BSG - Chapter 37

Chapter 37

Spring Festival arrived as scheduled. The blissfully happy couple had no choice but to go their separate ways home. Yun Youqing stayed with her mother in her hometown. Shen Wenxin stayed in A City with her two mothers, one father, and a little dog. Whenever they had free time, they kept a video call running, having long grown accustomed to the life where lifting their eyes meant seeing the other. Chatting during the New Year also let them casually soak in the festive atmosphere from the other end. It was very lively. And both were clearly the centers of their families, constantly being called away by their household members.

On the evening of the third day of the New Year, Shen Wenxin was in her room, video-calling her girlfriend with Xiaoba in her arms. The phone leaned against the sofa armrest. The angle captured her entire self and the dog. Her girlfriend was on the screen, using a baby voice at the puppy. Humans, upon encountering cats and dogs, self-taught, automatically switch to baby talk.

"Did Xiaoba miss his big sister? Xiaoba, look over here, look over here~ Big sister is here~ Oh my, what cute little ears~ Our ears can move, right? Will you come stay at big sister's place again next time?"

"Yes," Shen Wenxin smiled and answered for Xiaoba.

"Aiya," Yun Youqing instinctively started acting cute. "Human not allowed to answer for doggo."

Hearing this, the mirth in Shen Wenxin's eyes deepened. "If I don't help him, how will he answer?"

Yun Youqing: "Underestimating Ba Ba, are we?" She started coaxing the puppy. "Come on, Ba Ba. Woof! Woof!"

Xiaoba was very obliging and actually barked. "Woof!"

Yun Youqing clapped her hands, looking incredibly smug. "See? The child spoke!"

Shen Wenxin raised an eyebrow. "So impressive, Yun Youqing. Then you ask him again."

Yun Youqing really did ask again. "Will the good doggo come stay at big sister's place again next time?" Xiaoba was looking to the side. Yun Youqing: "Xiaoba, look over here~" Xiaoba turned his head to look at the screen. Yun Youqing: "Yes, baby. Good boy. Now, answer big sister's question. Will you come stay at big sister's place again next time? Woof once if yes." Xiaoba's mouth curved, tongue lolling, being cute. Yun Youqing: "Woof once, baby." Xiaoba continued being cute. Yun Youqing: "Woof?" Xiaoba persistently being cute. Yun Youqing: "... " She noticed the person sitting cross-legged behind the puppy was secretly laughing!

"This has better comedic effect than the Spring Festival Gala," President Shen commented.

Yun Youqing: "... " Unabashedly shameless, Yun Youqing: "You answer for him."

Iron-faced and impartial, Shen Wenxin: "No. Humans are not allowed to answer for doggos."

"Aiya!" Yun Youqing started acting cute again. Shen Wenxin propped her chin on her hand, her eyes full of smiles as she watched the person on the screen. Then she opened her mouth, calmly and indulgently, and let out a "Woof."

Yun Youqing immediately clapped, clapping extremely loudly. Touched. President Shen, for love, became a dog! Shen Wenxin super loves Yun Youqing! Yun Youqing leaned forward and playfully kissed the screen twice, adorably saying, "Love you~ Wifey~" Then she immediately jumped to another topic. "Seeing as we're so deeply in love, after the New Year, please continue to stay with me, okay? Without you, living alone makes me super scared. Without you, I can't even breathe..." After speaking, she immediately started performing. With the super exaggerated acting Shen Wenxin had witnessed before. One moment, sprawled on the table. Another moment, clutching her heart. Then, diving under the table and suddenly popping back up, shaking her arms like ocean waves. Very surging acting. Shen Wenxin could roughly understand. This should be expressing that her love was also this surging... probably.

Shen Wenxin watched Yun Youqing mess around with a smile. Only when she finished her performance did she say, "Thank goodness you didn't become an actor. Otherwise, with acting like that, your audience would only be me."

Unexpectedly, Yun Youqing was very happy to hear this. Her eyes were bright, her little dimples sweet, her voice also sweet. "Really? My acting is that bad and I still managed to attract you?"

Shen Wenxin hadn't expected her focus to land there. A very cute focus. Shen Wenxin's heart felt like it had been struck by this cuteness. The tender feelings in her heart flowed out from her eyes. "Really." Loving someone meant loving everything about them. Whatever Yun Youqing was like, she would like her. "Don't worry. I'll see the essence through the appearance." She moved the puppy blocking the camera aside and met Yun Youqing's eyes. "No matter what you become, I will always see your adorable soul." And then fall in love again. Fall in love a thousand, ten thousand times over.

Yun Youqing fell silent. Yun Youqing sprawled on the table, her heart already melted into a puddle. Oh heavens, are straight girls who turn bent all this good with words? "Love you so much..." She raised her head and looked at the screen. "Love Shen Wenxin so much..."

Shen Wenxin picked up her phone, her face magnifying before Yun Youqing's eyes, her features growing clearer. She said, "I love Yun Youqing so much, too."

Yun Youqing's heart was struck instantly. She never let her words fall to the ground. She always responded to her every declaration of love. Shen Wenxin and Yun Youqing were a perfect match!

