Couple

The two of them set off for Nairobi.

This time, even more staff traveled with them; among them were people hired by Li Lan’s studio, as well as bodyguards employed by He Guang Tong Chen.

Zhu Qing glanced at the bodyguards, each one built like three of her, and asked Li Lan in a low voice, “Is Africa really that dangerous?”

“Better safe than sorry. Nothing is as safe as home,” Li Lan said, gesturing for Zhu Qing to look out the window. “Nairobi is considered a big city here, but look at the people and buildings around it. It’s still pretty underdeveloped.”

The guide took the opportunity to explain the local customs and the basic economic and social situation. “The gap between rich and poor here is enormous. Wealthy neighborhoods are lively and prosperous, no different from developed cities, but the slums are terribly bleak.”

As they passed through some of the more rundown areas, children with no one looking after them were everywhere on the streets. Zhu Qing rolled down the window and accidentally made eye contact with a little girl who looked to be only four or five.

The girl had brown skin, large bright eyes, and was filthy from head to toe. She sat cross-legged on the ground, a piece of dark, nearly black bread in her hand, stuffing it into her mouth.

When she saw Zhu Qing, she clearly froze; curiosity flashed in her eyes.

Zhu Qing smiled at her, and the little girl waved back with the hand holding the bread, smiling too.

The car moved on quickly and did not stop. Watching the little girl stare after the departing car in the rearview mirror, Zhu Qing felt a little sad.

The group soon arrived at the National Museum of Kenya, where there were many specimens of humans and animals, as well as exhibits on the cultures of Kenya’s various tribes. Li Lan and Zhu Qing strolled through the museum at an unhurried pace, exchanging a few words now and then; they really did look like tourists.

“Suddenly I remembered Xiao Bao’s trip to the British Museum,” Zhu Qing said, amusement brightening her brows and eyes. “Guess what funny thing Xiao Bao did.”

Li Lan was looking at a snake specimen. She turned to Zhu Qing and smiled. “How am I supposed to guess that?”

“You really don’t pay enough attention to Xiao Bao,” Zhu Qing said. “Come on, guess what Xiao Bao likes.”

Li Lan frowned thoughtfully. After a moment, she shook her head. “I can’t think of it. Dolls? Desserts? Or you?”

Zhu Qing’s face turned red. “What does the British Museum have to do with me? I mean things Xiao Bao is interested in—humanities-related stuff.”

This time, Li Lan didn’t even hesitate. “For studying, Zhao Yun handles that.”

Zhu Qing pouted. “You really are an effortless mother.”

Li Lan said calmly, “I don’t think so. I spend seven figures a year hiring Zhao Yun to be Xiao Bao’s private tutor; that’s not a small expense.”

It was only in the last two years that she had started earning more. When she first took Xiao Bao in and wanted to give her the best of everything, Li Lan had been under immense financial pressure for a while. Even though life had improved later, she still considered herself very qualified for the role.

Zhu Qing knew someone as capable as Zhao Yun had to command a very high salary, but hearing “seven figures” still made her jaw drop.

“Why are you so shocked? Zhao Yun is a top doctorate graduate in education,” Li Lan said with a faint smile. “I’m terrified of teaching her badly. Professional matters should be left to professionals. Zhao Yun teaches Xiao Bao very well, but that might not be the case if Xiao Bao stayed with me.”

Zhu Qing clicked her tongue in wonder. “You’re not wrong. With your work schedule, you’re hardly ever home; forget raising a child, you might not even know how to date properly.”

Li Lan’s leisurely steps came to an abrupt halt.

Zhu Qing asked, “What is it?”

Li Lan looked at her deeply but said nothing.

Zhu Qing went on, “What did I say wrong? Wasn’t the reason we fought partly because of your work? Even if you’re hiding things and won’t tell me, from what I can see, it definitely wasn’t because I… ahem, hit you, or because of some, uh, less harmonious thing.”

Zhu Qing had accidentally hit on part of the truth. Li Lan remained expressionless, though there was a faint strain in her voice. “I already said I’m not entirely clear on it either. Want to know? Then hurry up and remember.”

Zhu Qing grew embarrassed, then a little angry at being embarrassed. “I want to! Last time I fell, didn’t the doctor say the lump in my head had gotten smaller? It’s not like I can control that.”

