That “Bad” Woman Next Door – Chapter 19

You Promise to Be My Girlfriend.

Yu Xi spoke so righteously that Yuan Yue almost didn’t know how to retort. Blushing, she stammered, “Y-you clearly know… I only called you back because I saw you were alone, okay? I didn’t mean anything else by it, don’t overthink it.”

Overthinking it? If she hadn’t run over and kissed her last night, and then grandly called it “returning” it, Yu Xi would have actually believed her.

Such a grown-up, yet she doesn’t even dare to face her own heart, always saying one thing and meaning another.

Yu Xi found herself strange as well. It was the first time she had encountered someone with such a contrary personality like Yuan Yue’s, yet she just had to fall for it. Seeing her stubbornly refuse to admit it was quite amusing. Yu Xi lowered her gaze and chuckled.

Yuan Yue didn’t ask what she was laughing about, because the topic was too sensitive.

One was driving, the other was sitting.

It was easy to feel awkward when talking, and even more awkward when not. Yuan Yue was the restless type; after looking at the scenery outside for a while, she got bored. Her gaze involuntarily drifted to the side, landing on Yu Xi’s profile as she focused on driving. Her eyelashes were as if they’d been grafted on, long and curled. The shape of her mouth was captivating, two thin lips, a faint pink. The feeling of kissing them…

Realizing she was starting to think about things she shouldn’t be, Yuan Yue quickly stopped herself. After a moment’s thought, she took her phone out of her bag. Click.

Hearing the sound, Yu Xi looked over. “Why are you taking my picture?”

Yuan Yue showed no guilt at being caught taking a candid photo. Head down, her fingers tapped around on the screen as she said, “To post you on my Moments¹ and help you find a marriage partner, of course.”

“Find a marriage partner?” Yu Xi processed the words for a few seconds, her brow furrowing. “You’re kidding, right?”

Yuan Yue’s fingers didn’t stop. After tapping for a while, she looked up, raised her eyebrows provocatively at Yu Xi, and said, “Already posted.”

Yu Xi slammed on the brakes, pulling the car over to the side of the road. She turned to look at her. “Delete it.”

Yuan Yue hadn’t expected her to brake so suddenly. She couldn’t read any emotion on her face, but her tone was a bit cold and hard. Yuan Yue immediately chickened out, afraid she had taken the joke too far and angered her. She quickly said, “I was just tricking you, I didn’t post it.”

Yu Xi knitted her brows, seemingly unconvinced.

Yuan Yue had no choice but to hold the phone up right under her eyes. “See for yourself, I really didn’t post anything!”

Yu Xi’s gaze shifted slightly. She glanced at the phone screen and saw the status update she had just posted. The content was: Snagged a goddess to bring home for the Mid-Autumn Festival² this year. Scored!

Just one line of text, no picture.

Yuan Yue cautiously peeked at her face. Seeing her expression soften slightly, she lowered the phone and said carefully, “Don’t be angry. I was just playing a little joke on you.”

Yu Xi’s brow gradually smoothed out. She looked up at her, watched her for a few seconds, and then seemed to sigh helplessly. “Don’t make this kind of joke in the future.”

Yuan Yue nodded hastily. “I promise, I’ll never joke with you so casually again.”

Yu Xi corrected her, “It’s not that you can’t joke, it’s that you can’t make this kind of joke.”

Yuan Yue blinked. “What kind?”

Yu Xi gave her a meaningful look but said nothing.

Yuan Yue awkwardly touched her nose, unable to keep up the act.

So it wasn’t that Yu Xi couldn’t take a joke, but that she was unhappy because of the “finding a marriage partner” topic. As for why she was unhappy, Yuan Yue didn’t think too much about it, but her intuition told her it probably had something to do with herself.

She couldn’t help but think of Yu Xi’s previous confession and suddenly felt she had gone a bit too far. Yu Xi had clearly said she liked her, yet she still made that kind of joke.

The atmosphere became a bit stiff again. Yuan Yue cleared her throat and, looking left and right while speaking of other things³, said, “Let’s get going.”

The car started moving forward again. They chatted desultorily, both tacitly avoiding any more of those ambiguous topics.

Two hours later, they arrived in the county town. The roads in the small town were narrow, and their car got stuck in traffic at an intersection. During this time, Yuan Yue’s mom, Jiang Yan, called to ask about their situation. Yuan Yue answered truthfully and told Jiang Yan not to worry.

