Chapter 30: Meal Card
Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations
Editor: Karai
Shi Wenze’s first reaction was to ask, “Back in high school?”
“No,” Lin Su replied. “Yesterday.”
Shi Wenze fell silent again. It didn’t take him long to recall the two enthusiastic aunties they’d run into at the airport last night. The fish-headed matchmaker aggressively promoting blind date photo albums clearly had no ties to Bai Long. That left only one other possibility…
Then it hit him. That eerily fake, yet totally shameless acting style—where had he seen it before? Wasn’t it exactly the same as the person currently curled up in his arms? Which brought him to the real question at hand. The whole “wife and kid” thing. Shi Wenze’s temples started to throb. “Okay, there’s something I need to explain.”
“You don’t need to,” Lin Su said, still resting his head against Shi Wenze’s chest. “I know. My mom knows, too. You can keep using that excuse.”
Shi Wenze let out a breath of relief—but only partially. He lifted a hand and gently scratched the back of Lin Su’s head with his fingertips. “Is your mom mad at us?” he asked. “Did you tell her?”
“Yeah.” Lin Su paused, then decided to summarize last night’s conversation in the simplest way possible. “She told you to go get gender reassignment surgery.”
Shi Wenze’s hand froze in midair. After a long silence, he made up his mind and asked, “Thailand? Which hospital?”
A sharp pinch landed on his side. Shi Wenze chuckled and leaned down to murmur against Lin Su’s ear. “Why’d you pinch me? That service isn’t included in your trial pass. Domestic violence costs extra.”
His voice was low, his breath warm and damp, scorching enough to numb every nerve in Lin Su’s body. The intimacy was intoxicating. Lin Su started to wonder if he actually had that so-called “skin hunger.” In this moment, the bedroom—and the person in it—might as well have been the entire universe. And when a person realizes they’re wrapped up in the whole universe, all the little annoyances of daily life suddenly seem irrelevant. All he wanted was to orbit the soft little planet spinning gently in Shi Wenze’s hands.
Shi Wenze asked tentatively, “Want me to take you home tonight?”
“I’ll think about it,” Lin Su replied.
Shi Wenze warned, “After tonight, you’ll have to renew your trial again.”
Lin Su frowned. “Why are you so eager to meet my parents?”
“Well, your mom already saw me,” Shi Wenze said. “Might as well strike while the iron’s hot—give her a few more good looks.”
Lin Su eyed him with suspicion. Was this man trying to sneakily upgrade his trial pass into a lifetime family membership? Sitting up straighter, he said, “You haven’t even officially won me over yet.”
Wearing someone else’s pajamas, lying in someone else’s bed, having just been snuggled up to someone else’s chest… If that didn’t count as being won over, should he admire himself for being a tough art critic—or be worried about what kind of R-rated mess counted as actually being in a relationship?
Shi Wenze played along, offering helpfully, “True, I haven’t won you over yet. But meeting the parents is just a free bonus included with your one-day trial pass.”
There really was no more generous vendor in the world than this—truly a shining example of the “moved China” award in the prepaid card industry. Selfless to the point of stirring nationwide emotion. Lin Su was touched—but not that touched. He insisted he still needed to think about it.
They had dinner at home. Shi Wenze had picked up some spare ribs and a fresh fish, and was busy working on a sweet and sour sauce. Lin Su stood in the doorway of the kitchen, watching him for a while before asking, “Are you going to fry the fish into a basket shape?”
“…”
Shi Wenze hadn’t heard such an unreasonable request in years. The last time was three years ago, when Aunt Wang’s grandson next door asked him to carve an apple into a bunny. Thankfully, Lin Su had only asked casually and didn’t throw a tantrum like little Wang Xiaofu when refused. At that moment, Lin Lu called to ask where he was.
“Out. I’ll be home late,” Lin Su replied. “Where’s Mom?”
“We’re both home. You’re not coming back for dinner?” Lin Lu said. “Jiayong Auction House sent over three invitation letters. Mom told me to let you know.”
“Three?”
“Yeah. One for you, one for Mr. Shi. Then when Manager Song heard Mom was coming too, he added one more.”
“Alright, we’ll talk about it later.” Lin Su wasn’t in the mood to discuss work.
“Wait, don’t hang up!” Lin Lu lowered her voice. “Are you bringing Mr. Shi home tonight? Mom didn’t say anything out loud, but she put on some light makeup and changed clothes just now.”
Lin Su fell silent. He glanced toward the kitchen, where Shi Wenze was still busy. The situation was already clear: both parties were eager to meet, and the only person still putting up resistance… was himself. Like some awkward, unnecessary third wheel. But wasn’t he supposed to be the main character of his own story?
Leaning against the kitchen doorway, Lin Su felt inexplicably melancholy. Shi Wenze hadn’t managed to fry the fish into a fancy flower-basket shape, but the steamed mandarin fish still came out delicious. The scallion oil he’d poured over the top had a rich, sweet fragrance, reminiscent of the soy-glazed cod they used to eat together in high school. The sweet and sour ribs were perfect, and he’d even steamed a small bowl of shrimp and egg custard, plus stir-fried a plate of greens.
The weather was cool that evening, so they ate in the courtyard. The back gate stood ajar, letting out the soft glow of the yellow light bulb hanging beneath the eaves. Voices drifted in from neighbors chatting nearby, and a creaky three-wheeled cart squeaked past in the alley. The sunset had just faded. As dusk settled over the world, drawing in the warmth and bustle of human life, Shi Wenze headed out to buy a watermelon and left it chilling in the sink.
