Upon hearing his words, Lin Xiche sniffled and hesitated for a moment, as if contemplating something. Then, she promptly ended the call, making a decisive move without considering the other person’s feelings.
“…” Xufang rubbed his temples, stood up, placed one hand on his waist, licked his lips, and his expression hinted at a brewing storm. He took a deep breath and was about to call back when his phone vibrated.
Lin Xiche had sent him a picture.
The picture showed a dimly lit KTV room with a central screen displaying some lyrics. In the frame were also several bottles of scattered alcohol on a glass table.
Xufang almost immediately recognized the place.
It was a KTV near their home.
Back when he used to hang out with his high school friends, they often visited this place.
Xufang squinted at the image for a few more seconds before rushing out.
Because Lin Xiche hadn’t provided him with the room number, Xufang went to the front desk and asked. However, the service staff, seeing his dark expression, mistook him for trouble and were hesitant to provide information.
Seeing them hesitating, Xufang lost his patience and began checking each room one by one.
He finally found Lin Xiche in a small room.
Upon pushing the door open, he was met with deafening music and a strong smell of alcohol. A black beer keg sat beside the glass table, with only two bottles of canned beer left inside, and spilled alcohol on the floor.
Lin Xiche sat in a corner of the sofa, leaning against the backrest. Her eyelashes drooped, and her face appeared blurry in the dimly lit room.
Xufang, with a cold expression, turned on the brightest light in the room and then turned off the music on the karaoke machine.
With the lights on, Lin Xiche immediately raised her eyes, her nearsightedness causing her to squint. She quickly recognized him, her eyes curving into a smile as she said, “Wow, Pipi is here.”
He remained unmoved by the forced smile she put on. “Get up.”
Lin Xiche didn’t move, her almond-shaped eyes wide and her eyelashes fluttering. She appeared not to understand his anger, still staring at him with an innocent and puzzled expression.
“Do you know what time it is now?” Xufang stared at her firmly with his dark eyes, his words filled with frustration. “You said you wouldn’t come back, but here you are at the KTV, drinking? Are you out of your mind?”
She continued to stare at him, her head tilting slightly, as if she didn’t understand what he was saying.
Xufang’s anger flared up even more.
Here was a girl, completely drunk, who couldn’t understand anything and sat quietly like a rabbit, not showing any resistance, making herself vulnerable to anyone with ill intentions.
Xufang forced himself to calm down, walked over, and stood in front of Lin Xiche, suppressing his anger.
“I’ll say it again, get up.”
Lin Xiche still stared at him, her eyes round and large, with her eyelashes fluttering. She seemed to be in a standoff with him, neither willing to back down.
She blinked her eyes.
Twice.
As she blinked for the third time, two teardrops fell from her eyes.
Suddenly, Xufang realized what was happening. His anger, which had clouded his judgment due to worry, dissipated instantly. He stared at the tears falling continuously from her eyes, feeling completely helpless.
Lin Xiche didn’t try to hide or wipe away her tears. She sat there like a child, crying uncontrollably, her soft sobbing sounds impossible to suppress, and her emotions spiraling out of control.
In his memory, it had been a long time since Xufang had seen Lin Xiche cry so heartbreakingly.
The last time was probably in junior high when she was hospitalized for a stomach issue.
The next day, Lin Xiche came to see him. At that time, their relationship wasn’t particularly good, and what caught him off guard was that as soon as Lin Xiche saw him, she burst into tears without saying a word.
Her crying was heart-wrenching, as if he had already died, attracting the attention of people around them.
What was he thinking at that moment?
He forgot.
Aside from feeling embarrassed, what else did he feel?
It seemed like he hoped he would get better soon so that she wouldn’t cry anymore.
After that, he had never seen Lin Xiche cry like that again.
No matter what happened, she always had a carefree attitude. Even when he scolded her, bullied her, or gave her the cold shoulder, she continued to be cheerful every day, as if she had no worries. Even when she had a deep cut on her hand, she didn’t shed a tear and even had the spirit to tease him.
As time passed, Xufang had almost forgotten about it.
When she encountered something bad, she could be very sad too.
And he, when he saw her cry like this, couldn’t even find the words to speak.
“Why are you crying?” Xufang’s throat tightened as he crouched in front of her. He looked at her expression, watching her tears fall even more violently. He hurriedly said, “Damn it, I didn’t scold you that badly, did I…”
“…”
“Okay, it’s my fault.” Seeing that she didn’t even spare him a glance, Xufang quickly admitted, “I have a bad temper. I’m a heartless person. I deserve to die a thousand times. I’m not even worthy of being your son.”
At these words, Lin Xiche’s crying gradually subsided. Her eyes became misty, and the area around her eyes and the tip of her nose turned red, making her look quite pitiful.
