"It's so cold," Jingyan complained in a drawn-out voice by my ear, hugging my arm, not minding at all that on this night by the campus track, my arm had already sunk into the valley of her breasts.
"Yeah, it's cold. You actually dared to wear shorts earlier—now you wouldn't, would you?" I turned my head to look at the beauty in my arms. She was wearing a khaki British-style long trench coat, and beneath the coat's slit, thick gray stockings wrapped around her slender, beautiful legs. I have to say, after seeing so much black and white stockings, these gray ones really stood out. Some of the students passing by on the road were also staring at Jingyan.
"Hmph! That was all for a certain handsome guy," Jingyan tilted her head away from me, but tightened her grip on my arm. I chuckled and took a step forward. As my foot landed, a crisp tearing sound echoed. Looking down, I saw a crushed sycamore leaf. We both looked up just as a withered yellow leaf drifted down before our eyes and landed on the white surface of Jingyan's long boots.
"Hey!" Jingyan kicked the leaf away, her white boot tracing a bewitching arc in the air, making the bleak atmosphere shimmer for a moment.
The weather in the north is like this—after October, it's time to prepare for winter coats. By November, it gets even colder. Walking around campus, you'd see some hurrying to the teaching buildings in jackets, others strolling leisurely in down jackets, and even a few wearing tank tops going wild on the basketball court. It's such a strange season.
"Sigh..." Jingyan sighed as she kicked the leaves on the ground.
"What's wrong, my beauty?" I asked, holding her close.
"I feel like Mom has been acting really strange lately. Don't you think so?" Jingyan's question made my hand, which was resting on her arm, involuntarily tighten.
"Ouch, Xuanyu, be gentle!" Jingyan quickly pulled away.
"What... seems strange to you?" I asked.
"Well, she's just never home anymore. Before, she'd complain every day about wanting to come home after work, and once she was off, she'd rush back and stay in. But now, I don't know where she's found to have fun. The other night when I was crying and looking for you, didn't I tell you she went for a massage? When I asked her to take me, she refused, saying it wasn't a good place. If it wasn't a good place, why did she stay overnight? Hmph!" Jingyan grumbled with a pout. And my heart felt as crushed as those withered leaves.
Should I really keep covering for Aunt Ouyang?
Is what I'm doing right?
And my thoughts... am I being fair to Jingyan? Am I being fair to Uncle Qin? What if they find out?
Oh god, is this really a dead end?
"Xuanyu? Xuanyu?"
"Huh... what?" I was lost in thought, looking down, when suddenly Jingyan's puzzled face appeared before me, tilted upward.
"What's wrong with you? You suddenly spaced out."
"Nothing, I just remembered an experiment from before and had a sudden inspiration," I brushed it off.
"Alright then, I hope I didn't interrupt your burst of inspiration, Mr. Researcher," Jingyan teased playfully.
"No, no. Let's go to the café nearby for a bit?" Jingyan and I walked into a small coffee shop on campus.
"Okay!"
The shop wasn't big, but it was crowded. The moment we stepped in, many eyes—both men and women—landed on us. We each ordered a latte and found a spot at a small counter, sitting side by side.
As soon as we sat down, Jingyan took out her phone and started tapping away on it.
"Who are you chatting with? Mu Xianning?" I asked.
"No, it's Zhao Chenyu."
"Zhao Chenyu?" I was quite sensitive to that name now and asked, "What's he talking to you about?"
"Just some things about my mom. He's asking about her hobbies. Here, look!" Jingyan pushed her phone toward me.
A message came into view.
Zhao Chenyu: "Senior, where did you go to hang out?"
Jingyan: "I went for a walk with Xuanyu and now we're at a café."
Zhao Chenyu: "Oh, really? When I was at work, I noticed Auntie Ouyang's drawer had all kinds of instant drinks and stuff. There was a box of coffee powder that was already half-finished, but later, it hadn't been touched for a long time."
