Early the next morning, Qin Weidong got another international call from Ye Yunshan. He silenced the phone, gently pulled away from the sleeping Fang Li, and went into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him to take the call.
When he returned, he kissed Fang Li and told him he was heading out to pick them up from the station, telling him to go back to sleep.
Fang Li murmured sleepily, “Do we need to prepare anything?”
If they did, they’d need to tell the housekeeper in advance.
“No need. Just sleep.”
Fang Li never woke early. He usually slept until ten. But not long after he drifted off again, the doorbell rang. He assumed the housekeeper had forgotten her key and got out of bed to open the door.
To his surprise, two girls stood at the door, staring at him in shock.
Fang Li rubbed his messy bedhead. Before he could say anything, one of the girls—holding the latest Chanel handbag—demanded, “Why is it you? Where’s my cousin?”
That’s when Fang Li realized who they were. He stepped aside to let them in and ran a hand through his wild hair. “You’re Qin Weidong’s cousin and her friend, right? He went to the station early this morning to pick you up.”
“He went to the station? Which one? I told Auntie we were getting a ride from a classmate this morning…”
Fang Li had no idea which station Qin Weidong had gone to.
Tong Na, the cousin, pulled her friend over to sit on the couch and took out her phone from her pastel pink handbag to call Qin Weidong. Fang Li noticed her nails—bright, shimmering, and glittering in a way he’d never seen before. He thought for a moment, then went into the kitchen to make them coffee.
By the time he returned with two mugs, the girl handed him the phone. “Here, my cousin wants to talk to you.”
Her phone dangled with a Hello Kitty charm encrusted in pink crystals, swinging back and forth as Fang Li took the call.
“Weidong?”
“When are you going to stop opening the door without checking who it is first?”
Getting scolded again…
“I thought it was the housekeeper and she forgot her key…”
And even if he had seen who it was—what was he supposed to do, not open the door?
Qin Weidong asked, “Are you awake now?”
Fang Li yawned. “Still sleepy… Your cousin’s already here. When are you coming back?”
“On my way,” Qin Weidong said, driving as he spoke. “You don’t need to entertain them. Just go back to bed.”
After hanging up, Fang Li quickly combed his hair in the downstairs bathroom. His fine, soft hair always turned into a tangled mess after sleep. Once he’d tamed it a bit, he stepped back out.
Tong Na and her friend were already wandering around, exploring the house.
Her friend seemed quieter and more reserved. Tong Na noticed Fang Li but didn’t acknowledge him—just kept showing her friend the Manhattan skyline from the window.
“My cousin is amazing. All those years, he didn’t rely on my uncle at all. He made a name for himself in Jinyang, and even now that he’s abroad, my aunt says all this money is from his own hard work…”
“My cousin is super handsome, even better-looking than a model. You’ll see for yourself when he gets back…”
“Huiru, I’m telling you—my aunt and uncle only have one son. If you and my cousin end up together, you’ll be the precious darling of our whole family. No one would ever dare bully you…”
Fang Li heard it all and gave up on going back out. He stuffed his toothbrush into his mouth, rinsed, and spat.
As he was drying his face, he heard someone shout from the living room.
“Fang Li? Fang Li? Where’d you go? Is this how you’re supposed to host us for my cousin? Where’d you put the coffee? It tastes awful!”
Well. Looks like Her Royal Highness at least knows his name.
Fang Li tossed the towel into the laundry basket and walked out. He didn’t drink coffee—he’d been told the caffeine wasn’t good for his heart. All the coffee in the kitchen was Qin Weidong’s.
There were different brands. Fang Li had once been curious. Qin Weidong kept him from drinking it, which only made him more interested in trying the “foreign taste.” He eventually snuck a cup—it was unbearably bitter, almost made him gag. Ever since then, he lost all interest in Qin Weidong’s coffee.
He opened the cupboard. “Pick whatever you like.”
Tong Na gave a glance, but what caught her eye was a pair of rabbit-shaped couple mugs on the bottom shelf. She reached for them, and Fang Li said, “Not that one…”
They had bought those in Greenwich Village, a matching set, already used. But Qin Weidong didn’t like such quirky stuff, so they’d been sitting there, gathering dust.
“My aunt said this whole place belongs to my cousin. She told us to come by whenever we want. Why can’t we use it?”
The princess had spoken. Her friend tugged her sleeve, but Fang Li didn’t want to argue with a girl.
“If you like it, go ahead.”
He really should’ve listened to Qin Weidong and gone back to bed early.
When Qin Weidong got home, he set down the cake he’d picked up for Fang Li and immediately saw the girls on the couch. Tong Na jumped up the moment she saw him. “Cousin!”
On the phone earlier, Qin Weidong hadn’t even remembered who his aunt meant. But seeing her now, he recognized her as Tong Na, a cousin he’d met twice before at his grandparents’ place.
Tong Na had always been pampered—a true little princess. Everyone around her had always given in to her, spoiled her. She had not an ounce of shyness or self-doubt. She sparkled, radiating confidence, convinced she’d be adored wherever she went.
She’d only met Qin Weidong twice, both times before the school year started. By the second meeting, she was already hanging on his arm, insisting that her “long-lost” cousin join her and her friends for karaoke.
“My cousin,” Tong Na said, “I told Aunt that Huiru and I came in my classmate’s car. She probably misremembered. Cousin, this is my best friend, Lin Huiru. We’ve been classmates since high school. She’s studying cello at the Boston Conservatory.”
Qin Weidong nodded at the girl. Lin Huiru, who had only glanced at him once when he entered, blushed and and didn’t dare look up again.
