Chapter 32

Around one in the morning, Mrs. Ruan heard the sound of the doorbell, a gentle ding-dong. She was sitting in the living room watching late-night shows while waiting for Ruan Nianchu. Upon hearing the noise, she immediately wrapped herself in a coat and went to open the door, muttering incessantly, “What mischief have you been up to lately, you troublesome girl? Either you stay out all night or you play till this late, you…”

To her surprise, when she opened the door, Mrs. Ruan froze in place.

Standing outside was Ruan Nianchu. But there was someone else with her. At that moment, her daughter was draped over the other person, reeking of alcohol, waving her hands around foolishly, giggling nonsensically.

Mrs. Ruan’s face immediately darkened. It was evident that her daughter was completely drunk.

“What’s with this child…” She frowned, then turned her gaze to Li Teng, her expression puzzled. “Hello, may I ask who you are?”

Li Teng greeted politely, “Hello, Auntie, I’m Li Teng.”

Mrs. Ruan had a deep impression of this name. So, it took her only two seconds to understand, and a gentle smile spread across her face. “Oh, so you’re Li Teng.”

When Mrs. Liu introduced Ruan Nianchu for matchmaking, she couldn’t stop praising this young Air Force Colonel. Today, seeing him in person, Mrs. Ruan realized that Mrs. Liu’s words were not exaggerated. This Li Teng, leaving aside everything else, his appearance alone was impeccable.

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That night, Ruan Nianchu was indeed heavily intoxicated. So much so that when Li Teng placed her on the bed, she even clung to his neck, calling out for Qiao Yufei in a coquettish tone, refusing to let go.

Li Teng tried to pry her hand away, but fearing to hurt her, he couldn’t do it forcefully. He could only furrow his brows, stiffening about ten inches above her.

The scene became extremely awkward for a while.

In the end, it was Mrs. Ruan who put an end to this situation. With a serious expression, she took a few steps forward, pinching Ruan Nianchu’s waist to tickle her. Afraid of being tickled, she pushed and laughed, finally letting go of her hand.

Li Teng straightened his body. The collar of his black shirt was crumpled where the girl had grabbed it, he tilted his head slightly and smoothed it out with his hand.

　　Ruan Nianchu was exhausted as well, closing her eyes and falling into a deep sleep, snoring softly.

Mrs. Ruan tucked her daughter in bed, then turned around, giving Li Teng a sheepish smile. “I’m really sorry. We made such a scene, embarrassing you.”

Li Teng’s gaze inadvertently swept over the bedside table. There was a photo frame with a picture of a girl about two or three years old, with a round face, wearing a floral dress, with pigtails, grinning widely at the camera. She looked silly, with even a missing front tooth.

He looked at the photo and raised his eyebrows slightly. “Nian Nian?”

“Oh, you didn’t know, did you?” Mrs. Ruan explained with a smile, “That’s Nianchu’s childhood nickname. When she was young, she had missing teeth, so she couldn’t pronounce the sound ‘chu’ properly. Her father and I used to call her ‘Nian Nian’.”

“It sounds nice.”

Li Teng curved his lips, looking at Mrs. Ruan. “Auntie, I’m really sorry for coming over like this today and disturbing you. You should rest early. I’ll come visit you and Mr. Ruan another day.”

Mrs. Ruan said, “You don’t need to apologize. Our girl caused you trouble, I should thank you instead.” With a sigh, she added, “My daughter, although she usually appears cheerful, when she gets in a bad mood, she can be quite stubborn and has many quirks. Li Teng, I hope you can accommodate her a bit.”

“A girl as good as Nianchu, it’s me who’s fortunate to have her.”

Upon hearing this, a joyful smile bloomed on Mrs. Ruan’s face. “I don’t understand the affairs of you young people. If you think she’s good, then she’s good.”

After a few more chats, Mrs. Ruan escorted Li Teng to the door and even invited him to visit often.

Li Teng accepted with a smile and left.

Watching the tall figure disappear in the corridor, Mrs. Ruan felt extremely pleased. She thought that it was a good thing that her daughter hadn’t been in serious relationships for so many years. As the saying goes, character accumulates over time before it bursts forth. Otherwise, such a good son-in-law wouldn’t have been found even with a lantern.

