CH 53

“What is the imprinting complex? It’s when an animal perceives the first living thing it sees as its mother. It’s also known as imprinting learning in the field of animal behavior. This learning method occurs in the early stages of an animal’s life and has a specific sensitive period.”

Yu Zhou explained the text on the Wiki to Xiang Wan as she placed her phone in between them. It was as if she had set up a blackboard and pointed it with a cane.

Xiang Wan tilted her head. “Are you saying that I see you as my mother?”

“It’s highly probable.”

“That’s impossible.”

“Why?”

“?”[1]

“Hmmm, why is that impossible?”

“I have a mother and I’ve never wanted to kiss her in such a way.”

Wow, what a logical argument.

She wasn’t really a newborn hatchling. Did Yu Zhou not understand how she felt about her own mother?

“So, what you’re saying is that you indeed have some kind of inappropriate feelings for me,” Yu Zhou said.

Xiang Wan hesitated for a moment, feeling shy. “Just a little bit.”

“Xiang Wan,” Yu Zhou scratched her head, “I don’t want to bend you.”

“Bend me, do you mean becoming a lesbian?” Xiang Wan asked.

“Yes.”

“You’re a lesbian and you said it was fashion. Why can’t I be one too?” Xiang Wan asked.

Ha-ha-ha! Damn it, Yu Zhou couldn’t argue with her.

Yu Zhou thought for a moment. Xiang Wan hit the nail on the head. Although Yu Zhou said being a lesbian was cool, she actually thought it wasn’t really a good thing.

It had a more serious name: homosexuality. It was hard to say if Zhao Qingxia was just joking about it when she hysterically reposted those related WeChat articles. It was also difficult to say if Yu Zhou was truly sad because of her parent’s lack of understanding at the time.

Today, when Zhao cried that she couldn’t have her grandchild just like every other auntie could, Yu Zhou pretended to be disgusted with her, but she was actually a little sad.

Because since childhood, her mother had tried to give her everything that other babies had.

And now, she wanted her mother to have what other aunties had.

But that was fate. Just like how she never imagined that she really got a disease after Ms. Zhao spent a lot of money to have her hospitalized, a disease she didn’t need surgery for, a disease called ‘Su Chang’.

Su Chang bent her as she bent Su Chang too.

Then, she waged a long and arduous war against her desensitized Su Chang.

She wanted to tell Xiang Wan that we really should avoid getting too close to women. This kind of thing is difficult to quit once it starts.

But, there’s nothing she can do because Yu Zhou herself is the one Xiang Wan has her eyes on. She thinks Xiang Wan has good taste.

Ahahaha, she got off on a tangent.

She said to Xiang Wan, “If you really feel like you like me, I totally understand, really understand. I’m pretty good looking and my figure is not bad. And I’m talented, there is even a publishing house that contacted me, so maybe I’ll be a writer in the future. I’m diligent too, I can cook. What’s more, there won’t be any conflicts between daughter-in-law and mother-in-law. I’m also very attentive in daily life, so apart from being a little poor and not very motivated, I have many, many advantages.”

Xiang Wan’s face was full of color as she listened to her rattle off her own advantages.

“But I still think it’s because we’ve been together for so long that you’ve misunderstood, or we’re too close, so you’ve developed feelings. I understand how easy it is for that to get emotional. Do you remember when I told you before? You have to try to be independent, to meet more and better people. You have to put yourself out there, go to the sea and the forest, otherwise, you’ll end up picking up rocks and thinking they’re gold. Later, when you meet real gold, you’ll regret it.”

“So?” Xiang Wan sensed the implication in her tone.

“Just now, didn’t you say you need a stable income? So my suggestion is, if the money you earn from this audio drama is good and other sources of income are stable, you can try to move out to live on your own and cool down.”

Xiang Wan listened to her without showing too much resistance, but the sugar held in her eyes since they were discussing eating cake had disappeared. She just lowered her gaze, looked at her fingers and then back at Yu Zhou as she smiled gracefully.

Her reaction surprised Yu Zhou. Xiang Wan didn’t say she didn’t want to move out, but her gaze kept darting around.

“You… can speak your mind if you have something to say.” Yu Zhou swallowed.

Xiang Wan looked at her with eyes as warm as an adult’s.

She slowly thought for almost half a minute as if pondering how to phrase her words before saying, “What you just said, I feel it’s a little cruel. Everything I know was learned from you. The phone is yours, the clothes are yours. How to comb my hair and how to fold the quilt, everything in my life is a reflection of you. But if you tell me to move out and live without you, I’m afraid I’ll be sad.”

