Mr Earnest is My Boyfriend 6

The car ride is short. They reach the neighbourhood Xia Zhen lives in briefly.

“Are you free tomorrow?” Pei Cheng An asks.

The next day is Sunday. Usually Xia Zhen would spend her Sunday sleeping in and surfing the net after lunch. Or else she would spend her day with her friends and then continuing at night.

“Yes.” Isn’t it just a date?

“The weather will be fair tomorrow. Let’s go hiking.” He thinks such a healthy way of dating is very good.

Xia Zhen easily agrees. Isn’t it just hiking? Even though she doesn’t go hiking often, but she loves sports. It’s just that she keeps it a secret most of the time.

“Then I’ll pick you up tomorrow at 7.”

“7?” Is it 7 at night? Ahhh. Is it already bright at 7? Besides, it will be so cold.

“Is it too early for you?” Pei Cheng An has always balanced his work and health fairly. But he knows many young people likes sleeping and waking late, especially on weekends. “Sleeping and getting up early is good for your health. The early morning air is refreshing and the sun won’t be harsh. It’s suitable for hiking. But if we go any later, the sun will be high up. You’ll sweat easily and you’ll have to face a lot of strong UV too… If you don’t like it, then let’s not go.”

Xia Zhen really doesn’t want to go anymore but remembering that she has to show that she likes Pei Cheng An, her mom would definitely be convinced if she is even willing to sacrifice her lazy weekend for him.

“Of course I’ll go! It’s true that it’s a little early, but it’s fine if I sleep earlier tonight. Then let’s meet tomorrow.” After finishing her sentence, she turns to leave.

“Let me send you to your door.” Pei Cheng An also wants to get off the car but is quickly stopped by Xia Zhen. “No need, no need. It’s still early now and look at how many people are still taking a walk around the neighbourhood. It’s very safe.”

Pei Cheng An agrees after thinking about it. “Then give me a call or send me a text after you reach home.”

Talking about this, Xia Zhen takes out her phone. “I’ll add your QQ and WeChat. Do you have Weibo? What’s your username?”

“I only have QQ but I don’t know how to use it.”

“What about Weibo?” Her WeChat page and Weibo account are both interesting and impressive. They can show what a crazy, outrageous, and playful person she is. They will show that she’s not quite gentle or hardworking. Such an interesting content, how could she allow him to miss it!

“No.” Pei Cheng An reflects on whether he is too out-dated about these new technologies. “I’ll go back and study about it.”

After adding him on QQ, Xia Zhen feels disappointed when she sees that his account only has a moon, despite already having used it for 15 years.

Pei Cheng An quietly returns to his house. The distance from Xia Zhen’s place to his is only 5 minutes by car. Between their houses is a square, which is seen as the ideal place for all the aunties to dance in. That is also where Pei Cheng An and Xia Zhen’s respective moms met.

He would usually stay in the allocated house/room at the research institute. He might not even return home on weekends. Today is different.

When he gets home, his mom is already happily pulling him to the sofa. “How did your blind date went?” Even though she has already knew what happened, she still wants to listen a second time.

Pei Cheng An’s mood is pleasant. With a smile, he says, “Ms Xia is a very nice person. We have decided to date.”

“This is too good! I’m going to have a daughter-in-law soon!” His mom, Madam Zhang becomes excited. She turns to his husband who is watching the television and asks, “Are you happy?”

Mr Pei doesn’t even turn his head and replies, “Eight characters [of a Chinese horoscope] is not even written halfway yet [There is no sign of anything happening yet]. Why are you so overexcited?”

Madam Zhang harrumphs and turns to Pei Cheng An. “Son, hurry up and write that last stroke down!”

Pei Cheng An: “... I’m going to wash up.”

After a shower, Pei Cheng An installs the WeChat and Weibo apps on his phone. He has already registered accounts for both but he’s still not familiar with them. Since it is already almost 10, he decides to turn off the phone and sleep. Before turning it off, he sends a text to Xia Zhen: “I’m very happy today. I look forward to meeting you tomorrow. Good night.”

He waits for 10 minutes after the text but there’s no reply from Xia Zhen. Thus he turns off his phone and goes to bed.

Xia Zhen has indeed heard the text notification but she has selective deafness to the sound. She hasn’t communicated with anyone over text for a long time so any incoming texts are typically spam. She can’t be bothered to read any of them but it is just that she has mild OCD and cannot stand seeing a messy inbox. So she would click on them and then clear them.

She only sees Pei Cheng An’s text an hour later.

Earlier she has spoken with Madam Tian at length. Mostly she was investigating about Pei Cheng An. Madam Tian was very happy to see her taking the initiative to get to know him and being so curious about him. Even though Madam Tian herself doesn’t know Pei Cheng An very well, it was quite nice to talk to her daughter about these things. Besides, she has already invited Madam Zhang to tea tomorrow.

Xia Zhen has always thought her plan is perfect and simple to put to action. But now she realises that there are too many unknown factors. When she talked to her mom earlier, she understands that she should act her role as a girlfriend and memorise all of Pei Cheng An’s likes and dislikes. And then only she will act.