After finally managing to drive into the residential complex, Yuan Yue got out of the car to look for a parking spot. Suddenly, she heard someone call her name. Turning around, she saw Jiang Yan running toward her. She hurried to meet her and gave her a solid hug. “Mom!”

Jiang Yan hadn’t been able to sit still since receiving Yuan Yue’s call and had come down to wait for them. She pushed Yuan Yue away, looked her over briefly, and frowned. “How did you get thinner again?”

In the eyes of parents, their children always seem to be thin. Yuan Yue didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Mom, I’ve clearly gotten much fatter than the last time I came back.”

Jiang Yan was dismissive. “A little fatter looks better. You were just too skinny before.”

Yuan Yue endured Jiang Yan’s sweet nagging and took the opportunity to change the subject. “Where’s Dad?”

“Your dad’s at home watching TV. I heard from your gege⁴ that you were bringing a boyfriend home, so I couldn’t help but run down to take a look.”

“What boyfriend? That’s nonsense!” Yuan Yue was shocked.

Jiang Yan was puzzled. “It’s not? Your gege said you were bringing a friend home today and told us to be good hosts. If it’s not a boyfriend, what else could it be?”

Jiang Yan had clearly misinterpreted Yuan Xi’s meaning. Yuan Yue quickly explained, “Aiya, Mom, it’s not a boyfriend! It’s a girlfriend!”

“Girlfriend?” Jiang Yan was stunned by what she said.

“Uh—” Yuan Yue realized she had accidentally let it slip⁵. She gave an awkward smile and said, “I mean… a female friend. She’s my neighbor and has helped me out a lot. She doesn’t have any relatives in the country, so I asked her to come back with me.”

Jiang Yan said “Oh” with understanding, a little disappointed. But all who come are guests⁶, so she was still very welcoming. “Why don’t I see her?”

Yuan Yue turned and pointed at her domestic Volkswagen. “She’s over there, parking the car.”

Jiang Yan put on a stern face and scolded her, “Honestly, you. She’s a guest in our home, why aren’t you helping her?”

Yuan Yue complained internally: If you hadn’t stopped me, I would have gone over to help direct her already, okay?

Yuan Yue didn’t say these words out loud. She was afraid Jiang Yan would start nagging endlessly again. She linked arms with Jiang Yan and said, “Let’s go, Mom. We’ll go get the luggage.”

By the time they walked over, Yu Xi had already parked the car. Yu Xi got out, and the first person she saw was Jiang Yan. Her reaction was extremely fast. “This must be Auntie, right? Hello, Auntie. My name is Yu Xi.”

“Hello, hello. Yu Xi, is it? Wow, so beautiful!” Jiang Yan’s admiring gaze sized Yu Xi up from head to toe, praising her nonstop. “Miss Yu is so tall, and your features are quite special.”

Yuan Yue chimed in, “Mom, Yu Xi is of mixed Chinese and German heritage. She has foreign citizenship now and only returned to China this year.”

“Mixed heritage, ah, no wonder.” Jiang Yan had a look of half-understanding⁷.

The sun was too strong downstairs. Yuan Yue quickly added, “Mom, let’s hurry and get the things upstairs. Let’s not keep Dad waiting at home for too long.”

“Okay, okay, okay, let’s go up first.” Jiang Yan said enthusiastically to Yu Xi, “Miss Yu, please come with us.”

Yu Xi smiled at her. “Auntie, you don’t have to be so polite. Just call me Yu Xi.”

Jiang Yan beamed. “Okay, okay, Yu Xi.”

They took the luggage out of the trunk. Yuan Yue and Yu Xi each carried one piece. Yu Xi then handed the tea set to Jiang Yan, saying it was a first-meeting gift. Jiang Yan held it in her hands, repeatedly saying she was being too polite.

After some simple pleasantries, the three of them took the elevator back to the Yuan family’s apartment.

Yuan Yue’s dad, Yuan Weiwen⁸, was watching a sports program. As soon as he heard a guest had arrived, he quickly stood up to greet them.

Later, Yuan Xi’s whole family finally arrived. It was Yu Xi’s first time meeting Wang Shasha⁹, so another round of pleasantries was unavoidable.

