What's Wrong With Being Fifteen Years Older Than Me?! - Chapter 38

“Long time no see.” Lu Zhiyun’s eyes curved as she walked down the steps.

“How is it that after all these years, you haven’t changed at all? You look just like you did in college,” Shen Suhe said, looking at her from head to toe.

“Stop joking. A woman who’s almost 35 can’t compare to a college student.” Lu Zhiyun stopped in front of her. “I remember you went to Australia after you graduated. What are you doing back in the States?” she asked, greeting her like an old friend. They hadn’t seen each other in almost a decade, but they were pretty close in college.

“It’s a long story. Let’s talk in the car. I’ll buy you dinner tonight,” Shen Suhe said, gesturing to the car.

Lu Zhiyun paused and checked her phone, but she hadn’t gotten any messages. “What, do you have a date with your boyfriend, or does your husband not allow it?” Shen Suhe asked, a playful look in her eyes as she walked to the driver’s side.

“Stop it.” Lu Zhiyun smiled, put her phone away, and got into the passenger seat.

As she put on her seatbelt, Shen Suhe glanced at her and asked, “Are you still single?”

“I’ve been busy with some things for the past few years, so I haven’t had the time or energy to date,” Lu Zhiyun said, putting on her seatbelt.

“I know. I heard that you went back to China to raise a kid for six years. So, how was it, being a mother so early?” Shen Suhe asked with a playful wink.

“How did you know?” Lu Zhiyun asked, a little surprised.

“Oh, the circle is so small. It’s easy to find out,” Shen Suhe said, waving her hand as she started the car.

Lu Zhiyun knew who it was without having to guess: her little sister. When they were in college, they used to hang out a lot, and Lu Baozhu, who was only a teenager at the time, loved following the beautiful Shen Suhe around.

“Enough about me. What about you? I remember seeing on your social media that you got married.”

“Jasmine, that was ages ago,” Shen Suhe said, laughing. “I’m divorced.” She said the word so casually, as if it were as simple as eating or drinking water.

“That girl looked good with you. Why’d you get a divorce?” Lu Zhiyun vaguely remembered seeing the wedding photos on her social media. She was a little surprised at the time since Shen Suhe never mentioned her sexuality in college.

“That’s a long story, but I’ll make it short. We weren’t compatible,” Shen Suhe said, keeping her eyes on the road. Her fingers tapped on the steering wheel.

“That’s a very short story,” Lu Zhiyun said, laughing.

“I’m serious. We really weren’t compatible,” Shen Suhe said, a helpless smile on her face. “The whole marriage was a joke. We knew each other for a month, got married for a month, and got divorced a month later. In the end, I realized that she was a completely different person after we got married. I just couldn’t accept it. We were both too impulsive.”

Lu Zhiyun nodded in understanding. “So, are you going back to Australia?” she asked.

“No. How about I just follow you?” Shen Suhe asked, glancing at her with a look Lu Zhiyun couldn’t read.

“You’re still as funny as ever. You drive a Porsche; you don’t need to follow a working-class woman like me,” Lu Zhiyun said, her eyelashes fluttering as she laughed.

Ye Li had spent her entire summer vacation learning to cook. When she wasn’t at her boxing classes, she was in the kitchen. But now that she was about to cook for Lu Zhiyun, she was a little nervous. She wanted to do something to make up for all the embarrassing moments she had had a week ago.

She didn’t tell Lu Zhiyun that she was coming. She wanted to surprise her. She had read online that to get someone you like, you have to be good at creating surprises. She didn’t know if this was the right way to do it.

The girl stood at the open kitchen island, washing all the ingredients and chopping them up for each dish. When she was done, she checked the time. It was already after Lu Zhiyun’s usual work hours. She thought about how Lu Zhiyun was probably on her way home, and her heart started to race. Her fingers intertwined as she tried to decide which dish to make first.

Inside a Thai restaurant, Lu Zhiyun and Shen Suhe sat across from each other. The elegant lights overhead cast a warm, soft glow on them, making their skin look flawless. Lu Zhiyun quietly looked at her phone under the table. Still no messages. It seemed that Xiaoli wasn’t going to come over this weekend.

Now that the girl was older, Lu Zhiyun couldn’t tell her what to do. Whether she came or not, it was her decision. Lu Zhiyun shouldn’t meddle in her personal life. The thought of this made Lu Zhiyun a little sad. It was like she was being forced out of her routine and told that she could never go back.

“What do you want to drink?” Shen Suhe asked, looking at the menu.

“Just some juice.” Lu Zhiyun put her phone away.

After they ordered, Shen Suhe sat up and said, “I’m serious. I’m looking for a job in LA.”

“San Francisco is better for your major,” Lu Zhiyun said, smiling.

