Chapter 1: Breakup
Zhu Yunxuan opened his apartment door with his key and was immediately greeted by the aroma of food. Lu Ming was sitting on the sofa holding his son while watching TV, and Lu Ming’s ex-wife, Tian Lan, was cooking in the kitchen.
His arrival didn’t catch the attention of any of the three. After a while, Tian Lan poked her head out from the kitchen and called, “Lu Ming, we’re out of soy sauce. Go downstairs and buy a bottle—the same brand we always use!”
“Alright! Good boy, want to come with Daddy to buy soy sauce?” Lu Ming stood up from the sofa with his son in his arms and finally noticed Zhu Yunxuan standing at the entrance. “You’re back?”
Zhu Yunxuan glanced at him without responding and went straight to his room.
He had met Lu Ming a year ago. At that time, Lu Ming had just gotten divorced and come out of the closet. He had been crying in a bar, saying how sorry he was to his wife and child. That sense of guilt in him made Zhu Yunxuan take a few more looks.
After that, he learned quite a bit about Lu Ming. For example, Lu Ming had left his money and house to his ex-wife as compensation, and had begged and pleaded just to get custody of his son. He cherished the boy like his own eyeballs, personally taking him to and from school every day, and had even started learning housework and how to cook.
He also learned that Lu Ming had only realized he liked men after getting married and had never been involved in the gay community before.
Lu Ming, it seemed, wasn’t looking for a chaotic lifestyle—he wanted a long-term partner.
His coming out had caused such a stir that his parents disowned him, and he had to switch companies in the end.
So, on Qixi Festival (Chinese Valentine’s Day) last year, Zhu Yunxuan took a drink and sat down in front of Lu Ming.
Things between them developed quickly and smoothly. Zhu Yunxuan even believed they would grow old together, raising Lu Ming’s son and eventually becoming two old men playing ¹tai chi or cards downstairs, cheating their way to victory against the neighborhood grannies and grandpas. But dreams, after all, are just dreams.
Lu Ming loved his son dearly and naturally couldn’t bear for him to grow up without a mother, so contact with his ex-wife was inevitable. Zhu Yunxuan didn’t mind that. What he did mind was that every time Lu Bin returned from his maternal grandmother’s house, he would openly express his dislike for him.
Zhu Yunxuan had treated Lu Bin well. Knowing he probably wouldn’t have a child of his own in this lifetime, he had even treated the boy like his own son at first. But what happened in return?
If he gave Lu Bin snacks and the boy got diarrhea, it was his fault. If he didn’t give Lu Bin snacks, he was being cruel.
Eventually, as long as Zhu Yunxuan cooked the meal, Lu Bin would absolutely refuse to eat it.
They were renting a two-bedroom apartment now. Every night, when Zhu Yunxuan and Lu Ming were in their room, Lu Bin would come knocking. Lu Ming had to coax his son to sleep before he could even cuddle with Zhu Yunxuan for a bit…
And that wasn’t the worst of it. Whether it was Lu Bin’s mother or Lu Ming’s parents—who disowned their son but acknowledged their grandson—they all badmouthed Zhu Yunxuan in front of the child. As a result, Lu Bin’s attitude toward him only worsened.
He had heard Lu Bin call him “bastard” before, and had gotten used to how, even at such a young age, Lu Bin knew how to fabricate lies to slander him—like falsely accusing him of hitting him.
Children’s lies are easy to expose, and Zhu Yunxuan was not the kind of person to be easily provoked, so Lu Ming knew the trouble was caused by his son. However, because he loved his son so much, he couldn’t bear to scold or punish him, which meant Zhu Yunxuan had to put up with it.
Zhu Yunxuan didn’t mind suffering some grievances and hadn’t planned to argue with a child. But now, he really couldn’t take it anymore!
Just a week ago, Lu Ming suddenly bought him a bouquet of roses. Before Zhu Yunxuan could even be happy, Lu Ming leaned on him and said, “Yunxuan, I need to talk to you about something…”
“What is it?” Zhu Yunxuan admitted he was softhearted, and in a good mood at the moment. If Lu Ming wanted him to forgive Lu Bin for throwing the bowl in anger over the food he made, he would have agreed without a second thought.
“Yunxuan, a child can’t grow up without a mother’s love. Two big men like us can’t properly take care of a child. If the child picks up bad habits, it’ll be a problem…” Lu Ming rubbed against Zhu Yunxuan, and their bodies became aroused.
“What do you mean?” Zhu Yunxuan’s gaze turned cold. He was worried that the child would pick up bad habits? If that were the case, why was Lu Ming still clinging to him?
“I want Tian Lan to come and work as a nanny in our house. You know Tian Lan was a housewife before, and now she’s not working…” Lu Ming’s awkward expression was still fresh in Zhu Yunxuan’s mind.
