Peaches and Plums Don’t Speak – Chapter 31

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Yan Xi was, in fact, someone who wasn’t a fan of kids and their antics. Everyone in the Yan family knew this, as did her best female friend, Liu Yiyi¹. The Yan family’s Da Pang and Xiao Pang were blood relatives, so she had no choice but to accept them. She would only tease them and dote on them occasionally, but she found them too noisy. The family had kept cats and dogs before, but she never actively got close to them either. They were cute, sure, but you couldn’t communicate with them. She disliked that they couldn’t talk.

She treated animals and children with the basic patience and tolerance of an adult. That didn’t mean she liked them.

When she first brought Anzhi to live with her in a moment of impulse, she honestly hadn’t thought about how many years she could keep it up.

But she couldn’t resist how Anzhi was so well-behaved, sensible, and smart. Well-behaved meant she wasn’t noisy and didn’t talk much. She only cried over topics that Yan Xi found adorable, like “Why am I not growing taller? Why am I still not taller? What if I never get any taller?” She would ask questions about things she didn’t understand, but if Yan Xi’s answers were vague, she wouldn’t press the issue.

As for being sensible, that went without saying. She could shower, wash her hair, and get dressed all by herself, so Yan Xi didn’t have to worry. She would even show concern for her, taking her bag and fetching her slippers when she got home from work. There would be candies she had left in Yan Xi’s pockets or in the car, not to mention she had started learning to cook in the third grade.

Smart. Yes, she was too smart. A senior colleague of Yan Xi’s had a child two years older than Anzhi, and ever since he started school, Yan Xi had heard her colleague complain endlessly: “Why is my child so dumb? Oh god, he just can’t learn subtraction with borrowing!” She would also be at her wit’s end when her child’s tardiness affected her work. “Ugh, he had to memorize a passage from the textbook last night, and he just couldn’t do it…”

Yan Xi had never encountered this problem. Her Anzhi always finished her homework at school. Sometimes, when Yan Xi came home early, she would even find her reading books for higher grades. Her small figure under the desk lamp had a serious and earnest kind of adorable quality, her little feet kicking and kicking away. It was the cutest thing.

If only all children were like Anzhi.

Yan Xi had been feeling a bit wistful lately. Anzhi was growing up too fast. Before, she was a small, chubby little dumpling in her arms. Now she was twelve and about to enter adolescence. She really couldn’t be treated like a child anymore…

Maybe Liu Yiyi was right? Could she really be a loli-con²?

Liu Yiyi had also told her, “You need to prepare to educate her about adolescence—hygiene, physical development, all that…”

“I know, I told her about it a long time ago. We even have books at home.”

Liu Yiyi shook her head. “That’s not the most important part of adolescent education. It’s about romance and dating! Don’t look so shocked. Elementary schoolers are dating now. Yes, they get into relationships without knowing a thing, and by junior high, they’re getting a room! Besides, aren’t all of little Anzhi’s classmates older than her? She’s so cute! It would be strange if those little brats in the throes of puberty didn’t make a move on her!”

Yan Xi sighed. She was troubled. It would be so much better if she were still a little girl. She was also worried. Will she have eighth-grader syndrome³ during adolescence? Will she be very rebellious?

Yan Xi rested her chin on her hand and stared out the office window at the rain for a while.

It was only the afternoon, but the sky was already incredibly dark. A dense, heavy rain was covering the sky and blanketing the earth⁴, which did at least wash away some of the summer heat.

A text from Anzhi on her phone: “Do you have to work overtime again tonight?”

She replied: “Yes. I have a meeting.”

Anzhi: “It’s raining hard. You shouldn’t drive.”

Yan Xi smiled. “Okay, then you can sleep over there tonight.”

Anzhi took a moment to reply: “Okay then…”

Yan Xi could sense a hint of complaint just from that ellipsis.

Her eyes curved. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow.”

She waited, but Anzhi didn’t reply. Her colleague, Zhou-jiejie, called out to her, “Xiao Yan!”

Yan Xi put her phone aside. Zhou-jiejie had mentored her for a while during her internship period and was about ten years older than her. She had a demure and dignified⁵ appearance and asked with a smile, “Texting your boyfriend?”

Yan Xi choked a little. “No, no.”

After a pause, she said, “It’s the kid from home.”

Zhou-jiejie searched her memory and had a moment of realization. “Oh, is it little Anzhi?”

She had visited the TV station a few times and had met Zhou-jiejie.

“What grade is she in this year?”

“She’ll be in the second year of junior high in the new semester,” Yan Xi said, her tone tinged with pride.

Zhou-jiejie was surprised. “She skipped a grade?”

Yan Xi smiled. “Mhm.”

Zhou-jiejie praised her a few times, then looked at Yan Xi and decided to be a little nosy. “That’s good. Now you can start thinking about your own personal matters.”

Yan Xi: “…Ah… mhm.”

Yan Xi had never been secretive about Anzhi. For a while, people would try to set her up on blind dates or express their interest publicly, but she always brushed them off with the excuse that “the child is too young.” Over time, gossip started to spread that Anzhi was her illegitimate daughter. She was happy for the peace and quiet and never bothered to clarify.