Lin Su started seriously considering the feasibility of coming here for dinner every day. Eating at a Michelin-starred restaurant might be somewhere around level five on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, but this little tattoo parlor kitchen? That was level one. A basic survival requirement that no one had the right to take away. So he asked, “Can I get my own meal card?”
Shi Wenze blinked. “…” Unlike a boyfriend trial card, a meal card could last a little longer—monthly, even. Shi Wenze took Lin Su’s hand and used his index finger to trace a perfectly straight-edged card onto his palm. Then he carefully wrote a large “30” in the center.
“All set,” he said. “One swipe per day. Expires after thirty.”
Love, as it turned out, meant finding someone who was willing to join you in playing all the strange and silly, yet sweet little games you could come up with. Lin Su curled his fingers into a fist. The two of them were very close now. The eyelashes he hadn’t been able to count in the hotel room before were clearly visible now—without needing 20/20 vision. 20/50 would do. Even 20/80. As long as the distance was close enough. Shi Wenze leaned in slightly. Just as their breaths were about to touch, Lin Su suddenly asked, “Is this the cost of the meal card?”
Shi Wenze froze for a beat, then laughed and kissed the side of Lin Su’s face. “That’s right. That’s the meal card fee.”
Lin Su reached up to wipe his face, then said with exaggerated nonchalance, “If you’re free later, come home with me. Have tea with my mom.”
Then, as if to clarify the reason, he added, “We’ll talk about the Jiayong Auction House’s private banquet.”
It was his way of emphasizing that the meeting wasn’t about confirming their relationship. The pursuit still needed to continue.
“Is your mom going to the banquet too?” Shi Wenze asked.
Lin Su nodded. “Song Tao called me today. My mom answered. He went ahead and invited her too—and sent your invitation to me along with hers.”
The inspection team’s operation later that night had to remain confidential. Judging by the previous meetings, it was going to be a big deal. Still, Shi Wenze felt confident he could keep both of them safe, so he didn’t object—he simply reported the situation to Zhou Yuansong.
Xu You spent a long while at his tutoring teacher’s house that night. By the time he got back, Shi Wenze and Lin Su had already returned to Qinghu Garden. So he missed out on imagining some sentimental scene like “my good bro steamed fish for the inspection team with his own hands—what a touching story.”
Instead, he stared at the leftover dishes in the fridge with grievance. So that’s how it is, Shi Wenze. You dared to secretly make four dishes and a soup while I was gone? Grabbing an apple, Xu You munched on it with a loud crunch and fired off a WeChat message to complain. Then he asked, If a foreign monster criminal suspect refuses to cooperate with an investigation, how are you supposed to confirm their identity?
Shi Wenze: What do you mean, criminal? Don’t say such unlucky things.
Xu You: Then go find me a clause in the law that says something lucky.
Shi Wenze stuffed his phone into his pocket and took a teacup from Si Longqiu, nodding politely. “Thank you, Auntie.”
“Don’t get up—sit,” Si Longqiu said warmly. “Xiao Su told me the Monster Commission’s been busy lately?”
“It’s all right. Just the usual patrols,” Shi Wenze replied. “Chengdu’s always been pretty safe.”
“Well, make sure you stay safe on the job,” she said. “I saw on the news last month that patrol squads in Su City have all been equipped with the latest Tabo HL8897 PLUS units. Do you guys have those?”
Lin Su, listening nearby, was completely lost. He leaned over to whisper to his sister, “Did you catch that? Tabo what? What even is that?”
Lin Lu pulled out her phone, did a quick search, and gave him a textbook answer: “It’s a brand of defense gear. Widely used in monster patrol teams.”
The terminology was way too specific—down to the exact model with a “PLUS” suffix. That could only mean one thing: Madam Si had done her homework. She’d prepared thoroughly for this conversation.
Lin Su: “…”
Opportunity favors the well-prepared. Si Longqiu and Shi Wenze chatted with ease—no awkward silences at all. They went from discussing protective gear to the commission’s detailed operations. The topics were unusual, but strangely harmonious. The dramatic scene Lin Lu had imagined never arrived. After a while, she grew sleepy and went upstairs to bed.
That left Lin Su alone by the window, completely unable to follow the conversation. He stared up at the stars, then down at his own thoughts, pondering the meaning of freedom, the logic of the universe, and the eternal question: Who am I? Where even am I?
Si Longqiu didn’t seem to have any real objections to Shi Wenze. Sure, she still thought it might be better if he were a future son-in-law instead of a son’s boyfriend—but she’d missed out on all her son’s adolescent secrets. And though moral pressure was often tacky, it was sometimes effective. Especially now, knowing the two had been high school classmates, she worried that if she disapproved of their relationship, her son might dramatically recount some angsty tale like: “Back in school, I had to repress my feelings under societal pressure… I didn’t get proper guidance from my parents… only years later did I finally find the courage to face my heart.”
Just thinking about it made her head hurt. That wasn’t the kind of headache a few ibuprofen could fix. STOP. She couldn’t afford to stir up trouble for no reason.
“I can pick Auntie up for the Jiayong Auction this Saturday,” Shi Wenze offered.
“No need. I’ve already made plans for tea with a friend. We’ll head over together,” Si Longqiu replied. “Just pick up Xiao Su.”
Shi Wenze nodded, then glanced at the clock on the wall. “It’s getting late. I’ll take my leave. Auntie, please rest early.”
“Of course.” Si Longqiu stood up. “Xiao Su, walk him out.”
But Lin Su had spiraled so deep into existential philosophy—mulling over the nature and immortality of the soul—that he seemed to float, his brain two steps behind.
“…What?” he said blankly.
Si Longqiu could only sigh. Ah. In order to make the other boy look smart, my son has apparently decided to play the fool himself.
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