“No. I don’t have any friends in San Francisco. I came here because of you,” Shen Suhe said, resting her chin on her hand. Her wine-colored hair fell to the side of her face. The warm lighting made her look even more charming.

“I’ve been away from LA for six years, too. I’m not familiar with the new companies here, but I can ask around for you,” Lu Zhiyun said, her voice soft and calm.

“Jasmine, you’re still so nice. You’re making me fall for you,” Shen Suhe said, winking at her and looking at her face with great interest. Lu Zhiyun didn’t take her seriously. She had heard her say that in college. She was used to it.

“That’s not a funny joke,” Lu Zhiyun said, looking at her with a hint of nonchalance. She was telling her that she was still as childish as she was a decade ago.

“So, are you going to stay single forever?” Shen Suhe asked, taking a sip of her lime tea.

“I should probably start looking for someone. I’ll just wait for the right person to come along.” Lu Zhiyun was in no rush when it came to love and marriage. That was probably why she was still single at 34.

“Then tell me your ideal type. I’ll help you look,” Shen Suhe said, a probing look in her eyes.

“You sound like my parents…” Lu Zhiyun said, smiling. She looked at the table for a moment before saying, “I don’t have a lot of requirements. The most important thing is a feeling. If the feeling is right, nothing else matters.”

“Seriously, Lu, how can your ideal type be so vague?” Shen Suhe asked, a little baffled.

“I think I’m too old to waste time. If the feeling is right, I want to go straight to marriage,” Lu Zhiyun said, shrugging her shoulders.

“Oh, okay. Then you do have to be a little more careful,” Shen Suhe said, her gaze fixed on the woman across from her. Her eyes held a subtle, complex look. “Of course, if I never find that person, I’m perfectly happy staying single for the rest of my life.” Lu Zhiyun took a sip of her juice, smiling.

“Jasmine, you know what? I’ve always admired your easygoing personality. It’s so charming,” Lu Zhiyun said, smiling.

Lu Zhiyun just looked at her.

Night fell, and soft light seeped from the windows of the apartment buildings. Ye Li was on the 15th floor of Lu Zhiyun’s apartment. She could see the tall buildings in the distance through the living room window. Their windows were like mirrors, reflecting the colorful lights of the city.

It was getting late, and Lu Zhiyun still wasn’t home. Ye Li kept opening and closing her phone. She wondered if Lu Zhiyun was working overtime. She kept going back and forth between whether she should just tell Lu Zhiyun that she was there or wait and surprise her. To pass the time, she started cleaning the apartment. She knew that Lu Zhiyun was busy with work and didn’t have time to clean. Weekends were for resting.

A young girl in love is impatient and full of energy. Ye Li, who hated doing chores, was actually enjoying it. She was learning for the first time that doing something for someone you love doesn’t feel like a chore.

Ye Li was mopping the floor in the guest room when she heard the door open. Her heart started to beat faster. She took a deep breath and ran to the door to greet her.

“Aunt—” she said, but she stopped halfway through.

It wasn’t Lu Zhiyun, but a girl who looked very similar to her. The girl who just walked in was also surprised. “Are you… Ye Li?”

And so, Ye Li and Lu Zhiyun’s sister met in an awkward situation. For the past six years, Ye Li knew that Lu Zhiyun had a sister who was only four years older than her. Lu Zhiyun had shown her pictures of her sister, but Ye Li didn’t care at the time. The situation was different now. She liked Lu Zhiyun, so she had to like her sister, too. She had to be nice to her.

At the dining table, the two girls sat across from each other. Lu Baozhu had her hair in braids and wore light makeup. She was in a simple hoodie and jeans. She gave off a girly vibe. “Okay, let me formally introduce myself. I’m Lu Baozhu, Lu Zhiyun’s sister. You can call me Fannie.”

“I’m Ye Li.” It was weird, but she was a little nervous around Lu Zhiyun’s sister.

“I know you. I’ve always wanted to meet you, but I didn’t expect to meet you like this. I didn’t even have time to get you a gift,” Lu Baozhu said, looking at Ye Li. She narrowed her eyes. “You’re prettier than your pictures. Before I met you, I thought my sister was the most beautiful woman in the world, but you two are a close second.”

“She’s… prettier than me,” Ye Li said, her posture unusually straight. Her hands, which were under the table, were clasped together.

Lu Baozhu shook her head. “No. You two just have different styles. My sister is the gentle, sophisticated type. You have a cool, androgynous kind of beauty. You give off a very dominant vibe. You know what I mean, right?”

“Dominant… like a ‘top’?” Ye Li asked, confused. Han Yueyue had said something similar before.

Lu Baozhu nodded. “You got it!” she said in English. “If I talked to my sister like this, she’d have no idea what I was talking about.”

“Did you make all these dishes?” she asked, looking at the food on the table.

“Yeah, but they’re a little cold now,” Ye Li said.

