Chapter 2: Xiao Xian, A’Xian, Qiqi
Source: https://www.gongzicp.com/novel-1711067.html
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
8:29 p.m., Fujing Airport.
Yi Xianqi dragged her suitcase through the crowd. The cap half covered her eyebrows. Her black hair curled into the scarf. It covered her mouth. The earphones worked as earmuffs. They added warmth to the ears that had frostbite.
In the north of Degu, the air was damp all year. Summer never went over thirty degrees. Even if she protected well, the frostbite on her ears came back every year. She heard Fujiing’s weather was dry and cold. Maybe it was better than Degu.
Yi Xianqi took out her phone to check the time. The crowd pushed her forward. She could only push the suitcase to the side. She took off her gloves. She opened the pinned message box. It was the lodging address sent by Mrs. Yi. It was in Jin District, Yipin, downtown. A unit on the top floor. About an hour’s drive from the airport.
A notice came, she got a new email.
[Xian, welcome home, looking forward to meeting you. Also, the new deck is attached in the mail, let’s go over it together on Monday.]
Yi Xianqi breathed out a puff of cold air. She was about to reply when a hand suddenly covered her phone. The palm wrapped around her cold fingers, warm and hot.
“Yi Xianqi?”
She looked up. First she saw curved lips with little tiger teeth showing. Then bright eyes, like lake water in the night reflecting the moon. Her voice was the same, clear and ringing, soft and thin, the tone gentle.
“Your mom sent me to pick you up. Are we going to Jin District? Or Shangfu?”
This was one of Yi Anran’s only two empty houses. She bought them for fun. Later she disliked the layout and decoration. She never lived there. Ma Gu’er knew Yi Anran too well. Whatever she wanted to do, she never needed to guess.
“Jin District No. 1.”
As expected.
“My name is Ma Gu’er. Others call me Gu’er. You can call me that too.”
Ma Gu’er moved like she wanted to help Yi Xianqi drag the suitcase. Yi Xianqi was faster. She held the handle and politely blocked her. “I’ll do it myself, thank you.”
Ma Gu’er did not really mean to help. She slowly took back her hand. Like she was regretful, she put it behind her back. Then she stepped back one pace behind Yi Xianqi. She moved one step to the right. Her finger touched a small corner of the suitcase handle. She did not use any real strength, only pretended to help Yi Xianqi.
Because of Ma Gu’er’s move, the two were suddenly very close.
Fujing air was dry and cold. The perfume on this woman was not strong. It was like sweet water frozen in winter, faint and light. Yi Xianqi pulled her scarf higher to cover her nose tip.
Ma Gu’er only saw Yi Xianqi’s eyes and fair skin. As the saying goes, white hides a hundred flaws. And these were such pretty eyes. If it was not for that square face, she certainly could not be too ugly.
“Is Fujing very cold?” Ma Gu’er asked, like finding a topic.
Yi Xianqi: “It’s fine.”
“I heard from your mom, you were in Degu. Is that place hot or cold? Is there sea?”
Yi Xianqi lowered her eyes. She walked out the gate. The wind blew into her sleeves. The hair by her face lifted and curled, flying around like threads and fluff. Her nose tip turned red at once. She pulled up her scarf again, shrank her neck, and answered in a muffled voice: “It’s cold, damp cold, there’s sea.”
Yi Anran was too unfit to be a mom. She threw such a small kid to such a trash place… If it was her, she would throw her to a warmer place. She was really fed up with Fujing’s cold.
Ma Gu’er pressed close to Yi Xianqi as they walked. Her fingers grabbed the suitcase handle. “It’s cold, so cold, hurry, let’s get in the car…”
The back of her hand covered Yi Xianqi’s, warm, driving away some of the chill.
Two minutes later, Yi Xianqi sat in the convertible sports car, sniffing. She pressed her hat down to the lowest. Ma Gu’er held the steering wheel. She seemed not afraid of the cold, like her body heat was off balance. She stepped on the gas, roaring loud. With sunglasses and mask on, she looked like she was ready to crash through the world.
“Xiao Xian, A’Xian, Qiqii…”
Ma Gu’er resisted the cold, her wrist leaned on the metal bar of the car, tapping out a rhythm.
Source: https://www.gongzicp.com/novel-1711067.html
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
Yi Xianqi glanced at Ma Gu’er. The woman’s bare face only got blown into a faint pink. That alone showed how thick her skin was.
Yi Xianqi said, “Just call me by my full name.”
“Okay, Qiqi.”
This turtle is dressed so thick, she shouldn’t get sick so easily. Ma Gu’er clenched her teeth, and when she hit the gas again, she showed no mercy.
Winter in Fujing was dull and gray. The suburban airport road was extra wide, but there weren’t many cars, like no matter how long you drove, you’d never reach the end.
The scarf flapped loud with the wind. Yi Xianqi pressed it down. While speeding, Ma Gu’er made choices for her, “You just got off the plane, are you hungry? I’ll take you to eat something good… right downstairs in Jin District, a really nice place…”
After turning her down again and again with no use.
An hour later, with her head buzzing in pain, Yi Xianqi followed Ma Gu’er into an old alley. In the crowded ancient street scenic spot, after turning eighteen bends, they sat in a shabby fly restaurant without even a signboard.
A hotpot full of red chili oil was served.
Calling it hotpot was already giving it face. It was just an instant noodle bowl set on a stove. You picked the food, weighed it, and cooked it like spicy hotpot soup.
They said people in Fujing didn’t like oily spicy food. They ate more noodle soup. So for a place with more oil than vegetables to stay open, it wasn’t easy.
“In this kind of weather, you should eat something hot and spicy to warm up. Like this, put your hands near the side to bake, it’s warm, right?”
