"Morning, Mom!"

I forced a grin at the figure in the doorway, sweat trickling down my spine.

I’d planned to sneak in quietly, but she’d somehow sensed me—cracking the door open first, her glare sharp enough to cut.

How? Some mother-son sixth sense?

"It’s noon, ‘morning’? You vanish for years, then show up possessed or sick?!"

Mom blocked the threshold, arms crossed. No warm reunion here—every word dripped with resentment, thick and clinging.

She waited. If my excuse didn’t satisfy her, I wouldn’t cross this door today.

Headache incoming…

"I’ve been swamped! I’m not a kid anymore—I’m a writer with responsibilities—"

Back in college, bored between life plans, I’d scribbled a few stories. When a publisher’s contest popped up, I thought, *Why not test the waters?*

Turns out, I’d accidentally snagged their grand prize—a title unclaimed for years—and blew up overnight.

Just last month, my debut novel hit shelves. *Riding high on success*, they’d call it.

"Ohh~ *Too busy*?"

Mom hooked her foot against the doorframe. My explanation only stoked her fire; her eyes turned dangerous.

"..."

Years of survival instincts kicked in. I stepped back, voice small.

*Wait—she’s a writer too! She knows that soul-crushing blank-page despair!*

"So when Xiaoxi was home for break, you visited daily. Now she’s back at uni, suddenly you’re ‘swamped’?"

Her tone soured with jealousy. Guilty. I *had* come every day while Xiaoxi was home.

"Of course! I didn’t write a single word then—I’m making up for it now!"

Xiaoxi’s in college. Only holidays bring her home. If I don’t visit then, when?

Let sibling bonds fade? I refuse to become a stranger to her.

"And I’m twenty-five! Should I still be mooching off you?!"

I’d moved out the moment my royalties covered rent. A man stands on his own.

"You’ll always be my son. Coming home is your duty. Next time you skip visits? Don’t bother knocking."

Her glare softened slightly. She’d missed me—I knew it. *Mother and son, hearts linked*.

Besides, independence *should* make her proud. Would she prefer a lazy son rotting at home?

"Yeah, yeah…"

I scratched my neck, shame warming my cheeks. Truth was, deadlines had kept me away.

With Xiaoxi gone and Dad working late at his shop, Mom’s loneliness made sense.

"Get inside before neighbors think I’ve disowned you."

She huffed, stepping aside.

"*Yes*, ma’am."

*Disowned? You literally barred the door!*

"Auntie!"

The girl behind me finally spoke as the door widened.

Mom and I had been locked in a verbal duel, the gap too narrow for interruptions.

"..."

Mom froze. Slowly, she turned—eyes blazing at me.

"Why didn’t you say Fang Yiyi was with you?!"

Her lips tightened. Locking *me* out was fine. Locking out *Fang Yiyi*? Unforgivable.

"Not my fault! You wouldn’t let me *in*!"

Open the door sooner, and you’d have seen her hours ago.

"Yiyi! Sweetheart, come in!" Mom rushed past me, shoving me aside. She seized Fang Yiyi’s hands, beaming. "Haven’t seen you in ages—you’re glowing!"

"Hey! Why push me?!"

I stumbled. *You* blocked the door—why take it out on *me*?

SLAM!

The door crashed shut. No reply.

"...Only my mother."

I chuckled, unlocking it myself. *Trust no one but yourself.*

Predictable. Fang Yiyi appears, and I become invisible.

"Have you eaten? Should I ask Ye Xi to cook for you?"

Mom had already settled Fang Yiyi on the sofa. *Sold me out instantly.*

Since when do I play chef? "Ask Ye Xi"? My opinion didn’t matter?

"I ate on the way, Auntie!" Fang Yiyi declined gently, glancing back at me. Relief washed over her face when she spotted me.

"Oh…" Mom’s gaze flicked to me, icy. She looked away.

"Mom, I need to talk—"

I strode over, dropping gifts on the coffee table. This was why I’d brought Fang Yiyi.

"Can’t you see I’m chatting with Yiyi? Go play somewhere else!"

*Play?!* You were *begging* to see me minutes ago!

"Yiyi, here to see Xiaoxi? She won’t be back for days—"

Mom waved me off, turning back to Fang Yiyi. She had no idea why we were really here.

"N-no…" Fang Yiyi fidgeted under Mom’s intensity, eyes pleading with me for rescue.

