Chapter 35: Inside Story
Xiao Moyan held her arms and asked aggressively, Xia Lingying pursed her lips, not knowing what to say. Mrs. Xu glanced at the two of them, shook her head, and impatiently waved her hand.
"Enough, Miss, stop acting with me. What was eaten is eaten. Why make a fuss? If Xiaxia didn't want to, could she overpower you with her thin arms and legs? Why argue cunningly? Should I have made Xiaxia vomit it out? Be less troublesome in the future and consider your own physique!"
Xiao Moyan was stunned by Mrs. Xu's scolding, lacking the courage to retort and face an even fiercer storm. She could only frown unhappily, looking towards Xia Lingying, pursing her lips and muttering quietly. Mrs. Xu completely ignored her, her gaze fixed on Xia Lingying's right hand, blinking her eyes tightly. Feeling Mrs. Xu's burning gaze, Xia Lingying blushed and quickly hid her right hand behind her back.
Seeing Xia Lingying's embarrassment, Mrs. Xu no longer pressed her further. She secretly pondered that these two were quite well-matched in appearance and height, but they were really not the same type of person. Xiaxia was sensitive; a few words would definitely be taken to heart, so she should stop when she reached the limit, unlike Miss... Mrs. Xu cleared her throat, glanced at the somewhat disheveled and weary-looking duo, anger surging in her heart, and said in a somewhat harsh tone,
"Yesterday, you two definitely didn't know when to stop and caused a ruckus all night. Look at the state you're in now! Hurry to the bathroom and take a shower. Today is the Dragon Boat Festival, I bought bamboo leaves for the zongzi*. Come out later and help me wrap them, don't spoil my good mood."
*A holiday that occurs on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Lunar Calendar commemorates Qu Yuan who was the beloved prime minister of the southern Chinese state of Chu during the Warring States period, about 600 B.C. to 200 B.C., and is celebrated by holding dragon boat races and eating sticky rice dumplings called zongzi,
"Why are you so lazy?!"
Xiao Moyan immediately rolled her eyes upon hearing this.
Mrs. Xu ignored her, still focused on handling the bamboo leaves in her hands. Xia Lingying, on the other hand, glared at Xiao Moyan, who shrugged mischievously and flashed a provocative smile at her. Xia Lingying couldn't laugh or cry. Did Xiao Moyan really think Mrs. Xu was ignoring her because she had nothing to say? She probably didn't hear her at all, Xia Lingying guessed, taking advantage of Mrs. Xu's delayed response. She quickly moved forward, grabbed Xiao Moyan's left hand, and tried to lead her to the bathroom.
As Mrs. Xu noticed this, she immediately looked up, set down the bamboo leaves, and sprung up from the sofa. She swiftly walked over to Xiao Moyan, reached out, grabbed her arm, and forcefully pulled her away from Xia Lingying's grasp. Mrs. Xu was agile and didn't resemble a woman in her sixties at all. Xiao Moyan winced in pain, turning back to look at Mrs. Xu in confusion.
"What are you doing?"
Mrs. Xu glared at the two with a dark expression.
"Will you two ever stop? You slept on the table all night yesterday, and now you want to make a fuss in the bathroom this morning? Aren't you ashamed at your age? There's plenty of time to fool around later. Why cause trouble when you're not feeling well?"
Xia Lingying blushed immediately upon hearing this and quickly shook her head to explain,
"No, it's because Xiao injured her hand and it's inconvenient, so I wanted to help her wash..."
Upon hearing there was an opportunity, Xiao Moyan quickly climbed up the pole, looked up at Mrs. Xu with a fawning expression, and started to act cute.
"Exactly! You can't possibly let a semi-disabled person like me bathe alone! Mrs. Xu, can you bear to do that? Mrs. Xu, I know you care for me the most, Mrs. Xu~"
"I'll bathe you!!!"
With a roar, Mrs. Xu interrupted Xiao Moyan's coquettish voice. Xia Lingying immediately closed her mouth, standing in place, helplessly watching as Xiao Moyan was forcibly dragged away by Mrs. Xu. She shook her head in resignation, and from afar, she could still hear the two exchanging heated words.
