Chapter 102: I’m Just Taking a Look
Chen Qianxi leaned over curiously and asked, “What were you talking about just now?”
“Your dad said he doesn’t have any authority at home.”
“Hah, that’s just how family dads are.”
Lin Yuejiu was amused by the title.
“Alright, alright, the food’s ready. Let’s eat.”
At the table, Chen’s mother kept piling food into Lin Yuejiu’s bowl until it was almost overflowing. Yuejiu quickly said, “Auntie, that’s enough, really, too much. I won’t be able to finish it.”
“It’s fine, girls should eat more. Look at you, you’re too skinny, barely any flesh on your face.” As she spoke, she ladled soup for her again.
“Thank you, Auntie.” Unable to resist her enthusiasm, Yuejiu accepted it.
Just then, Chen Qianxi picked up a piece of meat to put in her own bowl, but her mother smacked her chopsticks. Qianxi watched helplessly as the meat fell back onto the plate. She complained, “Mom, what are you doing?”
“You’re still eating? Do you not know how much you weigh? Look at how fat you are!”
Qianxi pouted, “But you just said girls should eat more.”
“And you also heard me—I said girls. Are you a girl?”
“……”
Sexist! How is one supposed to live like this?!
Fuming, Chen Qianxi poked at her rice. Suddenly, a piece of meat appeared in her bowl. Looking up, she saw Lin Yuejiu had transferred it over. “I can’t finish this much either. Can you help me out?”
Qianxi nodded eagerly, biting into the meat with tears in her eyes. Jiujiu is the best! Beautiful and kind-hearted!
Chen’s mother shook her head helplessly. It wasn’t that she didn’t want Qianxi eating meat—it was just that her diet was too unbalanced, heavy on meat and light on vegetables.
During the meal, she also chatted a lot with Lin Yuejiu, thanking her for taking care of Qianxi. Yuejiu quickly shook her head. “Not at all. I should be the one thanking her. She’s taken care of me, given me a lot of support and warmth. I should be grateful to her.”
Qianxi had once angrily told her parents about Yuejiu’s situation—the public backlash over the real and fake daughter matter. Chen’s mother had felt real heartache for her. Such a young girl, losing her parents, living on her own, and enduring so much verbal abuse. She had said back then that Qianxi should bring Yuejiu home so she could take care of her properly. Qianxi had mentioned it before, but Yuejiu hadn’t agreed at the time, not wanting to trouble anyone.
After dinner, Qianxi pulled Yuejiu into her room.
Her room was warm and cozy, not luxurious, but filled with a pleasant atmosphere, even decorated with green plants. Yuejiu really liked it.
While they were chatting, Chen’s mother even brought in some fruit.
“You dragged me in here. What do you want to say?”
“Tell me honestly—when exactly did you and Xu Shen get together?”
Yuejiu sighed helplessly. “It really was the second semester of sophomore year.”
“There are a lot of moments in that semester. Which part exactly?”
“During the math competition, specifically after the prelims.”
“Then who confessed first?”
“He tricked me, saying he liked a girl and asked me for advice. That’s how he called me out, but in the end, he confessed to me instead.”
“Wow! Xu Shen’s got some skills! Then what exactly did he say in his confession?” Qianxi blinked her big eyes.
Yuejiu raised an eyebrow. “That’s classified. No way I’m telling you.”
“Not even a little? Jiujiu?” Qianxi hugged her, acting all cutesy.
But Yuejiu remained unmoved. “Nope. I didn’t even tell Auntie Xu when she asked.”
Chen Qianxi pouted, showing her displeasure.
Lin Yuejiu laughed. “Alright, I can’t tell you everything, but I can tell you this—he confessed to me first. And at that time, I didn’t agree right away.”
“Huh? Why not?”
“It was still our second year of high school. I thought it was too early to date, so I didn’t agree. I just said we’d talk about it after the college entrance exams. Later on, as we kept interacting, we naturally fell into that rhythm, so we both just took it for granted that we’d be together after the exams.”
“I see, no wonder.” Qianxi rubbed her chin. “Can you tell me some other details?”
“Which ones do you want to know?”
“Hmm… everything you can!”
“Alright.”
Lin Yuejiu shared bits of her relationship with Xu Nianshen, including how he had specially flown all the way to England just to celebrate her birthday.
Hearing that, Chen Qianxi went quiet, then suddenly hugged her.
“Hm? What’s wrong?”
“Jiujiu, I’m sorry. I didn’t tell you happy birthday right away.”
“It’s fine. What matters is that you remembered. Even if it wasn’t right at the start, you still told me early enough. You were actually the second person to wish me happy birthday.”
“Really? You’re not just saying that to make me feel better?”
“Of course not.”
“Alright then… but still, that really shocked me. I never thought Xu Shen would actually fly all the way to England just for your birthday. He must really care about you, really like you. Even as an outsider, I feel so moved. You must’ve been even more touched as the one he did it for.”
Thinking back to that day, Lin Yuejiu smiled with curved eyes. “Yeah, I was really moved.”
“Jiujiu, you and Xu Shen have to be together forever, okay?”
Qianxi had watched Lin Yuejiu endure waves of public attacks. She had seen her grow stronger, step by step becoming excellent, cheerful, and bright. Now that she had finally found someone she loved who also loved her back, Qianxi truly hoped the two would stay together forever—so Jiujiu could always be happy and have her own family.
“Mm, I will.” Lin Yuejiu promised.
Now that she was with Xu Nianshen, she would face life’s ups and downs with him. She wanted to stay by his side forever.
Because she couldn’t imagine anyone better than the boy who had accompanied her for so long.
The two of them chatted for a long while. When it was time to sleep, Chen Qianxi started poking at her.
“Jiujiu, I don’t think I’ve slept in the same bed with you before, right?”
“??? How can you say that with a straight face? Did you forget how many times you’ve climbed into my bed?”
“Really? When did I ever? That must’ve been years ago!”
“… It was literally just a year ago.”
“A whole year already? That’s ages! No wonder I don’t remember. I need to refresh my memory.”
“… What are you planning?” Lin Yuejiu edged closer to the wall.
“Aiya, why are you hiding so far away? It’s not like I’m going to do anything to you.” She said that, but her hands were already moving.
“Wow, Jiujiu, your waist is so slim! Did it get even slimmer than before?”
“Chen Qianxi, where are you putting your hands?!”
“Aiya, I’m just taking a look…”
“Get out—!”
