80. Love Affair Exposed

In the days leading up to the surgery, the sight of Xu Bin and Tang Yiyi appearing together delighted Xu Mingtang, warming his elderly heart. When the time came to enter the operating room, he was so confident that he ended up comforting his anxious wife instead.

The operation was a complete success. The family gathered around Xu Mingtang’s hospital bed, listening as the doctor announced, after a check-up, that he could be discharged once the wound healed and should return for a follow-up in three or four months.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Xu Mingtang declared that he could now use traditional medicine for his recovery—a field he had dedicated much study to over the years.

Wen Tao arrived at the hospital with flowers and fruit. As Xu Bin and Tang Yiyi walked him out, he told Xu Bin that the TV production team had called, asking them to attend the on-site rehearsals. No one wanted to miss this rare opportunity, he said; they could go ahead and communicate with the crew, and Xu Bin could come a couple of days later, join directly for the recording, and return the day after.

He looked at Xu Bin with anticipation, and Tang Yiyi also turned to him. Xu Bin bit his lip, considered a moment, then said to Wen Tao, “Come to the rice paper shop tonight. I’ve made up my mind and will give you my answer.”

After Wen Tao left, Tang Yiyi asked Xu Bin what he was thinking. He replied, “What do you think I should do?”

Tang Yiyi said, “Master’s surgery was a success; you’d only be away for three or four days. And opportunities like this are rare.”

Xu Bin nodded. “All my life, my father has made decisions for me—he decided I should study medicine, and when that didn’t work out, I studied pharmacy. I know he means well, and I’ve dreamed of being a singer, but I never really believed it would come true. It was just a daydream—I never made any effort to pursue it.

“But then I met Xiaoxiao. When she heard about my dream, she said, ‘Go for it, then.’ Only now do I realize that all my life, others have been pushing me forward. I’ve never taken the initiative to fight for anything myself. Yiyi, I want to go record the show—not just to fulfill my dream, but also so my father can see me on TV and feel proud.”

“I support you. How can I help?” Tang Yiyi replied.

“I’ll say I’m going to the provincial capital for a school reunion and sign up for this year’s pharmacist exam as well. Dad won’t object. I’ll try to be back in four days.”

“All right. Go with peace of mind; I’ll take care of Master.”

On the weekend, Xu Bin left smoothly, and Xu Mingtang was discharged and returned home. After a few days of recuperation, he went back to work at the clinic, and Xu Bin also returned from Beijing.

Everything passed quietly, uneventfully, as if nothing had happened, and life returned to its original rhythm.

On Xu Bin’s first day back, full of spirit, Tang Yiyi quietly asked him about the competition. He replied offhandedly, “I didn’t make it past the weekly round—got eliminated in the second round, so I sang two songs.”

“You lost and you’re still this happy?” Tang Yiyi teased.

“I’ve already won,” Xu Bin said contentedly. “This episode will air in mid-September, and by then Dad should be fully recovered.”

August passed, and with the end of the autumn heat, the most humid and oppressive days of the year faded away.

Rumors of demolition in Magnolia Lane grew louder. The shop owners began searching for new premises. Qin Baike finally took action—he walked around the area within a hundred meters of the lane but found nothing suitable, so he returned to think of other solutions.

Since Xu Mingtang had returned to work, Qin Baike had been subtly displaying his affection for Tang Yiyi in front of others.

The first to sense something was different was Er Tong. That evening, when Tang Yiyi visited the noodle shop, Xiao Xie brought her a bowl of glutinous rice ice jelly, as usual. Tang Yiyi, dealing with her period, wanted to eat but was cautious, picking out raisins and rice cakes with a spoon, leaving half the bowl untouched. Qin Baike saw this, picked up the bowl, and finished it in one go.

Er Tong was stunned—why would Baike eat Yiyi’s leftovers? After that, he started paying attention.

The two left together for morning runs, which seemed innocent enough. Since the noodle shop’s closing was moved up to noon, Qin Baike had joined Tang Yiyi for runs every morning; this had been their routine for some time.

Now that Xu Mingtang was back at work, Tang Yiyi took her meals at the clinic but would sometimes visit the noodle shop in the evening for a bowl of noodles or ice jelly. There was a faint but unmistakable hint of intimacy between her and Qin Baike, though it was hard to see through.

Then, one night, while Tang Yiyi was eating pork trotter noodles, she picked up a piece of pork trotter and offered it to Qin Baike, who naturally leaned in and ate it from her chopsticks—a gesture so intimate that only a fool would miss its meaning.

Er Tong walked over, clicking his tongue in amazement. “So, when did you two become a couple? Quietly got together without a word.”

Xiao Xie passed by and poked her head in. “Who? Who’s together?”

Er Tong nodded toward them. “The boss and your Yiyi sis.”

Xiao Xie stared, astonished. “Really? You’re really together?” She cried out, suddenly turning to Er Tong, “Brother Zhan, wait for me one year—when I turn eighteen, let’s be together too, how about it?”

Tang Yiyi nearly choked on her noodles. Qin Baike, in the middle of sipping his tea, sprayed it out. Er Tong was so startled he couldn’t speak, just pointed at Xiao Xie, “You… you… don’t even think about it!” He turned and fled upstairs.

