Love Has Fireworks - Chapter 41

Chapter 41: Be My Sister

When Qian Fei got home and gave the two bottles of wine to the old man, her father was so moved that tears and snot almost flowed down his face. He endlessly praised his unseen "virtuous son-in-law," saying he was truly a good boy, and even persistently forced Qian Fei to find a photo of this "virtuous son-in-law" to show him. Qian Fei said she didn't have one, but the old man wouldn't let it go, saying, "Have him take one right now and send it over!"

Driven to a corner with no other option, Qian Fei had no choice but to use her phone to randomly download a picture of Lau Ching-wan from the internet to show the old man.

Putting on his reading glasses, the old man stared intently at the photo while saying with a touch of regret, "He looks a bit mature for his age, and a bit dark too. But that's alright, as long as he's a good person. Besides, his voice still sounded very young!"

Qian Fei nearly coughed up blood and collapsed to the ground.

Those two bottles of wine had completely altered the old man's outlook on life and standard of beauty.

On New Year's Eve, Qian Fei accompanied the old man and her stepmother, wrapping dumplings while watching the Spring Festival Gala.

The old couple didn't seem to have overly high expectations for life; whatever performance finished playing, they both said it was good, repeatedly praising, "This year's director is much better than last year's. It's just that long-faced, horse-faced host—how is he still so ugly?" Qian Fei desperately wanted to tell them that this year's director and last year's director were the exact same person, who happened to be the wife of that "horse-face."

The dumplings were wrapped, and with only a few minutes left until midnight, the old man asked Qian Fei, "How can it be this late already and Zhao Benshan's skit hasn't played yet?"

With a blank stare, Qian Fei asked, "Don't you know there is no skit by Zhao Benshan in this year's Spring Festival Gala?"

The old man froze, then with a face full of grievance, settled for the next best thing and said, "Well, if there's no skit of his, a song and dance performance by him would be fine too!"

Qian Fei wanted to drop to her knees before this old gentleman.

Several hosts exchanged lines back and forth. The overly sentimental male host in the middle even seemed to misspeak a line. Then midnight arrived. A large clock bearing an advertisement chimed five, four, three, two, one, and several hosts shouted at the top of their lungs, somewhat out of sync, "Happy New Year!"

Qian Fei jumped up and said, "I'm going to boil the dumplings!"

The old man grabbed her all of a sudden. "Your phone is ringing!" he said, handing the phone to her.

Qian Fei thought nothing of it and continued rushing toward the kitchen. "They're all just mass-sent New Year greeting texts, no need to bother!"

The old man tenaciously held onto her. "It's not a text, it's a call from Li Drama Queen. Answer it quickly!"

Someone was setting off firecrackers outside and it was too noisy, so Qian Fei didn't hear clearly whose name the old man had said. Feeling puzzled, she took the phone to look.

The phone screen actually displayed the three words: "Li Drama Queen."

Somewhat surprised, Qian Fei connected the call, and two completely different dimensions of conversation rang out from both sides of the line simultaneously.

Qian Fei: "Did the house run out of gas or electricity credits?"

Li Yifei: "Happy New Year!"

After two seconds of silence, Li Yifei erupted, "Damn it! I'm wishing you a Happy New Year, can you put a little heart into it?!"

Qian Fei laughed heartily, "Happy New Year, Happy New Year! Heavens, I never would have thought Young Master Li, that you would respect your landlord this much, actually condescending to wish your big sister a Happy New Year!"

Li Yifei let out a "tch" and said imperiously, "Hand the phone to your dad!"

Qian Fei was puzzled. "Why give it to my dad?"

Li Yifei sneered at her, "I am kindly trying to help you perform the act all the way through, you better realize it and show some gratitude! Am I not your legendary boyfriend? Is there ever a boyfriend who doesn't wish his father-in-law a Happy New Year during the New Year?"

Qian Fei thought she faintly heard a sound resembling a plate dropping to the ground over the phone. Carelessly, she laughed heartily, "You certainly pay attention to plot integrity and logical consistency!" Turning her head to avoid the old man, she lowered her voice and spoke into the microphone, "I say, is your girlfriend at home? Are you two cooking? I distinctly heard the sound of a plate dropping to the ground! You two better be careful, don't tear down my kitchen!"

