That “Bad” Woman Next Door – Chapter 33

Is the Guodong Good?

Yuan Yue and Yu Xi finally finished their long bath. Dressed in matching silk slip nightgowns, they lay on their sides in bed, facing each other.

Yu Xi stretched out a long arm, pulled Yuan Yue into her embrace, and couldn’t resist kissing her again.

When they parted, Yu Xi gently stroked her hair and asked softly, “Is the guodong¹ good?”

Yuan Yue’s cheeks were flushed. She smiled sweetly. “It’s delicious.”

Yu Xi gave her a knowing, meaningful smile. “Like just now,” she murmured seductively, “want more?”

Yuan Yue froze for a second before her face, neck, and everything above went completely crimson. She gave Yu Xi a light tap on the arm and pouted, “You’re terrible! When did you get so shameless?”

“It’s not like you just met me today,” Yu Xi said nonchalantly. “When I’m with you, I’ve always been this shameless.”

Yuan Yue could usually hold her own, but she had to admit she was no match for Yu Xi in this department. Her eyes darted around nervously before she buried her head in Yu Xi’s chest, trying to play dumb.

Yu Xi adored seeing her so coy and bashful. She decided to tease her further, pressing on relentlessly, “Did you like it?”

Yuan Yue was now impossibly red. She gave a tiny, almost imperceptible nod. “I liked it.”

Satisfied, Yu Xi brought Yuan Yue’s hand to her lips and kissed it. Her voice dropped to a low, husky register. “If you like it, we can do that every day from now on.”

The truth was, Yuan Yue’s needs in that area weren’t particularly high. She didn’t know if Yu Xi was being serious, but the deadpan expression on her face was enough to startle her. “Every day? I don’t think I could handle that. Besides, that position is so exhausting…”

Not only was her back sore, but her fingers were tired and her tongue was numb.

Yu Xi had just been teasing, not expecting her to take it so seriously. She burst out laughing. “Alright, then,” she joked, “every other day. That should work, right?”

This was a frequency Yuan Yue found barely acceptable. She nodded again, then suddenly remembered something. Propping herself up slightly, she looked at Yu Xi and asked, “Do you really like kids?”

The question made Yu Xi recall the out-of-the-blue text Yuan Yue had sent her that day. She had replied without a second thought, but now that Yuan Yue was asking again, Yu Xi paused to consider it. “I do like kids,” she said sincerely. “But when I asked if you wanted to have one for me, that was just a joke. Don’t take it seriously. And even if we were to have a child, I wouldn’t want you to be the one to go through the pain of childbirth.”

In fact, Yuan Yue had taken it seriously. When she saw Yu Xi’s reply, her mind had raced with possibilities. She squeezed Yu Xi’s hand and said eagerly, “Actually, if you really want one, we could…”

“No, I don’t want one right now.” Yu Xi cut her off abruptly, gently pulling her down so they were eye to eye. “You’re forgetting—our relationship isn’t public yet. How could we possibly have a child?”

It was a harsh reality. Yuan Yue fell silent.

Seeing her disappointment, Yu Xi didn’t want to crush her spirits completely. She changed her tack. “Do you like kids?”

Yuan Yue had always been indifferent about children and had never seriously considered whether she would have any. The question caught her off guard. After a long moment, she slowly nodded. “I do.”

Taking her at her word, Yu Xi asked, “Then do you prefer boys or girls?”

This time, Yuan Yue answered without hesitation. “Girls.” The first image that popped into her head was of Xiao Mi, carved from powder and sculpted from jade², quiet and lovely, looking so well-behaved.

Yu Xi’s brow furrowed. “Oh, what are we going to do? I prefer boys.”

Boys?

Yuan Yue’s mind immediately conjured an image of Xiao Xi, her nephew, acting bratty and refusing his medicine when he was sick. She frowned, too. “Boys are so hard to manage!”

“Not at all,” Yu Xi said dismissively. “My older brother’s two children are boys, and they’re incredibly well-behaved and sensible.”

At the mention of Yu Xi’s family, Yuan Yue’s interest was piqued. “Do you have pictures of them? I want to see.”

“I’ve always had them saved on my phone. Hang on.” Yu Xi let go of her, reached for her phone on the nightstand, and tapped the screen a few times until she landed on a photo.

Yuan Yue leaned in for a look. In the picture were two little boys, about four or five years old, with identical haircuts and matching outfits. They looked almost exactly alike and were grinning innocently at the camera, their watery, marble-like eyes utterly captivating. It was obvious they were of mixed heritage.

Yuan Yue studied their features and said in surprise, “Are they twins? They look so much alike!”

“Mhm.” Yu Xi gave her a dazzling smile. “My older brother and second brother are a pair of twins, and coincidentally, the children my older brother had are also a pair of twins. Isn’t that amazing?”

“That’s incredible!” Yuan Yue’s eyes widened. “No wonder I thought your older brother and second brother looked so much alike when I saw them.”

