Chapter 42 (1/2)

Quarrelsome But Loving Couple

Night shrouded Hai-Zhu City and the lamp lights glowed as traffic flowed and strangers trickled by Xia Lei. The city was at once familiar and alien to Xia Lei.

The cool evening breeze blew and carried Xia Lei’s depressed mood away. He wasn’t going to get angry over the matter of Ren Wen-Qiang’s ridicule and mockery, especially since he’d slapped him in the face with his unexpected knowledge of foreign languages.

Ring-ring-ring, ring-ring-ring went his mobile phone all of a sudden.

It was Jiang Ru-Yi. “You ass. Till when were you planning to hide it from me?”

Xia Lei paused and asked, confused, “Hide what from you?”

“One million! You made one million! How come I was the last to know of this?” said Jiang Ru-Yi.

“Oh, so you’re talking about that,” Xia Lei laughed, “Sorry I forgot to tell you.”

“You did it on purpose, didn’t you!” Jiang Ru-Yi spoke indignantly, “Even the female worker you’d just hired got 20,000 as a bonus but I didn’t get a cent!”

“You’re not even an employee of our Thunder Horse Workshop so what should I give you a bonus for?”

“I don’t care! I want clothes, makeup and bags! You have to buy them for me.”

Xia Lei was speechless.

“That’s a promise. I’ll be waiting for you at home.” Jiang Ru-Yi hung up without waiting for Xia Lei’s response.

Xia Lei stared at the phone in his hands, at a loss for words. He then talked to it as if it were Jiang Ru-Yi, “You! What am I to you? I have to buy you clothing because you want it? You want makeup and bags so I have to buy them for you? Really!”

Xia Lei wandered the streets and made a big round but, as though he owed Jiang Ru-Yi from his previous life, he finally stopped in a ladies’ clothing shop and spent over a thousand yuan on a dress for her.

Back in his neighbourhood, Xia Lei did not go home but went straight to Jiang Ru-Yi’s door. He reached out and knocked on her door.

There was no response from inside.

Xia Lei frowned and used more strength to knock on the door while saying, “Ru-Yi? It’s me, Xia Lei. Open up.”

Jiang Ru-Yi’s voice finally came from beyond the door, “It’s the middle of the night; who’s knocking on my door?”

“It’s me, Xia Lei,” he said.

“Xia Lei? I don’t know anyone by that name,” came Jiang Ru-Yi’s voice.

Xia Lei was speechless.

“I’ve broken all ties with you,” came her voice again.

“Well then, I’ll give the dress to Xue,” teased Xia Lei.

The flat door opened with a crash.

The instant the door opened, a Spring-like wind blew and Xia Lei was temporarily transported to a field full of flowers in bloom; he felt not himself.

Jiang Ru-Yi stood in the doorway dressed in a bathrobe. Her hair was wet and she looked like she had just finished taking a bath. It looked like she had rushed out upon hearing the knocking and had not had time to wipe herself dry. The thin, dampened bathrobe clung to her skin, and a mesmerising sight presented itself. The bathrobe had dry spots and wet spots, darker places and lighter places, some parts flat while some parts stuck out, and some places… The body of a woman in a bathrobe was like abstract poetry; every reading brought fresh novelty and mystery.

Xia Lei froze, unsure of how he should interact with her.

Jiang Ru-Yi behaved as though she was wearing a down jacket and quilted cotton pants. She bowed at the waist, as though greeting royalty and had a smile on her face, “Boss Lei, please come in. What would you like to have?”

Xia Lei’s lips were dry, “Anything. Beer, give me a can of beer.”

“What beer? You know I don’t drink beer. Will tap water be okay?” Jiang Ru-Yi’s line of sight was focused on the box in Xia Lei’s hand. She couldn’t wait to put on the dress inside.

This was Jiang Ru-Yi after all. Xia Lei grinned and his feelings settled. Wasn’t it just Jiang Ru-Yi in a damp bathrobe? He’d even seen the naked Jiang Ru-Yi! He walked past her into the flat, then sat on the sofa in the living room. He did not put the box on the table but behind himself. Jiang Ru-Yi was usually the one to tease him so he was not going to let it pass when the opportunity arose to tease her.

Jiang Ru-Yi closed the door and walked over. She seated herself opposite Xia Lei, not even getting him the tap water.

She crossed her legs, and two-thirds of her white legs were exposed to the air. Her back pressed into the sofa and her arms spread to rest on the armrests, opening up the bathrobe to reveal a patch of white softness below the collar; amazing cleavage. Her posture was quite open and she was at ease. Opposite her, however, Xia Lei appeared uneasy and didn’t know where to look.

“Where’s the dress you bought me?” Jiang Ru-Yi spoke carelessly, “Why hide it since you bought it?”

This attitude she displayed was that of a spoilt daughter of the landlord in ancient times and Xia Lei was her family’s sturdy young indentured worker.

Xia Lei smiled and said, “Call me Big Brother. I’ll give it to you if you call me Big Brother.”

“Big Brother, your a…” Jiang Ru-Yi quickly changed her words and said sweetly, “Big Brother.”

“Good girl.” Xia Lei held his chin, “Do a runway walk for Big Brother.”

Jiang Ru-Yi froze, then suddenly snatched up a pillow and rushed at Xia Lei, fierce as a tigress, “You! You think you’re a patron of a brothel?”

Xia Lei froze too. Patron? Why did she use such a word as ‘patron’?

Jiang Ru-Yi also realised her slip-up in words and her face turned pink. She hurriedly changed the topic, “Hand over the item now or don’t you think about stepping out my door tonight.”

These words were also very ambiguous and Xia Lei could not take it any longer. He threw the box he’d stashed behind himself to Jiang Ru-Yi.