Part 3
Tang Yue’s eyes drifted over there, choosing to change the subject. He asked Liu Xichao back, “San-ge, why are you so tired? Is work too hard? I heard you’re joining a cast again next week.”
Liu Xichao: “I drank too much yesterday. Your sister can really drink; she drank both me and Jiang He under the table. Terrifying.”
Yao Lixin felt isolated: “The three of you had a gathering last night!”
Liu Xichao: “We went to eat at Tang Yue’s sister’s house.”
Yao Lixin sighed: “It is I who was unworthy to go.”
Liu Xichao kicked him. “Stop acting. Just find someone in your family to marry into ours.”
Yao Lixin let out an “Ah.” “Business marriage isn’t good, right? You guys are the ‘Big Three Wealthy Families’ on the internet now. My family is small and humble, how could I climb that high?”
Liu Xichao: “But we only have one Xiao Mie here.”
Tang Yue: “Don’t place hope on the child. Just let the little kid be happy.”
Yao Lixin: “You don’t know how envious the internet is of Xiao Mie, saying he’s destined to become the richest person at such a young age hahahaha.”
Yao Lixin: “Is Liu Xichao regretting that he can’t give birth?”
Liu Xichao: “Get lost. Look at Jiang He, does he look like he can perform?”
Tang Yue glanced at the ankle exposed when Liu Xichao kicked someone. The bruise on it was too obvious. He hesitated for a good while before saying, “It seems Mr. Jiang isn’t as frail as he looks.”
Yao Lixin followed Tang Yue’s gaze and whistled.
Liu Xichao indignantly pulled at his pant leg. “Tang Yue, you’ve changed.”
Tang Yue lifted his coffee and shook his head. “My feelings for San-ge can be witnessed by heaven and earth.”
Liu Xichao: “If Jiang Shulu hears that, he’ll put on his coffin face again.”
He paused, then asked Tang Yue, “How are the preparations for your new album going? The concert will be after the New Year, right?”
Yao Lixin: “Real or fake? I received a message from Lin-jie saying she wants to prepare a small fan-oriented concert for Tang Yue to warm up.”
Liu Xichao looked at Tang Yue.
Tang Yue nodded. “It opens in the twelfth lunar month.”
Tang Yue and Jiang Shulu had gone overboard at home and he forgot to bring his phone when going out. Now that Jiang Shulu had gone for interviews, his phone was with Tang Yue.
Liu Xichao watched Tang Yue replying to fan messages using Jiang Shulu’s Weibo, and the corner of his mouth twitched.
These emojis, these kaomoji… having them under Jiang Shulu’s name was just too terrifying.
Yao Lixin: “That’s very soon. Are the prepared songs new ones or previous singles?”
Tang Yue: “Both. The location is at the stadium where we had our debut concert.”
Liu Xichao was a bit dissatisfied. “Why did you tell Yao Lixin but not me?”
Yao Lixin: “Probably because I’m closer to Xiao Yue.”
Liu Xichao: “Don’t be too smug. Are you closer than Jiang Shulu?”
He tutted. “Fans are like microscopes. Even the tooth mark on Jiang Shulu’s ear can be magnified. Too scary.”
Liu Xichao nudged Tang Yue with his elbow. “You guys didn’t actually… this morning, right?”
Tang Yue: “Wouldn’t you?”
This counter-question was asked too righteously. Liu Xichao choked on his words.
Yao Lixin: “What about the child? Do you plan to announce it officially like Senior Sheng did, or just leave it like this?”
Tang Yue: “Lin-jie just told me to just announce it at the concert.”
Yao Lixin said “Wow.” “Why do you two like to play so big?”
He reviewed what had happened recently and felt that Jiang Shulu himself just loved excitement.
He didn’t expect Tang Yue, who looked cold and aloof, to like this tone too.
Liu Xichao: “I heard the Captain found his birth mother’s family. Have you met them, Xiao Yue?”
Tang Yue really didn’t look like someone who could be linked to family gossip, so Liu Xichao hadn’t held out hope for his and Jiang Shulu’s relationship initially.
He didn’t expect Jiang Shulu’s ambition to be so great—not only leaving, but grabbing everything into his own hands.
And he hid it well, making even Jiang He feel a little hurt, though he felt it fitted Jiang Shulu’s style.
Tang Yue shook his head. “I’ve been very busy lately, and Shulu-ge is also very busy. We haven’t arranged it.”