Li Yifei said crossly, "Cut the crap, hurry up and give the phone to your dad!"

Qian Fei turned around and handed the phone to the old man.

The old man took the phone with a face full of suspicion. After hearing the voice on the other end, his expression instantly transformed into a beaming smile like a face-changing performance in a play, "Hey, hey! Little Li, thank you! Wishing you a Happy New Year too! Good! Good! I love drinking the wine! It's just too expensive, thank you so much! Oh, I really can't accept any more, two bottles are enough! Whenever you have time, you must come over to the house, Uncle and Auntie will wrap dumplings for you to eat! Give my regards to your father! Good, good, you take care of your health too, goodbye!"

The old man returned the phone to Qian Fei with great satisfaction, still full of praise as he handed it back, "This child is truly sensible! He's a good boy!"

Qian Fei almost couldn't resist rolling her eyes.

Taking the phone, she asked Li Yifei, "I say, buddy, what did you say to my dad to make him so happy?"

Li Yifei answered irrelevantly, "Which day are you coming back?"

Qian Fei asked, "What, are you going to pick me up?"

Li Yifei: "Do you have a lot of things?"

Qian Fei: "Yes, a lot."

Li Yifei: "Then act like I didn't ask."

Qian Fei: "..."

After hanging up the phone, Qian Fei ultimately couldn't resist rolling her eyes after all.

The old man was still muttering on the side, "...Xiao Fei, you tell me, for such a good child, why do you call him Li Drama Queen? You can't be too picky. You're not getting any younger, don't end up a leftover woman from picking and choosing too much!"

Resisting the urge to cover her ears, Qian Fei fled to the kitchen as if running for her life.

While boiling the dumplings, she thought resentfully: Li Drama Queen is truly a menace, he knows how to win people over way too well!

●︶3︶●

When Jin Tian heard that Li Yifei wasn't going back to spend the New Year with his father, she refunded her ticket home. On the afternoon of New Year's Eve, Li Yifei picked her up and brought her to the apartment. Taking advantage of a moment when he wasn't paying attention, she secretly went to size up Qian Fei's room.

The furnishings were simple, even rough around the edges. There wasn't a single trace of girlishness in the style, completely lacking anything in a pink color scheme.

This was practically a man's room. She finally felt somewhat relieved. It seemed the female landlord's personality truly was that of a tomboy.

All along, Li Yifei had kept her at arm's length, making her feel very insecure. She had gotten to know Li Yifei through Da Jun, who was a friend of her best friend's boyfriend. From Da Jun, she knew that Li Yifei wasn't some poor boy; his family possessed immense wealth. From the moment she learned about his family background and saw his appearance, she had made up her mind that she must secure this man.

Many of the sisters around her had successfully landed advertisements for major brands after climbing high up the social ladder. Some even had wealthy "boyfriends" willing to invest, forcefully launching two or three young starlets into stardom.

She believed her own natural looks weren't bad, but unfortunately, she had never had the opportunity to socialize with a benefactor. Upon meeting Li Yifei, she was startled to realize that no matter his family background or appearance, this man was not inferior to her best friends' lovers—in fact, his conditions were even better.

She exerted all her skills to make Li Yifei happy, painstakingly trying to present her most well-behaved and sweet side. Originally, she felt that Li Yifei had also developed feelings for her, but for some unknown reason, his attitude toward her had quietly changed.

The more they interacted, the less it felt like dating. Or rather, they had never actually officially dated. Thinking back carefully, the relationship Li Yifei had created for her really stopped just short of being lovers.

She became somewhat anxious, especially after seeing that female landlord. A woman's intuition made her sensitively perceive that Li Yifei's feelings toward that female landlord and the way they interacted were different from any other woman.

She had originally been agonizing over how to stimulate him to take another step forward, to puncture that layer of window paper so their relationship could be officially defined as "boyfriend and girlfriend." Just when she was suffering over how to make a breakthrough, she hadn't expected him to proactively invite her to spend the New Year together.

She felt she saw hope.

But when they arrived at the apartment, he only asked her, "Do you know how to cook?"

She answered him that she only knew a few simple dishes.

So he asked her to teach him.

Then when midnight arrived, he hurriedly ran into the living room to make a phone call.

