Chapter 9

“I’m calling to let you know that Mom wants us to come over for dinner this Saturday. Make sure you’re there,” Shen Zhirou said softly, instructing her sister.

“Got it, Sis. Why does Mom suddenly want us over? Is there something she needs to talk about?” As far as Shen Yumian could remember, even after their mother had started reaching out to them, things hadn’t been particularly warm and fuzzy.

“It’s probably because I’ve got a new girlfriend. She wants us all to get together.” Shen Zhirou lay on her soft bed, her voice gentle.

“Sis, you have a girlfriend?! Why didn’t you tell me? What’s she like? Does she treat you well?” Shen Yumian’s eyes lit up at the news. She was dying to gossip about what her sister’s girlfriend was like—after all, Shen Zhirou hadn’t dated anyone in years.

But then Shen Yumian’s expression darkened. Their mother had been setting up blind dates for her sister since the start of the year, as if terrified she’d end up unmarried. Could this girlfriend be someone from one of those? What if her sister had been pressured into it? No way—she had to stand firmly on her sister’s side.

Before Shen Yumian could voice her questions, her sister replied from the other end of the line.

“We’ve only been together a short while. She’s a little cool and distant, but she’s great, and we’re already living together.” After sharing that with her sister, the tips of Shen Zhirou’s ears turned pink.

“Sis, you’re already living together? That’s so fast! Is she pretty? What’s her personality like?” Shen Yumian’s questions fired off like bullets, one after another, drawing a laugh from Shen Zhirou.

“She’s gorgeous, a really good person. She just gets super busy with work sometimes. I haven’t gotten a feel for much else yet.” As Shen Zhirou pictured Lu Yao, the corners of her lips curved up. She buried her face in her pillow—she really was hopeless. She missed her Yaoyao so much.

Shen Yumian could hear the satisfaction woven through her sister’s words and relaxed a little. With a light laugh, she said, “Then you’ve got to introduce me sometime. I’m dying to know what kind of woman has you so head over heels.”

“Oh, stop it. Anyway, how are things with you? All done with graduation stuff?”

“I’ll be graduating in about a week. I’ve already sent out a ton of resumes. I’ll be making my own money in no time and taking care of myself.”

A relaxed ease shone in Shen Yumian’s eyes and brows. She was a few years younger than Shen Zhirou, and they didn’t look much alike. Her clear, lovely eyes sparkled with the vibrant energy of youth, her skin fair and luminous. Her face was a touch more angular and resolute than her sister’s. Dressed differently, she’d pass for a total ice queen.

Shen Yumian was tall and leggy at 172 cm—tall for a woman—and she still carried a hint of that fresh-out-of-campus innocence.

“Good for you, my Mianmian’s all grown up.” Shen Zhirou’s tone softened even more. Maybe it was the plush bedding, but her voice grew warmer and gentler by the second.

“Sis, I miss you.” Hearing her sister’s voice made Shen Yumian want to get a little clingy. Joy lit up her clear eyes, giving her the wide-eyed, eager look of a puppy waiting for its owner to give it a good scratch.

Shen Zhirou let out a soft chuckle and coaxed her sister. “Alright, then how about I pick you up for dinner tomorrow night? It’s Friday, after all.”

“Sounds great. I can just meet you there—no need to pick me up.” Shen Yumian mentally calculated taking the day off from her tutoring gig. Dinner with her sister came first.

“No worries. I’ll call you when I get there. Why are you still outside, though? I hear traffic.” Shen Zhirou picked up on the noisy background sounds.

“Just out for a stroll. Heading back to school now.” Shen Yumian fibbed. If her sister found out she’d snuck in another part-time job, she’d get an earful.

“You’re not doing any sneaky part-time work, are you? Is the allowance I sent enough for this month?” Shen Zhirou asked, phone in hand.

“No part-timing here, Sis. Don’t worry about me—I’m doing great, and I’ve even got money left over.” Shen Yumian played it off with some playful wheedling, and Shen Zhirou finally let the subject drop.

They chatted a bit longer before Shen Zhirou hung up, her eyes brimming with smiles. Things really were looking up, just like her sister had said. They’d only get better from here.

The next morning, before heading to work, a man and a woman showed up unexpectedly at Shen Zhirou’s place. She froze in place, completely caught off guard.

Zhang Huichun turned her gaze to Shen Zhirou. “So you’re the marriage partner Yaoyao picked—Shen Zhirou?”

“That’s me. And who might you be?” Shen Zhirou clutched her bag in one hand while twisting the fingers of her other together, clearly nervous.

“I’m Lu Yao’s mom. I didn’t have much going on today, so her dad and I came by to see her. By the way, has Lu Yao already left?” Zhang Huichun asked.

“She went on a business trip out of town. She probably won’t be back for about a week. Please, have a seat, Auntie and Uncle. I’ll get you some water.” Shen Zhirou hadn’t expected to run into Lu Yao’s parents under these circumstances. She quickly said.

