Love Has Fireworks - Chapter 42

Chapter 42: You've Been Gone a Long Time

February 14th.

It vaguely occurred to Qian Fei that, besides being called "Breaking the Fifth," this day also had a Westernized name—Valentine's Day.

After thinking for a moment, Qian Fei asked probingly, "Li Yifei, you're calling me today and making idle conversation. Did you get into a fight with your girlfriend or something?"

She heard a brief silence on the other end of the line, followed by a earth-shattering snort of cold disdain. "Sanitary Pad, am I that combative in your eyes? Do I absolutely have to get into a fight with another woman just to call you?"

Qian Fei completely failed to grasp the logic of his words anymore, so she could only blindly play along. "No, no, no. You can also call me first, and then go fight with another woman! Honestly, the order isn't really that important!"

She heard Li Yifei's breathing grow slightly heavier on the other end of the line. An inexplicable sense of amusement welled up from the bottom of her heart...

"Sanitary Pad, given your abysmal behavior, I can only wish you a happy Single's Valentine's Day!" Li Yifei hung up right after delivering this dark and sullen remark. Qian Fei was so infuriated by his venomous tongue that she wanted to call him right back and dedicate the song "Happy Breaking Up" to wish him happiness.

On second thought, it was still the New Year and Valentine's Day to boot. Doing that would be somewhat lacking in virtue. Li Yifei was used to being unprincipled and unrighteous, but she couldn't stoop to his petty level.

On the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, Qian Fei received another call from Li Yifei.

This time, she didn't even find it surprising.

Through the receiver, she heard the rushing sound of running water from a faucet, and it faintly sounded like someone was washing dishes.

The moment Li Yifei opened his mouth, he spoke with the righteous tone of a boss criticizing a subordinate. "Comrade Qian Fei, do you not need to come back to work? While other comrades are busy building the motherland, you're the only one acting as a parasite at home. Are you worthy of the socialist grain you've eaten growing up?"

Qian Fei laughed heartily. "Is your mouth itching because you can't find anyone to trade barbs with? What are you doing? Washing dishes with your girlfriend? You two better be careful, don't shatter my plates and bowls into pieces!"

After a few more exchanges, the two of them hung up.

●︶3︶●

Reaching a hand out from the sink, Li Yifei wiped it on his apron and pressed the button to disconnect his Bluetooth earpiece. Then, he plunged his hand back into the sink, rinsing the soap suds off the bowls and plates inside.

This was a new set of porcelain that he had asked someone to acquire from an executive of a listed company in the Capital of Porcelain. Supposedly, this porcelain was specially supplied for the exclusive use of certain central government leaders.

As he wiped a plate, he thought with amusement that if the silly big sister found out that shattering one of her plates had brought her a set of porcelain like this in return, he wondered if her hands would tremble when she held the bowl to eat.

●︶3︶●

Just as Qian Fei hung up the phone and was about to continue watching the television drama "The Cliff," she saw the old man hovering behind her like a ghost, having appeared out of nowhere. Seeing her turn around, the old man hunched his back and asked, "Who were you talking to just now?"

Qian Fei gasped in surprise. "No one... Wait, how have you learned to eavesdrop on my phone calls now?!"

The old man bent over, clutching his stomach, and said, "I didn't mean to eavesdrop on you. I've always wanted to listen openly and honestly whenever I feel like it. It's just, Xiao Fei, did I eat something bad? My stomach hurts a bit inside!"

Looking at the old man's deathly pale face, Qian Fei was startled. "When did it start hurting?"

The old man said, "In the middle of the night yesterday!"

Qian Fei leapt nearly three feet into the air from her chair. "It's been hurting for more than half the night, so why are you only telling me now!"

She hurriedly put on her clothes and, together with Auntie He, rushed the old man to the hospital.

After pressing down on his stomach a couple of times, the emergency room doctor delivered a diagnosis with complete confidence. He said the old man had simply overeaten during the New Year, gave him a painkiller shot, and prescribed some medication to promote digestion. The doctor admonished, "Remember to feed the old man less meat and more vegetables. The hospital has already seen many patients with the exact same symptoms these past few days, all caused by indigestion from eating too much during the New Year!"

Qian Fei nodded in agreement, but just as she wanted to ask for more detailed advice, the doctor had already moved on to attend to the next patient.

