Translated by Minodayz
Edited by: Miss Bookie, yecats, maripaz
Proofread by Librismuse
Peng Zige looked suspiciously at his phone while speaking to himself, “I didn’t call the wrong number …”
Placing the phone back to his ear, he asked, “Is this Rong Si’s number?”
On the other end of the phone came a polite voice without any inflections, “Ah Si is very busy and can’t take your call at the moment.”
“Then can I trouble you to pass him a message and tell him that Peng Zige tried to call him?“
However, with nary a nay or yea answer, the other person merely said “Goodbye” and hung up on him.
Peng Zige was baffled as he gave Li Erqin his update. After exchanging a few more words, they both then went back to doing what they had been doing before.
Peng Zige was in his yard playing basketball all by his lonesome self.
Although the winter sun shone brightly, it lacked warmth. Peng Zige had been shooting basketball hoops for over an hour, and there was not a single drop of sweat. As such, he could only resentfully head back into the house to watch a movie instead.
After watching three movies in succession, there was still no call back from Rong Si.
With mounting displeasure, he stabbed his phone screen and selected Rong Si’s name, but once again he was put through a call.
He was stunned.
Disconnected AGAIN?
Hanging up, he immediately placed a call to Li Erqin.
When Li Erqin picked up the call, her voice sounded as if she had just woken up.
Peng Zige could not conceive how anyone could be sleeping so soundly at 4:30 in the afternoon.
“Erqin, can I ask you something.”
“Yup?”
“How much did you top up on Rong Si’s account?”
“One hundred.”
Peng Zige was speechless.
“What’s the matter?”
“It has been disconnected again.”
Li Erqin sat up on her bed. “Disconnected AGAIN?”
“Yup .…..”
Li Erqin pursed her lips and went to her computer to further top up his phone.
Peng Zige could hear movement in the background and asked, “Are you topping up his account again?”
“Yup.”
She had the phone on speaker so her voice sounded like it was coming from a distance.
“OK …”
After a short while, Li Erqin’s voice came through clearly, “I’ll give him a call.”
“Great idea!” Peng Zige agreed. “When you’re finished with your call, don’t forget to call and let me know what Ah Si has been up to all this time!”
“Ok.”
She had been sleeping in her warm bedroom all afternoon, and when she ended the call, she realized that her throat felt as coarse as sandpaper. She decided to head down for a glass of water. When she took her cup of warm water up to the room, she noticed a few missed calls on her phone. They were all from Rong Si.
Immediately she picked up her phone and returned his call.
The call was picked up after one ring, and Rong Si’s lovely and clear voice came over the ear piece. “Hello?”
(Minodayz croons …”hello, is it me you’re looking for? … I can see it in your eyes, I can see it in your smile .….. →>> I know, I know, I’m showing my age! ROFL!!!)
It had been a whole week since she had heard his voice. For a long time, Li Erqin had thought that she had already become accustomed to his voice and was immune to it. However, just hearing it again made her heart move more than it did the first time she had heard it.
She felt her heart leap, skip and palpitate.
“This is Li Erqin.”
On the other end came a brief laugh. “I know.”
Li Erqin couldn’t believe that there would be a day when she would completely forget about all of the things she had wanted to say just by hearing a certain someone’s voice.
Rong Si waited a beat before asking, “Did you top up my phone account?”
“Yup.” Li Erqin took a drink of warm water and cleared her throat before saying, “Peng Zige was also trying to get in touch with you, but your phone was disconnected. He tried calling you earlier this afternoon.”
Rong Si replied, “I knew that.”
“Oh.”
“When Peng Zige called earlier, my older sister was using my phone,” Rong Si explained.
“You have a sister?”
“She’s my uncle’s daughter.”
“Oh.”
Li Erqin suddenly felt a weight lifted and was able to relax. “You sure used up your phone account’s credits real quick.”
Rong Si haplessly replied, “My sis had her phone stolen, so when I was out during the day, she used my phone to watch movies …”
Li Erqin was at a loss for words and didn’t know how to proceed in the conversation.
Luckily, when Rong Si was chatting with Li Erqin, he had sufficient patience. “My dad’s brothers and sisters and their families are with us on holiday, and it will still be awhile before we get back. I had topped up my phone this morning but didn’t realise it would have been disconnected by noon. I was about to top up again when I realised someone had done it for me.”
