The Morning After and a Mother’s Intervention

Xia Chu herself was utterly exhausted, yet she pushed through, fueled by a surge of determination.

Inhaling deeply the fragrant coconut milk scent lingering in the air, she finally spoke, “Are you satisfied now?”

Bai Jingjing nodded rapidly. “Utterly, utterly satisfied. More than satisfied.”

She had been thoroughly electrified, overloaded, and practically melted into a puddle.

Xia Chu’s lips curved upward into a happy smile.

‘Hmph, now you know my prowess, don’t you? Let’s see if you dare complain to Luo Xuan again.’

Bai Jingjing had no idea what thoughts churned in Xia Chu’s mind, but she sensed that Xia Chu tonight was subtly different from before, and her ‘little tiger’ (TL Note: A playful term, often a pun on ‘cerebellum’ (小脑) and ‘tiger’ (老虎), used endearingly for a lover’s ‘animalistic’ or passionate side.) was also vastly changed.

Beyond her usual clinginess, she was as lively as Luo Xuan.

To put it simply, her ‘sleeping’ (TL Note: A euphemism for sexual activity) was quite aggressive.

This was a good development, however; even if Xia Chu remained a tad introverted, her ‘little tiger’ had at least become proactive and spirited.

She not only initiated ‘sleeping’ but was also incredibly assertive in her advances, a feat utterly impossible just a week prior.

Having lived through these days and experienced so much, Big Sister Xia Chu had truly matured.

As this thought crossed Bai Jingjing’s mind, she couldn’t resist stroking Xia Chu’s head, still using the ‘tuan tuan’ (TL Note: A term of endearment, often referring to a fluffy, round object, or a gentle, comforting touch.) method.

Though Xia Chu thoroughly enjoyed the touch, she was slightly bewildered. “What is it?”

“Nothing at all, I just felt like remarking,” Bai Jingjing said softly, “Big Sister Xia Chu has grown up.”

‘Of course. I grew up two years ago.’

Thinking this, Xia Chu rubbed her head against the comforting softness, a sensation far more pleasant than any pillow.

“Let’s sleep now. Good night.”

‘I really worked hard tonight. Time to rest.’

“Mhm,” Bai Jingjing hummed, closing her eyes. “Good night.”

Zzzz

****

On Sunday, Xia Chu had originally intended to wake up and boast to her best friend, having thoroughly proven herself the night before.

She hadn’t anticipated, however, that after falling into such a deep sleep, she would almost fail to wake up the next morning.

The aftereffects were simply too potent.

“Just keep sleeping,” Bai Jingjing said softly. “I’m going out to buy groceries. You can sleep in, there’s no rush.”

With that, Xia Chu flopped back onto the bed.

Yet, on second thought, why did Bai Jingjing seem largely unaffected, getting out of bed and walking around as usual?

Xia Chu couldn’t fathom it, so she closed her eyes and continued to sleep.

By the time she opened her eyes again, the sun was high in the sky, nearing eleven o’clock.

After several extra hours of sleep, she felt almost completely rested. After all, her youthful body was robust; she hadn’t reached the point of being ‘hollowed out’ yet.

She got up, tidied herself slightly, and upon returning to her room, noticed her phone screen was lit up, displaying several missed calls.

Before she could even check them, another call came in.

The caller was her mother, He Manyu.

Xia Chu was reluctant to answer, but the caller was relentless, seemingly determined to keep dialing until she picked up. Left with no choice, she finally answered.

“Hello?”

–Xia Chu, have you had breakfast yet? I…–

“I’m very busy right now. Can we talk about it later?”

He Manyu had intended to go through the usual pleasantries, but when Xia Chu immediately indicated she wanted to hang up, she quickly interjected, –No, wait, I have something very important to tell you.–

“I understand, so let’s talk when I have some free time…”

–It’s about Bai Jingjing!–

He Manyu couldn’t hold back, revealing the crucial point prematurely. Hearing those words, Xia Chu finally refrained from hanging up.

