Bathing

Zhu Qing was about to ask more when someone suddenly came over and interrupted Wang Ru’s side.

Wang Ru gave Zhu Qing a grateful smile, handed her a paper crane, and ran back.

Xiaobao looked up at Zhu Qing. “The aunties over there are really strict. They won’t let Wang Ru play with me.”

Zhu Qing crouched down and followed Xiaobao’s gaze. Through the gap hidden by the shrubs, she could see the welfare institution’s shabby old wall, the blurred glass panes, and Wang Ru’s small figure running back.

“I remember your mom went to see the director of the welfare institution and donated some money. Was Wang Ru thanking you for that just now?”

Xiaobao thought about it, then shook her head. “She was thanking Zhu Zhu, not Mom. Zhu Zhu secretly came to see them many times before; I know. But Zhu Zhu didn’t want to tell Mom, so I pretended I didn’t know.”

“You can even pretend not to know,” Zhu Qing said with a laugh. Earlier she had thought Xiaobao wasn’t smart enough, but now that she was a little more familiar with her, that silly little cleverness of hers had started to show. “So I donated, and your mom donated too. Why won’t that auntie let Wang Ru play with you?”

Xiaobao’s little face scrunched up. “I don’t know.”

Zhu Qing asked softly, “Then do you want to play with them?”

Xiaobao lowered her head. “I don’t know either.”

Then her voice turned a little aggrieved. “Teacher Zhao won’t let me run around. She says it’s unsafe. Mom says there are lots of other kids in kindergarten, but Wang Ru is my friend too.”

Zhu Qing understood. She reached out and patted Xiaobao’s topknot.

“Tomorrow’s the weekend. I’ll take you to the welfare institution to play, okay?”

It took Xiaobao a long while to understand what Zhu Qing meant.

She let out a sharp “Ah!” and bounced up. “Really?”

Zhu Qing nodded hard. “Really. I’ll take you to see Wang Ru.”

Wang Ru and that welfare institution were clearly tied to some of Zhu Qing’s past. Whether she could recover her memory now, and how long it would take, were both unknowns. Since the opportunity had come up, Zhu Qing wanted to go see her own past.

After getting in the car, Zhu Qing buckled Xiaobao into the child seat and, after some thought, reminded her, “Don’t bring this up to Mom when we get home. Let me tell her, okay?”

Xiaobao blinked. “Is Zhu Zhu hiding it from Mom? Is this a secret between Xiaobao and Zhu Zhu?”

Zhu Qing had just been about to say she wasn’t, when something occurred to her and her eyes shifted slightly. “Did I have little secrets with you before?”

Xiaobao nodded. “We have lots of little secrets.”

Zhu Qing asked, “Like what?”

“Zhu Zhu takes me to eat all kinds of little cakes, takes me to the amusement park, and makes yummy food just for me,” Xiaobao said, counting on her fingers as she tried hard to remember. “I also have a secret. I only let Zhu Zhu look at my tin box.”

“What tin box?” Zhu Qing asked with a smile.

Xiaobao grinned too. “My secret treasure box. There are lots of things I like inside.”

Zhu Qing understood; it was a child’s little treasure chest, where she stuffed anything she liked. “You even let me look at your tin box. Xiaobao likes me that much?”

Xiaobao grew shy and lifted one foot a little. “Zhu Zhu can keep me company.”

Zhu Qing started the car smoothly, her heart quiet and at ease. “All right. Then Zhu Zhu will keep both of you company from now on.”

When they got home and Xiaobao saw the lavish dinner on the table, she cheered all over again. She ran to the sofa and bounced up and down on it; only after Li Lan picked her up around the waist and placed her in the child’s dining chair did she finally settle down.

At dinner, Zhu Qing told Li Lan what had happened today. “I think Xiaobao really likes Wang Ru. Since tomorrow’s the weekend, I’ll take her to the welfare institution. You donated before too, right? I’ll buy some food and daily necessities to bring over while we’re there.”

Li Lan’s brows drew together slightly; she seemed about to say there was no need to go. But when she looked up, Xiaobao and Zhu Qing were both looking at her.

The curves of both their eyes were round. Xiaobao’s eyes were like bunches of giant grapes, while Zhu Qing’s looked more like a tender green apricot. Big and small, they just stared at her like that, and whatever Li Lan had been about to say stayed stuck in her throat.

She sighed. “If you want to go, then go. I was planning to go see Director Yang anyway and talk about Xiaobao’s schooling.”

Zhu Qing quickly nodded. “Okay, Xiaobao and I will come back as early as we can.”

Li Lan scooped a spoonful of soup to her lips and said helplessly, “No need to rush. Go have your fun. I’ll take you there, and come pick you up when you’re done.”

Zhu Qing didn’t stand on ceremony. “That works out perfectly.”

Xiaobao also copied Zhu Qing’s tone. In a sweet little voice, she said, “Works out perfectly?”