Xiao Xie pouted, aggrieved. “Is Brother Zhan rejecting me because I’m fat?”

Tang Yiyi patted her cheek affectionately. “Don’t mind him. You’re just fine as you are.”

“Yeah, I won’t mind him. I’ll go back to work,” Xiao Xie said.

After she left, Qin Baike said to Tang Yiyi, “If you really care about her, don’t just comfort her blindly. She is a bit overweight.”

“I’ll talk to her tonight. Xiao Xie is so sweet—she and I are practically best friends now.”

That night, worried Xiao Xie would fall asleep as soon as she lay down, Tang Yiyi joined her for a chat.

“Xiao Xie, if you like Brother Er Tong, stop chasing after him.”

“What should I do, then?” Xiao Xie asked, bewildered.

“Become the best version of yourself—like Sister Ye Tong—so he’ll chase you instead,” Tang Yiyi counseled. Xiao Xie was young; Tang Yiyi knew she herself couldn’t pull off a dramatic love pursuit, but maybe Xiao Xie could try.

“How could I ever become as capable as Sister Ye Tong?” Xiao Xie thought it was impossible.

“You might not become a director,” Tang Yiyi said gently, “but you can be an excellent baker. You love making food and eating it, so become a baker, make the tastiest bread, design the most beautiful birthday cakes—you can do it.”

“I’ve never thought about that,” Xiao Xie said, a new awareness dawning.

“How does being a baker sound?”

“That sounds amazing! I think they’re all so cool.”

“It’s September now; the new school year has just started. Let’s look into some schools and find one for you to study baking.”

“A school?” Xiao Xie hesitated.

“Why are you always afraid of school?” Tang Yiyi pressed.

“I’m too fat, my grades are bad, nobody likes me. I don’t like studying, and I don’t like school.”

“Studying baking doesn’t require academic courses. It’s all about skills, and people like you with strong hands-on abilities are always welcome.”

“Really?” Hope flickered in Xiao Xie’s eyes.

“In baking school, no one will care if you’re a bit bigger. You might even find people heavier than you. Even if there aren’t at first, after a while there will be plenty—everyone eats and gains weight.”

“Haha, I know, from eating so much.”

“And,” Tang Yiyi pinched the flesh on her arm, “if you think being overweight isn’t attractive, try to lose some weight.”

“How should I do that?”

“First, eat less. Second, exercise.”

“Yiyi sis, if I slim down, do you think Brother Zhan won’t dislike me anymore?”

“He… well, you’re right. Lose the weight and become beautiful, and he’ll be chasing after you.” Yiyi decided to set her a goal for now—who knew what the future would hold.

“Okay, I’ll learn baking and lose weight,” Xiao Xie said with determination.

Two days later, Qin Baike indeed found a culinary school offering baking classes through a friend, enrolled Xiao Xie, and sent her off to study.

Xiao Xie’s parents were overjoyed that she was willing to return to school and came bearing gifts to thank Qin Baike.

As for Qin Baike and Tang Yiyi’s relationship, word gradually spread throughout Magnolia Lane, eventually reaching Xu Mingtang’s ears.

When Xu Mingtang heard from his sister, Xu Mingjie, that Tang Yiyi and Qin Baike were dating, he was genuinely surprised.

Xu Mingjie said, “Sister-in-law and I made it clear to Xiao Bin and Yiyi that we hoped they’d get together. They agreed to give it a try and see how things developed. Who would have thought that in just a few days, Yiyi would end up with Baike instead?”

Xu Mingtang frowned in thought for a long while, then went to find Xu Bin.

Since returning from the reunion in the provincial capital, Xu Bin seemed to have matured by several years. He was calmer, more focused, and spent his days studying with a clear goal: with two and a half months until the pharmacist exam, he was determined to pass on the first try.

Xu Mingtang called Xu Bin out of the clinic and asked, “What happened between you and Yiyi? Have you been so busy studying that you neglected her?”

“Dad,” Xu Bin understood what his father was getting at. “What have you heard?”

“Yiyi and Baike are dating—haven’t you heard?”

“…Oh, that. I know; they told me when they got together. Dad, I don’t like Yiyi in that way. She… doesn’t know how to dress up, always looks like a high schooler, not feminine at all.”

“But she’s the most suitable candidate for marriage. Shengshitang needs a successor in Chinese medicine.”

“Dad… Yiyi is just my junior, that’s all. She promised to help out, just like Uncle Four—she’ll come and see patients.”

“But if she’s not family, not involved in the business, can you count on her to help forever? Uncle Four worked at the hospital for ten years before coming here, and Dr. Liu only arrived in the last two years. Outsiders can’t compare to family.”

“Dad, don’t worry about that. You’re healthy now, and there’s still plenty of time before you hand things over. We’ll figure something out.”

“If you don’t like Yiyi, I’ll have someone introduce you to another female Chinese medicine doctor. Uncle Chen said there’s a new girl at their hospital—very pretty and still single.”

“Dad, let’s not rush. After the exam, when I have more time, you can introduce me.”

