Divorce Is An Absolute Must! - Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Appearance

◎There’s no need for body image anxiety.◎

Zhu Qing almost blurted out, “How did you know?”

Li Lan seemed to see her impulse and silently turned away. “The hip measurement doesn’t need to be too precise.”

Zhu Qing thought about it and agreed. She didn’t wear tight body-con skirts, and clothes had some stretch anyway, so an inch or two wouldn’t matter.

“Then I’ll be looking forward to my new clothes.”

After saying that, Zhu Qing ran her fingers through her hair. The treated hair was very smooth. She said expectantly, “Now that the clothes are sorted, do I need to get a new hairstyle? Like cutting it, getting a perm, or dyeing it?”

Li Lan said with certainty, “No need.”

“But the hairstylist said my skin is fair and I’m suitable for lighter colors,” Zhu Qing said, finding the pictures the hairstylist had sent her on her phone and showing them to Li Lan. “Light blonde hair, it looks so good.”

Li Lan didn’t even lower her head. She just lowered her eyelids, condescended to take a glance, and said coolly, “Yes, it looks good.”

Zhu Qing was encouraged. “You think so too? Then I’ll go dye it!”

Li Lan then said, “Unless you want to go bald.”

Zhu Qing: …

“Does dyeing damage your hair?”

“If you want it to look good, you’d have to get your roots touched up every two to three months. After a few times, your hair will just break off.”

Li Lan raised her hand and pinched a strand of her hair, gently rubbing it with her thumb. Zhu Qing’s hair was actually on the softer side. It was thick and black, and it had a great shine for the first two days after she washed it. But once it got dehydrated, it would get matted, and the ends would easily become dry and split. It needed frequent washing and care. In short, she had delicate but beautiful hair.

“Do you have body image anxiety?” Li Lan thought silently for a long time and finally came to a conclusion from Zhu Qing’s unusual behavior.

The more she thought about it, the more she felt it was true.

Zhu Qing, after losing her memory, had complimented her on her looks more than once. At first, Li Lan thought Zhu Qing was just infatuated, but now that she thought about it, maybe her presence was causing her stress.

“I perm and dye my hair, I diet and exercise, I stay up late for work, and I’m very picky about my appearance and body,” Li Lan said, her expression serious. “That’s because of my career. You don’t need to do any of that. You can even see me as a bad example and not let me influence you.”

Zhu Qing said, “It’s human nature to want to be beautiful.”

“The woman in the photo is a top celebrity. Her annual income is more than ten times mine,” Li Lan said. “Celebrities exchange their health for high pay. All you need to do is look at them and appreciate them. They’re beautiful to make money and to please their fans and audience. If you pursue these things, you’ll only hurt your own body.”

Zhu Qing fell silent.

Li Lan had a long speech, and when she saw Zhu Qing fall silent, she suspected she had said too much and was annoying her. She added in a low voice, “Of course, if you insist on dyeing your hair, then go dye it. I’m not talking about you. I just hope that what you’re pursuing is what you genuinely like, not something influenced by other people’s selfish interests.”

Zhu Qing looked at Li Lan with her eyes wide open, without blinking.

Li Lan met her round, onyx-like eyes for a moment, then turned her head and said in a low voice, “Like that hairstylist. He just wants to make money. Your black hair is already so beautiful…”

“Hahahaha—”

Zhu Qing burst into a hearty laugh.

Li Lan: …

Zhu Qing had been holding back her laughter since Li Lan started talking about “body image anxiety.” Her stomach hurt from holding it in, and it hurt even more after she finally let it out.

Zhu Qing covered her side and fell onto the sofa, grabbing a pillow to wipe away the tears of laughter from her cheeks. She was so overjoyed that she couldn’t stop. “Okay, Teacher Li, it’s enough that you’re beautiful for both of us. I definitely won’t get a perm.”

Li Lan was just too funny. Zhu Qing was originally worried about how to change herself to become more attractive so that Li Lan would like her.

Now, she saw that Li Lan genuinely didn’t care about her appearance.

Zhu Qing rubbed her stomach with a smile and sighed. “No, my stomach hurts. I can’t laugh anymore.”

