Chapter 7: Mistaken for an Aunt

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Li Tian’er stood in the shadow of the balcony, watching the BMW roll out of the courtyard and quickly disappear from view. Guo Li walked off in the opposite direction, sashaying every three steps like a model. After a while, the red dress disappeared too at the street corner.

Li Tian’er felt a little sorry for Guo Li. There weren’t many taxis passing through this villa district, and Guo Li was tottering along the asphalt road in seven-and-a-half-inch heels. The sun, though slanting west and not as scorching as noon, still made the walk to the intersection a sweaty ordeal.

Dongling City wasn’t large; it was just a matter of stepping on the gas. Chen Bo really didn’t know how to be considerate toward women. Even if he didn’t like Guo Li, since she’d come to see him, the least he could do was show a bit of gentlemanly courtesy.

But when it came to helping Li Tiantian, Chen Bo was quite diligent. He’d just come upstairs to get the keys to Li Tiantian’s old apartment, offering to help her deal with the old furniture and appliances. His partner, Liang Xia, had several rental properties, and could take all of Li Tiantian’s belongings off her hands.

Just then, the phone rang. Li Tian’er didn’t answer right away. She was only a guest at Chen Bo’s place, so it wasn’t really her place to take his calls. But when the phone stopped and rang again, it was clear someone had something urgent to discuss with Chen Bo. Gritting her teeth, Li Tian’er picked up, “Hello?”

Before she finished, a burst of soft laughter sounded from the other end.

“You must be the sister who called looking for Chen Bo last night, right? I recognize your voice—actually, I can tell apart all of Chen Bo’s girlfriends by their voices.”

The voice was sweet and playful.

Li Tian’er remembered—it was the same girl she’d bickered with on the phone the night before.

“Chen Bo isn’t here,” she said.

“Oh, are you going to tell me Chen Bo’s in the shower? You can’t fool me—I’m not as easy to trick as his other girlfriends. Last time someone told me he was in the shower, his confidante got so mad she smashed the phone. I just don’t get why that old woman insists Chen Bo would only like her…”

“If you need something, call back when Chen Bo gets home. I’m busy right now.”

“Come on, I’m not here to fight over him with you. I figured things out last night—if Chen Bo doesn’t want to marry me, I won’t waste my youth on him. Even if he comes around someday, I won’t go back. I’m going to be the one he can never have, not the silly girl who comes and goes at his beck and call.”

This girl’s words were amusing. Li Tian’er didn’t feel like hanging up anymore.

“What’s your name?”

“It’s fine, I’m Gao Fei.”

“Hello, Gao Fei. I’m Li Tiantian. My son and I are staying at Chen Bo’s for now, but we’ll be moving out in a few days. We’re just ordinary friends; he’s helping us because we have nowhere else to go.”

Li Tian’er laughed, her voice warm and comforting.

“Li Tiantian—that’s a pretty sweet name. I haven’t heard Chen Bo mention you! I know his girlfriends: Guo Li, Liang Xia, Lan Juanjuan, Huang Yan…”

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Gao Fei rattled off more than a dozen girls’ names in one breath.

Li Tian’er was stunned. If Chen Bo really juggled so many girlfriends at once, he must have boundless energy, meticulous time management—and he was definitely a world-class scoundrel!

Compared to that, her own scheme of sending a beauty to tempt Chen Hao’an, and Chen Hao’an sneaking a kiss in the car, was nothing but child’s play—hardly worth mentioning.

“Do you think that’s a lot? There are probably more I don’t know about! Since you’re living at his house, unless you’re hideous, he won’t let you slip by either. Hehehe…”

Whatever Gao Fei was imagining made her giggle so hard she had to pause for breath. After a few coughs, she became serious again.

“I’m leaving Dongling City. I want to make sure he never finds me. Please let him know—no, don’t tell him anything. He wouldn’t come looking for me anyway. I’m hanging up now. Dongling City is such a heartbreaking place. If I’d known it would end like this, I’d never have run away from home to chase after Chen Bo…”

Gao Fei’s story was full of suspense, and Li Tian’er was hooked. After a moment’s silence from the other end, the line clicked off.

Kaikai woke up hungry.

Li Tian’er hurried downstairs to the kitchen to cook rice cereal. She set out a steaming bowl to cool under the fan. Just then, the doorbell rang.

Chen Bo had a key, and there was no way he’d be back so soon. Since she was only a guest, it was not her place to open the door.

Li Tian’er stood by the French window, looking toward the gate, where a woman’s figure loomed—neither tall nor short, a little plump, but her face was hard to make out.

So Chen Bo really was an omnivore!

She turned, blew on the rice cereal at her lips again, and, checking the temperature, decided it was good enough for the baby. She undid her apron, ready to return it to the kitchen, when the door opened and a woman appeared, staring at her in astonishment.

“Who are you? What are you doing in my son’s house?”

Li Tian’er was equally startled—she almost thought the woman had flown in, so quietly had she entered. But really, it was just that her own attention had been on the rice cereal; the noise of Chen Bo’s mother opening the door hadn’t been small.

“Auntie…”

Li Tian’er, apron in hand, realized who it was—Chen Bo’s mother.

“Oh, you’re the housekeeper Chen Bo hired?”

Li Tian’er was momentarily speechless. It was hard to explain why she and Kaikai had moved in. Judging by Chen Bo’s mother’s attitude, she didn’t seem easy to deal with, and dragging in unrelated matters might ruin her plans and make life difficult.

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Li Tian’er smiled, her expression perfectly managed, warm and gentle.

“He really does need someone to look after him. He’s always skipping meals, never sleeps on time. Where is he? Did you make this porridge for him?”

“Yes… He’s out with friends right now. He’ll be back soon.”

Li Tian’er kept up her warm smile. Under the scrutiny of Chen Bo’s mother, she felt as if every inch of her was laid bare.

“All right then, I was just passing by and thought I’d check in. By the way, it’s his birthday tomorrow. I want him to come home for dinner. You’ll come too and help with the cooking.”

Chen Bo’s mother rolled her eyes.

She’d been planning her son’s blind date for ages, intending to gather all the relatives so they could size up the prospective partner together. She’d been worrying about handling the cooking alone, but now, with an extra pair of hands, things would be easier.

“Oh, okay,” Li Tian’er replied, regretting having tacitly agreed she was the housekeeper. But now it was too late to take it back, and she was left with no choice but to go along with it tomorrow.

Luckily, she had now merged with Li Tiantian’s memories—Li Tiantian was skilled and handy in the kitchen, unlike her own pampered upbringing where everything was done for her.

When Chen Bo returned, night had already fallen. Seeing him in the living room drinking tea, Li Tian’er went downstairs to tell him what his mother had said.

Hearing footsteps on the stairs, Chen Bo turned to look at her.

Li Tian’er, accustomed to being the center of attention since childhood, was still unsettled by the deep, lingering gaze Chen Bo fixed on her. Her palms began to sweat and her heart beat faster. She wished the stairs were a couple steps shorter, that time would pass a little quicker.

“Your mother came looking for you this evening,” she blurted out, to ease her nerves. There were still two steps left, but whether he could hear her or not, she couldn’t bear his hawk-like stare.

Since when had Miss Li ever lost her composure over a man’s gaze?