“When did you see my older brother and second brother?” Yu Xi asked, startled.

Yuan Yue realized she had let it slip. With an embarrassed laugh, she confessed to sneaking into Yu Xi’s room to look at her family portrait.

It dawned on Yu Xi. She quickly turned back to the nightstand, opened the top drawer, and pulled out a photo frame. “You mean this one?”

Yuan Yue glanced at it. “That’s the one.”

The photo had been taken the year Yu Xi graduated from college. Since she often traveled for work, she had brought it with her to China. She stroked the picture and began introducing her family members to Yuan Yue in detail.

“Unfortunately, my older sister-in-law³ hadn’t married into the family yet, so she isn’t in the photo. When I get the chance, I’ll take you home, and I can introduce you two then.”

Yuan Yue, who had been listening intently, perked up. “You’re really planning to take me to meet your family?”

“Of course. I’ve already been to your home. I definitely have to take you back to meet mine.”

“When are you planning to take me?” Yuan Yue asked impatiently.

“No rush,” Yu Xi said calmly. “We have to win your family over first. Otherwise, wouldn’t that make me a human trafficker?”

Yuan Yue didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at that description, but even if she couldn’t go right away, she was still overjoyed.

Yu Xi put the phone and photo frame back, then returned to the previous topic. “Let’s get back to talking about kids.”

After seeing the pictures of Yu Xi’s two adorable mixed-race nephews, a soft spot in Yuan Yue’s heart had melted. She changed her tune. “Actually, little boys are pretty cute, too.”

Finally getting her to agree, Yu Xi began her analysis. “Since we’re both women, having a boy in the family will keep the yin and yang⁴ from being out of balance.”

Two women and one man still wasn’t balanced. A thought suddenly struck Yuan Yue. “Say, if you really got pregnant, do you think you’d have twins like your older brother?”

“I don’t know,” Yu Xi said, shaking her head.

They talked about children for a long time, growing sleepier with every word until they drifted off in each other’s arms.

Since Jiang Yan was sleeping in the next room, Yuan Yue and Yu Xi didn’t dare wake up too late. The next day, shortly after they finished breakfast, Jiang Yan announced she was going to see Xiao Xi.

Yuan Yue immediately offered to drive her, but Jiang Yan waved her off. “Xu Ming will be here soon. You should stay home and get ready. Put on something nice, do your makeup, and leave a good impression.”

It’s not like we’re genuinely trying to get to know each other, so why do I need to make a good impression? Yuan Yue complained silently, then shot a helpless look at Yu Xi.

Yu Xi gave her a warm smile before turning to Jiang Yan. “Ma, why don’t I drive you?”

Jiang Yan had heard at dinner the night before that Yu Xi had the day off. Since she wasn’t familiar with A City, having a ride would be wonderful. “Alright, then let Yu Xi take me,” she agreed readily.

Yu Xi turned back to Yuan Yue, who looked distressed, and whispered, “I’ll drop Ma off and come right back for you. Don’t worry.”

Yuan Yue was still uneasy. “No, I’m coming with you.”

“You need to change!” Jiang Yan exclaimed. “And you haven’t even put on makeup!”

Just then, Yu Xi chimed in. “Ma, this is Yuan Yue’s first time meeting Xu Ming. It’s not good to look like a flower branch attracting attention⁵. Our Yueyue is a natural beauty; I think she looks just fine as she is.”

With Yu Xi backing her up, Jiang Yan suddenly found the logic sound. The more she looked at Yuan Yue, the more pleasing she found her. She beamed. “Alright then, let’s go like this!”

Thank goodness for Yu Xi. Otherwise, Yuan Yue truly wouldn’t have known how to handle the situation.

The three of them left together. Halfway there, Yuan Yue’s phone rang. Her heart leaped into her throat, assuming it was Xu Ming, but when she looked at the screen, she saw it was Zhuang Xiaochen.

“Who’s Zhuang Xiaochen?” Jiang Yan saw the name on the caller ID and read it aloud.

Yuan Yue wasn’t sure how to define the woman, so she didn’t answer right away.

She was long past tired of this woman who was like a lingering ghost that wouldn’t disperse⁶, but recalling what Yuan Xi had said before, she finally answered the call.

“Miss Yuan,” Zhuang Xiaochen said in a cloyingly sweet voice, “I’m at your shop right now. What time will you be in today?”

Waiting at the shop first thing in the morning—Zhuang Xiaochen really was persistent. Yuan Yue met Yu Xi’s eyes in the rearview mirror, then said coolly, “Sorry, I have something to do today, so I won’t be at the shop. If you want to discuss a partnership, you can talk to my ge⁷ directly.”

Zhuang Xiaochen assumed she was just making excuses but could only say helplessly, “Oh, I see. In that case, I won’t bother you any longer.”

Yuan Yue hung up, but before she could put her phone away, it rang again. It was an unknown number. She hesitated.

