"The great river flows eastward..." A vibration and ringing from beneath my pillow jolted me awake from my sleep. I frowned in discomfort, reached out, and turned off the alarm on my phone.
It was already seven in the morning. As usual, I propped myself up, planning to shake off the drowsiness before getting dressed.
Glancing down at the lower bunk, I intended to wake Sam up for morning self-study at school. Instead, I saw the light gray thin blanket covering him kicked aside by his feet, leaving him completely naked. Looking further down, his thick, long penis lay limp against his lower abdomen. A piece of white fabric was tucked under his butt—the white underwear he had worn after showering last night.
Was Sam sleeping naked?
Perhaps, unable to adjust to the time difference after arriving in Linhai City from South Africa, Sam had stayed awake late into the night. While I was deep asleep, he might have taken off his underwear for some relief and finally drifted off peacefully.
Though we were both just sixteen-year-old boys, his sudden habit of sleeping naked made me somewhat uncomfortable.
Watching his steady breathing, I felt a bit annoyed. After all, this was my home, and I thought Sam was being a bit too casual.
"Sam, get up for morning self-study, or we'll be late," I said, seeing him sound asleep. I quickly called out to wake him. "Ah, Zihan, are we late?" Sam opened his eyes wide, sat up straight, and looked panicked. His reaction satisfied me.
"Not yet, but you will be if you keep sleeping," I replied, looking at him. "Oh, sorry, Zihan. I couldn't sleep last night. Did I disturb you?" Sam bent down, picked up the white underwear from under the bed, and casually put it back on. "No, it's fine. But, Sam, do you usually sleep naked?" I stood up and started getting dressed. "Sleep naked? You mean without clothes? I always sleep without clothes at home. I can't fall asleep if I'm wearing anything," Sam said, now fully dressed, his big eyes looking at me. "Sam, in China, especially at home, boys are expected to wear underwear when sleeping. It's fine if I see it, but if my mom catches you naked in the house, well..." I smirked at him. "Ah, Mom! Okay, Zihan, I understand. I won't do it again," Sam said, looking terrified at the mention of my mom, speeding up as he dressed. "Haha, yeah. You should look up Chinese etiquette online more often, or you'll have a hard time with my mom," I chuckled, opening the bedroom door and heading to the bathroom with Sam to wash up. "Okay, Zihan. I'll learn Chinese etiquette well so Mom will like me," Sam said, clenching his fists, looking as if he had been successfully brainwashed.
After washing up, we both shouldered our backpacks and headed toward the neighborhood gate. Along the way, people occasionally glanced at Sam, who didn't seem embarrassed at all. He grinned and waved his dark, shiny hand at anyone who looked his way, young or old.
I followed him all the way to school. The stares made me uncomfortable, but Sam seemed to enjoy it, happily chatting with me about this and that, occasionally blurting out, "Hello everyone, I love China!"—making my lips twitch and leaving me utterly embarrassed.
After buying steamed buns and soy milk, I arrived at the classroom. Sam and I finished our breakfast and began our morning self-study session. When Zhang Min came to check on the class, she stood on the podium, a faint smile lingering at the corner of her mouth. She looked at Sam and me with satisfaction. "Teacher Zhang, I have a question for you," Sam said, noticing Zhang Min's gaze and surprisingly striking up a conversation with her.
"What is it, Sam?" Zhang Min walked over to us, smiling.
"In China, is it okay to hug girls? In South Africa, it's fine, but yesterday Zihan's mom said it doesn't align with Chinese etiquette."
Sam spoke earnestly, gesturing animatedly with his dark hands.
"Sam, in China, you really shouldn't hug girls randomly. Also, Sam, during class in China, don't ask questions unrelated to the textbook." Zhang Min's smile remained on her face.
Today, Zhang Min was wearing a long-sleeved white blouse, paired with a flesh-toned bodycon skirt that revealed her fair thighs in full view. On her feet were a pair of white canvas shoes. Beautiful, youthful, and vibrant, she didn't look like the strict homeroom teacher of the key class at Linhai No. 1 High School's senior division. Instead, she gave me the impression of being quite gentle.
"Okay, thank you, teacher. You look really beautiful today!" Sam flashed a gentlemanly smile as he looked at the homeroom teacher. "Um... let's get back to self-study," Zhang Min awkwardly walked toward the back of the classroom.
