Don't Fall in Love! (English Version)- UNDER REVIEW

CHAPTER 24

I leaned against the door after closing it, a silly smile lingering on my lips. Aunt Mei appeared in the room with a bowl of tangerines and put her hand to her chest, startled by my presence.

ㅡFang'er, you scared me!ㅡshe said, narrowing her eyes at my smile. ㅡAnd that little smile of yours, huh?ㅡ She pointed her chin towards my mouth.

ㅡWhat...smile?ㅡI walked to the sofa and sat down. She did the same, already starting to peel a tangerine.

ㅡAya, come on, spill it.ㅡAunt Mei took a segment of the fruit and put it in my mouth.

ㅡI...have a boyfriendㅡI said after swallowing the segment. ㅡAnd he came here.

My aunt raised her eyebrows in surprise. It wasn't long before she smiled too. Her expressions reminded me of my father. She was practically the female version of him.

ㅡAh! My little girl has grown upㅡshe said sweetly.

ㅡAnyway, where did Ma go?ㅡI asked. My aunt gave me another segment before answering.

ㅡShe went to buy roses for her father. I thought you had met herㅡshe said, and peeled another tangerine.

We spent some time talking until lunchtime arrived. Ma returned with her hands full of shopping bags, saying she had also bought souvenirs for us to take home.

When we had lunch, my aunt mentioned that my adopted cousin would be visiting her today, since she knew we would be here too. He's living in Beijing—at my uncle's house; Aunt Mei divorced him six years ago—and he's in his fourth semester of medical school. Aunt Mei always has pride in her eyes and voice when she talks about Zhao Ming. She decided to adopt a boy because she knew she couldn't have children, and at the age of three, Zhao Ming was taken in by Aunt Mei.

Zhao Ming was four years older than me, but we always played together as children, every time I stayed at his house. Since he went to college and I went to France, I haven't had any contact with him since.

I finished lunch and went to the guest room and lay down on the bed, after picking up my cell phone from my suitcase. I unlocked the screen, already going to reply to the message Erix sent.

Erix

Have you had lunch yet?

I replied yes, and asked him if I could have dinner here to meet my aunt. Without hesitation, he accepted. We continued exchanging messages and a dozen heart emojis. It was kind of funny to me; I never imagined I'd be so in love with someone. Especially the person who always kept to themselves, distancing themselves from everyone. I never even considered the possibility of one day texting a boy every day. Of missing him when I was away for just a day or even a few minutes. Of longing for a tight hug from him frequently...
So this is love. This is loving someone, I thought.

In the afternoon, my cousin arrived and greeted my aunt and Ma before seeing me on the sofa. To my surprise, he looked much different than I imagined. He was twice my height, his hair, which used to be bluish-black, was now light brown—I think the hair-lightening trend reached him too—and his face and body were thinner than before. It looks like someone's been going to the gym.

ㅡHey, Xiao Fang! — he said, finding me in the room. He made a point of mispronouncing my name, as always, making it sound like "little square." Zhao Ming grabbed my neck and I almost fell under his weight.

—Even today, Wuming? — I didn't let it go either, and called him nameless. I couldn't accept the fact that I called him radiant, while I was a square.

Wuming and I caught up, while he teased my somewhat clumsy Mandarin and I punched him in the arm. That's when I decided to tell him I was dating.

—And who's the victim? — he asked seriously.

I rolled my eyes.

—He's the little boy my father rescued that day.

Zhao Ming's mouth dropped open.

—What are the chances of that happening? — he asked, shocked by the information.

— Funny, now that I've realized something. This coincidence doesn't seem like such a coincidence after all...

Erix never told me how he ended up in Washington. And how did he recognize me so quickly? I look completely different from that little girl in the photo.

— Dinner will be ready soon. Tell Erix. — Ma announced from the kitchen. She decided to help Aunt Mei prepare the food, saying she would feel uncomfortable if she didn't help with something.

Before I could grab my phone, someone knocked on the door. I went to answer it, finding my boyfriend. I smiled broadly and greeted him with a hug. Erix placed a kiss on my forehead, an act that almost made me melt in his arms.

— I was going to text you now to ask if you were coming — I said, breaking the hug. I gestured for him to come in, and my cousin appeared with a stern face and crossed arms, pretending to be tough. ㅡZhao Ming, this is...

ㅡErix Zhang?ㅡhe interrupted me, and I wanted to punch him. Erix nodded and they shook hands. ㅡI'm Zhao Ming, her older brother.

ㅡNice to meet you, Zhao Ming—Even confused by the word "brother," Erix simply accepted it. I'm sure he'll question me about it later.

—Fang'er, who knocked...wa sai!—Aunt Mei appeared in the room, her eyes shining when she saw the young man beside me.

And mine were shining too. Erix was breathtaking. He was wearing black jeans, a black cotton shirt, and a white blazer with some details. His hair was combed back on one side and had a few strands falling across his forehead on the other. He looked chic and, at the same time, casual.

—Erix, it's been so long—Ma appeared and gave him a hug. It really had been a while since they'd seen each other, considering that Dr. Chang was on call all the time. She only managed to come because Elton volunteered to take her place at the hospital. He was also a renowned doctor.

ㅡSo this is the boy who won my niece's heart?ㅡ my aunt asked. Erix smiled and looked at me, while I just wanted a bucket to put on my head. ㅡYou have great tasteㅡ she whispered to me and gave me a thumbs up. My face was so hot that, if Ma hadn't changed the subject, steam would have started coming out of my cheeks.

ㅡDinner is on the table. Let's eat before it gets cold.

>>>>