Chapter 4-7
7
Qiao Ruo's cold symptoms subsided by the evening. The next few days passed peacefully, so peacefully that Qiao Ruo felt that she and He Yajun would continue to live peacefully like this: she would not leave the United States, and he would not feel that her presence was a constraint to him; as long as they wanted, they could stay here indefinitely without any troubles bothering them.
He Yajun leaves for work at 8:30 every morning and usually gets home around 6:00 in the evening. Qiao Ruo will prepare dinner and wait for him to come home so they can eat together. As for breakfast, she only made scallion oil noodles once, on Monday. In the following days, he told her not to get up early, as he would take care of it himself.
He highly praised her home-cooked meals, always eating a lot of them, and he especially raved about her scallion oil noodles.
When he's not home, she either watches TV or uses his tablet to watch American dramas or movies. He asks her to ignore the subtitles as much as possible and listen to the audio herself, preferably repeating after him. He says that doing so will improve her listening and speaking skills.
She tried to do as he said, but found it very difficult, even more difficult than speaking directly to him in English.
Yes, he wasn't joking. After lunch on Sunday, he switched to English mode when he started speaking. He didn't deliberately make sentences to practice with her; he only spoke English when he was about to talk to her, and he spoke very slowly. Even so, she sometimes couldn't keep up, and when she answered, she stuttered and couldn't pronounce the words clearly.
She always remembered the first time he spoke to her in English, saying he was going to get some water and asking if she wanted some. She stared at him for several seconds before finally managing to squeeze out, "Yes, I think...so..."
He frowned deeply, unsure whether he was shocked by her level or restraining himself from mocking her... In the end, he explained gently, and considerately used Chinese: "Just answer 'Yes, thank you,' no need to be so stiff or overthink it. Just use the simplest words to express your meaning."
She was embarrassed and said, "Okay, okay." Before she finished speaking, she immediately changed her words to "OKOK".
He was pleased with her humble and receptive attitude: "Relax, Qiao Ruo, don't be nervous. When you're nervous, you might forget what you know, or you might overdo it. You should have mastered most of the vocabulary needed for everyday conversation, or maybe you just haven't been speaking enough. Keep at it, speak boldly, don't be afraid of making mistakes, you'll do a great job."
With him teaching and encouraging her so earnestly, no matter how much she doubted herself, she could only obediently cooperate.
Surprisingly, after using English for two or three days in a row, she found that although she still made a few grammatical mistakes, she was able to express herself in English relatively completely and correctly, although she still stumbled a little sometimes.
He Yajun praised her as a gifted student: "You are much smarter than Bai Qing. Back then, when I tutored her, her thought process... sometimes I was so angry that I wanted to crack her brain open. Fortunately, you are quick-witted."
She listened with a smug look on her face: "You were so nasty as to try to crack her brain open, yet she's still willing to be your good friend and care about you. That means she's a really good person. You're so lucky to have her as a friend."
"Wouldn't it be more accurate to say she's stupid?"
“…I’m curious,” Qiao Ruo paused the movie, turned to look at him, “is it only when you’re facing or talking about people you’re close to that you’re so…sharp-tongued?”
He raised an eyebrow: "Isn't it a bit inappropriate for you to use this word to describe your boyfriend?"
"Please note that my description is conditional."
“I think ‘hitting the nail on the head’ is more accurate.” He said calmly, “From the time I met you until now, whether it’s your words or your actions, you have always been to my liking. But if one day you say something stupid or do something foolish, then I won’t be as easy to talk to as I am now.”
"...So how do you define 'stupid' and 'foolish'?"
"It's probably impossible to give a clear definition; it depends on the person. But everyone is different, so there are all sorts of 'stupid' and 'foolish' people that you can't imagine. But generally speaking, 'foolish' people can still be saved, while 'stupid' people are almost beyond saving."
"So what's the most memorable stupid thing you've ever witnessed?" If it weren't for the fact that her period wasn't over yet, she would already be sitting cross-legged on the sofa.
"Hmm," he adjusted his posture slightly, "Want to hear the truth?"
"Of course," she said excitedly.