As a solitary person from Planet 9787, they didn’t have grand festivals there. If one was willing, they could party every day, let alone dealing with various relatives.
Tang Yue occasionally thought about the original Tang Yue who had swapped with him.
He wondered if the spice merchant uncle that Mom mentioned had come to find him because of this impact.
Then that person could be saved, and perhaps leave Planet 9787.
Liu Xichao rubbed Tang Yue’s head. “Anyway, Jiang Shulu is with you, there’s nothing to be afraid of.”
“It’s just that there’s been too damn much news about men giving birth lately. My little brother even asked me if I could give birth. Wow, that kid.”
Yao Lixin almost sprayed his coffee.
The three of them chatted casually for a bit longer, and finally, Tang Yue went out to eat with these two.
Jiang Shulu hadn’t rested much all day, with partners visiting in turn. Tang Yue was entrusted to Liu Xichao, asking him to help send Tang Yue home.
By the time Jiang Shulu got home, it was past mealtime. Liu Xichao said in the group chat that he was going back to eat with Jiang He, and Yao Lixin went to deliver a love cake to his wife.
The calendar had reached the end of the year. It had been very, very cold recently. Many people guessed that S City was about to welcome a heavy snow after seven years.
Jiang Shulu parked the car and walked home. Hearing the noise, Tang Mian jumped down from the dining chair and ran toward Jiang Shulu.
There was a smell of something burnt in the air. Jiang Shulu asked, “What is Xiao Yue doing?”
Tang Mian: “He said he wanted to grill fish, but it seems…”
Tang Mian hesitated to speak. Jiang Shulu laughed, hooked his finger around the paper bag to hand it to Tang Mian, and then walked toward Tang Yue in the kitchen.
Tang Yue had just turned off the fire and was smashing potatoes.
His cooking skills always performed consistently—he could only make baby food.
On the contrary, Tang Mian often looked at recipes. If he wasn’t still too small, he probably would have taken over the ladle already.
The speaker was playing a recent pop song. Tang Yue hummed along while smashing potatoes; the banging sound was a bit like renovation work.
Tang Mian carried the lotus pastry Jiang Shulu brought back, opened it, and sent a photo to Yao Xuanyu.
The intention to show off was very obvious. The kid on the other side didn’t show weakness either, sending back an eggplant-shaped cake.
Tang Yue smashed with focus, not realizing Jiang Shulu had been standing behind him for a while. Tang Yue didn’t react until the other’s arms circled his waist, almost jumping up in surprise.
Jiang Shulu: “Are you mincing meat? It’s so loud.”
Tang Yue put down the knife, turned around, and leaned against Jiang Shulu. “Then you do it.”
Jiang Shulu: “Didn’t you say there was good food at home?”
Tang Yue sighed listlessly. “I thought I could make grilled fish, but following the tutorial, I realized something was wrong.”
Over there, Tang Mian said loudly, “I told you, Papa, braising it directly is the same! Isn’t that how we did it before?”
Tang Yue rested his chin on Jiang Shulu’s shoulder, not putting his hands up though. He gave an “Oh” sound. “I just wanted to try something new.”
Jiang Shulu looked at the ingredients Tang Yue had cut. “Do you still need to smash the potatoes flat before boiling them?”
Tang Yue: “I wanted to make this…”
He took out his phone.
Jiang Shulu: “You’ve already smashed so many flat, that’s very impressive.”
Tang Yue glanced at Jiang Shulu. Jiang Shulu smiled back, and finally, Tang Yue admitted defeat.
“Shulu-ge, stop coaxing me.”
Jiang Shulu grabbed Tang Yue’s wrist. “Teacher Tang’s hands are better suited for playing the piano. Go eat something with Xiao Yue.”
Tang Yue: “I’ll watch you cook.”
Jiang Shulu: “I’m going to change my clothes.”
Tang Yue: “Want me to help you change?”
As Jiang Shulu walked upstairs, Tang Yue followed stickily behind.
Jiang Shulu: “Being this good?”
He trotted upstairs, and Tang Yue chased after him, making quite a lot of noise.
Tang Mian was on a video call with Yao Xuanyu. Yao Xuanyu asked, “Xiao Mie, what’s going on over there?”
He vaguely saw Tang Yue and Jiang Shulu chasing each other in the background and thought he was seeing things.
Recommended Reads
![Enemies on a Narrow Road [Esports]](https://beereads.space/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/enemies-on-a-narrow-road-214x300.jpg)
