CH 2

Even if he doesn’t agree, it doesn’t matter.

Of course, Yue Lao 2238 also knows that things would not go smoothly. The current situation has deviated from what he expected, and he has no time now to slowly convince Chen Ying, so he has to find someone to help.

“Mr. Chen, do you have Su Xiaopei’s phone number?”

“No.” Chen Ying is annoyed. Su Xiaopei is Cheng Jiangyi’s wife, how could he have her phone number?

“Then could you please call Cheng Jiangyi for assistance?”

Want him to call Cheng Jiangyi? This Mr. Yue Lao really doesn’t know how to write the word ‘polite’ ah.

“I’m sorry to trouble you,” Yue Lao 2238’s attitude can’t be any better. 

Chen Ying curls his lips. He is a person who can be coaxed but not coerced. It’s only a trivial matter to make a phone call after all. It just so happens that he also really wants to call Cheng Jiangyi to clarify this situation, otherwise, no matter what he did, Chen Ying would not give in.

As soon as the call connects, before he can finish saying “Hello”, the phone is snatched away by Yue Lao.

“Cheng Jiangyi, please give the phone to Su Xiaopei.”

Chen Ying’s face is full of black lines. Are he and Cheng Jiangyi now relegated as communication tools?

“Su Xiaopei, Mi Xi has arrived. Well, the three of us are together right now. I haven’t had a chance to talk to Chen Ying in detail yet. Did Cheng Jiangyi explain to Chen Ying earlier?

“What did he explain to me?” Chen Ying can’t help feeling angry. What Cheng Jiangyi said was really only a very detailed introduction!!

Yue Lao 2238 is still talking on the phone. “Mi Xi is fine, I think she is in good spirits.”

Hearing this, Chen Ying glances at Mi Xi: she seems very interested in Yue Lao talking on the phone. She looks at the phone for a long time, before turning her head to look at his car, the road, the streetlights, and finally up to the sky.

He looks up at the night sky too. Today’s weather is good, the temperature is suitable; the end of spring and the beginning of summer is a good time. There are stars and a moon in the sky, bright and clear. Chen Ying abruptly realizes that he is looking at the sky with Mi Xi and suddenly feels stupid. He lowers his gaze, only to discover that Mi Xi has also looked down. When their gazes meet, he sees her eyes clearly.

Like a fawn, dazed and a little helpless.

Chen Ying blinks, then looks over again, but he couldn’t see her eyes anymore. She has lowered her head slightly, her mouth is pursed, her figure is slender, and she is wearing a thin robe with wide sleeves. She originally had a delicate posture, but for some reason, Chen Ying thinks of the word ‘stubborn’.

At this time, Yue Lao is saying, “Okay, okay. See you later.” After he finishes speaking, he hangs up the phone and hands it back to Chen Ying, “Thank you.”

Chen Ying doesn’t say anything because he really doesn’t want to say “you’re welcome” to him. He doesn’t like pretending for the sake of politeness.

“Please take us to Cheng Jiangyi’s house,” Yue Lao 2238 says.

For a while, Chen Ying really can’t control his facial expressions. He obviously didn’t say “you’re welcome”, right? He obviously wasn’t polite to him, right? So why is he acting so damned familiar?

“Why?”

“You have a car.”

What a good reason ah! He absolutely does not believe that this Yue Lao 2238 and Cheng Jiangyi are not in this together. 

Chen Ying is about to say something harsh like “I don’t have the obligation to take you even if I have a car,” but Yue Lao has already turned to Mi Xi, telling her, “Mi Xi ah, don’t be afraid, I won’t let you sleep on the street.” 

Chen Ying swallows the words that had just come to his lips. A few days ago, he really saw in the social news that a little girl was robbed by gangsters on a street corner late one night, and her corpse was found naked on some green belt1. Even as he hesitates, Yue Lao 2238 is already standing beside his car with Mi Xi. Although Chen Ying is very reluctant in his heart, he feels that it’s really inappropriate to leave the little girl on the street. Anyway, it would not be difficult to send them to Cheng Jiangyi’s house.

Chen Ying silently opens the car door with the electronic lock key. When the car beeps, Mi Xi seems surprised and startled. The way she stares at the car with wide eyes catches Chen Ying’s attention again, unfortunately.

Is she a real bumpkin or a fake bumpkin? he secretly thinks. Well, the expression is quite cute, maybe she is pretending to be cute.

Chen Ying walks around to the driver’s side and opens the door to get in the car. Yue Lao also opens the rear door and guides Mi Xi to climb inside. The two move slowly. Chen Ying suppresses his temper and waits.

