Chapter 6

(25)

I stood in the arrivals area of Xinxin International Airport, pulling along my small suitcase, and took off my sweatshirt, draping it over my arm.

I thought for a bit, then thought some more.

And called Yan Han.

“Hello?”

“Hi. Um, um…” I stammered, unsure how to begin.

“What’s wrong?”

Yan Han sounded confused.

It was only seven in the morning, after all.

“I’m at Xinxin Airport. Can you come pick me up?”

“…” Yan Han’s voice paused as if he was just coming to his senses. “What?”

“Well, your place is a transportation hub, right? I had a layover here. Hehehe…”

It sounded like he had switched to speakerphone. I could hear him throwing off his covers and then a thud as he jumped out of bed.

“I’ll be right there. Find a Starbucks and wait for me.”

I glanced at the nearby shops. “It’s too early, I don’t think it’s open yet. Hehehe.”

I tried my best to laugh, but it came out dry.

Yan Han sounded like he chuckled too. His voice came closer to the mic, deep enough to make my ears burn.

“Then don’t eat yet. Wait for me, I’ll take you somewhere nice.”

(26)

Coming to see him really was a spur-of-the-moment decision.

Yan Han’s department had gone on break early, but my crappy major still had a summer semester, which kept me stuck for two extra weeks.

The moment I submitted my final assignment, I opened an app to check for flights.

What a coincidence, there was one landing in his city that very night.

I had to transfer anyway.

Heading in the opposite direction, running a few hundred more kilometers — that’s still a chance for a turnaround.

I waited at the meeting point near the arrivals exit. After waiting too long and getting tired, I sat on my suitcase with my legs crossed, staring eagerly toward the passageway from the parking lot.

A tall figure came running over. His medium-short hair was unkempt, bouncing with every step.

He was stopped by the security checkpoint, and while being searched, he raised his right hand and waved at me.

His smile was brilliant, dazzling like the rising sun.

It was Yan Han.

He ran toward me, arms spread wide like he was about to hug me.

I got up, tossed my suitcase and sweatshirt to the ground, opened my arms, and threw myself into his embrace.

He was so warm.

His T-shirt was so thin that when I wrapped my arms around his back, I could feel the firmness of his muscles.

“I’ll help you… with your suitcase.”

I looked up slightly. “Huh?”

Yan Han froze for a second, then smiled and hugged me tighter, his palm pressing gently against my back.

“It’s nothing.”

(27)

“Did you reached out earlier to help me with my suitcase?”

I asked after a moment of silence, sitting in the car.

“No,” Yan Han replied seriously. “I just wanted to hug you.”

“Really?” I narrowed my eyes and scrutinized him.

“…” Yan Han glanced at me. “…Alright, I didn’t expect you’d actually let me hug you.”

What misconception did I gave you?

Why wouldn’t I let you hug me?

I’d let you hug me even with our clothes off, seriously.

(smile.jpg)

(28)

His idea of something nice turned out to be spicy soup.

I actually had a hunch.

Ever since I found out the person I liked was from Yumi province, I’d done a bit of research.

He was driving a huge SUV, winding through narrow streets with twists and turns, before finally parking by the roadside.

After pulling the handbrake and turning off the engine, I turned to look at him and applauded him for his driving skills.

You have to understand that driving in Australia and driving in China are two completely different concepts.

I’d been driving here for three years, but the moment I came back to China, I didn’t dare touch the steering wheel.

“You’re amazing!”

Sparkly-eyed.

He chuckled and ruffled my hair. “Let’s go.”

It was hard to describe how I felt the first time I drank spicy soup.

I felt like if marrying him meant I’d have to drink this every day, I was a little scared.

But the next day, he took me to another place.

And suddenly I felt fine again. I could be the daughter-in-law of Yumi province.

Later, I found out that the first place Yan Han took me to was the one he thought was the most famous.

Fang-something-shan.

A special treat for out-of-towners.

