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On the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, the festive atmosphere in the city faded away. By the fifteenth, the celebrations were practically over. Xu Ruyun had been in C City until the seventeenth or eighteenth and had no plans to return to City Z, even after Liu Sen had called several times urging her to come back.
During Liu Sen's third call to urge Xu Ruyun to return to C City, she was busy preparing dinner for the two children. She had steamed a fish and cooked several of her signature dishes, and just the aroma was enough to make anyone's mouth water.
"What are you doing staying at your daughter's place? Even someone as grumpy as Liu Sen is getting a bit annoyed," he said. "Xiaoxu, I don't care what business you have in C City; hurry up and come home!"
"Oh, Old Liu, look at you getting all worked up! I'm not coming back, so what are you going to do about it?" Xu Ruyun had been pampered by Liu Sen for decades and knew exactly how to handle his temper.
Liu Sen glanced at the bouquet of roses that had just been delivered to their coffee table. His face went through a spectrum of colors before he finally huffed, "Then don’t come back!"
Today was February 14th, Valentine's Day. Poor Liu Sen had spent his life being serious and reserved. Finally, encouraged by his daughter to be romantic, his wife wasn’t appreciative; all she cared about was their precious daughter, leaving him feeling neglected.
When Xu Ruyun sensed that her husband was genuinely upset, she quickly tried to smooth things over with a smile. "Dear, don’t be angry! I’m doing this for Shu Han’s sake!" She looked around and whispered into the phone, "Last time her aunt told me that Shu Han has someone special. It sounded serious, and your sister was backing her up. I've noticed Shu Han's behavior lately; it seems like she's in love. Such an important matter needs my oversight; she can't end up with someone like her father or someone too far off either! We can't let her get fooled!"
Her words not only provided her with an excuse but also flattered Liu Sen. The clouds on his face lifted considerably, and his tone softened. "You’re right; we need to keep an eye on her and find a good match so we can feel at ease. But you can’t stay at your daughter’s forever! When are you coming back for sure?"
"I'll definitely be back next Monday!"
Xu Ruyun hung up cheerfully and lifted the lid of the pot to check if her steamed fish was ready. Thinking about her husband made her hum a little tune.
When Xu Ruyun first came to C City, Liu Shuhan was busy with work and didn’t have time for her. A few days ago, Cheng Qiuyi took Xu Ruyun around all the major attractions in C City. Xu Ruyun followed her around eating and sightseeing, noticing that Cheng Qiuyi seemed to enjoy it more than spending time with her own daughter, which made Liu Shuhan quite jealous.
"Cheng Qiuyi, if I didn’t know better, I’d think you were trying to woo my mom! Climbing mountains today and boating tomorrow—how come you’ve never shown this much interest in me?"
Cheng Qiuyi protested dramatically, "My dear Liu Shuhan, every time I take you out, you’re always swamped with work! How did this become my fault? Besides..." Cheng Qiuyi pulled Liu Shuhan into a warm embrace and gently nibbled on her rounded earlobe. "If I don’t win over my future mother-in-law, how can she trust me with you?"
They were just arriving at the front door when Liu Shuhan was startled by Cheng Qiuyi's sudden action. Cheng lightly punched her shoulder and said, "What if my mom sees us?"
Cheng Qiuyi had been abstaining for many days. She wrapped her arms around Liu Shuhan's waist and pinned her against the wall, kissing her fiercely to relieve her longing. "Sigh... this mother-in-law is so unreasonable. Shu Han, at this rate, I might as well become a nun."
Liu Shuhan laughed at her, "If you go to the temple, the abbess will kick you out on the spot for being impure. What kind of nun would you be?"
Cheng Qiuyi's tongue slid wetly into Liu Shuhan's ear, causing Liu Shuhan's cheeks to flush with heat. "With a beauty in my arms, I don't believe any pure-hearted abbess could remain unperturbed."
Xu Ruyun had just finished steaming a fish. The strong fishy smell from the kitchen made her worry that the two girls wouldn't be able to stand it. She picked up the trash from the kitchen to throw it out, but as soon as she opened the door, she was stunned.
There were Cheng Qiuyi and Liu Shuhan tangled together in a corner of the hallway. Cheng Qiuyi's long hair obscured their actions, and Xu Ruyun couldn't see what they were doing. Regardless of what it was, they were two young ladies; what would it look like if someone saw them?
"What are you two doing?"
Cheng Qiuyi and Liu Shuhan froze in place, unable to move. Liu Shuhan looked at Cheng Qiuyi in panic, silently asking what to do. Cheng Qiuyi quickly calmed down and silently mouthed to Liu Shuhan: deny everything.
She tidied up Liu Shuhan's disheveled hair and slowly pulled her toward the door, smiling naturally. "Auntie, where are you going?"
"I caught a fish, and the bag is too smelly to keep," Xu Ruyun said suspiciously as she scrutinized them from head to toe. "Since you're home, why not come inside? The fish just came off the stove; it's best eaten hot."
