Something Strange About Li Xian’s Parents

Since learning that Li Xian’s mother was out of danger, Li Xian rarely went to the hospital to visit her. Occasionally, she would stop by the door and peek inside. Seeing the husband and wife chatting and laughing, she would feel relieved, then leave quietly.

The day before discharge, Li Xian went to see her mother again.

The warm atmosphere had frozen over. Her father’s smile was gone, and he wouldn’t even look at Li Xian. Her mother was upset too, but she still doted on her only daughter.

“Ah Li, your dad and I talked it over these past few days. If you really like that actress, we won’t object anymore. As long as you’re happy, we can only agree,” Li Xian’s mother said with a smile. “Bring her home sometime and let us meet her. We’ll help you take a look.”

Li Xian stared at her mother in disbelief. That gentle smile sent warmth flooding through her chest. “Mom, you two…”

“Hmph. What kind of home is it if it’s always in chaos?” Li Xian’s father said coldly.

Li Xian’s mother said, “These past few days, we’ve also felt that the best thing is for the whole family to stay together. Whoever you like, you can like them. We won’t stop you anymore.”

Li Xian looked at her parents gratefully. Only after a long while did she say, “Dad, Mom, thank you.”

Her mother smiled at her, then glanced at her father. He kept his expression tight, impossible to read.

After Li Xian told Bai Ruo the news, both of them were so excited they could hardly speak. At that point, all that remained was her family’s approval. As long as they nodded, they could go abroad and get their marriage license right away. After all the hardship they had gone through, they had finally seen a glimmer of hope.

The day after Li Xian’s mother was discharged, Li Xian brought Bai Ruo home, carrying a few gifts with her. Looking at the familiar iron gate, she remembered how she had resisted seeing it all these years. Every time she came back here, all that awaited her was endless lecturing.

Today was different. Sunlight shimmered on the iron gate, and just like the fine weather, her mood had never been brighter.

They held hands and went in together.

When Li Xian’s father saw them, his expression was no longer as cold as before. He still looked stern, but the distance and authority were gone. This was the father Li Xian remembered from before.

Li Xian’s mother welcomed them in. After they put their things away, she pulled them to the sofa to chat. For once, Li Xian felt a rare sense of complete happiness. Compared with success in her career and a name known far and wide, this kind of happiness was truly priceless.

“Xiao Ruo really is an actress; she has such a different bearing. So pretty,” her mother said.

Bai Ruo was a little embarrassed. Usually, she would have happily gone along with the praise and returned a few compliments of her own. But now, even trying to say something modest felt awkward; she was rarely this nervous.

With a small smile, she nudged Li Xian with her elbow. Li Xian understood immediately and said for her, “Mom, your daughter is very pretty too. Why don’t you ever praise me?”

Her mother was taken aback. It had been so long since her daughter had spoken to her in that tone. Then she laughed and said, “If you weren’t good-looking, you wouldn’t match such a pretty Xiao Ruo.”

Her eyes lingered on her daughter’s happy face. Li Xian was looking at Bai Ruo with such tenderness that it seemed the two of them could only see each other. Such a scene actually made Li Xian’s mother feel that it was too beautiful.

“Stay for dinner today. It’s been a long time since the house was this lively,” Li Xian’s mother said.

“Of course,” Li Xian said to Bai Ruo. “My mom’s cooking is first-rate. You’ll definitely remember it.”

Hearing her daughter praise her, her mother felt proud too. This was what a home should be. Then, by chance, she glanced at Li Xian’s father, who had been silent the whole time. As if remembering something, most of the happiness on her face faded, and her heart grew heavy.

Li Xian and Bai Ruo leaned close and whispered to each other, laughing from time to time. Li Xian’s mother looked at their tightly clasped hands, then turned away with a complicated expression.

“Ah Li, there aren’t any eggplants at home anymore. Go buy some from the supermarket nearby,” she said. “That happens to be one of my specialties. I also want to have a proper talk with Xiao Ruo.”

Her words were too natural, without a single flaw.

So Li Xian smiled and drove off.

Only three people were left in the living room. The father, who had not spoken until now, suddenly asked, “Miss Bai, do your parents know about your relationship with Ah Li?”

Miss Bai... The address made Bai Ruo feel, for a moment, as if she had gone back to the last time she visited the ward. It was probably just an illusion.

“Yes. They’ve always supported my choice,” Bai Ruo said gently.

Li Xian’s father nodded. “As parents, most of us support our children. We only step in when they stray and guide them back onto the right path.”

Bai Ruo vaguely sensed that there was something in his words.

“Ah Yi...” Li Xian’s mother tugged at his sleeve, not wanting him to continue. She regretted listening to his suggestion. The moment she saw her daughter walk in smiling, she had regretted it.

Li Xian’s father ignored her and went on. “If Miss Bai’s parents don’t care, as Ah Li’s father, I still have to care.”

The smile vanished from Bai Ruo’s lips. Her expression froze as she finally understood what Li Xian’s father meant; she understood that this was a trap planned in advance.

“Please leave Ah Li. She can marry any man she wants, and I will never interfere. But she absolutely cannot be with a woman!” Li Xian’s father said.

Bai Ruo forced a smile. “Why? Why can’t it be me?”

