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Yan Qingming called to ask about the situation, and Tang Xizhou was astonished. “Does news spread this fast in hospitals? It’s already reached your ears?”
“What happened?”
Tang Xizhou chuckled. “I didn’t even realize it at first, almost burst out laughing. That girl BeiBei’s skill at making up dramatic stories is truly remarkable—she just blurts them out with tears rolling down her cheeks. She had me convinced that I once held a dying first love in my arms and spent my life pining for her… What version did you hear?”
“Some girl broke your heart, and from then on, you started liking men,” Yan Qingming rubbed his temples and sighed deeply. “What kind of nonsense is this…”
“Hey, look on the bright side—at least I’ll get some peace and quiet before my mom fully processes it.” Tang Xizhou said. “It’s pure coincidence that there was a nosy girl in the same ward gossiping about us, and my mom overheard it… Bad luck, I guess.”
“Do you really think your mom would believe the fabricated story BeiBei came up with?” Yan Qingming reasoned clearly. “If she goes home and casually asks one of your classmates, she’ll find out whether or not someone named Chen Lu exists. What if she asks you to show her a photo? Where are you going to find one?”
“Who cares? Let her figure it out for now.”
“Older Brother, sooner or later, she’ll know the truth.”
Tang Xizhou hummed in agreement. “We’ll deal with it when the time comes. My stance remains the same—I don’t care what happens to me, and even if my mom gets mad, she won’t come after me with a knife. You be careful, though—don’t let your parents find out. If you don’t say anything, she won’t guess it’s you.”
“I think after this whole scene with your mom, things will move faster than expected…” Yan Qingming joked. “If my parents ask me about it, what excuse should I make up? The tragic first love story’s already taken by you—what version should I use?”
Tang Xizhou replied bluntly, “Infertility or impotence.”
“…Go to hell.”
________________________________________
Huang Yuanbao didn’t ask Jiang BeiBei about what she’d seen or heard at the hospital. Her discretion was exactly as she’d claimed—it was impeccable.
During lunch, Jiang BeiBei dragged her shopping. Huang Yuanbao watched half enviously, half worriedly as Jiang BeiBei bought five men’s wool sweaters in one go, spending a considerable amount of money.
“…For your brothers?”
“Mhm, it’s almost the New Year.” Jiang BeiBei borrowed a pen from the counter and labeled the boxes with numbers.
“Didn’t your Yao Ge get promoted this year? Aren’t you getting him something extra special?”
“…I’ve been thinking about that too.” Jiang BeiBei sighed, her face falling. “This year, I have to buy three separate gifts for Yao Ge.”
“Why? Isn’t two enough?”
“Yao Ge’s birthday is next week.” Jiang BeiBei counted on her fingers. “Birthday gift, New Year gift—those are annual traditions… And since he got promoted this year, I need to give him a boyfriend gift too.”
Huang Yuanbao: “…You’re really particular.”
Jiang BeiBei, you’re such an honest person.
“So why are you still buying clothes?”
“The birthday gift can be like that… But for the boyfriend gift, I haven’t figured out what to get yet.”
“It’s simple—just give him what he likes. Why is this even a dilemma? What does your boyfriend like?”
Jiang BeiBei grinned mischievously and shamelessly replied, “He likes me.”
Huang Yuanbao: “Hey! Look at how smug you are! Why don’t you just shove dog food into my mouth while you’re at it!”
Jiang BeiBei slapped her forehead. “Oh right, and Song Da Miao’s dog food too.”
Huang Yuanbao’s reminder made Jiang BeiBei think, Why not just go all out and take care of Chu Yao? Afterward, tell him it’s a gift… I’d love to see Yao Ge’s expression.
A voice of reason in her mind interjected, “No, no—you need to be more reserved.”
Another voice, driven by impulse, teased lasciviously, “He’s my boyfriend now! I can do whatever I want with him—this way, that way—who cares about being reserved?! Screw reservation!”
And so, Huang Yuanbao saw Jiang BeiBei’s eyes light up, a lecherous smile spreading across her face as she giggled and laughed to herself for a good while. Finally, she said, “I’ve decided what to give him.”
“What?”
“Not telling you.”
If it were Yao Ge, he’d definitely let her have her way. Who knows, he might even actively cooperate—after all, Yao Ge is gentle.
Naively blissful and completely unaware, Jiang BeiBei made up her mind to find the right moment… Hmm, to create an unforgettable romantic experience for the two of them.
After leaving the mall, Huang Yuanbao linked arms with Jiang BeiBei and, after much deliberation, asked, “BeiBei, are you really not bothered at all by Chu Yao’s profession?”
“Not at all.” Jiang BeiBei replied lightly.
“Jiang BeiBei… Have you ever seen him at work?” Huang Yuanbao’s expression turned reverent, tinged with admiration. “The other day, the episode on the funeral home moved to post-production, and I went to check it out. There was a case of someone who jumped off a building—they painstakingly pieced the face back together… I’m not saying this to be critical; honestly, I deeply respect people who do this kind of work. But I’m really curious—can you truly accept it? Aren’t you scared at all?”
“Of course I can accept it.” Jiang BeiBei said. “What’s there to be afraid of? Everyone dies eventually—it’s a matter of luck to die peacefully. No one wants to suffer in death. My parents died tragically too, but someone has to help send them off on their final journey… Look, take Yao Ge, for instance! In my eyes, he’s like a god descended from heaven, surrounded by a halo.”