“Knowing that the other person doesn’t like you, or that the other person doesn’t know that you like them, you repeatedly cry and feel sad for them, constantly draining your energy.” He said while observing her expression, “For example, Bai Qing was like this before she and Jiang Ming got together. I think it’s stupid, but because she is my friend, I can only describe her as silly.”
"...You mean, you think having a crush is a stupid thing?" She suddenly felt a little sad.
He smiled and took her hand: "There's nothing wrong with having a crush on someone, but I don't agree with letting your life become negative just because you like someone. It's not worth it. We live for ourselves, so let's try to please ourselves as much as possible."
"But when you truly love someone, you can't help but care about their feelings and reactions. If they're sad, you'll be sad too; if they ignore you, you'll be heartbroken; and if you can't have them, you might even feel pain. These are all very natural things."
"So, the rational thing to do is not to fall in love with someone else." He Yajun's smile deepened. "But for many people, this is impossible, so most people will probably make a foolish mistake."
Qiao Ruo searched her mind for words, trying to make sure that what she was about to say accurately conveyed what she wanted to express: "Have you ever met a girl before that you really wanted to love, but your reason prevented you from loving her?"
He gently shook his head: "I don't deny the existence of love, nor do I deny the value of romance, but for me personally, it's not the most important thing in my life. If I meet someone I like, I will try to win them over, and if I can't, I will let go quickly and won't let this fruitless affection affect my mood. A relationship is only meaningful if it makes both people happy."
“Okay, you’re very strong.” His honesty left Qiao Ruo speechless.
He squeezed her hand: "If we keep talking, I'll probably really become a scumbag in your eyes, and an arrogant scumbag at that. Qiao Ruo, I haven't experienced any particularly deep or unforgettable feelings, but I assure you, I'm serious about you, and even now, I still want to continue walking with you. Please don't doubt that I don't value you just because I've been honest with you."
"You like me, right? The kind of liking a man has for a woman."
"Of course, I'm very happy to be with you."
"So..." She wanted to ask him if he loved her, but the words caught in her throat. Because, based on what he had just said, the answer was self-evident.
He seemed to hear her innermost thoughts, asking, "Are you happy with me?"
"I'm happy." How could I not be happy to be with the person I've secretly loved for so many years? She thought to herself.
"That's good, so the rest is not important."
Qiao Ruo remained silent. Of course, she wasn't talking to him about these things because she was insecure. The day she confessed her feelings, he had already shared his views on love with her. She wasn't going to make things difficult for herself just because he didn't love her. It was just that during her time in America, his attitude towards her seemed different from before. His enthusiasm, his care, and the various intimate and considerate gestures he made towards her in front of others all captivated her, naturally giving rise to a little greed. She wondered if he had also fallen in love with her.
Just then, his phone rang. He walked to the window to answer it, but his expression was one of annoyance, and his tone was very rude.
"...I don't have time...It has nothing to do with me...If you still want to maintain your friendship, I advise you to stop worrying about this...Don't come to me about this kind of thing again..."
He hung up the phone, but instead of sitting back down immediately, he stared out the window at the night view, lost in thought.
Qiao Ruo could roughly guess who was calling. She wanted to ask him what had happened and if it was alright, but she was afraid of offending him, so she pretended not to hear anything.
After a while, he called her name: "Qiao Ruo".
She responded, stood up from the sofa, and walked to his side. He went around behind her, wrapped his arms around her, and rested his head on her shoulder.
“My father was very keen to set me up with his friend’s daughter, but I refused.”
Qiao Ruo was stunned.
“He just contacted me and said that the girl is planning to come to the United States and asked me to pick her up at the airport when I have time, but I refused.”
Why are you telling me this?
"Because I'm serious about you, I can't hide this from you."
She hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Is she coming to America to see you?"
"No, she said she wanted to come to New York to pursue a master's degree and wanted to experience the atmosphere here first."
"So...did she want to study in the US because of you?"
“I don’t think so,” he laughed. “I’ve only met her once. How could she make such a big decision because of me? I don’t consider myself that charming.”
“But…” He turned around in her arms and looked closely into her eyes, “Ya Jun, sometimes it only takes one glance to fall in love with someone.”