Li Erqin understood. “I see …”
“My sis mentioned that Zige had called earlier this afternoon.”
“Yup.”
“I thought it was only him so I didn’t rush to reply to him.”
Li Erqin wasn’t particularly bothered about these facts. She was only curious. “How did you know that I was the one who helped top up your phone?”
Rong Si laughed. “Zige wouldn’t have been able to think that up.”
Li Erqin concurred.
Rong Si continued, “I was just about to return Zige’s call when I realised that the phone was disconnected again.”
Li Erqin laughed. “So when you were going to top up again, you realised that I had beaten you to the task?”
Rong Si laughed softly, a delightful sound. “That’s right.”
Li Erqin laughed along, feeling strangely very proud of herself.
Rong Si was standing by the window of a beachside villa, looking out into the darkness that had completely cloaked the sea. The glass window reflected a faint outline of his silhouette and blurred the smile that hung on his face.
He sat leaning against the full length window and asked, “Why were you looking for me?”
“Nothing really.” Li Erqin’s voice was relaxed. “I just wanted to ask what you were doing.”
Rong Si replied, “Sitting on the floor.”
Li Erqin continued to ask, “Isn’t it cold?”
“Nope, not cold at all.”
“You’re alone?”
“Yup, alone.”
“Where are the others?”
“They’ve gone to bed.”
Li Erqin momentarily reacted as she made a realization. “This call will cost quite a bit?”
“It’s alright.”
“Are you tired?”
“I was a little tired earlier, but I’m not tired now.”
Li Erqin could not put into words what her heart was going through at the moment. The joy and happiness that seemed to flow out from the bottom of her heart caused her to want to carefully gather them and store them as a keepsake.
Although they were literally miles apart, somehow she felt a sense of closeness.
She walked onto her deck, realising that it was only afternoon where she was. The setting sun hung between two apartment blocks and gifted the office workers there with its last rays as they departed from work.
Taking a deep breath of cold air, she spoke into the phone, “You should go to sleep now.”
Rong Si did not reply.
Li Erqin scrunched her nose saying, “I’ll wait for you to return.” She then added, “Will wait for you to return and hang out with Peng Zige and me.”
“Ok.”
She was a tad reluctant as she said, “Well … see you?”
“See you.”
The call ended.
Li Erqin let out a sigh of relief.
She then called Peng Zige.
Peng Zige answered the called swiftly. It was as if his finger had been poised over the accept button on the screen. The first ring hadn’t even finished ringing, and he had already answered the call.
His overtly anxious voice came through the phone. “Did your call go through?”
“Yup.”
“What did he say?”
Li Erqin took a moment to recollect. “He said that his sister had been using his phone to watch movies.”
Peng Zige asked in a highly dissatisfied voice, “Can she not use the TV or computer to watch movies instead?”
Li Erqin elaborated, “They are away on vacation.”
“Vacation? Where?”
“I suppose it’s not in China.”
Peng Zige chided, “No wonder Rong Si can speak English so well! Probably because he could just go off anywhere in the world anytime he has nothing better to do!”
Li Erqin didn’t wish to say more.
“What else?” Peng Zige wanted to know more details. “When will he be returning?”
“After some time.”
The person on the other end was stumped for a few seconds, and then Peng Zige exploded, “What some time? How long exactly is after some time?”
“I don’t know.”
(Minodayz: ok PZG – you’re just digging a hole big enough to bury yourself in!!!)
Peng Zige was almost to the point of tears. “I’m going to die of boredom very soon. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”
“Me too.”
Peng Zige was silent before saying, “How about we go out tomorrow and have ourselves some fun?”
“Good idea.”
“I’ll give Su Zi a call to check with her.”
“OK.”
“I’ll hang up now. Will confirm the rest of the details later!”
“OK.”
In the evening the Li Family of three sat down for dinner.
A scrupulous Father Li noticed that his daughter’s appetite was exceptionally good this evening. Sending out his heartfelt love and concern, he said, “Er Lan, are you not feeling really good today?”
Li Erqin did not reply and continued eating her dinner.
