Chapter 54: Right?
Zhou Tianzui carried You Ruxu, who was still sleepy from the kiss, back to the bedroom, letting her sleep until she was satisfied. The setting sun cast a soft, reddish glow on the windowsill, a color resembling the flush on Zhou Tianzui’s skin. You Ruxu, her head lowered, said, “Don’t move.”
Zhou Tianzui, lying under the thin blanket, was about to speak when You Ruxu covered her mouth: “Don’t talk either.”
Having finally done something she had wanted to do for a long time, You Ruxu was in a good mood, her eyebrows raised playfully. Zhou Tianzui deliberately rubbed against her hand, unable to speak, just making soft, unintelligible sounds.
It was enough to make You Ruxu blush.
She looked at Zhou Tianzui, who gazed back at her innocently. Finally, unable to hold back any longer, she took over, and You Ruxu, completely captivated, didn’t move.
Until she fell asleep.
Zhou Tianzui also lay beside her, resting for a while, then turned to look at You Ruxu’s sleeping face. She had looked at this face countless times over the years, experiencing every emotion imaginable: longing, frustration, attachment, confusion. She had berated herself for her weakness countless times, but she had never considered separating from You Ruxu. Before going to Yuhai, she had already thought about their future, she just wanted to have a normal relationship with her. Since You Ruxu was no longer Shi Ran, there was no need to remember that identity.
She just hadn’t expected so much to happen during this trip to Yuhai. Her original plan to be honest with You Ruxu had failed, but fortunately, the current outcome wasn’t too bad.
Zhou Tianzui felt a little more relaxed. In all these years, only these past few days had she felt truly at peace, and this relaxation made her sleepy. She hugged You Ruxu and drifted off to sleep again. When the alarm rang, she casually turned it off. You Ruxu showed no signs of waking. She changed her clothes, went out to the living room, left some hot soup for You Ruxu, then went to the hospital.
You Ruxu woke up past ten o’clock. No one was beside her, Zhou Tianzui had probably gone to the hospital. She got out of bed, and while brushing her teeth, checked her phone, seeing Zhou Tianzui’s messages.
[I’m leaving.]
[There’s soup in the pot, still warm.]
[Eat it when you wake up, it’s okay if you don’t.]
You Ruxu looked at her phone, then at her reflection in the mirror, smiling as she brushed her teeth. In the quiet room, she cleared her throat, her eyes fixed on the phone screen.
You Ruxu: [I see.]
She immediately sent another message: [I’m awake.]
Zhou Tianzui was lying on the accompanying bed next to Yu Qiao’s. She wasn’t asleep yet. Yu Qiao was also awake, having napped in the afternoon, so she wasn’t sleepy now. She was chatting with someone on the phone about blind dates.
“Oh, you’ll have to put in a good word for our Xiao Tian, she doesn’t listen to me at all when it comes to such important matters.” She was deliberately saying this for Zhou Tianzui’s benefit. Zhou Tianzui pretended not to hear.
Yu Qiao continued, “Alright, alright, send me his photo, I’ll show it to Xiao Tian.”
Zhou Tianzui turned her back to Yu Qiao, received You Ruxu’s message, and smiled.
Yu Qiao, seeing this, hung up the phone and called, “Xiao Tian.”
Zhou Tianzui paused and turned to look at Yu Qiao.
Yu Qiao said, “Don’t be upset that I’m saying this, but marriage is a big deal, don’t think you have all the time in the world because you’re young. When you finally want to settle down, there might not be anyone left. You still have choices now, but later, you might not even have the chance to choose.”
Zhou Tianzui said, “Then I won’t choose.”
She asked Yu Qiao, “Is it not okay not to get married?”
“What are you talking about?” Yu Qiao’s face darkened. “What do you mean not getting married? What are you planning to do then?”
Zhou Tianzui said, “I don’t have any plans.”
Yu Qiao frowned: “Don’t follow others and become one of those non-marriage advocates. When you’re old, no one will take care of you. If I hadn’t gotten married, if I hadn’t had children, I could die at home and no one would even know. Is that what you want?”
Zhou Tianzui opened her mouth, then closed it without speaking.
Yu Qiao continued, “Xiao Tian, Mom just wants you to have a family, to live a good life.”
Zhou Tianzui said, “Does marriage guarantee a good life?” Her voice was laced with frustration, “You didn’t have a good life, did you?”
“You!” Yu Qiao was furious, rendered speechless by Zhou Tianzui’s words. She glared at her, her face darkening. Zhou Tianzui lowered her head and apologized, “I’m sorry, Mom.”
Yu Qiao remained silent.
Zhou Tianzui got out of bed, walked to her side, and apologized softly, “Mom, I’m sorry.”
Yu Qiao’s throat tightened, unable to scold her. She said, “Go to sleep.”
Zhou Tianzui sat beside her and asked, “Mom, do you ever regret it?”
Yu Qiao asked, “Regret what?”
Zhou Tianzui said, “Regret meeting my dad.”
Yu Qiao’s tone softened slightly, “No, I don’t.”
Then she frowned, “Xiao Tian, don’t listen to what others say about your father, I believe in him.”
Zhou Tianzui nodded, looking at Yu Qiao seriously, “I believe in him too.”
She added, “But Dad’s been gone for so many years, do you still think about him?”
Yu Qiao said, “What’s there to think about? It’s been so many years, who remembers those things anymore? My only wish now is for you to settle down, find a partner, then I’ll be content.”
Back to the same old topic.
Zhou Tianzui said, “I know.”
Yu Qiao said, “Don’t just say it, do it—”
Her nagging continued until midnight. Zhou Tianzui, exasperated, turned her back to her. Yu Qiao, feeling thirsty after talking for so long, looked at the bedside table. There was warm water in the thermos, prepared by Zhou Tianzui. She pouted and stopped talking.
