Chapter 58 - The Family Dinner

The cooker's timer beeped and Zeng excused himself from the group to check the rice.

"Yul, prepare the salad and arrange the plates. I will bring everything to the dining table," Zeng instructed and Yul nodded.

Mrs Wang saw the dynamics between the two moving around smoothly in the kitchen. Her son never tried to cook after his initial first attempt which had miserably failed. But now he was literally using a knife without chopping off his fingers! Zeng passed him carrots, lettuce and cucumbers and Yul chopped them in appropriate pieces. Both worked so naturally along with each other.

Mrs Wang somehow felt proud. She volunteered to help Zeng carry all the things to the dining table.

Zeng also had brought a jar of warm water especially for Mr Wang. He had been informed once by Mrs Wang that her husband drank only warm water for the dinner. Zeng had carefully noted it. He knew him and Mr Wang had started off on the wrong foot so he would do everything right in order to let the man know how serious he was about his son. Zeng filled the jar and placed a cover over it to keep it warm. On the side, he also kept the small bottle of pills. Zeng glanced at Mrs Wang, appearing to ask if he did everything right and the woman showed a thumbs up.

The older Wang noticed the effort but didn't comment on it. He quietly took the medicine and gulped it down. The dinner started shortly after and it went better than Zeng had expected. Most of the talking was done by Yul's mother which included a thousand questions, naggings and complaints of not calling her often and more nagging about his health and safety.

"Why do you still use a bike? Buy a car," she suggested and Yul wrinkled his nose, repulsed by the thought, "Cars are no fun, mom."

"Cars are safe." His mother and Zeng said in unison, glaring at him.

By this time, Yul was sure his Zeng ge had formed a team with his mom. The "Yul protection squad". It was ironic how the one who could protect everyone in this room had to be treated like something vulnerable by these people older than him. Thank God, his father still didn't convert to their side or else he would truly be treated like a child, yet again.

Yul raised a hand and counted on his fingers, "I wear a helmet. I follow all the traffic rules. I drive within the speed limit. I am safe." He retorted back and his mother glared at him then looked back at Zeng.

"He is so stubborn. Just like a baby."

Zeng wholeheartedly agreed, "He always is. Especially in cases like this, he never listens to me."

"Let's just sell his bike!" His mother suggested, earning a whiny protest from Yul.

"Don't bully him," his father joined the conversation, with a calm tone of voice, "He can drive any vehicle he wants."

Mrs Wang and Zeng went quiet at the intervention and Yul smirked. He stuck his tongue out at Zeng who promised him a penalty later through his glare. Then Mrs Wang cleared her throat. "Honey, don't spoil him," she said to draw more words from him. The more he talked the better it would be to include him in the circle.

"You were the one who brought him the bike even when I said no," she complained further. "You know how youngsters drive these days. So dangerous!"

Mr Wang merely shook his head. "We too were youngsters once and you never complained when I took you on my bike for long rides back in the day." He said quite smugly but his eyes turned soft as he looked at the woman.

Mrs Wang gaped at the disclosure in front of other people and hit her husband's shoulder, trying to hide the shy smile emitting from her entire face.

Zeng blushed as he witnessed the flirting and thought that it was obvious who Yul learnt it from. Yul rolled his eyes like he had seen it before. He glanced at Zeng and leaned closer to him to whisper something in his ears. "This is us in twenty years, Zeng ge," he said and moved away, leaving Zeng's face heating at the imagination.

Mrs Wang resumed her point, "Only God knows what your obsession with bikes is and why do you support him in such a dangerous thing? He is just a kid,"

"And he is old enough to make his choices," Mr Wang added, "As a parent, whether I like them or not, I would support it as long as he is happy."

Yul looked positively stunned at the statement. He let out a sigh of relief as a smile appeared on his face. He offered his father a smile, who returned it. Then Mr Wang looked straight at Zeng to address him.

"I don't have my way with words and I don't know what is going through Yul's mind. Maybe it's a phase. Maybe it's not. I still don't know. I still don't understand. But I am trying to know more and will try to understand more because it's not about me. It's about him and whatever makes him happy. Right now, you are his happiness and I would sooner die than take it away from him."

Zeng nodded. It certainly was not easy for somebody to change their entire perspective of life. The roots of a heteronormative society embedded deep within their minds. He understood where Yul's father was coming from because at one point in time he too had internalised homophobia. It wasn't pleasant at all. Thankfully for him, he had a strong support system, a good environment, means of communication and information resources that made things a lot easier for him.

Yul's father had taken the first step. It took courage to do something that challenges the principles you had been taught your entire life. It was appreciable that Yul's father was ready to open up to new possibilities. Things would take time. It wasn't something that could happen in a day. Slowly but surely, he would reach there because he had initiated the first step to understand it.

"I am giving my son to you. Take care of him," the older Wang concluded.

Zeng nodded enthusiastically, "Yes, I will." Yul placed a strong palm over his hand, making him look up at him. Yul smiled reassuringly and Zeng couldn't help but join him. The way his eyes twinkled at the sheer happiness it brought him made Zeng feel that his existence was justified. Yes, it was to see this smile every day. The foreboding sensation that he was able to see this smile while hurting his parents had vanished. They had finally received an approval and it felt so nice, light as air. Moreover, the way Yul looked at him made him want to kiss him right there. By the looks of it, Yul wanted the same. They were seconds away from colliding with each other.

"Now now," Mrs Wang interrupted them before they could proceed, "Just because your father gave you his approval, it doesn't mean you start flirting around right in front of us! Have some mercy on us old people!" She said, teasingly.

Zeng covered half of his face and Yul just smiled, rubbing the back of his neck.. The embarrassed couple was a laughing feat for the older couple.