Li Zhengwen put his chopsticks down and teased her. “How can you just ignore your own father? Don’t you ever think that your dad could be hurt too?
Li Erqin swallowed the remainder of the food in her mouth before taking her time to reply, “Dad.”
“Yes?” Li Zhengwen smiled sweetly.
“*Eat without talking and sleep without speaking.”
(T/N: Chinese phrase with the idea that talking while eating can upset one’s digestion and prattling on before sleeping can ruin the peace and calm one needs to sleep.)
Li Zhengwen’s face turned a shade of green.
Xu Yunshu was helpless and noticed that Li Zhengwen had not touched his soup during the meal. She asked, “Is the soup not to your liking?”
Li Zhengwen swiftly shook his head. “No! The soup is very good!”
Li Erqin commented, “Dad, tonight’s soup is sweet tasting.”
“Really?”
Xu Yunshu: “…….”
Li Erqin took a spoonful of soup from her bowl. “It’s a lie. This soup has bacon and bamboo shoots, so I suppose it ought to be salty.”
https://www.google.co.nz/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiT3_z47N_WAhWFabwKHfYCBPkQjRwIBw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.sina.com.cn%2Fs%2Fblog_7617435301014psk.html&psig=AOvVaw04fJWtQ-xGKdrlP3IMG0cq&ust=1507511658910759
Li Zhengwen pushed up his glasses that had slipped down the bridge of his nose and did not reply.
Xu Yunshu helped ladle a bowl of soup for him and calmly said, “Stop making up stories.”
Li Zhengwen had no choice but to swallow back the story he had already weaved in his mind. It was replete with characters, time and setting all relating to the drinking of a sweet bamboo shoots and salty bacon soup.
This mother and daughter duo are definitely lacking in the humor genes.
Might as well drink this soup …
(Minodayz: Dear Mr Li, I don’t know how you came to THAT conclusion coz I think your daughter has got your genes thru and thru! LOL)
(T/N: LEQ’s parents’ names are both literary. 正文 Zhengwen is “proper/correct” “literature” or the main text of a book and 云书 Yunshu is “cloud” “book”.)
After dinner, Li Erqin and Li Zhengwen went for a walk around the neighbourhood. It was two hours before she returned to her room.
Peng Zige had sent her a text message: [Su Zi and I have arranged to meet tomorrow morning at 10 o’clock. Century Square by the Golden sculpture.]
Li Erqin texted back: [OK.]
Li Erqin woke up early as usual and made herself a simple buttered toast for breakfast. She picked out a nice looking outfit to wear and started to head out. Li Zhengwen had left his chauffeur behind to take Li Erqin when he set out for work so when she opened the front door, she was surprised to see her dad’s chauffeur on the porch reading the papers.
“Uncle Wang, how come you’re still here?”
Wang Cheng put the paper down before replying, “You dad drove himself to work and instructed me to stay behind to take you wherever you wanted to go.”
“How did he know I was heading out today?”
Wang Cheng gave a straightforward laugh. “He said that he had guessed as much.”
Li Erqin did not say anything further and simply put on her shoes. “Then I will trouble Uncle Wang.”
“No trouble at all.” Wang Cheng put on his gloves and opened the car door. “I’ll treat it as my day off.”
Li Erqin politely replied, “Thank you.”
Since it wasn’t the weekend, the roads weren’t as congested. They were caught at a few traffic lights, but Li Erqin still arrived half an hour before the appointed time.
After she had given Uncle Wang Cheng a rough idea of when she would be heading back, she walked into a nearby milk tea cafe.
She was surprised to see Su Zi three tables down from the main entrance playing on her phone.
“Su Zi?” she called out to verify.
Su Zi had worn a skirt paired with a white down jacket. It was obvious that she had taken pains to dress up. She looked back and saw Li Erqin. “Erqin!” Her exclamation contained all the joyous emotions* she felt inside, and she bounced out of her seat and ran towards Li Erqin.
*(T/N : 溢于言表 yiyuyanbiao – to express oneself through word.)
It had only been slightly over a week since they last saw each other; however they had no idea where this intense joy came from. All they knew was that they felt immense happiness.
Li Erqin had completely forgotten to order her milk tea. Sitting opposite Su Zi she exclaimed, “You’re looking exceptionally beautiful today!”