"Giggle, giggle..." I heard the class monitor, Li Xiaojun, laughing softly behind me.
"Zihan, did I say something wrong?" Sam grinned and looked at me. "No, let's focus on self-study," I replied, worried that Teacher Zhang might get angry if she saw us still talking.
Sam glanced back at Zhang Min and then winked at the class monitor.
The last class of the afternoon was physical education. I was playing badminton with my classmates, while Sam said he preferred basketball and joined the boys playing on the basketball court.
Laughter echoed from the basketball court, drawing me over.
On the court, it turned out everyone was amazed by Sam's basketball skills.
The seemingly clumsy Sam deftly maneuvered past the boys defending him, executed a three-step layup, and sent the basketball swishing through the hoop with a "clang."
Sam's astonishing jumping ability left the surrounding students in awe. The boys in our class who played basketball gave him thumbs-up and exclaimed, "Awesome, Sam!"
I couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy. How great it would be if I could move as freely on the basketball court as Sam did. The girls nearby would surely scream in excitement for me.
After finishing his game, Sam came over to me. The school bell had rung more than ten minutes earlier.
"Zihan, that was so satisfying. I haven't played basketball in a long time," Sam said, covered in sweat. "You're amazing, Sam," I replied. "Hahaha, Zihan, back in South Africa, I was the captain of my class basketball team. Basketball is a piece of cake for me," Sam boasted without hesitation, though whether he was exaggerating was anyone's guess.
"Hehe, awesome, awesome," I could only let him keep showing off.
"Wait for me to wash my face, then we can head home," Sam said before running off to the washbasin.
I had no choice but to wait for him there.
After a few minutes, when he still hadn't returned, I grew curious and went to the washbasin area. There, I saw Sam chatting and laughing with a group of girls. Fortunately, Li Xiaojun wasn't among them.
"Zihan, you're here. These girls are friends I just met," Sam said, spreading his two big dark hands and grinning widely as he saw me approaching. "Haha, are you all cleaned up? If you go home late, your mom will scold you." I had originally wanted to follow Sam and get to know those girls from other classes, but the thought of my mom made me feel that going home was more important.
"Mom? Oh right, beauties, I'm heading home now. Let's hang out another time," Sam kissed his dark claws and bid farewell to those well-developed girls in their school uniforms.
"Giggle... okay, goodbye," Sam's comical appearance made the girls laugh, their bun-sized chests gently swaying inside their white summer school uniforms.
We arrived at the school gate, having already missed the earliest bus home. It was now the evening rush hour, and we would have to wait over ten minutes for the next No. 2 bus to possibly arrive.
"It's over, Sam. We're going to get scolded when we get back," I said with a grimace. "It's fine, Zihan. I'll apologize to my mom when I get back. Don't worry," Sam slung his arm over my shoulder, acting carefree. It seemed he still didn't understand how strict my mom could be.
"Alright," but there was no other solution at the moment.
"Zihan, Sam, haven't you gone home yet?" A clear voice came from behind us. We both turned to look—it was our class monitor, Li Xiaojun. "Oh, monitor, I'm so glad to see you. Zihan and I missed our bus home," Sam said, walking over to her with open arms as he explained. "Is that so? It's fine, it'll come in a little while," Li Xiaojun smiled at Sam and walked over to me. "Monitor, why are you out so late?" I looked at Li Xiaojun. The weather was still a bit stuffy today. She was wearing her summer school uniform, with two small buns pushing against the pure white fabric, creating slight protrusions. Paired with her delicate face and glasses perched on her tall nose, she looked both cute and elegant.
"I was on duty today. Are the two of you getting used to living together?" Li Xiaojun looked at Sam and me. "Of course, monitor. Zihan and I are practically sharing the same pair of underwear," Sam said, widening his eyes as he looked at Li Xiaojun. "Giggle, that's..." Li Xiaojun blushed slightly. "Um... Sam, we shouldn't talk like that in front of girls," I said to Sam. "Ah, sorry, monitor. What I meant was that Zihan and I get along really well. We're good brothers," Sam explained. "Giggle, I know. Well, I'll be off now. See you tomorrow, bye," the bus heading to Li Xiaojun's home arrived at the stop. She waved to us and boarded the bus.
