Chapter Eighty-Nine: Chaos Disrupted

I let out a bitter laugh and racked my brains for a long moment, but still could not explain why the door had somehow ended up locked from the inside. In the end I could only ask, “Did you come looking for me?”

Xu Shu closed the door behind her and said, “Of course I did. I have a few questions for you, but I couldn’t very well ask them in front of your fiancée, so I made an excuse to go to the restroom and slipped over here for a bit.”

I sighed. “Huajingjing is really not my girlfriend. I already explained that to you very clearly, didn’t I?”

Xu Shu gave a soft laugh, and in that instant her beauty blossomed with a hundred charms. “Who knows?” she said. “Someone once said he’d never see Huajingjing again, and yet here he is, strolling around hand in hand with her every day, turning up together at all kinds of entertainment spots. Hmph. Were your own words just meant to be thrown away?”

I said hastily, “Who said I was with her every day? I only ended up with Huajingjing today because she caught me red-handed and I had no choice. I’m trying to avoid her whenever possible. How could I possibly be with her every day? If you don’t believe me, I can swear it!”

Xu Shu rolled her eyes at me. “Enough, enough. Whether you’re with Huajingjing or not, what does it have to do with me? Do whatever you like. I don’t have time to listen to your oaths.” Then she said, “Turn your head around. Let me see what’s wrong with the back of your head. It’s wrapped up like a mask.”

Something stirred in me. Xu Shu really did seem to care about me quite a lot.

Since the little demon Xu Xin was hiding in this very room, I couldn’t tell the truth. So I turned my head for her to see and said, “It’s nothing serious. I was hit on the head with a stick by some punks. It’s already fine.”

Xu Shu reached out and gently touched the gauze on my head, chiding me with concern. “You look so honest and proper. How did you end up fighting with a bunch of hoodlums? It’s wrapped up so terribly; did it hurt a lot?”

When I turned back to look at her, I could clearly see worry and pain in her eyes. It was the first time I had ever felt concern from Xu Shu. In my shock, my heart seemed to drift and sway, as if I were dreaming.

My gaze grew feverish; my breathing quickened. A thought in my mind was driving me nearly mad: I wanted to seize her little hand no matter what, and I could not even control myself.

Xu Shu must have sensed what I was thinking, because her face flushed faintly. She quickly drew her hand back and said seriously, “Hey! Don’t get the wrong idea. I’m only showing concern as your friend. Don’t go thinking any improper thoughts.”

In an instant, my face burned scarlet, and I was too ashamed to lift my head. Then, all at once, Qi Jieqin came to mind, and my remorse deepened. I thought: Tang Qian, you already have a girlfriend. How could you be so frivolous? This is truly shameful. How can you ever face Qi Jieqin, who loves you so deeply?

Seeing my mortified state, Xu Shu laughed again. “I’m only joking. Don’t take it to heart. Hm? Why is there so much sweat on your face? Is it too hot?”

I gave a bitter smile and wiped the sweat from my face, thinking, If you and your sister keep tormenting me like this, how could I not sweat? But aloud I said, “Yes, yes. The heat in this room is a little high.”

Xu Shu said, “Is that so? I don’t feel it. Oh, right, I got carried away talking and forgot to ask you: did my little sister cheat you out of a meal? That little demon is becoming more outrageous by the day. My brother already told me on the phone that you’ve been looking after her these past two days. That must have been terribly troublesome for you. On behalf of my family, I really want to thank you. I’m sorry to have caused you so much trouble. Later I’ll have her come thank you in person!”

I could only smile bitterly again. “No need for thanks. It was just a small thing.”

And inwardly I thought, Your sister is not merely troublesome—she’s terrifying. Good heavens, please don’t let her appear before me again.

Xu Shu went on, “That won’t do. We have to thank you. Also, exactly how much did my sister cheat you out of? I’ll pay you back for her.”

I said, “Forget it, really. It was only one meal. Count it as if I treated her. Aren’t we friends? Why are you being so exact about it?”

“That’s different,” she said. “A treat is a treat; cheating is cheating. One thing is one thing. You’re not some rich tycoon, and that wasn’t your hard-earned money? Tell me—how much did it cost?”

I saw that Xu Shu was insistent on paying me back, so I finally said, “Not much. Only eighteen hundred.”

“Eighteen hundred?” Xu Shu cried in surprise. “That little demon actually tricked you into spending eighteen hundred yuan? Really... she’s gone too far. She needs a proper lesson. This is outrageous!”

Her face filled with apology. “I thought it had only been two or three hundred, and I was ready to forgive her so easily. If you happened not to have that much money on you, wouldn’t my sister have ruined you? I’m so sorry!”

I said, “It doesn’t matter. Since it’s already been spent, just count it as a lesson. Next time I won’t trust people so easily.”

Xu Shu, both ashamed and angry, said, “Then wait here a moment. I’ll get the money. I absolutely have to pay you back.”

I thought to myself that I wasn’t well-off to begin with. Though the sum wasn’t large, it was still half of all my savings. Since she insisted on repaying me, why should I keep pretending to be polite? So I nodded. “All right.”

