What's Wrong With Being Fifteen Years Older Than Me?! - Chapter 26.1
After that, Ye Li couldn’t stop thinking about it. While it was unlikely that anything would happen between her and Auntie Lu, was being fifteen years older really such a big deal? There were plenty of examples of older men with younger wives and older women with younger husbands in the world. Wait, what am I thinking about?!
She ended up not really paying attention while shopping, and she went back to the hotel in a daze and fell asleep until morning. The next day, before they went out, Auntie Lu was still getting ready. She had been in the bathroom for a long time. Ye Li was bored, leaning against her bed, playing on her phone, and glancing at the time. Another half hour went by. She couldn’t help but wonder if Auntie Lu’s future boyfriend could handle this. He would have to be a very patient person.
“Xiaoli?” Just then, the woman poked her head out of the bathroom. She was wearing a red and white polka dot dress. The position showed off the beautiful curve of her waist. It was slightly bent, as if it would break if you touched it.
“What’s up?” The girl, who was lazily leaning on the bed, immediately sat up.
“Do you want to put on sunscreen?” Lu Zhiyun asked softly. Ye Li paused, then quickly got out of bed and walked over. Before the woman could say anything, she grabbed the sunscreen from the sink herself. “I’ll do it myself today.”
“Okay,” Lu Zhiyun said and left, leaving Ye Li alone in the bathroom. The bathroom was small and enclosed. The woman’s light, pleasant scent lingered in the air. Ye Li tried to hold her breath at first, but then gave up. She let the scent fill her nose. So fragrant… It wasn’t the cheap, overpowering perfume she had smelled in crowded places. It was a unique scent she couldn’t describe. The girl couldn’t help but sniff again, like a cat that couldn’t get enough of catnip.
Auntie Lu didn’t use just one type of perfume. Ye Li remembered at least a few. But she couldn’t tell the difference in the scents or brands. This woman always made sure she smelled good. She was a person who was refined from head to toe. Even in the cold winter when she didn’t have to go out, she would put on makeup just to take out the trash. To Ye Li, it seemed a little extra and troublesome. She probably would never become a person like that in her life. But that didn’t stop her from appreciating it.
After they were ready, they slowly left the hotel to go to today’s scenic spot. The scenic spot was a bit far from the town they were staying in. Many shops rented out all kinds of cute electric scooters. Most of the people riding them on the street were tourists. They were easy to spot.
“When we come back later, can I ride one of those?” Ye Li asked, pointing out the window from the passenger seat.
“Can you ride one, Xiaoli?” Lu Zhiyun was a little surprised.
“…I don’t think it’s that hard.” Ye Li took a breath. She knew that many students at Jingchuan No. 1 High School rode electric scooters to school. Every time she saw them, she thought they were cool. But her home was too close to the school, so she never had a chance to try.
“Haha, then let’s rent one and try it later,” Lu Zhiyun said without much thought. Ye Li wasn’t surprised. Over the years, as long as her requests weren’t too unreasonable, Auntie Lu would never refuse her. Her dad, on the other hand, thought she spoiled herself too much.
After driving for about twenty minutes, they started to enter the area around the scenic spot. The roads were visibly congested, and their speed began to slow down. The town, which had developed because of tourism, had a uniform architectural plan. All kinds of vendors were taking the opportunity to sell their goods. The hot summer couldn’t stop their enthusiasm.
The scenic area required cars to be parked in the outermost parking lot, so they had to get out and walk. The road was longer than they had expected. There were also mobile carts selling fruits, snacks, and cold drinks for tourists. Ye Li tried her best to walk at the same pace as Auntie Lu, but she couldn’t help but hear her faint gasps. They were right next to her.
“Auntie Lu, are you okay?” the girl asked, concerned. Lu Zhiyun looked at her and smiled gently. “I’m fine.” At that moment, Ye Li noticed that the woman’s fair face was a little red from the heat, like she had a natural blush.
The girl unconsciously looked away. “If you’re tired, we can find a place to sit and rest. I heard someone say it’s still a long way.”
“There’s a place to sit up ahead. Let’s go there first,” Lu Zhiyun said. She had wanted to keep going, but when she heard it was still a long way, she thought it was better not to push herself. They walked a little more and sat down on a public bench in the scenic area. Ye Li noticed that Lu Zhiyun’s breathing was more rapid than before. Remembering what Auntie Tang had told her, she started to feel anxious. She turned around and saw a mobile cart selling cold drinks not far away. She quickly said, “Auntie Lu, sit here. I’ll be right back!”
