Likeable
As the end of the year approached, and with New Year’s Eve marking the official start of 1974, Zhan Aiping and Gu Sheng would be celebrating their third wedding anniversary, with their children now over two years old.
Last year, they had taken the kids back to both in-laws’ homes for New Year; this year, they stayed in Yunnan, content to celebrate locally. Zhan Aiping had a New Year’s shift at the military hospital, and Gu Sheng also had guard duty, so their two children spent New Year’s Eve with their mom at the hospital.
Gu Xiangyi decided not to go home either. “Without a partner, how could I face the family?” she said. “The day I go home is the day I’ve got someone to introduce to them—I want to shock my parents.”
Despite her eagerness to marry, Gu Xiangyi had yet to find a suitable match, as her taste in men had always been, frankly, lacking. The latest object of her interest was a physician in the hospital’s internal medicine department named Chen Cu. He was slight, around 1.7 meters tall, with a refined look, a tea lover who would brew himself a pot of tea during work breaks.
When Zhan Aiping first met Chen Cu, she realized Gu Xiangyi’s taste tended toward delicate, androgynous men—far from her brother Gu Sheng’s rugged look.
“She just likes them thin and delicate,” she told Gu Sheng. “It seems unusual, though, right?”
“Why unusual? She’s my sister, and she likes weak, unassertive pretty boys,” Gu Sheng replied dryly.
“Hey, don’t be so harsh on her,” Zhan Aiping said. “It just seems strange. I mean, if anyone should prefer delicate types, it should be me, right?”
Gu Sheng raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean by that?”
Zhan Aiping raised her fist, flexing her barely noticeable muscle. She wasn’t as muscular as she’d once been, though her build was still sturdy. “I mean, I’m the tough, rugged ex-soldier type. Shouldn’t *I* be the one going for delicate men?”
“It’s you liking me that’s strange!” she joked.
Gu Sheng swallowed his water, then said, “Besides, aren’t I considered quite good-looking? And if you really like pretty boys, why do you insist I keep working on my muscles?”
Though his rank no longer required intense physical training, Gu Sheng maintained his strength and fitness—mostly because of his wife’s subtle encouragement.
“Well,” Zhan shrugged, “people’s preferences shift over time.”
She thought back to a teenage Gu Sheng, a true beauty back then. After joining the military, however, he’d built up muscle and lost that softer look. Wrapping her arms around him from behind, she sighed wistfully. If only she’d been reborn when they were both thirteen or fourteen; she would’ve loved to see him back then, though now she could only catch glimpses in old photos.
Gu Sheng added, “At least I’m here since my sister can’t find a match.”
“Self-centred—so self-centred. Just like your son.”
Gu Xiangyi had indeed struggled to find someone compatible. Somehow, all the men she was drawn to had a bit of a “scoundrel” vibe, including this Chen Cu. He’d told Gu Xiangyi he didn’t want a nurse as a wife and preferred a fellow doctor. Yet he kept her dangling, unwilling to let go of such a desirable catch. Every time she started to pull away, he’d reappear, hinting at interest.
“He’s just like that Dr. Wu,” Zhan Aiping observed.
Gu Sheng sighed, “We can’t let her pick on her own. You should help her find someone.”
Zhan decided to talk to Gu Xiangyi at home. “Take your time, be patient, and look carefully,” she advised.
Gu Xiangyi groaned, “Does that mean I have to find someone as ‘rough’ as my brother?”
Zhan raised an eyebrow. “Since when is your brother rough?”
“If he were still his fourteen or fifteen-year-old self, I wouldn’t say that. He was my ideal back then.”
“Sis-in-law, look at him now—he used to be tall and slim,” Gu Xiangyi complained.
“You don’t appreciate quality,” Zhan shot back.
“Maybe it’s just your taste that’s off. You’re the one who turned my brother into this,” Gu Xiangyi teased.
“My brother used to be so refined,” Gu Xiangyi sighed. “People even used to say he was as delicate as a girl.”
Zhan Aiping retorted, “You and my brother are something else. You like men who look delicate, almost girlish, and my brother, Zhan Mingzhao, likes strong, heroic women. Do you both just think differently than most people?”
Gu Xiangyi shamelessly replied, “It’s all because of you two. I liked my brother’s look back then, and your brother adored how you used to be. We’ve been influenced by you two as the eldest siblings.”
“Don’t lie to my face,” Zhan Aiping shot back. “Your taste in men has never been great. Your brother was delicate in his younger years—he’d probably make a stunning beauty in a dress.”
Gu Xiangyi nodded, “Exactly! I thought so too—that’s why I used to call him ‘sister’ when we were kids. But look what you’ve done to him. He’s rough now. There’s not a trace of that old refinement left—just a typical rough-and-tumble guy.”
Zhan Aiping frowned. “Well, I happen to like him just as he is.”
