Exchanging moves
After they came in, Song Yuhang also emerged from the kitchen, taking Lin Yan’s hand and protectively flanking her, intentionally or unintentionally, addressing her as “sister-in-law.”
Ji Jingxing nodded, without much expression on her face. Contrarily, Xiaowei let go of her mother’s hand and enthusiastically threw herself into her arms.
Song Yuhang rubbed Xiao Wei’s head and played with her for a while, “Xiaowei is good. Go watch TV; dinner will be ready soon.”
Once Xiaowei ran off, she turned back to look at her girlfriend and pinched her hand.
“You go rest in my room for a while. I’ll call you when it’s time to eat.”
Lin Yan cast a glance at Ji Jingxing, who was sitting on the sofa playing with Xiaowei, her expression still somewhat annoyed.
Song Yuhang, as if no one else was present, draped her arm over Lin Yan’s shoulder and gently pushed her toward the house, speaking in a soft and tender tone.
“Alright, for my sake and my mother’s, didn’t you agree when you came that you wouldn’t lose your temper today?”
Lin Yan “hmphed” and said: “What temper could I possibly have? If she did nothing to provoke me and I still get angry, wouldn’t that be making a fuss without reason?”
Song Yuhang laughed and pinched her nose: “Our Yanyan is the most generous.”
Ji Jingxing sat on the sofa, peeling an orange for Xiaowei, catching all their interactions in her peripheral vision, feeling a bitter sweetness in her heart while forcing a calm facade on her face.
Watching Song Yuhang escort someone inside, it took about ten minutes before she came out again. When she did return, her shirt buttons had been carelessly undone, revealing a vivid lipstick mark on her neck – a silent declaration of Lin Yan’s possession.
Ji Jingxing’s fingernails squeezed the orange hard enough to release its juice.
Song Yuhang herself looked thoroughly satisfied, her eyes soft and tender with unspoken things done behind closed doors.
However, at the moment their gazes met, Song Yuhang regained her usual composure, nonchalantly pulling a paper towel from the table to wipe off the lipstick mark, making no effort to avoid it.
This was Song Yuhang’s way of bolstering Lin Yan’s confidence while also hinting that there should be no mischief today.
Ji Jingxing, with a bittersweet feeling inside, passed the peeled orange to her, “Yuhang, have some orange.”
Song Yuhang waved her hand to refuse, “No, thanks. I’m going to help Mom cook. Give it to Xiaowei.”
Ji Jingxing also stood up, “I’ll go too.”
She turned back and looked at her, “The guest should not work, it’s against etiquette to let guests lift a finger.”
“But—” Ji Jingxing wanted to argue but was promptly interrupted.
“Please, sister-in-law, just take it easy and have a seat. The kitchen’s too small, really can’t fit three people. If you’re hungry, have some snacks to tide you over first.”
Neither too enthusiastic nor too distant, whether it was her tone or her expression, she maintained a perfectly appropriate level.
But the use of “guest” somehow created a huge distance.
“Do we really have to be like this, Yuhang?” A look of sorrow spilled onto Ji Jingxing’s face.
The sound of stir-frying came from the kitchen as Song Yuhang rolled up her sleeves, her demeanor calm and composed.
“Sister-in-law, I crossed the line and was rude in the past, for which I apologize. But today is the last day of the lunar year. After today, let’s turn the page. Let’s not sadden Mom on this day meant for family reunions. No matter how many faults Lin Yan may have, she’s still my girlfriend…”
She lowered her voice to keep the people inside the house from hearing.
“I’ve even bought the engagement ring. I appreciate your good intentions, but the person who will spend the rest of her life with her is me. Knowing you would come today, she still chose to come home with me. She’s not one to quibble over every little thing; she’s just a bit stubborn, and even if she’s in the wrong, she’s unwilling to admit it. Don’t take it too much to heart.”
“I’m not asking for you two to live in harmony, but just for today, in front of the child, in front of Mom, if each of us could give a little, this could all be behind us.”
After finishing her words, Song Yuhang called Xiaowei over and flicked her forehead, “Go check out the gift your auntie got for you, it’s at the entrance.”
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With a cheer, Xiaowei dashed off, while Song Yuhang headed straight through the door into the kitchen, not leaving any room for further conversation.
“Wow! A Hello Kitty crystal hair clip!” Xiaowei opened the gift box and was instantly amazed. A variety of hair clips and head ornaments neatly embedded in black sponge shone brightly under the light, looking incredibly pretty.
“There’s even a kids’ camera! It’s so cute, mommy!” Xiaowei continued to rummage through and pulled out a pink camera, cheering, and there was even a full tote bag of watercolor pens from the fairy tale princess series.
