Rebirth on the Doors to the Civil Affairs Bureau

***

Time always feels like it goes by quickly. A month passed in a blink of an eye.

In Xiang Xiaoyue’s apartment, 3 good friends from university reunited.

“Have you thought about it?” Xiaoyue asked,

“I did. I’m going to have this baby.” After a month of struggling, sadness and tears, Ren Xinxin now looked resolute, as if she’d been reborn.

“We’ll raise the baby with you!” Yu Dong, who had been reluctant to part with the baby, supported Xinxin.

“Yes, let’s give it the best life!” Xiang Xiaoyue was reluctant at the beginning as the child’s father was scum and Ren Xinxin would have a very difficult time starting over with a child. But she now agreed and was also fully supportive of Ren Xinxin’s decision.

“It’s just that it’s going to be a bit of a hassle when it comes to registering.” Yu Dong frowned.

“Have no fear, I have people in the Household Registration Department!” Xiaoyue said.

“Another ex-boyfriend?” Yu Dong lifted an eyebrow.

“What are you talking about, he’s old!” Xiaoyue was exasperated, “I didn’t start dating at 3 years old!”

Yu Dong and Ren Xinxin both laughed.

“Oh, you should give birth at the city hospital, Dong Dong’s boyfriend works there!” Xiaoyue suddenly said.

“Dong Dong’s boyfriend?”

“Don’t listen to her nonsense.” Yu Dong was exasperated.

“I’m not talking nonsense! When I asked you to introduce me that time, tell me how tight-lipped you were.” Xiaoyue giggled.

Ren Xinxin became curious.

“He’s not my boyfriend, but my husband!” Yu Dong suddenly dropped this huge bomb with a carefree tone.

……

The girls were stunned, then Xiaoyue suddenly laughed and said, “OK with this attitude, it’s definitely inevitable, ah!

When Yu Dong saw their faces, she knew that they clearly thought she was just joking. So she put on a serious expression and reiterated, “I never got the chance to tell you, but I really am married.”

“……”

“……”

Ren Xinxin’s jaw dropped and Xiaoyue looked at her in disbelief.

“You both know how my breakup with Fang Hua went, ” Yu Dong started to slowly narrate what happened that day. “That day in front of the Civil Affairs Bureau….”

By the end of her story, the 2 girl’s expressions hadn’t lessened in shock.

In the end Xiaoyue lamented, “And you said the drama I picked up 2 days ago was filled with dog blood.”

“Dong Dong, aren’t you being too impulsive?” Ren Xinxin worried about her friend.

Yu Dong smiled and said, “It is a little impulsive, but I think I like him.”

“If you like him, then go for it!” Xiaoyue encouraged her enthusiastically, “You have the certificate, just drag him directly to bed!”

“Xiaoyue!” Ren Xinxin was speechless.

“Xia Feng’s too shy for that, I have to slowly reel him in!” Yu Dong said seriously.

“Dong Dong…” Unexpectedly, Yu Dong was earnestly thinking about this.

“Let’s go out and celebrate,” Xiang Xiaoyue suddenly said.

“Celebrate what?” Yu Dong asked doubtfully.

“Celebrate all our new goals!” Xiaoyue laughed, “Xinxin’s going to be an unmarried mother. You’re trying to deepen your relationship with Xia Feng. I’m going to make my studio bigger, and be a successful career woman in the future!’

Yu Dong had to smile at this. Many things certainly changed for them this year, but this was also something to celebrate. So the trio took off.

Led by Xiang Xiaoyue, they went to a beauty parlor for a makeover, then went to a department store to buy clothes.

When the girls walked out of the store, the streets transformed: bright neon lights shined under high-rise buildings, and the number of people surged.

“I’m going to be a Big Boss!” Xiaoyue shouted.

“I’m going to sleep with Xia Feng!” Yu Dong shouted along.

“I’m going to be a brave and happy single mother!” Ren Xinxin also shouted.

The trio at this moment, laughed freely.

“Let’s go to the bar!”

Xiang Xiaoyue drove them to a friend’s bar.

Because Ren Xinxin couldn’t drink, she only had a glass of fruit juice in front of her. Yu Dong and Xiang Xiaoyue on the other hand, went all out.

“Drink a little less Dong Dong, you have work later!” Ren Xinxin advised.

“Don’t worry, I have the night off!” Before coming here, Senior Yu had called and got Yu Dong to record tonight’s program beforehand.

“Let’s go and sing!” Xiaoyue suddenly pointed towards the lively stage.

Yu Dong raised an eyebrow.

“You guys go on head!” Ren Xinxin was pregnant and didn’t want to do anything too strenuous.

HELLO?to the future!”

The trio raised their glasses and drank.

