MFRAPW Chapter 2 – Well, the expression was quite cute, maybe she was pretending just to be cute.

It’s okay even if he didn’t agree for now.

Yue Lao 2238 also understood that things were not going as smoothly as he wanted. The current situation has already deviated from what he expected, and now he had no time to slowly convince Chen Ying—he has to find someone to help.

“Mr. Chen, do you have Su Xiaopei’s phone number?”

“No.” Chen Ying raises his eyebrow at the question. Su Xiaopei is Cheng Jiangyi’s wife; how could he have her phone number?

“Then could you please call Cheng Jiangyi for assistance?”

Want him to call Cheng Jiangyi? This Mr. Yue Lao really doesn’t know how to write the word ‘polite’ ah.

“I’m sorry to trouble you,” Yue Lao 2238’s adds, and his attitude can’t be any better.

Chen Ying curled his lips. He was a person who can be coaxed but not coerced. In fact, it’s only a trivial matter to make a phone call. And it just so happened that he also really wanted to call Cheng Jiangyi to clarify this situation, otherwise, no matter what this Yue Lao guy does, Chen Ying would not give in.

As soon as the call connected—before he can finish saying “Hello”—the phone was snatched away by Yue Lao.

“Cheng Jiangyi, please give the phone to Su Xiaopei.”

Chen Ying’s face was full of black lines. He and Cheng Jiangyi, were they now relegated as mere communication tools?

“Su Xiaopei, Mi Xi has arrived. Well, the three of us are together right now. I haven’t had a chance to talk to Chen Ying in detail yet. Did Cheng Jiangyi explain to Chen Ying earlier?”

“What did he explain to me?” Chen Ying exclaimed from the side, he couldn’t help feeling angry. What Cheng Jiangyi told him was only a very detailed nonsense introduction!

Yue Lao 2238 was still talking on the phone, “Mi Xi is fine. I think she is in good spirits.”

Hearing this, Chen Ying glanced at Mi Xi: she seemed very interested in Yue Lao talking on the phone. She looked at the phone for a long time, before turning her head to look at his car, the road, the streetlights, and finally up to the sky.

He looked up at the night sky too, following her gaze. Today’s weather was good, the temperature was quite suitable; the end of spring and the beginning of summer was a good time. There were stars and a moon in the sky, bright and clear. Chen Ying abruptly realized that he was looking at the sky with Mi Xi and suddenly felt stupid. He lowered his gaze, only to discover that Mi Xi has also lowered hers. When their gazes met, he saw her eyes clearly for the first time.

Like a fawn’s, dazed and a little helpless.

Chen Ying blinked, but when he looked again he couldn’t see her eyes anymore. She has lowered her head slightly, pursing her mouth. Her figure was slender, and she was wearing a thin robe with wide sleeves. She obviously had a delicate frame, but for some reason, Chen Ying thought of the word ‘stubborn’.

At this time, Yue Lao was saying, “Okay, okay. See you later.” After he finished speaking, he hung up the phone and handed it back to Chen Ying, “Thank you.”

Chen Ying didn’t say anything because he really didn’t want to say ‘you’re welcome’ to him. He didn’t like pretending for the sake of politeness.

“Please take us to Cheng Jiangyi’s house,” Yue Lao 2238 tells him.

For a moment, Chen Ying really couldn’t control his expression. He obviously didn’t say ‘you’re welcome’, right? He obviously wasn’t polite to him, right? So why was he acting so damned familiar to him?

“Why?” Chen Ying managed to grit out.

“You have a car.”

What a good reason ah! He absolutely did not believe that this Yue Lao 2238 and that guy Cheng Jiangyi were not in this together.

Chen Ying was about to say something harsh like ‘I don’t have any obligation to take you even if I have a car,’ but Yue Lao has already turned to Mi Xi and was telling her, “Mi Xi, don’t be afraid, we won’t let you sleep on the street.”

Chen Ying swallowed the words that had just come to his lips. A few days ago, he really saw in the social news that a young woman was robbed by thugs on a street corner late one night, and her corpse was found naked on some green belt¹. Even as he hesitated, Yue Lao 2238 was already standing beside his car with Mi Xi. Although Chen Ying was very reluctant in his heart, he felt that it was really inappropriate to leave the young miss on the street. Anyway, it would not be difficult to send them to Cheng Jiangyi’s house.

Chen Ying silently opened the car door with the electronic lock key. When the car beeped, Mi Xi seemed startled. The way she stared at the car with wide eyes caught Chen Ying’s attention again, unfortunately.

Is she a real bumpkin or a fake bumpkin? he thought to himself. Well, the expression was quite cute, maybe she was pretending just to be cute.

Chen Ying walked around to the driver’s side and opened the door to get in the car. Yue Lao also opened the rear door and guided Mi Xi to climb inside. The two moved slowly. Chen Ying suppressed his temper and waited.