And there was a giant Barbie doll and a carousel music box.
Just by looking, you can tell this isn’t Song Yuhang’s doing. She usually gifts things like Transformers action figures, toy guns, or LEGOs, making Ji Jingxing exasperated and even suspect she might think of Xiaowei as a boy.
Only Lin Yan would be so thoughtful and have the delicate touch necessary for a girl’s heart. She even considered Xiaowei’s calligraphy practice, gifting her a set of exquisite and expensive ‘Four Treasures of the Study,’ customized for a child’s use. She also gave her the latest English reading aid, something Ji Jingxing has wanted to buy for Xiaowei but hadn’t quite managed to bring herself to do.
The gift was undeniably valuable, leaving Ji Jingxing with mixed feelings. She looked toward the bedroom door, which remained tightly closed, with no sign of opening.
Inside the room, Lin Yan took out a small mirror from her bag to touch up her makeup and applied lipstick. After blotting the excess with her little finger and pressing her lips together, her phone rang.
Picking it up, she saw a message from Lin Ge:
“Are you coming home for dinner tonight?”
Lin Yan twisted the cap back on her lipstick, had just typed a line of text when there was a knock on the door. She walked over and opened it.
Xiaowei held out a big bunch of candy to her: “Thanks, Auntie Lin, but Mom said there are too many gifts, I can’t take them.”
Ji Jingxing sat on the couch, her eyes glued to the TV, but in reality, she was all ears.
Lin Yan took a White Rabbit Creamy Candy from Xiaowei’s palm and accepted it: “It’s no biggie, Xiaowei. Those gifts are from your auntie for you. They’re yours, and no one else has the right to deal with them.”
Ji Jingxing felt an itch in her teeth from irritation.
Lin Yan straightened up, her voice just loud enough to carry to everyone in the living room.
“No matter what, the kid is innocent. Gifts are given for the sake of the child, so certain people shouldn’t flatter themselves.”
Ji Jingxing’s face changed, just as she was about to speak, Mother Song came out of the kitchen with dishes in her hands.
“You must be hungry, go wash your hands, time to eat.”
At the square eight-immortal table, Mother Song took the seat of honor. Xiaowei kicked up a fuss about sitting alone, and Ji Jingxing sat by herself too, while Song Yuhang took off her apron and sat down next to Lin Yan.
Lin Yan couldn’t hold back a smile that broke out on her face, a hint of smugness in the lift of her brows and the sparkle in her eyes.
Song Yuhang gave her hand a squeeze under the table: “Try our family’s New Year’s Eve dinner, see if it’s to your taste.”
“Sure~ Auntie’s cooking always tastes great,” Lin Yan cooed in a drawn-out, sweet voice, her demeanor both cheerful and well-behaved.
No matter how reluctant Mother Song might have been before, her displeasure vanished in an instant, her smile so wide she couldn’t close her mouth.
“Good, good, good, eat up.”
At the dinner table, conversations and laughter flowed among the few people present. Song Yuhang occasionally used the serving chopsticks to place food into the bowls of her mother and Xiaowei, but never once did she serve any to Ji Jingxing’s bowl.
Owing to Lin Yan’s first time joining them for the New Year’s Eve dinner, Mother Song was naturally more enthusiastic towards her, frequently offering her dishes. Before long, Lin Yan’s bowl was heaped up like a little hill.
Lin Yan didn’t refuse; she ate bite by bite and was eloquently commenting on the taste of various ingredients.
Song Yuhang gently pulled at her clothes and whispered, “If you can’t eat it all, don’t force yourself.”
She wanted to avoid her feeling unwell later when they went back home.
“It’s okay, I can handle it,” Lin Yan said, and it was unclear whether she was choked by a chili or if she was simply eating too hastily. She turned away, coughing softly.
Song Yuhang patted her back for her.
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Ji Jingxing also put down her chopsticks, her tone quite sarcastic: “Mom, kindness is taken for granted, as if it were liver and lungs of a donkey. She’s accustomed to delicacies from the mountains and the sea; how could she take to our simple meals?”
Lin Yan turned her face back around, coughing until the corners of her eyes were slightly red. She picked up a glass of boiled water and took a big gulp, gripping the glass tightly.
Song Yuhang was pulling on her hand under the table.
Looking back and forth between her and Lin Yan, Mother Song wasn’t sure if she had said something wrong or done something mistaken, the elderly woman seemed quite embarrassed, with a helpless expression on her face.
After several short breaths, Lin Yan calmed down but viciously pinched the flesh on the back of Song Yuhang’s hand to vent her frustration.
Song Yuhang winced in pain.
Methodically, Lin Yan finished the dish that Mother Song had just served her, then dabbed the corners of her mouth with a napkin.