“It’s not that you can’t be with me; it’s that women won’t do,” Li Xian’s father said. “Miss Bai, you’re excellent. You can easily find plenty of promising young men. Or if you like women, I’m sure there are many women who like Miss Bai. Please don’t cling to my Ah Li.”

Bai Ruo said nothing. Her smile stiffened, and all the color drained from her face.

Li Xian’s father glanced at her and said, “I suppose I don’t need to say anything uglier. You should be someone who knows shame.”

Her fingernails dug into her fingertips. She had never been humiliated like this before. If she had done something wrong, then it would have been her own fault. But why should she be met with such suspicion and insult just because she had fallen in love with someone?

She stood and bowed to them. “You’re Ah Li’s parents, so I’ll do my best to remain polite as a junior. But the person I love isn’t your daughter; it’s Ah Li.”

With that, she picked up her bag and left without looking back.

Li Xian’s mother wanted to call her back, but Li Xian’s father shot her a glare and forced the words back down. She could only sigh. She wanted her daughter to be happy. Just now, when Li Xian was with Bai Ruo, she had been genuinely happy.

But two women... leaving aside what outsiders would think, what about when they were old? Could they take care of each other? Li Xian’s mother struggled inwardly.

Li Xian drove home with a smile on her face, only to see Bai Ruo leaving alone on the road with red eyes. She immediately stepped on the gas and followed her, stopping the car beside Bai Ruo. After getting out, she ran up to her. Bai Ruo looked at her, and tears immediately welled up in her eyes as all her grievance and pain poured out.

“Ah Li...” Bai Ruo cried into Li Xian’s shoulder. She didn’t understand why they had gone to such lengths to drive them apart.

And Li Xian slowly guessed what had happened. Holding her tightly, she asked, “Did they say something awful?”

“Why... Why is it so hard to just let us be together?” Bai Ruo said.

Li Xian said nothing. She only held her tighter. The sun was blazing, yet it couldn’t warm her body.

Li Xian drove her around the city aimlessly, just to help her unwind. Bai Ruo’s mood really did improve little by little. Getting her family’s blessing was a luxury, but without it, they were still themselves. No matter how hard or painful it got, as long as they stayed firm in each other, nothing could tear them apart.

On the way back, Bai Ruo sang at the top of her lungs, sweeping away the sadness from earlier.

After they got home, before her bag was even hung up, Bai Ruo pressed Li Xian down and kissed her fiercely, heedless and without the slightest tenderness. The two of them kissed while moving toward the bedroom, clothes scattered messily across the floor. Soon, they were both naked.

Bai Ruo pinned Li Xian beneath her. Looking at the beautiful body under her, then into her eyes, she said unsteadily, “This time, let me.”

Li Xian moved her hand, but Bai Ruo stubbornly held it down, refusing to let her speak. She lowered her head and lit fires across Li Xian’s body, yet delayed the next step. Li Xian’s body heated up, her breathing quickened, and she waited for Bai Ruo’s release.

“Ah—” she whispered, then quickly stifled it. A huge wave of pleasure swept over her like the tide.

No one knew how long had passed before Bai Ruo lifted her head and moved up to her chest. After a moment there, she went higher. Li Xian’s gaze was hazy; when she saw Bai Ruo’s wet lips and thought of what she had just done, her face flushed even more. Bai Ruo kissed her as if venting her feelings, and Li Xian responded as much as she could.

Only when Bai Ruo ran out of strength did Li Xian turn over and pin her beneath her. Now it was her turn.

Around two in the morning, Li Xian, satisfied, carried the limp Bai Ruo to the bathroom to wash her up. After changing the sheets, the two of them held each other and fell asleep.

Summer was about to begin, and the weather was excellent. Brilliant sunlight cut through the glass of the high-rise buildings, instantly turning cool as it left only a wash of light behind; the heat itself seemed absent.

The air conditioner hummed quietly as Yan Yue focused on her paperwork.

Her phone buzzed. She picked it up and unlocked it; it was Yan Yicheng.

“What is it?” she asked, her voice dry.

“Sis, are you free right now?” Yan Yicheng sounded a little anxious.

Yan Yue glanced at the computer. “Mm. What happened?”

Half an hour earlier, Yan Huan had driven to the film crew for an audition. She had been hoping for this role for a long time, and the director had finally decided to consider her, so she was in a very good mood. She wasn’t driving fast. Halfway through a turn, a yellow car suddenly swerved toward her from behind. By the time Yan Huan reacted, it was too late to avoid it, and the two cars inevitably collided.

Fortunately, no one was hurt; only the rear of her car suffered some damage. The yellow car was in much worse shape. Besides the front, several parts of the body were also damaged by the impact.

If they had resolved it properly, there would have been no issue. But because the owner of the yellow car saw that she was a woman, he insisted that Yan Huan had hit them and must pay compensation.

Yan Huan refused to accept that and argued with them. Then the man in the front passenger seat, a white-shirted man with blood running down from his head, suddenly rushed up and slapped her across the face, spewing filthy insults. When he was about to hit her again, the yellow car’s driver hurriedly stopped him and kept trying to talk him down.

By the time the traffic police arrived, they had all been taken back to the police station.