Peaches and Plums Don’t Speak – Chapter 130
by Little PandaGirlfriend
Chen Muqi actually brought Anzhi to a private kitchen, and the food was truly delicious; she’d never even seen many of the dishes before. He didn’t eat much himself, choosing instead to sit beside her with a beaming smile, watching her eat. He introduced the ingredients of one dish and explained how much intricate knife work and how many hours of simmering had gone into another.
Anzhi asked, puzzled, “Isn’t it a private kitchen? There must be tons of secrets that outsiders don’t know. How do you know them all?”
She’d never quite known how to address him, wavering between formal respect and casual familiarity.
Her earliest memory of him was a distant impression of an impatient young man who’d openly disliked children.
In her teens, she’d seen him swept up in a love so all-consuming that he had no energy left to spare for her.
Then there was the period when his ex-wife, Miss Xu, had betrayed him and turned the tables on him, taking more than half his wealth in the divorce and leaving him utterly disheveled and covered in stubble.
She remembered every one of those versions.
But the handsome, refined, daughter-obsessed, bearded older man standing before her now still felt far too unfamiliar.
“When you eat as much as I do, you naturally pick up on a few secrets,” Chen Muqi chuckled. He studied her, marveling, “They really do say a girl transforms as she grows up. You’ve become so beautiful. The environment abroad must suit you well.”
Anzhi wasn’t quite used to his warm, doting tone. “It’s… it’s fine,” she said. She paused, and remembering what Yan Xi had said, she asked with a touch of genuine, playful coyness, “Have I gotten fat?”
“No, no, not at all! If anything, I think you’re still a bit too thin!” Chen Muqi shook his head vigorously. Ever since Anzhi had secured guaranteed admission to Beicheng University of Science and Technology, he’d been filled with immense pride and excitement. In his youth, his own academic pursuits had met with constant setbacks, which made him deeply admire high-achieving academic types. When he was first drawn to Tao Zhenzhen, it was precisely because of the proud, aloof aura she carried—a confidence born of stellar academic marks.
Once Anzhi made it to Harvard, Chen Muqi’s joy was akin to Fan Jin passing the imperial exams1—that was the only way he could describe it. On top of that, after suffering so many romantic setbacks and betrayals, he’d come to feel that of all the women in the world, only his daughter was truly reliable and endearing. Thus, he vowed to be a doting father.
“Once we’re done eating, let’s head to the shopping mall.”
“What for?”
Chen Muqi said, “The year is winding down, so we should pick out some gifts for the Yan family. They’ve looked after you for so long. We’ll buy some New Year’s goods2 to show our appreciation.”
Anzhi looked at him and could only nod.
She lowered her eyes to eat, a complex, indescribable feeling stirring inside her.
When they finished eating and Chen Muqi went to pay the bill, she took the opportunity to send Yan Xi a voice message.
Up until they’d gone to sleep last night, Yan Xi hadn’t been able to give her an answer. Anzhi hadn’t pressed her, either; she just laughed silently to herself, amused by how shy her aunt could be.
She’d never noticed this trait in her before. But then again, they were lovers now, and this was a side of her reserved only for her partner.
Lovers.
What a heart-fluttering, blush-inducing word.
At that same moment, Yan Xi was out getting her hair trimmed. Her stylist had a packed schedule, so this was the only slot she could book.
She looked at the voice message: “Accompanying Lao Chen at the mall. We have to go to his gallery in a bit.”
A slight smile tugged at the corners of her lips, and she replied: “Lao Chen?”
“Mn. I can’t bring myself to call him ‘Dad’ yet, so this is the only way I can address him for now.”
“Mn, it’s quite cute. My recording session this afternoon is going to run very late, so don’t worry about me. Go have fun.”
Anzhi didn’t reply right away; she must have been inside the mall by now. Yan Xi pursed her lips in a smile, then raised her eyes to meet the stylist’s gaze in the mirror.
Blow-drying her hair, the stylist chatted with a smile, “Your complexion has been wonderful lately, and your skin is practically glowing. Did something good happen?”
Yan Xi smiled and lightly touched her cheek. “Really?”
“Oh, yes, it’s incredibly obvious. As the old saying goes, ‘joy puts a spring in your step.’ That’s why I had to gossip a little. Are you in a relationship?”
Yan Xi looked at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were bright and clear, and her skin indeed held a subtle, radiant glow. She was in excellent shape. She simply smiled and remained silent.
Just then, Anzhi replied: “Cute? Then can I call you ‘Lao Yan’ from now on?”
Yan Xi paused.
“Absolutely not. You can’t call me that. I’m several years younger than Lao Chen,” Yan Xi typed out on her screen.
Anzhi sent back a face with its tongue stuck out. “Blehh.”
Yan Xi let out a mock-exasperated laugh.
Anzhi sent another message: “Got it, got it. No ‘Lao Yan’ then, Yan Xiao Wu.”
They were simple words, yet Yan Xi could practically see the dimples carving into her smiling face, and hear her soft, slightly playful voice.
A faint warmth brushed across Yan Xi’s cheeks.
At the memory of the scenes from last night, her face burned even hotter, and her heart softened completely.
She typed: “My recording session this afternoon is going to run very late. Have dinner with Lao Chen, and send me a message when you get home. I’ll head back as early as I can.”