"I refuse to let this old lady see my naked body!"
"I used to bathe you when you were a child! I know every vein and bone in your body, so stop talking nonsense!"
"How many veins and bones exactly? Tell me!"
“...”
Not until the two fell silent did Xia Lingying sigh and turn towards another bathroom. She was surprised to find herself feeling a sense of loss because she couldn't bathe with Xiao Moyan. Thinking about this, her cheeks flushed again. She shook her head and, to console herself forced herself to think that this was just the result of spending too much time with Xiao Moyan. The result of being close to ink is turning black.
Gentle water flowed down her slender body, bringing a momentary release to her long-exhausted frame. Amidst the mist, Xia Lingying lifted her right hand and looked at the faint bloodstains on her fingertips, feeling a hint of sweetness in her heart. Xia Lingying admitted that it was indeed out of selfishness that she deceived, relying on lies to gain intimacy with Xiao Moyan. She was simply afraid and insecure; Xiao Moyan appeared too outstanding in her eyes. Xia Lingying feared that one day Xiao Moyan might grow tired of her, just as she did with Hu Feifei, eventually becoming estranged and distant. Though she understood that physical intimacy didn't define their relationship and shouldn't bind Xiao Moyan's life, she... she just wanted to know her place in Xiao Moyan's heart. If Xiao Moyan was willing, it meant she held a special place in her heart...
Sighing, Xia Lingying shook off the water droplets from her head. She picked up a towel nearby to dry herself off, changed her clothes, and as she dried her hair, she walked out. Just as she opened the bathroom door, she heard Xiao Moyan and Mrs. Xu's voices coming through the layers of wooden doors, their shouts growing more intense.
"It hurts so much, that's flesh! Be gentle! How can you still have so much strength at your age!"
"You know I'm old, I can't see clearly with my failing eyesight, and all these dense marks look like blood to me! If you fuss like this again, I'll scrub your skin off!"
“...”
Xia Lingying suppressed a smile and walked to the sofa, sitting down to wait for the two. Before long, Mrs. Xu and Xiao Moyan emerged. Xia Lingying looked up and burst into laughter. Mrs. Xu had clearly been tough, as Xiao Moyan's fair cheeks were flushed red from the rubbing, revealing a deep crimson akin to rose petals where her skin was exposed, nearly masking the wild marks from last night. Her hair was partially dry and draped over her shoulders, exuding a strong feminine charm. She was pouting, looking at Xia Lingying with a face full of grievance.
Xia Lingying smiled and shook her head, walking up to Xiao Moyan and holding her left hand, pulling her to the sofa and sitting down. Xia Lingying tilted her head and gently leaned on Xiao Moyan's shoulder without saying a word. The familiar hint of mint fragrance lingered in the air, causing her to squint comfortably. However, just this simple gesture caused Xiao Moyan's eyes to narrow into slits of joy and pride. She felt immense happiness and pride because Xia Lingying found comfort in leaning on her, prompting her to straighten her body with determination.
Mrs. Xu sighed as she watched the two completely ignore her in their sweet moment. She quietly walked into the kitchen, fetched bamboo leaves, pre-soaked glutinous rice, sweet tea, dates, and other fillings for zongzi. Returning to the living room, she unexpectedly found the two still in their "silent" intimacy. Unable to bear it any longer, Mrs. Xu rolled up her sleeves and started coughing.
"Alright, you two, stop making my old eyes ache. Come over here and help me wrap these!"
Xia Lingying nodded, gently moving Xiao Moyan's arm that was draped around her waist, and stood up. She looked around and brought over a small blue stool. Sitting beside Mrs. Xu, Xia Lingying picked up three bamboo leaves and, imitating her, began to wrap zongzi properly. The warmth and fragrance in her arms were no longer there.