Li Lan stood two steps away from her and frowned. “What are you laughing at?”

Zhu Qing said breathlessly, “Nothing. I’m just very happy. If Teacher Li says not to dye it, then I won’t.”

She was happy because Li Lan might like her for her soul, not just her appearance.

Li Lan couldn’t understand what was so funny about what she said, but she was relieved that Zhu Qing had ultimately given up on dyeing her hair. She nodded and said gently, “It’s best not to get a perm.”

Zhu Qing found herself wanting to laugh again. She quickly suppressed the corners of her mouth and said cunningly, “Teacher Li, I’m so well-behaved. Do I get a reward?”

Li Lan’s delicate eyebrows, like clouds in a snowy sky, furrowed slightly, as if she were thinking about a very difficult problem. She said hesitantly, “…What do you want?”

Zhu Qing raised her hand. “I’ll tell you after my leg gets better. I have to lock it in first!”

The familiar headache that Zhu Qing often gave her rose in Li Lan’s heart, but she still sighed. “Okay.”

The makeover was put on hold. Zhu Qing felt like she couldn’t laugh anymore, so she quickly sat up and changed the subject.

“Okay, let’s not talk about me anymore,” Zhu Qing said, her eyes curving into crescent moons. “Let’s talk about you.”

Li Lan’s expression was calm. “Talk about what?”

“Talk about your daughter, Xiao Bao,” Zhu Qing said. “Do you know how Xiao Bao and I used to get along?”

Li Lan returned to the dining table, picked up her cup of tea, and paused when she heard Zhu Qing’s question.

“Is it hard to describe?” Zhu Qing asked softly.

Li Lan shook her head slightly, her expression a little strange. “Why are you suddenly asking this? What did Xiao Bao say to you?”

Zhu Qing scratched her head, not knowing where to start.

“Xiao Bao said that the teacher gave her too much homework and she wanted to cut some of it, but I wasn’t sure about her academic progress, so I didn’t agree. She seemed a little disappointed.” Zhu Qing tried to stay calm, but it was clear she was on the verge of a breakdown. “And… she also wants to call me ‘Mom’.”

Li Lan wasn’t surprised at all. She gently put down her teacup, making a crisp sound.

Zhu Qing quickly said, “I’m not trying to take advantage of the situation.”

Li Lan said calmly, “I know. You don’t have to be nervous. Xiao Bao… she’s very clingy to you. I don’t know what goes on in her little head all day. The first time she saw you, she wanted you to hold her.”

In some ways, Xiao Bao and Zhu Qing were very similar. To Li Lan, they were both like a difficult equation to solve. There were too many variables and very little logic.

Zhu Qing was amazed. “Is Xiao Bao not shy at all?”

“On the contrary,” Li Lan said calmly. “She’s very slow to warm up. The nannies who take care of her have to be with her for two or three months before Xiao Bao will even talk to them.”

Then Zhu Qing didn’t quite understand. Was she just naturally good at attracting children?

But she hadn’t realized that in all these years. She even thought she hated children because she had taken care of so many since she was a child that she was sick of it and had developed a repulsion to taking care of kids younger than her. After leaving the daycare center, she never wanted to take care of a child younger than her again.

Not to mention, she was only twenty-two, and Xiao Bao was five. When Xiao Bao called her “Mom,” it made her have a horrifying vision of herself with a naive face from high school but with a big pregnant belly.

Of course, she wasn’t saying that teenage pregnancy was bad. It was just that she personally couldn’t accept it.

“I’m guessing that her calling you ‘Mom’ might be because your appearance and personality are similar to Xiao Bao’s…” As she said this, Li Lan seemed to remember something, and the corners of her mouth unconsciously curved into a faint smile. But soon, that smile faded, and a hint of loneliness flashed in her eyes.

“What?” Zhu Qing asked.

Li Lan shook her head. After a long moment of silence, she said in a low voice, “It’s nothing. Just get along with Xiao Bao naturally. You can make decisions about her. You don’t have to ask me about everything. You’re her elder, and she’s your child too.”