"Shu Han got something in her eye; I'm helping her blow it out," Cheng Qiuyi replied with a smile as she took the trash bag from Xu Ruyun's hands. "It's perfect; I can throw it away with Shu Han and save you from changing your shoes." As she spoke, she turned with Liu Shuhan but was stopped by Xu Ruyun.
"One person is enough to throw away the trash. Qiu Yi, please help me out here. Shu Han, come inside; Mom has a call she wants to ask you about."
Liu Shuhan hesitated while clutching her clothes and exchanged a glance with Cheng Qiuyi.
"What are you waiting for? Come inside," Xu Ruyun urged again.
Cheng Qiuyi gave Liu Shuhan a comforting look. "Shu Han, Auntie is right. You go in first."
Xu Ruyun thought for a moment. While there was nothing wrong with close friendships, she felt something was off about the way Liu Shuhan and Cheng Qiuyi interacted. No matter how good friends they were, their closeness seemed excessive.
For instance, the last time they were washing dishes in the kitchen, they were practically glued together, and it was hard to tell if they were washing dishes or just holding hands. Then there was the time before that when Cheng Qiuyi was brushing her teeth in the bathroom, and her daughter went over and kissed her on the cheek. Such a strange relationship was hard for Xu Ruyun to believe was just friendship.
However, if someone suggested that her daughter and Cheng Qiuyi had that kind of relationship, Xu Ruyun would refuse to believe it. She had seen children like that on TV, and even had a distant relative who fit that description. Over the years, her impression of homosexuality had been shaped by men who looked like men and women who looked like women. Her daughter had always been a typical girl who loved dolls and stuffed toys. Cheng Qiuyi, while mature, dressed beautifully every day and was an attractive woman; many young men pursued her wanting to marry her. How could she possibly be... that kind of person?
Fortunately, Liu Shuhan already had a boyfriend, which eased Xu Ruyun's mind somewhat and calmed her racing heart. "Shu Han, when are you going to bring that boy home to meet Mom?"
Liu Shuhan was still nervously fidgeting with her pants leg, trying to think of how to respond to her mother when she froze at the question. "What boy?"
"Auntie told me you have a boyfriend now, and you’re hiding it from your mom," Xu Ruyun said as she squeezed in next to Liu Shuhan. "Shu Han, Mom isn't old-fashioned. Just tell me what this young man is like. I’m not trying to pry; I just want to know which lucky guy has caught my Shu Han's eye."
Just then, Cheng Qiuyi returned from taking out the trash and heard the mention of "young man." She smiled but with a hint of curiosity. "What are you talking about? What young man?"
Liu Shuhan felt as if she had found a lifeline and hurriedly tried to move closer to Cheng Qiuyi but was pulled back by her mother.
Xu Ruyun firmly kept Liu Shuhan beside her and said intentionally, "Qiu Yi, Shu Han has secretly gotten herself a boyfriend and told Auntie all about it but won’t tell me. What’s there to hide?"
"People say you should get married and have children; that's what makes a complete family. You see those people on TV who love each other regardless of gender—can that really be called love? It's just a fleeting novelty! They are irresponsible towards themselves and their families! Qiu Yi, don’t you agree?"
Cheng Qiuyi didn’t have time to respond before Liu Shuhan exploded in anger. "Mom, what are you talking about?!"
Cheng Qiuyi shot Liu Shuhan a look, signaling her not to be impulsive.
"What am I saying? I just want to meet your boyfriend! Which mother wouldn’t want to see their daughter settle down? Right, Qiu Yi?"
Cheng Qiuyi shook her head, smiling sadly. "Auntie, my mother passed away eleven years ago."
Xu Ruyun was at a loss for words. She didn't mean anything by it; she didn't know how she had come off so aggressive and had touched Cheng Qiuyi's sore spot. Xu Ruyun was an ordinary woman, petty and calculative, yet she possessed the same sympathy that any common person would have. Bringing up someone else's sorrow, especially when that person was someone she had always liked, left her somewhat flustered. "Qiu Yi, I'm sorry, Auntie... I didn't mean to..."
Cheng Qiuyi shook her head. "It's fine. My mother always hoped I would have a good place to settle down."
She had always referred to her mother as "Mother," out of respect but lacking intimacy. The first time she called her "Mom" was when mentioning her in relation to another mother.
Xu Ruyun understood Liu Shuhan's feelings. What mother in the world wouldn't want the best for their children? Even someone as distant as her own mother had often wished for her to find someone she loved.
However, despite understanding, Cheng Qiuyi could not fulfill Xu Ruyun's wish. Liu Shuhan could only belong to her in this lifetime; no one else could take her away.
Hearing Cheng Qiuyi's words, Xu Ruyun nodded with relief. "Yes, all mothers are the same..."
She was about to express more when Liu Shuhan knelt silently on the ground. "Mom, I'm unfilial; I'm sorry."
"Shu Han? What are you doing? Get up, get up!" Xu Ruyun tried to pull her daughter up from where she knelt at her feet, but unexpectedly, Cheng Qiuyi also knelt beside Liu Shuhan.
"Auntie, I want to spend my life with Shu Han. I love her."
Cheng Qiuyi's fingers touched Liu Shuhan's palm, their hands tightly clasped together.
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