The Creatures That We Are

“Dad! Mom! Sis! I’m back!” Gao Yang called out from the entryway as soon as he entered the door.

“Haha, speaking of the devil.” His father was watching TV in his wheelchair. With the remote in his hand, he turned around and came to a stunned halt.

“You’re back!” His mother’s voice came from the kitchen.

It was her birthday, but just as usual, she was dressed casually with her long hair in a simple up-do, the strings of the apron tied behind her neck. She wiped her wet hands on the apron and walked out of the kitchen. She also paused when she saw Gao Yang.

His parents looked at the girl standing behind him.

“Brother, why did you only come...” Gao Xinxin was dressed in her pajamas. Her hair, which hadn’t been washed for a few days, was put into a bun. She froze as soon as she walked out of her bedroom like she had been struck by lightning.

“Uncle, Auntie, Xinxin, nice to meet you,” Little Qing Ling greeted them in a friendly tone, beaming. “I’m Gao Yang’s girlfriend.”

“She’s Qing Ling.” Gao Yang played along. “Just call her Little Ling.”

“Oh, you finally brought her home!” His father was overjoyed. “Come here, Little Ling. Have a seat.”

“Yeah, make yourself at home. It’s a little messy inside. I haven’t had the time to clean up.” His mother broke into a smile, throwing Little Qing Ling a few soft looks.

Bam!

Gao Xinxin quickly closed the door to her bedroom.

Gao Yang’s smile froze. What’s wrong with this girl? Even if she doesn’t like Little Qing Ling, she doesn’t have to be so obvious about it.

Little Qing Ling felt a little awkward too. She quickly changed the subject and entered the house with a gift box. “Auntie, happy birthday. This is my gift for you. Here, it’s tea leaves. Nice to finally meet you...”

“Ah, you only have to show up. There’s no need for gifts...” His mother took the gifts from Qing Ling.

Gao Yang then came up to her. “Happy birthday, Mom. This is what Xinxin and I gave you. I wish you health and good luck with your work. You’ll be eighteen forever!”

“Good boy. Both you and Xinxin are being so considerate.” His mother accepted the gift happily.

Little Qing Ling said sweetly, “Auntie, you seem so young. I would’ve thought you were no older than thirty if you didn’t say anything.”

“Ah, aren’t you a sweetheart?” His mother smiled with crinkling eyes. “Have a seat. I’ll prepare dinner for you. I’ve made quite a lot today.”

“I’ll help, Auntie,” Little Qing Ling said earnestly.

“Oh, no. That won’t be right. You’re a guest today. I can take care of it.”

“It’s okay, really. It’s your birthday today!” Little Qing Ling held onto her elbow enthusiastically and went to the kitchen with her.

“Son!” His wheelchaired father patted on the sofa beside him. “Come have a seat!”

Gao Yang sat down beside his father. His father grabbed his elbow and pulled him close, whispering to him, “Good for you, boy. You got such a pretty daughter-in-law for your parents!”

“We’re only dating at the moment, Dad. We haven’t thought that far.”

“I heard that she threatened to kill herself for you?” His father sighed in lament. “Such a good daughter-in-law she would be. She’s pretty, considerate, gentle, and loves you with her whole heart. Did you save the universe or something in your past life?”

“You’re exaggerating, Dad,” Gao Yang retorted. “You spoke like I’m a toad coveting a swan.”

“You’re the toad!” His father was quite worked up. “Son, Dad’s got a good eye for things like this. The girl’s the one. You won’t find anyone better than she is! I’ll pick a good day for the two of you, and you should get married as soon as you’re old enough![1]”

“But...”

“Don’t cut me off! Let your old man finish!” His father got so into it that he blabbered while splattering spit.

“You just entered college. You don’t know how bad the competition is or how difficult life can be. You thought the world revolved around you, that you were the protagonist of a TV drama, that you’d become a CEO and marry a rich, beautiful girl with fair skin easily, becoming the top 1% of the world.

“Wrong! Totally wrong! You’ll know how insignificant you are after you graduate for a few years and undergo the reality of the society, the exploitation of the vicious capitalists, and the hidden rules of interpersonal interaction!”

“Little Ling is innocent enough to be with you, but only for now. Once she graduates and gets exposed to the wider world with more people pursuing her, you’ll only get to be with her in your dreams!”

“Dad...”

“Hush!” His father glanced at the kitchen. His wife and daughter-in-law were already chatting amicably.

He continued to educate his son. “Take your mother as an example. She’s a whole package. Even now, there are many who would want to take her from me, let alone twenty years ago.”

“It’s thanks to me making a move quickly with precision that we’re here today; she would have become way out of my league if I had waited a few years.”

The man seemed proud of himself, and he lamented, “The greatest thing I’ve done in my life is marry your mother, Son. That’s something I can boast about my whole life!”

“I understand, Dad. I’ll treasure her.” Gao Yang nodded and decided to be obedient—or at least pretend to be.

“That’s my boy!” His father patted Gao Yang on the shoulder. “Trust me. When has your old man ever done wrong by you?”

Little Qing Ling was helping with dinner in the kitchen. Gao Yang chatted with his father for half an hour. Wondering why Gao Xinxin was still holing up in her room, Gao Yang’s father told him to knock on her door.

Gao Yang walked up to his sister’s room. He was just about to knock when the door opened.

Gao Yang gaped, lost for words.

Gao Yang had changed from her pajamas into a black and red laced lolita dress, the upper part fitted to her torso, and the fabric sewn with delicate discrete patterns. The lower part was a puffy dress with a complex design. The gothic style accentuated her youthful charm while making her seem classy and mysterious.

Gao Xinxin didn’t have the time to wash her hair, so she opted to put on a dark red wig with hime-cut[2], and her makeup sharpened her facial features. She looked like a vampire princess residing in a dark, ancient castle, her haughty elegance deterring others from approaching her.

You sure hate losing, sis, Gao Yang grumbled inwardly.

“Do I look good?” Gao Xinxin asked icily.

Gao Yang nodded.

“How do I compare with your girlfriend?” Gao Xinxin pressed.

Gao Yang said honestly, “Your styles are totally different. How am I supposed to compare the two of you?”

“Hmph!”

Gao Xinxin didn’t push. She walked out of her room.

Gao Yang’s father spilled the tea in his mouth when his daughter showed up, totally transformed. “What are you doing, Xinxin? Working again?”

“Nothing.” Gao Xinxin sat down on the sofa, patting on her dress. “I’m in a good mood and feel like dressing up.”

His father finally put two and two together. The girl’s exerting her dominance to intimidate her sister-in-law.

“Prepare the table. It’s time for dinner.” His mother emerged with a smile with Little Qing Ling in tow. Seeing how overdressed Gao Xinxin was, Little Qing Ling paused in surprise.

“Your dress is so pretty, Xinxin,” Little Qing Ling said with a smile, trying to break the ice.

But Gao Xinxin rejected the show of goodwill and turned away, huffing.

“Call me Gao Xinxin. We aren’t that close.”

1. In China, the legal marriage age is 22 for men and 20 for women. ☜

2. A haircut said to trace back to ancient Japan, consisting of neatly cut front fringe and cheek-length sidelocks, while the rest of the hair is long and straight. ☜

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