Ma Gu’er on purpose chose a seat with wind leaking, but she herself leaned against the wall, leaving Yi Xianqi to face the cold wind blowing in through the door crack. Yi Xianqi clenched her teeth, “I… my mom…”
The moment the word “mom” came out, the person across paused so faint it was almost invisible. Ma Gu’er acted like she didn’t hear it, looking at her through the misty steam, waiting for her to go on.
Yi Xianqi lowered her eyes and kept talking, “…when will she come see me?”
Over ten years without meeting once, and she still held onto that thought.
“I don’t know. Your mom has to see lots of people every day, her career… she’s busy. If you miss her…”
Halfway through, Ma Gu’er stopped. She scooped up a mushroom and tofu puff soaked in chili oil, and set it in front of Yi Xianqi. “Try it, it’s really tasty. This place’s flavor is real. I don’t tell just anyone about it.”
Yi Xianqi hesitated, then took it. She opened the disposable chopsticks, picked up the tofu puff, paused for two seconds, then stuffed it in her mouth in one bite.
The soup burst between her teeth. The sharp spice turned into a tiny embroidery needle, scratching all the way down her throat into her lungs. Yi Xianqi couldn’t take it. She covered her mouth and coughed right away. The flush spread from her neck to her face, pressing into her eyes.
Ma Gu’er’s acting came online. With an “aiya,” she pulled out a few tissues, rushed to her side, and pressed them to her mouth. Yi Xianqi pushed her away, bent over and coughed to the side. Ma Gu’er softly patted her back, and with her other hand calmly passed her warm water. “If you can’t handle spice, why didn’t you say so earlier…”
Before sitting down, Yi Xianqi didn’t even know what they were going to eat.
The warm water pushed the spice deeper, layering over itself. Yi Xianqi’s eyes watered, her tongue went numb, her head swam from the heat. Her eyes went hazy, then slowly focused back on Ma Gu’er’s face.
“I… cough cough… how can I see her?”
“Her” meant her mom, Yi Anran.
Of course, on the bed of the trending young starlet.
Ma Gu’er ignored Yi Xianqi’s pitiful look. She kept gently patting her back, lifted the corner of her mouth, and gave what she thought was a good idea: “If you miss your mom, I can take you to see her new movie. She makes a cameo in it. Want to go? Midnight shows aren’t expensive.”
Yi Xianqi held the plastic cup with both hands, her fingers locked tight, but the cup didn’t bend at all. She lifted her chin. Inside the scarf, her lips were red and weak, like she had bled from the spice.
Not like her mom’s thin lips, so she shouldn’t be unfaithful and heartless.
Ma Gu’er felt she was pretty lucky. Yi Xianqi wasn’t a biological daughter, so she didn’t have to worry about inheriting Yi Anran’s bad genes.
Out of nowhere, pale fingertips touched the corner of her mouth. Yi Xianqi jolted, slapped away Ma Gu’er’s hand on instinct. Her eyes turned red, full of grievance and stubbornness. She parted her lips slightly to ease the burning. A beauty like her, even angry, carried extra charm.
Why get mad? Yi Anran also only took her to midnight shows.
“Chili oil.” Ma Gu’er wiped her hand carelessly, her look turning a bit more serious. “I was joking. Your mom really is too busy, or else why would I be the one picking you up… When the time comes, I’ll ask for you. If you have anything to say, I’ll take it to her.”
Yi Xianqi didn’t answer, just drank water mouthful after mouthful.
Ma Gu’er was only being polite. She guessed Yi Xianqi wouldn’t dare to ask. Besides, how could she even see Director Yi now? That Yang Sang was just a little white lotus… she didn’t want to go again just to get slapped around…
Ma Gu’er didn’t move from her seat. She grabbed chopsticks and picked up a long strip of tofu skin. Yi Xianqi glanced at her, thinking she was going to tease her again, but Ma Gu’er didn’t even spare her a look. She rolled it up and ate seriously, one bite after another, and when she spoke, it was only to push her to hurry and add food.
Yi Xianqi didn’t eat. Ma Gu’er picked vegetables that didn’t soak up spice and threw them into her bowl. “This one’s not spicy, eat.”.
Just like brushing off a stray dog.
Yi Xianqi couldn’t handle too much spice. After a few bites she just hugged her water, and in the end she filled up on water. Ma Gu’er ate till she was stuffed, then slumped back on the bamboo chair. She tilted her head, white mist spilling from her spice-red lips in puffs. Her palm pressed her forehead, wiping off the thin sweat. Her cheeks looked like they had blush on them. Her lashes were long, blinking slow. Light and fire fell into her eyes, flickering bright and dim.
A beautiful bad woman.
“All done, let’s go.” Ma Gu’er gathered the tissues on the table, kicked Yi Xianqi’s leg, and blinked at her. “My salary hasn’t come in yet. Your mom’s rich, you pay.”
Yi Xianqi said, “I just got back. I don’t have the currency here yet.”
Ma Gu’er froze. She never thought of that. She had no choice but to call Zhou Yun again.
Zhou Yun: “Sister, why don’t you sell those gold bars?”
Ma Gu’er snorted, not caring at all that Yi Xianqi was right there. She said straight out, “Then what would motivate me?”
Zhou Yun: …
500 yuan arrived.
“So stingy.”
Grumbling, Ma Gu’er quickly paid, and even acted generous, leaving a round-up tip.
As soon as the two left, the boss lady hid in the kitchen and burst out laughing: “I guess we’re a high-class restaurant now, we even got a tip…”
“They even took all the napkins, and still left a tip?” The waiter cleared the little pot, poured out the soup, not a single piece of vegetable left. “Acting rich, what a joke.”
