Night fell, and the neon sign of Typoon Transit glowed strikingly against the darkness. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows spilled a bright light, within which vague silhouettes swayed to and fro.
The door chimed with a crisp ring as Xie Shenci stepped out first, holding the door open for Chu Duxiu.
The sun had long set. Leaving the warm indoors behind, they were met by the biting chill of the winter night air, which instantly cleared their minds as they strode quickly toward the parking area.
Chu Duxiu’s hand was caught by Xie Shenci, who tucked it into the pocket of his coat, shielding it from the cold outside air until it felt snug and warm.
“They could really talk,” Chu Duxiu sighed. “It’s like they never get tired.”
Scallion had been at Typoon Transit for a long time, and knew more people. Once he started catching up with old friends, the conversation went on endlessly. Wang Nali hadn’t come to the bar that evening. From the hotel, she asked Chu Duxiu when the group might be heading back, which finally made everyone realize how much time had slipped by.
In the end, Xie Shenci and Chu Duxiu decided to head home, while Scallion stayed behind to keep playing. Nie Feng would take him back later.
“After all, he’s one of the club’s old-timers,” Xie Shenci said. “If it weren’t for Yancheng being so far away, he’d probably have moved here already. Maybe he wouldn’t have signed with Shanle, but with the tours, we’ll still see him often.”
The pitch-black car was waiting in its usual spot. Chu Duxiu opened the passenger-side door and spotted the familiar plush toy. She reached out to rub the rabbit’s head, then set it onto the back seat before settling into the front.
Xie Shenci raised an eyebrow. “Mm, the real star has arrived – time to step aside.”
Chu Duxiu glanced back at the rabbit plush and laughed. “Let it sit in the VIP seat.”
The two of them sat down, chatting and laughing, with jazz and blues flowing softly in the car. Just as they were about to set off back to the hotel, the lazy melody was suddenly cut off.
On the phone screen, an incoming call flashed: three characters – Chen Jingshu. The lighthearted mood between them was broken.
Chu Duxiu froze for a moment; she had never heard of this person before. With a puzzled look, she quickly fell silent, waiting for Xie Shenci to answer the call.
Xie Shenci froze for a moment when he saw the caller ID, but he didn’t try to hide it from the person next to him. Without a Bluetooth headset, he simply put the call on speaker. “Hello, Mom.”
A woman’s voice came through the line, casual in tone, “Are you coming back tomorrow? If not, I’m going to play tennis.”
It was actually Xie Shenci’s mother!
Chu Duxiu was stunned. She hadn’t expected him to save his own mom’s number under her real name. The thought completely overturned her assumptions. After all, she had her own mother, Chu Lan, saved in her contacts as “Honorable Mother.”
“I’m not sure.” Xie Shenci glanced at Chu Duxiu, then added, “Don’t worry about me. You used to just go straight without asking – why bring it up all of a sudden?”
“I wasn’t going to ask, but your dad went to see your grandpa, and when he came back it came up…”
The way mother and son communicated was blunt and straightforward, nothing like warm pleasantries – more like equals talking as friends.
Chen Jingshu and her husband had never kept a tight rein on their son. Xie Shenci had been a self-directed child from a young age; with the experience of studying abroad and then living alone after returning, he had strong self-management skills, leaving them little to worry about.
The only exception was his grandfather, whose outlook was conservative. At first, he rejected the stand-up comedy profession altogether, and later grew anxious about his grandson settling down and starting a family. With only one elder left in the household, his views were deeply ingrained and hard to shift. Most of the time, they could only humor him and steer the conversation elsewhere.
That was why Xie Shenci usually stayed in Haicheng, only returning to Yancheng on business trips or during holidays – a case of “distance makes the heart grow fonder.”
But today was different. The old man had passed along some explosive news, and he wouldn’t let his son go without asking after his grandson.
Chen Jingshu asked suspiciously, “Are you dating someone?”
Xie Shenci, Chu Duxiu: “…”
Chu Duxiu’s eyes widened in shock. For a moment she even suspected they must be on a video call – otherwise, how could his mother have noticed her?
Worried she might feel uncomfortable, Xie Shenci quickly gave a couple of awkward coughs. “Mom, what’s with you today?”
She normally couldn’t care less, but for once she was actually prying into his personal life with a hint of gossip.
Chen Jingshu said, “When the housekeepers helped wash your car, they noticed a rabbit plush inside. Looked like something a girl would own. I just mentioned it casually when I got home, and your grandpa immediately insisted you must be dating. Today he kept hinting at your dad, asking if he knew anything about it…”
Since Xie Shenci didn’t live in Yancheng long-term, he occasionally hired housekeepers to clean, the same people the old man used. He had never dated before, so he’d never paid attention to such details – who would’ve thought a plush toy would get reported back to the family.
