What Should They Do?

“Made up?”

Lu Zhiwei froze.

She turned to look at Xu Ran.

Weren’t these two kids estranged in their senior year of high school?

She still remembered how, after the college entrance exams ended, Xu Zhitong had thrown herself into their arms and cried so hard she soaked the rented qipao they’d ended up buying outright...

After that, their daughter hadn’t really had any close friends.

Someone who had left might leave again. Lu Zhiwei didn’t know whether this was a good thing; for a moment, she didn’t know how to answer.

Xu Ran spoke up. “That’s good, then. It’s been so many years.”

Lu Zhiwei nodded along, but after a pause she still asked, “Then now... how are things between you two?”

Xu Zhitong lifted her chin, growing bolder and bolder.

She’d originally wanted to keep it vague and play it a little coy, but what came out was: “I’m thinking about how to propose to her.”

“...”

Xu Ran nearly dropped the baking tray in her hands.

She hurriedly set it on the island counter and exchanged a look with Lu Zhiwei; neither of them knew what to say.

It took Lu Zhiwei a long moment to gather her thoughts. “Oh. Then she, um... is she thinking the same thing?”

Xu Ran tried cautiously, “Isn’t it a little fast?”

As soon as she said that, Lu Zhiwei turned and secretly twisted her arm.

Xu Zhitong didn’t notice Mommy’s little movement. With her elbows propped on the island counter, she gave a serious example. “Not really. Her friend already got married in a flash this National Day holiday; I heard they only knew each other for a week after being set up on a blind date.”

Lu Zhiwei: “...”

They fell silent again.

Xu Zhitong fell silent too.

Looking at her mothers, she felt their expressions were all a little strange.

She said softly, “...You don’t support it?”

Lu Zhiwei said quickly, “No, no, of course we support it. Right, Xu Ran?”

Xu Ran: “Exactly. We both support you. It’s just... why don’t you tell us how you plan to start? Let’s think it through together as a family.”

Lu Zhiwei added, “Right. We’ve got cash and red envelopes in the safe. We can go buy some jewelry as a gift another day. Usually we’d get gold, but young people preparing for marriage these days probably prefer jewelry more, right? Does she have a favorite brand?”

That actually left Xu Zhitong stunned.

Her mami and Mommy were thinking so specifically; they’d even prepared the cash and red envelopes in advance.

She hadn’t even thought about the step of meeting the parents yet...

Feeling terribly ashamed, Xu Zhitong said, “I haven’t figured out how to propose yet, so I don’t know the exact process.”

She also hadn’t had time to do any research.

After all, the idea of proposing had only just occurred to her. She’d spent the whole way with Lin Yang; once she got home, she’d only cared about being intimate, and after eating she came straight over to her mothers’ place.

She still hadn’t had time to be alone with her phone.

Lu Zhiwei came over and comfortingly patted her hand. “It’s okay, baby. As long as you two have made up, that’s enough. As for the proposal, Mommy and Mami will help you prepare, okay?”

...So this was what it felt like to be the boss at home?

Xu Zhitong was practically floating.

Being grown-up was so great!

She nodded hard, then turned and hugged Lu Zhiwei. “Thank you, Mami!”

Like a little cannonball, she nearly made Lu Zhiwei lose her footing.

It had been a long time since Lu Zhiwei had been hugged by Xu Zhitong like this.

Over Xu Zhitong’s back, she exchanged a look with Xu Ran.

Only then did she lift her arms and hug Xu Zhitong back.

“Why don’t you go hug your mom too?” Lu Zhiwei said.

Xu Zhitong said, “Okay.”

She turned around and gave Xu Ran a bear hug too.

Xu Ran smiled.

“Baby, do you want to spread the cream with Mom?”

Xu Zhitong said, “Sure!”

After those two hugs, she relaxed even more.

Under her mothers’ guidance, she helped spread the cream over the cake roll, then used baking paper to shape it.

Half of it was cut off and packed into a large cake box for her to take back.

Lu Zhiwei said, “Put it in the fridge when you get back. It’ll set in two or three hours and taste better. Oh, if you’re bringing it to her, I’ve got a smaller cake box here.”

By then, Xu Zhitong was already happily cradling the box and said, “No need. She and I can just eat it from a plate. No need to make it so fancy.”