*Sigh.* Mom’s warmth always smothered newcomers. Just like Fang Yiyi’s first visit.

"Mom. *Please*." I cut in firmly. "This is serious. For both of us."

Last night, Fang Yiyi and I rehearsed a hundred approaches. Her father was already on board.

Only Mom remained. Dad wouldn’t be home until evening—and this needed *her* approval. Our futures hung in the balance.

"Fine! Talk!" Mom relented, noticing Fang Yiyi’s discomfort. She forced calm onto her face.

"Sit. *Properly*."

I pressed her shoulders down onto the sofa, bracing the armrest.

If I didn’t, she might fall off when she heard the news.

*Deep breath. Another. One more.*

My mind went blank. Last night’s rehearsals vanished.

I’d been stunned too when I first heard.

"Let me tell her," Fang Yiyi offered softly, her smile warm.

"No." I shook my head hard. "This is *my* duty."

Mom’s eyes darted between us, utterly lost. "What’s going on?"

Huff—

"Mom, just take a look!"

I took another deep breath, bent down, and grabbed Fang Yiyi’s shoulder bag. I opened it, flipped through the contents casually, and easily pulled out a slip of paper.

"You guys—"

I reached to hand it to Mom, but when I looked up, I met her slightly startled gaze.

I hadn’t warned anyone before rummaging through Fang Yiyi’s bag. It might seem rude, but Fang Yiyi showed no discomfort at all.

This flood of information was overwhelming for Mom. She needed time to process it—but I had none to spare.

Strike while the iron’s hot; delay only saps your strength.

"Don’t say a word. Just read this first!"

I seized Mom’s hand and firmly pressed the form into her palm.

Yesterday, when Fang Yiyi showed me this, the page was dense with tiny characters. I knew every one, yet they felt utterly foreign. My eyes had only caught the final line:

"Fang Yiyi, confirmed pregnancy, three weeks along."

"What is this—"

Mom skimmed it quickly. Her pupils widened. Her expression shifted to pure shock.

She looked up, started to speak to me, then seemed to doubt her own eyes.

She lowered her head again… reading every word slowly, especially that last sentence. She couldn’t afford to miss a single character.

"You two???"

Her hand trembled slightly. Her gaze darted between me and Fang Yiyi.

"There’s been a… small accident," I said awkwardly. When I heard this news yesterday, my reaction was way more extreme…

I’d spun Fang Yiyi around so many times I lost count. Pure joy mixed with shock—I never expected this surprise.

"Ye!!!! Xi!!!!"

Can a face really shift from pale to dark in seconds?

I didn’t know before. Now I did.

"H-here… h-here…"

What the hell was that? So… terrifying!

I swear—I’d never seen Mom like this. This was the angriest she’d ever been in my life.

"Can you explain what this is? Huh?!"

Mom’s teeth ground together with a crunching sound. Her eyes blazed with fury, like an enraged lioness.

Of course I knew why.

To Mom, Fang Yiyi often visited our home—but only to chat with Xiaoxi. Fang Yiyi and I were just classmates, from high school through college…

Mom had always wanted to set us up. We both knew it. But we’d always smoothly changed the subject. Eventually, she only mentioned it occasionally. She truly treated Fang Yiyi like a daughter…

Now, suddenly telling her Fang Yiyi was pregnant—and it was mine—how could she accept that?

She might even think I’d done something unforgivable, and now Fang Yiyi was here to confront me…

"Don’t… don’t do anything rash," I urged, trying to calm her.

The story was simple: yesterday, my novel got published. Fang Yiyi insisted on celebrating.

Celebrating meant eating out.

Eating meant drinking.

At first, to be considerate, I ordered juice. I thought that was enough—but Fang Yiyi insisted on sharing wine with me.

I couldn’t refuse. We weren’t kids anymore, I reasoned. A little drink wouldn’t hurt. Then… everything went black.

What was this called? Drunken mistake?

Time passed. Now here we were.

"What accident? You got a girl pregnant and call it an accident?"

Mom’s face flushed crimson. Blood rushed to her head. This time, she was truly furious.

She’d treated Fang Yiyi like a daughter. Now this happened—and it was my fault. That she hadn’t hit me yet was a miracle.

"Auntie, it’s not Ye Xi’s fault. We’ve been dating for a long time."

Seeing Mom’s emotions spiral, Fang Yiyi gently tugged her wrist and said it lightly.