Temporarily without any memories, Xia Zhen leisurely replies Pei Cheng An’s text and continues lying on her bed, checking her WeChat page and Weibo. She only goes to sleep after it is after 12, completely forgetting what she told Pei Cheng An about sleeping early.

Knowing Xia Zhen is going hiking, Madam Tian wakes her up at 6 am the next day.

Xia Zhen can only tell that her mom is saying something. As to what she is saying, she cannot comprehend at all. She is very sleepy and only wants to continue with her dream. When she pulls the blanket over head, the noises get dimmer.

Ten minutes later, Madam Tian returns to wake Xia Zhen again. This time she directly pulls the blanket off her daughter.

“Mom! How can you pull my blanket! You cannot abuse your own child.” Xia Zhen sits up. Her head is full of bed hair, her eyes are half open, and her expression is pained.

“Pei Cheng An will be coming in half an hour! Are you still not going to get ready?”

“Isn’t there another half an hour to go? Mom, you know how speedy I can be. I can finish getting ready in 15 minutes flat. Let me continue my sleep.” Xia Zhen looks pitiful.

Outside the door, Xia Zhen’s dad is unable to bear his daughter’s pitiful look and says, “Just let Zhen Zhen sleep in awhile longer. Let him wait.”

Madam Tian blames her husband. “This is all your fault for spoiling her.”

“A girl is meant to be spoiled,” Old Mr Xia confidently replies.

Seizing this opportunity to grab the blanket from Madam Tian’s hands, Xia Zhen reverts into a small hill on her bed.

Madam Tian sighs. “But spoiling should also come at an appropriate time. She’s going to be married off soon…”

Xia Zhen doesn’t hear any of this.

“Even if she is getting married, she needs to get married to someone who will spoil her! If he doesn’t spoil my daughter, why would I marry my daughter off to him? Heng!” Mr Xia doesn’t at all want his daughter to marry, at least not for the next few years. His daughter is only in her early twenties and has only joined the working force for two years. She is not a grown up yet.

Madam Tian knows her husband is acting up because his position as her daughter’s favourite man is under threat, so she doesn’t argue with him. She only says, “Great. When he comes over later, let him wait. Let him know that our family’s child is someone who is not punctual.”

“What’s wrong with waiting a little? If it’s such a big deal, we can just invite him to breakfast. I can also see if he’s reliable or not.”

Just as Mr Xia finishes his sentence, Xia Zhen makes a small movement behind Madam Tian. When Madam Tian turns around, she sees that Xia Zhen is already up.

“I’m awake. I can’t let people wait.” She runs into the bathroom.

Allow Pei Cheng An to come to her house? That’s impossible!

Exiting the bathroom, Xia Zhen gets a shock from Madam Tian who is standing in front, holding up two sets of dresses. She asks, “These two look nice. Choose one.”

It is as if Xia Zhen has returned to her childhood.

A very long time ago, Madam Tian liked dressing her like a princess. When she reached the age of ten, she resisted strongly and even threatened to run away from home. Thus Madam Tian was forced to give up. That is the reason why Xia Zhen could dress so casually now.

After Xia Zhen’s years of being a plump child, Madam Tian thought that it was fine as long as she was slim. She would look pretty no matter what she wore if she was thin.

But in the past few days, Madam Tian couldn’t resist wanting to dress up her daughter all pretty and doll-like again. Her attachment to dresses and skirts are deeply rooted.

Xia Zhen helplessly says, “Mom, I’m going hiking, not attending a ball.”

Madam Tian is unconcerned. “You can still hike in a dress. The mountain is all paved with stairs anyway, you won’t have any trouble. And the point is to date.”

“Mom, based on my understanding of Pei Cheng An, he will think I’m insincere and doesn’t want to go if he sees me wearing these clothes. He’ll have a bad impression of me. And we might just… break up.” She doesn’t consider it as understanding him, but rather it is just that most people would think that way.

Madam Tian finds her daughter’s words rather logical. “Then wear that set of white sportswear. That looks slimming and looks good on your skin colour.”

When Xia Zhen is putting on her skincare, Madam Tian takes out her cosmetic bag and picks out things like powder, mascara, and the like. She looks at her mom expressionlessly and says, “Mom, don’t you think my all-natural face looks quite pretty? Don’t you think putting on thick makeup to go hiking will result in a ghastly face? Besides, he has already seen me like this yesterday.”

In the end she puts on some sunscreen, wears a down jacket, and leaves home 10 minutes before 7.

The morning air is truly refreshing. The dew has yet to evaporate and the dust is unable to fly. Breathing in this air makes one revitalised, so much so the cold isn’t much of a bother. This feeling of getting up early isn’t too bad.

Just as she walks out of her neighbourhood, she sees Pei Cheng An standing next to his car, reading a newspaper.

He is wearing an off-white sportswear, with a thin, black down jacket outside. Such a pairing isn’t too suitable but he has the look and the body. Wearing something mix and match like that actually makes him look younger.

Xia Zhen couldn’t help being moved. Xue Chen’s brand of handsome is too eye-catching and troublesome. What she thinks about Pei Cheng An right now: a good-looking man needs not worry about his clothing.

More importantly, now more than ever she doesn’t understand why Pei Cheng An doesn’t have a girlfriend. Her curiosity is revived.

[artwork by @GD8KF]