Peaches and Plums Don’t Speak – Chapter 76

Endearingly Silly

It was just after nine in the morning in the hospital’s staff cafeteria.

Yan Yinan let out a medium-sized yawn. He hadn’t slept a wink all night. So bad for the skin.

            

He took a sip of the coffee Liu Yiyi had brought him and looked across the table. Liu Yiyi was holding a spoon, feeding congee to Anzhi.

“I went to bed too early last night, so I missed the call. Aiya, you poor thing, you poor thing. It must have hurt like hell,” Liu Yiyi said, her face full of sympathy.

He scoffed. Went to bed too early? She could fool a teenager with that, maybe. She was a total PDA maniac. When was this honeymoon with his second brother ever going to end? It was bad enough that she was constantly spamming the WeChat group with lovey-dovey photos, but now she was showing off right in front of him. Couldn’t she spare a thought for his feelings as a single dog¹?

            

“Don’t worry. We used up a whole tube of ointment yesterday, and since the weather is cold, we don’t have to worry about bacterial infections. But I had the nurse give her a tetanus shot just in case.”

Anzhi’s hand didn’t hurt as much as it had the night before. Her right hand was badly burned, but her left was fine.

So she was a little embarrassed to be fed by Liu Yiyi. “Second Aunt-in-law, I can eat by myself.”

            

“Alright, now, don’t move. Here, is it too hot?”

The congee was a yam congee that Liu Yiyi had bought specially. It was cooked until it was tender and smooth, melting in the mouth. She told Anzhi not to move either of her hands, bringing the spoon to her lips one scoop at a time. Ever since Anzhi had told her what was on her mind, Liu Yiyi’s heart had ached for her. She didn’t know what she could do, so she could only care for her with meticulous attention.

Liu Yiyi had never felt such a maternal halo around herself before. It was actually a pretty good feeling.

            

Yan Yinan found the scene a little strange. Ever since his ex, that little nurse, had gotten together with his other ex, the anesthesiologist, he couldn’t help but see girls together through a strange lens.

Especially a pairing like Liu Yiyi, a seductive, mature woman, and Anzhi, a youthful young girl… A young girl and a mature woman, it was just like the kind of characters that would appear in some R-rated movie.

“You two are so mushy,” Yan Yinan said idly.

            

Liu Yiyi shot him a sideways glance. “A rotten eye sees everyone as a ‘ji.’²”

“What! I’m a 100% straight man!”

“You really don’t need to emphasize it, okay? See, do I go around emphasizing that I’m a straight woman?” Liu Yiyi dissed him, all while continuing to feed Anzhi.

            

“…”

“I’ll eat by myself…” Anzhi said again, embarrassed. Liu Yiyi had no choice but to place the vacuum flask in front of her. Noticing Anzhi’s hair was down, she pulled a hair tie from her bag, combed through the strands with her fingers, and tied it into a half-ponytail. Anzhi turned her head to the side and smiled at her.

Yan Yinan asked suspiciously, “When did you two get so close?”

            

“We’ve always been this close,” Liu Yiyi said.

Yan Yinan shrugged, having lost interest.

“Your Doctor Yu is here,” Liu Yiyi said, glancing behind him. Yinan instantly tensed up. He desperately wanted to look back, but he had to pretend to be cool and completely unconcerned.

            

Anzhi looked over curiously.

Liu Yiyi leaned in and gossiped in a low voice, “That’s your Third Uncle’s dream girl. He’s been chasing her for a long time without success. Cardiothoracic surgery. She’s three years younger than him, but she’s a doctor at the same level. Impressive, right?”

Anzhi opened her little mouth and let out a “Wow.” This Doctor Yu had monolids, a low-bridged nose, and slightly full lips. Her skin was a little dark. None of her features were particularly good-looking on their own, but together, they had a unique charm. She was especially tall and walked with a slightly long stride, which only added to her commanding presence—an air of confidence and stability.

            

Anzhi knew that Yan Yinan used to date fair-skinned, beautiful soft girls³. This woman was clearly not his usual type.

“She’s… so cool,” Anzhi said.

From the moment Doctor Yu walked in, Yan Yinan had been sitting on pins and needles, the corners of his eyes tracking her as she went to buy breakfast.

            

“Right? I don’t think your Third Uncle has a chance with her.”

Liu Yiyi’s and Anzhi’s gazes moved in unison from Doctor Yu to Yan Yinan, their expressions saying it all.

“Why not! What’s wrong with me!” Yan Yinan leaned closer to the table and hissed at them.

            

“She’s coming this way,” Liu Yiyi said.

Yan Yinan sat up straight, flustered, not knowing what to do with his hands. He was one step away from touching his face to check if his skin was moisturized enough.

“Doctor Yan?” she said as she approached. Her voice was on the husky side.

            

She greeted Yan Yinan, then nodded at Anzhi and Liu Yiyi before looking at Anzhi’s hand. “Ah, little one, you’ve had it rough.”

“Cough, cough, cough. Dr… Dr. Yu, this is my Second Sister-in-law, and, and my niece,” Yan Yinan stammered through the introduction.

Liu Yiyi secretly rolled her eyes at him, a look that screamed you’re so pathetic, then put on a smile to greet her. “Doctor Yu, hello, hello.”

            

Doctor Yu, by contrast, was very poised. She chatted with them for a few sentences and asked about Anzhi with concern, then left with her breakfast.

