May is a busier month than April. At least workwise. I'm doing guestings and interviews, while still contemplating to release an album.
Personal wise...life is going steady.
Or so I thought.
Qing: Why do you need to stay there?
Me: (while packing an overnight bag) Because he is my friend and he needs me.
Qing: You hate him once upon a time.
Me: True. But he is also one of the few friends who knew about our engagement from the get go and supported us through all our craziness. Now, ZhiMing needs me so as his good friend, I'm going to stay on his place for the weekend to keep him company.
Qing: He will be in such a mood because he talked to his mother. If you think my mother is demanding, you should meet ZhiMing's mother. She's the dragon lady of their family and she loved nagging ZhiMing the most. You know what, on second thought, pray that you won't meet his mother.
Me: I'm sure she is a lovely woman.
Qing: (snorting) No. She is not.
Me: (rolling my eyes) Shut it and just reassure me that you will still be alive when I get back from my weekend at ZhiMing's place.
Qing: If I get too lonely here, I will crash on Jin's place.
Me: Why not sleep in the museleom?
Qing: No way. Baba is on his dark mood. I think the midlife crisis is hitting him hard.
Me: Baba is having trouble?
Qing: Yeah. He wants to buy a jetski and ride it every weekend. He said one of his friend can still ride a jetski and a horse. Imagine Mama's reaction to that.
Me: (wincing) I hope Mama didn't say that Baba is too old for jetski and horseback riding.
Qing: (snickering) You can hope.
Me: Oh no.
Qing: Oh yes. So JiJi and I are avoiding the museleom at the moment.
Me: But we are still on for JiJi's Mother's Day party, right?
Qing: Calling it a party is really generous. It will be just us.
Me: A gathering of family and loved ones is always a party to me.
Qing: (grinning) You are a sweet sweet man.
Me: (while zipping my bag) Good. Now, kiss me and tell me you are not mad that I am leaving you to spend time with your ex.
Qing kissed me squarely on my lips. Several times.
Qing: I love you. And I am not mad.
Me: (smiling at him) You are a sweet sweet man.
Qing: Really? Even if I'm thinking of getting Kuai and Kuangnu so they can stay here while you are in ZhiMing's place.
Me: (scowling) You are a bad man.
Qing: When will you forgive me? I miss my babies, Dayu ah.
Me: Next next week. You, together with your dogs, is just too much for me.
Qing: Kuai didn't mean to have an accident in our bed. He is sorry.
Me: I know. But still no. Wait two more weeks and we can have them here again.
Qing: (giving in) Okay.
Me: Now, I have to go. I'll message you once I'm there.
Qing: Fine. Have fun with my ex.
Me: And you have fun with...your hands. (kissing Qing's cheek) Bye.
I ran out of the condo because the taxi I called is already waiting downstairs. Qing wanted to drive me to ZhiMing's place but he has an important business call to make so...he opted to stay.
It took about an hour of traveling before me and my bag set foot in front of ZhiMing's townhouse. It's a modern contemporary styled two storey house. ZhiMing likes the color green so he is enamored of having plants around him. But his house doesn't resemble a jungle. It's just you will see a plant in almost every room of his house, especially in the meditation room.
Me: It's screams rich people. I have a meditation room. Middle class me calls mine a bedroom. It's where I do all things relaxing: sleep, write, watch something on my laptop, sex...
ZhiMing: Alright. I get it. Meditation room is too much for you. But I got the room so, it's there. Can we move on?
Me: (grinning) Fine. So, why do you need me here? Your slave run away?
ZhiMing: I don't have a slave.
Me: But I bet your ancestors did, you who came from old money.
ZhiMing: (dry tone) Will this be the theme of our weekend together? You, snobbing me for being rich? I won't apologize for being born in a rich family, Dayu ah.
Me: (wincing) Oh, sorry. But seriously, why am I here?
ZhiMing: I need help. The guy I'm sleeping with...
Me: The French Boyfriend.
ZhiMing: He is not my boyfriend yet.
Me: How long has it been already, since you started sleeping with him?
ZhiMing: I don't know, almost nine months.
Me: Please tell me that is not the longest relationship you had with other people. Because if it is, he is your boyfriend.
ZhiMing: My relationship with Qing lasted for more than a year.
Me: Qing doesn't count.
ZhiMing: Why not?
