#24: This Is My Girlfriend

“In the middle of the night, what are you doing...” Tang Xizhou felt a warm towel moving back and forth across his body. He opened his eyes to find the ward dimly lit. Yan Qingming was squatting down, wringing out the towel, then slipping his hand inside Tang Xizhou’s collar to clean him again.

The elderly woman in the neighboring bed was snoring loudly, drowning out Tang Xizhou’s mumbled words.

“BeiBei said you’re starting to smell…” Yan Qingming whispered.

“How could that be… it’s just the smell of cigarettes,” Tang Xizhou explained. “Everyone on the team is a smoker. To catch that deranged murderer, we probably smoked through ten packs of cigarettes…”

“Do you want me to show you the water?” Yan Qingming lifted the basin. “BeiBei didn’t exaggerate at all. Look how murky this water is.”

Tang Xizhou chuckled quietly. “Alright, I’ve been rejected.”

Yan Qingming turned him over, wiping as he asked, “Did you throw up everything you ate tonight? How are you feeling now?”

“Dizzy, nauseous…” Tang Xizhou waved his hand helplessly. “Who would want to stay in the hospital? It’s so boring.”

“There’s another check-up tomorrow. Head injuries are serious matters—you’ll have to bear with it for now. Once everything’s fine, they won’t keep you here. Beds are in short supply; do you think the hospital wants you staying here long-term?”

The elderly woman in the neighboring bed was sleeping soundly, and the young female patient by the door had also fallen asleep. When Yan Qingming moved around to clean Tang Xizhou’s front, Tang Xizhou pulled him closer, whispering conspiratorially like a thief, “Come on, Big Brother, give me a puff.”

Yan Qingming, acting like an upright adult, ignored him and rolled his eyes. After finishing, he took the basin of water and left.

Bored out of his mind, Tang Xizhou felt dizzy and nauseous, as if he’d been on a rollercoaster a thousand times, his internal organs still spinning. As soon as Yan Qingming left, even the little energy he had dissipated, and he closed his eyes to rest. However, after a while, Yan Qingming returned, tucked in his blanket, checked the IV line, leaned down, and lightly brushed his lips against Tang Xizhou’s forehead.

“You have a fever…”

“Caught you,” Tang Xizhou murmured without opening his eyes, chuckling softly. “You refused my earlier invitation, so now you’re making up for it…”

“You’re still awake? Can’t sleep? It’s fine—just close your eyes and rest. Your mom will come tomorrow, so I won’t visit then.” Yan Qingming said, “Once the test results come out tomorrow, have BeiBei take a picture and send it to me. Understand?”

Tang Xizhou gave his head a light rub, then pushed him away. “Got it, go home already.”

________________________________________

After returning from the hospital, Jiang BeiBei couldn’t wait to tell her grandmother about her relationship with Chu Yao.

After waiting for a long time, her grandmother showed little reaction.

“Grandma, did you hear what I said?” Jiang BeiBei shouted into her ear.

“I heard. So what? He’s not some three-headed, six-armed, eighteen-eared monster. Having a boyfriend isn’t anything special.”

“… Grandma, what kind of reaction is that!” Jiang BeiBei asked. “Do you think I’m not serious?”

“Have you thought it through?” Her grandmother glanced at her. “You’re not in a rush to get married, are you? Oh, right—your Aunt Liu mentioned the other day that Aunt Xiao wants to introduce you to a Chinese expatriate. You should meet him over the New Year holiday.”

Her grandmother changed topics rather quickly.

“What nonsense?”

“What else could it be? Aunt Xiao called Aunt Liu the other day and said she’s coming back for the New Year. She asked if you were seeing anyone, and since you weren’t at the time, Aunt Liu told her the truth. Aunt Xiao then insisted on introducing you to someone—an overseas colleague of hers who’s also coming back this year. Their hometown is here too. Aunt Xiao said she’s already arranged it—they’ll visit your parents and Uncle Xiao, and you can meet him then. Who knows, maybe there’s a spark…”

“Isn’t this annoying?” Jiang BeiBei slumped her shoulders. “I already have a boyfriend.”

