Chapter 29: MAMA-29 Part 1

Mi Shanxin had seen Jian Wanji in many trench coats, including her professional attire, but it was the first time seeing her dressed like this.

This woman had many forms. In Mi Shanxin’s dreams, she even turned into a big-tailed wolf with a fluffy tail.

She was more like a monster from an illustrated scroll, seductively and mischievously stirring Mi Shanxin’s forcibly ripened, impure heart.

“…Why are you here?” Mi Shanxin stared at the flower decoration between Jian Wanji’s brows. It looked like it was stamped on. Under the lights, paired with the mole under her eye, it looked even less human.

“I came here to eat. After we finish, aren’t we having a one-on-one session?” Jian Wanji still smiled until her eyes narrowed into slits. She greeted the group of university students at the table, her age hard to discern due to her makeup, only her mature ease detectable. “Are you Teacher Shanxin’s friends?”

There were many NPCs coming and going here—delivering wet towels, serving desserts—and performers on stage singing opera. Yet none of them compared to Jian Wanji.

She didn’t look like she was acting at all; she was completely at ease. She glanced over the dishes on the table, thinking to herself: Who orders like this for friends? Even when I order for clients, I consider their tastes.

Mi Shanxin always said the hospital food was delicious, but actually, Jian Wanji had changed it too.

The meals for the elderly were too bland, so she had given separate instructions to the caregiver.

The little one probably still didn’t know; several times she had sighed to Jian Wanji about how good the braised pork in the meal was.

She could accept braised pork stewed with anything—chestnuts, plums, even bitter melon—and could tell the difference in cooking skill.

Being full and eating well were two different things. Jian Wanji wanted Mi Shanxin to eat the best food, live in the best house, wear the best clothes, and have a better life.

“You’re her student?” Li Yin was the first to react, asking in surprise.

“Yes~ Is there a problem?”

Everyone looked at the woman whose hand rested on Mi Shanxin’s shoulder. In this setting, it was common for customers and staff alike to be dressed in period costumes. One could clearly tell who was an NPC and who was a tourist. Diagonally across from them, there was a table of girls taking selfies.

Jian Wanji was completely poised, not caring that she wasn’t wearing a wig or a hairstyle matching the clothes.

The clothes served her completely; she didn’t need to specifically cater her style to them.

Li Yin noticed that once Jian Wanji appeared, Mi Shanxin wasn’t in such a hurry to leave anymore. She even stood very close to her.

Mi Shanxin appeared wooden on the surface, but she wasn’t easy to get close to. Perhaps growing up had been too difficult for her; she was very adept at distinguishing kindness from malice.

Even subtle, ill intentions the person involved might not even realize themselves. Perhaps not exactly malice, but suspicion, teasing, veiled discomfort.

Li Yin had suspected Mi Shanxin’s sexual orientation for quite some time and was waiting for Mi Shanxin to tell her.

But Mi Shanxin never did. She just existed like a vacuum, never questioning, never actively striving.

Every meetup’s initiative was always Li Yin’s—where to go, what to eat, when to part ways.

Mi Shanxin was transparent, hollow. At least, until today, that was what Li Yin thought.

But now, it seemed different.

“Really?” Li Yin looked at Mi Shanxin. The girl, because of Jian Wanji’s appearance, no longer showed signs of wanting to leave. She said “Mm,” and added, “She’s my student.”

“Our one-on-one course schedule is determined by her.”

Li Yin looked at Jian Wanji. Even though the face made it hard to guess her exact age, she had to admit she was very attractive. Mature, yet she stood out uniquely even among the roaming NPCs. Her aura outshone her appearance; she wasn’t frivolous, more like a mountain breeze.

“That urgent?” Li Yin glanced at Mi Shanxin’s bowls and chopsticks. “You’ve barely eaten anything.”

“There aren’t many dishes here that Teacher Shanxin likes.” Jian Wanji hadn’t wanted to meddle initially; after all, the young girl had a deal with her. But the dazed grandmother occasionally also pinched Mi Shanxin’s thin arm, lamenting how thin our Lingling was. She had an obligation to raise her healthily.

