Chapter Twenty-three (Part 1)

After a work day Chen Yu Bai took An Xiao Li to the hospital to visit Qin Sang.

On the way home from the hospital, An Xiao Li was crying because she was sad that Qin Sang was both heartbroken and in physical pain. Chen Yu Bai drove and pa.s.sed An Xiao Li tissues at the same time. By the time they arrived at his house, her voice was hoa.r.s.e. He sighed, carried her out of the car and upstairs into his house.

Inside the living room Chen Yu Bai put Xiao Li on the sofa and went into the kitchen to pour her a gla.s.s of water. Then he pa.s.sed her the gla.s.s of water and hugged her on the sofa. ‘Don’t cry anymore.’

Chen Yu Bai wasn’t a sweet talker nor did he know how to comfort someone else so he didn’t know what to say to comfort Xiao Li. A while later she was still crying, he hugged her tighter and wiped her tears. ‘This weekend can you come to my parents’ house for dinner?’

An Xiao Li cried and shook her head at the same time, she wasn’t in the mood to go anywhere.

Chen Yu Bai was unhappy Xiao Li rejected an invite to eat at his parents’ house and he pinched her cheek. She bent her head and bit his hand to vent her sad mood. They quietly played around for a while and her mood improved. She rested against his chest. ‘Do you think one day you’ll suddenly have a change of heart, find another girl and treat her better than me?’

Chen Yu Bai rubbed Xiao Li’s head. ‘If this weekend you come with me to eat dinner with my parents’ house then I won’t suddenly have a change of heart.’

‘Then beg me and I’ll go,’ An Xiao Li said.

Chen Yu Bai became quiet, Xiao Li tilted her head up and looked at him. But his hand pressed her head down so she couldn’t see him. ‘I’m begging you…’

‘Begging me what?’ An Xiao Li asked.

Chen Yu Bai never thought there’d be a day that he’d beg another person. ‘I’m begging you to come with me to my parents’ house for dinner.’

‘Um,’ An Xiao Li said shyly.

Chen Yu Bai felt an itchy feeling all over, even his teeth itched. He kissed Xiao Li and his breathing was heavy.

It was a cool summer night. After a long time of pleasure, Chen Yu Bai covered Xiao Li’s body with a bed sheet and hugged her. ‘Xiao Li, let’s get married.’

An Xiao Li was tired and her body was limp. ‘That’s too troublesome. Miss Chen and Mr An won’t agree.’

‘I’ll find a way to convince them,’ Chen Yu Bai said.

‘It seems your mum doesn’t like me,’ An Xiao Li said.

‘I like you,’ Chen Yu Bai said.

Chen Yu Bai confessed his feelings in such a casual manner that the whole house was quiet. An Xiao Li widened her eyes, she looked at the dark night and couldn’t believe what she heard. She felt his strong heartbeat against her back.

‘Then… talk about it later. First I’ll see if you can convince our families,’ An Xiao Li said softly.

Chen Yu Bai laughed, rubbed his nose on the back of Xiao Li’s neck and hugged her tighter from behind.

At Chen Yu Bai’s parents’ house, An Xiao Li thought that Chen Yu Bai looked like his dad, minus the beer belly and add a full set of black hair. The moment An Xiao Li saw Chen Yin Jiang’s shiny bald head, An Xiao Li remembered Miss Chen’s advice to scold the ‘bald old man’ and An Xiao Li felt her throat was choked with laughter.

Chen Yu Bai hugged Xiao Li’s shoulder and his hand moved slightly on her shoulder. She lifted her head and he glared at her.

The kids of the Chen household liked An Xiao Li’s carefree att.i.tude and they showed her around the house. In the living room only Chen Yu Bai and his parents were left.

Mrs Chen senior sighed and looked at her son sadly. ‘Yu Bai, I really don’t like her.’

Chen Yin Jiang nodded his head slowly and agreed with his wife’s thoughts. ‘She’s a good girl, but she’s not suitable to be our daughter-in-law.’

Chen Yu Bai comfortably sat on the sofa and drank tea.

Chen Yin Jiang was frustrated with his son’s att.i.tude. ‘Chen Yu Bai.’

Chen Yu Bai lifted his head from his cup of tea and looked coldly at his dad. ‘I don’t have an opinion. But if I’m going to marry, it has to be her.’

Chen Yu Bai’s tone was gentle, but Mr and Mrs Chen senior’s faces paled.

Compared to Chen Yu Bai marrying a girl that Mr and Mrs Chen senior didn’t like, Mr and Mrs Chen senior’s main worry was their genius, brilliant, elegant and perfect son – following principles and not marrying.

Chen Yu Bai put his cup of tea on the coffee table. ‘I respect both of your opinions so I brought her here to meet both of you. If you both give your blessings then I’ll start wedding preparations. If you both really don’t want to give your blessings then forget about me marrying.’

Chen Yu Bai’s tone of voice was firm, Mrs Chen senior succ.u.mbed first and pulled Mr Chen senior’s shirt sleeve. Mr Chen senior felt helpless and angry. ‘Insolent kid!’

An Xiao Li felt dinner at the Chen household was a scary sight. At the long dining table there were about two dozen people. It seemed like Chen Yu Bai was an important person in the Chen household, he sat on the left side of Chen Yin Jiang and Chen Yu Bai forced An Xiao Li to sit next to Chen Yu Bai on his right.

The kids that played with An Xiao Li before sat quietly at the dining table, all their little heads were lowered and breathlessly ate their dinner.

An Xiao Li wasn’t used to eating with fancy utensils, she could only make clinking noises with the fancy utensils. Mrs Chen senior stared at An Xiao Li anxiously, finally Mrs Chen senior succeeded and An Xiao Li wasn’t in the mood to try to eat.

An Xiao Li realised little Bai grew up under such circ.u.mstances, no wonder he was so cold, she felt he was really pitiful. She tilted her head and with sympathetic eyes she faced little Bai.

Chen Yu Bai cut up all the food on his plate and pushed his plate in front of Xiao Li.

An Xiao Li felt that Chen Yu Bai’s mood improved after the frustrating dinner at his parents’ house. If any of his family members tried to talk to him, he glared at them and they looked like they were scared to death. Chen Yu Bai only sat for a little while after dinner then he abruptly farewell his parents, stood and left with An Xiao Li.

In the car, An Xiao Li fretted and felt utterly defeated.

‘I’ll take you out, ok?’ Chen Yu Bai asked happily.

An Xiao Li looked at Chen Yu Bai and she hesitated to tell him about her thoughts for a while. ‘Chen Yu Bai, it seems your parents don’t like me, why don’t we… temporarily forget about marriage?’

Suddenly Chen Yu Bai slammed the brakes hard, An Xiao Li flung forward. She almost flew out of the car, her shaky hands gripped her seatbelt and the side of her seat. She slowly turned her head and saw his scary expression so she laughed sweetly. ‘I… was joking.’

Chen Yu Bai relaxed his fisted hands, snorted and let Xiao Li’s tasteless joke slide.

End of Chapter Twenty-three (Part 1)