A Bookworm’s New Routine

EXCESS CHAPTER

“Hu Ying said she’ll come a little later this afternoon.” After Mu Qi finished chatting about the message, she put her mobile phone on the bedside and went under the covers.

Su Yanxi covered herself under the covers, only exposing a pair of eyes outside. Her body shrunk further into the bedside, afraid that she would be unable to bear approaching the other party.

As soon as Mu Qi turned her head to the side, she saw her whole person covered by the quilt, and couldn’t help but laugh and said: “Aren’t you stuffy?”

Su Yanxi immediately shook her head.

Mu Qi also stopped teasing her, pulled up the quilt, and said: “Go to sleep.” 

“Okay.”

Soon, Mu Qi entered the land of dreams (!), but Su Yanxi was still not asleep. As soon as Mu Qi fell asleep, she softly called the other party. Seeing that the other party did not react, she was then certain that the other party had fallen asleep, so she quietly went inside to sleep.

(!) 梦乡 (land of dreams): Used to say that someone went to sleep; I decided to just translate it literally.

After there was a distance of two fists between her and the other party,  only then did she stop. Inside the quilt, her hand lightly held the other party’s hands, and looked at the other party’s profile for a long time before closing her eyes, and entering the land of dreams.

In her dreams, Su Yanxi seemed to have returned to when she was young, during the moment she first saw Mu Qi.

At two o’clock, Mu Qi woke up from her sleep and looked at the ceiling, a little dazed. Soon after, she returned to her thoughts and turned her head to the side to look at Su Yanxi.

Finding that the girl’s whole body was leaning against her side, with her forehead on her shoulder and incredibly well-behaved, Mu Qi looked and didn’t move, and continued to maintain her posture.

At this time, she found herself holding Su Yanxi’s hand. Just as she was about to release it, the girl moved suddenly, and she immediately didn't dare to move and continued holding the other party’s hand.

Originally, she didn’t notice it, but today, she became aware that the girl’s hand was very soft, so soft that she couldn't help but pinch it twice.

Once Su Yanxi woke up, Mu Qi had held the girl’s hand for a long time and pinched it all over, so much so that she was unwilling to let go in the end.

“Awake?” Mu Qi immediately put away her reluctant expression, lifted the quilt, and climbed out of bed. Without a word or movement, she looked at the girl’s hand.

“Yeah.” Su Yanxi, who didn’t discover her expression, rubbed her sleepy eyes, and immediately climbed out of bed.

Mu Qi’s bed was too warm, and in addition, she fell asleep beside the person she liked the most, so naturally, she slept more soundly. 

The two washed their faces, and when they came out of the room, the doorbell rang. Mu Qi said: “That must be Hu Ying.”

Sure enough, Hu Ying was standing outside the door, and the other party's face was a little bad. Mu Qi looked at her, frowned slightly, and let her in. She closed the door as she asked: “What happened? You look preoccupied?” 

Hu Ying sat on the sofa listlessly, took the water that Mu Qi handed over, and covered the glass of water with her hands to warm her hands, then angrily said: “That man came over today.”

Mu Qi’s brows furrowed. She sat beside her, held her shoulder, and said: “Are you and your mother alright?”

Hu Ying shook her head, then said angrily: “He obviously already divorced my mother, and he also broke off the father-daughter relationship with me. How can he still have the face to come back now.” Speaking of this, Hu Ying grabbed Mu Qi’s hand, and said worriedly: “Qi-ge, I’m afraid he owes money again and has come back to ask my mother. “
 
Su Yanxi silently stood on the side. After listening to Hu Ying, she looked at her in surprise, and didn’t expect that Hu Ying’s parents were already divorced. She looked at Mu Qi and Hu Ying and pursed her lips.

After Hu Ying finished speaking, she remembered that Su Yanxi was still beside her, and let the other party hear about the scandal in her house. Her face was a little red, and at the same time, a little apologetic, “I’m sorry, Yanxi, for making you hear such a thing.”

Su Yanxi immediately shook her head, sat down beside her and grabbed her hand, and comforted her silently. Because she didn't know what she was going to say, nor did she  understand what was going on, saying anything rashly would instead make Hu Ying more sad.

Mu Qi knew of Hu Ying’s family affairs very well. Originally, she had seen Hu Ying’s father coming back drunk and beating Hu Ying’s mother, so much so that at the time, Hu Ying was hit by her father on the leg with a wooden bench, which took quite a while to heal.

And it was also on that day that Hu Ying’s mother gritted her teeth and asked for a divorce from Hu Ying’s father.

In order to receive money, Hu Ying’s father agreed without saying anything else, and hadn’t come around to bother them these past few years, but now, he’s here yet again (!). 

(!) 又来了 (here we go again): Changed the wording to flow better

As long as one is involved in gambling, it’s difficult to stop. 

Hu Ying’s father had long ago already become addicted to gambling, so how could he possibly quit?

“Where is he now?” Mu Qi asked.

Hu Ying’s eyes were full of hatred, and said: “He already left, but he said he will come back in three days.”

Su Yanxi had never seen this kind of expression on Hu Ying’s face. In all the time she had known Hu Ying, the most she had seen on the other party’s face was a carefree and worriless smile. 

But now, because of her father, that smile had disappeared, only leaving melancholy.

