What's Wrong With Being Fifteen Years Older Than Me?! - Chapter 41

Night fell, and the city buildings and streets lit up with neon signs. The occasional wail of a police siren pierced the calm night. The four of them were on their way to a Japanese restaurant in downtown LA.

Lu Zhiyun, who was driving, got a call. She glanced at the caller ID and told Lu Baozhu to answer it.

“Hello, Sister Suhe, it’s me. Yeah, I’m in LA with my sister.” Lu Baozhu smiled as she spoke, glancing at the driver. “We’re about to have dinner. Japanese food, on that street in Little Tokyo. Yeah… do you want to come too? Okay.” Lu Baozhu held the phone away from her ear. “Sister Suhe wants to have dinner with us.”

“Okay,” Lu Zhiyun said easily, agreeing.

Lu Baozhu put the phone back to her ear. “I told my sister. We’ll see you in a bit, Sister Suhe.” She hung up and said, “I can’t believe Sister Suhe is back in America.”

“Yeah, I had dinner with her last night,” Lu Zhiyun said.

“Then I can see her wife, too!” Lu Baozhu said, her eyes filled with curiosity and excitement.

“She… they’re divorced,” Lu Zhiyun said.

“Divorced?” Lu Baozhu hadn’t seen her friend’s posts in a while. The last post she remembered was from two years ago, when she was surprised to see that she had married an Australian woman.

Ye Li was in the back, listening quietly. Her brow furrowed. So she had dinner with Aunt Lu last night. Why would she… And the fact that she was divorced, single, and a lesbian. Ye Li felt a little uneasy after connecting the dots.

Alian, who was sitting next to her, glanced at Ye Li. The girl’s hands were on her lap, and she was leaning forward, listening intently to the conversation in the front seat. After a brief look, Alian looked away, leaving no trace.

When they got to the restaurant, a woman was waiting for them outside. She was wearing a red sequined dress that showed off her figure. Her wine-colored hair was swept to one side. She looked like she was walking a red carpet, and everyone who passed by couldn’t help but look at her.

“Sister Suhe!” Lu Baozhu recognized her instantly and waved excitedly.

Ye Li walked behind them, her eyes on the woman. She was indeed beautiful. I hope I’m just overthinking this, she thought.

“It’s our Baozhu! You’ve grown so big and pretty.” Shen Suhe smiled warmly at the girl.

“Who’s prettier, me or my sister?” Lu Baozhu asked, playfully pulling Lu Zhiyun’s arm so they stood side by side.

“Hmm…” Shen Suhe looked at both of them and then smiled. “You’re both beautiful. You have your own kind of beauty.”

“You’re starting to look more and more like your sister, Baozhu. You didn’t look so much alike when you were little.”

Lu Zhiyun didn’t want to waste time on this. She looked back at Ye Li and introduced her to Shen Suhe. “This is Ye Li, and her friend, Alian.”

Lu Baozhu added, “This is the Ye Li I was telling you about, Sister Suhe.”

Shen Suhe’s eyes widened slightly in surprise, and she looked at Ye Li for a moment. “Nice to meet you, Ye Li. I’m Lu Zhiyun’s friend, Shen Suhe.”

“Nice to meet you,” Ye Li said politely. She seemed calm and composed.

Shen Suhe then turned to Alian. “Nice to meet you, Alian.”

Alian gave a polite, emotionless smile.

“What’s your full name?” Lu Baozhu asked. Ye Li was a little curious, too. She had only known her as Alian and never knew her last name, and she had never heard it from Qin Shu. She didn’t feel comfortable asking her, but Lu Baozhu was so direct.

Alian saw Ye Li looking at her. “Ruan Silian,” she said, her voice devoid of emotion. Her tone made it seem like she didn’t want to say the name.

“Okay, everyone, let’s go inside,” Shen Suhe said, breaking the awkward silence. She naturally walked with Lu Zhiyun. “I’m so lucky to have dinner with four beautiful women tonight.”

“It’s five beautiful women, Sister Suhe. You should count yourself,” Lu Baozhu said, walking behind them.

Ye Li was in the back, her eyes on the two women walking side by side. She felt a little frustrated, but she wondered if she was just overthinking things.