“Yes, we really do work out perfectly,” Zhu Qing said with a laugh, taking a tissue to wipe the soup from Xiaobao’s mouth. “Xiaobao, eat a little less, okay? There’ll be egg tarts later.”

Xiaobao froze with the spoon halfway to her mouth, like a kitten startled by something; her eyes went wide, her body stiff. It took a few seconds before she moved again, clutching her stomach in distress. “But I’m already full.”

Xiaobao looked so funny that Zhu Qing burst out laughing.

Li Lan’s face darkened at once. “Didn’t I teach you to stop when you’re full? If I hadn’t told you there were egg tarts, were you planning to have another bowl? Yan Xiaobao, you’ll get diarrhea like this.”

Xiaobao lowered her head and said nothing.

Li Lan continued, “You’re not allowed to eat anything else tonight.”

Xiaobao looked up in alarm. “Egg tarts.”

“What egg tarts?” Li Lan said. “Go play with your block tower.”

Xiaobao’s eyes reddened with grievance, and she looked at Zhu Qing.

Zhu Qing hesitated several times, then softened completely when she saw Xiaobao looking over. She waved her over. “Come here. Let me feel your stomach.”

Xiaobao slid down from the chair and ran to Zhu Qing, hugging her leg.

Zhu Qing felt Xiaobao’s stomach. It was round and puffed out; it didn’t feel soft like she’d expected, but surprisingly elastic.

Zhu Qing: ...

Meeting Xiaobao’s pitiful gaze, Zhu Qing said awkwardly, “Xiaobao, you really did eat too much.”

Xiaobao lowered her head in disappointment, holding Zhu Qing’s leg without speaking or moving, clearly throwing a little tantrum.

Zhu Qing said, “How about this: you go take some digestive medicine. If your stomach isn’t this bloated before brushing your teeth tonight, I’ll give you half an egg tart, and the rest can go in the fridge so you can have it for breakfast tomorrow.”

Xiaobao answered unwillingly, “Mm.”

Li Lan watched from the side for a while, then ordered, “Go take the digestive medicine, then lie down.”

Zhu Qing was about to help look for the medicine, but Li Lan stopped her. “Xiaobao knows where it is.”

Only then did Xiaobao obediently leave.

Watching Xiaobao open the hidden cabinet with practiced ease and dig out the digestive tablets, Zhu Qing was surprised. “She even knows about this?”

Li Lan gave a very light sniff. “She’s a repeat offender. She never knows when to stop eating, and she’s very good at acting spoiled with you so you’ll indulge her.”

Zhu Qing said awkwardly, “I really was about to give her the egg tart at first.”

Li Lan suddenly fell silent. She lowered her head and ate quietly. After a while, Zhu Qing sensed something and asked, “Did I used to go against you on purpose?”

Li Lan’s hand paused with her chopsticks. She swallowed the food in her mouth, wiped her lips, and said slowly, “Not really.”

Zhu Qing understood. That meant yes.

Li Lan said, “I was quite surprised today... You used to spoil Xiaobao, and your ideas about parenting were a little different from mine.”

Zhu Qing thought to herself that it was probably not just a difference in parenting philosophy.

It wasn’t as if she had some especially advanced way of educating children either. Just now, when Xiaobao heard she couldn’t have the egg tart, her eyes had turned red, and Zhu Qing had instinctively felt sorry for her too.

But since Li Lan had said it, and as Li Lan’s partner, Xiaobao’s other parent, she naturally couldn’t openly go against her in front of Xiaobao.

Zhu Qing said, “Seems like I wasn’t very respectful toward you before.”

Li Lan shook her head and turned to look at Zhu Qing seriously. “I was the one who spent too little time with you two.”

“After I married you... I only spent one-tenth of my time at home,” Li Lan said, her voice full of guilt. “Two months ago, when you and I started arguing about divorce, I began reflecting. I went back through this year’s schedule and realized I only stayed home two or three days a month. You always flew to find me on weekends, then came back Sunday. On weekdays, I was either working or taking care of Xiaobao. I didn’t do a good job of adjusting to life with you two, and I put a lot of pressure on you. It’s not your fault, nor Xiaobao’s.”

Zhu Qing’s heart felt warm. “Hey,” she said, “why are you suddenly confessing like this? We were just chatting. I wasn’t dredging up your old mistakes. Don’t overthink it.”

Li Lan laughed softly. “I know. I’m just telling you not to think about what’s wrong with you. You don’t have any problems.”

You don’t have any problems.

Zhu Qing opened her mouth, but for a long while, she couldn’t say anything.

Good grief. Li Lan said she spoiled Xiaobao blindly; Zhu Qing was starting to think Li Lan was the one blindly spoiling her.

Zhu Qing rubbed her earlobe and lowered her head. “Eat, eat.”

