Lu Ning quickly averted her gaze, and at that moment, all her long-held suspicions and doubts finally settled.
It wasn't so much anger as it was bewilderment.
Shen Kuangye was the first to notice Lu Ning coming out. He walked over and sincerely said, "You look really nice in that."
His gaze lingered on her a little longer than usual, because he had long forgotten how many years it had been since he last saw Lu Ning wearing a dress.
He remembered back when Lu Linchuan was still alive, Lu Ning's wardrobe had been full of all kinds of beautiful dresses. But after the family's misfortune, when they were kicked out by relatives, Lu Ning stopped wearing them.
Lu Xiangyang also leaned over and said, "Yeah, Mom, that outfit looks really nice."
Lu Ning tugged at the corner of her mouth, her tone flat. "Is that so?"
Sensing her sudden coldness, Lu Xiangyang and Shen Kuangye exchanged a glance, both seeing bewilderment reflected in the other's eyes.
Then Lu Xiangyang softly asked, "What's wrong, Mom?"
Lu Ning shook her head. She wasn't ready to face them at the moment, and simply said, "I feel a little unwell. I want to go back for now."
After saying that, she returned to the dressing room.
The two of them stared at each other in confusion again. Shen Kuangye pondered for a long while but couldn't figure out why.
Lu Ning might genuinely be unwell. After returning home, she locked herself in her room and didn't say a word.
This made Lu Xiangyang extremely anxious. He called out outside the door, "Mom, if you really don't feel well, we can go to the hospital."
Lu Ning's voice came through the door, calm but firm: "No need."
Lu Xiangyang sighed and sat down next to Shen Kuangye on the sofa.
"What's wrong with Mom?"
He wracked his brain but still couldn't understand why his mother's attitude changed so drastically just because he changed clothes.
Shen Kuangye, however, thought of a possible reason—really, it could only be that reason.
"Lu Xiangyang."
"Hmm?"
"I think," Shen Kuangye hesitated for a moment before continuing, "Mom must have figured it out."
"Figured out what—" Lu Xiangyang suddenly stopped, his eyes widening slightly as he lowered his voice. "No way. If she had already noticed, why would she still willingly go shopping with us?"
Given Lu Ning's personality, that was simply impossible.
Shen Kuangye recalled Lu Ning's actions earlier that day. He was sure she had been speculating, and only after seeing certain things in the store did she become certain.
Lu Xiangyang also began to feel restless. He tightly held Shen Kuangye's hand and whispered, "Let's agree first: we won't separate. Even if Mom doesn't approve, we won't separate."
He knew Shen Kuangye's personality all too well. Shen Kuangye would choose to give up something he liked to make both Lu Xiangyang and Lu Ning feel at ease.
Shen Kuangye squeezed his hand in return and gave a quiet "Mm."
Lu Ning stayed in her room all day. At both lunch and dinner, Lu Xiangyang called her, but she replied in a light, detached voice: "I'm not hungry, you guys eat."
She sat in her room, slowly tracing Lu Linchuan's photo. The man in the picture wore a gentle smile.
"Yangyang has recently fallen for someone," Lu Ning said. "It's a boy, and he's quite nice… but I find it hard to accept."
She had already struggled enough accepting Xu Wen; now her own child was involved.
Lu Ning had always been a very traditional person; she couldn't accept that her son was homosexual.
Yet she had witnessed Lu Xiangyang's growth over the past six months.
The once reserved and frail child had become confident and cheerful. When he stood with Shen Kuangye, his eyes sparkled.
He was so much better off than when he was under her care.
Lu Ning knew that without immense love during this period, Lu Xiangyang could hardly have become what he was today.
Moreover, the way Shen Kuangye looked at him wasn't fake. That tender, unmistakable gaze of affection couldn't be feigned.
By 9:30 p.m., Lu Ning still hadn't come out.
Lu Xiangyang could no longer sit still. He was just about to stand when the door to Lu Ning's room opened.
"Lu Xiangyang," she said, her tone cold. His heart skipped a beat.
The proverbial sword hanging over his head was about to fall.
He could also feel Shen Kuangye's hand tightening slightly around his.
He gently patted Shen Kuangye's hand in reassurance and whispered before leaving, "Brother, don't forget our promise."
Taking a deep breath, he walked into Lu Ning's room and closed the door behind him.
The room was very quiet. He saw Lu Ning sitting on a chair, the table in front of her covered with photographs.
"…Mom."
He whispered.
Lu Ning said, "Sit first."
Lu Xiangyang sat beside her and lowered his head to look at the photos.
Almost all of them were of him as a child, along with Lu Linchuan.
"Mom," Lu Xiangyang softened his tone, "what's wrong with you today?"
"Are you unhappy about something?"
"Yangyang," Lu Ning said, "don't you have something you want to tell me?"
Lu Xiangyang fell silent.
Seeing that he wouldn't speak the truth, Lu Ning stopped holding back and asked bluntly, "What's going on between you and Xiao Ye?"
"How long were you planning to hide it from me?"
Lu Xiangyang remained quiet for a long while, then whispered, "You already know."
It was a statement.
Lu Ning's grip on the photos tightened suddenly. She forced herself to calm down. "Yangyang, this kind of relationship is wrong."
