Try Saying You Don't Like It - Chapter 45

Chapter 45

“What a coincidence, I also just received a bank card, also from my parents, and they also called it the betrothal gift.”

Yin Qiuman said helplessly.

She had just thought her parents were a bit hasty in giving her a bank card, but she hadn’t expected He Xinglan’s parents to be the same.

But why did they both call it a betrothal gift?

He Xinglan was pondering the same question. Her final conclusion was: “I think both of our parents have quite a strong competitive spirit.”

They both want to be the parents-in-law.

“But it doesn’t matter. Whether it’s a betrothal gift or a dowry, the point is we’re rich!” He Xinglan’s eyes narrowed into slits from smiling.

He Xinglan usually didn’t lack money, but who would complain about having too much money?

Looking at He Xinglan’s greedy demeanor, Yin Qiuman’s eyes were full of indulgence: “Then I’ll hand the bank card I have over to you for safekeeping as well.”

“I’m going to take a shower now,” Yin Qiuman reminded the certain person.

“Go ahead and shower,” He Xinglan pretended not to understand what she meant.

Blinking her big eyes, she looked so innocent and cute.

Yin Qiuman chuckled twice, replied with an ‘Okay,’ and started to take off her clothes.

He Xinglan stared intently. When Yin Qiuman was nearly undressed, her eyes were completely transfixed.

Yin Qiuman had turned on the shower while undressing. Steam filled the entire bathroom, like a fairy wonderland.

The partial obscurity made it even more alluring.

“I want to.”

These two simple words summarized He Xinglan’s most genuine inner thought.

Yin Qiuman heard this, turned back, and smiled slightly at He Xinglan in the video, like a seductress.

He Xinglan was about to protest when she saw Yin Qiuman raise her hand. The next second, the video call was ruthlessly terminated.

He Xinglan was dumbfounded.

She tried calling Yin Qiuman back, but all her attempts were rejected.

“Yin-Qiu-Man,” He Xinglan gritted her teeth in the voice message. If Yin Qiuman were in front of her right now, she would definitely take a big, fierce bite.

She was absolutely going to eat Manman.

The kind of ‘eat’ that leaves nothing but a clean plate.

Yin Qiuman didn’t even call back afterward to console her hurt little soul.

He Xinglan lay on the bed, sighing as she drifted off to sleep.

The next day, He Xinglan woke up early, mainly because it was cold without her girlfriend to hold. So, she simply got up early and went to squat downstairs at Yin Qiuman’s place.

She ran into Xiao Hua during this time.

She was severely ridiculed for her trouble.

In the end, it was Leng Ci who came downstairs to throw out the trash and “picked her up.”

“Why didn’t you come upstairs? It’s so cold outside,” Leng Ci scolded He Xinglan gently.

He Xinglan smiled, rubbing her hands, and replied: “I thought it was too early. Mom, Dad, and Manman must still be sleeping.”

He Xinglan understood Yin Qiuman’s working nature. Waking up early and sleeping late was the norm. Since it was the New Year and she finally got to sleep in, as her girlfriend, she naturally had to cherish her.

Besides, after sleeping with Yin Qiuman a few times, she found that Yin Qiuman actually loved sleeping in, and the soft, whiny look when she wasn’t fully awake was incredibly cute.

“Even so, you shouldn’t be freezing outside,” Leng Ci still felt sorry for her.

“Later, I’ll have Manman record your fingerprint for the house, so you can come whenever you want.”

Home… He Xinglan grew up in a loving family and was particularly fond of this word. Now, she could call Yin Qiuman’s place ‘home’ too.

How wonderful.

He Xinglan obediently nodded and followed Leng Ci into the house.

After some hesitation, He Xinglan chose to sit on the sofa and didn’t sneak into Yin Qiuman’s room.

One, Leng Ci was present, so it wasn’t appropriate. Two, she still cared for her girlfriend and couldn’t bear to disturb her sound sleep.

