Patting Her Head

“What are you curious about with Yu Tiantian?”

Wei Yin blurted out what was on her mind by accident. Xu Yaqing answered at once, “She can’t even compare to Hua Yu. Not even close.”

Wei Yin looked at her strangely. “I mentioned Yu Tiantian. Why are you comparing her to Hua Yu?”

“Isn’t that... a reminder for you?”

Xu Yaqing knew about Wei Yin and Yu Tiantian’s relationship. Although she had only heard a single sentence about it from Hua Yu, that was enough for her imagination to run wild and spin out a whole story of love and hate.

At first, she’d been very guarded and hadn’t wanted to mention Yu Tiantian in front of Wei Yin. But after spending more time with Wei Yin and growing more familiar with her, she no longer felt it mattered.

Wei Yin clearly liked Hua Yu. Anyone could see that.

Wei Yin said, “Oh, thanks for the reminder. Now I’m even more curious.”

Xu Yaqing: ...

After dropping Wei Yin off at the entrance to the residential complex, Xu Yaqing said, “I’m taking the painting to be framed and then shipping it out. I’m leaving on a business trip tomorrow. Once you’re done with everything, you can make the ceramic handles for the preorder first; if you want to start a stream, then stream.”

Wei Yin shook her head so hard it was like a rattle drum. “N-no, no streaming.”

If she wasn’t used to it, she just wasn’t used to it. Even an introvert pushed to the limit wasn’t going to turn into an extrovert.

Xu Yaqing handed Wei Yin the lunch box Hua Yu had finished eating from. “You don’t need to bring it. Her vital signs have already returned to normal.”

Wei Yin didn’t insist. She took the lunch box and got out of the car. “As long as she’s better.”

There was a message from Hua Yu on her phone, asking if she was busy and what she was doing.

Wei Yin replied briefly: Not busy. Going home.

These past few days, she and Hua Yu had resumed their old WeChat pattern of communication. Wei Yin knew Hua Yu’s way of dealing with people wouldn’t change overnight, but she was willing to give them both time.

At least now, Hua Yu would occasionally send her a little of her “real, heartfelt” side.

【Doctor Hua, coming home late】: [photo] The department ordered milk tea.

Wei Yin was livestreaming and hadn’t replied. Half an hour later, Hua Yu sent another message.

【Doctor Hua, coming home late】: 30% sugar is still very sweet. It’s not very good... you can avoid this one.

When Wei Yin saw it, she couldn’t help laughing out loud.

【in】: Noted.

Over the next few days, Hua Yu began sharing more of her daily life and feelings with Wei Yin. Her messages were more frequent than usual, and she seemed livelier too.

From Hua Yu’s updates, Wei Yin learned that her condition was gradually improving and that her heat had finally passed safely.

If nothing unexpected happened today, Hua Yu would be coming home.

Wei Yin hummed to herself as she bought ingredients for dinner downstairs, then went upstairs.

The elevator rose slowly. Wei Yin entered the password, opened the door, and changed her shoes.

Then, as she lowered her head, she suddenly felt that something was off.

She remembered putting her slippers on the bottom shelf. Why were they outside now?

Not thinking too much of it, Wei Yin assumed she had remembered wrong and first took the groceries into the kitchen.

“Xiao Yin?”

A female voice suddenly came from inside. Wei Yin looked up in shock.

Standing before her were Hua Yu’s parents. They poked their heads out from the kitchen and smiled warmly. “You’re home?”

Wei Yin froze for two seconds before hurriedly forcing out a smile and walking over. “Uncle, Auntie, why are you here?”

Just then, she reached the kitchen door and caught sight of four bags of fruit, vegetables, groceries, drinks, and daily necessities inside, plus one bulging bag whose contents she couldn’t make out.

Good heavens, this was even more than a New Year’s stock-up.

“We brought over the Chinese medicine we prepared to nourish your health,” Hua Yu’s mother said with a slightly embarrassed smile, gesturing toward the big bag. “This is a month’s supply. It’s already been decocted; the red bags are for the morning, the brown bags for the evening. Try to drink them after meals.”

Wei Yin swallowed. This... by rough estimate, one bag must weigh thirty or forty jin, and all of it was for her? Medicine?

For a moment, Wei Yin felt touched, amused, and also a kind of unfamiliar, long-lost concern from her elders.

