The Weight of Tuantuan

“What’s wrong?” Bai Jingjing tilted her head, her expression innocently pure. “Is it not enough?”

This wasn’t a question of more or less; it wasn’t even on the same scale.

He Manyu continued to fix her gaze on Xia Chu, even as Xia Chu sat engrossed, head bowed over her baozi, appearing oblivious to her surroundings, as if she could neither hear nor see anything.

“Xia Chu, you know this isn’t about alimony…”

“They’re not mutually exclusive,” Bai Jingjing interjected, “Just tell us if you want it or not.”

He Manyu’s expression grew increasingly grim.

Was this truly about a few thousand yuan? What she wanted was tens of millions!

Bai Jingjing stood beside Xia Chu, appearing quiet and well-behaved when she wasn’t speaking. Her tone was undeniably gentle, her expression perfectly earnest, yet it drove He Manyu to exasperation.

She couldn’t fathom how such a person had appeared in her shy, introverted daughter’s home, and this beautiful, long-legged, large-chested woman was simply too aggressive.

“Xia Chu, who is she?” He Manyu demanded angrily. “Why is she here?”

Xia Chu’s movement of eating the baozi paused almost imperceptibly.

‘Hmm, how should I answer that? She’s my beloved girlfriend. But she’s rented?’

‘As for why she’s here, well, of course, it’s because we’re cohabiting—though that’s only valid for the duration of the lease…’

Just as she hesitated, Xia Chu suddenly felt a weight on her head.

Bai Jingjing placed her ‘Tuantuan’ (TL Note: A playful, affectionate term referring to a woman’s prominent chest) on Xia Chu’s head, simultaneously wrapping an arm around her fragrant shoulder from behind. “I’m Sister Xia Chu’s girlfriend. What’s wrong with that?”

With equally captivating beauty, the same soft ‘Tuantuan,’ and similarly long, shapely legs, how could anyone deny their perfect match?

He Manyu was utterly taken aback. When Xia Chu had run away from home all those years ago, she had indeed said something like, “I will never marry those men,” but…

But no one had ever considered *this* possibility.

‘Wait, if she’s a partner…’

In an instant, the elegant lady’s expression turned utterly hideous.

Other matters were inconsequential, but if her daughter had a ‘partner,’ it would mean Xia Chu was no longer truly alone.

Even though they weren’t married yet—and of course, couldn’t legally marry—they wouldn’t be protected in the legal sense. But regardless, having the identity of a ‘partner’ meant there was someone by Xia Chu’s side who could help her, offering opinions on matters such as ‘personal property,’ ‘career planning,’ and ‘job choices.’

In other words, it would be exceedingly difficult for He Manyu to pressure Xia Chu into assisting with the foundation simply by talking.

“Why are you allowed to be here? My daughter and I are discussing family matters; do you have any right to speak?” He Manyu completely abandoned her previous composure. “A young girl, wearing such short shorts in someone else’s home—what sort of decorum is that!”

‘She’s desperate! Not only is she straying off-topic, but she’s resorting to personal attacks. If this were a game of Werewolf or a murder mystery, she’d definitely be reported.’

Bai Jingjing maintained the posture of her ‘Tuantuan’ resting on Xia Chu’s head, blinking her eyes curiously. “Why shouldn’t I be here? Where exactly is ‘here’?”

“This is my daughter’s home!” He Manyu’s voice sharpened, laden with severity.

“Oh, is that so?” Bai Jingjing replied, a knowing look on her face. “I thought this was *your* home.”

He Manyu trembled with rage. “Fine, you can be here, but are you sure you want to speak? I’m discussing my daughter’s life opportunities with her. Do you understand how significant this matter is? If something goes wrong because of your interference, can you bear the consequences?!”

‘Ah, this…’

While a rather conventional attack, Bai Jingjing genuinely found herself in a difficult position to refute it.

Because the only person with the right to speak was…

“I… I’ll listen to Bai Jingjing.”

The ‘big sister’ beneath the ‘Tuantuan’ spoke softly, each word seeming to cost her immense effort. “And, I won’t regret it.”

Xia Chu felt as if she were bearing a pressure as immense as the ‘Tuantuan’ on her head… a mental burden so heavy, that upon uttering those words, her entire being seemed to relax.

‘This, perhaps, was what it felt like to have someone to rely on.’

He Manyu truly grew desperate. “What does she understand? A mere slip of a girl in ultra-short shorts—how could she possibly grasp the importance of this matter?”

A torrent of incomprehensible words followed—something about short-term deficits, capital flow, family support, blood ties, traditional virtues, and so on. In her agitation, her speech became stuttered and disjointed, a series of fits and starts.

Bai Jingjing remained unhurried; after all, with her ‘Tuantuan’ cushioning Xia Chu’s head, she herself felt no strain. She listened with a composed air, waiting until He Manyu’s throat was parched from speaking before she slowly began:

“I genuinely don’t understand much, but I do know that whether it’s work or anything else, we shouldn’t do anything illegal or against regulations. As the saying goes, a nation has its laws, a family its rules, and even company departments have their regulations. No matter what we do, we must follow procedures and rules to ensure a bright future. Madam, wouldn’t you agree?”

Regardless of whether He Manyu agreed, Xia Chu certainly did, nodding vigorously.

She was then gently embraced by Bai Jingjing’s small hand. “Don’t fidget, it tickles.”

‘Her ‘Tuantuan’ is still resting on your forehead, after all.’

He Manyu understood.

All her rambling, nonsensical words had been utterly useless. In just a few words, Bai Jingjing made her stance clear: under no circumstances would Xia Chu be allowed to take risks to accommodate them.

While Xia Chu might falter under moral pressure, Bai Jingjing would not; she always understood where the critical point lay.

“This is preposterous, Xia Chu! I’m your mother! Are you truly going to listen to an outsider over me?” He Manyu was truly furious. “After only a few years apart, my daughter has been bewitched by a little vixen, listening to her every word! Is there no justice left in the world?!”

With that, she angrily turned and walked out. “I’ll just see if anyone around here still understands reason!”

Having flung that statement, He Manyu headed downstairs. From inside the room, Xia Chu could hear the thudding footsteps and her loud, furious clamor.

“Bai Jingjing,” Xia Chu said, her voice filled with panic. “What should we do if she tries to cause trouble…?”

“It’s alright, she won’t be able to cause any real trouble,” Bai Jingjing said, gently patting Xia Chu’s head with her ‘Tuantuan.’ “At most, she’ll just try to exert pressure.”

Jingjing knew perfectly well that this whole affair was He Manyu’s own sordid scheme; there was no way it could ever be brought into the open to seek so-called “justice.”

So, what He Manyu likely intended to do was similar to her past tactics with Xia Chu: attempt to seize the moral high ground, standing on a pedestal to point fingers at Bai Jingjing and Xia Chu, all to force Xia Chu into compromise.

“Then, what do we do?”

Although nestled securely against Bai Jingjing’s ‘Tuantuan’ brought a sense of peace, He Manyu, having cast a shadow over the first twenty years of her life, still instilled a measure of fear in Xia Chu.

“It’s alright,” Bai Jingjing finally lifted her ‘Tuantuan’ slightly. “You rest here; I’ll go deal with her.”

‘Please, what kind of patients haven’t I seen over the years? This is a minor issue.’

Despite her words, after Bai Jingjing went downstairs, Xia Chu still quietly followed her, hiding in the stairwell to peek.