Zhou Tianzui was looking at the messages from You Ruxu.
You Ruxu had made dinner, one dish and one soup, a small bowl of rice, even adding a filter to the photo before sending it. It made Zhou Tianzui a little hungry. You Ruxu rarely sent her such everyday photos before, usually just informing her of her schedule or asking about her work. They were like colleagues, all business, only now did it feel different.
Zhou Tianzui: [Are you full?]
You Ruxu: [Yes, are you coming back tomorrow? If not, I’ll go visit Auntie directly.]
Zhou Tianzui: [Don’t you have work tomorrow?]
You Ruxu used to be a workaholic, voluntarily working overtime. Zhou Tianzui knew this, but back then, she had thought You Ruxu was just avoiding her.
You Ruxu: [No, I’m taking a day off.]
Zhou Tianzui smiled.
She replied: [Then come over.]
You Ruxu replied with an “okay.”
She looked at the screen after sending the message, such simple words, such an ordinary exchange, yet it made her smile uncontrollably. When the screen went dark, she looked at her reflection, still a little unaccustomed to this feeling.
Rubbing her face, You Ruxu hugged the teddy bear and went to sleep.
The next day, the weather was good. You Ruxu made pork rib soup, steamed buns, and porridge. After preparing everything, she drove to the hospital. Yu Qiao was saying to Zhou Tianzui, “Go to work, I’m fine here.”
Zhou Tianzui said, “I took some time off.”
It was rare for her to take time off. The director, considering her situation, told her to wait until her mother was discharged before returning to work. Zhou Tianzui packed her things. Dr. Zhao had told her that Yu Qiao would need to rest even after being discharged, to avoid unnecessary movement, preferably with assistance. Thinking of her mother living alone, Zhou Tianzui said, “I’ll stay at your place after you’re discharged this afternoon.”
“Stay at my place?” Yu Qiao was surprised, then delighted, and then frowned, “But it’s so far from the hospital.”
She had originally wanted to live with Zhou Tianzui, but Zhou Tianzui often worked overtime, leaving early in the morning and returning late at night. She didn’t want her to be so tired, so she suggested she find a place closer to the hospital. The apartment Zhou Tianzui found was good, conveniently located, and close to the hospital, she was very satisfied with it. And after You Ruxu moved in, she was even more satisfied, helping Zhou Tianzui share the rent, and even being a celebrity, thinking it might be beneficial for Zhou Tianzui. Now, hearing that Zhou Tianzui wanted to come back, although happy, she was worried it might affect her sleep and work.
Zhou Tianzui said, “We’ll talk about it after your leg is better.”
Yu Qiao insisted, “My leg is fine.”
Zhou Tianzui looked down: “Then move it.”
Yu Qiao tried to move her right leg, a sharp pain shooting through it. Zhou Tianzui sighed, “Don’t move.”
That put an end to Yu Qiao’s attempts to dissuade her.
Actually, she also wanted Zhou Tianzui to come home, it had been a long time since they had lived together.
You Ruxu arrived just as they finished talking. She knocked and entered. Yu Qiao tried to get up, but Zhou Tianzui gently pushed her back down, then walked over to You Ruxu, “What did you bring?”
You Ruxu said to Yu Qiao, “Auntie, I made you some pork rib soup, and also some porridge and steamed buns. Have you had breakfast yet?”
Yu Qiao said, “Not yet, Xiao Xu, you shouldn’t go to so much trouble.”
She sincerely felt it was too much trouble and was a little flustered, her demeanor more reserved, although more natural than before. You Ruxu said, “Auntie, I’m on leave these two days, I have nothing else to do, it’s no trouble at all.”
Such a good temper.
Yu Qiao didn’t know why, but despite You Ruxu’s gentle nature, she still felt a distance between them, a distance that made her place You Ruxu on a pedestal, unattainable in her eyes.
Zhou Tianzui opened the thermos. The pork rib soup smelled delicious. The steamed buns were small. She handed them to Yu Qiao, also serving her a bowl of porridge. Yu Qiao sat on the bed and ate. Zhou Tianzui sat on the chair beside the bed. You Ruxu watched them eat breakfast and smiled faintly, then noticed a plastic bag on the bedside table, the kind used for photos. She looked at it curiously. Zhou Tianzui followed her gaze, picked up the bag, and handed it to You Ruxu.
The photos were of men in their fifties and sixties. You Ruxu picked up one, a name and age written on the back. She asked curiously, “What’s this?”
Yu Qiao also looked over, puzzled.
Zhou Tianzui said, “It’s my mom’s.”
Yu Qiao was confused, “Mine?”
When did she have these?
Zhou Tianzui nodded, “Yes, I went through them with my aunt last night, they’re around your age, good candidates…”
Yu Qiao was surprised: “For what?”
Zhou Tianzui’s tone was casual: “Blind dates.”
Yu Qiao’s grip on her chopsticks tightened: “Blind dates? For who?”
“For you.” Zhou Tianzui said, “Mom, marriage is a big deal, Dad’s been gone for so many years, you should consider your own happiness. Don’t say you’re not in a hurry, by the time you are, there might not be anyone left. You still have choices now, but later, you might not even have the chance to choose.”
Yu Qiao was speechless.
These were her own words from yesterday, directed at Zhou Tianzui.
Zhou Tianzui threw them right back at her: “I can’t be by your side all the time. What if you get sick, and I don’t even know? I’m doing this for your own good.”
She handed Yu Qiao a steamed bun and looked at her: “Mom, right?”
Yu Qiao opened her mouth, but couldn’t say a word!
Zhou Tianzui: Mom, you should be the one getting married.
Yu Qiao: …
You Ruxu: …
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