When the car finally starts, Yue Lao begins chatting with Mi Xi. “Don’t worry, let’s talk to Uncle Cheng and Aunt Su first. Then you will be settled down, and you can have a good rest. Although the things here are a bit weird, you can take your time learning. “

Mi Xi doesn’t speak but does nod.

“Look ah, what we’re riding in now is called a ‘car’—it’s just like your carriages.” Yue Lao seems to want to popularize the things at hand first.

“Without a horse, how can it run?”

“It’s because gasoline is being burned.”

“Gasoline?” Mi Xi is really curious.

Yue Lao becomes a little nervous. “It’s just a kind of oil that can burn.”

Chen Ying scoffs at this answer. What kind of oil can’t burn?

“Well, it’s just that the gasoline is burning, and the car starts running when there is power,” Yue Lao tries hard to explain amidst the little girl’s obvious confusion.

“Why can it run when it’s burning? Since it’s burning, why is there nothing wrong with the car?”

Yue Lao 2238 is speechless, his expression serious. He doesn’t know how to answer. He is really busy, he is not involved in the education of young girls, he just cares about their marriage. Chen Ying peeks at the two in the rearview mirror and wants to laugh at the conversation. Schadenfreude2 is a great way to increase pleasure. He glances at the rearview mirror again: it’s reflecting two very serious faces at the back seat.

“Mi Xi, don’t worry, your Uncle Chen Ying will tell you the answer to these questions in the future.”

The corners of Chen Ying’s raised mouth quickly collapse. Why should he be the one to answer ah? He will leave immediately after seeing them off. Thank you, bye bye, let’s not see each other again.

Hearing Yue Lao’s words, Mi Xi quickly looks ahead, to the back of Chen Ying’s chair. Chen Ying catches her expression in the rearview mirror. She purses her lips, doesn’t speak, and nods at Yue Lao again as a response. 

But Chen Ying carefully notes that she did not flatter herself. He hasn’t even said hello or a single polite word to her.

It stands to reason that she listens to Yue Lao, shouldn’t she then respect him as an uncle and a guardian? In order to make life easier in the future, shouldn’t she show her friendliness? Chen Ying glances at the rearview mirror again at just the same moment that Mi Xi also looks over—their eyes meet in the mirror, and both of them turn away.

She must realize that he doesn’t like her and isn’t going to accept her. Chen Ying glances at the rearview mirror again. This little girl has a lot of pride ah.

In the second half of the journey, Chen Ying never peeks at the two behind him again. Yue Lao also learns his lesson and does not try to carry out literacy education anymore but only talks to Mi Xi about other things. What the other Yue Lao had said to her over there; that he is the person in charge of her case here; that he will definitely do his best. He also introduces in detail who Cheng Jiangyi and Su Xiaopei are, and encourages Mi Xi to hurry up and find a partner, and to work harder.

Hurry up what? Chen Ying’s face twitches. The little girl looks underage ah. Yue Lao actually instigated and encouraged a minor to find a partner. Is this really appropriate? Also, can the little girl understand him when he says these words and meanings?

They finally arrive at Cheng Jiangyi’s house.

Chen Ying stops the car directly in front, and Yue Lao reminds him,  “You can’t park here.” 

“Just get out of the car, then I’ll go.” He doesn’t intend to get down.

“If you don’t take us up, we won’t get out of the car,” Yuelao says firmly.

What? Want to play rogue with him? Chen Ying turns his head, and Yue Lao 2238 folds his arms around his chest, as if he would not give up until he reaches his goal. Mi Xi’s expressionless face is cold. Like she’s not involved at all.

“You need to go up with us, I have something to tell you,” Yue Lao says again.

Chen Ying’s mouth is tightly pursed and he suddenly has a nasty feeling like he’s caught in the middle. He thought it was just a prank, but it turns out to be a full show, and he’s now very upset.

“I have something to tell you, it’s very important, ” Yue Lao repeats.

Chen Ying glances at Mi Xi, and Mi Xi is also looking at him.

She is obviously wary of him.

He’s the one who has to watch out, okay?

The gazes of Chen Ying and Mi Xi are competing. He can see that it doesn’t matter to her whether he follows them in or not, and whether he would take her in at the end.

Hey, since she doesn’t give a damn so much, then he’s going to go up and have a look. It’s not like he hasn’t been to Cheng Jiangyi’s house before — what can they do to him? He just wants to know what the hell is going on, since he definitely isn’t going to be this little girl’s damned guardian anyway.

FOOTNOTES:

1They’re long stretches of grass and vegetation running along the center of roads or the sidewalk. It seems to be a concerted part of urban planning. 

2Pleasure derived by someone from another person’s misfortune.