“No need. We just wanted to check on Lu Yao. The girl’s always so busy with work that I can never catch her at home. She goes out of town and doesn’t even bother telling us. Well, since she’s not here, we’ll head out too.” Zhang Huichun gave Shen Zhirou a once-over. She thought Shen Zhirou was pretty enough in a plain sort of way, but she didn’t hold a candle to her own daughter.

“Auntie, Uncle, let me walk you out.” Shen Zhirou smiled and offered. Truth be told, she wasn’t great at dealing with strangers—she had a touch of social anxiety, which was part of why she hated switching jobs so often. Meeting a whole new group of colleagues always made her uncomfortable.

“No need. When you have time, have Lu Yao bring you over for dinner so we can get to know you properly. You’re the one she chose, after all, which puts her dad and me at ease. She’s twenty-seven now; it’s about time she settled down. But Zhirou, you know what kind of background our Lu Yao comes from. It’s a lot better than yours. You’d better cherish her, because you won’t find another catch like her so easily.” Zhang Huichun kept chattering as she walked out. She didn’t think Shen Zhirou was the type to schmooze or play the social game well, and with her ordinary family background—divorced parents to boot—she didn’t quite measure up to expectations. Unable to hold back, Zhang Huichun let a few critical remarks slip.

Shen Zhirou opened her mouth, but for a moment, she didn’t know what to say. Seeing this, Zhang Huichun added, “We’re heading out now. You should get to work too—it’s about that time.”

It wasn’t until the sound of the door closing echoed that Shen Zhirou tightened her grip on the strap of her bag slung over her shoulder. Did Yaoyao’s mother not like her?

On her way to the company, Shen Zhirou drove in a daze, inwardly berating herself for failing to make a good first impression on Yaoyao’s parents. What was done was done, though; she’d just have to make it up to them gradually over time.

Her slender, pale fingers clenched the steering wheel tightly, her gaze fixed ahead on… nothing in particular.

Back home, Zhang Huichun was already venting to her husband. “Sigh, after all those blind dates Yaoyao went on, how did she end up picking Shen Zhirou? I only let her go to that one as a last resort, like putting a dead horse up for auction. Who would’ve thought? I thought Ye Qi was a solid choice, but no, she picks someone from such an average family. What kind of luck is this?”

“Eh, whatever makes Yaoyao happy. It’s better than her staying single forever. Sure, the girl’s background is nothing special, and she’s not as smooth-talking as Ye Qi, but we’ll make do. After all, it’s Yaoyao’s choice. We’ll turn a blind eye and let it slide.” Lu Jitong sighed.

He wasn’t thrilled about Shen Zhirou either. His daughter was so outstanding; he didn’t think anyone really deserved her. Same-sex marriage had only been legal for a short time, and deep down, he still believed she’d be better off with a man. Comparing her to Ye Qi, he figured Ye Qi was the better option.

Shen Zhirou arrived at the company feeling deflated. She didn’t even stop by the break room—instead, she slumped over her desk, lost in thought. She pulled up WeChat on her phone. The pinned chat with “Yaoyao” still showed no new messages. Even so, Shen Zhirou couldn’t help wanting to talk to her. She felt like she’d botched things with Yaoyao’s parents.

Her eyelashes fluttered as her long, pale fingers tapped lightly on the screen. She decided to tell Yaoyao what had happened today. But with all these messages she sent every day, would Yaoyao find her annoying? No time to worry about that—she just wanted to talk to her.

Shen Zhirou tapped out a quick message and hit send.

“Yaoyao, your parents came by to see you today. I don’t think I made a very good impression. Do they not like me?”

The message vanished into the void with no reply. Shen Zhirou spent the rest of the morning in a fog because of it. At lunch, she ate with Zhao Tongtong in the cafeteria, which finally lifted her spirits a bit.

In the afternoon, she couldn’t slack off anymore—any more dawdling, and she’d be stuck with overtime. Their company was strict about overtime pay, managed by Xiao Qing’s Finance Department. They’d review your workload to see if it could’ve been finished during regular hours. If it could have, no dice on the overtime pay, no matter how late you stayed.

Once Shen Zhirou entered work mode, her mind quickly settled down. Moreover, knowing that she had to meet her younger sister for dinner after work, she felt even more relaxed. Afterwards, she didn’t think about this little incident anymore.

At 5:30, after the people in the department clocked out, they left work one after another. Shen Zhirou also cheerfully walked out together with Zhao Tongtong, not forgetting to message her younger sister on WeChat in advance that she would arrive soon.

Zhao Tongtong smiled and asked Shen Zhirou, “What are you up to tonight? Your Yaoyao isn’t home, so where are you off to fool around?”

“Nonsense. I’m going to pick up Mianmian—she’s officially graduating next week, so I’m taking her out for a meal,” Shen Zhirou said with a smile.

“No wonder you’re looking so gentle. Alright, alright, I won’t tease you anymore. Hurry up and go pick up Mianmian,” Zhao Tongtong replied. When they reached the underground garage, she and Shen Zhirou waved goodbye to each other.