Chapter 61

Because of the sweat, a few strands of Su Yi’s hair were still sticking to her face. Her cheeks were red and, to get away from Chu Ying, her hands were on his chest.

The four faces were confused for a long while before Su Yi finally said carefully, “– Hello, Auntie.”

Mother Chu finally came back to herself, inclining her head as a reply. “What did you guys do, ending up with so much sweat?”

Chu Ying said, “Working out.”

Mother Chu’s eyes widened. “Working out? How could you work out when you’re pregnant? Hurry up, go see the doctor with me.” Putting down the bags she was even about to dash forward.

Su Yi hurriedly jumped off Chu Ying and waved a hand, saying, “Auntie, I’m not pregnant.”

“You’re not pregnant?”

“Yeah.” Su Yi’s face reddened. “Those news are fake, I’m not pregnant… I’m just fat.”

Mother Chu was silent for a while before nodding and saying, “— Ah, it’s good that you’re fat, it’s good.”

Su Yi was torn between laughing and crying. What was with all of these?*

[*t/l note: she’s referring to mother chu being confused about her being pregnant, and then saying that it’s good that she’s fat]

Chu Ying asked, “Ma, why are you here?”

“Me, ah.” Mother Chu coughed. “I’m here to see you, can’t I do that? You tell me yourself, how long has it been since you came back?”

“I’ve been busier with work recently.” After saying that Chu Ying caught the waist of the person beside him. “She’s all sweaty I’ll take her to get a shower first if there’s anything we’ll talk about it later.”

Su Yi basically escaped upstairs. Once she was certain that Mother Chu couldn’t hear her, she anxiously said, “What can I do? I’m seen by your mother! And I – I – I’m dressed too casually, I don’t even have make-up on.”

“You have to meet them sooner or later.” Chu Ying didn’t mind so much, helping her adjust the temperature of the water in the bathroom first.”

How could Su Yi be in the mood for a shower?

She chased him out and slammed the door, digging out her phone to send Wu Xue a message.

【Goddess Su Yi: Wa-a-a what do I do, Chu Ying’s mother is in his house, what should I do… waiting online, this is very urgent! {crying out with a wa.jpg}】

【Wu Xue: It can’t be when you’re playing with your tools you got found? That can’t be salvaged, just go with the flow.】

Su Yi curled up in the tub, hugging her knees, her little face all wrinkled up.

【Goddess Su Yi: No such thing, the tools and equipment he had mentioned earlier was all exercise equipment, would you believe that? I was forced to exercise for an entire afternoon and was just startled, I can’t be more pitiful!】

【Wu Xue: I see you sound rather regretful.】

【Goddess Su Yi: Let’s not talk about this first… there’s a huge window in his bathroom. How about this, you drive to under the window and I’ll jump in, we can talk about this after getting away first.】

【Wu Xue: You’re dating properly, why are you treating it like you’re sneaking around? I’m not going, you can do whatever you want in the bathroom.】

OK.

This thin, cling wrap-like sistership has reached its end today.

**

Downstairs, Mother Chu confirmed it again.

“She really isn’t pregnant? This is a huge deal, don’t hide it from me.”

Chu Ying said, “Why would I do that?”

Mother Chu then relaxed. She turned around and saw Chu Xi playing a game on her phone and couldn’t help saying, “How old are you now – why are you still playing these sort of things all day?”

Chu Xi didn’t expect the conversation to turn to her. “When did I play these all day?”

Mother Chu was just saying it to make herself happy. She turned around and asked, “Why did you bring her home? Isn’t she a celebrity, I’ve been reading the news about her recently, it’s all very chaotic.”

Chu Ying frowned. “You’d believe those rumours?”

“It doesn’t matter whether I believe them, the important part is that if you truly treat her as your girlfriend you shouldn’t let all of these come out.” Mother Chu said, “A girl who gets scolded by people every day – what’s right about that?”

She had had Chu Xi help her get a Weibo to go look around Su Yi’s page before. She did look pretty and she was quite tall. Most of the Weibo she posted was s, and she didn’t seem to have a personality. She had also seen her own daughter in the photos Su Yi posted and thus knew that Chu Xi had seen her long ago. After interrogating her daughter she learnt quite a lot and, yesterday, she’d seen the report on her pregnancy, which was why she hurried over today.

Mother Chu seemed to suddenly have remembered something. “Right, I’ve brought you something.”

She opened the bag. It was filled with all sorts of miscellaneous items: Some huge packs of oat-based items, some bananas and strawberries, dried cherries, tamarinds, and more.

All things for people in the first stages of pregnancy.

Chu Ying didn’t quite understand these things. “We could buy this outside, why do we need to trouble you to especially send them here.”

“It’s not troublesome. These fruits are still fresh, I’ll put them in the fridge for you first. When Su Yi leaves, have her bring some with her.” After saying this Mother Chu glanced at the clock on the wall. “It’s already this time, why is Qi-shen still not here?”

Qi-shen was a helper Mother Chu had specially arranged for Chu Ying’s house. She was originally supposed to live here, but Chu Ying had rejected that proposal. Usually, she’d come over to clean up and make food in the day.

“Today we’re not eating home so I’ve told her not to come.”

His meaning was that he’d originally planned to go out for dinner with Su Yi.

It’s not sure whether Mother Chu really didn’t know or she’s pretending not to know. She nodded. “Coincidentally, it’s been a long time since I’ve cooked, what do you want to eat? I’ll make some.”

Chu Xi immediately put down her phone. “Ma, don’t, I’m very full I’ll not eat.”

