Chapter 9: She Is My Woman

“Auntie, Third Aunt, Eldest Cousin.”
Chen Bo entered the courtyard, greeting the women in qipaos sitting under the parasol with enthusiasm.

“Bo-bo, you’re in for quite a show today.”

“Cousin, what spectacle have you arranged to tease me with this time?”

“Nothing of the sort, it’s your mother—my elder sister...”

The three women dipped their heads slightly in acknowledgment before settling back into their chairs, laughter in their eyes. Their gazes swept briefly over Li Tian’er, then drifted elsewhere.

“Let’s go,” said Chen Bo, showing no intention of introducing his relatives to Li Tian’er. She herself had no desire to greet them.

“My sister said Bo-bo would bring the nanny over, but that woman doesn’t look like a nanny at all! Judging by the way Bo-bo looks at her, it’s more like he’s gazing at a future wife. Could there be something between them?” Eldest Cousin smirked, glancing back at Li Tian’er, who was already entering the house with Chen Bo.

“Don’t talk nonsense. Chen Bo looks at everyone the same way. You just don’t know him. I’ve seen him a few times, arms around other women—he hardly needs a matchmaking session. His mother asking us to find him a partner is a waste of time,” Third Aunt retorted, twisting her sturdy waist and giving Eldest Cousin a sidelong glare. Her gaze lingered a moment on her niece’s slender figure, a hint of envy in her eyes.

“I have nothing left to introduce today. The two I set up before, neither Chen Bo nor his mother were satisfied. Then the girls’ families pressured me, demanding to know why Chen Bo rejected them. What am I supposed to say to that? I feel like a pig between two mirrors, not a person inside or out. Invite me for a meal and a drink, fine—but matchmaking for Chen Bo? Never again.”

“Fate is unpredictable. We’re just making introductions; whether it works isn’t our fault. My sister’s a sensible woman. She asked us to help Bo-bo find a girlfriend because she wants him settled soon. Any parent would be anxious if their child isn’t married off. Thankfully, my daughter married years ago, or I’d be as worried as any parent, my hair turning white with worry.”

“Mother, have I ever made you worry?” Eldest Cousin’s face flushed red, and she shifted uneasily.

Had it not been for her fiancé being from another city, and her using a premarital pregnancy to force the marriage, her reputation for moving quickly from one boyfriend’s bed to another would have made marriage a distant dream.

“You never worried me...” Second Aunt straightened her back, only to find her little belly was still impossible to conceal. She always thought Chen Bo’s mother was the sturdier of the two, but the same custom-tailored qipao clung uncomfortably tight to her own figure.

“You must have given your mother plenty to worry about,” Third Aunt said, eyeing Eldest Cousin with a sly smile. “It’s different for men and women. No matter how Chen Bo plays around, he’s a man—he doesn’t lose out. It’s always the women who suffer. Still, Chen Bo isn’t stingy. I bet he gives those girls plenty of perks. Otherwise, why would young girls flock to a thirty-year-old man like him?”

“These girls nowadays aren’t fools; their standards are getting higher. If you don’t have a hundred thousand in your family, they won’t even agree to a meeting,” Eldest Cousin muttered darkly, feeling her mother blamed her for marrying poorly. Her own husband was a common worker, still supporting younger siblings, and money was always tight. She often had to lean on her family for meals. The qipaos she and her mother wore today had been gifts from Chen Bo’s mother, meant to give her some dignity in front of a potential daughter-in-law.

“Money isn’t enough—you have to look good, too! Like Chen Bo: wealthy and handsome. He could easily match with an eighteen-year-old girl,” Third Aunt boasted, sparing no praise for her nephew.

Second Aunt shot her a glare, but just then, she noticed a young woman approaching at the gate and suddenly stood up.

“Oh, the girl I introduced has arrived!” she exclaimed, hurrying over to welcome her.

“Ah, the one I introduced is here too,” Eldest Cousin said, rising to greet her as well.

Seeing the two young women brought for the matchmaking, Third Aunt pursed her lips, unimpressed. Neither was as fresh and lovely as the “nanny” Chen Bo had brought earlier.

“Sister, everyone’s here.”

“I’ll be right there,” Chen Bo’s mother called out, glimpsing her younger sister and niece leading in the girls. She quickly removed her apron, handed Li Tian’er some freshly peeled garlic to add to the dishes, reminded her to watch the simmering pork trotters, make sure the fish was pan-fried just right—and not to burn anything—before rushing out of the kitchen.

On the countertop lay ten plates and ten dishes, a lavish spread of cold and hot, meat and vegetables. Chen Bo’s mother had clearly gone to great effort and expense for her son’s birthday banquet, perhaps excessively so. Yet now all the work had fallen to Li Tian’er alone—a daunting amount.

This was no time to panic. Li Tian’er mentally reviewed the cooking process and began preparing the dishes calmly and methodically.

“Tian-tian, are you hot?”

Since entering, Chen Bo had been nowhere to be seen, but now he appeared out of nowhere, waving a bamboo fan over her with both care and mischief.

The kitchen was like an oven, and Li Tian’er’s cheeks were flushed from the heat. If not for repaying a favor, she would never have put herself through this ordeal.

She kept her head down, slicing vegetables, not sparing Chen Bo a glance.

“Are you angry? I really shouldn’t have made you do all this hard work. But just this once—after today, you’ll be my little princess, and I’ll cherish you every day.”

Li Tian’er felt as though a lump was stuck in her throat, almost making her gag. Chen Bo saying such things to her had crossed the line of friendship. He could flirt with others all he wanted, but to speak to her so lightly was simply indecent.

“I’m working to repay your kindness. Please leave and don’t distract me. And mind your words. I am no one’s little princess, nor do I wish to be cherished by anyone.”

She held the kitchen knife with a stern expression.

Chen Bo was caught off guard, forgetting to fan himself.

“Bo-bo, why are you in the kitchen? Everyone’s been looking for you. Come out, quickly—your aunt and cousin have brought girls for you to meet. There’s one I think is quite suitable. Don’t be too picky; as long as the basics are good, that’s enough.”

Chen Bo’s mother bustled in, grabbed his hand, and led him to the living room.

A playboy needing a blind date? The thought made Li Tian’er laugh silently.

She finished slicing the last of the squash, turned on the gas, heated the pan, and prepared to stir-fry.

Just then, startled cries came from the living room. The kitchen door burst open, and Chen Bo strode in, grabbed her arm, and pulled her along.

With the spatula still in hand, Li Tian’er was bewildered by his actions.

She struggled, trying to break free, but Chen Bo suddenly swept her up into his arms and carried her into the living room.

“She is my woman, and our son is already a year old,” Chen Bo announced, putting Li Tian’er down and wrapping an arm around her waist, planting a kiss on her cheek.