Chapter 21: Ripples on a Calm Sea

  After the second year, the development of Ji'nan Hall had made it difficult for Citu to support herself alone. Xue Shaoping had to resign from her hospital job and join the company's management team. Household chores were naturally neglected. Although both children had grown up, Yiqing was diligent, but he still had his studies to attend to, and a family of four needed someone to cook and clean.

  Xue Shaoping had the idea of finding a nanny for her family, but it's not easy to find a reliable and capable nanny these days. She had asked two aunts in succession, but neither of them passed Xue Shaoping's trial period. Just at this time, Yao Qiyun's aunt from his hometown called him, saying that his uncle was ill and the family was struggling, so he wanted to come to the city to find a job.

  Yao Qiyun's aunt, Situ Jiuan, was someone he had met before and was also his comrade-in-arms. She was the only biological sister of Yao Qiyun's father. In Situ Jiuan's impression, she was a diligent and capable middle-aged woman who managed herself and her not-so-affluent family in an orderly manner. Most importantly, she was very understanding and reasonable. Although she knew that her nephew had been adopted by a wealthy family, no matter how difficult her own family life was, she never tried to take advantage of the Situ family over the years, and she also showed great care for Yao Qiyun.

  Situ Jiu'an and Xue Shaoping quickly came to a decision, deciding that since Qi Yun's aunt was looking for work, she might as well come to their house to help out. As for salary, everything could be easily arranged. They called back home and Qi Yun's aunt happily agreed. For her, doing household chores was no big deal, and besides, she could also take care of her nephew nearby. Why not? Situ Yu had always been afraid that one day Yao Qi Yun would suddenly return to his hometown and leave him behind. As soon as he heard that his closest aunt in the countryside was coming to their house, he immediately raised both hands in approval. This way, he wouldn't be able to go anywhere else! Yao Qi Yun could only secretly laugh at him for being silly. As the person connecting the two families, he remained cautious and silent from start to finish. His timely avoidance made Xue Shaoping, who was meticulous about details, nod her head in approval.

  It wasn't long before Qiyun's aunt formally arrived at the Situ household. Situ Jiuan didn't misjudge her, as she was indeed a skilled hand in domestic affairs, without any of the slovenliness typical of some rural people. The floorboards and staircase railings were all wiped clean by her until they shone like mirrors, and there were basically no more unsanitary areas in the house. Many things didn't need to be reminded by Xue Shaoping, she would take the initiative to do them herself. At first, because she wasn't familiar with using the household appliances, there were one or two minor mishaps, but she adapted quickly, and her cooking also gradually suited the tastes of the Situ family. It was said that she was one of the few women in the village who had attended middle school, and she spoke and acted in a logical and orderly manner. Even Xue Shaoping joked that she herself wasn't as good at managing the household as Qiyun's aunt, and she trusted her more and more.

  From the start, Situ Xuan had hoped to leave a good impression on Qiyun's most beloved people, and she sweetly called out "Auntie, Auntie" as she followed Qiyun around. Even some of the minor criticisms she usually had for her mother were voluntarily restrained in front of Aunt Yao. At first, everything was harmonious, and everyone was very satisfied with the current situation. Aunt Yao was extremely loving towards Qiyun, and also treated the Situ family with great courtesy.

  However, as time went by, life under the same roof was bound to have its ups and downs. The first problem that arose was the relationship between Yao's aunt and Si Tu Jue.

  Yao didn't know about the ambiguous relationship between her nephew and Miss Situ, but since Xue Shaoping had been spending less time at home, Situ Yue and Yao Qiyun also became less restrained. One weekend, Situ Yue called Yao Qiyun, who was out, to bring back some snacks for herself when she returned home. Yao Qiyun agreed, but when he got home, Situ Yue was furious after opening the package because it contained a whole box of hazelnut chocolates, which she never ate, and Yao Qiyun knew that clearly.