Yun Youqing couldn't help but whimper and act cute at Shen Wenxin. Her little expressions and little tones were very rich. Shen Wenxin liked it very much. "Then after the New Year, will you continue to stay with me?" Yun Youqing returned to the topic. "Even just occasionally staying over is fine~"

Shen Wenxin said, "Yes."

Yun Youqing was happy, her eyes curving into little crescent moons. "Wonderful! Love you! Mua mua! Kiss the puppy, too. Mua mua mua!"

Shen Wenxin smiled and picked up Xiaoba, planting three kisses on his furry little head. "I'll kiss him for you."

Yun Youqing: "Then conveniently kiss yourself for me." She tapped her own lips. "On the mouth. Kiss and show me."

Shen Wenxin: "...Can't do that."

Yun Youqing smiled wickedly. "There's a mirror."

Shen Wenxin raised an eyebrow. "Playing this big?"

Yun Youqing bobbed her head. "Yep, yep. Playing super big." Then her eyes darted slyly. Shen Wenxin saw her eyes rolling. The next second, she heard her say, "I have something even bigger. Wanna see?"

Shen Wenxin: "Oh?"

Yun Youqing: "Remember we talked before about trying to deal with the elders?"

Shen Wenxin: "Mm."

Yun Youqing suddenly smiled and instantly straightened up. "Mom! Come quick and see my girlfriend!"

Shen Wenxin: "?" Alright, alright. Playing like this, huh? Of course, the person wasn't actually called over. Yun Youqing's shout was way too fake and obviously meant just to scare her girlfriend. After shouting, she looked at her girlfriend, her little expression both asking-for-a-beating and endearing. "So? Wasn't that super big?"

But Shen Wenxin remained perfectly composed, sitting there. "Yes. Played super big." She added, "I have something even bigger over here. Wanna see?"

Yun Youqing blinked and exaggeratedly hunched over, making a "please, go ahead" gesture. She saw Shen Wenxin stand up. Shen Wenxin walked out with her phone. The scenery beside Shen Wenxin shifted. Shen Wenxin stopped. The sound of the TV came from the video. Suddenly, the screen flipped— Yun Youqing was suddenly face-to-face with Mama Shen and Papa Shen.

"Look," Yun Youqing heard Shen Wenxin's voice from off-camera. "My girlfriend."

Yun Youqing: "?" Mama Shen: "?" Papa Shen: "?" Jin Hanshuang was off to the side eating an orange, smiling silently. The next second, the two elders turned their heads in unison to find their glasses. Shen Wenxin took this chance to glance at her girlfriend on the video. Yun Youqing seemed to be frozen, utterly immobile, sitting stiffly straight, a very standard, professional smile on her face. When she saw Shen Wenxin, Yun Youqing finally relaxed and used an astonished expression to protest silently. —This is playing way too big!!!

"Come quick, let Dad see." Papa Shen's voice came through. Yun Youqing instantly resumed the posture of a child during an open class observation—serious and affected. Shen Wenxin smiled and held the phone between the two elders, introducing her in a gentle tone. "My girlfriend, Yun Youqing. Isn't she very beautiful, very cute?"

Yun Youqing saw the two elders scrutinize her through the video. She maintained her smile and greeted them sweetly. "Hello, Auntie. Hello, Uncle. Happy New Year!" On the surface, extremely composed. Under the table, her hands were twisting themselves practically into knots. This was her first time truly meeting Shen Wenxin's parents! Jin Hanshuang's time didn't count; Mommy was an older sister. But truly, Mama Shen and Papa Shen were both very good-looking, with a refined, scholarly aura—cultured, gentle, and amiable. No wonder they could have a daughter like Shen Wenxin. Yun Youqing thought secretly.

Even more astonishing was that the two elders weren't the slightest bit surprised their daughter was a lesbian. They even, after getting a clear look at Yun Youqing's face, smiled and praised, "Very cute indeed," and "Beautiful."

"How old is Xiao Yun?" Papa Shen asked. "Twenty-eight this year." Yun Youqing was super obedient.

"What does Xiao Yun do for work?" Mama Shen asked. "Painting."

"Ah, a painter! A painter is great! Wenxin, when she was little, even wanted to be a painter for a while," Papa Shen said.

"Really? Then Wenxin and I are just too fated. I'm directly fulfilling her dream for her!"

"Brother, sister-in-law, Xiao Yun's paintings are very beautiful. Many people want to buy her paintings, but they might not even be able to," Jin Hanshuang chimed in to help. Mama Shen and Papa Shen suddenly understood upon hearing this. A painter. And a great painter at that. Young and promising, very impressive!

Mama Shen said gently, "Next time, come home and have a meal together."

"Mm-hmm! Okay, Auntie! I'll definitely come!" Yun Youqing responded very actively, bobbing her head, her smile sweet. The two elders liked her very much. This child's smile is so blessed, so endearing.