He took her hand, kissed it, and said, "I already feel it's a miracle that you can love me. Miracles usually only happen once, and they won't happen a second or third time. Don't worry, I'll handle this."
Qiao Ruo was not so optimistic, but if she raised any more questions, He Yajun would probably think she was jealous of a strange girl, which would make her seem ungentlemanly.
She then asked a question she had always wanted to ask: "You said you don't plan to get married in your life, what does your father think?"
“He was against it, but it was no use. I’m an adult now and I don’t need him to arrange my life.”
"Don't you really hate your father?" As soon as the words left her mouth, Qiao Ruo regretted them.
However, He Yajun remained calm, his smile unchanged: "I don't hate him, it's just that we're not on the same path. Unfortunately, he's my father, so I can't completely cut off contact with him."
"And what about your mother? What does she think about your idea of not getting married?"
"She didn't say anything; she has always respected my choices."
Qiao Ruo found herself shamefully hoping that his parents would respect his decision not to marry and not pressure him into marriage. He was a man of reason over emotion, and if one day he couldn't withstand his family's expectations, changed his mind, and decided to get married, then she would have to leave, because she was definitely not a marriage partner he would consider.
"You must have a very good relationship with your mother, after all, the older generation values their children's marriages very much."
“Yes,” his expression softened noticeably when his mother was mentioned, “I’m very grateful to her. Have your parents been pressuring you to get married?”
Qiao Ruo hadn't expected the question to be directed at her. She hesitated for a moment before answering, "Not yet, but I know that in their minds, my marriage is a certainty."
"Well... if we stay together but can't get married, and I can't show up in front of them, wouldn't that make things difficult for you in front of them?" This seemed to be the first time he had shown concern for the pressure she would face in this relationship.
She wrapped her arms around his neck: "I'm going to tell them when they ask that I'm also against marriage. When I go back to China, I'll go to work in Guangzhou or Shantou. If I don't stay at home, they won't be able to control me. Then I'll work hard to save money to buy a small house, so that every time you come back to China, you can come to see me, and we can live together like we do now."
He looked at her with a complicated expression, and she suddenly felt uncertain.
"Qiao Ruo," after what seemed like an eternity, he asked her as if he had made up his mind, "Have you ever thought about coming to work in the United States?"
"Me?" She pointed incredulously at her face with her index finger. "Coming to America to be a dentist?"
He nodded: "I'm not very clear about the job requirements for dentists in the US, but I can ask around. However, I guess if you apply for positions in the US directly now, the chances of being hired are very low. It would be best to come to the US first to improve your education, and then apply for jobs after graduation. Finding a job should be much easier then. You already have several years of work experience, which will definitely be a great help to your job application."
Qiao Ruo knew that his suggestion showed how much he valued the relationship. If she accepted, almost everything she fantasized about could come true, and it would be hard for her not to be tempted. However, reality was stark: if she didn't accept her parents' and sister's financial support, she would have to secure a scholarship that covered tuition and some living expenses to have any chance of surviving in the United States. But she couldn't accept her family's support, and the chances of getting a scholarship were extremely slim.
Various thoughts raced through her mind, but she couldn't bring herself to give him a definite answer.
“Ya Jun, I’m very happy that you want me to come to America, you could say I’m extremely happy. But studying and working in America are not trivial matters, so I’d like to think about it first.”
He pressed his forehead against hers: "Qiao Ruo, you don't need to worry about the money."
"Don't..."
“Listen to me,” he interrupted her. “I know you don’t want our relationship to be tied to money, but as your boyfriend, it’s selfish of me to make this suggestion. Back home, you have family and friends, you won’t have trouble finding a job, and you might even meet a man who is far more worthy of your love than me, marry him, and start a family… Asking you to come live in America is actually making a very unreasonable demand on you, depriving you of many rights to happiness. If you really accept my suggestion, I should solve all your difficulties. Besides, difficulties that can be solved with money aren’t really difficulties.”
She couldn't help but be moved, and her heart hardened in an instant: "When I get home, I'll tell my parents, and I think they won't object to me studying in the United States. If you still want me to come to the United States then, just like you do today, then I'll give it a try."
“Okay.” He kissed her hair. “Thank you, Jo.”
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