There were different levels of culinary skills, her mother was of the highest-level: just give up, there’s no hope for your cooking skills, hell-level.

“You didn’t eat lunch today, you’re still young and you can’t be picky.” Mother Chu walked over to the fridge and said to herself, “At least there’s plenty of food here, do you know what Su Yi likes to eat?”

Chu Ying watched the little shadow hiding behind the stairs, squatting there for a long time not wanting to come down. He couldn’t help laughing. “She’s easy to take care off and not picky at all.”

After saying that he strode up the stairs and looked at the person sitting on the steps. “Why’re you sitting here?”

Su Yi pursed her lips and tugged the shirt on her. “—Auntie and Chu Xi are both here, why did you only give me a shirt?”

Chu Ying’s eyebrow raised. He picked up her hand. “I forgot, come on.”

Then Su Yi changed into a male T-shirt and casual shorts.

She was so ashamed she could die, standing at the top of the stairs and refusing to go down. “This looks too ugly doesn’t it?”

“Don’t be scared, an ugly daughter-in-law must still see her in-laws.”

Su Yi got angry. “You’re calling me ugly!”

Chu Ying very naturally said, “— I’m talking about myself.”

In the end, they still managed to make their way down.

Mother Chu saw her and said, looking very calm, “Down now? I’m making dinner, anything you like eating?”

“I’m all good.” Su Yi hurriedly said, “Auntie, how about I help you?”

“No need, no need.” Mother Chu didn’t stop waving her hands. “When there are too many people everyone gets in the way, I can handle this myself.”

Su Yi could only sit down on the sofa obediently.

Chu Xi immediately snuggled closer, looking at her with worship. “Sou-zi, did you expose Lin Xia?”

Su Yi didn’t reply. “Don’t you need to go to class?”

“I have fewer classes this semester and just happen not to have any today.” After saying this, Chu Xi seemed to remember something and lowered her voice. “Right, I’m telling you, recently Yang Ruolin kept coming to our house very often.”

Su Yi looked to the side. Chu Ying sat on the sofa looking through his documents, clearly not planning to get himself involved in these women’s talk.

“What for?”

“Suck up to my mum and dad, of course, you’re not even trying – aren’t you afraid that my mom and dad would be bought over by her?”

Su Yi hng’ed a laugh. “I don’t need advice from Princess Green Hat.”

Here Chu Xi wasn’t angered, instead started to giggle. “Deng Mingyang has been looking for me since yesterday until today, even running to my school.”

“Why’d he look for you?”

Chu Xi sneered. “What else could he be looking for me for? Now that he knows my background he wants me to help him wash off all this dirt – he even said he loves me for eternity and would never have a change of heart. When we were dating I didn’t know he could be so sweet, it seems like he got plenty of practice speaking to his agent.”

Su Yi shrugged and watched television, clearly not very interested in this topic.

“Come eat.” Mother Chu put the last dish on the table.

The quartet sat at the table. Su Yi looked at all the food in front of her and felt her eyelid twitch.

Did Captain Ying usually eat so well at home? He sits at the office every day, why doesn’t he appear to have grown fatter?

Mother Chu put on an unaffected front. “I haven’t cooked in a long time, the taste might not be as good as it used to be.”

Su Yi smiled. “It all looks good.”

Mother Chu nodded. “Let’s eat.”

Su Yi obediently picked up a piece of broccoli and put it in her mouth.

… it’s hard and not cooked through.

She looked around. Chu Ying was expressionless, Chu Xi was eating only the rice, while Mother Chu was looking at her with some faint glimmer of expectation.

Su Yi swallowed the vegetable and smiled very sincerely. “It tastes so good.”

Mother Chu then truly smiled. “If it tastes good then eat more, have more meat, you’re tall, so you won’t appear fat very easily. Eat as much as you please.”

Su YI voiced her agreement.

The TV was on, and the dining table wasn’t too far from the TV – everyone could see it.

Su Yi swallowed a bite of tenderloin, keeping on a smile still.

A familiar traditional-style opening song sounded.

Su Yi automatically looked up. As expected, the person who’d just flashed across the screen… Wasn’t it her?

The TV was playing her imperial harem show!

Mother Chu hadn’t stopped eating, but she was clearly starting to pay serious attention to the TV.

“A mere concubine, how could you be worthy of carrying the emperor’s child?” On the television, she had lowered her voice purposefully. “Recently, the kitchens would send green bean soup to her place every day. Find an opportunity to add something good in there, understood?”

Mother Chu was chasing this harem show recently and was getting too into it. Subconsciously she said, “This Yu-ji is too—”

Halfway through she took her words back.

Su YI couldn’t help continuing, “I think she’s too horrible, harming so many children.”

“Right?” Mother Chu, seeing that she could continue on with what she said, couldn’t hold back any longer. “That doctor that likes her is really too pitiful, helping to do so many bad things.”

“That doctor isn’t a good thing either. Have you seen episode 10? There’s a very important detail there.”

A curious Mother Chu asked, “What detail?”

…

Su Yi discussed this with Mother Chu for a long time until there was only them left on the table, and they continued chatting while doing the dishes together.

Before leaving, Mother Chu exchanged WeChat contacts with Su Yi, saying that they could discuss the plot together in the future.

After sending away the mother and daughter Chus, Su Yi finally could no longer put on her smile.

She looked disbelieving, saying, nearly ready to break down, “Captain Ying, the exercise I did for the entire afternoon is worthless now—”

edited by larkspur as always ~~~