Jingyan: "That? That was coffee beans someone gave her. I heard they were quite expensive. My mom ground them into powder and drank it before, but she's slowly switching to Chinese tea now, so she doesn't use coffee anymore."
Zhao Chenyu: "I see. I'll keep that in mind then. Now I have an idea for future gifts. Thanks, Senior!"
Jingyan: "You're clever, but that's a sneaky way to go about it. Just work hard and don't make my mom angry."
Zhao Chenyu: "Don't worry, Senior. No one can make Auntie Ouyang happier than me, hehe. And you too, Senior. If you say one, I'll never say two!" There was something off about Zhao Chenyu's words that made me uncomfortable.
Jingyan: "Alright, alright. Get back to work and stop slacking off!"
Zhao Chenyu: "I'm not! It's lunch break now, hehe."
The conversation ended there. I scrolled up.
Zhao Chenyu: "Senior, I'm here."
Jingyan: "Okay! Someone is waiting for you at the east gate, wearing the club uniform."
Zhao Chenyu: "I see them. I've already given them the stuff."
Jingyan: "Good, thanks for your hard work!"
Zhao Chenyu: "It's my honor to work for you, Senior. Please put in a good word for me with Auntie Ouyang, hehe."
Jingyan: "Sure, sure."
The chat log showed a long time had passed.
Jingyan: "Thanks for your hard work, Zhao Chenyu."
Zhao Chenyu: "No problem. This is nothing compared to our previous training."
Jingyan: "Still, it must have been tiring, and your clothes even got torn."
Zhao Chenyu: "It's just a piece of clothing. If it makes things easier for you, Senior, I'd work shirtless with all my heart!"
Jingyan: "Alright, go back and rest early."
Zhao Chenyu: "Hehe, Senior, if you don't mind, can I call you 'sister' from now on?"
Jingyan: "Uh, that's not really appropriate."
Zhao Chenyu: "Okay, I'll head back now!"
Jingyan: "Mm, get some good rest."
Call her sister? What is Zhao Chenyu scheming now, or is he just trying to get closer?
Scrolling further up, there wasn't anything else noteworthy, so I handed the phone back to Jingyan.
"Did you figure anything out?" Jingyan asked.
"Not really, but he sure contacts you a lot."
"Yeah, I think it's probably because he doesn't want to waste this opportunity. By building a good relationship with me, he might have a way out if he ever upsets my mom. But he really is diligent—not only does he attend classes, but he also works. Whenever I ask for help, he comes right away." Jingyan explained calmly.
"Hmph, he's nothing but an errand boy for Auntie Ouyang anyway," I said dismissively.
"Well, you're the one who introduced him to her," Jingyan retorted, leaving me speechless. Damn it, I really do regret it.
What was I thinking, introducing Zhao Chenyu to Aunt Ouyang, who's like family to me. That guy really lucked out, damn it, just damn it.
"How come I didn't know he helped you with something?" I retorted.
"It wasn't anything major, just had him transport some stuff," Jingyan said, taking a sip of coffee.
"Ugh, this doesn't taste good, I'm not happy..." Jingyan muttered quietly. If she weren't in the shop, she'd probably be complaining loudly.
"I wonder how Dad's doing over there." Jingyan lowered her head and pouted, wearing a sad expression. Girls can be so unpredictable—one moment they're happily chatting, and the next, something triggers them, pulling their thoughts to seemingly unrelated matters.
Uncle Qin... Thinking of Uncle Qin, I felt a pang of guilt. Aunt Ouyang is like this, and yet I haven't told him.
My thoughts drifted back to late October when Uncle Qin returned home.
Since Uncle Qin had finally come back, of course, both families gathered for lunch.
Uncle Qin picked up a piece of braised pork my mom had made: "Mmm... The food outside isn't as good. Nothing beats eating at home."
