What's Wrong With Being Fifteen Years Older Than Me?! - Chapter 36

“Xiaoli, what are you looking at?” Lu Zhiyun’s clear voice snapped the distracted girl back to reality.

“Nothing.” Ye Li smiled, then turned around to look again. The person was already gone.

She wondered if she was imagining things, but for a moment, she thought she had seen Qin Shu’s ex-girlfriend, Alian. Han Yueyue had told her that Alian was also studying in California, but she didn’t know which school. There were so many colleges here, so it couldn’t be a coincidence that they ended up at the same one… could it?

The campus was packed and lively with new students. There was even an ice cream truck selling cones on the side of the road. Ye Li’s eyes darted toward it. “Aunt Lu, do you want some ice cream?” she asked.

Lu Zhiyun paused, looking at the ice cream truck in the distance. “If you buy it, then yes,” she said with a smile.

“Okay. Wait here for me.” Ye Li took off like the wind.

Ye Li knew that Lu Zhiyun was trying to get her to be more independent, but she also didn’t want their time together to end just yet. So she decided to be bold and try to talk to a local. In Ye Li’s short life, she had barely spoken to any foreigners. Back in high school, the foreign teachers only taught the advanced classes, so she would go out of her way to avoid them, terrified that they would try to talk to her. She would always avoid them at all costs.

She only had two experiences with foreigners: one was when she was 17 and on a road trip with Aunt Lu when they ran into some tourists in the mountains, and the other was when she had to talk to the American visa officer. But she hadn’t started either of those conversations.

Lu Zhiyun watched the girl’s carefree figure, a feeling of pride in her heart. After this summer, Xiaoli seemed to have changed a lot. Lu Zhiyun’s mind flashed back to six years ago, to the stubborn, cool-headed girl she had first met. Now, she was all grown up. Lu Zhiyun’s eyes filled with a soft light, the tenderness spreading to her very soul without her even realizing it.

Buying things in English was the most basic type of conversation, something she had learned in her first year of middle school. Ye Li took a leap of faith, and she found that it wasn’t as hard as she thought it would be. Especially with the thought of Lu Zhiyun watching her, she stood up straighter and spoke to the person with more confidence. There was a belief in her heart that she couldn’t embarrass herself again.

After a few stilted and difficult sentences, she managed to buy two ice cream cones. She turned around and saw Lu Zhiyun standing on the grass across from the truck, waiting for her. The woman was slender, her long, brown hair falling over her shoulders. The sunlight made her hair look even softer. Her pale skin made her stand out in the crowd. Her clear eyes were curved in a sweet smile, waiting for her.

The girl, who was holding an ice cream cone in each hand, stopped walking for a second. She’s so beautiful, she thought. I want to draw every single moment of her.

After a brief pause, Ye Li walked over to her. “I got two different flavors. Which one do you want, Aunt Lu?”

“You did so good, Xiaoli,” Lu Zhiyun said, giving her two thumbs up, not even looking at the ice cream.

“It was nothing… just a simple conversation.” A blush crept up Ye Li’s cheeks. She quickly changed the subject. “Which one do you want? Strawberry or chocolate?”

“Strawberry, I think,” Lu Zhiyun said without thinking.

“Then I’ll have the chocolate one.” Ye Li gave her the strawberry one, telling herself that Lu Zhiyun chose that one because it was her favorite.

They walked toward the parking lot, eating their ice cream. The sweet chocolate and cream melted on Ye Li’s tongue, and she snuck a glance at Lu Zhiyun. The woman ate the ice cream in small bites, like a kitten drinking water. It made Ye Li’s heart feel soft and a little tingly.

“Oh, Xiaoli,” Lu Zhiyun said, turning to her.

Ye Li quickly looked away, caught in the act. She turned back, pretending to be nonchalant.

“I almost forgot to tell you. It’s not as safe here as it is in China. You shouldn’t walk alone at night, okay?”

“I know. Han Yueyue told me that it’s not safe to go out at night in America.”

