Appearing on a Marriage Show Before Getting Divorced - Chapter 39

Chu Nian hadn’t slept this well in a very long time. In her arms was the soft, warm weight of Zhengzhi, and the embrace she leaned into was so warm and familiar. That scent made a smile linger on her lips even in her sleep.

Early in the morning, the two “old ladies” came over to snag a meal again. They didn’t expect the family of three to still be asleep. The scene was beautiful, like a magazine cover; Chu Nian’s face, which had been sallow and bloodless for so long, finally regained a hint of its former porcelain fairness.

Ruan Qiu and Chu Qing peeked through the door. Chu Qing smiled softly. “It’s so wonderful.”

Ruan Qiu didn’t care for formalities. She walked straight over, lifted the quilt, stepped in with her long legs, and crawled inside. She hugged Ruan Youran from behind. “Let’s do a group huddle!”

With that, everyone woke up. Ruan Youran turned around with bleary eyes to look at Ruan Qiu. “Mom, what are you doing???”

She had slept well last night too. Her heart, which had been floating in pain for so long, finally found a place to rest while holding these two. But with her dream interrupted, she stared at Ruan Qiu. Has this old lady gone crazy first thing in the morning? Why is she grinning like an idiot and pinching my waist?

Ruan Qiu was ecstatic. She gestured to Chu Qing. “Quick, Madam, take a picture of us!”

Such a beautiful moment had to be recorded.

Chu Qing was also laughing. She obediently took out her phone and started filming. The sunlight was just right, the temperature was just right, and the family’s smiles were just right.

Youran was going crazy. “What are you doing? Why do you keep poking me?”

Zhengzhi giggled like a little eggplant, her feet kicking her grandma’s face. “Go away!”

Chu Nian laughed too. She kissed Zhengzhi and looked up at Ruan Youran, feeling a warm current flowing through her heart.

Breakfast was prepared by the seniors this time. Chu Qing’s skills were decent, and Ruan Qiu had spent her later years researching the best ways to eat. They made a fusion feast: sandwiches and pasta alongside steamed buns, tofu pudding, and deep-fried dough sticks. The family ate happily.

After breakfast, the grandmothers played with Zhengzhi. Zhengzhi was a curious one; she claimed to dislike the bear her grandma bought, yet she wouldn’t let go of it when she slept.

Ruan Youran straightened her clothes to head out. Chu Nian watched her, pursing her lips.

Youran stared into her eyes. “What do you want to ask?”

Faced with such directness, Chu Nian asked, “Where are you going? Will you be back for dinner?”

Youran smiled. She reached out and lightly flicked Chu Nian’s cheek, much like she teased Zhengzhi. “Going to see Auntie Sophia. I’ll be back for dinner. I want fried bean sauce noodles.”

Chu Nian’s face flushed. She lowered her head. “Okay.”

Ruan Qiu saw this and whispered to Chu Qing, “This feels good. An old married couple, yet she can still blush like a young girl.”

Chu Qing shot her a look. “They’re only thirty. What ‘old married couple’?”

Ruan Qiu giggled and hugged Chu Qing. Chu Qing jumped. “What are you doing? The child is right here.”

Zhengzhi’s dark eyes stared at them. Ruan Qiu pointed a finger. “What’s this? Didn’t Grandma tell you many times? When adults are being intimate, you have to cover your eyes.”

“Oh.” Zhengzhi covered her eyes but couldn’t help leaving a few gaps between her small fingers.

Ruan Qiu leaned in and gave a loud “mwah” kiss. Chu Qing’s face turned red. Ruan Qiu smirked, looking proud. “See? I’ve still got it. I’m no worse than the youngsters.”

Just as she said that, Chu Nian hurried over and scooped Zhengzhi away. Though she didn’t speak, her eyes clearly told Ruan Qiu: Mom, please don’t corrupt the child.

While the family was harmonious at home, Ruan Youran indeed went to see Auntie Sophia. This time, her inquiry wasn’t about physical health, but psychological. Putting herself in Chu Nian’s shoes—having experienced so much since childhood—Youran feared a total collapse. She wanted Chu Nian to be healthy in both body and mind.

Sophia smiled as she listened to Youran’s thoughts. Leaning back in her chair, she said, “Jianjian, don’t be so anxious. Why does it look like you’re the one who’s a bit off now?”

Youran sighed. “It doesn’t matter for me, as long as she is well.”

