Chapter Sixty-Seven: The Troublesome Little Witch

After being tormented by that little demon Xu Xin, my mood simply refused to improve. That entire afternoon, I visited two more job fairs, but distracted as I was—and with few suitable companies to be found—I came away empty-handed. As evening approached, I left the market, took out my phone, and called Qiu Jieqin.

“Hello, Jieqin? It’s me, are you getting off work soon?”

“Yes, almost. Just another ten minutes or so.”

“I formally resigned yesterday. Today, I spent the whole day wandering around the job market, seeing if there was anywhere I could pick up some work.”

“Oh really?”

“Yes! But after half a day, I didn’t see anything suitable. You know me—I only know a bit about chemistry, and I don’t have any other talents. It’s hard to find a job!”

“Hmm.”

“Huh? You don’t have any suggestions? What’s wrong? Are you not in a good mood?”

“No.”

“That can’t be right. You’re not usually like this! Is something happening?”

“…Qian, I want to see you tonight. There’s something I need to tell you.”

“If you have something to say, just say it now—are you trying to make me anxious?”

“Now… isn’t convenient.”

“All right, where and when should we meet tonight?”

“Hmm… In an hour, just come to my place. I’ll pick up some groceries and cook two of my best dishes for you. How does that sound?”

“Deal! I’ve never actually tasted your cooking before, though. But are you really sure you’re all right? You seem preoccupied.”

“…I’ll tell you when you get here.”

“Then, see you in an hour!” I hung up and walked along, thinking: “Something’s off with Qiu Jieqin! She seems to be carrying a burden she can’t talk about. We parted the other night on good terms—what could have happened so suddenly?”

No matter how I puzzled over it, I couldn’t work it out. I’d have to wait for her to tell me herself. Since it was still early, there was no point hurrying over. I crossed the road and strolled slowly along the embankment by Jade Sash River.

Winter evenings come quickly, and by now it was dusk. At the river’s endless edge, half the sun was about to sink; clouds at the horizon were dyed crimson, blending with the river into a magnificent, breathtaking scene.

Such beauty drew many to the riverbank to watch. As I ambled along, I spotted a familiar silhouette illuminated by the setting sun.

It was the graceful figure of a young girl, sitting on the rail of the embankment. The river wind blew gently, and her long black hair fluttered behind her. She wore a snug school uniform, looked quite young, but her curves were already captivating. With this stunning backdrop, her figure looked like a masterpiece oil painting—so exquisitely beautiful.

But seeing her made my anger flare. The girl was none other than Xu Xin, the very one who’d just played a rotten trick on me. She was lost in thought, gazing dreamily at the painted clouds. I thought: Well, look who’s here—didn’t even have to search. Now that I’ve found you, let’s see what you have to say for yourself.

I stood silently behind her, planning how to give her a good talking-to. The money didn’t matter anymore—what mattered was making her understand how wrong, how immoral her behavior had been. So young, and already so scheming—how would she ever become a useful member of society?

Just as I was about to speak, I suddenly heard the little demon sigh—a long, heavy sigh, filled with a thousand sorrows and countless regrets. So young, and yet she seemed weighed down by untold worries.

I was momentarily stunned, the words caught in my throat. Could this seemingly incorrigible imp really have such a side to her?

After she sighed, Xu Xin swung her legs down from the rail, turned, and saw me. She looked startled at first, then smiled awkwardly. “It’s you? How… did you find me?”

I’d been ready to lecture her, but after hearing her sigh, I figured she must have secret troubles driving her to act out. I said, “Where are your two classmates? How did the speech contest go?”

Xu Xin blushed. “What speech contest? That was… a lie! My classmates already went home—their parents called and told them to come back.”

I’d already guessed the contest was a ruse, so I wasn’t surprised. I asked, “So why aren’t you going home? It’s almost dark, and your house is far away. Aren’t you worried your family will be concerned?”

Xu Xin snorted. “Them? They wouldn’t worry about me! They’d be happier if I never came home—why would they care? Anyway, I’m never going back to that house.”

“Nonsense! You may be mischievous, but what parent doesn’t care for their child? Did you have a fight at home? Running away like this will only make your family frantic! That’s just immature!”

Xu Xin bit her lip, indignant. “My business is none of your concern! So I tricked you into buying a meal—here, I’ll give your money back, and then you can do whatever you want. Stop lecturing me!” She began rummaging in her purse for cash.

“No need. Treating you to a meal is nothing—I don’t mind. Your brother and sister are my friends, and you’re their little sister. How could I let you wander the streets alone? I don’t know what happened at home, but running away is not the answer. Wait here—I’ll call your brother to pick you up.”