“That’s okay. I’ll just heat them in the microwave. My sister is so good to me. She told her pretty friend to make me dinner! I’m starving,” Lu Baozhu said, grabbing a plate and walking to the microwave.

“But…” Ye Li wanted to say that she made the food for Lu Zhiyun, but she couldn’t.

“Hmm? Did you say something?” Lu Baozhu asked, turning around.

“No, nothing.” Ye Li helped her take the food to the microwave.

“How tall are you?” Lu Baozhu asked, looking up at her.

“About 173 centimeters,” Ye Li said.

“You look like you’re 175.” The microwave beeped. “It’s done!”

The two girls put the food back on the table. Lu Baozhu took a bite. “It’s so good! I haven’t had good Chinese food in so long.” Lu Baozhu said, “I think my sister told you that I’ve lived in America for most of my life. Most of the Chinese restaurants here don’t taste as good as my mom’s cooking. I can’t believe you’re so good at cooking at such a young age.”

“I just learned over the summer,” Ye Li said. She was a little shy, so Lu Baozhu did most of the talking.

“Thank you for making dinner for me,” Lu Baozhu said, her eyes curving into a smile. For a moment, Ye Li saw a glimpse of Lu Zhiyun in her. They were sisters, and their eyes looked similar, especially when they smiled.

“…You’re welcome.” Ye Li smiled back.

After they ate, Lu Baozhu sent a voice message to her sister. “My dear sister, why aren’t you home yet? I’m not going to complain, since you had a pretty girl make me dinner!”

Lu Baozhu’s sister replied instantly, and she played the message for Ye Li. “Xiaoli is there, too?”

“Huh?” Lu Baozhu replied, but there was no response.

In the Thai restaurant, Lu Zhiyun quickly got up and told Shen Suhe, “It’s getting late. I should go home.”

“Okay, we’re almost done eating anyway. I’ll take you back,” the woman said, waving at the waiter to get the bill.

Lu Zhiyun’s car was still in the parking lot at her office, so Shen Suhe just dropped her off there. “Drive safe,” Shen Suhe said, watching Lu Zhiyun get into her car.

When Lu Zhiyun drove away, Shen Suhe got back into her car and sent a voice message to her friend. “Yeah, I know it’s going to be hard, but how will I know if I don’t try? After all, she’s my ‘white moonlight’.” She put her phone down, a look of anticipation in her eyes.

When Lu Zhiyun got home, the two girls were cleaning up in the kitchen.

“Sister, you’re home!” Lu Zhiyun’s eyes immediately went to Ye Li. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming? I would have come home earlier,” she said, her voice soft.

“I didn’t want to bother you at work,” Ye Li said.

Lu Baozhu realized something. “Sister, didn’t you tell Ye Li to make dinner for me?”

“Xiaoli made dinner for you?” Lu Zhiyun asked, surprised.

“What? I’m so confused,” Lu Baozhu said, her fingers on her temples.

Ye Li didn’t know how to explain the situation, so she said to Lu Baozhu, “Didn’t you want to show me some pictures?”

“Oh, right! Let’s go look over there,” Lu Baozhu said, grabbing Ye Li’s arm and pulling her to the living room.

“What pictures?” Lu Zhiyun asked as she walked into the bathroom.

“I’m not telling you,” Lu Baozhu said, sitting on the sofa. She opened a photo album on her phone that was filled with her sister’s embarrassing pictures.

Ye Li sat beside her, looking at the pictures on the screen. There was a picture of Lu Zhiyun in the snow, with snow all over her head. She was holding two snowballs, her nose was red from the cold, and her eyes were smiling. She looked like a little girl. There was also a picture of her with cake all over her face. Even in the dim lighting, she looked beautiful. There were even pictures of her from when she was a teenager, in a simple white dress. She looked so innocent and young.

They weren’t embarrassing pictures. They were cute. They didn’t take away from her beauty. They just showed her a different side of Lu Zhiyun. The image of the person she liked was becoming more and more vivid in her mind. Ye Li wished she could have these pictures. She wanted to save them and paint them.

Lu Zhiyun was in the bathroom, taking off her makeup. She glanced at the two girls and was surprised to see them getting along so well. But she wasn’t that surprised. Her sister was an extrovert and could get along with anyone.

Lu Zhiyun came out of the bathroom with her pajamas. She walked past the living room and said, “Lu Baozhu.”

“Yeah?” Lu Baozhu asked, looking up.

“You’re sleeping with me tonight,” Lu Zhiyun said and walked into her room.

Lu Baozhu was confused. “Huh? Why? I want to sleep with Ye Li tonight!” she called out. There was no response from the room. A moment later, Lu Zhiyun came out with her pajamas. As she passed the living room, she said, “No reason. You’re sleeping with me tonight. Xiaoli will sleep in the guest room.”

Lu Baozhu’s eyes widened.