"Bye," Sam stared as Li Xiaojun got on the bus. "Zihan, the monitor has a nice figure, and her skin is so fair," Sam said to me after the bus drove off. "Um... yeah," I thought. Don't I already know that? This guy actually said it out loud.
"Zihan, I think you should become friends with the monitor. Then you could play 'grown-up games' with her," Sam said, his eyes gleaming. "Um..." I was utterly embarrassed.
Although I had advanced to the first year of high school and was interested in pretty girls, I spent most of my time studying and only played a little games in my free time. I didn't really understand the so-called "grown-up games." It seemed I needed to fill in the gaps in my knowledge when I had the time.
"Hehe, my girlfriend in Cape Town often plays adult games. Once when we were playing at her place, her dad suddenly came home and we had to hide under the bed. It was both scary and thrilling."
Sam patted his chest with lingering fear, looking genuinely excited.
"Haha, Sam, you keep saying you and your girlfriend play adult games. What exactly are adult games?" I asked Sam. "Hmm... you don't know, Zihan? Well, it seems your mom is too strict with you," Sam looked at me with pity in his eyes. "Uh... I guess so. Never mind, the bus is here. Let's head home first, or Mom will scold us to death." While talking to Sam, the No. 2 bus pulled up to the platform.
"Alright, don't worry. I'll explain it to Mom. I believe she's a reasonable and good mother." Sam widened his eyes, his pinkish-white lips curving into a confident smile like sausages.
The road home was a bit congested, and it took us nearly thirty minutes to finally reach the entrance of our neighborhood.
Arriving at the door, I took out the key and unlocked it. As we entered, Mom was sitting on the living room sofa with her legs crossed.
What caught my eye first were her fair, long legs. Her feet, clad in black bow-strap flip-flops, revealed ten delicate and noticeably tender toes. Her long hair was neatly tied back, her eyebrows meticulously shaped, and beneath her double eyelids were a pair of large, bright eyes. Below her fair, high-bridged nose were rosy lips.
Beneath her slender, fair neck, a pair of full breasts stood out prominently.
Today, Mom was wearing a dark blue sleeveless silk camisole top and a pair of black denim shorts at home. The weather was indeed quite stuffy and hot.
I knew it wasn't right to stare at Mom like this, so I turned to look at Sam behind me. "Mom," I said. "..." Mom remained silent, just staring at us. "Oh, Mom, Zihan and I had PE class, and the traffic was heavy on the way back, so we're late," Sam and I placed our backpacks on the sofa, both bowing our heads as if we had done something wrong. "Hmph! Don't let it happen again. Come home earlier after school in the afternoon, and call me if anything comes up!" Mom snorted coldly, speaking sternly to us. "Got it, Mom," Sam and I nodded repeatedly.
"Oh, Mom, you look even prettier today than yesterday, just like a twenty-year-old big sister," Sam said, looking at Mom sitting on the sofa, then glancing at the ceiling before gesturing toward her. "Alright! Enough with the flattery. Zihan, your dad went on a business trip today, and I came back late tonight without cooking. When the takeout arrives, go pick it up at the neighborhood entrance." After saying this, Mom stood up and headed upstairs. The camisole top was somewhat sheer, and her breasts swayed slightly as she moved. Her long legs, stretching straight out from the denim shorts, looked incredibly slender due to her height of 1.75 meters. Because Mom's legs were so long, the shorts fit her like underwear.
As Mom walked away, her full buttocks filled out the shorts perfectly beneath her slender silhouette. Sam watched her leave with a smile.
"Zihan, your mom is really fierce," Sam said, his voice a bit loud. The "tap-tap" sound of Mom's footsteps going upstairs suddenly stopped, then resumed after a moment. "Sam, can you keep your voice down?" I shot him a glare. Well, now Mom is definitely going to hold a grudge against Sam again.
"Ah, did Mom hear that?" Sam glanced back at the staircase. "What do you think? With your loud voice..." I felt a bit embarrassed. "Oh no, Zihan, let me go get the takeout myself later..." Sam said to me, wrapping his arms around me. I knew he was trying to "redeem himself" and show off in front of Mom.
"Uh, alright, fine. You go get it yourself," I quickly agreed, just so he would let go of me. We took our backpacks to my bedroom to put them away. Soon, Mom's voice came from the second floor. "Go get the takeout. The last four digits are 9528."
