What's Wrong With Being Fifteen Years Older Than Me?! - Chapter 1

“I don’t want to live with a stranger!”

The girl, standing in front of a supermarket shelf, casually rustled a bag of snacks to show her displeasure.

“She’s not a stranger. She’s your mother’s friend.”

The man, speaking in a coaxing tone, had the standard short haircut of a middle-aged man. He wore a faded, old-fashioned striped shirt and a pair of worn-out suit pants.

“My mom’s been gone for a long time. She doesn’t have any friends left.”

The girl turned around, her eyes full of sorrow. “Yè Déyǒu, be honest. Do you not want me anymore?”

“Daddy only has one precious daughter. Of course I want you,” he said. “But this chance to go abroad is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. To give you a better life in the future, your dad has to go all in.”

“Whatever,” she said, waving her hand impatiently as she dragged the shopping basket forward. Her ponytail swung in a half-circle with the turn. “It’s not a big deal. I can just live in a dorm when school starts. I’m twelve this year. I’m about to be a middle school student. You don’t need to worry about me.”

Yè Déyǒu watched his overly mature daughter and sighed silently. She wondered who she inherited that stubborn personality from. It could only be her mom, who had been gone for six years.

The airport was desolate in the early hours of the morning. A standard, melodic voice on the PA system announced the latest international arrival. Lù Zhīyún took off her soft neck pillow, put on her headphones, and walked slowly off the jet bridge.

The wheels of her suitcase rumbled against the tile floor, accompanied by the voice of her friend, Táng Qiānxià, through her headphones.

“I found the apartment just like you asked. It’s a two-bedroom. It’s about a ten-minute walk from Jǐngchuān No. 1 High School and about a ten-minute drive from Jǐngdà University.”

“Thanks. I’ll treat you to dinner once I get settled.”

Lù Zhīyún wore a backless floral top with jeans, looking casual and relaxed. This outfit made many people at the airport turn and stare.

“Why is everyone looking at me so strangely?” she wondered aloud.

On the other end of the line, Táng Qiānxià’s laughter filled her ears. “They probably think you’re too gorgeous. They think you’re some celebrity arriving in Jǐngchuān in the middle of the night.”

“…” Lù Zhīyún didn’t have a response.

“Okay, but seriously,” Táng Qiānxià asked, “are you really not planning on going back overseas this time?”

“We’ll see. I’ll probably be here for a while,” Lù Zhīyún said. She lowered her gaze, then raised it again, her eyes holding a complex, unreadable expression.

“It’s a shame, though,” Táng Qiānxià said, “that a business major with a master’s degree from an Ivy League school is coming back to be a regular English teacher at a university. But you know, everything is fated, right?”

Lù Zhīyún raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t you the one who believes in fate the least?”

“I used to not believe in it, for sure. But after what happened to you, I started to. I even went to a temple to pray last week.”

“Was it the temple on Mount Lónghuá?” Lù Zhīyún asked.

“Yeah, I can’t believe you remember…”

Listening to the voice in her headphones, Lù Zhīyún walked out of the airport with her suitcase. The muggy outdoor air instantly filled her lungs, and her exposed skin felt like it was on a grill. In no time, a fine layer of sweat formed between her palm and the handle of her suitcase.

She frowned slightly. “I can’t believe it’s hotter here than in California.”

“Why didn’t you let me come pick you up? We could’ve grabbed a late-night snack and hung out. It’s hard to get a ride this late.”

Lù Zhīyún handed her suitcase to a taxi driver. “I’m watching my figure, so no late-night snacks. Plus, I need to adjust to the time difference.”

“Alright. Oh, by the way, when are you meeting that little girl?”

Once inside the taxi, Lù Zhīyún relaxed into the back seat. The air conditioning provided a small relief.

“This Friday,” she said, giving the date without a second’s hesitation.

“Ma’am, are you heading to Shuǐjùn Bay? In the Huái’ān District?” The driver turned to ask her.

“Yes, that’s right,” Lù Zhīyún replied. She paused for a moment, then remembered that Táng Qiānxià had given her that exact address.

As the taxi left the airport and drove onto the highway, the scattered city lights in the distance blurred into a mosaic of light through the car window. The driver made small talk. “Ma’am, did you just come back from overseas?”

“…Yes,” she answered.

“I can tell by your clothes and how you’re dressed. Are you back to visit family?” he asked.

“No, I came back for… work,” she said. Her voice was faint, with a slight nasal tone from a recent cold that hadn’t fully healed.