Xu Mingtang shook his head, let out a deep sigh, and walked away with his hands clasped behind his back.

Xu’s wife, upon hearing from Xu Mingjie about Tang Yiyi’s new romance, was not so composed. She stormed into the clinic’s second floor, found Tang Yiyi, and unleashed a tirade of insults—calling her an ingrate, heartless, scheming—every four-character idiom she could think of, and none of them flattering.

Tang Yiyi, flustered and in tears, tried to explain, “Brother Xiao Bin has someone he likes; it really has nothing to do with me.” But Xu’s wife, already fuming, didn’t hear her, though Xu Mingtang, just entering, did.

Xu Mingtang stepped in to restrain his furious wife. “This is nonsense! Matters of the heart aren’t yours to dictate. Go cook—I’ll speak with her.”

He had Tang Yiyi sit opposite him and spoke earnestly. “Much as I’d like you to become my daughter-in-law, I wouldn’t go so far as to force you. But I can’t help feeling that you and Xu Bin have been deceiving me and his mother these past weeks. The first rule of learning medicine with me is integrity—never deceive your master.”

Tang Yiyi shook her head desperately. “No deception! There was no deception! Brother Xiao Bin never said he liked me, and I’ve always felt we’re just friends, senior and junior.”

“If you’re just friends, then what’s his girlfriend’s name?”

“…”

“Speak!” Xu Mingtang slammed the table.

“Xiaoxiao,” Yiyi replied weakly.

“Xiaoxiao? Is that her full name or just a nickname?”

“I don’t know—just Xiaoxiao.”

“What does she do?” Xu Mingtang pressed.

“She’s a music teacher.” Tang Yiyi’s head drooped lower, her voice growing fainter.

“A music teacher?” Xu Mingtang nodded; that didn’t sound too outrageous. “If Xiao Bin won’t say more, I suppose he has his reasons. Since you didn’t mention it, I’ll pretend I didn’t hear.”

“Yes!” Tang Yiyi praised her master’s wisdom in her heart.

“Still, you went along with his deception, which is wrong. In the future, if he’s up to anything, you must tell me the truth.”

“…All right.” Tang Yiyi felt as if there was a gale in front and a tempest behind—she was a groundhog caught in a bellows. Oh well!

That Saturday, Xu Bin’s episode of Star Avenue was about to air, and he was ready to come clean to his father—after all, it was already in the past.

Next came the pharmacist qualification exam in November. If he passed, he’d seize the moment while his father was pleased to bring Xiaoxiao home. As for Xiaoxiao’s heart condition, that would have to be kept secret for now; if it couldn’t be hidden in a few years, they could try in vitro fertilization or hire a surrogate—there would be a way.

But before Saturday even arrived, Xu’s wife spotted Xu Bin on the Star Avenue program preview. Thinking she’d seen wrong, she found Er Tong, who pulled up the video on his computer and took a screenshot.

No need to look closely—she recognized two of the four people. Wen Tao, with his handsome face, was a regular at the clinic.

Er Tong remarked, “Xiao Bin’s band has been around a long time—didn’t you know?”

“This is his band?” She looked at Xu Bin on the screen, unsure whether to be angry or proud. Seeing her son perform on national television was a great honor!

But to only find out now, having been kept in the dark, made her angry. She sat, her thoughts circling, and inevitably blamed Tang Yiyi—ever since that girl showed up, her son had stopped telling her anything.

“Did Tang Yiyi know?” she asked Er Tong.

Sensing her displeasure, Er Tong immediately sounded the alarm—Yiyi was his future boss’s wife, after all, and he couldn’t let her be bullied. “Yiyi found out about the same time I did. The band’s been around since last year.”

“That long?”

“Competitions like this take a lot of practice. First there are the preliminary rounds, then you qualify for the weekly show. They might have started the year before last—just kept at it until they got results. Auntie, isn’t this amazing? Xiao Bin is the pride of Magnolia Lane.”

With Er Tong’s words, pride swelled in Xu’s wife’s heart. “Did he win the weekly round?”

“Xiao Bin said no, but he’s really happy. He said he’ll watch with Uncle Xu this Saturday. When he recorded the show, he publicly thanked his parents for their love and support.”

“Really?!” she asked, delighted.

“Well, who knows if it’ll survive the editing,” Er Tong hedged.

“They won’t cut it. Every contestant gets time to tell their story—sometimes the stories are heart-wrenching,” she insisted.

“…Heh.”

“I’d better give Old Xu a heads up, so he’s not caught off guard seeing it on TV. Otherwise, Xiao Bin will be in trouble.”

She rushed off to find Xu Mingtang, and Er Tong breathed a sigh of relief. He took out his phone and sent a WeChat message to Tang Yiyi: Your master and mistress know about the band! Remember—play dumb! Don’t draw trouble to yourself!

When Tang Yiyi saw the message, she shivered. This senior brother of hers always got her into trouble; perhaps it was time to take a few days off and lay low.

Before she could think of a good excuse, Xu Mingtang, having recovered from his shock, said, “No wonder he knows a music teacher. Let’s watch together on Saturday and see what surprise he has in store for us.”