He Xinglan hadn’t realized that this consideration would lead to Yin Qiuman sleeping straight until noon.

Hearing He Xinglan’s voice coming from the living room, Yin Qiuman was a little confused.

She picked up her phone and saw no messages from He Xinglan, yet the voice was definitely He Xinglan’s.

Yin Qiuman got out of bed, opened the door, and sure enough, saw He Xinglan in the living room.

He Xinglan was playing a game of Gomoku (Five-in-a-Row) with Yin Huaishan, and the match was getting intense.

He Xinglan suggested Gomoku because she didn’t know how to play other games, and only knew a little of the Gomoku she used to play to pass the time in school.

She thought Yin Huaishan definitely wouldn’t play it.

In He Xinglan’s impression, Yin Huaishan was the type of person who played Chinese Chess. She didn’t expect Yin Huaishan to be an expert at Gomoku too.

They had played five or six rounds. After winning the first one, she hadn’t won again.

Seeing that she was about to lose again, He Xinglan was so anxious that she started to sweat.

“Xingxing, why don’t you just give up?” Yin Huaishan sat across from He Xinglan, his face beaming with a smile.

Should I give up?

He Xinglan was internally agonizing.

But it would be hard to win if I keep playing.

Just as He Xinglan was about to surrender, a hand reached out from behind her.

“Place it here.”

The voice, familiar to He Xinglan’s bones, reached her ears from above.

“Hey, are you going to get outside help?” Yin Huaishan glared at his daughter, who had suddenly interfered: “Don’t you know that a true gentleman doesn’t speak while watching chess?”

Yin Qiuman glanced faintly at Yin Huaishan, saying flatly: “It’s just Gomoku.”

“Besides, taking advantage of a younger person isn’t the act of a gentleman.” Yin Huaishan often played Gomoku with her in school to help her de-stress from studying, so clearly, her own father was the one being unfair.

But He Xinglan didn’t know this. Hearing Yin Qiuman, she tugged at Yin Qiuman’s sleeve and whispered: “Manman, don’t talk about Dad like that. Dad wasn’t bullying me.”

Yin Qiuman, however, understood her father very well.

She simply asked He Xinglan: “Did he tell you that this was his first time playing Gomoku?”

He Xinglan nodded, confused.

“He lied to you,” Yin Qiuman stated the next second.

He Xinglan definitely trusted her girlfriend’s words more, especially since the smile on Yin Huaishan’s face had frozen the moment Yin Qiuman spoke.

He Xinglan frowned, looking at her father-in-law: “Dad, you…”

Yin Huaishan laughed twice, trying hard to explain himself: “Didn’t I just want to play with you to pass the time while you waited for Manman to wake up? If I told you I was good at it, you definitely wouldn’t play with me, right?”

“Manman, it’s all your fault for waking up too late. Xingxing couldn’t bear to wake you up.” Yin Huaishan decisively shifted the blame to his daughter, ignoring all fatherly morals.

Leng Ci was cooking in the kitchen. Hearing the noise in the living room, she poked her head out and immediately sided with her husband.

“I can testify. Xingxing came over at seven this morning. She was afraid of disturbing us and sat on a bench downstairs. If I hadn’t gone down to take out the trash, who knows how long she would have been freezing down there.”

“Seven o’clock?” Yin Qiuman looked down at He Xinglan.

He Xinglan looked up, seeing the heartache in Yin Qiuman’s eyes, and chuckled.

“The hotel bed was hard. It wasn’t comfortable to sleep on.”

Yin Qiuman knew perfectly well that it wasn’t the uncomfortable hotel bed. It was clearly that He Xinglan missed her and couldn’t sleep, just like herself.

Yin Qiuman didn’t argue with Yin Huaishan anymore. She pulled He Xinglan into her room and immediately pushed her onto the bed.

He Xinglan laughed: “What is it? Is Jiejie so impatient that she wants to have her way with me?”