“Thank you, Auntie,” Wei Yin said, then looked toward Hua Yu’s father, who was rummaging through the refrigerator. “Thank you, Uncle.”

Hua Yu’s father was a fairly stern, quiet man, but he was still easy to get along with. He nodded at Wei Yin. “Why is there nothing in your fridge? What do you usually eat?”

Wei Yin quickly lifted the bag in her hand. “I buy groceries every day. If I leave them in the fridge, they won’t stay fresh.”

“Exactly. Young people nowadays don’t like stocking up. Unlike when we were young, when a family had seven or eight mouths to feed and everyone ate from big pots, so we had to buy piles of groceries,” Hua Yu’s mother said cheerfully. “But life is much better now. You can get anything anytime, and you can’t even finish it all.”

Wei Yin joined in dutifully, “Uncle and Auntie are absolutely right.”

These were highly skilled old Chinese medicine doctors. So many people went through connections and begged them to treat them. They were willing to take Wei Yin’s pulse, write a prescription, and even buy and decoct the medicine for her to bring over. Wei Yin could only feel grateful.

“It’s already seven,” Hua Yu’s father said, glancing at his phone. “Why isn’t Hua Yu home yet?”

Wei Yin paused, then smiled. “She should be back soon. I’ll ask her.”

“No rush, we’ll sit a while and then leave,” Hua Yu’s mother said.

Wei Yin immediately shook her head. “Stay and eat dinner at home. I steamed rice at noon, and I’ll stir-fry a few dishes. It’ll be quick.”

After saying that, Wei Yin hesitated for a moment. Borrowing from the way ordinary people and relatives interacted that she had observed before, she stepped forward, took Hua Yu’s mother by the arm, and warmly but firmly led her out of the kitchen.

“No need to trouble yourself.”

“It’s no trouble at all, really.”

“Don’t fuss over us; we can just eat something simple.”

“Then just sit down first. It’ll be done very soon.”

In the end, she got the two of them seated on the sofa, poured them tea, turned on the TV, and even stuffed the remote into their hands. Only then did Wei Yin let out a long breath and retreat into the kitchen.

She took out her phone and bombarded Hua Yu with messages.

【in】: Uncle and Auntie are here. Come back ASAP.

Five seconds passed; Hua Yu didn’t reply. Wei Yin called her directly.

After it rang for more than ten seconds, Hua Yu picked up. Wei Yin immediately hung up.

Hua Yu, still on the road, was baffled and called back.

The ringtone sounded clearly in the quiet kitchen.

Wei Yin’s heart lurched like she was sneaking around; she quickly covered the phone and glanced toward the living room, then hung up again.

It seemed like such a terrible thing to let people know she was afraid of dealing with parents.

Sneaky.jpg

At a red light, Hua Yu took out her phone to check the messages and finally realized what had happened.

She sent Wei Yin a voice message.

“No need to rush. Let’s go out to eat.”

Wei Yin also replied in a very soft voice.

“I already said I’d cook at home. If I go back on it, won’t it seem like I don’t want to cook for them?”

Hua Yu’s voice message came back quickly.

“Five minutes to get home.”

Wei Yin stood there in a daze for several seconds before lowering her head and putting away the groceries she’d bought.

As she washed vegetables, she waited for Hua Yu to come home. Ideally, she could even get a pot going first, and then when Hua Yu brought them out to eat, she could still hold a spatula and say the wok was already hot and everything could be stir-fried right away.

Mm. Perfect.

She didn’t mind cooking for Hua Yu’s parents, but she knew her own skills were only average. Setting Hua Yu aside, there was also Aunt Sun, whom Xu Yaqing often mentioned; Wei Yin had tasted Aunt Sun’s cooking herself, and it was certainly better than hers.

To show weakness in front of elders—just thinking about it made Wei Yin so nervous her teeth wanted to chatter.

The more she thought, the more tense she became. Her health bracelet lit up with a warning, asking whether she needed help.

Wei Yin turned off the screen. A little bracelet couldn’t help her.

The person who could really help her arrived three minutes late.

The doorbell rang. Wei Yin, wearing an apron, hurried out; after taking a few steps, she thought she seemed too eager, so she stopped and waited where she was for Hua Yu.