In fact, she was already a little sad now.

“But, I also feel that what you said makes sense. You only want the best for me.” Xiang Wan curved her lips while smiling.

Yu Zhou was most afraid of her being so sensible. She could be playful, mischievous and even argue with her. But Yu Zhou couldn’t handle her being sensible.

Xiang Wan noticed the subtle changes in Yu Zhou’s expression before suddenly widening her smile. Her bright eyes and white teeth glistened as she said, “Do you feel like you’ve softened a little?”

“Huh?”

“When I first came, if I tried to push my limits, you would warn me with harsh words. You would say, Xiang Wan, this is not my problem, it’s your fate, I’ve been kind enough to you.”

“But now, even when you want me to move out, you’re hesitant.” You would even refer to the wiki to explain so much.

“But I don’t know if it’s just me that you’ve gone soft on, or if you’re… getting old,” Xiang Wan said.

“Hey!” Yu Zhou wanted to strangle her.

It’s only been a few months,”old” my ass.

But Yu Zhou didn’t argue with her anymore, just emphasized, “Then we agreed that once your short drama earns you money, you will move out.”

“Okay.”

Xiang Wan remembered the time she spent in the park watching an old man play Go, using the length of the game to measure Yu Zhou’s concerns.

This time it was the same, but it was measuring Yu Zhou and Xiang Wan herself at the same time.

And they need to go further.

Yu Zhou couldn’t help but feel like there was some sort of conspiracy behind Xiang Wan’s mature behavior. She tilted her head and thought for a moment before exclaiming, “You’re not purposely sabotaging the short drama just so you can stay, are you?”

Xiang Wan raised her eyebrows in surprise, then apologized, “At the moment, I’m afraid… you’re not that important.”

Damn.

Yu Zhou picked up the cooled red sugar water before handing it to Xiang Wan in the same gesture as giving poison.

She then left the bedroom with her eyes twitching.

Xiang Wan took a sip of the red sugar water. Hmm… It tastes better than last time’s ginger soup.

Yu Zhou went to the living room to re-watch “Nirvana in Fire”. She seemed to be different from most people, as she preferred “Nirvana in Fire 2” over the first season. Maybe because it had a more tragic tone? Well, as a writer, she loved those kinds of darker-colored backgrounds. They were especially suitable for elaborating on love, hate and revenge.

Cracking sunflower seeds, she watched an episode and a half before receiving news from the “Shrine” crew’s WeChat group chat. The script for the second season was out.

Yu Zhou opened it eagerly before scrutinizing every word and sentence.

Having written her own script before, she now had an even greater respect for all screenwriters.

Peng Xiangzhi spoke up, “The screenwriters have worked hard, let’s all take a look first. The script reading will start on the weekend. This time we need to be faster in our progress. I have cleared my schedule to focus on this and aim to finish one or two episodes in a day so that we can finish within half a month. Then I will arrange for the recording.”

She explained, “It’s better to start early because if we hit the end of the year, me and a few of the actors will be very busy. Especially Su Chang.”

“The response to the first season was good, the second season is a sequel and also the final season, there’s some pressure, but let’s turn that pressure into motivation~”

It had to be said that Peng Xiangzhi’s efficient style of work was something that Yu Zhou really liked. Every time Peng Xiangzhi said something, it was like Yu Zhou had injected herself with chicken blood[2].

“Also,” Peng Xiangzhi said, “the live streaming of the first season’s finale free talk is scheduled for a week after the finale, which should be on November 12. So the free talk is tentatively set for Sunday evening, November 20. We’ll arrange for the lead actor, director and author to be present. Zhouzhou, check if your schedule is okay or not.”

“I can make it,” Yu Zhou said.

“Okay, then F, please post it on Weibo later.”

F replied with a “received” expression.

With a new goal, Yu Zhou felt her life become clearer. Even Xiang Wan’s moving out had become a step towards a clearer life, with less clinginess and messiness.

It will get better, she thought happily.

She lowered her head to browse through her WeChat Moments, seeing that Su Chang had rarely posted an update an hour ago.

“My cat has been coughing all night, what should I do?”

Coughing? It could be a big or small problem. Her update was empty since Yu Zhou and Su Chang didn’t have any mutual friends, she couldn’t see if anyone had liked it, nor see any comments or replies. She didn’t know if she had solved the problem.

So she replied, “Take it to the hospital.”

The hospital was the most reliable option.

After about seven or eight minutes, Su Chang replied directly on WeChat, “I’ve been to the hospital, the doctor said there are no problems.”

“But it’s still coughing.”

“Huh?” Yu Zhou was confused.