Yin Qiuman: “…”

Too lazy to banter with He Xinglan, Yin Qiuman reached out to take off He Xinglan’s coat.

“You came so early, you definitely didn’t sleep well. Take off your clothes and sleep a little more,” Yin Qiuman said sympathetically.

“Sleep?” He Xinglan blinked at Yin Qiuman: “Will you sleep with me?”

Yin Qiuman: “Mm.”

“Then let’s take a nap together later. Right now…” He Xinglan glanced toward the door and smiled: “Mom should be calling us for lunch.”

The whole house smelled of cooking. She definitely couldn’t sleep now.

Although Leng Ci and Yin Huaishan liked her very much, she couldn’t take advantage of their favor.

Yin Qiuman looked annoyed. How could she forget that it was already nearly noon when she woke up?

Yin Qiuman didn’t sulk for long before Leng Ci’s voice called out from outside the door.

Yin Qiuman had to get up from He Xinglan. She took He Xinglan’s hand and stood up: “Let’s go eat first.”

After the meal, He Xinglan wanted to help with the dishes, but Leng Ci wouldn’t allow it, directly shooing the young couple away.

“Go on, go on. Manman, take Xingxing to catch up on sleep. She came so early and was tormented by your Dad playing chess all morning. She must be very tired.”

Yin Qiuman thought so too and decisively led her back to the room.

The moment they entered, He Xinglan showed off the bank card like a treasure, handing it to Yin Qiuman.

“You’ll manage our money from now on.”

“Me?” Yin Qiuman held the bank card and paused, instinctively wanting to refuse. But after a second thought, grasping He Xinglan’s financial lifeline would prevent her from casually flirting with other girls in the future.

He Xinglan wasn’t thinking that far ahead. She was simply happy to see Yin Qiuman accepting the bank card.

“Now we can sleep.” He Xinglan finished, took off her coat, and pulled Yin Qiuman onto the bed.

Holding her soft, fragrant girlfriend in her arms, He Xinglan sighed contentedly. She closed her eyes and fell asleep shortly after.

Yin Qiuman had slept most of the morning and was well-rested, so she wasn’t sleepy. She stared at the sleeping He Xinglan, letting her gaze act as a pen, tracing every inch of He Xinglan’s skin. Then, she softly kissed He Xinglan’s lips before snuggling into He Xinglan’s embrace and using her phone to draft her resignation letter.

She also contacted the HR manager.

The HR manager had already recommended several companies in Qingcheng to Yin Qiuman. She was quite satisfied with the compensation and position offered by two of them and planned to visit Qingcheng after the New Year.

The New Year period was already lively, and today was even more so for the Yin family.

Leng Ci and Yin Huaishan had fully accepted that their daughter loved a woman. Since He Xinglan was staying at the Yin house, every time a relative visited, He Xinglan would be brought out by Yin Huaishan and Leng Ci for an introduction.

The obvious joy and pride on their faces made the visiting relatives hesitant to ask Leng Ci and Yin Huaishan why Yin Qiuman liked a woman.

Since it wasn’t happening in their own homes, after their initial curiosity and confusion, the relatives chose to offer their blessings.

He Xinglan kept a smile on her face and didn’t feel tired being pulled out by Leng Ci and Yin Huaishan to meet relatives, earning the unanimous approval of the family.

“This girl is great. Look at her smiling face, and she’s so sweet. She seems to have endless things to talk about. She’s a perfect match for Manman.”

The relatives understood Yin Qiuman to be polite and quiet, but not one to talk much, so she and He Xinglan complemented each other.

And He Xinglan was very engaging in conversation. No matter the topic, she always managed to chime in with a smile, calling out “Auntie” and “Grandma” with exceptional warmth.

In short, compared to Yin Qiuman, the actual relative, everyone liked He Xinglan more.

“Aci, it’s great that you gained this extra daughter,” Leng Shuang, Leng Ci’s sister, commented while helping in the kitchen.

