Fortunately, Wen Mubai wasn't raised by the old man, otherwise he might have become a little drunkard long ago.
While she was internally criticizing, she was still helping Wen Mubai blow-dry her hair. She hadn't just been exaggerating when she said she was a "professional." She used to frequent various fashion shows and was very familiar with makeup artists and hairstylists. One of them had even taught her hair-blowing techniques.
Blow-dry your hair with hot air until it's half dry, then switch to cool air to dry the ends. This way, your hair is less likely to be damaged and it will dry faster.
The sound of the hairdryer whirred against Wen Mubai's ear, and coupled with the belated onset of the effects of alcohol, she blinked, her eyelashes drooped, and she felt drowsy. Her consciousness was gradually drifting away from her body to a place she couldn't grasp.
"Go to sleep if you're tired." The old man stood up, supporting his back. "I should sleep too. Don't disturb me tomorrow. I want to sleep until noon."
Wen Mubai hummed in agreement, indicating that he understood.
Xu Chacha had just finished drying her hair, so she put the hairdryer away and turned off the TV. While she was doing these things, Wen Mubai sat there in one position without reacting.
She sensed something was off, walked over, and waved her five fingers in front of her eyes. "Hey, Auntie?"
"Hmm?" Wen Mubai was a beat slow to react. His eyelids were open, showing drowsiness and confusion. His unfocused eyes and dazed expression made him look somewhat cute and confused.
Xu Chacha chuckled to herself at this novel discovery and took out her phone to snap a picture when she wasn't looking.
But after taking one picture, I wasn't satisfied, so I unlocked my phone again, adjusted the angle, and started again...
"Click click click click click—" Death shot method.
"Cha Cha, what are you doing?" Wen Mubai shook his head, finally realizing his current situation.
She never drinks alcohol, so of course she couldn't handle the old man's strong liquor, which he downed in one gulp.
"I didn't do anything." Xu Chacha finished taking pictures, quickly changed her expression, put away her phone, and stepped forward to help her up with a concerned look on her face. "It's your aunt who secretly drank and got drunk. Let me help you up."
Wen Mubai frowned, seemingly preparing his words, but after thinking for a while, he suddenly forgot what he was going to say and fell silent again.
Xu Chacha said she was supporting him, but that wasn't really true. Wen Mubai could still walk, but he seemed to react more slowly than usual.
The old man slept on tatami mats. When you entered the room, two quilts, one large and one small, were already laid out. The floral patterns on the quilt covers had a classic, old-fashioned aesthetic.
"Sleepy," Wen Mubai murmured softly, her dark eyes glistening. Even in the dim light, Xu Chacha could see her own reflection in her eyes.
She was already smelling of alcohol on her face; the skin around her eyes and the tip of her nose were red as if she had just cried. Her cheeks, which never turn red even after running, were unusually flushed with a peach color.
"Go to sleep if you're sleepy, Auntie." Xu Chacha helped her take off her slippers and pulled her onto the larger quilt.
Wen Mubai was tugged but couldn't budge, so he shook his head and sat still. "It's hot."
"..."
Is she being coquettish?
Although Wen Mubai's tone seemed no different from usual at first glance, Xu Chacha was convinced that she could hear a hint of coquetry in her slightly drawn-out ending.
So now the roles of parents have been reversed, and it's her turn to serve Wen Mubai, right?
Xu Chacha rested her hands on her knees, and sighed with an old-fashioned air over her youthful face, "Alright, then I'll serve you."
Wen Mubai probably didn't hear her muttering. He then took off his shirt, leaving only a vest, and walked to the window to enjoy the cool breeze.
It was still drizzling outside, and Xu Chacha couldn't let her keep blowing in the wind. She quickly ran over to close the window and pulled her arm toward the bed.
"You lie down first, Auntie, I'll go get you some water."
Wen Mubai was fairly obedient; after a few tugs, he finally sat down on the blanket, though he still seemed a little dazed.
Fortunately, Xu Chacha had experience taking care of drunkards. She wrapped the blanket around her and resignedly got up to go to the kitchen to heat up some milk for her.