“Come over to my place and eat a bit. We’ll leave together.” Jian Wanji withdrew her hand from Mi Shanxin’s shoulder. “Let’s go.”

Mi Shanxin said goodbye to Li Yin. “Enjoy the rest of the meal.”

She followed Jian Wanji’s steps. The woman wasn’t walking fast; she lowered her head to speak to Mi Shanxin. No one knew what she said, but Mi Shanxin’s brows curved gently, the corners of her mouth didn’t lift, yet clearly she was happy.

“That was terrifying. That lady was smiling, but I didn’t dare say a single word. Why did she seem more like a boss than a student?”

“She looks really familiar. Like I’ve seen her somewhere before.”

“Really?” Li Yin sat down, asking, “Where have you seen her?”

She rarely initiated interaction with the male classmate sitting nearby, but instead pressed the female classmate on where she had seen Jian Wanji.

Following Jian Wanji from the table, Mi Shanxin nearly stepped on the hem of the other woman’s dress. They walked, stopped. Jian Wanji lifted her skirt and asked, “Want to try?”

Mi Shanxin almost bumped into her back. Maybe it was the costume, but she hadn’t even caught her perfume when she arrived earlier.

“Try what?”

“This kind of costume.” Jian Wanji even twirled slowly. “How is it? Looks good, doesn’t it?”

“The owner is my friend. You can pick any outfit, any makeup.”

“Male or female?” Mi Shanxin asked.

“Female.”

Mi Shanxin stared at Jian Wanji for a long while, unable to tell if it was envy or mockery. “I told you, you have so many women.”

Jian Wanji couldn’t help but laugh. “Don’t simplify ‘female friends’ to ‘girlfriends,’ or I’ll just assume that female classmate just now is your girlfriend.”

A soft “hmph” escaped Mi Shanxin. Jian Wanji acted as if she’d discovered the sun rising in the west. “Am I hearing things? You actually just ‘hmphed’.”

“I’m not a pig, I don’t oink.”

“Then what are you thinking about? Tell me? I won’t charge you.”

“Then I’ll charge you.” Mi Shanxin raised her eyes to look at her. Jian Wanji was still smiling. “Alright, how much do I have to pay to hear Teacher Shanxin’s maidenly thoughts?”

“How disgusting.” Only after the words left her mouth did Mi Shanxin realize she’d spoken her inner thoughts aloud. The other party wasn’t hurt in the slightest. “True colors, huh? I see it all too well. Seems you’re not really good friends with your classmates after all.”

Mi Shanxin had very few friends to begin with. Li Yin was someone she’d kept after compromise.

For that sake, she had to hide things too. Like her orientation and her deal with Jian Wanji, and that her sleep disorder solution wasn’t melatonin.

Li Yin wasn’t a bad person. She was indeed very protective of Mi Shanxin. Still, it was sometimes hard to avoid reprimands arriving faster than comfort.

Others saying Li Yin’s attitude towards her was like a guardian wasn’t wrong.

“I have friends,” Mi Shanxin said.

“Then your friend needs some further studies.” Jian Wanji swung her overly long sleeves and took a hot towel handed by a flower basket-carrying NPC in costume. She pulled Mi Shanxin’s hand over to wipe it; there was still a stain from spilled sauce.

Mi Shanxin hadn’t noticed, but Jian Wanji had. “Anyways, you don’t like sitting there. Come eat with me over here.”

“You’re with a friend too.” Mi Shanxin pulled her hand back. Jian Wanji’s fingers very easily reminded her of those times, entering her body, squeezing the sorest, most swollen spot, sending her into the sweetest dream.

“No, we have a separate table.” Jian Wanji smiled. “I’m not socializing. I can eat with you.”

Saying this, she opened her arms and spun around showily in front of Mi Shanxin. “Do you want to go try on clothes like this?”

She patiently coaxed. Nearby, Sui Yuqian, leaning against the doorframe, was sending Zeng Baian a video, captioned: Someone’s showing off.

Mi Shanxin seemed old-fashioned, but her curiosity was heavy. Because her impoverished life suppressed it, Jian Wanji pried open a corner of it.

She was somewhat tempted.

