Love Affairs in Melbourne-Chapter 109 - 106: Hello Cousin

Yan Ling spent a month in Melbourne, hanging out and living off Yan Yan before they returned to China on the same flight.

Qi Yi arrived in Wenzhou two hours before Yan Yan did, but he didn’t go straight home, instead eagerly waiting at the airport to shower her with hugs and kisses.

Unfortunately, Yan Yan was not alone when she came out; she was laughing and chatting intimately with a handsome, charismatic young man as they walked into Qi Yi’s line of sight.

Qi Yi had not told Yan Yan that he would be waiting at the airport, nor had Yan Yan informed Qi Yi that Yan Ling would be returning with her.

Yan Ling had decided on a whim to return with Yan Yan instead of following his original plan, which was to go to Singapore to meet a classmate for a trip before returning home after Yan Yan returned to China.

Since his classmate in Singapore suddenly had to travel to Africa for business, Yan Ling had no choice but to change his plans, as his classmate wouldn’t be able to host him.

Yan Yan had never shown Qi Yi any photos of Yan Ling, but as Yan Yan often bragged about her boyfriend being the school hunk, Yan Ling had seen Qi Yi’s photos several times.

When they reached the airport, before Yan Yan could spot Qi Yi, Yan Ling, with keen eyes, noticed him first.

Suddenly, Yan Ling grabbed his sister’s hand, provocatively glanced at Qi Yi, and continued walking outside with Yan Yan.

Yan Yan looked at Yan Ling, puzzled.

Yan Ling used to hold her hand all the time when they were younger, but such behavior was exceedingly strange now that they were grown.

Yan Ling had never done anything like this before.

Because Yan Yan was engrossed in watching Yan Ling’s odd behavior, she was even less likely to notice Qi Yi standing not far away.

When Qi Yi saw another man holding his girlfriend’s hand, his first reaction was that he felt utterly "green."

Qi Yi couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

But it only took Qi Yi a couple of seconds to snap out of it.

Though Qi Yi didn’t know that Yan Ling would be returning with Yan Yan, he certainly couldn’t have been unaware of Yan Yan’s cousin staying in Melbourne for a month, given that Qi Yi had been writing to and calling Yan Yan every day.

Yan Ling was gleefully waiting to see Qi Yi freak out or simply walk away.

But Qi Yi did neither; he approached Yan Yan and Yan Ling with a smile on his face and warmly greeted, "Hello, cousin."

At the height of his mischief, Yan Ling was thoroughly deflated by Qi Yi’s casual use of "cousin."

"Ah, why are you still at the airport? Didn’t you arrive several hours before me?" Yan Yan finally noticed her boyfriend standing right in front of her.

"I was waiting for you at the airport," Qi Yi replied, calm and composed, his expression and tone not revealing anything special.

Qi Yi was incredibly frustrated inside; his plan hadn’t included any of this.

After so long without seeing each other, even if they couldn’t kiss right away, a hug was definitely expected.

Now, not only was there a "chaperone," but he also monopolized the hand that only Qi Yi was supposed to hold.

Even though Yan Ling was Yan Yan’s cousin, the turmoil inside Qi Yi was just as intense.

Moreover, he couldn’t let it show too obviously on his face.

Qi Yi had initially feigned jealousy when Yan Yan called her cousin, but now, his feelings were genuinely hurt.

The pleasant surprise was gone, his hand had been taken by someone else, and he couldn’t even protest but had to keep a smile on his face.

Yan Yan didn’t realize the turmoil in Qi Yi’s heart at the moment, for her, the surprise of seeing Qi Yi early was all that mattered.

Seeing Qi Yi showing no enthusiasm, Yan Yan quickly pulled her hand away from Yan Ling and rushed into Qi Yi’s arms, giving him a passionate hug.

Yan Yan’s initiative made both Qi Yi and Yan Ling a bit awkward.

"Can’t you show a little decorum?" Yan Ling was surprised by the speed at which Yan Yan withdrew her hand and threw herself into the embrace; he couldn’t remember when his cousin had turned into someone so bold.

Qi Yi also felt awkward, with Yan Yan being so forward, he didn’t have a reason not to hug her back.

But hugging and cuddling in front of a cousin he had just met for the first time was still somewhat strange to Qi Yi.

"Can decorum be eaten like food? Is there anything morally wrong in hugging my own boyfriend?" Although Yan Yan said this upon sensing Qi Yi’s discomfort, she immediately stopped the hugging.

"Should I leave for a bit and let you finish whatever it is you need to do?" Yan Ling said, indicating he was very "aware of the situation."

"No need, we’ve done all we needed to and all we shouldn’t have," Yan Yan conveyed with a look, indicating Yan Ling better mind his business since she still held a significant piece of leverage over him. ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom

"That’s it? You guys haven’t even graduated from elementary school, huh?" Yan Ling ignored Yan Yan’s threatening look, disbelieving she would actually betray him over a few words he’d spoken.

Yan Ling’s words echoed Qi Yi’s thoughts. If it were someone else, Qi Yi would instantly agree, happy to welcome someone into his own "trench," but because it was Yan Ling who spoke them, Qi Yi could only silently agree in his heart.

"How do you know I’m Yan Yan’s cousin? Couldn’t I just be a handsome guy Yan Yan met on the plane?" Yan Ling finally responded to Qi Yi’s earlier, quite frustrating greeting of ’Hey cousin.’

Though Qi Yi caught the underlying meaning in Yan Ling’s words and could play along before revealing the truth,

the straightforward "Hey cousin" from Qi Yi at the beginning made Yan Ling feel that Qi Yi was somewhat dull.

Most importantly, Yan Ling was irked by Yan Yan frequently boasting about her boyfriend, as if Yan Ling had never experienced a relationship.

Yan Ling wanted to tell Yan Yan, "I’ve been divorced," but upon thinking it over, he realized such a statement wouldn’t do him any favors; it was just a thought.

Yan Ling was a playful person who was very casual about life.

Yan Ling’s job was essentially that of a flying man, often traveling worldwide, with trips typically lasting from ten days to several months being quite common.

Yan Ling had been to countless cities, but there were few he actually explored thoroughly.

When he had a slightly longer vacation, Yan Ling would be called back to China.

His former sister-in-law couldn’t quite understand Yan Ling’s job. With Yan Ling being away eight or nine months a year, their relationship naturally deteriorated.

Under such circumstances, when Yan Ling said he needed to return to China, his former sister-in-law was naturally against it.

In the United States, there’s no proverb about following your spouse like a chicken or a dog; even having a long-distance relationship while dating is somewhat hard to accept for many, let alone continuing it after marriage, which could drive many to despair.

What puzzled Yan Yan the most was that Yan Ling had been deeply in love with his former sister-in-law, so much so that he married her despite everything. However, when it came to divorce, Yan Yan could barely sense any pain or struggle in Yan Ling.

Yan Yan and Yan Ling could talk about anything, but she still couldn’t bring herself to ask, "You’ve been divorced and yet show no sadness?" Such an insensible question.

Divorce was a ten-year ordeal for Qi Yi’s family.

For Yan Ling, however, it seemed merely a minor episode, a trivial matter in his life.