Zhu Qing was stunned. Li Lan didn’t have any other reaction to Xiao Bao calling her “Mom”? She even told her to just take care of Xiao Bao however she wanted?

Was Li Lan just very casual about raising her child and letting her do her own thing, or was Li Lan too trusting of her?

“How did I used to treat Xiao Bao?” Zhu Qing asked strangely. Could it be that she had been so good at taking care of her that Li Lan wanted Xiao Bao to recognize her as her mother?

Li Lan recalled, “You just played with her. Although you also liked to take care of Xiao Bao, you weren’t good at it. You would either forget to change her clothes, lose her school bag, or tie her pigtails into ponytails pointing straight up.”

Zhu Qing was mortified and found it both embarrassing and funny. “Then it sounds like she’s better off with her teacher.”

Li Lan agreed deeply, and her tone was a little troubled. “I’m not good at taking care of a child either. Xiao Bao’s arrival… I still haven’t been able to adapt to it.”

Zhu Qing comforted her softly. “It’s okay. All you have to do is make money. The nanny and the teacher can take good care of Xiao Bao.”

“I hope so,” a hint of worry flashed in Li Lan’s eyes. “I don’t have any other choice.”

She wasn’t any better than Zhu Qing. She was still very confused about Xiao Bao’s existence and could be said to be at a complete loss.

After they finished eating, Li Lan went back to the bedroom to rest. She always needed a long time to recover her energy after a period of intense work.

Zhu Qing stopped her and handed her a thermos of flower tea.

“It’s sweet. I remember you said you get low bl00d sugar easily,” Zhu Qing said with a big smile. “Drink a cup when you wake up.”

Li Lan took the thermos, opened it, and a sweet scent of flowers and fruit wafted out.

“Okay,” Li Lan’s expression softened, and she gently closed the door.

Zhu Qing was in a good mood. She wondered if others felt this way too. Just sitting and chatting with the person she loved made her feel wonderful in a comfortable and cozy way.

Perhaps this was the human need for intimacy.

Zhu Qing’s wonderfully elevated mood lasted until the evening, when it was abruptly interrupted by a wail from Xiao Bao.

“Your leg is hurt!”

At eight o’clock in the evening, the teacher brought Xiao Bao home early. Zhu Qing had just finished dinner. She had eaten a lot at noon and wasn’t hungry in the evening, but Li Lan had intentionally set an alarm to wake up and call her to eat, so she had to eat more.

After eating, Li Lan went back to her room to sleep. Zhu Qing was just lounging in the living room to digest her food and let her knee air out.

This was the scene that Xiao Bao saw when she walked in the door.

The child’s eyes were sharp. She opened her mouth to run towards Zhu Qing, but when she saw Zhu Qing’s red and swollen knee, her mouth, which had not yet formed a smile, twisted in the middle, and she burst into tears.

She pointed at Zhu Qing’s knee and jumped a few times, her face flushed with anxiety.

“You’re hurt!”

Zhu Qing was startled. She quickly pulled the air-conditioning blanket over her legs.

Zhao Yun, who had walked in behind Xiao Bao, was also startled.

“Yanqiu,” she walked over and put her hand on Xiao Bao’s shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Look closely. The wound isn’t serious.”

“Yes, I’m fine. I just scraped my skin a little. It’ll be better soon,” Zhu Qing said softly, trying to comfort her. “Don’t be scared.”

Xiao Bao was trembling with worry and said angrily, “What did Zhu Zhu do? I was only gone for one day.”

Zhu Qing couldn’t help but laugh. “Don’t talk like an adult.”

Xiao Bao’s face was stern. “Zhu Zhu is just clumsy. Her balance is already bad, and she’s always naughty. How many times has this happened?”

“I said not to talk like your mom,” Zhu Qing pulled Xiao Bao’s hand and said in a serious tone, “I’m an adult. This little scratch will be fine by tomorrow. You’re just a little kid worrying.” How did Xiao Bao know that she had bad balance?

“I’m not talking like Mom,” Xiao Bao’s mouth turned downward. She said unhappily, “Mom would never say anything to you. Mom would only say things to Xiao Bao.”