“...” Lu Zhiwei looked at her expression, paused, then understanding dawned. “She’s waiting for you at home?”

Xu Zhitong nodded naturally.

Lu Zhiwei drew in a light breath.

Xu Ran pressed a hand to Lu Zhiwei’s shoulder, telling her to calm down, then said to Xu Zhitong, “Wait a moment. There’s a lot of stuff. I’ll get the folding trolley out so it’s easier for you to take everything.”

She went into the storage room and brought out the trolley, putting the cake box on it and then placing the souvenir gifts they’d brought back one by one.

While she was at it, she quietly slipped in a few extra gifts.

“These are for Lin Yang. Take them over with you and say hello for us.”

Xu Zhitong didn’t notice her mother’s little scheme. Very self-importantly, she grabbed her soda and dragged the little cart along. “Then I’m off?”

Lu Zhiwei chided her fondly, “Go on, go on. You’re in such a hurry to get back.”

Xu Zhitong grinned and blew her mothers two flying kisses before closing the door.

After she got into the elevator, with only one door between them, Xu Ran and Lu Zhiwei looked at each other.

Xu Ran could tell her wife was worried, so she pulled her close, patted her back, and said, “Look at her. She’s come back with so much energy this time, and she’s in a good mood too. That means dating is a good thing for her.”

Lu Zhiwei paced in place, unable to hide her anxiety.

“But they were estranged for so many years... and this has only been, what, a month? They’re already living together and talking about marriage. Isn’t that a little fast? It wouldn’t be some kind of scam, would it?”

Xu Ran knew a bit more than Lu Zhiwei did. “No. Lin Yang’s family is pretty rich. Her parents’ meetings are all attended by a secretary; she went abroad as soon as the college entrance exams were over... maybe she’s only just come back.”

Even the homeroom teacher didn’t know where Lin Yang had gone after taking her school records. Xu Zhitong had no choice but to secretly ask her mothers for help. Xu Ran had some connections and looked into it for her.

“Really?” Lu Zhiwei believed her, but then a new worry took over. “If her family is that wealthy, then shouldn’t we prepare a bigger red envelope for the first visit? The cash in our safe probably isn’t enough, is it?”

“We can withdraw more,” Xu Ran said. “Just prepare in advance. Our daughter does things on a whim; what if she suddenly brings her over? We should get the gifts ready early.”

Lu Zhiwei sighed. “True. And the proposal too. I’ve got a college classmate who works in wedding planning. I’ll call her later and ask.”

-

Xu Zhitong dragged the folding trolley along as she hummed a little tune on the way home.

Her mothers really hadn’t noticed that she’d lost her memory.

Xu Zhitong was a little smug, and a little melancholy.

Ah, being the boss really meant standing high and cold, with no one understanding her inner world.

But being the boss was also great; her moms were actually this supportive of her and Lin Yang dating, and even thought first of what gift to bring when meeting the parents.

What should they give?

Xu Zhitong was thinking about it all the way home.

She only knew that Lin Yang wore glittering things every day, but Xu Zhitong didn’t know much about luxury jewelry, so she had no idea whether Lin Yang preferred any particular brand.

Mami had reminded her: not only did they need to bring a gift when meeting the parents, but for the diamond ring she’d use to propose, she definitely had to choose one Lin Yang liked.

A sparkling big diamond ring; now she had money.

Thinking of a future that seemed firmly in her hands, Xu Zhitong opened the door home with satisfaction.

The room was lit half-bright and half-dark. The window was open, cold wind skimming across the floor; the gauze curtain swayed gently.

The cool autumn night air drifted through, carrying a faint smell of alcohol.

Xu Zhitong pushed the trolley in, closed the door, and found that the entryway had already been tidied by Lin Yang.

She looked into the apartment.

Only one floor lamp was on in the living room. In one corner of the large sofa, Lin Yang sat barefoot, holding a wine glass all alone, as if absorbed in staring at the liquid inside.

Her long hair covered the side of her face; even when she heard the door open, she didn’t turn around.

So focused?

Xu Zhitong cleared her throat. “I’m back!”

Hello?

Lin Yang looked up in a daze and saw her.

