Chapter 72: Two Pairs of Gloves

"Damn it, the administrator in Building F only gives me broken tables and old chairs. If I'm not careful, I'm going to trip and fall. I even slipped him a pack of Zhonghua cigarettes!" 

Chen Hansheng cursed as he got up, blaming the furniture and the administrator. 

After sitting back down, Chen Hansheng kindly reminded Shen Youchu, "Be careful when you sit on these chairs in the future, so you don't fall." 

"I know." 

Shen Youchu's voice was as soft and gentle as ever.

Chen Hansheng's heart was pounding like a drum, but his voice and tone remained as calm as usual. He wasn't at all worried about Shen Youchu meeting Empress Dowager Liang; what really concerned him was whether someone from Dong University was with her. However, he couldn't ask directly, as it would be too obvious, even if Shen Youchu might not realize it.

"Ahem." 

Chen Hansheng cleared his throat and casually made small talk, "I don't know what my mom's doing, coming to my school all the way from the hotel at night. The roads aren't great in the evening." 

"Auntie Liang and Uncle Chen came together," Shen Youchu explained seriously.

"Phew…" 

It was only Old Chen, and Chen Hansheng finally relaxed, taking the opportunity to exhale deeply under the guise of blowing out smoke. 

"So, how did it go? Did you have a nice chat?" 

Chen Hansheng finally smiled, although he didn't care at all about what they talked about. 

He knew his mother well enough; she'd mostly ask about the girl's relationship with him and, at most, delve into family background.

"It was… okay." 

Shen Youchu wasn't sure what "having a nice chat" meant, but she could sense that Auntie Liang was always kind to her.

"Alright then, I'm heading over to see my mom now. Want to come with me?" 

Even though he knew that Shen Youchu's personality wouldn't allow her to agree, Chen Hansheng still asked.

As expected, Shen Youchu shook her head. "I-I'll stay here and clean up the room."

Just as Chen Hansheng was about to leave, Shen Youchu pulled a pair of knitted gloves from her bag and handed them over.

"For me?" 

Chen Hansheng tried them on but found them too small.

"They're for Auntie. She said her hands were cold last night," Shen Youchu said quietly.

It was only then that Chen Hansheng noticed the dark circles under Shen Youchu's eyes.

"Did you stay up all night knitting these?" 

Chen Hansheng asked.

Blushing, Shen Youchu didn't answer and started wiping down the room with a cloth.

Chen Hansheng sighed, tucked the gloves into his pocket, and left for the hotel.

…

Unexpectedly, Xiao Rongyu was at the hotel too, sitting on the edge of the bed and chatting with Chen Zhaojun and Liang Meijuan.

"Wow, the whole family's here. I guess I'm the outsider," Chen Hansheng greeted with a smile.

Xiao Rongyu turned her head and flashed a warm smile, her skin fairer than snow and her dimples like blossoms in spring.

"Aren't you an outsider?" 

Liang Meijuan rolled her eyes at Chen Hansheng. "I got a small cold sore on my hand coming to Jianye, and Little Yu'er took the morning off to buy me real leather gloves from Dongshan Department Store. What about you?" 

Chen Hansheng was momentarily stunned to see Liang Meijuan holding a pair of black crocodile leather gloves that looked shiny and expensive.

Casually, he pushed the knitted gloves deeper into his pocket and said dismissively, "Why bother with Dongshan Department Store? You can just grab a pair from Yiwu Commodity Market."

"Look, just look at the son I've raised for 18 years," Liang Meijuan complained to Xiao Rongyu. "Little Yu'er, never choose a boyfriend like this—one who won't even buy a decent pair of gloves for his own mother."

Xiao Rongyu smiled with her eyes, about to say something when her phone suddenly rang. 

After taking the call, she playfully stuck out her tongue. "Uncle Chen, Auntie Liang, I have to go now. I didn't inform my counselor when I went out this morning, and she just called to ask. Xiao Chen, you stay here and have lunch with Auntie."

"Alright, hurry back and explain things to your counselor. Stay safe," Liang Meijuan advised warmly.

After Xiao Rongyu left, Liang Meijuan's kind expression turned stern.

Chen Hansheng pretended not to notice and said, "These gloves are really nice. Little Yu'er is so thoughtful."

Liang Meijuan snatched the gloves away, not letting Chen Hansheng touch them.

Chen Hansheng didn't mind. He cheerfully took out the knitted gloves from his pocket and said, "These are from Shen Youchu. She stayed up late last night knitting them for you."

Liang Meijuan looked surprised as she accepted them. The gloves had neat stitching, showing that Shen Youchu was used to doing housework.

She glanced at the leather gloves in her left hand and the knitted ones in her right. After a long silence, she suddenly picked up the kettle on the bedside table, ready to throw it at Chen Hansheng.

"You little rascal, look at the mess you've created!"

Chen Zhaojun hurriedly intervened to stop her, as the kettle contained hot water and could cause serious burns. 

Chen Hansheng quickly dodged and reasoned, "Mom, as the old saying goes, a small stick teaches obedience, but a big stick makes one flee. I'm willing to be hit or scolded if it helps your mood, but if you use boiling water, then I'll have to leave."

"Otherwise, if I really get burned, you'll only feel worse."

Hearing him defend himself so confidently, Liang Meijuan became even angrier. But she set down the kettle and grabbed the hotel slipper, throwing it at Chen Hansheng instead.

Seeing it was just a slipper, Chen Hansheng didn't dodge but fell onto the bed, covering his head with a blanket and letting her hit him at will.

*Smack, smack, smack.*

Liang Meijuan was really putting her strength into it, but how much damage could a hotel slipper do? Chen Hansheng, bundled in his fall clothes, was almost falling asleep.

Liang Meijuan, realizing how stubborn her son was, got tired and broke into a sweat, while Chen Hansheng barely reacted.

"You hit him," Liang Meijuan panted, handing the slipper to Chen Zhaojun.

Chen Zhaojun, who always preferred a peaceful solution, knew his wife needed this. He took the slipper and gave Chen Hansheng a hard whack on the butt.

Chen Hansheng shot up, "Dad, you're going all out?"

Chen Zhaojun gave Liang Meijuan a look, thinking, *If I don't hit him for real, you won't calm down.*

Chen Hansheng rubbed his butt. Seeing his mother still sitting angrily on the bed, he grinned and hugged her shoulders, "Mom, you've hit and scolded me. Let's go have lunch now."

"Ah, your dad and I are simple folks. How did we end up with a son like you?" 

Liang Meijuan softened, holding the two pairs of gloves with teary eyes. "The palm and the back of the hand are both flesh, but you can't have both, can you?"

Chen Hansheng pretended not to understand, "Are we having goose feet for lunch?"

Liang Meijuan glared at him and gave in, "Just tell me, which pair of gloves do you want me to keep?"

"Whichever you like, Mom. It has nothing to do with me," Chen Hansheng said innocently.

Then he added, "If I were you, I'd keep both. Use one pair when the other gets dirty. Rotating them is the best."

The room fell silent for a moment. Then Liang Meijuan, clutching her chest, said, "Honey, pass me the slipper again."

*Smack, smack, smack.*

And so another round of cheerful "bamboo shoots fried with meat" began. 

…