She clutched her phone, letting it ring. Jiang Yan grew anxious. “Answer it! It might be Xu Ming.”

Under pressure, Yuan Yue answered, this time putting it on speaker. She said a soft “Hello?” into the receiver.

“Miss Yuan? This is Xu Ming.” A low male voice came through the phone.

It really was him. Yuan Yue composed herself and said dryly, “Hello.”

“I’ve just arrived. Do you have time now? Would it be convenient to meet?” Xu Ming’s tone was polite.

The other two people in the car remained silent by unspoken agreement, but Jiang Yan was frantically making signals at her. Yuan Yue had no choice but to say, “It is. Where are you now?”

…

Yu Xi dropped Yuan Yue off midway, successfully delivered Jiang Yan to her destination, and then drove back to meet Yuan Yue.

In a coffee shop not far from the hot pot restaurant, Yuan Yue fidgeted anxiously at the same window seat where she had sat with Zhuang Xiaochen.

Yuan Yue was more familiar with this area, so she had specifically arranged to meet Xu Ming here. She had given him the address but wasn’t sure if he would be able to find it.

Yu Xi, in contrast, was perfectly calm. “I’m here,” she soothed her. “What are you so nervous about?”

Her simple words steadied the agitated Yuan Yue, who had a sudden realization. “You’re right. It’s not like this is for real. Why should I be nervous?”

To help ease her tension, Yu Xi changed the subject. “I just saw Xiao Xi. His fever’s gone down, but he keeps clamoring to go out and play. That kid is quite a handful.”

“Xiao Xi is spoiled rotten by my ge and my ma,” Yuan Yue agreed. Then, recalling their conversation from the night before, she deliberately lowered her voice. “If we really have kids in the future, you can’t spoil them too much.”

Yu Xi offered a noncommittal response. Seeing the worry on Yuan Yue’s face, she said playfully, “Are you afraid that having a child will divert my love for you?”

A flash of embarrassment crossed Yuan Yue’s face. “Am I that petty?” she stammered. But now that Yu Xi had brought it up, she felt a little unsure. “If we really did have kids someday, would you… stop loving me as wholeheartedly as you do now?”

Facing a Yuan Yue so full of worries about gains and losses, Yu Xi grew serious. “If you’re truly worried about that, then we won’t have children. Just the two of us for a lifetime. How does that sound?”

But Yu Xi had clearly said she liked kids. Yuan Yue didn’t want her to compromise for her sake and was torn.

As Yuan Yue sat in conflicted silence, a man’s voice suddenly cut in. “Miss Yuan.”

Yuan Yue snapped her head up to look at the speaker. He was fair-skinned and wore glasses, giving him a mild-mannered look. His suit was impeccably tailored. He wasn’t bad-looking. She had never seen him before. “Xu Ming?” she asked hesitantly.

“Hello, Miss Yuan. I’m Xu Ming,” he said with a polite smile.

Yuan Yue hadn’t expected him to find the place so quickly. Her gaze flickered as she gestured awkwardly to the empty chair across from them. “Hello. Please, have a seat.”

Only after sitting down did Xu Ming notice Yu Xi sitting beside Yuan Yue. “And this is?” he asked, surprised.

“I’m Yueyue’s girlfriend,” Yu Xi stated calmly.

Girlfriend? Xu Ming paused, then figured she probably meant “female friend.” They had agreed to meet one-on-one, so why had Yuan Yue brought someone along?

What was going on here?

Since the other woman hadn’t introduced herself, Xu Ming didn’t know what to call her. He smiled awkwardly. “Have you two been waiting long? Can I get you anything to drink? It’s my treat today.”

“We’ll start with some coffee, then,” Yu Xi answered for Yuan Yue.

Xu Ming called over a waiter and gestured for the ladies to order first.

Holding the menu, Yu Xi began discussing it with Yuan Yue as if no one else was there. “Let’s just get lattes. The other coffees are too bitter; I’m afraid you won’t be used to them.”

Yuan Yue naturally had no objections. She agreed to whatever Yu Xi said.

Once they had ordered, Yu Xi went to hand the menu over, but Xu Ming stopped her. “No need. I’ll just have a black coffee.” He had woken up before six to catch the earliest bus and was in desperate need of a strong coffee to wake him up.

The waiter noted their orders. Before leaving, he asked, “Would you two ladies like any other desserts?”

Without thinking, Yu Xi asked him, “Do you have any guodong here?”

The waiter smiled politely. “I’m sorry, we don’t have guodong.”

The answer was expected. Yu Xi handed the menu back, her expression unchanged. “That’s fine then, thank you.”

At the mention of the word “guodong,” Yuan Yue, sitting beside Yu Xi, went rigid. Her face, uselessly betraying her, immediately turned bright red.

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The author has something to say:

I didn’t write anything, just edited it until it was completely unrecognizable. Please just bear with it and read.

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