Chapter 115
Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=1363950 This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com
"Wenwen, let's go back," Li Xin finished packing and was ready to return to their previous apartment.
“Your sister asked me to stay for dinner. She said your parents want to see me," Yan Ruowen felt a bit awkward at the thought of dinner.
"Isn't it nerve-wracking to meet your future in-laws?" Li Xin chuckled.
"Li Xin!" Yan Ruowen frowned. This woman had no seriousness. Of course, she was fine, but the problem was her own awkward position. When Qian Shaowen was often in the hospital, he was familiar with Li Yuandong, so the last time Li Yuandong asked about her relationship with Li Xin, it was already very awkward. Regardless of past and present status, it would only be more awkward now. Thinking about tonight's dinner, Yan Ruowen couldn't feel at ease for a moment.
"They’ve long accepted my orientation. Now they just hope to find a reliable woman to manage me well. Wenwen is so good, they will definitely be satisfied. They're just like Wenwen, very rigid, always just working, you know, birds of a feather flock together, they'll definitely like you." Li Xin comforted.
However, Li Xin's words couldn't reassure Yan Ruowen at all. Her awkward past and present identity were there for all to see. Plus, maintaining an improper relationship with Li Xin for five years, it's unlikely any parent would be pleased.
In the evening, Yan Ruowen met Li Xin's family: Li Yuandong, Li Xin's elder brother Li Yi, and Li Xin's mother Yao Shuwen. They had all crossed paths at the hospital, especially with Li Yuandong, who had more frequent interactions. The more they knew, the more awkward Yan Ruowen felt. Even Li Yuandong and the others looked somewhat uncomfortable around Yan Ruowen. When Li Xin proposed returning to become a doctor, with the condition of respecting her orientation, they had tried to mentally prepare themselves. Still, the psychological impact of this day's arrival, especially with the woman being someone they knew, was significant.
"Mad... Miss Yan, please, have a seat, no need to be formal..." Yao Shuwen managed to hold back the words "Madame Qian," avoiding making the situation even more awkward. Actually, when Yan Ruowen was still Madame Qian, Yao Shuwen had a favorable impression of her. At that time, Yan Ruowen took care of Qian Shaowen meticulously. Despite her competent appearance, she exuded gentleness and quietness. Yao Shuwen even thought she was a good woman back then. But suddenly, going from Madame Qian to her daughter's lover, such an identity transformation, Yao Shuwen found it difficult to adapt. However, Yao Shuwen was relieved that the woman Li Xin liked was Yan Ruowen. Since Li Xin said she liked girls and was kicked out of the house by her husband for several years, Yao Shuwen had specifically looked up information about lesbians, thanks to the advanced internet information. Originally, she knew nothing about this, but now she understood things like TP classification. Then she automatically classified Li Xin as a "P" because when she was young, Li Xin loved to play with girls who had a bit of a tomboyish side. So Yao Shuwen was very afraid that one day her daughter would bring home a fake man. Now, seeing Yan Ruowen, although she felt a bit awkward, she inexplicably felt relieved.
*T - tomboy/butch; P - pretty girl/femme, could also mean ‘po’ in laopo which means wife
Yan Ruowen knew Yao Shuwen meant no harm, but the awkward feeling of staring at each other was truly unbearable.
"Ahem..." Li Yuandong, as the head of the family, pretended to cough a few times, attempting to diffuse the awkward situation.
"Let's have dinner together. Miss Yan, no need to feel restrained. Just treat this place as your own home," Li Yuandong said, breaking the silence.
"Don't call her Miss Yan, it sounds too formal. Just call her Wenwen or Ruowen, whichever you prefer. You can consider her as a daughter-in-law or son-in-law, it's all fine." Li Xin, apparently unaware of how awkward the situation was between her parents and Yan Ruowen, added fuel to the fire.
Yan Ruowen's fair face instantly flushed red at the words, wishing she could just cover Li Xin's mouth. Li Yuandong, who had initially only pretended to cough, actually started coughing and shot a disapproving glare at his unruly elder daughter. She was barely alive before leaving the house, and now she was full of energy again. Li Yuandong truly wished she would focus this energy on medicine instead. If she did, Li Yuandong was confident that Li Xin would become a leading figure in the medical field in no time.
Yao Shuwen, watching Yan Ruowen, didn't know what to say anymore. Even Li Yi, who had just entered the room, couldn't help but glance at Yan Ruowen. Li Yao shook her head. Sometimes she felt like her elder sister was just clueless.
"Big brother is back too, now that the whole family is here, let's eat." Li Yao tactfully broke the awkward scene.