Qin Weidong, however, didn’t notice her reaction, stating, “I booked a hotel for you two, over on Fifth Avenue. You can go shopping during the day.”
Tong Na was displeased. “Why stay at a hotel? Aunt said you hired a cook who makes amazing food, and she wanted us to try it. Besides, it’s almost New Year’s—it feels too lonely to stay in a hotel.”
“You’re two girls. It’s not convenient for you to stay here.”
“What’s inconvenient? You’re my cousin!” She turned to her friend. “Oh, and Huiru, she’s fine too. She can stay with me. Isn’t there an empty room on the first floor?”
She pointed. “I saw him go in earlier. It’s just sitting empty…”
“Him?”
Tong Na said, “That guy.”
“His name is Fang Li.”
“Fang Li,” Tong Na repeated, pointing—only to find he was no longer in the kitchen. “Eh? He was just here pouring coffee…”
Qin Weidong’s expression darkened. “He was serving you coffee?”
“Yeah. Where’d he go? Isn’t it rude to disappear when guests are around? Cousin, he really has no manners…”
Qin Weidong noticed the rabbit-shaped coffee mugs on the table. “You can’t stay here. I’ll explain to your aunt. I’ll drive you both to the hotel in a bit.”
The scatterbrained little princess seemed like she still wanted to protest, but Lin Huiru must have sensed Qin Weidong’s displeasure. She quickly said, “Nana, didn’t Aunt Ye say we should call her after we arrived and… saw your cousin?”
“Oh, right—Aunt asked me to call her.” Tong Na pulled out her phone to dial Ye Yunshan. Qin Weidong headed upstairs.
Fang Li was face down on the bed, playing Tetris on his phone. The blocks had stacked too high, and the next piece wasn’t what he needed. In a few seconds, the screen went black, flashing: “Game Over.”
“Damn it, died again…”
It had been a while since he swore. Qin Weidong, entering just then, clearly heard it. He bent down behind Fang Li and wrapped his arms around him, kissing his cheek. “They used your mug?”
“The mugs don’t matter…” Fang Li turned his face away. “I think your cousin just brought someone over here to try and snag my boyfriend…”
That one phrase—my boyfriend—instantly wiped away whatever irritation Qin Weidong had been feeling toward Ye Yunshan.
“I told you to go to bed and stay out of it, but you still went and served them coffee.”
“I’m not completely without manners, you know. Your cousin comes over, and you can bet she’ll tell your mom all about everything I did and said here. If I’d really just gone upstairs to sleep, imagine what your mom would think of me after we go back…”
Clearly, this kind of issue had never even occurred to someone like Qin Weidong. His mind was always preoccupied with studies and work. As for the subtle tensions and little dramas that made up things like in-law relationships—how to manage conflicts or smooth things over—he had no concept at all.
“You’re with me, not her.”
Fang Li gave a little snort. “That’s exactly what those guys back in Chongsi say to trick women into marrying them.”
Qin Weidong was left speechless. Still, now that Fang Li had pointed it out, he’d think about it in the future.
“Just toss those mugs. If you like them, we can go buy another pair later… Stay home and wait for me—I’ll take them to the hotel.”
Handmade goods from the art village were all one of a kind. There was no such thing as buying an identical replacement. But Fang Li didn’t say anything. He just jerked his chin in a “go on” gesture. Qin Weidong kissed him once and went downstairs to send the girls off.
Though still sulking, Tong Na followed him to the hotel. Once there, she called again, asking if he had time to take them shopping. A trace of impatience was already showing between Qin Weidong’s brows.
After hanging up on Tong Na, Fang Li smiled at him. “You’re kind of half-assing it as a cousin, huh?”
Qin Weidong bit him lightly on the cheek. “Heartless… By the lunar calendar, it’s New Year’s Eve the day after tomorrow. School doesn’t give us time off. What do you want to eat? I’ll book a restaurant for that night.”
Fang Li gave a little hum. “But Xuxu said the Chinese student association is holding an event that night at the academy. She’s already invited me…”
During the time Fang Li had been auditing at the conservatory with Wu Xuxu, he’d met many Chinese students doing advanced studies in Brooklyn.
Good-looking people always seemed to have a certain privilege. Fang Li had sharp, handsome features and an easygoing personality—or at least that’s how those who had met him saw it.
Even though he wasn’t officially enrolled, his piano and guitar skills were impressive. Before long, he was invited to just about every event they planned.
Qin Weidong narrowed his eyes slightly. “Pretty popular, huh?”
Fang Li smiled. “So-so…”
Qin Weidong ran his fingers through Fang Li’s hair. “Next time, let’s switch hairstylists. I’ll take you. This one made you look too good…”
“Don’t be ridiculous…”
They kissed for a while in bed. Partway through, Fang Li heard Qin Weidong’s phone ring again, but he didn’t answer it.
Fang Li smiled quietly to himself. No one understood Qin Weidong better than he did. Maybe it had something to do with things that had happened when he was younger—Qin Weidong was never the kind of man who experienced emotions deeply. In fact, he could even be called emotionally distant.
There were many things Qin Weidong had learned only after entering adult life. Like when they were in Jinyang—seeing coworkers send flowers to their girlfriends made him start doing the same. He remembered to celebrate Fang Li’s birthday. And after coming abroad and spending time with privileged kids from both China and overseas, he began to realize that he should book a restaurant for holidays.
The Qin family… As long as no one crossed Qin Weidong’s bottom line, he probably really could learn how to be a good son. He was competent in so many areas—if he put his mind to it, he’d probably do just fine.
But if anyone tried to force him to choose between them and Fang Li…
Fang Li had never been afraid of that choice.
Axolotl Translations 
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