“Sis-in-law, your taste isn’t so great either. You clearly prefer rugged men,” Gu Xiangyi teased, having grown up in a military family surrounded by such men—she much preferred the refined, soft-spoken type, especially if they weren’t soldiers.
Zhan Aiping chuckled, “You’re just like my brother—didn’t want to enlist or marry a soldier, yet here you are. Be careful, you’re bound to end up with a soldier too.”
Gu Xiangyi wrinkled her nose. “Please don’t say things that scary, sis.”
“Want to hear a real horror story? Just look at Captain Luo’s household.”
Gu Xiangyi fell silent, realizing exactly what Zhan Aiping meant. Captain Luo and his wife, Zhang Lirong, had become the talk of the hospital. Luo had investigated the men around Zhang Lirong, and rumours quickly spread. Furious, Zhang Lirong gave him a beating, sending him out with a bruised, swollen face.
Both the hospital and the community were stunned.
Women’s Director Li, a master of diffusing tension, could only shrug and advise, “Pregnant women can be moody. Just let it go; she doesn’t have much strength.”
In fact, Director Li was so good at keeping the peace, especially when it came to dealing with the Luo household, that she felt this incident wasn’t nearly as tricky as the previous debacle with Zhu Hui. If not for concerns about propriety, she might have laughed out loud at the fitting pair they made.
Captain Luo wasn’t seriously hurt, just some handprints and nail scratches on his face—nothing that even counted as a minor injury. It was more a blow to his pride than anything else.
Meanwhile, Zhang Lirong was content, going to work with a spring in her step. She even discovered an unexpected perk: it was somehow more gratifying to be seen as a fierce, unyielding wife, with her husband under her thumb. He’s been married three times. Would he really dare divorce her?
Bragging to others, Zhang Lirong declared, “Men need to be kept in line. My husband never dares talk back to me—I say ‘one,’ he doesn’t dare say ‘two.’ I say ‘two,’ he wouldn’t dream of saying ‘three.’”
The others were speechless. The world truly is unpredictable.
This year, Zhan Mingzhao was on holiday, so he came to spend the New Year with his sister and her family. But since both his sister and brother-in-law were on duty, he found himself as the designated babysitter, taking his niece and nephew around the military hospital and exploring.
Before long, Zhan Mingzhao had become the envy of the other men in the hospital—he was immensely popular among the women. Everywhere he went, he seemed to attract attention from the female staff, who went out of their way to be kind to him and even brought him snacks.
“He’s Dr. Zhan’s brother? Does he have a girlfriend?”
“Dr. Zhan’s brother? Wow.”
“He’s got a great personality and talent, too.”
…
Even Head Nurse Zhang stopped by to see Zhan Aiping’s brother, bringing him two bags of sweet potato noodles. After seeing Zhan Mingzhao, even Zhang Lirong regretted her choices, wondering why she had married a thrice-married man when she could have sought someone like Zhan Mingzhao.
Zhan Mingzhao only stayed at the hospital for three or four days before the military hospital asked him to leave.
Director Xu privately called Zhan Aiping in for a talk, looking distressed. “Your brother really is a superstar.”
He had heard of beauty causing trouble, but never a man causing such a stir. He wasn’t particularly flashy, just a bit handsome, with a nice voice, and he could play the harmonica. Even his wife couldn’t resist coming by to catch a glimpse of Zhan Mingzhao.
This man seemed to have a magnetic charm, especially potent for women.
Zhan Aiping chuckled, “My brother really is a star. His movie’s coming out soon. When it does, I’m sure he’ll have a crowd of admirers.”
Even she found it baffling how her brother, Zhan Mingzhao, could possess such charisma. How could someone like him—a regular, flawed guy—be so universally adored?
Several people had already approached her, some volunteering to be her sister-in-law, and others eager to introduce potential matches.
Zhan Aiping felt her scalp tingle from the awkwardness.
After two years with the arts troupe, Zhan Mingzhao had only increased his effect on women.
Director Xu asked, “Was your brother always like this?”
Zhan Aiping laughed, “Actually, he wasn’t very likable as a kid.”
“Not likable? Then how did he end up like this?” Director Xu was stunned. Not likable as a child?
“He looks a lot like you,” he added. “And you’re certainly attractive, but I don’t see men flocking to you here.”
Director Xu shot her a curious look.
Zhan Aiping was taken aback. She thought of how, despite her striking looks, she’d had no male admirers aside from Gu Sheng. It was oddly similar to Gu Xiangyi’s situation—she had family background, good looks, yet no serious suitors. The men interested in her were more often drawn by her family connections than by her personally.
Was this some sort of inborn “no-man-luck” phenomenon for her and her sister-in-law?
Meanwhile, Zhan Mingzhao didn’t have anything particularly unique about him, yet women were drawn to him naturally.
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