When the car finally began moving, Yue Lao chatted with Mi Xi. “Don’t worry, let’s talk to Uncle Cheng and Aunt Su first. Then you will be settled down, and you can have a good rest. Although things here are a bit weird to you, you can take your time learning. “

Mi Xi didn’t speak, only nodded.

“Look ah, what we’re riding in now is called a ‘car’—it’s just like your carriages.” Yue Lao seemed to want to familiarize her with the things at hand first.

“Without a horse, how can it run?”

“It’s because gasoline is being burned.”

“Gasoline?” Mi Xi was really curious.

Yue Lao became a little nervous. “It’s just a kind of oil that can burn.”

Chen Ying scoffed at this answer. What kind of oil can’t burn?

“Well, it’s just that the gasoline is burning, and the car starts running when there is power,” Yue Lao tried hard to explain amidst the little miss’ obvious confusion.

“Why can it run when it’s burning? Since it’s burning, why is there nothing wrong with the car?”

Yue Lao 2238 was dumbfounded at this, and his expression turned serious. He didn’t know how to answer. He was really busy—he was not involved in the education of young misses, he just cares about their marriages! Chen Ying peeked at the two through the rearview mirror and wanted to laugh at the conversation. Schadenfreude² was a great way to gain pleasure. He glanced at the rearview mirror again: it was reflecting two very serious faces at the back seat.

“Mi Xi, don’t worry, your Uncle Chen Ying will tell you the answer to these questions in the future.”

The corners of Chen Ying’s raised mouth quickly collapsed. Why should he be the one to answer ah? He will leave immediately after seeing them off. Thank you, bye bye, let’s not see each other again.

Hearing Yue Lao’s words, Mi Xi quickly looked ahead, to the back of Chen Ying’s chair. Chen Ying caught her expression in the rearview mirror. She pursed her lips, didn’t speak, only nodded at Yue Lao again as a response.

Chen Ying carefully noted that she did not flatter herself. He hasn’t even said ‘hello’ or a single polite word to her.

It stood to reason that she listened to Yue Lao—shouldn’t she then respect him as an uncle and a guardian? In order to make life easier in the future, shouldn’t she show her friendliness to him? Curry his favor? Chen Ying glanced at the rearview mirror again at just the same moment that Mi Xi also looked over—their eyes met in the mirror, and both of them turn quickly away.

She must realize that he didn’t like her and wasn’t going to accept her. Chen Ying glanced at the rearview mirror again. This little young lady has a lot of pride ah.

In the second half of the journey, Chen Ying never peeked at the two behind him again. Yue Lao also learned his lesson and did not try to carry out literacy education anymore but only talked to Mi Xi about other things: what the other Yue Lao had said to her over there; that he was the person in charge of her case here; that he will definitely do his best. He also introduced in detail who Cheng Jiangyi and Su Xiaopei were, and encouraged Mi Xi to hurry up and find a partner, and to work hard.

Hurry up and do what? Chen Ying’s face twitched. The girl looked underage ah. Yue Lao actually instigated and encouraged a minor to find a partner? Was this really appropriate? Also, can she understand what he means when he says these words?

They finally arrived at Cheng Jiangyi’s house.

Chen Ying stopped the car directly in front, so Yue Lao reminded him, “You can’t park here.”

“Just get out of the car, then I’ll go.” He didn’t intend to get down.

“If you don’t take us up, we won’t get out of the car,” Yuelao said in a firm voice.

What? Really want to play rogue with him? Chen Ying turned his head; Yue Lao 2238 had folded his arms in front of his chest, looking stubborn, as if he would not give up until he reached his goal. Mi Xi’s face, on the other hand, was cold, expressionless, like she’s not involved at all.

“You need to go up with us, I have something to tell you,” Yue Lao said.

Chen Ying’s mouth tightened and he suddenly has a nasty feeling—like he’s caught in a trap. He thought it was just a prank, but it’s turning out to be a full show. He’s tired from a long day and now very upset.

“I have something to tell you, it’s very important, ” Yue Lao repeated.

Chen Ying glanced at Mi Xi, and Mi Xi was also looking at him. She was obviously wary of him.

He was the one who has to watch out, okay?

Chen Ying and Mi Xi’s held each other’s gazes. He could see that it didn’t matter to her whether he followed them in or not, and whether he would take her in at the end.

Hey, since she didn’t give a damn so much, then it’s no skin off his nose if he just goes up and take a look. It’s not like he hasn’t been to Cheng Jiangyi’s house before—what can they do to him? He just wanted to know what the hell was going on, since he definitely wasn’t going to be this young miss’ damned guardian anyway.

T/N: Chen Ying’s speech pattern is rude and his inner monologue is even ruder lmao, but his heart is really quite soft. He just doesn’t like being forced to do things.

FOOTNOTES:

¹They’re long stretches of grass and vegetation running along the center of roads or the sidewalk. It seems to be a concerted part of urban planning. ↩