"Wenwen, let me tell you, my brother is very wooden, and my sister is very nosy," Li Xin dutifully introduced her family's characters to Yan Ruowen, trying to bridge the gap between her and her family. But it was evident that Yan Ruowen was just awkwardly looking at Li Yi and Li Yao, smiling politely. Clearly, Li Xin wasn't serving as a lubricant in this situation; instead, she was causing chaos. Yan Ruowen seriously doubted Li Xin's social skills.
Li Yao felt powerless towards her sister. Besides being meticulous in the operating room and the kitchen, her sister was just speechless most of the time.
This meal left several people with indigestion, but Li Xin ate heartily.
After the meal, Yan Ruowen felt somewhat relieved. Despite the awkward interactions, there was no sense of malice or disgust. Instead, Li Xin seemed like a genetic mutation in the family, both in appearance and personality. In fact, not all members of the Li family were as strikingly attractive as Li Xin. Li's mother's appearance was not outstanding, but she had a unique charm that women her age lacked. Li Yi's appearance was also not remarkable, but he was tall, slim, and wore glasses, giving him a very refined appearance. Li Yao was considered a moderately attractive woman, but her beauty was far from Li Xin's level. The other four were more reserved, at least appearing to be reassuring doctors when they went out. However, Li Xin was outgoing and sometimes very straightforward, which Yan Ruowen noticed as another discovery.
Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=1363950 This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com
Li Yuandong was also somewhat satisfied with Yan Ruowen. She had a disciplined personality and knew when to advance and retreat. Although he hadn't been fond of her previous identity, she was still a respectable woman. At least when she was with Li Xin, she seemed like a more reliable person. Most importantly, Li Xin listened to her, which seemed like an opportunity for her to manage Li Xin and prevent her from being too careless. Thinking about Li Xin skipping classes for two months, Li Yuandong felt an urge to scold her.
"Tonight, you both stay at home," Li Yuandong said. Since his eldest daughter grew up, unless she went through a breakup, the number of times she stayed at home was very few. So he hoped his daughter would spend more time at home.
"No need, it's not far from there," Li Xin's mind was full of spending time alone with Yan Ruowen. She didn't like staying at home and was afraid Yan Ruowen would feel uncomfortable.
"Sister, you've been away from home for five years. Mom wants you to spend more time with her," Li Yao, not only a caring sister but also a caring daughter, expressed their mother's thoughts.
"Li Xin, stay tonight and accompany your Mom," Yan Ruowen suddenly spoke up. As an orphan, she actually envied Li Xin for having a complete family, loving parents, a doting brother, and a caring sister.
"What about you?" Li Xin asked Yan Ruowen, not wanting her to go back alone.
"I'll stay too," Yan Ruowen saw that Li Xin was worried and dismissed the idea of going back alone.
"I'll spend time with Mom tonight," Li Xin said to her mother coquettishly, only feeling at ease after seeing Yan Ruowen also staying behind.
Her daughter staying behind naturally made Yao Shuwen happy, but also quite disappointed. Her mother's retention couldn't compare to the impact of Yan Ruowen's words. Yao Shuwen felt quite down, but fortunately, having long seen through Li Xin's nature of having her own way, she quickly adjusted her feelings.
In the evening, Li Xin and Li Yao accompanied their mother, chatting about intimate topics until late at night. Yao Shuwen only let her daughters go back to their rooms to sleep after a while, and she instructed Li Xin to bring Yan Ruowen along next time.
Li Xin returned to the room to find Yan Ruowen already asleep. Looking at Yan Ruowen's sleeping face, Li Xin felt a sense of fulfillment. She quickly lifted the covers and nestled into Yan Ruowen's arms. Greedily inhaling Yan Ruowen's scent, Li Xin remembered her insomnia over the past two months and felt like disturbing Yan Ruowen a bit, feeling it was unfair that she slept so well.
Yan Ruowen, feeling disturbed in her half-asleep state, slowly opened her eyes to find the stunning Li Xin staring at her.
"You're back?" Yan Ruowen asked in a daze.
"Wenwen, I'm hungry," Li Xin said eagerly, looking at Yan Ruowen.
Yan Ruowen looked at Li Xin's eyes glowing with anticipation, and her sluggish brain suddenly woke up as she realized Li Xin's intentions. Instantly, all traces of sleepiness vanished.
Author's Note:
Originally, there were over three thousand words, but they got lost, and I had to retype them. So frustrated! I wasn't planning to update today, but I couldn't bear it.
Yan Ruowen might get hand cramps, should I skip it? Or should I skip it? Maybe this is the moment when Shi Yunyang's car accident causes amnesia and turns into an idiot. I'm hesitating whether to start a side story or directly return to Zuo after three years.