After they finished dinner, the two of them accompanied Xiaobao with her homework. There was a craft assignment that needed drawing and doodling; Li Lan wasn’t very good at it and the result was ugly. Xiaobao nearly cried, and Zhu Qing hurriedly traced a new copy before coaxing her calm again.

When they were done, Zhu Qing had Li Lan bring Xiaobao half an egg tart. Xiaobao ate it happily, then took the initiative to kiss Li Lan on the cheek. “Thank you, Mom.”

Li Lan’s expression didn’t change, but her eyes softened a great deal.

The two of them took turns telling Xiaobao bedtime stories. Every so often, Xiaobao would open her eyes and look at them. Li Lan frowned. “Why do you keep opening your eyes?”

Xiaobao stuck a hand out from under the blanket and caught their fingers. In a small voice, she asked, “Are Mom and Zhu Zhu leaving?”

Li Lan and Zhu Qing exchanged a look. Li Lan softened her tone and comforted her. “Mom’s not leaving.”

Zhu Qing also coaxed her gently, “Zhu Zhu isn’t leaving either.”

Xiaobao squeezed their fingers and murmured an “Mm,” but still wouldn’t let go. It took quite a while before she finally drifted off.

The two of them tiptoed out and closed the door. Suddenly, Li Lan hugged Zhu Qing.

Zhu Qing’s head rested in the crook of Li Lan’s shoulder. She gently rubbed Li Lan’s back. “I really won’t leave.”

Li Lan’s voice was muffled. “Promise.”

“I promise,” Zhu Qing said, half amused. “I don’t even know why I’d leave. You and Xiaobao are both so good. I finally know what it means to have something you care about. With you two at home, how could I bear to go?”

“I also don’t know why you left,” Li Lan said, lifting her head. Her gaze carried a trace of sadness, along with faint threads of grievance and fear so thin they could easily be missed. “I was afraid you hated the entertainment industry, hated my job, and I was also afraid you minded Xiaobao’s existence.”

Zhu Qing smiled openly and tilted her head up to kiss her lips. “Don’t get so anxious about gains and losses. Now you know—I’ve been on a variety show with you. I don’t hate your work, and I don’t hate Xiaobao. I won’t leave.”

Li Lan lowered her head, her heart softening; she brushed against Zhu Qing’s lips with restrained longing.

She wanted to say that wasn’t necessarily true. They had been a contract marriage before; she didn’t know whether Zhu Qing would mind.

“Xiao Qing, there’s something I want to tell you.” Li Lan’s voice was very soft, carrying a note of hesitation.

Zhu Qing was standing so close to her that their breaths mingled. “Go ahead.”

Li Lan’s breathing suddenly deepened. She looked into Zhu Qing’s eyes and saw pure admiration.

All those words instantly turned to cotton soaked through with cold water, blocking her throat so tightly she couldn’t speak them.

At that moment, Zhu Qing’s phone rang.

Li Lan said, “Take the call first.”

But when Zhu Qing answered, the other side had already hung up. The caller was Qian Cancan. Zhu Qing opened her chat window and was just about to ask what was up when Qian Cancan sent her a message.

[Same place tomorrow. Lunch is on me; I need to tell you something.]

Zhu Qing grumbled inwardly that she was being so mysterious; why couldn’t she just say it on WeChat? Still, she replied with a “Granted.”

The moment the call came in, the atmosphere for confessing the truth vanished completely. Some things only had the courage to be said in the right atmosphere.

Li Lan calmed down again and took a step aside. “It’s late. I’m going to shower first; you should go to bed early too. We still have to go to the welfare institution tomorrow.”

Zhu Qing glanced at the time. It was only ten o’clock; it wasn’t that late.

Li Lan was already heading toward the master bedroom, carrying her clothes and pushing open the bathroom door.

Zhu Qing walked to the bed and sat down, then stood up again and paced around the room several times. She realized she was a little bored, and also a little restless.

No, to be precise, there was no restlessness; only itchiness.

Zhu Qing glanced at the clothes she was wearing: thin pajamas. Though thin, they covered everything properly.

But then again, they were thin enough.

The sound of running water gradually drifted out from the bathroom; a figure flickered past the frosted glass.

Zhu Qing locked the master bedroom door and walked to the bathroom entrance.

“Li Lan?”

The water stopped. Li Lan asked, “What is it?”

Zhu Qing said, “Are you standing?”

Li Lan paused. “I’m in the bathtub, filling it with water.”

Zhu Qing’s voice took a couple of seconds to come out again.

“Good. Then sit—”

Before Li Lan could ask what she was going to do, the bathroom door was suddenly pushed open.

————————!!————————

Zhu Qing: Let’s bathe together. Don’t waste water.

Li Lan: ...We’re not that short on water money.

TL Note:

“准奏” is court-drama-style speak for “permission granted”; Be aware it has like an imperial feel to it, I just went with “Granted”