To Get Married - Chapter 20.2

Chapter 20.2

“…” Mu Chensan frowned and pondered for a long time. Finally, under the soft, cute offensive of the two little girls, he relented: “Yes, you can stay, but no later than nine o’clock tonight. When the time comes, you must go home. Take a taxi, have it drop you at your door, send the license plate number to Lu Yudong’s phone, and you must check in safely once you’re home.”

Zhang Ziyun nodded repeatedly.

Mu Chensan added: “This is a one-time exception!”

This time, it was Lu Yudong’s turn to nod repeatedly.

Mu Chensan sighed: “What do you want to drink?”

“Milk tea!” the two little girls chimed in unison.

Mu Chensan: “…”

As the owner of Not an Old Acquaintance, Mu Chensan seriously considered for the first time whether the bar needed to add milk tea to its menu.

But before that, he had to go out—to buy milk tea for these two little girls.

After dinner, Lu Yudong and Zhang Ziyun sat in a deserted corner, accompanied by Manzhu’s singing, drinking the milk tea bought from outside, and chatting about various topics they dug up.

Zhang Ziyun initially pretended to spread her homework on the table, but she didn’t write more than a few words in half a day, and eventually, she packed it all away.

That night, Zhang Ziyun left early. Upon returning home, she checked in safely as required and commented: “I feel like a bar isn’t much different from a milk tea shop.”

Drinking take-out milk tea in a quiet bar? Of course there wasn’t much difference.

Lu Yudong picked up her milk tea cup, which only had a few pearls left, and sat down by the small stage, looking up at Manzhu and quietly listening to her sing.

Manzhu didn’t sing all night. After a few songs, she would take a break, play some music, and chat with the audience, much like a live stream online, but face-to-face and with fewer viewers.

A portion of Bu Shi Gu Ren’s regulars came specifically to hear her sing. Although she wasn’t a celebrity or internet sensation, she still had her admirers in this little bar.

Just as some guests came here to drink simply to chat with the handsome men they admired, it was indeed a bit like the “idol chasing” Zhang Ziyun mentioned, but without the sense of distance.

Sometimes, seeing so many people adore Manzhu, Lu Yudong couldn’t help but let her mind wander, wondering… would Manzhu, like the demons in TV dramas, fall in love with an ordinary human and find an older brother-in-law for her?

She couldn’t say why, but this idea made her instinctively repulsed.

She absolutely did not want an older brother-in-law. There were so many guests coming and going in this bar, and no matter how she looked, not a single one was worthy of Manzhu.

Lu Yudong’s thoughts drifted for a long time, and before she knew it, she began to feel drowsy. Accompanied by Manzhu’s singing, she fell asleep on the table, still wrapped in a haze.

Around two in the morning, Lu Yudong woke up to the sound of Xiao Zhi tidying cups. She was covered in Manzhu’s off-white cloak.

Manzhu was not far away, chatting and laughing with a guest. She seemed to sense Lu Yudong’s gaze, turned back with a faint smile, then bid the guest farewell and walked toward her.

Lu Yudong rubbed her eyes and was about to stand up when Manzhu took out her hair tie. Her slender fingers gently grasped the hair that had been mussed up by her sleep and quickly redid her ponytail.

Finally, Manzhu wrapped Lu Yudong in the cloak, gently helped her up, and whispered: “Let’s go home and rest.”

Lu Yudong murmured a “mm,” stood up, and took Manzhu’s arm. Her small face, flushed and warm from sleep, rubbed lightly against Manzhu like a kitten. She was clingy and followed Manzhu closely to the bar door.

Manzhu seemed to recall something and suddenly stopped, looking back at Yan Zhaomu, who was tidying the bar counter. She extended her free left hand to him: “Zhaomu, give me Yudong’s schoolbag.”

Yan Zhaomu was momentarily stunned, frozen in place, unsure of what to do.

Lu Yudong looked back at Yan Zhaomu, her eyes full of grievance: “Little Master! You told my sister?”

“N-no…”

“A large schoolbag missing from her desk at home—if it’s not here, where else could it be?” Manzhu said, taking Lu Yudong’s schoolbag from Yan Zhaomu’s hand. She then turned and led Lu Yudong out of the bar.

With her small deception exposed, Lu Yudong didn’t dare to speak.

She bit her lip and hung her little head, being led all the way home by Manzhu. As soon as they entered the house, she turned and hid in the bathroom.

About twenty minutes later, she finished using the restroom and washing her hair. She tiptoed out, and when she looked up, Manzhu was flipping through her holiday homework.

“Is there a lot missing?” Manzhu asked.

“A… a little a lot… but, but I can finish it!” Lu Yudong finished speaking, her nose involuntarily wrinkling as she lowered her head.

“Can you finish it, or can you copy it all?” Manzhu asked again.

Lu Yudong buried her head even lower: “It’s, it’s… it’s to… to copy it all.”

With only these last few days left, there was no way she could do all the work herself.

