Stay With Me

Ch 11. The Mother & Father

Or, I told you our parents were going to lose their shit when they found out.

"Dad is back in the country." Cheng Qing said after hanging up the phone. The conversation had been brief but illuminating. "He wants us to have dinner at the house sometime this week."

"What did you tell him?"

"I'll get back to him with my schedule." Cheng Qing said with an evil laugh.

His schedule was wide open. The only thing they had to do was go to school. The pre-production schedule for the new movie had not yet been finalized since they were in the middle of casting. That allowed him more than enough free time to have dinner with his dad.

Feng He was laughing at the absurdity of such a response when there was a knock on the door. Assuming it was Meng Meng or Hsiao Ming, Cheng Qing went to open it wearing only a robe over his boxers. Feng He was at the cooker making their breakfast in a pair of boxers and an apron. Neither of them was prepared for the sight of Feng He's Mother.

"Good morning." She said as she swept into the room without waiting for an invitation.

"Ma...when did you get back?" Feng He asked in surprise as he looked around in an attempt to find something that would cover up his nakedness.

Feng He's Mother's eyes seem to take everything in the time it took for her to take a sweeping glance of their flat. The place settings side by side rather than across from each other on the table. The unmade bed; rumpled on both sides. The discarded clothes still littering the floor around the bed. Their state of undress. The fact that her son was cooking. The fact that Cheng Qing looked embarrassed even though, she imagined, they did this kind of thing all the time.

"This morning." She said in response to her son's question. "I thought Cheng Qing's father told you that we were home."

"He did. I just didn't expect you to come over so soon." Feng He said nervously. He and Cheng Qing shared a confused glance behind his mother's back.

"I wanted to see you. And I also wanted to confirm when you are both coming for dinner at the house."

"Uhmmm... I was going to check my schedule and get back to Pa." Cheng Qing answered just as nervously as Feng He.

"I don't think that's necessary." She said walking to the dining table and taking a sit on the empty side. "You can do it now."

Cheng Qing looked even more confused but he eventually walked to the table and sat across his step mother. Feng He had finished cooking and for lack of anything to do, pulled out a third plate and served the meal so that all three of them could eat. They were about to start when Cheng Qing stopped them to get the juice.

"Do you have any schedule for filming?" Feng He's mother asked Cheng Qing.

"Not right now."

"Well then...that settles it. We'll see you for dinner tomorrow evening at 7. Don't be late."

With that she picked up her coat and bag that she had placed on the bench beside her and walked back to the door. Both Feng He and Cheng Qing followed closely. She gave Cheng Qing a smile then reached for Feng He's cheek with one hand while she placed a kiss on the other. "See you."

The two men were left staring after her. Cheng Qing looked at the full plate of food and frowned. "She didn't even eat."

When his gaze finally lifted the expression on Feng He's face too him aback. "She knows."

"Knows what?"

"She knows that we are...she knows what we've been up to."

"There is no way for her to know that."