Aunt Ouyang sat beside Uncle Qin and glanced at him. "So you do know the food outside isn't as good? Weren't you supposed to go to Qincheng? How did you suddenly end up in Qiongdao? You didn't even notify the family. Are you hiding something from me?"
As soon as Aunt Ouyang said this, my parents' chopsticks froze mid-air.
Uncle Qin looked around. "No, it's just a business transfer. Some plans required coordination in Qiongdao. You know, that Director Zhang..."
Aunt Ouyang cut him off before he could finish. "So you're going back to Qiongdao again?"
Now it was Uncle Qin's turn to be taken aback. "Yes, there are some things I need to oversee personally." Uncle Qin said cautiously. I glanced at Jingyan beside me. She was quietly eating her rice, her head bowed low, with strands of hair falling on either side, hiding her face.
Clack! Aunt Ouyang's chopsticks landed on her bowl with a crisp sound.
"I really don't understand how you men think. Or is it just you? Not even coming home for National Day, always the boss, always Director Qin. I think you're worse than those workers who joke about being beasts of burden. You're more desperate for money than any of them, aren't you?" Aunt Ouyang crossed her arms, deliberately turning her face away.
"Ah, honey..." Uncle Qin leaned toward Aunt Ouyang, wrapping his arms around hers, pleading. "Ah, honey, I was wrong not to discuss it with you earlier. It's just that this opportunity couldn't be missed. This is the last time, I promise. And besides, I was entrusted with this. Oh, and remember those assets we talked about? I'm already preparing to sell them. Once this is done, I'll be completely free, and I'll focus on staying home with you and Jingyan. Hehe."
"Hmph..." Aunt Ouyang snorted lightly. "I didn't mean to embarrass you in front of Bowen, Wanyi, and the kids. I don't want to pressure you, and I don't want to give you a hard time every time you come home, making you uncomfortable. I want every visit to be harmonious. But what about you? Every time you come back, you bring some kind of shock. Can't you spare me that?"
"Anyway, Jingyan and Xuanyu have been together for so long. They'll get married whenever they have a child. As for your own matters, you handle them yourself!" Aunt Ouyang's words sent a jolt through me, connecting some far-fetched thoughts in my mind.
But if family is so important to Aunt Ouyang, why would she still be with Zhao Chenyu...
"Alright, alright, I know. I'll spend time with you properly when I get back, and with our little grandson too." Uncle Qin picked up a piece of spare rib and placed it in Aunt Ouyang's bowl.
"Who needs you to spend time with me? I've been looking at your ugly face for decades now, long since tired of it. Go away." Aunt Ouyang said disdainfully, shaking her shoulder to shrug off Uncle Qin's arm. She picked up her chopsticks, took the spare rib from her bowl, and stuffed it into Uncle Qin's mouth before turning and leaving.
I saw my parents let out a long sigh of relief, and I relaxed along with them. Aunt Ouyang clearly wasn't angry anymore in the end.
"Hmm..." A soft sob interrupted my thoughts, pulling me out of my memories. It was Jingyan turning to lean against me.
"Xuanyu... we can't end up like my parents in the future. I'm really scared of arguing." Jingyan looked worried.
"It's fine. Aunt Ouyang and Uncle Qin are both quite temperamental people—they vent when they're upset. Didn't we see Aunt Ouyang's chat history with my mom before? My mom was right, and we're not like Uncle Qin and them either," I comforted her.
"Yeah! I want to be like Aunt Liu, waiting for you to come home every day, eating together, tidying up together, and then you holding me while we sleep." She whispered the last sentence quietly into my ear.
Gazing at her adorable face as she imagined the future, I couldn't help but reach out and pinch her cheek. My heart grew even more hesitant—how should I deal with Aunt Ouyang? Should I really use that method?
This is a bit of a gamble, isn't it? If that kid Zhao Chenyu could win his bet, I can't possibly do worse than him.
After seeing Jingyan back to her dorm, I returned to my own.
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