eating. The hand under the table pressed on his knee.

Cen Zhisen, with a serious expression, calmly picked up a bite of food for him.

In the afternoon, they continued to help with cleaning and packing. Around four o’clock, Cen Zhisen received a call, and there was a last-minute business engagement he couldn’t avoid.

“You should go,” Ning Zhiyuan gestured, “Anyway, we’ve almost finished cleaning up here. The remaining small items, my parents can handle slowly.”

Cen Zhisen left with a farewell and promised to contact them later in the evening.

Cen Zhe had a classmate reunion to attend in the evening and left around dusk. In the end, only Ning Zhiyuan was left, helping with the cleanup until past eight in the evening.

“Zhiyuan, take a break. You’ve been working all day,” Sun Xiaoqing called out to the person who was still planning to help unpack boxes, “Why don’t you stay overnight here tonight and go back tomorrow morning?”

Ning Zhiyuan didn’t mind, and he agreed readily. His parents were happy, and Sun Xiaoqing immediately said, “Let me get you some pajamas. Go take a shower and rest early.”

The pajamas Sun Xiaoqing brought were brand new and in his size. They seemed to have been prepared a long time ago.

In fact, they had wanted Ning Zhiyuan to stay overnight several times before, but the old house didn’t have an extra room. They were worried he might feel awkward, so they never brought it up. In the end, they decided to buy a new house, largely because they wanted a room specifically for their biological son.

Ning Zhiyuan understood their intentions and didn’t expose it. He took the pajamas and went to the bathroom.

After taking a shower, he chatted with his parents for a while. It was past nine when he finally returned to his room.

Entering the room, he looked around. The decoration style was simple, and the size was not large. It was probably the smallest room he had ever lived in from childhood to adulthood. However, he felt very calm in this place, a tranquility he had never experienced before.

Sitting on the bed, he absentmindedly opened the set of yellowed children’s version of the Four Great Classical Novels, passing the rare evening time.

Around ten thirty, feeling a bit thirsty, he decided to go to the kitchen for a glass of water. He saw his father alone in the living room, drinking tea and watching TV.

“Dad, you haven’t slept yet?”

“You haven’t either?” Ning Zheng looked up at him, motioning for him to sit, “Can’t sleep? Sit, moving to a new house is a bit uncomfortable. Your mother just fell asleep from exhaustion. What about you? Can’t sleep either?”

Ning Zhiyuan told the truth, “I feel a bit strange in this bed. I’ll get used to it over time.”

Ning Zheng nodded, asking if he wanted tea. Ning Zhiyuan laughed, reminding him, “Dad, if you can’t sleep, drinking this won’t help. I won’t drink it; it’ll only keep me awake even longer.”

After hesitating for a moment, Ning Zheng put down the teacup and smiled, “Your mother often says the same to me.”

Ning Zhiyuan, hearing this, felt a slight movement in his heart and asked, “Dad, do you and Mom have a good relationship? I rarely see couples of your age so affectionate.”

Ning Zheng originally wanted to say that it wasn’t that common, but then he thought about the environment his biological son grew up in, and the people he had encountered, and he understood, “Most ordinary couples are like this. We also have our blushes and quarrels, a little conflict now and then, but we reconcile by the end of the day.”

His dad thought of something and added, “You’re curious about this. Did you get a girlfriend?”

“Well, kind of,” Ning Zhiyuan said, “I am a bit curious.”

“Do you really have a girlfriend? What does she do? Where is she from? How long have you been dating?” Ning Zheng asked persistently.

“Dad, don’t ask for now. It’s not very convenient to say. When the time is right, I’ll tell you about it with Mom. I also hope you can accept her,” Ning Zhiyuan smiled and shook his head.

Ning Zheng vaguely felt that the last sentence was a bit strange but didn’t think much about it. “Okay, then try harder to turn ‘kind of’ into ‘yes’ soon.”

Ning Zhiyuan chuckled, “Sure.”

Since Ning Zhiyuan was curious about their relationship, Ning Zheng generously shared the story with him, “Your mom and I have known each other since childhood. You saw it when we went back to our hometown. We were neighbors when we were kids, and grew up together. In our childhood, we were as close as siblings. As we reached the age of marriage, it naturally progressed to a romantic relationship.”

“Why did it change from being like siblings to love?” Ning Zhiyuan asked.

Talking about this topic in front of his son didn’t make Ning Zheng uncomfortable. Recollecting the past, he even blushed a bit, “Being close like siblings, but not quite. When we realized we could be in a romantic relationship, that feeling naturally emerged. The taste of love is like thinking day and night about someone, forgetting to eat and sleep. If you ever feel that way about someone, then you must be in love with them.”

Ning Zhiyuan thought seriously for a moment and agreed, “Yeah.”

“Don’t think too much. Just go with the flow,” Ning Zheng seemed to sense his son’s emotional struggles and comforted him, “There’s no need to delve into the root and reasons. Follow your heart, know what you want.”

What did he want?

He wanted to be in a relationship with Cen Zhisen, he wanted Cen Zhisen to love him, and he wanted to love Cen Zhisen.

Ning Zhiyuan smiled again, “Thanks, Dad.”

Ning Zheng replied, “You’re welcome. I’m glad I could help answer your questions.”

After chatting for a while, Ning Zheng saw that it was getting late and advised him, “Go back to your room and sleep. If you can’t sleep, just lie down with your eyes closed; you’ll fall asleep soon.”

Ning Zhiyuan also reminded him, “Dad, you should go back to sleep too.”

They each returned to their rooms. Ning Zhiyuan stood against the wall in the darkness for a moment and sent a message to Cen Zhisen.

“Is the business engagement over?”

Half a minute later, the reply came, “Just finished. How about you? Are you back home?”

A voice call followed, and Ning Zhiyuan accepted it, putting on his headphones as usual. He enjoyed the feeling of hearing Cen Zhisen’s voice close to his ears.

“Are you back home?” Cen Zhisen asked again.

“You have business engagements until this late? I’m staying at my parents’ place,” Ning Zhiyuan laughed, “Sorry, I can’t accompany you tonight.”

“I don’t need you to accompany me,” Cen Zhisen said, “If you want to sleep, go ahead.”

“I can’t sleep.”

“Not used to being at your parents’ place?”

“Miss you, can’t sleep,” Ning Zhiyuan said straightforwardly, “Just chatted with my dad, and suddenly, I really want to see you. What should I do?”

Cen Zhisen’s voice lowered, “Come out now.”

“Now?”

“I need ten more minutes to get to your place,” Cen Zhisen suggested, “Come out, accompany me for a late-night snack, and I’ll drive you back afterward.”