Su Zi cheekily scrunched her nose as she said, “It was a feat just to ditch those school uniforms. I definitely had to go all out to dress up and look good!”
She also took stock of Li Erqin’s attire. Li Erqin had dressed in her usual casual style. She had removed her grey outer coat to reveal a pair of black pants paired with a large oversized sweater.
However, Su Zi felt that there was an indescribable sense of personality, a certain je ne sais quoi that made her look on in admiration and happiness.
“Erqin, your clothes are amazing too.”
Li Erqin tugged on the sleeves of her sweater as she said, “I also took the effort to choose a nice outfit.”
“Let’s see if Peng Zige would have taken pains to choose a nice outfit as well.”
Both girls exchanged a look and laughed.
Before they could complete their sentence, Peng Zige was ushered in by the freezing cold air. Su Zi and Li Erqin turned back in unison to watch him. Dressed in an attractive blue overcoat that complimented his fair complexion, Peng Zige had on that certain look of deportment. Without Rong Si by his side, he was finally able to be the focal point of the masses. As he entered, two ladies passing by couldn’t help but do a double take to look at him.
The cafe’s only customers were the two of them so he was able to spot them at a glance. His expression blossomed into a huge smile as he hollered, “Erqin! Su Zi!”
Erqin thought it through. It wasn’t usually his appearance that attracted others to him, and it wasn’t because of his friendship with Rong Si either.
It was really his exuberance that was what drew others’ attention to him.
Ironically, who would have thought that all three of them would arrive much earlier than their appointed time. Since it was still too early to have lunch, Peng Zige bought Erqin and himself a cup of milk tea each, and the three proceeded to chat idly at the milk tea cafe.
With the arrival of Peng Zige, their conversation became more lively and interesting. That’s because all they needed to do was to watch him talk animatedly.
Su Zi had already gotten used to the concept that Li Erqin had once mentioned regarding this particular rhythm — that of student Peng Zige’s one man tea party.
He carried on incessantly, going round and round, complaining about how bored he had been for the past few days and how much he had missed them and Rong Si. He even jabbered on about everything he had eaten and drunk since the beginning of the vacation. Finally he concluded, “This vacation has been really boring.”
Su Zi and Li Erqin, both biting their milk tea straws, replied, “Yup.”
Peng Zige said, “How come none of you are saying anything?”
Su Zi and Li Erqin exchanged a look before smiling at Peng Zige. “As long as you’re happy, we are all good.”
“If only Ah Si was here, we would have been able to do more stuff.” Peng Zige flipped through the vacation sightseeing plan that he had prepared. “Speaking of which, how about we catch a movie after lunch?”
Li Erqin said, “Ok.”
Su Zi couldn’t resist putting on an expression of being put out. “You mean that you spent the whole night working on a vacation plan, only to come up with going to the movies?”
Peng Zige was embarrassed. “It’s not that … It’s just that I’ve been wanting to see this movie for a really long time now but haven’t been able to find anyone to accompany me.”
Su Zi laughed at his confession. “You have no other friends, eh? Not even to accompany you to a movie?”
Peng Zige glared at her. “That’s not it. It’s just that I wanted to watch it with you guys!”
“Oh?” Su Zi said with some disbelief.
Peng Zige couldn’t resist. “Come on, Su Zi, let’s have us a fight!”
Su Zi laughed. “Are you sure?”
Peng Zige looked at her with disdain. “With your tiny frame, it’ll be over in a minute.”
Li Erqin finally called out, “Peng Zige, don’t fight.”
“Why?”
“However the fight turns out, you’ll be the loser,” Erqin said.
“Why?”
MInodayz: Well, it’s nice that PZG and the girls are out of their school setting. Even RS who is missing in this chapter. I love it that it’s only been a week but each of them had taken pains to dress up and arrive early for their rendezvous. Mr Li is so adorable, it’s like watching an older LEQ!!! Now pls bring RS back to our group — we miss him too!
Oh yes, a few years ago, a Japanese student introduced me to a Milk Tea cafe in my city and I’ve acquired a taste for it – the regular milk tea, bubble milk tea or the Macha Milk tea are my two fave.