I pulled out my phone, ready to call Xu Jian.

Xu Xin snapped, “Why are you so nosy?” Seeing me about to dial, she spun on her heel and ran off.

“Hey! Where are you going? Come back!” I shouted, but she didn’t listen. She had long legs and was gone in a flash.

If she ran off like this, how would I find her again in this big world? As troublesome as she was, she was still just a vulnerable girl. If something bad happened, the consequences would be dire. Really, it wasn’t my place to intervene, but her sister and brother were my friends—I couldn’t stand by and do nothing.

Without thinking further, I set off after her, determined to catch her and call Xu Jian.

So, along the long embankment by Jade Sash River, a blooming young girl ran for her life, with a young man in pursuit, drawing curious looks and murmurs from passersby.

I wondered if Xu Xin had trained for long-distance running at school. She’d had a head start, but even as a tall, fit man, I couldn’t catch up right away. Frustrated, I pushed myself harder, slowly closing the gap.

Xu Xin looked back and, realizing I was about to catch her, panicked and screamed, “Help! A pervert!”

I nearly tripped and fell. What? A pervert? Was that really necessary?

Sure enough, a self-appointed hero leapt out to block my path. “Hey! Harassing a young lady in broad daylight? That’s outrageous!”

Unable to stop in time, I crashed into the so-called hero. With a loud smack, we both saw stars, reeled, and collapsed to the ground, too stunned to even groan.

In the distance, the little demon clapped and laughed gleefully, while three or four onlookers gathered around us. My forehead, chest, and knees all throbbed with pain. Hearing her gloating laughter, I gritted my teeth and got up, thinking, “Just wait till I catch you!”

The man who blocked me sat up too, rubbing his head and cursing at me. He seemed all right, so I ignored him and, through the pain, chased after Xu Xin again.

Seeing me get up and give chase, Xu Xin squealed and ran off once more. Fearing she’d shout for help again, I sprinted after her, determined to catch her quickly.

I had to admire her—she didn’t cry for help again, and no one else tried to stop me, but she was still faster than me. After about seven or eight minutes, who knows how far we’d run. I was gasping for breath, my pace slowing to a crawl. A few paces ahead, the little demon was no better—clutching her chest, stumbling along, until she finally collapsed by the rail, utterly spent.

I caught up, hands on my knees, bent over and panting, too exhausted to speak. So we just glared at each other, both gulping down air.

After a long while, I managed to speak. “Why… are you running? I’m… not… a bad person!”

Xu Xin panted, “You’re trying to… take me home… how are you… not a bad person! Gosh… I’m… exhausted!”

“I… I’m doing this for your own good! You’re… a young girl, alone in a strange place—what if something happens? No, you have to go home. I’m calling… your brother.”

“If you call, I’ll run again!”

I took a few more breaths, calmed myself, and said, “Why are you so unreasonable? You think it’s fun out here? This world is full of all sorts—meeting me is your luck. If you meet a real villain, you could be tricked, even sold off to some remote village. Then you’d regret it!”

She was still defiant. “Even if I got sold to the backwoods, I’d rather that than go home—or have you meddling in my life! Why, do you want to be my brother-in-law or something?”

I paused and laughed. “Brother-in-law? Me? Sorry, I don’t qualify. But your brother is my big brother—I can’t just ignore your troubles.”

“Bah! Don’t try to get close to my family. I know you—you dream about my sister, don’t you? Well, if you want her, you’ll have to get through me first!”

I was half amused, half exasperated, and didn’t bother explaining. “Whatever the case, you can’t run anymore. Stay with me until your brother comes.”

“Fine! I’ll stay. I’ve got nowhere else to go and I’m starving—a little care wouldn’t hurt! But I’m not going home, and if you call my brother, I’ll run off again.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Why? What happened at home that makes you hate it so much?”

“That’s none of your business! I’m not going back. I’ll tag along with you, but only on one condition: you don’t tell my family. Otherwise, I’d rather be sold off as a child bride!”

“That’s not possible! What would it look like, me dragging a young girl around all day? And if you don’t go home, your family will be worried sick—I can’t agree.”

Xu Xin stood up, dusting off her clothes, and snapped, “Fine, forget it! Think I want to follow you anyway? Bye! Don’t bother about me—I don’t need you!”

She turned to leave.

Helpless, I called after her, “Hey! Wait!”

She turned back, looking smug. “What? Changed your mind?”

I thought, Fine, I’ll agree for now—later, when you’re not paying attention, I’ll just call your brother. Once he arrives, you won’t be able to run, and I won’t have to deal with this anymore.

