An Impossible to Reject Confession

“Have you always had such a good temper?” Xu Youyou had been holding the question the entire way, but after getting off the bus she couldn’t hold it any longer. 

“What?” Qiao Mu asked, confused. 

“Do you know how to yell at people?” 

“Why would you yell at people?” 

“Why? You were being bullied but didn’t counter it. Earlier when he wanted to switch seats with you, why didn’t you say anything? Do you not know how to tell him to scram?” Xu Youyou got angry just thinking about how Qiao Mu would just sit there and tolerate the bullying. 

“Also last time in B City, what do you mean by you want to grow up to be a big arbor? If you don’t like your name, why don’t you go to the police station and get it changed? Why must you let others determine your life? What do they have to do with your life? Did he give you fertilizer or water you? You were raised by your grandmother!” The more Xu Youyou talked, the angrier she got. 

Qiao Mu silently listened. Although the girl was clearly blaming him, he found it unusually pleasing to the ear. There was even a bit of warmth from it. 

After a bunch of coincidences, this new transfer female student learned a lot of his secrets, yet asked or tried to find out the cause. When they met at the training center, she didn’t ask why he didn’t play chess. Afterwards when Grandmother didn’t remember her, she didn’t ask whether Grandmother was sick. When Li Xiuran came to find him, she didn’t ask why six years ago he decided to give up playing Weiqi. When he went crazy at the entrance of the alley and she saw he didn’t want to speak, she didn’t further ask the reason he got triggered. In B City when he basically already hinted who the person was, she still didn’t ask. 

Although at the beginning, he was grateful for Xu Youyou’s sense of propriety, that she wasn’t overly curious, and didn’t invade his life trying to be a savior and save him. It made him feel relaxed and at ease. But Xu Youyou also used this sense of propriety to slowly permeate into his life without a sound. Before Qiao Mu realized it, she had become someone he was willing to confide in. 

“I know that your parents divorced when you were young, but you didn’t live with your uncle. Why would your cousin bully you? Besides the ones who divorced are your parents, you did nothing wrong. Why do you have to spend your days living in extreme caution……” 

While Xu Youyou kept talking with righteous indignation, Qiao Mu’s eyes slowly brightened. He listened carefully and from time to time would nod his head and make an “en” sound of acknowledgement. 

“Why did you ‘en’?” 

“I understand, I learned how to yell at people.” Qiao Mu smiled.

“You learned how to yell at people? Then why don’t you try, I’ll listen.” Xu Youyou said.

“There are just the two of us here, I can’t yell at you, right?” Qiao Mu said. 

“Then you can yell at someone else, like that cousin of yours.” Xu Youyou gave him someone to choose. 

“I don’t need to yell at him now.” 

“I knew you wouldn’t dare……why are you laughing!”

Qiao Mu really couldn’t hold in the laughter and had to learn against the wall. He was laughing so hard he was bending over. 

After laughing for a while, Qiao Mu finally calmed down and saw that Xu Youyou was watching him with arched eyebrows. She was looking at him fiercely and he rushed to explain: “I meant if I wanted to yell at Lu Shi I can just go home and do it in person. He would not be able to hear me if I did it here.”

When Xu Youyou heard, she suddenly saw Qiao Mu in a new light. It was the Qiao Mu she knew from her past life afterall. There was courage in his bones. 

“Let’s go, don’t worry and just scold him. If he dares to get physical, I’ll help you beat him up.” Xu Youyou got really excited. She really wanted to immediately bring Qiao Mu to Lu Shi and have him yell at him and repay all the pain of oppression he had suffered through the past few years.

Qiao Mu let the girl drag him, his eyes were filled with warmth. After two steps, his eyes unconsciously fell to their intertwined hands. 

The two first went to the main street to buy some paper to practice calligraphy and a couple side dishes before heading to Qiao Mu’s house together. Because they went to the main street it delayed their time and by the time they got back, Lu Shi had already arrived first. He was sitting under the eaves eating melon seeds. When he saw the two enter, his eyes brightened and he stood up to go over. 