Translated by Minodayz
Edited by: Miss Bookie, yecats, maripaz
Proofread by Librismuse
Peng Zige looked suspiciously at his phone while speaking to himself, “I didn’t call the wrong number …”
Placing the phone back to his ear, he asked, “Is this Rong Si’s number?”
On the other end of the phone came a polite voice without any inflections, “Ah Si is very busy and can’t take your call at the moment.”
“Then can I trouble you to pass him a message and tell him that Peng Zige tried to call him?“
However, with nary a nay or yea answer, the other person merely said “Goodbye” and hung up on him.
Peng Zige was baffled as he gave Li Erqin his update. After exchanging a few more words, they both then went back to doing what they had been doing before.
Peng Zige was in his yard playing basketball all by his lonesome self.
Although the winter sun shone brightly, it lacked warmth. Peng Zige had been shooting basketball hoops for over an hour, and there was not a single drop of sweat. As such, he could only resentfully head back into the house to watch a movie instead.
After watching three movies in succession, there was still no call back from Rong Si.
With mounting displeasure, he stabbed his phone screen and selected Rong Si’s name, but once again he was put through a call.
He was stunned.
Disconnected AGAIN?
Hanging up, he immediately placed a call to Li Erqin.
When Li Erqin picked up the call, her voice sounded as if she had just woken up.
Peng Zige could not conceive how anyone could be sleeping so soundly at 4:30 in the afternoon.
“Erqin, can I ask you something.”
“Yup?”
“How much did you top up on Rong Si’s account?”
“One hundred.”
Peng Zige was speechless.
“What’s the matter?”
“It has been disconnected again.”
Li Erqin sat up on her bed. “Disconnected AGAIN?”
“Yup .…..”
Li Erqin pursed her lips and went to her computer to further top up his phone.
Peng Zige could hear movement in the background and asked, “Are you topping up his account again?”
“Yup.”
She had the phone on speaker so her voice sounded like it was coming from a distance.
“OK …”
After a short while, Li Erqin’s voice came through clearly, “I’ll give him a call.”
“Great idea!” Peng Zige agreed. “When you’re finished with your call, don’t forget to call and let me know what Ah Si has been up to all this time!”
“Ok.”
She had been sleeping in her warm bedroom all afternoon, and when she ended the call, she realized that her throat felt as coarse as sandpaper. She decided to head down for a glass of water. When she took her cup of warm water up to the room, she noticed a few missed calls on her phone. They were all from Rong Si.
Immediately she picked up her phone and returned his call.
The call was picked up after one ring, and Rong Si’s lovely and clear voice came over the ear piece. “Hello?”
(Minodayz croons …”hello, is it me you’re looking for? … I can see it in your eyes, I can see it in your smile .….. →>> I know, I know, I’m showing my age! ROFL!!!)
It had been a whole week since she had heard his voice. For a long time, Li Erqin had thought that she had already become accustomed to his voice and was immune to it. However, just hearing it again made her heart move more than it did the first time she had heard it.
She felt her heart leap, skip and palpitate.
“This is Li Erqin.”
On the other end came a brief laugh. “I know.”
Li Erqin couldn’t believe that there would be a day when she would completely forget about all of the things she had wanted to say just by hearing a certain someone’s voice.
Rong Si waited a beat before asking, “Did you top up my phone account?”
“Yup.” Li Erqin took a drink of warm water and cleared her throat before saying, “Peng Zige was also trying to get in touch with you, but your phone was disconnected. He tried calling you earlier this afternoon.”
Rong Si replied, “I knew that.”
“Oh.”
“When Peng Zige called earlier, my older sister was using my phone,” Rong Si explained.
“You have a sister?”
“She’s my uncle’s daughter.”
“Oh.”
Li Erqin suddenly felt a weight lifted and was able to relax. “You sure used up your phone account’s credits real quick.”
Rong Si haplessly replied, “My sis had her phone stolen, so when I was out during the day, she used my phone to watch movies …”
Li Erqin was at a loss for words and didn’t know how to proceed in the conversation.
Luckily, when Rong Si was chatting with Li Erqin, he had sufficient patience. “My dad’s brothers and sisters and their families are with us on holiday, and it will still be awhile before we get back. I had topped up my phone this morning but didn’t realise it would have been disconnected by noon. I was about to top up again when I realised someone had done it for me.”