Qian Fei and Auntie He helped the old man out of the emergency room. Back at home, after taking his medicine, the old man lay down with a groan. Looking at the old man's haggard face, Qian Fei still felt a bit uneasy.

She called Auntie He out of the bedroom. "Auntie, I remember you telling me that my dad has had this kind of pain a few times before. I think that emergency room doctor was a bit careless and hasty with his diagnosis. How about after the New Year is over, you take my dad to the hospital again to get a proper, thorough checkup!"

Auntie He was also somewhat worried. Saying, "Alright, definitely," she told Qian Fei not to worry.

Gratefully holding her hand, Qian Fei said sincerely, "Auntie, if it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been able to afford a house in Beijing at all! Now that I'm away from home, you have to look after the house and take care of my dad. You've worked so hard! Once my dad fully retires, I will bring both of you over to Beijing! Auntie, from now on, I'll be your own daughter, and I'll take care of you in your old age!"

With reddened eyes, Auntie He raised her hand to pat her face. "Good child, Auntie He didn't misjudge you!"

Wanting to make her smile, Qian Fei said, "Auntie, look at that broken factory of my dad's. It's about to go under, and it's so poor that even without the wind, things would rattle loudly for a good long while. Why does my dad still insist on being so dedicated to his job and grinding until retirement! Don't you think he really doesn't know how to enjoy life? How nice would it have been if he brought you and came to Beijing with me earlier!"

Auntie He smiled. "Actually, even after retirement, your dad and I wouldn't want to go to Beijing. How could that place be better than home? Here, we can gather a group to play Mahjong every single day. I've heard that in Beijing, neighbors can live next to each other for ten-odd years without really knowing one another!"

Thinking about it, Qian Fei realized that was exactly the case. Yet, there were still so many people rushing toward Beijing every year. Even though they knew life there was exhausting, they still gritted their teeth and refused to leave. Why was that?

Before going to sleep that night, she mentioned this matter while chatting aimlessly on the phone with Yao Jingjing.

Yao Jingjing dispelled her confusion. "Because people feel that after the bitterness and exhaustion, there will always be a harvest. They—and this includes you and me—this type of people collectively known as Beijing drifters, are ultimately driven by ambition."

Qian Fei understood.

These people wanted to live a life different from others. They wanted to be touched by the atmosphere of this city, to accept the civilization of a metropolis, and to ensure that their children would not have to do the same as them in the future—paying a far heavier price of hardship since childhood just to reach the capital. Therefore, no matter how exhausting or bitter life was right now, even if their prime years could only be squeezed into a corner of a rented apartment, sharing a kitchen, living room, and bathroom with many others, it still couldn't stop people's footsteps in pursuit of their dreams.

This was Beijing. People came one after another, and continuously left in disappointment and dejection. Those who could stay were the successful ones who worked hard, while those who couldn't stay could only harbor their reluctance and seek out the rest of their lives elsewhere.

Qian Fei thought with a hint of panic that she absolutely had to perform better and stronger at work. Otherwise, one day, she too would be discarded by this high-intensity city.

●︶3︶●

On the evening of the ninth day of the Lunar New Year, Qian Fei's phone rang again. When she saw "Li Drama Queen" displayed on the screen, Qian Fei didn't feel surprised at all anymore.

"What is it now, Young Master?"

Li Yifei snorted over the phone and said, "What time do you arrive in Beijing tomorrow?"

Qian Fei said, "One in the afternoon. What, are you going to pick me up?"

Li Yifei said, "Depends on my mood."

"Oh, oh, oh, oh! Look at your attitude! I say, Young Master Li, you've been quite clingy this holiday. Could it be that you miss me?" Qian Fei teased in an irreverent tone.

Li Yifei sneered, "Sanitary Pad, your skin is getting thicker and thicker!"

Qian Fei spat and barked in anger, "Li Yifei, are you tired of living? If you dare call me Sanitary Pad again, if I don't make you find a new apartment on 58.com, I'll take your last name instead!"

Li Yifei sneered again, "I'm waiting for you to change your name to mine, Sanitary Pad of the Li-Qian Clan!"

●︶3︶●

The tenth day of the Lunar New Year.

The moment the plane came to a halt, Qian Fei turned on her phone. As soon as the signal jumped up, the phone ringtone started blaring, and the three words "Li Drama Queen" once again occupied the phone screen.