They arrived at the parking lot just as they finished their ice cream. Ye Li stood there, watching Lu Zhiyun unlock the car and walk to the driver’s side.

“I have to go now. Have a great time at college.” Lu Zhiyun stood beside the car, smiling brightly. Her voice was soft and gentle, like the wind in a rain-soaked town.

Ye Li’s ears tingled, and she snapped out of her trance. “Aunt Lu!” she called out. “Drive safe.”

The woman, who was about to get into the car, paused. Her brown hair fell over her shoulder like a waterfall. She brushed it aside, her fingers long and slender, and replied in a warm, friendly voice, “I will.”

She got in the car and closed the door. Ye Li stood there, staring at the car, which was now just a small spot in the distance. The memory of Lu Zhiyun’s soft, gentle smile lingered in her eyes, and a void in her heart seemed to fill up. She couldn’t help but smile. When the car disappeared, she turned around and walked back to her dorm.

Lu Zhiyun’s car quickly got on the main road. The image of Xiaoli buying ice cream for her and the sound of her telling her to drive safely replayed in her mind. The girl had really changed.

When Ye Li got back to her dorm, she saw that one of her roommates was there. The girl was small and looked like a cute girl next door. She had light brown hair in a bun and pale skin. She was an Asian girl. Ye Li wondered if she was from China. The girl turned around and smiled, showing her cute canines, then said something in Japanese that Ye Li didn’t understand.

The girl realized her confusion and apologized. “I’m sorry. I thought you were Japanese, too.”

“That’s okay, that’s okay.” Ye Li waved her hand awkwardly and went to her bed.

“So are you Chinese or Korean?” the girl asked, interested.

“Chinese,” Ye Li said, sitting on her bed, relieved that she understood the question and could answer it.

“I’m Chiharu,” the girl said, showing Ye Li the Chinese characters of her name.

“Zhiyao?” Ye Li said, sounding it out. The girl’s eyes lit up, and she tried to express her excitement in English but couldn’t. Ye Li finally got a good look at her. She had amber eyes like a jewel, a defined nose, and deep-set eyes. She didn’t look completely Japanese; she looked like a mixed-race doll.

After a few moments of silence, the girl’s face turned red, and she finally said, “My English is not very good, but you are very beautiful.” It seemed that her English was on the same level as Ye Li’s.

Ye Li smiled. “Thank you. My English isn’t very good either.”

“And you can call me Kala, that’s my English name.”

“Okay, Kala, but you’re really pretty, too. You’re the most beautiful Asian girl I’ve ever seen.” Zhiyao’s words were a little clumsy, but she dared to say them, and Ye Li was glad she could understand her.

“You’re pretty, too,” Ye Li replied politely, and Zhiyao’s face turned even redder.

After a quick chat, the room fell silent again. Ye Li was sitting on her bed, looking at her phone. She saw a message from Han Yueyue.

[Han Yueyue: My dorm is a quad. Everyone is a foreign student. One is from Thailand, one from Korea, and one from the Philippines.]

[Ye Li: My dorm is a triple. One girl is Japanese. She looks mixed, but her English is not great, like mine. But she’s really cute. I haven’t met the other one yet.]

[Han Yueyue: I’m so jealous of your triple dorm!]

[Han Yueyue: Did your Aunt Lu go home already?]

They talked for a while until another person walked in. She was tall and pale, wearing glasses, with freckles on her face. She was on the phone, speaking a language that Ye Li had no idea about. She seemed to be speaking an Eastern European language. Ye Li saw Zhiyao try to say hello, but the girl just grabbed something and left, ignoring them.

Ye Li didn’t see the third roommate for the rest of the day, but she and Zhiyao got to know each other pretty well. The two girls, with their limited English vocabulary and gestures, managed to become friends.

Later that night, Zhiyao told Ye Li about a welcome party on campus. Ye Li didn’t want to go. She knew there would be a lot of talking. But Zhiyao really wanted to go and kept begging her to go with her. Zhiyao’s doll-like face kept saying “please,” and Ye Li’s heart softened.