A convenient and effective way to treat someone who is drunk is to give them milk, so that at least they won't have too much of a headache the next day.
Fortunately, there were still two cartons of milk left from the ones Wen Mubai bought for her. Xu Chacha opened one carton, poured it into a cup, heated it in the microwave, and then took it out.
Not wanting to be discovered, she secretly used the microwave. After heating it up, she unplugged it and put it back in its original, marked position.
The milk was still a bit hot in the cup after it was heated, so Xu Chacha took a new cup and poured it in before daring to carry it upstairs.
When she returned to the room, she found that Wen Mubai, who had been sitting just now, had lain down, but he didn't seem to be asleep.
Wen Mubai lay on her side, her long hair flowing like a waterfall, cascading from her slender neck to her thin shoulders. The usually aloof and cold woman now had her eyes upturned, the skin around her eyes reddened by the smell of alcohol and looking as if she had applied eyeshadow, adding a touch of allure to her.
She rested her hand on her forehead, her tone unusually languid, "Hmm? Where did this little one come from?"
"..." Did she open the door incorrectly just now?
Before Wen Mubai could finish speaking, she pursed her lips again and whispered.
"So cute, come here and let me pinch your cheeks."
Xu Chacha was so startled she almost spilled the milk in her hand.
Chapter 32
"Auntie, are you drunk?" Xu Chacha placed the milk on the bedside table and squatted down in front of Wen Mubai. "Why don't you drink some milk before you go to sleep? It will make your stomach feel better."
Wen Mubai didn't answer her question, but instead reached out and pinched her cheek. Feeling the soft skin under her fingertips, her smile widened. "So soft."
Xu Chacha sighed heavily, letting her rub her cheeks at will. "Auntie, hurry up and finish your milk and go to sleep. Weren't you sleepy just now?"
"Little one, do you want to come home with your sister? I'll buy you a cake." Wen Mubai replied, seemingly ignoring the question.
"..." Xu Chacha gave up on talking to her and held the milk in front of her. "Drink."
"She's pretty fierce." Wen Mubai glanced at her lazily, but still took the drink.
A few drops of milk foam clung to her light-colored lips. She casually licked them off with the tip of her tongue, then shifted her hand to prop her head up, still looking languid. "So, do you want to come to my house?"
Xu Chacha pretended not to hear, took the empty milk cup, washed and dried it to prevent it from having a milky smell overnight.
When she returned, Wen Mubai was still in the same position, except that his eyelashes were drooping and he looked drowsy.
Xu Chacha held her shoulders and pressed her down, feeling like a devoted old nanny, while Wen Mubai became a mischievous child.
"If you're sleepy, just go to sleep. What are you pretending to be cool for?"
Hearing her voice, Wen Mubai opened her eyes a crack. Her hazy sleepiness made it difficult for her to focus, but she called out her name accurately, "Cha Cha? Why are you so late? Auntie is waiting for you to sleep together."
"Good heavens," Xu Chacha sighed inwardly, thinking to herself, "I absolutely won't watch this year's Spring Festival Gala without Wen Mubai's Sichuan opera face-changing performance."
She closed the door, locked the window, and then covered Wen Mubai with the blanket before taking off her slippers and lying down herself.
She had done a lot of exercise during the day, and only after lying down did Xu Chacha realize how wonderful it felt to relax all her muscles.
She settled into a comfortable sleeping position, ready to close her eyes and enjoy sleep, when she suddenly realized something was wrong and jerked her eyes open.
Wait, did she forget to turn off the lights?
...
Just as the weather forecast predicted, thunderstorms broke out again during the night. The thin single-pane glass windows of the old house couldn't block out the booming thunder, and Xu Chacha was woken up as she turned over.
With dark circles under her eyes and a droopy face, she looked at the lightning that once again cleaved the night sky, filled with helplessness.
She didn't know when she had snuggled into Wen Mubai's arms. Her light breathing was above her head, initially long and regular, but suddenly became rapid after she murmured in her sleep.
