Chapter Eighty-Three: Words Spoken in Dreams

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I frowned and said, “An hourly room? The two of us, a man and a woman, getting an hourly hotel room? Isn’t that inappropriate?”

Xu Xin laughed, “Oh, come on, don’t be so old-fashioned! This is the twenty-first century! Do you still think it’s the era when a man and a woman can’t be left alone in a room together?” As she spoke, she let out a huge yawn, covering her mouth with her hand. “Besides, I’m really exhausted. I didn’t sleep well last night, and I haven’t slept a wink today. I just want to find a place to rest properly!”

I kept silent. In my mind, this little witch was still just a child, so I wasn’t truly worried about any negative consequences, nor did I have any other thoughts. When she first suggested getting a room to rest, I’d already considered it a good idea. It was only my aversion and prejudice toward the idea of an “hourly room” that made me hesitate.

But Xu Xin kept yawning beside me, feigning exhaustion, as if without a place to rest she’d just collapse and sleep on the street. Left with no choice, I nodded in agreement.

After sending the taxi away, I went with Xu Xin to the Cozy Inn. While checking in, the manager—a middle-aged woman—glared at me as though I were some class enemy for bringing such a beautiful underage girl to get a room. She said nothing, but her disapproving stare made me deeply uncomfortable. Xu Xin, on the other hand, seemed utterly unbothered, looking around with curiosity.

I took the room key, and together we went up to the second floor, found our room, and entered. The room was simple: a bed, a table, two chairs. At least it looked clean. Xu Xin dashed into the bathroom the moment she entered, shutting the door behind her. I walked over to the bed, pinched the bridge of my nose, and half lay, half sat on the bed with my eyes closed to rest. To be honest, after everything that had happened overnight, I was exhausted. Not only was the wound at the back of my head aching, but I was also sore all over from Xu Xin’s kicks and my own falls. My whole body was uncomfortable, and I really needed rest.

Soon, the bathroom door opened, and the little witch came out, looking annoyed. She held out her hand to me. “Where’s that bottle of medicine the hospital gave you for bruises? Give it here.”

I opened my eyes, rummaged through my pockets for several bottles, and handed her the one for contusions. She snatched it away, shot me a fierce glare, then hurried back into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.

I knew why she was suddenly angry—she must have seen the bruises from when I’d hit her with my belt! I imagine it hurt a lot; I hadn’t held back at all. Each strike was full force—she must have found it unbearable.

But she had brought it upon herself. I was covered in injuries from her as well! This girl was completely unruly, careless, with a serious violent streak. How could a nice young lady become so wild? What kind of upbringing had she had?

I shook my head and sighed, pulled out a cigarette, and lit it. After a few puffs, the bathroom door opened again, and the little witch leapt onto the bed with a contented sigh. “Finally… I can get some sleep.”

I glanced at my watch—it was almost six o’clock. “Get some good rest. I’ll wake you in two hours. We’ll get breakfast and then go to the airport to meet your sister.”

The little witch, unable to sleep on her back, lay on her stomach. She hugged the pillow to her chest, one leg straight, the other bent, and closed her eyes.

I got off the bed and sat in a chair, chain-smoking.

A few minutes later, seeing the little witch had made no sound, I assumed she’d fallen asleep. Though I found her infuriating, I’d promised Xu Jian I’d look after her. Seeing her uncovered, and the room not particularly warm, I worried she might catch a cold—and I’d have no excuse. So I stood, pulled the quilt over her gently.

Just then, the little witch opened her eyes and called softly, “Brother Tang Qian.”

I grunted. “You’re not asleep yet? Hurry and sleep, there’s not much time.”

She ignored me, her bright eyes fixed on me. Suddenly she asked, “Brother Tang Qian, do you love your girlfriend?”

I returned to the chair, lit a second cigarette. “Why do you ask?”

“No reason. I was just curious!”

“What’s there for a child to be curious about? Close your eyes and sleep—it’s already past six.”

“Brother Tang Qian, I think your girlfriend is old and ugly. She’s not worthy of you at all.”