  Yao Qiyun was also taken aback, his mind preoccupied with the lab report he had to submit soon. The supermarket's misplaced labels and mismatched items only added to his distraction, causing him to make a mistake despite his usual attention to detail. He immediately apologized to Sutu Yu. Sutu Yu pouted and handed him the box of chocolates, muttering, "You want me to die from eating too much, who told you to buy the wrong thing? You eat it all, every last piece!" Yao Qiyun laughed and repeatedly apologized.

  The two of them grew up together, and now they had a bit more of a childish affection for each other. This quarrel was actually quite ordinary. Situ Xue was just a sharp-tongued but soft-hearted person with a quick temper, and the closer she was to someone, the more spoiled she became. It's not that she was really angry, but rather that she was being playful. There was no way she would actually force Yao Qiyun to eat an entire box of chocolates in one breath. Yao Qiyun naturally wouldn't take it seriously either, and even if Situ's parents saw this scene, they would probably just laugh it off.

  However, in the eyes of Yao's aunt, who was extremely proud and loved her nephew dearly, it was completely different. She only saw a spoiled and arrogant rich young master who refused to give in for a small matter, and also saw Yiqun repeatedly enduring humiliation and making concessions. This made her, who did not understand the situation, secretly harbor resentment towards Citu Yue for the first time, thinking that although Citu Jiu'an couple seemed so harmonious and humble, she had no idea how much humiliation Yiqun had suffered in front of Citu Yue all these years.

  Situ Xuan and Yao Qiyun's way of getting along was originally a small quarrel every two days, a big quarrel every three days. They would suddenly become hostile over nothing, but they would also make up quickly. On the surface, Situ Xuan seemed to have the upper hand, but in reality, Yao Qiyun would often secretly get her way when they were alone. No one could gain an advantage over the other. Auntie Yao's impression of Situ Xuan gradually worsened due to the underlying sweetness and contradictions between the two young people. With this psychological preconception, no matter who was wrong in their later quarrels or who had the upper hand, she would subconsciously think that Situ Xuan was bullying Yao Qiyun, who was too tolerant.

  In addition, the friction between Yao Auntie and Sito Yuk also gradually appeared in the details of daily life. Yao Auntie was born strong-willed and was a dominant woman in her husband's family. After coming to the Sito family, she still maintained many of her original living habits. As long as she thought it was right and beneficial, she would insist on it. The Situ couple had no time to bother with these things, plus their respect for her, usually didn't mind, of course, she would also make concessions in front of the Situ couple. However, it was different when facing Sito Yuk.

  Situ Xuan didn't like eating green vegetables with leaves, but Aunt Yao only prepared one vegetarian dish for each meal, which usually contained a lot of "chlorophyll", and the rest were meat dishes. For this reason, Situ Xuan found Aunt Yao more than once, embarrassed to ask if she could occasionally stir-fry some celery or cucumber slices. Aunt Yao said she knew, but at the next meal, and the next one after that, it was always green vegetables again, with her reasoning being that it was good for the body.

  Situ Xuan disliked the mixture of salty and sweet flavors, especially when someone put a utensil with oil stains into desserts. Aunt Yao liked to use a spoon that had just been used to scoop soup to stir desserts, no matter how many times Situ Xuan told her not to. Situ Xuan was also stubborn, and after several exchanges, she got annoyed. Although she didn't confront Aunt Yao because of her face, she wouldn't touch any dessert that Aunt Yao had stirred with a spoon that had oil on it.

  For this, even Yao Qiyun privately told his aunt that he could make an exception for Situ Yue's eating habits. Aunt Yao told her nephew that she had been doing it for decades, and Situ Jiu'an and his wife didn't say anything, let alone Situ Yue, a young girl who shouldn't be so picky.

  Auntie is a senior, and it's not convenient to say more about her. She's a person who deeply believes that actions speak louder than words, so she would occasionally take the initiative to cook a small meal for Cui Yue, making a simple dish without any greens just for her, or personally prepare a dessert over the weekend to surprise her.