"Okay, Mom," I replied. "I'm going, Zihan," Sam said before dashing out. This guy, I shook my head and pulled out my phone to scroll through TikTok for a while.
A little later, my mom came downstairs and saw me playing with my phone in the bedroom. She walked in. "Zihan, why didn't you go?" Mom looked at me, and as she entered, I noticed a faint fragrance filling the room.
"Mom, Sam said he talked behind your back earlier, so he wanted to go get it himself to make up for it..." I explained. "Hmm, he learns fast. But..." Mom's expression was neutral, yet I could sense a hint of amusement in her big eyes.
"Alright, go wash your hands. Once Sam gets back, we'll have dinner," Mom said as she left. Even though I was in the middle of watching a video of a beautiful woman shaking her hips, I obediently put my phone away in the drawer.
A few minutes later, Sam called out from outside the front door. "Zihan, I'm back!" After opening the door for him, I saw Sam carrying several bags—more than expected, no wonder Mom had said both of us should go.
Seeing Sam's flustered appearance, I couldn't help but chuckle inwardly.
"Mom, you ordered so much takeout!" Sam placed the bags on the living room table, his forehead covered in sweat. Mom emerged from the kitchen and, seeing Sam like this, let out a cheerful laugh. "Giggle, Sam, go wipe your face and then let's eat."
Mom was laughing—it seemed she had forgiven Sam for calling her "strict" behind her back.
"Hehe, yes, Mom!" Sam gave a playful salute, mimicking a soldier.
"Giggle..." Mom looked genuinely happy.
"Mom, you really know how to order. This is delicious," Sam said after finishing his meal, gesturing with his dark hands as he looked at the table full of dishes. "Giggle, as long as you like it," Mom smiled at Sam. She might have realized that wearing a tank top at home was a bit revealing, especially with Sam around, so before dinner, she had put on a white low-cut T-shirt over it.
Even so, as Mom laughed heartily, her ample chest swayed noticeably. I wondered if Sam had noticed.
Mom and I had finished dinner earlier and were waiting for Sam to finish so we could clear the table.
"Mom, you've worked all day and must be tired. Rest well—I'll clean up," Sam said, and to my surprise, he started gathering the dishes from the table. Honestly, I'd never cleaned up after meals at home before—Mom always did it herself.
I felt a strange sensation inside.
"Giggle, alright then. Zihan, you help Sam clean up too. Just take everything to the trash bin by the door," Mom said, looking in a good mood. Her gaze toward us seemed less stern than usual, even a bit gentle.
"No need, no need, Zihan. You help Mom massage her back. When I was in South Africa, I would always massage Mom's back when she came home from work," Sam glanced at me, then grinned at Mom. "Hehe, I really do feel a bit sore in my back and shoulders," Mom was overjoyed. Seeing how happy Sam had made Mom, I actually felt a bit ashamed.
Sam packed up his things and headed out. I really went to massage Mom's back. Although I had done it for her before, that was a long, long time ago.
"Oh, our Zihan has grown up. Finally learning to be filial to Mom," my mom laughed, turning to look at me. "Mom, how's the pressure?" I asked. Beneath Mom's fair neck, a faint fragrance wafted from the collar of her shirt.
"Just right, a little to the left. Yes, hmm... so sore," Mom looked very comfortable. Before long, Sam returned home. "Zihan, the way you're massaging Mom's back isn't right. Let me teach you," Sam walked over. "Mom, can you lie face down on the sofa? I'll teach Zihan so he can give you massages in the future," Sam said earnestly. "Hehe, okay," Mom replied, then lay flat on the sofa. It had to be said, Mom had a great figure. Though nearly forty, every inch of her skin was strikingly fair. Her long, beautiful legs were very straight, and her full hips were clad in shorts, looking plump and soft. Her chest pressed against the sofa, the white fabric wrapping around her sides and peeking out.