Once the call connected, Li Yifei told Qian Fei that he was waiting right outside Terminal 3, telling her to hurry out and meet up.

"Let me tell you, this young master has never picked anyone up, nor have I ever waited for anyone. Get out here quickly. Even if you dawdle for half a minute, this young master will lift his leg and leave!"

Qian Fei spoke just two words into the receiver: "Goodbye-and-good-riddance!"

Dragging her suitcase and carrying her bags, she squeezed through the crowd, shuffling her way outward sluggishly. By the time she finally met up with Li Yifei, the Drama Queen was already waiting with a face full of impatience.

"It's a good thing you appeared at this exact second. Let me tell you, if you hadn't appeared in the next second, I would have turned around and left!" Even as he spoke, he took the suitcase and bags from Qian Fei's hands. The moment he took them, his wrist suddenly sank, and the bag almost dropped to the ground.

"Sanitary Pad, did you eat muscle-strengthening pills at home?" He found it completely unbelievable. Seeing her looking completely unfazed when she was carrying the bag just now, as if she were lifting a foam pillow with ease, he hadn't expected the bag to be this heavy. "What is packed inside?"

Qian Fei rolled her eyes. "My dad insisted on bringing some hazelnuts and almonds for Comrade 'Little Li'!"

Hearing this, Li Yifei's expression changed. Carrying the bag with a completely joyful expression, he said, "Tell me, how can I be so remarkably lovable? Not to mention females from ages 8 to 80, now even uncles in their fifties and sixties are starting to like me!"

Qian Fei nearly gagged.

Upon returning home, Qian Fei originally thought she would see a messy, dilapidated, and ruined sight throughout the apartment, but to her surprise, it was very neat and clean inside and out.

She asked in confusion, "Did your girlfriend help clean up?"

Curling the corner of his mouth, Li Yifei grunted, "This young master did it with my own hands, thank you!"

Qian Fei asked in wonder, "Are you trying to turn over a new leaf?"

Grinding his teeth, Li Yifei replied, "This is called condescending to do manual labor!"

Qian Fei asked, "By the way, don't you have to work today?"

Li Yifei said, "Which is why you need to deeply appreciate this young master's kindness to you!"

Qian Fei spat and went back to her room to unpack.

Li Yifei walked into the kitchen and called out loudly toward her room, "I've learned two signature dishes, a feast that combines Chinese and Western elements. Just you wait, I'll show you my skills!"

Qian Fei found this quite novel. Over the course of a holiday, this drama prince not only was willing to clean the apartment, but had actually even learned to cook. Comparing his current state to before, he was practically diligent to a shocking degree.

It seemed his new girlfriend had quite a positive influence on him.

Qian Fei's impression of the advertising girl improved by a lot.

As she unpacked her things, she listened to the clattering and banging from the kitchen, waiting for the rumored signature dishes with a racing heart. Midway through, she couldn't resist wanting to go to the kitchen to see what kind of mess Comrade Li Drama Queen had gotten himself into, and whether he had chopped off a few of his own fingers. In the end, she was driven out of the kitchen by Li Yifei, who held a kitchen knife in one hand and a tomato in the other.

Half an hour later, Li Yifei finally bellowed at the top of his lungs, "Alright! Come on out!"

Filled with curiosity, Qian Fei flew out from her room.

As a result, upon seeing the two dishes on the dining table, her curiosity transformed into a forehead full of black lines.

"This is the signature, dish you told me about?! A grand feast combining Chinese and Western elements?!" Qian Fei asked in disbelief, pointing at the sugar-soaked tomatoes and the vegetable-fruit salad on the table.

Li Yifei raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you think it isn't?"

Seeing that Li Yifei's eyes and brows seemed to be tinged with a hint of disappointment, Qian Fei's heart softened. She hurriedly said, "It is! It absolutely is! I must say, you're really considerate. Knowing that I got sick of greasy food at home during the New Year, you're helping me clear out the grease as soon as I get back! Where's the rice?"

Hearing her bring up the rice, Li Yifei's eyes lit up, and the smugness on his face could hardly be concealed. "Let me tell you, when it comes to cooking rice, I've only failed once. After that, every single pot of rice I cook comes out pearly white and fragrant!"

