What's Wrong With Being Fifteen Years Older Than Me?! - Chapter 33
Ye Li wasn’t surprised by Aunt Tang’s reaction at all. She simply picked up her chopsticks and began to eat, acting as if she hadn’t just dropped a bombshell.
After a solid half-minute of stunned silence, Tang Qianxia finally snapped back to reality. “Are you serious?” she asked, her voice laced with disbelief.
The girl, who was busy chewing on a crab leg, just nodded without missing a beat, her hands still occupied with her meal.
“I mean… the kind of love you feel for a partner, not the kind you feel for a family member?” Tang Qianxia pressed, needing a second confirmation.
When she didn’t get an immediate answer, she grew impatient. “Hey, stop eating for a minute! We need to get this straight.”
The girl paused, calmly pulling a napkin from the table to wipe her mouth. She then looked at Tang Qianxia, her gaze steady, and answered with unwavering conviction, “Yes, the kind of love you feel for a partner.”
“…My goodness,” Tang Qianxia whispered, completely taken aback. “Does Lu Zhiyun know?” she asked, unable to contain her curiosity.
Ye Li shook her head, her composure absolute. “I’m not ready to tell her yet, but I will eventually.”
Tang Qianxia ran a hand over her forehead in frustration, staring at the young girl across the table with wide, incredulous eyes. “Lu Zhiyun is raising a tiger… no, that’s not it. It’s a lamb walking into a tiger’s den… no, that’s not right either.”
Unable to find the right words, Tang Qianxia finally asked, “When did this start? Ye Li, you’re so good at keeping secrets! I had no idea.” She leaned forward. “Spill it.”
“I don’t know,” the girl said, looking down and giving a slight, nonchalant smile. “It might have started a long time ago, but I didn’t truly understand how I felt until after she left.”
Tang Qianxia sighed, covering her eyes. “Lu Zhiyun is going to lose her mind when she finds out. The girl she raised for six years has feelings for her… she’s going to…” She stopped herself when she saw Ye Li’s expression turn somber and melancholic. Tang Qianxia swallowed the rest of her words, deciding it was best to keep quiet.
“Okay, I’ll keep this a secret for now. I won’t tell her.” She shook her head. “I still can’t believe it.” Tang Qianxia propped her chin on her hand, took a sip of beer, and stared at the ceiling light.
Suddenly, something clicked. “But now that I think about it, there were some signs. Lu Zhiyun is such an amazing woman. It’s not surprising that someone of the same s3x would be attracted to her. I mean, even you have been confessed to by girls at your school.”
Ye Li stayed quiet throughout, simply sipping her beer and lost in thought.
“So you suddenly decided to go to the U.S. to chase Lu Zhiyun. That’s not going to be an easy path, Ye Li. Have you thought about what will happen if you fail?” Tang Qianxia asked, her tone now serious and calm.
“I have,” the girl replied softly. “I’ll figure it out if it happens.”
Tang Qianxia glanced at her in surprise. Yes, she was still the same cool-headed girl.
After leaving Ye Li’s place, Tang Qianxia went home, her mind still reeling from the shocking news. Her husband noticed something was off right away. “You okay? You look completely out of it after going out,” he asked.
Tang Qianxia just waved her hand. “Don’t even ask.”
Unable to sleep, she tossed and turned until she finally got up to get a glass of water from the kitchen. As she listened to the water flowing, she decided to send Lu Zhiyun a message.
[Tang Qianxia: I gave Ye Li the things you left for me tonight.]
It was 11:36 p.m. in China, but it was daytime in Los Angeles. Lu Zhiyun replied almost instantly.
[Lu Zhiyun: Okay, thank you.]
Tang Qianxia had just taken a sip of water when Lu Zhiyun called her on voice chat. She went back to the living room, sat on the sofa, and answered the phone.
“Not at work yet? How do you have time to call me?” Tang Qianxia asked, a hint of a smile on her lips.
“I have ten minutes until I start,” Lu Zhiyun replied precisely. “How was Ye Li? She’s leaving tomorrow, right? Is she all packed?”
As Lu Zhiyun’s concerned questions came in, Tang Qianxia’s mind flashed back to Ye Li’s confession. She couldn’t help but frown. “She’s… fine. Yeah, she’s all packed up.” Tang Qianxia stuttered, flustered.
“You sound weird.”
“Do I? No, I don’t think so,” Tang Qianxia said, nervously running her fingers through her hair.