  Situ Xuan was naturally delighted and grateful. Until one day, she saw Aunt Yao put a spoon that had just been taken out of the chicken soup into the coconut sago pudding that Yao Qiyun had just made, which was her favorite. She finally lost her temper. In front of Aunt Yao, she ruthlessly threw the spoon into the trash can, and the relationship between the two officially broke down.

  From then on, the family had a lot of undercurrents. Xue Shaoping and Situ Ji'an were fine at home, but if they went out and Situ Yue returned from school late, the table was often cleaned up very neatly, or only left with Yao Qiyun's meal. Situ Yue was so angry that he didn't want to say anything nice, so he just solved it himself outside and then came back home.

  Yao Qiyun was in a dilemma, he couldn't persuade his stubborn aunt, and had to follow Si Tu Jue's lead. If Si Tu Jue didn't come back, he wouldn't touch his chopsticks, if only one dish of food was left, he must have been saving it for Si Tu Jue. Aunt Yao openly and secretly scolded her good-for-nothing nephew for having no backbone in front of Si Tu Jue, in her opinion, Si Tu Jue had nothing but a pretty face, and wasn't worth Yao Qiyun treating her so well.

  I don't know when it started, but Aunt Yao would occasionally make snide comments about Xiao Yu's minor flaws in front of Mr. and Mrs. Sutu, such as being picky with food, being willful, having a bad temper, coming home late from school... Mr. Sutu had always lamented that their only daughter was too spoiled, and his heart felt a pang of distress. Even Xue Shaoping couldn't help but lightly criticize her daughter after hearing so much.

  Situ Xuan could only smile wryly in front of Wu Jiang, saying that she didn't expect to encounter such a twisted and terrible mother-in-law relationship ahead of time. Wu Jiang laughed upon hearing this, originally thinking that Situ Xuan had long been eager to marry into the Yao family. Seeing that Situ Xuan was not joking, Wu Jiang reminded her that no matter how bad Yao's aunt was, she was still just Qi Yun's aunt after all. What's most important is what Qi Yun thinks in his heart. If Situ Xuan really cares about this person, then she mustn't let these trivial matters hurt the foundation of her relationship with Qi Yun.

  So Yao Qiyun saw Si Tu Jue looking worried beside him during evening self-study.

  He tapped her head with his pen and asked: "Situ Xuan, are you asleep?"

  "Yao Qiyun, in your heart, am I also someone who only knows how to pick food, throw small tantrums, be willful and bully you?"

  Yao Qiyun nodded and said, "That's about right."

  Looking at her angry and disappointed expression, he smiled and added a sentence, "I'm used to it anyway, and I don't care."

  "Thanks for liking me this way," said Situ Xuan with a puffed up face.

  Yao Qiyun, who was buried in a pile of work, didn't even lift her head and replied, "Don't be polite, it's just part of the job."

  It wasn't until much later that he discovered that Situ Xuan had somehow become quiet, and looked up in confusion to see that her eyebrows and eyes were filled with a warm smile.

  "Oh, Yao Qiyun, you just said you like me, I heard it!"

  He was taken aback, then flipped through his manuscript, one hand supporting his forehead, trying to block her piercing gaze, and responded in the most flat tone: "Is there?"

  Is there?

  Nothing?

  It's no wonder that Situ Xuan is so determined to grasp his words and not let go. The relationship between the two of them is more intimate than relatives, more private than friends, and more complicated than lovers. Situ Xuan is not unaware of Yao Qiyun's thoughts, but if someone were to tell her: "Yao Qiyun doesn't like you." She would only respond with a snort of laughter, refusing to believe it.

  His meticulous care, his silent protection, no matter how many twists and turns of fate could erase it. Moreover, there was the subtle connection between the two, as well as the gaze he lost on her. If this wasn't love, then "love" would be the most illusory thing in the world, not worth mentioning.

  The most touching promise is not "I love you", but "being together". Zixu understands the reason, but he is so evasive and stingy with that one sentence of verbal commitment, which makes Zixu touch the anxiety and hesitation hidden under his cold hard shell. She grasped the essence of love, but was confused about the future of the two.