I wanted to ignore her, but when she insulted Qiu Jieqin, I couldn’t help defending her. “How is my girlfriend old and ugly? She’s my classmate, the same age as me, and she was the campus beauty. What kind of judgment is that?”

“Well! You’re almost thirty, aren’t you? Your girlfriend is your age—heavens! A woman almost thirty isn’t old? And you call her a campus beauty? I pity the boys at your school! Even if she was the campus beauty, that was years ago. A woman at thirty is like curdled tofu—she’s practically there. Isn’t that old and ugly?”

I was speechless. This little witch could really twist logic. Not wanting to argue further, I finished my cigarette, stubbed it out, leaned back, and closed my eyes for a nap.

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Suddenly, the little witch was wide awake. She hugged her pillow, shifted to face me, her long legs curled up and swinging on the bed, her eyes thoughtful.

I grew irritable. “Weren’t you tired? Why aren’t you sleeping?”

“You’re sitting so far away. I don’t feel safe—I can’t sleep.”

“Where else am I supposed to sit?”

“Well… just sit on the edge of the bed. When I was little, if I had a nightmare, I couldn’t sleep unless my dad sat by my bed. Then I felt safe and fell asleep quickly.”

“Enough! You’re not having nightmares, and I’m not your dad. What are you playing at? If you won’t sleep, it’s your problem, but I’m going to rest. Don’t bother me!” I wasn’t about to fall for her tricks. Who knew what she was up to now? The best way to deal with her was to ignore her, so I turned away, closed my eyes, and tried to nap.

She snorted and started kicking the bed, making thumping noises. I pretended not to hear, keeping my eyes shut. Then she began making all sorts of strange noises, kicking the headboard, humming loudly. I gritted my teeth, forced myself not to react.

After a while, seeing I didn’t respond, she upped the ante, singing. I recognized the song—it was one of her sister’s famous hits. But whether intentional or simply tone-deaf, she sang so horribly I could hardly bear it.

The racket finally got to me. I opened my eyes and shouted, “Little witch! What is it you want? Can’t you let me sleep?”

She huffed, “I can’t sleep. I’m bored!”

“If you can’t sleep, go outside. Don’t annoy me in here!”

She pouted, scrambled off the bed, and headed for the door. “Fine! You said it. If I leave and don’t come back, don’t blame me!” She reached for the doorknob.

I had no choice but to call out, “Wait!”

She turned, looking smug. I sighed, suppressing my anger, and spoke as gently as I could. “Alright, my little lady, please stop. What do you want so you’ll be quiet?”

Xu Xin said, “Didn’t I say? If you just sit on the bed, I’ll feel safe. I promise I’ll behave and sleep right away.”

I glanced at the window. Dawn was breaking; time was short. If I didn’t rest, I’d be exhausted myself. “You promise you’ll be quiet if I do?”

She smiled, raising her hand in mock solemnity. “I swear on my honor!”

I snorted, “Honor? You mean your ‘witch’s honor’!” Still, I gave in, moved to the edge of the bed, and sat down. “There, I’m sitting here. Satisfied?”

Xu Xin beamed, kicked off her shoes, and jumped onto the bed. She placed her pillow right next to me, lay down beside me, and adjusted herself into a comfortable position.

She was just a child, after all, so I didn’t think much of it. Maybe she really was like my little sister once was, unable to sleep without someone nearby. Leaning against the headboard, I watched as she closed her eyes, a satisfied smile on her lips, and felt a little strange inside.

Just hours ago, this little girl had been fighting me tooth and nail, and now she was sleeping beside me like a kitten. The transformation was so drastic I couldn’t comprehend it. Was it really because of those four strikes with the belt?

Suddenly, Xu Xin whispered, “Brother Tang Qian, as long as you always spoil me like this, I promise to be good forever, listen to you, and never be naughty again.”

I paused. “If you just behave, who could dislike you? Alright, no more talking. Sleep!” She murmured assent, shifted her position, and rested her face against my thigh.

I thought of moving my leg, but seeing the peaceful happiness on her face, I didn’t want to break the sense of security she felt—better to let her sleep.