After a moment, Anzhi replied: “Alright then, but make sure you eat.”
Whenever Anzhi was slightly reluctant but trying to be obedient, she’d say, “Alright then,” a phrase that was always accompanied by a tiny pout. Yan Xi smiled, only to look up and find the stylist watching her with a knowing, beaming grin.
Anzhi accompanied Chen Muqi as they selected many gifts. He arranged for someone to deliver them to the Yan Family Old Residence before pulling her along to his art gallery.
The gallery was doing very well. Aside from his own paintings, it also featured works by young, up-and-coming artists, and regularly partnered with various institutions to host exhibitions.
Chen Muqi had been in an excellent financial position over the past few years, though he remained single.
Anzhi tried to show a bit of care, asking, “Aren’t you going to get a girlfriend?”
Chen Muqi squinted with a smile. “That sort of thing depends on destiny3.”
For dinner, they went out for sushi. It was a cozy little restaurant where the chef prepared the dishes right in front of them.
The atmosphere was quiet and peaceful, allowing Anzhi to finally take the initiative to chat with him.
Halfway through, he stepped out to take a phone call.
Anzhi checked WeChat. Yan Xi hadn’t messaged her, so she tapped open the family group chat.
Xiao Yutong: “We’re taking a family photo tomorrow. Everyone must be there by 10:30.”
Liu Yiyi: “Okay, we just got back from XX Province. I’m responding on my husband’s behalf.”
Every year, Yan Yixi would make time to go to some impoverished, remote mountain areas to do charity teaching and sponsor diligent students. Ever since Liu Yiyi married him, she’d also accompany him whenever she had free time.
Yan Yinan: “Got it. Nannan and I will make sure to be there.”
Anzhi’s eyes crinkled with amusement. She typed: “Okay.”
After a brief wait, Yan Xi’s avatar popped up: “Okay.”
Eh?
Anzhi was a little dumbfounded. Yan Xi’s avatar had always been a gardenia flower, unchanged for what felt like decades, but now it’d turned into—a chubby little rabbit. It was hand-drawn, radiating a silly, adorable charm.
It hadn’t been changed when they were chatting earlier. Hadn’t she said she was busy with her recording? Yet she still found the time to change her avatar?
The others in the group chat noticed it too.
Liu Yiyi: “Hahaha, Xiao Wu, where did you find such a fat rabbit?”
Yan Yinan: “Hahahahaha…”
Anzhi: “…”
It took a while before Yan Xi slowly replied: “Fat rabbits are cute.”
Anzhi didn’t know whether she should be happy or annoyed.
She took a deep breath, but she couldn’t help laughing anyway. Tapping open her private chat with Yan Xi, she typed: “I’m ignoring you. You always call me fat…”
When Chen Muqi walked back in, he saw a young girl completely absorbed in her phone, her youthful, collagen-rich cheeks flushed with a shy, rosy glow.
The moment she saw him, she set her phone aside, pretending as though nothing had happened. But Chen Muqi was someone who’d been through all of this before. He immediately asked with a cheerful grin, “A boyfriend?”
Anzhi froze, then shook her head. “No.”
Chen Muqi smiled. “Dad is no old dinosaur. You’re so beautiful, there must be boys pursuing you. Just remember, don’t agree too quickly. Take your time, look around, compare your options, and pick the absolute best one.”
Anzhi almost burst out laughing. “Why do you make it sound like shopping?”
Chen Muqi’s expression instantly turned a bit wistful. “Ah, if only it were as easy as shopping…” He straightened up and said seriously, “I’m just afraid you’ll get hurt. Tell you what—is there anyone pursuing you right now? Do you have a photo? Or you could invite him out so I can take a look.”
Then, remembering that Anzhi spent most of her time in America now, his tone shifted to a tentative, anxious worry, as if afraid of offending her. “And… I don’t mean this as a prejudice, but… it really would be best if you could date a Chinese person. Your daily habits and cultural backgrounds would align better… Or at least, they should be Asian!”
Anzhi stared at him. The care he’d shown over the years and his deep concern in this very moment couldn’t be faked. Her heart softened after all, and the word slipped out: “Dad…”
Every single feature on Chen Muqi’s face lit up in instant, dancing joy, only to freeze completely at Anzhi’s very next sentence. He sat there, entirely petrified, wearing an expression that looked like a bizarre mix of a laugh and a sob.
Anzhi said, “I’m dating a girlfriend.”
The author has something to say:
Originally, the plan was to have their first time together in Chapter 130, but due to my health lately, my writing pace has slowed down.
Besides, I really don’t want to go through the trouble caused by the cloud drive link in Chapter 128 ever again.
Don’t expect anything major in the next chapter. It’ll just be a fade-to-black. I’ll write another version once I’ve recovered my energy.
Footnotes
- Fan Jin is a character from the Qing dynasty novel 'The Scholars' who famously goes mad with joy after finally passing the imperial civil service examinations in his middle age.
- Nianhuo (niánhuò) refers to special foods, decorations, and gifts purchased in preparation for the Spring Festival to welcome the Chinese New Year.
- Yuanfen (yuánfèn) refers to a fated affinity or cosmic destiny that governs relationships and brings people together at the right place and time.
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