  Perhaps Wu Jiang was also confused, and the relationship between him and Qu Xiaojuan was full of uncertainty. Qu Xiaojuan had never accepted Wu Jiang's feelings, but Wu Jiang was different from those suitors she despised, at least when she was happy or troubled, she was willing to let Wu Jiang accompany her.

  Situ Xuan called Wu Jiang "difficult brother difficult younger brother". But what she didn't expect was that not long after, the parents of this "difficult brother difficult younger brother" appeared at the Situ family's weekend dinner table.

  Wu Jiang's mother, Chen Ayi, and Xue Shaoping have worked together for many years, as close as sisters. In the past, they would often visit each other, but their emotional connections were mostly about shopping, drinking tea, and doing beauty treatments - typical gatherings among women. It was rare for a family of three to visit at the same time, with Xue Shaoping and Situ Ji'an couple accompanying them.

  Before dinner, Situ Xuan invited Wu Jiang to her room to see her new CDs. As they walked upstairs side by side, she inadvertently caught Chen Ayi's meaningful gaze, who was chatting with her mother. Chen Ayi had watched Situ Xuan grow up and was very familiar with her, but Situ Xuan felt that something was off today. As soon as they were out of sight of the people waiting downstairs, she quickly asked Wu Jiang, "Why is your mom smiling at me like that? I feel a chill down my spine!"

  Wu Jiang carelessly picked out a CD from the shelf, "This one's not bad, lend it to me for a listen."

  "Never mind, I don't know about your taste? Go and pay respects to 'Goddess of Mercy' again, did you hear what I said?"

  Even if the sky were to fall, it wouldn't be a big deal until it crushed his head.

  He smiled and took away the CD, "Just take a look, my mom won't be able to see that you're missing a piece of flesh."

  It's like this, when it really came to dinner time, Aunt Chen's topic was always centered around Sutu Jin, constantly praising "Little Sutu" for getting more and more handsome, intelligent, and elegant, with a bright personality, to the point where they couldn't stop complimenting him. Uncle Wu surprisingly nodded in agreement while eating and smiling. The Sutu couple were modest as usual, but Yao Auntie, who was busy serving dishes, occasionally showed a slightly disapproving expression on her face.

  Although Situ Xuan thought that what Chen Ayi and the others said was also true, such naked flattery made her feel like a piece of pork on a chopping board, being picked over by everyone. She gave Wu Jiang a white eye and smiled secretly, quietly observing Yao Qiyun, who was the quietest at the dinner table. Only she noticed that behind his impeccable manners and courtesy, there was an intentional indifference, like a clam with its shell tightly closed.

  Situ Xuan gave him several meaningful glances, but he completely ignored her. She deliberately rushed to grab the same piece of pork ribs as him, and he quickly withdrew his chopsticks. Finally, Situ Xuan took a risk and lightly touched Yao Qiyun's leg under the table with his own leg. At this moment, he stood up and said to Wu Jiang's mother: "Aunt Chen, let me refill your bowl of soup."

  After dinner, the two families chatted happily for a long time. At Xue Shaoping's suggestion, the two middle-aged couples surprisingly gathered together to play a few rounds of mahjong. After sending off the Wu family of three, it was already late at night. Si Tu Jue yawned and was about to go to sleep when Xue Shaoping called out to her.

  "Baby, Mom wants to ask you something, are you dating Wu Jiang?"

  Situ Xuan almost fell down the stairs, hastily denying it. She was also afraid that her excessive denial would make her mother think she was protesting too much, and she wished to swear to heaven in front of everyone present that her friendship with Wu Jiang was absolutely pure and clean.

  It was unexpected that Xue Shaoping, who had always been tight on her daughter's emotional issues, did not ask further. She just smiled and said: "Mom has never hoped you would fall in love too early, but now you are all grown up and have your own thoughts, it's not strange. I only hope you will be cautious with your emotions and make a good choice. However, Wu Jiang is still a good kid."