The next day, Ruan Nianchu predictably woke up with a hangover.

Her temples felt like they were about to explode. She curled up in bed, tossing and turning, constantly complaining of a headache. Not long after she started complaining, Mrs. Ruan walked in with hangover soup, scolding, “Oh, now you’re complaining of a headache. Where were you when you were drinking?”

Ruan Nianchu took the hangover soup and frowned, “I’m feeling so terrible, can’t you spare me a few words?”

“You unlucky child, you’re still complaining even if I say a few words?” Mrs. Ruan was so angry she wanted to give her a slap, “You got so drunk, if it wasn’t for Li Teng bringing you back, you might have been sleeping on the street by now!”

“…?” Ruan Nianchu was surprised, choked by the medicine in her mouth, “What did you say? Wasn’t it Qiao Yufei who brought me back yesterday?”

“Who said it was Qiao Yufei? It was Li Teng.” Mrs. Ruan sat down by the bed, “Last night, around one o’clock, he brought you back to your room and then left.”

Ruan Nianchu was even more surprised, “He came into my room?”

“He did.”

“Mom,” Ruan Nianchu closed her eyes, too tired to even lift her hand to her forehead, “how could you let a stranger, especially a man, casually enter your daughter’s room? Is that appropriate?”

Mrs. Ruan cleared her throat, “Well… last night, you were drunk, I couldn’t carry you, and your dad was sleeping so soundly, I had to ask Li Teng for help. And he’s not exactly a stranger, is he? Your boyfriend coming in for a moment shouldn’t be a big deal.”

She blurted out, “He’s not my boyfriend.”

“…?” Mrs. Ruan was taken aback, her brows furrowed instantly, “What did you say? Not your boyfriend? Have you two had a fight?”

Ruan Nianchu fell silent. If she were to reveal that she and Li Teng had already broken up, according to her mom’s personality, she would definitely arrange a series of blind dates for her again.

So she took a deep breath and calmly made up a story, “Not yet broken up. But it’s not far from it either.”

“What’s going on exactly?” Mrs. Ruan grew more anxious as she listened, “Is Li Teng treating you badly?”

“No.”

“Then is he a bad person?”

“No.”

“If it’s not this and not that, then what is it?” Mrs. Ruan was getting a bit frustrated.

“Because our personalities don’t match.” Ruan Nianchu looked up at her mother and said slowly, “His personality doesn’t suit me. And I don’t suit him either.”

Mrs. Ruan relaxed when she heard this and chuckled, “Personality is something that can be adjusted. I think Li Teng really likes you. Even when you were so drunk, acting crazy and causing a scene like you wanted to tear the house down, he didn’t find you annoying. I also think you quite like him, otherwise, you wouldn’t have held onto him all night and not let him leave.”

“…”

Ruan Nianchu was so shocked that her fingers trembled. “I held onto him and didn’t let him leave?”

“That’s right.”

She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose, speechless. It was clear that alcohol was truly the root of all evil.

Mrs. Ruan continued, “Alright, young lady, it’s normal for young people to have arguments. Don’t be so quick to break up. Let me tell you, I really appreciate Li Teng. As long as it’s not a matter of principle, you must treat him well for me. You’re turning twenty-six soon, still acting like you’re seventeen or eighteen?”

To this, Ruan Nianchu chose to hear it in one ear and out the other, pulling the covers over herself and falling into a deep sleep. Dealing with Li Teng for the past month had been truly exhausting. He was unpredictable, sometimes loving one moment and cold as ice the next.

She was done with dealing with someone so unstable in a relationship. She would take Qiao Yufei’s advice and keep her distance from men with issues.

*

Ruan Nianchu wanted to keep her distance from Li Teng, but fate had other plans. On Monday morning, she saw him again downstairs in her building.

Leaning against the trunk of a tree by the greenery, Li Teng watched her with an unreadable expression.

In the faint morning light, a handsome man in military uniform—this scene would make anyone sigh with admiration. But Ruan Nianchu was an exception. She didn’t find him admirable; she just felt his presence unsettling.

So she walked past him expressionlessly, not intending to acknowledge him at all.