Mu Qi didn’t know how to intervene in this kind of matter, but thought that if Hu Ying’s father came again, the ones harmed would surely be Aunt Hu and Hu Ying. She pondered for a moment and asked: “How much money does he owe this time?”

“Fifty thousand (!).” Hu Ying said with despair across her face. Where could their family come up with fifty thousand. Every day, her mother worked a few part-time jobs, and after a month, she only had three thousand (!) left. With food, housing, and tuition fees, there was no more left over.

(!) 50,000 yuan is about $7,418 USD
(!) 3,000 yuan is about $445 USD

Thinking of this, Hu Ying was filled with regrets and apologies. Her mother worked so hard to make money for her tuition, and yet, she only wanted to waste time and wait to graduate senior high school, so she can go out and work, so that her mother would not be so tired.

But when she thought of her mother coming back everyday with a smile on her face that made her study seriously, Hu Ying’s tears suddenly came down.

Mu Qi frowned and said with a low voice: “Hu Ying, I’ll give you fifty thousand, and you take it to him.” 

“No.” Hu Ying immediately raised her head to look at the other and refused: “Qi-ge, I can’t ask you for this money, and I will not give it to him either. At worst, I’ll fight with him then with all my might.” When she said this, her face was filled with a ruthless expression.

Mu Qi, however, stopped her, and said: “You listen to me finish talking, I’m lending you this fifty thousand. When the time comes, you can take it to him, then you can make him set up a contract (!). From now on, you will sever your relationship with him, and even if he owes more gambling debts, it will have nothing to do with you."

(!) 字据 (written pledge): Can also refer to an ‘IOU’

Hearing these words, Hu Ying hesitated.

Mu Qi continued: “Otherwise, if he has a first time, then there will be a second time. Don’t tell me you want you and your mother to keep suffering from his bullying?”

Hu Ying raised her head, looked at Mu Qi gratefully, and said earnestly: “Qi-ge, thank you for this fifty thousand that I will borrow from you. I’ll give you a note, and I will surely pay you back. From now on, if Qi-ge makes me climb up a mountain of swords or go down a sea of fire, I, Hu Ying, will not hesitate to do so!” 

Mu Qi flicked her forehead and said: “What are you talking about, you go back and discuss this matter with your mother, and if the discussion goes well, then I will go with you to get the money in the evening."

“Okay.” Hu Ying nodded and went back without stopping. 

When only Mu Qi and Su Yanxi were left in the living room, Mu Qi sighed and leaned on the sofa. She looked at Su Yanxi, who has not said a word since the beginning, and smiled and said: “What’s up? You don’t approve of me acting like this?"

After all, it was Hu Ying’s family’s matter. She was an outsider who interfered, and Hu Ying’s family would inevitably resent her in the future. However, she saw with her own eyes how Hu Ying and Hu Ying’s mother were beaten and covered in bruises by Hu Ying’s father.

She didn't want her close friend and Aunt Hu to be bullied again, and even though they may blame her in the future, she still came up with this idea.

It made her think of her parents.

Su Yanxi sat beside her, grabbed her hands, shook her head and said: “Mu Qi, no matter what you decide to do, I’ll support you, and I think Hu Ying and her mother would also be very grateful to you.”

For Su Yanxi, who had a happy family, she was unable to understand how Mu Qi and Hu Ying felt, but she could see the pain from their expressions.

After all, they were their own relatives, and they were reluctant to leave them. 

In the evening, Hu Ying, who had already spoken and made it clear with her mother, brought her mother to look for Mu Qi.

When Aunt Hu saw Mu Qi, her eyes turned red. She grabbed her hand, and said as she shook: “Xiao Qi, thank you, thank you, our family’s Hu Ying was able to make a friend like you, but it is a blessing that she has cultivated for several lifetimes (!).” 

(!) 可是她几辈子修来的福气: I wasn’t too sure about how to translate the last part of that sentence, but she’s basically just saying Hu Ying’s very lucky to have a friend like her.

Mu Qi smiled and said: “To be able to make a friend like Hu Ying is also my blessing.” After all, Hu Ying had helped her so much, and had always accompanied her for so many years. For her, who had no friends at all, Hu Ying could be said to have accompanied her through very heavy times. 

“Mu Qi, then I’ll go back first.” Su Yanxi knew that Mu Qi was going to handle affairs with Hu Ying, and it wasn't convenient for her to follow. So, she waved goodbye to them first, and will come again tomorrow to look for Mu Qi to play. 

“Good, go back slowly.” At this moment, it was already snowing outside, and Mu Qi was afraid that the ground would be slippery, so she made the girl walk slowly.

“Okay.” Su Yanxi nodded obediently.

Only when she had walked far away did Mu Qi lead Hu Ying and Aunt Hu to walk over to the bank not far ahead.

In fact, Aunt Hu had already divorced Hu Ying’s father, but at that time, Hu Ying and Hu Ying’s father only verbally severed their father-daughter relationship. If this is not resolved now, then in the future, this child custody will let Hu Ying’s father come and disturb them again. When that moment comes, it would not be resolved by only fifty thousand yuan.

Naemjyu's note: It's finally going to be the VIP chapters starting next week! So excited! ; Also, don't mind if some parts don't make sense/have bad grammar >.< Currently distracted with my midterms so next weekend, I'll quickly re-read this over and edit stuff if needed. Thanks for reading!