So I pretended to sigh. “Sigh! Seeing you all alone, I really do worry you’ll get abducted. All right, come with me for a couple of days. I’ll look after you, and when you’ve had enough fun and thought things through, you must promise to go home—otherwise, your family will truly be frantic. You have to agree to that!”

The little demon beamed, skipped over to my side, and said, “Deal! When I’ve thought it over, we’ll talk about going home. But don’t think I don’t know what you’re planning—are you going to sneak off and tell my brother? Don’t try to outsmart me—you’re not cunning enough!”

Her smile was so innocent and sweet, you’d think butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth. But inside, she was sharp and shrewd. I forced a smile. “Ha, I wouldn’t dare!”

“Don’t say it so nicely! I want you to swear a vicious oath that you won’t tell my family—or I’ll never trust you!”

Cold sweat broke out on my back. This little demon was really tough. I’d have to agree for now and figure out a plan later.

“All right, all right! I swear, if I tell your family you’re with me, I’ll be a little dog! Satisfied?”

She was both annoyed and amused. “That’s your idea of a vicious oath? A little dog? Come on, be serious! If you keep joking, I’m leaving!”

I shrugged. “What do you want me to say? I don’t know how to swear those kinds of oaths!”

“Fine! I’ll teach you. Say: If I tell my family where you are, let my whole family die! That’s a real vicious oath.”

I was furious. “That’s enough! How can you say such a thing?”

She was unfazed by my anger. “If you don’t swear, it means you’re not sincere and I can’t trust you. If you’re not planning anything, why be afraid to swear? Am I wrong?”

She waved and said, “Goodbye. Don’t waste time. Go do what you want—I’m leaving.”

Seeing her about to go, I realized all my previous effort would be wasted. Desperate, I called out, “Wait! I…”

She turned to face me, backing away. With no other option, I said, “Fine! I swear, if I tell your family where you are, let my whole family die!”

She broke into laughter, ran over, and cheerfully took my arm. “Great! Now I’m sticking with you! Let’s go—I’m starving!”

Forced to make such an oath, I was thoroughly disgruntled. Shaking off her hand, I said, “Since you’re with me, you have to follow my arrangements—no complaints, no mischief.”

She was delighted, giving a crisp salute. “Yes, sir! All orders obeyed, Commander!”

Her happiness only made my head ache. If I brought her home, she could share a room with my little sister—they’re about the same age and would get along. But how would I explain bringing home a strange girl out of nowhere? That would be a headache. And then there was the important matter with Qiu Jieqin. If I didn’t go, she’d wait forever; if I brought the little demon along, how ridiculous would that be?

After a moment’s thought, I decided not to visit Qiu Jieqin. I couldn’t have a proper talk with the little demon in tow, so I’d just call and let her know. I took out my phone, but Xu Xin suddenly shouted, “What are you doing?” and snatched my phone away. “You just swore not to tell my family!”

I said angrily, “Who said I was calling your family? I have a date tonight—how can I go with you around? I was just going to call and say I can’t make it. Give me my phone!”

She looked unconvinced. “Yeah right, I don’t believe you! I’ll just hold on to your phone for now—no sneaky tricks!”

With that, she powered it off. I protested, “If you turn off my phone, how can she contact me? She’ll end up waiting for nothing!”

She grinned slyly. “If your phone’s on, my brother might call. What if he uses a number I don’t recognize? Then all my effort’s wasted! So, just in case, the phone stays off—problem solved. If you’re worried your date will wait in vain, you can take me along! I promise I’ll behave, as long as there’s food. Hee hee!”

I clutched my head and groaned. “How did I end up with a… handful like you? God…”

What could I do? With Qiu Jieqin’s stubborn streak, not going was out of the question. But bringing along the little demon… what a mess!

Seeing time was running short, I finally relented. “All right! I’ll bring you, but you have to promise not to speak out of turn and do exactly as I say!”

She stowed my phone in her pocket, snapped off a perfect salute, and said, “Yes, sir!”

I wanted to laugh, but couldn’t. So I took her to the street, hailed a cab, and headed to Qiu Jieqin’s apartment. At the door, the little demon asked curiously, “You’re going to someone’s house for this date—who is it?”

I replied grumpily, “My girlfriend.”

She was stunned. “What? You… have a girlfriend? I thought you liked my sister!”

“Who told you that? Don’t say things you don’t understand.” I pressed the doorbell. She started, “But how could you… my sister…”

Before she could finish, the door opened. Qiu Jieqin greeted me with a smile, “Qian, you’re late!” Then she noticed the unbelievably pretty and innocent schoolgirl beside me and asked, “Oh? And you are…?”

The little demon’s eyes spun. Suddenly, she clung to my arm and cooed, “Darling! Who’s this lady?”