“So are you dating or not? If you are, then find a chance to bring her home for a visit.” Chen Jingshu frowned. “If not, then go tell your grandpa yourself. Stop making your dad and me act as your messengers – you’re a grown man already.”
His parents didn’t place demands on him, but his grandparents certainly did. Stuck in the middle, his parents felt like the awkward filling of a sandwich cookie.
“Mm…” Xie Shenci started to speak but stopped, hesitating as he glanced at Chu Duxiu. Seeing her wide-eyed and flustered, clearly caught off guard, he carefully weighed his words in silence.
He himself had no objection to bringing her home, but she might not be ready for it. He’d originally intended to ease her into the idea gradually – who would’ve thought things would be blown straight to his grandfather instead.
It was rare for Chen Jingshu to hear her son sound so uncertain. She asked, puzzled, “So you did date someone, but then got dumped and now you’re embarrassed to admit it?”
“…”
Chu Duxiu, who had been tense just moments ago, nearly burst out laughing at those words. She pressed her lips together to stifle the sound, shoulders shaking as she barely suppressed her schadenfreude.
Exasperated, Xie Shenci said, “Mom, what do you even think of me? Why would you assume that?”
Chen Jingshu said, “I don’t think much of you.”
Xie Shenci: “?”
That sharp, deadpan humor ran in the family, leaving him utterly speechless.
Chu Duxiu only found it funnier after hearing that.
Chen Jingshu advised, “If you really got dumped, at least let your grandpa know. Don’t make him worry himself sick and keep calling the two of us.”
At last, Xie Shenci understood: Chen Jingshu had called specifically to divert the family tension. As long as he spoke directly with his grandfather, his parents could slip away scot-free, free to do whatever they wanted – how effortless, how carefree.
Noticing Chu Duxiu quietly laughing beside him, Xie Shenci shot her a glare, his eyes carrying a touch of grievance. Without speaking aloud, he mouthed: You’re not helping me at all.
Chu Duxiu also stayed silent, mouthing back: Sure, sure, sure.
Xie Shenci blinked in surprise, then pointed at the phone screen, once more hinting with his eyes.
Chu Duxiu nodded, indicating she was willing to go. Then, as if remembering something, she mimed a one-handed basketball shot and mouthed again: But is your mom free?
Chen Jingshu had already said she was playing tennis tomorrow – clearly, she had no time to host them.
After a moment’s thought, Xie Shenci asked, “Mom, your tennis match tomorrow – is it in the morning or afternoon?”
“In the morning.”
“Then we’ll come by in the afternoon. That way we won’t interrupt your plans.”
“?”
Chen Jingshu didn’t catch on at first. Bewildered, she said, “We? Don’t tell me you’re going to fake it like in those cheesy idol dramas, and actually hire someone to play the part tomorrow?”
It had to be said, Xie Shenci’s wild imagination clearly ran in the family – this was proof enough.
With someone there to back him up, Xie Shenci suddenly sounded much more confident: “Of course not.”
At that, Chu Duxiu timidly called out, “Hello, Auntie…”
Chen Jingshu: “…”
The next second, the air seemed to freeze. A long silence fell – even on the other end of the line, there was no sound. Chen Jingshu clearly hadn’t expected someone else to be there with him, and was momentarily stunned.
Sensing the silence, Chu Duxiu grew flustered and uneasy. She politely asked, “Would it be a bother if we came over tomorrow…?”
Hearing that, Chen Jingshu’s attitude instantly flipped 180 degrees. A moment ago her tone had been casual and blunt, but now it was so gentle it practically dripped with sweetness. “Ah, no, not at all! You two should come by, you definitely won’t be bothering me…”
“Haha, so the two of you are together right now! And Xie Shenci didn’t even tell me. Well then, I won’t intrude! Come back any day you like!”
It was obvious Chen Jingshu herself was flustered, her voice shifting rapidly as she put on an air of elegance, warmth, and graciousness – gone was the dismissive indifference from before.
After a few polite words with them, she hurried to hang up, as if embarrassed.
To Chu Duxiu, the whole thing felt oddly comical – like watching a sharp-tongued mother cat, just moments ago hissing and swatting at the world, suddenly turn around and, upon spotting humans, switch in a second to a syrupy, soft “baby voice.”
The contrast in tone was just too much.
After the call ended, several new messages popped up on the phone screen. Glancing at them, Xie Shenci said, “She’s started scolding me on WeChat.”
Chu Duxiu asked in puzzlement, “Why?”