Li Lan’s tone turned cool. “I found you a doctor. I’ll take you to see them when we get back.”

“Really? Can they guarantee I’ll recover my memory?”

Li Lan nodded. “They can’t guarantee it... but the odds are high.”

Zhu Qing bounced lightly in place twice, a secret anticipation rising in her heart.

Li Lan had promised that by the end of the variety show, she would answer her pursuit; the most likely outcome was agreeing... Though rejection wasn’t impossible, Zhu Qing wasn’t going to give up.

Li Lan would agree to her pursuit, then Zhu Qing would recover her memory, and the two of them would be reconciled, affectionate and in love as before!

“No, we forgot Xiao Bao again.” Zhu Qing came back to herself and looked at Li Lan unhappily. “I’m honestly starting to suspect Xiao Bao isn’t your biological daughter.”

Li Lan stopped completely.

Zhu Qing, who had been walking leisurely half a step behind her, bumped headfirst into Li Lan’s arm. “Ow.”

Li Lan’s gaze held a strange look, her emotions complicated. Before Zhu Qing could make sense of it, Li Lan had already composed herself, as if she had silently reached a conclusion, and said with stoic forbearance, “Let’s go.”

“What do you mean, let’s go? What were you about to say?” Zhu Qing tugged on her arm. “Are we still talking about Xiao Bao or not?”

Li Lan’s tone stiffened. “As you like.”

“Xiao Bao likes mummies,” Zhu Qing said directly. “When she saw the Egyptian mummies at the British Museum, she insisted they should give the mummies back, and asked why they’d stolen someone else’s ancestors. Hahaha.”

Li Lan couldn’t help laughing too, though she was also a little helpless. “Zhao Yun hasn’t explained colonial history to her yet. She still doesn’t really understand the ancient and modern history of this world.”

“You’re going too far. Xiao Bao is only five!” Zhu Qing held up five fingers and firmly insisted, “I won’t let you put too much pressure on her. Such a cute kid can’t go carrying a heavy little schoolbag so early.”

Li Lan was noncommittal about her use of the word cute. “I’m not the cute type.”

Zhu Qing blinked. “Right, you’re not the cute type. Xiao Bao is the cute one.”

Li Lan turned her head slightly and said quietly, “Mm. Xiao Bao and I don’t look very much alike.”

“That’s not a bad thing, though,” Zhu Qing said, completely missing Li Lan’s hint. “Two styles, two kinds of beauty... ahem, add me in and that makes another kind of beauty.”

Li Lan confirmed that she truly had understood nothing at all, then silently turned her head back.

After they finished touring the museum, they finally remembered the program’s task of “collecting items,” so they went to the souvenir shop and picked out a pile of things: animal wood carvings, traditional textiles, beaded jewelry, and more, leaving with their arms full.

A burly bodyguard came forward and asked whether they needed help.

Zhu Qing jumped. “Wow, you speak Chinese? You’re not African?”

The big man touched his sun-darkened skin and sighed. “Director Yang sent me. I’ve been following the production team the whole time. I’m dark because I like fishing.”

At the words “Director Yang,” Li Lan said speechlessly, “Then why don’t you go find Yu Ling? She should need ‘protection’ more.”

Zhu Qing nodded in agreement, emphasizing, “Li Lan, not one of your company’s artists.”

“Then I don’t know,” the bodyguard said. “Do you need me to carry it?”

Li Lan declined his offer.

“Are we going to Maasai Market to keep looking for local specialty items?” Zhu Qing asked.

Li Lan looked at the sky. Going to the market to search for things could earn them task points; abandoning the task would buy them a leisurely afternoon.

She asked Zhu Qing what she thought. After considering it for a moment, Zhu Qing said, “Are you asking me to choose between dating you and eating bugs?”

Li Lan said nothing, only looked at her quietly.

Zhu Qing stared at her for three seconds, then said with tragic resolve, “Let’s go. Date time.”

The two of them started wandering the streets in high spirits, eating and drinking as they went.

Zhu Qing bought several portions of roasted goat and handed them to the staff behind them.

The cameraman didn’t want to eat; Zhu Qing nearly shoved it into his mouth, and he could only swallow the fist-sized roast meat with tears of gratitude. It was his first meal of the day.