Xu Shu had just turned to leave and open the door when something seemed to occur to her. She looked back and smiled. “There’s one more question. This afternoon, after my sister and I came back, she fell asleep the moment she lay down. I was tired too, so I lay beside her to rest for a while. My sister has this habit of talking in her sleep. I heard her keep saying, ‘Brother Tang Qian, hit me a little softer. I won’t dare again!’ Can you explain why?”

Sweat broke out on me again at once, and I stood there tongue-tied. Xu Shu stepped close to me once more, very near now, and in a voice fragrant as orchids she said, “Also, my sister has two bruised welts on her legs, as if they were made by something like a whip. I wonder if Brother Tang Qian knows how those got there?”

I was drenched in sweat. Disaster. Xu Shu must think I’m some kind of pervert who abused her sister. True, I only fought back in self-defense because I was forced to, but those few blows with the belt really were from me. I wondered whether she would forgive me after I explained.

Xu Shu’s expression began to harden. She sneered, “Why aren’t you saying anything? Brother Tang Qian?” Her face drew closer and closer, and I could only lean back as far as I could. Just as I was about to confess everything in helplessness, Huajingjing’s voice came from outside: “Tang Qian! Are you in there?”

Xu Shu was startled and quickly drew back. Pointing a finger at my nose, she whispered, “When Huajingjing leaves, you send her back and then come back here. If you don’t explain everything clearly today, I’m not done with you! I... I need to hide for a bit. Don’t you dare tell her I’m here!”

With that, she glanced around in a fluster, and perhaps that huge floor-length curtain was indeed the best hiding place. Xu Shu hesitated only briefly before darting toward the little demon’s hiding spot.

I had only just reacted and was about to stop her when Huajingjing called again from outside, “Tang Qian! Say something, will you? Which room are you in?”

I saw Xu Shu part the curtain and slip inside, so I had no choice but to shut my eyes and wait for the startled cry. Sure enough, I heard her give a soft exclamation and then a low hiss: “What are you doing hiding here?” Then came another quiet “shh,” a rustling movement behind the curtain, and silence.

Outside, Huajingjing had already begun to shout in anger: “Tang Qian!”

I hurriedly said, “I’m here!”

Two seconds later, the door opened, and Huajingjing walked in with anger written all over her face. “What is going on today?” she demanded. “Xiao Shu said she was going to the restroom, and then she disappeared. Were you smoking yourself drunk in here or something? I’ve called you so many times—didn’t you hear me?”

I went up to her and said, “I just finished. Come on, let’s go back and wait for your classmate to return.”

But Huajingjing said, “Wait. I have something to ask you. Sit here for a moment first.” As she spoke, she sat down on the sofa on her own.

I was growing anxious, and the sweat only increased. My mind kept repeating: It’s chaos, total chaos. Why has everyone ended up in one room? And why is nobody leaving? What am I supposed to do now?

In desperation, I could only ask, “What do you want to ask me? It has to be here?”

Huajingjing patted the seat beside her. “Come on. I want you to sit next to me.”

At a time like this, she was still thinking about closeness. I only wanted to get the questioning over with and leave the room with her, so as to avoid an even bigger joke later. I sat down beside her at once. “All right, ask away.”

But Huajingjing did not hurry. She just stared at me without stopping. I was already guilty and uneasy, and now her gaze made me even more unnatural. I could only force a smile. “What’s wrong? Why do you keep looking at me?”

Huajingjing said, “Why is there so much sweat on your face? What were you doing in this room just now?”

I gave a dry laugh and quickly wiped my sweat again. “It’s hot! This room is really hot. Can’t you feel it?”

Huajingjing said in surprise, “Hot? I don’t feel anything. Hmph, I think it’s your heart that’s hot.”

Feeling guilty, I asked, “My heart? What... what do you mean?”

Huajingjing said, “Hmph! You know perfectly well what I mean. Let me warn you: our big star already belongs to someone else, so don’t start fantasizing about her or getting any crooked ideas!”

I stared at her. “What? Who’s fantasizing? Who’s getting crooked ideas? Don’t talk nonsense, okay?”

Huajingjing snorted again. “Don’t think I can’t see it. And don’t forget your own status. She’s an international superstar—do you really think she’d look at you? Are all men like this? Always chasing after unreal things? Do you think I can’t move you? I like you so much—why do you like me instead?”

I said angrily, “Huajingjing, could you please speak on some basis before you accuse me of things? Who do you think Tang Qian is? Why would I go after your star classmate?”

Huajingjing said, “Of course you don’t have the nerve to chase her now, but do you think I’m blind? Can’t I see your eyes light up the moment you see Xiao Shu, the intoxicated look on your face? And when you were walking behind us, you stared straight at her backside with the look of a lecher. I looked back at you and you didn’t even know it. You dare say you weren’t thinking anything? You were practically about to bite into it!”

I was stunned.

I... I had nothing to say. I really had looked, and I really had felt a little lustful impulse. How... how had Huajingjing seen all of it?

My face burned scarlet. Instinctively, I glanced toward Xu Shu’s hiding place.

At that very moment, the floor-length curtain trembled.