“What took you so long? I was waiting so long. What did you buy? Did you buy anything to eat? Let me see……” As he said it, Lu Shi reached his hand out to grab the bag Qiao Mu was holding. 

“Scram.” Qiao Mu responded with a cold “scram.”

Xu Youyou who was walking in slowly listened and she felt a surge of emotions. Qiao Mu was finally standing up for himself. 

“What are you doing? It doesn’t matter, later you’ll take it out to eat anyway.” 

“We didn’t buy it for you, if you want to eat it, buy it yourself. Don’t touch my stuff.” 

“Wait, did you take the wrong medicine today? * Isn’t it just eating a bit of your food? If I weren’t a public figure, I would buy it myself. Am I lacking this little bit of money you spent?” Lu Shi became unhappy, “If you continue being like this, I’ll tell on you to Grandmother.” 

Xu Youyou listened, Lu Shi actually wanted to tell on Qiao Mu to Grandmother Qiao. She immediately laughed in anger at this pure and natural male white lotus **. 

“Grandmother ***” Xu Youyou turned towards the kitchen and called out. 

Grandmother Qiao heard Xu Youyou’s shout and she came out with a half-peeled Chinese lettuce: “Youyou, I’m here.” 

“Grandmother.” Xu Youyou saw Grandmother Qiao and immediately squatted down while covering her face. After a while the sounds of her crying erupted. 

The two youths at the scene were confused by Xu Youyou’s actions.

“Youyou, what’s wrong? Why are you crying? Did someone bully you? Tell Grandmother.” Grandmother Qiao’s heart ached and ran over while coaxing her. 

Lu Shi poked Qiao Mu who stood with a worried face, and mouthed: What’s going on?

Qiao Mu was also confused, when she came earlier she was find, why did she suddenly start crying? 

“Grandmother, he bullied me.” Xu Youyou had one hand covering her eyes and the other pointing towards Lu Shi. 

“Me?” Lu Shi’s hand pointed towards his nose, his face looked as if he had seen a ghost. 

“Xiao Shi, what did you do?” Grandmother Qiao looked at her own grandson with anger. 

“I didn’t do anything.” 

“You did, you wouldn’t let me in. You said I was shameless as an outsider coming here to eat and wanted me to leave.” Xu Youyou said as if she suffered a great grievance and started crying again. 

“When did I say that? I didn’t.” Under his grandmother’s disappointed and criticizing gaze, Lu Shi wanted to cry. “If you don’t believe me, you can ask Qiao Mu.” 

It was impossible for Qiao Mu not to know what Xu Youyou was trying to do and he had already adjusted his expression. When both his cousin and grandmother looked towards him, he followed with well intentions: “Cousin indeed said those words.” 

“Qiao Mu~~~~” Xu Youyou wronging him could have been said to be the disappearance of humanity. But Qiao Mu wronging him was the loss of morality. 

“Lu Shi, what happened to your manners? Hurry and apologize.” Grandmother Qiao lifted the piece of lettuce and took a swing. Lu Shi ran all around the yeard and rushed into the house crying “ow, ow.” 

“You cooperate quite well.” Xu Youyou clapped her hands, and got up with a relaxed expression. 

Qiao Mu smiled. He was about to say something when his gaze suddenly fell on the tears rolling down the girl’s cheek. His heart trembled without a reason dn Qiao Mu took out a tissue from his pocket. He lifted his hand to wipe the tears on her face. 

“En?” Xu Youyou made a sound of surprise. 

Qiao Mu was surprised and hurried to retract his hand. He handed the tissue to Xu Youyou: “Why did you cry for real?” 

“When acting, you have to go all out.” Xu Youyou said. 

“You didn’t have to do this.” I don’t like when you cry.

———————–Translator’s Note ————————–

* fig. Have you lost your mind? ** social media slang: someone who has a pure appearance, but in actuality is not
*** Wanted to make this clarification, Qiao Mu uses 外婆 (wai po)  maternal grandmother and Lu Shi uses 奶奶 (nai nai) paternal grandmother. Because Grandmother Qiao is Qiao Mu’s mom’s mom and Lu Shi’s dad’s mom. Youyou calls her 外婆 like Qiao Mu.