Lu Zhiyun didn’t even know what was happening. She just saw the girl run off like an arrow.
“Hi, do you have cold water? Yes, just cold purified water. Two bottles.” Ye Li quickly scanned the code to pay and then ran back with the cold water. Lu Zhiyun had her hand on the edge of the seat. She watched all of this from a distance, a faint, contented smile on her face. She couldn’t help but think, It’s so good to be young.
Full of energy, positive, and never running out of strength. Unfortunately, she had never had that kind of energy, not even when she was young. Back then, she was always the girl who watched others run and sweat during gym class.
“Here, don’t get heatstroke,” Ye Li said, handing her the cold water. Lu Zhiyun took it and said a soft thank you. Then, she put the bottle on her forehead and face to cool down. Ye Li sat on the seat next to her. She unscrewed the cap of her bottle and took a big gulp. She couldn’t handle the heat without something cold.
“It’s still early, so let’s just sit and rest before we keep going,” the girl said. She glanced at the woman next to her. Her breathing had calmed down, but she still seemed tired. Ye Li was still a little worried.
“If you don’t mind, you can lean on me and rest for a bit,” Ye Li said. She turned around and faced her back to the woman. For some reason, after saying that, her heart started beating faster. She was both looking forward to the other person leaning on her and feeling extremely awkward and embarrassed. Lu Zhiyun was stunned for a moment. Then, without saying anything, she slowly leaned her head on her. The woman closed her eyes, adjusted her breathing, and waited for the discomfort to go away.
When Ye Li felt the other person lean on her, her whole body stiffened. It was the first time someone had leaned on her like this. The feeling on her back was strange. It was slightly itchy and heavy, and she felt a sense of purpose that made her not want to move. They stayed there quietly for a while. Everything around them seemed to stop, and even time slowed down. A light breeze would occasionally blow, gently rustling the willow branches behind her. The girl held her phone in one hand. The wind brought the other person’s scent to her, adding a cool, refreshing feeling to the summer heat.
After resting for a while, they continued on their way. They timed it perfectly. By the time they reached the center of the scenic area, most of the tourists had left. They didn’t have to wait in line and easily got on a bamboo raft. As they glided on the water, they saw mountains, green water, and shimmering waves. A cool breeze blew in their ears. Feeling all of this, the long wait seemed worth it. Of course, during this time, Auntie Lu didn’t forget to take pictures of the scenery, of Ye Li, and with Ye Li. Seeing that she seemed to have recovered, Ye Li’s worries went away, and her mood improved. The girl, who usually didn’t like taking pictures, couldn’t help but take a few pictures of the scenery.
It was four in the afternoon when they returned to the town. They rested at the hotel for a bit and came out again at five. Ye Li had almost forgotten about it, but Auntie Lu still remembered. Renting a small electric scooter wasn’t expensive. It was 30 yuan for the whole day. They chose a white one from a row of different colored scooters because it had a black helmet. Ye Li couldn’t stand the other flashy helmets.
“Xiaoli, are you sure you can ride with a person on the back?” Lu Zhiyun was a little doubtful of her riding skills.
“I’m not sure. If you’re not comfortable, you don’t have to get on. I can just ride it by myself and try it out.” This wasn’t Ye Li’s first time riding a scooter. When Qin Shu was still at Jingchuan No. 1 High School, she had one. Ye Li had tried it a little and found that it wasn’t difficult for her. She got the hang of it on her first try. Lu Zhiyun hesitated for a moment but decided to trust her and sat on the back.
Ye Li put on her helmet and twisted the handle to start. The front of the scooter wobbled a lot at first. The woman in the back let out a short, small cry of surprise, and her arms instinctively wrapped tightly around the girl’s waist. Ye Li’s body stiffened, but she remained calm and continued forward. When the scooter finally stabilized, the girl explained to save face, “That was a total accident…” Lu Zhiyun was amused and didn’t say anything to tear her down.
They quickly rode through the small town. The white scooter gradually drove out of the town. The sun was setting in the west, and the orange-red glow lit up half of the sky, reflecting on the rice fields along the road. It was a beautiful, natural view. Listening to the sound of the wind, Ye Li was enjoying her freedom. She couldn’t help but let out an excited yell. Lu Zhiyun, in the back, was amused again. The hands on the girl’s waist had not let go. Ye Li looked down at the hands on her stomach and smiled brightly. “How’s that? My riding skills aren’t that bad, are they?”
“Yes, yes, they’re not bad at all~” Lu Zhiyun said in a voice that was both coaxing and a little spoiled.
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