Xiao Bao said and pushed Zhu Qing’s hand away. She knelt down next to her knee, stared at the wound, and said in a low voice, “I’m a kid, not a little kid.”

Zhu Qing went along with it. “Okay, you’re a good kid. Good kids have to be obedient. Go with your teacher to wash up and go to bed, okay?”

After she finished speaking, Zhu Qing looked at Zhao Yun. “Could you please take Xiao Bao to wash up? It’s not convenient for me right now.”

Before she could finish her sentence, the door to the second bedroom opened.

Li Lan walked out. She first looked at Zhu Qing, then at Xiao Bao who was squatting on the floor pretending to be a mushroom.

“I’ll take her. Teacher Zhao, you can go home now.”

Zhao Yun, who hadn’t been able to say anything, looked at the two adults and nodded. “No.”

Xiao Bao stuck her neck out. “Hmph.”

Zhao Yun pushed up her glasses. “I have to talk to both of you. It’s good that you’re both here.”

Three minutes later, Li Lan and Zhu Qing were sitting on the sofa, and Zhao Yun was sitting opposite them. She took a sip of water and slowly began to recount what had happened at school today.

Zhao Yun was a private tutor whom Li Lan had carefully selected and hired at a high price. She was responsible for Xiao Bao’s values and all-around quality education. She was in charge of Xiao Bao’s studies, and she was also the contact person they had filled out for the kindergarten. So she often knew about Xiao Bao’s activities before Zhu Qing and Li Lan did.

“She used her allowance to buy a hundred pounds of books from a used bookstore and had the bookstore owner take them to the kindergarten. When the owner finished counting the books and took them to the kindergarten, school was already over. The guard on duty thought they were books that the kindergarten had purchased, so he let the bookstore owner put them in the kindergarten library.”

“Today, she went to school, found the books in the library, and demanded that the teacher return them to her. But many of the books had already been borrowed by other children, so she went to them one by one to get them back.”

“One of the children really liked one of the picture books and didn’t want to return it to Xiao Bao. They said that the books weren’t Xiao Bao’s, but the kindergarten’s, and that Xiao Bao was trying to steal the kindergarten’s books to take home.”

Li Lan and Zhu Qing looked at each other, both seeing confusion in the other’s eyes.

Zhu Qing was confused as to why, at the age of five, when other children were peeing in the dirt, dressing up their Barbies, and playing with clay, Xiao Bao was buying a hundred pounds of books to read. How did she have such an advanced consciousness?

Li Lan was confused about where Xiao Bao got the money. She said coldly, “Yan Xiaobao, when did you hide money?”

“Xiao Bao didn’t hide money. These are all Xiao Bao’s savings!” Xiao Bao stood up with a pout. “They’re my wages from working for Teacher Zhao!”

Li Lan looked at Zhao Yun disapprovingly.

Zhao Yun cleared her throat. “Parents, that’s not the point.”

Zhu Qing found the missing piece of the puzzle before Li Lan. “Xiao Bao, why did you buy so many books? Are you going to read them yourself?”

Xiao Bao’s eyes widened as she stared at Zhu Qing, not saying anything.

Zhu Qing waved her hand in front of her. “Hm? Why are you looking at me like that?”

Xiao Bao looked at her for a moment, then looked away, and tugged on Zhao Yun’s clothes with her head down.

Zhao Yun said calmly, “I’m guessing she wanted to buy them for the welfare center next door. The bookstore owner delivered them to the wrong place.”

Zhu Qing’s eyes widened for a moment in surprise. “The welfare center? Is it the one in the back of the kindergarten that’s in a prime location but is dirt poor?”

Xiao Bao’s head shot up. “Zhu Zhu remembers?!”

Zhu Qing said, “No, I don’t remember. I went to the kindergarten yesterday, and Teacher Yi Xi told me about it.”

The light in Xiao Bao’s eyes dimmed suddenly. “Oh.”

Li Lan’s gaze shifted back and forth between Zhu Qing and Xiao Bao. Her brow was slightly furrowed, and a hint of thought flashed in her eyes.