Li Erqin understood. “I see …”
“My sis mentioned that Zige had called earlier this afternoon.”
“Yup.”
“I thought it was only him so I didn’t rush to reply to him.”
Li Erqin wasn’t particularly bothered about these facts. She was only curious. “How did you know that I was the one who helped top up your phone?”
Rong Si laughed. “Zige wouldn’t have been able to think that up.”
Li Erqin concurred.
Rong Si continued, “I was just about to return Zige’s call when I realised that the phone was disconnected again.”
Li Erqin laughed. “So when you were going to top up again, you realised that I had beaten you to the task?”
Rong Si laughed softly, a delightful sound. “That’s right.”
Li Erqin laughed along, feeling strangely very proud of herself.
Rong Si was standing by the window of a beachside villa, looking out into the darkness that had completely cloaked the sea. The glass window reflected a faint outline of his silhouette and blurred the smile that hung on his face.
He sat leaning against the full length window and asked, “Why were you looking for me?”
“Nothing really.” Li Erqin’s voice was relaxed. “I just wanted to ask what you were doing.”
Rong Si replied, “Sitting on the floor.”
Li Erqin continued to ask, “Isn’t it cold?”
“Nope, not cold at all.”
“You’re alone?”
“Yup, alone.”
“Where are the others?”
“They’ve gone to bed.”
Li Erqin momentarily reacted as she made a realization. “This call will cost quite a bit?”
“It’s alright.”
“Are you tired?”
“I was a little tired earlier, but I’m not tired now.”
Li Erqin could not put into words what her heart was going through at the moment. The joy and happiness that seemed to flow out from the bottom of her heart caused her to want to carefully gather them and store them as a keepsake.
Although they were literally miles apart, somehow she felt a sense of closeness.
She walked onto her deck, realising that it was only afternoon where she was. The setting sun hung between two apartment blocks and gifted the office workers there with its last rays as they departed from work.
Taking a deep breath of cold air, she spoke into the phone, “You should go to sleep now.”
Rong Si did not reply.
Li Erqin scrunched her nose saying, “I’ll wait for you to return.” She then added, “Will wait for you to return and hang out with Peng Zige and me.”
“Ok.”
She was a tad reluctant as she said, “Well … see you?”
“See you.”
The call ended.
Li Erqin let out a sigh of relief.
She then called Peng Zige.
Peng Zige answered the called swiftly. It was as if his finger had been poised over the accept button on the screen. The first ring hadn’t even finished ringing, and he had already answered the call.
His overtly anxious voice came through the phone. “Did your call go through?”
“Yup.”
“What did he say?”
Li Erqin took a moment to recollect. “He said that his sister had been using his phone to watch movies.”
Peng Zige asked in a highly dissatisfied voice, “Can she not use the TV or computer to watch movies instead?”
Li Erqin elaborated, “They are away on vacation.”
“Vacation? Where?”
“I suppose it’s not in China.”
Peng Zige chided, “No wonder Rong Si can speak English so well! Probably because he could just go off anywhere in the world anytime he has nothing better to do!”
Li Erqin didn’t wish to say more.
“What else?” Peng Zige wanted to know more details. “When will he be returning?”
“After some time.”
The person on the other end was stumped for a few seconds, and then Peng Zige exploded, “What some time? How long exactly is after some time?”
“I don’t know.”
(Minodayz: ok PZG – you’re just digging a hole big enough to bury yourself in!!!)
Peng Zige was almost to the point of tears. “I’m going to die of boredom very soon. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”
“Me too.”
Peng Zige was silent before saying, “How about we go out tomorrow and have ourselves some fun?”
“Good idea.”
“I’ll give Su Zi a call to check with her.”
“OK.”
“I’ll hang up now. Will confirm the rest of the details later!”
“OK.”
In the evening the Li Family of three sat down for dinner.
A scrupulous Father Li noticed that his daughter’s appetite was exceptionally good this evening. Sending out his heartfelt love and concern, he said, “Er Lan, are you not feeling really good today?”
Li Erqin did not reply and continued eating her dinner.