“That’s not how it works,” Sophia shook her head. “A couple is one entity. You always want her to be happy, but don’t you know she wants you to be happy too?”

This made Youran freeze. Yes, she had neglected that point lately.

Sophia smiled. “Troubles between a couple are always easy to solve. The main thing for Nian Nian is to avoid shocks and to feel as much warmth and love as possible.”

Feel warmth and love… Simple to say, hard to practice.

Seeing Youran’s confusion, Sophia laughed. “Isn’t there a Chinese saying? ‘A couple’s quarrel starts at the head of the bed and ends at the foot of the bed.'”

Youran’s face heated up. “Auntie, you even know that?”

Sophia ignored the attempt to change the subject. “Spend more time with her. Give her warmth. More physical contact. You’re family; isn’t that normal? When the time is right, you can even be intimate in bed… Try my method. Sometimes it works better than any medicine.”

Intimate in bed… Those words set a fire in Youran’s heart. Lately, she had been busy nourishing Chu Nian’s body with all sorts of supplements—ginseng, sea cucumber, and more. Chu Nian had a small appetite and couldn’t eat much. Zhengzhi was too young for such “heating” foods. The rest ended up in Youran’s stomach. Sometimes at night, she felt her body burning with a restless energy.

Sophia’s words acted like a suggestion, plucking at a heart that was already stir-crazy.

Their last time being intimate… Youran looked at the sky as she left the hospital. It wasn’t a pleasant memory. At the time, she didn’t know about Chu Nian’s illness. They had agreed to a “last time” before divorcing. After a screaming match, the scene was intense; Chu Nian refused to take off her clothes, there was quantity but no quality, she was never focused and even cried. It was a frustrating, unhappy memory.

At noon, Youran returned home and immediately smelled the savory aroma of the meat sauce for the noodles.

She opened the door, and Zhengzhi dropped her toys like a happy puppy, wagging her “tail” to greet her. She hugged Youran’s leg. “Mamma-Youran, you’re back!”

Youran smiled, washed her hands, and pinched Zhengzhi’s cheek. “Were you good today?”

Just then, Chu Nian emerged wearing an apron and holding a spatula. “You’re back?” Her voice was light and tender. “The noodles are almost ready. Eat a little less; you’ve had too much ‘heating’ food lately.”

Hearing the words “heating food,” Youran nodded. For some reason, she suddenly didn’t dare look up at Chu Nian. Chu Nian looked at her with slight confusion.

Zhengzhi started tattling, pointing to a messy pile of Legos. “Mamma-Youran, look!”

“What happened?” Normally, Zhengzhi was a pro at building and had a bit of OCD; she always put things away neatly.

Zhengzhi pouted. “Grandma said she wanted to race me. After she lost, she got mad and kicked it all away.”

Youran: “…” That sounds exactly like something my mom would do. So childish.

“Alright.” Youran picked Zhengzhi up and sat her on her lap, kissing her forehead. “Ignore that mean old lady. Acting like that just because she lost—no grace at all. Mamma-Youran will play with you.”

The thick bean sauce with fragrant meat was poured into the bowl. Chu Nian sprinkled chopped scallions and drizzled hot oil, letting the aroma bloom. Looking at the golden, glistening sauce, she served the chewy noodles and called them to eat.

When she entered the living room, she froze. She saw Youran pinching Zhengzhi’s face, and Zhengzhi’s little feet were kicking her arm as she wailed, “Mwah! Mamma-Youran, you lost! You can’t cheat!”

Youran said indignantly, “Zhengzhi, don’t you know how to respect your elders? Why did you build so fast? To make me look stupid? No way, I’m taking this toy apart today!”

Chu Nian: “…” After a silence, she said slowly, “Dinner time.”

The big one and the little one let go instantly. They looked at Chu Nian with identical expectant eyes and then ran to the dining table with a carbon-copy “waddling” gait. Chu Nian couldn’t help but laugh.

Chu Nian’s cooking was superb. The noodles were springy, and the pork bits were soaked in the sauce’s flavor. Youran mixed her own bowl and handed it to Chu Nian. “Eat this.”

Chu Nian was stunned but instinctively took it. Zhengzhi looked up with a grinning face. “I want Mamma-Youran to mix mine too!”

Youran grinned like a flower. “You want me to mix yours too?”

Zhengzhi nodded, her grape-like eyes full of hope.

Youran said solemnly, “No.”

Zhengzhi: “…”

Chu Nian laughed again. Looking at her daughter’s aggrieved “steamed bun” face, she said softly, “Alright, stop bullying her.”