But her qualifications were simply too good, and her parents’ home was well-connected. The quiet lasted for a while before the mad bees and reckless butterflies⁶ around her started buzzing again. There were even sponsors who sent sports cars and villas. One time, she couldn’t help but retort coldly, “I’m not short on any of these!” That bought her another period of peace. Recently, things had started getting noisy again. Yan Xi figured it was probably because she was almost twenty-seven and had become an “older unmarried woman.” Her family wasn’t anxious, but the people around her were starting to worry on her behalf.

Even Zhou-jiejie, who was usually reserved and tactful, was now urging her.

“Ai, I know this stuff really annoys you young people! Haha… but I know a pretty good guy.”

Mhm… it’s starting with that line again. Yan Xi sighed internally but put on an expression of someone listening intently.

Her phone chimed softly. Her eyebrows twitched.

“It’s not that I want you to go on a blind date, haha, I haven’t set anything up. He used to be a director at the News Channel next door. Have you heard of him? His surname is Liao.”

Yan Xi: “Director Liao?”

“Yes. He was a producer before, and last year he started directing and producing that show with great ratings. He’s young and promising! He’s three or four years older than you, has a dignified in appearance, and as for his character… Zhou-jiejie can vouch for him. A lot of the young women at the station really like him!”

Yan Xi had some impression of this person. When she first joined the station, she had heard there was a gifted scholar and producer at the News Channel. He wrote many of the hosts’ talking points, and the scriptwriters often had to seek his guidance⁷. Yan Xi hadn’t paid much attention, though; there were plenty of talented people in the world. What really caught her attention was the story that he had a girlfriend in college with whom he was perfectly matched. They had been in love since high school and planned to marry after graduation. But on the eve of their graduation, his girlfriend tragically passed away in an accident. Since then, he had remained single. She’d heard that girls had pursued him, but he always thanked them gratefully before politely turning them down.

Yan Xi chose her words carefully. “Mhm. I know of him.”

Zhou-jiejie patted her hand. “I have reliable information that the higher-ups are transferring him to our Variety Channel to be in charge of production and directing.”

Yan Xi was surprised. “Really?”

“You’ll find out during the meeting later. Xiao Yan, Little Liao is really a great guy. You might as well observe him a bit more. If there’s a spark…”

After Zhou-jiejie left, Yan Xi thought about it and decided to just let it go in one ear and out the other. She picked up her phone. Anzhi had sent a picture of a plate of dumplings. She had one in her mouth and was winking at the camera.

Then a voice message: “It’s your favorite.”

Yan Xi couldn’t help but chuckle.

She replied: “They look delicious.”

Anzhi replied: “They’re more delicious than the ones I make. I still need to ask Grandmother Xin what I can improve on.”

Yan Xi’s heart softened. Anzhi had started learning to roll her own dough and make dumplings last year. She would make her the three-fresh-delicacies filling⁸.

Yan Xi: “No, the ones you make are delicious too.”

Anzhi sent her a “kiss” sticker.

Followed by: Muah.

Yan Xi watched as several little “kiss” emojis rained down her screen.

The Anzhi on social media was much more lively, nothing like the silent, tearful child from her early years. She had truly grown into a little adult by her side.

Sensible.

Considerate.

Beautiful.

Adorable.

With dimples.

Yan Xi unconsciously broke into a smile, her heart feeling like it couldn’t get any softer.

The office building for Beicheng TV Station had moved to a new location last year. Yan Xi’s team was in a meeting, preparing for the production of an entertainment gala. Over the past few years, Yan Xi had hosted several galas, both major and minor, so she was quite familiar with the general process.

Most of the conference rooms in the new office building had transparent glass doors and windows with geometric patterns, but you couldn’t see through them very clearly from the outside. The furniture was from MATSU⁹, simple and modern.

After her meeting, Yan Xi was on her way to the break room when a message from Anzhi came in: “Have you eaten? It’s already seven.”

“Mhm, about to go eat.”

“So late? Is there still food in the cafeteria?”

“Yes, they serve until eight.”

Yan Xi was walking and texting when she bumped into someone before she even reached the elevator. She lost her grip on her phone. Dong.

“Ah!” Yan Xi reacted quickly, picking up her phone before the other person could.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, so sorry,” the person said in a clear, mellow voice. Then he saw the pink Sumikko Gurashi¹⁰ case on her iPhone 6s and froze for a moment.

Yan Xi looked at the crack that had appeared on the head of the little white bear on her tempered glass screen protector: ……

She looked up and was also taken aback.

If she wasn’t mistaken, this was the Director Liao that Zhou-jiejie had mentioned?

The man had a refined face with black-framed glasses and was a little taller than her. He gave her an apologetic smile. “I’m so sorry. Is your phone okay?”
He had a great presence and looked a bit like a Japanese drama actor. His smile was a little shy, revealing a pair of deep dimples.

Yan Xi couldn’t help but stare.

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