Fine, she thought. It’s just a welcome party. I’ll just stay quiet. What’s the worst that could happen?

The two of them walked side-by-side down the long hallway. Ye Li’s hands were in her pockets, and she was thinking about Aunt Lu. Zhiyao, who was a head shorter than her, said out of nowhere, “Kala, you’re really tall. It makes me feel safe.”

“What?” Ye Li thought she was complimenting her on how strong she looked.

“Boxing… in summer.” Ye Li gestured with her hands, and Zhiyao started laughing like a sweet strawberry. Her eyes, along with her canines, made her look like a real Japanese schoolgirl.

Was it that funny? Ye Li wondered. She couldn’t express what she was thinking, so she just laughed along with her.

The welcome party was huge. It wasn’t as formal as it would have been in China. There were students from all different years. There was a buffet with unlimited drinks, fruit, and snacks like fried chicken. The lights were dim and colorful, and the music wasn’t too loud. It was more of a mixer. Everyone seemed a little reserved.

Zhiyao quickly found another Japanese girl and started talking to her. The girl tried to get Ye Li to join in, but she politely declined. She sat by herself for a while, then decided to go outside for some fresh air.

The night air was cool against her face. Ye Li took out her phone, wondering if she should send Aunt Lu a message. She heard some people talking in Chinese and a girl’s soft whimpers. Ye Li didn’t like to get involved, but she was worried that a fellow countryman was in trouble. After a lot of hesitation, she went to check it out.

“Hey, what are you doing?” Her height and her sudden appearance seemed to scare the two boys who were leaning against the wall. They ran off without looking back.

Ye Li saw a girl in a white dress sitting on the ground. She was so thin, her wrists looked like they could snap easily. She looked fragile and sad, like a broken piece of jade.

“Are you okay?” she asked, trying to sound friendly.

The girl looked up. Ye Li froze. It was her. Qin Shu’s ex-girlfriend, Alian.

At the same time, in an apartment in downtown Los Angeles, soft music was playing from a record player. Lu Zhiyun was in her light pink apron, standing at the kitchen island, measuring out butter. A video call came in, and she answered it, propping her phone up so that it showed what she was doing.

Soon, Tang Qianxia’s voice came through the phone. It was daytime where she was. The sky was blue, and the clouds were floating by. Palm trees swayed in the wind. “Are you on vacation again?” Lu Zhiyun asked, smiling, as she looked at the ingredients in front of her.

“Not really. Han’s on a business trip, and he brought me and the kids along,” Tang Qianxia said, her voice a little louder than usual because of the wind.

“Close enough,” Lu Zhiyun said, focusing on measuring the yeast.

Tang Qianxia finally couldn’t help but ask, “It must be night over there. What are you doing?”

“I’m making some bread for breakfast next week. I start work on Monday,” Lu Zhiyun said without looking up.

“What about Ye Li? Did she go to her school?” Tang Qianxia asked casually.

“Yes, I dropped her off this afternoon.” Lu Zhiyun paused, looking up at her phone. Her eyes smiled. “I think Xiaoli has changed a lot.”

“Oh, really?” Tang Qianxia’s face froze for a second. “How do you think she changed?”

“I don’t know… she’s more mature, I guess. And she’s not as distant as she used to be.”

Tang Qianxia secretly let out a sigh of relief. “Maybe she just grew up over the summer.”

“Sometimes I wonder what kind of boyfriend Xiaoli will have. What do you think?” Lu Zhiyun said, pouring all the ingredients into her stand mixer and turning it on.

“That’s impossible. Why would Xiaoli have a boyfriend?” Tang Qianxia blurted out, her tone certain.

Lu Zhiyun knew her friend too well. She heard the secret in her voice and couldn’t help but ask, “You know something, don’t you?”

“I…” Tang Qianxia decided to tell her some of it to avoid telling her everything. “She told me that she has a crush, but she didn’t tell me who it is.”

Tang Qianxia looked nervously at the woman in the video, but Lu Zhiyun was a very logical person. She quickly put all the pieces together. “So, the person Xiaoli likes… is a girl?”