“Big guy, is this enough for you?” Zhu Qing asked.

The bodyguard seemed to blush. “A little more.”

Zhu Qing immediately doubled the amount.

Under Zhu Qing’s lead, they tried flatbread similar to Indian naan, fried tilapia, ostrich meat, and crocodile meat, along with a stomachful of freshly squeezed fruit juice.

When they left the last Zanzibar-style restaurant, Zhu Qing heard the server introducing the dessert set to someone else.

“Today we have a half-price couples’ promotion. Since the two of you have spent enough, you can enjoy the dessert special too.”

Zhu Qing stared at the server’s back, lightly pressing her tongue against the roof of her mouth in obvious displeasure.

“Li Lan,” Zhu Qing called her name unhappily, tapping her fingers softly on the table twice. “We’re being discriminated against.”

Li Lan was looking down as she drank iced tea. At the words, she lifted her eyes; her lashes cast a small shadow in the restaurant’s dim yellow light. She didn’t speak, but Zhu Qing knew what she was thinking.

Li Lan said, “Don’t make trouble.”

But Zhu Qing insisted on making trouble.

She stared at the Asian server, confirmed they both met the conditions he’d mentioned, and when he came back around she reached out to stop him. “Hello, why didn’t we get the half-price couples’ promotion?”

Zhu Qing’s English accent was very pure. The other man paused for a moment before reacting, then smiled and said, “It’s a couples’ set meal.”

Zhu Qing pointed at herself, then at Li Lan. “We’re a couple.”

Wasn’t foreign countries supposed to be pretty open about this? Why had they skipped over the two of them outright? Did they not look like a couple?

The server awkwardly scratched his head. “We usually only start introducing it when we see couples kiss.”

Zhu Qing’s confusion instantly went silent.

Li Lan nearly choked, then gave a light cough. “No need, thank you.”

Zhu Qing glanced at how much money they had left. Between eating and drinking, they had spent almost all of it. “If dessert is half-price, the money we save could buy you that Maasai bracelet you like.”

Li Lan took out a tissue and wiped the corner of her mouth. “No need.”

The server understood and gave them an ambiguous wink. “Three seconds of kissing is enough. All the desserts on the table can be half-price.” He pointed to the promotional poster on the wall, where several silhouettes of couples kissing in different skin tones were indeed printed.

At the neighboring table, a white elderly couple looked over curiously, and farther away two local girls in school uniforms were whispering to each other.

Li Lan told the server, “We’ll think about it. You can go back to work first.”

The server did walk away, but his eyes stayed on them the whole time, watching with friendly interest.

The air suddenly turned sticky.

Zhu Qing’s fingers pressed lightly against the tabletop as her gaze traced Li Lan’s side profile inch by inch—from her slightly pursed lips, to the taut line of her jaw, to the pale stretch of neck exposed as she lowered her head to drink iced tea.

She was nervous.

That realization made Zhu Qing feel indescribably pleased.

“Li Lan.” She suddenly spoke, her voice lower than usual.

“Mm?” Li Lan didn’t lift her head, only rubbed her fingertips against the glass. Drops of water slid down her fingers, leaving a wet streak on the table.

Zhu Qing stared at that streak of water and suddenly said, “Your ears are red.”

Li Lan’s movement stalled for a beat; she finally looked up at Zhu Qing. In the light, her pupils seemed to contract slightly, but she still kept her composure.

“It’s hot,” she said lightly.

“Ohhh.” Zhu Qing drew out the sound, leaning forward and propping her elbows on the table as she rested her chin in her hand to watch her. “Then do you want me to... cool you off?”

Her toe lightly touched Li Lan’s calf under the table.

Li Lan’s back snapped straight; her fingers tightened around the cup. “Zhu Qing.”

“I’m here.” Zhu Qing smiled innocently, but her foot didn’t withdraw. “It’s only three seconds. It’ll be over fast.”

Li Lan’s breathing was visibly thrown off.

“Teacher Li wouldn’t even refuse this, would she? Teacher Li? Li Lan?”

Zhu Qing softly called Li Lan’s name, obedient yet rebellious, as if asking for something and also complaining.

Suddenly Li Lan reached out and caught Zhu Qing’s wrist, the force so strong it nearly left marks.

“You’re sure?”

————————

Weekend sweetness [rose]