“What about her?”

****

In a luxurious courtyard in the provincial capital, He Manyu finally breathed a sigh of relief, then grew excited.

She had instructed her eldest son to investigate, and they had uncovered many critical details about that ‘little vixen’ (TL Note: A derogatory term for a seductive or cunning woman), information she believed would be decisive.

He Manyu had been incredibly excited upon learning these things, rushing over around seven in the morning, intending to dump all the information before Xia Chu. If the ‘little vixen’ were also present, it would be the perfect opportunity to confront her.

To her surprise, Grandpa Fan, the gatekeeper, had directly stopped her.

–Isn’t this that… Eel? (TL Note: A playful mispronunciation or pun on He Manyu’s name, ‘Manyu’ sounding somewhat like ‘mackerel’ or ‘eel’ in Chinese, used here as a slighting nickname.) Don’t think I won’t recognize you just because you’re wearing a sun hat, little trickster! Get out, you’re not allowed in!–

So, He Manyu had no choice but to slink back home and call Xia Chu on her phone.

Yet, for some reason, call after call went out, always unanswered.

He Manyu had kept calling for several hours, finally getting through, and the mere mention of “Bai Jingjing” had immediately captivated Xia Chu.

Now reassured, He Manyu was absolutely confident that her revelations would be potent enough to drive the ‘little vixen’ out. And once Bai Jingjing was gone, the introverted and socially awkward Xia Chu would surely be entirely at her mercy.

She knew, however, that she had to proceed slowly, primarily through subtle inducement, without making her true intentions too obvious.

With this thought in mind, He Manyu slowly began to speak:

–I only found out by chance. Your older brothers heard you had a girlfriend and were very surprised and curious, so they made a few inquiries. We never expected to uncover something like that.–

Upon hearing this, Xia Chu indeed felt a flicker of anxiety. “What kind of thing?”

Xia Chu wouldn’t simply believe everything He Manyu said, but if it was something easily discoverable with a little effort, He Manyu wouldn’t need to lie.

–First, I have to tell you something you might not want to hear. Her approaching you like this, becoming your girlfriend, might not be out of love, but for other reasons.–

Xia Chu’s heart gave a sudden, heavy thump.

‘Oh no, has the fact that I paid Bai Jingjing to be my girlfriend been exposed?’

“Wh-why would you say that?” she asked, her voice tight with tension.

He Manyu was in no hurry, first letting out a slow, drawn-out sigh. –There’s another matter. Do you remember that very good friend of yours from before, the girl from the Luo family?–

Xia Chu paused, slightly stunned. ‘Luo Xuan?’

He Manyu was unaware that the two of them had consistently maintained contact, assuming that after Xia Chu moved away years ago, they rarely communicated.

–Ah, I only found this out by chance too, Xia Chu. Do you know, for the past few weeks, whenever Bai Jingjing leaves your place, she gets into a luxurious car. Your older brothers were quite worried about you, so they investigated a little and discovered that the owner of that car is none other than your old friend, Luo Xuan!–

‘Ah, this.’

Xia Chu was momentarily speechless.

–I know you’re very surprised,– He Manyu said with a sigh, –but that’s the truth of it.–

‘Emmmmm…’

‘Surprised? Well, I am quite surprised, I didn’t expect you to know even about this.’

‘As for getting into Luo Xuan’s car every time she leaves here—of course she does. In fact, Luo Xuan is the one Xia Chu calls herself.’

‘They even have to arrange the time beforehand.’

However, Xia Chu breathed a slight sigh of relief, for He Manyu’s words proved she was unaware of the girlfriend-for-hire arrangement.

–I know you must have many questions about why she would do this,– He Manyu let out another soft sigh, as if lamenting the whims of fate. –Bai Jingjing dropped out of school three years ago, right when she had just started senior high. Alas…–

This time, Xia Chu truly grew anxious. “Why?”

She genuinely hadn’t known about that.