Seeing her cry less intensely, Xufang continued to speak in a low and patient tone.
“Why are you here?”
Lin Xiche thought for a moment and shook her head.
Xufang asked, “Do you want to stay here?”
Again, she thought for a moment and nodded slightly.
Xufang asked, “Can you get up? Should I help you?”
She shook her head again.
Xufang furrowed his brow, hesitating. “Should I carry you then?”
A nod.
With a sigh, Xu Fang stood up, helped her gather her belongings, hoisted them onto his back, and then squatted in front of her. He whispered, “Climb on.”
This time, Lin Xi Chi didn’t resist. She sat up straight, hands hooked around his neck.
Xu Fang used both hands to support her thighs and lifted her up, taking a step forward.
After a few steps, Lin Xi Chi buried her cheek in the crook of his neck. Her warm breath brushed against his skin, accompanied by the constant trickle of tears, flowing down his neck, searing his heart with a burning ache.
She began to cry again.
Just this afternoon, during class, she had been full of spirit, accusing him of having a wicked heart.
How did things change so quickly in just half a day?
Xu Fang remained silent, allowing her to vent her emotions.
After a while, Lin Xi Chi suddenly choked out, “A-A-Ah-Pi, they all bully me.”
Xu Fang’s expression shifted, and he asked softly, “Who are they?”
She didn’t answer, repeating herself, lost in her own thoughts. “They all bully me.”
Xu Fang persisted, “Who are they?”
Lin Xi Chi tightened her grip on his neck, and her face lifted.
Feeling her movement, Xu Fang instinctively turned his head, their eyes meeting. Lin Xi Chi sniffled and seemed annoyed that he kept asking. Her eyes widened as she looked at him, her voice raised deliberately, “It’s them!”
“Oh,” Xu Fang was momentarily dumbfounded by her outburst. He quickly adjusted to the situation. “Them, huh…”
Seeing her mood seemingly improve suddenly, Lin Xi Chi stopped glaring at him and crying. She rested her chin on his shoulder and said, “Ah-Pi, someone broke my cup.”
“Who?”
“I thought I got along well with them,” Lin Xi Chi murmured, her emotions low. “I thought they liked me.”
“So, who are they?”
“They don’t like me, none of them,” she said, her voice dropping to a whisper, tears staining his shoulder. “Am I just a burden?”
Xu Fang’s temper flared again. “You’re not a burden at all.”
“Oh, and Ah-Pi,” Lin Xi Chi’s head was still muddled, but she latched onto his words, realizing something. “Ah-Pi likes me.”
Xu Fang blushed as if taken by surprise. “What are you talking about? Who likes you, you goof.”
“Ah-Pi?” Lin Xi Chi’s eyes still held a watery gleam. She tilted her head, contemplating. “Ah-Pi is indeed a goof.”
Xu Fang’s forehead twitched. He was about to scold her, but then he noticed her clear and innocent eyes.
Devoid of any other emotions.
He suddenly understood that her mention of “liking” had no other connotations. He chuckled self-deprecatingly, his voice lowering, “Why am I even arguing with a drunk like you?”
“Yep,” she said with seriousness, evaluating him. “You’re someone who likes to argue.”
Hearing this, Xu Fang’s previous low spirits were lifted. He endured her words, knowing she was in a bad mood today and decided not to argue with her.
Lin Xi Chi’s voice still carried a hint of nasal congestion and hoarseness as she continued to open up about this topic. “I asked you to transfer money to buy a mosquito net, and you transferred exactly thirty-nine yuan.”
Xu Fang closed his eyes briefly, admitting his mistake.
“You wouldn’t let me call you ‘Ah-Pi.’”
But he had agreed, hadn’t he?
He didn’t want to admit that.
“You didn’t take me to eat spicy hot pot.”
The doctor had just advised against eating spicy and irritating food.
He still didn’t want to admit it.
“When I told you that if we won the basketball game, you should give me the prize, you refused.”
At this point, Xu Fang couldn’t help himself. “If I agreed, and we lost, you’d be disappointed.”
Lin Xi Chi paused, shaking her head, seemingly not understanding why he had such thoughts.
“I wouldn’t be disappointed.”
It seemed her meaning was that she believed he would never lose.
Xu Fang’s heart skipped a beat, utterly helpless in the face of her unwavering faith. He sighed softly, “Alright.”
Before he could finish his next sentence, he heard her say earnestly, “If you could make Xu Fang lose.”
“…” Xu Fang was at a loss for words.
“I would save money to buy a Porsche for the team that beat Xu Fang.”
Xu Fang: “…”
What did he ever do to deserve this from her?
Leave a Reply