Su Chang held Yu Zhou in her arms, without a hint of sleepiness.
Her hand slid from the lower back of Yu Zhou’s back into her clothes, tracing her spine from bottom to top, and then gliding back down from top to bottom.
Back at home, Yu Zhou didn’t like to do it because her parents were present, and also because she saw relatives who had watched her grow up, always giving her a feeling of not having grown up yet. Doing it in this environment was quite awkward.
Su Chang understood her, so she just gently teased her with her fingertips.
The most beautiful time for a girl’s body might be in bed.It had nothing to do with lust, but rather the aftermath of a bath, when the skin was soft and fragrant, feeling slightly warm or pleasantly cool. Disheveled hair strands would brush against one’s unprotected places, eliciting a tingling sensation.
Many people think silk sleepwear is sexier, but Su Chang didn’t think so. She preferred pure cotton, washed several times and tainted with the scent of Yu Zhou’s shower gel, mixed with her body fragrance. Washing cotton multiple times render it very soft and close-fitting—it felt as if embracing the gentle touch, like holding a slightly under-inflated water balloon.
So, you don’t have to ask when Su Chang started to develop feelings for girls; perhaps it was from the very moment she held Yu Zhou, realizing that loving girls was a natural thing.
During the Spring Festival, they usually wouldn’t sleep in. Father Yu went out to buy groceries and jog in the morning, while Ms. Zhao chopped fillings to cook noodles with gravy. After finishing her morning routine, Su Chang put on her home clothes and went straight to the kitchen to greet Ms. Zhao.
“Auntie.”
Ms. Zhao lifted the lid of the pot, releasing a rush of steam that enveloped her face. With her eyebrows slightly furrowed, she added the noodles into the pot. “Is Zhouzhou still not up?”
“She’s freshening up. She’ll be down in a bit.”
Su Chang looked around, “Is there anything I can help with?” she asked awkwardly.
In fact, the first time she had visited Yu Zhou’s home, she had searched online for some advice. However, during that time, Ms. Zhao seemed a bit embarrassed in her interactions with Su Chang, perhaps due to her struggle to fully accept her daughter’s preference for girls. Her attitude fell somewhere between that of a guest and “son”-in-law.
Ms. Zhao didn’t let Su Chang enter the kitchen or do any work. She just treated her with good food and tea. Su Chang was a bit reserved at the time and sat on the couch, not daring to ask for help.
Fortunately, Yu Zhou was by her side, holding her hand while she browsed her phone, or shamelessly leaning on Su Chang’s shoulder when they all were watching TV.
When they went for a walk together, Yu Zhou took Su Chang’s hand without a care.
Gradually, Ms. Zhao and Father Yu “got used to” Su Chang.
When it was almost time to leave, Ms. Zhao finally asked Su Chang about her work, age, and family. She didn’t ask much more than that, just saw them off in the car and told them to drive slowly.
The second year when they came back, Ms. Zhao didn’t know whether it was because she had mentally prepared herself or because they had returned for two consecutive years and their relationship seemed quite good. She became much more enthusiastic towards Su Chang, but she still didn’t say anything about accepting her. Instead, she quietly observed her preferences. For example, Su Chang had mentioned at lunch that the fried meat was delicious, so Ms. Zhao got up early and made her fried meat for three days in a row.
Seeing Su Chang sampling a few pieces of sausage, she quickly said, “This is made by Zhouzhou’s aunt herself, it’s not as salty as the ones sold outside.”
“Yes, it’s really delicious,” Su Chang said.
“When you go back, Auntie will pack some for you to take home. When you get to Jiang City, you can just cook or steam it and slice it up. It’s very convenient.”
On the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, they went out for hot pot. The restaurant claimed to use nourishing Chinese herbs in their broth. Ms. Zhao said it was delicious and had been waiting for Yu Zhou to come back before taking her there for a taste.
During the meal, she used the strainer to scoop up the vegetables while asking how they found it. Yu Zhou said she couldn’t taste any difference, but Su Chang said it seemed more fragrant.
Ms. Zhao was delighted and when she saw that the shop sold vacuum-packed base sauces, she bought a gift box set for Su Chang and Yu Zhou to take home. She advised them not to add too much sauce and to use two bottles of mineral water, so they could make the hot pot four times.
When they left that time, the trunk of their car was packed full and the two suitcases could only be placed horizontally on the back seat.
The third year, Su Chang didn’t go home with Yu Zhou.
Ms. Zhao was actually a bit disappointed. Regardless of whether it was a man or a woman, she wanted Yu Zhou to find a good partner. Let alone love or not, she just hoped someone could take good care of her daughter, especially since they were getting older and could leave at any time.
As Ms. Zhao aged, she became more emotional and sometimes she would wipe away tears as she thought about it.
Unexpectedly, it was Su Chang who drove back this year. The car stopped in front of the villa, Yu Zhou’s hair was a mess and it was obvious that she had just woken up from a nap, her face still marked with red indentations.
Su Chang looked a bit tired too, but she still got out of the car smoothly. She first greeted the uncle and auntie waiting at the door before going to open the trunk to get their things. In addition to their two suitcases, there were some tonics she had prepared, as well as liquor, tea, and other things gifted by her clients. She didn’t usually drink liquor and she didn’t drink tea much either, so she had been thinking of bringing these back for Yu Zhou’s father.
Su Chang took the stuff out, Yu Zhou was still a bit dazed, but instinctively took it and handed it to her father.
Because Su Chang had been driving for a long time and had a bad back, Yu Zhou was certain that Su Chang would be a little stiff by now, so she didn’t want Su Chang to keep bending over to move things.