“You really are Zhaomu’s good apprentice. You can’t even speak properly,” Manzhu said, putting down the workbook. She took a deep breath and said, “You don’t need to sneak out to copy it. I’ll help you write it.”

“Mm…” Lu Yudong replied, then suddenly realized something was not right. She abruptly looked up and exclaimed an astonished “Ah,” her heart instantly jumping to her throat.

She couldn’t tell at all whether Manzhu was being serious or sarcastic. Would a parent really help a child copy their holiday homework?

“Since it’s all copying anyway, it won’t serve the purpose of an assignment. I’ll copy a portion for you, and you can honestly do a portion yourself,” Manzhu said, standing up and walking over to Lu Yudong. She gently tapped Lu Yudong’s little head with the pen in her hand, frowning: “Let’s be clear first: this is a one-time exception!”

“I absolutely won’t do it again!” Lu Yudong couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

She stood frozen for two seconds, and the more she thought about it, the more she couldn’t contain the wild joy in her heart. She suddenly threw herself into Manzhu’s arms, her hands tightly wrapping around the slender waist.

Her freshly washed hair dampened Manzhu’s collar, but Manzhu didn’t mind in the slightest. She simply pulled Lu Yudong out of the hug, led her to the sofa, picked up the hair towel, and meticulously began drying her hair from the bottom up.

Her fingertips carried spiritual energy, and soon the damp hair was completely dry.

Before going to sleep, Lu Yudong checked her phone one last time. After some thought, she left a message for Zhang Ziyun on QQ.

—My sister found out I didn’t do my homework. I can’t hang out and catch up with you for the next few days.

The time was three in the morning. The entire city was asleep.

She lay on her side in bed, waiting for Manzhu to finish washing up, then pulled the covers over them both and went to sleep.

The next day when she woke up, Lu Yudong received a reply from Zhang Ziyun, which was just three words and an emoji.

—Too tragic! [I know life is hard, but holy shit, this is too hard]

Lu Yudong saved the emoji, sent it back, and then tossed her phone aside.

She yawned, stretched, got up, put on her cotton slippers, brushed her teeth, and washed her face. Then she walked to the coffee table and ate their combined breakfast and lunch with Manzhu.

After the meal, the two of them, one big and one small, sat head-to-head, bent over a small desk, “battling” with the many holiday workbooks.

Lu Yudong’s first winter vacation in junior high passed just like that.

Everything after school started seemed little changed from the previous semester. Her grades were average, her deskmate still liked to follow celebrities and gossip, and her test scores fluctuated wildly, prompting non-stop sighing in Lu Yudong’s ear during every monthly exam.

Every night after returning home, Lu Yudong would repeatedly practice the basic skill of controlling the spiritual power within her body, focusing on a basin of still water.

On weekend afternoons after school, she would follow Manzhu to Bu Shi Gu Ren to ask Yan Zhaomu for guidance.

Slowly, she finally managed to successfully use a few simple spells. She was so delighted that she would play with the water while washing her face and put an energetic effort into her bath time.

Time flew by, and in a few months, as winter faded and spring arrived, Yuanchuan City gradually warmed up.

As people shed layers of thick clothing, Lu Yudong suddenly felt the awkwardness of puberty.

Since childhood, she had been so flat that there was no distinction between her chest and back. But this spring-summer transition, she developed two small “buns.” This made her hunch her back all day, completely afraid to straighten her chest.

Zhang Ziyun told Lu Yudong that it was time to wear a training bra, but she didn’t know how to bring it up with Manzhu.

It wasn’t until a Saturday in mid-May that Huan Xi patted Lu Yudong’s hunched back, noticed her developing chest, and brought Lu Yudong to Manzhu to have a proper talk.

The next day, Manzhu took Lu Yudong to the mall and bought her a few pretty training bras.

As they walked out of the mall, Lu Yudong looked up at Manzhu and whispered: “Sister, wearing this… it’s a little tight, and hot…”

“You still have to wear it. It looks better this way,” Manzhu said.

Lu Yudong bit her lip and quietly murmured a “mm.”

Manzhu thought for a moment and said: “If you don’t like it, you don’t have to wear it at home.”

“Okay!” Lu Yudong nodded, her steps immediately becoming a little lighter.

Children in junior high develop quickly.

Lu Yudong’s height steadily increased, and the small hills on her chest gradually grew larger.

When Manzhu wasn’t home, she would often look down at her developing chest. Occasionally, she would wonder how large she would grow—would she be laughed at as a “flat princess,” or would she be as enviable as Manzhu…

Thinking about such questions often made her blush, even when she was alone at home.

Every time she blushed, she would look at the white, crooked-neck puppy doll squatting by her pillow and feel like it was laughing at her.

Time passed quickly, and another winter arrived in the blink of an eye.

Over the past year, Lu Yudong’s personality had become much more cheerful than before. Although she was still quiet and gentle, she was no longer the little dull girl in her classmates’ eyes who always kept her head down, refused to communicate with anyone except Zhang Ziyun, and didn’t dare to speak up even when bullied.

However, at school, her best friend was still Zhang Ziyun.