Jian Wanji knew she was hesitating about something else, so she proactively stepped into another role, smiling. “Isn’t it only right for a daughter to honor her mother?”

“You said it.”

Mi Shanxin had very few photos growing up. The only times she took proper photos were for document one-inch photos.

Ever since there was an app for one-inch photos, she hadn’t even gone to a photo studio.

Putting the phone far away, pointing at herself, it counted as a white-background photo. She could even change the background image. It was more comfortable than going to a photo studio and having to chat with the boss.

She disliked the casual homely questions—where her parents were, whether she lived with her grandparents, where she went to university.

Even though she later learned to deliver lies with a blank face, she still loathed the pity behind those truths that made her sad.

She was special—not affirmed for who she was, but pitied for her background. And it never brought any substantial gains.

This restaurant offered many services. Mi Shanxin followed Jian Wanji to the makeup room, likely reserved for the main hall’s dance troupe.

The woman who’d said on the way that it was her first visit could already call the staff by name with accurate familiarity.

“Qingqing~ Help me out. Pick a set of clothes for this little sister.”

“Alright.” The girl called Qingqing looked just over twenty, her cheeks round, her smile sunny. It was a flavor Mi Shanxin could never learn.

She walked over, a makeup brush belt strapped around her waist, various tools tucked in, looking a bit like she was about to dissect someone.

Mi Shanxin stared for a long time. Meanwhile, Qingqing had already circled around her, chatting idly with Jian Wanji. “Sis, is this your relative? She’s really pretty.”

Jian Wanji stood holding Mi Shanxin’s little lambskin bag, looking like a mismatched, unique flavor herself. She leaned bonelessly against a nearby lamp post. “Thanks for the compliment.”

As if praising Mi Shanxin’s beauty also proved her own taste. Surprisingly, it was the silent Mi Shanxin who asked Qingqing, “Do she and I look alike?”

The girl looked at Mi Shanxin, then at Jian Wanji, humming for a bit. “A little alike.”

Her own makeup featured green eyeshadow, like clusters of leaves on trees. “Your noses are a bit alike.”

Mi Shanxin looked at Jian Wanji. The other party was laughing happily, praising Qingqing. “You have very good eyesight~”

Qingqing accepted the praise and pulled out an outfit. “How about this one, little sister?”

Mi Shanxin said, “I’m not her little sister.”

She didn’t know how many people Jian Wanji had brought to such places, and just didn’t like being generalized. “I’m her mother.”

Qingqing laughed out loud. “You two have already come up with a script, huh?”

This wasn’t the answer Mi Shanxin wanted. She looked at Jian Wanji blankly.

The woman was twirling a hairpin in her hand, who knew where it came from. “There’s also a photo shoot service, video included.”

Seems the food industry was competitive in every way possible.

Mi Shanxin was speechless for a long moment. Frustrated, she didn’t speak, just let Qingqing push her towards the fitting room.

Jian Wanji didn’t go in. Mi Shanxin’s little bag hung from the crook of her arm. Her phone kept vibrating inside.

Mi Shanxin had handed her bag over without zipping it properly. Jian Wanji looked down and saw the caller ID directly.

Li Yin.

Probably that girl just now.

Jian Wanji didn’t answer it. But the phone kept ringing insistently, as if the caller was very determined.

Accompanied by WeChat messages popping up—

Li Yin: [Shanxin, where are you?]

Li Yin: [That woman took you to eat? Which private room?]

Li Yin: [Your clothes, your bag, did she give all of them to you?]

Li Yin: [Shanxin, I think we need to have a serious talk.]

Li Yin: [You can’t go down the wrong path.]

……

Jian Wanji leaned against the lamp post. Other tourists who’d paid for makeup appointments were coming and going. Girls’ faces reflected in the makeup mirrors. The air was filled with the scent of various costumes and props.

Jian Wanji’s long hair was casually tied back. The lazy curls of her bangs were long and short. From the side, her profile wasn’t overly modern, but the phone and bag easily gave it away.

When Li Yin’s next call came, Jian Wanji took the phone and answered.

“Shanxin!” Since Mi Shanxin had left, Li Yin ate distractedly. Today’s gathering was a small group dinner, with a second round planned at karaoke.