Fleeting Midsummer Chapter 10 (1/2)

Chapter 10: Two Bags of Snacks (2)

On Tuesday afternoon, we had a cla.s.s discussion on Russian Art History. The method of discussion was just for us to separate into different groups, make a PPT and then choose a team leader to do a presentation. As we had all struggled together for several months, everyone decided not to allow the teacher to drag the cla.s.s out, and all the team leaders spoke very concisely. In the last ten minutes of cla.s.s, the teacher summed up everything, and even felt compelled to ask all his students: “Was there anything you didn’t understand? Do you have anything to add?” We were all unanimously silent and so the teacher announced the dismissal of cla.s.s. The teacher really had nothing to say, so the layout of the next paper was scheduled for the week after the next week and we all scattered like beasts and birds.

I got what I wished for. I could finally wait in front of Xiao Xi’s cla.s.sroom entrance for him.

When the bell rang, waves of students walked out of the cla.s.sroom. I stared closely at everyone’s faces, afraid that I would miss my opportunity. My heart almost jumped out of my chest. I couldn’t hear anyone else’s voice. Please be more obedient, I know you have a very strong vitality in your life but you don’t need to prove it to me now. If this continues I will suffocate.

Maybe Xiao Xi’s aura was different from other people. The moment he pushed out from the crowd of people, I had already located him with my peripheral vision that swept over everyone. Maybe it was because he had gym cla.s.s today because he wore some light colored sportswear that made him seem like he was very lively. His dimples at the sides of his mouth overflowed when they appeared.

I pretended I didn’t see him and slowly went down the stairs in front of his eyes.

“Lin Lin…”

I was very satisfied when I heard his hoa.r.s.e voice.

I turned around and surprisedly said: “Xiao Xi? So coincidental…” Hmph, how could it not be coincidental? I’ve been waiting for half a semester. Buddha said, only when you glance back five hundred times in one’s previous life will you be able to exchange it for this life’s brief encounter. For Xiao Xi, I think I must not have done anything else. My neck turned until it was almost twisted, and I still hadn’t counted all the times I had looked back. Do you not see that I still have to look back even now?

Xiao Xi laughed: “That’s right. It’s so coincidental. I haven’t seen you for such a long time. How is it? Are you used to everything?”

I bashfully lowered my head: “En, I’m used to it. I originally wanted to return home on October 1, but for the sake of training myself, I didn’t go back.”

“You didn’t return October 1? Yu Ke always returns home on October 1. If I had known this earlier, I would have called you along over to Dalian. Some people from our hometown organized a trip to Dalian on October 1. Come with me, I’ll treat you to some special local food.”

My heart began to race. Xiao Xi had no girlfriend to go to the beach with nor anyone to watch the waves fall and rise with. I didn’t have to sing “Listen to the Sea” anymore. Wakaka. My hand couldn’t help but make a victory sign behind his back, as I pretended to say normally: “Really? You went to Dalian? Was Dalian pretty?”

Xiao Xi nodded: “I told Yu Ke that I went to Dalian. Did he not tell you of about the gathering of the people from your hometown? He didn’t let you know? This rascal. He himself didn’t go, and even dragged you with him…”

This stinky brat, he ruined such a big matter for this old woman! Just wait until I get back and give you what you deserve. I remained calm and collected and said: “Maybe he was busy and forgot. Why didn’t you return home?”

Xiao Xi laughed helplessly: “On October 1, the hospital was busier than usual. Plus, with my dad’s bad temper, when the hospital gets busy, he’ll have to live in the hospital. My mom is a nurse. In the hospital, she takes care of my dad. If I return home, it’ll be cold and clean, and not chaotic enough. Alas, as old people age, their bodies get weaker, and their tempers get worse with each pa.s.sing day. I’ll go back and visit when he’s not busy.”

When he said this, I suddenly thought of my parents.

Xiao Xi noticed my wounded appearance and laughed as he patted my shoulder: “Let’s go, I still have to treat you to some local food. You look sullen.”

I arrogantly entered Xiao Xi’s dormitory. According to many meanings, being able to enter a guy’s dormitory means that you are at least someone who is fated with the opposite s.e.x. If you let your eyes wander all around the moment you enter, then you can be sure that this does not prove how pure you are, but shows that you are not popular at all. Julie has burst into the boy’s dormitory many times to borrow some CDs with color in them. I think that when she enters her own house to get those CDs, she probably can’t be so liberal.

This was my second time going into the guy’s dormitory. The first time, I was still confused and ignorant, but this time I was more firm towards my feelings towards Xiao Xi. On average, at this moment I was like a small lecher, as I saw everything through l.u.s.tful eyes.

For example, when I looked at Xiao Xi’s chair, I wanted to sit on it and feel it move; when I saw Xiao Xi’s books, even though I didn’t have any motivation to read them, I wanted to touch the book covers. When I looked at Xiao Xi’s bed, I also had a notion to… ah how sinful. Being with Julie and Wen Jie, my spirit would probably never be pure again.

Xiao Xi got out a piece of food from his plastic bag, getting out squid pieces, clam meat and nori. These were basically all dried seafood goods. I laughed and took it, planning in my heart what I would talk about next. Wouldn’t taking the goodies be considering as dodging this blow? I carefully said: “Thank you. Next time, I will treat you to eat. If I only let you treat me, I will feel a little embarra.s.sed.”

Xiao Xi shook his head: “It’s nothing much, nothing much. Aren’t you Yu Ke’s friend? Plus we come from the same hometown. Next time I’ll let him take you to the hometown reunion, and get to know some other people. In our small town only you two have no siblings, and the last few meetings had a lot of prosperous people. Wait until the finals are over and all our fellow townsmen from Tsinghua University will congregate together.”

My heart was very unsatisfied towards the ident.i.ty that he cast on me. But, due to his pa.s.sionate invitation for me to partic.i.p.ate in the hometown reunion, I was still happy. I immediately replied: “All right, next time, you must call me. This time, I let Fang Yu Ke delay us. Right, why did Fang Yu ke return home straightaway without telling anyone?”

“Eh, his family had gotten a matter of extreme urgency. His grandmother fell down the stairs, and at the time, his family’s housekeeper was standing at the bottom of the stairs, so they were immediately sent to the hospital. My dad even did the surgery. It isn’t that bad, but it put his whole family into extreme shock. I think if it wasn’t for the break over October 1, Fang Yu Ke wouldn’t have returned.”

“I didn’t expect him to be so filial.”