The apartment in the county town was bought two years ago. At 110 square meters, it was spacious enough. As soon as the two children, Xiao Xi and Xiao Mi, entered, they started running around and playing. Watching this happy family, Yu Xi leaned over to Yuan Yue and said, “Your family is quite lively.”

Yuan Weiwen played with his grandson and granddaughter, Wang Shasha and Jiang Yan went to the kitchen, and Yuan Xi went next door to visit. Yu Xi and Yuan Yue, on the other hand, were whispering to each other on the side.

Yuan Yue thought of something and turned her head to look at her. “Do you celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival when you’re abroad?”

“We do.” Yu Xi thought for a moment, then said, “My family celebrates basically all of China’s traditional festivals. Whenever there’s a festival, it’s just like your family—everyone comes back to gather together. It’s very lively too.”

Her tone was very normal as she said this. Yuan Yue observed her expression and didn’t notice anything unusual, but she still couldn’t help but ask, “Do you miss your family now?”

Yu Xi smiled and said, “It’s actually okay. If I hadn’t come back with you today, I might miss them more if I were alone.” At this point, Yu Xi paused, secretly took her hand, and lowered her voice slightly. “Yuan Yue, thank you.”

As she said this, she moved a little closer. Her warm breath brushed past Yuan Yue’s ear. Yuan Yue felt a little ticklish, and her face grew slightly hot. She subtly pulled back a little, avoiding her tender gaze. Head down, she stared blankly at their clasped hands until the sound of Xiao Mi and Xiao Xi playing reached her. She abruptly pulled her hand back and looked at Yu Xi with feigned composure. “So, do you want to give them a call?”

“A little later,” Yu Xi said, looking at her ears that were red enough to drip blood¹⁰.

Jiang Yan and Wang Shasha prepared a large table of delicious dishes. As soon as the food was served, the two Yuan children couldn’t resist reaching for the chicken legs. Jiang Yan stopped them at the right moment, placing a leg in each of their bowls. Suddenly remembering something, she asked Yu Xi, “By the way, Yu Xi, since you lived abroad, do you all eat from separate plates when you have meals?”

Jiang Yan was talking about serving food on individual plates. If her mom hadn’t brought it up, Yuan Yue really wouldn’t have thought of it.

Everyone turned to look at Yu Xi.

Yu Xi smiled and said, “Auntie, my family also uses chopsticks to eat. Our lifestyle habits aren’t actually that different from those in China. I don’t mind whether we eat from separate plates or not.”

Only then was Jiang Yan relieved. She sat down and urged Yu Xi, “You absolutely mustn’t be polite. Just treat this as your own home. Take whatever you want to eat.”

These words sounded strangely familiar. Yu Xi remembered the first time they had hotpot and couldn’t help but look at Yuan Yue beside her.

“?” Yuan Yue didn’t know what she was thinking.

Yu Xi pursed her lips into a smile and turned her gaze to Jiang Yan. “Okay, Auntie.”

The meal was quite pleasant. Yuan Yue’s parents knew Yu Xi had lived abroad since she was young, so they weren’t overly enthusiastic in putting food in her bowl or urging her to drink.

After dinner, everyone symbolically ate some mooncakes¹¹. The children in the house were too noisy, so Yuan Yue pulled Yu Xi and said, “Let’s go downstairs for a walk!”

Yu Xi had eaten a lot tonight to be polite, and she also happened to want to walk it off. The two of them hit it off at once¹².

There was a small garden in the residential complex. When Yuan Xi bought the apartment, he had been drawn to the scenery here. The view at night was even more pleasant. Small colorful lights were on, a small fountain cheerfully sprayed water, and a cool breeze blew gently, accompanied by soothing music. It was very comfortable.

In the garden, children were playing with lit lanterns. People sat in twos and threes on the grass. Yuan Yue smelled the fresh fragrance of pomelo¹³ and heard an old person muttering to the moon. She knew they were worshipping the Moon Goddess.

Yuan Yue tugged Yu Xi’s hand and whispered in her ear, “Let’s make a wish, too.”

Yu Xi tilted her head, looking at her face in the flickering light. It was as white and lustrous as jade¹⁴, her eyes sparkling brightly. Truly beautiful. Her smile unconsciously held a hint of doting affection. Yu Xi went along with her, “Okay.”

They specifically found a deserted corner, next to some uneven bushes of varying heights. Yuan Yue, with great seriousness¹⁵, knelt on the grass. Gazing at the newly risen full moon, she piously put her palms together, closed her eyes, and recited her wish silently in her heart.

