Chapter 9: Summer I (2/2)

”Oh, Li. Why are you here?” she waved her hand, smiling.

She put her hand over the calluses on Lixia's fingers. He couldn't feel it physically but this gesture of hers warmed his heart, nevertheless.

”Why are your calluses thicker than those on my hand?” she mumbled.

”Not again, Grandma. I'm not coming anymore if you carry on this way.”

”Alright, alright. Is anything the matter?” she asked.

”Two bottles of orange soda please, Grandma,” Lixia answered.

”Give me a moment.”

With the drinks in his hands, he bade his grandmother goodbye before sprinting off to meet Xiaoyue.

Xiaoyue waited quietly for Lixia.

Lixia returned, holding onto the drinks. There was nothing better than drinking his grandmother's soda on a hot summer day like this.

Xiaoyue pulled Lixia along as she walked toward the pier.

Lixia had asked her quite a few times why she came here every day and each time for a few hours.

Her wait grew longer and her visits became increasingly frequent.

Each time, she would look far out at sea, sigh, and ask, ”Are you willing to wait with me, darling?”

Hearing Xiaoyue's voice, Lixia would nod his head in agreement. He couldn't help it.

They would sit on the beach as Xiaoyue leaned on his shoulder, watching the sea absentmindedly.

Lixia would stay silent and keep his mind occupied with his six guitar strings.

The sun shone down on their bodies as the sea breeze and bottled sodas accompanied them through their wait, effectively throwing their mind off the summer heat.

An hour turned into a whole afternoon.

A few days later.

Lixia shook Xiaoyue and said urgently, ”You must have gotten a heat stroke. Let's go home.”

Looking into his eyes, she said, ”Can you watch the sea with me, darling?”

Her voice was ever so gentle. Trembling, Lixia grabbed onto Xiaoyue. ”Let's go home. You can't watch the sea in this condition.”

Struggling free, Xiaoyue countered, ”You promised, darling. You'll accompany me always.”

Lixia clenched his teeth, carried her up and took her home.

”No, no,” Xiaoyue yelled while attempting to break free.

It was Lixia's first time to go against her will.

At home, Lixia placed her down on the bed.

Xiaoyue asked weakly, ”Don't you like me anymore?”

”It's not that.”

”Then why won't you go with me to watch the sea?” Xiaoyue asked angrily, pus.h.i.+ng him out of her room.

Xiaoyue lived alone on Gulangyu. Her parents had left the island to make a living elsewhere when she was eleven. Rumor had it that they were very successful but were too busy to come back.

Xiaoyu wept in her room as Lixia stood outside, looking at her guzheng.

Her guzheng had six strings, just like his own guitar.

He couldn't play the guzheng but he remembered a piece that she had once guided him through.

A disjointed tune from 'Fishermen's Return at Dusk' filled the house.

Xiaoyue stopped crying and came out of her room.

She looked at Lixia and slowly asked, ”Will you wait with me, darling?”

Not knowing how to respond, Lixia could only return her gaze.

He couldn't understand why she was so devilishly obsessed with the sea.

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