Chapter 86: A Family
“It’s almost the end of the year. When the New Year cos, I’ll bring her over to celebrate here together.”
After sitting on the couch for a while, Xu Qing got up and went to the kitchen to check how the food was coming along. He also wanted to give Zhou Suzhi a heads-up, lowering his voice and gesturing towards Jiang He, who was sitting on the living room couch.
“Together for New Year’s?” Zhou Suzhi was a bit surprised. “She’s not going ho?”
“Didn’t I tell you last ti? She’s all alone. Where does she have a ho to go to?”
“What?”
Zhou Suzhi paused with the spatula in her hand, frowned, and asked, “You weren’t joking last ti?”
“Of course not.”
“……”
“She’s my girlfriend. Isn’t it good to bring her here for New Year’s? Otherwise, she’d just be alone at my place, eating instant noodles. While we’re here eating dumplings and watching the Spring Festival Gala, she’d be boiling hot water all by herself… So pitiful.”
“Alright, alright. It’s just New Year’s, no big deal. Just bring her over.” Zhou Suzhi was impatient. “That’s settled then.”
After a brief pause, she called out to Xu Qing, who was about to leave the kitchen: “You two… what’s your situation now?”
“Boyfriend and girlfriend. I’ve brought her here to et you. What else could it be?”
“You live together every day?”
“Pretty much.”
Zhou Suzhi was silent for a mont. She wanted to say sothing but didn’t know how to put it, so she just asked, “Do you have enough money to support a girlfriend?”
“Yeah, if I have a girlfriend, I’ll figure out a way to earn more. Don’t worry.”
Xu Qing even bought another computer for this reason. If Jiang He wanted to play gas, one computer between them just wouldn’t be enough unless one used it during the day and the other played all night.
“You two just live your little life happily. If I really can’t make ends et one day, I’ll let Dad find a job. I’m still young, so I want to try doing sothing I like. No need to worry so much.” Xu Qing added, “You can also help convince Dad when you have ti.”
“So, you do know to let him help you find a job?” Zhou Suzhi shot him a sideways glance.
“We’re family. It’s just that… he doesn’t understand .” Xu Qing shook his head. “Sure, getting a job arranged for is fine, but I’m still young. I want to try doing what I like. If it doesn’t work out, that’s okay.
Even if it turns out he was right, and I fail at everything, at least I’ll know and accept it. Otherwise, if I just settle down now, do you think I’d be content? In a few years, when I’m older, I won’t have the freedom to do what I want. By then, it’d be too late for regrets.”
“As long as you know what you’re doing.” Zhou Suzhi glanced at Jiang He, who was sitting obediently on the couch, and felt reassured.
“Don’t ss around. Whatever you do, do it properly. Your dad just doesn’t want you to end up like your cousin Xiaowen at your aunt’s house… Hand that plate. Anyway, having a girlfriend to keep you in check—she does keep you in line, right?”
“She does, she does.”
“Good, then take this out.”
The fragrant stir-fried pork with garlic scapes was brought to the table by Xu Qing. Zhou Suzhi continued working in the kitchen. Not wanting to be in the way, Xu Qing returned to the couch to watch TV with Jiang He.
“What’s this?” At so point, Jiang He had changed the channel.
“This is a flat-screen TV,” Jiang He said.
“…Yeah, it is a flat-screen TV.”
Xu Qing teased her and didn’t ask further, leaning on the couch and playing with her hand.
Her hand was smooth, with nothing unusual about it. He couldn’t figure out how she had so much strength.
Could it be inner energy?
Jiang He’s eyelids twitched, but she didn’t react, as if nothing had happened, continuing to watch TV while sneaking glances at Xu Qing from the corner of her eye.
This guy really liked fiddling with her hands.
Is this what liking soone is?
If it were Second Boss playing with her hands… ugh, Second Boss would never have such a weird hobby.
She thought about this while listening to the clanging sounds from the kitchen. Suddenly, she turned Xu Qing’s arm towards her.
“Hm?” Xu Qing tilted his head. “What are you doing?”
“Let see.”
Jiang He looked seriously at Xu Qing’s hand, thinking about what she liked about him.
His hands were a bit big, with clean, neatly trimd nails. The palms were thick and sturdy…
Not very interesting?
“You like playing with my hands too?” Xu Qing was puzzled. Was she reading his palm?
“No.” Jiang He let go of his hand and tossed it aside.
“Then what was that for?”
Xu Qing spread his hand out and looked at his palm. The lines were ordinary, nothing special. “Do you know how to read palms?”
“No.”
“Alright then. I thought all you wanderers knew a few tricks.”
As night gradually fell, the scent of food filled the living room. The two “useless mbers of society” sat on the couch, waiting for dinner and watching people on TV fly around and fight.
Xu Qing had asked her if the scenes resembled her past experiences. Her answer was a definitive no. Wielding a sword ant killing enemies, not clashing blades for hours before flying off…
The blades would get dull; no weapon could take that kind of abuse.
Plus, after a fight, swords had to be cleaned. Just shoving a dirty blade back into the sheath would make it stink—disgusting.
But thankfully, those days were behind her now.
After mooching a al off his parents, Xu Qing didn’t say much. Xu Wenbin, who had been brooding in the study all day, was ready to lecture him. But seeing Xu Qing and Jiang He together at the table, he held back.
As much as he hated to admit it, this kid wasn’t the sa as before.
D*mn, he even understood so things better than his old man.
“Dad, you two get so rest. We’re heading back.”
After washing the dishes, Xu Qing didn’t linger. He grabbed their coats, ready to leave.
“Not staying a bit longer?” Xu Wenbin asked.
“No, it’s getting late.”
He helped Jiang He put on her coat, adjusted her scarf and hat, and made sure she was wrapped up against the cold.
“What’s this?” Zhou Suzhi noticed a round object that had fallen to the ground and rolled a little. She picked it up curiously—a potato.
A potato in her coat pocket?
For a second, she thought Xu Qing had swiped it from the kitchen.
“She’s missing ‘Earth’ in her Five Elents. Carrying this is like a protective charm.” Xu Qing took it and tucked it back into Jiang He’s pocket.
“Missing ‘Earth’ and carrying a potato?” Zhou Suzhi was baffled by this logic.
That’s literally down-to-earth.
“Yep. It works well—her luck’s been great.”
Xu Qing was making stuff up. He couldn’t exactly say it was to keep her from suddenly zipping back a thousand years.
Though history so far suggested Jiang He wasn’t going back… If she liked carrying it, so be it.
Zhou Suzhi shook her head. She couldn’t understand these young people’s quirky ideas.
“Next ti, I’ll fry so potatoes for you. Maybe eating them works better.”
“Great, she loves potatoes.” Xu Qing grinned.
“Thank you, Auntie.”
Jiang He awkwardly tried to bow, copying what she’d seen on TV. Her hat flopped down over her face, making Zhou Suzhi laugh in surprise.
This girl was so nervous, just like when she had t Xu Qing’s grandma back then.
“Alright, alright. It’s dark out, be careful on the way.”
“Okay, we’re off.”
Xu Qing called out and led Jiang He out the door.
Zhou Suzhi stopped at the doorway, watching them head downstairs. She sighed.
They really did look good together. She just hoped they wouldn’t run into any big conflicts.
This was good enough.
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