Qingge has had a hard time to make his parents stayed with him after dinner. His Dad said that he should have attended his friend’s house because they had a little reunion and wanted to play mahjong all night. His Mom said that she was really tired and wanted to go to sleep already. But when they saw Qingge’s serious expression, they made up their mind and decided to sat together with Qingge in the living room.

“Mom and Dad… I have something important that I need to tell you.”

“What is it, Son? It’s very unusual for you to be this serious,” Qingge’s Mom asked with concerned.

“I know both of you will be shocked when I say it. But please prepare your heart and be open-minded about it.”

His Dad took a deep breath and looked at Qingge attentively. His Mom gripped his dress tightly. “What is it that you want to tell us, Son?” His father was asking in a slightly nervous voice.

“I like Dayu.”

His prediction was true. His parents were so shocked about it. They perfectly knew what the meaning of his son’s words were. It was something that every parent would be furious about. He saw his Mom started to cry. His Dad clenched his hands and gritted his teeth in anger. Even though he already made a promise to himself that he wouldn’t be surrendered and be afraid of anything when he told his parents, but his heart couldn't deny the guilty feeling he had to endure when he saw his mother crying.

“Please… Mom… Dad...”

“What exactly are you begging us for?” His father hissed when he said the sentence.

“Please, bless our relationship.”

“Who on earth will give their son a blessing of an abnormal relationship like that!” His father shouted at him in pure anger.

His mother cried louder while holding his husband’s arm. Even when she felt angry and disappointed with her son, she still didn’t want her husband to lay a hand on her Qingge. She knew her husband’s frustration and hurt when their son was telling them this matter.

Qingge’s father tried to calm himself down and held his wife’s hand tight.

“I know whatever we say, you will not hear it. You always do as you like. I know for sure that you are already in a relationship with Dayu by now.”

“Dad...”

“Do you think Dayu’s parents will agree with this kind of relationship? Wouldn’t his parents feel even more devastated? Dayu is their only son!”

“We know, Dad, we know. But it’s hurting us even more to be separated from each other,” Qingge has begun to cry too.

“I can’t accept this. I won’t accept this kind of behaviour. You are such a disgrace to our family.”

“I… am… a disgrace for you? I didn’t do anything wrong!” Qingge shouted in his father’s face.

“STOP! STOP THIS! Please… I’m begging you two...” Qingge’s mother stood in between them. She stretched her arms trying to push her husband and son away from each other.

“I don’t wanna talk about it anymore,” Qingge’s father said flatly. “Go to your room and repent for your action.”

“We are not done talking, Dad… please...”

“There is no use for you to beg me. I said that I won’t accept it. I won’t change my mind.”

“How could you run away from me?”

“Me? Running away from you?”

“Yes, you are such a coward, Dad!”

In a split seconds after he said that, his father has slapped his face hard. His mother trembled in fear and quickly come to his side, wiping his bleeding nose with handkerchief.

“How could you hit your own son?” Qingge’s mother was looking at her husband with cold eyes.

“I don’t remember having a son like him,” His father said the words in an icy tone while walking away to the door. He went out to his friend’s house.

“Qingge, Qingge, my son… why did you do this to yourself?”

“Mom, I’m sorry, Mom… please don’t cry.”

“If you don’t want to see Mom crying, you should listen to your father and be obedient.”

“I love him so much, Mom. I know you wouldn’t understand, but please believe me… at the time Dayu stayed away from me for three months, I felt like my life has no meaning at all.”

“And what if Mom and Dad disappeared from your life?”

“I also don’t want that, Mom… why can’t I keep you all by my side? Why do I have to choose?”

“Because it’s not supposed to be like this. This kind of love… it shouldn’t be like this at all.”

“I don’t understand. Both of you treat me like I’m a criminal.”

“No, Son, we don’t mean it like that at all.”

“So what then?”

“People will talk bad about you and Dayu. People will make fun of you, hating you, and expel you out of the society. I don’t want that to happen to both of you.”

“Really? Is that really because of us? Not because Mom and Dad were afraid of other people perspective of your perfect life?”

“Qingge!”

“Please think about it, Mom. I know I couldn't talk to Dad now. But I will talk to him again later. And I wish you could help me to talk to him about it too.”

“Why are you so stubborn?”

“Because I am your son. You are also a stubborn woman, Mom. I know that. Grandpa told me that at first they didn’t accept your relationship with Daddy because Dad had a bad reputation when he was young. But you believed in him and assured Grandpa and Grandma that Daddy was actually a very kind and gentle person. You didn’t give up on Dad even when your parents rejected him many times.”

His mother was stunned, but then in a soft voice she said, “It’s different, Qingge… If Dayu was a woman, even though she looked like a bad person, maybe Mom and Dad could accept her sooner or later. But Dayu is a man… that’s why we… couldn't easily accept it.”

“So, it’s all back to the gender issue again… I see...”

She watched as Qingge walked back to his own bedroom with his head hung low. She didn’t want to see her son being depressed and mournful. But she couldn’t do anything because she also thought that this was unacceptable. She should ask Dayu’s mother about it and made a plan to separate them.

To be continued