CH 41

11-14 minutes 23.04.2023

Xiang Wan picked out a white dress with a touch of nobility, a style simple and elegant, which looked particularly flattering on her.

She politely thanked Su Chang.

After shopping with the others for a while, they each went their separate ways.

On the way home, Yu Zhou was still pondering the matter of their meal.

Everyone could see that Su Chang was a little too attentive to Xiang Wan in the shopping mall. If her attention had been directed at Yu Zhou, she would have become alert, but Su Chang’s actions were aimed at Xiang Wan instead, leaving Yu Zhou tongue-tied with a mere “What’s your relationship with her?”

So cunning.

So cunning that even Yu Zhou could see that Su Chang wanted to win back her a little. Perhaps there was also a hint of wanting to help Xiang Wan become independent as soon as possible.

But Su Chang had never won back anyone before, so her impatience made her appear a bit too hurried and either deceitful or thieving.

Yu Zhou guessed again: what had triggered Su Chang’s sudden impatience? After thinking it over, her suspicions finally fell on Xiang Wan.

“What did you say to her when I went to pick up the package?”

“Ms. Su?”

“Yes.”

“I forgot.” Xiang Wan pondered for a moment.

Since there was no other significant information, it was likely that Su Chang just couldn’t bear to see Yu Zhou and Xiang Wan living in such a humble manner.

Taking pity for unrequited love wasn’t impossible for Su Chang, especially given that Yu Zhou was her first love.

After all, if there really were lingering feelings, why hadn’t they been in touch for so long after breaking up?

Yu Zhou, having thought it through, wasn’t bothered about it anymore.

She told Xiang Wan, “Now you have two benefactors and you have gained popularity on the internet. I feel that you might be able to stand on your own soon.”

Leaning her head against the taxi’s window with a sad expression, she lamented, “Don’t forget me in your prosperity. Once you succeed, don’t forget to feed me back.”

“Feed you back?” Xiang Wan found this outrageous.

“Well, reciprocate, something like that.”

Xiang Wan ran her fingers along the indents below the car window, a little dirty, but the lady who never worked didn’t care much. She asked, “Do you want to get back together with Ms. Su?”

“Get back together?” Yu Zhou moved her ears and shook her head. “No, why ask?”

“I think you do.” Xiang Wan blinked and smiled.

“How so?” Yu Zhou responded in a pretentious tone.

Xiang Wan tilted her head, a smile playing on her lips as she looked at her: “If you don’t want to, when Ms. Su asks you about our relationship, you should answer – what does it have to do with you and me?”

“Really?” Yu Zhou was taken aback, “How do you know?”

“It’s always like this in TV shows.”

“I see…” Yu Zhou learned this.

“There could be a possibility that… I mean, I don’t want to get back together either, but I feel like there’s no need to be so awkward with her, because we have more collaboration later and you’re her apprentice, right? Besides, we will see each other quite often. What’s more, she’s quite nice, she has helped us a lot and even bought clothes for you.”

Yu Zhou’s rambling stopped in Xiang Wan’s calm gaze.

Okay, she admitted that she still liked Su Chang a little bit.

She wouldn’t deny it – as an open and candid woman, she never did.

She did have some uncontrollable instincts when it came to liking someone, but liking someone and wanting to be with them again were two different things.

She didn’t want to repeat the mistakes of the past.

Fortunately, the recording for the first season was completely over. For the time being, she and Su Chang wouldn’t meet again.

As she chatted with Xiang Wan and opened the door, she felt something was off in the room’s atmosphere as she heard the sound of the television.

Yu Zhou was puzzled: “Did you forget to turn off the TV when you went out?”

“I didn’t even turn it on.”

“Hiss…”

Yu Zhou felt cautious as she peeked out from the entrance, looking towards the living room.

She was dumbfounded.

“Mom???”

Ms. Zhao was sitting on the sofa, spitting grape skins onto her hand: “You’re back?”

Oh my mom[1]. This was the most appropriate time to say these words.

Xiang Wan also peeked out her head: “Your mother?”

“Ah, my mother.” Yu Zhou replied, still stunned.

Upon hearing another voice, Ms. Zhao leaned in to take a look, asking, “Why aren’t you coming in? What are you muttering about over there? Who else is there?”

When there was no response, the short-tempered Ms. Zhao stood up in her slippers with her hand on her chest as she held a bunch of grape peels.

“Why does it take so long to change shoes?” She looked up at Xiang Wan’s face with her eyebrows raised, momentarily stunned.

Xiang Wan and Ms. Zhao exchanged glances before Xiang Wan awkwardly glanced at Yu Zhou. Ms. Zhao sized up Xiang Wan from head to toe, her face suddenly beaming with delight as she adopted an air of virtuous propriety, “Zhouzhou, do you have a friend visiting? Why didn’t you let me know in advance? Oh dear, my hospitality is lacking!”

There’s no need to use such a cloying tone.

Yu Zhou chuckled awkwardly, “How can you say that? You didn’t tell me when you were coming either.”

“What are you talking about?” Ms. Zhao swatted Yu Zhou’s buttocks, “Does your mother have to give you a heads up when I visit?”