“It wouldn’t hurt to meet him,” her grandmother coughed and said. “If you don’t like him, just don’t say anything. You know Aunt Xiao—she doesn’t even listen to her own mother. Now that she’s actively trying to set you up and has brought the guy back, even if you feel uncomfortable, don’t let it show on your face.”

Jiang BeiBei protested, “But just a few days ago, when I said I didn’t have a boyfriend, I also told you and Aunt Liu that I liked Yao Ge. Why don’t you take me seriously? If I already like someone, why would I agree to meet someone else she introduces?”

“And besides,” she continued, “we’re visiting graves during the New Year. What does this expatriate have to do with it? Does he expect to tag along? Isn’t that disgusting? We’re going to pay respects to our ancestors, and you’re suggesting he join us? Am I supposed to introduce him to my parents’ graves? Are we holding a matchmaking session in the cemetery? Ugh, it’s so annoying…”

“Enough already, stop running your mouth,” her grandmother dismissed her complaints with a glance. “You talk too much.”

“I don’t like Aunt Xiao,” Jiang BeiBei said bluntly. “She’s heartless. Five years ago, when she came back, we went to the cemetery together. We were already at the entrance, but she said she didn’t want to step in because of the snow and mud—it might dirty her clothes. How dare she? That’s her own younger brother lying there. Is her outfit more important than her brother? I don’t want anything to do with her. This year, I’m definitely not visiting the graves with them. I don’t want my parents getting upset.”

“Stop blabbering!” her grandmother scolded. “Every year, we visit the graves with Aunt Liu. Don’t grow more foolish as you age. If you dislike Aunt Xiao, just ignore her. But Aunt Liu is still a good person. If you don’t go, are you expecting us two old ladies to support each other while crying at the graves?”

A timely knock interrupted their argument. Upon hearing it, Jiang BeiBei rushed into the room, grabbed the sign-in sheet, and opened the door.

Chu Yao placed a finger to his lips, signaling her to be quiet, and pointed inside.

Jiang BeiBei nodded, looking unhappy, and whispered, “Grandma’s inside.”

Chu Yao’s expression grew enigmatic. After a moment of thought, he suddenly pulled Jiang BeiBei close and gently kissed her cheek. Then, he twisted open his pen cap.

“A kiss? Then only sign half of it,” Jiang BeiBei pouted, clearly displeased. “Hmph, such a敷衍 (perfunctory gesture).”

Chu Yao paused, both amused and exasperated.

“Then, accompany me to the supermarket to buy something,” Chu Yao winked, bending down to whisper in her ear, “...to make up for it.”

From inside, her grandmother asked, “BeiBei, who is it?”

“Yao Ge,” Jiang BeiBei replied, tucking away the sign-in sheet and grabbing her keys to change her shoes. “Grandma, I’m going out to buy vinegar.”

After the door closed, her grandmother sat still for a moment, then went to the kitchen to check. “Vinegar? Don’t we still have some?”

________________________________________

As the New Year approached, the supermarket was bustling with activity. Festive music like “Happy New Year, Wishing You Prosperity” looped continuously.

Chu Yao asked, “What do you want to eat?”

Jiang BeiBei tugged at his sleeve and countered, “What are you planning to buy?”

“Just an excuse,” Chu Yao said. “Shall we make up for it?”

The grain and oil section was currently empty. With one hand pushing the empty shopping cart and the other encircling her waist, Chu Yao leaned down and gave her a gentle kiss.

After completing their daily task, Jiang BeiBei pushed away Chu Yao, who was still unsatisfied, her face flushed as she said, “...Let’s buy something for Second Brother.”

“Only twice a day?”

“Huh?” Jiang BeiBei looked up, seeing a faintly dejected expression on Chu Yao’s face.

He gently touched his lips, savoring the lingering sensation of the kiss, and smiled. “Can’t we exceed the quota?”

