You, What’s Wrong with You? Don’t Cry

“Hanging out all day, why don’t you know how to study?”

“Have you finished your homework? Huh? You don’t even have a bit of self-consciousness!”

“I can’t see a single book on your desk, you are really capable, Lu Xi! Don’t you know that the entrance examination is arriving soon?”

“From now on, you are not allowed to go anywhere. This weekend, just stay in the house for studi—”

Xu Xuelin opened the door in annoyance, but she didn’t expect that there would be someone in front of the door, so she became a little embarrassed.

 “Sisi…you aren’t going for make-up classes this week?” She unconsciously blurted out in a soft voice.

The little girl in front of the door was called Zhou Sisi who lived on the same floor. All those living in the same unit knew that she was very quiet and bashful, and afraid of strangers.

Therefore, Xu Xuelin was not surprised when she didn’t receive any response. Since she was in a hurry, she didn’t notice anything wrong with her and left the words “Auntie has cherries in the house, go and have some”, then hurriedly left for the hospital.

A gust of mid-spring wind tumbled through the corridor window and swept across Zhou Sisi’s bangs, who stood still for a long time.

“Ahh.” The person in the room yawned.

“Fuck, she left the door open,” the clear young voice grew louder as the distance between them narrowed, “so sloppy and nice to say–huh?”

The voice made Zhou Sisi’s shoulders tremble slightly and as she lifted her eyes, her scattered gaze gradually focused on the young man’s face.

The exquisite and handsome young man seemed lazy. “You are standing here,” he casually asked, holding back the unfriendly words.  “What are you doing? Is there something that you want?” 

Before he finished, he was dumbfounded to find the silent neighbor’s sister eyes were red, and they seemed to be becoming more redder.

~This, what’s going on?

“You-” Lu Xi flicked her natural, short, curly hair twice. “Did you also receive a scolding from your mother?”

She looked at him, for an instant, her heart filled with surging emotions.

This face was greener than the one in her memory. She seemed to have never looked at his face seriously as if she had never thought he would … for her…

“You, what’s wrong with you? Don’t cry!” He was at a loss and panicked a little.

The little sister from the neighborhood had a porcelain white face the size of a palm, red nose, and her apricot eyes were red, full of tears, which looked like they might roll down at any moment. Also, it was not like she was being wronged nor hurt, it’s more like grieving over something.

Lu Xi, who couldn’t bear her gaze, scratched his ears, while keeping his eyes closed, he asked, “Do you have something to do with me? Do you want to come in?”

Several seconds passed still there was no response. The phone in his trouser pocket vibrated several times. Without a doubt, his hair(no need to think with brain, lol..) knew that it was his friend who called him to play online games.

“If you don’t have anything else to say, I will close the door and go back inside.” Lu Xi waited for a moment before closing the door.

This neighborhood sister was a bit strange…

As he walked into his room with his slippers, he pulled out his mobile phone. As soon as he saw his friend’s message, his brain automatically threw things other than games to the corner.

⸙⸙⸙

The corridor was empty and pale, and the birds were chirping outside during the day. Zhou Sisi’s curly eyelashes were wet with tears and covered with starry water beads.

An uncle on the fifth floor who happened to be descending to the third floor on his way out, noticed her and called, “Sisi?” 

After seeing her expression, “This… Did the Lu family bully you?”

Zhou Sisi shook her head slowly.

“What happened? Tell me?” This uncle was a chivalrous person. Seeing Zhou Sisi, a good girl with red eyes standing alone in this state, he couldn’t help but feel concerned.

“No…” Pulling away from the chaotic thoughts she lowered her head, concealed her red eyes, and said, “Thank you, uncle.”

In order to avoid encountering the other residents she returned home . Her head felt heavy, and her temples throbbed. Her body slumped onto the bed as she quickly fell asleep.

⸙⸙⸙

“– What is the time now?”

“Sisi.”

Zhou Sisi opened her eyes while pressing her forehead. The room was dim, the light from the living room penetrated through the doorway.

“You’re still asleep–get up.” Chen Cui walked to the room door and with a ‘pop’ switched on the light.

The sudden brightness caused her to squint uncomfortably and her head remained a little heavy.

“Does any girl of your age sleep till this hour? Get up, wash your face and come for dinner.”

More than twenty minutes later, Zhou Sisi sat at the dining table. After getting out of bed with pursed lips, she put on clothes, and spent a lot of time in front of the bathroom sink.