“And who’s this?” She turned her gaze back to Xiang Wan.

“Oh, this is Xiang Wan. She… is staying at my place for now.” Yu Zhou said while steeling herself.

Ms. Zhao, who was about to return to the living room, stopped in her tracks and put her hands on her hips, “Oh?” She raised the tone at the end of the sentence and looked at Yu Zhou.

“Let’s go in.” Yu Zhou took the clothes from Xiang Wan’s hand, “Don’t be afraid, it’s just my mom… err, my mother.”

Xiang Wan nodded and greeted Ms. Zhao with a smile, “Auntie.”

Oh my, so well-behaved, even sweeter than grapes.

Ms. Zhao’s face bloomed into a smile, “Come on, have a seat. How old are you? How long have you been staying in Zhouzhou’s home?”

There was something hidden in her words, like a Hong Gate Banquet[2].

“I’m eighteen and have been here for more than a month.” Xiang Wan sat down on the sofa with her legs together and hands on her knees.

Ms. Zhao looked at her actions, paused in surprise and then gave Yu Zhou a secretive glance.

“Eighteen, huh…” Her lower lip remained parted for a long time, quivering as if she found it difficult to finish her sentence.

Finally regaining her composure, Ms. Zhao tossed the grape peels into the trash can, muttering, “Is it hot outside? Let me pour you two some water.”

With that, she headed to the kitchen.

Just upon entering the kitchen, she stretched out her voice, calling, “Zhouzhou, where did you put that cup? I can’t find it!”

“Ah, I’m coming!” Yu Zhou placed the bag on the hallway cabinet as she hurried over to find a cup.

Squatting in front of the kitchen cabinet, just as she was grabbing a cup, she heard the kitchen door close and her back was suddenly struck with several slaps, causing her frail body to make a thudding sound.

The rhythmic voice of Ms. Zhao accompanied the sound of the slaps, “How dare you! Damn it! Damn! Eighteen! Are you crazy?”

“Ow, ow, ow!” Yu Zhou shrank, trying to avoid the attack while making sure the cup in her hand didn’t fall.

“Why are you beating me?” She put down the cup before looking at Ms. Zhao with grievance.

“You have the nerve to ask why I’m hitting you! I’ll hit you to death!” Ms. Zhao gritted her teeth, raising her hand to slap Yu Zhou’s shoulder again.

Yu Zhou realized and quickly defended herself, “No!”

“She’s just a friend, temporarily staying here!” She said with the loudest whisper voice.

Ms. Zhao scoffed as she pointed at her, “Right, right, just like when you brought Su Chang home for the first time, you had the same guilty tone.”

“Doesn’t that girl have a home? Does she look that poor, to temporarily stay here with you? Are you two enacting a play? Like Emperor Qianlong’s brief stay with Xia Yuhe?[3]”

Hearing Su Chang, Yu Zhou really felt a little guilty and began to arrange cups, “We’re over, why do you keep bringing her up?”

Seeing her down, Ms. Zhao didn’t hit her anymore. She walked around and looked at Yu Zhou’s face, saying, “Speaking of Susu, she still sent me a message during the New Year, wishing me a happy birthday.”

She stared intently, noticing a slight change in Yu Zhou’s expression.

Yu Zhou had difficulty putting her feelings into words, “You mean, during the New Year, she wished you a happy birthday?”

“Ah, haha, I misspoke; she sent messages for both the New Year and my birthday,” Ms. Zhao laughed it off.

“Oh, that’s nice,” Yu Zhou said.

“Have you two lost touch?” Ms. Zhao leaned against the cabinet, looking at Yu Zhou’s face.

“We have.”

“Is it because of this eighteen-year-old girl?”

“No, no!” Yu Zhou’s anger flared up but, afraid that Xiang Wan would overhear, she had no choice but to whisper her explanation.

“What are you getting worked up for? She might be young, but she’s an adult. Your mom even accepted your homosexuality. I can handle it.”

“I’m not working up! It’s just that she isn’t!”

“How did she end up here, then? Why is she staying at your place? How big is her family, how many houses does each person have, where are her parents, are there any relatives in Jiangdong?” As Ms. Zhao spoke, she sang it like an opera.

“You can’t say it,” Ms. Zhao smiled as expected.

Feeling wordless, Yu Zhou gave up, picked up the cup and walked out, “Fine, fine, fine.”

Speechless.

Ms. Zhao patted her butt in annoyance, “Still going in circles with your mom!”

“Is she going to school?”

“Ah… um.” Attending a training class should also count, right?

“Tsk,” Ms. Zhao looked at her with disdain as if she had ruined a flower of the country[4].

Watching Yu Zhou’s retreating figure, Ms. Zhao walked to the entrance, moving her suitcase, “You two are sleeping in the master bedroom, right? I’ll sleep in the guest room.”

Xiang Wan and Yu Zhou both froze in place.

Yu Zhou opened her mouth, unable to speak, “You’re going to stay here?”

“Yes, I had a fight with your father. Don’t answer his calls and don’t reveal any information, or I’ll sever our mother-daughter relationship.”

Ms. Zhao pushed her suitcase towards the guest bedroom.