Xu Zhitong raised an eyebrow. “What, you don’t recognize me anymore? Fine, let me introduce myself. The one who just walked in is your wife, okay? Come over here and give me a hug.”

Lin Yang: “...”

She blinked slowly.

Seeing that Lin Yang still wasn’t reacting, Xu Zhitong snorted in dissatisfaction.

She turned around and switched on all the living room lights; the room suddenly became bright and lively.

Then she huffed and puffed her way back, pulling the trolley inside.

“Ta-da!”

Xu Zhitong rolled it out to a spacious spot like she was presenting a treasure and showed it to Lin Yang.

“My mami and Mommy made this cake roll. Note this carefully: I spread the cream and rolled it myself. And these are all gifts they brought back from abroad. This pile is specially for you; the other pile is for the two of us. Pick whichever ones you like.”

Lin Yang hesitated before setting down her wine glass.

She walked over barefoot on the carpet and stopped beside the trolley, looking at the pile of things inside.

Xu Zhitong had already bent down to take out the cake box, opening the lid so Lin Yang could smell it. “Doesn’t it smell great?”

Lin Yang gathered her hair behind her ear and bent down to sniff it. “It smells great.”

Xu Zhitong quickly kissed Lin Yang’s snow-white cheek. “Not as good as my wife smells.”

During the time she’d been out, Lin Yang must have taken a shower; she smelled faintly of fragrant shampoo and body lotion, the floral scent richer because her hair was still a little damp.

Right now Xu Zhitong already wanted to lie in bed and sleep with her wife.

She stared at Lin Yang a few more times with undisguised longing and said, “Mami said it has to chill for two hours before we can eat it. What a pity; otherwise we could’ve taken it out and had it with wine.”

Lin Yang was sitting there drinking alone late at night; it was such a grown-up sort of atmosphere.

Xu Zhitong was determined to join in.

She put the cake roll into the fridge, took out a box of duck snacks from inside, then went to the storage cabinet and brought out a few bags of chips and sweets, spreading everything out on the coffee table.

“Where are the wine glasses at home?” she asked.

Seeing her move so smoothly through everything, Lin Yang said, “Under the wet bar.”

Xu Zhitong turned around, got herself a wine glass, set it beside Lin Yang’s, and very naturally poured herself half a glass too.

After running around so much, she noticed Lin Yang still standing there.

Xu Zhitong thought she was curious.

She crouched beside the trolley and said, “These ones are for you. Ah, this big bottle should be wine, right? They know you drink sometimes, and this is... what is this?”

Xu Zhitong picked it up and looked at it. Her vocabulary was too limited, and she couldn’t understand the foreign words.

Lin Yang took it from her. “An aromatic candle.”

Xu Zhitong immediately brightened. “Wow, should we open it and light it? It’ll go well with our drinks, and we can watch a movie or something.”

She didn’t care that it was a gift her mothers had given Lin Yang.

Her attitude was entirely, whatever belongs to my wife belongs to me.

If Mami gave something to my wife, didn’t that mean it was given to our little family?

Naturally, Lin Yang said yes.

She unwrapped the candle’s pretty packaging, then turned to rummage through some random corner of the living room until she found a matchbox and lit it.

Before long, the scent of roses spread through the room, then was carried away in wisps by the cool air drifting in from the half-open window.

Xu Zhitong said naturally, “I’ll close the window.”

After shutting the window and drawing the curtains tight, Xu Zhitong sat comfortably on the sofa with Lin Yang and turned on the TV.

Picking a recently popular detective film, she lifted her wine glass toward Lin Yang. “Quick, let’s toast.”

Lin Yang said, “Cheers.”

The glasses touched with a crisp sound; the wine inside trembled lightly.

Xu Zhitong took a sip.

“It’s tasty,” Xu Zhitong praised, then acted a little spoiled, complaining in a roundabout way, “Why did you secretly drink by yourself while I was at Mami’s place? You didn’t even wait for me to come back.”

Lin Yang swallowed the wine. “Because..."

She paused. “Because I didn’t know when you’d be back.”

Xu Zhitong said, “It’s so close, of course I’d be back quickly.”

“Yes.”

After a quiet moment, Lin Yang turned her head and glanced at Xu Zhitong. “You didn’t talk much with them?”