Lu Xiangyang lowered his eyes. "I know."
Lu Ning took a deep breath. "Then you two…"
"We won't break up."
Lu Xiangyang nervously clasped his hands and stubbornly repeated, "We won't break up."
He pressed his lips together and continued, "Mom, I know you can't accept it, but we won't separate. I even tried taking herbal medicine to change, but it didn't work. I just like him. From the first moment I saw him, I liked him a lot. Brother Kuangye has helped me so much. Back at the hospital, I almost got tricked into signing a contract with a shady club, and he pulled me out of that trap. Later, he even lent me money to help treat you. At the club, he was always taking care of me, holding me when I felt cold, buying me strawberry cake when I was upset, encouraging me before matches… He always puts me first. No one else has ever treated me this well, and…"
Lu Xiangyang trailed off.
Moreover, Shen Kuangye was the only one he had. They couldn't be apart.
Lu Ning was silent for a long while.
For Lu Xiangyang to speak so much in such a short time, it was clear Shen Kuangye had really spoiled him.
You could fake everything, but love could not be faked.
Lu Ning finally spoke again. "I just want to ask… what are your plans for the future?"
"We…"
Lu Xiangyang paused for a moment before realizing what she meant. He widened his eyes in disbelief. "Mom, you're not against it?"
Lu Ning looked at him and smiled faintly. "Am I really that rigid?"
She held Lu Linchuan's photo in her hands for a while and said, "Honestly, before Xiao Wen's accident, I probably would have opposed it strongly."
"But after that incident, I thought a lot. I realized in this life, it's rare to find someone who treats you so well. Sometimes, gender isn't that important."
A small light shone in Lu Xiangyang's eyes.
Lu Ning looked at the man in the photo and continued, "I was thinking, if your father were still here, he would probably tell me: 'If Yangyang likes him, then let him. As long as he's happy.'"
"So… Mom, you're not against it?" Lu Xiangyang asked cautiously.
Lu Ning smiled. "I'm not against it anymore."
She had seen Shen Kuangye's character with her own eyes—he was a good kid.
Frankly speaking, she liked him too.
Finally, a smile appeared on Lu Xiangyang's face. He leaned on Lu Ning's shoulder and said, "You scared us today."
"Scared of what?" Lu Ning asked. "That I would oppose it?"
Lu Xiangyang slowly nodded. "Of course."
Lu Ning patted his shoulder, signaling him to get up, then took a small box from the bookshelf.
"Mom, what's this?" Lu Xiangyang asked curiously.
Lu Ning said nothing, quietly opened the box, and inside was a pair of intertwined locks, looking a bit worn.
"These were picked when you were just born," Lu Ning said, gazing at the locks, lost in memories. "Out of all the things, you specifically grabbed these."
"At the time, I told your father, this kid will be very stubborn in matters of the heart—once he's decided, it's for life."
She handed one of the locks to Lu Xiangyang. "This one is yours."
Then she picked up the other one and stepped outside.
——
Shen Kuangye had already drunk his eighth cup of tea.
The moment he heard the door open, he immediately stood up and looked in that direction.
His throat felt dry and tight. "Aunt Lu."
As he spoke, he glanced at Lu Xiangyang behind her, who kept his eyes down, expressionless.
Shen Kuangye's heart sank.
Lu Ning said, "Sit first."
Shen Kuangye swallowed hard and obediently sat down.
He started speaking first. "Aunt Lu, this isn't Yangyang's fault… it's my fault. I was the one who led him astray. Please don't blame him."
Lu Ning still didn't say anything. Sweat formed on Shen Kuangye's forehead; his voice faltered, no longer steady like before. "If you can't accept it, I…"
As he spoke, Lu Ning placed something cold in his palm.
Shen Kuangye looked down and saw it was a matching lock.
He froze, and instinctively glanced at Lu Xiangyang, noticing the same lock was now around his neck.
When Lu Ning handed it to him, her hand touched his sweaty palm.
She smiled. "Try wearing it."
After a long while, Shen Kuangye quietly put on the lock.
Lu Ning said, "Your father and I picked this when you were little, thinking that when you meet the right person, it would be time to give it to you. Looks like that time has come."
Shen Kuangye suddenly looked up at her, his eyes instantly welling with tears.
Seeing him like this, Lu Ning felt unexpectedly emotional as well.
She patted his shoulder gently. "Yangyang told me about your family situation. If you're willing, from now on we are one family."
Her meaning couldn't have been clearer.
Shen Kuangye lowered his head, fingers gripping the lock tightly, unable to speak a word for a long time.
Lu Ning reached out and gently hugged him.
In that instant, she suddenly realized that this seemingly tall and mature boy was only eighteen years old.
"Xiao Ye, if you're willing, you can call me Mom from now on."
She left the choice in Shen Kuangye's hands.
That evening, Shen Kuangye had been overwhelmed by one surprise after another. He had long forgotten what it felt like to be in Lu Ning's embrace.
Being hugged again, the familiar scent of Lu Ning enveloped him, and he couldn't hold back the tears welling in his eyes.
After a long while, he finally managed to say the words he had thought he'd never be able to speak to her face-to-face in this lifetime:
"Mom."