Hua Yu changed her shoes, took off her sun-protective jacket, and walked over. First she smiled at Hua Yu’s father and mother and said, “Dad, Mom,” then handed the bag in her hand to Wei Yin. “You packed dinner for me, but forgot this soup container.”

Wei Yin took it. “Oh, okay.”

Hua Yu’s mother asked, “You brought dinner for her?”

Hua Yu nodded, resting a hand on Wei Yin’s shoulder as she said to the two of them, “My appetite gets bad before and after my heat, and the cafeteria food doesn’t taste great. I can’t eat it, so she made three meals a day for me and brought them over every day. Three dishes and a soup every meal; she’s lost weight from all the exhaustion.”

Wei Yin had been focused on how Hua Yu was covering up her “hospital stay” and never expected her to lie so smoothly without even blinking.

But then the topic shifted to her, and when she heard “she’s lost weight from all the exhaustion,” she very much wanted to pinch Hua Yu at the waist.

She had clearly gained two jin since last time. How was this giving her credit?

“You really are something,” Hua Yu’s mother chided, shooting Hua Yu a glare before turning back to Wei Yin with concern. “She’s only ever known how to study since she was little. It must have been hard on Xiao Yin to take care of her.”

Wei Yin shook her head. “It wasn’t hard. It’s fine.”

Hua Yu let go of Wei Yin’s shoulder and glanced toward the kitchen. “We’ve eaten home-cooked food for several days. Let’s go out to eat.”

“Go out to eat” triggered the answer Wei Yin had rehearsed in her head over and over; she almost instinctively said, “I’ve already heated the wok, and if we just toss in the vegetables and stir-fry them, it’ll be very quick.”

Hua Yu raised an eyebrow and looked at her.

After saying it, Wei Yin’s face went blank for a moment. She pressed her lips together.

That line seemed like it should have come after Hua Yu’s parents agreed, as a slightly more polite refusal.

Amusement flashed in Hua Yu’s eyes as she deliberately complained, “We’ve eaten it for so many days already, I’m sick of it. I don’t want cooked dishes.”

Hua Yu’s mother reached up and slapped her on the arm. “How can you talk like that? Look at you. It’s good no one is cooking for you.”

Then she said to Wei Yin, “Xiao Yin, don’t mind her. We won’t cook for her anymore in the future.”

Wei Yin blinked, opened her mouth.

“That won’t do,” Hua Yu said, reaching out to pat Wei Yin’s head; her voice softened. “I hired her for three months.”

Wei Yin shut her mouth.

Hua Yu’s mother gave Hua Yu another eye roll.

She knew her own child too well. Saying she was sick of it was obviously because she felt sorry for Wei Yin for cooking at home every day.

Knowing how considerate Wei Yin was, she and Hua Yu’s father felt sorry for her too. They weren’t the sort of difficult people who would insist on making others work. Going out to eat was fine; it was easier anyway.

“Then let’s go out to eat,” Hua Yu’s mother said, taking Wei Yin’s hand. “We can also chat more with you two.”

The four of them ended up at the hotpot restaurant downstairs.

Wei Yin and Hua Yu went to mix their dipping sauces.

“Nervous?” Hua Yu took out four small plates and two large plates filled with fruit. “Take whatever you want to eat yourself.”

Wei Yin didn’t say anything; she just followed instructions and took half a plate of oranges, still continuing to pick more.

“Sigh.” Hua Yu took the tongs from her hand. “Bring the small plates over.”

Wei Yin said, “Oh.”

Wei Yin carried them over and quickly came back.

“I’m still nervous,” Wei Yin said. “I’ve never been around elders before.”

“What are you nervous about? Afraid they won’t like you?” Hua Yu said. “If that’s what you’re worried about, you don’t need to be. They won’t interfere in my private matters.”

Wei Yin said softly, “It has nothing to do with you. I just feel... I mean, before, no one ever took care of me like this.”

That huge bag of Chinese medicine—never mind Hua Yu, at least the two of them had known each other in the past. But Hua Yu’s parents were caring about her like this, and she had nothing to return. The more they treated her this way, the less she knew how to deal with them.

“Can I give them gifts?” Wei Yin suddenly thought of it. “I know how to make teacups and teapots.”

“Mm, that’s good,” Hua Yu said with a slight curve of her lips. “As long as you don’t give them sunflowers, I support it.”