Without thinking, he kicked Lu Ming off the bed, resolutely refusing. He knew Lu Ming had probably been persuaded by his parents, who wanted him to reconcile with Tian Lan, but letting Lu Ming’s ex-wife come to work as their nanny? What kind of joke was that?
The two argued loudly, and as a result, Lu Bin, who was sleeping in the next room, was woken up and started crying. Lu Ming immediately went to comfort him.
That night, Zhu Yunxuan couldn’t sleep at all, and Lu Ming stayed in his son’s room. The next day, Tian Lan came to their house, and now, a whole week had passed.
They went to the botanical garden together as a family of three. They ate together, took walks together, and did everything together…
They were a happy family of three. What was he?
Zhu Yunxuan looked at the photo in the master bedroom, the one he and Lu Ming took together. They both smiled happily, but Lu Bin, standing in the middle, had an unhappy expression.
Zhu Yunxuan had always had a short temper since he was a child. It wasn’t until he came out and his family cut ties with him, leaving him to rely solely on himself, that he had learned to hold back. But now…
He grabbed the photo frame and threw it to the ground. “Lu Ming, go live your life with your family! From now on, let’s stay out of each other’s business!”
“Ah!” Outside the door, Tian Lan cried out in surprise as something else shattered.
Zhu Yunxuan sneered. Tian Lan wasn’t as fragile as she appeared. But Lu Ming, that bastard, was clearly falling for this act! Just like Lu Bin, even though Lu Ming knew it was Lu Bin slandering him most of the time, he didn’t dare speak up because he felt guilty for divorcing and thought it was bad for the child. In the past, he had thought it wasn’t worth arguing with a child, but this past week had made him see clearly. That’s right—what does a child know? If he hated him so much, wasn’t it because others taught him to? At the beginning, Lu Bin had been calling him “uncle” happily!
This really wasn’t anyone else’s fault—if anyone was to blame, it was himself for being stupid enough to get involved with someone who had already been married! Zhu Yunxuan let out a cold snort, pulled out his phone, and called his boss—who had more muscle than brains. He forced himself to keep a calm tone. “Boss.”
“Huh? Zhu… Zhu Yunxuan?”
“It’s me, boss. I’d like to take two days off, if that’s okay.”
“No… no problem. Did something happen?”
“I just had a breakup.” Zhu Yunxuan heard movement outside—Lu Ming was back with the soy sauce. He hung up at once, opened the door, and walked out.
“Lanlan, what happened to this dish?” Lu Ming’s voice came from outside. Tian Lan was cleaning up a plate of food that had fallen and shattered on the tiles.
“Lu Ming… just now, I think Zhu Yunxuan smashed something in the room. It scared me…” Tian Lan spoke with a tremble in her voice, as if on the verge of tears.
“Yunxuan…” Lu Ming turned to look at Zhu Yunxuan standing in the doorway, eyes filled with reproach.
Zhu Yunxuan knew this kind of man—soft-hearted and easygoing—but it was exactly this sort of nice guy who could turn everything into a complete mess!
Without another word, he walked up and landed a hard kick on Lu Ming’s thigh, knocking him to the ground. “Lu Ming, I’m done with this crap! You go live your happy little life with your wife and son. From now on, we go our separate ways!”
“Yunxuan, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Let’s just break up.” Zhu Yunxuan caught the flash of smug satisfaction in Tian Lan’s eyes and sneered internally.
She had confronted him before, saying that homosexuality was disgusting, claiming she was sure Lu Ming was just playing around, and even saying that she could win him back—after all, they’d even had a child together…
Hah! Once he walked out that door, he was going to find a man who was loyal to him and would never make him feel second-rate. Let’s see if that woman could really “straighten” Lu Ming out. More likely, she’d just end up wasting her youth again, wouldn’t she?
“Break up? Yunxuan, what did you say?” Lu Ming stood up, clutching his thigh in disbelief. Zhu Yunxuan had always been gentle—but he’d actually hit him just now!
“There’s nothing left to say.” Zhu Yunxuan picked up the suitcase beside him and headed for the door. It was a rented place, and he had already moved out most of his things. He wasn’t coming back.
He had given Lu Ming a chance. Since Lu Ming didn’t treasure it, then from now on, they were done—completely. Zhu Yunxuan was not the kind of man to look back or take back what he left behind.
Lu Ming watched Zhu Yunxuan walk away and wanted to run after him—but Lu Bin had already started crying in fright. He had no choice but to comfort his son first, thinking he could talk to Zhu Yunxuan later. But recently, with Tian Lan in the house, Lu Bin had been much happier… He really couldn’t kick her out right now.
Yunxuan…
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¹Tai Chi (太极拳, tàijí quán) is a traditional Chinese martial art known for its slow, flowing movements and focus on balance, flexibility, and relaxation. Originally developed for self-defense, it has since become popular worldwide as a form of exercise, especially for older adults. Tai Chi emphasizes the mind-body connection and is often referred to as “meditation in motion.”