Chapter 506: The Thirty-Fourth Day of Transmigrating into an Alien War Novel

Chapter 506: Day 34 of Being Thrown into an Alien War Novel

An Yi and An Cheng needed to come clean with An Qionglan, and it just so happened to be around National Day.

Even though An Cheng said he'd handle Mom, An Yi insisted on going with him—this was their business, and An Cheng shouldn't have to face it alone.

On Saturday evening, An Cheng called An Qionglan.

When the call connected, An Qionglan's voice came through the receiver, warm and light: "Xiao Cheng? Why are you calling Mom all of a sudden? How's school going?"

"Mom." An Cheng gripped the phone, his palms a little sweaty. "I'm coming home for National Day, and there's something important I want to tell you."

He added, "With Xiao Yi."

On the other end of the line, An Qionglan paused for a moment.

Then her voice came again, still gentle, but lower than before: "Alright, Mom will wait for you two to come home."

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On the first day of the National Day holiday, the two of them flew back to Xinglin City.

The plane touched down in the afternoon.

The An family driver picked them up. On the way, An Cheng held An Yi's hand tightly, his fingertips a little cold.

An Yi turned to look at him and said quietly, "Don't be nervous."

An Cheng nodded, but his fingers tightened even more.

The car pulled up to the An residence.

The two got out, and An Cheng was still holding An Yi's hand, not letting go.

He'd been holding it ever since they got out of the car.

An Yi let him, subtly shifting his fingers so their hands locked together more firmly.

When they pushed open the door, An Qionglan was in casual clothes, sitting on the sofa reading a financial magazine.

Hearing the door, she looked up with a gentle smile, just like always.

"You're back!" She set down the magazine, stood up, and walked over. Her gaze swept over both their faces, lingered on their intertwined hands for a moment, then naturally moved away. "Was the trip tiring? Are you hungry? I had Auntie make some soup—it's perfect right now."

Everything was just like before. Natural, warm, nothing out of the ordinary.

But An Cheng was inexplicably nervous.

"Mom." He spoke, his voice a bit dry. "We have something we need to tell you."

An Qionglan looked at him, then at An Yi, her gaze lingering on their intertwined hands again before she nodded, still smiling gently. "Alright, let's go talk in the study."

In the study, An Qionglan sat behind the desk, while An Yi and An Cheng sat on the sofa across from her.

The three sat facing each other. The atmosphere was heavy, but not exactly tense.

An Cheng took a deep breath and started, "Mom, Xiao Yi and I..."

He paused.

Should he just say "we're together"? Or "I love him"? Or "we're not brothers, we're lovers"?

He'd rehearsed those words countless times in his head, but now, facing his mother's gentle gaze, he couldn't bring himself to say them—yet he had to.

An Yi glanced at him, about to take over.

Just then, An Qionglan sighed softly.

The sigh was light, carrying a knowing, helpless feeling.

An Cheng and An Yi both looked at her at the same time.

An Qionglan looked at them, her gaze shifting between their faces, finally settling on An Cheng, her eyes unreadable.

"Xiao Cheng." She spoke. "Are you trying to tell me that you and Xiao Yi are a thing?"

An Cheng went still.

He looked up at An Qionglan, shocked.

He opened his mouth, as if to say something.

An Qionglan looked at him, a helpless yet tender smile appearing on her face. "I've known for a while now."

She paused, her gaze falling on An Yi, her eyes even more complicated. "Ever since that seaside trip, when you were crying in the courtyard in the middle of the night, and Xiao Yi started keeping his distance from you... I already guessed."

She said this, shaking her head gently, as if recalling those painful images. "The way you looked back then... it broke Mom's heart to see."

So his mother had known all along.

An Cheng suddenly felt his heart calm down.

An Qionglan watched his expression, her eyes growing even softer.

When she first found out, she'd been at a loss.

She didn't know what to do—whether to stop it or pretend she didn't know. But then she saw how miserable An Cheng was... knew he couldn't sleep night after night, saw him secretly following Xiao Yi, saw the look in his eyes when he looked at Xiao Yi...

At that moment, she thought, forget it, let them do what they want.

She looked at the two of them, her gaze full of acceptance. "You're both adults now, you know what you're doing. When it comes to matters of the heart, outsiders... even parents, don't have the right to interfere."

She paused, her gaze falling on An Cheng's face. "I just hope you two will be okay. Whatever the relationship—brothers, lovers, it doesn't matter—as long as you're happy, Mom supports you."

An Cheng sat there, listening to his mother's words, his eyes gradually turning red.

No interrogation, no opposition. He'd prepared for the worst, ready to defend this relationship with everything he had, ready to bear all the pressure and accusations.

But he never expected that his mother had already known... and had accepted it.

"Mom..." He spoke. "I'm sorry, for making you worry."

"Silly child." An Qionglan stood up, walked over to him, and reached out to ruffle his hair—just like when he was little. "What's there to apologize for? Who you love is your freedom. Mom was just... a little surprised, but I won't oppose it."

She said this, then looked at An Yi, her eyes even softer. "Xiao Yi, what about you? Are you truly willing?"

She asked very seriously, every word carrying concern. "Don't force yourself because Xiao Cheng is persistent, or for any other reason. When it comes to feelings, you can't force them."

An Yi looked up at An Qionglan, his eyes clear and gentle, without a trace of reluctance or hesitation. "Mom, thank you. I am willing."

Then he went on, "I truly love him, and I'm willing to be with him."

Though maybe... not as deeply as An Cheng loves him.

Though his feelings were tangled with too many complex things—ten years of family ties and habit, being touched by that persistence, and a trace of... a sincerity he couldn't even quite put into words.

But he knew he wanted this.

Willing to accept this affection, willing to try this relationship, willing to... let this young man, An Cheng, be by his side as his lover.

An Qionglan studied him for a long moment, then nodded, a relieved smile spreading across her face. "Good, that's good."

She settled back into her chair, relaxing, a hint of playfulness creeping into her expression. "Actually, when you think about it, this works out pretty well."

As she spoke, her gaze swept over the two of them, carrying a sense of open-minded acceptance. "You're on the same household register—no need to go to the civil affairs bureau for a marriage certificate. Saves a trip."

She said it lightly, with that "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" kind of wisdom.

An Yi heard that and suddenly felt a strange déjà vu, like he'd heard those words somewhere before.

It was long ago, in a comment left by a witty little reader discussing a similar plot.

He'd been dumbfounded at the time, thinking that person really had a wild imagination.

Now, hearing An Qionglan say something similar, that familiar, subtle sense of déjà vu left him momentarily dazed.

He shook his head, brushing off that vague memory.