Xie Shenci said, “She says I embarrassed her in front of you, and that you’ll definitely think she’s silly.”
Chen Jingshu carried a heavy “idol burden” – she’d wanted to put on a good show, but who would have thought her very first long-distance encounter would fall apart. With her true colors exposed to Chu Duxiu, she felt deeply rattled and vented her frustration on her son.
Chu Duxiu quickly waved her hand. “Not at all! I think she’s really cute – down-to-earth, full of energy, and even plays tennis in her spare time…”
Her first impression of Chen Jingshu was actually quite good: a forward-thinking elder who even used trendy slang like pulling cringe, which surprisingly eased Chu Duxiu’s dread about visiting in person.
“My mom plays tennis, not basketball.” Xie Shenci recalled her miming a jump shot just now – clearly a misunderstanding – and corrected her with pointed emphasis. “Sorry to disappoint the high-school-you who loved watching basketball.”
He hadn’t forgotten how, back in school, someone used to enjoy watching the boys play ball – under the noble excuse of “protecting her eyesight.”
Chu Duxiu met his dark gaze and was momentarily at a loss for words. Then she exclaimed in admiration, “You really did inherit it from your family. All of you are intellectuals, with deep insight into the philosophies of ancient China.”
Xie Shenci: “?”
She sighed. “Especially the theory of yin and yang – you’re basically at scholar level.”
Too skilled at yin-yang sarcasm. [1]
Xie Shenci: “???”
The next day, Chu Duxiu didn’t have a performance scheduled. She even made a point of getting up early to meet Xie Shenci in advance, planning to pick out gifts to bring along. After all, it would be her first time meeting his family, and since she didn’t know what his parents were like, it was only natural to ask his advice.
The shopping mall was dazzling, with all kinds of stores and a grand, glittering atrium. The two strolled as they browsed, preparing what they’d bring that afternoon.
“So what kinds of hobbies does your mom usually have?” Chu Duxiu asked, intending to buy some general gifts and then choose something individual for each of them. “Does she prefer things that are pretty, or more practical?”
“I’m not really sure either,” Xie Shenci admitted after a pause. “Probably a bit of both.”
Racking her brains, Chu Duxiu suggested, “Then how about something sports-related? A nice-looking tennis bag?”
She had asked Xie Shenci to show her photos of Chen Jingshu – a strikingly elegant woman. Judging from her appearance, perfume or silk scarves might have been the obvious choices. But since she played tennis regularly, clearly athletic in personality, her inner nature didn’t quite match her outward image. Perhaps she valued practicality more.
Xie Shenci said, “That’s a good idea, but I suggest you don’t give that.”
Chu Duxiu asked, “Why? Does she already have a bunch of tennis bags?”
“No. But if you give her one and my dad doesn’t, he’ll get scolded.” Xie Shenci pulled out his phone and began typing on WeChat. “I’ll tell him to give her one instead. That way for the next holiday I won’t even have to think about it.”
Chu Duxiu immediately snatched the phone, fuming. “You’re not allowed to steal my idea! I’ll sue you for intellectual property theft!”
She had worked so hard to come up with it, and here he was, about to shamelessly leak it.
Xie Shenci sighed. “But you really don’t need to bring a gift. She doesn’t care about that kind of thing – she’s not lacking in anything. If you insist, you’ll just bring the arms race into our family…”
This was clearly Chu Duxiu’s family influence at work. Chu Shuangyou once transferred her 5,200 yuan as a holiday gift, instantly raising the bar for what “festival standards” meant. And when it came to going out, clothes, food, housing, or travel, they spared no expense.
Her approach to gift-giving was equally wholehearted. She would rack her brain, dissect every little clue, and pick out exactly what the other person wanted or lacked.
For him, it wasn’t a big deal, but he couldn’t risk dooming his dad – otherwise his father would never survive at home.
“But I can’t just show up empty-handed,” Chu Duxiu said seriously. “There must be something she doesn’t have yet, or a wish she hasn’t fulfilled – something you just haven’t thought hard enough about.”
Even if she sympathized with the plight of men in the family, she couldn’t go there halfheartedly. She had to at least show some sincerity.
“In that case, don’t bring anything into the house. Just bring me along instead.”
A sudden inspiration struck Xie Shenci, and he offered kindly, “Give her the gift of peace and quiet – she’ll definitely be thrilled.”
“…”
Translator’s Notes:
[1] In modern Chinese, calling someone yin-yang sarcastic (阴阳怪气) means they’re speaking in a way that’s passive-aggressive, often mocking or ironic, or deliberately saying something with a surface compliment but an underlying jab.