(29)

He also took me to a local long-established shop for braised noodles.

I’ve eaten braised noodles before. Yan Han once made them at home, using a rich broth stewed with lamb bones all day.

This place was packed. We waited outside for a while before finally getting a seat.

When the noodles were served, the soup was milky white, with a few slices of meat floating on top. It smelled amazing.

I leaned in for a sip of the broth and nodded.

“Not bad.”

Yan Han brought over two cold side dishes and motioned for me to try them too.

I’d never seen either of them before.

They were refreshing, simple ingredients, but the preparation gave them entirely different flavors.

“Delicious!”

I praised them and gave a big thumbs-up.

Yan Han held his chopsticks in hand, watching me with a bright smile, his dark eyes glowing.

Today, he styled his hair in an American-style forward quiff and wore a dark-colored trendy T-shirt. I could tell he’d dressed up just for me.

“Try the noodles.”

With such a beauty in front of me, even the noodles seemed a bit bland in comparison.

“Not as good as the ones you make.”

I took a bite, couldn’t even taste the flavor, and just blindly complimented him with a smile in my eyes.

Why did it suddenly get so quiet around us?

It made me sound really loud.

The nearby diners all turned to look at me, their eyes practically spelling out four big characters:

[Definitely not a local]

(30)

Yumi Province Must-Eat List—

Cold gluten noodles

Steamed shredded carrot with rice flour

Yan Han

Not listed in order of importance.

(31)

On the last night before I left, Yan Han drove me to the new district for hotpot. It was a national chain—I’d had it in other cities before.

While we were eating, he seemed to run into someone he knew and chatted for a while at the checkout counter.

I rested my chin on my hand and peeked over. I saw him talking to an older uncle.

The uncle looked over in my direction, smiled, and waved at me.

After saying goodbye, Yan Han walked back over.

“Who was that ya?”

I asked curiously.

“The manager here.”

“Huh?” I was puzzled. “How do you know the manager here?”

“This is my family’s restaurant.”

He said casually, like it was no big deal.

Realization hit me. “Oh, your family has a franchise?”

Yan Han paused for a second, then pointed up at the sign above the restaurant door as we walked out.

“Not a franchise. It’s directly owned.”

[Yan Hotpot]

Yan Hotpot??

It finally clicked.

“For real?” I asked, stunned.

Yan Han nodded, looking a little shy as he smiled.

It wasn’t until I got into the car that I came back to my senses.

“No wonder you always worked part-time at restaurants,” I turned to him. “You were secretly learning the trade ya.”

“Exactly.” Yan Han smiled and nodded. He’d quit his job at McDonald’s a while back and moved on to a high-end Chinese restaurant in a casino to work as a server.

“…” I suddenly felt a bit of a low selt-esteem. The person was richer than me and still worked harder.

I pouted slightly, feeling a little down.

Yan Han noticed right away and asked with concern, “What’s wrong? Why the long face?”

“I feel so useless ah.”

“How could you be?” Yan Han frowned. “You’ve got great grades, you’re talented at drawing, and you’re already living independently at such a young age. You’re amazing.”

“Oh, yeah, that’s true oh.” His praise made me grin sheepishly.

After dinner, we went for a walk around the plaza near the new district’s landmark.

The summer night breeze was refreshing, and there were many people strolling along the boardwalk by the lake.

When the crowd thickened, Yan Han stayed very close to me. He made sure I walked on the inside, shielding me from the lake’s edge.

The corn-shaped¹玉米 Yumi means corn-which is where YH is from, Yumi Province. landmark building was lit up in a bright yellow, and honestly, it looked kind of cute.

“Li Qingze,” Yan Han called my name, “wanna eat an ice cream cone?”

“Eat!”

“I’ll go buy one.”

He told me to wait under a tree where there weren’t many people, then disappeared into the crowd, queuing up at the dessert stall with a bunch of kids.

After a few minutes, he came striding back with nothing but a cone in his hand.