Li Zhengwen put his chopsticks down and teased her. “How can you just ignore your own father? Don’t you ever think that your dad could be hurt too?
Li Erqin swallowed the remainder of the food in her mouth before taking her time to reply, “Dad.”
“Yes?” Li Zhengwen smiled sweetly.
“*Eat without talking and sleep without speaking.”
(T/N: Chinese phrase with the idea that talking while eating can upset one’s digestion and prattling on before sleeping can ruin the peace and calm one needs to sleep.)
Li Zhengwen’s face turned a shade of green.
Xu Yunshu was helpless and noticed that Li Zhengwen had not touched his soup during the meal. She asked, “Is the soup not to your liking?”
Li Zhengwen swiftly shook his head. “No! The soup is very good!”
Li Erqin commented, “Dad, tonight’s soup is sweet tasting.”
“Really?”
Xu Yunshu: “…….”
Li Erqin took a spoonful of soup from her bowl. “It’s a lie. This soup has bacon and bamboo shoots, so I suppose it ought to be salty.”
https://www.google.co.nz/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiT3_z47N_WAhWFabwKHfYCBPkQjRwIBw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.sina.com.cn%2Fs%2Fblog_7617435301014psk.html&psig=AOvVaw04fJWtQ-xGKdrlP3IMG0cq&ust=1507511658910759
Li Zhengwen pushed up his glasses that had slipped down the bridge of his nose and did not reply.
Xu Yunshu helped ladle a bowl of soup for him and calmly said, “Stop making up stories.”
Li Zhengwen had no choice but to swallow back the story he had already weaved in his mind. It was replete with characters, time and setting all relating to the drinking of a sweet bamboo shoots and salty bacon soup.
This mother and daughter duo are definitely lacking in the humor genes.
Might as well drink this soup …
(Minodayz: Dear Mr Li, I don’t know how you came to THAT conclusion coz I think your daughter has got your genes thru and thru! LOL)
(T/N: LEQ’s parents’ names are both literary. 正文 Zhengwen is “proper/correct” “literature” or the main text of a book and 云书 Yunshu is “cloud” “book”.)
After dinner, Li Erqin and Li Zhengwen went for a walk around the neighbourhood. It was two hours before she returned to her room.
Peng Zige had sent her a text message: [Su Zi and I have arranged to meet tomorrow morning at 10 o’clock. Century Square by the Golden sculpture.]
Li Erqin texted back: [OK.]
Li Erqin woke up early as usual and made herself a simple buttered toast for breakfast. She picked out a nice looking outfit to wear and started to head out. Li Zhengwen had left his chauffeur behind to take Li Erqin when he set out for work so when she opened the front door, she was surprised to see her dad’s chauffeur on the porch reading the papers.
“Uncle Wang, how come you’re still here?”
Wang Cheng put the paper down before replying, “You dad drove himself to work and instructed me to stay behind to take you wherever you wanted to go.”
“How did he know I was heading out today?”
Wang Cheng gave a straightforward laugh. “He said that he had guessed as much.”
Li Erqin did not say anything further and simply put on her shoes. “Then I will trouble Uncle Wang.”
“No trouble at all.” Wang Cheng put on his gloves and opened the car door. “I’ll treat it as my day off.”
Li Erqin politely replied, “Thank you.”
Since it wasn’t the weekend, the roads weren’t as congested. They were caught at a few traffic lights, but Li Erqin still arrived half an hour before the appointed time.
After she had given Uncle Wang Cheng a rough idea of when she would be heading back, she walked into a nearby milk tea cafe.
She was surprised to see Su Zi three tables down from the main entrance playing on her phone.
“Su Zi?” she called out to verify.
Su Zi had worn a skirt paired with a white down jacket. It was obvious that she had taken pains to dress up. She looked back and saw Li Erqin. “Erqin!” Her exclamation contained all the joyous emotions* she felt inside, and she bounced out of her seat and ran towards Li Erqin.
*(T/N : 溢于言表 yiyuyanbiao – to express oneself through word.)
It had only been slightly over a week since they last saw each other; however they had no idea where this intense joy came from. All they knew was that they felt immense happiness.
Li Erqin had completely forgotten to order her milk tea. Sitting opposite Su Zi she exclaimed, “You’re looking exceptionally beautiful today!”
