Unable to Fall in Love Syndrome - Chapter 13

Chapter 13 – Time Speaks 03

Xiao Jia held Qiao Shan as they waited for the elevator. His hand rested on her waist, letting her lean against his shoulder.

Zuo Yi felt a bit awkward for assuming too much, and he couldn’t quite figure out what she was thinking.

So what was the deal with that birthday cake? Could it be that she wasn’t… interested in him?

While waiting for the elevator, he glanced sideways again. Qiao Shan’s slender waist, so delicate it seemed like it could snap, was encircled by the man’s arm, and her little head occasionally nuzzled against his shoulder.

Tch. Showing off their affection for what?

Xiao Jia noticed Zuo Yi’s odd scrutiny and met his gaze with confusion.

The elevator arrived, and Zuo Yi stepped in first with his long legs, then leaned against the corner. He reached out to hold the sensor door open, making it easier for them to enter.

Qiao Shan, drunk, had a buzzing in her ears, and her vision was like it had been smeared with layers of paste—it felt awful. Everything in front of her was blurry, as if filtered through a soft, dreamy glow, lacking any real substance.

Even with her senses dulled, she could feel the presence of that annoying person beside her. She tried kicking and punching several times, but each attempt was pulled back by an overwhelming force.

Her limbs were restrained, beyond her control—it didn’t feel right.

This was clearly a dream, so why couldn’t she fly freely? Why couldn’t she happily beat someone up?

She really wanted to “awoo” and bite that person’s face to vent her anger.

…

Qiao Shan’s movements grew bolder, becoming utterly unrestrained.

Xiao Jia had to hold her while freeing a hand to hail a cab, getting so flustered that he was covered in a fine sweat, his back soaked. A black Phaeton pulled up in front of them, and the driver rolled down the window. His features, bathed in the soft dim light, were strikingly handsome.

“Get in. We’re neighbors—it’s on the way.”

“Neighbors?” Xiao Jia realized. This man must be the big client Qiao Shan mentioned. No wonder she was going crazy trying to bite someone; it was probably from too much work stress.

Xiao Jia chuckled lightly, opened the door, and bundled Qiao Shan inside. As soon as he sat down, her head thudded heavily onto his thigh, and she hugged it before chomping down… hard.

She bit with such force that it was painful even through the fabric, making him grit his teeth.

Xiao Jia covered her cheek with his broad palm, using his fingers to shield her ears, and only then did she settle down.

At her doorstep, Xiao Jia supported Qiao Shan with one hand while using the other to unlock the door.

He heard the scratching of dog paws from behind the door. Twisting the lock, he carefully pushed it back a bit. The resistance eased, and the chubby dog nimbly squeezed through the gap.

Dudu circled around Xiao Jia once, wagging its big tail, then trotted back inside and fetched Qiao Shan’s slippers with its mouth.

Xiao Jia looked at the dog and laughed. “No need—she’s in no state to change into slippers right now.”

Dudu nudged the slippers to Xiao Jia’s feet with its snout, lifted its chin to look at him, and barked, “Woof woof!” Then it sprawled sideways, blocking the hallway to the living room.

Xiao Jia asked, “You mean, I have to change into slippers?”

Dudu barked, “Woof woof!” Isn’t it obvious?

Xiao Jia eyed the roughly size-36 women’s slippers, then glanced at Dudu, chuckling helplessly. “If I don’t change, you won’t let me through?”

Dudu whined once, then flopped down with limbs splayed, its long, thick, chubby legs completely dominating the path to the living room.

“Fine, fine, I’ll change.” Xiao Jia sighed, holding Qiao Shan with one hand while awkwardly removing his shoes with the other.

The women’s slippers were way too small for him—no matter how he crammed, his heels stuck out. Big feet in tiny shoes—it was ridiculous. He asked with a helpless smile, “This okay?”

Only then did Dudu get up and make way for him.

In the living room, there was no furniture at all.

A few cardboard boxes sat in the center, topped with five or six instant noodle cups. He placed Qiao Shan on the single bed in the bedroom, gently removing her shoes and jacket, then spread a blanket over her abdomen.

After settling her in, he went to the bathroom to fetch water and wiped her face and hands with a towel. By the time he finished, it was already 1 a.m.

He’d entrusted little Wenwen to the two elderly professors next door—with them watching her, he felt at ease staying to take care of Qiao Shan.

Xiao Jia knew he wouldn’t be able to catch a cab back now, so he found some sturdy cardboard from the room, laid it on the floor, and made do sleeping there for the night.

*

The next day, when Qiao Shan woke up, Xiao Jia had already left.

Dudu’s bowl was filled with dog food, and the instant noodle cups on the cardboard boxes had been cleared away. In their place was a cup of soy milk and a bag of big steamed buns, the plastic bag misted with steam from the heat. She picked it up and held it—surprisingly, it was still warm.

There were no breakfast shops nearby in the neighborhood. Xiao Jia had gotten up at five, walking five kilometers to find one.

Qiao Shan sipped the soy milk a few times, easing the dryness in her throat. She peeled open the plastic bag to reveal the soft, white buns, took a big bite, and the juicy meat filling flooded her mouth—it tasted great.

She hadn’t even finished half a bun when the doorbell rang at an inopportune moment.

With a piece of the bun still in her mouth, she opened the door and first saw a cardboard box nearly half as tall as a person. She stepped back, and the person outside carried it in, set it down in the living room, then put his hands on his hips and turned to instruct her, “Little matchmaker, hurry up and close the door.”