While washing the plates, she heard him say, "I am kindly trying to help you perform the act all the way through, you better realize it and show some gratitude! Am I not your legendary boyfriend? Is there ever a boyfriend who doesn't wish his father-in-law a Happy New Year during the New Year?"

Her hand trembled, and a plate instantly shattered on the ground.

●︶3︶●

After hanging up the phone, Li Yifei walked into the kitchen. Looking at Jin Tian, who was bending over to clean up the broken porcelain pieces, he asked, "What's wrong?"

Jin Tian raised her head, looking at him pitifully as she said, "My hand slipped, and the plate fell to the ground! I'm sorry, Yifei!"

Li Yifei raised an eyebrow. "It's fine. I'll buy a few more tomorrow. The tomboy won't get angry."

Once Jin Tian finished cleaning up the broken pieces, he spoke again, "Let me take you out for a late-night snack. After we eat, I'll take you home while I'm at it."

Jin Tian was visibly stunned. "Don't you need me to stay here and keep you company?"

Li Yifei curled the corner of his mouth into a smile, "Da Jun just sent me a text asking me to go over to his place!"

Jin Tian's heart gradually sank.

Once they entered the elevator, she finally couldn't hold back and asked Li Yifei, "Yifei, why did you ask me to come over today?"

Li Yifei said, "Hearing you say you weren't going home for the New Year either, I was afraid you'd be lonely. I called you over to watch some TV together and have you teach me how to cook while we were at it."

Jin Tian looked at him sorrowfully and said, "But do you know, I refunded my ticket home just for you!"

Li Yifei looked down at her and knitted his brows slightly.

"Actually, you really didn't need to do that. Let me buy you a plane ticket home tomorrow."

Tears welled up in Jin Tian's eyes. "Yifei, let me ask you one thing. In your heart, do I actually count as your girlfriend?"

Li Yifei went quiet for a moment, thought about it seriously, and said, "Jin Tian, just be my younger sister. If anything happens in the future, just come find me. Whatever I can help you achieve, I will definitely get it done for you."

The elevator reached the first floor, and the doors opened with a "ding."

With tears streaming down her face, Jin Tian asked, "Is it because of her?"

Frowning, Li Yifei replied, "To be honest, I don't know either."

He felt that "she" contradicted his usual aesthetic standards in every single aspect. She wasn't sweet, she wasn't coquettish, she didn't act cute, she was careless and thoughtless, and she even possessed a despicable, overly self-sacrificing heart. Logically speaking, she combined every single characteristic of the women he hated most. Yet, he increasingly found himself exceptionally willing to spend time with her. Trading barbs, bickering, and joking around every day turned out to be very fun. She had only been gone for a few days, and he already felt the apartment was completely empty, with no flavor to life whatsoever.

Streaming tears, Jin Tian smiled at him, "Remember, you said if anything happens in the future I can just come find you, and you'll get it all done for me!"

Li Yifei nodded.

Jin Tian wiped away her tears. "Then, take me home, brother!"

●︶3︶●

On the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, Qian Fei unexpectedly received a call from Li Drama Queen again.

As soon as the call connected, Qian Fei heard Li Yifei ask in a sloppy, casual tone, "Sanitary Pad, when are you coming back?"

Qian Fei remembered she seemed to have told him she would return to Beijing on the tenth day of the Lunar New Year. "What's wrong? Is your girlfriend unable to make stir-fried eggplant strips to satisfy your greedy mouth? And who are you calling Sanitary Pad!"

Li Yifei said in a strange, mocking tone, "How can you be so lacking in self-awareness? You're supposed to be back at work on the ninth day, yet you're only returning on the tenth. Are you worthy of that socialist salary you draw?"

Qian Fei let out a "heh." "You, a playboy corrupted by capitalism, are actually lecturing me now! I only come home this one time in a whole year, am I not allowed to stay a couple of days extra?"

Li Yifei said, "Who told you not to come home during National Day in October!"

Qian Fei argued, "During National Day, my dad took my aunt on a trip. Why the hell would I go home!"

She suddenly realized that she actually didn't need to bicker over these things with Li Yifei. This call from Li Yifei was a bit baffling. She looked up at the electronic wall clock, which was glowing red as it flashed the fifth day of the first lunar month in the Year of the Water Snake, February 14, 2013.