“That’s true.” Huang Yuanbao murmured, almost to herself. “If you really think about it, there’s nothing strange about it…”
“Yuanbao, in my heart, Chu Yao is… incredibly wonderful. He’s the beginning of all my girlish dreams. I think he’s so noble that every time I think of him, I feel unworthy. He carries light—I don’t. I’m just an ordinary mortal, a speck of dust, a grain of sand…”
“Hey, let me ask you something. Does Yao Ge’s family have any objections to his line of work?”
“…Yuanbao, do you know what his parents do?” Jiang BeiBei’s eyes widened, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “Chu Yao’s mother—a veteran detective with thirty years of experience, specializing in major cases. She’s seen it all—decapitated bodies, dismembered corpses—she’s used to it. As for Chu Yao’s father—he’s a forensic pathologist. Have you heard of the entire-family murder and drowning case from twenty years ago? Thirteen bodies—entire families, bloated beyond recognition—all handled by his father.”
Huang Yuanbao shuddered. “No wonder!”
“When I was little, his dad even gave me anatomy lessons. Fourth Brother’s dad would hunt wild rabbits, and Yao Ge’s dad would handle preparing them for cooking. I remember standing in the kitchen watching him point to different parts of the rabbit with the tip of his knife, explaining what organs they were and where the fatal wound on the rabbit was… That’s why I always got full marks in biology during middle school.”
After Jiang BeiBei finished speaking, she paused for a moment. Huang Yuanbao was about to ask what was wrong when Jiang BeiBei suddenly said, “Come to think of it, I really do seem quite suited to be a daughter-in-law in their family.”
Huang Yuanbao rolled her eyes.
“Enough about that. Jiang BeiBei, let’s set a time—you and your brothers are invited to dinner.”
“A program feature? Now I understand why you’ve been hanging around me so much lately…” Jiang BeiBei had an epiphany. “You’re serious? You’re really going to make this special feature? No jokes?”
“No jokes. I’ve already coordinated with the station. The title for the feature is set, and I’ve planned out the broadcast order—starting with you.”
“Huh? So you’ve already decided on the theme?”
“Yes—it’s called Close Neighbors . It’s as real as gold—I mean it. Don’t give me that look.”
“…But there’s not much interesting about me to interview.”
“You’re a journalist—a young colleague at the station who, for work assignments, stayed up for two days straight without sleep, braving wind and rain to stay on the front lines. Dedicated, patriotic, with solid values that align with socialist core values. See? So positive!”
“Get out of here.” Jiang BeiBei burst into laughter.
“The main idea is also to help people better understand the behind-the-scenes staff at the TV station, like you—dedicated, professional journalists with strong ethics…”
“Huang Yuanbao, now I know why your show consistently ranks first in ratings… You’re bold—you dare to think and act!”
After hesitating for a long while, Huang Yuanbao finally voiced her thoughts: “If you’re okay with it, we might delve deeper into your personal lives. That would generate more buzz. Of course, if you’re uncomfortable, we can focus solely on your work—it’s up to you.”
________________________________________
Chu Yao finished his training early in the afternoon and returned home early. He knocked on the door across from his.
Jiang BeiBei wasn’t home, but her grandmother welcomed him in and handed him some fried radish cakes to take with him.
Chu Yao sat silently, locking eyes with the fat cat lounging on the sofa.
Where did this cat come from?
“Little Yao.”
“Mhm.”
Jiang BeiBei’s grandmother asked him, “BeiBei told me you two are dating?”
Chu Yao chuckled. “Yes, BeiBei told you?”
Jiang BeiBei’s grandmother looked puzzled. “Little Yao, does it count? She says whatever comes to mind—one moment it’s this, the next it’s that. Don’t spoil her by letting her fool around…”
“It counts,” Chu Yao said firmly. “I asked her, and she agreed.”
Jiang BeiBei’s grandmother was taken aback. “You kids… I thought she was just joking with me.”
This was the drawback of childhood sweethearts falling in love—they knew each other too well. When one suddenly declared, “We’re together,” everyone usually couldn’t process it.
A joke, right? Doesn’t count, right?
“Grandma, I’m serious,” Chu Yao said. “Regardless of how things turn out in the future, right now, I’ll give it my all and fulfill my responsibilities.”
After a long pause, Jiang BeiBei’s grandmother said, “Little Yao, I trust you. You’re such a thoughtful child…”
Her mind wandered quietly, and she thought to herself, It’s actually good. If it’s Chu Yao, then maybe our troublesome granddaughter will settle down, and I can rest easy.
The Chu family had always been wonderful—genuinely kind. Like their door, which was never locked; the neatly gutted fish they always brought over; the double portions of milk, newspapers, and magazines they delivered weekly; the supermarket discount flyers they always pinned to her doorknob…
After much thought, the person she worried about most wasn’t the Chu family or Chu Yao—it was her own granddaughter, Jiang BeiBei.
The reason she felt uneasy was that Grandma always felt that her granddaughter’s feelings were just words.
Love could be seen in the details of daily life, like the small gestures the Chu family consistently made year after year, turning details into habits.
But Jiang BeiBei?
Grandma thought hard but couldn’t recall a single sign that showed BeiBei truly liked Chu Yao.
They were completely… different.
Snapping back to reality, Grandma saw Chu Yao crouching on the ground calling to the cat.
“Grandma, where did the cat come from?”
“Yuan brought it down. He asked us to take care of it for now.”
Chu Yao tried to pet the cat, but it avoided him. When he picked it up, it was as soft as melted sugar, slipping through his hands like water.
But once it left Chu Yao’s grasp, the cat stopped and stared at him with sharp, scrutinizing eyes.
“Can you smell it?” Chu Yao murmured with a faint smile. “Are you afraid of me?”
The cat scurried away.
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