Soon, her breathing deepened and I could tell she was asleep. I closed my eyes, planning to nap as well. But I realized if I fell asleep, we might both oversleep and miss Xu Shu’s flight. So I set an alarm on my phone to vibrate, then finally relaxed and slept.

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It felt like I’d just fallen asleep when my phone started vibrating incessantly. I opened my eyes and checked my watch—eight o’clock sharp. I switched off the alarm and sat up, noticing Xu Xin had rolled to the other end of the bed at some point. Letting her sleep a few minutes longer, I stretched, washed my face with cold water in the bathroom, then went to wake her.

Just as I reached the bed, Xu Xin spoke. “Brother Tang Qian!”

Thinking she was awake, I said, “You’re up? Come on, time to get moving.”

She shifted on the bed, curling into a ball, and murmured with a whimper. After a couple of seconds, she mumbled, “Brother Tang Qian, please be gentle. I won’t dare next time…”

I froze, realizing the little witch was talking in her sleep. Was she dreaming of fighting me even now? I was both amused and exasperated. I called out loudly, “Alright, no more hitting. Get up!”

She murmured, “No, I want you to hold me like this. Just be gentle…”

I broke into a cold sweat. What on earth was she dreaming about?

Seeing she still wouldn’t wake, I had no choice but to shake her shoulder. After a moment, she frowned, blinked awake, and looked at me groggily. “Brother Tang Qian, what’s wrong?”

“Time to get up. We need to meet your sister at the airport, remember?”

She mumbled “oh,” then flopped back down, yawning, “Just two more minutes…” But there was no way she’d be up in two minutes. I patted her head. “Come on, enough sleep. If you make us late for your sister, I’m not responsible!”

Annoyed by my nagging, she finally sat up with a cry of frustration. “You’re so annoying! You’re driving me crazy!” I laughed, “If I didn’t wake you, how would you get up? Go wash your face and wake up. When we get to your sister, you can sleep as much as you want and I won’t bother you anymore.”

She squinted her eyes, dawdling before finally getting out of bed to wash up. I lit a cigarette and waited.

After washing her face, she looked a bit more awake. She stood in the bathroom, examining herself in the mirror. “Brother Tang Qian, I just took a nap and had a dream. Guess what it was about?”

I blew out a puff of smoke, answering without thinking, “You dreamed I was hitting you.”

She jumped, dropping her towel into the sink. She poked her head out, nervous. “How… how did you know?”

I shrugged. “You were talking in your sleep.”

She looked as if she’d expected as much, quickly ducking back inside. She didn’t come out for ages. When I’d finished my cigarette, I finally called out, “Miss Xu, are you done yet? If we don’t leave now, we really won’t make it to your sister in time.”

“Coming, coming.” After a moment, Xu Xin emerged, trying to act nonchalant. “Let’s go, then.” I gave her a meaningful look, opened the door, and led the way.

Under the suspicious glare of the manager, I paid the bill. Xu Xin, in contrast to her earlier bravado, looked embarrassed—her cheeks flushed, her eyes darted, her posture furtive, as though she had a guilty conscience. I couldn’t help smiling—wasn’t this just making the manager more suspicious?

We left the inn, bought two sesame buns at a breakfast stall, and hailed a taxi to the airport. I thought we had plenty of time, but we got stuck in traffic at the city exit for over twenty minutes. By the time we arrived at B City International Airport, it was already 9:40.

We rushed into the arrivals hall, which was swarming with people—fans and reporters everywhere. In the center stood Xu Shu, so beautiful she was almost blinding, arms full of flowers, smiling as she answered questions from a crowd of microphones, recorders, cameras, and camcorders. Xu Xin shouted happily, “Sis!” and squeezed into the crowd.

From behind, I saw the little witch finally reach her sister. Xu Shu, delighted, threw her arms around her. The two stunning sisters embracing became the focus of countless camera flashes…

I let out a long breath, turned, and quietly left the airport. At last, I’d fulfilled Xu Jian’s request and handed the little witch over to Xu Shu. I felt relaxed—now all I wanted was to go home, get some well-deserved sleep, and continue with my own life.