Professor Xie, isn't this a case of forcing customers to buy products that don't match the

It was 1 p.m. on the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month.

Shang Song dragged a 24-inch suitcase and carried a bulging backpack. As soon as he came downstairs, he saw the convoy of cars parked on the side of the road.

Leading the way was a Bentley Mulsanne, followed by the familiar black SUV that Shang Song recognized, and then the escort vehicle, an SUV whose brand Shang Song couldn't identify.

Shang Song stared at the Bentley Mulsanne emblem and sighed silently.

Okay, at least they're not three identical ones, and they don't look like they're "a group" anymore.

The rear window of the main vehicle was rolled down halfway, and Xie Jing turned to look at him: "Get in the car. Give the luggage to Lin Zhou."

Lin Zhou had already gotten out of the car and stepped forward to take the suitcase from his hand.

"Mr. Shang," Lin Zhou greeted with a smile.

"Thank you for your help!" Shang Song handed the suitcase to Lin Zhou, ran to Xie Jing in a few steps, opened the car door and got in.

As he took his backpack off, he peered into the trunk of the car: "The gifts aren't anything too extravagant, are they? Just ordinary New Year's gifts, right?"

"The gift was prepared by Lin Zhou." Xie Jing reached out and took his backpack, placing it on the seat, and added, "He knows what he's doing."

Shang Song fastened his seatbelt, then looked at Lin Zhou, who had already put away his luggage and was bending down to get into the car. Thinking about the reliable Lin Zhou, the little worry in his heart instantly disappeared.

"That's good!" He breathed a sigh of relief, a bright smile spreading across his face, and announced loudly, "Time to go home!"

The car started smoothly.

We drove out of the city and onto the highway.

The three-hour drive went by quickly.

The car exited the highway and entered the streets of the county town.

"Ah! Right, turn right at the next intersection, into that old residential compound!" Shang Song pointed out the way through the car window. "This is it!"

As agreed beforehand, the Mulsanne in front and the SUV behind quietly drove off onto another route before approaching Shang Song's residential area, leaving only the black SUV they were in, which eventually stopped in a quiet, old residential area.

As soon as Shang Song got off the bus with his backpack, he heard Grandma Li's loud voice from the next building:

"Hey! Xiao Song's back! That car is really impressive! You've really made something of yourself! Driving back for the New Year!"

"Xiao Song has grown up! He's so filial! The other day, packages kept coming to your house! Your parents were so happy! They're telling everyone how filial you are!"

Shang Song felt a chill run down his spine, but forced a smile and said, "Hello, Grandma Li! It wasn't my car; a friend gave me a ride home."

"Friends?" Aunt Wang, who was sunbathing with Grandma Li, glanced curiously at Xie Jing and Lin Zhou as they got out of the car. Her voice grew louder, especially when she saw Lin Zhou and the driver taking the gift boxes out of the trunk.

"Wow! Xiao Song, your friend is really impressive! He looks like a big star!"

Just then, from a fourth-floor window, Shang Song's mother leaned out, her face beaming with undisguised joy: "Songsong! We're here? This must be Professor Xie! Come on in, come on in! Come on in and have a seat!"

"Yes, Mom! Coming right up!" Shang Song quickly responded, trying to block Aunt Wang's gaze from scrutinizing Xie Jing, and turned to call to Xie Jing, "Let's go upstairs."

Lin Zhou and the driver carried the two people's luggage and most of the gift bags, Xie Jing also carried two elegant gift bags, while Shang Song carried his backpack and stepped into the dimly lit corridor first.

While I was climbing the stairs, Grandpa Li from the third floor opened the door, and we exchanged pleasantries again.

When I arrived at my apartment on the fourth floor, the old-fashioned security door with its peeling paint was wide open. The light inside was warm, and the aroma of food wafted out.

Shang Song's father, wearing an apron and holding a spatula, squeezed together with Shang Song's mother at the doorway, their faces beaming with smiles.

"Dad, Mom! I'm home!" Shang Song's voice was filled with the joy of returning home. He stepped aside to let Xie Jing behind him pass and began to speak, using the lines he had rehearsed countless times:

"This is my friend, Professor Xie. He's spending the Lunar New Year alone this year, so I invited him to our home to celebrate with us."

Xie Jing stepped forward and gently placed the gift bag in his hand by the door. "Uncle, Aunt, Happy New Year."

Then she nodded slightly to the two elders, her voice as melodious as the clinking of jade stones:

"I'm Xie Jing, Shang Song's boyfriend. Sorry to bother you."

The spatula in Shang Song's father's hand fell straight to the floor with a loud thud.

The smile on Shang Song's mother's face froze instantly. Her eyes widened as she looked at Xie Jing, then at her own son. Her lips moved, but no sound came out.

Shang Song: "…………"

His mind went blank.

It felt like a hundred thousand alpacas were galloping through my mind.

What happened to the "friends" we were supposed to be?! Why did Xie Jing, that old bastard, go all out right from the start?!

He hasn't come out to his parents yet!!!

Now the whole neighborhood, no, the whole area, will know that the old shopkeeper's son is not only gay, but he also brought a boyfriend home for the Chinese New Year this year!!!

He stood frozen in place, his ears ringing, and he could almost picture the path the news would take.

Grandpa Li, who was still peeking out from the third floor, told Grandma Li what happened, and then Aunt Wang, Aunt Huang, Uncle Zhao, and that big-mouthed guy from the Sun family...

His cheeks were burning hot, while Xie Jing, the culprit, remained as upright as a pine tree and as white as jade after delivering that earth-shattering self-introduction.

He even bent down, calmly picked up the spatula that Shang Song's father had dropped, and handed it back to the still-frozen Shang Song's father, his tone still shockingly calm:

"Uncle, here's your spatula."

Mr. Shang: "...Huh? Oh! Th-thank you..."

He took it instinctively, his eyes still fixed on it.

Finally, Mrs. Shang regained her voice. Looking at Xie Jing, and then at her nearly mature son, she managed to utter a few words with difficulty: "...Professor Xie, right...Please, please come in and sit down..."

"I apologize for bothering you." Xie Jing nodded slightly again, his manners impeccable.

He picked up the gift bag placed by the door and calmly stepped into the store.

Seeing this, Lin Zhou and the driver tacitly placed the bags of luggage and gifts they were carrying in a suitable place in the entrance hall, then quietly stepped back and bowed politely to Shang Song's parents: "Mr. Shang, Mrs. Shang, please leave the gifts and luggage here. We won't disturb you any longer. We'll take our leave now."

"Huh? You're leaving already? Why don't you stay for a simple meal?" Mr. Shang said.

Thank you for your kind offer, but we have other plans. Wishing you and your family a happy New Year.

Lin Zhou smiled and politely declined, then turned and went downstairs with the driver, leaving the four people inside looking at each other in bewilderment.