Peaches and Plums Don’t Speak – Chapter 94
by Little PandaSecurity and Surprise
Yan Xi felt that after being abroad for over two months, Anzhi seemed to have matured all at once. Her sixteenth birthday had been spent overseas.
At that time, they were in a cold war1. Yan Xi had only sent a WeChat message wishing her a happy birthday and transferred a red packet, thinking she would make it up to her after she returned.
Yan Xi felt guilty. Anzhi received gifts every birthday, and every year she looked forward to them.
But this time Anzhi had refused, saying it was just a birthday, as if she knew about Yan Xi’s guilt, and even comforted her by saying she’d had a special time abroad.
Anzhi occasionally called Yan Xi by her nickname now. Yan Xi couldn’t help saying what she had secretly complained about before: “No respect for your elders.”
Anzhi stuck her tongue out at her. “You wouldn’t let me call you that when I was little. Now I’m sixteen!”
She also prepared backup medicine for the family at appropriate times. Before, Yan Xi had always prepared these things, but sometimes she got busy with work and forgot.
“Cough. I won’t drink anymore, so I won’t need the hangover medicine, right?” Yan Xi looked at the medicine she’d bought and said awkwardly.
Anzhi said, “Who knows? Better to have it ready.”
Yan Xi thought about what she had done that night when she was drunk, and felt too embarrassed to say anything more.
When she remembered that day, she had thought about apologizing to Anzhi. Even if Anzhi didn’t like girls, Yan Xi felt those actions were inappropriate. But then she was confused again, because sometimes Liu Yiyi told her dirty jokes too, and when they bought clothes they occasionally shared the same fitting room, even when buying underwear—neither of them felt anything was wrong, and they would even compliment each other on which body parts looked good. So thinking about it that way, her actions toward Anzhi weren’t anything special? Including that strange dream from before?
But Anzhi did like girls. Yan Xi reminded herself again that she had to be mindful of boundaries. She was a little adult2 now too. Some actions only belonged to the person she loved; she couldn’t overstep.
Fortunately, Anzhi didn’t seem to mind, but she indeed no longer “begged for kisses, begged for hugs” like before. Maybe this was Anzhi reminding her.
Yan Xi secretly noted this, but at the same time felt a bit lost. When she was little, she was so small and soft to hold, but at sixteen…
She remembered that night she had slept deeply. When her head hurt, there were soft fingers stroking her. Her nose caught a familiar, pleasant fragrance, and there was a subtle pulse sound—she must have been resting on the other person’s shoulder and neck. The young girl’s body was slender and soft, fitting perfectly against hers, even her breath was fragrant…
Yan Xi forcibly cut off her thoughts there, not allowing herself to think further.
During this period there were no new programs, so Yan Xi was relatively free. But Gao Jiming still didn’t change his approach. Only now he had learned to be clever—he no longer sent flowers or asked her out. He just visited her grandparents, winning over her elders’ hearts.
Yan Xi was burning with anger inside. She couldn’t directly say anything to her grandparents, so she told Eldest Sister-in-law, Auntie Xin, and Liu Yiyi to never let him in again.
“But your grandparents are happy to see him,” Eldest Sister-in-law said.
“That’s right, Xiao Wu. Besides, he comes often, just to chat with your grandparents,” Auntie Xin said.
“Do you really have no feelings for him at all?” Liu Yiyi looked at her sideways.
Yan Xi rubbed her temples. “That’s not the point. He’s already made me dislike him.”
“Xiao Wu, actually your grandparents are doing this for your sake. And us—we’re not forcing you to get married. In fact, I’ve always regretted marrying your eldest brother too early.” Eldest Sister-in-law looked at her. “We just hope someone can accompany you.”
Auntie Xin also looked at her. “I don’t understand you young people’s thinking, but Xiao Wu, you’re already thirty years old.”
Liu Yiyi waved her hand. “Auntie Xin, it’s not about age. Xiao Wu, what are you thinking?”
Their three pairs of eyes all stared at Yan Xi. Yan Xi moved her lips, just about to answer, when her peripheral vision caught Anzhi quietly standing in the side hall, behind everyone. She didn’t know how long she had been listening.
“Anyway, don’t let him come. If he calls, just say it’s inconvenient. Please.” Yan Xi sighed.
“Sigh, Xiao Wu, I don’t want to lecture you, but what kind of person are you looking for? Little Gao’s conditions are already very good.” Auntie Xin couldn’t help adding, “Among you five siblings, only you are left.”
“Mmm… I also think Little Gao is okay, just a bit arrogant and proud. But then again, men are like that. Look at your eldest brother, isn’t he also a big man…”
Liu Yiyi smiled. “Eldest Sister-in-law, eldest brother may be arrogant, but at home he listens to you.”
Eldest Sister-in-law pressed her lips together and smiled. “That’s true. Yiyi, does Second Brother listen to you too?”
Liu Yiyi’s face lit up when talking about Yan Yixi. “My Yixi doesn’t have the big man problem. He just talks less, no other faults.”
Yan Xi was made to laugh and cry by these two sisters-in-law showing off their love in various ways. Looking over, Anzhi was also lowering her head and smiling.
“You all don’t worry about me, just worry about your husbands—my brothers are enough!”
“I don’t want to worry about you either. If others heard this, they’d think the sisters-in-law are forcing the little sister-in-law to marry. It’s your eldest brother worrying.” Eldest Sister-in-law brought the topic back to her.
