Chapter 35: 35 Chapter 35 Part 2

The sticky note was covered in dense, small writing.

It took Yu Qinjiu a while to read it all. It must have been perfectly timed by Ji Qingyou. The moment she finished reading, the microwave let out a ding. The soup dumplings and wontons were ready.

The steam rose, making her eyes feel hot.

She had a very small appetite. Brittany often teased her for having a bird’s appetite. But she still ate all the soup dumplings and wontons. One by one, chewing slowly. When she finished, she even felt a little unsatisfied.

Winter was cold. Luckily, the wontons and soup dumplings could provide some warmth.

She went to the bedroom, planning to change clothes and put on a scarf before going to the airport to pick up Lin Yingxiang and Brittany. Then she would sign a new short-term lease with the agent and the landlord for apartment 2202. But the moment she opened the closet, she saw another sticky note. It said:

[All the makeup is on the table. I don’t use it often because I’m too busy with work, so I might not have a wide variety. The eyeshadow palette Ji Xiruan gave me last time is still unopened. I took it out. You can use it. I think it matches your usual makeup. But that might just be my opinion. Do whatever you want. Also, whether you wear makeup or not, you are still the most beautiful five-year-old girl I have ever seen.]

This was the third sticky note.

Yu Qinjiu had only seen scenes like this in TV shows. But when she finished reading it, she felt like she had truly been placed inside a protected safe house.

For a second, she could imagine Ji Qingyou waking up early in the morning, walking softly, writing these sticky notes in the living room. Then, in the early morning light, she had arranged everything for her, so that she wouldn’t feel the slightest bit of panic on this silent, aimless day.

It was like a kind of surprise box.

She didn’t know where on the property it would appear. But the moment it appeared, it gave Yu Qinjiu the greatest comfort.

It seemed like everything was becoming worth looking forward to.

Before she left the house, Yu Qinjiu saw the fourth sticky note in this no-longer-empty house, stuck on the fish tank. Alps and Lollipop were swimming in the water. The note said:

[The door lock password is 1221. (If you forget, you can open our WeChat chat history. By the time you see this, I should have already sent it to you on WeChat.) I didn’t take the car. The keys are on the shoe cabinet. If you’re going to pick up Auntie and them, it’ll be more convenient to drive. If the agent hasn’t processed the contract yet, you can have them stay at my place first.]

Ji Qingyou’s memory was really too good.

She remembered how long to heat up the soup dumplings and wontons.

She remembered that she always liked to look good, so she even considered her scarf and makeup coordination.

She remembered that she had a bad memory, so she even considered that she might have forgotten the door code last time, and worried that she might forget it again before going out.

She had thought of everything.

Ji Qingyou probably hadn’t slept well last night either. No one could sleep well after so many things happened. That was certain. But on this busy, stressful workday morning, how early must she have woken up to think of all of this for her? And how quietly must she have moved to not wake the light sleeper that she was?

Yu Qinjiu didn’t know.

But it was true. The moment she saw those sticky notes, for a few seconds, the butterfly on her neck stopped flapping its wings.

When she went out, it was already afternoon. The warm sun shone on the buildings and people passing by. The traffic was heavy. The temperature was low. But it felt like winter had passed halfway overnight.

Maybe the coat Yu Qinjiu had chosen was very thick. The scent of Ji Qingyou could ward off the cold for her. Maybe the wontons and soup dumplings were still radiating heat, driving away the cold in her body. Maybe this narrow Beetle had wrapped around her, not letting her face this winter alone.

When she picked up Lin Yingxiang and Brittany from the airport, Lin Yingxiang sighed, feeling the changes in Nanwu City. “It’s been so long since I’ve been back. A lot has changed…”

“Not that much.” Yu Qinjiu pressed her lips together, then glanced at Brittany bouncing around in the back seat. “Why did you bring her too?”

“What do you mean by that?” Brittany interjected, dissatisfied.

“Your aunt didn’t feel comfortable letting me come back alone.” Lin Yingxiang said. “And Brittany has never been here before. She wanted to come and have some fun. I also want to meet up with a few old friends here. Especially Qin Bailan. I need to clear things up with her. We’ll play around a bit here before going back.”

“Alright.” Yu Qinjiu drove slowly. “But if you feel uncomfortable, just tell me. We can go back anytime.”

“Why would I be uncomfortable?” Lin Yingxiang looked at the sycamore trees lining both sides of the road. “This is the place I’ve lived for decades.”

Yu Qinjiu frowned. “I’m afraid that…”

“Afraid of what?” Brittany interrupted.

She stopped at a red light, looked at Lin Yingxiang with some concern, then met the innocent, carefree Brittany’s eyes in the rearview mirror. She sighed.

“Nothing.”

“It’s just that I’m afraid your relationship with Brittany will get too good, and then you won’t love me as much. Then I’d be really sad.”

When she said this, she didn’t sound at all like a woman who had passed her twenty-eighth birthday. She sounded like a five-year-old girl.

It sounded like a joke, but her tone carried a hint of an unreadable stubbornness.

Brittany snorted.

Yu Qinjiu said again, sounding aggrieved, “My mom can only love me the most.”

Brittany snorted again, starting to argue with her. “I’m not going to steal your mom. I have my own mom. But your mom is my only aunt. She loves me too.”

Yu Qinjiu was unconvinced. “My mom has to love me the most.”