“You’ve always had a stutter when you get nervous, ever since you were a kid. Come on, what’s wrong? Maybe I can help.”
“Nothing! I swear, haha,” Tang Qianxia said, secretly thinking, You’re the one who’s about to have a problem, Lu Zhiyun.
The next day, on the morning of her flight, Ye Li woke up very early. The sky had barely begun to lighten, but she was already wide awake. She lay in bed for a while, scrolling on her phone, then decided to get up.
[Ye Li: Han Yue, are you awake yet?] she messaged while she was brushing her teeth.
[Han Yueyue: Huh? It’s only 6 a.m. We’re not flying until tonight.]
Ye Li’s brushing came to a halt. Oh, right. Their flight was at seven p.m. She really had woken up too early.
When she checked the time again, it was just past seven. She still had 12 hours until her flight. It felt like an eternity. She had been receiving messages from her Aunt Lu on and off, but because of the time difference, her instant replies were met with long silences.
Finally, at five p.m., Han Yueyue messaged her.
[Han Yueyue: Ye Li, we’re almost at your place. My parents will park on the side of the road, and I’ll come up to help with your luggage.]
Ye Li immediately went to her room to grab her suitcase, typing a reply with one hand.
[Ye Li: Don’t bother. I can bring it down myself.]
[Han Yueyue: Okay. We’ll be there in about 10 minutes.]
[Ye Li: Okay, I’ll wait downstairs for you.]
Ye Li had packed everything, so she didn’t need to do anything else. As she was about to leave, she suddenly turned around and rushed back to the bathroom. She stood in front of the mirror, checking her makeup. It was simple—just foundation, eyeliner, and lipstick. She had put it on an hour ago, and she hoped it would last until she landed. She had also washed and styled her hair with a curling iron.
Satisfied, Ye Li grabbed her suitcase and hurried out the door. She sat on her suitcase on the side of the road, her long legs dangling. A black SUV soon pulled up. She had met Han Yueyue’s parents before, and they were always very warm. They got out of the car to help her with her luggage.
On the way to the airport, Ye Li and Han Yueyue sat in the back seat. “Ye Li, when you and Yueyue get to California, make sure you look out for each other and keep in touch,” Han Yueyue’s mother said, turning around from the passenger seat. “You’re so much more mature than our Yueyue. She’s still a kid, so I’m counting on you to look after her.”
Ye Li sat up straight. “Don’t worry, Auntie. I’ll make sure to keep in touch with her.”
“Hey, when did I become a kid, Mom? It’s not my fault, I didn’t grow as tall as Ye Li,” Han Yueyue said, half-jokingly.
When they got to the airport, Ye Li’s phone buzzed with a message from Qin Shu.
[Qin Shu: Did you guys leave yet?]
Ye Li was about to type a reply when Han Yueyue saw her screen. She leaned over and made Ye Li hold the voice recorder button while she spoke.
“Ye Li and I are already at the airport!”
[Qin Shu: … I’m on my way.]
After hearing that Qin Shu was coming, Han Yueyue’s parents didn’t want to linger. They said a few goodbyes and left in a hurry.
“Do your parents still not accept your sister?” Ye Li asked quietly.
Han Yueyue nodded, defeated. “Ever since she came out to our whole family last year, my parents have been trying to limit our contact. My mom basically said she was worried my sister would be a bad influence on me.”
Ye Li rolled her eyes. “It’s just a different sexual orientation. How can that be a bad influence?” she said, her hands in her pockets as she thought about her own situation. The thought made her feel a little anxious.
Han Yueyue’s eyes lit up. “Wow, Ye Li. I never thought you’d be so understanding about this. I thought you were against it.”
Ye Li glanced at her out of the corner of her eye. She suddenly remembered that she hadn’t told her about her feelings for her Aunt Lu. Maybe it was better to keep it to herself for now.
They waited in the terminal for a while before Qin Shu finally arrived. “Auntie and Uncle already left?” Qin Shu asked Han Yueyue, already knowing the answer.
Han Yueyue nodded sheepishly.
“Great. You two are running off to a different country and leaving me all alone,” Qin Shu said, sprawling out on a long bench.
“If you miss me, you can get a tourist visa and come visit,” Han Yueyue said.
Qin Shu shot her a look. “You think you’re so pretty?” she said bluntly.