These small actions naturally didn’t escape Ms. Zhao’s eyes. In her heart, she silently sighed wordlessly.
Perhaps love also contains one or two things similar to “taming,” for it makes even the fiercest of people lower their heads and behave, and Yu Zhou, who had been rowdy since she was little, was no exception.
When the noodles in the pot were cooked, Ms. Zhao divided them into two bowls before asking Su Chang, “Do you want it a little spicy or not too spicy?”
“Either is fine, just like Zhouzhou.”
“Then I’ll add more vegetables to Zhouzhou’s bowl. She doesn’t like to eat vegetables. If she picks them out and gives them to you later, just say you don’t want to eat them either.” Ms. Zhao covered the noodles at the bottom with some blanched pea tips.
“Alright.” Su Chang, sitting on a small stool nearby, picked vegetables as she said with a smile.
Yu Zhou yawned as she appeared at the door, “What are you talking about?”
“We’re saying you’re so lazy, Changchang is helping with the vegetables, when will you wake up?” Ms. Zhao was planning to cook eggs for the two of them.
“Really, Miss Su, you’re picking vegetables?” Yu Zhou asked sarcastically, looking down at her exaggeratedly.
“Will you really be able to do it? Just don’t pinch the tenderest ones.” She peeked over curiously.
Su Chang didn’t look at her but just lifted the corner of her mouth.
“You complain that people can’t do it, come, I think you can do it most, but you won’t do it yourself.” Ms. Zhao closed the oil bottle and muttered.
Yu Zhou wisely decided to flatter her mother: “That’s because my mom is so capable. The food she cooks is delicious and the house is well-kept.”
So there was no use for my skills.
With a shallow breath, Su Chang chuckled softly.
Ms. Zhao was also amused, but she didn’t turn her head and didn’t want to respond to Yu Zhou.
After a while, she sighed, “Now it’s just the two of you, so you don’t have much to do. I see you both order takeout all the time. Have you ever thought about what you would do if you had little kids in the future?”
Her voice was very low and fast, as if this question had been prepared but was delivered casually.
Little…what?
Yu Zhou looked at Su Chang, whose vegetable-picking movement also paused.
“Mom…” Yu Zhou reminded her awkwardly, “We’re both women.”
She was really afraid that Ms. Zhao would forget that fact.
“I know it,” Ms. Zhao was still busy with her back to them, “But you can also consider IVF, I’ve seen it online, some have had babies and the babies are well-behaved. But you still need to choose carefully.”
“I…” Yu Zhou tilted her head, her eyebrows twisted like earthworms, why couldn’t she escape the fate of being urged to have children although she had been a lesbian?
Is childbirth the end of humanity?
Too terrible, she shivered.
“We’ve only been back together for half a year…” she said softly.
Su Chang glanced at her and Yu Zhou suddenly felt a little guilty.
“What do you mean half a year?” Ms. Zhao turned around, with chopsticks in hand, “Doesn’t the previous three years count? The total is over four years. You can consider it, you are 27 this year, not young. When I was your age, you were almost in elementary school.”
“That’s an exaggeration.” Yu Zhou wrinkled her nose.
She looked down at Su Chang, who was silently picking vegetables with her head lowered.
Had Su Chang ever thought about having a baby? Yu Zhou had never asked her about it and hadn’t thought of it herself either.
But she could hardly imagine herself and Su Chang raising a child. It was better not to.
So she went over to help carry the noodles: “Ah, we’re both so busy, where do we have the time?”
“Changchang doesn’t have time, but you do. How much time does it take for you to write a novel?” Ms. Zhao followed her.
Su Chang also stood up, put away the vegetables before she turned on the faucet to wash her hands.
“What do you mean writing a novel doesn’t take time? This is creativity! You understand? I’m not like those people who can finish a novel in 20 days,” Yu Zhou was angry, “Even if I had the time, it wouldn’t work. I can’t handle it. I’m afraid of pain, I have a bad body, I can’t stand this suffering.”
“Besides, have you even asked her? You just keep going on about it.” She pulled the chair and sat down awkwardly, referring to Su Chang, who was taking her seat across the table, as “her.”
Right.
Ms. Zhao leaned on the table with her arm, half crouched down, watching them stir the noodles while asking Su Chang, “So, Chang, do you have any thoughts about it?”
“I…”
“See, she doesn’t want to.”
“I think she’s just shy.” Ms. Zhao disagreed.
“Who says people are shy in front of them!” Yu Zhou surrendered.
Su Chang held the chopsticks and laughed with her head down.
Yu Zhou looked at her laughing and laughed too, but still complained: “Are you going to let us eat or not?”
“Alright, alright, you guys eat, you eat.” Ms. Zhao retreated and went to the living room to watch TV.
After taking a couple of bites, Yu Zhou saw her leave and gently called out to Su Chang from across the table. “Hey!”
Su Chang looked up.
“We… Have you… ever thought about it?” She asked softly.
Su Chang thought for a moment, “It’s quite painful. If you don’t particularly like children, it’s better not to give birth.”
There was a sweetness in Yu Zhou’s heart. She bit the corner of her mouth and asked her again, “Do you want to have a child? If you’re not busy, that is.”
“I don’t want to.”
“Why?”
“I don’t particularly like children. And besides, if my hormone levels become chaotic during pregnancy, making it difficult to control my temper or magnify my emotions, I’m worried it would make you unhappy.”
Yu Zhou paused for a moment, then put down her chopsticks and gently propped up her chin, “Su Chang.”
“Hmm?”
You love me more than I had imagined.
“It’s nothing. Is the noodle dish delicious?” Yu Zhou asked.
“Yeah.” Su Chang said softly.
CNYuriTranslation 