Yan Yinan was so flustered he looked like he needed to fan himself with his hands. Liu Yiyi looked at him with disdain. “You might as well just be gay. For a ‘straight man,’ you’re such a sissy⁴.”

“What did you say!” Yan Yinan fumed.

            

Anzhi asked, puzzled, “Third Uncle, haven’t you known this Doctor Yu for a long time? How come…”

Liu Yiyi nodded. “That’s right. Has it been a year, or how long? I’ve been married for half a year, and look at him—he probably hasn’t even gotten her number yet!”

“I have her WeChat! And… we doctors are very busy, okay? We have clinic hours, surgeries, and we’re on call… Even though we’re in the same hospital, we… we barely run into each other…” Yan Yinan tried his best to explain.

            

But the gazes from the big and small girls across from him were practically dripping with pity.

Yan Yinan fell silent and sighed at the ceiling.

Just then, his phone rang. He answered it irritably. “…Xiao Wu, yeah, I’m here. I’ve eaten. Second Sister-in-law is here, you can talk to her.”

            

Liu Yiyi took the phone, and Anzhi’s eyelids flickered.

Liu Yiyi said, “Mm, why am I here? Xiao Anzhi called me last night… Yan Xiao Wu? … You don’t need to come over. I can just take Xiao Anzhi home.”

“Oh, you’re still coming? Alright… We’ll wait for you, then.”

            

Liu Yiyi hung up and said to Anzhi, “Xiao Wu is coming to pick you up.”

Anzhi bit her lower lip lightly and lowered her head.

Liu Yiyi patted her on the head with an understanding look.

            

“Ah! What should I do? How do I woo her?” Yan Yinan was going crazy.

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When Yan Xi arrived to pick them up, Liu Yiyi had already gotten Anzhi’s medicine and paid the bill. They were sitting in the hospital’s outdoor garden.

As she got closer, she noticed the two of them seemed to be talking about something. It was mainly Anzhi speaking and Liu Yiyi listening, after which Liu Yiyi gently stroked Anzhi’s hair.

            

When did they get so close?

When she drew near, they saw her and went back to their usual selves, as if they were hiding something from her.

Yan Xi frowned slightly.

            

Anzhi was also very quiet on the way home. Yan Xi told her, “I’ve already asked for leave for you. Your homeroom teacher said it’s fine, you can stay home for a few more days and review for the competition.”

“Mm.” Anzhi nodded, not saying a word.

“I saw the note at home.” A line of crooked, shaky writing in the kitchen. Anzhi must have been in a lot of pain at the time, but she hadn’t called her. Instead, she’d called Liu Yiyi…

            

Yan Xi found it puzzling, and she also felt a little hurt.

She felt like all the progress from last night had been for nothing, as if the distance that had grown between them during summer vacation had returned.

Anzhi kept her head down and didn’t answer.

            

Yan Xi sighed to herself.

“I was afraid of bothering you…” After a long moment, Anzhi said in a small voice.

“Huh? You wouldn’t have,” Yan Xi said, the realization dawning on her. A wave of guilt washed over her.

            

Anzhi could only rest her hands on her knees. They were still trembling slightly.

Yan Xi softened her voice. “Does it still hurt a lot?”

Anzhi turned her head and smiled at her. “It’s okay.” Her gaze traveled down from Yan Xi’s profile and then back up to her face.

            

She loved the worried look on Yan Xi’s face, but she didn’t dare to linger on it. She had told Liu Yiyi: she didn’t dare call Yan Xi, didn’t even dare bring her phone, for fear that she wouldn’t be able to stop herself from calling her.

Liu Yiyi couldn’t give her any advice, but Anzhi felt much better just for having said it out loud.

Perhaps once Yan Xi was in a stable relationship, once she slowly grew up and faded out of her circle, it wouldn’t feel so painful anymore.

            

“Did you have a good birthday last night?” This was what she was supposed to ask, right? Like other girls her age, curious about the love lives of the jiejies or aunties around them, even gossiping and teasing them about it.

This was the position she was supposed to be in.

“Mm…” Yan Xi hummed, hesitating for a moment before she finally said, “I don’t think it’s possible with him. I’ve already made it clear to him. That’s what held me up yesterday.”

            

Anzhi’s mouth fell open as she stared at her.

“Yeah. That’s why I came out today. It would be pretty awkward to see him, and there’s not much going on at the station anyway.”

Yan Xi wasn’t quite used to talking about these things with Anzhi, but she was a little adult⁵ now. Maybe they could try a different way of getting along, more like friends? Good friends, best female friends, something even closer.

            

She felt much better after saying it.

Anzhi didn’t reply. Yan Xi checked the traffic ahead, then glanced over at Anzhi. She saw Anzhi staring at her, stunned, and then she broke into a smile.

It was the kind of smile that burst straight from the heart, making her whole small face come alive with light. And then Yan Xi saw Anzhi’s dimples.

            

Yan Xi froze for a second, not yet understanding why Anzhi was suddenly so happy, but her joy was so infectious that the corners of her own lips curved up. “What is it? What’s so funny?”

Anzhi shook her head and smiled again. The back of her hand began to hurt. “Pfft.” She sucked in a breath, but she was still smiling.

“Look at you. Bear with it, and be careful not to bump your hand. We still have to put more ointment on when we get home.”

            

Yan Xi reminded her, her own mood lifting as she watched her smile. “You’re so silly.”

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The author has something to say:

I planned this scene a long time ago. That’s right, there’s a bath scene next chapter, but I don’t know if I’ll be able to write out the inner feelings.

            

Go, Deng, go.

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