When she opened her eyes, she found Yu Xi standing there like a wooden post. Yuan Yue was surprised. “Why aren’t you making a wish?”

Yu Xi looked down at her, her smile gentle. “Already did.”

Yuan Yue was even more astonished. “You made it while standing?”

Yu Xi smiled without answering and pulled her up. Kneeling is too foolish; Yu Xi had no intention of doing that. But she was afraid of making her angry, so she chose not to say so.

Seeing her calm expression, Yuan Yue was half-believing, half-doubting. “You really made one?”

Yu Xi looked at her frankly. “I did.”

“Alright…”

“Why don’t you ask me what I wished for?”

Yuan Yue was quite curious, but she said, “Won’t it lose its power if you say it out loud?”

Yu Xi didn’t believe in such things. She took her hand, palms facing, and interlocked their fingers tightly.

Yuan Yue didn’t know what she was about to do. She only felt that her palm was so warm, her fingers so long, her hand so soft, and there was a faint fragrance… Her heart suddenly started beating faster. Yuan Yue held her breath, staring at her in a daze.

Yu Xi pressed closer to her, their foreheads touching. Seeing that Yuan Yue didn’t reject it, the corners of her mouth lifted into a beautiful arc. Her soft and slow voice scattered in the night breeze, carrying a moving tenderness. “The wish I just made was for you to promise to be my girlfriend.”

Yuan Yue’s heart thumped. It felt like something was about to collapse and fall¹⁶. She didn’t dare to breathe, her eyelashes trembling rapidly. It took her a long time to find her voice again. “You just say it out loud like that, it’s not romantic at all…”

Actually, it was quite romantic. Under the moonlight, before the green grass and trees, it felt as if they were the only two people between heaven and earth, with nameless insects chirping for them from the corners. Yuan Yue liked this kind of atmosphere; it had a lot of feeling. It was just that the feeling was too intense, leaving her a bit breathless and flustered. She had to say something to break the mood.

“If you like romantic, that’s not impossible either.” Yu Xi suddenly let go of her.

Yuan Yue hadn’t yet figured out the meaning of that sentence when her chin was gently lifted by Yu Xi. Immediately after, her lips were gently taken between hers.

“Mmph—” Her cry of surprise was drowned between their lips and teeth.

Yu Xi was as patient as ever, gently sucking on her lips until she relaxed.

Yuan Yue pulled herself out of her brief shock and gradually softened under her gentleness. She parted her lips slightly, and Yu Xi successfully entered. The tip of her tongue tasted her delicately, and an ambiguous, wet sound came from between their lips and teeth.

Yu Xi lifted their tightly clasped hands and pressed them against both their hearts. Her mouth didn’t let up for a moment, unhurriedly entangling with her as if wanting to melt her.

Yuan Yue felt like she was about to get drunk.

If not for the sudden cramp in her lower abdomen, she really would have wanted to stay drunk like this forever.

Yuan Yue had no choice but to push Yu Xi away.

Yu Xi noticed her expression was off. “Are you not feeling well again?”

Yuan Yue shook her head and said, “I forgot to change my pad before we came out.”

Yu Xi breathed a sigh of relief and took her hand. “Then let’s go back.”

“Mhm.”

As the two walked back hand in hand, Yuan Yue actually felt a little regretful—regretful that the kiss was too short, and annoyed at herself for being so unromantic and ruining the atmosphere. Of course, she wasn’t shameless enough to ask Yu Xi if she wanted to continue after she changed.

Actually, quietly walking hand in hand like this was also quite nice. Yuan Yue liked this kind of silent romance.

But Yu Xi was worried it would leak, so she pulled her along at a quick pace.

Suddenly, figures flashed before their eyes. A man and a woman passed by them one after another, like a young couple chasing and playing around. The man was desperately chasing from behind, while the woman ran stumblingly in front.

She vaguely heard the man shouting, “Wenya, why are you running? Wait for me!”

Yuan Yue stopped in her tracks. Her gaze retracted from the man and woman who had run far away, and she looked at Yu Xi beside her as if she had seen a ghost. In an uncertain tone, she said, “Did you hear that clearly?”

Under the moonlight, Yu Xi stood shoulder to shoulder with her. Watching the direction in which the pair had disappeared, she said expressionlessly, “It’s Sun Wenya.”

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