Those words hit harder than a hundred explanations from me. Mom froze completely.

"..."

She stood stunned for ten full seconds, digesting Fang Yiyi’s words.

"Yiyi… what… did you just say?"

Mom either hadn’t heard clearly or couldn’t believe it. She stared at Fang Yiyi, incredulous, wanting her to repeat it.

"Ye Xi and I have been in a relationship for a long time. This was my choice too…"

"Long time?! Impossible! How didn’t I know?! When did it start?"

Mom fired questions rapidly, her confusion plain.

I’d never told her—I didn’t even know when things changed between us.

Maybe it just happened. Neither of us said it aloud, but we both silently accepted it.

"..."

Fang Yiyi didn’t answer this time. She just gave a soft smile and looked at me, signaling for me to speak.

"Probably… since university," I mumbled. How would I know the exact moment?

In high school, we were already close—as if skipping the "boyfriend-girlfriend" label, our bond deepening unnoticed.

I took a few steps back until my back pressed against the wall. No matter my age, Mom was still Mom. I’d never dare act out before her…

Besides…

I’d never smelled death so clearly. A vision flashed: an old woman by a wooden bridge, holding a bowl of soup and smiling at me.

"Ye Xi! So you hid this all these years? Great acting skills…"

Mom stood up, cracking her knuckles and twisting her neck with loud pops. Her fist looked ready to fly.

Damn! When did Mom get so strong?

"You kept pressuring me! How could I tell you?"

I sidestepped right and hid behind Fang Yiyi, my hands on her shoulders. We stood together…

If anyone could save me now, it was Fang Yiyi.

"If you’d told me earlier, why would I pressure you?"

Mom sighed, resigned. She couldn’t explode now. Things were done. She pinched her brow, unsure what to say next…

"So what’s your plan now?"

"Marry!" I declared without hesitation. "I can support her now."

"Is that so… Yiyi… what about you?"

After a pause, Mom turned to Fang Yiyi, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

"My father… Ye Xi and I visited him this morning. He was overjoyed…"

"Is that so… then I have no reason to refuse."

"You agreed?"

It took me three seconds to grasp her meaning. I’d expected more scolding…

"Yiyi, from now on, this brat is in your hands."

Fang Yiyi’s face flushed crimson to her ears. Sweat beaded on her forehead. Her body trembled slightly.

"Auntie… don’t say that. Ye Xi is gentle. When I was at my lowest, he helped me. Without him, my father and I wouldn’t have reconciled…"

Fang Yiyi reached up and held the hand on her shoulder. Mom’s lips curled into a faint, involuntary smile.

"Good! I won’t worry about you anymore. You’re lucky!"

Mom shot me a glare, but her voice brimmed with excitement.

"Yiyi, is your father free tomorrow? Let’s discuss your wedding plans…"

"Oh! Yes. I came today to tell you that."

"Dad must come home this afternoon. We have no preparations for something this big."

Mom shook her head. As she reached for her phone, she seemed to recall something amusing. In a flash, she stood right before us…

Fast! So fast! What was this person’s deal?!

"Yiyi, come on. Since it’s settled, call me Mom…"

"Eh~"

"Hey! Mom, don’t push it!"

I rushed to Fang Yiyi’s side. This was moving too fast!

Parents really are alike. This morning, I’d just called her dad "Dad." Now she wanted Fang Yiyi to call her "Mom." Were they coordinating? How so in sync?!

"What’s the rush? You’ll marry anyway. You’ll call me that sooner or later!"

"..."

Sooner or later? What logic was that?

Just as I prepared to argue, Fang Yiyi tugged my sleeve and shook her head. Her meaning was clear.

"Don’t force yourself!"

Why not let me refuse? Why play along?

Even now, Fang Yiyi still hadn’t learned to say no…

"Oh… um…"

Fang Yiyi’s voice faded as her head lowered. She kept glancing at me, then quickly looking away when caught…

She was clearly struggling. Mom, why rush her?

But beyond her usual calm self, this vulnerable, delicate side of Fang Yiyi was new to me…

"Come on! You can do it!"

Seeing Fang Yiyi hesitate, Mom crouched before her, cheerfully encouraging her—though I doubted it helped…

Time stretched. I grew nervous, afraid she’d break down.

Finally, after Mom’s relentless cheers, a soft, barely audible word escaped Fang Yiyi’s lips…

"Mom~~"