Qian Fei went to the kitchen to fetch the rice and discovered the rice cooker was brand new. She guessed that Li Yifei's single failed experience cooking rice must have been quite a thorough disaster.

She lifted the lid of the pot, and the rice was indeed cooked quite well. She scooped a bowl of rice and noticed the new rice bowl was incomparably beautiful. While holding the new rice bowl and forcing down the plain rice alongside the two signature dishes combining Chinese and Western elements, she went against her conscience to fiercely praise Li Yifei as a sensible, diligent, and handsome young man. Li Yifei listened with a look of enjoyment, but after tasting a few bites of the tomatoes and salad himself, he knitted his brows and put down his chopsticks.

The tomatoes had been mixed by him until they were overwhelmingly sweet, and the salad tasted so bizarre it was like bananas mixed with garlic. He didn't even know how Qian Fei managed to put it in her mouth.

How could this woman be like this, going against her own perceptions just to avoid dampening someone else's spirits?

He snatched the chopsticks from Qian Fei's hand. "Stop eating, it doesn't taste good at all!"

Looking at Li Yifei's face, which seemed to be sulking at someone for no apparent reason, Qian Fei chuckled. "Actually, the rice is truly well-cooked! Taking a few more bites can completely suppress the taste of garlic and knife rust hovering over the tomatoes and vegetable salad..."

Seeing that the corners of Li Yifei's mouth were still turned down, she set down her rice bowl, stood up, and went to the kitchen to rummage through the refrigerator. "Let me see what else there is to eat!"

She pulled a fish out from the refrigerator, turned to Li Yifei, and said, "Let me teach you how to stew fish!"

Li Yifei looked at her sideways with a squint, wearing a face full of disdain that clearly screamed, "Who wants to learn how to stew fish from you." Keeping this exact expression, he stood up and followed Qian Fei into the kitchen.

He watched Qian Fei use the kitchen knife to scrape off the fish scales, feeling both terrified and amazed. Such a slender pair of hands, holding such a rough and large kitchen knife, scraping upward bit by bit against the direction of the fish tail. Those fish scales flew and scattered like a magic trick.

Unconsciously, he found himself staring in fascination.

When Qian Fei finished cleaning the fish and turned back to ask Li Yifei if he wanted it sweet and sour, braised in soy sauce, or steamed, she saw Li Yifei leaning against the doorframe, quietly watching her. The expression on his face was peaceful and content, as if he were basking in a comfortable afternoon sun.

Qian Fei paused and asked, "You didn't just realize the true meaning of life's happiness because of a single fish, did you?"

Li Yifei still looked at her with that peaceful and content expression, speaking slowly, "In the past, I always ate what was already prepared. This is the first time I've watched you cook like this. Tell me, isn't it strange? I suddenly feel as if you've been gone for a very long time."

Qian Fei looked back at him too.

In the afternoon, sunlight poured through the glass and filled the room. They were bathed in the sunlight; he leaned against the doorframe, looking at her lazily and contentedly, while she held the fish and the kitchen knife, returning his gaze.

The air seemed to turn fuzzy and warm in the sunlight.

In the middle of this warm and tender atmosphere, Qian Fei spoke, "Young Master, you really aren't suited for being sentimental. Whenever you get sentimental, aside from getting goosebumps, I also get a very bad premonition! Come on, tell me, what kind of heinous deed did you actually commit? As long as it isn't too excessive, I'll forgive you!"

The surrounding warm and tender atmosphere instantly vanished without a trace, and even the sunlight became just like any ordinary winter day, carrying little warmth.

Li Yifei stood up straight with an expressionless face and said, "Let me buy you a plane ticket for tonight so you can go back home. You might as well just come back after National Day in October, so I don't have to feel miserable the moment I look at you!"

In the end, the fish was braised in soy sauce. When the fish was ready and being transferred to a plate, Qian Fei looked at the new plate and praised from the bottom of her heart, "This plate is really beautiful! It should be displayed, it shouldn't be used to hold food!"

Li Yifei suddenly decided not to tell her the origin of the new tableware. Because he felt she would definitely say those five words: "Is this a high-quality replica?"

He suddenly smiled.

This Sanitary Pad was truly interesting, living her life like a Cinderella from a television drama. Yet, she wasn't doing it on purpose. Seeing her like this, one really couldn't help but want to find a shoe for her to wear.