“That’s great. You studied abroad to improve yourself, then came back to help your hometown…”

Following the driver’s words, Lù Zhīyún’s thoughts drifted.

Ten days ago, she was working as an executive manager at an international trade company in California when she received a text message from back home.

[Jiǎn Shíyīng (Sister): Ms. Lù, I’m so sorry to bother you. I wouldn’t ask unless I had no other choice. A brother of mine from my old sailing days got a rare opportunity to go abroad and make some money. Whether I can give Little Lí a better life depends on this one chance. But she’s still too young, and her mom left us early. I’m really not comfortable leaving her alone in the country. Another reason is that she’s almost a teenager, and she needs a female elder to guide her, not me, her careless old dad. I know this is a strange request, so please feel free to refuse. I’ll figure something else out. I’m so sorry again.]

The text was long, and Lù Zhīyún read it over and over at least three times. Of course, she knew the text wasn’t from the deceased Jiǎn Shíyīng herself, but from her husband.

That same night, after finishing her work, Lù Zhīyún carefully crafted a reply.

Lù Zhīyún: Hello, Yè Lí’s dad. I’ve read your text. I’ll handle my work in California as soon as possible and then return home. Your request isn’t too much. Of course, I won’t refuse it, and I have no reason to. I’ll see you in China.

That Friday afternoon, Yè Déyǒu finally managed to convince Yè Lí to leave the house. They didn’t live in Jǐngchuān City but in the subordinate county of Chángqīng, a one-and-a-half-hour drive away. Yè Déyǒu drove a rickety old ’90s Santana on the new highway.

The air conditioning was broken, so Yè Lí hit the vent with her hand, but it didn’t make a difference. The rising heat in the car forced them to open the windows to let in some cooler air. But even the wind was hot, though it was better than nothing.

The girl stuck her flushed face out the window. The rushing wind ruffled her bangs. Besides the dry, dusty air, she inhaled the heavy, uncomfortable smell of car exhaust.

“Little Lí, don’t put your head out the window,” Yè Déyǒu said, glancing at her.

“Why do I have to go to school in Jǐngchuān? Isn’t it fine to stay in Chángqīng?” Yè Lí pulled her head back in. A faint red mark from the window frame was now on her fair cheek.

“Jǐngchuān has the best high school in the city. If you can get into the affiliated middle school, it’ll be easier for you to get into the high school. And then, for college…”

Yè Lí didn’t want to hear the same lecture again. She raised her hand and plugged her ears. When his voice faded, she said, “Can’t I just live in a dorm? I really don’t want to live with a stranger.”

This time, the man clearly wasn’t willing to budge. “When we get there, remember to greet her, okay?”

Yè Lí didn’t say a word. She crossed her arms over her chest and closed her eyes in frustration.

Inside a KFC in downtown Jǐngchuān, the air conditioning was on full blast. To appease his daughter, Yè Déyǒu ordered a lot of food for her.

Yè Lí sat in a window booth, her chin resting on one hand. With the other, she picked up a French fry, dipped it into the ketchup, and put it in her mouth.

Beside her, Yè Déyǒu checked his watch, a nervous frown on his face. He stretched his neck, looking around.

Just then, a beautiful woman entered Yè Lí’s sight. She was standing on the sidewalk outside the window, on the phone. The woman had long, curly chestnut hair. Her nose, in profile, was perfectly sculpted. She wore flawless makeup, a flowing blue dress, and a pair of delicate kitten heels.

Yè Lí, bored, continued to eat. She didn’t realize how long she had been staring at the woman. People are always drawn to beautiful things.

The woman hung up the phone and walked forward. The white checked bag on her shoulder had a clear YSL logo. From head to toe, she exuded a sophisticated, cosmopolitan vibe.

Yè Lí looked away. She grabbed a napkin to wipe the grease from her fingers. When she looked up, she noticed the woman from outside was now walking into the restaurant.

From the front, the woman’s features were even more stunning. Her face had soft, graceful lines, and her slightly winged eyeliner and red lips paired with her curly hair made her look like a movie star from an old Hong Kong film. She radiated an air of elegance that made her stand out.

Her arrival drew the attention of many customers in the restaurant.

Yè Lí, unbothered, picked up the cup of iced cola and took two sips through the straw. The cold from the ice cubes traveled through the glass to her palm, quickly driving away the summer heat.

“Little Lí, she’s here. Say hello, now.” The man next to her quickly straightened up and nudged her with his elbow.

Yè Lí looked up and watched in a daze as the beautiful woman with the YSL bag sat down on the stool in front of them.