Chen Cui held a mobile phone in her left hand and swiped it while eating. “Why were you so slow?”

With head down and eyes lowered, Zhou Sisi let out a low “Um”. Chen Cui, her biological mother, was the person she didn’t want to face right now.

She was born again. In her last life, Chen Cui had died in a car accident on her way to play mahjong, leaving her alone with a lot of debts, including public, private, and even usury.

Her creditors chased her everywhere. She felt helpless and alone. She didn’t know whom to ask for help in college since she didn’t have any friends, so she could only squeeze her time to work day and night to make money.

Initially, her physique was not good and after several months of intensive work, her health took a toll and she abruptly died in the early summer of her senior year. Her soul wandered for over ten days. She didn’t know what happened that made her return to her second year of high school.

If she said that she had no resentment towards Chen Cui, it might have been a lie.

Zhou Sisi’s father was a doctor. He worked diligently, gave up the chance to win awards and instead, strived to make his wife Chen Cui join the hospital administrative post.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, he died in a plane crash while going on a training trip. Perhaps out of compassion, the hospital promoted Chen Cui’s status from contractual to permanent.

Although the family’s savings and her income were not much, they could support this incomplete family to maintain normal standards of living.

Chen Cui indeed spent money without restraint and also liked to play cards and mahjong. In Zhou Sisi’s impression, whenever her mother had time she ran out to play, often losing money. And when she was about to enter third year of high school, she had learned to borrow from others, and the debts multiplied exponentially.

She dared not be frugal. For more than three years in university, she had never gone to a dinner with her classmates.

After Chen Cui passed away in a car accident, creditors came one after another. She would never forget the embarrassment and panic at the time…

“What are you staring at?” Chen Cui said, “Eat.”

Zhou Sisi’s eyelashes quivered for a long time, she shoved a potato into her mouth and chewed mechanically.

“Why are you keeping your head down?” Chen Cui locked her phone and asked, 

“Are you not feeling well?” She reached out to touch her daughter’s forehead.

Suddenly Zhou Sisi’s nose became sore, and she dodged subconsciously, still not looking at her. “No—”

“Your temperature is normal.” Retracting her hand, Chen Cui grabbed her phone and got up.

Zhou Sisi closed her eyes, and said, “Can you stop gambling?”

“What ‘gambling’? It’s recreational entertainment,” Chen Cui said. “Hey, it’s time. I have  an appointment with someone. When you’ve finished eating, clean up the dishes and cutlery.”

Taking a deep breath Zhou Sisi slowly swallowed the food in her mouth.

~Why let her be born again…

Suddenly a name appeared in her mind again along with an image.

~Perhaps, she could be a little better to this teenager in return…

⸙⸙⸙

She didn’t know when Chen Cui came back, and only heard the movement in the living room early in the morning. When she heard the sound of the door closing, she stepped out of the room.

As she was about to make breakfast, she found out that the rice cooker was steaming with white porridge and two steamed buns, the heat drifting to her face.

There was a sense of confusion that rippled out deep within her heart.

~Again…

She often hated that she was not quick and had an easy temper. Last night, before going to bed, she gritted her teeth and made up the mind to stay away from Chen Cui and sever her relationship immediately– even though Zhou Sisi was a good student, following the rules since childhood, she knew that it was hard to live alone as a minor– now she found her decision wavering.

Soon, she also left the home as if running away.

Walking up the stairs, she realized that her hair was falling apart, and she was in pajamas with cotton slippers so midway through she bowed her head and slowly descended down the stairs.

Feeling weak she leaned back against the door, not only the body that had not eaten for twelve hours felt weak but also her heart felt empty.

Aunt Xu Xuelin on the opposite side began to teach Lu Xi again. She didn’t mean to pry, but Aunt Xu’s voice was actually too loud.

“You must have played a game last night! Sit down!”

“Have you done your homework? Huh?”

“The teacher of the fast-track class texted me that the class would start in the morning. After breakfast, you’re going to class honestly!”

Zhou Sisi had a thought.

“What? Your grandma specially enrolled you in the class, won’t you go?”

“Don’t look at your remarkable little score, and if you don’t make up for your classes, are you planning to beg for food in the future? Lu Xi, where are you going?”

“Going out to beg for food.” Lu Xi, who opened the door carelessly, was taken aback. 

~Why was this little sister standing in the corridor again?