  "Mom, what are you talking about?" Situ Xuan's face turned red as she stomped her foot. "Wu Jiang and I are just friends, we don't have any special connection. Why bring this up for no reason?"

  Situ Jiu'an also said to his wife: "You too, this matter is still early, why are you in such a hurry to send your daughter to someone else's home?"

  Xue Shaoping sipped her tea slowly, "Situ Jiuan, Situ Jiuan, a girl can't stay at home forever. It's not like we're in the old days where you'd think of having a live-in son-in-law. If our daughter really marries into the Wu family, it wouldn't be a bad thing. At least I would feel at ease. When I married you, you were poor and had nothing, but I didn't complain. Why should our daughter take this same old path? Finding someone from an equivalent background, they'd have to adapt to each other's hardships, and their life would be more comfortable and peaceful. And let's not forget, putting aside the young people's thoughts, the Wu family may not be unworthy of your esteemed Situ family name."

  The Situ family was not poor, and Xue Shaoping was young, cultured, and beautiful. It was a good match for Situ Jiu'an to marry such a wife at that time. Xue Shaoping accompanied him in building their life from scratch, managing everything inside and outside the house with ease. They had not gone through hardships in the past. Situ Jiu'an had always felt guilty about this, so after Xue Shaoping's words, he couldn't make any noise, hesitated for a moment, and suddenly said: "It's still too early to talk about these things now. By the way, I just heard that Old Wu has been appointed as the head of the Health Department..."

  Situ Xuan originally wanted to hug the lovely old dad who rarely stood on his own, but after hearing this sentence, his heart cooled down, and he angrily said: "Do you have to be so realistic? You might as well just sell me by weight! How boring! I'm too lazy to talk about these impossible things with you guys."

  She rushed into her room and immediately called Wu Jiang on her mobile phone. Wu Jiang had just arrived home and was also very innocent in the face of Si Tu Jue's interrogation. He said he didn't know why this happened today, probably because recently he had been leaving early and returning late, often talking to himself on the phone, so his parents thought he had a girlfriend.

  "I swear I've only told one lie, which is when my mom asked me who I was calling, I said it was you..."

  Wu Jiang's voice grew weaker, and Situ Ke nearly fainted, almost giving rise to the intention of killing Wu Jiang to silence him. She pounded her chest and stamped her feet, "Food can be eaten in disorder, but how can words be spoken in disorder! You quickly go confess to your mother, bring out your Guanyin sister, or even a cat or dog will do, just don't drag me into this."

  "That's not going to work, my mom had my fortune told and said that if I marry someone older than me, I'll die young. Now is not the right time, even if you beat me to death, I won't tell the truth. She's very clever, just mentioning a name can fool her? In her eyes, no one's daughter is better than yours, anyway it's all like this now, so just take my place for once. We don't cooperate unless we're forced to, true or false, even if they beat us to death, they still can't make you and me get married."

  "I get it now, friends are just used as shields, I won't be able to help with this matter, you're going to get me killed..."

  "Situ, I've thought about this carefully, front and back. You believe me, it's not wrong, and it won't harm you. Your parents won't force you, as for Yao Qiyun, heh heh, it's just the right time to give him a push, when the water flows, the channel will be formed..."

  "Situ Xuan didn't care about his image and scolded loudly, 'You don't understand anything! Alright alright, I won't talk to you anymore. If we continue talking, I'm afraid I'll die prematurely.'"

  She hung up the phone, feeling annoyed and disorganized. Wu Jiang's intention was clear to her, but to be honest, it didn't matter what her parents thought. The problem was that Wu Jiang didn't understand Yao Qiyun's temperament. If it were someone else, a little provocation might have had a motivating effect, but Yao Qiyun was different. He was already hesitant and indecisive, so provoking him would only have the opposite effect, causing him to retreat even further.

  It is also said that water flows into a ditch and becomes a river, but I fear that there will be waves in this life.