Feeling increasingly annoyed, Xiao Moyan sat alone on the sofa, frowning and coughing. After a while of being ignored, she pretended as if nothing had happened and moved a stool over to sit next to Xia Lingying. Just as she picked up a few bamboo leaves, Mrs. Xu tapped her left hand with a chopstick, her voice resolute and cold.
"What are you still doing? Go away and stop causing trouble here!"
Xiao Moyan looked up angrily, staring at Mrs. Xu with wide eyes.
"What did I do?!"
Mrs. Xu calmly rolled the bamboo leaves into cone-shaped tubes, filled them with sticky rice and filling, and tied them tightly. Then she looked up at Xiao Moyan and coldly snorted.
"What's the matter? Still expecting sympathy because of your disability?"
Xiao Moyan was so infuriated that her whole body trembled, and Xia Lingying couldn't help but shiver too, biting her lip to hold back her laughter. She had long noticed something amiss with Mrs. Xu's behavior. Her attitude towards Xiao Moyan had taken a sharp turn, and after careful consideration, Xia Lingying understood the reason behind it.
To Mrs. Xu, her relationship with Xia Lingying and Xiao Moyan was akin to a mother-in-law marrying off her daughter. Clearly wanting her daughter to be happy, but once she was married off, she couldn't help feeling uneasy inside and out. Given Mrs. Xu's temperament, she wouldn't vent her inner frustrations directly, so Xiao Moyan ended up bearing the brunt of it. Thinking this through, Xia Lingying looked up at the squabbling pair, but unfortunately, Mrs. Xu's keen eyes caught her gaze. Mrs. Xu blinked a few times and then carefully began to speak.
"Xiaxia, it seems you and Miss have really settled down this time, so there are some things I need to tell you."
Xia Lingying nodded, set down what she was holding, and looked solemnly at Mrs. Xu. Xiao Moyan stiffened upon hearing this, lifting her head and gazing at her in confusion. What could there be to say? Xia Lingying knew her well enough now; what more could she be advised on?
Mrs. Xu looked at Xiao Moyan with affection in her eyes, then turned to Xia Lingying and said calmly, "Xiaxia, you should know that Miss had numerous relationships in the past."
"Um..."
Before Xiao Moyan could fully digest Mrs. Xu's loving gaze, she was startled by her words, looking at Mrs. Xu in alarm. "What are you trying to do?! After all this time, don't you know that Xiaxia's favorite thing to do is be jealous?"
Xia Lingying's eyes dimmed slightly, but she still nodded reluctantly, feeling a pang in her chest. Even though she had known for a long time that Xiao Moyan had many previous relationships, hearing Mrs. Xu say it so plainly still made her uncomfortable. When you truly love someone, you naturally want their whole heart to belong to you, without any involvement with others. But since she had fallen in love, she had to accept everything about Xiao Moyan, including her past.
Mrs. Xu continued wrapping zongzi, casually chatting as if discussing the weather.
"If two people love each other, they must learn to trust each other. I don't want a day to come when you and Miss will be separated because of someone else or a misunderstanding," Mrs. Xu said calmly.
Xia Lingying nodded gently as before, but couldn't help casting a sideways glance at Xiao Moyan. Xiao Moyan lowered her head and started fidgeting. Feeling uneasy, Xia Lingying asked with a hint of bitterness, "How many women has she been with?"
"How many?"
Mrs. Xu raised an eyebrow and smiled mischievously.
"Let's put it this way about Miss’ women. If Xiaxia suddenly wants to travel one day, just tell Miss, she moves her fingers, makes a few calls, and you can go anywhere in the world, guaranteed to be received by professionals, and they are all beauties. I'm talking about all over the world!"
Author's Note:
Yesterday, thank you everyone. Because of your support, Yezi will definitely not give up and will continue to work hard on writing!
PS: Recently, Yezi has been thinking that it seems there aren't many stories about mother hens* on Jinjiang. Yezi really wants to write about them—such adorable little animals! Why doesn't anyone like them? ╮(╯▽╰)╭
*usually a derogatory term for a person who is seen as overly anxious, protective, fussy, or particular about things.