“You’re not having one?”

“You have it.” He looked at me with those deep black eyes, gaze focused and gentle.

I took the cone from him and then held it up to his mouth.

“You take the first bite.”

Yan Han paused, then lowered his head and bit into it. A smudge of white ice cream stuck to his thin lips.

I really wanted to kiss him.

That thought flashed through my mind as I brought the cone to my mouth, just about to take a bite—

When I was suddenly kissed.

(32)

“He kissed me, and just like that, we got together.”

The short holiday ended, and back at school, I was lining up with Liu Leyao at a café to get breakfast.

“WTF!”

Liu Leyao let out a low shout, and a few people in front of us turned to look.

My temple twitched.

“Watch your manners…”

Liu Leyao reached over and pinched the soft flesh on my arm.

“When did this happen? Why are you only telling me now?”

“It’s been a month. I figured we’d be seeing each other once I got back anyway, so I didn’t say anything on WeChat.”

Liu Leyao was thoroughly pissed.

“Did you forget I’m also from Z City? You came and hung out with him every day and didn’t even tell me. You—you!”

“Saw color, forgot friends.²To neglect one’s friends when smitten with a new love.“I asked her sincerely. “Is that the phrase you’re looking for?”

Liu Leyao stared at me and sneered. “Matcha latte. No sugar. You’re buying.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

When it was my turn to order, I asked for three cups.

There were only two of us, so why three?

Because my boyfriend was coming to see me la!

(33)

October was the most beautiful season in Western Australia.

The stretches of jacaranda trees formed a picturesque contrast with the azure Swan Lake.

Yan Han had cut down on his work hours, leaving most of his time to spend with me.

We drove north along the coastline, all the way to the westernmost edge of the continent, to see the white shell beach and the pink lake.

There were two or three birds soaring in the blue sky, but on the coastal highway, it was just the two of us.

Just us, our car, and the endless sea.

But we had each other, and that was enough.

We love each other, and that was enough.

(34)

“Why are you and Yan Han always off on your own? We can never find you guys.”

Ma Jiaming had set up a mahjong table at home and invited us, husband and husband, over.

He looked at me, a little displeased. “Don’t go forming little cliques, I’m warning you.”

Ma Jiaming had been my friend since language school. I valued our friendship.

Of course, it was also to stop him from saying anything inappropriate.

I hesitated for a moment, then decided to tell him.

“I’m with Yan Han.”

He froze. “What?”

“We’re dating.”

I said it calmly, but I saw his eyes grow wider and wider.

“Wait, so your parents actually told you to find someone from another province?” Ma Jiaming finally snapped out of it and said his first words.

I’m really convinced.

Isn’t that just another kind of regional discrimination against our Jiangjiang Province? (smile.jpg)

I walked into the living room and saw my boyfriend standing with Xu Pengpeng, mixing drinks.

I walked over and rested my chin in the crook of Yan Han’s neck.

“I told Ma Jiaming about us.”

Yan Han paused, turning to look at me in slight surprise.

Xu Pengpeng was still on the side, shake shake, and asked, “What about you two?”

“We’re dating.”

Xu Pengpeng froze mid-motion, stared at me and Yan Han pressed close together, and said through gritted teeth, “Cao³English in raw. This means fc***., I knew it!”

Yan Han chuckled and teased, “You’ve got gaydar too?”

Xu Pengpeng pointed at Yan Han with a scowl and said viciously, “No straight guy changes socks every single day!”

My friends are really great.

After I came out of the closet, they accepted it quickly and cheerfully sat down at the mahjong table.

I shuffled, drew tiles, and arranged my hand.

As satisfying as a Pung hand⁴It’s a winning hand composed entirely of triplets called “pung” or quads called “kong”, and a pair. This is harder to achieve than a regular hand that uses sequences, so it scores higher. in Mahjong.

Yan Han placed a mojito by my side, leaned both arms on the armrests of my chair, and tenderly kissed the top of my head.