“She’s much more attentive than a son-in-law.”

For some reason, Leng Ci loved hearing people praise He Xinglan, just like everyone used to praise Yin Qiuman. Her smile was as bright as melting snow: “Exactly! How could the person our Manman chooses be wrong?”

“It’s just a shame she’s a girl,” Leng Shuang said regretfully.

“What’s wrong with being a girl? It’s better that she’s a girl! Is your son-in-law this attentive?” Leng Ci countered her sister.

Leng Shuang’s daughter also got married this year. Her son-in-law was actually decent, but he couldn’t be as close as He Xinglan, who acted like a natural-born child, always maintaining a slight distance in everything he did.

Leng Shuang was left speechless by the rebuttal.

Thinking about it, she felt genuine envy for her older sister.

“Then Manman and Xiao He will have a wedding, right? Even if they’re girls, everyone should know they are a couple, shouldn’t they?” Leng Shuang asked.

She felt her statement might be slightly off, but she believed a wedding still held significance.

Leng Ci: “Yes, they will. But Manman and Xingxing will decide the details. I will definitely notify the relatives and friends once it’s finalized.”

That evening, after the lively day, He Xinglan slumped onto the sofa as if she had lost all her strength.

When Yin Qiuman came over, she decisively nestled into Yin Qiuman’s arms.

“I’m so tired,” a muffled voice reached Yin Qiuman’s ears from within her embrace.

Yin Qiuman gently stroked He Xinglan’s hair. After a moment, she said: “You don’t actually have to be like this.”

Yin Qiuman was referring to He Xinglan’s enthusiastic behavior in front of the relatives.

She was concerned that He Xinglan was too exhausted.

He Xinglan shook her head in Yin Qiuman’s arms: “No, we have to earn Mom and Dad some face.”

He Xinglan hadn’t missed the proud expressions on Leng Ci and Yin Huaishan’s faces.

Leng Ci and Yin Huaishan were the most important people to Yin Qiuman. If they were happy, then Yin Qiuman would be happy.

He Xinglan wanted Yin Qiuman to be happy, always happy.

Yin Qiuman smiled: “Xingxing, I’ve submitted my resignation letter.”

“The HR manager in Qingcheng recommended a few companies to me.”

“That active?” He Xinglan sat up from Yin Qiuman’s arms.

Yin Qiuman looked at He Xinglan with affectionate eyes and nodded slightly: “I’m getting a little anxious.”

He Xinglan: “???”

“Xingxing, do you have a house in Qingcheng?” Yin Qiuman suddenly asked.

“A house?” He Xinglan shook her head: “I live with my parents in Qingcheng and occasionally stay at Lin Yue’s place.”

He Xinglan was referring to those times she occasionally drank herself senseless at the bar.

“Then…” Yin Qiuman said: “Let’s go back to Qingcheng after the New Year and buy a house first.”

Yin Qiuman had checked the housing prices in Qingcheng. The money from her parents plus the money from He Xinglan’s parents was entirely sufficient to buy a house in a good location.

She was impatient to live with He Xinglan.

Co-habitation? These two words flashed in He Xinglan’s mind.

Confirming that she hadn’t misunderstood Yin Qiuman’s meaning, the joy on He Xinglan’s face was about to spill over.

“Okay, okay, we’ll buy one as soon as we get back!”

“Wait, I’ll call Lin Yue right now to keep an eye out.” He Xinglan said, swiftly reaching for her phone. After quickly finding Lin Yue’s WeChat, she asked Yin Qiuman: “Do you prefer a large flat or a split-level apartment? Our combined money should be enough for a split-level apartment. If not, I’ll sell all my shares in the bar to Lin Yue. It should be enough once we pool everything.”

He Xinglan even mentally reviewed the better neighborhoods in Qingcheng, showing an attitude that was even more proactive than Yin Qiuman’s.