“Using the same ingredients but just cooking them differently somehow creates a hierarchy of superior and inferior,” she said coolly. “I wonder what kind of logic that is.”
Now, even Mother Song could see that there was discord between the two.
Ji Jingxing’s complexion changed, and she gripped her chopsticks tightly.
Yet Lin Yan turned her face back and smiled at Mother Song: “Auntie, it’s really delicious. My mother passed away early, and it’s been many years since I’ve had the chance to enjoy a New Year’s Eve dinner with a family. Thank you.”
As she said this, the redness from her choking cough still lingered at the corners of her eyes, and her dark pupils seemed to be covered with a layer of mist.
Her smile was both sincere and soft.
Mother Song’s heart suddenly felt touched as she said, “Ah, good, then, eat up, eat up.”
As she said this, she moved the spicy dishes to her side of the table.
Song Yuhang patted her mother’s back and served her a bowl of soup.
“Mom, you have some too. After eating, try on the new clothes Yanyan bought for you. If they don’t fit, we can go exchange them.”
With those words, the conversation was successfully steered away.
“Why make it so troublesome? Didn’t we agree not to bring gifts when coming over for meals? If this happens again, I might not welcome it, ah.”
Song Yuhang smiled, served a bowl of soup for Xiaowei and placed it beside her, then she did the same for Lin Yan.
“Whether it’s troublesome or not, it’s not up to me to decide; it has to be agreed by Lin Yan. Besides, what’s wrong with having one more person who cares about you? You never like the clothes I buy for you anyway. Next time, maybe Yanyan could go shopping with you.”
Lin Yan took a sip of soup and said, “Hmm, sure, isn’t there a new mall opening in the city center after the New Year? I will accompany Auntie to check it out. Anyway, every time you shop with me for clothes, you can’t articulate why you like something. You just keep saying it looks good, like a parrot.”
The tense atmosphere quietly eased.
With a smile, Mother Song picked up her chopsticks and added a piece of white-cut chicken to her plate, “Just like her father.”
The whole table burst into laughter, even Xiaowei started giggling joyfully. Song Yuhang ladled out the last bowl of soup and handed it to Ji Jingxing.
“It’s been hard for sister-in-law to take care of the child all by herself. Mom specially went to the vegetable market early today to buy fresh pork trotters, came back and added kidney beans, and stewed it all afternoon. It’s especially nourishing and good for beauty and complexion.”
Ji Jingxing seemed completely taken aback, as if she had never expected to be included, and paused for a moment in surprise.
Seeing that she didn’t accept it, Song Yuhang put the bowl on the table and sat back down to chat and jest with Lin Yan.
Lin Yan rolled her eyes surreptitiously, and just like that, the incident was glossed over.
The meal was eaten amidst hidden tensions, with a suspenseful undertone. By the end of it, Song Yuhang’s shirt on her back was soaked with sweat—she was petrified that the two might start fighting at the dinner table. Thankfully, it only amounted to some minor bickering, and generally speaking, the meal concluded without incident.
She let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Ji Jingxing no longer had any reason to ask Song Yuhang to take her home, because now she wasn’t just her sister, but also someone else’s girlfriend.
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Mother Song walked them to the door and patted Xiaowei on the head: “Xiaowei, be good. Go inside and play with your auntie for a while. Grandma and Mommy are going to have a talk.”
Ji Jingxing, with her bag slung over her shoulder and holding the child’s hand, stood there: “Mom, forget it, just say what you want to say directly.”
Mother Song glanced inside. Song Yuhang was clearing the leftover food from the table, with Lin Yan accompanying her, holding the trash can for her.
She lowered her voice, looking at her daughter-in-law: “What’s going on between you and Yanyan… Do you have any grudges?”
This question took Ji Jingxing aback.
Hadn’t Song Yuhang and Lin Yan ever spoken ill of her in front of Mother Song?
She forced a smile and said, “Nothing, there’s nothing wrong. If it’s all the same, we’ll be leaving now. It’s getting late as well.”
Mother Song saw the two people in the living room busying themselves and not paying attention to this side. She fumbled in her sleeve and pulled out a red envelope, stuffing it into her hand.
“Take it, take it.”
Ji Jingxing tried to decline, pushing it back into her hand, “Mom, this—”
The old lady’s face turned serious, and she pushed her out the door, insisting on placing it into her pocket. Her tone softened then, her full head of silver hair trembling as she gently grasped her hand.
LP: Didn’t Ji Jingxing realized that she only wanted Song Yuhang’s company? Communicating this might fix their relationship. Although it won’t be the same as before, but at least they’ll be in good terms without any ambiguous feelings between them. Do it for Xiaowei!