Shen Wenxin spoke at the right moment. "I'll bring her to officially meet you next time. You two watch TV first. I'll go back to my room and chat with her for a bit." Mama Shen and Papa Shen looked at their daughter in silent understanding. Mama Shen smiled and nudged her. "Go on, then." The child had grown up and finally knew to date. The child left. In the living room, only the three elders remained. Obviously, Jin Hanshuang was in the know on this matter. The moment Shen Wenxin went back to her room, Mama Shen and Papa Shen immediately turned their heads in unison toward Jin Hanshuang. Jin Hanshuang: "?" She held out her orange. "Want some?"

---

"Ahhhhh!" Yun Youqing's face was burning red. "You scared me to death!" She was only joking, but Shen Wenxin had gone for real!

Shen Wenxin leaned against the sofa armrest, smiling happily. "So? Were Uncle and Auntie difficult to deal with?"

Yun Youqing's attention was instantly diverted by her. "Actually, they're so nice! They spoke so gently, and they're so classy, too. Not difficult at all." Everyone in Shen Wenxin's family was especially gentle with her.

Yun Youqing added, "But you just kicked open the closet door like that? You're not afraid your parents couldn't accept it?"

Shen Wenxin was completely composed. "Not afraid. They're not that old-fashioned. And they've long gotten used to it."

Yun Youqing nodded in sudden understanding. "Oh, I see..."

Shen Wenxin asked back, "Your mom doesn't accept it? Your coming out didn't go smoothly?"

Yun Youqing smiled. "Not really." She shyly touched her face. "Because I was different from other kids since I was little, my mom accepted long ago that I was an unusual child. So, when I told her I liked women, she accepted it pretty quickly, too."

"How were you different?"

Yun Youqing said, "To my mom, 'different' meant that while other kids were out playing wildly, her kid could just stay quietly in her room and draw. Her kid especially loved drawing—would cry and throw a tantrum if not allowed to, but give her a pen and paper, and the world was at peace. Her kid even worked super hard to get Mom to sign her up for art classes. She could even grit her teeth and score first in her grade. Even for subjects she especially hated, like math and English, she could get perfect scores!" After reminiscing, Yun Youqing couldn't help but sigh. "So terrifying, me... With that kind of perseverance, I'd succeed at anything." She nodded, affirming herself.

As Shen Wenxin listened, the corners of her lips unconsciously curved upward. Through the years, she seemed able to see that tiny figure sitting at the desk, painting. Creating a world at the tip of a brush, roaming freely in her own kingdom—it must have been especially joyful. How wonderful. Her girlfriend had a happy childhood.

"Oh, right. Uncle just said you wanted to be a painter when you were little," Yun Youqing asked. "So why did you give it up?"

Shen Wenxin responded indifferently. "It wasn't important. When you're young, dreams are always plentiful. This week you want to be a painter. Next week, you want to be a scientist. The week after, you might even want to open a recycling station. Wild and imaginative, all fleeting whims." Only inheriting the family business wasn't a fleeting whim. Her father wouldn't have allowed her to be whimsical about that one.

"But Uncle and Auntie still remember," Yun Youqing said sweetly. "They remember every single one of your fleeting whims."

Shen Wenxin was slightly taken aback, then smiled. "Yes. They all remember." Everyone in this family loved her well.

"Oh dear," Yun Youqing suddenly exclaimed. "I was so nervous, I completely forgot to praise you in front of them!"

Shen Wenxin said, amused, "That's not really necessary."

"Alright then!" Yun Youqing's tone shifted abruptly. "My turn!"

Shen Wenxin: "What?"

Only to see Yun Youqing stand up and head straight for the door. "Mom! Come quick and look! This is my girlfriend!!!" A magical counterattack! When it came to meeting the parents, no one was escaping!

Shen Wenxin: "?" Thus, she also met Yun Youqing's mother. An auntie with a healthy complexion, bright eyes, and a spirited demeanor. Meeting the parents was like a buff—whoever it was cast on instantly became obedient. Shen Wenxin was now somewhat obedient. Whatever Auntie asked, she answered. Occasionally, though, her eyes would involuntarily drift toward Auntie's daughter. While looking, she answered Auntie's words. "Rest assured, we will cherish each other well."

"Good. Knowing you'll be happy puts my mind at ease. Next time, come home for a meal. I'll cook personally." Mama Yun said, "Auntie's cooking is really delicious." In that instant, Shen Wenxin suddenly understood where Yun Youqing's habit of calling herself "Auntie" came from.

She curved her lips. "Then I'll have to eat extra when the time comes."

"Eat extra, eat extra. Both of you must eat more," Auntie couldn't help but start her loving nagging. "Young people these days are always thinking about dieting, skinny as poles and still dieting. You two musn't think like that. You must eat properly, understand?"

Shen Wenxin nodded. "Mm. Auntie, don't worry. We don't diet. We love eating."

Mama Yun: "Then Auntie can rest easy!" Shen Wenxin smiled at the mother-daughter pair. Mama Yun: "This child's smile is truly beautiful." She turned her head to look at her daughter. "Good taste." Then, looking back at Shen Wenxin. "Child, your taste is also good. Our Youqing's smile is beautiful, too."

The mirth in Shen Wenxin's eyes grew deeper. "I think so, too. Youqing's smile is the most beautiful." They were both being loved well by their families.

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