Xiang Xiaoyue often came to this particular bar, so the other regulars were familiar with her. When she walks up to the stage, many people greeted her and one even handed her the microphone.

Xiang Xiaoyue was gorgeous. With her tall stature and specially bought clothes, she looked like a goddess on stage.

“Truly a vixen!” Yu Dong lamented.

“Ah?” Ren Xinxin didn’t hear her clearly.

“wow~~”

“Beauty, beauty, come on!”

Despite the sounds of yelling and cheering, Xiaoyue did’t cower, throwing a wink as an English love song livened the stage.

On the second floor of the bar, a man suddenly stood up and cheered.

Lu Xuan heard the commotion and looked at towards the stage to see a woman singing and dancing.

“That’s Ren Xinxin’s classmate!” Alan said.

During this time, the song ended and people burst into applause, asking for an encore.

Yu Dong smiled then pushed Ren Xinxin up the stage, handing her the microphone. Ren Xinxin was a little shy, but Xiang Xiaoyue gave her an encouraging smile as she flitted off the stage.

“wow!”

Seeing another beautiful woman come up the stage, the applause became more enthusiastic.

Alan and Lu Xuan naturally also saw Ren Xinxin. Alan glanced at his friend with a raised eyebrow.

Lu Xuan saw Ren Xinxin on the stage, and didn’t know what to think.

When Ren Xinxin started singing, her voice was very ethereal. It helped that Yu Dong chose Sarah Brightman’s Scarborough Fair for her to sing. When Xinxin opened her mouth, her soft voice echoed through the whole bar. The noise petered off into silence as all eyes were focused on the woman wearing a white skirt.

Gentle, pure, feminine, these traits seem to be encompassing the figure on the stage.

Like an angel who had graced these mortals with her presence, she looked like the epitome of hope and beauty!

People shouted goddess over and over again when the song finished, making Ren Xinxin blush.

Alan glanced at his friend’s face, only to see Lu Xuan’s face had turned green.

“She seems to be doing well!” Alan laughed.

This woman! Lu Xuan looked at the restless men below the stage, his face turning unsightly.

Finally, Yu Dong climed up the stage with a guitar.

Xiang Xiaoyue arched an eyebrow, then followed up the stage towards the drums. Ren Xinxin also reacted quickly, sitting in front of an unoccupied piano at the corner of the stage.

“Goddess, Goddess! ”

“Beauty, beauty! ”

The image of these women onstage caused the atmosphere to electrify.

After all, while there were a lot of beautiful women in the bar, many weren’t singers or able to play instruments, not to mention the trio on the stage were all beautiful in their own right. How can that not be exciting?

The girls had a wonderful time that night, especially Yu Dong. She hadn’t felt so young and carefree in over 10 years.

It was 3:00 a.m when they left the bar.

Xiang Xiaoyue and Yu Dong were most certainly drunk, with Ren Xinxin stuck between them, futilely trying to hold them up.

“You don’t need to hold us, you be more careful when walking instead.” Yu Dong leaned away from Ren Xinxin.

“Yes, you be careful, pregnant lady!” Xiaoyue hiccuped.

“Alright, I’ll call us a taxi then!” Ren Xinxin got them to wait near the bar entrance and walked to flag down a taxi.

There were very few cars that evening, with Ren Xinxin unable to find a taxi even after half an hour of standing by the intersection. She looked back towards her friends that were leaning against the building, her eyes full of worry.

“Ren Xinxin!” Suddenly she heard a low male voice call out to her.

Ren Xinxin looked back and saw Lu Xuan in a suit, looking gloomy.

Ren Xinxin thought of this man who took advantage of her, who caused disharmony between her and her parents. She didn’t want to acknowledge the man, so she looked back towards the streets immediately, continuing to wave her arm to approaching taxis.

“I’m talking to you!” Lu Xuan who was ignored, became mad and suddenly grabbed Ren Xinxin’s hand.

“Let me go!” Ren Xinxin struggled.

The confused Yu Dong and Xiang xiaoyue suddenly heard Ren Xinxin’s shout and looked up to see their friend being harassed right out in the open.

The 2 women ran towards the struggle, Yu Dong punching Lu Xuan in the face while the other kicked at his leg. Lu Xuan dropped hard.

“Dong Dong, that’s some punch, where’d you learn that?” Xiaoyue commented.

“You’re not bad either!”

“Hey hey… this sister’s a black belt in Taekwondo!”

“I fought at the XX division championships!” Yu Dong also laughed.

“Yes, yes you heroines are very skilled, now can we hurry up and go?” Ren Xinxin looked towards Lu Xuan, afraid that he would make trouble for them, so she tried to drag them away.

“Go? Why do we need to go!” Xiang Xiaoyue pointed at Lu Xuan at the ground and scolded, “He’s the hooligan!”