Me: Because I said so.
ZhiMing stared at me for a moment. I smiled at him. ZhiMing rolled his eyes.
ZhiMing: Anyways, he is not my boyfriend and he is coming here to stay for a month.
Me: Here where?
ZhiMing: Here, in this house.
Me: Why?
ZhiMing: (waving his hand dismissively) Well, what's with the pandemic and all, going back to France for now will be such a hassle for him. So he decided to wait it all out here in Beijing. We are still quite safe here. But hotel bills are getting a bit too much for him so he decided to look for a small condo to lease. But he needs to wait for another month for the current occupant moved out. So I offered him to stay here for a month so he can save some money.
Me: You offered?
ZhiMing: Yes.
Me: Okay. So what seems to be the problem?
ZhiMing: (staring straight at me) I need you to convince me that I've done the wrong thing by offering him to stay here in my house.
Me: What?
ZhiMing: You heard me. This weekend, all you need to do is give me a good reason to change my mind about letting him stay here.
Me: But you offered your house to him.
ZhiMing: I did. And I need you to play the devil's advocate. Tell me I was wrong to do that.
Me: But I don't think you are wrong. The guy needs a place to stay until he can move to his condo. Staying here will save him money, I like people who saves their money. And you like him well enough that he stayed weekends with you, right?
ZhiMing: Right. So now tell me the opposite of what you just said. Give me something negative about living with someone you have sex with quite regularly.
Me: Well...I don't know. Why did you come to me for this?
Jeez, if I only knew how weird my mission is here, I would have said no. Really? ZhiMing made a decision, I think he should just stick by it.
ZhiMing: Because you are a person living with someone you have sex with regularly.
Me: Well, yeah...because Qing is my boyfriend. And husband to be. What?
This is confusing me now.
ZhiMing: Exactly. So tell me, what are the cons of living with Qing.
Me: Nothing.
ZhiMing stared intently at me.
Me: (sighing) Several things came to mind.
ZhiMing: Give me those several things.
Me: Well, for one...Qing is a slob. And as someone who has OCD, I had to train him for years just to be considerate and use coasters with his juice. We are getting better.
ZhiMing: Oh, I don't have OCD and this guy is pretty neat and clean. He is a functioning germaphobe.
Me: He is a what?
ZhiMing: (smiling) He used to wipe everything. Especially when dining. He used to wipe chairs and tables, all the time. Now he only wipes plates and cutleries. Plus, he cooks well because he learned that if he is the one who cooked his meal, he's sure the meals he is eating are clean.
Me: Okay. So he is not a slob. Ahm, Qing likes playing games with the full sound on. It's annoying
ZhiMing: (frowning) Why are you attacking me? What's wrong with that?
Me: (blinking) I see, you are the same as him.
ZhiMing: Anything else?
Me: (looking around for an inspiration) (seeing ZhiMing's bookshelves) Oh, you love to read, right? Maybe this guy doesn't like reading.
ZhiMing: (still frowning) What are you talking about. A third of those books are his.
Me: (jaw slacking) Why does he have books on your bookshelves?
ZhiMing: Well, we cannot have sex every minute when he is here. One of our favorite things to do together is reading in the living room.
Me: You have favorite things you do together and you still won't admit this one is your boyfriend? Are you kidding me right now?
This is getting effin' ridiculous.
ZhiMing: Dayu ah, help me! Please.
Me: How? Okay, maybe this guy has an annoying habit. What habit of other people do you hate the most? Maybe this guy does it.
ZhiMing: I hate it when people walk noisily. Like they are dragging their slippers through the floor.
Me: Does this guy do it?
ZhiMing nods. I brightened up.
Me: See! There, a reason not to let him stay here.
ZhiMing winced at me.
Me: What now?
ZhiMing: You know that Miss Daisy is going deaf right? This guy drags his slippers to the floor to warn Miss Daisy that he is coming. He loves my Miss Daisy.
Miss Daisy is ZhiMing's tabby cat. She is getting old and going deaf. Making sure to make noises so Miss Daisy will know that she is not alone is quite important, the vet said.
Me: Oooookay. This is becoming a problem now. This guy couldn't be perfect.
ZhiMing: No. He is not perfect, of course. There has to be something. We just didn't tackle it yet.
I sighed. Why did I say yes to this stayover again?