“Annoying.” Jiang BeiBei balled her fist and tapped it against his chest. “My face is burning… It’s your fault.”

However, from just a moment ago, she had been feeling like they were being watched… Chu Yao turned around and was startled.

At the end of the aisle, a middle-aged man holding two bags of rice stood there, his face full of shock, his jaw nearly dropping to the floor.

Upon recognizing him, Jiang BeiBei’s face instantly turned beet red.

“Uncle Qin…” Jiang BeiBei raised her hand awkwardly, forcing a smile.

Qin Yuan’s father also looked embarrassed. He set the bags of rice down, scratched his head, making his already messy hair even more disheveled.

“...Eh?” He pointed at Chu Yao, then at Jiang BeiBei, hesitating for a long time before finally asking, “Are you two...?”

Siblings wouldn’t playfully tease each other like this—only couples would.

If he had seen his own son fooling around with Jiang BeiBei today, he wouldn’t have thought much of it because he knew exactly what his son was like—he liked to be handsy with girls, completely shameless, and would flirt with anyone, familiar or not. But flirting didn’t necessarily mean he was in a romantic relationship.

But this was Chu Yao.

Who was Chu Yao? He was the spitting image of Chu Yang—always behaving like a miniature adult, proper and disciplined, his gaze never wandering, his hands never touching improperly, his legs never straying aimlessly, and his mouth never uttering nonsense.

A well-behaved son like him wouldn’t dare to fool around with a girl without reason, unlike his own son.

Qin Yuan’s father thought: Hah, case solved! Confession leads to leniency—or else I’ll tell Yao Lan and Chu Yang when I get home.

Jiang BeiBei looked at Chu Yao, waiting for him to speak.

Chu Yao held Jiang BeiBei’s hand and smiled. “Uncle Qin, this is my girlfriend.”

Qin Yuan’s father: “Hahaha, I knew it! I could tell at a glance...”

But as he spoke, he suddenly remembered something his wife had mentioned to him.

Your son has feelings for Jiang BeiBei.

Qin Yuan’s father: “...Huh.”

So, his son was out of the picture?

In just one second, Qin Yuan’s father’s face cycled through a variety of expressions.

Rubbing the stubble on his chin, he looked at the two youngsters: “No sneaking around. Be open about it—it’s better that way. Why hide it? You’ve been caught! Well done, young man...”

Perhaps the last part was meant as a message to his own son.

________________________________________

That evening, at the entrance to her home, Jiang BeiBei tugged on Chu Yao.

“Sign here.” Jiang BeiBei unfolded the sign-in sheet.

“Alright...” Chu Yao bent down to sign his name on the card. As he straightened up, he caught Jiang BeiBei again and kissed her lightly.

“Goodnight. Are you going to the hospital tomorrow?”

“Mhm, I’m off tomorrow.” Jiang BeiBei said. “Tomorrow Second Brother has a check-up—I’ll go help take care of him.”

“Rest when you need to. Don’t overwork yourself.”

“It’s fine. Aunt Cheng will also be there. Taking care of Second Brother will definitely be handled by his mom. I’ll just be there to chat and keep him company. Don’t worry, Yao Ge.”

Chu Yao pointed upstairs.

Jiang BeiBei covered her mouth and chuckled softly, whispering, “Will Uncle Qin say anything?”

“Definitely.” Chu Yao said. “Be prepared—Qin Yuan will probably invite us out... to talk.”

“Stop looking so smug, hahaha... I feel a bit sorry for Third Brother.”

“If you’re not pitying him, then you’re pitying me now.” Chu Yao paused after speaking, then muttered to himself, “Thinking about it that way, it does feel like a bit of a loss... losing some of your sympathy for me. Let’s go back—it’s cold outside.”

“Mhm...”

As she turned around, Chu Yao’s hand reached out from behind, pulling her into an embrace. His lips lightly brushed her earlobe.

“Tomorrow morning’s...”

He whispered, “I’m attending a lecture in the neighboring city tomorrow. I’ll leave early, so I won’t disturb you. BeiBei, goodnight.”