Wei Yin looked at her. “What’s wrong with sunflowers? They’re so pretty.”

“Exactly, which is why they can only be given to me,” Hua Yu said.

Wei Yin heard Hua Yu’s casual, joking tone and said, “Then give it back.”

Hua Yu finished picking the fruit and cold dishes, one dish in each hand, then turned and walked away. “Nope.”

Wei Yin chased after her. As they neared Hua Yu’s parents, she slowly stopped and sat down gracefully.

As soon as she sat down, Hua Yu said casually, “Dad, Mom, Xiao Yin wants to give you a few ceramic ornaments and some tea sets.”

Wei Yin: !!

She opened her mouth. “I...”

“Give what? We don’t lack anything,” Hua Yu’s mother said.

Wei Yin stammered, “I-it’s just...”

“She made them herself,” Hua Yu continued for her. “The workshop she and Yaqing use has an electric kiln. She can fire these things; they’re quite delicate.”

Hua Yu’s mother’s eyes lit up. “How lovely.”

Hua Yu’s father looked up. “Xiao Yin has that kind of skill?”

Wei Yin’s face flushed a little. “I just knead them for fun.”

“Like that livestream room Yaqing shared in the group last time; the two of you should get reading glasses when you have time,” Hua Yu said bluntly. “Reading glasses aren’t a symbol of being old. If you still don’t use smartphones now, you’ll fall behind very quickly, Mr. and Mrs. Hua.”

Hua Yu’s mother choked, displeased. “Only you know how to talk.”

But when she thought about how Xu Yaqing and Wei Yin were livestreaming together and they could watch through their phones, getting a pair of glasses didn’t sound bad.

“You two can get glasses and also go support them in Yaqing’s livestream room. People online are sharp-tongued these days; they’re always insulting people,” Hua Yu added slowly.

Hua Yu’s mother immediately grew anxious. “Yaqing and Xiao Yin will be insulted online? That won’t do. They’re both good kids; how can they be scolded? I’ll register an account when I get back and see who keeps cursing my kids.”

Wei Yin watched in astonishment as Hua Yu, with just a few words, successfully lured her own mother into her trap.

Hua Yu’s father was calmer than her mother and asked about Wei Yin’s work routine.

This was Wei Yin’s field. Compared with the identity of a caregiver, she spoke far more fluently here and explained things to them seriously.

“It’s not hard. The clay body has to be thin and delicate to look good. A circle is a circle; a straight line is a straight line. Actually, a beautiful piece is always formed by pulling together one ring of straight lines after another. That’s part of ceramics’ charm.”

Hua Yu’s parents were drawn in by what Wei Yin said, and the meal became a happy one for everyone. When it was time to leave, their gaze toward Wei Yin was even more satisfied.

After seeing Hua Yu’s parents off, Hua Yu and Wei Yin watched the car disappear into the distance. Then they looked at each other and smiled at the same time.

Hua Yu said softly, “Feeling less nervous now?”

Wei Yin shook her head. “I’m not nervous anymore.”

All that awkwardness and unease could probably be summed up in one phrase: knowing you weren’t as good as others.

Because she felt inferior, she was timid.

But when it came to speaking about one’s own strengths, anyone could possess the charm of confidence.

Wei Yin was very happy that she could take up these crafts again.

Hua Yu watched the delighted expression on Wei Yin’s face and slowly came up with an idea.

“Come on, let’s go home and clean up,” Wei Yin said briskly. “Uncle and Auntie brought so many things.”

Hua Yu reached out and patted her head once. “Mm.”

Wei Yin stopped and turned back to look at her.

Hua Yu asked, “What is it?”

Wei Yin tilted her head at her. “No patting my head.”

Hua Yu was baffled. “Hm? Why are you saying that?”

In her memory, ever since she met Wei Yin, she hadn’t had any aversion to head-patting at all.

With Hua Yu’s parents’ visit, the relationship between Wei Yin and Hua Yu temporarily returned to its original state.

Only after seeing them off did Wei Yin realize they still weren’t completely reconciled.

She repeated it once more, word by word: “No. Patting.”

Hua Yu: ...?

TL Note:

“not even close” / “can’t even compare” (拍马也不行) is a chinese idiom meaning far worse; literally “even flattering a horse wouldn’t help.”

Noted. (码住) = “saved/bookmarked for later” internet slang.