"Mom, Grandma... don't leave me alone... don't go..."
She had never heard Wen Mubai's voice so fragile before; the faint sob in his voice sent a shiver down Xu Chacha's spine.
Was it because Wen Mubai disguised herself too well during the day? Apart from looking a little tired when they first met, she showed no emotion at all. She even joked with Xu Chacha as usual.
Xu Chacha raised her arm and placed it on her back, patting her with her small palms, "Don't cry, don't cry."
But just as she said this, she felt a warm liquid flowing down her neck.
Xu Chacha's breath hitched, and the sound of her heartbeat in her chest became muffled, like thunder outside.
She was crying.
Wen Mubai's unusually vulnerable state made Xu Chacha feel that she had stumbled upon an incredible secret. She dared not reveal it and might not even tell him after he woke up. She just wanted to keep it quietly hidden away.
"I won't be alone. Chacha will always stay with Auntie." The childish voice carried the most sincere and earnest promise.
When I grow up a bit more, it will be my turn to protect you.
Wen Mubai, who was holding her, seemed to hear these words and tightened his embrace.
...
Before seven o'clock the next day, Wen Mubai woke up slowly. She had never gotten up so early before. She lay on her back, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Last night she seemed to have a dream, a very long dream, in which she dreamt of her departed mother and grandmother, as well as herself when she was young.
She remembers the feeling of showing off her report cards and awards to her mother every time, and she can't forget her mother's dismissive tone.
Wen Mubai didn't blame her. Of course, as a mother, she cared about him, but he was never her top priority.
Compared to his father, his mother spent more time at home, but Wen Mubai saw her less often than his father did.
She usually spends her time in the studio drawing blueprints or making patterned garments. When she finally has time to rest, she doesn't stay at home but is always on her way to parties and dates.
When Wen Mubai missed her, he would muster up the courage to knock on the studio door or call her, but the former would only bring serious criticism, and the latter would only bring a cold "beep beep" sound, and maybe even a sentence like "Mom will be back later, go find your dad if you're bored."
Occasionally, when Wen Mubai remembered that he had a daughter, his mother would bring back some gifts. But young Wen Mubai was so easy to coax that he would immediately forget his little grievances and open his arms to hug her.
Wen's father and mother never quarreled, but they also rarely had a pleasant conversation. They were like two strangers living in the same house, and they rarely greeted each other when they met.
Even so, on the day Wen's mother passed away, it was Wen's father, as her husband, who was the first to receive the critical condition notice. He rushed to the hospital, signed the surgical consent form, while Wen Mubai was competing at the time.
The judges randomly assigned a topic based on three elements: mother, winter, and flowers, and the contestants wrote an essay on the spot.
Wen's father told Wen Mubai's teacher that he hoped to tell her after the competition. When he made the call, Wen's mother had already gone to the stadium, and he felt there was no need to interrupt Wen Mubai's competition.
Unlike in the TV dramas, Wen's mother didn't hold on until her family was by her side to give her medical advice. She came alone and wanted to leave alone.
Wen Mubai won first place in the competition. She originally intended to put the certificate in a box and seal it away, but when she learned of her mother's death, she threw the certificate in and burned it while dealing with her mother's belongings.
Her mother was as passionate as a rose, but like a short-lived bloom, she couldn't survive that winter.
Wen Mubai's life did not change much because of her mother's departure. She even doubted whether she was really so heartless that she could not feel sadness at her mother's passing.
During the holidays, she saw her grandmother, who hugged her and said, "I'm sorry, I only told her to be a free and unrestrained person, but I forgot to teach her how to care for those close to her."
The old woman's eyes reddened, and she held her rough hand, saying, "Grandma will love you in place of Mom, okay?"
That day, she finally cried. She didn't make a loud sound, but tears kept flowing down her face, as if she wanted to silently cry out all the water in her body.
After that, every holiday to F Town became the day Wen Mubai looked forward to the most, but now his grandmother has also passed away.
She didn't cry this time because she knew the old man was more heartbroken than she was, and if she didn't hold back, who would take care of him?