It was only the first semester of the eighth grade, but the two had already agreed to take the entrance exam for Wenhhai High School together. They also decided that even if they didn’t attend the same university later on, they would live in the same city, and after graduation, they would discuss which city to move to for their careers.

They told each other that they would be friends for life, the best of friends for life.

Children are the most convinced of forever, as if a pinky promise can solidify their destiny for a lifetime with a few short vows.

The days passed, and soon it was December 29th.

This was Lu Yudong’s second birthday in Yuanchuan City.

When it was Zhang Ziyun’s birthday, she invited many people out to play, making it a lively affair.

Lu Yudong, however, did not tell anyone about her birthday, just like last year.

This time, though, Zhang Ziyun secretly prepared a birthday gift: a glass globe ornament with a four-leaf clover inside, symbolizing luck.

In primary school, Lu Yudong had also received gifts from classmates, but those gifts, like her past, had been abandoned.

This was the first birthday gift she had received from a friend since her “new life.” She loved and cherished it dearly.

That evening, Manzhu took time off work early and prepared a cake and candles in advance. In the unlit little room, she quietly waited for Lu Yudong to return from school to sing her the “Happy Birthday” song.

The moment Lu Yudong entered the room, the candles on the birthday cake lit up just like last year. The “Happy Birthday” song was also the same as last year. The only change was perhaps one more candle on the cake.

She was thirteen years old.

For her thirteenth birthday, Manzhu was by her side. The wish she made last year had come true.

“Yudong, it’s time to make a wish.”

Lu Yudong closed her eyes and realized that this was another year where she had no particular desire. After much thought, she finally settled on one wish—to grow up quickly.

She silently repeated the wish three times in her heart, opened her eyes, and blew out all the candles in one breath. Just as she was about to turn to open the door and turn on the lights, she saw clusters of spiritual lights, colored and seemingly converged fireflies, floating up in the room. They instantly illuminated the previously dark room, making it look dreamlike and fantastical.

“Wow!” Lu Yudong withdrew the hand she was about to reach for the light switch. She walked over to the coffee table in awe, pulled up a small stool, and sat in front of the cake.

“Is it pretty?” Manzhu asked.

“Can you teach me how to do that?” Lu Yudong was mesmerized.

Manzhu smiled and shook her head: “That’s not a spell. It’s just some of the purest spiritual energy. It will dissipate soon.”

This was the spiritual energy she had begged for and collected, bit by bit, from various demons and spirits across Yuanchuan City through Mu Chenshen’s network.

All for this moment of multi-colored brilliance.

Under the spiritual light, Manzhu removed the candles from the birthday cake one by one and handed the plastic knife to Lu Yudong. She said softly: “Cut the cake, little birthday girl.”

Lu Yudong took the knife and cut a slice for herself and one for Manzhu, then picked up her fork and began to eat.

After they finished a slice, the spiritual lights in the room had mostly faded. Manzhu stood up, walked to the door, turned on the room light, and then sat back down on the sofa.

Lu Yudong suddenly looked up at Manzhu, deep in thought, staring at her for a long time.

Manzhu couldn’t help but ask: “What is it? Why are you staring at me like that?”

Lu Yudong pondered for a moment, then opened her mouth to ask: “Do demons have birthdays?”

“Birthdays?” Manzhu smiled and shook her head. “Demons have long lifespans. We never keep track of such tedious days.”

Lu Yudong was stunned. When she recovered, a trace of disappointment entered her eyes.

She stood up, took the glass globe—well-protected in its square cardboard box—that Zhang Ziyun had given her from her schoolbag, took it out, and carefully placed it on the bookshelf.

She said: “This is the birthday gift Zhang Ziyun gave me. She has a birthday, and all of us have birthdays… Birthdays are a very special day for many people. You’re supposed to spend them with the person you care about the most… And you have to keep the birthday gifts you love by your side forever.”

As Lu Yudong spoke, she subconsciously looked at the white, crooked-neck puppy doll by her pillow.

That was the gift Manzhu gave her on her birthday last year. It had been by her bed, accompanying her for a whole year.

She also wanted to celebrate Manzhu’s birthday and give Manzhu a birthday gift to express her feelings, but Manzhu didn’t have a birthday.

“…” Manzhu contemplated for a moment, then looked up and asked: “How about we use the date on my ID card?”

“ID card? What date is it?” Lu Yudong turned and ran to sit beside Manzhu, her eyes shining.

Manzhu found her ID card and handed it to Lu Yudong.

“July twenty-eighth…” Lu Yudong whispered, her eyes full of confusion. “Why was the birthday set on this day when you applied for it?”

“That is the day I fused my soul with yours,” Manzhu said, reaching out to take the small document back.

She smiled and said: “On that day, I was reborn because of you. So… it can count as a birthday, can’t it?”

Lu Yudong felt a touch in her heart, hesitating to speak for a long time before finally managing to say: “Too bad we missed this year’s…”

Manzhu shook her head and said gently: “It doesn’t matter. The future is long, and I will always be here.”