A Love Letter Written to You - Chapter 23

Chapter 23

“Mother.”

After dinner, Ji Yu began going through the house to figure out what to pack for the upcoming variety show shoot. Leng Ying had locked herself in the music room, saying she’d been hit with a sudden wave of inspiration.

That left Ji Yu alone in the living room.

She sprawled on the sofa cross-legged, completely at ease—not like a guest at all, but more like the lady of the house.

“Mm, have you eaten?” Ji Yu’s mother spoke fluent Mandarin, the result of years spent with her husband. “Your aunt said you still haven’t moved into Jingming Pavilion?”

“I’ve eaten.” Ji Yu paused her scrolling on the tablet. “Yeah, I’m staying at a friend’s place.”

“A friend?”

“…Temporarily a friend.”

“Oh.” As Ji Yu expected, her mother didn’t press the issue. “Good luck winning her over.”

Ji Yu: “…I’ll do my best.”

“Make some time to stay at Jingming Pavilion for a few days. Your aunt put in a lot of effort—don’t let it go to waste.”

“I’ll see if I can find the time,” Ji Yu gave no definite answer. “I’m going to be on a variety show in China in a few days.”

“Oh? To chase after someone?”

A smile spread across Ji Yu’s face. “She invited me on the show.”

“Did she now? That’s good. At least it’s not a one-sided thing.”

Ji Yu offered a perfunctory compliment, “Your Mandarin’s improved again.”

A soft chuckle came from the other end. “Learning never ends. Call home if you need anything. What’s the show called?”

“I’ll tell you once I’ve won her over.”

After hanging up, Ji Yu stared at her growing packing list and fell into contemplation: …Is this too much?

Once she knew she’d be filming a variety show, Ji Yu had gone back and rewatched previous seasons of Our Life. While the theme varied each season, some things remained the same: for instance, the production team would confiscate guests’ phones, and they weren’t allowed to bring cash or personal items when checking in…

Oh, right—this season had a twist.

There would be live segments during the filming, completely unedited and unfiltered, with a focus on “authenticity.”

Ji Yu sorted and re-sorted her suitcase, picking and choosing carefully.

…

A jarring note rang out from the piano.

Leng Ying frowned and looked toward her phone, which had been set aside.

Right in the middle of the screen was a WeChat message—from her aunt.

“…”

Leng Ying opened it.

Aunt: “Yingying, your mother came to me. Did you block her number?”

Leng Ying: “What did she say to you?”

Aunt: “What else? She wanted to know if it’s true you’re going to be on a variety show, and why you rejected her before.”

As expected.

Leng Xingming had realized she’d been blocked, but of course wouldn’t block the aunt. So she went to her instead for information.

Another message came through:

Aunt: “I told her you didn’t want to fake a friendship on TV. That she wanted you to promote a new artist from their company on a variety show—that was totally inappropriate.”

Leng Ying let out a breath of relief: “Thank you, Aunty.”

Aunt: “No need to thank me.”

Aunt: “But I also want to ask—this is the very, very, very good friend you mentioned before, isn’t it?”

Attached was a clip from a trending airport video from a few days ago.

Aunt: “You’re going on the show with her?”

Leng Ying: “Mm.”

Holding her phone, Leng Ying replied earnestly. And in that moment, she realized—she truly wasn’t afraid anymore.

Leng Ying: “If I’m going on the show with her, then yes—I can do it.”

Aunt: “😂😂😂”

Aunt: “Good! As long as our Yingying is happy. Don’t bother with your parents. They’re unreliable.”

Of course I know that, Leng Ying thought.

How could I not know?

During those years when her parents were too busy with work to care for her, it was her aunt who raised her.

Compared to “Mom” and “Dad,” she was much more familiar with the words Aunty.