Su Zi cheekily scrunched her nose as she said, “It was a feat just to ditch those school uniforms. I definitely had to go all out to dress up and look good!”
She also took stock of Li Erqin’s attire. Li Erqin had dressed in her usual casual style. She had removed her grey outer coat to reveal a pair of black pants paired with a large oversized sweater.
However, Su Zi felt that there was an indescribable sense of personality, a certain je ne sais quoi that made her look on in admiration and happiness.
“Erqin, your clothes are amazing too.”
Li Erqin tugged on the sleeves of her sweater as she said, “I also took the effort to choose a nice outfit.”
“Let’s see if Peng Zige would have taken pains to choose a nice outfit as well.”
Both girls exchanged a look and laughed.
Before they could complete their sentence, Peng Zige was ushered in by the freezing cold air. Su Zi and Li Erqin turned back in unison to watch him. Dressed in an attractive blue overcoat that complimented his fair complexion, Peng Zige had on that certain look of deportment. Without Rong Si by his side, he was finally able to be the focal point of the masses. As he entered, two ladies passing by couldn’t help but do a double take to look at him.
The cafe’s only customers were the two of them so he was able to spot them at a glance. His expression blossomed into a huge smile as he hollered, “Erqin! Su Zi!”
Erqin thought it through. It wasn’t usually his appearance that attracted others to him, and it wasn’t because of his friendship with Rong Si either.
It was really his exuberance that was what drew others’ attention to him.
Ironically, who would have thought that all three of them would arrive much earlier than their appointed time. Since it was still too early to have lunch, Peng Zige bought Erqin and himself a cup of milk tea each, and the three proceeded to chat idly at the milk tea cafe.
With the arrival of Peng Zige, their conversation became more lively and interesting. That’s because all they needed to do was to watch him talk animatedly.
Su Zi had already gotten used to the concept that Li Erqin had once mentioned regarding this particular rhythm — that of student Peng Zige’s one man tea party.
He carried on incessantly, going round and round, complaining about how bored he had been for the past few days and how much he had missed them and Rong Si. He even jabbered on about everything he had eaten and drunk since the beginning of the vacation. Finally he concluded, “This vacation has been really boring.”
Su Zi and Li Erqin, both biting their milk tea straws, replied, “Yup.”
Peng Zige said, “How come none of you are saying anything?”
Su Zi and Li Erqin exchanged a look before smiling at Peng Zige. “As long as you’re happy, we are all good.”
“If only Ah Si was here, we would have been able to do more stuff.” Peng Zige flipped through the vacation sightseeing plan that he had prepared. “Speaking of which, how about we catch a movie after lunch?”
Li Erqin said, “Ok.”
Su Zi couldn’t resist putting on an expression of being put out. “You mean that you spent the whole night working on a vacation plan, only to come up with going to the movies?”
Peng Zige was embarrassed. “It’s not that … It’s just that I’ve been wanting to see this movie for a really long time now but haven’t been able to find anyone to accompany me.”
Su Zi laughed at his confession. “You have no other friends, eh? Not even to accompany you to a movie?”
Peng Zige glared at her. “That’s not it. It’s just that I wanted to watch it with you guys!”
“Oh?” Su Zi said with some disbelief.
Peng Zige couldn’t resist. “Come on, Su Zi, let’s have us a fight!”
Su Zi laughed. “Are you sure?”
Peng Zige looked at her with disdain. “With your tiny frame, it’ll be over in a minute.”
Li Erqin finally called out, “Peng Zige, don’t fight.”
“Why?”
“However the fight turns out, you’ll be the loser,” Erqin said.
“Why?”
MInodayz: Well, it’s nice that PZG and the girls are out of their school setting. Even RS who is missing in this chapter. I love it that it’s only been a week but each of them had taken pains to dress up and arrive early for their rendezvous. Mr Li is so adorable, it’s like watching an older LEQ!!! Now pls bring RS back to our group — we miss him too!
Oh yes, a few years ago, a Japanese student introduced me to a Milk Tea cafe in my city and I’ve acquired a taste for it – the regular milk tea, bubble milk tea or the Macha Milk tea are my two fave.