Qiao Shan shut the door, walked over, and kicked the big box. “What’s in this thing?”

Ying Shengnan tore off the tape, opened the box, and pulled out a titanium non-stick pan. The smoothly polished body had a matte texture, gleaming with a subtle metallic sheen.

Even though Qiao Shan didn’t know much about cookware, she could tell this pan was expensive.

Ying Shengnan’s fingertip traced the smooth surface, then he flicked it with a bent finger, producing a dull thud. “This is my baby—I’m giving it to you.”

Qiao Shan took the pan from him, examining it closely, puzzled. “Why are you giving me a pan?”

“You’ve got nothing here; you at least need some kitchen stuff, right? Eating instant noodles every day,” he teased, staring at her stomach, “Can your belly handle it?”

Qiao Shan had never received a gift like this before and said helplessly, “Thanks for the gift, Boss Ying. I’ll put it in the kitchen and have Dudu bow to it every day—like an offering!”

Ying Shengnan sat on a cardboard box and dragged one over for her. “Come, sit. Tell me, how exactly did that kid Zuo Yi figure out you’re the little matchmaker? A girl changes a lot after eighteen—you look like this now, and he still recognized you. He’s not human!”

Could it really be a crush that’s lasted over twenty years?

The kid matured early, huh.

Qiao Shan recounted the whole story truthfully. After listening, Ying Shengnan covered his face and groaned in defeat. “Little matchmaker, should I praise you or sing your praises? Should I commend you or applaud you?”

“You might as well just smack me.” Qiao Shan tugged her own ear, dead serious. “As long as you don’t hit the ears, anywhere else is fine!”

“I’m starting to doubt your professional skills.” Ying Shengnan crossed his legs, elbow propped on his thigh, rubbing his stubbly chin with his fingertip. After a long pause, he said, “Looks like we have no choice.”

“What?” Qiao Shan asked.

Ying Shengnan tapped his forehead and hissed. “Little matchmaker, where’s your usual cleverness? Like this: Put the matchmaking on hold for now. He’s at work during the day while you’re off; he goes running at night, you go too; he shops at the mall, you take the dog and follow. Keep a close eye on him for me.”

“Why keep an eye on him? Waiting for a flower to bloom out of his butt?” Qiao Shan imagined trailing after Zuo Yi every day—what’s the difference from being a creepy stalker?

“Put the introductions on pause for now. One month—you track him for a month, doing nothing else, just follow him!” Ying Shengnan’s gaze was resolute.

“Tracking needs a purpose, right? We signed a contract to introduce him to someone and help him get out of singlehood. Now, aimless stalking—what’s that about? Delaying a month means I pay an extra month’s rent. You know how expensive it is here?” Qiao Shan got anxious.

“Don’t rush, don’t rush,” Ying Shengnan soothed her. “Hey, little girl, what’s the hurry? From what I’ve observed, Zuo Yi’s been showing some interest in dating lately—that means your efforts are paying off.”

“Me?” She thought for a moment. “But I haven’t done anything yet?”

“That’s why I’m having you track him for a month first—get a deep understanding of him. Zuo Yi’s not straightforward; he’s not easy to handle like regular folks, and he’s not as cooperative as your past clients. So I think, don’t rush into introducing girls. First, deeply understand him, get into the depths of his soul, feel out what kind of goddess lives in his heart.” Ying Shengnan spoke with passionate fervor.

For a moment, Qiao Shan felt like her job was about to be snatched away.

“But my rent…”

“Rent’s on the company tab—I’ll reimburse you!”

“But I have no furniture here. What if Zuo Yi drops by…”

“By noon tomorrow, I’ll have someone deliver the basics.”

Qiao Shan patted his broad shoulder contentedly. “Good boss, I’ll devote myself fully to your little brother’s lifelong happiness, no matter how annoying he is! I’ll give it my all, even if it means spilling my guts!”

*

Half an hour later, their chat wrapped up.

Qiao Shan saw Ying Shengnan out, the two of them laughing and exchanging pleasantries at the door. Then, the opposite door clicked open, and without warning, they came face-to-face with Zuo Yi stepping out.

!! What the hell? Wasn’t that Zuo witch at work by now? What is this!

Clearly, Ying Shengnan was just as clueless. Even Dudu, who had come out with its owner to see the guest off, tilted its head in total confusion.

The hallway fell silent as the tomb for a few seconds before Zuo Yi spoke, “Big brother?”

Ying Shengnan rushed up and gave him a hug. “Oh, my dear third brother, a week apart feels like three autumns—you’ve gotten even more handsome, you bastard!”

“…” Zuo Yi’s face darkened from the embrace. He glanced at Qiao Shan and asked, “What are you doing here?”

Pausing, he continued, “Or rather, why are you coming out of her place?”

Ying Shengnan grinned shamelessly. “Isn’t it obvious? Walked into the wrong door.”

Qiao Shan figured this was hard to explain and blurted out without thinking, “Yeah, yeah, wrong door—he mistook you for me. Now that I think about it, we do look kinda alike, heh heh heh!”

Ying Shengnan covered his face and turned away, coughing dryly. This was classic overkill.

After a few seconds of awkward laughter, Qiao Shan felt even more embarrassed.

She wanted to slap her own blabbermouth. What was she even saying!!! Speaking without thinking—her awkwardness was flaring up.

“…” Zuo Yi clearly didn’t buy her nonsense.

—Alike my ass!