Xu Zhitong blinked, a little embarrassed.

When she’d been talking to Mami and Mommy, all she could think about was the confidence of taking charge of her own life.

But in front of Lin Yang, she still wanted to keep this surprise under wraps.

Xu Zhitong decided to pass the blame along. “They didn’t really chat with me either. They wanted their own little world, so I said I wanted my own little world too.”

Lin Yang: “...What did you tell Auntie?”

Xu Zhitong said, “I just told her we made up, and they accepted it pretty quickly.”

They’d even accepted right away when she said she wanted to propose to Lin Yang.

Maybe Mami and Mommy also thought they’d been dating too long without getting married; otherwise why would they answer so quickly?

Thinking of Lu Zhiwei’s expression before she left, Xu Zhitong huffed, “My mami could even tell I was desperate to get back here; she teased me too.”

Lin Yang looked even more stunned. Hearing the implication, she hesitated before asking, “Auntie knows I moved in?”

Xu Zhitong said, “Of course. We made up, so how could we still live apart like before?”

The wine glass in Lin Yang’s hand trembled.

She lowered her eyes and nervously licked her lips, but didn’t know how to ask anything further.

Xu Zhitong remained completely unaware. After watching the movie for a while, she couldn’t stay still and came over to touch Lin Yang’s hand, then leaned sticky-sweet against her shoulder.

The huge sofa was forced into the shape of a single seat by her alone.

She didn’t even drink the wine in her own glass; instead she watched Lin Yang drink, then leaned closer to shamelessly ask for a taste from Lin Yang’s mouth.

Lin Yang let her get away with it and drank with her several times, her lips damp and red.

But she didn’t really resist.

Her heart was uneasy, knotted into a mess.

She’d thought today would be the end.

She thought maybe there wouldn’t be a dignified ending at all; if Xu Zhitong’s family discovered this deception, they might even come to the door and demand to know why she’d fooled their daughter—whether she’d been after money or sex.

The worst possibilities had been circling in her mind. The alarm bell she’d forced herself to suppress for days finally rang again, echoing in her head until she could barely breathe normally.

Unable to control the anxiety threatening to make her retch, Lin Yang had finally decided to throw caution to the wind and drink. Her hand had been shaking the whole time she opened the bottle, spilling a lot, and she’d had to wipe it up in a panic.

But who would have thought the sword of Damocles hanging over her head still hadn’t fallen.

Xu Zhitong...

Lin Yang slightly turned her head and looked at Xu Zhitong, who was leaning against her shoulder and studying the plot of the movie with intense concentration, and bit her lip.

What should she do, Xu Zhitong?

Lin Yang almost felt like crying.

She took a slow, steady breath, in and out.

Only moments ago, she had still been able to drink alone, endure the anxiety, and bear the pain.

But now, with Xu Zhitong resting against her shoulder and letting her once again feel the happiness of this false love, she had suddenly grown fragile.

Lin Yang let out a breath, bit hard enough on her lower lip for it to nearly turn white, and still couldn’t quite suppress the urge to cry; the tip of her nose stung.

She sniffed.

The two of them were so close that Xu Zhitong naturally heard her inhale.

Xu Zhitong looked up in curiosity, and saw Lin Yang’s reddened eyes.

Ah.

Xu Zhitong followed her gaze back to the movie.

The suspense film was about a murder that took place at a wedding.

At this moment, the film used a flashback, jumping from the wedding murder scene that had opened with maximum suspense to the romantic moment before the wedding, when the bride was being proposed to by the person she loved.

It formed a sharp contrast with the bride lying in a pool of blood after the wedding had begun.

...Oh.

Her wife was so sentimental; she’d actually cried because of a movie scene.

Xu Zhitong was instantly caught in a sweet sort of dilemma.

She comfortingly took Lin Yang’s hand and pressed a kiss to it.

“Wife,” Xu Zhitong said troubledly, “if this is enough to make you cry, then later... what are you going to do?”

When she saw other people propose, they’d usually come up with some excuse for their partner so she could get ready early and look beautiful in photos.

Lin Yang liked taking pictures so much; what if, during the proposal, she was so moved that she cried and ruined her makeup?