Sam was momentarily stunned. Realizing it wasn't quite appropriate, he had me sit to the side and began teaching me the best way to massage. "You need to press appropriately with your palm," Sam said. "Hmm... ah, Sam, that's so sore..." Mom let out a somewhat pained sound. "Mom, you must sit too much without moving," Sam said, diligently massaging her. "Ah... yes... Mom works at a bank. When would I have time to exercise..." Mom replied. "Zihan, see? Pressing here can relieve muscle soreness," Sam taught me methodically. Beneath him, Mom let out sounds that were both comfortable and pained. "Once you learn, you can massage Dad too when he comes back," Sam said with foresight. "Mm," I could only accept his instruction like a student. "Hmm... ah... so sore... Sam, lighter, it hurts there a bit..." Mom cried out repeatedly. "Okay," Sam demonstrated patiently, carefully observing Mom's back while continuously teaching me the technique. "Alright, don't massage too much at once. Take it slow. Otherwise, what's that phrase... right, 'counterproductive.' Take it slow, let the body adapt," Sam said, looking at me. "Ah... oh, I really do feel much more relaxed. Thank you, Sam," Mom got up, stretching her long, fair arms. Her full chest immediately pushed forward even more. "Hehe, it's what I should do. Zihan, did you get it?" Sam grinned at me. "Yes, I got it," I said. You only showed me once, how would I know if I got it? But for the sake of face, I had to say I did.
"Giggle giggle, alright, Mom's going upstairs to do the laundry. You two go do your homework," Mom said happily, her usual stern gaze gone. She walked upstairs wearing those black-bow flip-flops. It must be said, Mom's 1.75-meter figure is the best I've seen so far.
"Sam, let's go, time to do homework. My mom's in a good mood now, or else we'll be in trouble later," I said. Although Sam knows how to behave in front of my mom, it must be said that he's really sensible and knows a lot of things, except for Chinese etiquette.
"Alright, Zihan," I replied, and the two of us headed to the bedroom to start on the homework assigned by our teacher that day.
By around nine in the evening, having finished my homework relatively quickly, I went to take a shower first. All I wanted was to lie in bed and watch videos of beautiful women swaying their hips—the ones I hadn't finished scrolling through yet.
After my shower, Sam went in to wash up. I could hear the washing machine humming upstairs, and my mom was still awake.
Back in bed, I scrolled through TikTok. After watching the videos of beautiful women, curiosity got the better of me, and I clicked on my mom's TikTok account. She had posted another self-absorbed selfie, with a new video captioned, "My son is growing up—he knows how to give his mom a back rub now. So comfortable~" It seemed Mom wasn't as fierce as I thought.
Not long after, Sam returned to his bed on the floor. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a noticeable tent in his underwear. Of course, I wasn't going to ask about it—he was probably just thinking about his girlfriend back in Cape Town again. After all, whenever I thought about those videos of beautiful women swaying their hips, I'd have the same reaction.
After exchanging a few words with Sam, we both drifted off to sleep.
Over the next few days, Sam chatted with many girls at school, including Li Xiaojun, who unfortunately wasn't spared. It seemed Sam had noticed that Li Xiaojun really enjoyed practicing English with him. Speaking English was a breeze for Sam—he'd grown up speaking it in South Africa.
In the evenings, after dinner, Sam would rush to help tidy up the house, even going into the kitchen to help Mom wash the dishes. Mom's cheerful laughter would echo from the kitchen, and I'd have to call Sam over to do his homework, warning him that the teacher would scold him if he didn't. Only then would he come out and join me.
By Friday evening, Dad was back, bringing us lots of fruit. Sam put on another show for him, asking Dad to lie down before giving him a massage with all sorts of techniques, earning Dad's repeated praise.
"Mom, Dad, I've been so busy with school this week that I forgot—my parents sent me $50,000. It's all on this card, meant to cover my living expenses while I'm staying here. Please, you have to accept it," Sam said, handing the card to Mom. Did Sam also sense that Mom was the one in charge at home?
"This... Sam," Mom began. "Mom, please, you must take it. For this year, I'll be relying on your and Dad's care, as well as Zihan's." With that, Sam knelt down in front of us again. "Hey... Sam, why are you kneeling again? Hahaha..." Dad came over to help him up, laughing heartily. "Alright then, I'll keep it safe for you. Let me know if you need anything," Mom said, smiling at Sam. "Thank you, Mom and Dad. Thank you, Zihan," Sam bowed to us. "Oh, there's no need to be so formal. We're happy to have met you too. Maybe someday, you can take us to South Africa for a visit," Dad patted Sam on the shoulder. "Of course, Dad," Sam grinned, his pink lips parting widely.
And so, Sam's life as a guest in our home truly began.