Lin Yingxiang listened silently. She noticed that Yu Qinjiu’s expression was relaxed when she said this, but her fingers were gripping the steering wheel tightly, her knuckles turning white.

The argument continued back and forth.

Finally, as the red light was about to end, Yu Qinjiu looked at her, a stubborn expectation in her eyes. “Mom, you love me the most, don’t you?”

Lin Yingxiang looked at her. After a few seconds of silence, she smiled and lifted the corner of her mouth. “A grown woman like you, still arguing over this. Everyone else calls me ‘Mom,’ and you still have to call me ‘Mama’ like a little kid.”

“That doesn’t matter.”

Yu Qinjiu smiled too, her tone light. The moment she restarted the car, she stared quietly ahead and emphasized again. “Anyway, I love Mama the most.”

The schedule was tight.

To get Lin Yingxiang and Brittany settled in as soon as possible, Yu Qinjiu had to take them to the property management to sign the contract.

The agent was already there. When he saw her, he smiled for a moment. “It seems Ms. Yu and this apartment have a good fate. I didn’t expect you to be back again.”

Yu Qinjiu didn’t deny it. “It’s pretty destined.”

“It’s a good thing it wasn’t rented out.” The agent said casually. “Do you remember Dr. Ji from across the hall? Dr. Ji even contacted me once, saying she planned to rent 2202 too…”

Yu Qinjiu froze, pinching her fingertips.

She was about to ask for more details, but her phone on the table vibrated. It was a call from her UK supervisor, Carol. At this hour, it must be something urgent.

She could only take the phone and go outside.

Lin Yingxiang watched Yu Qinjiu’s retreating figure. She noticed that the coat she was wearing didn’t look like her own. She also noticed the green blind box placed in the car. Her mind began to wander.

The agent was sorting through the documents, introducing the local customs to the curious little girl. He mentioned that the apartment they were moving into had a large study, that they could hear the sound of the river and the sirens, and that there was a persimmon tree in the neighborhood.

The little girl’s eyes widened. She muttered in her not-so-fluent Chinese, “How is this so similar to the house Debby was trying to find in London?”

The elegant middle-aged woman across from her let out a breath, smiled kindly at him, and asked,

“Could you tell me a little more about Dr. Ji from across the hall?”

The conversation inside continued. Outside, Carol’s voice came through the phone, a little apologetic. “Sorry, Debby, to interrupt your vacation. But you’re the most suitable person right now.”

Yu Qinjiu rubbed her forehead. “What is it?”

“It’s like this.” Carol explained the purpose of the call. “There’s a project manager at our branch office in Nanwu City, China. Her grandmother passed away suddenly. She can’t continue the project, and she’s planning to resign.”

“It’s a traditional Chinese architecture project. The branch office can’t find a replacement for the moment. I’ve thought it over, and you’re the most suitable. And you’re currently on vacation in China. If this project goes well, you might be able to come back and take on a relatively important position…”

“Carol.” Yu Qinjiu interrupted her. Carol fell silent. “I’m sorry, I’m a bit eager. But if you don’t want to end your vacation early, I can find someone else.”

The line wasn’t disconnected. Yu Qinjiu didn’t answer immediately.

Lin Yingxiang’s voice drifted to her ears from inside the door, a little distant, a little hard to make out. After a few seconds of silence, Yu Qinjiu pressed her lips together and asked,

“How much longer will this project last?”

After hanging up the phone, Yu Qinjiu lingered at the door for a moment. She heard Lin Yingxiang and Brittany talking about when to go back to the country.

Brittany said, “I really like it here. The weather seems better than London.”

Lin Yingxiang said, “How long do you want to stay?”

Brittany said, “A month? Two months? Any longer and I’ll have to go back to school. My mom will yell at me.”

“That’s true.” Lin Yingxiang laughed. “If you don’t go to school, your mom will just tie you up and take you back.”

“What about you, Auntie?”

“Me? I have other places I want to go. Not just here. I want to see many, many places in this world.”

“And Debby?”

Lin Yingxiang didn’t answer immediately. She paused for a few seconds. The door opened. Yu Qinjiu, who had just finished her call, walked in, bringing a chill with her. She sat down beside her and said very softly,

“Of course, I’ll be with Mama.”

Lin Yingxiang didn’t say anything. She just smiled and reached out to hold her cold hand. “When you have time, get Aunt Qin to knit you a pair of gloves. She told me she’s been learning some of these crafts lately.”

“Why don’t you knit them for me yourself?” Yu Qinjiu blinked.

Lin Yingxiang blinked back. “Because your mother is a princess. Your aunt takes care of everything for me. I don’t know how to knit.”

Brittany laughed with a hint of schadenfreude. “My mom is a princess too. She can’t do this stuff either.”

The agent found it a bit amusing. He sighed, “Ms. Yu has such a good relationship with her mother.”

“Of course.”

Yu Qinjiu responded, holding Lin Yingxiang’s hand. Her gaze fell on the contract spread out on the table. She paused for a few seconds.

She noticed a detail.

The short-term lease had been replaced with a long-term lease for six months.

She frowned and asked, “Isn’t this a mistake? I signed for one month. Now it’s become six months?”

The agent was stunned. He glanced at Lin Yingxiang, who was sitting beside her, and looked confused.

“But… your mother just asked me to negotiate with the landlord and change the lease to six months.”