The Japanese restaurant had a very Japanese-style interior. The atmosphere was quiet and elegant. They were led to a private room. Lu Baozhu sat down and immediately started ordering. “I want Kobe beef, a salmon and avocado salad, shrimp tempura, and a sashimi platter…”

“Do you two want to drink?” she asked. Shen Suhe looked at Lu Zhiyun with a smile. “We didn’t get to drink last night. Do you want some sake tonight? Baozhu can be your driver.”

“That’s right, sister. I’m the driver tonight,” Lu Baozhu said, patting her chest.

“Okay, let’s have a little,” Lu Zhiyun said, smiling. She then looked at Ye Li. “What do you and Alian want to eat? Let Lu Baozhu order for you.”

“I’m fine. I can eat whatever Fannie orders,” Ye Li said, smiling and sitting up straight.

Lu Baozhu felt a secret sense of joy. But then she saw Ye Li turn to Alian and ask, “How about you, Alian?”

Ye Li felt that since Alian was here because of her, she should at least ask if she wanted anything.

Alian shook her head and looked at Ye Li. “I’m fine,” she said softly.

Ye Li turned to Lu Zhiyun. “Aunt Lu, we don’t need anything.”

But Lu Baozhu’s attention was still on the two of them. She kept replaying the scene in her head, and she didn’t realize that she had crumpled her napkin into a ball. She was shocked when she saw what she had done.

During dinner, Shen Suhe and Lu Zhiyun talked about their college memories. Ye Li couldn’t join in, so she just listened quietly and ate her food.

As dinner was ending, Alian got a phone call and said she had to leave. It seemed like it was a call from home.

“Xiaoli, can you walk her out?” Lu Zhiyun said. She had a light blush on her cheeks from the sake. Her voice was playful.

Ye Li was sitting on the tatami mat. She paused for a moment and then said, “Sure.”

Alian, who was already at the door, was about to say no, but she agreed.

After the two girls left, Shen Suhe looked at Lu Zhiyun. “That girl listens to you.”

“Of course,” Lu Baozhu said. “My sister and I lived together for six years. Even though my sister comes back to the US for a little bit every winter, she’s in China for most of the year. They’re basically family, even though they’re not related by bl00d.”

After leaving the private room, Alian walked ahead of Ye Li. They didn’t talk much. When they got outside, Ye Li suddenly remembered something. “Ruan…” she said, but she forgot her name. She was about to say Alian instead, but the girl stopped and turned around. Ye Li’s face turned red.

The Japanese lanterns hanging from the eaves cast a soft yellow light on Alian’s face, making her look even more beautiful. She slowly said, “Ruan Silian.”

Then she denied it. She was being a little too self-deprecating when she said, “Ruan is my murderer father’s last name, and Si is my weak, useless mother’s last name. I don’t want either of their last names, so I prefer to be called by my given name.” Her eyes were cold as she spoke, without a hint of emotion.

Ye Li opened her mouth to speak, but Alian continued. “I only got to know you because I wanted to know what Qin Shu liked about you. You don’t have to feel sorry for me. Don’t get involved in my mess. I’m not worth it.”

Alian turned and walked away, not giving Ye Li a chance to say anything. Under the night sky, the girl’s thin figure looked fragile, like a branch that could break in the wind. Ye Li stood there for a moment before going back inside.

Lu Baozhu seemed to be waiting outside the room. When she saw Ye Li, she asked, “Is she gone?”

Ye Li nodded.

“I have to go to the bathroom. You can come with me.” Just as Lu Baozhu said that, Shen Suhe came out.

“Who’s going to the bathroom? Let’s go together,” Shen Suhe said.

“Fannie is going,” Ye Li said, and she went back into the room. She didn’t want to go to the bathroom with Lu Baozhu. She didn’t notice the look of resentment on Lu Baozhu’s face.

Now it was just Ye Li and Aunt Lu in the room. Ye Li went to her seat and poured Lu Zhiyun a glass of water. She was a little worried that Lu Zhiyun had drunk too much. “Aunt Lu, have some water,” she said.

“Thanks, Xiaoli.” Lu Zhiyun took the glass. Her eyes were a little hazy from the sake, her face was flushed, and her lips had a soft smile. “It’s a shame you’re so grown up now, Xiaoli. I can’t just kiss you anymore.”

Ye Li knew that when Lu Zhiyun was happy and drunk, she liked to kiss people on the cheek. Ye Li’s throat felt dry. “You can kiss me. It’s fine.”