“Yes, let’s call the police and have them arrest the hooligan!” Yu Dong loudly agreed.

“Yes, call 110!” Xiaoyue took out her phone to call the police and while Ren Xinxin hurriedly managed to take away her phone, Yu Dong took out her own phone and successfully called 110.

“Yes, Bar Street, 1003, there’s a hooligan bothering beautiful women in the streets. Comrade policeman, come quickly!” Yu Dong hung up after saying this, smiling satisfied.

Ren Xinxin was literally about to cry.

Alan, who witnessed the entire thing, was also dumbfounded!

3:40 a.m.

At a police station!

Ren Xinxin and Lu Xuan signed the papers.

“Young man, when your girlfriend breaks up with you, that’s it. There are plenty of other flowers, no need to entangle yourself with one.” The old policeman advised Lu Xuan.

Lu Xuan was livid, but didn’t know what to say.

“And you miss, you’re so beautiful you don’t need to go to bars at night.” Glancing at the sleeping drunken girls on the side, he continued, “Tell your friends that good girls don’t drink!”

“Yes!” Ren Xinxin readily nodded and admitted her mistakes.

“Alright, that’s all. Go on home!”

Lu Xuan looked at Ren Xinxin, saying nothing in the end, huffing as he leaves.

Alan looked at the drunkards sleeping in their chairs and asked, “Do you need help taking your friends home?”

“No, Dong Dong’s friend is coming!” Ren Xinxin refused.

“Alright!” Alan smiled and leaves.

After waiting for 5 minutes, Shao Yifan entered the police station and saw Yu Dong asleep on her chair. Suddenly he viewed her in a very different light.

“Hello, are you Dong Dong’s friend?” Ren Xinxin approached him.

Shao Yifan turned towards her and suddenly lit up, immediately switching to a perfect smile, acting like a gentleman and saying: “Hello, I was the one that answered your call, I’m Shao Yifan!”

“Hello!” Ren Xinxin nodded with a smile.

Shao Yifan ran back and forth to get the 2 drunks into his car. While driving, he chatted with Ren Xinxin and said, “It turns out you girls just went out to drink, Xia Feng thought something had happened.”

“Xia Feng? Dong Dong’s husband?” Ren Xinxin perked up.

“Yes,” Shao Yifan laughs as he explains, “I just got off work from the hospital and was woken up by Xia Feng’s phone call as soon as I managed to nod off. Xia Feng said that he didn’t get a text from Yu Dong and that she wasn’t answering any of his calls. He was so worried that something had happened, so he called me to go and check up on her.”

“I called the radio station where Yu Dong worked and found out that she wasn’t working tonight. Then I went to their house to find that there wasn’t anyone home. I didn’t know what else to do, fortunately you answered her phone!”

Ren Xinxin was embarrassed and said, “We went to a bar, it must’ve been too noisy. We probably didn’t hear his calls.”

“But how did you end up at a police station?” Shao Yifan asked.

“Uh….it was a misunderstanding!” Ren Xinxin tried to shrug it off with a smile.

After bringing the trio back to Xiaoyue’s apartment, Shao Yifan called Xia Feng.

“The person has been found, she and her classmates went to a bar and didn’t hear your calls!” Shao Yifan said.

“That’s good!” Xia Feng sighed in relief, “I’ll treat you to dinner when I come back!”

“That’s a given.” Shao Yifan laughs, “But when you come back, ask Yu Dong if her classmate has a boyfriend instead?”

“Has someone caught your eye again?” Xia Feng was speechless.

“Aren’t you my brother?”

“I’ll hang up first!” Xia Feng promptly ends the call.

“to destroy the bridge after crossing the river!” Shao Yifan became depressed. 𝗳𝒓𝙚e𝓌e𝚋𝙣𝚘𝐯𝙚𝙡.𝑐૦ｍ

(T/N an idiom meaning to abandon one’s benefactor upon achieving one’s goal)

The next day, Yu Dong woke up, turned on her phone and saw more than a dozen missed calls from Xia Feng. She suddenly felt very awake.

She stumbled to the balcony and made a call.

“Hello?” Xia Feng laughed. “You’ve woken up?”

“You…I….I went out for a drink with my friends yesterday and forgot to send you a text. I’m sorry!” Yu Dong was vexed.

“It’s fine, just don’t drink so much next time.” There was a shout from the other end of the phone, as if someone was calling Xia Feng. After a muffled reply, Xia Feng said to Yu Dong: “I have to go, drink lots of honeyed water, that’ll help you with your hangover.”

After the phone call Yu Dong leaned on the railing and with a smile looked up, thinking that the clear sky had become brighter.

It seems that ever since I met you, I’ve found myself smiling more often!

***

Thank you everyone, for the comments I read them all!