The 99th Divorce

“Well, we were busy, and Youyou was feeling shy,” Li Jinnan said. “She felt that it was too soon to be meeting the parents and wasn’t prepared. So, we left.”

Qin Shuhua’s tone had a hint of accusation as she said, “We’re all going to become one family sooner or later, so what’s there to be shy about?”

“Alright, Mom. I’ll talk to you again another time,” Li Jinnan said. “I need to go grocery shopping with her now.”

“Wow. What a difference having a girlfriend makes! You even buy your own groceries and prepare your own meals now?” Qin Shuhua was genuinely happy. “Hurry on, then. Let me know when you’re ready to meet. I’ll prepare a scrumptious meal for you.”

“Alright. Goodbye.” Li Jinnan uttered the last word and turned around only to see Ye Youyou sitting on the couch looking at him. She looked in a daze.

He walked over to her. He bent down and tilted her head up before sucking on her lips gently. He said, “My mom called. She told me to bring you home to meet them.”

Ye Youyou reached out to hold his waist when she heard that and asked, “You didn’t tell your mom about my past?”

“No.” Li Jinnan took advantage of the opportunity to lean in. “She’ll find out about it sooner or later. Let’s give her a good impression of you for some time first. When she’s ready to know about it, we’ll tell her.”

Ye Youyou found it a little inappropriate and replied, “Will you mother get angry when she finds out that you’ve lied to her?”

“That’s not called lying to her. I just hid certain details from her. That’s not the same as telling a lie.” Li Jinnan pulled her up. “Come on. Let’s go.”

Ye Youyou could somehow accept this explanation. She stood up lazily and left the house with Li Jinnan.

It was 4 p.m., and the sun was shining at its harshest. Ye Youyou brought an umbrella along and had sprinkled some water on it before bringing it out.

Li Jinnan took hold of the umbrella from her automatically and asked, “What would you like to eat?”

“I’m fine with anything,” Ye Youyou replied. “What about you?”

“So am I,” he said.

Ye Youyou was exasperated. “Can you please make a request, and I’ll see if I can meet it.”

“OK… Braised eggplant, fish-head and bean curd soup, poached prawns in soy sauce. That’s all,” Li Jinnan replied.

“Didn’t you say you were fine with anything?” Ye Youyou asked.

“Yeah.” The smile on Li Jinnan’s face reached his eyes as he looked at her. “I’m not a picky eater.”

“Do you eat coriander?” she asked.

“Um… No. It lowers the sperm count,” he asked.

“Do you eat carrots?” Ye Youyou asked.

“Um… No. It prevents pregnancy,” he replied.

Ye Youyou suddenly felt that her questions were possibly inappropriate and hurried to close her mouth and look away. She found someone selling chives, and her eyes lit up. The smell of chives was pungent. Not many people could tolerate it.

“Do you eat chives, then?” Ye Youyou asked as she bit back a smile.

Li Jinnan turned his head toward her and gazed at her deeply. He replied, “If the need arises, I can.”

“If the need arises?” she asked.

“There’s another name for chives,” Li Jinnan said.

“Really? How did I not know about it?” Ye Youyou asked.

“You must know. It’s called an aphrodisiac,” Li Jinnan said.

Ye Youyou was speechless. “Just pretend I didn’t ask.”

Li Jinnan’s smile deepened. He called out, “Ye Youyou.”

Ye Youyou’s mind was preoccupied thinking about what to buy. When she heard him call her, she turned her head around. Before she could react, she saw Li Jinnan suddenly bend over and plant a big juicy kiss on her lips. He did it loudly and very conspicuously.

All Ye Youyou could feel were the harsh rays of the sun landing on top of her head. The glare of the sunlight was uncomfortable to her eyes. In that moment, her face began to burn.

She quickly turned around and quickened her steps as she walked forward. Her heart was beating hard and fast. It seemed as if everyone was looking at her. However, she couldn’t contain the smile on her face as it kept on widening.