Ye Qingli remembered a nursery rhyme from her childhood.
It was from so long ago that she couldn't recall the beginning, only a line: "On the twenty-eighth, prepare the dough; on the twenty-ninth, steam the buns; on New Year's Eve, stay up all night."
Because of this tradition, every year on the twenty-ninth, Zhang Luan would steam a huge pot of buns. As steam billowed from the pot, Ye Qingli reached out and grabbed one, only to jump back the next second, her fingertips turning bright red from the heat.
Zhang Luan calmly picked up a bun and placed it on a plate, glancing up to tease her. "Is it really that hot?"
"I just touched the hot water," Ye Qingli said pitifully.
Zhang Luan took her hand and looked it over. Maybe because her skin was so pale, it looked a bit alarming. She pulled Ye Qingli over to rinse it under cold water, muttering, "See, I told you not to touch it. You never help out, and when you finally do, you mess things up."
"...I was just trying to help."
"Stop pretending to look pitiful, or I'll hit you."
"..." Ye Qingli blinked and fell silent.
Is this what having a real mother is like?
Once all the buns were out, they were set aside in the kitchen to cool. Grandma couldn't figure out her phone, so she called for Zhang Luan's help. With the kitchen empty, Ye Qingli looked at the plump buns, went back to her room, grabbed her phone, took a picture, and sent it to Xiao Yu.
Today was the twenty-ninth of the twelfth lunar month. No matter where, everyone should be off work by now, including Xiao Yu's Taekwondo Gym. But he still took almost an hour to reply.
"Did you make these?"
"My mom did."
"Oh, so they're edible."
"..." He was already being sarcastic. Ye Qingli didn't want to argue, so she sent a speechless emoji and then asked, "Did you just wake up?"
Xiao Yu took off his jacket and glanced at the time. It was already afternoon, and she was asking if he'd just woken up—like he was some kind of pig. He gritted his teeth slightly and replied, "No, I was just sending Xu Qingsong off. I just got inside."
Ye Qingli was surprised. "Xu Qingsong left?"
"Yeah. Tomorrow's New Year's Eve. His mom had been nagging him to come home for days, so he finally left."
"It's better this way—finally some peace and quiet in the house," he added.
Xiao Yu always said the opposite of what he meant. This was New Year's, not just some ordinary holiday. On a day meant for family reunions, how could he not feel lonely? Xu Qingsong was his best friend, and he couldn't seriously think that way—he must have wanted someone to be with him.
Ye Qingli stared at his message, her long lashes drooping, casting shadows under her eyes.
She felt sorrier for him than ever.
Here he was, in the prime of his youth, during the happiest time of year, and yet he was all alone.
How tragic.
Suddenly, Ye Qingli made a decision.
She walked resolutely to the master bedroom door and pushed it open. Grandma was fiddling with her phone, wearing reading glasses, while Zhang Luan sat beside her, teaching her how to use an app. Ye Yaohui had just hung up a call as she entered.
All three looked up at her. Ye Qingli's heart pounded from the attention. Seeing her fidgeting with her fingers and not saying anything, Grandma tilted her head and asked gently, "What's wrong, Qingqing? Why aren't you saying anything?"
"Grandma, Dad, Mom," she began, her voice trembling slightly. She gripped the hem of her shirt tightly, her fingertips whitening from the pressure. Clearing her throat, she continued, "I need to confess something to you. I'm actually in a relationship."
"What? What?"
Grandma couldn't process it right away; she just gaped in shock. Zhang Luan was momentarily stunned, then a thought hit her. "I knew something was off with you in the car that day! So you really do have a boyfriend?"
Ye Qingli's legs were shaking from nervousness. "Yes."
"Watch your tone. Don't scare her," Ye Yaohui said to Zhang Luan, then turned to Ye Qingli. His first reaction wasn't blame but a smile. "When did this happen? Why didn't you tell us sooner?"
He thought it was normal for his daughter to have some privacy at her age. It was perfectly natural for her to be in a relationship at this age. What mattered was her courage to admit it—that showed she was responsible for her feelings.
Ye Qingli bit her lip and said slowly, "Because I had to."
"What do you mean?" Ye Yaohui didn't understand.
"I mean... I want to go spend New Year's with him..."
She said the last few words very softly; if the room hadn't been so quiet, they wouldn't have heard her. Zhang Luan immediately shot up from the bed, her eyes wide. "What?! Ye Qingli, say that again!"
Ye Qingli knew she wouldn't agree, but she didn't expect such a strong reaction. The loud voice made her step back in fright. Even Grandma, who was a bit hard of hearing, frowned. "Hey, A Luan, you're scaring her!"
"No, Mom, did you hear what she said? She wants to leave—to go spend New Year's with her boyfriend!" Zhang Luan was heaving with anger. If Grandma weren't there, she might have actually hit her. How had this child become so bold?
"We all heard. There must be a reason why she, who's usually so well-behaved, suddenly brought this up. Please calm down, okay?" Ye Yaohui stepped in front, patting Ye Qingli's head soothingly. "Sweetheart, you need to tell us why you suddenly decided this, or we won't understand. It's already the twenty-ninth. You've been home for days and never mentioned it. This idea must have come to you just now, right?"
Unlike other strict fathers, Ye Yaohui was always gentle with her, his eyes full of kindness. Comforted, Ye Qingli relaxed a little and nodded. "Dad, Mom, Grandma, my boyfriend's name is Xiao Yu. I actually wanted to tell you about him the day I got home from school, but he wouldn't let me."
"Why not?"
"To be honest, Xiao Yu's parents are divorced. He said there are many reasons for divorce, and one of them is a bad family background. He thinks our family atmosphere is great, and he was afraid you wouldn't accept him."
Ye Yaohui had always been an open-minded parent. He never said anything harsh, only reasoned things out. He shook his head. "That's not a problem. His parents' divorce is their issue, not his. So who does Xiao Yu live with now?"
"That's also why I want to go see him. Xiao Yu doesn't live with either of them. Both his parents abandoned him. He's cut ties with his family. He has to earn his own tuition and living expenses, and in his free time, he works as a coach at the Taekwondo Gym."
Ye Qingli took a deep breath and looked at Ye Yaohui. "Dad, he was the one who drove me home from school that day. He watched me walk back to you and then left. He didn't want to meet you because he feels he's not capable enough yet and doesn't want you to worry about me."
"But he's really good to me—really, really good..." Tears suddenly fell from Ye Qingli's eyes, her rims red as if soaked in blood. Grandma couldn't stand to see her cry. "Aiyo," she exclaimed, bending down to find some tissues.
Grandma patted her back gently, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes showing her age. "Qingqing, we understand everything you've said. We sympathize with his situation. But you must understand that you're a girl, and girls are the ones most easily hurt in relationships."
At that, she instinctively looked up at Zhang Luan.