Zhengzhi felt wronged. She really wanted her two moms to get along, but lately, while they seemed to be getting better, she felt they didn’t love her as much as before. Sometimes, she felt they just wanted her to find somewhere else to go.

After dinner, Chu Nian went to wash the dishes. Youran looked at her. “I’ll do it.” Then she glanced at Zhengzhi. “Zhengzhi, bring your little stool over. Mamma-Youran will teach you how to wash dishes. It’s fun!”

She was still a child; Zhengzhi never expected her biological mother would play her like this. She nodded. “Mmm, coming!”

Chu Nian: “…”

Watching the big one and the little one at the sink, Chu Nian felt her heart being stroked by sunlight. Zhengzhi was smart; though her hands were small, she learned fast. Youran watched her wash quickly and cleanly. “Zhengzhi, is it fun?”

“Fun!” Zhengzhi nodded. There were bubbles!

Youran smirked. “Stop playing. Go back to your toys. If you finish them all, what will Mamma-Youran have left to play with?”

Zhengzhi shook her head, her small hands gripping a bowl. “No, Zhengzhi wants to play.”

Youran sighed with mock helplessness. “Alright, I’ll be selfless and let you have the last few bowls.”

Chu Nian: “…” When they were young, Youran used the same tricks on her. She knew exactly what was happening but was helpless to stop it.

As time flew by, Youran was now “scamming” her own child. For some reason, Chu Nian’s eyes grew hot. Fearing she would cry again, she went to the bathroom to wash clothes. Many of her and Youran’s clothes needed to be hand-washed, especially the undergarments; she didn’t want to leave them to anyone else.

After bullying her daughter, Youran didn’t see Chu Nian. She found her in the bathroom, crouching over the laundry. Frowning imperceptibly, she leaned against the door. “Didn’t I tell you not to work?”

Chu Nian looked at her. “It’s fine. The doctor said as long as it’s not strenuous exercise.” If she couldn’t even do a bit of housework, wouldn’t she be useless?

Youran sighed. She didn’t stop her directly but walked over, squeezed onto the small stool behind her with her long legs, and hugged Chu Nian from behind. She breathed into her ear, “Then I’ll wash with you.”

Chu Nian’s face turned red like a sunset cloud. Her body even trembled slightly. A sensation both strange and familiar spread from her ear. Youran grabbed her hands, dipped them into the warm water, and washed the clothes stroke by stroke.

Chu Nian was paralyzed like a puppet, her body moved only by Youran. Once they were finished, Youran rested her chin on Chu Nian’s shoulder and whispered, “If you aren’t obedient, I don’t mind doing some ‘strenuous exercise’ with you.”

Chu Nian: “…” Like an electric shock, she broke free from Youran’s embrace and stood up.

Zhengzhi, who had just finished the dishes and ran over for praise, froze. She looked at Chu Nian. “Mamma, your face is so red. Like a monkey’s butt.” She then tilted her body to show them her own little rear.

Chu Nian was mortified. Her heart was a mess of rapid beats. Youran raised an eyebrow. “Go, go, go! Go read your books. Stop causing trouble here.”

Zhengzhi felt so wronged. She wanted to wash clothes with the mothers too; why were they always chasing her away?

After washing up, Youran wanted to make Chu Nian take a nap, but she received a call from Sister Hui. Sister Hui had somehow gotten a bunch of local specialties meant to nourish the heart. Youran laughed helplessly. “Alright, Sister Hui, I get it. I’ll come pick them up. Yes, yes, don’t worry.”

Chu Nian heard this and stood aside, watching Youran silently. Youran talked while tucking her phone between her shoulder and ear, putting on her jacket. She hung up with a smile and was about to open the door when suddenly, her waist was gripped. Someone had hugged her from behind.

Familiar fragrance, soft hair. Youran froze. She turned to look at Chu Nian. Chu Nian was holding her waist tightly, looking into her eyes.

Youran immediately understood. She wanted to laugh but felt a bit mischievous. She raised an eyebrow. “What? Can’t you see I’m going out?”

Chu Nian pursed her lips, took a deep breath, and said as if making a monumental decision: “I don’t want you to see her.”

Youran laughed inwardly. Her heart felt like it was being trampled by a thousand joyful ponies, kicking up dust. Keeping a straight face, she took Chu Nian’s hand and looked into her eyes. “Oh? And how do you plan to keep me here?”