“That’s right, Anzhi is already sixteen!” Auntie Xin pulled Anzhi into the conversation. “In the blink of an eye she’s going to university, and you—your personal issues still aren’t resolved.”
Yan Xi felt a headache, her expression somewhat helpless.
Auntie Xin didn’t stop, turning to Anzhi. “Anzhi, you tell your aunt.”
Yan Xi and Anzhi’s eyes met. Anzhi raised her dimples and smiled faintly at her.
She said, “Yes, Auntie needs to hurry up and fall in love.”
Anzhi had never said such things before. In Yan Xi’s memory, Anzhi almost never asked about her love life.
Yan Xi was surprised, momentarily forgetting to answer.
Eldest Sister-in-law smiled. “Don’t wait until Anzhi is in love and you’re still alone. That would be embarrassing.”
Anzhi froze for a moment, lowered her head, and said, “I won’t…” She lowered her eyelids, her voice so thin it was barely audible. The original intention wasn’t about her, so no one paid attention to what she said. The focus was all on Yan Xi.
“Cough cough.” Liu Yiyi cleared her throat. “Alright, Eldest Sister-in-law, Auntie Xin, no rush. After all, it’s been over ten years, haha…” She winked at them.
Eldest Sister-in-law also knew when to stop, saying she needed to hurry and cook, and pulled Auntie Xin out of the side hall.
Liu Yiyi felt the atmosphere in the hall suddenly become strange. She was sitting a bit far from the door—couldn’t leave, couldn’t stay—so she picked up her phone and opened the camera to look at herself. At the corner of her eye she saw Anzhi raise her face and smile at Yan Xi, then walk out. Instead, Yan Xi looked at her back with an expression that was hard to interpret.
“Yiyi, do you feel that Taotao is a bit different? What exactly did you teach her abroad?”
Liu Yiyi glared at her. “Your tone sounds like one of those parents saying ‘you corrupted my child’! Please, she’s grown up and matured, okay?”
Yan Xi sighed. “I just feel like she seems…”
Liu Yiyi said in a leisurely tone, “When Anzhi goes to university, there will be all kinds of social mixers3 and student clubs4. She’ll definitely have many people pursuing her. By then she might not even come home on weekends. You should worry about yourself first. When she goes to university, you’ll become an empty-nest elderly5!”
Yan Xi: “……”
That night, Yan Xi couldn’t sleep again. Her childhood experiences made Anzhi extremely lacking in security. What she worried about was that Anzhi was forcing herself to grow up quickly to cover up. Yan Xi felt heartache when she thought about it.
A few days later, she called Anzhi over. Opening her phone, there were some photos of documents saved in the gallery.
“This is…”
“My apartment’s property deed, and the money your father gave you all these years. I invested it, and now it’s this amount. Mm, and this is mine.”
“Auntie?” Anzhi was confused.
“Mm, I’m thinking if I can add your name to the property deed, and also give you half of these. I’ve already made an appointment with a lawyer. You’ll come with me then. If it doesn’t work, I’ll put it in my will.”
“I don’t want it,” Anzhi panicked. “No, I don’t need these either. When I go to university I’ll have scholarships, I can also apply for loans and financial aid6. No need, no need…”
This wasn’t a gift that could be casually accepted. Even without understanding current market prices, Anzhi knew this was a large sum, enough for an ordinary person to live worry-free for a lifetime.
“Don’t be afraid,” Yan Xi instead smiled. “I’m not asking you to take it now. I can save it for you first. But going through a lawyer would be better, with legal protection. In case I have an accident or…”
Anzhi was already frightened. First “will,” then “accident”—these two words were too serious.
Her eyes reddened. “Auntie! I don’t want it, I don’t want anything to happen to you…”
Yan Xi saw her tears falling one by one, and hurriedly put down her phone to comfort her. Anzhi, who had been acting like a little adult these past few days, was scared to tears.
Yan Xi coaxed her for a long time, secretly regretting inside: she originally wanted to give her more security, but instead scared her to tears.
The autumn sky was high and clear, clouds pale and light—it was the best time of year in Beicheng. Yan Xi and Liu Yiyi took Anzhi to Beicheng University of Science and Technology to register.
After all the procedures were done, they walked toward the dormitory area.
“Why isn’t my dormitory at the School of Chemical Engineering?” The university was built over eighty years ago, constructed against the mountain, vast in area, with green canopies like a cover. The buildings were modern and magnificent, with a strong academic atmosphere and youthful energy that people yearned for.
Undergraduate dorms were four-person apartments, while graduate students were in a different area, two-person apartments. They arrived at the building.
“Mm, darling. Your aunt was afraid you wouldn’t be used to a four-person room, so she asked your Second Uncle to pull some strings7… Of course we paid a bit extra.” Liu Yiyi said.
Anzhi looked at Yan Xi, revealing her dimples.
It seemed there was more than just this surprise. At this moment, someone called her: “An’an!”
Anzhi felt this voice was somewhat familiar. She blinked and saw not far away a girl with a lob haircut8, petite and cute, running over: “An’an!”
Footnotes
- A period of silence or non-communication between people, similar to 'giving the cold shoulder.'
- A child who acts mature for their age.
- Organized social events, often for dating purposes. Common in universities.
- Student organizations and clubs in universities.
- Elderly people whose children have left home. Liu Yiyi warns Yan Xi she will become one when Anzhi goes to university.
- Scholarships, grants, or student loans for higher education.
- To use connections or influence to get something done.
- A long bob hairstyle.
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