“But Ye Li is! You can go visit Ye Li and then see me while you’re at it.” Han Yueyue blurted out, only to realize what she’d said a second too late. Her sister used to have a crush on Ye Li, after all.
Qin Shu didn’t have much to do, so she just sat and chatted with them for a while. When it was time to say goodbye, she called out to Ye Li.
“Hey, Ye Li.”
The girl turned around just as Qin Shu strode over and hugged her tightly. The scents of her perfume and shampoo filled Ye Li’s nose.
Ye Li was stunned. Han Yueyue was equally baffled.
A few seconds later, Qin Shu let go and gave Han Yueyue a quick, perfunctory hug. Then she took a few steps back, smiled brightly, and waved. “Have a good trip!”
Just before she boarded the plane, Ye Li’s phone buzzed with a reply from her Aunt Lu. The last message she had sent was her flight information.
[Lu Zhiyun: You don’t land in LA until after 8 p.m., right? If I don’t have anything going on, I’ll try to pick you two up at the airport.]
A soft smile spread across the girl’s face. She didn’t have time to reply, so she quickly put her phone in her pocket. Han Yueyue, who had been watching, immediately followed her and asked, “What’s got you so happy?”
“Nothing,” Ye Li said with a shrug, then added casually, “Oh, I forgot to tell you something. My Aunt Lu might be picking us up at the airport in Los Angeles.”
“Really? That’s great! I was so worried about what we’d do when we landed, not knowing anyone,” Han Yueyue said, clapping her hands excitedly.
The two of them had seats next to each other on the plane. As she buckled her seatbelt, Han Yueyue glanced at Ye Li. “You seem much happier today than usual,” she said.
“You’re finally getting to go to the U.S. like you’ve always wanted. Wouldn’t you be happy?” Ye Li said, raising an eyebrow.
“I am! But I’ve known you for so long, and I’ve rarely seen you this happy,” Han Yueyue said, puffing out her cheeks in thought.
Ye Li took her hand off her seatbelt, and her smile faded. Of course, she was happy today. After so long, after waiting for so long, they were finally going to see each other again.
The flight was 17 hours long, with a layover in Seattle. Ye Li went to sleep as soon as the plane took off. When they arrived in Seattle, they both went to the bathroom.
“Han Yue, did you bring makeup remover?”
“I don’t wear makeup,” Han Yueyue said, shaking her head like a good little kid.
Ye Li opened her carry-on and pulled out her makeup bag. Han Yueyue sat down next to the suitcase like a curious child, resting her chin in her hands.
“I didn’t think you’d be the type of person who knows how to put on makeup.”
“You’ll learn one day, too. It’s just a matter of time,” Ye Li said, smiling lightly.
In the Seattle airport bathroom, Ye Li removed her smudged makeup and reapplied it. Han Yueyue watched her, completely clueless. “It’ll be dark by the time we get to Los Angeles. Who are you putting on makeup for?”
Ye Li just sighed, giving her a helpless look as she held her mascara wand.
The flight from Seattle to Los Angeles was only three hours. As soon as she boarded the plane, Ye Li’s heart began to race. Han Yueyue, who had been full of energy, was now fast asleep next to her.
It was 8 p.m. local time in Los Angeles. Lu Zhiyun grabbed her car keys and left her apartment downtown. It would only take her half an hour to get to LAX.
At 8:40 p.m., in Terminal B, Lu Zhiyun checked Ye Li’s flight information again. The arrivals hall was huge, with people of all different ethnicities, including a few other Asians. Lu Zhiyun kept her eyes on the LED screen that showed the flight information.
As soon as Ye Li got off the plane, she checked her phone and saw a message from her.
[Lu Zhiyun: I’m here. /photo]
The photo was of the arrivals hall. She was there. Ye Li’s heart rate skyrocketed, and she could feel her breathing become erratic.
Han Yueyue walked ahead for a few steps, then turned back and smiled. “What are you doing, Ye Li?”
The girl quickly put her phone away, grabbed her suitcase, and hurried to catch up, subconsciously wiping the sweat from her palms.
They walked from the terminal to the arrivals hall. Ye Li’s eyes scanned the crowd until they landed on a woman. She was wearing a Kleinian blue dress, a thin white knitted cardigan, and carrying a white leather handbag. She stood there, quiet and serene, her presence bright and beautiful, as if she were separated from the noisy crowd by an invisible glass wall.
Ye Li was trying to figure out how to get her attention when the woman looked up.