Li Teng sidestepped, blocking her path.

Ruan Nianchu gritted her teeth and moved left; he followed. She moved right; he followed suit. The two of them played this game of cat and mouse for five minutes.

Finally, she clenched her fists and, with the tone one would use with a vegetable vendor, smiled and said, “Hello, Li Teng. What do you want?”

“Nothing,” he said, lowering his gaze to meet hers directly, a smile playing on his lips. “Just wanted to go to work with you.”

“But I don’t want to,” she frowned. “Please step aside.”

Li Teng replied calmly, “No.”

“I said move aside,” she said, her expression darkening.

“I said I won’t.”

“…!” Ruan Nianchu felt frustrated; he was tall and built like a mountain. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and pressed both hands against his chest, pushing with all her strength.

The next moment, Li Teng suddenly grabbed both of her wrists.

His palms were warm, which startled her. She looked up abruptly. His face was very close, his eyes fixed on her, with a faint smile in them.

Ruan Nianchu admitted that in such a situation, she seemed to be a little flustered. But she remained calm and said, “What are you trying to do…”

Before she could finish her sentence, he stepped forward suddenly.

She froze, instinctively stepping back, one step, then another, until her back hit the wall. He confined her in the narrow space by the doorway, lowered his head, and leaned in close to her.

Ruan Nianchu’s heart trembled. She took a deep breath, lowered her voice, and threatened, “Let me tell you, it’s broad daylight now. If you dare to do anything inappropriate, I’ll scream for help. You’d better be worthy of your uniform.”

But he just chuckled, “Getting scared because I offered you a ride?”

Ruan Nianchu frowned, “I don’t want to ride in your car. Move aside, I’ll really be late if I don’t leave now.”

“Will you come with me?”

“…”

Li Teng glanced at his watch, his tone indifferent. “No rush, take your time to think. I’ll keep track of the time for you. You still have twenty-five minutes before you need to clock in at your office.”

Ruan Nianchu swore that this was the first time she had felt such hostility towards the People’s Liberation Army—a shameless and audacious person like him, how could he exist in the world?

She almost wanted to punch him.

Half a minute later, forced by his intimidation, Ruan Nianchu could only compromise reluctantly. With a heavy heart, she squeezed out a few words, “Fine, I’ll go with you.”

Li Teng smiled, pointing his finger at her perky nose. “Should’ve done this earlier.”

“…!” Ruan Nianchu dodged as if she had seen a ghost. He released his grip, and she immediately darted out of his embrace.

Dealing with someone with mental issues required a different mindset altogether.

She comforted herself inwardly, then walked to the front of the Jeep and opened the door. As soon as she opened it, she was stunned again—a beautifully packaged bunch of dried rice flowers was placed on the rear seat.

“…?” Ruan Nianchu squinted, feeling suspicious, but without asking further questions, she gritted her teeth and sat in.

Silence lingered for most of the journey.

Just before they reached the performance troupe, Li Teng seemed to remember something and said in a subdued tone, “By the way, that bunch of flowers in the back, it’s for you.”

Ruan Nianchu turned her head, “Why are you inexplicably giving me flowers again?”

“Didn’t we talk about it yesterday?”

“Yesterday? Talked about what?” Yesterday she was so drunk, she could hardly remember what he said.

Li Teng said, “I told you I want to pursue you.”

“…!” Ruan Nianchu was choked by this answer. After a moment of horror, she finally found her voice and said to him as calmly as possible, “Li Teng, do you know how strange you are? You always do things that are unexpected and feel inexplicable. Please, next time, before you decide to do something, inform others in advance and seek their opinions.”

Just as she finished speaking, the Jeep stopped at the entrance of the performance troupe.

“Such as?” he asked.

“Such as whether you can…”

“Such as whether you can let me kiss you,” he interrupted, his tone very casual, “like this?”

“…”

Ruan Nianchu was stunned. The next second, the temperature on her cheeks skyrocketed uncontrollably, turning crimson. She was speechless, gave him a glare, then jumped out of the car without looking back and ran into the performance troupe’s entrance.

Lately, she had become more and more irritable, not like herself.

Sure enough, when you spend too much time with someone who’s unwell, you become abnormal too.

---

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